Adaptive Beam Selection for 5G UE Access Delay
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current wireless communication systems face challenges in efficiently selecting receive beams at user equipment (UE) for 5G/NR mobile communications, particularly due to the high complexity and power consumption associated with exhaustive beam searches, especially in scenarios like initial access, handover, and TCI state switches, which result in increased access delay and poor link quality.
Innovation Solution
The implementation of a method at the UE to perform interpolation-based receive beam selection using a high-resolution beam codebook, where instead of searching over all candidate beams, a subset is chosen and interpolation operations are performed to determine the receive beam, either through look-up tables or explicit interpolation functions, reducing computational complexity and delay.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If exhaustive beam search is performed to select receive beams at UE, then beam selection accuracy is improved, but access delay and computational complexity increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the exhaustive beam search process into two phases: an initial coarse beam search to identify candidate beams, followed by a refined beam selection process using interpolation or cycling methods. This segmentation reduces the immediate computational burden while maintaining accuracy through progressive refinement.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent performs preliminary beam measurements and identifies candidate beams before final beam selection. By pre-processing the beam search to narrow down candidates, the system reduces the complexity of the final selection step while maintaining accurate beam selection through the use of interpolation functions or cycling methods on the reduced candidate set.
2Measurement precision
If exhaustive beam search is performed to select receive beams at UE, then beam selection accuracy is improved, but device complexity and power consumption increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies partial action by performing beam measurements on a reduced subset of candidate beams rather than all possible beams. The interpolation function or cycling method then estimates the optimal beam from this partial measurement set, achieving sufficient accuracy without the excessive computational complexity of exhaustive search across all beams.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces an intermediary process (interpolation function or cycling method) that bridges the gap between limited beam measurements and optimal beam selection. This intermediary computes the best beam estimate from partial measurements, reducing direct computational complexity while maintaining selection accuracy.
3Reliability
If exhaustive beam search is performed during TCI state switches and initial access, then link quality is improved, but processing time and complexity increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies dynamics by adapting the beam selection method based on the operational scenario. During TCI state switches and initial access, the system dynamically chooses between interpolation-based methods (faster) and cycling methods (more thorough), allowing flexible adjustment of processing speed versus link quality based on real-time requirements.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent changes the beam selection parameter (method type) based on channel conditions and scenario requirements. By switching between interpolation and cycling methods, the system optimizes the balance between processing speed and link quality, achieving faster processing during critical events like TCI switches while maintaining adequate link quality.
Data Source
AI summary
Methods and apparatuses for selecting beams. A method includes determining, based on a channel condition, whether to use an adaptive selection method or a cycling selection method to select a subset of a plurality of beams for a beam measurement; based on the channel condition being a first channel condition, using the adaptive selection method to select the subset of beams; and based on the channel condition being a second channel condition, using the cycling selection method to select the subset of beams. The method further includes performing the beam measurement on the selected subset of beams, generating beam measurement information based on the beam measurement on the selected subset of beams, and determining one or more of the plurality of beams to use for a wireless communication based on the beam measurement information.