Method for generating reflected beam of reconfigurable intelligent surface (RIS), electronic device, and storage medium

Abstract

Embodiments of the present disclosure provide a method for generating a reflected beam of a reconfigurable intelligent surface (RIS), an electronic device, and a storage medium. The method comprises: setting a reflected beam control mode of an RIS on the basis of RIS capability information reported by the RIS, wherein the reflected beam control mode is used for instructing the RIS to adaptively generate a reflected beam on the basis of a UE state of an area covered by the RIS and a cell-level channel; and switching the reflected beam control mode of the RIS on the basis of the changes in the area.

Description

Methods for generating intelligent metasurface RIS reflective beams, electronic devices, and storage media

[0001] Relevant publicly available cross-references

[0002] This disclosure is based on Chinese Patent Publication 2024111861243, filed on August 27, 2024, entitled “Method for generating intelligent metasurface RIS reflective beam, electronic device and storage medium”, and claims priority to that patent disclosure, the entire contents of which are incorporated herein by reference. Technical Field

[0003] This disclosure relates to the field of communications, and more specifically, to a method for generating a smart metasurface RIS reflective beam, an electronic device, and a storage medium. Background Technology

[0004] A Reconfigurable Intelligent Surface (RIS) is an artificial electromagnetic material with programmable electromagnetic properties. By adjusting the phase state of each element, the reflected beam can be focused to a desired direction or position, thus controlling the electromagnetic environment. The emergence of RIS has enabled wireless communication technology to evolve from passively adapting to the channel to modifying and controlling it, achieving effects such as improving channel capacity, increasing rank, filling blind spots, and compensating for weak signals. This is particularly beneficial for high-frequency signals, such as millimeter waves, effectively improving coverage and optimizing coverage areas, making it a crucial technology in wireless communication. Different series of RIS boards vary in capability due to cost and power-saving considerations; for example, low-cost RIS boards generally have limited processing power.

[0005] If the reflected beam cannot be adaptively adjusted, the following effects may occur: If the RIS optimization area is a blind spot of the base station, the RIS cannot reflect according to the reflected beam corresponding to the cell-level channel, and the user equipment (UE) cannot access the network; if the RIS optimization area is a weak area of ​​the base station, the RIS cannot reflect according to the actual reflected beam of the UE, and the UE service performance is poor. Summary of the Invention

[0006] This disclosure provides a method for generating a smart metasurface RIS reflective beam, an electronic device, and a storage medium.

[0007] According to one embodiment of this disclosure, a method for generating a reflection beam of a smart metasurface RIS is provided, comprising: setting a reflection beam control mode of the RIS based on RIS capability information reported by the smart metasurface RIS, wherein the reflection beam control mode is used to instruct the RIS to adaptively generate a reflection beam based on the UE state and cell-level channel of the area covered by the RIS; and switching the reflection beam control mode of the RIS according to changes in the area.

[0008] According to another embodiment of this disclosure, a computer program product is also provided, including a computer program, wherein the computer program, when executed by a processor, implements the steps in any of the above method embodiments.

[0009] According to yet another embodiment of this disclosure, a computer-readable storage medium is also provided, wherein a computer program is stored therein, wherein the computer program is configured to perform the steps in any of the above method embodiments when executed.

[0010] According to yet another embodiment of this disclosure, an electronic device is also provided, including a memory and a processor, wherein the memory stores a computer program and the processor is configured to run the computer program to perform the steps in any of the above method embodiments. Attached Figure Description

[0011] Figure 1 is a hardware structure block diagram of a base station for a method of generating a smart metasurface RIS reflection beam according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0012] Figure 2 is a schematic diagram of the region optimization performed by the intelligent metasurface RIS in an embodiment of this disclosure;

[0013] Figure 3 is a flowchart of a method for generating a smart metasurface RIS reflection beam according to an embodiment of the present disclosure;

[0014] Figure 4 is a flowchart of a method for setting a reflected beam control mode according to an embodiment of the present disclosure;

[0015] Figure 5 is a schematic diagram of a cell-level channel according to an embodiment of the present disclosure;

[0016] Figure 6 is a schematic diagram of a UE-level channel according to an embodiment of the present disclosure;

[0017] Figure 7 is a schematic diagram of the first reflection beam control mode RIS according to an embodiment of the present disclosure;

[0018] Figure 8 is a schematic diagram of time slots and symbols according to an embodiment of the present disclosure;

[0019] Figure 9 is a schematic diagram of the second reflection beam control mode RIS according to an embodiment of the present disclosure;

[0020] Figure 10 is a schematic diagram of the third reflection beam control mode RIS according to an embodiment of the present disclosure;

[0021] Figure 11 is a structural block diagram of a smart metasurface RIS reflection beam generation device according to an embodiment of the present disclosure;

[0022] Figure 12 is a schematic diagram of time slots and symbols according to another embodiment of the present disclosure. Detailed Implementation

[0023] The embodiments of this disclosure will be described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings and examples.

[0024] It should be noted that the terms "first," "second," etc., in the specification, claims, and drawings of this disclosure are used to distinguish similar objects and are not necessarily used to describe a specific order or sequence.

[0025] The methods and embodiments provided in this disclosure can be executed in a base station, mobile terminal, computer terminal, or similar computing device. Taking operation on a base station as an example, FIG1 is a hardware structure block diagram of a base station for generating a smart metasurface RIS reflective beam according to an embodiment of this disclosure. As shown in FIG1, the base station may include one or more (only one is shown in FIG1) processors 102 (processor 102 may include, but is not limited to, processing devices such as microprocessors MCU or programmable logic devices FPGA) and a memory 104 configured to store data. The base station may also include a transmission device 106 configured for communication functions and an input / output device 108. It will be understood by those skilled in the art that the structure shown in FIG1 is only illustrative and does not limit the structure of the base station. For example, the base station may also include more or fewer components than shown in FIG1, or have a different configuration than shown in FIG1.

[0026] The memory 104 may be configured to store computer programs, such as application software programs and modules, like the computer program corresponding to the intelligent metasurface RIS reflective beam generation method in this embodiment. The processor 102 executes various functional applications and data processing by running the computer programs stored in the memory 104, thereby implementing the aforementioned method. The memory 104 may include high-speed random access memory and may also include non-volatile memory, such as one or more magnetic storage devices, flash memory, or other non-volatile solid-state memory. In some instances, the memory 104 may further include memory remotely located relative to the processor 102, and these remote memories can be connected to a base station via a network. Examples of such networks include, but are not limited to, the Internet, corporate intranets, local area networks, mobile communication networks, and combinations thereof.

[0027] The transmission device 106 is configured to receive or transmit data via a network. Specific examples of the network described above may include a wireless network provided by the base station's communication provider. In one example, the transmission device 106 includes a Network Interface Controller (NIC), which can connect to other network devices via the base station to communicate with the Internet. In another example, the transmission device 106 may be a Radio Frequency (RF) module configured to communicate with the Internet wirelessly.

[0028] Figure 2 is a schematic diagram of the intelligent metasurface RIS performing region optimization in an embodiment of this disclosure. As shown in Figure 2, after the RIS receives the incident beam sent by the base station, it reflects the incident beam. Considering the focusing of energy, the range of the reflected beam is narrow. The RIS needs to design multiple reflected beams to complete the optimization of a specific region (reflected beam 1 to m). The range covered by the reflected beam is the RIS optimization region.

[0029] Figure 3 is a flowchart of a method for generating a smart metasurface RIS reflection beam according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. As shown in Figure 3, the process includes the following steps:

[0030] Step S302: Set the reflection beam control mode of the RIS according to the RIS capability information reported by the intelligent metasurface RIS. The reflection beam control mode is used to instruct the RIS to adaptively generate reflection beams according to the UE status and cell-level channel of the area covered by the RIS.

[0031] It should be noted that in related technologies, the RIS can generate multiple reflection beams, but the generated reflection beams are not closely related to the UE state and cell-level channel in the area covered by the RIS. The target direction focused by the RIS reflection beam is determined by the phase state of the incident beam and each element of the RIS. In the embodiment of this disclosure, after the RIS reports its capability information, it sets different reflection beam control modes so that the generated reflection beam is adaptively generated based on the UE state and cell-level channel in the area covered by the RIS. This means that the RIS can optimize the direction of the reflection beam according to the UE's location and channel quality, thereby maximizing the effect of the reflection beam under different conditions, thus improving the overall communication quality and efficiency and obtaining better communication performance.

[0032] In an exemplary embodiment of this disclosure, setting the reflection beam control mode of the RIS based on the RIS capability information reported by the intelligent metasurface RIS includes: determining the processing capability and power consumption of the RIS based on the RIS capability information; and setting the reflection beam control mode of the RIS based on the comparison result of the processing capability with a preset capability threshold and the comparison result of the power consumption with a preset power consumption threshold.

[0033] In an exemplary embodiment of this disclosure, the processing capability includes at least one of the following: the RIS's ability to parse control information for a specific codebook; whether the RIS supports a wireless protocol version that matches the base station; and the latency of the RIS in processing control information.

[0034] It should be noted that the RIS's ability to parse specific codebook control information mainly includes: the RIS needing to be able to identify the codebook control information contained in the received signal for subsequent processing; the RIS needing to decode the identified codebook control information to obtain the original signal information; and the RIS needing to ensure processing speed and accuracy when parsing codebook control information to achieve real-time signal processing.

[0035] In one embodiment, a high-processing-capability RIS is characterized by at least one of the following: supporting the parsing of complex codebook control information; supporting the New Radio (NR) protocol, with the protocol version matching the 5G base station (gNodeB, gNB); and supporting real-time parsing of multiple complex control messages, with processing capabilities meeting latency requirements. Conversely, a low-processing-capability RIS is characterized by at least one of the following: being unable to parse complex codebook control information; not supporting the NR protocol or a specific protocol version; having limited processing capabilities, unable to support real-time parsing of multiple complex control messages, and failing to meet latency requirements.

[0036] In an exemplary embodiment of this disclosure, setting a reflection beam control mode for the RIS based on a comparison result of processing capability and a preset capability threshold, and a comparison result of power consumption and a preset power consumption threshold, includes: setting the reflection beam control mode of the RIS to a first reflection beam control mode when it is confirmed that the processing capability of the RIS is less than the preset capability threshold; setting the reflection beam control mode of the RIS to a second reflection beam control mode when it is confirmed that the processing capability of the RIS is greater than the preset capability threshold and the power consumption is less than the preset power consumption threshold; and setting the reflection beam control mode of the RIS to a third reflection beam control mode when it is confirmed that the processing capability of the RIS is greater than the preset capability threshold and the power consumption is greater than the preset power consumption threshold.

[0037] In one embodiment, as shown in Figure 4, after the RIS reports its processing capability, if the RIS reports a low-capability device, the initial mode is selected as the first reflection beam control mode, and there is no subsequent mode switching. If the RIS reports a high-capability device and also reports a low-power device, the initial mode is selected as the second reflection beam control mode, and there is no subsequent mode switching. If the reported device is not low-power, the initial mode is selected as the third reflection beam control mode, which is compatible with both the first and second reflection beam control modes. Here, "low-power" means that the RIS is very sensitive to power consumption and aims to minimize the amount of RIS control information received.

[0038] In an exemplary embodiment of this disclosure, when the reflection beam control mode of the RIS is set to a first reflection beam control mode, first control information is sent to the RIS in real time according to the cell-level channel configuration of the managed cell and the service channel of the UE, so that the RIS generates a reflection beam according to the first control information; when the reflection beam control mode of the RIS is set to a second reflection beam control mode, the cell-level channel reflection beam set, the service channel configuration of the UE and pattern information are sent to the RIS, so that the RIS generates a reflection beam according to the cell-level channel reflection beam set, the status and pattern information of the UE; when the reflection beam control mode of the RIS is set to a third reflection beam control mode, the cell-level channel configuration of the managed cell and the activation information of the UE in the area are sent to the RIS, so that the RIS receives second control information during UE activation and generates a reflection beam according to the cell-level channel configuration and the second control information.

[0039] It should be noted that different wireless channels transmit at different times over the air interface. Wireless channels are mainly divided into two categories: cell-level channels and UE-level channels.

[0040] Cell-level channels, such as SSB / PRACH / RMSI / OSI, have fixed air interface transmission timings after successful cell establishment. For example, the transmission timings of SSB#2 / SSB#3 / SSB#4 / SSB#5 are shown in Figure 5. The air interface transmission timings of UE-level channels are determined by base station scheduling, as shown in Figure 6. The base station schedules downlink data for UE-1 in slot0 / slot1, using symbol-0 of each slot0 / slot1 to send PDCCH, and [symbol-2, symbol-13] of slot0 / slot1 to send PDSCH.

[0041] In an exemplary embodiment of this disclosure, first control information is sent to the RIS in real time according to the cell-level channel configuration of the managed cell and the state of the UE, so that the RIS generates a reflection beam according to the first control information. This includes: determining a cell-level channel reflection beam according to the cell-level channel configuration of the managed cell; determining a terminal-level channel reflection beam according to the measurement information of the UE when accessing the base station; and generating first control information including N symbols according to the cell-level channel reflection beam and the terminal-level channel reflection beam at the time slot granularity, wherein M of the N symbols are valid information used to indicate the reflection beam generated by the RIS, M and N are positive integers, and M is less than or equal to N.

[0042] In one embodiment, N is 14.

[0043] In one embodiment, in the first reflection beam control mode, as shown in Figure 7, the RIS control node that controls the RIS to generate the reflection beam is located outside the RIS. The base station generates TTI-level RIS control information based on cell configuration and dynamic scheduling. The RIS continuously monitors the air interface to obtain its own control information and passively sets the reflection beam according to the RIS control information. The RIS-side processing complexity is low, making it suitable for low-cost deployment. The base station and RIS interact according to TTI, and the RIS reflection beam is controlled in real time, with controllable gain in all scenarios, such as UE movement or stillness. However, its air interface resource overhead is high, and the RIS power consumption is high.

[0044] The base station obtains and stores the UE-level channel reflection beam set ris-uebeamlist for the RIS-optimized region, and obtains the cell-level channel reflection beam set ris-cellbeamlist, where ris-uebeamlist and ris-cellbeamlist may be the same or different. For the cell-level channel reflection beam set, the base station allocates corresponding ris-cellbeams to the time-domain positions occupied by the cell-level channels according to the cell-level channel configuration, and stores the cell-level channel reflection beam list according to {cell-level channel time-domain position, ris-cellbeams corresponding to different time-domain positions}. If the RIS-optimized region is a weak area of ​​the base station, then there is no cell-level channel corresponding process.

[0045] The RIS receives the first and second control information, i.e., the RIS control information is at the slot (time slot) granularity, including the reflection beam information of 14 symbols. Considering the RIS processing time, the base station needs to send it to the RIS a certain amount of time in advance. A schematic diagram of slots and symbols is shown in Figure 8. The base station generates RIS control information according to the slot granularity. The RIS control information corresponds to the reflection beam of the 14 symbols of the data air interface slot in Figure 8.

[0046] (a) Based on the data air interface slot, search the cell-level channel time domain position in the cell-level channel reflection beam list of the base station. If it exists, set the corresponding time domain position to the corresponding riscellbeam.

[0047] (b) The base station, following the normal scheduling strategy, determines that there are UEs under RIS coverage on the currently scheduled data air interface, and generates UE-level channel reflection beams according to the following strategy: Based on the UE access procedure PRACH or L1-RSRP measurement information, the RIS reflection beam of a single UE is obtained; provided that UE performance is satisfied, the base station can merge the RIS reflection beams of multiple RIS UEs into one risuebeam. This increases the number of UEs scheduled per TTI and reduces UE latency; the corresponding time domain location is set to the corresponding risuebeam.

[0048] The base station combines (a) and (b) to merge the cell-level channel reflection beams and the UE-level channel reflection beams according to symbols. If only some of the 14 symbols in the calculated slot require RIS reflection, the symbols that do not require RIS reflection should be set to invalid.

[0049] The base station transmits the corresponding RIS control information over the RIS control information air interface. After receiving the information, the RIS sets the reflected beam according to the symbol in the designated slot based on the effective time.

[0050] In one embodiment, as shown in Figure 9, in the second reflection beam control mode, the RIS independently controls the RIS reflection beam. If the RIS continuously monitors the air interface to identify whether there is RIS control information, the power consumption requirements for the RIS are relatively high. Within a certain time interval, if the UEs under the RIS coverage are stationary and concentrated on one or a few beams, the RIS reflection beam set is fixed. In this scenario, when the RIS side has strong processing capabilities, it only needs to receive the base station's control information once within a certain time interval, and the RIS independently controls the transmission beam. The base station only needs to notify the RIS again when the RIS reflection beam set changes. In addition to sending control information to the RIS, the base station also needs to configure its activation information for the RIS; the RIS only monitors the air interface at the activation time.

[0051] The base station and RIS exchange very little information, which can greatly save air interface resource overhead and significantly reduce RIS power consumption. However, its beam cannot be controlled in real time, and the gain is only controllable in limited scenarios, such as when the UE is stationary; it is not fully controllable in other scenarios.

[0052] The base station obtains and stores the UE-level channel reflection beam set ris-uebeamlist for the RIS-optimized region. If the RIS-optimized region is a blind zone for the base station, the base station obtains the cell-level channel reflection beam set ris-cellbeamlist, where ris-uebeamlist and ris-cellbeamlist may be the same or different. For the cell-level channel reflection beam set, the base station allocates corresponding ris-cellbeams to the time-domain positions occupied by the cell-level channels according to the cell-level channel configuration, and sends the cell-level channel time-domain reflection beam information {cell-level channel time-domain position, ris-cellbeams corresponding to different time-domain positions} to the RIS. The RIS stores the cell-level channel-reflection beam list. If the RIS-optimized region is a weak zone for the base station, there is no corresponding cell-level channel process.

[0053] According to the normal scheduling strategy, if there are UEs under RIS coverage on the currently scheduled data air interface, the base station generates a RIS UE-level channel reflection beam list and service pattern information. The pattern information includes the time proportion of one or more reflection beams within a time window. Among them, the reflection beams include at least one of the following: generating a single main lobe beam based on the reflection beam of each scheduled user; or generating a multi-main lobe beam by merging the reflection beams of multiple scheduled users (similar to the first reflection beam control mode).

[0054] The RIS receives and stores the UE-level channel reflection beam list and service pattern. Only after the RIS is activated will the base station begin transmitting service data to the UE covered by the RIS, and the base station's data transmission rules follow the pattern information.

[0055] For a given slot, the RIS determines whether a cell-level channel symbol exists based on the cell-level channel-reflection beam list. If it exists, the symbol is directly set as the corresponding cell-level channel reflection beam. For the remaining symbols in the given slot, reflection beams are generated based on the base station's pattern information.

[0056] In one embodiment, as shown in Figure 10, in the third reflection beam control mode, the external RIS control node and the RIS jointly control the RIS reflection beam, that is, the base station and the RIS jointly control the reflection beam.

[0057] When the RIS has strong processing capabilities, the base station only sends the cell-level channel configuration to the RIS once, and simultaneously notifies the RIS of the UE activation information covered by the RIS. During UE inactivity, the RIS no longer receives control information from the air interface; the RIS only receives control information from the air interface during UE activation. During UE activation, the base station generates TTI-level RIS UE-level channel control information according to dynamic scheduling and sends it to the RIS. The RIS needs to integrate the cell-level channel configuration and the received RIS UE-level channel control information to generate the final RIS reflection beam.

[0058] During UE activation, the base station and RIS interact according to TTI. The RIS reflection beam is controlled in real time, and the gain is controllable in all scenarios, such as UE movement or stillness. However, during UE deactivation, the RIS does not need to read the air interface. Its RIS control signaling overhead and power consumption are less than the first reflection beam control mode, but more than the second reflection beam control mode. The gain is controllable compared to the second reflection beam control mode.

[0059] The cell-level channel reflection beam processing strategy is basically the same as that of the cell-level channel in the second reflection beam control mode.

[0060] The UE-level channel reflection beam processing strategy is basically the same as that of the second reflection beam control mode. The difference from the first reflection beam control mode is that the real-time slot control information issued by the base station in the third reflection beam control mode only includes the UE-level channel. For a specified slot RIS, the UE-level channel reflection beam needs to be set according to the base station's control information; at the same time, the RIS needs to determine whether there is a cell-level channel symbol according to the cell-level channel-reflection beam list. If it exists, the symbol also needs to be set as the corresponding cell-level channel reflection beam.

[0061] The UE is not always active. For example, if a UE is in a GAP (Gap), the base station will not schedule that UE again. The base station notifies the RIS (Remote Information System) of the activation information of UEs in the RIS area, such as Discontinuous Reception (DRX) and General Access Point (GAP) information. The RIS side aggregates the activation information of multiple UEs. During inactive periods, the RIS side no longer receives UE-level channel control information from the base station.

[0062] Step S304: Switch the reflection beam control mode of RIS according to the changes in the region.

[0063] In an exemplary embodiment of this disclosure, switching the reflection beam control mode of the RIS according to changes in the region includes: when the base station confirms that the area covered by the base station or the RIS meets a first preset condition, notifying the RIS to switch from a third reflection beam control mode to a second reflection beam control mode; wherein the first preset condition is determined based on at least one of the following: peak traffic of the base station, the number of UEs in the area covered by the RIS, the distance between UEs in the area covered by the RIS, and the movement status of UEs in the area covered by the RIS.

[0064] In one embodiment, the first reflection beam control mode is applicable to all RIS and all service scenarios; the second reflection beam control mode is applicable to high-capacity and low-power RIS, and scenarios with fewer cell traffic and UEs; the third reflection beam control mode is applicable to high-capacity RIS with no power consumption requirements, and scenarios with more cell traffic and UEs.

[0065] In one embodiment, the first preset condition includes at least one of the following: there is only one UE in the RIS coverage area, and the RIS codebook can be fixed; the UEs in the RIS coverage area are close to each other and are basically concentrated under one or a few beams, so there is no need to frequently notify changes to the RIS codebook; the number of UEs in the RIS coverage area is small, so there is no need to frequently notify changes to the RIS codebook; the UEs in the RIS coverage area are basically stationary, so there is no need to frequently measure for channel tracking; the base station has clear requirements for peak traffic and needs to minimize the RIS codebook control signaling overhead; the RIS coverage area is a weak area of ​​the base station, and RIS is used as a warm-up method, with no strong / special requirements for user gain under RIS coverage.

[0066] In an exemplary embodiment of this disclosure, switching the reflection beam control mode of the RIS according to changes in the region includes: when the base station confirms that the region covered by the RIS meets a second preset condition, notifying the RIS to switch from the second reflection beam control mode to the third reflection beam control mode; wherein the second preset condition is determined based on at least one of the following: the number of UEs in the region covered by the RIS, the distance between UEs in the region covered by the RIS, and the movement status of UEs in the region covered by the RIS.

[0067] In one embodiment, the second preset condition includes at least one of the following: the number of UEs in the RIS-covered area is large and the cell service load is heavy, requiring frequent notifications to change the RIS codebook; the UEs in the RIS-covered area are relatively dispersed, covering many RIS beams, and the cell service load is heavy, requiring frequent notifications to change the RIS codebook; there are mobile UEs in the RIS-covered area that have a clear need for channel tracking and require frequent measurements.

[0068] In an exemplary embodiment of this disclosure, switching the reflection beam control mode of the RIS according to changes in the area covered by the RIS includes: when the base station confirms that the area covered by the RIS meets a third preset condition, and the RIS is currently in the second reflection beam control mode, notifying the RIS to revert to the third reflection beam control mode; wherein the third preset condition is determined based on at least one of the following: the number of UEs in the area covered by the RIS and the radio link access status of the UEs in the area covered by the RIS.

[0069] In one embodiment, if the area covered by the RIS meets a third preset condition and the RIS is currently in the second reflection beam control mode, the RIS will be notified to fall back from the second reflection beam control mode to the third reflection beam control mode.

[0070] In one embodiment, the third preset condition includes at least one of the following: the overall KPI (e.g., traffic) of users under RIS coverage deteriorates; some users under RIS coverage experience wireless link failures and initiate random access.

[0071] Through the embodiments of this disclosure, since the reflected beam control mode of the RIS is set according to the RIS capability information, the reflected beam generated by the RIS is not fixed, but adaptively generated by the RIS based on the status of different UEs and cell-level channels within its coverage area. This provides greater flexibility compared to a fixed reflected beam. Furthermore, the reflected beam control mode is not static; it switches when the RIS coverage area changes. Therefore, this addresses the problem in related technologies where the RIS reflected beam cannot be adaptively adjusted, resulting in limited optimization effects for the coverage area. Ultimately, it achieves the effect of generating appropriate reflected beams for the RIS coverage area based on actual conditions, adapting to different communication needs and environmental changes.

[0072] Through the above description of the embodiments, those skilled in the art can clearly understand that the methods according to the above embodiments can be implemented by means of software plus necessary general-purpose hardware platforms. Of course, they can also be implemented by hardware, but in many cases the former is a better implementation method. Based on this understanding, the technical solution of this disclosure, in essence, or the part that contributes to the prior art, can be embodied in the form of a software product. This computer software product is stored in a storage medium (such as ROM / RAM, magnetic disk, optical disk), and includes several instructions to cause a terminal device (which may be a mobile phone, computer, server, or network device, etc.) to execute the methods described in the various embodiments of this disclosure.

[0073] This embodiment also provides a smart metasurface RIS reflective beam generation device, which is configured to implement the above embodiments and preferred embodiments; details already described will not be repeated. As used below, the term "module" can refer to a combination of software and / or hardware that implements a predetermined function. Although the device described in the following embodiments is preferably implemented in software, hardware implementation, or a combination of software and hardware, is also possible and contemplated.

[0074] Figure 11 is a structural block diagram of a smart metasurface RIS reflection beam generation device according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. As shown in Figure 11, the device includes a setting module 10 and a switching module 20.

[0075] Setting module 10: Sets the RIS reflection beam control mode according to the RIS control information reported by the intelligent metasurface RIS. The reflection beam control mode is used to instruct the RIS to adaptively generate reflection beams according to the UE status and cell-level channel of the area covered by the RIS.

[0076] Switching module 20: Set to switch the RIS's reflection beam control mode according to changes in the region.

[0077] It should be noted that the above modules can be implemented by software or hardware. For the latter, they can be implemented in the following ways, but are not limited to: all the above modules are located in the same processor; or, the above modules are located in different processors in any combination.

[0078] To facilitate understanding of the technical solutions provided in this disclosure, detailed descriptions will be given below in conjunction with specific scenario embodiments.

[0079] Scenario Example 1

[0080] In this embodiment, RIS is the first reflection beam control mode, and the reflection beam is independently controlled externally. The UE camps in the RIS optimization region and needs to scan the SSBs in rotation. The RIS reflection beams differ between different SSBs. RIS sets the beam for each symbol. This process includes the following steps:

[0081] In step S1211, the RIS control node sends 14 symbols of reflected beams to the RIS according to the slot where the SSB is located, taking into account the RIS processing time. Only the SSB symbol has valid beam information, and the beam information of other symbols is invalid. Referring to Figure 12, the reflected beam information of slot 5 SSB is sent in slot 2. Only the symbol [2~9] beams are valid, and the other beams are invalid.

[0082] In step S1212, after receiving the RIS control word over the air interface, the RIS control module sets the beam of each symbol directly according to the control word information based on the effective slot.

[0083] In this embodiment, after the UE optimizes regional downlink synchronization via RIS, the UE obtains the optimal SSB and accesses the network at the corresponding PRACH timing. The RIS reflection beams differ across different PRACHs, and the process includes the following steps:

[0084] Step S1221: The RIS control node, according to the slot where PRACH is located and considering the RIS processing time, needs to send a 14-symbol reflection beam to the RIS at the slot level a certain time in advance. Only the PRACH symbol has valid beam information, and the beam information of other symbols is invalid.

[0085] Step S1222: After receiving the RIS control word over the air interface, the RIS control module directly sets the reflected beam of each symbol according to the control word information based on the effective slot, without needing to perform additional logic processing, making the RIS-side processing simple.

[0086] In this embodiment, the base station determines the optimal SSB for the UE based on the timing of the PRACH, thereby determining the reflected beam of Msg2. The reflected beam of Msg2 differs depending on when the UE accesses the network at different PRACH timings. This process includes the following steps:

[0087] Step S1231: According to the slot where Msg2 is located, the RIS control node needs to send a 14-symbol reflection beam to the RIS at the slot level in advance, taking into account the RIS processing time. Only the Msg2 symbol has valid beam information, and the beam information of other symbols is invalid.

[0088] Step S1232: After receiving the RIS control word over the air interface, the RIS control module directly sets the reflected beam of each symbol according to the effective slot and the control word information, without the need for additional logic processing, making the RIS-side processing simple.

[0089] The reflection beam processing strategy for Msg3 and Msg4 is the same as that for Msg2.

[0090] Service beam adjustment when the UE is fixed in the RIS optimization area: After the UE successfully accesses the RIS optimization area, it obtains the optimal SSB based on the access, which is the optimal service channel reflection beam for the UE. The service channel reflection beam processing strategy is the same as Msg2.

[0091] When a UE moves, its optimal SSB changes, and the corresponding reflected beam also changes. The service beam adjustment process for UE movement within the RIS optimization area includes the following steps:

[0092] Step S1241: The base station obtains the UE's optimal SSB through the UE's L1-RSRP measurement information, thereby obtaining the UE's optimal reflected beam.

[0093] Step S1242: The RIS control node, according to the slot where the service channel is located and considering the RIS processing time, needs to send a 14-symbol reflection beam to the RIS at the slot level a certain time in advance. Only the service channel symbols have valid beam information, and the beam information of other symbols is invalid.

[0094] Step S1242: After receiving the RIS control word over the air interface, the RIS control module sets the reflected beam of each symbol directly according to the control word information based on the effective slot, without needing to perform additional logic processing, making the RIS-side processing simple.

[0095] Scenario Example 2

[0096] In this embodiment, RIS is the second reflection beam control mode, and RIS independently controls the reflection beam.

[0097] When a UE camps in the RIS optimization region, it needs to scan the SSBs in turn. The RIS reflection beams differ between different SSBs. The downlink synchronization reflection beam adjustment in the RIS optimization region includes the following processing steps:

[0098] Step S1311: After the cell is established, the RIS control node sends the SSB that the RIS needs to reflect and the corresponding reflection beam information to the RIS. This only needs to be sent once after the cell is established.

[0099] Step S1312: The RIS control module stores the reflected beam information of the SSB.

[0100] Step S1313: The RIS control module determines that the current slot is an SSB slot based on the stored SSB reflection beam information, and then sets the reflection beam of the SSB symbol according to the stored information. The SSB channel reflection beam information only needs to be transmitted once by the base station and the RIS air interface, saving air interface resources.

[0101] After the UE achieves downlink synchronization in the RIS-optimized area, it obtains the optimal SSB and accesses the network at the corresponding PRACH timing. The RIS reflection beams differ across PRACHs, and the beam adjustment for RIS-optimized area access includes the following processing steps:

[0102] Step S1321: After the cell is established, the RIS control node sends the PRACH that the RIS needs to reflect and the reflection beam information of the corresponding PRACH symbol to the RIS. This only needs to be sent once after the cell is established.

[0103] Step S1322: The RIS control module stores the reflection beam information of PRACH.

[0104] Step S1323: The RIS control module determines that the current slot is a PRACH slot based on the stored PRACH reflection beam information, and then sets the reflection beam of the PRACH symbol according to the stored information. The PRACH channel reflection beam information only needs to be transmitted once by the base station and the RIS air interface, saving air interface resources.

[0105] The base station determines the UE's optimal SSB based on the timing of the PRACH, thereby determining the reflected beam of Msg2. The reflected beam of Msg2 differs depending on the UE's access timing via different PRACH events, as explained in the following processing steps:

[0106] Step S1331: The RIS control node sends the UE's reflected beam information to the RIS.

[0107] Step S1332: The RIS control module determines if the slot symbol is not a common channel and sets it according to the UE's reflection beam information.

[0108] If the RIS control module determines that the slot symbol is not a common channel, the reflection beam of Msg3 is set according to the UE's reflection beam information.

[0109] The reflection beam processing strategy for Msg4 is the same as that for Msg3. For Msg2, Msg3 and Msg4, the reflection beam information only needs to be transmitted once by the base station and RIS air interface, saving air interface resources.

[0110] Service beam adjustment when the UE is fixed in the RIS optimization area: After the UE successfully accesses the RIS optimization area, it obtains the optimal SSB based on the access, which is the optimal service channel reflection beam for the UE. The service channel reflection beam processing strategy is the same as Msg3.

[0111] When a UE moves, its optimal SSB changes, and the corresponding reflected beam also changes. The service beam adjustment process when a UE moves within the RIS optimization area includes the following steps:

[0112] Step S1341: The base station obtains the UE's optimal SSB through the UE's L1-RSRP measurement information, thereby obtaining the UE's optimal reflected beam.

[0113] Step S1342: The RIS control node sends the UE's new reflected beam information and effective offset to the RIS.

[0114] Step S1343: When the new beam takes effect, the RIS control module determines if the slot symbol is not a common channel and sets it according to the UE's reflection beam information. Only after the UE's optimal reflection beam changes does the base station and RIS need to transmit once via the air interface, thus saving air interface resources.

[0115] Scenario Example 3

[0116] In this embodiment, RIS is the third reflection beam control mode. When the UE camps in the RIS optimized region, it needs to scan the SSBs in rotation. The RIS reflection beams differ between different SSBs. The downlink synchronization reflection beam adjustment process in the RIS optimized region is as follows:

[0117] Step S1411: After the cell is established, the RIS control node sends the SSB that the RIS needs to reflect and the corresponding reflection beam information to the RIS. This only needs to be sent once after the cell is established.

[0118] Step S1412: The RIS control module stores the reflected beam information of the SSB.

[0119] Step S1413: The RIS control module determines that the current slot is an SSB slot based on the stored SSB reflection beam information, and then sets the reflection beam of the SSB symbol according to the stored information.

[0120] In this embodiment, after the UE achieves downlink synchronization in the RIS optimized area, it obtains the optimal SSB and accesses the network at the corresponding PRACH timing. The RIS reflection beams differ across different PRACHs, and the beam adjustment for access in the RIS optimized area includes the following process:

[0121] Step S1421: After the cell is established, the RIS control node sends the PRACH that the RIS needs to reflect and the reflection beam information of the corresponding PRACH symbol to the RIS. This only needs to be sent once after the cell is established.

[0122] Step S1422: The RIS control module stores the reflection beam information of PRACH.

[0123] Step S1423: The RIS control module determines that the current slot is a PRACH slot based on the stored PRACH reflection beam information, and then sets the reflection beam of the PRACH symbol according to the stored information.

[0124] In this embodiment, the base station determines the optimal SSB for the UE based on the timing of the PRACH, thereby determining the reflected beam of Msg2. The reflected beam of Msg2 differs depending on when the UE accesses the network at different PRACH timings; the processing flow is as follows:

[0125] Step S1431: The RIS control node, according to the slot where Msg2 is located and considering the RIS processing time, sends a 14-symbol reflected beam to the RIS at the slot level a certain time in advance. Only the Msg2 symbol has valid beam information, and the beam information of other symbols is invalid.

[0126] Step S1432: After receiving the RIS control word over the air interface, the RIS control module sets the reflection beam of each symbol directly according to the control word information based on the effective Msg2 slot.

[0127] The reflection beam processing strategy for Msg3 and Msg4 is the same as that for Msg2.

[0128] Service beam adjustment when the UE is fixed in the RIS optimization area: After the UE successfully accesses the RIS optimization area, it obtains the optimal SSB based on the access, which is the optimal service channel reflection beam for the UE. The service channel reflection beam processing strategy is the same as Msg2.

[0129] When a UE moves, its optimal SSB changes, and the corresponding reflected beam also changes. The service beam adjustment process when a UE moves within the RIS optimization area includes the following steps:

[0130] Step S1441: The base station obtains the UE's optimal SSB through the UE's L1-RSRP measurement information, thereby obtaining the UE's optimal reflected beam.

[0131] Step S1442: The RIS control node sends a 14-symbol reflection beam to the RIS at the slot level according to the slot where the service channel is located, taking into account the RIS processing time. Only the service channel symbols have valid beam information, and the beam information of other symbols is invalid.

[0132] Scenario Example 4

[0133] In this embodiment, when the RIS is in power-saving mode, the following process is also included when the RIS optimizes the UE service beam adjustment in the optimized area:

[0134] Step S1511: The base station notifies the RIS side of the UE's activation information, such as DRX and GAP information.

[0135] Step S1512: The RIS side only receives RIS control information during UE activation; during non-activation time, the RIS can be in sleep mode to save power.

[0136] Scenario Example 5

[0137] In this embodiment, the RIS optimizes the UE in the coverage area, and the switching of the RIS's reflection beam control mode includes the following process:

[0138] Step S1611: The base station determines that the UE is stationary and the current control mode is external independent control of the reflected beam. The base station instructs the RIS to switch to RIS independent control of the reflected beam.

[0139] Step S1612: The RIS receives an instruction to switch control modes and executes according to the new control mode. The switching process refers to the control mode in the above embodiment.

[0140] Through the embodiments of this disclosure, for each RIS reflection beam control mode, the reflection beam at different time domain positions is adaptively controlled, and multiple scenarios are designed to realize real-time adjustment of the reflection beam at different time domains. Each scenario can also be adaptively adjusted, which ensures optimal wireless performance while also taking into account RIS cost and power saving.

[0141] Embodiments of this disclosure also provide a computer-readable storage medium storing a computer program configured to perform the steps in any of the above method embodiments when executed.

[0142] In one exemplary embodiment, the aforementioned computer-readable storage medium may include, but is not limited to, various media capable of storing computer programs, such as a USB flash drive, read-only memory (ROM), random access memory (RAM), portable hard disk, magnetic disk, or optical disk.

[0143] Embodiments of this disclosure also provide an electronic device including a memory and a processor, the memory storing a computer program and the processor being configured to run the computer program to perform the steps in any of the above method embodiments.

[0144] In one exemplary embodiment, the electronic device may further include a transmission device and an input / output device, wherein the transmission device is connected to the processor and the input / output device is connected to the processor.

[0145] Specific examples in this embodiment can be found in the examples described in the above embodiments and exemplary implementations, and will not be repeated here.

[0146] It is obvious to those skilled in the art that the modules or steps of this disclosure described above can be implemented using general-purpose computing devices. They can be centralized on a single computing device or distributed across a network of multiple computing devices. They can be implemented using computer-executable program code, and thus can be stored in a storage device for execution by a computing device. In some cases, the steps shown or described can be performed in a different order than those presented herein, or they can be fabricated as separate integrated circuit modules, or multiple modules or steps can be fabricated as a single integrated circuit module. Thus, this disclosure is not limited to any particular combination of hardware and software.

[0147] The above description is merely a preferred embodiment of this disclosure and is not intended to limit this disclosure. Various modifications and variations can be made to this disclosure by those skilled in the art. Any modifications, equivalent substitutions, improvements, etc., made within the principles of this disclosure should be included within the scope of protection of this disclosure.

Claims

1. A method for generating a smart metasurface RIS reflection beam, comprising: The reflection beam control mode of the RIS is set according to the RIS capability information reported by the intelligent metasurface RIS, wherein the reflection beam control mode is used to instruct the RIS to adaptively generate reflection beams according to the UE status and cell-level channel of the area covered by the RIS. The reflection beam control mode of the RIS is switched according to the changes in the region.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein, The step of setting the reflection beam control mode of the RIS based on the RIS capability information reported by the intelligent metasurface RIS includes: The processing power and power consumption of the RIS are determined based on the RIS capability information; Based on the comparison results of the processing capability and the preset capability threshold, and the comparison results of the power consumption and the preset power consumption threshold, the RIS is set to a reflection beam control mode.

3. The method according to claim 2, wherein, The step of setting a reflection beam control mode for the RIS based on the comparison result of the processing capability and a preset capability threshold, and the comparison result of the power consumption and a preset power consumption threshold, includes: If it is confirmed that the processing capability of the RIS is less than the preset capability threshold, the reflection beam control mode of the RIS is set to the first reflection beam control mode. If it is confirmed that the processing capability of the RIS is greater than the preset capability threshold and the power consumption is less than the preset power consumption threshold, the reflection beam control mode of the RIS is set to the second reflection beam control mode. If it is confirmed that the processing capability of the RIS is greater than the preset capability threshold and the power consumption is greater than the preset power consumption threshold, the reflection beam control mode of the RIS is set to the third reflection beam control mode.

4. The method according to claim 3, wherein, The method further includes: When the reflection beam control mode of the RIS is set to the first reflection beam control mode, the RIS sends first control information to the RIS in real time according to the cell-level channel configuration of the managed cell and the service channel of the UE, so that the RIS generates the reflection beam according to the first control information. When the reflection beam control mode of the RIS is set to the second reflection beam control mode, the cell-level channel reflection beam set, the service channel configuration of the UE and the pattern information are sent to the RIS, so that the RIS generates the reflection beam according to the cell-level channel reflection beam set, the state of the UE and the pattern information; When the reflection beam control mode of the RIS is set to the third reflection beam control mode, the cell-level channel configuration of the managed cell and the activation information of the UE in the area are sent to the RIS, so that the RIS receives the second control information during UE activation and generates the reflection beam according to the cell-level channel configuration and the second control information.

5. The method according to claim 4, wherein, The step of sending first control information to the RIS in real time according to the cell-level channel configuration of the managed cell and the service channel of the UE, so that the RIS generates the reflected beam according to the first control information, includes: The cell-level channel reflection beam is determined based on the cell-level channel configuration of the managed cell, and the terminal-level channel reflection beam is determined based on the measurement information of the UE when accessing the base station; The first control information, comprising N symbols, is generated according to the cell-level channel reflection beam and the terminal-level channel reflection beam at the time slot granularity. Among the N symbols, M symbols are valid information used to indicate the reflection beam generated by RIS. M and N are positive integers, and M is less than or equal to N.

6. The method according to claim 3, wherein, The step of switching the reflection beam control mode of the RIS according to the changes in the region includes: If the base station confirms that the area covered by the base station or the RIS meets the first preset condition, it notifies the RIS to switch from the third reflection beam control mode to the second reflection beam control mode. The first preset condition is determined based on at least one of the following: the peak traffic of the base station, the number of UEs in the area covered by the RIS, the distance between the UEs in the area covered by the RIS, and the movement status of the UEs in the area covered by the RIS.

7. The method according to claim 3, wherein, The step of switching the reflection beam control mode of the RIS according to the changes in the region includes: If the base station confirms that the area covered by the RIS meets the second preset condition, it notifies the RIS to switch from the second reflection beam control mode to the third reflection beam control mode. The second preset condition is determined based on at least one of the following: the number of UEs in the area covered by the RIS, the distance between the UEs in the area covered by the RIS, and the movement status of the UEs in the area covered by the RIS.

8. The method according to claim 3, wherein, The step of switching the reflection beam control mode of the RIS according to the changes in the area covered by the RIS includes: If the base station confirms that the area covered by the RIS meets the third preset condition, and the RIS is currently in the second reflection beam control mode, the base station notifies the RIS to fall back to the third reflection beam control mode. The third preset condition is determined based on at least one of the following: the number of UEs in the area covered by the RIS and the wireless link access status of the UEs in the area covered by the RIS.

9. The method according to claim 2, wherein, The processing capability includes at least one of the following: The RIS's ability to parse specific codebook control information; Does the RIS support a wireless protocol version that matches the base station? The RIS processes control information with latency.

10. A computer program product comprising a computer program, wherein the computer program and instructions, when executed by a processor, implement the steps of the method described in any one of claims 1 to 9.

11. A computer-readable storage medium storing a computer program, wherein, When the computer program is executed by a processor, it implements the steps of the method described in any one of claims 1 to 9.

12. An electronic device comprising a memory, a processor, and a computer program stored in the memory and executable on the processor, wherein the processor, when executing the computer program, implements the steps of the method according to any one of claims 1 to 9.

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