In-Vehicle DAS Virtual UE Antenna Management

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Solution Overview

Problem

Conventional vehicular MIMO systems face challenges in providing high-quality mobile communication services at high speeds due to the need for large antenna arrays, which are not aerodynamically suitable and compromise vehicle design, prompting the need for an alternative solution like the in-vehicle distributed antenna system (DAS) that manages multiple antenna units for enhanced communication.

Innovation Solution

The in-vehicle DAS system employs multiple small antenna units distributed within the vehicle, each with independent physical channel characteristics, managed by a central unit, allowing for diversity gain and increased signaling overhead, and uses virtual user equipment (VUE) concepts to simplify standardization and manage radio links effectively.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Productivity

If large size antenna arrays are implemented for vehicular MIMO system, then high data rate and quality of service for high speed UE is improved, but vehicle design and aerodynamics are compromised

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvedata rateVSAvoidvehicle design
Core Design Contradiction:
ProductivityVSShape

Solution Approach 1:

The patent segments the large antenna array into multiple small antenna units distributed within the vehicle. Instead of implementing one large antenna array externally, the system divides it into several smaller units that can be integrated into the vehicle's existing structure, thus maintaining aerodynamics while achieving the required MIMO performance through spatial distribution.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

The patent embeds multiple antenna units within the vehicle's existing structure. The antenna units are nested inside the vehicle body rather than being mounted externally, allowing them to be integrated into the vehicle's aerodynamic shape without compromising design or performance.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #7Nested doll (Nesting)

2Reliability

If multiple antenna units are distributed within the vehicle, then diversity gain is improved, but signaling overhead increases

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvediversity gainVSAvoidsignaling overhead
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSLoss of information

Solution Approach 1:

The patent creates virtual copies of the UE at the network side, known as Virtual UEs (VUEs). Each VUE corresponds to a specific antenna unit or group of antenna units. This copying approach allows the network to track and manage each antenna unit's channel conditions independently, enabling diversity gain while managing signaling overhead through virtual representation rather than direct physical management of each antenna.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #26Copying

3Device complexity

If in-vehicle DAS system is implemented, then standardization complexity is reduced, but additional considerations for cell selection and ray diversity are required

Engineering Contradiction:
ImprovestandardizationVSAvoidcell selection
Core Design Contradiction:
Device complexityVSAdaptability or versatility

Solution Approach 1:

The patent introduces Virtual UEs as an intermediary layer between the physical antenna units and the network's cell selection mechanism. The VUEs abstract the complexity of managing multiple distributed antenna units, presenting a standardized interface to the network while enabling advanced features like ray diversity consideration in cell selection through the virtual representation.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

Data Source

PatentEP3110226B1Method of providing services to user equipment having multiple antenna units
Publication Date: 2021.06.09 LG ELECTRONICS INC
  • EP3110226B1 patent drawingFigure 1
  • EP3110226B1 patent drawingFigure 2
  • EP3110226B1 patent drawingFigure 3

AI summary

The present document is for a wireless communication using multiple antenna units based on new virtual user equipment (virtual UE) concept. A user equipment (UE), according to the present invention, receives service from a network in a wireless communication system by registering multiple antenna units of the UE as two or more virtual UEs with a first network entity of the network, wherein the first network entity is a network node for physical radio link control; and receiving the service from the network by the two or more virtual UEs. The two or more virtual UEs of the UE are recognized as one UE by network entities of the network other than the first network entity.