User Equipment Beam Ranking for 5G Link Reliability
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Solution Overview
Problem
The reliability of radio links in 5G wireless networks, particularly in high-frequency millimeter-wave bands, is compromised by line-of-sight requirements and increased probability of radio link failures due to obstacles and dynamic indoor environments, leading to challenges in maintaining consistent connectivity.
Innovation Solution
User equipment measures signal quality and angle-of-arrival of both primary and reflected wireless beams, ranking them for optimal signal quality and transmitting reports to network nodes, which enables recovery configurations for radio link failures by switching to reflected path wireless beams, ensuring continuous communication.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Speed
If millimeter-wave carriers are used for high-speed data transmission, then bandwidth and transmission speed are improved, but radio link reliability deteriorates due to line-of-sight requirements and obstacles
Solution Approach 1:
The network node proactively identifies and prepares alternative reflected path wireless beams before the primary path fails. By pre-measuring and ranking both primary and reflected beams, the system has backup communication paths ready when the LOS path is blocked, thus maintaining reliability while using mmWave for high speed transmission
Solution Approach 2:
Reflected wireless beams serve as intermediary communication paths when the direct line-of-sight path is blocked. These reflected paths act as mediators that enable continuous communication by bouncing signals off surfaces, thus maintaining radio link reliability without sacrificing the high-speed capability of mmWave carriers
2Reliability
If network densification is implemented to improve connectivity reliability, then radio link reliability is improved, but operational expenditure increases
Solution Approach 1:
The user equipment autonomously measures, ranks, and reports both primary and reflected wireless beams to the network node. This self-service capability allows the system to maintain reliability through reflected paths without requiring additional network infrastructure or manual configuration, thus avoiding the operational expenditure associated with network densification
3Reliability
If multiple radio links are used for multi-connectivity, then reliability is improved, but device complexity and operational cost increase
Solution Approach 1:
The wireless communication path is segmented into primary LOS paths and reflected NLOS paths. By dividing the communication strategy into these distinct segments, the system can switch between them based on availability, achieving multi-connectivity benefits without the full complexity of traditional multi-radio link implementations
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 enhances radio link reliability by utilizing reflected beams to maintain connectivity during primary path failures, reducing the need for network densification and minimizing operational expenditure while adapting to dynamic indoor environments.
Implementation Method 1
measuring by a user equipment, at least a signal quality and angle-of-arrival of wireless signals received from a network node
Implementation Method 2
received reflected path wireless beams having the best signal quality among the received reflected path wireless beams
Data Source
AI summary
An example embodiment includes measuring by a user equipment, at least a signal quality and angle-of-arrival of wireless signals received from a network node; determining, by the user equipment, that the received wireless signals include signals from both primary path wireless beams and/or received reflected path wireless beams, based on the signal quality and the angle of arrival of the wireless signals; ranking, by the user equipment, the received wireless signals to primary path wireless beams and/or received reflected path wireless beams, based on the signal quality; and transmitting, by the user equipment, to the network node, at least one report including indications of both the received primary wireless beams having the best overall signal quality among both the primary and reflected beams, and received reflected path wireless beams having the best signal quality among the received reflected path wireless beams.