User Equipment Antenna Switching for MPE Mitigation

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Solution Overview

Problem

Managing Maximum Permissible Exposure (MPE) events in user equipment with multiple antennas is complex, as power back-off options are limited when switching serving antennas, leading to potential signal degradation due to user body proximity or other objects.

Innovation Solution

The user equipment reports candidate CSI beam indexes to the network, allowing association with non-serving antennas that have lower power backoff requirements, creating mappings of antennas to downlink path delay intervals and spatial filters to control antenna selection and mitigate MPE events.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Object-affected harmful factors

If Power Back-Off is performed to reduce radio wave exposure, then MPE compliance is improved, but signal quality and transmit power are degraded

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveradio wave exposureVSAvoidsignal quality

Core Design Contradiction:

Object-affected harmful factorsVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The patent changes the parameter of antenna selection instead of only adjusting power levels. By switching from a first antenna to a second antenna with different spatial characteristics, the system achieves different MPE exposure levels and signal qualities, resolving the contradiction between compliance and performance

Inventive Principle:

Principle #35Parameter changes

Solution Approach 2:

The patent implements dynamic antenna switching based on real-time MPE event detection. The system transitions from static power back-off to dynamic selection among multiple antennas, allowing adaptive response to changing exposure conditions while maintaining signal quality

Inventive Principle:

Principle #15Dynamics

2Object-affected harmful factors

If serving antenna is switched to avoid MPE events, then radio wave exposure is reduced, but available power back-off options are limited

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveradio wave exposureVSAvoidpower back-off options

Core Design Contradiction:

Object-affected harmful factorsVSAdaptability or versatility

Solution Approach 1:

The patent segments the antenna system into multiple independent antenna elements that can be individually selected. This segmentation provides multiple distinct options for avoiding MPE events, each with different spatial characteristics and power back-off requirements, thereby increasing adaptability

Inventive Principle:

Principle #1Segmentation

3Adaptability or versatility

If multiple antennas are used to provide switching options, then adaptability for MPE mitigation is improved, but device complexity increases

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveantenna switching optionsVSAvoidantenna management complexity

Core Design Contradiction:

Adaptability or versatilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent performs preliminary configuration of multiple antennas with their respective spatial characteristics stored and identifiable. This preliminary setup enables rapid switching decisions during MPE events without complex real-time analysis, reducing operational complexity while maintaining adaptability

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

Data Source

PatentEP4297497A1User equipment comprising multiple antennas and corresponding method and computer program

Publication Date: 2023.12.27 NOKIA TECHNOLOGIES OY

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AI summary

User equipment (UE) comprising means for: reporting at least one candidate CSI beam index to a network to avoid and/or mitigate a maximum permissible exposure (MPE) event; wherein the user equipment associates at least one candidate antenna of the user equipment to the at least one candidate CSI beam index.