Orientation-Based Beam Selection for Millimeter Wave Antennas
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current wireless communication systems, particularly in LTE technology, face challenges in efficiently utilizing sensor information and physical orientation of devices for multiple antenna beamforming, leading to suboptimal performance due to blocked antennas and increased path loss at high frequency bands.
Innovation Solution
The use of device sensors such as gyroscopes and accelerometers to aid in spatially-aware communication by detecting physical orientation changes and updating beamforming weights, thereby optimizing antenna arrays and improving signal strength by focusing energy in specific directions.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If beamforming is performed using multiple antennas at high frequency bands, then signal directionality and coverage are improved, but path loss increases and antenna blocking occurs
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs preliminary beam sweeping to identify blocked antennas before actual communication. By detecting which antennas are blocked in advance through training sequences and beam sweeping procedures, the system can pre-determine the set of unblocked antennas and their corresponding beamforming weights, avoiding the need to transmit blocked beams during data communication.
Solution Approach 2:
The system dynamically adapts beamforming weights based on detected antenna blocking conditions. Instead of using fixed beamforming configurations, the system adjusts the beamforming weights in real-time based on which antennas are found to be unblocked, optimizing signal transmission directionality while avoiding blocked paths.
2Reliability
If all antennas are used for beam sweeping, then comprehensive coverage is achieved, but transmission time increases
Solution Approach 1:
The system extracts and excludes blocked antennas from the beam sweeping process. By identifying which antennas are blocked during initial detection and removing them from subsequent beam sweeping operations, the system reduces the number of antennas that need to be swept, thereby decreasing transmission time while maintaining coverage through the remaining unblocked antennas.
Solution Approach 2:
Instead of performing exhaustive beam sweeping on all antennas, the system performs partial beam sweeping only on the subset of unblocked antennas. This partial action approach achieves sufficient coverage for communication purposes without the time penalty of sweeping all antennas, including those that are blocked and cannot contribute to signal transmission.
3Measurement precision
If sensor information is integrated for spatially-aware communication, then beamforming accuracy is improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The system uses existing device sensors (accelerometers, gyroscopes, magnetometers) that are already present for other purposes such as device orientation and navigation. By repurposing these multi-functional sensors for spatially-aware beamforming, the system improves beamforming accuracy without significantly increasing device complexity, as the sensors are already integrated into modern wireless devices.
Data Source
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AI summary
A method, an apparatus, and a computer program product for wireless communication are provided. The apparatus is embodied in a device that determines a first set of antenna weights for communicating a first communication ray, detects a change in a physical orientation of the device, determines a mapping between the first set of antenna weights, the detected change in the physical orientation, and a second set of antenna weights for communicating a second communication ray, communicates the second communication ray based on the second set of antenna weights.