RIS Beam Allocation for Target Sensing Zone Coverage

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Solution Overview

Problem

RIS-based sensing systems face challenges in efficiently determining the minimum number of reflection beams required to cover a target sensing zone, leading to excessive radio resource consumption and latency due to brute-force beam-sweeping methods.

Innovation Solution

A network device provides information about a target sensing zone and requested beamforming gain to a RIS, allowing the RIS to determine and report the minimum number of reflection beams needed to cover the zone, optimizing radio resource utilization.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If brute-force beam-sweeping methods are used to determine the minimum number of reflection beams, then the sensing zone can be covered, but radio resource consumption increases and latency increases

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvesensing zone coverageVSAvoidradio resource consumption

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSLoss of energy

Solution Approach 1:

The network device pre-calculates and provides the RIS with information about the target sensing zone and requested beamforming gain before the actual sensing operation. This preliminary action allows the RIS to determine the minimum number of reflection beams in advance, avoiding the need for exhaustive beam-sweeping during runtime, thus reducing both radio resource consumption and latency while ensuring reliable sensing zone coverage.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

2Reliability

If brute-force beam-sweeping methods are used to determine the minimum number of reflection beams, then the sensing zone can be covered, but latency increases

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvesensing zone coverageVSAvoidlatency

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSLoss of time

Solution Approach 1:

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

3Reliability

If more RIS beams are used to cover the sensing zone, then coverage reliability improves, but radio resource consumption increases

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvesensing zone coverageVSAvoidradio resource utilization efficiency

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSProductivity

Solution Approach 1:

The system changes the parameter of beamforming gain to optimize the number of reflection beams. By adjusting the beamforming gain parameter, the RIS can achieve the required sensing zone coverage with the minimum necessary number of beams, thereby improving radio resource utilization efficiency while maintaining coverage reliability.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #35Parameter changes

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

This approach reduces radio resource consumption and latency by ensuring efficient coverage of the sensing zone with minimal beam usage, enhancing the cost-effectiveness of RIS-assisted sensing.

Implementation Method 1

reconfigurable intelligent surface (RIS)-based sensing system

Methodology Applied

Scientific EffectReflection: Reflection

Implementation Method 2

requested beamforming gain for RIS beams

Methodology Applied

Scientific EffectBeamforming:

Data Source

PatentUS20260095211A1Report of minimum reflection beam amount in a reconfigurable intelligent surface (RIS) -based sensing system

Publication Date: 2026.04.02 QUALCOMM INC

AI summary

Disclosed are systems, apparatuses, processes, and computer-readable media for wireless communications. For example, a reconfigurable intelligent surface (RIS) can receive a first message comprising information of a target sensing zone and can receive a second message comprising a requested beamforming gain for RIS beams. The RIS can determine a minimum quantity of the RIS beams based on the information of the target sensing zone and the requested beamforming gain for the RIS beams. The RIS can transmit a reporting message comprising at least one of the minimum quantity of the RIS beams for sensing the target sensing zone or a configuration failure alert.