TWI853896B - Electronic device, base station and operating method of electronic device - Google Patents

Abstract

There is provided an electronic device, a base station and an operating method of the electronic device. The electronic device includes a communication interface including a plurality of phase array antennas, a storage configured to store user equipment (UE) management information including information about at least one frequency band covered by each of the plurality of phase array antennas, and a controller configured to control to transmit the UE management information to a base station.

Description

Electronic device, base station, and method of operating the electronic device

[Cross reference to related applications]

This application is based on and claims priority to Korean Patent Application No. 10-2019-0021297 and No. 10-2019-0080315 filed in the Korean Intellectual Property Office on February 22, 2019 and July 3, 2019, respectively. The disclosures of the aforementioned Korean Patent Applications are incorporated herein by reference in their entirety.

Devices and methods consistent with exemplary embodiments of the concepts of the present invention are related to wireless communications, and more specifically, to transmitting and receiving user equipment (UE) management information in a wireless communication system.

Efforts are being made to develop an improved fifth generation ( ^5th generation, 5G) communication system or pre-5G communication system to meet the increased demand for wireless data traffic after the commercialization of the fourth generation ( ^4th generation, 4G) communication system. For this purpose, the 5G communication system or pre-5G communication system is called a new radio (NR) system according to the ^3rd generation partnership project (3GPP) standard.

To achieve high data transmission rates, the implementation of 5G communication systems in millimeter wave bands (e.g., 28 GHz band, 39 GHz band, etc.) is being considered. In 5G communication systems, beamforming, massive multiple input multiple output (MIMO), full dimensional MIMO (FD-MIMO), array antenna, analog beamforming, hybrid beamforming, and large scale antenna technologies are being considered to increase the radio wave transmission distance and reduce the loss of radio wave paths in microwave bands.

Various embodiments of the inventive concept provide a wireless communication system that provides a base station with frequency band information covered by each of a plurality of phase array antennas, thereby efficiently allocating resources.

According to an embodiment, an electronic device is provided, the electronic device comprising: a communication interface including a plurality of phase array antennas; a memory configured to store user equipment (UE) management information, the user equipment (UE) management information including information about at least one frequency band covered by each of the plurality of phase array antennas; and a controller configured to control the transmission of the UE management information to a base station.

According to another aspect of the present invention, a method for operating an electronic device including a plurality of phase array antennas is provided, the method comprising: storing UE management information, the UE management information comprising information about at least one frequency band covered by each of the plurality of phase array antennas; and transmitting the UE management information to a base station.

According to another aspect of the present invention, a base station is provided, the base station comprising: a communication interface configured to receive UE management information from an electronic device including a plurality of phase array antennas; and a controller configured to implement resource allocation based on the received UE management information.

According to another aspect of the present invention, a wireless communication system is provided, the wireless communication system comprising: the electronic device described above; and a base station configured to implement resource allocation on the electronic device based on the UE management information, wherein the UE management information comprises information about at least one frequency band covered by each of the plurality of phase array antennas.

110: Base station

111, 121: beam forming

120, 130, 140: Electronic devices

210: Wireless communication interface

220: Return communication interface

230: Storage

240, 330: Controller

310: Communication interface

320: Storage

325:UE management information

410: Encoder/Modulator

420, 460: Digital beam former

430-1: First transmission path

430-N: Nth transmission path

440, 480: Analog beam former

450:Decoder/Demodulator

470-1: First receiving path

470-N: Nth receiving path

510: Local oscillator

510-1: First local oscillator

510-N: Nth local oscillator

520-1-1, 520-1-2~520-1-M: Phase/amplitude shifter

530-1-1, 530-1-2~530-1-M: Amplifier

540-1: The first phase array antenna

540-N: Nth phase array antenna

610: Phase array antenna/third phase array antenna/single phase array antenna/single dependent phase array antenna

710, 720, 730, 740, 1010, 1020, 1030, 1040, 1050: Operation

N257, N258, N260: frequency band

By reading the following detailed description in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, the embodiments of the present invention will be more clearly understood, in which: FIG. 1 is a diagram showing a wireless communication system according to an embodiment.

FIG2 is a block diagram of a base station according to an embodiment.

FIG3 is a block diagram of an electronic device according to an embodiment.

FIG. 4A is a block diagram of a communication interface in a case of transmitting a wireless signal according to an exemplary embodiment, and FIG. 4B is a block diagram of a communication interface in a case of receiving a wireless signal according to an embodiment.

FIG. 5A is a circuit diagram showing an analog beamformer including independent phase array antennas according to an embodiment, FIG. 5B is a diagram showing an example of managing independent phase array antennas in adjacent frequency bands according to an embodiment, and FIG. 5C is a diagram showing an example of managing independent phase array antennas in separate frequency bands according to an embodiment.

FIG. 6A is a circuit diagram showing an analog beamformer including a phase-dependent array antenna according to an embodiment, FIG. 6B is a diagram showing an example of managing the phase-dependent array antenna in adjacent frequency bands according to an embodiment, and FIG. 6C is a diagram showing an example of managing the phase-dependent array antenna in different frequency bands according to an embodiment.

FIG. 7 is a diagram showing an example of signal exchange between a base station and an electronic device according to an embodiment.

FIG. 8A is a diagram showing an example of managing a phase-dependent array antenna in a case of a single subcarrier spacing according to an embodiment, and FIG. 8B is a diagram showing another example of managing a phase-dependent array antenna in a case of a single subcarrier spacing according to an embodiment.

FIG. 9A is a diagram showing an example of managing a phase-dependent array antenna in a case of multiple carrier spacing according to an embodiment, and FIG. 9B is a diagram showing another example of managing a phase-dependent array antenna in a case of multiple carrier spacing according to an embodiment.

FIG. 10 is a flow chart showing the scheduling performed by the base station according to the embodiment.

The embodiments described below are exemplary, and therefore, the inventive concept is not limited to the embodiments disclosed below, and can be achieved in various other forms. The embodiments provided in the following description do not exclude association with another example or one or more features of another embodiment that are also provided herein or not provided herein but are consistent with the inventive concept. For example, even if a matter described in a specific example is not described in an example different from the specific example, unless otherwise mentioned in the description of the different example, the matter can also be understood to be related to or combined with the different example.

FIG1 is a diagram showing a wireless communication system according to an embodiment.

Referring to FIG. 1 , a base station 110 and an electronic device 120 may be provided. The base station 110 and the electronic device 120 may be provided as nodes using a wireless channel in a wireless communication system.

Base station 110 may be a network infrastructure for providing wireless access to electronic device 120. Base station 110 may have a coverage range, which is defined as a specific geographic area based on the distance over which signals can be transmitted. Base station 110 may be referred to as an access point (AP), an evolved Node B (eNodeB, eNB), a fifth generation (5G) node, or a wireless point, or may be replaced by other terms having the same or similar technical meanings.

According to various embodiments, the base station 110 may be connected to one or more transmission/reception points (TRPs). The base station 110 may transmit downlink signals to the electronic device 120, or may receive uplink signals from the electronic device 120 via the one or more TRPs.

The electronic device 120 may be a device used by a user and may communicate with the base station 110 via a wireless channel. In addition to the terminal, the electronic device 120 may be referred to as a user equipment (UE), a mobile station, a user station, a customer premises equipment (CPE), a remote terminal, a wireless terminal, or a user device, or may be replaced by other terms having the same or similar technical meanings.

The base station 110 and the electronic device 120 may transmit and receive wireless signals in a millimeter wave frequency band (e.g., 28 GHz, 30 GHz, 38 GHz, 60 GHz, etc.). To overcome the high attenuation characteristics of the millimeter wave, the base station 110 and the electronic device 120 may implement beamforming 111, 121. Here, beamforming may include transmit beamforming and receive beamforming. That is, the base station 110 and the electronic device 120 may assign directivity to a transmit signal or a receive signal. To this end, the base station 110 and the electronic device 120 may implement beam search, beam training, and beam management to select the best beam for wireless communication. Beam training may be viewed as transmitting known training symbols from the base station to the electronic device. Beam training may transmit channel state information. Channel status information may include data associated with the channel and related to the transmission and/or reception of data.

According to the above-mentioned embodiment, it is explained that the base station 110 transmits wireless signals to the electronic device 120 or receives wireless signals from the electronic device 120, but the present embodiment is not limited thereto. According to various embodiments, the base station 110 may independently transmit wireless signals to other electronic devices 130 and 140 and the electronic device 120 or independently receive wireless signals from other electronic devices 130 and 140 and the electronic device 120. For example, the base station 110 may perform a beam search together with each of the electronic devices 120, 130 and 140 to select the best beam for each of the electronic devices 120, 130 and 140 from a plurality of beams, and may independently perform wireless communication.

FIG. 2 is a block diagram of a base station 110 according to an embodiment.

Referring to FIG. 2 , the base station 110 may include a wireless communication interface 210, a backhaul communication interface 220, a storage 230, and a controller 240.

The wireless communication interface 210 can implement functions of transmitting and receiving signals via wireless channels. According to an embodiment, the wireless communication interface 210 can implement functions of converting between baseband signals and bit strings according to the physical layer specifications of the system. For example, when transmitting data, the wireless communication interface 210 can encode and modulate the transmission bit string to generate complex symbols, and when receiving data, the wireless communication interface 210 can demodulate and decode the baseband signal to recover the received bit string. In addition, the wireless communication interface 210 can up-convert the baseband signal into a radio frequency (RF) band signal, and can transmit the RF band signal via an antenna, or can down-convert the RF band signal received via the antenna into a baseband signal. To this end, the wireless communication interface 210 may include a transmission filter, a reception filter, an amplifier, a mixer, an oscillator, a digital-to-analog converter (DAC), an analog-to-digital converter (ADC), and/or the like.

The wireless communication interface 210 may transmit or receive signals. For example, the wireless communication interface 210 may transmit a synchronization signal (SS), a reference signal (RS), system information, messages, control information, data, etc. In addition, the wireless communication interface 210 may implement beamforming. The wireless communication interface 210 may apply beamforming weights to the signals to be transmitted so as to assign directionality to the signals. The wireless communication interface 210 may process the generated beams to repeatedly transmit signals.

The backhaul communication interface 220 may provide an interface for implementing communication with other nodes of the network. That is, the backhaul communication interface 220 may convert a bit string transmitted from the base station 110 to another node (e.g., another access node, another base station, an upper node, a core network, etc.) into a physical signal, and may convert a physical signal received from another node into a bit string.

The memory 230 may store data such as basic programs, applications, and configuration information for the operation of the base station 110. The memory 230 may be configured with volatile memory, non-volatile memory, or a combination thereof. The controller 240 may control the operation of the base station 110. For example, the controller 240 may transmit and receive signals via the wireless communication interface 210 and/or the backhaul communication interface 220. In addition, the controller 240 may record data in the memory 230 or read data from the memory 230. To this end, the controller 240 may include at least one processor or microprocessor, or may be a part of a processor.

FIG. 3 is a block diagram of an electronic device 120 according to an embodiment. Descriptions that are the same or similar to those of FIG. 2 are omitted.

Referring to FIG. 3 , the electronic device 120 may include a communication interface 310, a storage 320, and a controller 330.

The communication interface 310 may implement functions of transmitting and receiving signals via wireless channels. For example, the communication interface 310 may implement functions of converting between baseband signals and bit strings according to the physical layer specifications of the system. For example, when transmitting data, the communication interface 310 may encode and modulate the transmission bit string to generate complex symbols, and when receiving data, the communication interface 310 may demodulate and decode the baseband signal to recover the received bit string. In addition, the communication interface 310 may up-convert the baseband signal into an RF band signal, and may transmit the RF band signal via an antenna, or may down-convert the RF band signal received via an antenna into a baseband signal. For example, the communication interface 310 may include a transmit filter, a receive filter, an amplifier, a mixer, an oscillator, a DAC, an ADC, and/or the like. The communication interface 310 may implement beamforming. The communication interface 310 may apply beamforming weights to a signal to be transmitted in order to assign directionality to the signal.

The communication interface 310 can transmit or receive signals. The communication interface 310 can receive downlink signals. Downlink signals can include synchronization signals (SS), reference signals (RS), system information, configuration information, control information, data, downlink data, etc. In addition, the communication interface 310 can transmit uplink signals. Uplink signals can include random access related signals, reference signals (e.g., sounding reference signals (SRS) or demodulation reference signals (DM-RS)) or uplink data.

The memory 320 may store data such as basic programs, applications, and configuration information for the operation of the electronic device 120 under the control of the controller 330 connected to the electronic device 120. The memory 320 may be configured with a volatile memory, a non-volatile memory, or a combination thereof. In addition, the memory 320 may provide the stored data based on a request from the controller 330.

According to various embodiments, the memory 320 may include UE management information 325. The UE management information 325 includes information about a plurality of phase array antennas of the electronic device 120. For example, the UE management information 325 may include information about frequency bands covered by each of the plurality of phase array antennas or receivable by each of the plurality of phase array antennas. In other words, the UE management information 325 may include information about frequency bands that enable each of the plurality of phase array antennas to receive wireless signals. In this document, the terms "cover" and "receivable" may be used interchangeably. As another example, the UE management information 325 may include information about a plurality of phase array antennas corresponding to each of the frequency bands.

The controller 330 may control the operation of the electronic device 120. For example, the controller 330 may transmit and receive signals via the communication interface 310. In addition, the controller 330 may record data in the memory 320 or read data from the memory 320. To this end, the controller 330 may include at least one processor or microprocessor, or may be a part of the processor. When the controller 330 is a part of the processor, the communication interface 310 and a part of the controller 330 may be referred to as a communication processor (CP).

FIG. 4A is a block diagram of a communication interface in a case of transmitting a wireless signal according to an embodiment, and FIG. 4B is a block diagram of a communication interface in a case of receiving a wireless signal according to an embodiment.

FIG. 4A shows an example of a detailed configuration of the communication interface 310 shown in FIG. 3. Specifically, FIG. 4A shows elements for implementing hybrid beam forming in the case of transmitting wireless signals.

4A, the communication interface 310 may include a codec/modulator 410, a digital beam former 420, a first transmission path 430-1 to an Nth transmission path 430-N, and an analog beam former 440. N is an integer greater than 1.

The encoder/modulator 410 may implement channel coding. Channel coding may use at least one of low density parity check (LDPC) code, convolutional code, polar code, and turbo code, but is not limited thereto. The encoder/modulator 410 may implement constellation mapping to generate modulation symbols.

The digital beam former 420 may perform beam forming on a digital signal (e.g., a modulated symbol). To do this, the digital beam former 420 may multiply the modulated symbol by a beam forming weight. Here, the beam forming weight may be used to change the amplitude (or level) and phase of the signal, and may be referred to as a precoding matrix or a precoder. The digital beam former 420 may output the modulated symbol performed by the digital beam forming to the first transmission path 430-1 to the Nth transmission path 430-N. In this case, based on a multiple-input multiple-output (MIMO) transmission technology, the modulated symbol may be multiplexed, or the same modulated symbol may be provided to the first transmission path 430-1 to the Nth transmission path 430-N.

The first transmission path 430-1 to the Nth transmission path 430-N may convert a digital signal implemented by digital beamforming into an analog signal. To this end, each of the first transmission path 430-1 to the Nth transmission path 430-N may include an inverse fast Fourier transform (IFFT) calculator, a cyclic prefix (CP) inserter, a DAC, and an up-converter. The CP inserter may be used for orthogonal frequency division multiplexing (OFDM) and may exclude the case where another physical layer scheme (e.g., filter bank multi-carrier (FBMC)) is applied. That is, the first transmission path 430-1 to the Nth transmission path 430-N may provide independent signal processing processes for a plurality of streams generated by digital beamforming. However, some of the first transmission path 430-1 to the Nth transmission path 430-N may be used in common depending on the implementation type.

The analog beamformer 440 may perform beamforming on the analog signal. To do this, the analog beamformer 440 may multiply the analog signal by a beamforming weight. Here, the beamforming weight may be used to change the amplitude and phase of the signal.

FIG. 4B shows an example of a detailed configuration of the communication interface 310 shown in FIG. 3. Specifically, FIG. 4B shows elements for implementing hybrid beam forming in the case of receiving a wireless signal.

According to various embodiments, the communication interface 310 may include a decoder/demodulator 450, a digital beam former 460, a first receiving path 470-1 to an Nth receiving path 470- N, and an analog beam former 480. N is an integer greater than 1.

The decoder/demodulator 450 can implement channel decoding. Channel decoding can use at least one of LDPC code, convolutional code, polar code and acceleration code, but is not limited thereto.

According to various embodiments, the digital beam former 460 and the analog beam former 480 may correspond to the digital beam former 420 and the analog beam former 440 shown in FIG. 4A , respectively.

The first receiving path 470-1 to the Nth receiving path 470-N may convert the analog signal implemented by the analog beamforming into a digital signal. To this end, each of the first receiving path 470-1 to the Nth receiving path 470-N may include a fast Fourier transform (FFT) calculator, an ADC, a CP remover, a serial-to-parallel converter, and a down converter. In detail, each of the first receiving path 470-1 to the Nth receiving path 470-N can down-convert the received signal to a baseband frequency, remove the CP to generate a serial time-domain baseband signal, convert the serial time-domain baseband signal into a parallel time-domain signal, perform an FFT algorithm to generate N parallel frequency-domain signals, and convert the parallel frequency-domain signal into a modulated data symbol sequence. That is, the first receiving path 470-1 to the Nth receiving path 470-N can provide independent signal processing processes for multiple streams generated by analog beamforming. However, based on the implementation type, some of the first receiving path 470-1 to the Nth receiving path 470-N can be used in common.

Although FIG. 4A and FIG. 4B and the above description illustrate that the communication interface 310 has different components or elements for transmitting wireless signals and receiving wireless signals, the same component or element can perform both functions. That is, the encoder/modulator 410, digital beam former 420, first transmission path 430-1 to Nth transmission path 430-N and analog beam former 440 shown in FIG. 4A can be respectively the same components or elements as the decoder/demodulator 450, digital beam former 460, first reception path 470-1 to Nth reception path 470-N and analog beam former 480, but can perform different functions depending on whether the wireless communication interface transmits or receives wireless signals as described above.

FIG. 5A is a circuit diagram showing an analog beamformer including independent phase array antennas according to an embodiment, FIG. 5B is a diagram showing an example of managing independent phase array antennas in adjacent frequency bands according to an embodiment, and FIG. 5C is a diagram showing an example of managing independent phase array antennas in separate frequency bands according to an embodiment.

Referring to FIG. 5A , a first local oscillator 510-1 to an Nth local oscillator 510-N may be provided. The first local oscillator 510-1 to the Nth local oscillator 510-N may respectively correspond to the first transmission path 430-1 to the Nth transmission path 430-N shown in FIG. 4A , and may be included in the analog beam former 440. N is an integer greater than 1.

That is, the first local oscillator 510-1 can perform frequency multiplication on the signal received from the first transmission path 430-1, and can transmit the frequency multiplied signal to the first phase array antenna 540-1, and the Nth local oscillator 510-N can perform frequency multiplication on the signal received from the Nth transmission path 430-N, and can transmit the frequency multiplied signal to the Nth phase array antenna 540-N.

Each of the first phase array antenna 540-1 to the Nth phase array antenna 540-N can convert and amplify the phase and amplitude of the input signal, and can transmit the amplified signal to an external device. For example, in the first phase array antenna 540-1, the signal received via the first transmission path 430-1 can be converted by a plurality of phase/amplitude shifters 520-1-1 to 520-1-M into a signal string with different phases/amplitudes or the same phase/amplitude, amplified by a plurality of amplifiers 530-1-1 to 530-1-M, and transmitted. Here, M is an integer greater than 1.

In the above-described embodiments, FIG. 5A shows an independent phase array antenna in the case of transmitting a wireless signal, but the inventive concept is not limited thereto. According to various embodiments, in the case of receiving a wireless signal, the description about the independent phase array antenna can be analogized. For example, a wireless signal received by each of the first phase array antenna 540-1 to the Nth phase array antenna 540-N can be amplified by an amplifier (e.g., amplifiers 530-1-1 to 530-1-M shown in FIG. 5A ). The phase and amplitude of the amplified wireless signal can be shifted by a phase/amplitude shifter (e.g., phase/amplitude shifters 520-1-1 to 520-1-M shown in FIG. 5A ). The shifted phase and amplitude can be based on values set by receive beamforming. For example, the phase and amplitude of the signal received via the first phase array antenna 540-1 and the phase and amplitude of the signal received via the Nth phase array antenna 540-N may be shifted to different phases and amplitudes.

5B, the electronic device 120 may manage independent phase array antennas in adjacent frequency bands. For example, the first phase array antenna 540-1 may receive wireless signals transmitted via the N258 frequency band (e.g., 24,250 Hz to 27,500 Hz), or may transmit wireless signals via the N258 frequency band. The Nth phase array antenna 540-N may receive wireless signals transmitted via the N257 frequency band (e.g., 26,500 Hz to 29,500 Hz), or may transmit wireless signals via the N257 frequency band.

Each of the first phase array antenna 540-1 and the Nth phase array antenna 540-N may be an independent phase array antenna. For example, the first phase array antenna 540-1 and the Nth phase array antenna 540-N may be connected to different local oscillators. Therefore, when the first phase array antenna 540-1 implements analog beamforming based on the first set, the Nth phase array antenna 540-N implements analog beamforming based on the Nth set different from the first set. The first set and the Nth set may include different phase/amplitude shift values.

According to various embodiments, the N258 band and the N257 band may include a frequency domain (e.g., 26,500 Hz to 27,500 Hz) that is shared between the N258 band and the N257 band. When each of the first phase array antenna 540-1 and the Nth phase array antenna 540-N transmits a wireless signal through the shared frequency domain, the quality may be degraded due to interference between adjacent phase array antennas.

5C , the electronic device 120 may manage independent phase array antennas in different frequency bands. For example, the first phase array antenna 540-1 may receive wireless signals transmitted via the N258 frequency band (e.g., 24,250 Hz to 27,500 Hz), or may transmit wireless signals via the N258 frequency band. The Nth phase array antenna 540-N may receive wireless signals transmitted via the N260 frequency band (e.g., 37,000 Hz to 40,000 Hz), or may transmit wireless signals via the N260 frequency band. According to various embodiments, the effects of interference between adjacent phase array antennas shown in FIG. 5B can be reduced when transmitting and receiving signals between different frequency bands.

FIG. 6A is a circuit diagram showing an analog beamformer including a phase-dependent array antenna according to an embodiment, FIG. 6B is a diagram showing an example of managing the phase-dependent array antenna in adjacent frequency bands according to an embodiment, and FIG. 6C is a diagram showing an example of managing the phase-dependent array antenna in different frequency bands according to an embodiment.

Referring to FIG. 6A , a dependent phase array antenna including a plurality of antennas is shown. For example, the first antenna corresponding to the first phase array antenna 540-1 shown in FIG. 5A and the Nth antenna corresponding to the Nth phase array antenna 540-N shown in FIG. 5A may be connected to the local oscillator 510 together. Here, the antennas connected to the local oscillator 510 may constitute or correspond to a single phase array antenna 610.

6A and 5A, in FIG5A, the first phase array antenna 540-1 may be connected to the first local oscillator 510-1, and the Nth phase array antenna 540-N may be connected to the Nth local oscillator 510-N, and therefore, the amplitude of the frequency multiplication performed by the first local oscillator 510-1 may be different from the amplitude of the frequency multiplication performed by the Nth local oscillator 510-N, and thus each of the first local oscillator 510-1 and the Nth local oscillator 510-N may independently perform analog beamforming. On the other hand, in FIG6A, a plurality of antennas may be connected to a common local oscillator, and thus may be dependent on each other. For example, in the case where the first antenna performs analog beamforming based on the first set, the phase and amplitude of the signal received through the Nth antenna may be modulated and amplified based on the first set. As another example, in the case where the Nth antenna performs analog beamforming based on the Nth set, the phase and amplitude of the signal received through the first antenna may be modulated and amplified based on the Nth set.

In the above-mentioned embodiments, FIG. 6A shows a single phase-dependent array antenna 610 in the case of transmitting a wireless signal, but the inventive concept is not limited thereto. According to various embodiments, in the case of receiving a wireless signal, the description about the single phase-dependent array antenna 610 can be analogized. For example, the wireless signal received by the single phase-dependent array antenna 610 can be amplified by an amplifier (e.g., amplifiers 530-1-1 to 530-1-M shown in FIG. 6A ). The phase and amplitude of the amplified wireless signal can be shifted by a phase/amplitude shifter (e.g., phase/amplitude shifters 520-1-1 to 520-1-M shown in FIG. 6A ). The shifted phase and amplitude can be based on values set by receiving beamforming. For example, the signals received via a single phase-dependent array antenna 610 may be dependent on a common local oscillator 510, and thus, the phase and amplitude of the received signals may be shifted to the same phase and amplitude.

6B, it can be understood that the first antenna and the Nth antenna, which respectively correspond to the first phase array antenna 540-1 and the Nth phase array antenna 540-N shown in FIG5B, are dependent on each other and thus constitute the phase array antenna 610. In FIG5B, to receive the signal of the N258 band, the first phase array antenna 540-1 may perform analog beamforming according to the first set to receive the best reception beam, and to receive the signal of the N257 band, the Nth phase array antenna 540-N may perform analog beamforming according to the Nth set to receive the best reception beam. On the other hand, the phase array antenna 610 shown in FIG6B may not perform analog beamforming for each of the signals of the N257 band and the N258 band. Therefore, according to an embodiment, in the case where the phase array antenna 610 performs analog beamforming based on the first set to receive the signal of the N258 band as the best beam, the best beam for the N257 band may need to be analog beamformed based on the Nth set, and thus, the reception quality of the N257 band may be degraded. According to another embodiment, in the case where the third phase array antenna 610 performs analog beamforming based on the Nth set to receive the signal of the N257 band as the best beam, the best beam for the N258 band may need to be analog beamformed based on the first set, and thus, the reception quality of the N258 band may be degraded.

Referring to FIG. 6C , it can be understood again that the first antenna and the Nth antenna, which correspond to the first phase array antenna 540-1 and the Nth phase array antenna 540-N shown in FIG. 5C , are dependent on each other and thus constitute the third phase array antenna 610. In FIG. 5C , to receive signals in the N258 frequency band, when the first phase array antenna 540-1 performs analog beamforming based on the first set, the first phase array antenna 540-1 can receive the best receiving beam. To receive signals in the N260 frequency band, when the Nth phase array antenna 540-N performs analog beamforming based on the Nth set, the Nth phase array antenna 540-N can receive the best receiving beam. 6C may not perform analog beamforming on the signals of each of the N258 band and the N260 band based on the first set and the Nth set. Therefore, according to an embodiment, in the case where the phased array antenna 610 performs analog beamforming based on the first set to receive the signal of the N258 band as the best beam, the best beam of the N260 band may need to be analog beamformed based on the Nth set, and thus, the reception quality of the N260 band may be deteriorated. According to another embodiment, in the case where the phase array antenna 610 performs analog beamforming based on the Nth set to receive the signal of the N260 band as the best beam, the best beam for the N258 band may need to be analog beamformed based on the first set, and thus, the reception quality of the N258 band may be deteriorated.

FIG. 7 is a diagram showing an example of signal exchange between a base station and an electronic device according to an embodiment.

Referring to FIG. 7 , in operation 710 , the electronic device 120 may be connected to the base station 110 . That is, the electronic device 120 may correspond to a radio resource control (RRC) connection mode.

In operation 720, the electronic device 120 may transmit terminal capability information (i.e., UE capability information) to the base station 110. The UE capability information may include information about a frequency band that can be received by the electronic device 120, a component carrier (CC) in the frequency band, and a maximum frequency range that can be processed based on a discontinuous CC allocation in the frequency band, but is not limited thereto. For example, referring to TS 38.331 v15.2.0, the UE capability information may be as follows.

According to various embodiments, the electronic device 120 may add UE management information to the UE capability information and may transmit the UE capability information to the base station 110. The electronic device 120 may periodically transmit the UE capability information to the base station 110. For example, the UE management information may include index information about frequency bands that can be received by a plurality of phase array antennas and combinations thereof and index information about a plurality of phase array antennas and combinations thereof that can receive frequency bands. The index may be a number that identifies one of the phase array antennas from the plurality of phase array antennas. Therefore, there may be an index of a first phase array antenna mapped to a first frequency band among the phase array antennas. And an index of a second phase array antenna mapped to a second frequency band among the phase array antennas. The first phase array antenna and the second phase array antenna may be capable of receiving the first frequency band and the second frequency band respectively.

According to various embodiments, the UE management information may include information indicating the index of the phase array antenna capable of receiving the wireless signal of each frequency band for each frequency band. The information may be referred to as a beam interruption requirement (NeedForBeamInterruption). The value of the beam interruption requirement may be [0-the maximum number of phase arrays]. That is, the beam interruption requirement may include the phase array antenna index for supporting the corresponding frequency band in the range from 0 to the maximum number of phase array antennas capable of receiving the wireless signal. For example, referring to FIG. 5B, the beam interruption requirement value of the N258 band may correspond to the first phase array antenna 540-1, and the beam interruption requirement value of the N257 band may correspond to the Nth phase array antenna 540-N. As another example, referring to FIG. 5C , the beam breaking requirement value of the N258 band may correspond to the first phase array antenna 540-1, and the beam breaking requirement value of the N257 band may correspond to the Nth phase array antenna 540-N. As another example, referring to FIG. 6B , the owner in the N257 band and the N258 band may correspond to the phase array antenna 610. According to an embodiment, When the beam breaking requirement is included in the UE capability information, the UE capability information may be described as follows.

According to various embodiments, the UE management information may include information indicating a frequency band that enables each phase array antenna to receive a wireless signal. The information may be referred to as a beam break requirement. The value of the beam break requirement may be [BandComb 1-BandComb_N]. N may correspond to the number of combinations of all frequency bands included in the frequency range that can be received by the electronic device 120. For example, when the N258 band, the N257 band, the N261 band, and the N260 band are included in the frequency range that can be received by the electronic device 120, the index may be represented in the index mapping table as follows.

Referring to Table 1, it can be seen that the number of types that can combine the four frequency bands is nine in total. For example, the N261 frequency band may be included in the frequency range of the N257 frequency band, and therefore, the N261 frequency band and the N257 frequency band may not be counted as the total number that can be combined. That is, the beam breaking requirement value of each phase array antenna may correspond to a value of 1 to 9. For example, referring to FIG5B , assuming that the Nth phase array antenna can cover the N261 band (not shown), the beam breaking requirement value of the first phase array antenna may correspond to 2 (N258 band and N257 band), and the beam breaking requirement value of the Nth phase array antenna may correspond to 3 (N258 band, N257 band, and N261 band). As another example, referring to FIG5C , the beam breaking requirement value of the first phase array antenna may correspond to 2 (N258 band and N257 band), and the beam breaking requirement value of the Nth phase array antenna may correspond to 1 (N260 band). For example, when the bundle interruption requirement is included in the UE capability information, the UE capability information may be described as follows.

According to various embodiments, UE management information may include information indicating component carriers grouped into one or more phase array antennas. The information may be referred to as a beam breaking requirement. According to one embodiment, an index of a component carrier indicating a service cell index (ServCellIndex) value that may be used as quasi-co-located (QCL) information with a transmission configuration indicator (TCI) may be transmitted as a beam breaking requirement value. The UE management information may include information about a plurality of frequency bands covered by a phase array antenna in a phase array antenna, the information being transmitted to a base station based on the transmission configuration indicator (TCI) status information. For example, when the beam breaking requirement is included in the UE capability information, the UE capability information may be described as follows.

In operation 730, the base station 110 may perform scheduling of resource allocation. The base station 110 may decode the UE management information received from the electronic device 120 to identify the frequency bands that enable the plurality of phase array antennas included in the electronic device 120 to receive wireless signals. For example, the base station 110 may identify the first frequency band and the second frequency band as the frequency bands that enable the first phase array antenna of the electronic device 120 to operate. In this case, the base station 110 may allocate resources based on the analog beamforming of the first frequency band and the analog beamforming of the second frequency band that are simultaneously performed by the first phase array antenna. For example, in the case where the first band and the second band operate using different phase array antennas, even when the channel state information-reference signal (CSI-RS) used for beam training is transmitted at different symbol timings, analog beamforming can be performed and the CSI-RS signal can be successfully received. On the other hand, in the case where the first band and the second band operate using the same phase array antenna, when data is allocated to the first band at a certain symbol timing and CSI-RS symbols used for beam training are allocated to the second band, analog beamforming can be performed to receive CSI-RS in the second band, and therefore, the phase and amplitude of the received beam may be shifted in the first band, resulting in data reception failure.

In operation 740, the base station 110 may transmit a CSI-RS for beam management to the electronic device 120. The base station 110 may optimize the time of allocating CSI-RS symbols for each frequency band based on the UE management information. For example, when the first frequency band and the second frequency band correspond to different phase array antennas, the symbol timing of the CSI-RS of the first frequency band transmitted by the electronic device 120 may not match the symbol timing of the CSI-RS of the second frequency band transmitted by the electronic device 120. That is, when the CSI-RS symbol is transmitted in the first frequency band, the electronic device 120 may transmit the data symbol in the second frequency band. As another example, when the first frequency band and the second frequency band correspond to the same phase array antenna, the electronic device 120 may synchronize the symbol timing of the electronic device 120 transmitting the CSI-RS of the first frequency band with the symbol timing of the electronic device 120 transmitting the CSI-RS of the second frequency band. That is, the electronic device 120 may allocate resources so that beam training or beam sweeping is performed on the first frequency band and the second frequency band at the same symbol timing.

FIG. 8A is a diagram showing an example of managing a phase-dependent array antenna in a case of a single subcarrier spacing according to an embodiment, and FIG. 8B is a diagram showing another example of managing a phase-dependent array antenna in a case of a single subcarrier spacing according to an embodiment.

Referring to FIG. 8A , a first frequency band and a second frequency band having a single subcarrier spacing are shown. The single subcarrier spacing may indicate that the symbol length between the first frequency band and the second frequency band is the same. According to the new radio, the subcarrier spacing may be set to one of 60 kHz and 120 kHz. According to FIG. 8A , UE management information may not be transmitted and received between the electronic device 120 and the base station 110, and the base station 110 may not have information about the phase array antenna corresponding to each frequency band of the electronic device 120.

The first frequency band may receive CSI-RS for beam training at the third symbol timing. That is, to implement beam training in the first frequency band, the phase array antenna may shift the phase and amplitude of the received beam during the third symbol.

The second frequency band may receive CSI-RS for beam training at the fourth symbol timing. That is, to implement beam training in the second frequency band, the phase array antenna may shift the phase and amplitude of the received beam during the fourth symbol.

In this case, the first frequency band may receive a data signal at the fourth symbol timing. For example, the data signal may be received at the fourth symbol timing by using the best reception beam identified based on the beam training at the third symbol timing. The first frequency band and the second frequency band may be covered or controlled by the same phase array antenna, and therefore, when the beam training is performed in the second frequency band during the fourth symbol timing, the phase and amplitude of the reception beam of the first frequency band may be shifted. Therefore, the data signal received by the first frequency band may be received by using a reception beam having a phase and amplitude different from that of the best beam, and in the worst case, decoding of the received data may fail.

Referring to FIG. 8B , the electronic device 120 may transmit UE management information to the base station 110. The base station 110 may obtain information about the phase array antenna used for each frequency band of the electronic device 120 based on the UE management information. For example, the base station 110 may recognize that the first frequency band and the second frequency band are controlled by the same phase array antenna. According to an embodiment, the recognition may be performed by receiving information indicating a frequency band combination for receiving wireless signals for each phase array antenna. For example, the beam interruption requirement value of the first phase array antenna may correspond to a value from 5 to 8.

The base station 110 can implement scheduling and resource allocation on the first frequency band and the second frequency band. For example, the electronic device 120 can recognize that the entire phase and amplitude of the signal output from the phase array antenna are shifted due to the beam training of the second frequency band at the fourth symbol timing, and therefore, the beam training time of the first frequency band can be synchronized with the fourth symbol timing in the second frequency band. Therefore, the electronic device 120 can prevent the data packet from being discarded or the reception sensitivity of the data signal of the first frequency band from being reduced due to the beam training of the second frequency band at the fourth symbol timing.

In the above-mentioned embodiment, FIG. 8B is shown for delaying the bundle training time in the first frequency band, but the inventive concept is not limited thereto. According to various embodiments, the electronic device 120 may advance the bundle training time in the second frequency band to the third symbol timing. In addition, the electronic device 120 may implement control to maintain the bundle training time in each of the first frequency band and the second frequency band, and receive only dummy data at the fourth symbol timing in the first frequency band.

FIG. 9A is a diagram showing an example of managing a phase-dependent array antenna in a case of multiple carrier spacing according to an embodiment, and FIG. 9B is a diagram showing another example of managing a phase-dependent array antenna in a case of multiple carrier spacing according to an embodiment.

Referring to FIG. 9A , a first frequency band and a second frequency band having multiple subcarrier spacing are shown. The symbol length of the first frequency band may be different from the symbol length of the second frequency band. For example, in a case where the subcarrier spacing of the first frequency band is 120 kHz and the subcarrier spacing of the second frequency band may be 60 kHz, the symbol length of the first frequency band may correspond to half of the symbol length of the second frequency band. For example, the second symbol period of the second frequency band may be the same as the period corresponding to the sum of the third symbol and the fourth symbol of the first frequency band.

According to FIG. 9A , UE management information may not be transmitted and received between the electronic device 120 and the base station 110, and the base station 110 may not have information about the phase array antenna corresponding to each frequency band of the electronic device 120.

The first frequency band may receive CSI-RS for beam training at the seventh symbol timing. That is, to implement beam training in the first frequency band, the phase array antenna may shift the phase and amplitude of the received beam during the seventh symbol. Since the second frequency band has a subcarrier spacing of 60 kHz, the seventh symbol period of the first frequency band may correspond to the first half period of the fourth symbol of the second frequency band.

The first frequency band may receive a CSI-RS for bundle training during the seventh symbol, and may receive a data signal during the eighth symbol. In another aspect, in the second frequency band, the subcarrier interval may be reduced by half, and thus, the symbol period may be increased by two times, whereby the first frequency band may still receive a CSI-RS for bundle training at the eighth symbol timing of receiving the data signal. Analog beamforming may be implemented on the first frequency band and the second frequency band by the same phase array antenna, and thus, the phase and amplitude of the received beam may be shifted at the eighth symbol timing in the first frequency band. Therefore, the data signal received by the first frequency band may be received using a received beam having a phase and amplitude different from those of the optimal beam, and in the worst case, decoding of the received data may fail. Therefore, when the base station 110 implements resource allocation without considering the multi-carrier spacing, the electronic device 120 may not receive the data signal of the eighth symbol of the first frequency band corresponding to the second half cycle of the fourth symbol of the second frequency band.

Referring to FIG. 9B , the electronic device 120 may transmit UE management information to the base station 110 and receive UE management information from the base station 110. The base station 110 may obtain information about the phase array antenna used for each frequency band of the electronic device 120 based on the UE management information. For example, the base station 110 may recognize that the first frequency band and the second frequency band are covered or controlled by the same phase array antenna.

The base station 110 can implement scheduling and resource allocation on the first frequency band and the second frequency band based on the multi-carrier spacing and UE management information. For example, the base station 110 can recognize that the fourth symbol timing in the second frequency band corresponds to the seventh symbol and the eighth symbol in the first frequency band, and therefore, the period of transmitting the CSI-RS in the first frequency band can be set to two symbol periods. Therefore, the electronic device 120 can prevent the phase and amplitude of the received beam from being shifted, the reception sensitivity of the signal from being reduced, or the data packet from being discarded due to the beam training of the second frequency band at the eighth symbol timing in the first frequency band.

In the above-mentioned embodiment, FIG. 9B is shown for increasing the bundle training time in the first frequency band by two times, but the inventive concept is not limited thereto. According to various embodiments, the base station 110 may allocate resources to maintain the bundle training time in each of the first frequency band and the second frequency band, and transmit only dummy data at the eighth symbol timing in the first frequency band.

FIG. 10 is a flow chart showing the scheduling performed by the base station according to the embodiment.

10, in operation 1010, the base station 110 may receive UE management information. The UE management information may include information about a frequency band covered by each of the plurality of phase array antennas of the electronic device.

In operation 1020, the base station 110 may determine whether there are two or more frequency bands that can be received by the shared (or single) phase array antenna of the electronic device. For example, the UE management information may include index information indicating the frequency bands that enable each phase array antenna to receive wireless signals. Referring to Table 1 shown above, when the index value is not 1 to 4, the base station 110 can recognize that there are two or more frequency bands that can be received by the shared phase array antenna.

In operation 1030, the base station 110 may determine whether the subcarrier spacing of the two or more frequency bands is the same. When the subcarrier spacing of the frequency bands is different, the length of the symbol may be different, and therefore, it may be considered when allocating resources. When the subcarrier spacing of the two or more frequency bands is different, operation 1050 may be performed, and when the subcarrier spacing of the two or more frequency bands is the same, operation 1040 may be performed.

In operation 1040, the base station 110 may allocate resources so that bundle training is performed at the same symbol timing in the two or more frequency bands. In operation 1050, the base station 110 may allocate resources so that bundle training is performed at a time corresponding to the longest symbol length among the symbol lengths of the two or more frequency bands. For example, when the subcarrier spacing of the first frequency band is twice the subcarrier spacing of the second frequency band, the symbol length of the first frequency band may be half the symbol length of the second frequency band, and therefore, the base station 110 may allocate resources so that bundle training is performed at one symbol timing in the second frequency band during two symbol timings in the first frequency band.

The operations or steps of the above method or algorithm may be implemented as a computer readable code on a computer readable recording medium or to be transmitted via a transmission medium. A computer readable recording medium is any data storage device that can store data that can be subsequently read by a computer system. Examples of computer readable recording media include, but are not limited to, read-only memory (ROM), random-access memory (RAM), compact disc (CD)-read-only memory, digital versatile disc (DVD), magnetic tape, floppy disk, and optical data storage devices. Transmission media may include carrier waves transmitted via the Internet or various types of communication channels. The computer-readable recording medium may also be distributed over network-coupled computer systems, thereby storing and executing the computer-readable code in a distributed manner.

According to an exemplary embodiment, at least one of the components, elements, modules or units (collectively referred to as "components" in this paragraph) represented by the blocks in Figures 2 to 4B can be implemented as various numbers of hardware, software and/or firmware structures that perform the above-mentioned corresponding functions. For example, at least one of these components can use a direct circuit structure such as a memory, a processor, a logic circuit, a lookup table, etc., which can perform the corresponding function by controlling one or more microprocessors or other control devices. In addition, specifically, at least one of these components can be implemented by a module, a program or a portion of a code, which includes one or more executable instructions for implementing a specified logic function and is executed by one or more microprocessors or other control devices. In addition, at least one of these components may include a processor such as a central processing unit (CPU) or a microprocessor that performs the corresponding functions, or may be implemented by a processor such as a central processing unit (CPU) or a microprocessor that performs the corresponding functions. Two or more of these components may be combined into a single component that performs all operations or functions of the two or more components combined. In addition, at least part of the functions of at least one of these components may be implemented by another of these components. In addition, although a bus is not shown in the above block diagram, communication between components may be implemented by a bus. The functional aspects of the above exemplary embodiments may be implemented by algorithms executed on one or more processors. Furthermore, components represented by blocks or processing steps may employ any number of related technologies for electronic configuration, signal processing and/or control, data processing, etc.

Although the present invention has been particularly shown and described with reference to its embodiments, it will be understood that various changes in form and details may be made thereto without departing from the scope of the claims.

120: Electronic devices

310: Communication interface

320: Storage

325:UE management information

330: Controller

Claims (20)

An electronic device includes: a communication interface including a plurality of phase array antennas; a memory configured to store user equipment (UE) management information, the user equipment (UE) management information including information about at least one frequency band covered by each of the plurality of phase array antennas; and a controller configured to control to transmit the user equipment management information to a base station, wherein the plurality of phase array antennas include a first antenna and a second antenna, wherein the first antenna and the second antenna are controlled by a common oscillator, wherein the user equipment management information includes first information corresponding to the first antenna and second information corresponding to the second antenna, and wherein the first information indicates at least one first frequency band that the first antenna can receive, and the second information indicates at least one second frequency band that the second antenna can receive. An electronic device as described in claim 1, wherein the user equipment management information is included in the user equipment capability information periodically transmitted from the electronic device to the base station. An electronic device as described in claim 1, wherein the user equipment management information includes information about: an index of a first phase array antenna among the plurality of phase array antennas capable of receiving a first frequency band, the index being mapped to the first frequency band; and an index of a second phase array antenna among the plurality of phase array antennas capable of receiving a second frequency band, the index being mapped to the second frequency band. An electronic device as described in claim 1, wherein the plurality of phase array antennas include a first phase array antenna and a second phase array antenna, wherein the memory includes an index mapping table, the index mapping table indicating a plurality of frequency bands that enable wireless signals to be transmitted or received between the plurality of phase array antennas and the base station, and wherein the user equipment management information includes information about: a first index in the index mapping table indicating a first frequency band covered by the first phase array antenna; and a second index in the index mapping table indicating a second frequency band covered by the second phase array antenna. An electronic device as described in claim 1, wherein the user equipment management information includes information about multiple frequency bands covered by the phase array antennas in the multiple phase array antennas, and the information is transmitted to the base station based on transmission configuration indicator (TCI) status information. An electronic device as described in claim 1, wherein the at least one frequency band includes frequencies from 450 MHz to 6,000 MHz and frequencies from 30 GHz to 100 GHz. An electronic device as described in claim 1, wherein the user equipment management information is transmitted using at least one of a radio resource control (RRC) message and a system information. A base station includes: a communication interface configured to receive user equipment (UE) management information from an electronic device including a plurality of phase array antennas; and a controller configured to implement resource allocation based on the received UE management information, wherein the UE management information includes first information corresponding to a first antenna of the electronic device and second information corresponding to a second antenna of the electronic device, wherein the first information indicates at least one first frequency band that can be received via the first antenna, and the second information indicates at least one second frequency band that can be received via the second antenna, and wherein the controller is configured to implement bundle training based on the determination that the subcarrier intervals are the same. A base station as described in claim 8, wherein the controller is configured to determine whether there are two or more frequency bands covered by the phase array antennas among the multiple phase array antennas in the multiple frequency bands based on the received user equipment management information. A base station as described in claim 9, wherein, based on determining that there are two or more frequency bands covered by the phase array antenna, the controller is configured to further determine whether the subcarrier intervals of the two or more frequency bands are the same. A base station as claimed in claim 10, wherein, based on determining that the subcarrier intervals are the same, the controller is configured to allocate resources so that the bundle training is performed with the same symbol timing in the two or more frequency bands. A base station as claimed in claim 10, wherein, based on determining that the subcarrier spacing is different, the controller is configured to allocate resources so that the bundle training is performed in the two or more frequency bands at a time corresponding to the longest symbol length among the symbol lengths. A base station as described in claim 9, wherein, based on determining that there are no two or more frequency bands covered by the phase array antenna, the controller is configured to allocate resources so that bundle training is performed with different symbol timings in the multiple frequency bands. An operating method of an electronic device including a plurality of phase array antennas, the operating method comprising: storing user equipment (UE) management information, the user equipment (UE) management information comprising information about at least one frequency band covered by each of the plurality of phase array antennas; and transmitting the user equipment management information to a base station, wherein the plurality of phase array antennas comprises a first antenna and a second antenna, wherein the first antenna and the second antenna are controlled by a common oscillator, wherein the user equipment management information comprises first information corresponding to the first antenna and second information corresponding to the second antenna, and wherein the first information indicates at least one first frequency band that the first antenna can receive, and the second information indicates at least one second frequency band that the second antenna can receive. An operating method as described in claim 14, wherein the user equipment management information is included in the user equipment capability information periodically transmitted from the electronic device to the base station. The operating method as described in claim 14, wherein the transmitting of the user equipment management information comprises: identifying the index of the first phase array antenna capable of receiving the first frequency band and the index of the second phase array antenna capable of receiving the second frequency band among the plurality of phase array antennas; mapping the identified index of the first phase array antenna and the identified index of the second phase array antenna to the first frequency band and the second frequency band respectively; and transmitting the user equipment management information including information about the mapping to the base station. An operating method as described in claim 14, wherein the plurality of phase array antennas include a first phase array antenna and a second phase array antenna, wherein the electronic device stores an index mapping table indicating a plurality of frequency bands covered by the plurality of phase array antennas, and wherein the transmitting of the user equipment management information includes: identifying in the index mapping table a first index indicating a first frequency band covered by the first phase array antenna and a second index indicating a second frequency band covered by the second phase array antenna; and transmitting the user equipment management information including information about the identified first index and the second index to the base station. The operating method as described in claim 14, wherein the transmitting of the user equipment management information includes transmitting information indicating multiple frequency bands covered by one of the multiple phase array antennas to the base station based on transmission configuration indicator (TCI) status information. An operating method as described in claim 14, wherein the at least one frequency band includes frequencies from 450 MHz to 6,000 MHz and frequencies from 30 GHz to 100 GHz. An operating method as described in claim 14, wherein the user equipment management information is transmitted using at least one of a radio resource control (RRC) message and a system information.

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