Beam Timing Advance Groups for Multi-Beam Uplink Alignment
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Solution Overview
Problem
In wireless communications systems, particularly in 5G systems, highly directional beam pair links (BPLs) often experience misaligned transmission timings due to non-reciprocity and UE mobility, leading to collisions and interference at the base station, as conventional timing advance groups fail to account for the varying round trip times across different BPLs.
Innovation Solution
The implementation of beam-specific timing advance groups (TAGs) where a base station configures BPLs into groups with a common timing reference, adjusting transmission timings using explicit or implicit common timing reference values and beam-specific TA offsets to align uplink transmissions across multiple BPLs.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Loss of information
If a single timing advance group is used for all beam pair links, then signaling overhead is reduced, but transmission timing alignment deteriorates due to different round trip times across BPLs
Solution Approach 1:
The patent divides the timing advance management into multiple beam-specific TAGs, where each TAG corresponds to a specific beam pair link. This segmentation allows independent timing adjustment for each BPL, resolving the timing alignment issue while maintaining efficient signaling through hierarchical management.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces a beam dimension to the traditional TAG structure by associating multiple TAGs with different beams. This dimensional expansion enables precise timing control across multiple spatial directions without proportionally increasing signaling overhead, as common timing references can be shared across beams.
2Manufacturing precision
If beam-specific timing advance groups are implemented, then transmission timing alignment is improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements a universal timing reference mechanism that can be shared across multiple beam-specific TAGs. This multi-functionality allows the same timing reference to serve multiple beams, reducing the overall complexity compared to maintaining completely independent timing structures for each beam.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent enables dynamic selection and switching between different timing references based on current beam activation and mobility conditions. This dynamic approach allows the system to adapt to changing conditions without maintaining complex structures for all possible scenarios simultaneously.
3Manufacturing precision
If timing advance commands are updated frequently to maintain alignment, then transmission timing alignment is improved, but loss of time increases due to delay in TA command reception
Solution Approach 1:
The patent establishes timing references and TAG configurations in advance based on predicted beam usage patterns and mobility conditions. This preliminary setup reduces the need for frequent emergency timing adjustments, allowing the system to maintain alignment without constant command updates.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent implements feedback mechanisms where the UE reports timing status and beam quality information to the network. This feedback enables the network to proactively adjust timing advance commands before misalignment becomes severe, reducing the delay associated with reactive timing corrections.
Data Source
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AI summary
Methods, systems, and devices for wireless communications are described. Generally, the described techniques provide for adjusting communication timings of beams (e.g., of beam pair links) within a beam timing advance group (TAG). In some cases, a base station may determine that transmission timing at a UE may be misaligned between multiple beams. The base station may configure a set of beams into a beam TAG, and may send a timing advance (TA) command for the beam TAG. A common timing reference value may be identified based on the TA command. UEs performing uplink transmissions may determine a TA value for the beam TAG based on the common timing reference value, and may adjust a communication timing for one or more of the beams within the beam TAG based at least in part on the common timing reference value and the timing advance value.