Beam Angle Information for Directional Communication Overhead
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Solution Overview
Problem
Integrated terrestrial/non-terrestrial wireless communication networks face challenges in managing directional communication due to the movement of non-terrestrial transmit-and-receive points, making it difficult for user equipment to determine the correct angular direction for beamforming with these points.
Innovation Solution
The use of beam angle information (BAI) is introduced to provide an absolute indication of the angular direction, allowing user equipment and non-terrestrial transmit-and-receive points to implement receive and transmit beams efficiently, reducing overhead by potentially avoiding beam sweeping.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If beam sweeping is used to determine angular direction for beamforming, then directional communication can be established, but overhead increases due to multiple beams in different directions
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts the essential angular direction information from the beam sweeping process by introducing Beam Angle Information (BAI) that directly indicates the angular direction without requiring actual beam sweeping. This removes the redundant overhead of transmitting multiple beams while retaining the core functionality of establishing directional communication.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces BAI as an intermediary parameter that mediates between the need for directional communication and the overhead of beam sweeping. Instead of using multiple physical beams to determine direction, the BAI provides angular direction information that guides beamforming without requiring the actual sweeping process, thus reducing overhead while maintaining reliability.
2Adaptability or versatility
If non-terrestrial TRPs are deployed to enhance network coverage and flexibility, then system adaptability improves, but control and management complexity increases due to moving positions
Solution Approach 1:
The patent enables non-terrestrial TRPs to self-determine their angular directions relative to UEs by providing mechanisms for them to obtain and use BAI. This self-service capability reduces the control and management complexity that would otherwise be required to coordinate the moving non-terrestrial TRPs, while still allowing them to provide flexible network coverage enhancement.
Data Source
AI summary
An integrated terrestrial/non-terrestrial network may allow for enhanced network coverage. However, there are control and management challenges associated with an integrated terrestrial/non-terrestrial network because the network and user equipments (UEs) are no longer confined to only using conventional cellular communication via terrestrial transmit-and-receive points (T-TRPs). One challenge is how to perform beam management. In some embodiments, methods and systems are disclosed in which an indication of angular direction (e.g. beam direction) is provided by the T-TRP. The indication of angular direction may be used by a UE for communicating with a non-terrestrial TRP (NT-TRP), e.g. using beamforming. However, the methods are not limited to integrated terrestrial/non-terrestrial networks or the involvement of NT-TRPs, but apply more generally to indicating angular direction for directional communication.