Method and apparatus for providing optimal transmission and reception beams in beamforming system

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10003386-B2
Application number	US-201414266555-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Apr 30, 2014
Priority date	Apr 30, 2013
Publication date	Jun 19, 2018
Grant date	Jun 19, 2018

Abstract

A method of providing an optimal transmission or reception (Tx/Rx) beam in a beamforming system. The method includes receiving a reference signal and selecting an optimal Tx/Rx beam that guarantees an optimal channel environment based on the received reference signal determining a possibility of occurrence of a Tx/Rx beam mismatch between the selected optimal Tx/Rx beam and a Tx/Rx beam used for transmitting information on the selected optimal Tx/Rx beam; and when there is the possibility of the occurrence of the Tx/Rx beam mismatch, performing at least one of widening a beam width of the Tx/Rx beam, increasing a number of Tx/Rx beams, reducing a period of a beam selection operation for selecting the optimal Tx/Rx beam, and reducing a transmission period of the reference signal. Other embodiments including a beamforming system are also disclosed.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A method of providing an optimal transmission or reception (Tx/Rx) beam in a beamforming system, the method comprising:
receiving a reference signal;
selecting a Tx/Rx beam based on the received reference signal;
performing at least one Tx/Rx beam pre-adjustment operation prior to using the selected Tx/Rx beam, based on a capability of the selected Tx/Rx beam and a capability of a previously selected Tx/Rx beam; and
transmitting information on the selected Tx/Rx beam according to the at least one Tx/Rx beam pre-adjustment operation,
wherein the at least one Tx/Rx beam pre-adjustment operation comprises an operation of reducing a transmission period of the reference signal.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein performing comprises:
determining whether the selected Tx/Rx beam having a capability equal to or larger than a first threshold is identical to the previously selected Tx/Rx beam;
when the selected Tx/Rx beam is not identical to the previously selected Tx/Rx beam, determining whether the capability of the previously selected Tx/Rx beam has a capability equal to or smaller than a second threshold; and
when the capability of the previously selected Tx/Rx beam is equal to or smaller than the second threshold, performing the at least one Tx/Rx beam pre-adjustment operation.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein the performing further comprises:
determining whether a frequency with which the selected Tx/Rx beam is changed per second is equal to or larger than a preset value; and
when the frequency with which the selected Tx/Rx beam is changed per second is equal to or larger than the preset value, performing the at least one Tx/Rx beam pre-adjustment operation.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein the performing further comprises:
determining whether a movement speed of a user equipment (UE) is equal to or faster than a preset speed; and
when the movement speed of the UE is equal to or faster than the preset speed, performing the at least one Tx/Rx beam pre-adjustment operation.

5. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
when a mismatch occurs between the selected Tx/Rx beam and the previously selected Tx/Rx beam, selecting a new Tx/Rx beam based on pre-received Tx/Rx beam information; and
transmitting, by a base station, compensation information including at least one of information related to a user equipment (UE) and information related to the selected Tx/Rx beam through the new Tx/Rx beam.

6. The method of claim 5 , further comprising:
when the capability of the selected Tx/Rx beam is equal to or larger than a first threshold, determining whether response messages of pre-transmitted control signals or data have been received more than a predetermined number of times or more; and
when the response messages have not been received more than the predetermined number of times or more, determining that the mismatch occurs.

7. The method of claim 5 , further comprising:
when the capability of the selected Tx/Rx beam is equal to or larger than a first threshold, determining whether channel status information measured and reported by the UE or information related to a new Tx/Rx beam selected by the UE has been received within a predetermined time; and
when the channel status information or the information on the new Tx/Rx beam selected by the UE has not been received within the predetermined time, determining that the mismatch occurs.

8. The method of claim 5 , further comprising:
when the capability of the selected Tx/Rx beam is equal to or larger than a first threshold, determining whether information on a new Tx/Rx beam selected by a base station (BS) has been received within a predetermined time; and
when the information related to the new Tx/Rx beam selected by the BS has not been received within the predetermined time, determining that the mismatch occurs.

9. The method of claim 5 , wherein the transmitting the compensation information comprises:
configuring at least one of information related to the UE and information related to the selected Tx/Rx beam in a broadcasting channel (BCH) region and transmitting the configured information in all available beam directions.

10. The method of claim 5 , wherein the selecting the new Tx/Rx beam comprises selecting a new DL Tx/Rx beam based on a pre-received uplink (UL) Tx/Rx beam or selecting a new UL Tx/Rx beam based on a pre-received downlink (DL) Tx/Rx beam based on a reciprocality between UL and DL.

11. The method of claim 5 , wherein the transmitting the compensation information comprises:
configuring an identifier of the UE or information derived from the identifier of the UE in a primary broadcasting channel (BCH) region of a downlink (DL) sub-frame;
configuring information related to the identifier of the UE and information related to the selected Tx/Rx beam in a secondary BCH region of the DL sub-frame; and
transmitting the DL sub-frame including the primary and secondary BCH regions.

12. The method of claim 5 , further comprising:
receiving a downlink (DL) sub-frame including primary and secondary broadcasting channel (BCH) regions;
when bitmap information is included in the primary BCH region, determining a bit related to an identifier of the UE among bits included in a bitmap; and
when the bit related to the identifier of the UE is “1”, setting a Tx/Rx beam indicated by information on the selected Tx/Rx beam included in the secondary BCH region as a Tx/Rx beam to be used for actual transmission or reception.

13. The method of claim 1 , wherein the at least one Tx/Rx beam pre-adjustment operation further comprises an operation of widening a beam width of the selected Tx/Rx beam, an operation of increasing a number of Tx/Rx beams or an operation of reducing a period of a beam selection operation for selecting the selected Tx/Rx beam.

14. An apparatus for providing an optimal transmission or reception (Tx/Rx) beam in a beamforming system, the apparatus comprising:
a transceiver configured to receive a reference signal; and
a controller configured to:
select an Tx/Rx beam based on the received reference signal,
perform at least one Tx/Rx beam pre-adjustment operation prior to using the selected Tx/Rx beam, based on a capability of the selected Tx/Rx beam and a capability of a previously selected Tx/Rx beam; and control the transceiver to transmit information on the selected Tx/Rx beam according to the at least one Tx/Rx beam pre-adjustment operation,
wherein the at least one Tx/Rx beam pre-adjustment operation comprises an operation of reducing a transmission period of the reference signal.

15. The apparatus of claim 14 , wherein the controller is configured to:
determine whether the selected Tx/Rx beam having a capability equal to or larger than a first threshold is identical to the previously selected Tx/Rx beam;
when the selected Tx/Rx beam is not identical to the previously selected Tx/Rx beam, determine whether the capability of the previously selected Tx/Rx beam has a capability equal to or smaller than a second threshold; and
when the capability of the previously selected Tx/Rx beam is equal to or smaller than the second threshold, perform the at least one Tx/Rx beam pre-adjustment operation.

16. The apparatus of claim 14 , wherein the controller is further configured to:
determine whether a frequency with which the selected Tx/Rx beam is changed per second is equal to or larger than a preset value; and
when the frequency with which the selected Tx/Rx beam is changed per second is equal to or larger than the preset value, perform the at least one Tx/Rx beam pre-adj

Assignees

• Samsung Electronics Co Ltd

Inventors

• Jung Jung-Soo
• Kang Hyun-Jeong
• Chang Young-Bin
• Kim Suk-Won
• Baek Sang-Kyu

Classifications

• H04L5/0025

  Spatial division following the spatial signature of the channel · CPC title

• H04L5/0053

  Allocation of signalling, i.e. of overhead other than pilot signals · CPC title

• H04L5/005

  of common pilots, i.e. pilots destined for multiple users or terminals · CPC title

• H04W72/54

  based on quality criteria · CPC title

• H04B7/0408 Primary

  using two or more beams, i.e. beam diversity · CPC title