Method and communication device for controlling beam-forming tracking

• US 9,900,133 B2
• Filed: 06/01/2015
• Issued: 02/20/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 06/01/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Telefonaktiebolaget LM Ericsson
• Original Assignee: Telefonaktiebolaget LM Ericsson
• Inventors: Lu, Qianxi, Baldemair, Robert
• Primary Examiner(s): Harper, Kevin C
• Assistant Examiner(s): Rose, Derrick V
• Application Number:
  US14/652,441
• Publication Number:
  US 20170141892A1
• Time in Patent Office: 995 Days
• Field of Search: None
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 7/0617 for beam forming
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 7/065 Variable contents, e.g. long-term or short-short
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 7/0695 using beam selection
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 7/088 using beam selection
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 5/0048 Allocation of pilot signals, i.e. of signals known to the receiver
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 72/046 the resource being in the space domain, e.g. beams
• CPC Class Codes: Y02D 30/70 in wireless communication networks

Abstract

A method in a communication device for controlling beam-forming (BF) tracking is disclosed. The method comprises switching the communication device from a coarse BF tracking state to a non-BF tracking state when a first timer expires. The communication device transmits pilot signals for BF tracking, feedback information for BF tracking or both the pilot signals and the feedback information more frequently in the coarse BF tracking state than in the non-BF tracking state. Additionally or alternatively, the method comprises switching the communication device from a fine BF tracking state to a coarse BF tracking state or a non-BF tracking state when a second timer expires. The communication device transmits pilot signals for BF tracking, feedback information for BF tracking or both the pilot signals and the feedback information more frequently in the fine BF tracking state than in the coarse BF tracking state.

Claims

1. A method in a communication device for controlling beam-forming (BF) tracking, the method comprising at least one of:

switching the communication device from a coarse BF tracking state to a non-BF tracking state when a first timer expires, wherein the communication device transmits pilot signals for BF tracking, feedback information for BF tracking or both the pilot signals and the feedback information more frequently in the coarse BF tracking state than in the non-BF tracking state; and

switching the communication device from a fine BF tracking state to the coarse BF tracking state or the non-BF tracking state when a second timer expires, wherein the communication device transmits the pilot signals for BF tracking, the feedback information for BF tracking or both the pilot signals and the feedback information more frequently in the fine BF tracking state than in the coarse BF tracking state;

wherein the first timer, the second timer, or both the first timer and the second timer are set based on at least one of traffic characteristics of the communication device and mobility characteristics of a terminal device which is the communication device or communicates with the communication device, wherein the traffic characteristics comprise a size of a time interval that traffic data is to be transmitted to or received from the communication device, and wherein the mobility characteristics comprise a moving speed of the terminal device.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the communication device operates in the fine BF tracking state when the second timer is running.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the communication device operates in the coarse BF tracking state when the first timer is running and the second timer is not running.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the communication device is switched from the fine BF tracking state to the coarse BF tracking state,

when the second timer expires and the first timer is running, or

when the second timer expires, in case the first timer is started after the second timer expires.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the communication device is switched from the fine BF tracking state to the non-BF tracking state,

when the first timer is not running and the second timer expires,

when a Time Alignment Timer (TAT) expires, or

when the communication device, which is a terminal device, is released to an idle state.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the communication device is switched from the coarse BF tracking state to the non-BF tracking state,

when the first timer expires and the second timer is not running,

when a Time Alignment Timer (TAT) expires, or

when the communication device, which is a terminal device, is released to an idle state.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising at least one of:

switching the communication device from the non-BF tracking state to the coarse BF tracking state or the fine BF tracking state, if the communication device is scheduled to receive or transmit traffic data in the non-BF tracking state; and

switching the communication device from the coarse BF tracking state to the fine BF tracking state, if the communication device receives or transmits traffic data in the coarse BF tracking state.

17. The method of claim 1, wherein at least one of the first timer and the second timer is set to have a value based upon:

the size of the time interval, wherein when the size of the time interval meets or exceeds a first threshold, the value is smaller than when the size of the time interval is less than the first threshold;

or

the moving speed, wherein when the moving speed meets or exceeds a second threshold, the value is smaller than when the moving speed is less than the second threshold.

8. A communication device for controlling beam-forming (BF) tracking, comprising:

a transceiver configured to transmit pilot signals for BF tracking, feedback information for BF tracking or both the pilot signals and the feedback information;

a switching unit configured to;

switch the communication device from a coarse BF tracking state to a non-BF tracking state when a first timer expires,

switch the communication device from a fine BF tracking state to the coarse BF tracking state or the non-BF tracking state when a second timer expires, or

switch the communication device from the coarse BF tracking state to the non-BF tracking state when the first timer expires and also switch the communication device from the fine BF tracking state to either the coarse BF tracking state or the non-BF tracking state when the second timer expires,

wherein the transceiver is configured to transmit the pilot signals, the feedback information or both the pilot signals and the feedback information more frequently in the coarse BF tracking state than in the non-BF tracking state, and more frequently in the fine BF tracking state than in the coarse BF tracking state; and

a timer setting unit configured to set the first timer, the second timer, or both the first timer and the second timer based on at least one of traffic characteristics of the communication device and mobility characteristics of a terminal device which is the communication device or communicates with the communication device, wherein the traffic characteristics comprise a size of a time interval that traffic data is to be transmitted to or received from the communication device, and wherein the mobility characteristics comprise a moving speed of the terminal device.

9. The communication device of claim 8, wherein the communication device operates in the fine BF tracking state when the second timer is running.

10. The communication device of claim 8, wherein the communication device operates in the coarse BF tracking state when the first timer is running and the second timer is not running.

11. The communication device of claim 8, wherein the switching unit is configured to switch the communication device from the fine BF tracking state to the coarse BF tracking state,

when the second timer expires and the first timer is running, or

when the second timer expires, in case the first timer is started after the second timer expires.

12. The communication device of claim 8, wherein the switching unit is configured to switch the communication device from the fine BF tracking state to the non-BF tracking state,

when the first timer is not running and the second timer expires,

when a Time Alignment Timer (TAT) expires, or

when the communication device, which is a terminal device, is released to an idle state.

13. The communication device of claim 8, wherein the switching unit is configured to switch the communication device from the coarse BF tracking state to the non-BF tracking state,

when the first timer expires and the second timer is not running,

when a Time Alignment Timer (TAT) expires, or

when the communication device, which is a terminal device, is released to an idle state.

14. The communication device of claim 8, wherein the switching unit is further configured to:

switch the communication device from the non-BF tracking state to the coarse BF tracking state or the fine BF tracking state, if the transceiver is scheduled to receive or transmit traffic data in the non-BF tracking state;

switch the communication device from the coarse BF tracking state to the fine BF tracking state, if the transceiver receives or transmits traffic data in the coarse BF tracking state;

or

switch the communication device from the non-BF tracking state to the coarse BF tracking state or the fine BF tracking state, if the transceiver is scheduled to receive or transmit traffic data in the non-BF tracking state and also switch the communication device from the coarse BF tracking state to the fine BF tracking state, if the transceiver receives or transmits traffic data in the coarse BF tracking state.

18. The communication device of claim 8, wherein the timer setting unit is configured to set at least one of the first timer and the second timer to have a value based upon:

the size of the time interval, wherein when the size of the time interval meets or exceeds a first threshold, the value is smaller than when the size of the time interval is less than the first threshold;

or

the moving speed, wherein when the moving speed meets or exceeds a second threshold, the value is smaller than when the moving speed is less than the second threshold.

15. A non-transitory computer readable storage medium that stores computer code instructions which when executed by a processor of a communication device cause the processor to control beam-forming (BF) tracking by performing operations comprising at least one of:

switching the communication device from a coarse BF tracking state to a non-BF tracking state when a first timer expires, wherein the communication device transmits pilot signals for BF tracking, feedback information for BF tracking or both the pilot signals and the feedback information more frequently in the coarse BF tracking state than in the non-BF tracking state; and

switching the communication device from a fine BF tracking state to the coarse BF tracking state or the non-BF tracking state when a second timer expires, wherein the communication device transmits the pilot signals for BF tracking, the feedback information for BF tracking or both the pilot signals and the feedback information more frequently in the fine BF tracking state than in the coarse BF tracking state;

wherein the first timer, the second timer, or both the first timer and the second timer are set based on at least one of traffic characteristics of the communication device and mobility characteristics of a terminal device which is the communication device or communicates with the communication device, wherein the traffic characteristics comprise a size of a time interval that traffic data is to be transmitted to or received from the communication device, and wherein the mobility characteristics comprise a moving speed of the terminal device.

16. A communication device for controlling beam-forming (BF) tracking, the communication device comprising:

a transceiver;

a processor; and

a memory, said memory having computer-executable program code stored therein which, when executed by the processor, causes the communication device to perform at least one of;

switching the communication device from a coarse BF tracking state to a non-BF tracking state when a first timer expires, wherein the communication device transmits pilot signals for BF tracking, feedback information for BF tracking or both the pilot signals and the feedback information more frequently in the coarse BF tracking state than in the non-BF tracking state; and

switching the communication device from a fine BF tracking state to the coarse BF tracking state or the non-BF tracking state when a second timer expires, wherein the communication device transmits the pilot signals for BF tracking, the feedback information for BF tracking or both the pilot signals and the feedback information more frequently in the fine BF tracking state than in the coarse BF tracking state;

wherein the first timer, the second timer, or both the first timer and the second timer are set based on at least one of traffic characteristics of the communication device and mobility characteristics of a terminal device which is the communication device or communicates with the communication device, wherein the traffic characteristics comprise a size of a time interval that traffic data is to be transmitted to or received from the communication device, and wherein the mobility characteristics comprise a moving speed of the terminal device.