5G Beam Search Optimization via Segmented Coarse and Fine Scanning
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current 5G communication systems face challenges in determining optimal transmit/receive beam pairs efficiently, leading to prolonged search times and increased current consumption due to the need to search through all receive beams for signal strength optimization.
Innovation Solution
An electronic device method that receives a sync signal or reference signal over some receive beams, determines receive signal quality values based on measurement results, and identifies an optimal receive beam without searching all beams, utilizing a processor to predict signal quality and minimize correlations between beams.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If the electronic device searches signal strength using all of the receive beams, then the optimal beam can be accurately determined, but the search time and current consumption increase considerably
Solution Approach 1:
The patent divides the receive beams into two groups: a first group of receive beams with smaller beamwidths and a second group of receive beams with larger beamwidths. By segmenting the beam search process into coarse search (second group) and fine search (first group), the system reduces the overall search time while maintaining accurate beam determination. The electronic device first performs a coarse search using the second group, then performs a fine search using the first group, thereby avoiding the need to search all beams exhaustively.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent applies preliminary action by first performing a coarse beam search using the second group of receive beams with larger beamwidths before conducting the fine beam search. This preliminary coarse search quickly identifies the approximate direction of the optimal beam, which then guides the subsequent fine search using the first group of receive beams. This two-stage approach prevents the system from performing an exhaustive search of all beams, thereby reducing search time while maintaining accuracy.
2Measurement precision
If the electronic device searches signal strength using all of the receive beams, then the optimal beam can be accurately determined, but the current consumption increases considerably
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the receive beams into two groups with different beamwidths and uses them in a two-stage search process. The first group (smaller beamwidth) is used for fine search only after the second group (larger beamwidth) has identified the approximate optimal direction. This segmentation ensures that the energy-intensive fine search is performed on only a subset of beams, significantly reducing total current consumption while maintaining beam determination accuracy.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent performs a preliminary coarse search using the second group of receive beams before conducting the fine search using the first group. This preliminary action identifies the approximate direction of the optimal beam, allowing the system to limit subsequent fine search operations to only the necessary subset of beams. Consequently, the total current consumption is reduced because the high-power fine search is not performed across all receive beams.
3Power
If beamforming technology is used to concentrate signal energy, then signal strength improves, but the beamwidth reduces making wireless communication performance heavily dependent on transmission and reception direction
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the receive beams into two groups: a first group with smaller beamwidths for fine search and a second group with larger beamwidths for coarse search. The larger beamwidths in the second group provide broader coverage that reduces sensitivity to directional misalignment, while the smaller beamwidths in the first group enable precise beam determination. This segmentation allows the system to maintain ease of operation during the coarse search phase while achieving high signal strength during the fine search phase.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent performs a preliminary coarse search using the second group of receive beams with larger beamwidths, which are less sensitive to directional alignment errors. This preliminary action ensures that the system can quickly identify the approximate optimal direction even with imperfect alignment. Subsequently, the fine search using the first group of receive beams refines the beam selection to achieve maximum signal strength. This two-stage approach reduces the operational difficulty of precise directional alignment while maintaining high communication performance.
Data Source
AI summary
To generate a beam book, an operating method of an electronic device may include acquiring measurement information of a plurality of antenna in a first direction, determining offset values between phase values per antenna for the first direction, determining phase values which satisfy the offset values and maximize receive power for the first direction, and determining phase values for a second direction, based on the offset values and the phase values for the first direction.