Beam Grouping for Wireless Communication Overhead Reduction
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Solution Overview
Problem
In wireless communication systems that utilize beam forming, the system overhead related to beam training, tracking, and switching is high due to the complexity of managing multiple beams and ensuring efficient communication between access points and user equipment.
Innovation Solution
A method and apparatus for efficient transmitter and receiver beam management using feedback signaling, where user equipment performs measurements on beam specific reference signals to form and report beam groups, allowing the network to dynamically adjust and manage beams, reducing the need for explicit signaling of antenna port indices and minimizing system overhead.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If beam forming is used for communication between access point and user equipment, then communication quality and spectral efficiency are improved, but system overhead relating to training, beam tracking and beam switching becomes relatively high
Solution Approach 1:
The user equipment autonomously performs measurements on beam-specific reference signals and determines beam groups without requiring explicit signaling from the access point. The UE self-manages beam measurement, grouping, and reporting, reducing the signaling overhead that would otherwise be required for the network to configure and manage beam parameters
Solution Approach 2:
The patent segments the beam management process into distinct functional components: beam-specific reference signal transmission, autonomous measurement by UE, beam group determination, and feedback reporting. This segmentation allows each component to be optimized independently, reducing overall system overhead while maintaining communication quality
2Reliability
If multiple beams are managed to ensure efficient communication, then communication reliability is improved, but the complexity of beam management increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines multiple beam measurements into beam groups, where the UE determines groups of beams that can be used for communication. By merging individual beam evaluations into grouped assessments, the system maintains reliable communication through multiple beam options while reducing the complexity of managing each beam individually
Solution Approach 2:
The UE provides feedback reports to the access point containing information about determined beam groups and their qualities. This feedback mechanism enables the network to adapt beam management based on actual channel conditions while keeping the management complexity at the UE side, as the automated measurement and grouping process eliminates the need for complex network-side beam management
Data Source
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AI summary
A method comprising: performing one or more measurements in a user device to determine a plurality of beam groups, each beam group associating at least one receive beam direction of a user device and at least one transmit beam direction of an access point; and causing information on said beam groups to be transmitted to said access point.