Beam training method and device in communication system

• US 10,291,305 B2
• Filed: 11/05/2014
• Issued: 05/14/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 11/06/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Inventors: Jo, Ohyun, Kwon, Chang-Yeul, Kim, Jae-Hwa, Roh, Dong-Hwi, Kim, Hyun-Moo, Park, Dong-Hyuck, Oh, Jong-Ho, Yoon, Sung-Rok, Lee, Seok-Yong, Chang, Sang-Hyun, Jung, Do-Young
• Primary Examiner(s): Vlahos, Sophia
• Application Number:
  US15/035,212
• Publication Number:
  US 20160277087A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,651 Days
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 17/309 Measuring or estimating channel quality parameters
• 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 7/0619 using feedback from receiving side feedback signaling for adaptive modulation/coding H04L1/0001

Abstract

The present disclosure relates to a pre-5^th-Generation (5G) or 5G communication system to be provided for supporting higher data rates Beyond 4^th-Generation (4G) communication system such as Long Term Evolution (LTE). The present invention relates to a method and an apparatus in a communication system. A method of a network node in the communication system comprises the steps of: measuring at least one factor value indicating channel link performance of a channel link between the network node and another network node; identifying a beamforming training scheme based on the at least one factor value; and performing beamforming training with the another network node by means of the selected beamforming training method, thereby finding an optimal beam for maintaining services through the most efficient method according to a channel state and minimizing the time consumed for beamforming training.

Claims

1. A method for a network node in a communication system, the method comprising:

measuring at least two types of factor values indicating at least two types of performances of a channel link between the network node and another network node;

selecting a beamforming training scheme from a plurality of beamforming training schemes based on the at least two types of factor values;

performing beamforming training with the another network node according to the selected beamforming training scheme;

selecting a transmission beam based on a result of performing the beamforming training;

forming a channel link with the another network node using the selected transmission beam;

performing communication with the another network node via the channel link;

measuring at least two types of factor values indicating at least two types of performances of the channel link using the selected transmission beam; and

determining whether to repeatedly perform beamforming training based on the at least two types of factor values indicating the at least two types of performances of the channel link using the selected transmission beam and at least two types of reference factor values.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein performing the beamforming training with the another network node comprises:

determining a beam width and direction of at least one beam based on the selected beamforming training scheme; and

transmitting, through the at least one beam, a beamforming training signal to the another network node.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprises:

determining a beam width and a beamforming training scheme, if it is determined to repeatedly perform the beamforming training,

wherein the beam width is smaller than a beam width used for previous beamforming training.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the at least two types of reference factor values are set for each type of channel quality factor based on at least two types of required service qualities.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein selecting the beamforming training scheme based on the at least two types of factor values comprises:

comparing the measured at least two types of factor values with at least two types of reference factor values that have been preset; and

selecting one beamforming training scheme among a plurality of beamforming training schemes based on the comparison.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the plurality of beamforming training schemes comprise at least two of a sector level sweep (SLS) beamforming training scheme, a beam refinement protocol (BRP) beamforming training scheme, and a beam tracking (BT) beamforming training scheme.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the at least two types of factor values comprise at least two of error vector magnitude (EVM), signal to interference and noise ratio (SINR), received signal strength indication (RSSI), packet error rate (PER), and Throughput (Tput).

8. An apparatus of a network node in a communication system, the apparatus comprising:

at least one transceiver; and

at least one processor operatively coupled to the at least one transceiver,

wherein the at least one processor is configured to;

measure at least two types of factor values indicating at least two types of performances of a channel link between the network node and another network node;

select a beamforming training scheme from a plurality of beamforming training schemes based on the at least two types of factor values;

perform beamforming training with the another network node according to the selected beamforming training scheme;

select a transmission beam based on a result of performing the beamforming training;

form a channel link with the another network node using the selected transmission beam;

perform communication with the another network node via the channel link;

measure at least two types of factor values indicating at least two types of performances of the channel link using the selected transmission beam; and

determine whether to repeatedly perform beamforming training based on the at least two factor values indicating the at least two types of performances of the channel link using the selected transmission beam and at least two types of reference factor values.

9. The apparatus of claim 8, wherein the at least one processor is configured to:

determine a beam width and direction of at least one beam based on the selected beamforming training scheme; and

transmit, through the at least one beam, a beamforming training signal, to the another network node.

10. The apparatus of claim 8, wherein the at least one processor is further configured to:

determine a beam width and a beamforming training scheme, if it is determined to repeatedly perform the beamforming training,

wherein the beam width is smaller than a beam width used for previous beamforming training.

11. The apparatus of claim 8, wherein the at least two types of reference factor values are set for each type of channel quality factor based on at least two of required service qualities.

12. The apparatus of claim 8, wherein the at least one processor is configured to:

compare the measured at least two types of factor values with at least two types of reference factor values that have been preset; and

select one beamforming training scheme among a plurality of beamforming training schemes based on the comparison.

13. The apparatus of claim 8, wherein the plurality of beamforming training schemes comprise at least two of a sector level sweep (SLS) beamforming training scheme, a beam refinement protocol (BRP) beamforming training scheme, and a beam tracking (BT) beamforming training scheme.

14. The apparatus of claim 8, wherein the at least two types of factor values comprise at least two of error vector magnitude (EVM), signal to interference and noise ratio (SINR), received signal strength indication (RSSI), packet error rate (PER), and Throughput (Tput).

15. An apparatus of a network node in a communication system, the apparatus comprising:

at least one transceiver; and

at least one processor operatively coupled to the at least one transceiver,

wherein the at least one processor is configured to;

measure at least two types of factor values indicating at least two types of performances of a channel link between the network node and another network node;

select a beamforming training scheme from a plurality of beamforming training schemes based on the at least two types of factor values;

perform beamforming training with the another network node according to the selected beamforming training scheme;

receive, through at least one beam, a beamforming training signal, from the another network node;

select a reception beam based on a result of performing the beamforming training;

form a channel link with the another network node using the selected reception beam;

perform communication with the another network node via the channel link;

measure at least two types of factor values indicating at least two types of performances of the channel link using the selected reception beam; and

determine whether to repeatedly perform beamforming training based on the at least two types of factor values indicating the at least two types of performances of the channel link using the selected reception beam and at least two types of reference factor values,

wherein a beam width and direction of the at least one beam is determined based on the selected beamforming training scheme.

16. The apparatus of claim 15, wherein the at least two types of factor values comprise at least one of error vector magnitude (EVM), signal to interference and noise ratio (SINR), received signal strength indication (RSSI), packet error rate (PER), and Throughput (Tput).

17. The apparatus of claim 15, wherein the plurality of beamforming training schemes comprise at least two of a sector level sweep (SLS) beamforming training scheme, a beam refinement protocol (BRP) beamforming training scheme, and a beam tracking (BT) beamforming training scheme.