Antenna Element Selection for Wireless Communication
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Solution Overview
Problem
Wireless communication devices face challenges in efficiently selecting the optimal number of antenna elements for beamformed communications, balancing beamforming gain with power consumption and RF component saturation, especially in high-frequency millimeter wave systems where higher antenna elements provide better interference suppression but increase power usage and saturation risks.
Innovation Solution
The device dynamically adjusts the number of antenna elements based on channel quality determinations, reducing elements when channel quality is high to conserve power and increasing them in low-quality conditions to enhance interference cancellation, while maintaining steady usage when channel quality is stable.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If the number of antenna elements is increased to improve beamforming gain and interference suppression, then communication reliability is improved, but power consumption increases and RF component saturation risk increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements dynamic adjustment of the number of antenna elements based on real-time channel quality conditions. The system transitions from a static antenna configuration to a dynamic one where the number of active antenna elements is adapted according to channel quality metrics, thereby optimizing the balance between communication reliability and power consumption.
Solution Approach 2:
The system changes the parameter of antenna element count based on channel quality conditions. When channel quality is high, fewer antenna elements are used to reduce power consumption. When channel quality degrades, more antenna elements are activated to improve beamforming gain and interference suppression, thus maintaining communication reliability.
2Reliability
If the number of antenna elements is increased to enhance interference cancellation, then beamforming gain is improved, but RF component saturation risk increases
Solution Approach 1:
The system dynamically adjusts the number of antenna elements based on channel quality conditions to optimize beamforming gain while avoiding RF component saturation. By adapting the antenna element count to current channel conditions, the system achieves high beamforming gain when needed without consistently overloading RF components.
Solution Approach 2:
The system uses a partial number of antenna elements rather than always using the maximum available. When channel quality is good, only a subset of antenna elements is activated, providing sufficient beamforming gain without excessive action that would lead to RF component saturation. This partial action approach optimizes the trade-off between beamforming performance and component stress.
Data Source
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AI summary
This disclosure generally relates to systems, devices, apparatuses, products, and methods for wireless communication. For example, a user equipment (UE) device within a wireless communication system may select a desired number of antenna elements for receiving a communication from another device based on a channel quality determination. The UE receives a first signal from a transmitting device using a first beam. The UE determines a channel quality metric and compares the channel quality metric with a channel quality threshold. The UE adjusts a number of antenna elements used for beamformed wireless communication between the transmitting device and the UE based on the comparison between the channel quality metric and the channel quality threshold. Based on this adjustment, the UE receives a second signal from the transmitting device using a second beam that has a different number of antenna elements than the first beam.