Communication Device PRACH Synchronization Signal Identification

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Solution Overview

Problem

Wireless communication with non-terrestrial stations experiences larger propagation delays compared to terrestrial stations, making it difficult for non-terrestrial stations to accurately calculate propagation delays, which can deteriorate radio link quality.

Innovation Solution

A communication device that receives synchronization signals from a base station and transmits physical random access channels (PRACHs) including features that uniquely identify the synchronization signals and/or PRACH resources, allowing the base station to accurately determine the corresponding synchronization signal and calculate propagation delays.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Area of stationary object

If wireless communication is performed with non-terrestrial stations, then communication coverage is extended, but propagation delay increases making it difficult to accurately calculate delay and deteriorating radio link quality

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvecommunication coverage areaVSAvoidpropagation delay calculation accuracy

Core Design Contradiction:

Area of stationary objectVSMeasurement precision

Solution Approach 1:

The base station transmits synchronization signals with unique features (such as different cyclic shifts of base sequences or different base sequences) before the random access procedure. These pre-transmitted signals serve as reference signals that enable the base station to identify which synchronization signal the terminal is responding to, allowing accurate propagation delay calculation even in non-terrestrial scenarios with large delays.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

Solution Approach 2:

Different synchronization signals are assigned different unique features (different cyclic shifts or different base sequences) depending on their association with specific PRACH resources. This local differentiation allows the base station to determine the propagation delay for each specific synchronization signal-PRACH resource pair independently, improving measurement precision for each local communication path.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #3Local quality

2Device complexity

If synchronization signals are transmitted without unique identifying features, then signal structure is simplified, but the base station cannot determine which synchronization signal corresponds to received PRACH, deteriorating communication reliability

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvesynchronization signal structureVSAvoidcommunication reliability

Core Design Contradiction:

Device complexityVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

Different synchronization signals are assigned different 'colors' or features through the use of different cyclic shifts or different base sequences. This allows the base station to distinguish which synchronization signal a terminal is responding to, improving communication reliability while maintaining relatively simple signal structures that can be generated from a single base sequence through cyclic shifting.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #32Color changes

Data Source

PatentUS12238785B2Communication device and communication method

Publication Date: 2025.02.25 SONY GROUP CORP

AI summary

Provided are a communication device and a communication method capable of further improving the quality between radio links in a communication system in which a base station device and the communication device communicate with each other. A communication device according to the present disclosure includes a receiver and a transmitter. The receiver receives a synchronization signal transmitted from a base station device. The transmitter transmits a physical random access channel including a feature capable of uniquely identifying the synchronization signal received by a receiver and/or a PRACH resource to the base station device.