Methods exploiting asymmetric capabilities for contention-based random access in mm-wave access systems

• US 9,681,309 B2
• Filed: 08/05/2014
• Issued: 06/13/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 08/05/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Qualcomm, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Qualcomm, Inc.
• Inventors: Raghavan, Vasanthan, Subramanian, Sundar, Li, Junyi, Sampath, Ashwin
• Primary Examiner(s): Taha, Shaq
• Assistant Examiner(s): Davis, Ronald h
• Application Number:
  US14/452,510
• Publication Number:
  US 20160044517A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,043 Days
• Field of Search: None
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 7/046 taking physical layer constraints into account
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 7/0617 for beam forming
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 7/0695 using beam selection
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 7/088 using beam selection
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 16/28 using beam steering
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 48/16 Discovering, processing access restriction or access information
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 72/046 the resource being in the space domain, e.g. beams
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 76/15 Setup of multiple wireless link connections

Abstract

A method, an apparatus, and a computer program product for operating a user equipment (UE) are provided. The apparatus receives beamforming capability information indicating one of at least a digital, analog, or hybrid beamforming capability, the beamforming capability associated with a millimeter wave base station (mmW-BS). Based on the beamforming capability information, the apparatus scans N transmit beams from the mmW-BS for each of M receive beam directions of the UE, determines one or more preferred scanned beams from among the N transmit beams, and establishes a wireless communication link with the mmW-BS based on the preferred one or more scanned beams.

Claims

1. A method of wireless communication for a user equipment (UE), comprising:

receiving beamforming capability information indicating one of at least a digital, analog, or hybrid beamforming capability, and including an RF beam switching speed, the beamforming capability being associated with a millimeter wave base station (mmW-BS);

scanning, based on the beamforming capability information including the RF beam switching speed, N transmit beams from the mmW-BS for each of M receive beam directions of the UE, the scanning including selecting a frame structure for the scanning based on the RF beam switching speed of the mmW-BS;

determining one or more preferred scanned beams from among the N transmit beams; and

establishing a wireless communication link with the mmW-BS based on the preferred one or more scanned beams.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising sending information indicating the preferred one or more scanned beams to the mmW-BS.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising sending beamforming capability information associated with the UE to the mmW-BS, wherein the scanning is further based on the beamforming capability information associated with the UE.

4. The method of claim 3, further comprising determining a beam search procedure and an appropriate signaling framework between the UE and the mmW-BS to convey beam information over the preferred scanned beam based on at least one of the beamforming capability information associated with the mmW-BS or the beamforming capability information associated with the UE, wherein the scanning is performed according to the determined beam search procedure and the frame structure for the scanning corresponds to the determined beam search procedure.

5. The method of claim 3, wherein:

the beamforming capability information associated with the UE indicates that the UE comprises a plurality of antenna sub-arrays, and

the scanning of the N transmit beams comprises scanning the N transmit beams using the plurality of antenna sub-arrays in a time slot.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the scanning comprises configuring antenna weights and/or a phase and amplitude for the N transmit beams.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein determining the one or more preferred scanned beams comprises comparing a signal quality of the scanned beams to a threshold.

8. A user equipment (UE) for wireless communication, comprising:

means for receiving beamforming capability information indicating one of at least a digital, analog, or hybrid beamforming capability, and including an RF beam switching speed, the beamforming capability associated with a millimeter wave base station (mmW-BS);

means for scanning, based on the beamforming capability information including the RF beam switching speed, N transmit beams from the mmW-BS for each of M receive beam directions of the UE, the scanning including selecting a frame structure for the scanning based on the RF beam switching speed of the mmW-BS;

means for determining one or more preferred scanned beams from among the N transmit beams; and

means for establishing a wireless communication link with the mmW-BS based on the preferred one or more scanned beams.

9. The UE of claim 8, further comprising means for sending information indicating the preferred one or more scanned beams to the mmW-BS.

10. The UE of claim 8, further comprising means for sending beamforming capability information associated with the UE to the mmW-BS, wherein the scanning is further based on the beamforming capability information associated with the UE.

11. The UE of claim 10, further comprising means for determining a beam search procedure and an appropriate signaling framework between the UE and the mmW-BS to convey beam information over the preferred scanned beam based on at least one of the beamforming capability information associated with the mmW-BS or the beamforming capability information associated with the UE, wherein the scanning is performed according to the determined beam search procedure and the frame structure for the scanning corresponds to the determined beam search procedure.

12. The UE of claim 10, wherein:

the beamforming capability information associated with the UE indicates that the UE comprises a plurality of antenna sub-arrays, and

the scanning of the N transmit beams comprises scanning the N transmit beams using the plurality of antenna sub-arrays in a time slot.

13. The UE of claim 8, wherein the scanning comprises configuring antenna weights and/or a phase and amplitude for the N transmit beams.

14. The UE of claim 8, wherein determining the one or more preferred scanned beams comprises comparing a signal quality of the scanned beams to a threshold.

15. A user equipment (UE) for wireless communication, comprising:

a memory; and

at least one processor coupled to the memory and configured to;

receive beamforming capability information indicating one of at least a digital, analog, or hybrid beamforming capability, and including an RF beam switching speed, the beamforming capability associated with a millimeter wave base station (mmW-BS);

scan, based on the beamforming capability information including the RF beam switching speed, N transmit beams from the mmW-BS for each of M receive beam directions of the UE, the at least one processor being further configured to select a frame structure for the scan based on the RF beam switching speed of the mmW-BS, as part of being configured to scan;

determine one or more preferred scanned beams from among the N transmit beams; and

establish a wireless communication link with the mmW-BS based on the preferred one or more scanned beams.

16. The UE of claim 15, wherein the at least one processor is further configured to send information indicating the preferred one or more scanned beams to the mmW-BS.

17. The UE of claim 15, wherein the at least one processor is further configured to send beamforming capability information associated with the UE to the mmW-BS, wherein the scanning is further based on the beamforming capability information associated with the UE.

18. The UE of claim 17, wherein the at least one processor is further configured to determine a beam search procedure and an appropriate signaling framework between the UE and the mmW-BS to convey beam information over the preferred scanned beam based on at least one of the beamforming capability information associated with the mmW-BS or the beamforming capability information associated with the UE, wherein the scanning is performed according to the determined beam search procedure and the frame structure for the scanning corresponds to the determined beam search procedure.

19. The UE of claim 17, wherein:

the beamforming capability information associated with the UE indicates that the UE comprises a plurality of antenna sub-arrays, and

the scanning of the N transmit beams comprises scanning the N transmit beams using the plurality of antenna sub-arrays in a time slot.

20. The UE of claim 15, wherein the scanning comprises configuring antenna weights and/or a phase and amplitude for the N transmit beams.

21. The UE of claim 15, wherein determining the one or more preferred scanned beams comprises comparing a signal quality of the scanned beams to a threshold.

22. A non-transitory computer-readable medium comprising code that when executed by at least one processor causes the at least one processor to:

receive beamforming capability information indicating one of at least a digital, analog, or hybrid beamforming capability, and including an RF beam switching speed, the beamforming capability associated with a millimeter wave base station (mmW-BS);

scan, based on the beamforming capability information including the RF beam switching speed, N transmit beams from the mmW-BS for each of M receive beam directions of the UE, the scanning including selecting a frame structure for the scanning based on the RF beam switching speed of the mmW-BS;

determine one or more preferred scanned beams from among the N transmit beams; and

establish a wireless communication link with the mmW-BS based on the preferred one or more scanned beams.

23. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 22, further comprising code that when executed by the at least one processor causes the at least one processor to send information indicating the preferred one or more scanned beams to the mmW-BS.

24. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 22, further comprising code that when executed by the at least one processor causes the at least one processor to send beamforming capability information associated with the UE to the mmW-BS, wherein the scanning is further based on the beamforming capability information associated with the UE.

25. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 24, further comprising code that when executed by the at least one processor causes the at least one processor to determine a beam search procedure and an appropriate signaling framework between the UE and the mmW-BS to convey beam information over the preferred scanned beam based on at least one of the beamforming capability information associated with the mmW-BS or the beamforming capability information associated with the UE, wherein the scanning is performed according to the determined beam search procedure and the frame structure for the scanning corresponds to the determined beam search procedure.

26. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 24, wherein:

the beamforming capability information associated with the UE indicates that the UE comprises a plurality of antenna sub-arrays, and

the scanning of the N transmit beams comprises scanning the N transmit beams using the plurality of antenna sub-arrays in a time slot.

27. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 22, wherein the scanning comprises configuring antenna weights and/or a phase and amplitude for the N transmit beams.

28. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 22, wherein determining the one or more preferred scanned beams comprises comparing a signal quality of the scanned beams to a threshold.