Beamforming Methods for Wireless Signal Coverage

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Solution Overview

Problem

High propagation loss at extremely high carrier frequencies, such as 60 GHz and millimeter wave bands, limits the range and reliability of wireless communication systems, necessitating innovative beamforming techniques to enhance signal coverage and throughput.

Innovation Solution

The implementation of multi-path beamforming methods, including beam division multiple access (BDMA) and spatial diversity techniques, which involve partitioning antennas into groups to steer beams towards multiple propagation paths, reducing beamforming training overhead and improving spectral efficiency.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Productivity

If conventional wireless communication is used at extremely high carrier frequencies (60 GHz and mmW bands), then very high throughput (up to 6 Gbps) can be achieved, but severe propagation loss (22 to 27 dB) occurs

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvedata transmission rateVSAvoidpropagation loss

Core Design Contradiction:

ProductivityVSLoss of energy

Solution Approach 1:

The patent divides the antenna array into multiple sub-arrays or groups, where each group independently forms a beam. This segmentation allows the system to steer multiple beams simultaneously towards different propagation paths, thereby mitigating the severe propagation loss at 60 GHz and mmW bands while maintaining very high throughput capabilities

Inventive Principle:

Principle #1Segmentation

2Reliability

If beamforming training is performed to mitigate propagation loss, then signal coverage and reliability are improved, but beamforming training overhead increases

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvesignal coverageVSAvoidbeamforming training overhead

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSLoss of time

Solution Approach 1:

The patent performs beamforming training in advance to establish optimal beam directions and weights before actual data transmission. By pre-determining the beamforming parameters through training sequences and feedback mechanisms, the system reduces the overhead during actual communication while ensuring reliable signal coverage

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

Solution Approach 2:

The patent implements a feedback mechanism where the receiving end measures the channel quality and sends feedback information to the transmitting end. This feedback is used to adjust and optimize beamforming weights iteratively, improving signal coverage and reliability while minimizing training overhead through efficient feedback-based optimization

Inventive Principle:

Principle #23Feedback

Data Source

PatentUS20210409969A1Beamforming methods and methods for using beams

Publication Date: 2021.12.30 INTERDIGITAL PATENT HOLDINGS INC

AI summary

A method, apparatus, system, and computer readable medium may be used to perform beamforming. The method may include a first communication device sending a first plurality of beamforming training frames to a second communication device using a first beamforming weight vector; the first communication device receiving from the second communication device a second beamforming weight vector; and the first communication device sending a second plurality of beamforming training frames to the second communication device using the second beamforming weight vector. The apparatus, method, system, and computer readable media may use spatial diversity with beam switching, spatial diversity with a single beam, weighted multipath beamforming training, single user spatial multiplexing, and beamforming training for beam division multiple access (BDMA).