Design device and design method

Abstract

This design device comprises: an input unit that acquires area information and design constraint information; an analysis unit that generates a radio wave propagation analysis result on the basis of the area information and the design constraint information; and a design unit that determines a pattern of a reflection plate on the basis of the area information, the design constraint information, and the radio wave propagation analysis result.

Description

Design apparatus and design method

[0001] The present invention relates to a design apparatus and a design method.

[0002] The 3rd Generation Partnership Project (3GPP) is exploring wireless communication methods known as 5G or NR (New Radio) (hereinafter referred to as "NR") in order to achieve even greater system capacity, even faster data transmission speeds, and even lower latency in the wireless section. In order to meet the requirements of achieving a throughput of 10 Gbps or more while keeping the latency in the wireless section below 1 ms, various wireless technologies and network architectures are being considered (for example, Non-Patent Documents 1 and 2).

[0003] Furthermore, various requirements are being considered for the next generation of 6G. These requirements include, for example, ultra-broadband communication, mission-critical communication, ultra-massive connection, universal coverage, intelligent connection, and ubiquitous sensing.

[0004] To meet these requirements, the new concept aims for extensibility (e.g., making it more effective for future use), ease of operation, customizability (e.g., making it easier to operate), and sustainability (e.g., cost reduction, a more robust configuration, and resilience). Furthermore, guaranteed communication, ensuring a minimum level of performance at all times, is being considered.

[0005] The use of high-frequency bands is expected in next-generation communications. Due to the characteristics of these high-frequency bands, such as a reduction in the number of scatterers, a decrease in the shadow-wing effect, and an increase in distance attenuation, improvements in communication quality are required. Beam control and environmental factors that ensure communication quality are anticipated to be necessary.

[0006] For example, in high-frequency bands, there is a problem of dead zones easily occurring due to the strong directivity of radio waves. Therefore, methods to improve communication quality in multipath environments are being attempted using passive repeaters or active reflectors (RIS: Reconfigurable Intelligent Surface), smart repeaters that receive, amplify, and re-radiate signals, etc. (see, for example, Non-Patent Document 2).

[0007] 3GPP TS 38.300 V18.3.0 (2024-09) NTT DOCOMO, "White Paper: Advancement of 5G and 6G" (2021-02, version 3.0) Internet <URL: https: / / www.nttdocomo.co.jp / binary / pdf / corporate / technology / whitepaper_6g / DOCOMO_6G_White_PaperJP_20210203.pdf>

[0008] Designing the surface pattern of each reflector individually for various propagation environments is difficult for operators in terms of time and cost.

[0009] This invention has been made in view of the above points, and aims to facilitate the design of reflectors in wireless communication systems.

[0010] According to the disclosed technology, a design apparatus is provided which includes an input unit for acquiring area information and design constraint information, an analysis unit for generating radio wave propagation analysis results based on the area information and the design constraint information, and a design unit for determining the pattern of a reflector based on the area information, the design constraint information, and the radio wave propagation analysis results.

[0011] According to the disclosed technology, the design of reflectors in wireless communication systems can be facilitated.

[0012] This figure shows an example configuration of a wireless communication system in an embodiment of the present invention. This figure illustrates an example of a metasurface reflector. This figure illustrates an example of a reflector in an embodiment of the present invention. This figure shows an example of the functional configuration of the design device 30 in an embodiment of the present invention. This figure shows an example of the functional configuration of the design device 31 in an embodiment of the present invention. This figure shows an example of the functional configuration of the design device 32 in an embodiment of the present invention. This figure shows an example of the functional configuration of the system in an embodiment of the present invention. This is a flowchart illustrating an example of the operation of the system in an embodiment of the present invention. This figure shows an example of the hardware configuration of the base station 10, terminal 20, design device 30, design device 31 and design device 32 in an embodiment of the present invention. This figure shows an example of the configuration of a vehicle 2001 in an embodiment of the present invention.

[0013] Embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings. Note that the embodiments described below are examples, and the embodiments to which the present invention applies are not limited to those described below.

[0014] In the operation of the wireless communication system according to the embodiments of the present invention, existing technologies may be used as appropriate. However, such existing technologies include, for example, existing LTE, but are not limited to existing LTE. Furthermore, the term "LTE" as used herein has a broad meaning that includes LTE-Advanced and LTE-Advanced and later technologies (e.g., NR), unless otherwise specified.

[0015] Furthermore, in the embodiments of the present invention described below, terms such as SS (Synchronization signal), PSS (Primary SS), SSS (Secondary SS), PBCH (Physical broadcast channel), PRACH (Physical random access channel), PDCCH (Physical Downlink Control Channel), PDSCH (Physical Downlink Shared Channel), PUCCH (Physical Uplink Control Channel), and PUSCH (Physical Uplink Shared Channel), which are used in existing LTE systems, will be used. This is for convenience of description, and similar signals, functions, etc., may be called by other names. Also, the above terms in NR correspond to NR-SS, NR-PSS, NR-SSS, NR-PBCH, NR-PRACH, etc. However, even if a signal is used in NR, it is not necessarily explicitly stated as "NR-".

[0016] Furthermore, in the embodiments of the present invention, the duplex system may be a TDD (Time Division Duplex) system, an FDD (Frequency Division Duplex) system, or any other system (for example, a Flexible Duplex).

[0017] Furthermore, in the embodiments of the present invention, "configuring" wireless parameters may mean that predetermined values ​​are pre-configured, or that wireless parameters notified from the base station 10 or terminal 20 are configured.

[0018] Figure 1 shows an example of the configuration of a wireless communication system in an embodiment of the present invention. The wireless communication system in the embodiment of the present invention includes a base station 10 and a terminal 20, as shown in Figure 1. Figure 1 shows one base station 10 and one terminal 20, but this is an example, and there may be multiple base stations 10 and terminals 20.

[0019] Base station 10 is a communication device that provides one or more cells and communicates wirelessly with terminal 20. The physical resources of the wireless signal are defined in the time domain and the frequency domain. The time domain may be defined by the number of OFDM (Orthogonal Frequency Division Multiplexing) symbols, and the frequency domain may be defined by the number of subcarriers or resource blocks. Base station 10 transmits synchronization signals and system information to terminal 20. Synchronization signals are, for example, NR-PSS and NR-SSS. System information is transmitted, for example, in NR-PBCH and is also called broadcast information. Synchronization signals and system information may also be called SSB (SS / PBCH block). As shown in Figure 1, base station 10 transmits control signals or data to terminal 20 via DL (Downlink) and receives control signals or data from terminal 20 via UL (Uplink). Both base station 10 and terminal 20 are capable of transmitting and receiving signals using beamforming. Furthermore, both the base station 10 and the terminal 20 can apply MIMO (Multiple Input Multiple Output) communication to DL or UL. Also, both the base station 10 and the terminal 20 may communicate via Carrier Aggregation (CA) through secondary cells (SCell) and primary cells (PCell). Additionally, the terminal 20 may communicate via Dual Connectivity (DC) through the primary cell of base station 10 and the primary secondary cell group cell (PSCell) of another base station 10.

[0020] Terminal 20 is a communication device equipped with wireless communication capabilities, such as a smartphone, mobile phone, tablet, wearable device, or M2M (Machine-to-Machine) communication module. As shown in Figure 1, Terminal 20 receives control signals or data from the base station 10 via DL and transmits control signals or data to the base station 10 via UL, thereby utilizing various communication services provided by the wireless communication system. Terminal 20 also receives various reference signals transmitted from the base station 10 and performs propagation path quality measurement based on the reception results of said reference signals.

[0021] Furthermore, various requirements are being considered for the next generation of 6G. For example, these requirements may include ultra-broadband communication, mission-critical communication, ultra-massive connection, universal coverage, intelligent connection, and ubiquitous sensing.

[0022] Furthermore, these requirements may include ultra-high-speed communication, large-capacity communication, ultra-wide coverage, ultra-low power consumption, low cost, ultra-low latency, ultra-high reliability communication, ultra-high connectivity, and sensing.

[0023] To meet these requirements, the new concept aims for extensibility (e.g., making it more effective for future use), ease of operation, customizability (e.g., making it easier to operate), and sustainability (e.g., cost reduction, a more robust configuration, and resilience). Furthermore, guaranteed communication, ensuring a minimum level of performance at all times, is being considered.

[0024] Furthermore, in the wireless communication system according to the embodiment of the present invention, the base station 10 is, for example, a wireless base station operating with 5G or 6G, and forms a cell. A cell is a relatively large cell and is called a macrocell.

[0025] Base stations 10A and 10D are base stations operated with 5G or 6G. Base stations 10A and 10D each form cells A and D, which are smaller in size compared to macrocells. Cells A and D may also be called small cells or macrocells. As shown in Figure 1, cells A and D may be formed to be included in a macrocell.

[0026] A macrocell can generally be interpreted as a communication area with a radius of several hundred meters to several tens of kilometers, covered by a single base station. A small cell, on the other hand, can be interpreted as a general term for cells with low transmission power that cover a smaller area compared to a macrocell.

[0027] Furthermore, base station 10 and base stations 0A-10D may be denoted as gNodeB (gNB) or BS (Base Station), etc. Also, terminal 20 may be denoted as UE or MS, etc. Moreover, the specific configuration of the wireless communication system, including the number and types of base stations and terminals, is not limited to the example shown in Figure 1.

[0028] Furthermore, the wireless communication system is not necessarily limited to a wireless communication system conforming to 5G or 6G. For example, the wireless communication system may be a next-generation wireless communication system following 6G, or a wireless communication system conforming to LTE.

[0029] Base station 10 and base stations 10A-10D perform wireless communication with terminal 20 in accordance with 5G or 6G, as an example. Base station 10 and base stations 10A-10D and terminal 20 may support Massive MIMO, which generates a more directional beam by controlling the radio signals transmitted from multiple antenna elements; Carrier aggregation (CA), which uses multiple component carriers (CCs) bundled together; Dual connectivity (DC), which enables simultaneous communication between terminal 20 and each of the two NG-RAN nodes; and Integrated Access and Backhaul (IAB), which integrates wireless backhaul between wireless communication nodes such as gNBs and wireless access to terminal 20.

[0030] Furthermore, the wireless communication system may also support higher frequency bands than those specified in the following frequency ranges (FR) in 3GPP Release 15. For example, FR1 may support 410 MHz–7.125 GHz, and FR2 may support 24.25 GHz–52.6 GHz. In addition, the wireless communication system may support frequency bands exceeding 52.6 GHz up to 114.25 GHz. This frequency band may be called the millimeter wave band.

[0031] Here, the base station 10, which supports massive MIMO, can transmit a beam. Massive MIMO generally refers to MIMO communication using an antenna with 100 or more antenna elements, enabling faster wireless communication than conventional methods due to the multiplexing effect of multiple streams. It also enables advanced beamforming. The beam width can be dynamically changed depending on the frequency band used or the state of the terminal 20. Furthermore, it is possible to increase the received signal power through beamforming gain by using a narrow beam. In addition, effects such as reduced interference and efficient use of wireless resources can be expected.

[0032] Furthermore, the wireless communication system may include a wireless relay device. In embodiments of the present invention, for example, the wireless relay device may be a reflector (RIS), a phase-controlled reflector, a passive repeater, an IRS (Intelligent Reflecting Surface), etc. Specific examples of a reflector (RIS: Reconfigurable Intelligent Surface) include what are called metamaterial reflectors, dynamic metasurfaces, metasurface lenses, etc. (for example, Non-Patent Document 2).

[0033] In embodiments of the present invention, the wireless relay device relays, for example, a wireless signal transmitted from a base station 10A. In the description of embodiments of the present invention, "relay" may refer to at least one of "reflection," "transmission," "aggregation (concentrating radio waves to approximately one point)," and "diffraction." The terminal 20 can receive the wireless signal relayed by the wireless relay device. Furthermore, the wireless relay device may relay wireless signals transmitted from the terminal 20, or it may relay wireless signals transmitted from the base station 10.

[0034] As an example, the wireless relay device can change the phase of the wireless signal relayed to terminal 20. From this viewpoint, the wireless relay device may also be called a phase-variable reflector. In this embodiment, the wireless relay device may have the function of changing the phase of the wireless signal before relaying it, but is not limited to this. The wireless relay device may also be called a repeater, relay device, reflect array, IRS, or transmit array, etc.

[0035] Furthermore, in embodiments of the present invention, wireless relay devices such as RIS may also be called Battery-less devices, metamaterial functional devices, intelligent reflecting surfaces, smart repeaters, etc. As an example, wireless relay devices such as RIS or smart repeaters may be defined as having the functions shown in 1)-5) below.

[0036] 1) It may have a receiving function for signals transmitted from the base station 10. The signal may be a DL signal, such as an SSB (SS / PBCH block), PDCCH, PDSCH, DM-RS (Demodulation Reference Signal), PT-RS (Phase Tracking Reference Signal), CSI-RS (Channel Status Information Reference Signal), a signal dedicated to RIS, etc. It may also have a receiving function for a signal carrying information related to the metamaterial function. Additionally, it may have a transmitting function for transmitting the signal to the terminal 20. The SSB may be a signal including a synchronization signal and notification information.

[0037] 2) It may have a transmitting function for signals to the base station 10. The signal may be an UL signal, such as a PRACH, PUCCH, PUSCH, DM-RS, PT-RS, SRS, a signal dedicated to RIS, etc. It may also have a transmitting function for information related to the metamaterial function. Additionally, it may have a receiving function for receiving the signal from the terminal 20.

[0038] 3) It may have a frame synchronization function with the base station 10. Additionally, it may have a frame synchronization function with the terminal 20.

[0039] 4) It may have a reflection function for signals transmitted from the base station 10 or the terminal 20. For example, the reflection function may be a function related to phase change, a function related to beam control (e.g., a function related to the control of TCI (Transmission Configuration Indication)-state, QCL (Quasi Co Location), selection and application of beams, selection and application of spatial filters / precoding weights). 5) It may have a power change function for signals transmitted from the base station 10 or the terminal 20. For example, the power change function may be power amplification.

[0040] Also, "receive and transmit" and "relay" in a wireless relay device such as RIS or a smart repeater may mean that the following function A is performed, but the following function B is not performed before transmission. Function A: Apply a phase shifter. Function B: Do not pass through a compensation circuit (e.g., amplification, filter).

[0041] As another example, Function A: Apply a phase shifter and a compensation circuit. Function B: Do not involve frequency conversion.

[0042] In addition, in a wireless relay device such as a RIS, when the phase is changed, the amplitude may be amplified. Also, "relaying" in a wireless relay device such as a RIS may mean transmitting the received signal as it is without performing layer 2 or layer 3 level processing, transmitting the signal received at the physical layer level as it is, or transmitting the received signal as it is without interpreting the signal (in which case, changes in phase, amplification of amplitude, etc. may be performed).

[0043] FIG. 2 is a diagram for explaining an example of a metasurface reflector. As described above, an RF device (referred to as a reflector, metasurface, etc.) having a function of reflecting or transmitting radio waves in a direction other than the specular reflection direction by arranging small electrical elements and giving different amplitude and / or phase changes for each location with respect to the incident radio wave has been devised. As shown in FIG. 2, the metasurface reflector can reflect or transmit radio waves from a transmission point to a reception point in a direction other than the specular reflection direction.

[0044] Designing the surface pattern of the reflector one by one according to various propagation environments (base stations, surrounding buildings, terminal arrangements, etc.) is difficult for an operator in terms of time and cost. Therefore, a reflector having a reflection pattern close to the desired reflection pattern may be designed by combining a finite number of types of subarray reflectors. Alternatively, by providing a service that can be easily designed using a finite number of types of subarray reflectors, it may be possible for users other than experts to autonomously construct an area.

[0045] FIG. 3 is a diagram for explaining an example of a reflector in an embodiment of the present invention. As shown in FIG. 3, a reflector corresponding to the propagation environment may be designed by combining subarray type A, subarray type B, and subarray type C.

[0046] Next, we will describe examples of the functional configurations of design devices 30, 31, and 32 that perform the processes and operations described in the embodiments of the present invention. Design devices 30, 31, and 32 include functions for performing the embodiments. However, design devices 30, 31, and 32 may each be equipped with only some of the functions in the embodiments.

[0047] Figure 4 shows an example of the functional configuration of the design device 30 in an embodiment of the present invention. As shown in Figure 4, the design device 30 has an area information input unit 301, an area information holding unit 302, and an area information display unit 303. The functional configuration shown in Figure 4 is merely an example. The names of the functional categories and functional units can be anything as long as they can perform the operations according to the embodiment of the present invention. The design device 30 may also be called an area design system.

[0048] The area information input unit 301 acquires area information including information relating to the surrounding environment, the location of the base station, the area to be illuminated, and / or the location of the metasurface reflector. For example, this area information may be input interactively by the user, or it may be supplied from an external device or network.

[0049] The area information storage unit 302 stores the area information acquired by the area information input unit 301. The area information storage unit 302 may also output the area information to the area information display unit 303. The area information storage unit 302 may also transmit the area information to the radio wave propagation analysis unit 311 of the design information 31. The area information may also be output to the area information display unit 303.

[0050] The area information display unit 303 has the function of displaying area information acquired from the area information storage unit 302 to the user.

[0051] Figure 5 shows an example of the functional configuration of the design device 31 in an embodiment of the present invention. As shown in Figure 5, the design device 31 has a radio wave propagation analysis unit 311. The functional configuration shown in Figure 5 is merely an example. The names of the functional categories and functional units can be anything as long as they can perform the operations according to the embodiment of the present invention. The design device 31 may also be called an area analysis system.

[0052] The radio wave propagation analysis unit 311 performs area analysis based on area information and metasurface reflector design information, and transmits the radio wave propagation analysis results to the reflector design unit 322 of the design device 32. The radio wave propagation analysis unit 311 may also transmit area information to the reflector design unit 322 of the design device 32.

[0053] Figure 6 shows an example of the functional configuration of the design device 32 in an embodiment of the present invention. As shown in Figure 6, the design device 32 includes a design constraint input unit 321, a reflector design unit 322, and a design result presentation unit 323. The functional configuration shown in Figure 6 is merely an example. The names of the functional categories and functional units can be anything as long as they can perform the operations according to the embodiment of the present invention. The design device 32 may also be called a reflector design system.

[0054] The design constraint input unit 321 acquires design constraint information, including information relating to the position of the metasurface reflector, the size of the metasurface reflector, the number of sub-array types, the characteristics of each sub-array type, and the basic element arrangement pattern (e.g., square or triangular arrangement). This design constraint information may be input interactively by the user or supplied from an external device or network.

[0055] The reflector design unit 322 generates metasurface reflector design information based on the acquired area information, radio wave propagation analysis results, and design constraint information. The reflector design unit 322 may also transmit the generated metasurface reflector design information to the design result presentation unit 323 and / or to the radio wave propagation analysis unit 311 of the design device 31.

[0056] The design result presentation unit 323 has the function of displaying metasurface reflector design information acquired from the reflector design unit 322 to the user. The design result presentation unit 323 may also have the function of transmitting the metasurface reflector design information to an external device or network.

[0057] Figure 7 shows an example of the functional configuration of the system in an embodiment of the present invention. The user shown in Figure 7 may be replaced by an external device or network, etc. As shown in Figure 7, the user may interactively determine area information, such as the surrounding environment, the location of the base station, the area to be illuminated, the position of the metasurface reflector, etc., with the area design system.

[0058] The area analysis system may perform area analysis based on area information and metasurface reflector design information, and generate radio wave propagation analysis results.

[0059] The reflector design system may design a metasurface reflector based on area information, radio wave propagation analysis results, and design constraint information. The user may interactively determine design constraint information, such as the position of the metasurface reflector, the size of the metasurface reflector, the number of sub-array types, the characteristics of each sub-array type, and the basic element arrangement pattern (e.g., square or triangular arrangement), with the reflector design system.

[0060] The design devices 30, 31, and 32 may also be referred to as a design system.

[0061] Steps 1) and 2) below may be performed.

[0062] Step 1) The user inputs necessary design information into the design system, such as area information for use with reflectors, base station placement, and reflector design constraints.

[0063] Step 2) Based on the input information, the design system outputs to the user either a pattern of a finite number of sub-array reflectors, or a combination of patterns of a finite number of sub-array reflectors, or either one of them.

[0064] Figure 8 is a flowchart for explaining an example of the operation of the system in the embodiment of the present invention. Using FIG. 8, an example of a method for generating meta-surface reflector design information when the types or patterns of sub-arrays are already prepared will be described. The flowchart shown in FIG. 8 may be executed by the reflector design unit 322 of the design apparatus 32 of the design system.

[0065] In step S101, the following definitions of variables shown in 1) and 2) are made. 1) All element patterns x ∈ C Ｎ 2) Matrix W = [w1,..., w Ｍ×Ｋ ∈ C Ｎ×（Ｍ×Ｋ） However, N is the total number of elements, M is the number of sub-arrays, and K is the type of sub-array

[0066] In step S102, an evaluation function for the area is formulated. Evaluation function f(x) corresponding to all element patterns: C Ｎ → R

[0067] In step S103, a sparse regularization term is formulated. Sparse regularization function g(x): C Ｎ → R

[0068] In step S104, the optimization problem is solved to determine the element pattern x. minimize f(x) + λΣ ｍ＝［１，Ｍ］ Σ ｋ＝［１，Ｋ］ g(x - w ｍ×ｋ ) ν ∈ R ≧０ Ｍ×Ｋ is a sub-array type specification vector (convex hull)

[0069] According to the above-described embodiment, by limiting the degrees of freedom of the meta-surface reflector to a finite number of types of sub-arrays, it is possible to suppress the extension of the period required for design and manufacturing and the occurrence of costs.

[0070] That is, the design related to the reflector in the wireless communication system can be facilitated.

[0071] The block diagrams (Figures 4, 5, and 6) used in the description of the above embodiments show functional units. These functional blocks (components) are realized by any combination of at least one of hardware and software. Furthermore, the method of realizing each functional block is not particularly limited. That is, each functional block may be realized using one device that is physically or logically coupled, or it may be realized using two or more physically or logically separated devices that are directly or indirectly connected (for example, using wired or wireless connections). A functional block may also be realized by combining software with the one or more of the above devices.

[0072] Functions include, but are not limited to, judgment, decision, judgment, calculation, calculation, processing, derivation, investigation, exploration, confirmation, reception, transmission, output, access, resolution, selection, selection, establishment, comparison, assumption, expectation, assumption, broadcasting, notifying, communicating, forwarding, configuring, reconfiguring, allocating (mapping), and assigning. For example, a functional block (configuration part) that enables transmission is called a transmitting unit or transmitter. In all cases, as mentioned above, the method of implementation is not particularly limited.

[0073] For example, the base station 10, terminal 20, design device 30, design device 31, and design device 32 in one embodiment of the present disclosure may function as a computer that processes the wireless communication method of the present disclosure. Figure 9 is a diagram showing an example of the hardware configuration of the base station 10, terminal 20, design device 30, design device 31, and design device 32 according to one embodiment of the present disclosure. The base station 10, terminal 20, design device 30, design device 31, and design device 32 described above may be physically configured as a computer device including a processor 1001, storage device 1002, auxiliary storage device 1003, communication device 1004, input device 1005, output device 1006, bus 1007, etc.

[0074] In the following explanation, the term "device" can be read as a circuit, device, unit, etc. The hardware configuration of the base station 10, terminal 20, design device 30, design device 31, and design device 32 may be configured to include one or more of the devices shown in the figure, or it may be configured to omit some of the devices.

[0075] The functions of the base station 10, terminal 20, design device 30, design device 31, and design device 32 are realized by loading predetermined software (programs) onto hardware such as the processor 1001 and storage device 1002, which allows the processor 1001 to perform calculations, control communication by the communication device 1004, and control at least one of data reading and writing in the storage device 1002 and auxiliary storage device 1003.

[0076] The processor 1001 controls the entire computer, for example, by running an operating system. The processor 1001 may consist of a central processing unit (CPU) that includes interfaces with peripheral devices, control devices, arithmetic units, registers, etc. For example, the control unit and the like described above may be implemented by the processor 1001.

[0077] Furthermore, the processor 1001 reads programs (program code), software modules, or data from at least one of the auxiliary storage device 1003 and the communication device 1004 into the storage device 1002, and executes various processes accordingly. The program used is one that causes a computer to execute at least a part of the operations described in the above-described embodiment. For example, the functional parts of the design device shown in Figures 4, 5, and 6 may be stored in the storage device 1002 and implemented by a control program that runs on the processor 1001. Although the above-described processes have been explained as being executed by one processor 1001, they may be executed simultaneously or sequentially by two or more processors 1001. The processor 1001 may be implemented by one or more chips. The program may also be transmitted from a network via a telecommunications line.

[0078] The storage device 1002 is a computer-readable recording medium and may consist of at least one of the following: ROM (Read Only Memory), EPROM (Erasable Programmable ROM), EEPROM (Electrically Erasable Programmable ROM), RAM (Random Access Memory), etc. The storage device 1002 may also be called a register, cache, main memory, etc. The storage device 1002 can store executable programs (program code), software modules, etc., for implementing a communication method according to one embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0079] The auxiliary storage device 1003 is a computer-readable recording medium and may consist of at least one of the following: an optical disc such as a CD-ROM (Compact Disc ROM), a hard disk drive, a flexible disk, a magneto-optical disk (e.g., a compact disk, a digital multipurpose disk, a Blu-ray® disk), a smart card, flash memory (e.g., a card, a stick, a key drive), a floppy® disk, a magnetic strip, etc. The above-mentioned storage medium may also be a database, server, or other suitable medium that includes at least one of the storage device 1002 and the auxiliary storage device 1003.

[0080] The communication device 1004 is hardware (transmitting / receiving device) for communicating between computers via at least one of a wired network and a wireless network, and is also referred to as a network device, network controller, network card, communication module, etc. The communication device 1004 may be configured to include, for example, a high-frequency switch, duplexer, filter, frequency synthesizer, etc., in order to implement at least one of frequency division duplex (FDD) and time division duplex (TDD). For example, the transmitting and receiving antenna, amplifier section, transmitting and receiving section, transmission path interface, etc., may be implemented by the communication device 1004. The transmitting and receiving section may be implemented in a physically or logically separated manner, with a transmitting section and a receiving section.

[0081] The input device 1005 is an input device that accepts input from an external source (e.g., a keyboard, mouse, microphone, switch, button, sensor, etc.). The output device 1006 is an output device that outputs to an external source (e.g., a display, speaker, LED lamp, etc.). The input device 1005 and the output device 1006 may be configured as an integrated unit (e.g., a touch panel).

[0082] Furthermore, each device, such as the processor 1001 and the storage device 1002, is connected by a bus 1007 for communicating information. The bus 1007 may be configured using a single bus, or different buses may be configured for each device.

[0083] Furthermore, the base station 10, terminal 20, design device 30, design device 31, and design device 32 may be configured to include hardware such as a microprocessor, digital signal processor (DSP), ASIC (Application Specific Integrated Circuit), PLD (Programmable Logic Device), and FPGA (Field Programmable Gate Array), and some or all of each functional block may be realized by such hardware. For example, the processor 1001 may be implemented using at least one of these hardware components.

[0084] Figure 10 shows an example of the configuration of vehicle 2001. As shown in Figure 10, vehicle 2001 includes a drive unit 2002, a steering unit 2003, an accelerator pedal 2004, a brake pedal 2005, a shift lever 2006, front wheels 2007, rear wheels 2008, an axle 2009, an electronic control unit 2010, various sensors 2021 to 2029, an information service unit 2012, and a communication module 2013. Each aspect / embodiment described in this disclosure may be applied to a communication device mounted on vehicle 2001, for example, to the communication module 2013.

[0085] The drive unit 2002 consists of, for example, an engine, a motor, or a hybrid of an engine and a motor. The steering unit 2003 includes at least a steering wheel (also called a handle) and is configured to steer at least one of the front wheels and the rear wheels based on the operation of the steering wheel, which is operated by the user.

[0086] The electronic control unit 2010 consists of a microprocessor 2031, memory (ROM, RAM) 2032, and communication ports (IO ports) 2033. Signals from various sensors 2021 to 2029 installed in the vehicle 2001 are input to the electronic control unit 2010. The electronic control unit 2010 may also be called an ECU (Electronic Control Unit).

[0087] Signals from various sensors 2021 to 2029 include current signals from current sensor 2021 for sensing motor current, front or rear wheel rotation speed signals acquired by rotation speed sensor 2022, front or rear wheel air pressure signals acquired by air pressure sensor 2023, vehicle speed signals acquired by vehicle speed sensor 2024, acceleration signals acquired by acceleration sensor 2025, accelerator pedal depression signals acquired by accelerator pedal sensor 2029, brake pedal depression signals acquired by brake pedal sensor 2026, shift lever operation signals acquired by shift lever sensor 2027, and detection signals acquired by object detection sensor 2028 for detecting obstacles, vehicles, pedestrians, etc.

[0088] The Information Service Unit 2012 consists of various devices for providing (outputting) various types of information such as driving information, traffic information, and entertainment information, including a car navigation system, audio system, speakers, television, and radio, and one or more ECUs that control these devices. The Information Service Unit 2012 uses information acquired from external devices via a communication module 2013, etc., to provide various multimedia information and multimedia services to the occupants of the vehicle 2001. The Information Service Unit 2012 may include input devices that accept input from the outside (e.g., keyboard, mouse, microphone, switch, button, sensor, touch panel, etc.) and output devices that perform output to the outside (e.g., display, speaker, LED lamp, touch panel, etc.).

[0089] The driver assistance system unit 2030 consists of various devices that provide functions to prevent accidents or reduce the driver's workload, such as millimeter-wave radar, LiDAR (Light Detection and Ranging), cameras, positioning locators (e.g., GNSS), map information (e.g., high-definition (HD) maps, autonomous vehicle (AV) maps), gyro systems (e.g., IMU (Inertial Measurement Unit), INS (Inertial Navigation System)), AI (Artificial Intelligence) chips, and AI processors, as well as one or more ECUs that control these devices. The driver assistance system unit 2030 also transmits and receives various information via the communication module 2013 to realize driver assistance functions or autonomous driving functions.

[0090] The communication module 2013 can communicate with the microprocessor 2031 and components of the vehicle 2001 via its communication port. For example, the communication module 2013 sends and receives data via the communication port 2033 between the drive unit 2002, steering unit 2003, accelerator pedal 2004, brake pedal 2005, shift lever 2006, front wheels 2007, rear wheels 2008, axle 2009, the microprocessor 2031 and memory (ROM, RAM) 2032 in the electronic control unit 2010, and sensors 2021-29 provided in the vehicle 2001.

[0091] The communication module 2013 is a communication device that can be controlled by the microprocessor 2031 of the electronic control unit 2010 and can communicate with external devices. For example, it can send and receive various types of information with external devices via wireless communication. The communication module 2013 may be located either inside or outside the electronic control unit 2010. The external device may be, for example, a base station or a mobile station.

[0092] The communication module 2013 may transmit at least one of the following to an external device via wireless communication: signals from the various sensors 2021-2028 input to the electronic control unit 2010, information obtained based on said signals, and information based on input from an external source (user) obtained via the information service unit 2012. The electronic control unit 2010, the various sensors 2021-2028, the information service unit 2012, etc., may also be called input units that accept input. For example, the PUSCH transmitted by the communication module 2013 may include the information based on the above input.

[0093] The communication module 2013 receives various information (traffic information, signal information, inter-vehicle information, etc.) transmitted from an external device and displays it on the information service unit 2012 provided in the vehicle 2001. The information service unit 2012 may also be called an output unit, which outputs information (for example, outputs information to devices such as displays and speakers based on the PDSCH (or data / information decoded from the PDSCH) received by the communication module 2013). The communication module 2013 also stores the various information received from the external device in a memory 2032 that can be used by the microprocessor 2031. Based on the information stored in the memory 2032, the microprocessor 2031 may control the drive unit 2002, steering unit 2003, accelerator pedal 2004, brake pedal 2005, shift lever 2006, front wheels 2007, rear wheels 2008, axles 2009, sensors 2021-2029, etc., provided in the vehicle 2001.

[0094] (Summary of Embodiments) As described above, according to embodiments of the present invention, a design apparatus is provided which includes an input unit for acquiring area information and design constraint information, an analysis unit for generating radio wave propagation analysis results based on the area information and the design constraint information, and a design unit for determining the pattern of a reflector based on the area information, the design constraint information, and the radio wave propagation analysis results.

[0095] The above configuration limits the degrees of freedom of the metasurface reflector to a finite number of sub-arrays, thereby suppressing the length of time and cost associated with design and manufacturing. In other words, it simplifies the design of reflectors in wireless communication systems.

[0096] The design unit may determine a pattern of a finite number of sub-array reflectors or a combination of patterns of a finite number of sub-array reflectors based on the area information, the design constraint information, and the radio wave propagation analysis results. This configuration limits the degrees of freedom of the metasurface reflector to a finite number of sub-array types, thereby suppressing the length of time required for design and manufacturing and the resulting cost increases.

[0097] The aforementioned area information may include at least one of the following: the surrounding environment, the location of the base station, the area to be illuminated, and the location of the reflector. This configuration limits the degrees of freedom of the metasurface reflector to a finite number of sub-arrays, thereby suppressing the length of time required for design and manufacturing and the resulting cost increases.

[0098] The design constraint information may include at least one of the following: the position of the reflector, the size of the reflector, the number of sub-array types, and the basic element arrangement pattern. This configuration limits the degrees of freedom of the metasurface reflector to a finite number of sub-array types, thereby suppressing the length of time required for design and manufacturing and the resulting cost increases.

[0099] The design unit may determine the reflector pattern by solving an optimization problem using an evaluation function for the reflector pattern in the area information and a sparse regular function related to the reflector sub-array pattern. This configuration limits the degrees of freedom of the metasurface reflector to a finite number of sub-arrays, thereby suppressing the length of time required for design and manufacturing and the resulting cost increases.

[0100] Furthermore, according to an embodiment of the present invention, a design method is provided in which a design device performs the following steps: a step of acquiring area information and design constraint information; a step of generating radio wave propagation analysis results based on the area information and the design constraint information; and a step of determining the pattern of a reflector based on the area information, the design constraint information and the radio wave propagation analysis results.

[0101] With the above configuration, by using a sparse solution as the precoding matrix, the combination of lower nodes and streams used can be limited, and the amount of communication between upper and lower nodes can be significantly reduced. In other words, the amount of communication related to wireless relay in a mobile communication system can be reduced.

[0102] In the embodiments of the present invention, the area information input unit 301 or the design constraint input unit 321 is an example of an input unit. The radio wave propagation analysis unit 311 is an example of an analysis unit. The reflector design unit 322 is an example of a design unit.

[0103] (Supplement to Embodiments) Embodiments of the present invention have been described above, but the disclosed invention is not limited to such embodiments, and those skilled in the art will understand various modifications, alterations, alternatives, substitutions, etc. Specific numerical examples have been used to facilitate understanding of the invention, but unless otherwise specified, these numerical values ​​are merely examples, and any appropriate values ​​may be used. The division of items in the above description is not essential to the present invention, and matters described in two or more items may be combined as needed, and matters described in one item may be applied to matters described in another item (as long as they do not contradict each other). The boundaries of functional units or processing units in the functional block diagram do not necessarily correspond to the boundaries of physical parts. The operation of multiple functional units may be physically performed by one part, or the operation of one functional unit may be physically performed by multiple parts. The processing procedures described in the embodiments may be rearranged as long as they do not contradict each other. For the convenience of explaining the processing, the base station 10 and terminal 20 have been described using functional block diagrams, but such devices may be realized in hardware, software, or a combination thereof. The software operated by the processor of the base station 10 according to an embodiment of the present invention and the software operated by the processor of the terminal 20 according to an embodiment of the present invention may be stored in any suitable storage medium such as random access memory (RAM), flash memory, read-only memory (ROM), EPROM, EEPROM, register, hard disk (HDD), removable disk, CD-ROM, database, server, or other appropriate storage medium.

[0104] Furthermore, notification of information is not limited to the embodiments described herein and may be carried out by other means. For example, notification of information may be carried out by physical layer signaling (e.g., DCI (Downlink Control Information), UCI (Uplink Control Information)), upper layer signaling (e.g., RRC (Radio Resource Control) signaling, MAC (Medium Access Control) signaling), broadcast information (MIB (Master Information Block), SIB (System Information Block)), other signals, or combinations thereof. Also, RRC signaling may be called RRC messages, and may be, for example, RRC Connection Setup messages, RRC Connection Reconfiguration messages, etc.

[0105] Each aspect / embodiment described in this disclosure may be applied to at least one of the following systems: LTE (Long Term Evolution), LTE-A (LTE-Advanced), SUPER 3G, IMT-Advanced, 4G (4th generation mobile communication system), 5G (5th generation mobile communication system), FRA (Future Radio Access), NR (new Radio), W-CDMA®, GSM®, CDMA2000, UMB (Ultra Mobile Broadband), IEEE 802.11 (Wi-Fi®), IEEE 802.16 (WiMAX®), IEEE 802.20, UWB (Ultra-WideBand), Bluetooth®, and other appropriate systems, as well as next-generation systems extended based thereon. Furthermore, multiple systems may be applied in combination (for example, a combination of at least one of LTE and LTE-A with 5G).

[0106] The processing procedures, sequences, flowcharts, etc., of each aspect / embodiment described herein may be reordered, provided they are consistent with each other. For example, the methods described herein present various step elements in an exemplary order and are not limited to that specific order.

[0107] In this specification, specific operations performed by the base station 10 may, in some cases, be performed by its upper node. In a network consisting of one or more network nodes having a base station 10, it is clear that various operations performed for communication with the terminal 20 can be performed by the base station 10 and at least one of the other network nodes (for example, an MME or S-GW, but not limited to these). Although the above example illustrates the case where there is one other network node besides the base station 10, the other network node may be a combination of multiple other network nodes (for example, an MME and an S-GW).

[0108] The information or signals described in this disclosure may be output from a higher layer (or lower layer) to a lower layer (or higher layer). They may also be input and output via multiple network nodes.

[0109] Input and output information may be stored in a specific location (e.g., memory) or managed using a management table. Input and output information may be overwritten, updated, or appended to. Output information may be deleted. Input information may be transmitted to other devices.

[0110] The determination in this disclosure may be made by a value represented by one bit (0 or 1), by a Boolean value (true or false), or by a numerical comparison (for example, a comparison with a predetermined value).

[0111] Software should be broadly interpreted to mean instructions, instruction sets, code, code segments, program code, programs, subprograms, software modules, applications, software applications, software packages, routines, subroutines, objects, executable files, execution threads, procedures, functions, and so on, whether they are called software, firmware, middleware, microcode, hardware description languages, or by any other name.

[0112] Furthermore, software, instructions, information, etc., may be transmitted and received via a transmission medium. For example, if software is transmitted from a website, server, or other remote source using at least one of wired technology (such as coaxial cable, fiber optic cable, twisted pair, or digital subscriber line (DSL)) and wireless technology (such as infrared or microwave), then at least one of these wired and wireless technologies is included in the definition of a transmission medium.

[0113] The information, signals, etc. described in this disclosure may be represented using any of the various different techniques. For example, the data, instructions, commands, information, signals, bits, symbols, chips, etc. that may be referred to throughout the above description may be represented by voltage, current, electromagnetic waves, magnetic fields or magnetic particles, optical fields or photons, or any combination thereof.

[0114] In addition, terms used in this disclosure and terms necessary for understanding this disclosure may be replaced with terms having the same or similar meanings. For example, at least one of the channel and symbol may be a signal (signaling). Also, a signal may be a message. Furthermore, a component carrier (CC) may be called a carrier frequency, cell, frequency carrier, etc.

[0115] The terms “system” and “network” as used in this disclosure are interchangeable.

[0116] Furthermore, the information, parameters, etc., described in this disclosure may be expressed using absolute values, relative values ​​from a given value, or other corresponding information. For example, wireless resources may be indicated by an index.

[0117] The names used for the parameters described above are not restrictive in any way. Furthermore, the formulas and other expressions using these parameters may differ from those expressly disclosed in this disclosure. Various channels (e.g., PUCCH, PDCCH, etc.) and information elements can be identified by any suitable name, and therefore, the various names assigned to these various channels and information elements are not restrictive in any way.

[0118] In this disclosure, terms such as "Base Station (BS)", "wireless base station", "base station equipment", "fixed station", "NodeB", "eNodeB (eNB)", "gNodeB (gNB)", "access point", "transmission point", "reception point", "transmission / reception point", "cell", "sector", "cell group", "carrier", and "component carrier" may be used interchangeably. Base stations may also be referred to by terms such as macrocell, small cell, femtocell, and picocell.

[0119] A base station can accommodate one or more (e.g., three) cells. If a base station accommodates multiple cells, the entire coverage area of ​​the base station can be divided into multiple smaller areas, each of which may also be provided with communication services by a base station subsystem (e.g., a Remote Radio Head (RRH)). The terms “cell” or “sector” refer to part or all of the coverage area of ​​at least one of the base station and / or base station subsystems that provide communication services in that coverage.

[0120] In this disclosure, the transmission of information by a base station to a terminal may be interpreted as the base station instructing the terminal to perform control or operation based on the information.

[0121] In this disclosure, terms such as "Mobile Station (MS)," "user terminal," "User Equipment (UE)," and "terminal" may be used interchangeably.

[0122] A mobile station may also be referred to by those skilled in the art as a subscriber station, mobile unit, subscriber unit, wireless unit, remote unit, mobile device, wireless device, wireless communication device, remote device, mobile subscriber station, access terminal, mobile terminal, wireless terminal, remote terminal, handset, user agent, mobile client, client, or several other appropriate terms.

[0123] At least one of the base station and the mobile station may be called a transmitting device, a receiving device, a communication device, etc. At least one of the base station and the mobile station may also be a device mounted on a mobile body, the mobile body itself, etc. The mobile body refers to a movable object, and its speed of movement is arbitrary. This also includes the case when the mobile body is stationary. The mobile body includes, but is not limited to, vehicles, transport vehicles, automobiles, motorcycles, bicycles, connected cars, excavators, bulldozers, wheel loaders, dump trucks, forklifts, trains, buses, handcarts, rickshaws, ships and other watercraft, airplanes, rockets, satellites, drones (registered trademark), multicopters, quadcopters, balloons, and items mounted on them. The mobile body may also be a mobile body that moves autonomously based on operation commands. It may be a vehicle (e.g., a car, an airplane, etc.), an unmanned mobile body (e.g., a drone, an autonomous vehicle, etc.), or a robot (manned or unmanned). Furthermore, at least one of the base station and the mobile station may include devices that do not necessarily move during communication operations. For example, at least one of the base station and the mobile station may be an IoT (Internet of Things) device such as a sensor.

[0124] Furthermore, the term "base station" in this disclosure may be interpreted as "user terminal." For example, the various aspects / embodiments of this disclosure may be applied to a configuration in which communication between a base station and a user terminal is replaced with communication between multiple terminals 20 (which may be called, for example, D2D (Device-to-Device), V2X (Vehicle-to-Everything), etc.). In this case, the terminals 20 may have the functions that the base station 10 has. Also, terms such as "uplink" and "downlink" may be interpreted as terms corresponding to terminal-to-terminal communication (for example, "side"). For example, uplink channel, downlink channel, etc., may be interpreted as side channel.

[0125] Similarly, the term "user terminal" in this disclosure may be replaced with "base station." In this case, the base station may be configured to have the same functions as the user terminal described above.

[0126] As used in this disclosure, the terms “determining” and “determining” may encompass a wide variety of actions. “Determining” may include, for example, judging, calculating, computing, processing, deriving, investigating, looking up, searching, or inquiring (e.g., searching in a table, database, or other data structure), or ascertaining. “Determining” may also include receiving (e.g., receiving information), transmitting (e.g., sending information), inputting, outputting, or accessing (e.g., accessing data in memory). Furthermore, "judgment" and "decision" can include considering something as having been "judged" or "decided" after resolving, selecting, choosing, establishing, comparing, etc. In other words, "judgment" and "decision" can include considering something as having been "judged" or "decided" after some action. Also, "judgment (decision)" can be reinterpreted as "assuming," "expecting," or "considering."

[0127] The terms “connected,” “coupled,” or any variation thereof, mean any direct or indirect connection or coupling between two or more elements, and may include the presence of one or more intermediate elements between two elements that are “connected” or “coupled” with each other. The coupling or connection between elements may be physical, logical, or a combination thereof. For example, “connection” may be reinterpreted as “access.” As used in this disclosure, two elements may be considered to be “connected” or “coupled” with each other using at least one of one or more wires, cables, and printed electrical connections, and, in some non-limiting and non-exclusive examples, electromagnetic energy having wavelengths in the radio frequency domain, microwave domain, and optical (both visible and invisible) domain.

[0128] The reference signal can also be abbreviated as RS (Reference Signal), and may be called a pilot depending on the applicable standard.

[0129] In this disclosure, the phrase "based on" does not mean "based solely on" unless otherwise specified. In other words, the phrase "based on" means both "based solely on" and "based at least on."

[0130] Any reference to elements using the designations “first,” “second,” etc., as used in this disclosure does not generally limit the quantity or order of those elements. These designations may be used in this disclosure as a convenient way to distinguish between two or more elements. Accordingly, references to the first and second elements do not imply that only two elements may be employed, or that the first element must precede the second element in any way.

[0131] In the configuration of each of the above devices, "means" may be replaced with "part," "circuit," "device," etc.

[0132] Where the terms “include,” “including,” and variations thereof are used in this disclosure, these terms are intended to be inclusive, as is the term “comprising.” Furthermore, the term “or” as used in this disclosure is not intended to mean exclusive OR.

[0133] A wireless frame may consist of one or more frames in the time domain. Each of these frames in the time domain may be called a subframe. A subframe may further consist of one or more slots in the time domain. A subframe may have a fixed time length (e.g., 1 ms) that is independent of numerology.

[0134] Numerical logic may be communication parameters applied to at least one of the transmission and reception of a signal or channel. Numerical logic may include, for example, at least one of the following: subcarrier spacing (SCS), bandwidth, symbol length, cyclic prefix length, transmission time interval (TTI), number of symbols per TTI, radio frame configuration, specific filtering processes performed by the transceiver in the frequency domain, and specific windowing processes performed by the transceiver in the time domain.

[0135] A slot may consist of one or more symbols in the time domain (such as OFDM (Orthogonal Frequency Division Multiplexing) symbols, SC-FDMA (Single Carrier Frequency Division Multiple Access) symbols, etc.). A slot may also be a time unit based on neurologic.

[0136] A slot may include multiple minislots. Each minislot may consist of one or more symbols in the time domain. Minislots may also be called subslots. Minislots may consist of fewer symbols than a slot. A PDSCH (or PUSCH) transmitted in a time unit larger than a minislot may be called a PDSCH (or PUSCH) mapping type A. A PDSCH (or PUSCH) transmitted using a minislot may be called a PDSCH (or PUSCH) mapping type B.

[0137] Wireless frames, subframes, slots, minislots, and symbols all represent units of time when transmitting a signal. Different names may be used for each of these terms.

[0138] For example, one subframe may be called a Transmission Time Interval (TTI), multiple consecutive subframes may be called a TTI, or one slot or one minislot may be called a TTI. In other words, at least one of a subframe and a TTI may be a subframe in existing LTE (1 ms), a period shorter than 1 ms (e.g., 1-13 symbols), or a period longer than 1 ms. Note that the unit representing the TTI may be called a slot, minislot, etc., instead of a subframe.

[0139] Here, TTI refers to, for example, the smallest time unit for scheduling in wireless communication. For example, in an LTE system, the base station schedules each terminal 20 to allocate wireless resources (such as the frequency bandwidth and transmission power available to each terminal 20) in TTI units. However, the definition of TTI is not limited to this.

[0140] TTI may be a transmission time unit for channel-encoded data packets (transport blocks), code blocks, code words, etc., or it may be a processing unit for scheduling, link adaptation, etc. When a TTI is given, the actual time interval (e.g., number of symbols) in which the transport block, code block, code word, etc. are mapped may be shorter than the TTI.

[0141] Furthermore, if one slot or one mini-slot is referred to as a TTI, then one or more TTIs (i.e., one or more slots or one or more mini-slots) may constitute the minimum time unit for scheduling. In addition, the number of slots (number of mini-slots) that constitute this minimum time unit for scheduling may be controlled.

[0142] A TTI with a time length of 1 ms may be called a normal TTI, a long TTI, a normal subframe, a long subframe, a slot, etc. A TTI shorter than a normal TTI may be called a shortened TTI, a short TTI, a partial or fractional TTI, a shortened subframe, a short subframe, a mini slot, a sub slot, a slot, etc.

[0143] Furthermore, long TTIs (e.g., normal TTIs, subframes, etc.) may be interpreted as TTIs with a time length exceeding 1 ms, and short TTIs (e.g., shortened TTIs, etc.) may be interpreted as TTIs with a TTI length less than that of a long TTI but 1 ms or more.

[0144] A resource block (RB) is a resource allocation unit in the time domain and frequency domain, and in the frequency domain, it may contain one or more consecutive subcarriers. The number of subcarriers in an RB may be the same regardless of the neurology, for example, 12. The number of subcarriers in an RB may be determined based on the neurology.

[0145] Furthermore, the time domain of the RB may contain one or more symbols and may be the length of one slot, one minislot, one subframe, or one TTI. One TTI, one subframe, etc., may each consist of one or more resource blocks.

[0146] One or more RBs may also be called a Physical RB (PRB), Sub-Carrier Group (SCG), Resource Element Group (REG), PRB pair, RB pair, etc.

[0147] Furthermore, a resource block may consist of one or more resource elements (REs). For example, one RE may be a radio resource area comprising one subcarrier and one symbol.

[0148] A Bandwidth Part (BWP), also known as a partial bandwidth, may represent a subset of consecutive common resource blocks (RBs) for a particular neurology in a given carrier. These common RBs may be identified by an index of the RBs relative to a common reference point of the carrier. The PRBs may be defined and numbered within a given BWP.

[0149] A BWP may include a BWP for UL (UL BWP) and a BWP for DL ​​(DL BWP). One or more BWPs may be set within a single carrier for a UE.

[0150] At least one of the configured BWPs may be active, and the UE does not need to assume that it will transmit or receive a predetermined signal / channel outside of the active BWP. In this disclosure, terms such as "cell" and "carrier" may be read as "BWP".

[0151] The structures described above, such as wireless frames, subframes, slots, minislots, and symbols, are merely illustrative. For example, the number of subframes included in a wireless frame, the number of slots per subframe or wireless frame, the number of minislots included in a slot, the number of symbols and RBs included in a slot or minislot, the number of subcarriers included in an RB, and the number of symbols, symbol length, and cyclic prefix (CP) length within a TTI can be varied in various ways.

[0152] In this disclosure, if articles are added through translation, such as a, an, and the in English, this disclosure may include the fact that the noun following these articles is plural.

[0153] In this disclosure, the term "A and B are different" may mean "A and B are different from each other." The term may also mean "A and B are each different from C." Terms such as "separate" and "combine" may be interpreted similarly to "different."

[0154] Each aspect / embodiment described in this disclosure may be used individually, in combination, or switched between as needed during implementation. Furthermore, notification of specific information (e.g., notification that "X is") is not limited to explicit notification, but may also be implicit (e.g., by not providing such notification).

[0155] Although the present disclosure has been described in detail above, it will be clear to those skilled in the art that the present disclosure is not limited to the embodiments described herein. The present disclosure can be implemented in modified and altered forms without departing from the intent and scope of the present disclosure as defined by the claims. Therefore, the descriptions in the present disclosure are illustrative and not intended to be restrictive in any way.

[0156] 10 Base station 20 Terminal 30 Design device 301 Area information input unit 302 Area information holding unit 303 Area information display unit 31 Design device 311 Radio wave propagation analysis unit 32 Design device 321 Design constraint input unit 322 Reflector design unit 323 Design result presentation unit 1001 Processor 1002 Storage device 1003 Auxiliary storage device 1004 Communication device 1005 Input device 1006 Output device 2001 Vehicle 2002 Drive unit 2003 Steering unit 2004 Accelerator pedal 2005 Brake pedal 2006 Shift lever 2007 Front wheel 2008 Rear wheel 2009 Axle 2010 Electronic control unit 2012 Information service unit 2013 Communication module 2021 Current sensor 2022 Rotation speed sensor 2023 Air pressure sensor 2024 Vehicle speed sensor 2025 Acceleration sensor 2026 Brake pedal sensor 2027 Shift lever sensor 2028 Object detection sensor 2029 Accelerator pedal sensor 2030 Driver assistance system unit 2031 Microprocessor 2032 Memory (ROM, RAM) 2033 Communication port (I / O port)

Claims

1. A design apparatus comprising: an input unit for acquiring area information and design constraint information; an analysis unit for generating radio wave propagation analysis results based on the area information and the design constraint information; and a design unit for determining the pattern of a reflector based on the area information, the design constraint information and the radio wave propagation analysis results.

2. The design apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the design unit determines a pattern of a finite number of sub-array reflectors or a combination of patterns of a finite number of sub-array reflectors based on the area information, the design constraint information, and the radio wave propagation analysis results.

3. The design apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the area information includes at least one of the surrounding environment, the location of the base station, the area to be illuminated, and the location of the reflector.

4. The design apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the design constraint information includes at least one of the following: the position of the reflector, the size of the reflector, the number of sub-array types, and the basic element arrangement pattern.

5. The design apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the design unit determines the reflector pattern by solving an optimization problem using an evaluation function for the reflector pattern in the area information and a sparse regular function relating to the subarray pattern of the reflector.

6. A design method in which a design device performs the following steps: a step to acquire area information and design constraint information; a step to generate radio wave propagation analysis results based on the area information and the design constraint information; and a step to determine the pattern of a reflector based on the area information, the design constraint information and the radio wave propagation analysis results.

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