Electronic device, control method, and program

Abstract

Provided is an electronic device capable of performing beamforming using a plurality of antenna elements, the electronic device comprising a beam selection unit for selecting a set of beams to be used for beamforming from a plurality of beam candidates, wherein the beam selection unit dynamically selects at least some of the beams included in the set. The electronic device performs beamforming using beams included in the set of beams selected by the beam selection unit.

Description

Electronic device, control method, and program CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

[0001] This application claims priority to Japanese Patent Application No. 2024-47178, filed on March 22, 2024, the entire disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference.

[0002] The present disclosure relates to an electronic device, a control method, and a program.

[0003] In a wireless communication device equipped with a phased array antenna including a plurality of antenna elements, a beamforming (hereinafter also simply referred to as "BF") technique is known, which transmits radio waves in a specific direction or receives radio waves from a specific direction. Known BF techniques include digital BF, analog BF, and hybrid BF. Various techniques related to BF have been proposed. For example, Patent Document 1 discloses a technique for performing beam recovery when a BFed link is lost or channel quality deteriorates.

[0004] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2022-101547

[0005] An electronic device according to one embodiment is an electronic device capable of performing beamforming using a plurality of antenna elements, and includes a beam selection unit that selects a set of beams to be used for beamforming from a plurality of candidate beams, the beam selection unit dynamically selecting at least some of the beams included in the set, and performs beamforming using the beams included in the set of beams selected by the beam selection unit.

[0006] A control method according to one embodiment is a control method for an electronic device capable of performing beamforming using a plurality of antenna elements, and includes the steps of: selecting a set of beams to be used for beamforming from a plurality of candidate beams, wherein at least some of the beams included in the set are dynamically selected; and performing beamforming using beams included in the set of beams selected in the selection step.

[0007] A program according to one embodiment causes an electronic device capable of performing beamforming using multiple antenna elements to perform the following steps: selecting a set of beams to be used for beamforming from multiple candidate beams, wherein at least some of the beams included in the set are dynamically selected; and performing beamforming using beams included in the set of beams selected in the selection step.

[0008] FIG. 1 is a block diagram schematically illustrating a functional configuration of an electronic device according to an embodiment; FIG. 2 is a block diagram more specifically illustrating a functional configuration of a portion of the electronic device according to an embodiment; FIG. 3 is a diagram illustrating an example of an operation of an electronic device according to an embodiment; FIG. 4 is a diagram illustrating an example of an operation of an electronic device according to an embodiment; FIG. 5 is a diagram conceptually explaining the operation of an electronic device according to an embodiment; FIG. 6 is a diagram conceptually explaining the operation of an electronic device according to an embodiment; FIG. 7 is a flowchart illustrating the operation of an electronic device according to an embodiment; FIG. 8 is a diagram conceptually explaining the operation of an electronic device according to an embodiment; FIG. 9 is a diagram conceptually explaining the operation of an electronic device according to an embodiment;

[0009] In wireless communication devices and the like, it is desirable to improve communication quality, such as ease of connection and / or throughput. The present disclosure relates to providing an electronic device, a control method, and a program that can improve communication quality. According to one embodiment, it is possible to provide an electronic device, a control method, and a program that can improve communication quality.

[0010] In the present disclosure, an "electronic device" may refer to a device powered by electricity. Furthermore, a "system" may refer to a device or a class of devices including a device powered by electricity. Furthermore, a "user" may refer to a person (typically a human) who uses a system and / or electronic device according to an embodiment. By using a system and / or electronic device according to an embodiment, a user can improve communication quality, such as ease of connection and / or throughput.

[0011] First, the technical matters considered by the applicant when conceiving the present invention will be explained.

[0012] Base stations that use 5G (fifth generation mobile communication systems) wireless communications are subject to free space loss and other factors. Therefore, there are concerns that the radio waves transmitted from these base stations may not be able to travel as far as expected. To address this issue, analog beamforming (BF), a technology that concentrates antenna gain in a specific direction, is being adopted.

[0013] A 5G base station generally comprises an RU (Radio Unit) that constitutes the radio section including the antenna portion of the base station, a DU (Distributed Unit) also called a slave station, and a CU (Central Unit) called a master station or aggregation station. The RU has the function of transmitting and receiving radio waves to and from a UE (User Equipment), which is a terminal (mobile device) for communication, and communicating with the DU. The DU mainly has the function of modulating and demodulating signals and retransmitting lost signals. The CU mainly has the function of controlling multiple DUs and controlling RRC (Radio Resource Control), which is a communication protocol between the UE and the base station.

[0014] The RU of the base station configured as above is equipped with a phased array antenna module (PAAM) connected to multiple antennas in order to support analog base stations.

[0015] In wireless communication technology, the installation location and installation mode of a base station are considered depending on the uneven distribution of terminals (UE) and / or the layout of structures such as buildings. Furthermore, the installation location and installation mode of an already installed base station may be periodically reviewed. However, physically adjusting the installation location or installation mode (e.g., installation angle) of an installed base station is costly. Therefore, it is difficult to frequently adjust the installation location or installation mode of a base station.

[0016] Furthermore, the communication environment between the base station and the terminal may fluctuate over the long term due to, for example, urban redevelopment, etc. Furthermore, the communication environment between the base station and the terminal may fluctuate over the short term due to, for example, the occurrence of an event, etc. If it is possible to respond to not only long-term fluctuations in the communication environment but also short-term fluctuations, it is possible to improve the quality of communication, such as improving the ease of connection and / or throughput.

[0017] In a scenario where BF is used, it is conceivable that pre-prepared analog beams are used in sequence when performing initial access, which is a synchronization process between a base station and a UE. The properties of analog beams include beam width (thickness) and gain (strength). These properties are in a trade-off relationship, where a wider beam width results in lower gain, and a narrower beam width results in higher gain. For example, if a wide beam with low gain is used, a relatively wide angular range can be covered with a small number of beams. However, since the beam gain is small, the cell radius becomes small. On the other hand, if a narrow beam with high gain is used, the cell radius becomes large. However, to cover a relatively wide angular range, a large number of beams are required.

[0018] In recent years, communication with drones moving through the air has also been considered. When realizing communication with drones, conventional two-dimensional cells may no longer be sufficient, and three-dimensional cells may become necessary.

[0019] On the other hand, the number of analog beams available for initial access is limited to a maximum of 64 in FR2 (Frequency Range 2), a millimeter-wave frequency band used in 5G NR. The number of analog beams available for initial access may increase due to factors such as the use of higher frequency bands and expanding cells from two dimensions to three dimensions. On the other hand, carelessly increasing the number of beams may lead to increased initial access time and / or power consumption. Therefore, it is desirable to perform initial access using as few beams as possible. Under such circumstances, it is anticipated that simply dividing a certain angle range using multiple pre-prepared analog beams and using those multiple analog beams, for example, in sequence, may not contribute to improving communication quality. Therefore, the applicant has conceived an electronic device that can improve communication quality, such as improving connection ease and / or throughput.

[0020] An electronic device according to an embodiment will now be described. Fig. 1 is a diagram showing a schematic configuration of an electronic device 1 according to an embodiment.

[0021] The electronic device 1 shown in Fig. 1 may be configured as, for example, a wireless communication device. For example, the electronic device 1 shown in Fig. 1 may be a base station that realizes wireless communication with a wireless communication terminal (mobile device) UE (User Equipment) by transmitting and receiving radio waves to and from the terminal UE. In Fig. 1, the wireless communication terminal (mobile device) UE that communicates with the electronic device 1 is omitted from the illustration.

[0022] As shown in FIG. 1 , the electronic device 1 may include P subarrays (P is an integer equal to or greater than 1), for example, subarray #1 to subarray #P. FIG. 1 illustrates only some of the P subarrays, with the remaining subarrays omitted. Each of the subarrays #1 to #P may include L antenna elements 11 (L is an integer equal to or greater than 2). FIG. 1 illustrates only some of the antenna elements 11 included in each subarray, with the remaining antenna elements 11 omitted. At least some of the L antenna elements 11 may constitute a phased array antenna. In FIG. 1 , the subarrays and / or antenna elements are each illustrated schematically. The electronic device 1 according to one embodiment may not include some of the functional units illustrated in FIG. 1 , or may include functional units other than those illustrated in FIG. 1 .

[0023] Subarray #1 may be configured to include L antenna elements 11 and L corresponding RF (Radio Frequency) units 12. In subarray #1, the L antenna elements 11 are electrically connected to the corresponding RF units 12. That is, subarray #1 may include L RF units 12 electrically connected to the L antenna elements 11, respectively.

[0024] In the electronic device 1 according to one embodiment, subarrays other than subarray #1 may also have the same configuration as subarray #1. That is, in each of subarrays #1 to #P, L antenna elements 11 and L corresponding RF units 12 may be electrically connected. In FIG. 1 , reference symbols are assigned to functional units primarily related to subarray #1, and reference symbols for functional units related to subarrays other than subarray #1 are omitted as appropriate. A subarray according to one embodiment may not include some of the functional units shown in FIG. 1 , or may include functional units other than those shown in FIG. 1 .

[0025] 1 , the electronic device 1 according to an embodiment may include an ADC / DAC 13 and a signal processing unit 20. The electronic device 1 according to an embodiment may also include a reception information generating unit 31, a beam candidate memory 32, a beam selecting unit 33, and a beam information memory 34. The electronic device 1 according to an embodiment may not include some of the functional units described above, or may include functional units other than those described above.

[0026] The electronic device 1 according to one embodiment may include a total of P ADC / DACs 13 corresponding to the P subarrays, respectively. In the electronic device 1 according to one embodiment, the P subarrays may be electrically connected to their corresponding ADC / DACs 13. More specifically, in subarray #1, the L RF units 12 may be electrically connected together to a corresponding ADC / DAC 13. Similarly, in each subarray, the L RF units 12 may be electrically connected together to a corresponding ADC / DAC 13.

[0027] The ADC / DAC 13 may have the functions of an ADC (Analog to Digital Converter) and a DAC (Digital to Analog Converter). That is, the ADC / DAC 13 can convert an analog signal into a digital signal (ADC) and can also convert a digital signal into an analog signal (DAC). The ADC / DAC 13 may function as a DAC when transmitting radio waves from the antenna element 11, and may function as an ADC when receiving radio waves from the antenna element 11.

[0028] The electronic device 1 according to one embodiment may include P ADC / DACs 13. In each of the P subarrays, the L antenna elements 11 may be electrically connected together to one corresponding ADC / DAC 13 via the corresponding L RF units 21. The P ADC / DACs 13 may each be electrically connected to the signal processing unit 20.

[0029] The signal processing unit 20 performs various processes on the signals received by each of the P subarrays. More specifically, in each of the P subarrays, the signals received by the antenna elements 11 are supplied to the signal processing unit 20 via the RF unit 12 and the ADC / DAC 13. The operation of the signal processing unit 20 will be described further below. The signal processing unit 20 may include any memory that stores various information required for signal processing. The signal processing unit 20 may be electrically connected to the reception information generation unit 31.

[0030] The reception information generator 31 generates statistical information on the reception quality of radio waves received by each antenna element 11, for example, based on information obtained from the signal processor 20. The operation of the reception information generator 31 will be described further below. The reception information generator 31 may be electrically connected to the beam selector 33.

[0031] The beam candidate memory 32 is a memory that stores at least one (typically multiple or many) candidate analog beams to be formed when the electronic device 1 performs beamforming. The beam candidate memory 32 may be any storage unit such as a semiconductor memory. The information stored by the reception information generation unit 31 will be described further below. The beam candidate memory 32 may be electrically connected to the beam selection unit 33.

[0032] The beam selection unit 33 selects an analog beam to be formed when the electronic device 1 performs beamforming from among the analog beams stored in the beam candidate memory 32, based on the information generated by the reception information generation unit 31. The operation of the beam selection unit 33 will be described further below. The beam selection unit 33 may be electrically connected to the beam information memory 34.

[0033] The beam information memory 34 is a memory that stores information about the analog beam selected by the beam selection unit 33. The beam information memory 34 may be any storage unit such as a semiconductor memory. The information stored in the beam information memory 34 will be described further below. The information stored in the beam information memory 34 may be supplied from the beam selection unit 33 or from the beam candidate memory 32. The beam information memory 34 may be electrically connected to the RF units 12 provided in the subarrays #1 to #P.

[0034] The beam information memory 34 supplies information about the analog beam selected by the beam selection unit 33 to the RF units 12 included in subarrays #1 to #P. Here, the information about the beam selected by the beam selection unit 33 may be, for example, various parameters necessary for forming the analog beam selected by the beam selection unit 33. In other words, the RF units 12 included in subarrays #1 to #P can perform operations for forming the analog beam selected by the beam selection unit 33 based on the information supplied from the beam information memory 34.

[0035] In one embodiment of the electronic device 1, at least one of the RF unit 12, the signal processing unit 20, the received information generation unit 31, the beam candidate memory 32, the beam selection unit 33, and the beam information memory 34 may be equipped with any memory capable of storing various types of information as appropriate.

[0036] In one embodiment, at least one of the RF unit 12, the ADC / DAC 13, the signal processing unit 20, the reception information generation unit 31, the beam candidate memory 32, the beam selection unit 33, and the beam information memory 34 may provide control and processing capabilities for executing various functions. Therefore, at least one of the aforementioned functional units may include at least one processor, such as a CPU (Central Processing Unit) or a DSP (Digital Signal Processor). For example, at least one of the aforementioned functional units may be implemented collectively by a single processor, by several processors, or by individual processors. The processor may be implemented as a single integrated circuit. An integrated circuit is also referred to as an IC (Integrated Circuit). The processor may be implemented as multiple integrated circuits and discrete circuits connected to each other in a communicative manner. The processor may be implemented based on various other known technologies. At least one of the aforementioned functional units may be configured to include, for example, at least one of software and hardware resources. In one embodiment, at least one of the functional units described above may be configured by specific means in which software and hardware resources work together.

[0037] Furthermore, at least one of the aforementioned functional units may be configured as, for example, a CPU or DSP and a program executed by the CPU or DSP. The program executed by at least one of the aforementioned functional units and the results of the processing executed therein may be stored in, for example, any memory. At least one of the aforementioned functional units may include, as appropriate, a memory required for these operations.

[0038] The electronic device 1 according to an embodiment may not include some of the functional units shown in Fig. 1, or may include functional units other than those shown in Fig. 1. Furthermore, the system according to an embodiment may be configured to include the entire electronic device 1 or at least a part of the electronic device 1.

[0039] 2 is a block diagram showing in more detail an example of the functional configuration of the RF unit 12 shown in FIG. 1. The RF unit 12 may function as a functional unit that controls the BF. Hereinafter, the functional unit that controls the BF will be referred to as a "BF control unit" as appropriate. Hereinafter, the BF control unit may be configured with, for example, an IC. Therefore, the BF control unit may be referred to as a "BF-IC" as appropriate.

[0040] 2, the RF unit 12 may include a PA (Power Amplifier) ​​122, an LNA (Low Noise Power Amplifier) ​​124, a phase shifter 126A, a phase shifter 126B, a switch 128A, and a switch 128B. The RF unit 12 according to one embodiment may not include some of the functional units shown in FIG. 2, or may include functional units other than those shown in FIG. 2.

[0041] The PA 122 amplifies the power of the transmission signal supplied from the phase shifter 126A based on information stored in, for example, an arbitrary memory, etc. The technology itself, such as an amplifier that amplifies the power of the transmission signal, is already known, so a detailed description thereof will be omitted.

[0042] The LNA 124 amplifies, with low noise, a received signal based on radio waves received by the antenna element 11, based on information stored in a memory, for example. The LNA 124 may be a low noise amplifier, and amplifies, with low noise, the received signal supplied from the antenna element 11. The technology itself for amplifying a received signal with low noise is already known, so a detailed description thereof will be omitted.

[0043] In this way, the PA 122 and the LNA 124 control the amplitude of the signal. Therefore, when beamforming is performed in the electronic device 1 according to an embodiment, various parameters for controlling the amplitude of the signal may be set in the PA 122 and / or the LNA 124, for example.

[0044] The phase shifter 126A controls the phase of a signal transmitted by the antenna element 11. The phase shifter 126B controls the phase of a signal received by the antenna element 11. Specifically, the phase shifter 126A or the phase shifter 126B may adjust the phase of the transmission signal or the reception signal by appropriately advancing or delaying the phase of the transmission signal or the reception signal based on information stored in an arbitrary memory or the like. By the multiple phase shifters 126A or the phase shifters 126B appropriately adjusting the phase of each transmission signal or reception signal, radio waves transmitted or received from the multiple antenna elements 11 constructively interact with each other in a predetermined direction to form a beam (beamforming).

[0045] Phase shifter 126A and phase shifter 126B apply phase rotation to an analog signal. The precision of the phase rotation amount of the phase shifter is expressed by the number of bits. For example, if the precision of the phase rotation amount of the phase shifter is 2 bits, the signal can be rotated by {0, 90, 180, 360 degrees}. In this way, phase shifter 126A and phase shifter 126B control the phase of the signal.

[0046] The switches 128A and 128B are each capable of switching between a plurality of electrical connections.

[0047] 2 , the antenna element 11 may be electrically connected to the RF unit 12. The antenna element 11 may be electrically connected to the PA 122 or the LNA 124 via a switch 128A. That is, by switching the switch 128A, the antenna element 11 is selectively connected to the PA 122 or the LNA 124.

[0048] The PA 122 may be electrically connected to a phase shifter 126A. The LNA 124 may be electrically connected to a phase shifter 126B. Also, as shown in FIG. 2 , the phase shifter 126A connected to the PA 122 and the phase shifter 126B connected to the LNA 124 may be electrically connected to the ADC / DAC 13 ( FIG. 1 ) via a switch 128B. That is, by switching the switch 128B, the ADC / DAC 13 is selectively connected to the phase shifter 126A connected to the PA 122 or the phase shifter 126B connected to the LNA 124.

[0049] In the RF unit 12, switching between the switch 128A and the switch 128B allows the antenna element 11 to be switched between reception and transmission. As shown in Fig. 2, when transmitting radio waves from the antenna element 11, the signal is transmitted via the PA 122. On the other hand, when receiving radio waves from the antenna element 11, the signal is received via the LNA 124.

[0050] To perform analog beamforming in the electronic device 1 according to an embodiment, a phase rotation amount may be set in the phase shifter 126A and / or the phase shifter 126B based on information supplied from the beam information memory 34. The electronic device 1 according to an embodiment may control the on / off of the power supply for each RF unit 12 based on information supplied from the beam information memory 34. Furthermore, the electronic device 1 according to an embodiment may control the power of the PA 122 and / or the LNA 124 based on information supplied from the beam information memory 34.

[0051] In the electronic device 1 according to the embodiment, the RF unit 12 is not limited to the configuration shown in FIG. 2, and various other configurations may be adopted.

[0052] The analog beam refers to a pattern of radio waves radiated from subarrays #1 to #P. In the electronic device 1 according to one embodiment, the analog beam may be defined by analog weights. The analog weights are complex vectors, and the phase rotation amount of each element is set in the phase shifter 126A and / or the phase shifter 126B, and the amplitude of each element converted into power is set in the PA 122 / LNA 124.

[0053] 3A and 3B are diagrams illustrating an example of the operation of the electronic device 1 according to an embodiment.

[0054] 3A and 3B are diagrams showing examples of analog beams selected by the electronic device 1 according to an embodiment. As described above, in the electronic device 1 according to an embodiment, the beam selection unit 33 selects an analog beam to be formed when the electronic device 1 performs beamforming. The beam selection unit 33 may also select an analog beam from among the analog beam candidates stored in the beam candidate memory 32.

[0055] In the electronic device 1 according to an embodiment, the beam selector 33 may dynamically select an analog beam to be used for beamforming from various predefined analog beams (analog beam candidates). Here, information on the various predefined analog beams may be stored in the beam candidate memory 32.

[0056] As shown in FIGS. 3A and 3B, various modes of analog beams can be assumed to be selected by the beam selection unit 33 depending on the type of analog beam and / or the range of selection targets.

[0057] 3A, the beam candidate memory 32 may store a virtual map consisting of five narrow, high-gain analog beams (beam #1 to beam #5) as candidates for analog beams when the electronic device 1 performs beamforming. In this case, the beam selector 33 may select any number of analog beams from among beam #1 to beam #5 to perform beamforming.

[0058] 3B , the beam candidate memory 32 may also store a virtual map consisting of multiple analog beams with different beam thicknesses and / or gains as candidates for analog beams when the electronic device 1 performs beamforming. For example, the beam candidate memory 32 may store a virtual map consisting of five thin, high-gain analog beams (beams #1 to #5) and three thick, low-gain analog beams (beams #6 to #8). In this case, the beam selector 33 may select any number of analog beams from among beams #1 to #8 to perform beamforming.

[0059] Furthermore, as shown in FIG. 3B , the beam candidate memory 32 may store a virtual map consisting of beams #1 to #8 as analog beam candidates. In this case, the beam selector 33 may select beams #1 to #8 to be used permanently (i.e., constantly) and may also select additional analog beams to be used. For example, in the example shown in FIG. 3B , the beam selector 33 may select three broad, low-gain beams #6 to #8 to be used permanently (i.e., constantly). In this case, the beam selector 33 may also select any number of additional analog beams from the narrow, high-gain beams #1 to #5.

[0060] In this way, the electronic device 1 according to one embodiment may preselect analog beams to be used at all times and determine additional analog beams other than those selected. For example, some wide, low-gain beams may be used fixedly, and narrow, high-gain beams may be searched for and used by the present invention.

[0061] The following description will be given assuming that the beamforming performed by the electronic device 1 according to an embodiment is an analog beam. However, analog beams of similar nature can also be formed by digital beamforming (beamforming using digital circuits) or hybrid beamforming. Therefore, the beamforming performed by the electronic device 1 according to an embodiment is not limited to analog beamforming. The electronic device 1 according to an embodiment can be implemented as a wireless communication device such as a base station that employs beamforming.

[0062] Next, the setting (storage) of analog beam candidates and the selection of analog beams by the electronic device 1 according to an embodiment will be further described.

[0063] An analog beam is defined by a main lobe and its characteristics. The analog beam candidates of the electronic device 1 according to an embodiment may be defined by parameters such as the azimuth angle (°) of the main lobe, the elevation angle (°) of the main lobe, and the gain (dB) of the main lobe. In this manner, in the electronic device 1 according to an embodiment, the analog beam candidates may be defined not only by the azimuth angle of the main lobe but also by the elevation angle of the main lobe.

[0064] The electronic device 1 according to one embodiment may store information about the analog beam candidates defined in this way in the beam candidate memory 32 as a virtual map of the analog beam.

[0065] FIG. 4A is a diagram showing an example of a virtual map of an analog beam stored in the beam candidate memory 32 in the electronic device 1 according to an embodiment. As shown in FIG. 4A , the virtual map of an analog beam may be defined as a set of reserved coordinate points (white circles (○) in FIG. 4A ) in a three-dimensional space with the above three parameters as the respective axes. In FIG. 4A , the azimuth angle increases from left to right. Furthermore, the elevation angle increases from bottom to top. Furthermore, the gain increases from bottom left to top right. That is, in the example shown in FIG. 4A , nine reserved coordinate points are included for three azimuth angles and three elevation angles as candidates for an analog beam with a certain predetermined gain value. Furthermore, in the example shown in FIG. 4A , nine reserved coordinate points are included for three azimuth angles and three elevation angles as candidates for an analog beam with a higher predetermined gain value.

[0066] In one embodiment, the parameters defined by the virtual map of the analog beam are not limited to three, and the virtual map of the analog beam may be defined as a set of coordinate points reserved in a Z-dimensional space with the Z parameters as their respective axes.

[0067] Fig. 4B is a diagram showing an example of an analog beam selected by the electronic device 1 (beam selection unit 33) according to one embodiment in the virtual map shown in Fig. 4A. In the virtual map shown in Fig. 4B, coordinate points of the analog beam selected by the beam selection unit 33 (i.e., actually used) are indicated by black circles (●). In addition, in the virtual map shown in Fig. 4B, coordinate points of the analog beam not selected by the beam selection unit 33 (i.e., not actually used) are indicated by white circles (○).

[0068] Here, a set of analog beams actually selected from the analog beam candidates shown in the virtual map of analog beams, such as the coordinate points indicated by black circles (●) in Fig. 4B, is defined as an "analog beam group." The analog beam group shown in Fig. 4B includes a total of 10 coordinate points: four of the nine coordinate points are candidates for an analog beam with a certain predetermined gain value, and six of the nine coordinate points are candidates for an analog beam with a higher predetermined gain value.

[0069] In one embodiment, the group of analog beams may be selected based on statistical information (e.g., average or variance) of the reception quality of each analog beam. The information indicating the reception quality of each analog beam may include, for each analog beam, at least one of the following: the number of active terminals (UEs), Reference Signal Received Power (RSRP), throughput, Signal-to-Noise Ratio (SNR), Signal-to-Interference-plus-Noise Ratio (SINR), and Reference Signal Received Quality (RSRQ).

[0070] In one embodiment, the reception quality information may be collected directly at a base station such as the electronic device 1. In another embodiment, the reception quality information may be measured at a terminal (UE) and then fed back to the electronic device 1 via a CSI (Channel State Information)-Report.

[0071] In one embodiment, the selection (or update) of the group of analog beams by the beam selection unit 33 may be performed periodically. Also, in one embodiment, the selection (or update) of the group of analog beams by the beam selection unit 33 may be triggered by a decrease in system performance information such as connection rate and / or cell throughput detected by a higher-level system.

[0072] The following further describes the reception information generation unit 31, the beam candidate memory 32, the beam selection unit 33, and the beam information memory 34, which are characteristic functional units of the electronic device 1 according to one embodiment.

[0073] The reception information generation unit 31 acquires information indicating the reception quality for each analog beam from the signal processing unit 20. Here, the information indicating the reception quality for each analog beam may be based on, for example, information indicating the number of active terminals (UEs) for each analog beam collected by repeating initial access a certain number of times. Furthermore, as described above, the information indicating the reception quality for each analog beam may be based on at least one of, for example, the number of active UEs, RSRP, throughput, SNR, SINR, and RSRQ. Furthermore, the information indicating the reception quality for each analog beam may be statistical information (average value or variance) indicating the signal quality as described above. The reception information generation unit 31 may output this statistical information to the beam selection unit 33.

[0074] To generate an analog beam, it is necessary to set an analog weight for the RF unit 12 of each subarray. The beam candidate memory 32 stores analog weights associated with each analog beam candidate. The analog beam uses the main lobe angle (azimuth angle / elevation angle) and / or gain as parameters. Therefore, in the electronic device 1 according to an embodiment, the analog weights may be prepared in advance. Furthermore, in the electronic device 1 according to an embodiment, the analog weights may be calculated using the main lobe angle (azimuth angle / elevation angle) and / or main lobe gain parameters as input, and stored in the beam candidate memory 32.

[0075] As shown in FIG. 4A, each analog beam is mapped on a virtual map, and the adjacent relationship (distance) between the analog beams is clearly defined. In the electronic device 1 according to one embodiment, the value set in the RF unit 12 is an analog weight. However, since the group of analog beams is selected based on the distance shown in FIG. 4A, the following description will be given from the perspective of analog beams. FIG. 4A shows a state in which no analog beam has yet been selected (white circle (○)).

[0076] The beam selector 33 selects a group of analog beams to actually be used based on mapping information of analog beam candidates (e.g., FIG. 4A) and statistical information on the reception quality for each analog beam (e.g., FIG. 4B). Several types of analog beam selection algorithms are assumed. Representative algorithms will be described below. In FIG. 4B, selected analog beams are indicated by black circles (●), and unselected analog beams are indicated by white circles (○).

[0077] The beam information memory 34 stores analog weights associated with the group of analog beams selected by the beam selection unit 33. The analog weights stored in the beam information memory 34 are output to the RF unit 12. Each analog weight may be applied to the RF unit 12 as appropriate at the timing of performing initial access or the like.

[0078] Next, the analog beam selection algorithm will be further described.

[0079] Fig. 5 is a flowchart illustrating an example of a process for selecting an analog beam by the electronic device 1 according to an embodiment. The process shown in Fig. 5 may be a process executed mainly by the beam selector 33. The example shown in Fig. 5 may be an algorithm for selecting an analog beam by trial and error or experience, taking into account statistical information on reception quality.

[0080] When the process shown in FIG. 5 starts, the beam selector 33 selects analog beams that constitute a group of analog beams from the virtual map of analog beams stored in the beam candidate memory 32 (step S11).

[0081] In step S11, the beam selection unit 33 may always select M predetermined analog beams for fixed (always) use from the virtual map of analog beams. For example, the beam selection unit 33 may always select M relatively thick analog beams from the virtual map of analog beams as analog beams for fixed (always) use. On the other hand, there may be no analog beams for fixed (always) use (i.e., M = 0). Also, in step S11, the beam selection unit 33 may randomly select N-M analog beams from the virtual map of analog beams. In this way, the beam selection unit 33 selects N analog beams as a "group of analog beams."

[0082] Next, the beam selector 33 collects the reception information generated by the reception information generator 31 (step S12).

[0083] The reception information collected in step S12 may be statistical information on the reception quality of each analog beam. In step S12, the beam selector 33 may collect information such as the number of active UEs and / or the average RSRP from the reception information generator 31, as described above.

[0084] Next, the beam selector 33 reduces the group of analog beams by deleting analog beams from the group of analog beams (step S13).

[0085] In step S13, the beam selector 33 may delete analog beams that meet a predetermined condition from a group of analog beams excluding analog beams in fixed (constant) use. For example, the beam selector 33 may delete analog beams that meet a predetermined condition using reception information collected from the reception information generator 31 as a judgment index. For example, the beam selector 33 may delete analog beams that meet a predetermined condition from a group of analog beams excluding analog beams in fixed (constant) use. For example, the beam selector 33 may delete analog beams that meet a predetermined condition using reception information collected from the reception information generator 31 as a judgment index. Ｄ Analog beams that are:

[0086] 6A and 6B are diagrams illustrating a specific example of the processing of step S13. In the following example, the number (N) of analog beams finally selected (actually used) is assumed to be 6. In addition, to simplify the explanation, the axis (parameter) of the gain of the main lobe is not taken into consideration, and only the axes (parameters) of the azimuth angle of the main lobe and the elevation angle of the main lobe are considered. In step S13, the beam selection unit 33 selects analog beams other than the analog beams in fixed (constant) use, and selects those with a determination index of X. Ｄ The following analog beams are deleted from the group of analog beams:

[0087] For example, assume that six analog beams are selected in the group of analog beams before the process of step S13 is executed, as shown in Fig. 6A. Here, the judgment index corresponding to the three analog beams marked with white circles (○) in Fig. 6B is X. Ｄ In this case, in step S13, the beam selector 33 deletes the three analog beams indicated by white circles (◯) from the group of analog beams.

[0088] Next, the beam selector 33 expands the group of analog beams by increasing (adding) analog beams in the group of analog beams (step S14).

[0089] In step S14, the beam selector 33 may add one analog beam around the analog beam that meets the predetermined condition. For example, the beam selector 33 may add one analog beam around the analog beam that meets the predetermined condition, using the reception information collected from the reception information generator 31 as a judgment index. For example, the beam selector 33 may add one analog beam around the analog beam that meets the predetermined condition when the judgment index, such as the number of UEs in an active state, is greater than or equal to a predetermined value X Ａ One analog beam may be added around the analog beams that meet the above conditions. The beam selection unit 33 may treat the analog beams to which one analog beam has been added as a group of analog beams. In step S14, the beam selection unit 33 may add analog beams around the analog beams that meet the predetermined conditions so that the total number of analog beams becomes R.

[0090] 7A and 7B are diagrams illustrating a specific example of the process of step S14. In step S14, the beam selector 33 selects a beam having a determination index of X Ａ One analog beam is added next to the analog beams described above. The location (position) of the added beam may be selected randomly.

[0091] For example, assume that three analog beams are selected in the group of analog beams before the process of step S14 is executed, as shown in Fig. 7A. Here, among the three analog beams shown in Fig. 7A, the judgment index corresponding to the analog beam at the left end (with the smallest azimuth angle) is X Ａ In this case, in step S14, the beam selection unit 33 adds one analog beam next to (in this example, below (in the direction where the elevation angle becomes smaller)) the analog beam at the left end (where the azimuth angle is smallest), as shown in FIG. 7B. Ａ If analog beams already exist on all sides (e.g., all four sides) of the analog beam (which has been added or more), the beam selection unit 33 may not add an analog beam in step S13. In step S14, the total number of analog beams after the addition may be R.

[0092] Next, the beam selector 33 randomly generates an analog beam by searching for an analog beam in the group of analog beams (step S15).

[0093] In step S15, the beam selection unit 33 may randomly generate N-R analog beams. Also, in step S15, the beam selection unit 33 may set a condition that the randomly generated N-R analog beams are not adjacent to any existing analog beam. In step S15, the beam selection unit 33 may set a condition that the total number of analog beams does not exceed N.

[0094] 8A and 8B are diagrams illustrating a specific example of the processing of step S15. In step S15, the beam selection unit 33 may generate N-R analog beams and add them to the group of analog beams so that the total number of analog beams is N. In step S15, the beam selection unit 33 may randomly generate N-R analog beams to be added to the group of analog beams.

[0095] For example, assume that four analog beams are selected in the group of analog beams before the processing of step S15 is executed, as shown in Fig. 8A. In this case, in step S15, the beam selection unit 33 adds N-R analog beams to random positions, as shown in Fig. 8B. In Fig. 8B, two analog beams are added so that the number of analog beams included in the group of analog beams after the processing of step S15 is six.

[0096] As described above, the electronic device 1 according to one embodiment can select a group of analog beams according to the detailed environment, even if the distribution of terminals (UEs) fluctuates over time. Therefore, the electronic device 1 according to one embodiment can be expected to improve the connection rate and / or cell throughput. The electronic device 1 according to one embodiment can, for example, select a group of analog beams based on the number of active UEs and / or RSRP, thereby directing more beams to areas with a high concentration of UEs. Therefore, the electronic device 1 according to one embodiment can be expected to improve the connection rate, etc. Furthermore, the electronic device 1 according to one embodiment can, for example, select a group of analog beams based on the throughput of each analog beam, thereby improving cell throughput. Therefore, the electronic device 1 according to one embodiment can improve communication quality, such as improving connection ease and / or throughput, and can provide an electronic device that can improve communication quality.

[0097] The analog beam selection algorithm described above is an example. The electronic device 1 according to an embodiment may execute an analog beam selection process other than that shown in FIG. 5 . For example, the electronic device 1 according to an embodiment may execute an analog beam selection process using an algorithm that employs AI (Artificial Intelligence) / ML (Machine Learning). An example of such an algorithm will be further described below.

[0098] Fig. 9 is a flowchart illustrating an example of a process for selecting an analog beam by the electronic device 1 according to an embodiment. The process shown in Fig. 9 is the process shown in Fig. 5 to which a genetic algorithm (GA) is applied. Similar to the process shown in Fig. 5, the process shown in Fig. 9 may be a process executed mainly by the beam selector 33.

[0099] In the following example, the number of analog beams finally selected (actually used) is N, where N = N Ｓ +N Ｘ +N Ｒ Each value is set so that the following relationship holds: In order to simplify the explanation, the axis (parameter) of the gain of the main lobe is not taken into consideration, and only the axes (parameters) of the azimuth angle of the main lobe and the elevation angle of the main lobe are taken into consideration.

[0100] In the process shown in FIG. 9, steps S11 and S12 may be executed in the same manner as in the process shown in FIG.

[0101] Next, the beam selector 33 applies the selection step of the GA by selecting an analog beam in the group of analog beams (step S23).

[0102] In step S23, the beam selector 33 may apply the GA selection step to a group of analog beams excluding analog beams in fixed (constant) use. For example, the beam selector 33 may select the top N reception information collected from the reception information generator 31 with the highest determination index. Ｓanalog beams may be left as a group of analog beams (elite selection).

[0103] Next, the beam selector 33 applies the crossover step of the GA to the group of analog beams (step S24).

[0104] In step S24, the beam selector 33 selects, for example, the beams that have been substantially deleted in the previous step (the top N in step S23). Ｓ Using a group of analog beams (which did not fit into the Ｘ analog beams may be generated and added to the group of analog beams.

[0105] Specifically, for example, the following procedure may be performed: (1) Select two analog beams from the group of analog beams that were substantially deleted in the previous step (hereinafter referred to as "analog beam 1" and "analog beam 2"). (2) Generate a new analog beam using the parameters of the azimuth angle of analog beam 1 and the elevation angle of analog beam 2. (3) If the new analog beam is not in the group of analog beams, add it to the group of analog beams. On the other hand, if the new analog beam is in the group of analog beams, start over from (1).

[0106] The above (1) to (3) are N Ｘ Repeat this process and create a new N Ｘ Add analog beams to the group of analog beams.

[0107] Next, the beam selector 33 applies the mutation step of the GA to the group of analog beams (step S25).

[0108] In step S24, the beam selector 33 selects, for example, N Ｒ Generate analog beams and add them to the group of analog beams, where N=N Ｓ +N Ｘ +N Ｒ The beam selection unit 33 randomly selects, for example, N new analog beams that have not been included in the analog beam group so far from the virtual map. Ｒmay be selected and added to the group of analog beams.

[0109] As such, the electronic device 1 according to an embodiment may include an antenna array (sub-array) including L antenna elements 11. The electronic device 1 according to an embodiment may be configured to be able to perform beamforming using a plurality of antenna elements. The electronic device 1 according to an embodiment may also include a beam selector 33 that dynamically selects at least a portion of a set of beams to be used for communication from a plurality of beam candidates. The electronic device 1 according to an embodiment may perform beamforming using the beams selected by the beam selector 33.

[0110] The electronic device 1 according to an embodiment may include a beam candidate memory 32 that stores a virtual map that defines multiple beam candidates. The electronic device 1 according to an embodiment may also include a beam information memory 34 that stores parameters for realizing a beam selected by the beam selection unit 33. In this case, the electronic device 1 according to an embodiment may perform beamforming using the beam selected by the beam selection unit 33 based on the parameters stored in the beam information memory 34.

[0111] The beam selector 33 may also dynamically select at least a portion of the set of beams to be used for communication based on the reception quality of communication using each beam included in the plurality of candidate beams. The beam selector 33 may also dynamically select at least a portion of the set of beams to be used for communication based on at least one of the number of active communication terminals, reference signal reception power, throughput, signal-to-noise ratio, signal-to-interference-plus-noise ratio, and reference signal reception quality in communication using each beam included in the plurality of candidate beams.

[0112] The beam selector 33 may also dynamically select at least a part of the set of beams to be used for communication based on the distance (adjacency) between each beam included in the plurality of candidate beams. The beam selector 33 may also dynamically select at least a part of the set of beams to be used for communication by applying a genetic algorithm to the plurality of beams.

[0113] Furthermore, the electronic device 1 according to an embodiment may be implemented using analog beamforming, hybrid beamforming, or digital beamforming.

[0114] Although the embodiments of the present disclosure have been described based on the drawings and examples, it should be noted that those skilled in the art would easily be able to make various modifications or alterations based on the present disclosure. Therefore, it should be noted that these modifications and alterations are within the scope of the present disclosure. For example, functions included in each component or step can be rearranged so as not to cause logical inconsistencies, and multiple components or steps can be combined or divided into one. Although the embodiments of the present disclosure have been described primarily in terms of an apparatus, the embodiments of the present disclosure can also be realized as a method including steps executed by each component of the apparatus. The embodiments of the present disclosure can also be realized as a method, a program executed by a processor included in an electronic device, or a storage medium or recording medium on which a program is recorded. It should be understood that these are also encompassed within the scope of the present disclosure.

[0115] The above-described embodiments are not limited to implementation as the electronic device 1. For example, the above-described embodiments may be implemented as a system including the electronic device 1. Furthermore, the above-described embodiments may be implemented as, for example, a control method for the electronic device 1 or a control method for a device such as a system including the electronic device 1. Furthermore, the above-described embodiments may be implemented as, for example, a program executed by a device such as the electronic device 1 or a system including the electronic device 1, or an information processing device (e.g., a computer). Furthermore, in the technology disclosed herein, all of the components of the electronic device 1 and / or a system including the electronic device 1 do not need to reside in a single housing. For example, the controllers and / or memory units of the components of the electronic device 1 and / or a system including the electronic device 1 may be connected to each other via a network that is wired, wireless, or a combination thereof.

[0116] REFERENCE SIGNS LIST 1 Electronic device 11 Antenna element 12 RF (Radio Frequency) unit 13 ADC / DAC (Analog to Digital Converter / Digital to Analog Converter) 20 Signal processing unit 31 Received signal processing unit 32 Beam candidate memory 33 Beam selection unit 34 Beam information memory 122 PA (Power Amplifier) ​​124 LNA (Low Noise Power Amplifier) ​​126A, 126B Phase shifter 128A, 128B Switch

Claims

1. An electronic device capable of performing beamforming using multiple antenna elements, comprising a beam selection unit that selects a set of beams to be used for beamforming from multiple candidate beams, the beam selection unit dynamically selecting at least some of the beams included in the set, and performing beamforming using the beams included in the set of beams selected by the beam selection unit.

2. The electronic device according to claim 1, wherein the beam selection unit dynamically selects at least some of the beams included in the set based on the reception quality of communication using each beam included in the plurality of candidate beams.

3. The electronic device described in claim 2, wherein the beam selection unit dynamically selects at least some of the beams included in the set based on at least one of the number of active communication terminals, reference signal received power, throughput, signal-to-noise ratio, signal-to-interference-plus-noise ratio, and reference signal received quality in communication using each beam included in the plurality of candidate beams.

4. An electronic device according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein each beam included in the plurality of candidate beams is represented as a coordinate point on a virtual map, and the beam selection unit dynamically selects at least some of the beams included in the set based on the distance between each of the beams on the virtual map.

5. The electronic device according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the beam selection unit dynamically selects at least some of the beams included in the set by applying a genetic algorithm to the plurality of beams.

6. The electronic device according to any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein the set of beams selected by the beam selection unit always includes a predetermined beam.

7. A control method for an electronic device capable of performing beamforming using multiple antenna elements, comprising: a step of selecting a set of beams to be used for beamforming from multiple candidate beams, wherein at least some of the beams included in the set are dynamically selected; and a step of performing beamforming using beams included in the set of beams selected in the selection step.

8. A program that causes an electronic device capable of performing beamforming using multiple antenna elements to execute the following steps: selecting a set of beams to be used for beamforming from multiple candidate beams, wherein at least some of the beams included in the set are dynamically selected; and performing beamforming using the beams included in the set of beams selected in the selection step.

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