Analog Beamforming Weight Combination for Signaling Overhead Reduction

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Solution Overview

Problem

Analog beamforming in communications networks requires significant overhead signaling due to frequent handovers, especially for wireless devices with high mobility, leading to increased latency and signaling costs.

Innovation Solution

A method and network node that identifies the need to combine multiple beams into a new beam based on handover statistics, determining beamforming weights to generate the new beam, and communicating with devices using this new beam, thereby reducing the number of handovers and signaling overhead.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Adaptability or versatility

If analog beamforming is used with multiple beams for high mobility devices, then beam management can track moving devices, but the number of handovers and signaling overhead increases significantly

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvebeam management capabilityVSAvoidsignaling overhead

Core Design Contradiction:

Adaptability or versatilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent combines multiple adjacent beams into a single wider beam by summing their beamforming weights. This merging approach allows the system to maintain coverage for high mobility devices without requiring frequent handovers between separate beams, thereby reducing signaling overhead while preserving beam management adaptability.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #5Merging (Combining)

2Ease of manufacture

If analog beamforming is used, then cost is reduced compared to digital beamforming, but flexibility and beam switching capability are limited

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvemanufacturing costVSAvoidbeam switching flexibility

Core Design Contradiction:

Ease of manufactureVSAdaptability or versatility

Solution Approach 1:

The patent enables dynamic beam combination by allowing the network node to identify when beams should be merged based on device mobility patterns and handover statistics. The system dynamically adjusts beamforming weights to combine adjacent beams, providing flexibility in beam management while maintaining the cost advantages of analog beamforming architecture.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #15Dynamics

3Reliability

If frequent beam handovers are performed for high mobility devices, then device coverage is maintained, but latency increases due to overhead signaling

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvedevice coverageVSAvoidsignaling latency

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSLoss of time

Solution Approach 1:

The patent performs preliminary beam combination by proactively merging adjacent beams before handovers are needed. By combining beams in advance based on mobility predictions and handover statistics, the system maintains continuous coverage for high mobility devices without triggering frequent handovers, thereby reducing signaling latency while preserving reliability.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

Data Source

PatentUS10750547B2Beamforming based on combined beams

Publication Date: 2020.08.18 TELEFONAKTIEBOLAGET LM ERICSSON (PUBL)

AI summary

There is provided mechanisms for beamforming. A method is performed by a network node. The network node is capable of communicating with served wireless devices using multiple beams generated by analog beamforming in an antenna array. The method comprises identifying, based on statistics of handovers of the served wireless devices between the beams, a need to combine at least two of the beams into a new beam. The method comprises determining beamforming weights to be applied at the analog antenna array for generating the new beam. The method comprises communicating with the served wireless devices using the new beam with the determined beamforming weights having been applied at the analog antenna array.