UE Antenna Panel Activation for Lower Power and Interference
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Solution Overview
Problem
Increasing quantities of antenna elements in wireless devices lead to linear increases in power consumption, reducing battery life and user experience, while unilateral deactivation of antenna elements results in increased interference and decreased reliability due to grating lobes.
Innovation Solution
Wireless devices communicate with base stations to modify activation states of antenna elements based on antenna array structure and network characteristics, reducing power consumption and interference by selectively deactivating or adjusting antenna elements.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If increasing quantities of antenna elements are used in wireless devices, then beamforming capability and spatial separation are improved, but power consumption increases linearly
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the antenna array into multiple panels, where each panel contains multiple antenna elements. This segmentation allows the system to activate only the necessary panels for a given communication task rather than all panels simultaneously, thereby reducing overall power consumption while maintaining beamforming capability through coordinated operation of active panels.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent applies partial action by activating only a subset of antenna panels rather than all panels. The base station determines which panels to activate based on communication requirements, user equipment location, and interference conditions, thereby using fewer antenna elements than the maximum available while still achieving the necessary beamforming performance.
2Use of energy by moving object
If unilateral deactivation of antenna elements is performed, then power consumption is reduced, but interference increases due to grating lobes
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements feedback mechanisms where the base station receives reports from user equipment regarding antenna capabilities and array structure. The base station uses this feedback information to make informed decisions about which antenna panels to activate, thereby reducing power consumption while avoiding the creation of harmful grating lobes that would result from arbitrary unilateral deactivation.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent changes the control parameter from individual antenna element activation to panel-level activation. By controlling at the panel level rather than the element level, the system can reduce power consumption while maintaining proper spatial distribution of active elements, thereby avoiding grating lobes and interference issues that arise from unilateral element deactivation.
3Use of energy by moving object
If base station controls antenna element activation states, then power consumption and interference are reduced, but signaling complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the control function at the panel level rather than the antenna element level. This segmentation reduces the granularity of control signaling required, as the base station only needs to indicate which panels to activate rather than controlling each individual element, thereby reducing signaling complexity while still achieving power and interference reduction.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent makes the panel activation control mechanism universal, where the same signaling framework can be applied across different antenna configurations and network conditions. The base station uses a standardized approach to determine and communicate panel activation states based on user equipment reports and network conditions, reducing the need for complex adaptive signaling.
Data Source
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AI summary
Methods, systems, and devices for wireless communications are described. A first wireless device may transmit, to a second wireless device, a first indication of a capability to selectively configure activation states for a set of antenna elements of an antenna array of the first wireless device, and of parameter values that indicate a structure of the antenna array. The first wireless device may then receive, from the second wireless device in response to the transmitted first indication, a second indication for the first wireless device to modify an activation state of one or more antenna elements of the set of antenna elements. The first wireless device may subsequently identify the activation state of the one or more antenna elements based on the received second indication, and communicate with the second wireless device using the antenna array according to the identified activation state of the one or more antenna elements.