COMMUNICATION APPARATUS, COMMUNICATION CONTROL METHOD, AND COMPUTER PROGRAM

• US 20200136710A1
• Filed: 05/10/2018
• Published: 04/30/2020
• Est. Priority Date: 06/14/2017
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Inventors: TAKANO, Hiroaki
• Granted Patent: US 11,387,889 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 7/0408 using two or more beams, i.e. beam diversity
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 7/0413 MIMO systems
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 7/0452 Multi-user MIMO systems
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 7/0617 for beam forming
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 7/0695 using beam selection
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 7/086 using weights depending on external parameters, e.g. direction of arrival [DOA], predetermined weights or beamforming
• 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

[Object]

Provided is a communication apparatus capable of effectively using resources in a case where transmission is performed with directional beams.

[Solving Means]

Provided is a communication apparatus including a control unit configured to change a setting of scan with a directional beam between beam groups each including a plurality of the directional beams, in which the control unit adjusts the setting of the scan with the directional beam of each of the beam groups depending on a status of an area that the beam group covers.

Claims

1. A communication apparatus comprising:

a control unit configured to change a setting of scan with a directional beam between beam groups each including a plurality of the directional beams,

wherein the control unit adjusts the setting of the scan with the directional beam of each of the beam groups depending on a status of an area that the beam group covers.

2. The communication apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the control unit sets, as the setting, the number of the directional beams of the beam group.

3. The communication apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the control unit sets, as the setting, a period of the scan by the beam group.

4. The communication apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the control unit sets, as the setting, output electric power from the directional beam of the beam group.

5. The communication apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the control unit makes the communication apparatus transmit information associated with the beam group.

6. The communication apparatus according to claim 5, wherein the control unit makes the communication apparatus transmit information associated with a period of the scan as the information associated with the beam group.

7. The communication apparatus according to claim 5, wherein the control unit makes the communication apparatus transmit, as the information associated with the beam group, information regarding a beam group that a terminal apparatus configured to receive the directional beam is to observe.

8. The communication apparatus according to claim 7, wherein the control unit includes, in the information regarding a beam group to observe, information regarding a base station configured to output the directional beam.

9. The communication apparatus according to claim 7, wherein the control unit includes, in the information regarding a beam group to observe, information associated with a characteristic of the terminal apparatus.

10. The communication apparatus according to claim 9, wherein the control unit includes, in the information associated with the characteristic of the terminal apparatus, information associated with a movement state of the terminal apparatus.

11. The communication apparatus according to claim 5, wherein the control unit makes the communication apparatus transmit, as the information associated with the beam group, information associated with evaluation of the beam group by a terminal apparatus configured to receive the directional beam.

12. The communication apparatus according to claim 5, wherein the control unit makes the communication apparatus transmit the information associated with the beam group once per predetermined plural times of scan.

13. The communication apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the beam group includes a plurality of directional beams in directions adjacent to each other.

14. The communication apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the beam group includes the directional beams from a plurality of base stations.

15. The communication apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the communication apparatus is included in a base station.

16. The communication apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the communication apparatus is provided to a terminal configured to wirelessly communicate with the base station with the directional beam.

17. A communication control method comprising:

changing, by a processor, a setting of scan with a directional beam between beam groups each including a plurality of the directional beams; and

adjusting, by the processor, the setting of the scan with the directional beam of each of the beam groups depending on a status of an area that the beam group covers.

18. A computer program for causing a computer to execute:

changing a setting of scan with a directional beam between beam groups each including a plurality of the directional beams; and

adjusting the setting of the scan with the directional beam of each of the beam groups depending on a status of an area that the beam group covers.