Wireless Discovery Preamble Beam Identification
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Solution Overview
Problem
Wireless communication systems face high overhead and power consumption when using beamforming for broadcasting data, as they often require broadcasting large amounts of data multiple times to cover angular regions, leading to resource and power wastage if the intended receiver is not within the beam-swept directions.
Innovation Solution
A method involving the transmission of a lightweight discovery preamble in a beam-sweep to identify receiving devices and suitable beams, followed by the transmission of data only after confirmation, reducing the frequency of data broadcasts and optimizing resource and power usage.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If beamforming is used to broadcast data multiple times to cover angular regions, then the reliability of transmission is improved, but the overhead and power consumption increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies preliminary action by first transmitting a discovery preamble before the actual data to identify receiving devices and suitable beams in advance. This preliminary beam identification step allows the system to establish reliable beamformed connections before data transmission, ensuring transmission reliability while avoiding the need for repeated full data broadcasts across all angular regions, thereby reducing overall power consumption.
2Reliability
If beamforming is used to broadcast data multiple times to cover angular regions, then the reliability of transmission is improved, but the overhead increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies segmentation by dividing the broadcast process into two distinct segments: a lightweight discovery preamble segment for beam identification, and a subsequent data transmission segment. This segmentation allows the system to perform necessary beam sweeping and reception identification with minimal overhead, then use the established beam information for efficient data transmission, reducing the total overhead compared to repeating full data broadcasts across all angular regions.
3Loss of information
If large amounts of data are broadcast in a beam-sweep, then complete information is transmitted, but the overhead and power consumption become excessively high
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies the taking out principle by extracting the beam identification function from the data transmission process. The discovery preamble is separated out as a distinct, lightweight signal that carries only the essential beam-sweeping and reception-identification information. Once the suitable beam is identified through this extracted identification phase, the actual data transmission occurs efficiently using the established beam, avoiding the waste of transmitting large amounts of data multiple times during the beam-sweeping process itself.
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 reduces overhead and power consumption by minimizing unnecessary data broadcasts and ensuring that data is transmitted only when a suitable beam is identified, enhancing spectral and power efficiency in wireless communication systems.
Implementation Method 1
wireless devices may communicate using beamforming (e.g., directional transmission/reception) to shape or steer an antenna beam (e.g., a transmit beam or receive beam) along a spatial path
Data Source
AI summary
Methods, systems, and devices for wireless communications are described. Some wireless communications systems support beamforming to improve the reliability of transmissions from a transmitting device to a receiving device. In some cases, a wireless device broadcasts information using beamforming. In such cases, in order to limit the overhead and power consumption associated with the broadcast, the wireless device utilizes the techniques described herein for broadcasting information using beamforming. In particular, rather than broadcasting large amounts of data in a beam-sweep, a wireless device broadcasts a relatively lightweight signal in a beam-sweep to first identify a receiving device and/or a suitable beam for communicating with a receiving device. Once the transmitting device identifies the receiving device and/or the suitable beam, the transmitting device broadcasts the data to be received by the receiving device.