Intelligent Reflecting Surface Modulation for High-Frequency Coverage

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Solution Overview

Problem

Higher frequency bands in wireless communications result in increased propagation loss, necessitating methods to enhance coverage while minimizing power consumption, as traditional solutions like relays are complex and power-intensive.

Innovation Solution

Intelligent reflecting devices with configurable surfaces that reflect signals according to specific reflection schemes, allowing for dynamic adjustment of reflection angles and power absorption to optimize signal propagation.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Speed

If higher frequency bands are used for wireless communications, then communication capacity and speed are improved, but propagation loss increases

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvecommunication speedVSAvoidpropagation loss

Core Design Contradiction:

SpeedVSLoss of energy

Solution Approach 1:

The patent introduces an intelligent reflecting surface as an intermediary component between the base station and user equipment. This surface reflects and redirects high-frequency signals around obstacles and over long distances, enabling the signals to reach destinations that would otherwise be blocked by propagation loss, thus maintaining communication speed while overcoming energy loss through a reflective intermediary path

Inventive Principle:

Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

Solution Approach 2:

The intelligent reflecting surface dynamically adjusts reflection parameters such as phase shift, amplitude, and reflection angle for different surface elements. By changing these parameters in real-time, the system optimizes signal propagation paths for high-frequency bands, compensating for propagation loss and maintaining communication performance without requiring lower frequency bands

Inventive Principle:

Principle #35Parameter changes

2Reliability

If traditional relay devices are used to increase coverage, then signal propagation is improved, but device complexity and power consumption increase

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvesignal coverageVSAvoiddevice complexity

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent extracts only the essential reflection function from traditional complex relay devices. Instead of using full-featured relays with transmission, reception, and processing capabilities, the intelligent reflecting surface provides purely passive or active reflection with minimal processing, significantly reducing device complexity while maintaining signal coverage reliability

Inventive Principle:

Principle #2Taking out (Extraction)

Solution Approach 2:

The intelligent reflecting surface creates virtual copies of the base station signal by reflecting it from different locations and angles. This copying approach extends coverage without requiring physical replication of complex relay infrastructure, reducing overall system complexity while maintaining reliable signal propagation across extended areas

Inventive Principle:

Principle #26Copying

3Reliability

If traditional relay devices are used to increase coverage, then signal propagation is improved, but power consumption increases

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvesignal coverageVSAvoidpower consumption

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSUse of energy by moving object

Solution Approach 1:

The intelligent reflecting surface operates with minimal external power input by leveraging the incident signal's energy to drive the reflection process. The surface elements self-adjust their reflection characteristics based on control signals, requiring far less power than traditional relays that must actively receive, process, and retransmit signals, thus maintaining coverage reliability while dramatically reducing power consumption

Inventive Principle:

Principle #25Self-service

Applied Scientific Principles

This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.

Function Achieved in This Case

Increase wireless communication coverage by efficiently reflecting signals in desired directions, reducing power consumption and complexity compared to traditional devices, thus addressing propagation losses in higher frequency bands.

Implementation Method 1

with the surface, reflecting an incident signal with the associated degrees of reflection for the plurality of surface elements set according to the reflection scheme

Methodology Applied

Scientific EffectReflection: Reflection

Data Source

PatentUS20240187872A1Method to modulate signals by reflecting surfaces

Publication Date: 2024.06.06 ZTE CORP

AI summary

This document generally relates to use of intelligent reflecting devices in wireless communication systems, which may increase the coverage for a wireless access node or base station. An intelligent reflecting device may configure its surface with a degree of reflection according to a reflection scheme, and in turn, the surface may reflect an incident signal according to the reflection scheme. As a result, the reflected signal may have one or more characteristics that indicate to a receiving device that the received signal was reflected by an intelligent reflecting device, and/or one or more characteristics of the intelligent reflecting device.