Beam Selection for Downlink Positioning in NR mmWave
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Solution Overview
Problem
In the context of new radio (NR) at mmWave, the complexity of beamforming complicates the reception of positioning reference signals (PRS), as terminal devices need to determine which receiving beams to use and minimize the number of transmitting beams to measure, leading to increased costs and resource wastage.
Innovation Solution
The solution involves grouping terminal devices based on their characteristics and having an anchor terminal device determine the best transmitting beams of neighboring network devices. Non-anchor terminal devices then use the assistance information from the anchor device to optimize their beam measurements.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If terminal devices determine receiving beams and measure transmitting beams independently, then positioning accuracy can be maintained, but device complexity and resource consumption increase
Solution Approach 1:
The network device acts as an intermediary that provides beam indication information to terminal devices. This mediator supplies the necessary beam selection guidance, allowing terminal devices to achieve accurate positioning without independently determining beams, thus reducing their complexity while maintaining measurement precision.
Solution Approach 2:
The network device performs preliminary beam determination and provides beam indication information to terminal devices before positioning measurement. This preliminary action eliminates the need for terminal devices to independently determine receiving beams, reducing their computational complexity while ensuring positioning accuracy through pre-selected optimal beams.
2Loss of information
If terminal devices measure all transmitting beams, then complete positioning information is obtained, but resource wastage and time consumption increase
Solution Approach 1:
The network device extracts and identifies the optimal transmitting beam from multiple available beams, then provides beam indication information to terminal devices. This extraction process allows terminal devices to measure only the essential beam(s) rather than all beams, reducing measurement time while obtaining complete positioning information through the selected optimal beam.
Solution Approach 2:
Instead of requiring terminal devices to measure all transmitting beams (excessive action), the network device provides beam indication information that enables terminal devices to measure only the necessary portion (the optimal beam(s)), reducing measurement time while maintaining positioning information completeness.
3Reliability
If beamforming is implemented at mmWave, then communication performance is improved, but PRS reception complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The network device serves as an intermediary that provides beam indication information to terminal devices for PRS reception. This mediator supplies the necessary beam selection guidance, allowing terminal devices to benefit from beamforming's communication performance improvements without bearing the complexity of independent beam determination and selection.
Solution Approach 2:
The network device performs the complex beam determination and selection tasks itself, then provides the results to terminal devices through beam indication information. This self-service approach allows the network to handle beamforming complexity while terminal devices simply follow the provided indications, maintaining communication performance without increasing terminal device complexity.
Data Source
AI summary
Embodiments of the present disclosure relate to beam selection during downlink positioning. According to embodiments of the present disclosure, the terminal devices are grouped based on their characteristics and the anchor terminal device in the group determines the best transmitting beam of the neighbor network device. The non-anchor terminal device uses the assistance information of the best transmitting beam determined by the anchor terminal device. In this way, cost for the terminal device to receive and measure the PRS during downlink positioning has been reduced.