Radio Access Network Beam Selection Using Wireless Light Communication
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Solution Overview
Problem
The existing methods for selecting transmit-receive beam pairs in wireless radio communication networks are time-consuming and resource-intensive, requiring extensive signaling overhead to determine the most appropriate beam pair for optimal communication.
Innovation Solution
The proposed solution involves using wireless light communication (LC) network nodes to determine the location of receiving devices with reasonable accuracy, allowing for the selection of a subset of transmit or receive beams for a beamsweeping procedure, thereby reducing the time and resources required for beam pair selection.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If beam-sweeping procedure is performed for all possible transmit-receive beam pairs to ensure optimal beam selection, then beam pair selection accuracy is improved, but time consumption and signaling overhead increase significantly
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs preliminary actions by using light communication to determine the location of the receiving device before the beam-sweeping procedure. This preliminary location information allows the transmitting device to pre-select a subset of candidate beams that are more likely to contain the receiving device, rather than sweeping all possible beams. This resolves the contradiction by maintaining accurate beam selection through targeted sweeping while significantly reducing the time required compared to exhaustive beam-pair testing.
2Measurement precision
If beam-sweeping procedure is performed for all possible transmit-receive beam pairs to ensure optimal beam selection, then beam pair selection accuracy is improved, but signaling overhead increases significantly
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs preliminary actions by using light communication to determine the location of the receiving device before the beam-sweeping procedure. This preliminary location information allows the transmitting device to pre-select a subset of candidate beams, reducing the number of beams that need to be tested and reported. This resolves the contradiction by maintaining accurate beam selection while significantly reducing the signaling overhead associated with reporting measurements for all possible beam pairs.
3Productivity
If subset of beams is selected based on light communication location information to reduce time and resources, then productivity is improved, but beam pair selection accuracy may deteriorate
Solution Approach 1:
The system applies local quality by concentrating the beam-sweeping effort on a specific local region where the receiving device is likely to be located, based on light communication information. Instead of uniformly sweeping all beams, the system focuses measurements on a subset of beams directed toward the identified location. This resolves the contradiction by maintaining high selection accuracy in the relevant local area while improving overall productivity through reduced sweeping scope.
Data Source
AI summary
Methods, apparatus and non-transitory machine-readable mediums are provided for wireless access in communications networks comprising radio access network nodes and wireless light communication network nodes. In one embodiment, a method is performed by a radio access network node for selecting a transmit or receive beam for communication with a wireless device in a communication network. The radio access network node comprises a plurality of antenna elements configurable to provide a plurality of transmit or receive beams. The communication network further comprises one or more wireless light communication, LC, network nodes. The method comprises: obtaining information identifying a wireless LC network node to which the wireless device is connected; based on the identified wireless LC network node, selecting a subset of the plurality of transmit or receive beams; and initiating a beam-sweeping procedure using the subset of transmit or receive beams to select a transmit or receive beam for communication with the wireless device.