Establishing and Refining Beams in MIMO Sessions

Abstract

Establishing and refining beams in MIMO sessions can include detecting establishment of a communication session between a cell site and a user equipment. The communication session can be conducted using a multi-input multi-output beam that can be supported by a first portion of an antenna array, the first portion including two or more antenna array elements of the antenna array. Device data that relates to the user equipment can be obtained, where the device data can include movement data that can describe a movement of the user equipment. A beamforming command can be generated to include instructions that, when implemented by an entity associated with the cell site, can cause the cell site to refine the multi-input multi-output beam based on the device data. A refined multi-input multi-output beam can be supported by a second portion of the antenna array. The beamforming command can be provided to the cell site.

1 . A system comprising:
 a processor; and   a memory that stores computer-executable instructions that, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to perform operations comprising
 establishing a communication session between a cell site and a user equipment, wherein the communication session is conducted using a multi-input multi-output beam that is supported by a first portion of an antenna array associated with the cell site, the first portion comprising a plurality of antenna array elements of the antenna array, 
 obtaining device data that relates to the user equipment, wherein the device data describes a movement of the user equipment, 
 determining, based on the device data, a refinement to be applied to the multi-input multi-output beam, wherein a refined multi-input multi-output beam is supported by a second portion of the antenna array, and 
 refining the multi-input multi-output beam at the cell site. 
   
     
     
         2 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the device data describes a direction of travel of the user equipment and a speed of travel of the user equipment. 
     
     
         3 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the computer-executable instructions, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to perform operations further comprising:
 determining, based on the device data, that the user equipment is stationary; and   in response to a determination that the user equipment is stationary, deactivating a first antenna element that is included in the first portion of the antenna array and that is not included in the second portion of the antenna array.   
     
     
         4 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the computer-executable instructions, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to perform operations further comprising:
 determining, based on the device data, that the user equipment is stationary; and   in response to a determination that the user equipment is not stationary,
 identifying or predicting movements of the user equipment, 
 determining a beam focus level, and 
 deactivating a first antenna element that is included in the first portion of the antenna array and that is not included in the second portion of the antenna array. 
   
     
     
         5 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the computer-executable instructions, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to perform operations further comprising:
 determining, based on the device data, that the multi-input multi-output beam should be modified; and   in response to a determination that the multi-input multi-output beam should be modified, deactivating a first antenna element that is included in the first portion of the antenna array and that is not included in the second portion of the antenna array.   
     
     
         6 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the first portion of the antenna array comprises a first antenna array element of the antenna array, and wherein the second portion of the antenna array comprises a second antenna array element of the antenna array. 
     
     
         7 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the first portion of the antenna array comprises a first antenna array element and does not include a second antenna array element, and wherein the second portion of the antenna array comprises the second antenna array element and does not include the first antenna array element. 
     
     
         8 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the first portion of the antenna array comprises a first antenna array element of a first antenna array comprising the antenna array, and wherein the second portion of the antenna array comprises a second antenna array element of a second antenna array that does not include the antenna array. 
     
     
         9 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the computer-executable instructions, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to perform operations further comprising:
 determining, based on the device data, that the multi-input multi-output beam should be modified; and   in response to a determination that the multi-input multi-output beam should be modified, changing an aim of a first antenna element that is included in the first portion of the antenna array.   
     
     
         10 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the computer-executable instructions, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to perform operations further comprising:
 determining, based on the device data, that the multi-input multi-output beam should be modified; and   in response to a determination that the multi-input multi-output beam should be modified, changing a power level of a first antenna element that is included in the first portion of the antenna array.   
     
     
         11 . A method comprising:
 establishing, by a cell site comprising a processor, a communication session between the cell site and a user equipment, wherein the communication session is conducted using a multi-input multi-output beam that is supported by a first portion of an antenna array associated with the cell site, the first portion comprising a plurality of antenna array elements of the antenna array,   obtaining, by the processor, device data that relates to the user equipment, wherein the device data describes a movement of the user equipment,   determining, by the processor, a refinement to be applied to the multi-input multi-output beam, wherein a refined multi-input multi-output beam is supported by a second portion of the antenna array, and   refining, by the processor, the multi-input multi-output beam at the cell site.   
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 11 , wherein the device data describes a direction of travel of the user equipment and a speed of travel of the user equipment. 
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 11 , further comprising:
 determining, based on the device data, that the user equipment is stationary; and   in response to a determination that the user equipment is stationary, deactivating a first antenna element that is included in the first portion of the antenna array and that is not included in the second portion of the antenna array.   
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 11 , further comprising:
 determining, based on the device data, that the user equipment is stationary; and   in response to a determination that the user equipment is not stationary,
 identifying or predicting movements of the user equipment, 
 determining a beam focus level, and 
 deactivating a first antenna element that is included in the first portion of the antenna array and that is not included in the second portion of the antenna array. 
   
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 11 , further comprising:
 determining, based on the device data, that the multi-input multi-output beam should be modified; and   in response to determining that the multi-input multi-output beam should be modified, deactivating a first antenna element that is included in the first portion of the antenna array and that is not included in the second portion of the antenna array.   
     
     
         16 . A computer storage medium having computer-executable instructions stored thereon that, when executed by a processor, cause the processor to perform operations comprising:
 establishing a communication session between a cell site and a user equipment, wherein the communication session is conducted using a multi-input multi-output beam that is supported by a first portion of an antenna array associated with the cell site, the first portion comprising a plurality of antenna array elements of the antenna array;   obtaining device data that relates to the user equipment, wherein the device data describes a movement of the user equipment;   determining, based on the device data, a refinement to be applied to the multi-input multi-output beam, wherein a refined multi-input multi-output beam is supported by a second portion of the antenna array; and   refining the multi-input multi-output beam at the cell site.   
     
     
         17 . The computer storage medium of  claim 16 , wherein the device data describes a direction of travel of the user equipment and a speed of travel of the user equipment. 
     
     
         18 . The computer storage medium of  claim 16 , wherein the computer-executable instructions, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to perform operations further comprising:
 determining, based on the device data, that the user equipment is stationary; and   in response to a determination that the user equipment is stationary, deactivating a first antenna element that is included in the first portion of the antenna array and that is not included in the second portion of the antenna array.   
     
     
         19 . The computer storage medium of  claim 16 , wherein the computer-executable instructions, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to perform operations further comprising:
 determining, based on the device data, that the user equipment is stationary; and   in response to a determination that the user equipment is not stationary,
 identifying or predicting movements of the user equipment, 
 determining a beam focus level, and 
 deactivating a first antenna element that is included in the first portion of the antenna array and that is not included in the second portion of the antenna array. 
   
     
     
         20 . The computer storage medium of  claim 16 , wherein the computer-executable instructions, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to perform operations further comprising:
 determining, based on the device data, that the multi-input multi-output beam should be modified; and   in response to a determination that the multi-input multi-output beam should be modified, deactivating a first antenna element that is included in the first portion of the antenna array and that is not included in the second portion of the antenna array.