IRS Beamforming via Element Segmentation for Complexity Reduction
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current beamforming techniques for intelligent reflecting surfaces (IRS) are complex and impractical due to high computational requirements, making it challenging to implement them in large-scale wireless communication systems, despite their potential for low power consumption and cost advantages.
Innovation Solution
An integrated beamforming method that alternately allocates passive elements of an IRS to receivers, sets phase shifts to achieve constructive interference, and performs transmit beamforming to maximize minimum or total rates, reducing complexity by considering one receiver per element rather than all receivers simultaneously.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If convex optimization techniques are used to optimize beamforming for all receivers simultaneously, then the system achieves high performance in terms of minimum rate and total rate, but the computational complexity becomes high and proportional to the number of passive elements of the IRS
Solution Approach 1:
The patent divides the set of all receivers into multiple subsets, and optimizes beamforming for each subset separately rather than for all receivers simultaneously. This segmentation reduces the computational complexity of the optimization problem while maintaining acceptable system performance. The passive elements of the IRS are also effectively segmented by assigning different subsets of elements to different receiver subsets.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent employs partial action by optimizing beamforming for selected subsets of receivers rather than all receivers at once. This approach achieves a balance between computational complexity and system performance by focusing optimization efforts on representative subsets that capture the essential characteristics of the overall system.
2Area of stationary object
If a large number of passive elements are deployed in the IRS to improve coverage and performance, then the system achieves better wireless communication environment manipulation, but the computational complexity increases proportionally
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments both the passive elements of the IRS and the receivers into multiple subsets. By optimizing beamforming for each subset separately with a reduced number of elements, the computational complexity is reduced while the overall coverage is maintained through the coordinated operation of multiple subsets of passive elements.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent applies partial action by selecting and optimizing for representative subsets of passive elements and receivers rather than considering all elements and receivers simultaneously. This approach achieves acceptable performance with reduced computational burden, enabling the deployment of large-scale IRS systems.
3Use of energy by moving object
If IRS is installed in large units to take advantage of low power consumption and price, then the system achieves cost-effectiveness and power efficiency, but the computational complexity for optimizing such large-scale IRS becomes prohibitively high
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the large-scale IRS into multiple subsets of passive elements and corresponds receivers into multiple subsets. By performing separate optimizations for each subset, the computational complexity is dramatically reduced, making it feasible to deploy and optimize large-scale IRS systems with hundreds or thousands of passive elements while maintaining low power consumption characteristics.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent employs partial action by optimizing beamforming for selected subsets of the large-scale IRS and receivers rather than all elements simultaneously. This approach enables the practical deployment of large-unit IRS installations that leverage the low power consumption and cost advantages while avoiding prohibitively high computational complexity.
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 achieves performance comparable to high-complexity methods while significantly reducing computational complexity, enabling practical implementation in large-scale wireless communication systems with improved power efficiency and cost-effectiveness.
Implementation Method 1
each of which has the ability to independently shift the phase of impinging electromagnetic waves when reflected
Implementation Method 2
setting the phase shifts of the IRS such that a channel from the IRS to each of the receivers performs constructive interference with a channel between a transmitter and each of the receivers
Data Source
AI summary
An integrated beamforming method using intelligent reflecting surface (IRS) element allocation and a system thereof are disclosed. The integrated beamforming method includes allocating passive elements of an intelligent reflecting surface (IRS) to each of receivers, setting phase shifts of the IRS where the passive elements are allocated to each of the receivers, and performing transmit beamforming using the set phase shifts of the IRS.