RIS Beam Recovery Configuration for mmWave Link Blockage
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Solution Overview
Problem
High-frequency communication systems experience frequent beam failures due to path loss, penetration losses, and blockages, leading to high latency and failure in beam failure recovery (BFR) procedures, especially in mmWave and Beyond 5G systems.
Innovation Solution
Utilize reconfigurable intelligent surfaces (RIS) to manage beam failure recovery by identifying and reflecting reference signals towards the user equipment, generating an RIS candidate beam list, and transmitting an RRC message with this list to facilitate beam recovery.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Speed
If narrow beams are used for high-frequency transmission, then data rate and transmission distance are improved, but beam failure frequency increases due to misalignment and blockages
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs preliminary actions by proactively identifying and preparing alternate candidate beams before beam failure occurs. The base station continuously monitors beam conditions and pre-configures recovery beams, enabling faster switching when failure is detected, thus reducing the impact of narrow beam vulnerabilities while maintaining high data rates.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces an intermediary mechanism (beam failure recovery procedure with candidate beam lists) that mediates between the narrow beam's high performance and its susceptibility to failure. This intermediary layer provides a buffer by maintaining pre-identified alternate beams, allowing the system to exploit narrow beam advantages while mitigating their reliability issues through structured recovery paths.
2Reliability
If the candidate beam list size is increased to provide more recovery options, then beam failure recovery success rate is improved, but recovery latency increases due to larger search space
Solution Approach 1:
The system applies partial action by maintaining a focused candidate beam list of limited size (e.g., 1-3 beams) rather than exhaustively searching all possible beams. This selective approach provides sufficient recovery options to ensure success while keeping the search space manageable, thus achieving an optimal balance between recovery success rate and latency by doing just enough rather than everything.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent dynamically adjusts parameters of the candidate beam list based on channel conditions, mobility patterns, and failure history. By changing parameters such as list size, beam selection criteria, and monitoring thresholds, the system optimizes the trade-off between having enough candidates for high success rate and keeping the list small enough for low latency recovery.
3Length of stationary object
If narrow beams are used to increase power density, then transmission distance is improved, but susceptibility to blockages increases
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs preliminary actions by pre-identifying alternate beams that can serve as backup paths before blockages occur. By continuously monitoring channel conditions and maintaining ready-to-use candidate beams, the system prepares alternative routes in advance, enabling quick switching when blockages affect narrow beam transmissions and thus mitigating the harmful effect of blockage susceptibility.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent implements beforehand cushioning by maintaining a buffer of candidate beams and recovery resources before actual beam failure or blockage occurs. This cushioning mechanism ensures that when narrow beams are blocked, the system already has pre-positioned alternate paths ready, reducing the impact of blockages while preserving the transmission distance advantages of narrow beams.
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
Enables low-latency and accurate identification of alternate beams for data transmission, reducing the chances of failure and improving communication reliability in high-frequency systems.
Implementation Method 1
identifying at least one first reconfigurable intelligent surface (RIS) for transmitting at least one reference signal
Data Source
AI summary
A method of beam failure recovery managed by a transmitter of a communication system, includes: detecting a first occurrence of a beam failure between the transmitter and a receiver; based on the detection of the first occurrence of the beam failure, identifying at least one first reconfigurable intelligent surface (RIS) for transmitting at least one reference signal; transmitting the at least one reference signal to the at least one first RIS; receiving, from the at least one first RIS, a receiver feedback for the at least one of reference signal; generating an RIS candidate beam list based on the receiver feedback; and transmitting, to the receiver via the at least one first RIS, a radio resource control (RRC) message including the RIS candidate beam list as a beam failure recovery configuration.