Smart Repeater Beam Splitting for Frequency-Selective 5G Coverage
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Solution Overview
Problem
Millimeter-wave signals in 5G cellular systems face severe attenuation and path-loss due to blockage by obstacles, limiting coverage, especially in non-line-of-sight conditions, and existing high-gain antenna solutions are not sustainable for all scenarios due to economic and hardware constraints.
Innovation Solution
Adaptive beamforming using joint phase-time array (JPTA) frequency selective systems in smart repeaters, which receive and retransmit frequency-dependent beams based on subcarrier allocations to enhance signal coverage and reduce interference.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Power
If high gain antennas with narrow beamforming capabilities are used to address coverage limitations, then signal gain and transmit power capability are improved, but device complexity and economic viability deteriorate due to the need for additional network nodes and site acquisition costs
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the broad beam into multiple frequency-dependent sub-beams, each targeted at specific UEs. The smart repeater divides the received DL beam into multiple frequency-selective beams, with each beam serving a specific UE or group of UEs. This segmentation allows the system to achieve high gain for multiple UEs simultaneously without requiring multiple separate high-gain antennas or network nodes.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces frequency selectivity as an additional dimension for beamforming. Instead of using only spatial dimensions (multiple antennas), the system exploits the frequency dimension by allocating different frequency subcarriers to different UEs and forming beams specific to each frequency-UE combination. This frequency-dimensional beamforming enables the smart repeater to serve multiple UEs with high gain without requiring proportional increases in hardware complexity.
2Reliability
If additional network nodes are deployed to enhance system performance in NLoS conditions, then coverage and signal reliability are improved, but cost and ease of manufacture deteriorate due to site acquisition costs and hardware limitations
Solution Approach 1:
The patent makes the smart repeater a multi-functional node that can serve multiple UEs simultaneously with frequency-selective beamforming. The same smart repeater infrastructure is used to provide reliable coverage to multiple UEs in different directions and frequency bands, rather than requiring separate dedicated nodes for each UE. This multi-functionality reduces the total number of nodes needed while maintaining high reliability for each served UE.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent changes the operational parameters of the smart repeater by implementing frequency-selective beamforming capabilities. The repeater dynamically adjusts beam directions, frequencies, and power allocation based on UE positions and channel conditions. This parameter adaptation allows a single smart repeater to reliably serve multiple UEs in NLoS conditions without requiring additional hardware deployment, thereby reducing deployment costs while maintaining signal reliability.
3Productivity
If frequency-dependent beamforming is implemented for multiple UEs, then resource allocation efficiency and productivity are improved, but device complexity increases due to beam split configuration requirements
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements feedback mechanisms where the smart repeater receives information about UE positions, channel conditions, and subcarrier allocations from the base station and UEs themselves. Based on this feedback, the repeater dynamically configures its beam split settings to optimize resource allocation. This feedback-driven configuration reduces the complexity of manual beam split setup and enables automatic adaptation to changing conditions, thereby improving resource allocation efficiency without requiring complex manual configuration procedures.
Data Source
AI summary
A smart repeater includes a transceiver configured to receive a reference signal, receive, from a base station (BS), a subcarrier allocation for a plurality of user equipments (UEs), receive, from the BS, a downlink (DL) beam associated with the plurality of UEs, and retransmit the DL beam. The smart repeater further includes a processor, operatively coupled to the transceiver, the processor configured to determine a beam split configuration for the DL beam based on the subcarrier allocation, and cause the transceiver to retransmit the DL beam according to the beam split configuration. To retransmit the DL beam according to the beam split configuration the transceiver is further configured to generate a frequency dependent beam for each of the plurality of UEs, and direct the frequency dependent beam for each of the plurality of UEs to a UE associated with the frequency dependent beam.