Pseudo-omni Beam Wake-up for mmW DRX Power Reduction
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
In millimeter wave (mmW) wireless communication systems, user equipment (UE) operating in discontinuous reception (DRX) mode faces challenges with high power consumption due to frequent attempts to decode the physical downlink control channel (PDCCH) and prolonged wake-up periods, exacerbated by beam management requirements and increased path losses.
Innovation Solution
A mmW base station employs a pseudo-omni beam to wake up the UE, using a broad transmit beam for initial wake-up and a narrower beam for data transmission, along with beam management signals, to improve reception and reduce power consumption by optimizing beam alignment and management.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If the base station uses beam sweeping to transmit PDCCH to the UE in DRX mode, then the UE can receive control information, but the UE power consumption increases and wake-up time is prolonged
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the beamforming process into two distinct phases: a wake-up phase using a pseudo-omni beam to broadcast control information to multiple UEs simultaneously, and a data transmission phase using narrow beams for individual UE communication. This segmentation allows UEs to wake up efficiently without undergoing complete beam sweeping, thereby reducing power consumption while maintaining reliable PDCCH reception.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces a pseudo-omni beam as an intermediary mechanism between the base station and UEs in DRX mode. This pseudo-omni beam acts as a mediator that transmits wake-up signals and control information without requiring the UE to perform full beam sweeping, thus serving as a bridge that reduces the energy burden on UEs while ensuring they receive necessary control information.
2Reliability
If the base station uses a narrow beam for data transmission, then transmission focus is improved, but the beam coverage area is limited
Solution Approach 1:
The patent divides the transmission function into two segments: the wake-up signal transmission uses a pseudo-omni beam with broad coverage to reach multiple UEs, while the actual data transmission uses narrow beams for focused communication with individual UEs. This segmentation allows the system to achieve both wide coverage during wake-up and focused transmission during data communication.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent dynamically switches between different beam types based on the operational phase. During the wake-up phase, the base station uses a pseudo-omni beam to cover a wide area and alert UEs. Once a UE is woken up and ready for data transmission, the system transitions to narrow beams for focused data communication. This dynamic adaptation optimizes both coverage and transmission reliability at different stages.
Data Source
Figure 1
Figure 2
Figure 3
AI summary
Methods, systems, and devices for wireless communication are described. A base station may identify that data is available to be transmitted to a user equipment (UE) that is operating in a discontinuous reception mode. The base station may transmit, based at least in part on identifying that the data is available to be transmitted to the UE, a wakeup message to the UE using a first transmit beam. The base station may initiate a beam management procedure based at least in part on identifying that the data is available to be transmitted to the UE, to identify a second transmit beam for the base station to use to transmit the available data to the UE, wherein the second transmit beam comprises a narrower beam width than the first transmit beam.