Antenna Array with Independent Uplink Downlink Beam Shaping
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Solution Overview
Problem
The increasing number of base stations in mobile communication networks leads to increased interference and maintenance costs, as well as reduced coverage area due to the need for identical uplink and downlink beam tilt angles, which limits flexibility and efficiency in managing interference and signal transmission.
Innovation Solution
An antenna array with independently selectable uplink and downlink beam forming vectors, allowing for the formation of multiple beam shapes without hardware changes, enabling flexible beam steering and shaping to reduce interference and optimize coverage.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If the number of base stations is increased to meet increased demand for telecommunications, then the network capacity and coverage are improved, but the interference between cells increases and maintenance costs increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies local quality by configuring different beam forming vectors for different spatial regions and user groups. Each antenna element can independently adjust its radiation pattern to serve specific local areas while minimizing interference to neighboring cells, thereby increasing network capacity without proportionally increasing interference.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent segments the coverage area into different user groups and applies specific beam forming vectors to each group. This segmentation allows the system to optimize service for each group while reducing overall interference, enabling higher network capacity with controlled interference levels.
2Object-affected harmful factors
If the downlink tilt angle is increased to reduce interference to users outside the cell, then the interference is reduced, but the coverage area is reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements dynamic beam forming where the tilt angle and beam shape can be independently adjusted for different user groups and time periods. This allows the system to optimize the downlink tilt angle for interference reduction while maintaining adequate coverage area through adaptive beam shaping, resolving the static trade-off between these two parameters.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent changes multiple parameters simultaneously - not just the tilt angle but also the beam width, shape, and direction - to achieve interference reduction while maintaining coverage. By adjusting multiple beam forming parameters independently, the system can optimize both interference levels and coverage area.
3Object-affected harmful factors
If the uplink tilt angle is increased along with the downlink tilt angle to reduce uplink interference, then the uplink interference from users outside the cell is reduced, but the coverage area and flexibility are reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the beam configuration into independent uplink and downlink components, allowing different tilt angles and beam shapes for each direction. This segmentation enables the system to reduce uplink interference through independent uplink beam forming while maintaining downlink coverage and flexibility through separate downlink configuration.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent applies different beam forming characteristics to different directions and user groups independently. The uplink beam forming can be optimized for interference reduction from specific directions while the downlink maintains broader coverage, achieving local optimization without sacrificing overall system flexibility.
4Reliability
If new antenna arrays are deployed to adapt to changed scattering conditions, then the signal transmission quality is improved, but the hardware cost and complexity increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements dynamic beam forming capabilities that allow the antenna array to adapt to changing scattering conditions through software-controlled beam shape adjustment rather than physical hardware changes. The system can reconfigure beam patterns in real-time to optimize signal transmission quality for different propagation environments.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent achieves adaptation to changed scattering conditions by changing beam forming parameters (weights, phases, amplitudes) rather than replacing hardware. This allows the system to maintain optimal signal transmission quality across different environmental conditions without increasing hardware complexity.
Data Source
AI summary
The present disclosure provides an antenna array (1) for relaying radio signals into a cell (10) of a communication network (500). The antenna array (1) comprises a plurality of uplink beam forming vectors (20u) selectable as an uplink beam shape for an uplink relaying and a plurality of downlink beam forming vectors (20d) selectable as a down link beam shape for a down link relaying. The plurality of uplink beam forming vectors (20u) and/or the plurality of the downlink beam forming vectors (20d) may be adjusted at a digital radio interface and forwarded from the digital radio interface to the antenna array (1). An individual one (22u) of the plurality of uplink beam forming vectors (20u) and an individual one (22d) of the plurality of downlink beam forming vectors (20d) are independently selectable using a local knowledge (60) about the cell 10. The present disclosure further provides a communication network (500) comprising a plurality of the antenna arrays (1-1, 1-2, . . . , 1-N) for relaying radio signals into the communication network (500). The communication network (500) further comprises a network playing system (200) adapted to independently select an individual one (22u-1, 22u-2, . . . , 22u-N) of the plurality of uplink beam forming vectors (20u-1, 20u-2, . . . , 20u-N) and an individual one (22d-1, 22d-2, . . . , 22d-N) of the plurality of downlink beam forming vectors (20d-1, 20d-2, . . . , 20d-N) for at least one of the antenna arrays (1-1, 1-2, . . . , 1-N) using a local knowledge (600) about the communication network (500). The present disclosure further provides a method for relaying radio signals into a cell (10) of the communication network (500), a method (2000) for planning the communication network (500), and a method (5000) for relaying radio signals into cells (10-1, 10-2, . . . , 10-N) of the communication network (500); all methods (1000, 2000, 5000) using a knowledge (600) about the communications network (500).