Over-the-Air Beamforming Codebook Generation for Wireless UEs
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current beamforming characterization techniques for user equipment (UE) become complex and costly as frequency bands expand and antenna arrays increase in size, leading to some manufacturers refraining from pre-deployment characterization, which impacts communication efficiency.
Innovation Solution
The UE indicates its beam characterization status to a network entity, which activates an over-the-air beam calibration mode if not characterized, transmitting beam calibration reference signals for the UE to generate accurate beamforming weights and codebooks, improving communication reliability.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If beamforming characterization is performed during UE manufacture, then communication reliability is improved, but manufacturing complexity and cost increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent performs beamforming characterization during UE manufacture by measuring antenna element responses and generating codebooks before deployment. This preliminary action ensures communication reliability is established upfront, avoiding the need for complex post-deployment characterization procedures.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent generates beamforming codebooks during manufacturing based on measured antenna characteristics. This preliminary codebook generation eliminates the need for complex real-time characterization in the field, reducing both manufacturing complexity and improving communication reliability.
2Reliability
If beamforming characterization is performed for expanded frequency bands and larger antenna arrays, then communication performance is improved, but manufacturing cost increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent measures the actual response characteristics of each antenna element across different frequency bands and uses these measured parameters to generate optimized codebooks. This approach adapts to expanded frequency bands and larger antenna arrays without requiring complex manual characterization, improving communication performance while keeping manufacturing costs manageable.
Solution Approach 2:
The system performs automated beamforming characterization during manufacturing using measurement equipment that automatically captures antenna element responses and generates codebooks. This self-service approach reduces manual intervention and manufacturing costs while handling expanded frequency bands and larger antenna arrays effectively.
3Ease of manufacture
If manufacturers refrain from pre-deployment characterization, then manufacturing cost is reduced, but communication efficiency deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The patent performs beamforming characterization and codebook generation during the manufacturing process, before UE deployment. This preliminary action ensures that UEs are pre-configured with optimized beamforming parameters, maintaining high communication efficiency while avoiding the need for costly post-deployment characterization.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent replaces complex manual beamforming characterization procedures with automated measurement and codebook generation systems during manufacturing. This substitution maintains communication efficiency while significantly reducing manufacturing costs and complexity.
Data Source
AI summary
Methods, systems, and devices for wireless communication are described. In some systems, a user equipment (UE) may receive a control message indicating a reference signal configuration for beam calibration by the UE based on a beamforming characterization status. The UE may receive a set of beam calibration reference signals based on the reference signal configuration. The UE may measure the set of beam calibration reference signals and generate a set of beamforming weights for use in communications by the UE based on the measuring and the beamforming characterization status. In some cases, the UE may transmit or forward a beamforming codebook based on the beamforming weights to a network entity. The network entity or the UE may forward the beamforming codebook to other UEs of a same design class as the UE.