Wireless Antenna Sub-Array Beam Sweeping for 5G Coverage
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Solution Overview
Problem
In 5G wireless communication systems, the high path loss of millimeter waves reduces the service area due to the frequency-dependent nature of radio wave propagation, necessitating techniques to enhance communication performance and expand coverage while minimizing interference.
Innovation Solution
A wireless communication apparatus and method that perform beam sweeping operations using a plurality of antenna arrays, adjusting phases and amplitudes to generate multiple receiving beam patterns, and selecting optimal beam patterns through digital and analog beamforming techniques to align transmission and receiving beams, thereby improving communication performance.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Area of stationary object
If beamforming technique is applied to expand service area, then coverage range is improved, but device complexity increases due to multiple antenna arrays and beam sweeping operations
Solution Approach 1:
The antenna array is divided into multiple sub-arrays, where each sub-array can independently form and sweep receiving beams. This segmentation allows the system to achieve wide coverage through coordinated operation of multiple simpler sub-units rather than requiring a single complex antenna array.
Solution Approach 2:
The receiving beam patterns are dynamically adjusted through sweeping operations that change the beam directions across different sub-arrays. This dynamic beam steering enables the system to adaptively cover different spatial regions and align with transmission beams, expanding service area without permanently complexifying the antenna structure.
2Measurement precision
If digital beam sweeping operation is performed on sub-array groups, then beam alignment precision is improved, but processing time increases
Solution Approach 1:
The digital beam sweeping operation is performed on grouped combinations of sub-arrays rather than all sub-arrays individually. This segmentation of the processing task reduces the total number of operations required while maintaining alignment precision through the coordinated sweeping of sub-array groups.
Solution Approach 2:
Analog beam sweeping is performed first to obtain initial channel matrix information, which guides the subsequent digital beam sweeping operations. This preliminary action narrows down the search space for optimal beam alignment, reducing the time required for precise digital beam sweeping.
Data Source
AI summary
A method of operating a wireless communication apparatus including an antenna array including a plurality of sub-arrays includes sweeping a receiving beam formed in each of the sub-arrays such that the receiving beam has a plurality of receiving beam patterns at a respective plurality of sweeping positions, and receiving a signal through the antenna array at each of the sweeping positions, generating base channel matrix information including channel matrices corresponding to the receiving beam patterns for each of the sub-arrays, based on the signal, performing a digital sweeping operation on at least one group combination, which is determined using the base channel matrix information, and generating supplemental channel matrix information, and selecting a receiving beam pattern of the antenna array using the base channel matrix information and the supplemental channel matrix information.