Base-Station Control Apparatus for Millimeter Wave Beam Selection
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current millimeter wave communication systems face inefficiencies in beam selection protocols, particularly when multiple access points (APs) need to execute beam selection with a wireless terminal, as existing methods require each AP to reconnect and send a list of available APs, leading to low efficiency in high-speed roaming and beam selection processes.
Innovation Solution
A base-station control apparatus that determines the number of training packets to be transmitted by a wireless terminal based on the number of directional beam patterns used by connected and unconnected APs, allowing multiple APs to efficiently execute beam selection protocols by optimizing the number of training packets needed for each AP, including a master AP connected to the terminal and slave APs not connected.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a wireless terminal connects to each AP separately to execute beam selection protocol, then each AP can perform beam selection, but the roaming efficiency is low and time consumption increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges the beam selection processes of multiple APs into a single coordinated execution. The master AP manages the beam selection protocol for both the connected state and the roaming state, allowing slave APs to participate in beam selection without requiring separate connection establishment. This combining of operations enables multiple APs to perform beam selection simultaneously through a unified protocol execution, reducing overall time while maintaining accuracy.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent implements preliminary action by having the wireless terminal transmit training packets to multiple slave APs in advance, before actual roaming occurs. The slave APs pre-measure reception qualities of these training packets, so when roaming is needed, the terminal can quickly switch to the best AP without performing full beam selection from scratch. This preliminary measurement phase significantly reduces roaming time while ensuring accurate beam selection.
2Measurement precision
If multiple APs execute beam selection protocol independently, then each AP can optimize its beam pattern, but the overall system efficiency decreases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces a master AP as an intermediary that coordinates the beam selection protocol across multiple APs. The master AP receives training packets from the wireless terminal and distributes them to slave APs, then collects measurement results from all APs to determine the optimal beam pattern. This intermediary role allows all APs to participate in beam selection with high measurement precision while maintaining system-wide efficiency through centralized coordination, avoiding the inefficiency of independent executions.
3Adaptability or versatility
If the wireless terminal transmits training packets to multiple APs, then beam selection can be performed across all APs, but the number of packets and processing complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the beam selection protocol into distinct phases: a connected state phase where the terminal connects to the master AP, and a roaming state phase where the terminal executes beam selection with slave APs. This segmentation allows the system to handle multi-AP beam selection by dividing the complex protocol into manageable stages, reducing overall complexity while maintaining adaptability across multiple APs.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent implements dynamic state transitions between connected state and roaming state. The system adapts its behavior based on the current state: in the connected state, normal communication occurs; when roaming is detected, the system dynamically switches to the roaming state to execute the beam selection protocol with multiple APs. This dynamic approach allows the system to maintain simplicity during normal operation while enabling complex multi-AP beam selection only when necessary, balancing adaptability and complexity.
Data Source
AI summary
A base-station control apparatus includes: a number-of-training-packets determining circuit that determines the number of training packets to be transmitted by a wireless terminal, based on the number of first directional beam patterns used by a first base-station apparatus connected to the wireless terminal and the number of second directional beam patterns used by at least one second base-station apparatus not connected to the wireless terminal; and a notification issuing circuit that issues a notification indicating the determined number of training packets to the first base-station apparatus.