Directional Handover Control for Millimeter Wave Beacon Reception
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Solution Overview
Problem
Millimeter wave communication devices with directionality face challenges in handover processes due to difficulties in receiving beacons, leading to inefficiencies in switching access points, as existing omnidirectional communication handover technologies are inadequate for directional communication systems.
Innovation Solution
A wireless communication device with multiple communication processing units and a handover control unit that adjusts beams to switch communication partners by instructing adjacent sectors to change their beams closest to the boundary, ensuring communication quality remains above a threshold, thereby minimizing communication efficiency reductions during handover.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If directional beamforming is used for millimeter wave communication, then communication speed and data rate are improved, but handover between access points becomes difficult due to inability to receive beacons
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs beamforming training and establishes beam relationships between access points before handover is needed. The target access point's beam information is acquired in advance through the current access point, so when handover occurs, the terminal can immediately use the pre-acquired beam information to connect without needing to perform new beam training, thus solving the beacon reception problem while maintaining high communication speed
Solution Approach 2:
The current serving access point acts as an intermediary to transmit the target access point's beam information and identification to the terminal. This intermediary mechanism allows the terminal to obtain necessary beamforming parameters without directly receiving beacons from the target access point, enabling handover in directional communication systems
2Reliability
If beam direction is changed to track terminal position, then communication quality is improved, but connection stability deteriorates during handover
Solution Approach 1:
Beam information for the target access point is acquired in advance through the current access point before handover. This preliminary acquisition includes beamforming parameters and beam identification, allowing the terminal to switch beams smoothly during handover without loss of connection stability or communication quality
Solution Approach 2:
The system uses feedback from the current access point about the terminal's position and beam quality to determine optimal handover timing and target beam selection. This feedback mechanism ensures that beam direction changes occur at appropriate moments, maintaining both communication quality and connection stability during handover
3Device complexity
If traditional omnidirectional handover technology is used, then handover switching is simple, but it is inadequate for directional millimeter wave communication
Solution Approach 1:
The patent creates a handover mechanism that works for both traditional omnidirectional communication and directional millimeter wave communication. By using the serving access point as an intermediary to transmit beam information, the system maintains the simplicity of traditional handover while adding adaptability to directional communication through integrated beamforming training and information transmission functions
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 solution enables efficient handover between access points with directionality by ensuring seamless beacon reception and reducing frequent connection target changes, thus maintaining communication efficiency.
Implementation Method 1
Beamforming technology controls the direction and width of a beam, which is a communication area having directionality
Data Source
AI summary
A wireless communication device is provided with: 1st to Mth communication processing circuitry, corresponding to 1st to Mth sectors (where M≥2), which in operation, each communicate with a wireless terminal by using a beam in any of N directions (where N≥2); and handover control circuitry, which in operation, instructs the 2nd communication processing circuitry corresponding to the 2nd sector to change a beam used for beacon transmission to a beam closest to a boundary between the 1st sector and an adjacent the 2nd sector, and switch a communication partner of the wireless terminal from the 1st communication processing circuitry to the 2nd communication processing circuitry.