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

• US 9,967,886 B2
• Filed: 11/26/2015
• Issued: 05/08/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 12/03/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Industrial Technology Research Institute
• Original Assignee: Industrial Technology Research Institute
• Inventors: Ho, Chung-Lien, Chen, Ren-Jr, Wang, Yi-Ting, Chen, Wen-Chiang, Ting, Pang-An
• Primary Examiner(s): Haile, Awet
• Application Number:
  US14/953,008
• Publication Number:
  US 20160165583A1
• Time in Patent Office: 894 Days
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 7/0408 using two or more beams, i.e. beam diversity
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 7/0617 for beam forming
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 7/0695 using beam selection
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 45/74 Address processing for routing
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 72/046 the resource being in the space domain, e.g. beams
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 72/20 Control channels or signalling for resource management
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 72/23 in the downlink direction of a wireless link, i.e. towards a terminal
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 72/563 of the wireless resources

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.

Claims

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 via one of the coarse beams;

wherein the success message comprises a random access preamble;

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; and

performing a user equipment connection via a plurality of fine beams within a direction range of the 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, 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 via one of the coarse beams;

wherein the success message comprises a random access preamble;

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, and

perform a user equipment connection via a plurality of fine beams within a direction range of the 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 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 coarse beams by respectively using a superframe header of a superframe corresponding to each of the coarse beams;

in response to transmitting a success message associated with the network entry procedure via a preferred coarse beam among the coarse beams, receiving a network entry done message via the preferred coarse beam;

wherein the success message comprises a random access preamble; and

performing a user equipment connection via a plurality of fine beams within a direction range of the 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.

20. The hierarchical beamforming method of claim 19, 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.

21. The hierarchical beamforming method of claim 19, 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.

22. The hierarchical beamforming method of claim 19, further comprising:

in response to receiving a plurality of first measure signals respectively corresponding to the coarse beams via the coarse beams, acquiring a plurality of coarse beam signal parameters respectively corresponding to the coarse beams; and

selecting the preferred coarse beam from the coarse beams according to the coarse beam signal parameters, so as to transmit the success message associated with the network entry procedure by using the preferred coarse beam.

23. The hierarchical beamforming method of claim 19, 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:

during a coarse beam forming period, receiving at least one of the coarse beams, so as to perform the network entry procedure by using the superframe header transmitted via the at least one 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.

24. The hierarchical beamforming method of claim 23, 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.

25. The hierarchical beamforming method of claim 23, wherein the beam search signal provides beam search, frequency synchronism and timing information for the user equipment under a coverage of the coarse beams.

26. The hierarchical beamforming method of claim 19, wherein the step of performing the data packet transmission via the preferred fine beam among the fine beams within the direction range of the preferred coarse beam comprises:

in response to receiving a plurality of beam search signals and/or a plurality of second measure signals respectively corresponding to the fine beams via the fine beams by using the frame header of each of the basic frames, transmitting a plurality of fine beam signal parameters respectively corresponding to the fine beams or a fine beam search result via the fine beams; and

receiving downlink assignment information or uplink grant information via the preferred fine beam among the fine beams.

27. The hierarchical beamforming method of claim 22, 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 a number of the fine beams.

28. A user equipment, 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;

in response to transmitting a success message associated with the network entry procedure via a preferred coarse beam among the coarse beams, receive a network entry done message via the preferred coarse beam;

wherein the success message comprises a random access preamble; and

perform a user equipment connection via a plurality of fine beams within a direction range of the 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.

29. The user equipment of claim 28, 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.

30. The user equipment of claim 28, 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.

31. The user equipment of claim 28, wherein the processing circuit is further configured to:

in response to a plurality of first measure signals respectively corresponding to the coarse beams received via the coarse beams, acquire a plurality of coarse beam signal parameters respectively corresponding to the coarse beams; and

select the preferred coarse beam from the coarse beams according to the coarse beam signal parameters, so as to transmit the success message associated with the network entry procedure by using the preferred coarse beam.

32. The user equipment of claim 28, wherein the processing circuit is further configured to:

during a coarse beam forming period, receive at least one of the coarse beams, so as to perform the network entry procedure by using the superframe header transmitted via the at least one 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.

33. The user equipment of claim 32, 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.

34. The user equipment of claim 32, wherein the beam search signal provides beam search, frequency synchronism and timing information for the user equipment under a coverage of the coarse beams.

35. The user equipment of claim 28, wherein the processing circuit is further configured to:

in response to receiving a plurality of beam search signals and/or a plurality of second measure signals respectively corresponding to the fine beams received via the fine beams by using the frame header of each of the basic frames, transmit a plurality of fine beam signal parameters respectively corresponding to the fine beams or a fine beam search result via the fine beams; and

receive downlink assignment information or uplink grant information via the preferred fine beam among the fine beams.

36. The user equipment of claim 28, 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.