Millimeter Wave Frequency Band Use in Cellular Communication

Resolve Bottlenecks,
Find Innovative Solutions
Generate Solutions

Solution Overview

Problem

Current millimeter wave frequency band technologies for cellular mobile communication face challenges such as unnecessary inter-frequency cell search and measurement, leading to increased battery consumption in user equipment and power wastage in millimeter wave base stations, along with pilot pollution and throughput reduction.

Innovation Solution

A communication method where a cellular base station sends measurement indication information to both the millimeter wave base station and user equipment, allowing them to perform signal measurement interactions in a cellular frequency band, determining the appropriate millimeter wave base station for access and configuring the necessary parameters for the user equipment to access it, thereby reducing unnecessary measurements and power consumption.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If user equipment continuously performs inter-frequency cell search and measurement to access millimeter wave base station, then access capability is improved, but battery power consumption increases

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveaccess capabilityVSAvoidbattery power consumption
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSUse of energy by moving object

Solution Approach 1:

The cellular base station performs preliminary measurements of millimeter wave base stations on behalf of user equipment using its own receivers. These pre-measured results are then provided to user equipment, eliminating the need for them to continuously perform inter-frequency measurements and reducing their power consumption while maintaining access capability.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #10Preliminary action

Solution Approach 2:

The cellular base station acts as an intermediary between user equipment and millimeter wave base stations. It performs measurements in the cellular frequency band and provides measurement results to user equipment, which would otherwise need to directly measure millimeter wave signals and consume significant power.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

2Area of stationary object

If millimeter wave base station continuously transmits measurement signal and pilot signal, then signal coverage is improved, but power consumption increases

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvesignal coverageVSAvoidpower consumption
Core Design Contradiction:
Area of stationary objectVSUse of energy by stationary object

Solution Approach 1:

Instead of continuous transmission, the millimeter wave base station transmits measurement signals and pilot signals periodically or only when needed. The cellular base station coordinates these transmissions based on actual user equipment access requirements, reducing unnecessary continuous power consumption while maintaining adequate signal coverage.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #19Periodic action

3Reliability

If millimeter wave base station continuously transmits measurement signal and pilot signal, then signal availability is improved, but pilot pollution increases

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvesignal availabilityVSAvoidpilot pollution
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSObject-generated harmful factors

Solution Approach 1:

The cellular base station performs preliminary measurements and identifies which millimeter wave base stations are actually needed for user equipment access. It then coordinates signal transmissions only from those specific base stations, avoiding unnecessary transmissions from others and thereby reducing pilot pollution while maintaining signal availability.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #10Preliminary action

4Measurement precision

If millimeter wave base station continuously transmits measurement signal and pilot signal, then measurement accuracy is improved, but system throughput decreases

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvemeasurement accuracyVSAvoidsystem throughput
Core Design Contradiction:
Measurement precisionVSProductivity

Solution Approach 1:

Measurement signals and pilot signals are transmitted periodically rather than continuously. The cellular base station coordinates transmissions to occur only when measurement updates are actually needed, reducing interference and resource occupation that would otherwise decrease system throughput while maintaining necessary measurement accuracy.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #19Periodic action

Data Source

PatentEP3079325B1Millimeter wave frequency band use in a cellular communication system
Publication Date: 2021.08.25 HUAWEI TECH CO LTD
  • EP3079325B1 patent drawingFigure 1~2
  • EP3079325B1 patent drawingFigure 3~4
  • EP3079325B1 patent drawingFigure 5~7

AI summary

Embodiments of the present invention provide a communication method, apparatus, and system. The communication method in the present invention includes: sending, by a cellular base station, measurement indication information to a millimeter wave base station and a user equipment; acquiring, by the cellular base station, the measurement result, and determining a to-be-accessed millimeter wave base station of the user equipment according to the measurement result; and sending, by the cellular base station, millimeter wave frequency band parameter configuration information of the to-be-accessed millimeter wave base station to the user equipment. According to the embodiments of the present invention, unnecessary inter-frequency cell search and measurement of a user equipment are reduced, consumption of battery power of the user equipment is decreased, unnecessary measurement signal and pilot signal transmission of a millimeter wave base station is reduced, and power consumption, pilot pollution, and a throughput decrease of the millimeter wave base station are avoided.