METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR BEAMFORMING IN WIRELESS COMMUNICATION SYSTEM

• US 20130295852A1
• Filed: 05/03/2013
• Published: 11/07/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 05/04/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Inventors: Kim, Tae-Young, Seol, Ji-Yun, Yu, Hyun-Kyu, Jeong, Su-Ryong
• Granted Patent: US 9,750,027 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/63.4
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 3/26 varying the relative phase or relative amplitude of energisation between two or more active radiating elements; varying the distribution of energy across a radiating aperture H01Q3/12, H01Q3/22, H01Q3/24 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 7/0413 MIMO systems
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 7/0617 for beam forming
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 5/0025 Spatial division following the spatial signature of the channel
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 5/0044 allocation of payload
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 5/0048 Allocation of pilot signals, i.e. of signals known to the receiver
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 5/0053 Allocation of signaling, i.e. of overhead other than pilot signals
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 16/28 using beam steering
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 72/046 the resource being in the space domain, e.g. beams

Abstract

A method and an apparatus for operating a transmitter in a millimeter wave communication system is provided. In the method, information of a common and/or control channel is mapped to a dedicated frequency region of a dedicated Radio Frequency (RF) path. Data is mapped to a common frequency region for a common RF path.

Claims

1. A method for a beamforming transmitter in a millimeter wave communication system, the method comprising:

mapping information of a common and/or control channel to a dedicated frequency region for a dedicated Radio Frequency (RF) path; and

mapping data to a common frequency region for a common RF path.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

facilitating a receiver to perform a beam select process.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

mapping a reference signal for determining a beam to the dedicated frequency region for the dedicated RF path.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

mapping information whose size is less than a threshold, and which is transmitted periodically to the dedicated frequency region for the dedicated RF path.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein a number of common RF paths is a number obtained by subtracting the number of dedicated RF paths from a number of all of RF paths.

6. An apparatus of a beamforming transmitter in a millimeter wave communication system, the apparatus comprising:

at least one antenna unit comprising a plurality of antenna elements;

a reception unit configured to receive a signal corresponding to at least one uplink transmission beam direction from a receiver;

a controller configured to receive a signal from the receiver via the reception unit, map information of a common and/or control channel to a dedicated frequency region for a dedicated Radio Frequency (RF) path, and map data to a common frequency region for a common RF path; and

at least one dedicated RF path and at least one common RF path connected to respective antenna elements, each path being formed of a beam to transmit a signal to a receiver according to a transmission beam direction selected by the controller.

7. The apparatus of claim 6, wherein the controller performs a beam select process with the receiver.

8. The apparatus of claim 6, wherein the controller maps a reference signal for determining a beam to a dedicated frequency region for the dedicated RF path.

9. The apparatus of claim 6, wherein the controller allocates information whose size is less than a threshold, and which is transmitted periodically to the dedicated frequency region of the dedicated RF path.

10. The apparatus of claim 6, wherein the number of common RF paths is a number obtained by subtracting the number of dedicated RF paths from a number of all of RF paths.

11. A method for operating a receiver in a millimeter wave communication system, the method comprising:

receiving information of a common and/or control channel via a dedicated frequency region for a dedicated RF path from a transmitter; and

receiving data via a common frequency region for a common RF path.

12. The method of claim 11, further comprising:

performing a beam select process with the transmitter.

13. The method of claim 11, further comprising:

receiving a reference signal for obtaining a beam from the dedicated frequency region for the dedicated RF path.

14. The method of claim 11, further comprising:

receiving information whose size is less than a threshold, and which is transmitted periodically from a relevant frequency region of the dedicated RF path.

15. The method of claim 11, wherein a number of common RF paths is a number obtained by subtracting the number of dedicated RF paths from a number of all of RF paths.

16. An apparatus of a receiver in a millimeter wave communication system, the apparatus comprising:

a reception unit configured to receive at least one signal transmitted via at least one transmission beam direction by a transmitter; and

a controller configured to obtain information of a common and/or control channel allocated to a dedicated frequency region for a dedicated RF path via the reception unit from the transmitter, and obtaining data mapped to a common frequency region of a common RF path.

17. The apparatus of claim 16, wherein the controller performs a beam select process with the transmitter.

18. The apparatus of claim 16, wherein the controller obtains a reference signal for obtaining a beam allocated to a dedicated frequency region for the dedicated RF path via the reception unit.

19. The apparatus of claim 16, wherein the controller obtains information whose size is less than a threshold, and which is transmitted periodically, the information being mapped in a relevant frequency region of the dedicated RF path via the reception unit.

20. The apparatus of claim 16, wherein a number of common RF paths is a number obtained by subtracting the number of dedicated RF paths from a number of all RF paths.