Beam management method and device and network equipment

Abstract

The invention provides a beam management method and device and network equipment, and relates to the technical field of communication, and the method comprises the steps that the network equipment determines the priority of each beam direction in a plurality of beam directions in a beam scanning range; the network equipment sends a first signal in sequence according to the priority order of the plurality of beam directions; the network equipment sequentially receives a first signal measurement result of at least one beam direction sent by a terminal; and when a first signal measurement result of a first beam direction in the at least one beam direction satisfies a preset condition, the network device communicates with the terminal in the first beam direction, and stops beam scanning of the first signal. According to the invention, the problem of relatively high time delay existing in a current beam management method can be solved.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present application relates to the field of communication technology, and in particular to a beam management method, device and network equipment. Background Art

[0002] The communication capacity of the future 6G wireless communication system is expected to increase by 10 to 20 times compared to the 5G system. In order to achieve a significant capacity increase, one of the important enabling technologies is high frequency bands, such as millimeter wave and terahertz bands. High frequency bands can provide a larger bandwidth to meet the demand for capacity increase, but at the same time will produce extremely high path loss. In order to compensate for the high path loss in high frequency bands, wireless communication base stations usually need to use large-scale antenna arrays to transmit narrow beams with high gain and high directivity.

[0003] At present, base stations working in high frequency bands can only transmit narrow beams in one or several directions at the same time to provide communication services. Based on this feature, the process of network equipment communicating with the terminal through beam scanning is as follows: the base station transmits signals in turn on each beam in the beam scanning range, and all beams in the beam scanning range will cover the entire cell range. The terminal measures and reports the measurement results of all received beam directions, and the base station selects the best beam direction from the measurement results reported by the terminal to communicate with the terminal. However, for high-frequency narrow beam scenarios, for example, a large-scale antenna array working in the high frequency band can cover a range of 70 degrees horizontally and vertically, and the half-power angle of the transmitted narrow beam is 5 degrees. Then the antenna array needs to scan 784 beam directions to complete an omnidirectional beam scan, which will result in high latency in high-frequency communication scenarios. Summary of the invention

[0004] The present application provides a beam management method, apparatus and network equipment, which solve the problem of high latency in current beam management methods.

[0005] An embodiment of the present application provides a beam management method, including:

[0006] The network device determines a priority of each beam direction among a plurality of beam directions within a beam scanning range;

[0007] The network device sends the first signal in sequence according to the priority order of the multiple beam directions;

[0008] The network device sequentially receives a first signal measurement result of at least one beam direction sent by the terminal;

[0009] When a first signal measurement result of a first beam direction among the at least one beam direction meets a preset condition, the network device communicates with the terminal in the first beam direction and stops beam scanning of the first signal.

[0010] Optionally, the network device determines a priority of each beam direction among multiple beam directions within a beam scanning range, including:

[0011] The network device determines material information of a reflector surface pointed to by each beam direction; wherein the reflector surface is a surface of a reflector in a physical environment within a beam scanning range of the network device;

[0012] The network device determines the priority of each beam direction according to the material information of the reflector surface to which each beam direction points.

[0013] Optionally, the network device determines material information of a reflector surface pointed to by each beam direction, including:

[0014] The network device obtains physical map data within the beam scanning range and material information of the reflector surface in the physical environment;

[0015] The network device determines the material information of the reflector surface to which each beam direction points based on the physical map data and the material information of the reflector surface in the physical environment.

[0016] Optionally, the first signal is one of the following:

[0017] Synchronization Signal Block (SSB);

[0018] Channel State Information Reference Signal (CSI-RS).

[0019] Optionally, when the first signal is SSB, and when a first signal measurement result of a first beam direction in the at least one beam direction satisfies a preset condition, the network device communicates with the terminal in the first beam direction, including:

[0020] In a case where it is determined according to the first signal measurement result in the first beam direction that a reference signal received power (RSRP) of the SSB is greater than a first threshold, determining that the first signal measurement result in the first beam direction satisfies the preset condition;

[0021] When the first signal measurement result in the first beam direction meets the preset condition, the network device establishes a communication connection with the terminal in the first beam direction.

[0022] Optionally, when the first signal is a CSI-RS, and when a first signal measurement result of a first beam direction in the at least one beam direction satisfies a preset condition, the network device communicates with the terminal in the first beam direction, including:

[0023] In a case where it is determined that the RSRP of the CSI-RS is greater than a second threshold according to the first signal measurement result in the first beam direction, determining that the first signal measurement result in the first beam direction meets the preset condition;

[0024] In a case where the network device has established a communication connection with the terminal in the second beam direction, if the first signal measurement result in the first beam direction meets the preset condition, it switches from the second beam direction to communicating with the terminal in the first beam direction.

[0025] Optionally, after the network device communicates with the terminal in the first beam direction, the network device further includes:

[0026] The network device sends a second signal in all beam directions within the beam scanning range respectively;

[0027] The network device receives a measurement result of a second signal sent by the terminal;

[0028] The network device determines, according to the measurement result of the second signal, an optimal beam direction from all beam directions within the beam scanning range;

[0029] The network device communicates with the terminal in the optimal beam direction.

[0030] Optionally, the second signal is a CSI-RS.

[0031] Optionally, the network device communicates with the terminal in the optimal beam direction, including:

[0032] The network device communicates with the terminal in the first beam direction and the optimal beam direction;

[0033] or,

[0034] The network device switches from the first beam direction to communicate with the terminal in the optimal beam direction.

[0035] An embodiment of the present application provides a beam management device, including a memory, a transceiver, and a processor;

[0036] The memory is used to store computer programs; the transceiver is used to send and receive data under the control of the processor; the processor is used to read the computer program in the memory and perform the following operations:

[0037] determining a priority of each beam direction among a plurality of beam directions within a beam scanning range;

[0038] Sending the first signal in sequence according to the priority order of the multiple beam directions;

[0039] receiving in sequence a first signal measurement result of at least one beam direction sent by a terminal;

[0040] When a first signal measurement result of a first beam direction among the at least one beam direction meets a preset condition, communicating with the terminal in the first beam direction and stopping beam scanning of the first signal.

[0041] Optionally, the processor is configured to read the computer program in the memory and perform the following operations:

[0042] Determine the material information of the reflector surface pointed by each beam direction; wherein the reflector surface is the surface of the reflector in the physical environment within the beam scanning range;

[0043] The priority of each beam direction is determined according to the material information of the reflector surface to which each beam direction points.

[0044] Optionally, the processor is configured to read the computer program in the memory and perform the following operations:

[0045] Obtain physical map data within the beam scanning range and material information of the reflector surface in the physical environment;

[0046] The material information of the reflector surface pointed by each beam direction is determined according to the physical map data and the material information of the reflector surface in the physical environment.

[0047] Optionally, the first signal is one of the following:

[0048] SSB;

[0049] CSI-RS.

[0050] Optionally, when the first signal is SSB, the processor is configured to read the computer program in the memory and perform the following operations:

[0051] In a case where it is determined that the RSRP of the SSB is greater than a first threshold according to the first signal measurement result in the first beam direction, determining that the first signal measurement result in the first beam direction meets the preset condition;

[0052] When the first signal measurement result in the first beam direction meets the preset condition, a communication connection is established with the terminal in the first beam direction.

[0053] Optionally, when the first signal is a CSI-RS, the processor is configured to read a computer program in the memory and perform the following operations:

[0054] In a case where it is determined that the RSRP of the CSI-RS is greater than a second threshold according to the first signal measurement result in the first beam direction, determining that the first signal measurement result in the first beam direction meets the preset condition;

[0055] In a case where a communication connection has been established with the terminal in the second beam direction, if a first signal measurement result in the first beam direction meets the preset condition, switching from the second beam direction to communicating with the terminal in the first beam direction.

[0056] Optionally, the processor is configured to read the computer program in the memory and perform the following operations:

[0057] Sending a second signal in all beam directions within the beam scanning range respectively;

[0058] receiving a measurement result of a second signal sent by the terminal;

[0059] determining an optimal beam direction from all beam directions within the beam scanning range according to a measurement result of the second signal;

[0060] Communicating with the terminal in the optimal beam direction.

[0061] Optionally, the second signal is a CSI-RS.

[0062] Optionally, the processor is configured to read the computer program in the memory and perform the following operations:

[0063] communicating with the terminal in the first beam direction and the optimal beam direction;

[0064] or,

[0065] Switch from the first beam direction to communicate with the terminal in the optimal beam direction.

[0066] The present application provides a network device, including:

[0067] A first determining unit, configured to determine a priority of each beam direction among a plurality of beam directions within a beam scanning range;

[0068] A first sending unit, configured to send a first signal in sequence according to the priority order of the multiple beam directions;

[0069] A first receiving unit, configured to sequentially receive a first signal measurement result of at least one beam direction sent by a terminal;

[0070] The first processing unit is configured to communicate with the terminal in a first beam direction among the at least one beam direction and stop beam scanning of the first signal when a measurement result of a first signal in the first beam direction meets a preset condition.

[0071] An embodiment of the present application provides a processor-readable storage medium, wherein the processor-readable storage medium stores a computer program, and the computer program is used to enable the processor to execute the steps of the beam management method as described above.

[0072] The beneficial effects of the above technical solution of the present application are:

[0073] In an embodiment of the present application, the network device sends a first signal in sequence based on the order of priority of each beam direction in a plurality of beam directions within a beam scanning range, and based on the measurement result of the first signal reported in real time by the terminal, determines that when the measurement result meets a preset condition, the network device communicates with the terminal in the beam direction that meets the preset condition, and stops beam scanning. Compared with a method in which the network device scans in all beam directions and selects the optimal beam from them, the latency is greatly reduced, and lower latency can be achieved for high-frequency band communication scenarios. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0074] Figure 1 A flowchart showing a beam management method according to an embodiment of the present application;

[0075] Figure 2 A schematic diagram showing a reflector surface material recognition scenario according to an embodiment of the present application;

[0076] Figure 3 A reflection loss curve diagram showing the surface materials of common reflectors in the embodiments of the present application;

[0077] Figure 4 A flow chart showing an embodiment of the present application for estimating the surface material of a target reflector by using reflection loss;

[0078] Figure 5 A schematic diagram showing an indoor office scene according to an embodiment of the present application;

[0079] Figure 6 A schematic diagram showing a single-hop reflection path between a base station and a terminal location according to an embodiment of the present application;

[0080] Figure 7A schematic diagram showing a single-hop reflection path between BS3 and P14 in an embodiment of the present application;

[0081] Figure 8 A schematic diagram showing an office scene from the perspective of BS3 in an embodiment of the present application;

[0082] Fig. 9 A block diagram showing a beam management device according to an embodiment of the present application;

[0083] Fig.10 A block diagram showing a network device according to an embodiment of the present application. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0084] In order to make the technical problems, technical solutions and advantages to be solved by the application clearer, the following will be described in detail in conjunction with the accompanying drawings and specific embodiments. In the following description, specific details such as specific configurations and components are provided only to help fully understand the embodiments of the application. Therefore, it should be clear to those skilled in the art that various changes and modifications can be made to the embodiments described herein without departing from the scope and spirit of the application. In addition, for clarity and brevity, the description of known functions and structures has been omitted.

[0085] It should be understood that the references to "one embodiment" or "an embodiment" throughout the specification mean that the specific features, structures, or characteristics associated with the embodiment are included in at least one embodiment of the present application. Therefore, the references to "in one embodiment" or "in an embodiment" appearing throughout the specification do not necessarily refer to the same embodiment. In addition, these specific features, structures, or characteristics may be combined in any suitable manner in one or more embodiments.

[0086] In the various embodiments of the present application, it should be understood that the size of the serial numbers of the following processes does not mean the order of execution. The execution order of each process should be determined by its function and internal logic, and should not constitute any limitation on the implementation process of the embodiments of the present application.

[0087] Additionally, the terms "system" and "network" are often used interchangeably herein.

[0088] The technical solution provided in the embodiment of the present application can be applicable to a variety of systems, especially 5G systems. For example, the applicable system can be a global system of mobile communication (GSM) system, a code division multiple access (CDMA) system, a wideband code division multiple access (WCDMA) general packet radio service (GPRS) system, a long term evolution (LTE) system, a LTE frequency division duplex (FDD) system, a LTE time division duplex (TDD) system, an advanced long term evolution (LTE-A) system, a universal mobile telecommunication system (UMTS), a world-wide interoperability for microwave access (WiMAX) system, a 5G new air interface (NR) system, etc. These various systems include terminal equipment and network equipment. The system may also include a core network part, such as an evolved packet system (EPS), a 5G system (5GS), etc.

[0089] Network devices and terminal devices can each use one or more antennas for multiple-input multiple-output (MIMO) transmission. MIMO transmission can be single-user MIMO (SU-MIMO) or multi-user MIMO (MU-MIMO). Depending on the form and number of antenna combinations, MIMO transmission can be 2D-MIMO, 3D-MIMO, FD-MIMO or massive-MIMO, or it can be diversity transmission, precoded transmission or beamforming transmission, etc.

[0090] In the embodiments of the present application, the term "and / or" describes the association relationship of the associated objects, indicating that three relationships may exist. For example, A and / or B may represent: A exists alone, A and B exist at the same time, and B exists alone. The character " / " generally indicates that the associated objects before and after are in an "or" relationship.

[0091] In the embodiments of the present application, the term "plurality" refers to two or more than two, and other quantifiers are similar.

[0092] The following will be combined with the drawings in the embodiments of the present application to clearly and completely describe the technical solutions in the embodiments of the present application. Obviously, the described embodiments are only part of the embodiments of the present application, not all of the embodiments. Based on the embodiments in the present application, all other embodiments obtained by ordinary technicians in this field without creative work are within the scope of protection of this application.

[0093] The following is an introduction to the relevant technologies involved in this application:

[0094] Beamforming technology includes digital beamforming, analog beamforming and hybrid beamforming.

[0095] Digital beamforming requires each antenna unit to be equipped with a digital-to-analog converter. Its main disadvantages are that it is complex to implement, costly, and consumes a lot of power. Especially in high frequency bands, when a large number of antenna units are equipped with a large number of digital-to-analog converters, the size, cost, and power consumption of the base station radio unit will reach an unacceptable level. Therefore, in high frequency bands, analog beamforming or hybrid beamforming is often used.

[0096] Analog beamforming means that the beam is targeted at a certain carrier. Therefore, in the downlink direction, frequency division multiplexing transmission cannot be provided for terminals distributed in different directions. In other words, the base station can only transmit one beam pointing to a certain direction at a certain time. The base station must transmit beams pointing to different directions at different times. Hybrid beamforming is equipped with several digital-to-analog converters and can transmit beams in several directions at the same time. However, in high frequency bands, this number is usually not large.

[0097] In summary, a base station operating in a high frequency band can only transmit narrow beams in one or several directions at the same time to provide communication services. This feature will cause a large delay in the initial beam establishment process for high frequency band communications. The initial beam establishment process refers to the process of initially establishing a beam pair for the uplink and downlink directions. Taking the 5G system as an example, the initial beam establishment process is a beam scanning process, that is, the base station transmits multiple SSBs, which are transmitted in sequence and each SSB is carried on a different downlink beam, and all beam directions will cover the entire cell range. On the one hand, SSB is associated with the downlink beam direction, and on the other hand, SSB is also associated with uplink random access opportunities, preambles and other resources. The terminal measures the SSB and reports the measurement results of all downlink beam directions. The base station selects the best beam direction based on the measurement results reported by the terminal, for example: the beam direction with the highest RSRP is selected based on the measurement results to establish the initial beam pair.

[0098] Since the 5G protocol supports scanning a maximum of 64 beam directions, the time required to complete an omnidirectional beam scan is relatively short. However, for narrow beam scenarios in high frequency bands, this beam scanning process will take a lot of time to complete an omnidirectional scan, resulting in a large initial beam establishment delay. For example: Consider a large-scale antenna array working in a high frequency band whose beam can cover a range of 70 degrees horizontally and vertically, and the half-power angle of the transmitted narrow beam is 5 degrees. The antenna array needs to scan 784 beam directions to complete an omnidirectional beam scan. Therefore, the current 5G system's beam scanning solution has the problem of a large number of scanned beam directions and a large delay in the initial beam establishment or beam adjustment process for narrow beam scenarios in high frequency bands.

[0099] The present application provides a beam management method, device and network equipment to solve the problem of high latency in the current beam management method. The method and device (or network equipment) are based on the same application concept. Since the principles of solving the problem by the method and device (or network equipment) are similar, the implementation of the method and device (or network equipment) can refer to each other, and the repeated parts will not be repeated.

[0100] like Figure 1 As shown, an embodiment of the present application provides a beam management method, comprising the following steps:

[0101] Step 11: The network device determines the priority of each beam direction among multiple beam directions within the beam scanning range.

[0102] Optionally, the network device may determine multiple beam directions within the beam scanning range according to the beam scanning capability. For example, if the network device has different beam scanning capabilities (such as beam coverage, beam width, etc.) for different signals, different numbers of beam directions may be determined for different signals within its beam scanning range.

[0103] Optionally, the priority of each beam direction can be determined according to the material of the reflector surface in the physical environment, that is, the priority of the beam direction is used to indicate the material of the reflector surface in the physical environment to which the beam direction points. For example: the higher the priority of the beam direction, the smaller the reflection loss of the material of the reflector surface in the physical environment to which the beam direction points. Therefore, considering that the material of the reflector surface is related to the reflection loss of the reflection path, the priority of the beam direction here can also be understood as being used to indicate the reflection loss of the signal reflection path in the physical environment to which the beam direction points, for example: the higher the priority of the beam direction, the smaller the reflection loss, and the corresponding beam has a higher sending priority.

[0104] Step 12: The network device sends the first signal in sequence according to the priority order of the multiple beam directions.

[0105] For example, when a higher priority of a beam direction indicates a smaller reflection loss, the first signal may be sent using beams corresponding to the priorities of the corresponding beam directions in descending order of priority of the multiple beam directions.

[0106] Step 13: The network device sequentially receives the first signal measurement result of at least one beam direction sent by the terminal.

[0107] Optionally, when the network device sends the first signal in multiple beam directions in sequence, from the terminal side, the terminal may not be able to receive the first signal in one or some beam directions, but can receive the first signal in another one or some beam directions. If the terminal receives the first signal, it measures the first signal and reports the measurement result to the network device. Here, at least one beam direction is the beam direction in which the terminal has received the first signal.

[0108] Step 14: When a first signal measurement result of a first beam direction among the at least one beam direction meets a preset condition, the network device communicates with the terminal in the first beam direction and stops beam scanning of the first signal.

[0109] Optionally, the at least one beam direction may be a beam direction in which the terminal has received the first signal. For example, the network device sends the first signal in order of priority of multiple beam directions, the terminal receives the first signal in beam direction 1, the terminal measures and reports the measurement result of the first signal in beam direction 1, and if the measurement result of the first signal in beam direction 1 meets a preset condition (such as RSRP is less than a first threshold), the network device communicates with the terminal in beam direction 1 and stops the beam scanning of the first signal. At this time, the at least one beam direction is beam direction 1, and the first beam direction is also beam direction 1.

[0110] Optionally, the at least one beam direction may be a plurality of beam directions in which the terminal has received the first signal. For example, the network device sends the first signal in order of priority of the plurality of beam directions, the terminal receives the first signal in beam direction 1, the terminal measures and reports the measurement result of the first signal in beam direction 1, if the measurement result of the first signal in beam direction 1 does not meet the preset condition (such as RSRP is less than the first threshold), the network device continues to send the first signal in order of priority of the plurality of beam directions until the measurement result reported by the terminal meets the preset condition. For example: the terminal receives the first signal in beam direction 2, the terminal measures and reports the measurement result of the first signal in beam direction 2, if the measurement result of the first signal in beam direction 2 meets the preset condition (such as RSRP is greater than or equal to the first threshold), the network device communicates with the terminal in beam direction 2 and stops beam scanning. At this time, the at least one beam direction includes beam direction 1 and beam direction 2, and the first beam direction is beam direction 2.

[0111] It should be noted here that when the network device determines the first beam direction for communicating with the terminal in the above embodiment, the number of beam directions in which the terminal receives the first signal and reports the measurement results is only an exemplary illustration, and the embodiments of the present application are not limited to this.

[0112] In an embodiment of the present application, the network device sends a first signal in sequence based on the order of priority of each beam direction in a plurality of beam directions within a beam scanning range, and based on the measurement result of the first signal reported in real time by the terminal, determines that when the measurement result meets a preset condition, the network device communicates with the terminal in the beam direction that meets the preset condition, and stops beam scanning. Compared with a method in which the network device scans in all beam directions and selects the optimal beam from them, the latency is greatly reduced, and lower latency can be achieved for high-frequency band communication scenarios.

[0113] Optionally, the network device determines a priority of each beam direction among multiple beam directions within a beam scanning range, including:

[0114] The network device determines material information of a reflector surface pointed to by each beam direction; wherein the reflector surface is a surface of a reflector in a physical environment within a beam scanning range of the network device;

[0115] The network device determines the priority of each beam direction according to the material information of the reflector surface to which each beam direction points.

[0116] For example, the network device determines multiple beam directions of the first signal within the beam scanning range based on the beam scanning capability of the first signal. The beam scanning capability of the first signal includes but is not limited to: the beam coverage range of the first signal, the beam width of the first signal, etc. In this way, the network device determines the priority of each beam direction based on the material information of the reflector surface to which each beam direction points, for the multiple beam directions of the first signal within the beam scanning range.

[0117] In this embodiment, the material information of the reflector surface reflects the reflection loss caused by the reflection of the signal on the reflector surface. When the reflection loss is smaller, the corresponding beam direction has a higher priority. Since the beam direction with low reflection loss has a high probability of having the lowest total path loss, the material information of the reflector surface is used to determine the transmission priority of each beam direction. When the direction of the reflector surface with low reflection loss is aligned by preferential scanning, the first available beam pair direction scanned has a high probability of being the optimal beam, thereby reducing the delay of initial beam establishment or beam adjustment.

[0118] Material recognition is one of the perception capabilities of the synaesthesia system. The following is an explanation of the principle of estimating the surface material of a reflector using reflection loss:

[0119] When an electromagnetic wave propagating in space hits the surface of an object whose size is larger than the first Fresnel zone, reflection and transmission phenomena will occur, that is, part of the electromagnetic wave energy changes its propagation direction and returns to space, and the rest of the electromagnetic wave energy is transmitted (refracted) into the interior of the object. Both the reflected wave and the transmitted wave produce losses relative to the incident wave. The amplitude ratio of the reflected wave to the incident wave is called the reflection coefficient, and the amplitude ratio of the transmitted wave to the incident wave is called the transmission coefficient. The reflection coefficient and the transmission coefficient depend on factors such as the frequency of the incident wave, the angle of incidence, and the material of the object. By measuring and calculating the reflection coefficient, the electrical properties of the material on the surface of the reflector (such as the dielectric constant and conductivity) can be estimated, and then the material of the surface of the reflector can be estimated.

[0120] like Figure 2 As shown in FIG. 1 , a schematic diagram of a reflector surface material recognition scenario is given. The positions of the transmitting antenna TX and the receiving antenna RX are known. The sensing signal for sensing the material of the reflector surface (Reflecting surface) transmitted by the transmitting antenna is reflected by the reflector surface at the reflection point (Reflection point, RP) and then received by the receiving antenna RX. The path information of the reflection path TX-RP-RX includes: the incident angle θ i , reflection path length d t +d rThe reflection path length can be obtained by ray tracing, time of flight measurement and other technologies. The total path loss (PL) between TX and RX includes: free space path loss (FSPL) and reflection loss (RL).

[0121] The calculation formula of PL is:

[0122] PL=P TX -P RX (1)

[0123] Among them, P TX is the TX antenna transmission power, P RX The RX antenna receives power.

[0124] The calculation formula of FSPL is:

[0125] FSPL(f,d)=32.4+20log 10 (f)+20log 10 (d) (2)

[0126] Where, f is the frequency of the electromagnetic wave, in MHz; d is the length of the reflection path, in km.

[0127] Based on the calculation formula of FSPL, that is, formula (2), substituting the frequency f of the electromagnetic wave and the reflection path length d t +d r , we can calculate the radio wave propagation d t +d r The free space path loss along the reflected path d t +d r , the reflection loss caused by the reflector, that is, the calculation formula of RL is:

[0128] RL=PL-FSPL(f,d) (3)

[0129] The reflection loss caused by the reflector surface of different materials can be obtained by measurement or calculated by Fresnel formula. The calculation process is as follows:

[0130] The Fresnel reflection coefficient r in the vertical (TE) polarization direction is calculated based on the following formula: TE for:

[0131]

[0132] The Fresnel reflection coefficient r in the parallel (TM) polarization direction is calculated based on the following formula TMfor:

[0133]

[0134] Among them, θ i is the incident angle, and η is the relative dielectric constant of the reflector surface. η can be calculated by the following formula:

[0135] η=af b -j17.98cf d / f (6)

[0136] Among them, a, b, c, and d are the real part of the relative dielectric constant and the conductivity of the reflector surface material. The material properties of the reflector surface determine the values ​​of a, b, c, and d.

[0137] In wireless systems, the reflectivity is usually considered. The reflectivity is the ratio of the reflected wave power to the incident wave power. The electromagnetic wave power is the square of the amplitude, so the Fresnel reflectivity R in the TE polarization direction is TE for:

[0138] R TE =|r TE | 2 (7)

[0139] Fresnel reflectivity R in TM polarization direction TM for:

[0140] R TM =|r TM | 2 (8)

[0141] For vertically polarized antennas commonly used in wireless communication systems, the effective reflectivity R e For R TE and R TM The arithmetic mean of is expressed as:

[0142] R e =(R TE +R TM ) / 2 (9)

[0143] Based on the above formula, the reflection loss of common reflector surface materials in the physical environment can be calculated. For example, common reflector surface materials in indoor environments include but are not limited to: polystyrene, glass wool, plywood, gypsum board, glass, etc. Figure 3 The reflection loss curves of polystyrene, glass wool, plywood, gypsum board and glass at an electromagnetic wave frequency of 100 GHz and incident angles from 0 to 80 degrees are given.

[0144] Therefore, based on the above content, it is possible to estimate the surface material of the target reflector using reflection loss, such as Figure 4As shown, the specific process is as follows:

[0145] Step 41: Generate a reflection loss database.

[0146] For example, through a large number of measurements or calculations using the Fresnel formula, the reflection loss of reflective surfaces of different materials at different incident angles and frequencies can be obtained, and a reflection loss database can be generated.

[0147] Step 42: Measure and calculate the reflection loss caused by the surface of the target reflector according to the above steps.

[0148] Step 43: According to the reflection loss and incident angle information, the reflection loss database is queried to estimate the material information of the target reflector surface.

[0149] Optionally, the network device determines material information of a reflector surface pointed to by each beam direction, including:

[0150] The network device obtains physical map data within the beam scanning range and material information of the reflector surface in the physical environment;

[0151] The network device determines the material information of the reflector surface to which each beam direction points based on the physical map data and the material information of the reflector surface in the physical environment.

[0152] For example, the network device can pre-import physical map data (such as a three-dimensional environment map) within the beam scanning range and material information of the surfaces of each reflector in the physical environment. Optionally, the physical map data can be constructed by using technologies such as Simultaneous Localization and Mapping (SLAM) and laser radar. The material information of the reflector surface can be obtained by combining ray tracing technology with the above-mentioned reflection loss estimation, or by other identification methods, etc., and the embodiments of the present application are not limited thereto.

[0153] In this way, the network device determines multiple beam directions within its beam scanning range based on its own beam scanning capability, and based on the pre-imported physical map data and the material information of the reflector surface in the physical environment, it can determine the material information of the reflector surface pointed to by each beam direction.

[0154] In this embodiment, the material information of the reflector surface pointed to by each beam direction within the beam scanning range is determined by pre-importing physical map data and material information of the reflector surface in the physical environment into the network device. This eliminates the need for measurement and calculation by the network device during the scanning process, reduces a large amount of data processing, and improves scanning efficiency.

[0155] Optionally, the first signal is one of the following: SSB; CSI-RS.

[0156] For example: before the initial beam is established, the network device determines the priority of each of the multiple SSB beam directions within the beam scanning range, and sends the SSB beam according to the priority order of the multiple SSB beam directions to establish a connection with the terminal; for example, the network device receives the measurement result of the SSB sent by the terminal, and establishes a connection with the terminal in the beam direction where the measurement result meets the preset conditions, thereby enabling the network device to quickly establish an initial beam with the terminal.

[0157] For example: after the initial beam is established (for example, due to factors such as the mobility of the terminal or reflector), the network device determines the priority of each beam direction among multiple CSI-RS beam directions within the beam scanning range, and sends the CSI-RS beam according to the priority order of the multiple CSI-RS beam directions to adjust the beam to ensure the communication quality with the terminal; for example, the network device receives the measurement result of the CSI-RS sent by the terminal, and adjusts to the beam direction where the measurement result meets the preset conditions to communicate with the terminal, thereby realizing rapid adjustment of the beam between the network device and the terminal.

[0158] Optionally, when the first signal is SSB, and when a first signal measurement result of a first beam direction in the at least one beam direction satisfies a preset condition, the network device communicates with the terminal in the first beam direction, including:

[0159] In a case where it is determined that the RSRP of the SSB is greater than a first threshold according to the first signal measurement result in the first beam direction, determining that the first signal measurement result in the first beam direction meets the preset condition;

[0160] When the first signal measurement result in the first beam direction meets the preset condition, the network device establishes a communication connection with the terminal in the first beam direction.

[0161] For example, before the initial beam is established, it is unknown whether there is a path between the base station and the terminal. Based on the beam scanning capability of SSB (for example: beam coverage of SSB, beam width of SSB), the network device determines multiple beam directions for sending SSB within the beam scanning range. For example, when the network device obtains the physical map data within the beam scanning range and the material information of the reflector surface in the physical environment, it can determine the material information of the reflector surface in the physical environment to which each beam direction of the SSB is pointed, and determine the priority of each beam direction for sending SSB based on the material information of the reflector surface. The network device sends SSB in sequence according to the priority of each beam direction for sending SSB, and the terminal receives SSB and reports the measurement in real time. When the measurement result sent by the terminal is that the RSRP of SSB is greater than the first threshold, that is, it is determined that the beam direction corresponding to the measurement result is an available beam direction (that is, the first beam direction), the network device stops the beam scanning and establishes a communication connection with the terminal in this beam direction, that is, the initial beam establishment is realized, thereby avoiding the large amount of delay caused by waiting for all beam scans to be completed before establishing a connection. This ensures that the network device and the terminal can quickly determine the beam direction with lower total path loss and establish a communication connection, and can solve the problem of large initial beam establishment delay in high-frequency scenarios.

[0162] The above initial beam establishment process is described below in conjunction with a specific embodiment:

[0163] Taking the establishment of the initial beam pair between the network device (such as the base station) and the terminal as an example, the base station obtains the physical map data within its beam scanning range (or communication range, or coverage range) in advance, and senses the material of the surface of each reflector in the physical environment in advance, then the base station can know the reflection loss size of each SSB beam direction (the reflection loss size mentioned here is not limited to a specific value, it can be understood as the relative size of the reflection loss between different SSB beam directions). For example, continue to refer to Figure 3 , without considering the incident angle, it can be known that the reflection loss caused by glass material is lower than the reflection loss caused by other common materials. Therefore, based on the material of the reflector surface in the physical environment pointed by the SSB beam direction, the relative size of the reflection loss between each SSB beam direction can be estimated. Based on the above principles, the initial beam establishment process of the embodiment of the present application includes the following steps:

[0164] Step 1: The synaesthesia integration system (the synaesthesia integration system may include multiple network devices, such as base stations) imports physical map data (such as a three-dimensional environment map) within its communication range and material information on the surface of the reflector in the physical environment. For example, the three-dimensional environment map can be constructed through technologies such as SLAM and laser radar; the material information on the surface of the reflector can be obtained by combining ray tracing technology and reflection loss estimation, or by other identification methods, etc., and the embodiments of the present application are not limited to this.

[0165] It should be noted here that step one is the pre-preparation stage, that is, the synaesthesia integration system can pre-import physical map data and material information on the surface of reflectors in the physical environment without having to perform an import before each beam scan by the base station. Of course, the embodiment of the present application is not limited to supporting the synaesthesia integration system to update physical map data and material information on the surface of reflectors in the physical environment.

[0166] Step 2: The synaesthesia integration system analyzes the SSB beam scanning angle range of each base station in the synaesthesia integration system according to the SSB beam scanning capability of each network device (such as a base station) and determines multiple beam directions. And through the physical map data and the material information of the reflector surface in the physical environment, the material information corresponding to the reflector surface pointed to by each SSB beam direction can be determined.

[0167] Step 3: Based on the material information of the reflector surface pointed by each SSB beam direction, the relative magnitude of the reflection loss between different SSB beam directions can be obtained, and the material information of the reflector surface can be sorted from low to high according to the reflection loss. For example, the reflector surface materials in the physical environment include polystyrene, glass wool, plywood, gypsum board, and glass. Figure 3 From the data, we can see that the reflection loss caused by the surface material of the reflector is arranged from low to high in the following order: glass material, gypsum board material, plywood material, glass wool material, and polystyrene material.

[0168] Step 4: Determine the priority of each SSB beam direction according to the material information of the reflector surface in the physical environment in the order of reflection loss from low to high. For example, the SSB beam direction pointing to the reflector surface material with low reflection loss has a high priority, and vice versa. That is, the base station preferentially scans the SSB beam direction pointing to the reflector surface material with low reflection loss. Continuing with the material in step 3 as an example, the base station should first beam scan the SSB beam direction pointing to the glass material, and then beam scan the SSB beam direction pointing to the gypsum board material, plywood material, glass wool material, and polystyrene material in turn.

[0169] Step 5: When the base station needs to establish a communication connection with a non-connected terminal in an unknown location, that is, in the initial beam establishment phase, the base station scans each SSB beam direction in turn according to the priority order of the SSB beam direction obtained in step 4. The terminal measures and reports the measurement results (such as RSRP) of the SSB in each beam direction in real time. When the terminal measures that the RSRP of the SSB in a certain beam direction is greater than the first threshold, the base station establishes a communication connection in the SSB beam direction and no longer scans the remaining SSB beam directions, thereby achieving the effect of reducing the initial beam establishment delay.

[0170] Optionally, when the first signal is a CSI-RS, and when a first signal measurement result of a first beam direction in the at least one beam direction satisfies a preset condition, the network device communicates with the terminal in the first beam direction, including:

[0171] In a case where it is determined that the RSRP of the CSI-RS is greater than a second threshold according to the first signal measurement result in the first beam direction, determining that the first signal measurement result in the first beam direction meets the preset condition;

[0172] In a case where the network device has established a communication connection with the terminal in the second beam direction, if the first signal measurement result in the first beam direction meets the preset condition, it switches from the second beam direction to communicating with the terminal in the first beam direction.

[0173] For example, after the initial beam is established, the established communication path may be blocked due to the movement of the terminal or the reflector in the physical environment, so beam adjustment is required to ensure the communication quality. During the beam adjustment process, the network device determines the multiple beam directions for sending CSI-RS within the beam scanning range based on the beam scanning capability of CSI-RS (for example: the beam coverage of CSI-RS, the beam width of CSI-RS). For example, when the network device obtains the physical map data within the beam scanning range and the material information of the reflector surface in the physical environment, it can determine the material information of the reflector surface in the physical environment to which each beam direction of sending CSI-RS points, and determine the priority of each beam direction of sending CSI-RS based on the material information of the reflector surface. The network device sends CSI-RS in sequence according to the priority of each beam direction of sending CSI-RS, and the terminal receives CSI-RS and performs measurement and reporting in real time. When the measurement result sent by the terminal is that the RSRP of the CSI-RS is greater than the first threshold, that is, it is determined that the beam direction corresponding to the measurement result is an available beam direction (i.e., the first beam direction), the network device stops beam scanning and switches to this beam direction to communicate with the terminal, that is, to implement initial beam adjustment, thereby avoiding the large amount of delay caused by adjusting the beam after waiting for all beam scans to be completed. In this way, it is ensured that the network device and the terminal can quickly determine the beam direction with lower total path loss and adjust the communication path, so that the terminal can quickly adjust to the available beam for communication, and can solve the problem of large beam adjustment delay in high-frequency scenarios.

[0174] The above beam adjustment process is described below in conjunction with a specific embodiment:

[0175] Taking the beam adjustment after the initial beam pair is established between the network device (such as a base station) and the terminal as an example, the established communication path may be blocked due to the movement of the terminal or reflectors in the physical environment, so beam adjustment is required to ensure communication quality. The beam adjustment process of the embodiment of the present application includes the following steps:

[0176] Step 1: The synaesthesia integration system (the synaesthesia integration system may include multiple network devices, such as base stations) imports physical map data (such as a three-dimensional environment map) within its communication range and material information on the surface of the reflector in the physical environment. For example, the three-dimensional environment map can be constructed through technologies such as SLAM and laser radar; the material information on the surface of the reflector can be obtained by combining ray tracing technology and reflection loss estimation, or by other identification methods, etc., and the embodiments of the present application are not limited to this.

[0177] It should be noted here that step one is the pre-preparation stage, that is, the synaesthesia integration system can pre-import physical map data and material information on the surface of reflectors in the physical environment without having to perform an import before each beam scan by the base station. Of course, the embodiment of the present application is not limited to supporting the synaesthesia integration system to update physical map data and material information on the surface of reflectors in the physical environment.

[0178] Step 2: The synaesthesia integration system analyzes the CSI-RS beam scanning angle range of each base station in the synaesthesia integration system according to the CSI-RS beam scanning capability of each network device (such as a base station) and determines multiple beam directions. The material information corresponding to the reflector surface pointed to by each CSI-RS beam direction can be determined through the physical map data and the material information of the reflector surface in the physical environment.

[0179] Step 3: Based on the material information of the reflector surface pointed by each CSI-RS beam direction, the relative magnitude of the reflection loss between different CSI-RS beam directions can be obtained, and the material information of the reflector surface is sorted from low to high according to the reflection loss. For example, the reflector surface materials in the physical environment include polystyrene, glass wool, plywood, gypsum board, and glass. Figure 3 From the data, we can see that the reflection loss caused by the surface material of the reflector is arranged from low to high in the following order: glass material, gypsum board material, plywood material, glass wool material, and polystyrene material.

[0180] Step 4: Determine the priority of each CSI-RS beam direction according to the material information of the reflector surface in the physical environment in the order of reflection loss from low to high. For example, the CSI-RS beam direction pointing to the reflector surface material with low reflection loss has a high priority, and vice versa. That is, the base station preferentially scans the CSI-RS beam direction pointing to the reflector surface material with low reflection loss. Continuing with the material in step 3 as an example, the base station should first beam scan the CSI-RS beam direction pointing to the glass material, and then beam scan the CSI-RS beam direction pointing to the gypsum board material, plywood material, glass wool material, and polystyrene material in turn.

[0181] Step 5: When the base station needs to adjust the communication connection with the terminal in the connected state, that is, in the beam adjustment stage, the base station scans each CSI-RS beam direction in turn according to the priority order of the CSI-RS beam direction obtained in step 4. The terminal measures and reports the measurement results (such as RSRP) of the CSI-RS in each beam direction in real time. When the terminal measures that the RSRP of the CSI-RS in a certain beam direction is greater than the second threshold, the base station adjusts the established communication connection to the CSI-RS beam direction, and no longer scans the remaining CSI-RS beam directions, thereby achieving the effect of reducing the beam adjustment delay.

[0182] Optionally, after the network device communicates with the terminal in the first beam direction, the network device further includes:

[0183] The network device sends a second signal in all beam directions within the beam scanning range respectively;

[0184] The network device receives a measurement result of a second signal sent by the terminal;

[0185] The network device determines, according to the measurement result of the second signal, an optimal beam direction from all beam directions within the beam scanning range;

[0186] The network device communicates with the terminal in the optimal beam direction.

[0187] In this embodiment, the first signal is sent in sequence based on the priority order of multiple beam directions, and based on the measurement result of the first signal reported in real time by the terminal, when it is determined that the measurement result meets the preset condition, communication is performed with the terminal in the beam direction that meets the preset condition, and the beam scanning is stopped. This ensures that an available beam between the network device and the terminal can be quickly found to quickly establish a connection or perform beam adjustment, greatly reducing latency. On the basis that an available beam can be quickly found to establish or adjust a communication path between the network device and the terminal, the network device can further perform beam scanning of a second signal in all beam directions within the beam scanning range to find the optimal beam for communication while ensuring communication, thereby facilitating communication quality between the network device and the terminal.

[0188] Optionally, the second signal is a CSI-RS. Taking the following CSI-RS beam scanning to determine the optimal beam as an example, description is given:

[0189] Based on the above-mentioned beam scanning of the first signal based on the priority order of multiple beam directions to quickly establish the initial beam or perform beam adjustment, the network device can continue to search for a better path between it and the terminal, such as: line of sight (LOS) path. The specific process is: the network device transmits CSI-RS beams in all CSI-RS beam directions in turn, and the terminal measures and reports the measurement results. The network device can determine the quality of other paths except the path for establishing a communication connection based on the reported results, and determine the optimal beam direction. Among them, the network device can select one or more paths to establish a communication connection with the terminal according to its own capabilities (that is, the optimal beam direction can be one or more beam directions).

[0190] Optionally, the network device communicates with the terminal in the optimal beam direction, including:

[0191] The network device communicates with the terminal in the first beam direction and the optimal beam direction; or, the network device switches from the first beam direction to communicating with the terminal in the optimal beam direction.

[0192] For example, when the optimal beam direction is determined, the network device can switch to the optimal beam direction to communicate with the terminal to ensure the communication quality. Alternatively, in the scenario of hybrid beamforming, the network device can transmit beams in several directions at the same time. The network device can select one or more paths to establish a communication connection with the terminal according to its own capabilities, and maintain the established communication path with the terminal. In this way, communication gains such as space division multiplexing and transmit diversity can be achieved through the multiple paths established to ensure communication quality.

[0193] The following describes the initial beam establishment process of the embodiment of the present application in combination with simulation data:

[0194] like Figure 5 As shown, an indoor office scene is simulated, and the materials of the surfaces in the office are set as follows: the front wall is polystyrene; the back wall is glass; the left and right walls are glass wool; the ceiling is gypsum board; the floor and partition walls are plywood.

[0195] For reflection paths with two or more reflections, since the reflection loss is too large, this embodiment takes the reflection path with one reflection as an example. Four base stations BS1~BS4 are installed in the indoor environment. The beam transmitted by the base station is set to cover a range of 70 degrees horizontally and vertically. The half-power angle of the transmitted narrow beam is 5 degrees. The normal direction of the antenna points to the center of the office. P1~P28 are possible positions of the terminal. By performing ray tracing operations between all BSs and all terminal positions, all single-hop reflection paths between any base station and terminal position pairs can be obtained, a total of 430, such as Figure 6 shown.

[0196] To quantify the performance of the proposed method, the path from BS3 to P14 is taken as an example. According to the above method, BS3 should first scan the direction of the back wall (glass). If no suitable path is found, it will continue to scan the direction of the ceiling (gypsum board). And so on. Figure 7 All single-hop reflection paths between BS3 and P14 are illustrated, including path 1 to path 5. Path information of path 1 to path 5 includes: path length, free space loss, reflection loss and total path loss, as shown in Table 1.

[0197] Table 1

[0198]

[0199] From the data in Table 1, we can see that the reflection loss of path 1 is lower than that of other paths. Although the FSPL of path 1 is not the lowest, path 1 is still the optimal path in terms of total path loss.

[0200] Figure 8 The figure is a schematic diagram of an office scene from the perspective of BS3. The circles represent all narrow beam directions; the polygons represent the boundaries of reflective surfaces of different materials. Circle A represents the beam direction corresponding to the reflection point of path 1; circle B represents the beam direction corresponding to the reflection point of path 2; circle C represents the beam direction corresponding to the reflection point of path 3; circle D represents the beam direction corresponding to the reflection point of path 4; circle E represents the beam direction corresponding to the reflection point of path 5. That is, BS3 emits a narrow beam in the direction of circle A, and the beam can be reflected by the back wall to reach the position P14.

[0201] If BS3 transmits the SSB beam in a zigzag pattern, that is, scanning from left to right and then from bottom to top. BS3 will Figure 8 The black line in the middle sequentially scans the back wall (glass). After scanning 34 beam directions, BS3 will scan to circle A. At this time, the beam is reflected by the back wall and reaches the terminal at position P14. The terminal will measure the SSB and report it to BS3. BS3 establishes a communication connection with the terminal along this direction. Compared with the traditional omni-directional scanning (784 beam directions), the embodiment of the present application only scans 34 beam directions to find a better reflection path, and the delay is shortened by 95.7% (750 / 784) compared with the traditional omni-directional scanning.

[0202] To verify the universality of the embodiment of the present application, for all base station and terminal position pairs (from BS1-P1 to BS4-P28), that is, Figure 6 The 430 paths shown are used for verification, and the success rate of finding the optimal path (with the lowest total path loss) is 73.8%, and the delay is shortened by 95.4% compared with the traditional omni-directional scanning.

[0203] Compared with the traditional omnidirectional beam scanning solution, the embodiment of the present application can greatly shorten the delay of initial beam establishment or beam adjustment, and can establish the optimal reflection path with a high probability, which helps to improve the performance of services with high latency requirements, such as ultra-reliable and low latency communications (URLLC) services.

[0204] The network device involved in the embodiment of the present application may be a base station, which may include multiple cells providing services for the terminal. Depending on the specific application scenario, the base station may also be called an access point, or may be a device in the access network that communicates with the wireless terminal device through one or more sectors on the air interface, or other names. The network device may be used to interchange received air frames with Internet Protocol (IP) packets, and serve as a router between the wireless terminal device and the rest of the access network, wherein the rest of the access network may include an Internet Protocol (IP) communication network. The network device may also coordinate the attribute management of the air interface. For example, the network device involved in the embodiments of the present application may be a network device (Base Transceiver Station, BTS) in the Global System for Mobile communications (Global System for Mobile communications, GSM) or Code Division Multiple Access (Code Division Multiple Access, CDMA), or a network device (NodeB) in Wide-band Code Division Multiple Access (WCDMA), or an evolutionary network device (evolutional Node B, eNB or e-NodeB) in the long term evolution (long term evolution, LTE) system, a 5G base station (gNB) in the 5G network architecture (next generation system), or a home evolved Node B (Home evolved Node B, HeNB), a relay node, a home base station (femto), a pico base station (pico), etc., which is not limited in the embodiments of the present application. In some network structures, the network device may include a centralized unit (CU) node and a distributed unit (DU) node, and the centralized unit and the distributed unit may also be arranged geographically separately.

[0205] The terminal involved in the embodiment of the present application may be a device that provides voice and / or data connectivity to a user, a handheld device with a wireless connection function, or other processing devices connected to a wireless modem. In different systems, the name of the terminal may also be different. For example, in a 5G system, the terminal may be called a user equipment (UE). A wireless terminal can communicate with one or more core networks (CN) via a radio access network (RAN). The wireless terminal may be a mobile terminal, such as a mobile phone (or a "cellular" phone) and a computer with a mobile terminal. For example, it may be a portable, pocket-sized, handheld, computer-built-in or vehicle-mounted mobile device that exchanges language and / or data with a radio access network. For example, personal communication service (PCS) phones, cordless phones, session initiation protocol (SIP) phones, wireless local loop (WLL) stations, personal digital assistants (PDAs) and other devices. A wireless terminal may also be referred to as a system, a subscriber unit, a subscriber station, a mobile station, a mobile station, a remote station, an access point, a remote terminal, an access terminal, a user terminal, a user agent, and a user device, but is not limited thereto in the embodiments of the present application.

[0206] The above embodiments introduce the beam management method of the present application. The following embodiments will further illustrate the corresponding devices and network equipment in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.

[0207] like Fig. 9 As shown, an embodiment of the present application provides a beam management device, including a memory 91, a transceiver 92, and a processor 93; wherein the memory 91 is used to store a computer program; the transceiver 92 is used to send and receive data under the control of the processor 93; the transceiver 92 is used to receive and send data under the control of the processor 93; the processor 93 is used to read the computer program in the memory 91 and perform the following operations:

[0208] determining a priority of each beam direction among a plurality of beam directions within a beam scanning range;

[0209] Sending the first signal in sequence according to the priority order of the multiple beam directions;

[0210] receiving in sequence a first signal measurement result of at least one beam direction sent by a terminal;

[0211] When a first signal measurement result of a first beam direction among the at least one beam direction meets a preset condition, communicating with the terminal in the first beam direction and stopping beam scanning of the first signal.

[0212] Optionally, the processor 93 is configured to read the computer program in the memory 91 and perform the following operations:

[0213] Determine the material information of the reflector surface pointed by each beam direction; wherein the reflector surface is the surface of the reflector in the physical environment within the beam scanning range;

[0214] The priority of each beam direction is determined according to the material information of the reflector surface to which each beam direction points.

[0215] Optionally, the processor 93 is configured to read the computer program in the memory 91 and perform the following operations:

[0216] Obtain physical map data within the beam scanning range and material information of the reflector surface in the physical environment;

[0217] The material information of the reflector surface pointed by each beam direction is determined according to the physical map data and the material information of the reflector surface in the physical environment.

[0218] Optionally, the first signal is one of the following:

[0219] Synchronization signal block SSB;

[0220] Channel State Information Reference Signal CSI-RS.

[0221] Optionally, when the first signal is SSB, the processor 93 is configured to read the computer program in the memory 91 and perform the following operations:

[0222] In a case where it is determined that the reference signal received power RSRP of the SSB is greater than the first threshold according to the first signal measurement result in the first beam direction, determining that the first signal measurement result in the first beam direction meets the preset condition;

[0223] When the first signal measurement result in the first beam direction meets the preset condition, a communication connection is established with the terminal in the first beam direction.

[0224] Optionally, when the first signal is a CSI-RS, the processor 93 is configured to read a computer program in the memory 91 and perform the following operations:

[0225] In a case where it is determined that the RSRP of the CSI-RS is greater than a second threshold according to the first signal measurement result in the first beam direction, determining that the first signal measurement result in the first beam direction meets the preset condition;

[0226] In a case where a communication connection has been established with the terminal in the second beam direction, if a first signal measurement result in the first beam direction meets the preset condition, switching from the second beam direction to communicating with the terminal in the first beam direction.

[0227] Optionally, the processor 93 is configured to read the computer program in the memory 91 and perform the following operations:

[0228] Sending a second signal in all beam directions within the beam scanning range respectively;

[0229] receiving a measurement result of a second signal sent by the terminal;

[0230] determining an optimal beam direction from all beam directions within the beam scanning range according to a measurement result of the second signal;

[0231] Communicating with the terminal in the optimal beam direction.

[0232] Optionally, the second signal is a CSI-RS.

[0233] Optionally, the processor 93 is configured to read the computer program in the memory 91 and perform the following operations:

[0234] communicating with the terminal in the first beam direction and the optimal beam direction;

[0235] or,

[0236] Switch from the first beam direction to communicate with the terminal in the optimal beam direction.

[0237] Among them, Fig. 9In the embodiment, the bus architecture may include any number of interconnected buses and bridges, specifically one or more processors represented by processor 93 and various circuits of memory represented by memory 91 are linked together. The bus architecture may also link together various other circuits such as peripheral devices, voltage regulators, and power management circuits, which are well known in the art and are therefore not further described herein. The bus interface provides an interface. The transceiver 92 may be a plurality of components, namely, a transmitter and a receiver, providing a unit for communicating with various other devices on a transmission medium, such as a wireless channel, a wired channel, an optical cable, and the like. The processor 93 is responsible for managing the bus architecture and general processing, and the memory 91 may store data used by the processor 93 when performing operations.

[0238] The processor 93 may be a central processing unit (CPU), an application specific integrated circuit (ASIC), a field programmable gate array (FPGA) or a complex programmable logic device (CPLD). The processor may also adopt a multi-core architecture.

[0239] It should be noted here that the above-mentioned device provided in the embodiment of the present application can implement all the method steps implemented in the above-mentioned beam processing method embodiment, and can achieve the same technical effect. The parts and beneficial effects of this embodiment that are the same as the method embodiment will not be described in detail here.

[0240] like Fig.10 As shown, the embodiment of the present application also provides a network device 1000, including:

[0241] A first determining unit 1010 is used to determine the priority of each beam direction among multiple beam directions within the beam scanning range;

[0242] A first sending unit 1020 is configured to send a first signal in sequence according to the priority order of the multiple beam directions;

[0243] The first receiving unit 1030 is used to sequentially receive a first signal measurement result of at least one beam direction sent by the terminal;

[0244] The first processing unit 1040 is configured to communicate with the terminal in a first beam direction among the at least one beam direction and stop beam scanning of the first signal when a measurement result of a first signal in the first beam direction meets a preset condition.

[0245] Optionally, the first determining unit 1010 is further configured to:

[0246] Determine the material information of the reflector surface pointed to by each beam direction; wherein the reflector surface is the surface of the reflector in the physical environment within the beam scanning range of the network device;

[0247] The priority of each beam direction is determined according to the material information of the reflector surface to which each beam direction points.

[0248] Optionally, the first determining unit 1010 is further configured to:

[0249] Obtain physical map data within the beam scanning range and material information of the reflector surface in the physical environment;

[0250] The material information of the reflector surface pointed by each beam direction is determined according to the physical map data and the material information of the reflector surface in the physical environment.

[0251] Optionally, the first signal is one of the following:

[0252] Synchronization signal block SSB;

[0253] Channel State Information Reference Signal CSI-RS.

[0254] Optionally, when the first signal is SSB, the first processing unit 1040 is further configured to:

[0255] In a case where it is determined that the reference signal received power RSRP of the SSB is greater than the first threshold according to the first signal measurement result in the first beam direction, determining that the first signal measurement result in the first beam direction meets the preset condition;

[0256] When the first signal measurement result in the first beam direction meets the preset condition, a communication connection is established with the terminal in the first beam direction.

[0257] Optionally, when the first signal is a CSI-RS, the first processing unit 1040 is further configured to:

[0258] In a case where it is determined that the RSRP of the CSI-RS is greater than a second threshold according to the first signal measurement result in the first beam direction, determining that the first signal measurement result in the first beam direction meets the preset condition;

[0259] In a case where a communication connection has been established with the terminal in the second beam direction, if a first signal measurement result in the first beam direction meets the preset condition, switching from the second beam direction to communicating with the terminal in the first beam direction.

[0260] Optionally, the network device 1000 further includes:

[0261] A second sending unit, used to send a second signal in all beam directions within the beam scanning range;

[0262] A second receiving unit, configured to receive a measurement result of a second signal sent by the terminal;

[0263] a second determining unit, configured to determine an optimal beam direction from all beam directions within the beam scanning range according to a measurement result of the second signal;

[0264] The second processing unit is configured to communicate with the terminal in the optimal beam direction.

[0265] Optionally, the second signal is a CSI-RS.

[0266] Optionally, the second processing unit is further used for:

[0267] communicating with the terminal in the first beam direction and the optimal beam direction;

[0268] or,

[0269] Switch from the first beam direction to communicate with the terminal in the optimal beam direction.

[0270] It should be noted that the division of units in the embodiments of the present application is schematic and is only a logical function division. There may be other division methods in actual implementation. In addition, each functional unit in each embodiment of the present application may be integrated into a processing unit, or each unit may exist physically separately, or two or more units may be integrated into one unit. The above-mentioned integrated unit may be implemented in the form of hardware or in the form of software functional units.

[0271] If the integrated unit is implemented in the form of a software functional unit and sold or used as an independent product, it can be stored in a processor-readable storage medium. Based on this understanding, the technical solution of the present application is essentially or the part that contributes to the prior art or all or part of the technical solution can be embodied in the form of a software product, and the computer software product is stored in a storage medium, including a number of instructions to enable a computer device (which can be a personal computer, server, or network device, etc.) or a processor (processor) to perform all or part of the steps of the method described in each embodiment of the present application. The aforementioned storage medium includes: U disk, mobile hard disk, read-only memory (Read-Only Memory, ROM), random access memory (Random Access Memory, RAM), disk or optical disk and other media that can store program codes.

[0272] It should be noted here that the above-mentioned network device provided in the embodiment of the present application can implement all the method steps implemented in the above-mentioned beam management method embodiment, and can achieve the same technical effect. The parts and beneficial effects of this embodiment that are the same as the method embodiment will not be described in detail here.

[0273] An embodiment of the present application also provides a processor-readable storage medium, which stores a computer program. The computer program is used to enable the processor to execute the steps of the above-mentioned beam management method and can achieve the same technical effect. The parts and beneficial effects of this embodiment that are the same as those of the method embodiment will not be described in detail here.

[0274] The processor-readable storage medium can be any available medium or data storage device that can be accessed by the processor, including but not limited to magnetic storage (such as floppy disks, hard disks, magnetic tapes, magneto-optical disks (MO), etc.), optical storage (such as CD, DVD, BD, HVD, etc.), and semiconductor storage (such as ROM, EPROM, EEPROM, non-volatile memory (NANDFLASH), solid-state drive (SSD)), etc.

[0275] Those skilled in the art will appreciate that the embodiments of the present application may be provided as methods, systems, or computer program products. Therefore, the present application may adopt the form of a complete hardware embodiment, a complete software embodiment, or an embodiment in combination with software and hardware. Moreover, the present application may adopt the form of a computer program product implemented on one or more computer-usable storage media (including but not limited to disk storage and optical storage, etc.) that contain computer-usable program code.

[0276] The present application is described with reference to the flowcharts and / or block diagrams of the methods, devices (systems), and computer program products according to the embodiments of the present application. It should be understood that each process and / or box in the flowchart and / or block diagram, as well as the combination of the processes and / or boxes in the flowchart and / or block diagram, can be implemented by computer executable instructions. These computer executable instructions can be provided to a processor of a general-purpose computer, a special-purpose computer, an embedded processor, or other programmable data processing device to generate a machine, so that the instructions executed by the processor of the computer or other programmable data processing device generate instructions for implementing the processes in the flowchart and / or block diagram. Figure 1 A process or multiple processes and / or boxes Figure 1 A device that provides the functions specified in a block or multiple blocks.

[0277] These processor executable instructions may also be stored in a processor readable memory that can direct a computer or other programmable data processing device to operate in a specific manner, so that the instructions stored in the processor readable memory produce an article of manufacture including an instruction device, which implements the process Figure 1 A process or multiple processes and / or boxes Figure 1 A function specified in one or more boxes.

[0278] These processor-executable instructions may also be loaded onto a computer or other programmable data processing device so that a series of operational steps are executed on the computer or other programmable device to produce a computer-implemented process, thereby providing instructions for executing on the computer or other programmable device to implement the process. Figure 1 A process or multiple processes and / or boxes Figure 1 The steps for the functions specified in one or more boxes.

[0279] In addition, it should be noted that in the device and method of the present application, it is obvious that each component or each step can be decomposed and / or recombined. These decompositions and / or recombinations should be regarded as equivalent schemes of the present application. In addition, the steps of performing the above-mentioned series of processes can be naturally performed in chronological order according to the order of description, but it is not necessary to perform in chronological order, and some steps can be performed in parallel or independently of each other. For those of ordinary skill in the art, it is possible to understand that all or any steps or components of the method and device of the present application can be implemented in any computing device (including processors, storage media, etc.) or a network of computing devices with hardware, firmware, software or a combination thereof, which can be realized by those of ordinary skill in the art using their basic programming skills after reading the description of the present application.

[0280] Obviously, those skilled in the art can make various changes and modifications to the present application without departing from the spirit and scope of the present application. Thus, if these modifications and variations of the present application fall within the scope of the claims of the present application and their equivalents, the present application is also intended to include these modifications and variations.

Claims

1. A beam management method, characterized in that: include: The network device determines a priority of each beam direction among a plurality of beam directions within a beam scanning range; The network device sends the first signal in sequence according to the priority order of the multiple beam directions; The network device sequentially receives a first signal measurement result of at least one beam direction sent by the terminal; When a first signal measurement result of a first beam direction among the at least one beam direction meets a preset condition, the network device communicates with the terminal in the first beam direction and stops beam scanning of the first signal.

2. The beam management method according to claim 1, characterized in that: The network device determines a priority of each beam direction among a plurality of beam directions within a beam scanning range, including: The network device determines material information of a reflector surface pointed to by each beam direction; wherein the reflector surface is a surface of a reflector in a physical environment within a beam scanning range of the network device; The network device determines the priority of each beam direction according to the material information of the reflector surface to which each beam direction points.

3. The beam management method according to claim 2, characterized in that: The network device determines the material information of the reflector surface pointed by each beam direction, including: The network device obtains physical map data within the beam scanning range and material information of the reflector surface in the physical environment; The network device determines the material information of the reflector surface to which each beam direction points based on the physical map data and the material information of the reflector surface in the physical environment.

4. The beam management method according to claim 1, characterized in that: The first signal is one of the following: Synchronization signal block SSB; Channel State Information Reference Signal CSI-RS.

5. The beam management method according to claim 1, characterized in that: In a case where the first signal is SSB, and in a case where a first signal measurement result of a first beam direction in the at least one beam direction satisfies a preset condition, the network device communicates with the terminal in the first beam direction, including: In a case where it is determined that the reference signal received power RSRP of the SSB is greater than the first threshold according to the first signal measurement result in the first beam direction, determining that the first signal measurement result in the first beam direction meets the preset condition; When the first signal measurement result in the first beam direction meets the preset condition, the network device establishes a communication connection with the terminal in the first beam direction.

6. The beam management method according to claim 1, characterized in that: In a case where the first signal is a CSI-RS, and in a case where a first signal measurement result in a first beam direction among the at least one beam direction satisfies a preset condition, the network device communicating with the terminal in the first beam direction includes: In a case where it is determined that the RSRP of the CSI-RS is greater than a second threshold according to the first signal measurement result in the first beam direction, determining that the first signal measurement result in the first beam direction meets the preset condition; In a case where the network device has established a communication connection with the terminal in the second beam direction, if the first signal measurement result in the first beam direction meets the preset condition, it switches from the second beam direction to communicating with the terminal in the first beam direction.

7. The beam management method according to claim 1, 5 or 6, characterized in that: After the network device communicates with the terminal in the first beam direction, the network device further includes: The network device sends a second signal in all beam directions within the beam scanning range respectively; The network device receives a measurement result of a second signal sent by the terminal; The network device determines, according to the measurement result of the second signal, an optimal beam direction from all beam directions within the beam scanning range; The network device communicates with the terminal in the optimal beam direction.

8. The beam management method according to claim 7, characterized in that: The second signal is a CSI-RS.

9. The beam management method according to claim 7, characterized in that: The network device communicates with the terminal in the optimal beam direction, including: The network device communicates with the terminal in the first beam direction and the optimal beam direction; or, The network device switches from the first beam direction to communicate with the terminal in the optimal beam direction.

10. A beam management device, characterized in that: Including memory, transceiver, processor; The memory is used to store computer programs; the transceiver is used to send and receive data under the control of the processor; the processor is used to read the computer program in the memory and perform the following operations: determining a priority of each beam direction among a plurality of beam directions within a beam scanning range; Sending the first signal in sequence according to the priority order of the multiple beam directions; receiving in sequence a first signal measurement result of at least one beam direction sent by a terminal; When a first signal measurement result of a first beam direction among the at least one beam direction meets a preset condition, communicating with the terminal in the first beam direction and stopping beam scanning of the first signal.

11. The beam management device according to claim 10, characterized in that: The processor is configured to read the computer program in the memory and perform the following operations: Determine the material information of the reflector surface pointed by each beam direction; wherein the reflector surface is the surface of the reflector in the physical environment within the beam scanning range; The priority of each beam direction is determined according to the material information of the reflector surface to which each beam direction points.

12. The beam management device according to claim 11, characterized in that: The processor is configured to read the computer program in the memory and perform the following operations: Obtain physical map data within the beam scanning range and material information of the reflector surface in the physical environment; The material information of the reflector surface pointed by each beam direction is determined according to the physical map data and the material information of the reflector surface in the physical environment.

13. The beam management device according to claim 10, characterized in that: The first signal is one of the following: Synchronization signal block SSB; Channel State Information Reference Signal CSI-RS.

14. The beam management device according to claim 10, characterized in that: When the first signal is SSB, the processor is configured to read the computer program in the memory and perform the following operations: In a case where it is determined that the reference signal received power RSRP of the SSB is greater than the first threshold according to the first signal measurement result in the first beam direction, determining that the first signal measurement result in the first beam direction meets the preset condition; When the first signal measurement result in the first beam direction meets the preset condition, a communication connection is established with the terminal in the first beam direction.

15. The beam management device according to claim 10, characterized in that: In a case where the first signal is a CSI-RS, the processor is configured to read a computer program in the memory and perform the following operations: In a case where it is determined that the RSRP of the CSI-RS is greater than a second threshold according to the first signal measurement result in the first beam direction, determining that the first signal measurement result in the first beam direction meets the preset condition; In a case where a communication connection has been established with the terminal in the second beam direction, if a first signal measurement result in the first beam direction meets the preset condition, switching from the second beam direction to communicating with the terminal in the first beam direction.

16. The beam management device according to claim 10, 14 or 15, characterized in that: The processor is configured to read the computer program in the memory and perform the following operations: Sending a second signal in all beam directions within the beam scanning range respectively; receiving a measurement result of a second signal sent by the terminal; determining an optimal beam direction from all beam directions within the beam scanning range according to a measurement result of the second signal; Communicating with the terminal in the optimal beam direction.

17. The beam management device according to claim 16, characterized in that: The second signal is a CSI-RS.

18. The beam management device according to claim 17, characterized in that: The processor is configured to read the computer program in the memory and perform the following operations: Communicating with the terminal in the first beam direction and the optimal beam direction; or, Switch from the first beam direction to communicate with the terminal in the optimal beam direction.

19. A network device, characterized in that: include: A first determining unit, configured to determine a priority of each beam direction among a plurality of beam directions within a beam scanning range; A first sending unit, configured to send a first signal in sequence according to the priority order of the multiple beam directions; A first receiving unit, configured to sequentially receive a first signal measurement result of at least one beam direction sent by a terminal; The first processing unit is configured to communicate with the terminal in a first beam direction among the at least one beam direction and stop beam scanning of the first signal when a measurement result of a first signal in the first beam direction meets a preset condition.

20. A processor-readable storage medium, characterized in that: The processor-readable storage medium stores a computer program, and the computer program is used to enable the processor to execute the steps of the beam management method according to any one of claims 1 to 9.

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