RIS and Repeater Interference Sensing for Jamming Resilience
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Solution Overview
Problem
Wireless communication systems face interference from jamming devices, leading to decreased signal quality and coverage issues, particularly in scenarios with blockages.
Innovation Solution
Implementing reconfigurable intelligent surfaces (RIS) and network-controlled repeaters (NCR) that dynamically adjust their configurations to mitigate interference by identifying and nullifying signals from jamming devices, enhancing signal-to-interference-plus-noise ratio (SINR) at communication destinations.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If reconfigurable intelligent surfaces and network-controlled repeaters dynamically adjust configurations to mitigate interference, then signal quality and jamming resilience are improved, but device complexity and computational requirements increase
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs preliminary interference-direction sensing operations to identify jamming directions before actual communication occurs. By pre-configuring the RIS/NCR to nullify identified interference directions, the system proactively mitigates interference rather than reactively adjusting during communication, improving signal quality while managing complexity through advance preparation.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces an intermediary sensing mechanism that detects interference directions and provides this information to the RIS/NCR configuration system. This intermediary layer separates the complex interference detection task from the communication system, allowing the RIS/NCR to focus on signal enhancement while the sensing intermediary handles interference characterization, thus managing overall system complexity.
2Reliability
If interference-direction sensing operations are performed to identify jamming directions, then jamming resilience is improved, but loss of time for communication setup increases
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs interference-direction sensing operations periodically rather than continuously or on every communication attempt. This periodic sensing approach balances the need for up-to-date interference information with the constraint of time loss, allowing the system to adapt to changing jamming conditions while minimizing disruption to normal communication operations.
Solution Approach 2:
Interference sensing is performed in advance before actual data communication begins. By completing the sensing and configuration operations preliminarily, the system ensures that communication can proceed without ongoing interruptions for interference detection, thus reducing time loss during the critical data transmission phase.
3Reliability
If array of configurable elements is used to nullify interfering signals, then signal-to-interference-plus-noise ratio is improved, but device complexity and manufacturing cost increase
Solution Approach 1:
The RIS/NCR device is designed with configurable elements that can serve multiple functions: signal reflection/forwarding, interference nulling, and directional sensing. By making the same hardware components multi-functional, the system achieves SINR improvement through interference mitigation without requiring separate dedicated hardware for each function, thus easing manufacturing constraints and reducing overall device complexity.
Solution Approach 2:
The system improves SINR by dynamically changing the parameters (phase, amplitude, orientation) of existing configurable elements rather than adding more physical components. This parameter-based approach allows the system to achieve sophisticated interference nulling capabilities using the same hardware infrastructure, avoiding the need for additional manufactured components and simplifying the manufacturing process.
Data Source
AI summary
The apparatus may be an intermediate wireless device comprising an array of configurable elements (e.g., an array of configurable reflective elements or a plurality of configurable antenna elements) that may be configured to obtain, based on a decreased signal quality at a user equipment (UE), a first set of configurations of a plurality of configurable elements of the intermediate wireless device for a first interference-direction sensing operation, perform, based on the first set of configurations of the plurality of configurable elements, the first interference-direction sensing operation, and obtain an indication of a configuration of the plurality of configurable elements for a subsequent communication between a network device and the UE based on the first interference-direction sensing operation.