TWI686060B - Base station and beam adjusting method thereof - Google Patents

Abstract

A base station and a beam adjusting method thereof are provided. Loading condition is measured, to adjust the number of the beams dynamically. When the loading condition is high, the number of the beams is reduced. When the loading condition is low, the number of the beams is increased. Accordingly, a better balanced loading can be provided, and the system efficiency can be improved. At the same time, a better coverage of the cell can be provided. In an extreme congestion condition, network access delay and failure can be improved.

Description

Base station and its beam adjustment method

The present invention relates to a beamforming technology (beamforming), and in particular to a base station and its beam adjustment method.

In high-frequency communication systems, in order to counter the propagation loss encountered by high-frequency transmission, the transmitting end will use high-gain beamforming (beamforming) technology to make up, and even the receiving end may also use it. However, the beams formed by high-gain beamforming are usually narrower and narrower. Therefore, when transmitting synchronization and broadcast information, it is necessary to use a time-sharing method and use multiple beams to perform beam sweeping. In order to completely cover the entire service area. With the growth of telecommunications users, there may be a relatively high load in popular venues or event venues, and many users in the same place may need to share relatively few resources, thereby affecting the Internet experience.

In view of this, the present invention provides a base station and its beam adjustment method, which can adjust the number of beams or their shapes according to the load status of each beam, thereby improving system efficiency in response to different load conditions.

The base station according to the embodiment of the invention at least includes an antenna, a receiver, a transmitter and a processor. One or more antennas support beamforming technology. The receiver is coupled to the antenna and receives signals through the antenna. The transmitter is coupled to the antenna and transmits signals through the antenna. The processor is coupled to the receiver and the transmitter, and is configured to perform the following steps. The transmitter uses several Synchronization Signal and Broadcast (SSB) beam scans to obtain the load status of those synchronization signals and broadcast beams. Adjust the number of synchronization signals and broadcast beams according to the load conditions of those synchronization signals and broadcast beams.

On the other hand, the beam adjustment method of the embodiment of the present invention is applicable to a base station supporting beamforming, and the beam adjustment method includes the following steps. Use several synchronization signals and broadcast beam scans to obtain the load status of those synchronization signals and broadcast beams. Adjust the number of synchronization signals and broadcast beams according to the load conditions of those synchronization signals and broadcast beams.

Based on the above, the base station and the beam adjustment method thereof according to the embodiments of the present invention count the beam load status, dynamically adjust the number and shape of the beams to provide better load balance, improve system efficiency, and maintain cell coverage range.

In order to make the above-mentioned features and advantages of the present invention more obvious and understandable, the embodiments are specifically described below in conjunction with the accompanying drawings for detailed description as follows.

FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram of a communication system 1 according to an embodiment of the invention. Please refer to FIG. 1, this communication system 1 includes at least but not limited to user equipment UE and base station BS.

The user equipment UE may be a mobile station (MS), an advanced mobile station (AMS), a server, a desktop computer, a notebook computer, a network computer, a workstation, a tablet computer, a telephone device Other equipment.

The base station BS may be a Transmission Reception Point (TRP), a Home Evolved Node B (HeNB), an Evolved Node B (eNB), a Next Generation Base Station (gNB), an advanced Base station (Advanced Base Station, ABS), base transceiver system (Base Transceiver System, BTS), access point (Access Point, AP), home base station (home base station). The base station BS includes at least but not limited to one or more sets of antennas, transmitters (coupled antennas), receivers (coupled antennas), analog-to-digital/digital-to-analog converters, and processors (coupled to the transmitter and Receiver, and used to perform all control operations of the base station BS), to wirelessly transmit or receive signals (eg, control signaling, or data) through an antenna that supports beamforming, such as low noise amplification, impedance Analog signal processing operations of matching, mixing, up or down conversion, filtering, amplification and the like, and performing conversion between analog and digital signals, and using corresponding communication protocol software modules to process digital packets.

It is worth noting that in order to achieve better coverage, the base station BS will use beamforming to compensate for the propagation loss during high-frequency transmission, but the beam formed by high-gain beamforming is usually narrower and narrower, so The base station BS will use a beam sweeping method to transmit the beam of a broadcast (Synchronization signal and broadcast, SSB).

2 is a schematic diagram of beam scanning according to an embodiment of the present invention. In order to provide a good service area coverage when the SSB beams are relatively narrow compared to low-frequency communication networks, high-frequency communication systems usually use beam scanning to transmit SSB beams b ₁ ~ b ₁₄ . That is, the base station BS periodically transmits SSB beams in different directions using a time-sharing method. According to the coverage, the base station BS will have the initial SSB beam number, SSB beam transmission direction, and SSB beam effective isotropically radiated power (EIRP) and other configurations.

In order to facilitate understanding of the operation flow of the present invention, a number of embodiments will be described in detail below. In the following, the method described in the embodiment of the present invention will be described with the devices in the communication system 1 of FIG. 1. The various processes of the method can be adjusted according to the implementation situation, and it is not limited to this.

FIG. 3 is a flowchart of a beam adjustment method according to an embodiment of the invention. Referring to FIG. 3, the base station BS scans through several SSB beams b ₁ to b ₁₄ shown in FIG. 2, for example, and the network (ie, the base station BS) counts the number of cells (cell) within a period of time T That is, the load status of each SSB beam provided by the base station BS) (step S301). The time T may be a period in which all SSB beams under the base station BS complete a round of time-sharing transmission, an integer multiple of the period, or a predetermined period of time. The base station BS determines whether there is a high-load beam with a high load threshold α1 (step S302), and determines whether there is a low-load beam with a low load threshold α2 (step S304). If the load condition of a certain SSB beam is quantized to be greater than or equal to the high load threshold α1, it will be marked (or regarded) as a high load beam H (high) (step S303). If the SSB beam load condition is quantized and is less than or equal to the low load threshold α2, it is marked as low load beam L (low) (step S305). If the SSB load is quantified between the high load threshold α1 and the low load threshold α2 (ie, α1>SSB beam load>α2), it is marked as medium load beam M (Medium).

It is worth noting that the SSB beam load status is related to the ratio of the number of users under a certain SSB beam (that is, the number of user equipment UEs) to the number of uplink random access channel resources, and a certain SSB beam. The number of users, the number of accesses via a certain SSB beam, the amount of data received and transmitted via a certain SSB beam, and the number of times a user (ie, user equipment UE) transmits and receives via a certain SSB beam are used to represent the SSB beam Indicator of busyness.

In addition, the high load threshold α1 and the low load threshold α2 are defined SSB beam load thresholds, where α1>α2>0. If the SSB beam load is greater than or equal to the high load threshold α1, it indicates that the SSB beam load is too heavy, and it indicates that the load needs to be reduced to improve the access success rate and network delay. If the SSB beam load is less than or equal to the low load threshold α2, it means that the SSB beam load is very light/low, and it can be considered to merge with other light/low load SSB beams to reduce the air interface resources occupied by the SSB beam and increase system efficiency. If the SSB beam load is between the high load threshold α1 and the low load threshold α2, it means that the SSB beam load is moderate (ie, between the high load beam and the low load beam). If an SSB beam under this cell is marked as a high-load beam H, the base station BS will adjust all SSB beams marked as a high-load beam H (step S303). The base station BS will also determine whether any SSBs under the cell are marked as low-load beams L, and if so, then adjust all SSB beams marked as low-load beams L (step S305).

FIG. 4 is a flowchart of a beam adjustment method-high-load beam according to an embodiment of the present invention. Referring to FIG. 4, the network will first count the total number of beams (K) used by the current cell and the number of SSB beams (N) marked as high-load beam H, and then N N SSBs marked as high-load beam H The beams are arranged in a sequence Beam _H = {b ₁ , b ₂ ,..., b _N } in order from high to low load level (step S401). The network then sequentially checks each SSB beam b _i (i=1~N) according to the sorting result in the sequence Beam _H (step S402). For the SSB beam b _i , if the current total beam number K in the cell is still less than the maximum total beam number K _max supported by a single cell, the network side further checks whether the SSB beam b _i can be further split into finer SSB beams (step S403). The maximum total beam number K _max may be assigned by the network administrator or specified by standard specifications. Whether the SSB beam can be split will depend on the system configuration and hardware limitations of the transmitting end (ie, the base station BS), and the system will have the limitation of beam thickness adjustment. If the SSB beam b _i cannot be split, the network will continue to check the next SSB beam b _i+1 (step S404). If the SSB beam b _i can be split, the network will generate two or more thinner SSB beams instead of the SSB beam b _i (step S405). It is worth noting that the individual EIRP of these new SSB beams is the same as the SSB beam b _i , and the total beam width of the new SSB beam is approximately the same as the SSB beam b _i beam width. Base station BS and appropriate adjustments SSB new beam pointing, so that the beam b _i with the same total SSB scope of these new beam. The base station BS then continues to check the next SSB beam b _i+1 (step S406) until all SSB beams in the sequence Beam _H have been checked (ie, i=N) or the total number of beams K equals the maximum total number of beams K _max .

5 is a flowchart of a low-load beam according to an embodiment of the present invention. Referring to FIG. 5, the network (ie, the base station BS) will first count the number of SSB beams marked as low-load beam L (P), and then P P SSB beams marked as low-load beam L according to the load level Beam _L = {b ₁ , b ₂ ,..., b _P } is arranged in order from low to high (step S501). Then, the network side sequentially checks each SSB beam b _i (i=1~P) according to the sorting result in the sequence Beam _L (step S502). The network checks whether the SSB beam b _i has been merged (step S503); if yes, continue to check the next SSB beam b _i+1 (step S504); if not, find the beam set Set _comb (step S505) . This set of beams in the SSB Set _comb beam b _j must meet the following conditions: labeled low load beam L, it has not yet been merged with the beam b _i adjacent SSB, the SSB beam b _i b _j combined with SSB beam may have a new The same EIRP as the SSB beams b _i and b _j and the new SSB beam beam width is approximately the same as the sum of the SSB beams b _i and b _j beam width. The network also determines whether the beam set Set _comb is an empty set (step S506). If the beam set Set _comb is an empty set, it means that no suitable SSB beam b _j can be found to merge with the SSB beam b _i , and the network will continue to check the next SSB beam b _i+1 (step S504). If the beam set Set _{comb is} not an empty set, the network end finds the SSB beam b _j with the lowest load from the beam set Set _comb , and generates a new SSB beam to replace the SSB beams b _i and b _j . The new SSB beam has the same EIRP as the SSB beams b _i and b _j and the SSB beam width is approximately the same as the sum of the SSB beams b _i and b _j . The base station BS can adjust the new SSB beam appropriately Point so that its coverage is the same as the total coverage of SSB beams b _i and b _j (step S507).

It should be noted that the embodiment of FIG. 5 only combines two SSB beams, but in other embodiments, more than two SSB beams may be combined, but it should be noted that the new SSB beam must still conform to the same EIRP and the same total beam width And the limitations of the same coverage.

In order to facilitate the reader to understand the spirit of the embodiments of the present invention, two examples will be described below. Figure 6 is an example illustrating beam splitting. The base station BS configures three SSB beams b ₁ , b ₂ , and b ₃ whose EIRP and beam width are approximately the same. Since the current distribution situation of the user equipment UE is that a large number of users are concentrated under the SSB beam b ₂ , the random access of the user equipment UE in the uplink of the SSB beam b ₂ often fails or the delay is too large. After a period of statistics from the base station BS, it is found that the load status of the SSB beam b ₂ is quantified and is greater than the high load threshold α1, while the SSB beams b ₁ and b _{3 have a} load between the high load threshold α 1 and the low load threshold α 2. Therefore, SSB beam b ₂ will be marked as high-load beam H, and SSB beams b ₁ and b ₃ will be marked as medium-load beam M. In addition, since the current total beam number of the cell has not exceeded the maximum total beam number K _max and the SSB beam b ₂ can be further split into finer SSB beams, the base station BS generates new SSB beams b _2-1 and b _2-2 To replace the SSB beam b ₂ . The EIRP of these two new SSB beams b _2-1 and b _{2-2 is} the same as that of SSB beam b ₂ and their beam widths are half of SSB beam b ₂ respectively (the sum of the two is roughly the same), with appropriate adjustments After pointing, the two new SSB beams b _2-1 and b _2-2 always cover the same angle as the SSB beam b ₂ . Finally, the user equipment UE will be evenly distributed under the SSB beams b _2-1 and b _2-2 to improve the load balance of the network and the probability and delay of the user's uplink random access success.

FIG. 7 is an example illustrating beam combining. Referring to FIG. 7, the base station BS configures eight SSB beams b _{1 to} b ₈ whose EIRP and beam width are approximately the same. Because the current distribution of user equipment UE is that there is only one user equipment UE under SSB beam b ₁ , and there is no user equipment UE under SSB beam b ₂ . After a period of statistics at the base station BS, it is found that the load status of the SSB beams b ₁ and b ₂ is quantified and is less than or equal to the low load threshold α2, while the remaining SSB beams b ₃ ~ b _{8 are} between the high load threshold α1 and low load Between the threshold α2, the SSB beams b ₁ and b ₂ are marked as low-load beams L, and the remaining SSB beams b ₃ -b ₈ are marked as medium-load beams M. Since SSB beams b ₁ and b ₂ are both marked as low-load beam L, SSB beams b ₁ and b _{2 are} adjacent, and new SSB beams combined with SSB beams b ₁ and b ₂ may have the same EIRP and be the same as SSB beam b ₁ The sum of the beam widths of b ₂ and b ₂ is approximately the same, so the base station BS merges the SSB beams b ₁ and b ₂ and generates a new SSB beam b _new to replace the SSB beams b ₁ and b ₂ . New SSB beam b _{new new} and SSB beams b _1, and b ₂ have the same EIRP and its beam width and SSB beam b beamwidth _1, and b ₂ the sum is substantially the same, and after appropriate adjustment of the beam direction, the new SSB beam b The coverage of _new is approximately the same as the total coverage of SSB beams b ₁ and b ₂ . Finally, the total number of beams in the system is reduced to seven, that is, fewer SSB beams to occupy the air interface resources, thereby improving the spectrum utilization efficiency of the system.

In summary, the base station and the beam adjustment method thereof according to the embodiments of the present invention dynamically adjust the number and width (shape) of beams by counting the load status of each beam to improve network load balance and increase system spectrum usage Efficiency, at the same time, can also improve the success rate of network access, and reduce the user's network access delay experience.

Although the present invention has been disclosed as above with examples, it is not intended to limit the present invention. Any person with ordinary knowledge in the technical field can make some changes and modifications without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention. The scope of protection of the present invention shall be subject to the scope defined in the appended patent application.

1‧‧‧Communication system

BS‧‧‧ Base station

UE‧‧‧User equipment

b1~b14, b _2-1 , b _2-2 , b _new ‧‧‧ beam

S301~S305, S401~S406, S501~S507

FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram of a communication system according to an embodiment of the invention. FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram of beam scanning according to an embodiment of the invention. FIG. 3 is a flowchart of a beam adjustment method according to an embodiment of the invention. FIG. 4 is a flowchart of a beam adjustment method-high-load beam according to an embodiment of the present invention. 5 is a flowchart of a low-load beam according to an embodiment of the present invention. Figure 6 is an example illustrating beam splitting. FIG. 7 is an example illustrating beam combining.

S301~S305‧‧‧Step

Claims (10)

A base station includes: at least one antenna supporting beamforming technology; a receiver coupled to the at least one antenna and receiving signals through the at least one antenna; a transmitter coupled to the at least one antenna, and Transmitting a signal through the at least one antenna; and a processor, coupled to the receiver and the transmitter, and configured to perform: using the transmitter to utilize multiple synchronization signal and broadcast (SSB) beams Scan to obtain the load status of the synchronization signals and broadcast beams; and increase or decrease the number of the synchronization signals and broadcast beams according to the load conditions of the synchronization signals and broadcast beams. The base station as described in item 1 of the patent application scope, wherein the processor is configured to perform: if a load condition of the synchronization signal and the broadcast beam is greater than or equal to a high load threshold, it is regarded as a high load beam; And splitting the high-load beam into at least two new beams, wherein the equivalent isotropically radiated power (EIRP) of each new beam is the same as the high-load beam, and the sum of the widths of the at least two new beams It is approximately the same as the high-load beam. The base station as described in item 1 of the patent application scope, wherein the processor is configured to perform: if a load condition of the synchronization signal and the broadcast beam is less than or equal to a low load threshold, it is regarded as a low load beam; And combining at least two adjacent low-load beams into a new beam, wherein the equivalent isotropic radiated power of the new beam is the same as the at least two low-load beams, and the width of the new beam is the same as that of the at least two low-load beams The total width is approximately the same. The base station as described in item 2 or 3 of the patent application scope, wherein the processor is configured to perform: sorting the synchronization signals and broadcast beams according to the quantized height of their corresponding load conditions; and selecting sequentially according to the sorting results At least one of the synchronization signals and the broadcast beam is split, or at least two of the synchronization signals and the broadcast beam are combined. The base station as described in item 1 of the patent application scope, wherein the load status is related to the ratio of the number of users to the number of uplink random access channel resources, the number of users, the number of access times, the amount of data transmitted, And at least one of the times of sending and receiving. A beam adjustment method is suitable for a base station that supports beamforming. The beam adjustment method includes: scanning a plurality of synchronization signals and broadcast beams to obtain the load status of the synchronization signals and broadcast beams; and based on the synchronization signals and broadcasts The load condition of the beam increases or decreases Step signal and the number of broadcast beams. The beam adjustment method as described in item 6 of the patent application scope, wherein the step of adjusting the number of the synchronization signals and the broadcast beams according to the load conditions of the synchronization signals and the broadcast beams includes: if the load of the synchronization signals and the broadcast beams If the condition is greater than or equal to a high load threshold, it is regarded as a high load beam; and the high load beam is split into at least two new beams, wherein the equivalent omnidirectional radiation power of each new beam is the same as the high load beam, And the total width of the at least two new beams is approximately the same as the high-load beam. The beam adjustment method as described in item 6 of the patent application scope, wherein the step of adjusting the number of the synchronization signals and the broadcast beams according to the loading conditions of the synchronization signals and the broadcast beams includes: if the load of the synchronization signals and the broadcast beams If the condition is less than or equal to a low load threshold, it is regarded as a low load beam; and at least two adjacent low load beams are combined into a new beam, wherein the equivalent omnidirectional radiation power of the new beam and the at least two low load beams The beams are the same, and the width of the new beam is approximately the same as the sum of the widths of the at least two low-load beams. The beam adjustment method as described in item 7 or 8 of the patent application scope further includes: sorting the synchronization signals and broadcast beams according to the quantization level of their corresponding load conditions; and sequentially selecting the synchronization signals and broadcasts according to the sorting result At least one of the beams is split, or at least two of the synchronization signals and the broadcast beam are combined. The beam adjustment method as described in item 6 of the patent application scope, wherein the load condition is related to the ratio of the number of users to the number of uplink random access channel resources, the number of users, the number of access times, the amount of transmitted data, and the number of times of receiving and sending At least one.

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