MIMO Channel Formation with Parallel Multi-Directional Beam Scanning
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional MIMO systems in millimeter-wave and terahertz frequency bands require excessive time and network resources for beam management due to the formation of beams in only one direction per time slot, leading to inefficient communication channel establishment.
Innovation Solution
A method and apparatus using phase shifters and real-time time delay units to simultaneously form transmit and receive beams in different directions, allowing for the determination of optimal transmit and receive beams based on pilot signal magnitudes, reducing search time and resource consumption.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If beams are formed using only phase shifters in conventional beam management, then the system can transmit pilot signals, but the time required to form an optimal transmit-receive beam pair increases proportionally to the product of the number of beams at the base station and the number of beams at the mobile user
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines phase shifters and time delay units into a unified beamforming system. By merging these two components, the system can simultaneously form multiple beams in different directions, reducing the time required to search for optimal beam pairs from sequential scanning to parallel generation.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces time delay as an additional dimension beyond phase shifting. This new dimension enables the system to create beams in multiple spatial directions simultaneously, transforming the beam formation process from a single-direction sequential search to a multi-directional parallel operation.
2Reliability
If base station and mobile user repeatedly perform beam management process to maintain optimal channel, then the transmit-receive beam pair can be maintained, but excessive time and network resource consumption occurs
Solution Approach 1:
The patent performs beam management actions in advance by pre-configuring multiple beam directions and using time delay units to create beams before actual communication begins. This preliminary beam formation reduces the need for repeated beam management operations during channel maintenance.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent implements dynamic beamforming where the time delay units can be adjusted in real-time to adapt to changing channel conditions. This dynamic capability allows the system to maintain optimal beams without repeated sequential searches, reducing time consumption during maintenance phases.
3Device complexity
If only one direction beam is formed per time slot in conventional systems, then the beamforming process is simple, but the search time for optimal beam pairs increases proportionally to the product of number of beams
Solution Approach 1:
By merging phase shifters with time delay units, the system achieves multi-directional beam formation capability. This combination increases productivity by allowing simultaneous beam generation in multiple directions, overcoming the limitation of single-direction formation per time slot while managing complexity through integrated architecture.
Solution Approach 2:
The introduction of time delay as an additional control dimension enables simultaneous beam formation in multiple directions. This dimensional expansion transforms the beam search process from sequential (low productivity) to parallel (high productivity), significantly improving beam pair search efficiency.
Data Source
AI summary
According to an embodiment, a communication channel formation method includes: transmitting, by a base station server, a pilot signal to a terminal through transmission beams directed in different directions; receiving, by the terminal, the pilot signal through reception beams directed in different directions and measuring the magnitudes of the pilot signal received through the reception beams; matching the transmission beams with the reception beams to set transmission-reception beam indices based on the magnitudes of the pilot signal; determining, by the terminal, an optimal reception beam among the reception beams based on the transmission-reception beam indices; and determining, by the base station server, an optimal transmission beam among the transmission beams based on the transmission-reception beam indices received from the terminal, thereby forming a channel between the base station server and the terminal.