Radio Base Station Beam Channel Access Overhead Reduction
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Solution Overview
Problem
In high-frequency bands like 52.6 GHz to 71 GHz, existing radio base stations and terminals face inefficiencies in directional Listen-Before-Talk (LBT) and Clear Channel Assessment (CCA) due to the need for multiple beams with different directions, leading to increased overhead and mismatched recognition between base stations and terminals regarding beam directivity.
Innovation Solution
A radio base station and terminal configuration that executes channel access procedures using a control unit to configure parameters for each beam, allowing simultaneous channel access across multiple beams using space division multiplexing (SDM), frequency division multiplexing (FDM), or time division multiplexing (TDM, enabling efficient and reliable directional LBT/CCA even with multiple beams.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If multiple beams with different directions are used for directional LBT/CCA in high-frequency bands, then the ability to handle wide bandwidth and large propagation loss is improved, but the overhead related to LBT increases and efficiency is hindered
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges multiple beam-based channel access procedures into a unified framework where the base station performs omnidirectional LBT first, then establishes a common channel occupancy time (COT) that can be shared across multiple beams. This combining approach allows multiple directional transmissions to occur within a single acquired COT, reducing the total number of separate LBT operations needed while maintaining reliable channel access across all beam directions.
Solution Approach 2:
The base station performs preliminary omnidirectional LBT and COT acquisition before initiating multiple directional beam transmissions. By securing the channel in advance through omnidirectional sensing and establishing a common COT framework, the system prepares the groundwork for efficient multi-beam operations, eliminating the need for repeated LBT procedures for each individual beam and thereby improving overall channel access efficiency.
2Reliability
If directional LBT/CCA is performed for one beam at a time, then the beam-specific channel access is ensured, but the overhead related to LBT increases due to repeated procedures
Solution Approach 1:
The patent establishes a continuous common channel occupancy time (COT) that spans multiple beam transmissions. Once the base station acquires the channel through omnidirectional LBT, it maintains continuous channel access rights across the entire COT period, allowing multiple directional beams to transmit without interruption or repeated LBT procedures. This continuity eliminates gaps and redundant sensing operations, significantly reducing LBT overhead time while ensuring each beam receives appropriate channel access control.
3Ease of operation
If COT sharing is based on the same beam (directivity), then the channel access control is simplified, but the adaptability to multiple beams with different directions is reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the channel access procedure into two distinct layers: an omnidirectional LBT/COT acquisition layer that provides common channel access control for all beams, and a directional beam transmission layer that handles specific beam configurations. This segmentation allows the system to maintain simple unified COT sharing rules at the control layer while simultaneously supporting diverse multi-beam operations at the transmission layer, thereby achieving both ease of operation and multi-beam adaptability.
Solution Approach 2:
The common COT framework is designed with universal applicability that can accommodate multiple beam configurations and directions. The base station establishes a single COT that serves as a shared resource for all directional beams, allowing the same channel access mechanism to universally support omnidirectional and directional transmissions, single-beam and multi-beam operations, thereby achieving versatility without complicating the underlying control logic.
Data Source
AI summary
A radio base station executes a channel access procedure in a second frequency band different from a first frequency band allocated for mobile communications. The radio base station configures parameters for each beam applied to the channel access procedure.