Millimeter Wave Phased-Array Beam Alignment via Low-Band Search Angle

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Solution Overview

Problem

Current millimeter wave phased-array beam alignment methods are inefficient due to exhaustive searching processes, which are time-consuming and power-intensive, especially in high-frequency bands like 60 GHz, where communication distances are short and high-speed data transmission is required.

Innovation Solution

A method utilizing a low-band communication link to determine a search angle for millimeter wave phased-array beam alignment, where a device transmits a high-frequency millimeter wave signal in the indicated direction and receives feedback to align with the second device, reducing blind searching and scanning times.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If exhaustive beam searching is performed to ensure complete coverage of all possible beam directions, then beam alignment reliability is improved, but time consumption and power consumption increase significantly

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvebeam alignment reliabilityVSAvoidbeam searching time

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSLoss of time

Solution Approach 1:

The patent applies preliminary action by using low-band communication to pre-determine the search angle before millimeter wave beam searching. This preliminary information exchange allows the system to skip exhaustive searching and directly target the correct beam direction, significantly reducing time consumption while maintaining alignment reliability

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

Solution Approach 2:

The patent uses low-band communication as an intermediary to transfer search angle information between devices. This intermediary channel enables the receiving device to provide directional information to the transmitting device, eliminating the need for time-consuming exhaustive beam searching in millimeter wave band

Inventive Principle:

Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

2Reliability

If exhaustive beam searching is performed to ensure complete coverage of all possible beam directions, then beam alignment reliability is improved, but power consumption increases significantly

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvebeam alignment reliabilityVSAvoidpower consumption

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSUse of energy by moving object

Solution Approach 1:

The patent applies preliminary action by using low-band communication to pre-determine the search angle before millimeter wave beam searching. This preliminary information exchange allows the system to skip exhaustive searching and directly target the correct beam direction, significantly reducing power consumption while maintaining alignment reliability

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

Solution Approach 2:

The patent uses low-band communication as an intermediary to transfer search angle information between devices. This intermediary channel enables the receiving device to provide directional information to the transmitting device, eliminating the need for power-intensive exhaustive beam searching in millimeter wave band

Inventive Principle:

Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

3Productivity

If the number of beam scanning and searching iterations is reduced to save time and power, then processing efficiency is improved, but beam alignment accuracy may deteriorate

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvebeam alignment efficiencyVSAvoidbeam alignment accuracy

Core Design Contradiction:

ProductivityVSMeasurement precision

Solution Approach 1:

The patent applies feedback by having the receiving device send back search angle information to the transmitting device through low-band communication. This feedback mechanism provides accurate directional information that enables the transmitting device to align its beam precisely without requiring multiple iterative scans, thus maintaining high accuracy while improving efficiency

Inventive Principle:

Principle #23Feedback

Solution Approach 2:

The patent uses preliminary action to determine the search angle before actual beam transmission. By pre-calculating and communicating the optimal search angle, the system achieves accurate beam alignment in a single attempt rather than through multiple iterations, balancing efficiency and accuracy

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

Data Source

PatentEP2945411B1Millimeter wave phased-array wave beam alignment method and communication device

Publication Date: 2016.12.21 HUAWEI TECH CO LTD

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Figure 2b~2c
Figure 2d~3

AI summary

Embodiments of the present invention disclose a millimeter wave phased-array beam alignment method and a communications device. The method includes: communicating, by a first device, with a second device over a low-band communication link to determine a search angle; transmitting, by the first device, a first millimeter wave signal in a direction indicated by the search angle, to search for the second device, where the first millimeter wave signal is a high frequency millimeter wave signal; receiving, by the first device, feedback information sent by the second device, where the second device sends the feedback information after receiving the first millimeter wave signal in the direction indicated by the search angle; and determining, by the first device after receiving the feedback information, to implement millimeter wave phased-array beam alignment with the second device in the direction indicated by the search angle. According to the method, blindness of beam searching is reduced, and times of beam scanning are significantly reduced, thereby improving phased-array beam alignment efficiency.