Base Station Beam Compensation for Faulty Antenna Elements
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Solution Overview
Problem
In wireless communication systems, faulty antenna elements in base stations can disrupt radiation power, leading to reduced signal quality and coverage, especially in multi-antenna configurations where complex beamforming is required.
Innovation Solution
A method and apparatus for detecting faulty antenna elements in a base station, determining the target direction where radiation power has dropped, and generating a secondary beam to mitigate the impact of the fault without altering the original beam weights.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a faulty antenna element is detected in the antenna array, then the radiation power distribution becomes unbalanced and signal quality deteriorates, but changing the original beam weights to compensate for the fault increases system complexity
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the beamforming problem into two independent parts: the original beam weights (w1) that maintain the intended radiation pattern, and a compensation beam weight (w2) that specifically addresses the faulty antenna element. This segmentation allows each part to be optimized independently, avoiding the need to recalculate all beam weights when a fault is detected.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces a compensation beam weight (w2) as an intermediary element that mediates between the original beam configuration and the faulty antenna condition. This intermediary component specifically targets the radiation power deficit caused by the faulty element without disrupting the overall beamforming strategy encoded in w1.
2Reliability
If the original beam weights are modified to compensate for faulty antenna elements, then radiation power balance is restored, but the original beam coverage and directionality are altered
Solution Approach 1:
The total beam weight is segmented into w1 (original) and w2 (compensation), where w1 preserves the intended beam coverage pattern and w2 solely addresses power balance. This ensures that the beam's directional characteristics and coverage area remain unchanged while restoring proper power distribution.
Solution Approach 2:
The compensation beam weight w2 applies local adjustments only to the regions affected by the faulty antenna element, leaving the rest of the beam structure intact. This localized approach restores radiation power balance in specific directions without globally altering the beam's shape or coverage pattern.
3Reliability
If a secondary beam is generated to compensate for radiation power loss, then signal coverage is maintained, but the system requires additional processing and computational resources
Solution Approach 1:
The patent performs preliminary detection of faulty antenna elements and pre-calculates the compensation beam weight w2 based on the detected fault conditions. This preliminary action allows the system to quickly generate the secondary beam without extensive real-time processing when signal transmission is required.
Solution Approach 2:
The system changes only the necessary parameters (the compensation beam weight w2) while keeping the original beam weights w1 unchanged. This selective parameter modification reduces computational requirements compared to recalculating all beam parameters, as only the compensation component needs to be computed and applied.
Data Source
AI summary
A method and an apparatus for fault mitigation in a base station are disclosed. According to an embodiment, a faulty antenna element in an antenna array is detected. The antenna array transmits a first beam covering a predetermined range of directions. A target direction in which radiation power dropped due to a fault of the detected faulty antenna element is determined. A second beam pointing to the determined target direction is generated.