Beamforming Overhead Reduction via On-Demand Signaling

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Solution Overview

Problem

In future radio communication systems, such as 5G, the use of beamforming to enhance coverage at high carrier frequencies leads to increased communication overhead due to the need to transmit signals multiple times using different beams, which complicates initial access and increases latency.

Innovation Solution

A method where a user terminal and radio base station implement on-demand information transmission using beam-specific signals, allowing the base station to transmit necessary information only when requested by the user equipment, reducing the constant transmission of broadcast or multicast signals and thereby minimizing communication overhead.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Area of stationary object

If beamforming is used to enhance coverage at high carrier frequencies, then coverage is improved, but communication overhead increases due to multiple signal transmissions

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvecoverage areaVSAvoidcommunication overhead
Core Design Contradiction:
Area of stationary objectVSQuantity of substance

Solution Approach 1:

The base station transmits beam-specific signals (synchronization signals, system information, random access responses) in advance across multiple beams before the user terminal needs to access the network. This preliminary transmission ensures that when the user terminal initiates access, the necessary information is already available, eliminating the need for repeated transmissions and reducing communication overhead while maintaining comprehensive coverage.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #10Preliminary action

2Reliability

If beam-specific signals are transmitted multiple times using different beams, then initial access reliability is improved, but latency increases

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveinitial access reliabilityVSAvoidaccess latency
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSLoss of time

Solution Approach 1:

The base station implements periodic transmission of beam-specific signals across different beams in a systematic sequence. Instead of random or repeated transmissions, the signals are transmitted periodically through multiple beams in an organized manner, ensuring that user terminals can reliably detect and access the network within a predictable time frame, thus maintaining reliability while minimizing latency.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #19Periodic action

3Loss of information

If broadcast and multicast signals are transmitted constantly, then information availability is improved, but communication overhead increases

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveinformation availabilityVSAvoidcommunication overhead
Core Design Contradiction:
Loss of informationVSQuantity of substance

Solution Approach 1:

The patent extracts and transmits only the essential beam-specific information (synchronization signals, system information, random access responses) through multiple beams, rather than transmitting all broadcast and multicast signals constantly. By selecting and transmitting only the necessary information elements specific to each beam, the system maintains information availability while significantly reducing communication overhead.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #2Taking out (Extraction)

Data Source

PatentEP3451550B1User terminal, wireless base station, and wireless communication method
Publication Date: 2020.12.16 NTT DOCOMO INC
  • EP3451550B1 patent drawingFigure 1A~1D
  • EP3451550B1 patent drawingFigure 2A~2B
  • EP3451550B1 patent drawingFigure 3A~3B

AI summary

The present invention is designed to reduce communication overhead in communication in which beamforming is used. A user terminal according to one aspect of the present invention has a transmission section that transmits a beam identification signal for identifying a given beam, a receiving section that receives given information transmitted in the given beam based on the beam identification signal, and a control section that controls transmission of the beam identification signal.