Compressed Sector Sweep Frames for Millimeter-Wave Beam Training

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Solution Overview

Problem

Current wireless communication systems face inefficiencies in sector sweep time during beam training in the 60GHz band, particularly due to the high atmospheric attenuation and absorption of radio waves, which necessitate the use of multiple antennas and lengthy frame formats in sector sweep procedures.

Innovation Solution

The implementation of a compressed frame format for sector sweep frames, where address fields are reduced in bits, allowing for fewer bits in transmitter and receiver addresses, and utilizing a hash function to determine addresses, thereby shortening the transmission time of each sector sweep frame.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Loss of time

If full-length address fields are used in sector sweep frames, then addressing accuracy is maintained, but transmission time increases

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvesector sweep timeVSAvoidaddress identification accuracy
Core Design Contradiction:
Loss of timeVSLoss of information

Solution Approach 1:

The patent applies parameter changes by modifying the address field length from full-length (e.g., 48 bits) to compressed length (e.g., 8-16 bits) in sector sweep frames. This parameter reduction directly decreases frame transmission time while maintaining addressing functionality through hash-based compression algorithms that map full addresses to shorter representations.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #35Parameter changes

Solution Approach 2:

The patent uses copying by creating a compressed representation (hash value) of the full address field. Instead of transmitting the complete address, a copied and condensed version is sent in the sector sweep frame, which can be decoded at the receiver end to identify the intended recipient without requiring the full address length.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #26Copying

2Loss of time

If compressed address fields are used in sector sweep frames, then transmission time is reduced, but address determination complexity increases

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvesector sweep timeVSAvoidaddress processing complexity
Core Design Contradiction:
Loss of timeVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent applies preliminary action by pre-computing and storing hash values of device addresses before the sector sweep procedure. Both transmitting and receiving devices perform address compression in advance, creating lookup tables that map full addresses to compressed representations. This preliminary preparation reduces real-time processing complexity during actual frame transmission and reception.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #10Preliminary action

3Productivity

If traditional frame formats are used, then addressing reliability is maintained, but communication efficiency decreases

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvecommunication efficiencyVSAvoidaddress field reliability
Core Design Contradiction:
ProductivityVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The patent implements feedback mechanisms where receiving devices verify compressed address fields against their stored hash values and provide confirmation or correction information. This feedback loop ensures that even with compressed address fields, the reliability of address identification is maintained through validation and error checking protocols.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #23Feedback

Data Source

PatentEP3979695A1A technique for reducing sector sweep time for millimeter-wave devices
Publication Date: 2022.04.06 QUALCOMM INC
  • EP3979695A1 patent drawingFigure 1
  • EP3979695A1 patent drawingFigure 2
  • EP3979695A1 patent drawingFigure 3

AI summary

Certain aspects of the present disclosure provide techniques that may help reduce sector sweep time. In some cases, the techniques involve generating frames for transmission during a sector sweep procedure, each frame including one or more address fields being determined based on at least one of a transmitter address of the apparatus or a receiver address of an intended recipient of the generated frames and having fewer bits than at least one of the transmitter address or the receiver address.