LF-TRP Assisted Beam Alignment for 5G NR Initial Access
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current methods for initial access and beam recovery in wireless communication networks, particularly in 5G NR systems, require full beam sweeping, which consumes significant radio resources, time, and power, leading to battery life issues and potential radio link failures due to inefficient beam alignment procedures.
Innovation Solution
The implementation of LF-TRP assisted beam sweeping methods, where a Low Frequency Transmission Reception Point (LF-TRP) assists in reducing the need for full beam sweeping by providing specific resource information to allow a User Equipment (UE) to perform beam alignment with a High Frequency Transmission Reception Point (HF-TRP) using only a portion of the synchronization signal frame, thereby reducing time and power consumption.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If full beam sweeping is performed for initial access and beam recovery, then beam alignment reliability is improved, but time consumption and power consumption increase significantly
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies preliminary action by having the LF-TRP perform beam sweeping and identify suitable beams before the UE needs to access the HF-TRP. The LF-TRP pre-determines the beam direction and transmits this information to the UE, allowing the UE to skip the time-consuming full beam sweeping process and directly align with the pre-identified beam, thus reducing beam alignment time while maintaining reliability
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces an intermediary approach by using the LF-TRP as a mediator between the UE and HF-TRP. The LF-TRP assists the UE in beam alignment by providing beam direction information, acting as an intermediary that performs the complex beam sweeping task on behalf of the UE, thereby reducing the UE's time and power consumption while ensuring reliable beam alignment
2Reliability
If full beam sweeping is performed to establish connection, then connection reliability is improved, but power consumption increases leading to battery life issues
Solution Approach 1:
The LF-TRP performs beam sweeping and beam direction determination as a preliminary action before the UE needs to establish connection with the HF-TRP. By pre-identifying the optimal beam and transmitting this information to the UE, the system maintains connection reliability while significantly reducing the UE's power consumption, as the UE only needs to tune to the pre-identified beam rather than sweeping through all possible beams
3Reliability
If full beam sweeping is performed for beam recovery, then radio link failure recovery reliability is improved, but time consumption increases
Solution Approach 1:
During beam recovery procedures, the LF-TRP has already performed preliminary beam sweeping and identified suitable beams. When a blockage or foliage occurs, the UE can use the pre-identified beam information from the LF-TRP to quickly recover the radio link without performing a full beam sweep, thus reducing beam recovery time while maintaining recovery reliability
Solution Approach 2:
The system uses feedback mechanisms where the LF-TRP provides beam direction information to the UE based on previous successful communications. This feedback loop allows the UE to quickly reacquire the beam after a blockage without重新performing full beam sweeping, reducing recovery time while ensuring reliable reconnection
Data Source
AI summary
A method for a user equipment (UE) to synchronize with a first transmit-receive point (TRP) is disclosed. The method includes receiving, by the UE, beam information of the first TRP from a second TRP; detecting, by the UE, a synchronization signal in a beam from the first TRP based on the beam information; transmitting, by the UE, a physical random access channel (PRACH) preamble to the first TRP to synchronize with the first TRP; where the first TRP operates in a first frequency, and the second TRP operates in a second frequency lower than the first frequency.