Beampattern-Based Tracking for Millimeter Wave Communication Systems

TL;DR

This paper introduces a beam pattern-based tracking algorithm for mmWave systems that maintains beam alignment with a moving mobile station, even under rapid rotations, using AoA estimation from radiation pattern variations.

Contribution

The paper proposes a novel AoA-based tracking algorithm that effectively handles fast rotations of the mobile station in mmWave communication systems.

Findings

Supports angular speeds up to 800 degrees/sec

Achieves accurate beam alignment during rapid rotations

Effective with update intervals of 10 ms

Abstract

We present a tracking algorithm to maintain the communication link between a base station (BS) and a mobile station (MS) in a millimeter wave (mmWave) communication system, where antenna arrays are used for beamforming in both the BS and MS. Downlink transmission is considered, and the tracking is performed at the MS as it moves relative to the BS. Specifically, we consider the case that the MS rotates quickly due to hand movement. The algorithm estimates the angle of arrival (AoA) by using variations in the radiation pattern of the beam as a function of this angle. Numerical results show that the algorithm achieves accurate beam alignment when the MS rotates in a wide range of angular speeds. For example, the algorithm can support angular speeds up to 800 degrees per second when tracking updates are available every 10 ms.