Beam Selection Using Angular Energy Transformation

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Solution Overview

Problem

Current transmission beam selection methods in wireless communication environments requiring clear channel assessment (CCA) before transmission, especially in unlicensed spectra, are inadequate as they do not effectively account for interference, leading to suboptimal performance and resource inefficiencies.

Innovation Solution

A method for a transmitter node with multiple antenna elements that performs CCA measurements, transforms received energy into angular directions, and selects transmission beams based on measured energy patterns to avoid interference, using techniques like FFT for energy transformation and dynamic threshold adjustments.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If traditional beam selection methods are used in unlicensed spectra, then transmission can proceed after CCA, but interference patterns are not effectively accounted for leading to suboptimal performance

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvetransmission reliabilityVSAvoidnetwork throughput
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSProductivity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent performs beam selection in advance based on CCA measurements taken before transmission. By transforming received energy into angular directions and selecting beams beforehand, the system identifies suitable transmission beams that avoid interference patterns, ensuring reliable transmission when the channel becomes available without sacrificing throughput.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #10Preliminary action

Solution Approach 2:

The system uses CCA measurements as feedback to inform beam selection decisions. By continuously monitoring received energy across multiple antenna elements and transforming this information into angular domain, the system adapts beam selection based on actual channel conditions, improving both reliability and throughput dynamically.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #23Feedback

2Measurement precision

If CCA measurements are performed using all antenna elements, then channel assessment is comprehensive, but resource overhead increases

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvechannel assessment accuracyVSAvoidresource overhead
Core Design Contradiction:
Measurement precisionVSQuantity of substance

Solution Approach 1:

The patent segments the CCA measurement process by transforming measurements from individual antenna elements into angular directions. This allows the system to process measurements more efficiently by grouping information spatially, maintaining comprehensive channel assessment accuracy while reducing the computational and resource overhead of processing each antenna element independently.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

The system transforms CCA measurements from the antenna element domain to the angular direction domain. This dimensional transformation allows comprehensive channel assessment to be achieved more efficiently by exploiting the spatial structure of the channel, reducing resource overhead while maintaining measurement precision.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #17Another dimension (Dimensionality change)

3Ease of operation

If beam selection is performed without considering angular energy distribution, then selection process is simple, but interference avoidance is ineffective

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvebeam selection simplicityVSAvoidinterference impact
Core Design Contradiction:
Ease of operationVSObject-affected harmful factors

Solution Approach 1:

The patent performs beam selection in advance based on transformed angular energy distribution from CCA measurements. By calculating the energy distribution in angular directions before transmission and selecting beams that avoid high-energy directions, the system effectively avoids interference while maintaining operational simplicity through automated selection processes.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #10Preliminary action

Solution Approach 2:

The system introduces angular direction transformation as an intermediary step between raw CCA measurements and beam selection. This intermediary processing converts measurements into a form that naturally reveals interference patterns in angular space, making interference avoidance effective while keeping the overall process manageable through automated algorithms.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

Data Source

PatentEP4032351B1Transmission beam selection
Publication Date: 2024.12.25 TELEFONAKTIEBOLAGET LM ERICSSON (PUBL)
  • EP4032351B1 patent drawingFigure 1~2
  • EP4032351B1 patent drawingFigure 3~5
  • EP4032351B1 patent drawingFigure 6~7

AI summary

A method is disclosed of a transmitter node comprising a plurality of antenna elements and configured for beam-formed transmission in a wireless communication environment requiring clear channel assessment (CCA) before transmission. The method comprises performing CCA measurements by measuring received energy of the plurality of antenna elements, taking a CCA decision based on the measured received energy of the plurality of antenna elements, transforming the measured received energy of the plurality of antenna elements into measured received energy of a plurality of angular directions, and selecting transmission beam based on the measured received energy of the plurality of angular directions. The wireless communication environment requiring CCA before transmission typically uses an unlicensed frequency spectrum. Corresponding apparatus, transmitter node and computer program product are also disclosed.