User Terminal Beamforming Reference Signal Measurement
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Solution Overview
Problem
In future radio communication systems, such as 5G, forming adequate beams using beamforming can be time-consuming, especially when analog beamforming is employed, which limits the ability to quickly establish effective communication.
Innovation Solution
A method is introduced where a user terminal and radio base station use temporally orthogonal radio resources to form receiving beams and transmit reference signals, allowing for efficient measurement and control of beamforming, reducing the time required to form adequate beams by using reference signals transmitted in different beams and controlling their formation within a given period.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If beamforming is used to reduce propagation loss and improve communication quality, then communication reliability is improved, but the time required to form adequate beams increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies preliminary action by having the base station transmit reference signals in multiple different transmitting beams before actual data communication begins. The user terminal performs measurements on these reference signals in advance to identify the optimal receiving beam direction, so that when data transmission starts, the beamforming configuration is already optimized and ready, eliminating the need for time-consuming beam search during active communication.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent replaces the traditional mechanical-like beam scanning process with a signal-based measurement system. Instead of physically adjusting or searching for optimal beam directions through trial-and-error during communication, the system uses reference signals transmitted in multiple predetermined beams, allowing the terminal to measure and identify the best beam direction through signal processing and measurement, significantly reducing the time required.
2Adaptability or versatility
If multiple transmitting beams are used to cover different directions, then communication coverage is improved, but the complexity of beam management increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies segmentation by dividing the overall communication task into distinct phases: reference signal transmission phase and data communication phase. During the reference signal phase, multiple transmitting beams are used to provide comprehensive coverage. The terminal measures each beam and reports the best one. During the data communication phase, only the identified optimal beam is used. This segmentation simplifies beam management by limiting the number of active beams during actual communication while maintaining comprehensive coverage during the measurement phase.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces reference signals as an intermediary element between the base station's multiple transmitting beams and the user terminal's beam selection process. These reference signals serve as measurable markers that allow the terminal to evaluate different beam directions without requiring complex real-time processing of actual data traffic. The intermediary reference signals simplify the measurement and selection process, reducing beam management complexity.
Data Source
AI summary
The present invention is designed to reduce the time it takes to form adequate beams, in communication using beamforming. According to one aspect of the present invention, a user terminal has a receiving section that, using temporally orthogonal radio resources, forms receiving beams and receives reference signals that are transmitted in different transmitting beams respectively, a measurement section that performs measurements based on the reference signals, and a control section that controls the forming of the receiving beams so that at least one of the reference signal is received in a given period set.