CSI-RS and CSI-IM Channel Measurement for Beam Selection
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Solution Overview
Problem
In high-frequency wireless communications, path loss increases, and existing methods for selecting beams based on RSRP fail to accurately account for interference, leading to suboptimal beam selection and reduced system performance.
Innovation Solution
A channel measurement method and apparatus that configures and sends measurement resource information to terminals, including channel and interference measurement resources, enabling accurate acquisition and transmission of channel state information to reflect interference effects, allowing for better beam selection.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If beam selection is based on RSRP in high-frequency communications, then path loss can be compensated through beamforming gain, but interference effects are not accurately reflected leading to suboptimal beam selection
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the measurement process into two distinct parts: channel measurement (using CSI-RS) and interference measurement (using CSI-IM). This segmentation allows independent optimization of each measurement type and enables the system to separately evaluate channel quality and interference levels, resolving the contradiction by ensuring both path loss compensation and interference assessment are performed accurately without interfering with each other
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces CSI-IM (Channel State Information Interference Measurement) resources as an intermediary mechanism. These dedicated interference measurement resources act as a mediator that captures interference information without affecting the channel measurement process. The CSI-IM resources provide a clean way to measure interference that would otherwise contaminate the RSRP-based channel measurements, enabling accurate beam selection that accounts for both path loss and interference
2Reliability
If multi-element array antenna is adopted to compensate for path loss, then beamforming gain is obtained, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements dynamic beam selection by continuously measuring channel and interference conditions using CSI-RS and CSI-IM resources. The base station dynamically adjusts beamforming parameters and selects optimal beams based on real-time measurements, allowing the system to adapt to changing channel and interference conditions. This dynamic approach maintains coverage reliability without requiring permanently fixed complex antenna structures for every possible beam direction
Solution Approach 2:
The patent changes the operational parameters of the antenna system by using software-controlled beamforming parameters (precoding matrices, beam directions, power allocation) rather than physically reconfiguring the antenna structure. The multi-element array antenna maintains a fixed physical configuration, but its effective behavior is dynamically changed through parameter adjustments based on CSI measurements, reducing mechanical complexity while maintaining coverage capability
3Measurement precision
If interference measurement resources are added to channel measurement resources, then interference effects are accurately reflected, but measurement resource overhead increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent makes the measurement resource system universal by designing CSI-RS and CSI-IM resources that can serve multiple functions. The same resource framework is used for both channel measurement and interference measurement, and these measurements feed into a unified beam selection and channel state reporting process. This multi-functionality justifies the resource overhead by extracting maximum value from each measurement opportunity
Solution Approach 2:
The patent implements partial measurement by allowing the network to configure only the necessary number of CSI-RS and CSI-IM resources based on specific deployment scenarios. The system can adjust the density and quantity of measurement resources dynamically - using fewer resources in low-interference scenarios and more resources when interference management is critical. This partial action approach balances measurement precision with resource overhead by applying measurements only where and when needed
Data Source
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AI summary
Provided are a channel measurement method and apparatus. The channel measurement method includes: configuring measurement resource information, where the measurement resource information is used for acquiring channel state information and includes N pieces of channel measurement resource information and M pieces of interference measurement resource information, where N and M are positive integers; sending the measurement resource information; and receiving channel state information sent by a terminal, where the channel state information includes a channel-related parameter and/or an interference-related parameter.