Beam Sweeping Rhythm Control for Inter-Cell Interference
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Solution Overview
Problem
The challenge of alleviating inter-cell radio interference in new radio access technology (NR) networks, which are expected to support a diverse range of devices with varying data traffic profiles and operating characteristics, is significant due to the use of beam sweeping in conventional networks.
Innovation Solution
Assigning different beam sweeping rhythms to neighboring Transmission and Reception Points (TRPs) in a network to reduce interference, utilizing orthogonal or non-overlapping beam directions and rhythms, and incorporating rhythm hopping to randomize interference patterns.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If beam sweeping is used in conventional networks to support diverse devices with varying data traffic profiles, then device connectivity and spectrum usage flexibility are improved, but inter-cell radio interference increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements periodic beam sweeping at different rhythms for different TRPs. Each TRP performs beam sweeping periodically across multiple beams, but with different periodicities or phases. This allows the system to maintain adaptability for diverse devices while reducing interference through temporal separation of beam transmissions in neighboring cells.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces dynamic rhythm hopping where TRPs randomly select from multiple possible beam sweeping rhythms. This dynamic adaptation allows the network to flexibly respond to varying traffic conditions and device requirements while statistically reducing the probability of persistent interference patterns between neighboring cells.
2Loss of time
If beam sweeping is performed with high frequency to support low latency applications, then latency is reduced, but interference with neighboring cells increases
Solution Approach 1:
Different TRPs are configured with different beam sweeping periodicities. Some TRPs may use faster sweeping for latency-sensitive services while others use slower sweeping, creating temporal diversity that reduces interference while maintaining low latency capability where needed.
Solution Approach 2:
The system changes the temporal parameters of beam sweeping by introducing rhythm hopping, where TRPs randomly select sweeping periods from a set of possible values. This parameter variation maintains low latency performance while reducing persistent interference through statistical multiplexing in the time domain.
Data Source
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AI summary
First infrastructure equipment for use with a wireless telecommunications system, the first infrastructure equipment comprising: a controller; and a transceiver; wherein the controller is operable to control the transceiver to transmit radio signals for reception by a terminal device located within a first one of a plurality of predetermined geographical regions during a first portion of a periodically repeating time duration and to transmit radio signals for reception by a terminal device located within a second, different, one of the plurality of predetermined geographical regions during a second, different, portion of the periodically repeating time duration, wherein the first and second portions of the periodically repeating time duration are set such that, for at least one of the first and second predetermined geographical regions, the transceiver transmits signals for reception by a terminal device in the at least one of the first and second predetermined geographical regions only when no transmissions are transmitted from a second infrastructure equipment of the wireless telecommunications system for reception by a terminal device in at least a portion of the at least one of the first and second predetermined geographical regions.