Hierarchical beamforming method and base station and user equipment using the same

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2016165583-A1
Application number	US-201514953008-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Nov 26, 2015
Priority date	Dec 3, 2014
Publication date	Jun 9, 2016
Grant date	—

Abstract

The present disclosure proposes a hierarchical beamforming method and a base station and a user equipment using the same. The method includes following steps. A network entry procedure is performed via a plurality of coarse beams by using a superframe header of a superframe corresponding to each of the coarse beams. In response to a success message associated with the network entry procedure being received, a network entry done message is transmitted by using a preferred coarse beam among the coarse beams. A user equipment (UE) connection is performed via a plurality of fine beams within a direction range of the preferred coarse beam, so as to determine a preferred fine beam by using a frame header of a basic frame corresponding to each of the fine beams, and perform a data packet transmission by using a packet transmission block of the basic frame corresponding to the preferred fine beam.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . A hierarchical beamforming method, adapted to a base station, and comprising:
performing a network entry procedure via a plurality of coarse beams by respectively using a superframe header of a superframe corresponding to each of the coarse beams; receiving a success message of the network entry procedure from one of the coarse beams; and performing a user equipment connection via a plurality of fine beams within a direction range of a preferred coarse beam, so as to determine a preferred fine beam from the fine beams by using frame headers of a plurality of basic frames respectively corresponding to the fine beams, and performing a data packet transmission by using a packet transmission block of the basic frame corresponding to the preferred fine beam.

2 . The hierarchical beamforming method of claim 1 , further comprising: identifying said one of the coarse beams as the preferred coarse beam, so as to transmit back a network entry done message in response to the success message by using the preferred coarse beam, wherein the superframe corresponding to the preferred coarse beam comprises the basic frames respectively corresponding to the fine beams, and a beamwidth of the coarse beams is greater than a beamwidth of the fine beams.

3 . The hierarchical beamforming method of claim 2 , wherein direction ranges of the fine beams within the direction range of the preferred coarse beam are different from one another and overlapped with the direction range of the preferred coarse beam.

4 . The hierarchical beamforming method of claim 2 , wherein the step of performing the network entry procedure via the coarse beams by respectively using the superframe header of the superframe corresponding to each of the coarse beams comprises:
configuring the superframe corresponding to each of the coarse beams, so as to associate the coarse beams with the corresponding superframe respectively; and during a coarse beam forming period, forming each of the coarse beams, wherein the superframe header transmitted via each of the coarse beams comprises network system information of the network entry procedure, a beam search signal, a cell search signal and a downlink control signal.

5 . The hierarchical beamforming method of claim 4 , wherein a coarse beam period comprises a M number of the superframes respectively corresponding to the coarse beams, and M is a positive integer equal to the number of the coarse beams.

6 . The hierarchical beamforming method of claim 4 , wherein the beam search signal provides beam search, frequency synchronism and timing information for a user equipment under a coverage of the coarse beams.

7 . The hierarchical beamforming method of claim 2 , wherein the step of determining the preferred fine beam from the fine beams by using the frame headers of the basic frames respectively corresponding to the fine beams comprises:
in response to transmitting a beam search signal and/or a measure signal via the fine beams by using the frame header of each of the basic frames, receiving a plurality of fine beam signal parameters respectively corresponding to the fine beams or a fine beam search result via the fine beams; and selecting the preferred fine beam from the fine beams according to the fine beam signal parameters or the fine beam search result.

8 . The hierarchical beamforming method of claim 2 , further comprising:
transmitting downlink assignment information or uplink grant information via the preferred fine beam among the fine beams.

9 . The hierarchical beamforming method of claim 1 , wherein a superframe duration of the superframe comprises at least one fine beam period, the at least one fine beam period comprises a N number of the basic frames, and N is equal to the number of the fine beams.

10 . A base station, comprising:
a transceiver circuit, configured to transmit and receive a wireless signal; and a processing circuit, coupled to the transceiver circuit, and configured to: perform a network entry procedure via a plurality of coarse beams by respectively using a superframe header of a superframe corresponding to each of the coarse beams; receive a success message associated with the network entry procedure from one of the coarse beams; and perform a user equipment connection via a plurality of fine beams within a direction range of a preferred coarse beam, so as to determine a preferred fine beam from the fine beams by using frame headers of a plurality of basic frames respectively corresponding to the fine beams, and perform a data packet transmission by using a packet transmission block of the basic frame corresponding to the preferred fine beam.

11 . The base station of claim 10 , wherein the processing circuit is further configured to:
identify said one of the coarse beams as the preferred coarse beam, so as to transmit back a network entry done message corresponding to the success message by using the preferred coarse beam, wherein the superframe corresponding to the preferred coarse beam comprises the basic frames respectively corresponding to the fine beams, and a beamwidth of the coarse beams is greater than a beamwidth of the fine beams.

12 . The base station of claim 11 , wherein direction ranges of the fine beams within the direction range of the preferred coarse beam are different from one another and overlapped with the direction range of the preferred coarse beam.

13 . The base station of claim 11 , wherein the processing circuit is further configured to:
configure the superframe corresponding to each of the coarse beams, so as to associate the coarse beams with the corresponding superframe respectively; and during a coarse beam forming period, forming each of the coarse beams, wherein the superframe header transmitted via each of the coarse beams comprises network system information of the network entry procedure, a beam search signal, a cell search signal and a downlink control signal.

14 . The base station of claim 13 , wherein a coarse beam period comprises a M number of the superframes respectively corresponding to the coarse beams, and M is a positive integer equal to the number of the coarse beams.

15 . The base station of claim 13 , wherein the beam search signal provides beam search, frequency synchronism and timing information for a user equipment under a coverage of the coarse beams.

16 . The base station of claim 11 , wherein the processing circuit is further configured to:
in response to transmitting a beam search and/or measure signal via the fine beams by using the frame header of each of the basic frames, receive a plurality of fine beam signal parameters respectively corresponding to the fine beams or a fine beam search result via the fine beams; and select the preferred fine beam from the fine beams according to the fine beam signal parameters or the fine beam search result.

17 . The base station of claim 11 , wherein the processing circuit is further configured to:
transmit downlink assignment information or uplink grant information via the preferred fine beam among the fine beams.

18 . The base station of claim 11 , wherein a superframe duration of the superframe comprises at least one fine beam period, the at least one fine beam period comprises a N number of the basic frames respectively corresponding to the fine beams, and N is equal to the number of the fine beams.

19 . A hierarchical beamforming method, adapted to a user equipment, and comprising:
performing a network entry procedure via a plurality of coar

Assignees

• Ind Tech Res Inst

Inventors

• Ho Chung-Lien
• Chen Ren-Jr
• Wang Yi-Ting
• Chen Wen-Chiang
• Ting Pang-An

Classifications

• H04W72/20

  Control channels or signalling for resource management · CPC title

• H04W72/23

  in the downlink direction of a wireless link, i.e. towards a terminal · CPC title

• H04W72/563

  of the wireless resources · CPC title

• H04B7/06952

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

• H04W72/14

  Electricity · mapped topic