Antenna Subarray Beam Sweeping for Faster 5G Alignment
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Solution Overview
Problem
The existing beam alignment process in large antenna arrays for 5G communications is inefficient due to the high number of beams required, leading to prolonged alignment times and reduced efficiency, which cannot meet the requirements of high-frequency, high-speed mobility scenarios.
Innovation Solution
The antenna apparatus employs a control unit to determine and control phase shift increments in subarrays of radiating elements, generating beams with varying widths and directions to reduce the number of sweeping times and improve alignment precision, using a hierarchical sweeping approach that first uses wide beams for coarse alignment and then narrows the beam direction through fine sweeping.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a large antenna array with many radiating elements is used to achieve high gain and overcome path loss, then communication reliability is improved, but beam width becomes smaller and beam alignment time increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent divides the large antenna array into multiple subarrays, each capable of forming wide beams independently. This segmentation allows the system to use wide beams for initial alignment (reducing time) and narrow beams for final communication (maintaining reliability), thus resolving the contradiction between array size and alignment time.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent implements dynamic beam width adjustment by controlling different subarrays to form beams of varying widths. During alignment, wide beams are used to cover larger areas with fewer sweeps; after alignment, narrow beams are used for high-gain communication. This dynamic adaptation resolves the fixed trade-off between beam width and array elements.
2Reliability
If beam sweeping is performed to achieve complete coverage alignment, then alignment reliability is improved, but the number of sweeping times increases and efficiency decreases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the sweeping process into two stages: coarse sweeping using wide beams from subarrays to cover the entire sector quickly, and fine sweeping using narrow beams to precisely align the selected beam pair. This segmentation reduces the total number of sweeps needed while maintaining complete coverage and alignment reliability.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent performs preliminary coarse sweeping with wide beams to identify the approximate direction of the best beam pair before conducting detailed fine sweeping. This preliminary action narrows down the search space, reducing the number of subsequent sweeps required and improving overall alignment efficiency without compromising reliability.
3Measurement precision
If narrow beams are used for precise alignment, then alignment precision is improved, but the number of beams required increases and sweeping time increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent uses different subarrays for different purposes: some subarrays form wide beams for coarse alignment to quickly identify the general direction, while other subarrays form narrow beams for fine alignment to achieve precise beam pairing. This segmentation allows precise alignment without requiring all beams to be narrow, thus reducing total sweeping time.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent dynamically adjusts beam width based on the alignment stage: wide beams are used during coarse alignment when precision is less critical, and narrow beams are used during fine alignment when precision is paramount. This dynamic adjustment optimizes the trade-off between precision and time by using each beam type only when necessary.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
This method significantly reduces the number of beam sweeping times and improves alignment efficiency, allowing for precise beam alignment within a smaller alignment direction area, thus enhancing communication efficiency and meeting the demands of 5G high-frequency, high-speed mobility.
Implementation Method 1
control a phase shift increment change of the first antenna subarray to generate a plurality of first beams, where different phase shift increments correspond to different first beams
Data Source
AI summary
An antenna apparatus, which includes an antenna array and a processor, where the processor is configured to determine a first antenna subarray from N rows and M columns of radiating elements of the antenna array, where the first antenna subarray includes X1 rows and Y1 columns of radiating elements, and X1 is greater than Y1, control a phase shift increment change of the first antenna subarray to generate a plurality of first beams, determine a first aligned beam from the first beams based on a first feedback from a receive end, determine a second antenna subarray, where the second antenna subarray includes X2 rows and Y2 columns of radiating elements, and Y2 is greater than X2, and determine a second aligned beam from the second beams based on a second feedback from the receive end.