Beamspace Imaging for 5G Beam Acquisition
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current 5G wireless systems face challenges in beam management, including high latency and energy consumption during initial beam access due to the need for highly directional beams and extensive beam scanning.
Innovation Solution
The proposed solution involves an architecture that enables parallelized operations over a beamspace, utilizing a lens assembly with an RF lens, beamspace arrays, and analog-to-digital converter arrays to detect, digitize, and generate images of radio frequency energy, thereby reducing latency and energy consumption.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If traditional beam scanning methods are used to achieve highly directional beams, then beam directionality is improved, but latency and energy consumption increase
Solution Approach 1:
The beamspace is segmented into multiple independent regions, each processed by dedicated RF circuits and mixer circuits. This segmentation enables parallel processing of different spatial regions simultaneously, reducing the overall beam acquisition latency while maintaining high directionality in each segment.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent transforms the traditional sequential beam scanning approach into a parallel beamspace imaging approach by adding a spatial dimension to the processing. Multiple beamspace regions are imaged and processed simultaneously in parallel, converting a time-consuming sequential operation into a concurrent parallel operation, thereby reducing latency.
2Ease of operation
If traditional beam scanning methods are used to achieve highly directional beams, then beam directionality is improved, but energy consumption increases
Solution Approach 1:
The beamspace processing function is segmented across multiple parallel RF circuits and mixer circuits. Each circuit processes a specific beamspace region independently, allowing the system to activate only the necessary circuits for current operation, thereby reducing overall energy consumption while maintaining high directionality.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent replaces the mechanical sequential scanning process with an optical-like parallel beamspace imaging system. Instead of mechanically moving or sequentially switching beams, the system uses parallel RF signal processing to simultaneously image multiple beamspace regions, eliminating the energy overhead of sequential scanning operations.
3Productivity
If parallel processing of two-dimensional array is implemented, then processing speed is improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges multiple RF circuits and mixer circuits into an integrated beamspace imaging system. By combining these components into a unified parallel processing architecture, the system achieves high processing speed while managing complexity through functional integration and shared resources across the parallel circuits.
Solution Approach 2:
The parallel processing architecture is designed with universal RF circuits and mixer circuits that can process multiple beamspace regions with the same functional blocks. This multi-functionality reduces overall system complexity by reusing identical circuit designs across parallel processing paths, rather than requiring dedicated unique circuits for each function.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
This approach significantly reduces latency in beam acquisition, making it independent of beamwidth and the number of beams, while also conserving energy by simplifying RF circuits and reducing the need for mixer circuits.
Implementation Method 1
a lens assembly having an architecture configured to perform parallelized operations over a beamspace
Data Source
AI summary
Systems, methods, apparatuses, and computer program products for identifying optimal beamforming directions from a UE by using a beamspace image. One method may include detecting radio frequency energy in a beamspace of one or more lenses; digitizing, with parallel processing of a two-dimensional array, the detected radio frequency energy in the beamspace of the one or more lenses; and generating one or more images based upon the digitized radio frequency energy in the beamspace of the one or more lenses.