Wireless Device Reference Signal Tracking via Logical Resources
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing wireless communication systems lack robust mechanisms for managing network and user equipment (UE) beams in analog beamforming, which affects signal quality and interference management in 5G base stations.
Innovation Solution
The method involves transmitting tracking process base signals to wireless devices, allowing them to autonomously track reference signals by tuning receiver configurations, and configuring multiple tracking processes to separately track different reference signals using distinct logical resources, enabling simultaneous activation of tracking processes that do not share resources, thereby determining optimal network beams for data transmission.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Device complexity
If analog beamforming is used in 5G base stations, then hardware complexity is reduced, but beam management capability and signal quality control are insufficient
Solution Approach 1:
The wireless device autonomously tracks reference signals by independently tuning its receiver configuration without requiring continuous network control. The device self-manages beamforming operations, selecting optimal beams based on received signal strength measurements and reporting these selections to the network equipment.
Solution Approach 2:
The wireless device measures the received power of reference signals transmitted in different beam directions and reports this feedback information to the network equipment. This feedback mechanism enables the network to identify the optimal beam for data transmission based on actual reception quality measurements.
2Measurement precision
If multiple tracking processes are configured to track different reference signals, then beam management precision is improved, but device complexity and resource management difficulty increase
Solution Approach 1:
The beam management function is segmented into multiple independent tracking processes, each responsible for tracking a specific reference signal. Each tracking process operates independently with its own receiver configuration, allowing parallel beam management operations without interference between processes.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces a logical resource dimension to manage multiple tracking processes. Instead of managing all beamforming operations through a single complex mechanism, the system assigns distinct logical resources to each tracking process, enabling independent management and simplifying the overall control architecture.
3Measurement precision
If reference signals are transmitted repeatedly in many different beam directions, then beam selection accuracy is improved, but resource overhead and transmission time increase
Solution Approach 1:
The network equipment transmits reference signals in advance across multiple beam directions before actual data transmission begins. This preliminary beam sweeping allows the wireless device to measure and report on beam qualities ahead of time, enabling the network to pre-determine the optimal beam for subsequent data communication.
Solution Approach 2:
The reference signals are transmitted periodically in a sweeping manner across different beam directions. This periodic transmission pattern allows the system to cover multiple beams over time while maintaining a manageable repetition period, balancing measurement accuracy with resource efficiency.
4Productivity
If the wireless device autonomously tracks reference signals, then beam management efficiency is improved, but network control and coordination capability are reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The wireless device performs autonomous beam tracking by independently measuring reference signals and selecting optimal beams without requiring continuous network instructions. This self-service approach significantly improves beam management efficiency while the device still reports its selections to the network for final confirmation.
Solution Approach 2:
Instead of the network controlling every beamforming operation and the device simply executing commands, the approach is inverted: the device autonomously performs beam selection based on local measurements and reports back to the network. This inversion of the control flow enhances efficiency while maintaining network awareness through feedback.
Data Source
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AI summary
A wireless device (14) is configured to receive a reference signal (24) from network equipment (12) using a receiver configuration (16). The receiver configuration (16) uses one or more physical resources at the wireless device (14). The wireless device (14) is also configured to transmit to the network equipment (12) a report (20) indicating that the wireless device (14) received the reference signal (24) using one or more logical resources at the wireless device (14). The one or more logical resources are an abstraction of the one or more physical resources that the receiver configuration (16) uses.