Terminal performing beam sweeping operation and method of operation thereof

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11742928-B2
Application number	US-202217742894-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	May 12, 2022
Priority date	Aug 11, 2021
Publication date	Aug 29, 2023
Grant date	Aug 29, 2023

Abstract

A method of operating a communication device includes: sweeping a plurality of first reception beams; measuring reference signals, received from another communication device, based on the plurality of first reception beams; estimating a downlink channel gain based on the measured reference signals and reception array response information corresponding to reception antenna characteristics of the communication device; generating a downlink channel related matrix based on the downlink channel gain and the reception array response information; determining a second reception beam based on the downlink channel related matrix; determining a transmission beam based on at least one of the downlink channel gain, the downlink channel related matrix, and the second reception beam; and performing communication with the other communication device using the second reception beam and the transmission beam.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A method of operating a communication device, the method comprising:
sweeping a plurality of first reception beams;
measuring reference signals, received from another communication device, based on the plurality of first reception beams;
estimating a downlink channel gain based on the measured reference signals and reception array response information corresponding to reception antenna characteristics of the communication device;
generating a downlink channel related matrix based on the downlink channel gain and the reception array response information;
determining a second reception beam based on the downlink channel related matrix;
determining a transmission beam based on at least one of the downlink channel gain, the downlink channel related matrix and the second reception beam; and
performing communication with the other communication device using the second reception beam and the transmission beam.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the estimating of the downlink channel gain comprises determining the downlink channel gain that minimizes a difference between the measured reference signals and a result of multiplication of the downlink channel gain, the reception array response information and a reception beam matrix.

3. The method of claim 2 , wherein the reception array response information comprises information matrices respectively corresponding to a plurality of radio frequency (RF) chains included in the communication device, and
wherein preset angles of arrival are applied to the information matrices.

4. The method of claim 3 , wherein the downlink channel gain comprises a channel gain for each angle of arrival in each of the plurality of RF chains.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein the generating of the downlink channel related matrix comprises multiplying the downlink channel gain and the reception array response information to calculate the downlink channel related matrix.

6. The method of claim 5 , wherein the determining of the second reception beam comprises:
calculating downlink channel states using the downlink channel related matrix and reception beam matrices; and
determining the second reception beam from the reception beam matrix corresponding to a best state from among the downlink channel states.

7. The method of claim 6 , wherein the downlink channel states indicate at least one of a channel capacity and a Signal-to-Interference-plus-Noise Ratio (SINR).

8. The method of claim 6 , wherein the reception beam matrices correspond to third reception beams included in transmission/reception beam pair information, and
wherein the second reception beam is one of the third reception beams.

9. The method of claim 1 , wherein the determining of the transmission beam comprises:
calculating an uplink channel related matrix by multiplying the downlink channel gain and transmission array response information; and
determining the transmission beam based on the uplink channel related matrix.

10. The method of claim 9 , wherein the determining of the transmission beam comprises:
calculating uplink channel states using the uplink channel related matrix and transmission beam matrices; and
determining the transmission beam from a transmission beam matrix corresponding to a best state from among the uplink channel states.

11. The method of claim 1 , wherein the determining of the transmission beam comprises: determining the transmission beam corresponding to the second reception beam with reference to transmission/reception beam pair information.

12. The method of claim 1 , wherein the determining of the transmission beam comprises:
generating an uplink channel related matrix based on downlink-uplink calibration information and the downlink channel related matrix;
calculating uplink channel states using the uplink channel related matrix and transmission beam matrices; and
determining the transmission beam from a transmission beam matrix corresponding to a best state from among the uplink channel states.

13. A communication device comprising:
a plurality of reception antenna arrays;
a plurality of first radio frequency (RF) chains respectively connected to the plurality of reception antenna arrays; and
a controller configured to control the plurality of reception antenna arrays and the plurality of first RF chains,
wherein the controller is configured to sweep a plurality of first reception beams using the plurality of reception antenna arrays, measure reference signals received from another communication device based on the plurality of first reception beams, estimate a downlink channel gain based on the measured reference signals and reception array response information corresponding to characteristics of the plurality of reception antenna arrays, generate a downlink channel related matrix based on the downlink channel gain and the reception array response information, determine a second reception beam based on the downlink channel related matrix, determine a transmission beam based on at least one of the downlink channel gain, the downlink channel related matrix and the second reception beam, and control communication with the other communication device using the second reception beam and the transmission beam.

14. The communication device of claim 13 , wherein the downlink channel gain has a value that minimizes a difference between the measured reference signals and a multiplication result of the downlink channel gain, the reception array response information and a reception beam matrix.

15. The communication device of claim 13 , wherein the reception array response information comprises information matrices respectively corresponding to the plurality of first RF chains, and
wherein preset angles of arrival are applied to the information matrices.

16. The communication device of claim 13 , wherein the downlink channel related matrix is generated through multiplication of the downlink channel gain and the reception array response information.

17. The communication device of claim 13 , further comprising:
a plurality of transmission antenna arrays; and
a plurality of second RF chains respectively connected to the plurality of transmission antenna arrays,
wherein the controller is further configured to generate an uplink channel related matrix by multiplying the downlink channel gain and transmission array response information, calculate uplink channel states using the uplink channel related matrix and transmission beam matrices, and determine the transmission beam based on the uplink channel states,
wherein the transmission array response information comprises information matrices which correspond to each of the plurality of second RF chains and to which preset angles of departure are applied.

18. The communication device of claim 13 , wherein the controller is configured to generate an uplink channel related matrix based on downlink-uplink calibration information and the downlink channel related matrix, calculate uplink channel states using the uplink channel related matrix and transmission beam matrices, and determine the transmission beam from a transmission beam matrix corresponding to a best state from among the uplink channel states.

19. A method of operating a communication device, the method comprising:
sweeping a plurality of first reception beams;
measuring reference signals, received from another communication device, based on the plurality of first reception beams;
estimating a downlink channel gain based on the measured reference signals and reception arra

Assignees

• Samsung Electronics Co Ltd

Inventors

• Kim Jaein
• Moon Jonggun
• Lee Junho
• Je Huiwon
• Choi Seungjin

Classifications

• H04B7/06952 Primary

  Selecting one or more beams from a plurality of beams, e.g. beam training, management or sweeping · CPC title

• H04W24/08

  Testing, {supervising or monitoring} using real traffic · CPC title

• H04L5/0048

  Allocation of pilot signals, i.e. of signals known to the receiver (allocation of control signalling H04L5/0053; use of control signalling H04L5/0091) · CPC title

• H04B7/0408

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

• H04B7/088 Primary

  using beam selection · CPC title