Wireless Beam Management With Subcarrier-Parallel Beam Sweeps
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Solution Overview
Problem
The current 5G NR beam management procedure is not suitable for 6G communication systems using high-frequency bands, as it requires significant time resources due to the increased number of antennas and narrower beams, leading to potential latency issues in ultra-low latency communication scenarios.
Innovation Solution
A method involving beam squinting with controlled angles using a TDN function to transmit multiple beams simultaneously, allocating resources based on subcarriers and sweeps, and using DCI, MAC-CE, or RRC reconfiguration to manage beam indices, allowing for quick beam adjustment and recovery.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If beam sweeping is used to sequentially measure candidate beams, then beam management can be performed, but time overhead increases significantly in 6G systems with more antennas and narrower beams
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the beam measurement process by dividing candidate beams into multiple groups that can be measured simultaneously using different subcarriers. Instead of sequentially measuring all beams, the system divides them into groups where each group is measured in parallel, reducing the total time required for beam management while maintaining reliability.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces frequency domain parallelism by utilizing multiple subcarriers to measure different beam groups simultaneously. This adds a frequency dimension to the beam measurement process, transforming it from a purely time-sequential operation to a parallel operation that occurs across both time and frequency domains, thereby reducing time overhead.
2Reliability
If more antennas are used to form narrower beams in 6G, then path loss is addressed, but the number of candidate beams increases requiring more time resources
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the large number of candidate beams into multiple groups that can be processed in parallel. By dividing the beam search space into manageable groups measured simultaneously on different subcarriers, the system maintains the ability to identify the optimal beam quickly despite the increased total number of beams required for 6G path loss compensation.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent changes the measurement parameter from sequential time-based measurement to parallel frequency-based measurement. By assigning different beam groups to different subcarriers, the system transforms the beam identification process into a frequency-parallel operation, improving productivity while maintaining the necessary beam granularity for path loss compensation.
3Measurement precision
If sequential beam measurement is performed, then all candidate beams can be evaluated, but latency increases in ultra-low latency communication scenarios
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the beam evaluation process into parallel groups measured simultaneously on different subcarriers. This segmentation allows complete evaluation of all candidate beams while reducing latency, as multiple beams are evaluated at the same time rather than sequentially, directly addressing the ultra-low latency requirement.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent enables continuous parallel measurement of multiple beam groups across different subcarriers, eliminating idle time between sequential measurements. This continuous useful action ensures that all candidate beams are evaluated completely while minimizing the total time required, thereby reducing beam adjustment latency in ultra-low latency scenarios.
Data Source
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AI summary
A method for beam adjustment in a base station disclosed herein may comprise the steps of: allocating a first resource for transmitting candidate beams determined on the basis of the number of sweeps and the number of subcarriers of which beams are squinted in an angle search space; transmitting, to a terminal, first resource information indicating the allocated first resource; mapping beam indexes to each of the candidate beams; transmitting, to the terminal, information about the beam indexes mapped to each of the candidate beams; transmitting a reference signal by using the first resource; receiving reception quality information for the reference signal from the terminal; and determining a transmission beam on the basis of the reception quality information.