Virtual Antenna Array Signaling for Accurate Multipath Angle Estimation
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Solution Overview
Problem
The multipath effect in MIMO technology causes signal fading, necessitating improved accuracy in multipath angle estimation to enhance communication quality in 5G NR systems.
Innovation Solution
A communication method involving a terminal device reporting motion and time information to a network device for configuring reference signals, enabling precise multipath angle determination through virtual antenna arrays, thereby improving accuracy and communication quality.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If beam sweeping is used to determine communication beams, then beam alignment can be achieved, but power consumption and latency increase
Solution Approach 1:
The terminal device pre-calculates the first virtual antenna array configuration based on motion information before beam sweeping occurs. This preliminary setup enables more efficient beam alignment by reducing the search space and optimizing the beamforming weights in advance, thereby reducing power consumption while maintaining alignment accuracy
Solution Approach 2:
The patent changes the parameter representation from traditional beam indices to multipath angle information derived from the first virtual antenna array. By transforming the beam selection problem into a multipath angle estimation problem, the system achieves faster convergence and lower power consumption while maintaining reliable beam alignment
2Reliability
If beam sweeping is used to determine communication beams, then beam alignment can be achieved, but latency increases
Solution Approach 1:
The terminal device pre-calculates the first virtual antenna array configuration based on motion information before beam sweeping occurs. This preliminary setup enables more efficient beam alignment by reducing the search space and optimizing the beamforming weights in advance, thereby reducing latency while maintaining alignment accuracy
Solution Approach 2:
The patent replaces the mechanical beam sweeping process with a computational approach using the first virtual antenna array and multipath angle estimation. This substitution eliminates the need for time-consuming sequential beam scanning, significantly reducing latency while achieving the same beam alignment reliability
3Device complexity
If traditional antenna arrays are used, then device structure is simple, but total antenna gain and interference cancellation are insufficient
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces a virtual dimension by constructing the first virtual antenna array from motion information and sending time information. This virtual array extends the effective aperture and provides additional spatial diversity without adding physical antennas, thereby increasing total antenna gain and interference cancellation capability while maintaining simple device structure
Solution Approach 2:
The first virtual antenna array acts as an intermediary that transforms motion information into spatial filtering capabilities. This virtual structure mediates between the simple physical antenna array and the complex signal processing requirements, enabling enhanced signal-to-noise ratio and interference cancellation without increasing hardware complexity
Data Source
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AI summary
A communication method and a communication apparatus are provided. The method includes: sending motion information of a terminal device and sending time information of a first antenna in a first virtual antenna array to a network device; receiving first configuration information from the network device, where the first configuration information is used to configure a first reference signal corresponding to the motion information and the sending time information; sending the first reference signal to the network device based on the first configuration information; and receiving a first multipath angle from the network device, where the first multipath angle indicates a multipath angle at which the first reference signal reaches the network device. The first antenna is any antenna in the first virtual antenna array. According to embodiments of this application, accuracy of multipath angle estimation can be improved, thereby improving communication quality.