Split Beamforming Refinement Phase Sector Level Sweep for Multi-Antenna Arrays
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Solution Overview
Problem
The existing beamforming training procedures in wireless communications, particularly in high-frequency bands like 60 GHz, are inefficient due to high overhead and increased latency, especially when using multiple antennas, which disrupts data throughput and is problematic for applications demanding high data rates like VR/AR.
Innovation Solution
The implementation of a split Beamforming Refinement Phase (BRP) based Sector Level Sweep (SLS) procedure, where the sector sweep is divided across multiple BRP frames, allowing for reduced latency and efficient beamforming training by indicating the status of each BRP frame, enabling the selection of optimal transmit and receive antenna arrays based on signal quality.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If beamforming training is performed using traditional sector sweep procedures, then transmit and receive antennas can be adapted to establish and maintain quality links, but training time increases significantly reducing data throughput
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the beamforming training procedure into distinct phases: initial sector sweep for coarse beam alignment, followed by refined sector sweep for precise beam optimization. This segmentation allows the system to quickly establish a functional link with coarse beams, then gradually refine to optimal beams without requiring exhaustive search of all beam combinations, thereby reducing total training time while maintaining link quality.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent performs preliminary beam alignment using a coarse sector sweep that establishes initial transmit and receive beam directions before data transmission begins. This preliminary action creates a foundation for subsequent refined training, allowing the system to start with acceptable link quality and improve incrementally rather than requiring perfect beam alignment before any data can be transmitted.
2Reliability
If the number of transmit and receive antennas is increased to compensate for high free space loss at 60 GHz, then communication reliability improves, but the amount of training time increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent divides the beamforming training into coarse and refined phases, where the coarse phase quickly identifies approximate beam directions for all antenna elements, and the refined phase progressively optimizes individual antenna or subset configurations. This segmentation prevents the training time from scaling linearly with the number of antennas, as the coarse phase establishes a foundation that makes subsequent refinement more efficient.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent implements refined sector sweep that selectively re-trains only certain antenna elements or subsets rather than requiring complete re-training of all antennas. This partial action approach allows the system to maintain communication reliability by optimizing key antenna elements while skipping redundant training of already-well-aligned elements, thereby reducing total training time for multi-antenna configurations.
3Reliability
If beamforming training is performed periodically to maintain quality links, then link reliability is maintained, but data throughput is reduced due to overhead
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements periodic beamforming training where refined sector sweeps are performed at scheduled intervals rather than continuously. Between training periods, the system maintains links using the last known good beam configurations, allowing data transmission to proceed without interruption. This periodic approach balances link quality maintenance with throughput preservation, as the system only incurs training overhead at scheduled intervals rather than continuously.
4Reliability
If traditional sector sweep procedures are used for beamforming training, then complete antenna adaptation can be achieved, but the procedure represents significant overhead
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments antenna adaptation into coarse beam alignment followed by refined optimization. The coarse phase rapidly adapts all antennas to approximate optimal directions, establishing a functional baseline. The refined phase then progressively improves adaptation quality by re-training antenna elements or subsets in subsequent training opportunities, achieving complete adaptation over time without requiring all adaptations to occur in a single lengthy procedure.
Data Source
AI summary
Certain aspects of the present disclosure provide methods and apparatus for enhancing a beamforming training procedure. For example, an apparatus can include a processing system that generates a plurality of transmit beamforming refinement frames for a transmit sector sweep that each include a preamble, a data field, at least one beamforming training field, identification of a transmit antenna array to be used for transmitting the at least one beamforming training field, and a status indication of whether the transmit beamforming refinement frame is a last transmit beamforming refinement frame in the transmit sector sweep for one or more receive antenna arrays of a wireless node. The apparatus also includes a first interface that outputs the transmit beamforming refinement frames using a first transmit beamforming sector for the preambles and data fields, and one or more second transmit beamforming sectors for subfields of the beamforming training fields.