Abstract: A network control device. A wireless communications module receives a plurality of first signals each including information regarding a preferred transmitting beam in a first beam level determined by a communications apparatus. A controller selects a group of communications apparatuses to join a 1-to-many beam training according to the received first signals and selects one or more transmitting beams in a second beam level to be trained. The communications apparatuses in the group have the same preferred transmitting beam in the first beam level and the transmitting beam(s) in the second beam level associates with the preferred transmitting beam in the first beam level. The wireless communications module further uses the transmitting beam(s) in turn to transmit signals to perform the 1-to-many beam training for training the transmitting beam(s) in the second beam level among the group of communications apparatuses at the same time.

Abstract: A flexible time-frequency grid is proposed. A baseline OFDM format consisting of CP and a following symbol interval is scaled in time to generate a set of extended OFDM frame formats. The set of extended OFDM frame formats is further extended by scaling in bandwidth. The OFDM frame formats and the extended OFDM frame format set are used dynamically in the wireless communication system in accordance to the changes of the communication environment. Furthermore, various methods are proposed to avoid and/or combat performance degradation of the resource elements (REs) interfered by non-orthogonal REs in the neighborhood due to different OFDM symbol configurations in the flexible time-frequency grid.

Abstract: Inter-cell coordination and beam-aware scanning with end-to-end UE-BS signaling enhancements for robust HO trigger in a beamforming mmWave network is proposed. From the network and the base station perspective, inter-BS control beam coordination is performed, coupled with neighbor-cell information advertisement to facilitate UE-side beam-aware scanning. Inter-BS CB coordination enables a variety of network planning, pre-determined or random, enhanced with UE-reports and dynamic re-coordination to minimize inter-cell interference. From UE perspective, by utilizing the advertised CB information, UE can learn serving cell and neighbor cell CB pattern for beam-aware scanning. Beam-aware scanning enables power saving fast scanning at the UE with beam-aware HO measurement of neighboring and target cells, which reduces HO latency and avoids unnecessary HO.

Abstract: A method of providing spatial diversity for critical data delivery in a beamformed mmWave smallcell is proposed. The proposed spatial diversity scheme offers duplicate or incremental data/signal transmission and reception by using multiple different beams for the same source and destination. The proposed spatial diversity scheme can be combined with other diversity schemes in time, frequency, and code, etc. for the same purpose. In addition, the proposed spatial diversity scheme combines the physical-layer resources associated with the beams with other resources of the same or different protocol layers. By spatial signaling repetition to avoid Radio Link Failure (RLF) and Handover Failure (HOF), mobility robustness can be enhanced. Mission-critical and/or time-critical data delivery can also be achieved without relying on retransmission.

Abstract: The amount of multi-antenna signals to be transmitted over the backhaul in a Coordinated MultiPoint (CoMP) system from the central processor (CP) to each base station is reduced. Embodiments of the present invention exploit characteristics of the underlying signal structure, and distribute some baseband processing functionalities—such as channel coding and the application of the multi-user precoding—from the CP to the remote base stations. Additionally, in some embodiments the non-precoded parts of multi-antenna signals are broadcast from the CP to all base stations in the CoMP system, to further reduce the burden on backhaul communications. In one embodiment, the backhaul network is a Gigabit-capable Passive Optical Network (GPON).

Abstract: The disclosure relates to a network node 21, 2n; 31, 3n of a communication system 1 for wireless communication. The network node 21, 2n; 31, 3n is configured to utilize a first bandwidth, B1, allocated in accordance with a first communication standard, wherein a first carrier and a second carrier are allocated within the first bandwidth B1. The first carrier has a first bandwidth, Blegacy, and is configured to operate in accordance with a transmission format of the first communication standard, and the second carrier has a second bandwidth, Bnon-lebacy, and is configured to operate in accordance with a transmission format of a second communication standard.

Abstract: Methods and apparatus for cell selection, cell reselection, and beam selection in MMW system are provided. The UE measures signal strength, or signal quality or both of them to get the best consolidation measurement result. During Cell Selection, the UE selects the cell with the best consolidation measurement result, or selects the cell containing the candidate control beam found firstly. In Cell Reselection, the serving cell and neighboring cells are ranked based on the consolidation measurement result. After camping on a cell, the UE selects one or more than one best control beams as the serving control beam to acquire system information and monitor paging message. Furthermore, the UE selects the best control beam or selects one control beam randomly among the serving control beams to initial access to the network.

Abstract: A method of a transient handover for performing packet offloading is disclosed. The method is used in a cellular network and includes: finding at least one qualified user equipment according to a determining method, and transmitting a handover-transient request to the qualified UE; finding and transmitting an access request to a wireless local area network after the UE receives the handover-transient request; transmitting a handover-transient ACK to a mobility management entity when the qualified user equipment accesses the wireless local area network; and releasing a bearer resource of the qualified user equipment when the MME receives the handover-transient ACK, retaining bearer information of the qualified user equipment, and handing over the qualified user equipment from the cellular network to the wireless local area network.

Abstract: A network control device includes a controller and a wireless communications module. The controller provides a plurality of signaling entities each belonging to one of a plurality of signaling levels to form multi-level signaling entities and configures one or more signaling entities of the multi-level signaling entities to a communications apparatus to communicate with the communications apparatus based on the one or more configured signaling entities. The wireless communications module transmits a plurality of radio frequency signals via the one or more configured signaling entities.

Abstract: A communications device is provided. The transceiver module transmits and receives signals via one or more transmitting beams and one or more receiving beams. The communications state measurement module measures strength of the received signals to obtain a spatial profile including information regarding received signal strength for the one or more receiving beams with respect to one or more transmitting beams of another communications device communicating with the communications device. The sensor module senses a status of the communications device to obtain context information of the communications device according to the sensed status. The communications control module obtains the spatial profile from the communications state measurement module and the context information from the sensor module and determining an optimum action to control the transceiver module to search, track and/or adjust the one or more receiving beams according to the spatial profile and the context information.

Abstract: An incremental scheduling scheme is proposed in a wireless communication system with beamforming. In an initial stage (stage-1), coarse scheduling plan is granted via control beam transmission. In a second stage (stage-2), fine scheduling plan is granted via dedicated beam transmission. Such incremental scheduling scheme provides load balancing for overhead channels on control/dedicated beams via stage-2 scheduling. It utilizes dedicated beam transmission that is more resource efficient and more UE-specific. Furthermore, it provides UE natural power-saving opportunities via stage-1 scheduling.

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

Abstract: A method of control signaling in a beamforming system is proposed. A base station allocates a first sets of DL control resource blocks for DL transmission to a plurality of user equipments (UEs) in a beamforming network. Each set of DL control resource blocks is associated with a corresponding set of beamforming weights. The base station also allocates a second sets of UL control resource blocks for UL transmission from the UEs. Each set of UL control resource blocks is associated with the same corresponding set of beamforming weights. The base station transmits cell and beam identification information using a set of control beams. Each control beam comprises a set of DL control resource block, a set of UL control resource block, and the corresponding set of beamforming weights.

Abstract: A beamforming system synchronization architecture is proposed to allow a receiving device to synchronize to a transmitting device in time, frequency, and spatial domain in the most challenging situation with very high pathloss. A detector at the receiving device detects the presence of control beams, synchronizes to the transmission and estimates the channel response by receiving pilot signals. The detector has low complexity when exploiting the structure of the pilot signals. The detector consists of three stages that break down the synchronization procedure into less complicated steps. The detector accurately estimates the parameters required for identifying the transmit device and performing subsequent data communication.

Abstract: A method of control signaling in a beamforming system is proposed. A user equipment (UE) receives control beam transmission from a base station using a set of control beams in a beamforming network. Each control beam comprises a set of DL control resource blocks, a set of UL control resource blocks, and an associated set of beamforming weights. The UE selects a control beam for establishing a connection with the base station. The UE then performs random access with the base station using the selected control beam.

Abstract: A beamforming system synchronization architecture is proposed to allow a receiving device to synchronize to a transmitting device in time, frequency, and spatial domain in the most challenging situation with very high pathloss. A periodically configured time-frequency resource blocks in which the transmitting device uses the same beamforming weights for its control beam transmission to the receiving device. A pilot signal for each of the control beams is transmitted in each of the periodically configured time-frequency resource blocks. Pilot symbols are inserted into pilot structures and repeated for L times in each pilot structure. The L repetitions can be implemented by one or more Inverse Fast Fourier Transfers (IFFTs) with corresponding one or more cyclic prefix (CP) lengths.

Abstract: A method of providing channel station information in a beamforming system is proposed. Reference Signal (RS) is used for channel state estimation. For fine-resolution dedicated beam with smaller spatial coverage, additional channel monitoring of coarse-resolution beams for beam fallback is applied. The joint coverage of monitored fallback beams covers a desired service area. For beam administration, fallback beams need to be evaluated and the most preferable beam is selected for use in case the currently used dedicated beam is no longer suitable. For link adaptation, at least the channel state of the selected fallback beam is evaluated and provided to a scheduler (e.g., a BS) for adapting the transmission of the selected fallback beam.

Abstract: A network control device includes a wireless communications module and a controller. The wireless communications module uses a preferred transmitting beam to communicate with a communications apparatus in one or more downlink opportunities corresponding to the preferred transmitting beam. The controller schedules signal or data to be transmitted in at least one downlink opportunity corresponding to the preferred transmitting beam. When scheduling signal or data to be transmitted, the controller further provides at least one training gap, in which the controller does not schedule any dedicated data to the communications apparatus, in the downlink opportunity corresponding to the preferred transmitting beam.

Abstract: The scheduling flexibility of CSI reference signals enables time and frequency synchronization using multiple non-zero CSI-RSs transmitted in the same subframe, or using CSI-RSs transmitted in the same subframe with other synchronization signals. Also, multiple synchronization signals may be scheduled in the same subframe to enable fine time and frequency synchronization without cell-specific reference signals.

Abstract: A communications apparatus includes a wireless communications module and a controller. The wireless communications module uses a preferred receiving beam determined in a beam training procedure to communicate with a network control device and further monitors one or more candidate receiving beam(s) by using the one or more candidate receiving beam(s) to receive signals from the network control device. The controller calculates a detection metric for the preferred receiving beam and the preferred control beam and a detection metric for each combination of the one or more candidate receiving beam(s) and the preferred control beam, and determines whether to change the preferred receiving beam according to the detection metrics for the preferred receiving beam and the preferred control beam and for each combination of the one or more candidate receiving beam(s) and the preferred control beam.