Intelligent Reflecting Surfaces for High-Frequency Coverage Loss
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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, adjusting degrees of reflection and angles to optimize signal propagation, reducing the complexity and power consumption compared to traditional devices.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Speed
If higher frequency bands are used for wireless communication, then communication capacity and speed are improved, but propagation loss increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces intelligent reflecting devices as intermediary elements between transmitting and receiving antennas. These devices reflect and redirect wireless signals around obstacles and through challenging propagation environments, enabling higher frequency signals to reach destinations without direct line-of-sight while compensating for increased propagation loss at these frequencies.
2Area of stationary object
If traditional relay devices are used to increase coverage, then signal propagation is improved, but device complexity and power consumption increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts only the essential signal reflection function from traditional complex relay devices. By using simple reflecting surfaces with controllable phase shifts, the system achieves coverage extension without the complex amplification, processing, and retransmission mechanisms found in conventional relays, thereby reducing device complexity and power consumption.
Solution Approach 2:
The intelligent reflecting devices create virtual copies of the transmitting antenna by reflecting signals to form virtual image sources. This copying approach extends coverage area without requiring physical relay stations, reducing the need for complex infrastructure while maintaining signal propagation quality.
3Area of stationary object
If traditional relay devices are used to increase coverage, then signal propagation is improved, but power consumption increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent employs passive intelligent reflecting devices as energy-efficient intermediaries that redirect signals without active amplification. These devices consume minimal power compared to traditional relays that require power-intensive signal processing, amplification, and retransmission, thereby extending coverage area with significantly reduced power consumption.
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
The use of intelligent reflecting devices increases wireless communication coverage by dynamically controlling signal reflection, effectively addressing propagation losses at higher frequencies with reduced power consumption and complexity.
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
Data Source
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.