UE Angle of Departure Calculation via Patch Antenna Phase
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Solution Overview
Problem
In 5G mobile communication systems, the increasing path loss with higher frequency bands leads to reduced cell coverage, necessitating frequent beam sweeping to adjust beam directions for user equipment (UE), resulting in redundant use of wireless resources.
Innovation Solution
A method and apparatus for a user equipment (UE) to acquire angle information of a reference signal from a base station using patch antennas, calculating the angle of departure (AoD) based on phase information, allowing the base station to determine the optimal beam direction without repeated beam sweeping.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If beam sweeping is performed frequently to adjust beam directions due to increased path loss at higher frequencies, then cell coverage is maintained, but wireless resources are redundantly used
Solution Approach 1:
The base station performs preliminary beam direction determination by calculating the angle of departure (AoD) of the reference signal using phase information from multiple patch antennas. This preliminary action allows the base station to pre-determine the optimal beam direction before actual data transmission, avoiding the need for frequent beam sweeping operations and thus reducing wireless resource consumption while maintaining reliable cell coverage
Solution Approach 2:
The patent replaces the mechanical beam sweeping procedure with a computational approach. Instead of physically sweeping beams across multiple directions, the system uses signal processing to calculate AoD from phase information obtained at a single reference signal transmission. This substitution eliminates the redundant mechanical sweeping action while achieving the same beam direction determination goal
2Reliability
If beam sweeping is repeated when UE position varies, then optimal beam direction is maintained, but beam sweeping procedure complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces the complex iterative beam sweeping procedure with a direct computational method. By calculating the angle of departure (AoD) from phase information obtained during normal reference signal transmission, the system determines beam direction without requiring repeated sweeping operations. This substitution simplifies the overall procedure while maintaining accurate beam direction even when UE position varies
Solution Approach 2:
The reference signal serves multiple functions: it enables both normal communication and AoD calculation for beam direction determination. By extracting phase information from the same reference signal used for data transmission, the system achieves dual purposes without requiring separate beam sweeping procedures, thereby reducing complexity while maintaining reliability
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 enables the UE to calculate differences in travel distance or propagation delay between signals from different patch antennas, facilitating AoD determination and reducing redundant wireless resource usage by omitting the beam sweeping procedure.
Implementation Method 1
acquiring phase information depending on a carrier frequency of the reference signal based on received data of the reference signal measured at a plurality of sample times
Implementation Method 2
calculating an angle of departure (AoD) of the reference signal based on the phase information depending on the carrier frequency
Implementation Method 3
receiving a reference signal from a base station including a plurality of patch antennas
Implementation Method 4
a first patch antenna configured to transmit a first subcarrier and a second patch antenna configured to transmit a second subcarrier different from the first subcarrier
Implementation Method 5
calculating a phase vector by performing an inner product on a discrete Fourier transform (DFT) coefficient vector for a DFT operation with respect to the sample vector
Implementation Method 6
extracting the phase information from a conjugate product from the first sub-phase vector and the second sub-phase vector. The conjugate product of the first sub-phase vector and the second sub-phase vector may be independent from a local clock error
Data Source
AI summary
Provided is a method of acquiring angle information of a reference signal performed by a user equipment (UE), the method including receiving a reference signal from a base station including a plurality of patch antennas; acquiring phase information depending on a carrier frequency of the reference signal based on received data of the reference signal measured at a plurality of sample times; and calculating an angle of departure (AoD) of the reference signal based on the phase information depending on the carrier frequency.