Base Station AoA Estimation for Faster 5G Beam Search
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Existing 5G NR systems face significant delays and high complexity in identifying appropriate antenna beams for User Equipments (UEs) due to limited RF chains and narrow beams, leading to increased power consumption and network performance degradation.
Innovation Solution
A method and base station are developed to estimate the Angle of Arrival (AoA) of signals using a single RF chain by configuring different time intervals and multiple phase shifts across an antenna array, allowing simultaneous estimation of AoA for multiple UEs, reducing the number of measurements and beam searching time.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If conventional hierarchical beam searching is used to identify appropriate antenna beams, then beam identification accuracy is improved, but beam search time and complexity increase significantly
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies preliminary action by performing AoA estimation using phase shift measurements across multiple time intervals before final beam identification. The base station pre-calculates phase differences and estimates AoA values in advance, which then guides the selection of candidate beams for detailed measurement, reducing the overall beam search time while maintaining accuracy
Solution Approach 2:
The patent segments the beam search process into distinct phases: initial AoA estimation using phase shifts across multiple time intervals, followed by targeted beam measurement based on estimated directions. This segmentation allows the system to avoid exhaustive measurement of all possible beams, reducing time loss while preserving identification accuracy through focused measurement on promising candidates
2Reliability
If narrow antenna beams are used to support sufficient link margin, then communication reliability is improved, but the number of beams to search increases, leading to higher complexity
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the parameter of beam width dynamically during the search process. Initial AoA estimation uses wider effective beams formed by combining signals across multiple time intervals, reducing the number of directions to search. Once AoA is estimated, the system transitions to narrower beams for final measurement and communication, ensuring sufficient link margin while reducing overall search complexity
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces AoA estimation as an intermediary step between initial beam sweeping and final beam identification. This intermediary process uses phase shift measurements across multiple time intervals to predict promising beam directions, allowing the system to use narrower beams more efficiently without having to exhaustively search all possible narrow beam directions, thus reducing complexity while maintaining reliability
3Productivity
If multiple RF chains are deployed to generate multiple simultaneous antenna beams, then beam search speed is improved, but hardware complexity and power consumption increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent employs periodic action by using a single RF chain to transmit reference signals across multiple time intervals with different phase shifts. This periodic measurement approach allows the base station to accumulate phase information over time and estimate AoA without requiring multiple simultaneous RF chains, maintaining beam search speed through temporal multiplexing rather than spatial parallelism
Solution Approach 2:
The patent transitions from spatial parallelism (multiple RF chains operating simultaneously) to temporal parallelism (single RF chain operating across multiple time intervals). By adding the time dimension to the measurement process and using phase shift variations over time, the system achieves multi-directional beam search capability without increasing RF chain count, thus improving productivity while avoiding additional hardware complexity
4Measurement precision
If exhaustive channel measurements are performed for all antenna beams, then beam identification accuracy is improved, but power consumption at base station and UE increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies partial action by performing measurements only on beams identified as promising through initial AoA estimation, rather than exhaustively measuring all possible beams. The phase shift-based AoA prediction allows the system to focus measurements on a subset of candidate beams, reducing power consumption at both base station and UE while maintaining sufficient identification accuracy through targeted measurement
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 approach significantly reduces beam search overhead and latency, enhancing cellular access mechanisms for 5G NR and future THz systems by minimizing the number of measurements required for identifying narrow beams.
Implementation Method 1
configuring different time intervals and multiple phase shifts across an antenna array
Data Source
AI summary
A system and/or method for determining an Angle of Arrival (AoA) of a signal by a base station. The technique may include configuring different time intervals and multiple phase shifts across an antenna array of the base station. The technique may include receiving the signal from UEs at the different time intervals and the multiple phase shifts across the antenna array. The technique may include estimating phase angles of the signal received at the different time intervals and the multiple phase shifts. The technique may include determining the AoA of the signal received from the UEs based on the phase angles of the signal received at the different time intervals and the multiple phase shifts.