KR20190095076A - Apparatus and method for controlling antennas in wireless communication system - Google Patents

Abstract

The present disclosure relates to a 5^th generation (5G) or pre-5G communication system to support a higher data transmission rate than that of a 4^th generation (4G) communication system such as long term evolution (LTE). An operation method of a terminal in a wireless communication system comprises the processes of: detecting a state related to antennas provided in the terminal; activating a first antenna according to the state related to the antennas; and deactivating a second antenna according to the state related to the antennas.

Description

Apparatus and method for controlling antennas in a wireless communication system {APPARATUS AND METHOD FOR CONTROLLING ANTENNAS IN WIRELESS COMMUNICATION SYSTEM}

The present disclosure generally relates to a wireless communication system, and more particularly to an apparatus and method for controlling antennas in a wireless communication system.

4G (4 ^th generation) to meet the traffic demand in the radio data communication system increases since the commercialization trend, efforts to develop improved 5G (5 ^th generation) communication system, or pre-5G communication system have been made. For this reason, a 5G communication system or a pre-5G communication system is called a Beyond 3G Network communication system or a Long Term Evolution (LTE) system (Post LTE) system.

In order to achieve high data rates, 5G communication systems are being considered for implementation in the ultra-high frequency (mmWave) band (eg, such as the 60 Gigabit (60 GHz) band). In order to mitigate the path loss of radio waves and increase the propagation distance of radio waves in the ultra-high frequency band, beamforming, massive array multiple input / output (Full-Dimensional MIMO, FD-MIMO) in 5G communication systems Array antenna, analog beam-forming, and large scale antenna techniques are discussed.

In addition, in order to improve the network of the system, 5G communication system has evolved small cells, advanced small cells, cloud radio access network (cloud RAN), ultra-dense network (ultra-dense network) , Device to device communication (D2D), wireless backhaul, moving network, cooperative communication, coordinated multi-points (CoMP), and interference cancellation The development of such technology is being done.

In addition, in 5G systems, Hybrid Frequency Shift Keying and Quadrature Amplitude Modulation (FQAM) and sliding window superposition coding (SWSC), Advanced Coding Modulation (ACM), and Filter Bank Multi Carrier (FBMC), an advanced access technology ), Non Orthogonal Multiple Access (NOMA), Spar Code Multiple Access (SCMA), and the like are being developed.

The terminal may perform beamforming using the antenna array. In this case, for more efficient beamforming, the terminal may include a plurality of antenna arrays. In this case, a method for effectively operating a plurality of antenna arrays is required.

Based on the discussion as described above, the present disclosure provides an apparatus and method for effectively controlling antennas in a wireless communication system.

The present disclosure also provides an apparatus and method for selectively activating antennas in a wireless communication system.

The present disclosure also provides an apparatus and method for reducing power consumption by multiple antennas in a wireless communication system.

The present disclosure also provides an apparatus and method for selecting an appropriate antenna subset using sensor data in a wireless communication system.

The present disclosure also provides an apparatus and method for selecting an appropriate antenna subset according to a measurement result for beams in a wireless communication system.

According to various embodiments of the present disclosure, a method of operating a terminal in a wireless communication system may include detecting a state related to antennas provided in the terminal and activating a first antenna according to a state related to the antennas. And deactivating the second antenna according to a state related to the antennas.

According to various embodiments of the present disclosure, a terminal device in a wireless communication system includes antennas, a transceiver connected to the antennas, and at least one processor connected to the transceiver. The at least one processor may detect a state related to the antennas, activate a first antenna according to the state related to the antennas, and deactivate a second antenna according to the state related to the antennas.

An apparatus and method according to various embodiments of the present disclosure may reduce unnecessary power consumption and increase communication efficiency by selectively activating antennas according to a state related to the antennas.

Effects obtained in the present disclosure are not limited to the above-mentioned effects, and other effects not mentioned above may be clearly understood by those skilled in the art from the following description. will be.

1 illustrates a wireless communication system according to various embodiments of the present disclosure.
2 illustrates a configuration of a terminal in a wireless communication system according to various embodiments of the present disclosure.
3A to 3C illustrate a configuration of a communication unit in a wireless communication system according to various embodiments of the present disclosure.
4 illustrates an example of radiation patterns of a signal by beamforming in a wireless communication system according to various embodiments of the present disclosure.
5 illustrates an example of installing a plurality of antennas in a wireless communication system according to various embodiments of the present disclosure.
6 is a flowchart illustrating a terminal for controlling antennas in a wireless communication system according to various embodiments of the present disclosure.
7 is a flowchart illustrating a terminal for controlling antennas according to a grip state in a wireless communication system according to various embodiments of the present disclosure.
8 illustrates a configuration of a terminal having a sensor in a wireless communication system according to various embodiments of the present disclosure.
9A illustrates an example of antennas activated according to a grip position in a wireless communication system according to various embodiments of the present disclosure.
9B illustrates an example of a change in throughput when controlling antennas according to a grip position in a wireless communication system according to various embodiments of the present disclosure.
10 is a flowchart illustrating a terminal for controlling antennas according to relative positions of antennas in a wireless communication system according to various embodiments of the present disclosure.
11 illustrates an example of antennas activated according to a relative position in a wireless communication system according to various embodiments of the present disclosure.
12 illustrates an example of a communication environment of a terminal in a wireless communication system according to various embodiments of the present disclosure.
13 is a flowchart illustrating a terminal for controlling antennas according to a receiving direction of a signal in a wireless communication system according to various embodiments of the present disclosure.
14 illustrates an example of antennas activated according to a receiving direction of a signal in a wireless communication system according to various embodiments of the present disclosure.
15A is a flowchart of a terminal for controlling antennas according to an optimal beam in a wireless communication system according to various embodiments of the present disclosure.
15B is another flowchart of a terminal for controlling antennas according to an optimal beam in a wireless communication system according to various embodiments of the present disclosure.
15C illustrates another flowchart of a terminal for controlling antennas according to an optimal beam in a wireless communication system according to various embodiments of the present disclosure.
16A is a flowchart of a terminal for controlling antennas according to a reception angle estimation of a signal in a wireless communication system according to various embodiments of the present disclosure.
16B is a flowchart illustrating another terminal for controlling antennas according to a reception angle estimation of a signal in a wireless communication system according to various embodiments of the present disclosure.
17A is a flowchart of a terminal for controlling antennas according to an optimal beam angle in a wireless communication system according to various embodiments of the present disclosure.
17B is a flowchart illustrating another terminal for controlling antennas according to an optimal beam angle in a wireless communication system according to various embodiments of the present disclosure.
18 illustrates another arrangement of antennas of a terminal in a wireless communication system according to various embodiments of the present disclosure.
19 is a flowchart illustrating a terminal for controlling antennas according to an optimal beam in a wireless communication system according to various embodiments of the present disclosure.
20 is a flowchart illustrating a terminal for controlling antennas using a default antenna in a wireless communication system according to various embodiments of the present disclosure.
21A illustrates an example of a time point when antenna switching is performed in a wireless communication system according to various embodiments of the present disclosure.
21B illustrates an example of a change in throughput according to timing of antenna switching in a wireless communication system according to various embodiments of the present disclosure.
22 is a flowchart illustrating a terminal for controlling an allowable time point of antenna switching in a wireless communication system according to various embodiments of the present disclosure.
23 is a flowchart illustrating a terminal for performing antenna switching using a grip sensor in a wireless communication system according to various embodiments of the present disclosure.
24 is a flowchart illustrating a terminal for performing antenna switching using sensor data in a wireless communication system according to various embodiments of the present disclosure.
25 is a flowchart illustrating a terminal for performing antenna switching using beam related information in a wireless communication system according to various embodiments of the present disclosure.
FIG. 26 is a flowchart of a terminal for performing antenna switching using a gripping state according to whether an antenna switching function is present in a wireless communication system according to various embodiments of the present disclosure; FIG.
FIG. 27 is a flowchart illustrating a terminal for performing antenna switching using two types of sensor data in a wireless communication system according to various embodiments of the present disclosure.
FIG. 28 is a flowchart illustrating a terminal for performing antenna switching using two sensor data and beamforming related data in a wireless communication system according to various embodiments of the present disclosure.

The terminology used herein is for the purpose of describing particular example embodiments only and is not intended to be limiting of the scope of other embodiments. Singular expressions may include plural expressions unless the context clearly indicates otherwise. The terms used herein, including technical or scientific terms, may have the same meaning as commonly understood by one of ordinary skill in the art as described in the present disclosure. Among the terms used in the present disclosure, terms defined in the general dictionary may be interpreted as having the same or similar meaning as the meaning in the context of the related art, and ideally or excessively formal meanings are not clearly defined in the present disclosure. Not interpreted as In some cases, even if terms are defined in the present disclosure, they may not be interpreted to exclude embodiments of the present disclosure.

In various embodiments of the present disclosure described below, a hardware approach will be described as an example. However, various embodiments of the present disclosure include a technology using both hardware and software, and thus various embodiments of the present disclosure do not exclude a software-based approach.

The present disclosure relates to an apparatus and method for controlling antennas in a wireless communication system. Specifically, the present disclosure describes techniques for selectively activating at least some of the plurality of antenna arrays in a wireless communication system.

As used in the following description, terms referring to signals, terms referring to channels, terms referring to control information, terms referring to the state of the device, terms referring to the type of sensor, terms referring to network entities For example, terms referring to elements of the device are illustrated for convenience of description. Thus, the present disclosure is not limited to the terms described below, and other terms having equivalent technical meanings may be used.

In addition, the present disclosure describes various embodiments using terms used in some communication standards, but this is only an example for description. Various embodiments of the present disclosure may be easily modified and applied to other communication systems.

1 illustrates a wireless communication system according to various embodiments of the present disclosure. FIG. 1 illustrates a base station 110, a terminal 120, and a terminal 130 as part of nodes using a wireless channel in a wireless communication system. 1 illustrates only one base station, another base station identical or similar to base station 110 may be further included.

Base station 110 is a network infrastructure that provides wireless access to terminals 120 and 130. The base station 110 has coverage defined as a certain geographic area based on the distance over which the signal can be transmitted. In addition to the base station, the base station 110 includes an 'access point (AP)', 'eNodeB (eNB)', '5G generation node', 'wireless point', ' A transmission / reception point (TRP) 'or another term having an equivalent technical meaning.

Each of the terminal 120 and the terminal 130 is a device used by a user and communicates with the base station 110 through a wireless channel. In some cases, at least one of the terminal 120 and the terminal 130 may be operated without user's involvement. That is, at least one of the terminal 120 and the terminal 130 is a device for performing machine type communication (MTC) and may not be carried by the user. Each of the terminal 120 and the terminal 130 is a terminal other than a user equipment (UE), a mobile station, a subscriber station, a remote terminal, and a remote terminal. Wireless terminal ', or' user device 'or other terms having equivalent technical meaning.

The base station 110, the terminal 120, and the terminal 130 may transmit and receive a radio signal in a millimeter wave band (eg, 28 GHz, 30 GHz, 38 GHz, 60 GHz). In this case, in order to improve the channel gain, the base station 110, the terminal 120, and the terminal 130 may perform beamforming. Here, the beamforming may include transmit beamforming and receive beamforming. That is, the base station 110, the terminal 120, and the terminal 130 may give directivity to a transmission signal or a reception signal. To this end, the base station 110 and the terminals 120 and 130 may select the serving beams 112, 113, 121, and 131 through a beam search or beam management procedure. After the serving beams 112, 113, 121, and 131 are selected, subsequent communication may be performed through a resource in a quasi co-located (QCL) relationship with the resource that transmitted the serving beams 112, 113, 121, and 131.

If the large-scale characteristics of the channel that carried the symbol on the first antenna port can be inferred from the channel that carried the symbol on the second antenna port, then the first antenna port and the second antenna port are said to be in a QCL relationship. Can be evaluated. For example, a wide range of characteristics include delay spread, Doppler spread, Doppler shift, average gain, average delay, and spatial receiver parameters. It may include at least one of.

2 illustrates a configuration of a terminal in a wireless communication system according to various embodiments of the present disclosure. The configuration illustrated in FIG. 2 may be understood as a configuration of the terminal 120. Used below '… Wealth, The term 'herein' refers to a unit for processing at least one function or operation, which may be implemented by hardware or software, or a combination of hardware and software.

Referring to FIG. 2, the terminal includes a communication unit 310, a storage unit 320, and a control unit 330.

The communication unit 310 performs functions for transmitting and receiving a signal through a wireless channel. For example, the communicator 310 performs a conversion function between the baseband signal and the bit string according to the physical layer standard of the system. For example, during data transmission, the communication unit 310 generates complex symbols by encoding and modulating a transmission bit string. In addition, when receiving data, the communication unit 310 restores the received bit string by demodulating and decoding the baseband signal. In addition, the communication unit 310 upconverts the baseband signal into a radio frequency (RF) band signal, transmits the signal through an antenna, and downconverts the RF band signal received through the antenna into a baseband signal. For example, the communication unit 310 may include a transmission filter, a reception filter, an amplifier, a mixer, an oscillator, a digital to analog convertor (DAC), an analog to digital convertor (ADC), and the like.

In addition, the communication unit 310 may include a plurality of transmission and reception paths. According to an embodiment of the present disclosure, the communication unit 310 may include a plurality of antennas installed at different locations. Here, each of the antennas may be an array antenna including a plurality of antenna elements. The communicator 310 may perform beamforming using a plurality of RF chains connected to each antenna. In terms of hardware, the communicator 310 may be configured of a digital circuit and an analog circuit (eg, a radio frequency integrated circuit (RFIC)). Here, the digital circuit and the analog circuit can be implemented in one package.

The communication unit 310 transmits and receives a signal as described above. Accordingly, all or part of the communication unit 310 may be referred to as a 'transmitter', 'receiver' or 'transceiver'. In addition, in the following description, transmission and reception performed through a wireless channel are used by the communication unit 310 to mean that the above-described processing is performed.

The storage unit 320 stores data such as a basic program, an application program, and setting information for the operation of the terminal. The storage unit 320 may be configured of a volatile memory, a nonvolatile memory, or a combination of the volatile memory and the nonvolatile memory. The storage 320 provides the stored data according to a request of the controller 330.

The controller 330 controls the overall operations of the terminal. For example, the controller 330 transmits and receives a signal through the communication unit 310. In addition, the controller 330 records and reads data in the storage 320. The controller 330 may perform the functions of the protocol stack required by the communication standard. To this end, the controller 330 may include at least one processor or a micro processor, or may be part of a processor. In addition, a part of the communication unit 310 and the control unit 330 may be referred to as a communication processor (CP). According to various embodiments of the present disclosure, the controller 330 may perform an operation for selectively activating a plurality of antennas. For example, the controller 330 may control the terminal to perform operations according to various embodiments described below.

3A to 3C illustrate a configuration of a communication unit in a wireless communication system according to various embodiments of the present disclosure. 3A to 3C illustrate examples of detailed configurations of the communication unit 210 of FIG. 2. Specifically, FIGS. 3A to 3C illustrate components for performing beamforming as part of the communication unit 210 of FIG. 2.

Referring to FIG. 3A, the communication unit 210 includes an encoding and modulation unit 302, a digital beamforming unit 304, a plurality of transmission paths 306-1 to 306-N, and an analog beamforming unit 308.

The encoding and modulation unit 302 performs channel encoding. For channel encoding, at least one of a low density parity check (LDPC) code, a convolution code, and a polar code may be used. The encoding and modulation unit 302 generates modulation symbols by performing constellation mapping.

The digital beamforming unit 304 performs beamforming on a digital signal (eg, modulation symbols). To this end, the digital beamforming unit 304 multiplies the modulation symbols by beamforming weights. Here, the beamforming weights are used to change the magnitude and phase of the signal, and may be referred to as a 'precoding matrix', 'precoder', or the like. The digital beamforming unit 304 outputs the digital beamformed modulation symbols in the plurality of transmission paths 306-1 to 306-N. In this case, according to a multiple input multiple output (MIMO) transmission scheme, modulation symbols may be multiplexed, or the same modulation symbols may be provided in a plurality of transmission paths 306-1 to 306-N.

Multiple transmission paths 306-1 through 306-N convert digital beamformed digital signals into analog signals. To this end, each of the plurality of transmission paths 306-1 to 306-N may include an inverse fast fourier transform (IFFT) calculator, a cyclic prefix (CP) inserter, a DAC, and an up-converter. The CP insertion unit is for an orthogonal frequency division multiplexing (OFDM) scheme and may be excluded when another physical layer scheme (for example, a filter bank multi-carrier (FBMC)) is applied. That is, the multiple transmission paths 306-1 through 306-N provide an independent signal processing process for the multiple streams generated through digital beamforming. However, depending on the implementation manner, some of the components of the plurality of transmission paths 306-1 to 306-N may be used in common.

The analog beamforming unit 308 performs beamforming on the analog signal. To this end, the digital beamforming unit 304 multiplies the analog signals by beamforming weights. Here, beamforming weights are used to change the magnitude and phase of the signal. In detail, the analog beamforming unit 308 may be configured as shown in FIG. 3B or 3C according to the connection structure between the plurality of transmission paths 306-1 to 306-N and the antennas.

Referring to FIG. 3B, signals input to the analog beamforming unit 308 are transmitted through antennas through phase / magnitude conversion and amplification. At this time, the signal of each path is transmitted through different antenna sets, that is, antenna arrays. Looking at the processing of the signal input through the first path, the signal is converted into signal sequences having different or the same phase / magnitude by the phase / magnitude converters 312-1-1 through 312-1-M, and the amplifiers 314-. Amplified by 1-1 through 314-1-M, then transmitted via antennas.

Referring to FIG. 3C, signals input to the analog beamforming unit 308 are transmitted through antennas through phase / size conversion and amplification. At this time, the signal of each path is transmitted through the same antenna set, that is, the antenna array. Looking at the processing of the signal input through the first path, the signal is converted into signal sequences having different or the same phase / magnitude by the phase / magnitude converters 312-1-1 through 312-1-M, and the amplifiers 314-. Amplified by 1-1 to 314-1-M. Then, the amplified signals are summed by the summation units 316-1-1 through 316-1-M based on the antenna element to be transmitted through one antenna array, and then transmitted through the antennas.

3B illustrates an example in which an independent antenna array for each transmission path is used, and FIG. 3C illustrates an example in which transmission paths share one antenna array. However, according to another embodiment, some transmission paths may use an independent antenna array, and the other transmission paths may share one antenna array. Furthermore, according to another embodiment, by applying a switchable structure between transmission paths and antenna arrays, a structure that can be adaptively changed according to a situation may be used.

The structure described with reference to FIGS. 3A to 3C may be understood as a configuration for one antenna array. According to an embodiment, the terminal (eg, the terminal 120) may include a plurality of antenna arrays. In this case, at least one of the components illustrated in FIGS. 3A to 3C may exist as many as the number of antenna arrays. For example, when N antenna arrays are provided, N analog beamforming units may be formed.

Using the structure described with reference to FIGS. 3A to 3C, the terminal may perform beamforming. By beamforming, the transmitted signal has a high gain in a particular direction. An example of the change in directionality according to beamforming is described with reference to FIG. 4. 4 illustrates an example of radiation patterns of a signal by beamforming in a wireless communication system according to various embodiments of the present disclosure. Referring to FIG. 4, the pattern 410 illustrates the radiation pattern of the omni-directional beam when not performing beamforming, and the pattern 420 illustrates the radiation pattern of the omni-directional beam, that is, directional. Illustrate the radiation pattern of the beam. Referring to the pattern 410, when beamforming is not performed, a relatively constant gain appears in all directions. Referring to the pattern 420, when beamforming is performed, it is confirmed that a relatively large gain appears in a specific direction, but a gain in another direction decreases.

As shown in FIG. 4, when beamforming is performed, the signal has a high gain in a specific direction. This beamforming feature can be utilized as an alternative to overcome path loss. In order to perform beamforming, an antenna array is generally used. Therefore, at least one antenna array is installed at a specific position of the terminal. For example, the antenna array may be implemented as a patch antenna.

In this case, the terminal includes other components (eg, a substrate, a display, a housing, etc.) other than the antenna, and thus, at least one surface or direction of the antenna may be blocked by the other component. Thus, in transmitting a signal through an antenna, radiation in a specific direction may be limited depending on the direction of the instrument and the circuit board. This may limit the range of directions in which one antenna can effectively transmit / receive signals. In addition, an antenna suitable for signal transmission / reception may vary according to a user's grip, rotation of a terminal, and movement. Therefore, in order to secure a wide signal transmission / reception range, it is desirable to install a plurality of antennas in two or more positions. For example, the antennas may be installed as shown in FIG. 5 below.

5 illustrates an example of installing a plurality of antennas in a wireless communication system according to various embodiments of the present disclosure. Referring to FIG. 5, the terminal 120 includes four antennas 512, 522, 532, and 542. Each of the four antennas 512, 522, 532, 542 can include multiple antenna elements. The first antenna 512 is near the upper left corner 510 of the terminal, the second antenna 522 is near the lower left corner 520 of the terminal, the third antenna 532 is near the lower right corner 530 of the terminal, and the fourth antenna 542 is the terminal The upper right corner of the 540 is located in the vicinity of.

In transmitting a signal through each of the antennas 512, 522, 532, and 542, radiation in a specific direction may be limited according to the direction of the instrument and the circuit board. For example, in the case of the first antenna 512, the upper direction and the left direction of the terminal 120 are relatively open, but the lower direction and the right direction are relatively shielded by other components such as a substrate. Thus, other antennas (eg, second antenna 522, third antenna 532, fourth antenna 542) may be used to compensate for signal transmission / reception in a direction not covered by the first antenna 512. .

As described with reference to FIG. 5, the terminal 120 may include four antennas. However, FIG. 5 is one example, and the structure of FIG. 5 does not limit the present invention. For example, the terminal 120 may include three or less antennas or five or more antennas, some of the antennas may be configured as a single antenna element, and at least one antenna may be installed at a position other than four corners. Can be.

As shown in FIG. 5, a plurality of antennas may be installed in the terminal. In this case, when activating all installed antennas, power consumption may be very large. In this case, activation means that a signal is transmitted / received through a corresponding antenna, and means transitioning a component (for example, an amplifier, etc.) that processes at least one signal connected to the antenna to a normal operable state. Therefore, in order to reduce power consumption, a scheme of activating only some antennas, that is, deactivating the remaining antennas may be considered. In this case, inactivation is a state in which a signal is not transmitted / received through a corresponding antenna, and a state in which at least one component (for example, an amplifier, etc.) processing at least one signal connected to the antenna is not normally operated (eg, Off, power off, low power state, stand-by state, sleep state, etc.). Accordingly, the following disclosure proposes various embodiments for selectively activating antennas.

6 is a flowchart illustrating a terminal for controlling antennas in a wireless communication system according to various embodiments of the present disclosure. 6 illustrates an operation method of the terminal 120.

Referring to FIG. 6, in step 601, the terminal detects a state related to antennas. Here, states related to the antennas may be variously defined according to specific embodiments. For example, the state related to the antennas may be determined based on at least one of a signal transmitted / received through a currently activated antenna and a sensor provided in the terminal.

In step 603, the terminal activates the first antenna according to a state related to the antennas. That is, the terminal may activate the first antenna instead of or in addition to the currently activated antenna. Accordingly, a plurality of antennas including the first antenna or the first antenna may be activated.

In step 605, the terminal deactivates the second antenna according to a state related to the antennas. That is, the terminal may activate the second antenna in place of or in addition to the currently deactivated antenna. Accordingly, a plurality of antennas including the second antenna or the second antenna may be deactivated.

As described with reference to FIG. 6, an operating state (eg, activation or deactivation) of the antennas may be controlled according to a state related to the antennas. Accordingly, the activated antenna and the deactivated antenna may be changed, and this operation may be referred to as 'antenna switching' hereinafter. Here, the states related to the antennas may be variously defined, and according to an embodiment, may include whether or not the location where each antenna is installed is gripped by the user. Embodiments according to gripping will be described below with reference to FIGS. 7 to 9B.

7 is a flowchart illustrating a terminal for controlling antennas according to a grip state in a wireless communication system according to various embodiments of the present disclosure. 7 illustrates a method of operating the terminal 120.

Referring to FIG. 7, in step 701, the terminal determines whether the holding state of each of the antennas is changed. Here, the holding state means whether the position where the antenna is installed is blocked by another object (for example, the user's hand). According to the use of the terminal by the user, the gripping state can be changed, and the terminal can detect the change of the gripping state through the sensor.

If the holding state is changed, in step 703, the terminal activates at least one of the open antennas. That is, the terminal activates at least one antenna that is not blocked by another object. For example, the terminal selects at least one antenna to use for communication based on the sensor data, and activates the selected at least one antenna.

In step 705, the terminal activates at least one antenna among the held antennas. That is, the terminal deactivates at least one antenna blocked by another object. For example, the terminal selects at least one antenna not to be used for communication based on the sensor data, and deactivates the selected at least one antenna.

As shown in FIG. 7, the antennas may be controlled according to the holding state. To this end, the terminal may be provided with a sensor for detecting a gripping state. An example of a terminal with a sensor is described with reference to FIG. 8.

8 illustrates a configuration of a terminal having a sensor in a wireless communication system according to various embodiments of the present disclosure. The configuration illustrated in FIG. 8 may be understood as a configuration of the terminal 120. Referring to FIG. 8, the terminal is a RFB (RF-B) 814, a plurality of RFAs 816-1 to 816-4, a CP 832, an application processor (AP) 834, and a plurality of sensors 842-1. To 842-4.

RFB 814 processes the RF signal. The RFB 814 can perform common processing for signals transmitted / received through all antennas. For example, RFB 814 may perform functions such as gain control, processing of an intermediate frequency signal, frequency up-conversion, frequency down-conversion, and the like. However, signals for each antenna may be divided and processed logically or physically. For this purpose, RFB 814 is divided into a number of channels (eg, channel 1, channel 2) and further sub-channels (eg, channel 1-1, channel 1-2, channel 2-1, channel 2-2). It can have a logical or physical structure.

Multiple RFAs 816-1 through 816-4 process the RF signal. Each of the plurality of RFAs 816-1 through 816-4 may perform processing on a signal transmitted / received through a corresponding antenna. For example, the first RFA 816-1 may process a signal transmitted / received through the first antenna. Accordingly, each of the plurality of RFAs 816-1 through 816-4 may be disposed in proximity to corresponding antennas. For example, the plurality of RFAs 816-1 through 816-4 may perform functions such as phase shifting, amplification, switching, multiplexing, and the like.

The CP 832 is a processor that performs and controls functions related to communication. The CP 832 processes the baseband signal and can control the operation of RFB 814 and multiple RFAs 816-1 through 816-4. The AP 834 is a processor that performs and controls various functions other than communication of the terminal. For example, the AP 834 may control a sensing operation of the terminal and process sensor data. For example, the AP 834 may determine a state related to the antennas based on sensor data provided from the plurality of sensors 842-1 to 842-4.

The plurality of sensors 842-1 through 842-4 generate sensor data for determining a gripping state. For example, the plurality of sensors 842-1 to 842-4 may be implemented with at least one of a grip sensor, a proximity sensor, and a thermal sensor. For example, the first sensor 842-1 may include a capacitor, and may generate sensor data based on a charge / discharge phenomenon of the capacitor according to the grip.

In the structure described with reference to FIG. 8, it has been described that part of the processing for the RF signal is performed by RFB 814, and the rest by a plurality of RFAs 816-1 through 816-4. However, this is an example, and the present invention is not limited thereto. According to another embodiment, processing for all RF signals may be performed by RFB 814, and a plurality of RFAs 816-1 through 816-4 may be excluded. According to another embodiment, processing for all RF signals may be performed by multiple RFAs 816-1 through 816-4, and RFB 814 may be excluded.

According to the exemplary embodiment described with reference to FIGS. 7 and 8, an operating state (eg, activation or deactivation) of the antennas may be controlled according to the position where the user's hand is held. Based on the structure of FIG. 5, a specific example of control of the antennas according to the gripping position is described below with reference to FIG. 9A. 9A illustrates an example of antennas activated according to a grip position in a wireless communication system according to various embodiments of the present disclosure.

Referring to FIG. 9A, the state 910 is a state in which the lower left and lower right ends of the terminal 120 are gripped, and the antennas located at the upper left 510 and the upper right 940 are activated. State 920 is a state in which the upper left and lower left ends of the terminal 120 are gripped, and the antennas located at the lower right end 530 and the upper right end 540 are activated. State 930 is a state in which the upper right and left upper ends of the terminal 120 are gripped, and the antennas located at the lower left 520 and the lower right 530 are activated. State 940 is a state in which the lower right and upper right of the terminal 120 is gripped, and the antennas located at the upper left 510 and the lower left 520 are activated.

An example of a sequential change in the four states 910, 920, 930, and 940 illustrated in FIG. 9A and a change in throughput according to the control of the antenna corresponding thereto is shown in FIG. 9B. 9B illustrates an example of a change in throughput when controlling antennas according to a grip position in a wireless communication system according to various embodiments of the present disclosure. Referring to FIG. 9B, the throughput is about 2.7 × 10 ⁶ when all antennas are in the unopened state. At this time, as the lower end of the terminal is gripped, the terminal detects a state 910 and activates antennas located at the upper left 510 and the upper right 940. Then, when the grip position is changed to the left side, the antenna located at the upper left 510 of the activated is cut off, thereby temporarily reducing the storage amount. The terminal detecting the change of the gripping position deactivates the antenna located at the upper left 510 and activates the antenna located at the lower right 530. As a result, the throughput is restored. In addition, when the holding position is changed to the upper end, the amount of storage temporarily decreases, and the terminal deactivates the antenna located at the upper right 540 and activates the antenna located at the lower left 520. Similarly, if the grip position is changed to the right side, the amount of storage temporarily decreases, and the terminal deactivates the antenna located at the lower left 530 and activates the antenna located at the upper left 510. Thus, throughput can be recovered.

As described above, the antennas may be controlled based on the gripping state. According to other embodiments, the antennas may be controlled according to other sensor data. For example, the antennas may be controlled according to sensor data generated by an acceleration sensor or a gyro sensor. The control using the acceleration sensor or the gyro sensor may be understood as the control according to the change in the relative positional relationship between the movement / posture of the terminal or the antennas. An embodiment in which the antennas are controlled according to a change in the relative positional relationship of the antennas is described below with reference to FIGS. 10 and 11.

10 is a flowchart illustrating a terminal for controlling antennas according to relative positions of antennas in a wireless communication system according to various embodiments of the present disclosure. 10 illustrates an operation method of the terminal 120.

Referring to FIG. 10, in step 1001, the terminal determines whether the relative positions of the antennas are changed. Here, the relative position means a position (eg, left, right, top, bottom) where the corresponding antenna is placed relative to other antennas. The relative position of each of the antennas may be changed according to the rotation, movement, etc. of the terminal.

In step 1003, the terminal activates at least one antenna moved to the first position. Here, the first location is a location that is expected to be advantageous for activating for communication, and may be predefined. For example, the first position may be defined as the top. That is, at least one antenna located at the top of the other antennas may be activated.

In step 1005, the terminal activates at least one antenna moved to the second position. Here, the second location is a location that is expected to be disadvantageous to activate for communication, and may be predefined. For example, the second position may be defined as the bottom.

In the embodiment described with reference to FIG. 10, the terminal determines that the relative positions of the antennas are changed. According to an embodiment of the present disclosure, the terminal may determine the rotation and the movement of the terminal based on sensor data provided from the acceleration sensor or the gyro sensor, and determine the relative position change of each antenna accordingly. According to another embodiment, the terminal may determine the relative position change of each antenna based on the rotation of the screen. In general, the terminal has a display for displaying a screen, and for convenience of the user, the screen is set to rotate in a direction opposite to the rotation of the terminal. That is, since the currency of the screen means the rotation of the terminal, the terminal may determine the relative position change of the antennas based on the rotation of the screen. In more detail, the terminal may determine the relative position change of the antennas based on setting data about the rotation of the screen.

According to the embodiment described with reference to FIG. 10, an operating state (eg, activation or deactivation) of antennas may be controlled according to a relative position. Based on the structure of FIG. 5, a specific example of control of antennas according to relative positions is described below with reference to FIG. 11. 11 illustrates an example of antennas activated according to a relative position in a wireless communication system according to various embodiments of the present disclosure. In the example of FIG. 11, the relative position as a condition to be activated is illustrated at the top, and the relative position as a condition to be deactivated is illustrated at the bottom.

Referring to FIG. 11, a state 1110 is a state in which the upper left 510 and the upper right 940 of the terminal 120 face upwards, and the antennas located at the upper left 510 and the upper right 940 are activated. State 1120 is a state in which the lower right 530 and the upper right 540 of the terminal 120 face upwards, and antennas located at the lower right 530 and the upper right 540 are activated. State 1130 is a state in which the lower left 520 and the lower right 530 of the terminal 120 face upward, and the antennas located in the lower left 520 and the lower right 530 are activated. State 1140 is a state in which the upper left 510 and the lower left 520 of the terminal 120 face upwards, and the antennas located at the upper left 510 and the lower left 520 are activated. Accordingly, even when the portion where the antenna is not located is gripped or not gripped (eg, when mounted on a cradle), the antenna to be activated may be appropriately selected.

As described above, the antennas may be controlled based on the relative position. According to other embodiments, the antennas may be controlled based on a signal transmitted / received through the antennas. Based on the signal, an appropriate antenna may be selected even in an environment as shown in FIG. 12. 12 illustrates an example of a communication environment of a terminal in a wireless communication system according to various embodiments of the present disclosure.

Referring to FIG. 12, when the serving base station of the terminal 120 is the base station 110-1, the serving base station is located in the direction in which the upper end of the terminal 120 faces. In this case, the antennas located at the top, that is, the upper left 510 and the upper right 520 may be activated. However, the shortest path between the base station 110-1 and the terminal 110 is blocked by the obstacle 130-2, and the signal from the base station 110-1 is received after being reflected by the obstacle 130-1. Accordingly, the signal is received in the direction of the left side rather than the top of the terminal 120. In addition, when the serving base station of the terminal 120 is the base station 110-2, the serving base station is located in the left direction rather than the top of the terminal 120. In this case, the signal is received in the direction of the left side rather than the top of the terminal 120. Therefore, defining the top as a condition for the antenna to be activated may not always be optimal. Thus, the present disclosure will be described below with reference to FIGS. 13 to 20 to control the antennas based on the received signal.

13 is a flowchart illustrating a terminal for controlling antennas according to a receiving direction of a signal in a wireless communication system according to various embodiments of the present disclosure. 13 illustrates an operation method of the terminal 120.

Referring to FIG. 13, in step 1301, the terminal determines whether a reception direction of a signal is changed. Here, the reception direction of the signal may be determined based on the measurement result for the reception beams.

In step 1303, the terminal activates at least one antenna corresponding to the receiving direction of the signal. For example, the terminal may activate at least one antenna located in the reception direction of the signal. Accordingly, in place of or in addition to the currently active antenna, at least one antenna may be activated.

In step 1305, the terminal deactivates the remaining at least one antenna of the signal. For example, the terminal may deactivate at least one antenna that is not located in the signal receiving direction. Thus, in place of or in addition to the currently deactivated antenna, at least one antenna may be deactivated.

According to the embodiment described with reference to FIG. 13, an operating state (eg, activation or deactivation) of the antennas may be controlled according to a signal reception direction. That is, when the receiving direction of the signal is determined, an antenna capable of providing a better gain / scan range for the signal received in the determined direction may be activated. Based on the structure of FIG. 5, a specific example of control of antennas according to relative positions is described below with reference to FIG. 14. 14 illustrates an example of antennas activated according to a receiving direction of a signal in a wireless communication system according to various embodiments of the present disclosure.

Referring to FIG. 14, the terminal 120 communicates with the base station 110 located in the left direction. Initially, as in state 1410, the terminal 120 activates antennas located at the upper left 510 and the upper right 540. In this case, a signal is received through the reception beam 1444 at the antenna located at the upper left end 510 and the antenna at the upper right end 540. Since the directions of the reception beam 1412 and the reception beam 1442 are left, the terminal 120 performs antenna switching by activating antennas located at the upper left 510 and the lower left 520 as in the state 1420.

As described above, the antennas may be controlled according to the receiving direction of the signal. In this case, the reception direction of the signal may be determined according to various algorithms. For example, the reception direction of the signal may be determined based on at least one of an optimal beam, an angle of arrival (AOA) estimation result, an optimal beam angle, and a received signal strength. Here, the optimal beam is a beam selected by the terminal according to the measurement result of the beams, and means a beam that provides a maximum channel quality or a channel quality above a threshold, and is not necessarily the same as the beam actually used. Any one of various combinations derived from the optimum beam, the result of the estimation of the reception angle, the optimum beam angle, and the received signal strength can be applied to determine the reception direction of the signal. Hereinafter, examples of specific combinations will be described with reference to FIGS. 15A to 17B. First, embodiments based on the optimal beam are described below with reference to FIGS. 15A and 15C.

15A is a flowchart of a terminal for controlling antennas according to an optimal beam in a wireless communication system according to various embodiments of the present disclosure. 15A illustrates an operation method of the terminal 120.

Referring to FIG. 15A, in step 1501, the terminal determines an optimal beam. In order to determine an optimal beam, the terminal may repeatedly receive signals (eg, reference signals and synchronization signals) received from the base station through a plurality of receive beams, and measure received signal strength. In addition, the terminal may determine the reception beam providing the maximum received signal strength as an optimal beam. In this case, when a plurality of antennas are in an active state, one receive beam per antenna, that is, a plurality of receive beams may be determined as optimal beams.

In step 1503, the terminal activates an antenna subset corresponding to the optimal beam. That is, based on the corresponding relationship between each reception beam and the antenna subset, the terminal may activate at least one antenna corresponding to the reception beam selected as the optimal beam. The correspondence relationship between the receive beam and the antenna subset may be predefined, and one antenna subset may correspond to multiple receive beams or combinations of receive beams.

15B is another flowchart of a terminal for controlling antennas according to an optimal beam in a wireless communication system according to various embodiments of the present disclosure. 15B illustrates an operation method of the terminal 120.

Referring to FIG. 15B, in step 1511, the terminal determines an optimal beam. In order to determine an optimal beam, the terminal may repeatedly receive signals (eg, reference signals and synchronization signals) received from the base station through a plurality of receive beams, and measure received signal strength. In addition, the terminal may determine the reception beam providing the maximum received signal strength as an optimal beam. In this case, when a plurality of antennas are in an active state, one receive beam per antenna, that is, a plurality of receive beams may be determined as optimal beams.

In step 1513, the terminal determines whether the optimal beam is a predefined beam. In other words, the terminal determines whether the optimal beam is one of the predefined beams. Here, the predefined beams are a set of beams that cause antenna switching. For example, the predefined beams may include all beams available at the terminal or some beams. If the optimal beam is not a predefined beam, the terminal terminates this procedure.

If the optimal beam is a predefined beam, in step 1515, the terminal performs antenna switching. That is, the terminal activates at least one antenna corresponding to the current optimal beam and deactivates the other at least one antenna. As a result, the activated antenna may be changed. However, even if the optimal beam is a predefined beam, if at least one antenna corresponding to the optimal beam determined in step 1511 is already activated, the activated antenna may not be changed. That is, the optimal beam causing the antenna switching may vary depending on what is at least one antenna currently active.

In the embodiment described with reference to FIGS. 15A and 15B, an antenna to be activated may be changed according to the change of the optimal beam. In addition, the quality of communication performed using the currently active antenna can be further used as a condition of antenna switching. This is because, even if the optimal beam is changed, antenna switching may not be necessary if the current communication quality is above a certain level. Accordingly, according to another embodiment, if the signal strength of the activated antenna exceeds the threshold, the terminal may maintain the currently active antenna despite the change of the optimal beam.

15C illustrates another flowchart of a terminal for controlling antennas according to an optimal beam in a wireless communication system according to various embodiments of the present disclosure. 15C illustrates an operation method of the terminal 120.

Referring to FIG. 15C, in step 1521, the terminal determines an optimal beam. In order to determine an optimal beam, the terminal may repeatedly receive signals (eg, reference signals and synchronization signals) received from the base station through a plurality of receive beams, and measure received signal strength. In addition, the terminal may determine the reception beam providing the maximum received signal strength as an optimal beam. In this case, when a plurality of antennas are in an active state, one receive beam per antenna, that is, a plurality of receive beams may be determined as optimal beams.

In step 1523, the terminal determines whether the optimal beam is a predefined beam. In other words, the terminal determines whether the optimal beam is one of the predefined beams. Here, the predefined beams are a set of beams that cause antenna switching. For example, the predefined beams may include all beams available at the terminal or some beams. If the optimal beam is not a predefined beam, the terminal terminates this procedure.

If the optimal beam is a predefined beam, in step 1525, the terminal determines whether the signal strength of the activated antenna is below the threshold. Here, the threshold may be defined as a signal strength value that provides a certain level of quality. Thus, if the signal strength exceeds the threshold, it can be understood that the current situation is not necessarily a situation where antenna switching is necessary. Therefore, if the signal strength in the activated antenna exceeds the threshold, the terminal terminates this procedure.

If the signal strength of the activated antenna is less than the threshold, in step 1525, the terminal performs antenna switching. That is, the terminal activates at least one antenna corresponding to the current optimal beam and deactivates the other at least one antenna. As a result, the activated antenna may be changed. However, even if the optimal beam is a predefined beam, if at least one antenna corresponding to the optimal beam determined in step 1521 is already activated, the activated antenna may not be changed. That is, the optimal beam causing the antenna switching may vary depending on what is at least one antenna currently active.

16A is a flowchart of a terminal for controlling antennas according to a reception angle estimation of a signal in a wireless communication system according to various embodiments of the present disclosure. 16A illustrates a method of operating the terminal 120.

Referring to FIG. 16A, in step 1601, the UE estimates a reception angle of a signal. Here, the reception angle may be estimated based on the measurement result for each reception beam of signals received from the base station.

In step 1603, the terminal activates the antenna subset corresponding to the reception angle. That is, the terminal may activate at least one antenna corresponding to the estimated reception angle based on the corresponding relationship between each reception angle and the antenna subset. The correspondence relationship between the reception angle and the antenna subset may be predefined. For example, the terminal may identify a region to which the estimated reception angle belongs among the plurality of regions obtained by dividing the entire reception angles, and activate an antenna subset corresponding to the identified region.

16B is a flowchart illustrating another terminal for controlling antennas according to a reception angle estimation of a signal in a wireless communication system according to various embodiments of the present disclosure. 16B illustrates an operation method of the terminal 120.

Referring to FIG. 16B, in step 1611, the UE estimates a reception angle of a signal. Here, the reception angle may be estimated based on the measurement result for each reception beam of signals received from the base station.

In step 1613, the terminal determines whether the signal strength of the activated antenna is below the threshold. Here, the threshold may be defined as a signal strength value that provides a certain level of quality. Thus, if the signal strength exceeds the threshold, it can be understood that the current situation is not necessarily a situation where antenna switching is necessary. Therefore, if the signal strength in the activated antenna exceeds the threshold, the terminal terminates this procedure.

If the signal strength of the activated antenna is less than the threshold, in step 1615, the terminal performs antenna switching. That is, the terminal activates at least one antenna corresponding to the reception angle and deactivates at least one antenna. That is, the terminal may activate at least one antenna corresponding to the estimated reception angle based on the corresponding relationship between each reception angle and antennas. The correspondence relationship between the reception angle and the antennas may be predefined. As a result, the activated antenna may be changed. However, when at least one antenna corresponding to the reception angle determined in step 1611 is already activated, the activated antenna may not be changed. That is, the reception angle causing the antenna switching may vary depending on what is at least one antenna currently active.

In the embodiment described with reference to FIGS. 16A and 16B, the terminal estimates a reception angle of a signal. The reception angle of the signal can be estimated in various ways. According to an embodiment, the reception angle of the signal may be estimated based on the optimal reception beam. In this case, the terminal may check the optimal angle of the reception beam and determine the determined angle as the reception angle.

According to another embodiment, the reception angle of the signal may be estimated based on the measurement result for the plurality of reception beams. In this case, the terminal may determine the reception angle of the signal using a combination of the measurement values for the reception beams. When using a combination of measurement values for the reception beams, the reception direction may be estimated differently even though the optimal reception beams are the same.

17A is a flowchart of a terminal for controlling antennas according to an optimal beam angle in a wireless communication system according to various embodiments of the present disclosure. 17A illustrates an operation method of the terminal 120.

Referring to FIG. 17A, in step 1701, the terminal checks an optimal beam angle. The reception beams have a constant angle, and accordingly, the terminal may check the angle of the beam as it determines the optimal beam. That is, the terminal may convert the index of the optimal beam into an angle.

In step 1703, the terminal activates the antenna subset corresponding to the optimal beam angle. That is, the terminal may activate at least one antenna corresponding to the optimal beam angle based on the correspondence relationship between the optimal beam angle and the antenna subset. The correspondence relationship between the optimal beam angle and the antenna subset can be predefined. For example, the terminal may identify a region to which the optimal beam angle belongs among a plurality of regions obtained by dividing the angles of the available beams, and activate an antenna subset corresponding to the identified region.

17B is a flowchart illustrating another terminal for controlling antennas according to an optimal beam angle in a wireless communication system according to various embodiments of the present disclosure. 17B illustrates an operation method of the terminal 120.

Referring to FIG. 17B, in step 1711, the UE checks an optimal beam angle. The reception beams have a constant angle, and accordingly, the terminal may check the angle of the beam as it determines the optimal beam.

In step 1713, the terminal determines whether the signal strength of the activated antenna is below the threshold. Here, the threshold may be defined as a signal strength value that provides a certain level of quality. Thus, if the signal strength exceeds the threshold, it can be understood that the current situation is not necessarily a situation where antenna switching is necessary. Therefore, if the signal strength in the activated antenna exceeds the threshold, the terminal terminates this procedure.

If the signal strength of the activated antenna is less than the threshold, in step 1715, the terminal performs antenna switching. That is, the terminal activates at least one antenna corresponding to the optimal beam angle and deactivates the other at least one antenna. That is, the terminal may activate at least one antenna corresponding to the optimum beam angle based on the angle of each optimal beam and the correspondence relationship between the antennas. The optimal angle of the beam and the correspondence between the antennas may be predefined. As a result, the activated antenna may be changed. However, if at least one antenna corresponding to the angle identified in step 1711 is already activated, the activated antenna may not be changed. That is, the angle causing antenna switching may vary depending on what is at least one antenna currently active.

In the embodiments described with reference to FIGS. 16A through 17B, antenna switching is performed based on a received signal or an optimal beam angle. Here, the resolution of the angle for antenna switching and the resolution of the estimated or checked angle may be different from each other. For example, even if the estimated or confirmed angle changes, if the amount of change in the angle is less than the threshold, the activated antenna may not be changed. That is, not all changes in the angles that are estimated or confirmed may cause antenna switching.

In the above-described various embodiments, a structure in which antennas are installed at four corners (eg, positions 510, 520, 530, and 540) of the terminal is illustrated. In contrast, a structure as shown in FIG. 18 may be considered below in which one antenna is further installed near the center of the front or rear surface of the terminal. 18 illustrates another arrangement of antennas of a terminal in a wireless communication system according to various embodiments of the present disclosure.

Referring to FIG. 18, a first antenna 1812, a second antenna 1822, a third antenna 1832, and a fourth antenna 1842 are disposed at four corners of the terminal 120, and a fifth antenna 1852 is disposed near the center of the terminal 120. . The fifth antenna 1852 may be disposed on the front side (eg, the direction in which the display exists) or on the rear side (eg, the direction in which the cover exists). When the fifth antenna 1852 is disposed in front, the fifth antenna 1852 may be referred to as a 'display antenna'.

In general, the gain for beams formed vertically in the shape of the antenna (e.g., beams formed at 90 ° to the antenna plane) is relatively good, and the gain decreases as the angle of the antenna plane and beam direction decreases. do. Therefore, if the beam belonging to the regions 1814, 1824, 1834, 1844 located laterally relative to the fifth antenna 1852 is selected as the optimal beam, or the direction of receiving the signal is estimated in the regions 1814, 1824, 1834, 1844, , Using one of the first antenna 1812, the second antenna 1822, the third antenna 1832, and the fourth antenna 1842 disposed at four corners may provide better communication quality. Accordingly, in this case, antenna switching may be performed from at least one of the first antenna 1812, the second antenna 1822, the third antenna 1832, and the fourth antenna 1842 at the fifth antenna 1852. For example, the first region 1814 corresponds to the first antenna 1812, the second region 1824 corresponds to the second antenna 1822, the third region 1834 corresponds to the third antenna 1832, and the fourth region 1844 corresponds to the fourth Corresponds to antenna 1842.

As described above, the fifth antenna 1852 located near the center may be used as the monitoring antenna for determining the antenna to be activated. A related embodiment is described below with reference to FIG. 19.

19 is a flowchart illustrating a terminal for controlling antennas according to an optimal beam in a wireless communication system according to various embodiments of the present disclosure. 19 illustrates an operation method of the terminal 120.

Referring to FIG. 19, in step 1901, the terminal determines a signal reception direction in an antenna disposed at the front or the rear. For convenience of description below, the antenna disposed on the front or rear is referred to as a 'monitoring antenna'. That is, while the monitoring antenna is activated, the terminal estimates the reception direction of the signal based on the monitoring antenna.

In step 1903, the terminal activates at least one antenna corresponding to the reception direction of the signal at the monitoring antenna of the signal. For example, the terminal may activate at least one antenna corresponding to the receiving direction of the signal. Accordingly, in place of or in addition to the currently active antenna, at least one antenna may be activated. For example, if the receiving direction of the signal belongs to the side of the monitoring antenna (eg, belongs to one of the regions 1814, 1824, 1834, 1844), at least one antenna different from the monitoring antenna may be activated.

In step 1905, the terminal deactivates the remaining at least one antenna of the signal. For example, the terminal may deactivate at least one antenna that does not correspond to the receiving direction of the signal. Thus, in place of or in addition to the currently deactivated antenna, at least one antenna may be deactivated. For example, if the receiving direction of the signal belongs to the side of the monitoring antenna (eg, belongs to one of the areas 1814, 1824, 1834, 1844), the monitoring antenna may be deactivated.

20 is a flowchart illustrating a terminal for controlling antennas using a default antenna in a wireless communication system according to various embodiments of the present disclosure. 20 illustrates an operation method of the terminal 120.

Referring to FIG. 20, in step 2001, the terminal determines whether it is powered on. That is, the terminal checks whether it is out of the power-off state. Accordingly, the terminal is booted and may initialize some settings.

In step 2003, the terminal activates the primary antenna. That is, according to the power-on, predefined initial values may be applied, for example, a basic antenna defined as used for initialization may be activated. For example, the basic antenna may be an antenna disposed near the center of the front or rear of the terminal.

In step 2005, the terminal determines the reception direction of the signal in the basic antenna. Here, the reception direction of the signal may be determined based on the measurement result for the reception beams. For example, the terminal may determine the reception direction of the signal based on at least one of the optimal beam, the result of the reception angle, the optimal beam angle, and the received signal strength.

In step 2007, the terminal activates at least one antenna corresponding to the receiving direction of the signal. Accordingly, in place of or in addition to the currently active antenna, at least one antenna may be activated. For example, if the primary antenna is a monitoring antenna, if the direction of reception of the signal belongs to the side of the monitoring antenna (e.g., one of the areas 1814, 1824, 1834, 1844), then at least one other The antenna can be activated.

As described above, based on various state information, antennas may be controlled. Changing the active antenna can cause a change in the communication channel. Therefore, it is preferable that the antenna switching is performed at a time when the burden on the change of the communication channel is relatively small. The wireless communication system according to various embodiments supports frame-based communication. In detail, the base station transmits signals in a structure divided into frames or subframes, and transmits signals necessary for performing non-data communication through some frames or subframes. For example, signals other than data can be used for synchronization / synchronous tracking, signals for beam measurement / tracking, signals used for automatic gain control (AGC), and for beam changes. It may include at least one of the signals.

Non-data signals are primarily related to synchronization and measurement, which are relatively sensitive to channel changes due to antenna switching. Thus, as shown in FIG. 21A, if beam switching is performed in the non-data interval 2104 where an out-of-data signal is transmitted, the possibility of synchronization and measurement failure may increase. Here, the non-data interval 2104 may be referred to as a 'preamble interval'. In addition, during synchronization and measurement, control may be performed on the RF circuit for changing the setting regarding the beamforming (eg, changing the beam direction). There is a possibility of RF malfunction when the antenna switching is performed in parallel. Looking at the effect of the antenna switching through the change in throughput as shown in Figure 21b.

21B illustrates an example of a change in throughput according to timing of antenna switching in a wireless communication system according to various embodiments of the present disclosure. Referring to FIG. 21B, in the second section, the timing of antenna switching is arbitrarily controlled, and antenna switching is performed in the data section as well as the non-data section. In the case of the second section, compared to the first section without antenna switching, the throughput is similar in the case of one second interval, and the throughput decreases gradually as the interval of antenna switching is narrowed at the interval of 0.5 seconds and 5 ms. . The third section is a section in which antenna switching is performed only in the non-data section. In this case, it is confirmed that the throughput is drastically reduced. Therefore, it is desirable to appropriately control the timing at which antenna switching is allowed.

22 is a flowchart illustrating a terminal for controlling an allowable time point of antenna switching in a wireless communication system according to various embodiments of the present disclosure. 22 illustrates an operation method of the terminal 120.

Referring to FIG. 22, in step 2201, the terminal determines whether it is a non-data interval. The terminal is synchronized with the base station, and thus can know the structure of the frame and subframe. Accordingly, the terminal may determine whether the current section is a section in which data is transmitted or a section in which a signal for synchronization, measurement, or the like is transmitted.

If the non-data interval, in step 2203, the terminal operates without antenna switching. That is, the terminal stops the operation for antenna switching. In other words, the terminal temporarily disables the antenna switching function. In addition, the UE may perform an operation required in a non-data interval, for example, synchronization, synchronization tracking, beam measurement, beam tracking, and the like.

In step 2205, the terminal determines whether the data section. The terminal is synchronized with the base station, and thus can know the structure of the frame and subframe. Accordingly, the terminal may determine whether the current section is a section in which data is transmitted or a section in which a signal for synchronization, measurement, or the like is transmitted.

If the data period, in step 2207, the terminal performs antenna switching based on the state associated with the antennas. That is, in addition to data transmission and reception operations, the terminal may perform an operation for antenna switching as necessary. However, antenna switching does not necessarily need to be performed during the data period. That is, if the condition for antenna switching is not satisfied, the terminal may operate without antenna switching.

As described above, antenna switching may be selectively enabled according to which section of the frame the current section is. Selective enabling of the antenna switching function may be performed jointly with various conditions of the above-described antenna switching. In addition, at least two or more of the various conditions of the above-described antenna switching may be performed in combination. Hereinafter, the present disclosure describes various embodiments in which the various embodiments described above are performed in combination.

23 is a flowchart illustrating a terminal for performing antenna switching using a grip sensor in a wireless communication system according to various embodiments of the present disclosure. 23 illustrates an operation method of the terminal 120.

Referring to FIG. 23, in step 2301, the terminal acquires grip sensor information. In other words, the terminal acquires sensor data generated by the grip sensors installed at the positions where the plurality of antennas are arranged.

In step 2303, the terminal determines whether at least one grip sensor is in an on state. In other words, the terminal determines whether the at least one grip sensor detects the grip state. That is, the terminal determines whether at least one of the positions where the grip sensors are installed is gripped.

If at least one grip sensor is in an on state, in step 2305, the terminal acquires frame timing information. That is, the terminal checks information for identifying which section of the frame the current section is, that is, the data section or the non-data section.

In step 2307, the terminal determines whether the current section is a non-data section. If the current section is a non-data section, it is preferable not to perform antenna switching. Thus, the terminal returns to step 2305.

If the current interval is not the non-data interval, that is, the data interval, in step 2309, the terminal enables the antenna switching function. Accordingly, when a predetermined condition is satisfied, the terminal may perform antenna switching.

24 is a flowchart illustrating a terminal for performing antenna switching using sensor data in a wireless communication system according to various embodiments of the present disclosure. 24 illustrates an operation method of the terminal 120.

Referring to FIG. 24, in step 2401, the terminal acquires sensor data. The sensor data is generated by a sensor (eg, a grip sensor, an acceleration sensor, a gyro sensor), and means data corresponding to a physical change applied to the terminal.

In step 2403, the terminal processes the sensor data. In other words, the terminal generates information indicating physical change by processing sensor data. For example, the terminal generates information necessary for determining whether to perform antenna switching. For example, the terminal may generate at least one of information indicating a grip position and information indicating relative positions of antennas.

In step 2405, the terminal obtains a new antenna state value from the sensor data. The antenna state value is information indicating which antenna is activated and which antenna is deactivated, or information indicating whether each antenna is activated. An antenna state value corresponding to the processed sensor data may be predefined, and the terminal may retrieve the antenna state value from the predefined mapping information.

In step 2407, the UE determines whether the existing antenna state and the new antenna state are different. That is, the terminal determines whether to change the activated antenna. If the existing antenna state and the new antenna state are the same, the terminal returns to step 2401.

On the other hand, if the existing antenna state and the new antenna state is different, in step 2409, the terminal determines whether the non-data interval. If the current section is a non-data section, it is preferable not to perform antenna switching. Therefore, the terminal does not proceed to step 2411.

If the current interval is not the non-data interval, that is, the data interval, in step 2411, the terminal sets on / off of the antennas. That is, the terminal activates at least one antenna according to the new antenna state, and deactivates the other at least one antenna.

25 is a flowchart illustrating a terminal for performing antenna switching using beam related information in a wireless communication system according to various embodiments of the present disclosure. 25 illustrates an operation method of the terminal 120.

Referring to FIG. 25, in step 2501, the terminal performs beam training. Beam training is a procedure for determining an optimal beam, and may include a reception operation of reference signals and a beam sweeping operation. If a transmission beam is used, the beam training procedure may include a transmission operation of reference signals and a feedback reception operation.

In step 2503, the terminal obtains information about the result of the beam training. Here, the information on the result of the beam training may include at least one of information on the optimal beam, information on the reception angle of the signal, information on the reception strength of the signal. Through this, the terminal can check the state related to the beam.

In step 2505, the terminal determines whether antenna switching is necessary. For example, the terminal determines whether a state checked through beam related information satisfies a predefined condition. For example, the predefined condition is that the received strength of the signal received through the currently active antenna is below the threshold, the angle for the received signal or the optimal receive beam is above the threshold, the predefined receive beam is predefined It may be defined as at least one of being one of the beams. If antenna switching is not necessary, the terminal returns to step 2501.

On the other hand, if antenna switching is required, in step 2507, the UE obtains a new antenna state value from the beam related data. The antenna state value is information indicating which antenna is activated and which antenna is deactivated, or information indicating whether each antenna is activated. An antenna state value corresponding to the beam related data may be predefined, and the terminal may retrieve the antenna state value from the predefined mapping information.

In step 2509, the terminal determines whether the existing antenna state and the new antenna state are different. That is, the terminal determines whether to change the activated antenna. If the existing antenna state and the new antenna state are the same, the terminal returns to step 2501.

On the other hand, if the existing antenna state and the new antenna state is different, in step 2511, the terminal determines whether the non-data interval. If the current section is a non-data section, it is preferable not to perform antenna switching. Therefore, the terminal does not proceed to step 2513.

If the current interval is not the non-data interval, that is, the data interval, in step 2513, the terminal sets on / off of the antennas. That is, the terminal activates at least one antenna according to the new antenna state, and deactivates the other at least one antenna.

FIG. 26 is a flowchart of a terminal for performing antenna switching using a gripping state according to whether an antenna switching function is present in a wireless communication system according to various embodiments of the present disclosure; FIG. 26 illustrates an operation method of the terminal 120.

Referring to FIG. 26, in step 2601, the terminal determines whether an antenna switching function exists. For example, the terminal may determine whether the antenna switching function exists based on the model number or the specification information of the device.

If there is no antenna switching function, in step 2603, the terminal turns on the antennas A to D. In other words, the terminal may activate all antennas. If there is an antenna switching function, in step 2605, the terminal checks whether the antenna switching function is enabled. The antenna switching function can be selectively enabled.

If the antenna switching function is not enabled, in step 2605, the terminal determines whether the basic antennas are antennas A and C. If the primary antennas are antennas A and C, the process proceeds to step 2607, and the terminal turns on the antennas A and C, and turns off the antennas B and D. If the primary antennas are not the antennas A and C, that is, if the primary antennas are the antennas B and D, the process proceeds to step 2609, and the terminal turns on the antennas B and D and turns off the antennas A and C.

If the antenna switching function is enabled, in step 2611, the terminal converts the gripping state to the antenna state. In step 2613, the terminal determines whether the converted antenna state is different from the existing antenna state. If the converted antenna state is the same as the existing antenna state, the terminal terminates this procedure. If the converted antenna state is different from the existing antenna state, in step 2615, the terminal applies the converted antenna state. In other words, the terminal activates at least one antenna indicated by the converted antenna state. In step 2617, the terminal updates the current antenna state. That is, the terminal modifies the information on the antenna state to indicate the currently active antennas.

FIG. 27 is a flowchart illustrating a terminal for performing antenna switching using two types of sensor data in a wireless communication system according to various embodiments of the present disclosure. 27 illustrates an operation method of the terminal 120.

Referring to FIG. 27, in step 2701, the terminal determines whether grip sensor data exists. If the grip sensor data does not exist, in step 2703, the terminal determines whether the acceleration / gyro sensor data exists. Here, the presence of the grip sensor data means that the gripping occurs at a position where at least one grip sensor is disposed. The presence of the acceleration / gyro sensor data means that rotation / movement of the terminal occurs.

If the grip sensor data does not exist and the acceleration / gyro sensor data exists, in step 2705, the terminal converts the acceleration / gyro sensor data into a rotation state. The rotation state is information indicating which part of the terminal is located at the top and where the relative positions of the antennas are. In step 2707, the terminal converts the rotation state to the antenna state.

If the grip sensor data does not exist, in step 2709, the terminal converts the grip sensor data into the grip state. The grip state is information indicating which position of the terminal is held or whether each of the antennas included in the terminal is held. In step 2711, the terminal converts the grip state to the antenna state.

In step 2713, the terminal determines whether the existing antenna state and the new antenna state is different. That is, the terminal determines whether to change the activated antenna. If the existing antenna state and the new antenna state are the same, the terminal returns to step 2701.

On the other hand, if the existing antenna state and the new antenna state is different, in step 2715, the terminal determines whether the non-data interval. If the current section is a non-data section, it is preferable not to perform antenna switching. Therefore, the terminal does not proceed to step 2717.

If the current interval is not the non-data interval, that is, the data interval, in step 2717, the terminal sets on / off of the antennas. That is, the terminal activates at least one antenna according to the new antenna state, and deactivates the other at least one antenna.

In the embodiment described with reference to FIG. 27, the presence of grip sensor data is determined before the presence of acceleration / gyro sensor data. That is, the grip sensor data means the blockage of the link, so that the grip sensor data is given priority if the grip sensor data exists. Therefore, it is first determined whether the grip sensor data exists. However, according to another embodiment, high priority is given to the acceleration / gyro sensor data, and whether the acceleration / gyro sensor data is present may be determined first.

FIG. 28 is a flowchart illustrating a terminal for performing antenna switching using two sensor data and beamforming related data in a wireless communication system according to various embodiments of the present disclosure. 28 illustrates an operation method of the terminal 120.

Referring to FIG. 27, in step 2801, the terminal determines whether grip sensor data exists and whether a reception strength of a signal is less than or equal to a threshold. Here, the presence of the grip sensor data means that the gripping occurs at a position where at least one grip sensor is disposed. If the grip sensor data is present and the reception strength of the signal is less than or equal to the threshold, in step 2803, the terminal performs antenna switching based on the grip sensor. That is, the terminal activates at least one antenna according to the holding state of the antennas.

If the grip sensor data does not exist or the reception strength of the signal exceeds the threshold, in step 2805, the terminal determines whether the condition of the beamforming based antenna switching is satisfied. The condition of the beamforming-based base antenna switching may be defined based on at least one of an optimal beam, an optimal beam angle, an arrival angle of the signal, and a reception intensity of the signal. If the condition of the beamforming based antenna switching is satisfied, in step 2807, the terminal performs beamforming based antenna switching. That is, the terminal selects and controls at least one antenna to be activated based on at least one of an optimal beam, an optimal beam angle, and an arrival angle of the signal.

If the condition of beamforming-based antenna switching is not satisfied, in step 2809, the terminal determines whether acceleration / gyro sensor data exists. The presence of the acceleration / gyro sensor data means that rotation / movement of the terminal occurs. If the acceleration / gyro sensor data exists, the terminal performs antenna switching based on the acceleration / gyro sensor data in step 2811. That is, the terminal activates at least one antenna according to the relative positions of the antennas.

In the embodiment described with reference to FIG. 28, it is first determined whether grip sensor data is present. That is, since the presence of the grip sensor data and the low reception strength mean the blockage of the link, the presence of the grip sensor data gives the highest priority to the grip sensor data. However, according to another embodiment, higher priority may be given to beamforming based antenna switching or acceleration / gyro sensor data based antenna switching.

Methods according to the embodiments described in the claims or the specification of the present disclosure may be implemented in the form of hardware, software, or a combination of hardware and software.

When implemented in software, a computer-readable storage medium for storing one or more programs (software modules) may be provided. One or more programs stored in a computer readable storage medium are configured for execution by one or more processors in an electronic device. One or more programs include instructions that cause an electronic device to execute methods in accordance with embodiments described in the claims or specifications of this disclosure.

Such programs (software modules, software) may include random access memory, non-volatile memory including flash memory, read only memory (ROM), and electrically erasable programmable ROM. (electrically erasable programmable read only memory (EEPROM), magnetic disc storage device, compact disc-ROM (CD-ROM), digital versatile discs (DVDs) or other forms It can be stored in an optical storage device, a magnetic cassette. Or, it may be stored in a memory composed of some or all of these combinations. In addition, each configuration memory may be included in plural.

In addition, the program may be configured through a communication network composed of a communication network such as the Internet, an intranet, a local area network (LAN), a wide area network (WAN), or a storage area network (SAN), or a combination thereof. It may be stored in an attachable storage device that is accessible. Such a storage device may be connected to a device that performs an embodiment of the present disclosure through an external port. In addition, a separate storage device on a communication network may be connected to a device that performs an embodiment of the present disclosure.

In the above-described specific embodiments of the present disclosure, the components included in the disclosure are expressed in the singular or plural according to the specific embodiments presented. However, the singular or plural expressions are selected to suit the circumstances presented for convenience of description, and the present disclosure is not limited to the singular or plural elements, and the singular or plural elements may be used in the singular or the singular. Even expressed components may be composed of a plurality.

Meanwhile, in the detailed description of the present disclosure, specific embodiments have been described. However, various modifications may be possible without departing from the scope of the present disclosure. Therefore, the scope of the present disclosure should not be limited to the described embodiments, but should be determined not only by the scope of the following claims, but also by the equivalents of the claims.

Claims (20)

In the method of operation of a terminal in a wireless communication system,
Detecting a state related to antennas provided in the terminal;
Activating a first antenna according to a state related to the antennas;
Inactivating a second antenna in accordance with a condition associated with said antennas.
The method according to claim 1,
The state related to the antennas is determined based on at least one of a signal transmitted or received through at least one antenna currently active, and sensor data generated by at least one sensor provided in the terminal.
The method according to claim 1,
And the second antenna is deactivated as the position where the second antenna is installed is blocked by another object.
The method according to claim 1,
And the first antenna is activated as the first antenna is positioned on top relative to at least one other antenna.
The method according to claim 1,
The first antenna is activated as the first antenna is positioned in an upper direction of a screen displayed on the terminal.
The method according to claim 1,
And the first antenna is activated as it is located in a receiving direction of a signal from a base station.
The method according to claim 1,
And the first antenna is activated based on at least one of an optimal beam, an angle of arrival (AOA), a result of the optimum beam angle, and a received signal strength.
The method according to claim 1,
Detecting a state related to the antennas,
The method may further include determining a reception direction of a signal at a default antenna that is activated when the terminal is powered on.
And the first antenna includes an antenna corresponding to a reception direction of the signal in the basic antenna.
The method according to claim 1,
The basic antenna is disposed in the center of the front or rear of the terminal.
The method according to claim 1,
Activation of the first antenna and deactivation of the second antenna are allowed during the non-data interval,
The non-data interval may include a signal for synchronization or synchronous tracking, a signal for beam measurement or tracking, a signal used for automatic gain control (AGC), and a beam change. And a section for receiving at least one of the signals.
A terminal device in a wireless communication system,
Antennas,
A transceiver connected to the antennas,
At least one processor connected to the transceiver,
The at least one processor,
Detect a state associated with the antennas,
Activate a first antenna according to a state related to the antennas,
And deactivate the second antenna in accordance with a condition associated with the antennas.
The method according to claim 11,
And a state related to the antennas is determined based on at least one of a signal transmitted or received through at least one antenna currently activated, and sensor data generated by at least one sensor provided in the terminal.
The method according to claim 11,
And the second antenna is deactivated as the position where the second antenna is installed is blocked by another object.
The method according to claim 11,
And the first antenna is activated as the first antenna is positioned on top relative to at least one other antenna.
The method according to claim 11,
The first antenna is activated as the first antenna is positioned in an upper direction of a screen displayed on the terminal.
The method according to claim 11,
And the first antenna is activated as it is located in a receiving direction of a signal from a base station.
The method according to claim 11,
And the first antenna is activated based on at least one of a best beam, an angle of arrival (AOA), a result of the optimum beam angle, and a received signal strength.
The method according to claim 11,
The at least one processor determines a receiving direction of a signal at a default antenna activated when the terminal is powered on,
The first antenna includes an antenna corresponding to a reception direction of the signal in the basic antenna.
The method according to claim 11,
The basic antenna is disposed in the center of the front or rear of the terminal.
The method according to claim 11,
Activation of the first antenna and deactivation of the second antenna are allowed during the non-data interval,
The non-data interval may include a signal for synchronization or synchronous tracking, a signal for beam measurement or tracking, a signal used for automatic gain control (AGC), and a beam change. And an interval for receiving at least one of the signals.

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