US2018097554A1PendingUtilityA1

Synchronization in a Beamforming System

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Assignee: MEDIATEK INCPriority: Sep 24, 2014Filed: Nov 22, 2017Published: Apr 5, 2018
Est. expirySep 24, 2034(~8.2 yrs left)· nominal 20-yr term from priority
Inventors:Jiann-Ching GueyChao-Cheng SuJu-Ya Chen
H04B 7/0617H04L 5/0023H04L 5/005H04L 27/2655H04L 27/2607H04J 2011/0096H04J 11/0079H04L 27/2613H04L 27/2628H04L 27/26132
55
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Claims

Abstract

A beamforming system synchronization architecture is proposed to allow a receiving device to synchronize to a transmitting device in time, frequency, and spatial domain in the most challenging situation with very high pathloss. A periodically configured time-frequency resource blocks in which the transmitting device uses the same beamforming weights for its control beam transmission to the receiving device. A pilot signal for each of the control beams is transmitted in each of the periodically configured time-frequency resource blocks. The same synchronization signal can be used for all stages of synchronization including initial coarse synchronization, device and beam identification, and channel estimation for data demodulation.

Claims

exact text as granted — not AI-modified
What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A method comprising:
 receiving a set of control beam transmissions from a base station (eNB) by a user equipment (UE) in a beamforming mobile communication network, wherein each control beam comprises a set of downlink (DL) control resource blocks, a set of uplink (UL) control resource blocks, associated with a set of eNB beamforming weights;   switching to different sets of UE beamforming weights for receiving the set of control beam transmissions at different control cycles;   determining a corresponding set of UE beamforming weights to be paired with each of the control beam; and   selecting a control beam for receiving cell and beam identification information from the eNB by using the determined corresponding UE beamforming weights paired with the selected control beam.   
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein a collection of the eNB beamforming weights of the control beams creates a radiation pattern covering an entire service area of a cell provided by the base station. 
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the DL control resource blocks comprise a pilot part and a data part, and wherein the UE receives the cell and beam identification information from the pilot part. 
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 3 , wherein the pilot part comprises M pilot structures and each pilot structure comprises L OFDM symbols in time domain and R subcarriers in frequency domain, wherein the pilot symbols are inserted once every K subcarriers for R times in each OFDM symbol such that the same pilot symbols are repeated for L times in each pilot structure, and wherein M, L, R, and K are positive integers. 
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the DL control resource blocks comprises a pilot part and a data part, and wherein the UE receives control and traffic information from the data part. 
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the UE performs time, frequency, and spatial synchronization with the base station via the DL control resource blocks of the selected control beam. 
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the UL control resource blocks comprise a pilot part and a data part, and wherein the UE transmits UE identification information via the pilot part. 
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the UL control resource blocks comprise a pilot part and a data part, and wherein the UE transmits UE-specific control and traffic data via the data part. 
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the UE performs random access with the base station via the UL control resource blocks of the selected control beam. 
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the control beams are configured having periodically occurred control cycles. 
     
     
         11 . A User Equipment (UE) comprising:
 a radio frequency (RF) receiver that receives a set of control beam transmissions from a base station (eNB) by a user equipment (UE) in a beamforming mobile communication network, wherein each control beam comprises a set of downlink (DL) control resource blocks, a set of uplink (UL) control resource blocks, associated with a set of eNB beamforming weights;   a plurality of antennas that applies different sets of UE beamforming weights for receiving the set of control beam transmissions at different control cycles;   a processing circuit that determines a corresponding set of UE beamforming weights to be paired with each of the control beam; and   a beam selection circuit that selects a control beam for receiving cell and beam identification information from the eNB by using the determined corresponding UE beamforming weights paired with the selected control beam.   
     
     
         12 . The UE of  claim 11 , wherein a collection of the eNB beamforming weights of the control beams creates a radiation pattern covering an entire service area of a cell provided by the base station. 
     
     
         15 . The UE of  claim 11 , wherein the DL control resource blocks comprise a pilot part and a data part, and wherein the UE receives the cell and beam identification information from the pilot part. 
     
     
         14 . The UE of claim  13 , wherein the pilot part comprises M pilot structures and each pilot structure comprises L OFDM symbols in time domain and R subcarriers in frequency domain, wherein the pilot symbols are inserted once every K subcarriers for R times in each OFDM symbol such that the same pilot symbols are repeated for L times in each pilot structure, and wherein M, L, R, and K are positive integers. 
     
     
         15 . The UE of  claim 11 , wherein the DL control resource blocks comprises a pilot part and a data part, and wherein the UE receives control and traffic information from the data part. 
     
     
         16 . The UE of  claim 11 , wherein the UE performs time, frequency, and spatial synchronization with the base station via the DL control resource blocks of the selected control beam. 
     
     
         17 . The UE of  claim 11 , wherein the UL control resource blocks comprise a pilot part and a data part, and wherein the UE transmits UE identification information via the pilot part. 
     
     
         18 . The UE of  claim 11 , wherein the UL control resource blocks comprise a pilot part and a data part, and wherein the UE transmits UE-specific control and traffic data via the data part. 
     
     
         19 . The UE of  claim 11 , wherein the UE performs random access with the base station via the UL control resource blocks of the selected control beam. 
     
     
         20 . The UE of  claim 11 , wherein the control beams are configured having periodically occurred control cycles.

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