Wireless Network Access Architecture for mmWave Control
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Solution Overview
Problem
Designing and implementing standalone millimeter Wave (mmWave) access networks is complicated due to high pathloss in high frequency bands, requiring significant antenna gains and efficient transmission of control information in omni-directional mode before beam acquisition.
Innovation Solution
The proposed architecture includes a separate physical control channel with dedicated bandwidth for control information transmission, using frequency or time division multiplexing with the data channel, and a unique UE identifier for beamforming training, allowing for efficient RRH selection and beamforming optimization, reducing fronthaul delay and bandwidth requirements.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If standalone mmWave access networks are implemented, then high data rate is achieved due to wide bandwidth, but high pathloss in high frequency bands requires significant antenna gains and complicated network design
Solution Approach 1:
The network is segmented into mmWave small cells that can be deployed independently rather than designing a complete standalone network from scratch. This allows incremental deployment and reduces overall system complexity while maintaining high data rates through wide bandwidth utilization.
Solution Approach 2:
A macro cell acts as an intermediary for control information transmission, while mmWave small cells handle data transmission. This division allows the system to leverage the coverage advantage of macro cells and the bandwidth advantage of mmWave cells, reducing the complexity of omnidirectional control transmission in mmWave bands.
2Reliability
If significant antenna gains are used to compensate for high pathloss, then link budget is improved, but beamforming training and control information transmission become more complex
Solution Approach 1:
The macro cell serves as an intermediary for initial access and control information transmission using omnidirectional or wide-beam patterns, eliminating the need for complex beamforming training in the control plane. The mmWave small cell then uses directional beams for data transmission, simplifying the overall beamforming complexity.
Solution Approach 2:
Control information is transmitted in advance through the macro cell before the user equipment establishes connection with the mmWave small cell. This preliminary action allows the UE to acquire necessary system information without requiring complex beamforming procedures in the mmWave control channel.
3Adaptability or versatility
If control information is transmitted in omni-directional mode before beam acquisition, then all users can receive control information, but transmission efficiency is reduced and interference increases
Solution Approach 1:
The macro cell acts as an intermediary for omnidirectional control information transmission, while the mmWave small cell uses directional transmission for data communication. This separation allows omnidirectional coverage to be maintained where needed while directional efficiency is achieved where possible.
Solution Approach 2:
The transmission function is segmented into omnidirectional control transmission via macro cell and directional data transmission via mmWave small cell. This segmentation allows each transmission type to use the most appropriate pattern, improving overall transmission efficiency while maintaining necessary coverage.
4Productivity
If mmWave small cells are deployed to increase capacity, then spectrum reuse is improved, but fronthaul bandwidth and latency requirements increase
Solution Approach 1:
Control plane functions are extracted from the mmWave small cell and relocated to the macro cell or centralized controller. This extraction reduces the fronthaul bandwidth requirements between the mmWave small cell and the core network, as only user data needs to be transmitted over the fronthaul link while control signaling uses the macro cell infrastructure.
Data Source
AI summary
An architecture for wireless network access is described. In one example, a network entity comprises processing circuitry to define a downlink control channel comprising a synchronization signal, a physical broadcast channel (PBCH), and at least one slot for contention resolution or device-to-device (D2D) discovery and link setup, and broadcast a synchronization signal comprising the control channel from a plurality of remote radio heads (RRH). Other examples are also disclosed and claimed.