Beam Tracking Failure Recovery in 5G Wireless Networks
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Solution Overview
Problem
In wireless communication networks, especially with emerging 5G technologies like New Radio (NR), beam selection during handover processes can be slow due to sparse signal transmissions and analog beamforming, leading to delayed access to new beams, which affects network performance, particularly in Ultra-Reliable Low-Latency Communications (URLLC) and Mobile Broadband (MBB) services.
Innovation Solution
A method where a wireless device performs beam tracking of candidate beams based on signal strength or quality and triggers a beam recovery process immediately upon detecting a failure, selecting a DL beam from previously tracked options to expedite beam switching, reducing the time needed for handover and improving network performance.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If beam tracking is performed based on sparse signal transmissions with analog beamforming, then the system maintains compatibility with existing 5G NR infrastructure, but the beam selection process becomes slow and delays handover operations
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies preliminary action by performing beam tracking and measuring signal strength/quality of candidate beams before handover is actually needed. The wireless device maintains updated measurements of multiple candidate beams in advance, so when handover becomes necessary, the selection can be made immediately from pre-evaluated options rather than starting the measurement process from scratch during the handover event.
2Ease of operation
If the wireless device waits for next signal transmission to perform beam selection during handover, then the system follows standard procedures, but the handover process experiences additional delay
Solution Approach 1:
The patent performs beam tracking and signal quality measurement in advance during normal operation, before handover is triggered. This preliminary evaluation of candidate beams allows the device to immediately initiate handover to the pre-identified best beam without waiting for the next signal transmission opportunity, thus reducing handover delay while maintaining procedural compliance.
Solution Approach 2:
The wireless device autonomously performs beam tracking and maintains measurements of candidate beams on its own initiative, without requiring network coordination or additional signaling. This self-service approach allows the device to independently prepare beam selection information, enabling faster handover execution without following time-consuming standard procedures that would require network involvement at each step.
3Reliability
If the wireless device performs comprehensive beam tracking of multiple candidate beams, then the system can select the optimal beam for handover, but the processing complexity and power consumption increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies local quality by focusing beam tracking efforts on a limited set of candidate beams that are spatially or frequency-related to the current serving beam, rather than performing exhaustive tracking of all possible beams in the system. The device identifies and tracks only those candidate beams that are most likely to be optimal based on local conditions, reducing processing complexity while maintaining reliable handover selection.
Data Source
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AI summary
In some embodiments herein a wireless device for handling communication of the wireless device (10) in a wireless communication network (1) is provided. The wireless communication network (1) comprises a radio network node (12) configured to serve 5 the wireless device in a serving cell. The wireless device is configured to perform a beam tracking of the serving cell for tracking one or more beams of the serving cell based on measured signal strength or measured signal quality, and to detect a beam failure process in the serving cell. The wireless device is further configured to, in response to detection of the beam failure process, trigger a beam recovery process 10 associated with a DL beam for the serving cell, wherein the DL beam is selected based on the beam tracking performed prior to detecting the beam failure process.