Communications Device Synchronization via Multi-Beam Signal Redundancy
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Solution Overview
Problem
Future wireless communications networks face challenges in achieving efficient synchronization due to the use of beam forming, particularly in unlicensed bands where LBT failures can interrupt synchronization signals, leading to delays in initial access.
Innovation Solution
A communications device detects multiple beams of radio signals with different versions of synchronization signals, selecting and synchronizing with a time-divided structure using both spatially and temporally displaced beams to ensure continuous synchronization, even in the presence of LBT failures.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If beam forming is used to improve coverage and data rates, then network coverage and communication efficiency are improved, but synchronization reliability deteriorates due to LBT failures interrupting synchronization signals
Solution Approach 1:
The synchronization signal transmission is segmented across multiple beams in the frequency domain. Instead of relying on a single beam for synchronization, the system transmits synchronization signals through multiple beams, allowing the communications device to detect and synchronize using signals from any available beam, thereby reducing the impact of LBT failures on synchronization reliability.
2Device complexity
If single beam synchronization is used, then device complexity is reduced, but synchronization time increases and reliability decreases when LBT fails
Solution Approach 1:
The communications device performs preliminary detection of synchronization signals across multiple beams before final synchronization is achieved. By detecting synchronization signals from multiple beams in advance and storing their information, the device can quickly select an available beam for synchronization even when one beam experiences LBT failure, thereby reducing overall synchronization time.
Solution Approach 2:
The system transitions from single-beam synchronization to multi-beam synchronization by adding the frequency domain dimension. Multiple beams are configured in the frequency domain, allowing the device to detect synchronization signals across different frequency resources, which provides redundancy and reduces synchronization time when one beam is unavailable.
3Reliability
If multiple beams are monitored for synchronization, then synchronization reliability is improved through redundancy, but device complexity and processing requirements increase
Solution Approach 1:
The system implements partial monitoring of multiple beams rather than exhaustive monitoring of all possible beams. The communications device is configured to detect synchronization signals from a limited number of beams (e.g., two beams) that are most likely to be available, balancing the reliability improvement from multi-beam monitoring with the processing complexity required to handle multiple signal sources.
Data Source
AI summary
A method of operating a communications device comprises detecting a plurality of beams of radio signals each being transmitted periodically according to a time divided structure of a wireless access interface provided by a wireless communications network, selecting a first of the plurality of beams of radio signals for detecting a first version of a synchronisation signal transmitted with the first beam of radio signals, selecting a second of the plurality of beams of radio signals for detecting a second version of the synchronisation signal transmitted with the second beam of radio signals, and synchronising with the time divided structure of the wireless access interface from at least one of the first version of the synchronisation signal and the second version of the synchronisation signal.