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BR-112020001375-B1 - METHOD FOR SELECTING A SET OF BEAMS, BASE STATION, AND COMPUTER-READABLE STORAGE MEDIA

BR112020001375B1BR 112020001375 B1BR112020001375 B1BR 112020001375B1BR-112020001375-B1

Abstract

A method for selecting a set of beams to be monitored by a User Equipment (UE) in a telecommunications network, said telecommunications network comprising a Base Station (BS) function coupled to at least one Access Node (AN) serving said UE, said method comprising the steps of receiving measurement data comprising measurements of the beam qualities observed by said UE, wherein said beams originate from at least one AN to said UE, and originate from at least one other AN in said telecommunications network to said UE, retrieving at least one measurement data point from a particular UE that corresponds to the received measurement data, wherein the historical database comprises historical measurement data comprising measurements of the beam qualities observed by UEs in said telecommunications network over time, selecting a set of beams to be monitored by said UE based on said at least one measurement data point retrieved from said particular UE and based on the measurement data. subsequent to the said (...).

Inventors

  • IGOR MOACO GUERREIRO
  • Maria Fresia
  • Victor Farias Monteiro

Assignees

  • TELEFONAKTIEBOLAGET LM ERICSSON (PUBL)

Dates

Publication Date
20260310
Application Date
20170801

Claims (11)

  1. 1. Method for selecting a set of beams to be monitored by a User Equipment, UE (112, 601), in a telecommunication network, said telecommunication network comprising a Base Station, BS, function (102) coupled to at least one Access Node, AN, serving said UE (112, 601), said method comprising the steps of: - receiving (302), by said BS function (102), from said UE (112, 601), measurement data comprising measurements of the beam qualities observed by said UE (112, 601), wherein said beams originate from at least one AN to said UE (112, 601), and originate from at least one other AN in said telecommunication network to said UE (112, 601); - retrieving (303), by said BS function (102), in a historical database (114), at least one measurement datum from a particular UE (112, 601) that corresponds to the received measurement data, wherein the historical database (114) comprises the historical measurement data comprising the measurements of the beam qualities observed by the UEs (112, 601) in said telecommunication network - select (304), by said BS function (102), a set of beams that will be monitored by said UE (112, 601), and - transmit (305), by said BS function (102), said selected set of beams that will be monitored to said UE (112, 601), characterized in that said selection (304), by said BS function (102), of a set of beams that will be monitored to said UE (112, 601) is based on said at least one retrieved measurement datum comprising the beam qualities observed by said UE in particular (112, 601) and is based on subsequent measurement data comprising the qualities of the beams observed by said UE in particular (112, 601) during the time in said historical database (114); and - said transmission, by said BS function (102), of said selected beam set to be monitored for said UE (112, 601) further comprises the transmission of a frequency parameter indicating to said UE (102, 601) the number of measurements for said selected beam set to be performed by said UE (112, 601).
  2. 2. Method according to claim 1, characterized in that said received measurement data comprising the beam quality measurements observed by said UE (112, 601) comprise: - a signal-to-noise ratio for each of said beams; - a Received Signal Strength Indicator, RSSI, for each of said beams; - a Received Reference Signal Power, RSRP, for each of said beams; - a Received Reference Signal Quality, RSRQ, for each of said beams.
  3. 3. Method according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that said method further comprises the step of: - storing, by said BS function (102), said measurement data received in said historical database (114).
  4. 4. Method according to any one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that said method further comprises the steps of: - determining, by said BS function (102), based on said at least one measurement datum retrieved from said particular UE (112, 601) and based on subsequent measurement data of said particular UE (112, 601) during the time in said historical database (114), that said UE (112, 601) should be transferred to a different AN in said telecommunication network; - performing, by said BS function (102), a transfer of said UE (112, 601) to said different AN determined in said telecommunication network.
  5. 5. A method according to any one of claims 1 to 4, characterized in that each beam originates from a spatial multiplexing transmission technique and said BS function is arranged to have channel knowledge of each beam.
  6. 6. Base Station, BS, arranged to select a set of beams to be monitored by a User Equipment, UE (112, 601), in a telecommunications network, said telecommunications network comprising a BS coupled to at least one Access Node, AN, serving said UE (112, 601), said BS comprising: - receiving equipment (502) arranged to receive, from said UE (112, 601), measurement data comprising measurements of the beam qualities observed by said UE (112, 601), said beams originating from at least one AN to said UE (112, 601), and originating from at least one other AN in said telecommunications network to said UE (112, 601); - retrieval equipment (505) arranged to retrieve, in a historical database (114), at least one measurement datum from a particular UE (112, 601) corresponding to the received measurement data, wherein the historical database (114) comprises the historical measurement data comprising the beam quality measurements observed by the UEs (112, 601) on said telecommunication network over time, - selection equipment (504) arranged to select a set of beams to be monitored by said UE (112, 601), and - transmission equipment (509) arranged to transmit said selected set of beams to be monitored to said UE (112, 601), characterized in that said selection equipment (504) is arranged to select a set of beams to be monitored by said UE (112, 601) based on said at least one retrieved measurement datum comprising the beam qualities observed by said particular UE (112, 601) and based on subsequent measurement data comprising the beam qualities observed by said UE in particular (112, 601) during the time in said historical database (114); - said transmission equipment is further arranged to transmit a frequency parameter indicating to said UE (112, 601) the number of measurements for said selected beam set that will be performed by said UE (112, 601).
  7. 7. Base Station according to claim 6, characterized in that said received measurement data comprising the beam quality measurements observed by said UE (112, 601) comprises: - a signal-to-noise ratio for each of said beams; - a Received Signal Strength Indicator, RSSI, for each of said beams; - a Received Reference Signal Power, RSRP, for each of said beams; - a Received Reference Signal Quality, RSRQ, for each of said beams.
  8. 8. Base Station according to claim 6 or 7, characterized in that said BS further comprises: - storage equipment arranged to store said measurement data received in said historical database (114).
  9. 9. Base Station according to any one of claims 6 to 8, characterized in that said BS further comprises: - process equipment arranged to determine, based on said at least one measurement datum retrieved from said particular UE (112, 601) and based on subsequent measurement data of said particular UE (112, 601) during the time in said historical database (114), that said UE (112, 601) should be transferred to a different AN in said telecommunication network, and to perform a transfer of said UE (112, 601) to said different AN determined in said telecommunication network.
  10. 10. Base Station according to any one of claims 6 to 9, characterized in that each beam originates from a spatial multiplexing transmission technique and said BS is arranged to have knowledge of the channel of each beam.
  11. 11. Computer-readable storage media characterized in that it comprises computer-readable instructions which, when executed on at least one processor, cause at least one computer to perform a method as defined in any one of claims 1 to 5.

Description

Technical Field [001] The present invention generally relates to the selection of a set of beams to be monitored and, more specifically, to the selection of beams based on historical measurement data of beam qualities previously observed by the user's equipment. Fundamentals [002] Extremely high frequency, EHF, is the designation of the International Telecommunication Union, ITU, for the radio frequency band in the electromagnetic spectrum from 30 to 300 gigahertz, GHz. Radio waves in this band have wavelengths from ten to one millimeter, giving it the name millimeter band or millimeter wave, sometimes abbreviated as MMW or mmW. [003] These frequency bands are designed to be used when the corresponding spectrum is not as congested compared to the more frequently used frequency bands, for example, the frequency bands below 6 GHz, thereby improving the system's capacity. Propagation effects are, however, severe in these frequency bands. For example, signal quality decays rapidly with distance and, for example, diffraction, penetration and/or reflection losses are considered high. [004] One of the proposed advances in this area is to use beamforming with narrow beams and high directivity using very large antenna arrays, namely, massive Multiple Input Multiple Output, MIMO antennas. [005] Beamforming or spatial filtering is a signal processing technique used in arrays for directional signal transmission or reception. This is achieved by combining the elements in an antenna array in such a way that signals at particular angles experience constructive interference, while others experience destructive interference. Beamforming can be used at both transmitting and receiving terminals in order to achieve spatial selectivity. The improvement, compared to omnidirectional reception/transmission, is known as the directivity of the array. [006] Following the above, it may be advantageous if the measurement and reporting of multiple narrow beams, or, put simply, beam management, is efficiently addressed, so that the access nodes, ANs, can, for example, maintain the signal quality experienced on the user side, i.e., on the User Equipment, UE, above a predetermined limit. [007] It is understood that, for the next generation of radio technology, namely, new radio, NR, 5G, 3GPP describes in summary a set of procedures for beam management, indicating that the procedure for intra/inter AN beam switching can use a smaller set of beams, compared to the beam space in the set. [008] In the Long Term Evolution, LTE, neither massive MIMO antennas nor millimeter wave bands are supported. Thus, the LTE solution only supports the management of the entire beamspace. Using such a solution to manage multiple narrow beams will prohibitively increase the signaling burden. [009] The solutions currently implemented are based on beam training. That is, the beams, or set of beams, that will be used for transmission are determined based on UE measurements on previously selected beams. These measurements may, for example, be outdated, and this can cause spatial misalignment that can lead to beam failure. Summary [0010] It is an objective to provide beam selection methods that will be monitored by a User Equipment, UE, thereby, among other things, reducing signaling overprocessing in a telecommunications network. [0011] Another objective is to provide a base station function, a User Equipment, UE, as well as a non-transient computer-readable storage medium involved in the methods presented. [0012] In a first aspect, a method is provided for selecting a set of beams that will be monitored by a User Equipment, UE, in a telecommunication network, said telecommunication network comprising a Base Station, BS, function coupled to at least one Access Node, AN, that serves said UE. [0013] The method comprises the steps of receiving, by said BS function, from said UE, measurement data comprising measurements of the beam qualities observed by said UE, wherein said beams originate from said at least one AN to said UE, retrieving, by said BS function, from a historical database, at least one measurement data point from a particular UE that corresponds to the measurement data received, wherein the historical database comprises historical measurement data comprising measurements of the beam qualities observed by UEs in said telecommunication network over time, selecting, by said BS function, a set of beams to be monitored by said UE based on said at least one measurement data point retrieved from said particular UE and based on subsequent measurement data from said particular UE over time in said historical database, and transmitting, by said BS function, said selected set of beams to be monitored to said UE. [0014] The method is at least based on the understanding that historical measurements can be considered in determining which beams the UE should monitor. The historical database may be empty initially, and may be populated during runtime. As such, measureme