Beam Training Request Techniques in Wireless Communications
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Solution Overview
Problem
In wireless communications, existing beam training techniques are inefficient in identifying and switching to higher quality beams, especially in scenarios where user equipment (UE) movement leads to degraded signal quality, particularly in high-band millimeter wave communications.
Innovation Solution
The UE initiates a beam training request by transmitting a combined uplink control information sequence that includes a beam training request, allowing for swift identification and switching to higher quality beams, even when signal quality falls below a threshold, using existing uplink resources such as HARQ feedback or scheduling requests.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If beam training procedures are initiated frequently to identify higher quality beams, then beam quality and communication reliability are improved, but system overhead and complexity increase
Solution Approach 1:
The UE autonomously determines when beam training is needed by monitoring downlink signal quality itself, without requiring external triggering from the base station. This self-service approach allows the system to initiate beam training only when necessary, improving reliability while avoiding unnecessary overhead.
Solution Approach 2:
The system changes the parameter of beam training initiation from base-station-controlled to UE-triggered based on signal quality thresholds. This parameter change enables the system to adapt beam training frequency to actual channel conditions, maintaining high beam quality while reducing unnecessary training procedures.
2Speed
If beam training requests are transmitted using dedicated resources, then beam switching speed is improved, but uplink resource consumption increases
Solution Approach 1:
The beam training request is transmitted using existing uplink control resources that serve multiple purposes (HARQ feedback, scheduling requests, etc.). This multi-functionality allows the beam training request to be conveyed without consuming additional dedicated uplink resources, while still achieving fast beam switching through efficient resource utilization.
Solution Approach 2:
Instead of creating new dedicated resources for beam training requests, the system reuses existing uplink control resource structures. This copying approach allows the beam training indication to be embedded in familiar resource formats, reducing overall resource consumption while maintaining switching speed.
3Device complexity
If beam training is delayed until signal quality severely degrades, then system overhead is reduced, but communication reliability deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The UE continuously monitors downlink signal quality and provides feedback by transmitting beam training requests when quality thresholds are violated. This feedback mechanism ensures that beam training is triggered at the appropriate moment - not too early (avoiding overhead) and not too late (maintaining reliability).
Solution Approach 2:
The system performs preliminary beam training before communication reliability severely deteriorates by triggering training when signal quality first crosses the threshold. This preliminary action prevents severe degradation while avoiding unnecessary training in good conditions.
Data Source
AI summary
Methods, systems, and devices for wireless communications are described for initiating beam training in systems that use beamformed wireless communications. A user equipment (UE) and a base station may establish communications using a first beam, and the UE may determine that a signal quality of the first beam is lower than a threshold value and that a beam training procedure is to be initiated. The UE may transmit a beam training request to initiate the beam training procedure, which may be transmitted as part of a bit sequence that is used to transmit uplink control information to the base station, such as with acknowledgment/negative-acknowledgment feedback, a scheduling request, or other uplink control information.