User Equipment Group Relays for mmWave Coverage Extension
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Solution Overview
Problem
The increasing density of user equipment and limited coverage range due to high spectrum frequencies in wireless communication networks, particularly with mmW and THz frequencies, lead to challenges in effective communication without cooperation among nearby devices.
Innovation Solution
Implementing cooperative communication among user equipment groups, where active devices coordinate with passive devices through device-to-device links to enhance coverage, capacity, and efficiency, utilizing a primary user equipment to manage group membership and data transfer.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If high spectrum frequencies (mmW, THz) are used for wireless communication, then data transmission capacity is improved, but coverage range deteriorates due to signal loss
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces relay user equipment as intermediary nodes between the network and distant user equipment. These relay devices receive signals from the base station and forward them to other user equipment, effectively extending the coverage range of high-frequency communications without reducing transmission capacity.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent transitions from traditional point-to-point communication to a multi-dimensional mesh network topology where user equipment can communicate through multiple paths and hops. This dimensional change in network architecture allows signals to reach farther by traversing multiple intermediate nodes rather than requiring direct line-of-sight.
2Productivity
If user equipment density increases, then network capacity is improved, but interference and coordination complexity increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the dense user equipment population into groups with designated relay devices. Instead of requiring all devices to coordinate with each other, the segmentation creates manageable subsets where only relevant devices need to exchange control information, reducing overall coordination complexity while maintaining high network capacity.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent implements self-organizing mechanisms where user equipment automatically discovers nearby devices, selects appropriate relays, and establishes connections without centralized control for every interaction. This self-service approach allows dense networks to scale while keeping individual device complexity manageable.
3Device complexity
If point-to-point connections are used without cooperation, then device simplicity is maintained, but communication reliability deteriorates in dense environments
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges multiple communication paths by allowing user equipment to simultaneously maintain connections through direct links and relay links. This combining of paths provides redundancy and diversity, improving reliability while keeping individual device operations relatively simple through standardized protocols.
Data Source
AI summary
User equipment in close proximity may transfer data and control information. For example, the user equipment may exchange data or data sets between each other. Each user equipment can receive and transmit data using radio access technologies. A group of user equipments may include active user equipment and passive user equipment. Active user equipment connects with one or more base stations and transfers data on a wireless communication network via the base station. The active user equipment may communicate with other active user equipment and passive user equipment. Passive user equipment may not connect to any base station and/or the wireless communication network and may communicate with other passive user equipment and active user equipment (e.g., via a sidelink, peer-to-peer, or device-to-device channel).