Network controlled beam sweeping

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10123218-B1
Application number	US-201715790270-A
Country	US
Kind code	B1
Filing date	Oct 23, 2017
Priority date	Oct 23, 2017
Publication date	Nov 6, 2018
Grant date	Nov 6, 2018

Abstract

A method for network controlled beam sweeping, may include receiving, at a network control device, location data associated with user equipment (UE) devices within a service area. The method may also include identifying, at each beam sweeping position of a plurality of beam sweeping positions, geo-bins having at least one UE device located within. The method includes receiving, at the network control device, networking requirements and traffic distribution data associated with the UE devices, and determining a sweeping weight for each identified geo-bin, where the sweeping weight is based on the networking requirements and the traffic distribution data associated with the at least one UE device in a geo-bin, and determining a sweeping factor for each beam sweeping position based upon the sweeping weights. The method may also include determining a beam sweeping pattern for all the beam sweeping positions based on the sweeping factors.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A method, comprising:
receiving, at a network control device, location data associated with user equipment (UE) devices within a service area;
identifying, at each beam sweeping position of a plurality of beam sweeping positions, geo-bins having at least one UE device located therein;
receiving, at the network control device, networking requirements and traffic distribution data associated with the at least one UE device in each identified geo-bin, wherein the receiving networking requirements associated with the at least one UE device in each identified geo-bin comprises at least one of receiving, from an application server (AS), performance requirements corresponding with an application associated with the at least one UE device or receiving, from a core network, service requirements associated with the at least one UE device;
determining a sweeping weight for each identified geo-bin, wherein the sweeping weight is based on the networking requirements and the traffic distribution data associated with the at least one UE device in a geo-bin;
determining a sweeping factor for each beam sweeping position based upon the sweeping weights; and
determining a beam sweeping pattern for all the beam sweeping positions based on the sweeping factors.

2. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
providing commands, to at least one of a radio node or the UE device in the service area, wherein the provided commands control the beam sweeping patterns for at least one of the radio node or the UE device.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein receiving networking requirements associated with the UE devices further comprises:
receiving, from the AS, performance requirements corresponding with an application associated with the at least one UE device.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein receiving networking requirements associated with the UE devices further comprises:
receiving, from the core network, service requirements associated with the at least one UE device.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein determining the beam sweeping pattern for all the beam sweeping positions further comprises:
ordering the sweeping factors associated with each beam sweeping position; and
determining a priority value of each beam sweeping position based on the ordering.

6. The method of claim 5 , wherein determining the beam sweeping pattern for all the beam sweeping positions further comprises:
adjusting the priority value of each beam sweeping position with an adaptation speed parameter;
determining a composite value by combining each adjusted priority value with prior beam sweeping pattern; and
ordering each composite value associated with a beam sweeping position to determine an updated beam sweeping pattern.

7. The method of claim 5 , further comprising:
classifying each beam sweeping position based on the priority value, wherein the classification comprises an active beam, a candidate beam, and an alternative beam.

8. A network control device, comprising:
a network interface;
a memory configured to store instructions; and
a processor coupled to the network interface and the memory, wherein the processor is configured to execute the instructions stored in the memory that cause the processor to:
receive location data associated with user equipment (UE) devices within a service area,
identify, at each beam sweeping position of a plurality of beam sweeping positions, geo-bins having at least one UE device located therein,
receive networking requirements and traffic distribution data associated with the at least one UE device in each identified geo-bin,
determine a sweeping weight for each identified geo-bin, wherein the sweeping weight is based on the networking requirements and the traffic distribution data associated with the at least one UE device in a geo-bin,
determine a sweeping factor for each beam sweeping position based upon the sweeping weights, and
determine a beam sweeping pattern for all the beam sweeping positions based on the sweeping factors,
wherein the network interface communicates over a network based on at least one of a 4G or 5G networking standard.

9. The network control device of claim 8 , wherein the instructions further cause the processor to:
provide commands to at least one of a radio node or the UE device in the service area, wherein the provided commands control the beam sweeping patterns for at least one of the radio node or the UE device.

10. The network control device of claim 8 , wherein the instructions to receive networking requirements associated with the UE devices further cause the processor to:
receive, from application server, performance requirements corresponding with applications associated with the at least one UE device.

11. The network control device of claim 8 , wherein instructions to receive networking requirements associated with the UE devices further cause the processor to:
receive, from a core network, service requirements associated with the at least one UE device.

12. The network control device of claim 8 , wherein the instructions to determine the beam sweeping pattern for all the beam sweeping positions further cause the processor to:
order the sweeping factors associated with each beam sweeping position; and
determine a priority value of each beam sweeping position based on the order.

13. The network control device of claim 12 , wherein the instructions to determine the beam sweeping pattern for all the beam sweeping positions further cause the processor to:
adjust each priority value of each beam sweeping position with an adaptation speed parameter;
determine a composite value by combining each adjusted priority value with prior beam sweeping pattern; and
order each composite value for associated with a beam sweeping position to determine an updated beam sweeping pattern.

14. The network control device of claim 12 , wherein the instructions further cause the processor to:
classify each beam sweeping position based on the priority value, wherein the classification comprises an active beam, a candidate beam, and an alternative beam.

15. The network control device of claim 8 , wherein the network control device comprises a self organizing network controller.

16. A non-transitory computer readable medium comprising instructions, which, when executed by a processor, cause the processor to:
receive, at a network control device, location data associated with user equipment (UE) devices within a service area;
identify, at each beam sweeping position of a plurality of beam sweeping positions, geo-bins having at least one UE device located therein;
receive, at the network control device, networking requirements and traffic distribution data associated with the at least one UE device in each identified geo-bin, wherein the receiving networking requirements associated with the at least one UE device in each identified geo-bin comprises at least one of receiving, from an application server (AS), performance requirements corresponding with an application associated with the at least one UE device or receiving, from a core network, service requirements associated with the at least one UE device;
determine a sweeping weight for each identified geo-bin, wherein the sweeping weight is based on the networking requirements and the traffic distribution data associated with the at least one UE device in a geo-bin;
determine a sweeping factor for each beam sweeping position based upon the sweeping weights; and
determine a beam sweeping pattern for all the beam sweeping positions based on the sweeping factors.

Assignees

• Verizon Patent & Licensing Inc

Inventors

• Yang Jin
• Chan Yee Sin

Classifications

• H04W16/28 Primary

  using beam steering · CPC title

• H04W60/04

  using triggered events · CPC title

• H04W84/18

  Self-organising networks, e.g. ad-hoc networks or sensor networks · CPC title

• H04W28/0215

  based on user or device properties, e.g. MTC-capable devices (services for machine-to-machine communication [M2M] or machine type communication [MTC] H04W4/70; wireless resource selection or allocation plan definition based on terminal or device properties H04W72/51) · CPC title

• H04W64/006

  with additional information processing, e.g. for direction or speed determination · CPC title