U.S. patent application number 16/256328 was filed with the patent office on 2020-05-21 for system and method for analog beamforming for single-connected antenna array.
The applicant listed for this patent is Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd.. Invention is credited to Hongbing CHENG, Hyukjoon KWON, Kee-Bong SONG, Qi ZHAN.
Application Number | 20200162132 16/256328 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 70726803 |
Filed Date | 2020-05-21 |
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United States Patent
Application |
20200162132 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
CHENG; Hongbing ; et
al. |
May 21, 2020 |
SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR ANALOG BEAMFORMING FOR SINGLE-CONNECTED
ANTENNA ARRAY
Abstract
A method and system analog beamforming for a single-connected
antenna array is herein disclosed. A method includes estimating
analog channels on a per-antenna basis, calculating explicitly an
analog beamforming matrix based on the estimated analog channels,
and performing analog beamforming based on the calculated analog
beamforming matrix.
Inventors: |
CHENG; Hongbing; (San Diego,
CA) ; KWON; Hyukjoon; (San Diego, CA) ; ZHAN;
Qi; (San Diego, CA) ; SONG; Kee-Bong; (San
Diego, CA) |
|
Applicant: |
Name |
City |
State |
Country |
Type |
Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd. |
Gyeonggi-do |
|
KR |
|
|
Family ID: |
70726803 |
Appl. No.: |
16/256328 |
Filed: |
January 24, 2019 |
Related U.S. Patent Documents
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Application
Number |
Filing Date |
Patent Number |
|
|
62770492 |
Nov 21, 2018 |
|
|
|
Current U.S.
Class: |
1/1 |
Current CPC
Class: |
H04B 7/086 20130101;
H04B 7/043 20130101; H04B 7/088 20130101; H04B 7/0456 20130101;
H04B 7/0617 20130101; H04B 7/0682 20130101 |
International
Class: |
H04B 7/0426 20060101
H04B007/0426; H04B 7/0456 20060101 H04B007/0456; H04B 7/06 20060101
H04B007/06 |
Claims
1. A method for analog beamforming for a single-connected antenna
array, comprising: estimating analog channels on a per-antenna
basis; calculating explicitly an analog beamforming matrix based on
the estimated analog channels according to an iterative
single-connection analog beamforming (ISAB) process that includes
obtaining a first phase shifter coefficient and obtaining a second
phase shifter coefficient based on the obtained first phase shifter
coefficient; and performing analog beamforming based on the
calculated analog beamforming matrix.
2-4. (canceled)
5. The method of claim 1, wherein estimating analog channels
further comprises recovering analog channel information by a
regularized least square (RLS) channel recovery.
6. A system for analog beamforming for a single-connected antenna
array, comprising: a transceiver; and a processor configured to:
estimate analog channels on a per-antenna basis; calculate
explicitly an analog beamforming matrix based on the estimated
analog channels according to an eigen-based single-connection
analog beamforming (ESAB) process that includes deriving a closed
form solution for single-connection optimization; and perform
analog beamforming based on the calculated analog beamforming
matrix.
7-9. (canceled)
10. The system of claim 6, wherein the processor is further
configured to estimate analog channels by recovering analog channel
information by a regularized least square (RLS) channel
recovery.
11. A method for analog beamforming for a single-connected antenna
array, comprising: calculating explicitly an analog beamforming
matrix; estimating analog channels based on virtual antenna by
recovering analog channel information as a virtual channel; and
performing analog beamforming based on the calculated analog
beamforming matrix and the estimated channels on virtual
antennas.
12. The method of claim 11, wherein the analog beamforming matrix
is calculated according to iterative single-connection analog
beamforming (ISAB) process.
13. The method of claim 11, wherein the analog beamforming matrix
is calculated according to eigen-based single-connection analog
beamforming (ESAB) process.
14. The method of claim 13, wherein the ESAB process comprises
deriving a closed form solution for single-connection
optimization
15. (canceled)
16. A system for analog beamforming for a single-connected antenna
array, comprising: a transceiver; and a processor configured to:
calculate explicitly an analog beamforming matrix; estimate analog
channels based on virtual antenna by recovering analog channel
information as a virtual channel; and perform analog beamforming
based on the calculated analog beamforming matrix and the estimated
channels on virtual antennas.
17. The system of claim 16, wherein the analog beamforming matrix
is calculated according to iterative single-connection analog
beamforming (ISAB) process.
18. The system of claim 17, wherein the ISAB process comprises
obtaining phase shifter coefficients sequentially.
19. The system of claim 16, wherein the analog beamforming matrix
is calculated according to eigen-based single-connection analog
beamforming (ESAB) process.
20. (canceled)
Description
PRIORITY
[0001] This application is based on and claims priority under 35
U.S.C. .sctn. 119(e) to a U.S. Provisional Patent Application filed
on Nov. 21, 2018 in the United States Patent and Trademark Office
and assigned Ser. No. 62/770,492, the entire contents of which are
incorporated herein by reference.
FIELD
[0002] The present disclosure relates generally to communication
systems. In particular, the present disclosure relates to a method
and system for analog beamforming for a single-connected antenna
array.
BACKGROUND
[0003] In a millimeter wave area, single-connection antenna arrays
are of interest, meaning that each antenna is only equipped with
one phase shifter and analog antennas are separated into several
groups, each group is combined independently into separated RF
chains, instead of full-connection antenna arrays, that each RF
chain has full access to all analog antennas and each analog
antenna are connected with multiple phase shifters.
[0004] A typical implementation for analog beamforming uses an
exhaustive search method to select a beamforming vector from a
given codebook. Such a search method, however, does not guarantee
optimality.
SUMMARY
[0005] According to one embodiment, a method for analog beamforming
for a single-connected antenna array includes estimating analog
channels on a per-antenna basis, calculating explicitly an analog
beamforming matrix based on the estimated analog channels, and
performing analog beamforming based on the calculated analog
beamforming matrix.
[0006] According to one embodiment, a system for analog beamforming
for a single-connected antenna array includes a transceiver and a
processor configured to estimate analog channels on a per-antenna
basis, calculate explicitly an analog beamforming matrix based on
the estimated analog channels, and perform analog beamforming based
on the calculated analog beamforming matrix.
[0007] According to one embodiment, a method for analog beamforming
for a single-connected antenna array includes calculating
explicitly an analog beamforming matrix, estimating analog channels
based on virtual antenna, and performing analog beamforming based
on the calculated analog beamforming matrix and the estimated
channels on virtual antennas.
[0008] According to one embodiment, a system for analog beamforming
for a single-connected antenna array includes a transceiver and a
processor configured to calculate explicitly an analog beamforming
matrix, estimate analog channels based on virtual antenna, and
perform analog beamforming based on the calculated analog
beamforming matrix and the estimated channels on virtual
antennas.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0009] The above and other aspects, features, and advantages of
certain embodiments of the present disclosure will be more apparent
from the following detailed description, taken in conjunction with
the accompanying drawings, in which:
[0010] FIG. 1 is a diagram of a channel recovery process, according
to an embodiment;
[0011] FIG. 2 is a diagram of a channel recovery process, according
to an embodiment; and
[0012] FIG. 3 is a block diagram of an electronic device in a
network environment, according to one embodiment.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION
[0013] Hereinafter, embodiments of the present disclosure are
described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. It
should be noted that the same elements will be designated by the
same reference numerals although they are shown in different
drawings. In the following description, specific details such as
detailed configurations and components are merely provided to
assist with the overall understanding of the embodiments of the
present disclosure. Therefore, it should be apparent to those
skilled in the art that various changes and modifications of the
embodiments described herein may be made without departing from the
scope of the present disclosure. In addition, descriptions of
well-known functions and constructions are omitted for clarity and
conciseness. The terms described below are terms defined in
consideration of the functions in the present disclosure, and may
be different according to users, intentions of the users, or
customs. Therefore, the definitions of the terms should be
determined based on the contents throughout this specification.
[0014] The present disclosure may have various modifications and
various embodiments, among which embodiments are described below in
detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. However, it
should be understood that the present disclosure is not limited to
the embodiments, but includes all modifications, equivalents, and
alternatives within the scope of the present disclosure.
[0015] Although the terms including an ordinal number such as
first, second, etc. may be used for describing various elements,
the structural elements are not restricted by the terms. The terms
are only used to distinguish one element from another element. For
example, without departing from the scope of the present
disclosure, a first structural element may be referred to as a
second structural element. Similarly, the second structural element
may also be referred to as the first structural element. As used
herein, the term "and/or" includes any and all combinations of one
or more associated items.
[0016] The terms used herein are merely used to describe various
embodiments of the present disclosure but are not intended to limit
the present disclosure. Singular forms are intended to include
plural forms unless the context clearly indicates otherwise. In the
present disclosure, it should be understood that the terms
"include" or "have" indicate existence of a feature, a number, a
step, an operation, a structural element, parts, or a combination
thereof, and do not exclude the existence or probability of the
addition of one or more other features, numerals, steps,
operations, structural elements, parts, or combinations
thereof.
[0017] Unless defined differently, all terms used herein have the
same meanings as those understood by a person skilled in the art to
which the present disclosure belongs. Terms such as those defined
in a generally used dictionary are to be interpreted to have the
same meanings as the contextual meanings in the relevant field of
art, and are not to be interpreted to have ideal or excessively
formal meanings unless clearly defined in the present
disclosure.
[0018] The electronic device according to one embodiment may be one
of various types of electronic devices. The electronic devices may
include, for example, a portable communication device (e.g., a
smart phone), a computer, a portable multimedia device, a portable
medical device, a camera, a wearable device, or a home appliance.
According to one embodiment of the disclosure, an electronic device
is not limited to those described above.
[0019] The terms used in the present disclosure are not intended to
limit the present disclosure but are intended to include various
changes, equivalents, or replacements for a corresponding
embodiment. With regard to the descriptions of the accompanying
drawings, similar reference numerals may be used to refer to
similar or related elements. A singular form of a noun
corresponding to an item may include one or more of the things,
unless the relevant context clearly indicates otherwise. As used
herein, each of such phrases as "A or B," "at least one of A and
B," "at least one of A or B," "A, B, or C," "at least one of A, B,
and C," and "at least one of A, B, or C," may include all possible
combinations of the items enumerated together in a corresponding
one of the phrases. As used herein, terms such as "1.sup.st,"
"2nd," "first," and "second" may be used to distinguish a
corresponding component from another component, but are not
intended to limit the components in other aspects (e.g., importance
or order). It is intended that if an element (e.g., a first
element) is referred to, with or without the term "operatively" or
"communicatively", as "coupled with," "coupled to," "connected
with," or "connected to" another element (e.g., a second element),
it indicates that the element may be coupled with the other element
directly (e.g., wiredly), wirelessly, or via a third element.
[0020] As used herein, the term "module" may include a unit
implemented in hardware, software, or firmware, and may
interchangeably be used with other terms, for example, "logic,"
"logic block," "part," and "circuitry." A module may be a single
integral component, or a minimum unit or part thereof, adapted to
perform one or more functions. For example, according to one
embodiment, a module may be implemented in a form of an
application-specific integrated circuit (ASIC).
[0021] The systems and methods disclosed herein are targeted at
improving analog beamforming by using an explicitly calculated
beamforming vector based on a single connected antenna array.
Channel information on analog antennas are required for explicit
calculation. Disclosed herein are multiple channel recovery methods
to estimate the channel information on analog antennas.
[0022] Referring to the system model in Equation (1):
y=W.sup.HHx+W.sup.Hn (1)
[0023] where y is the received signal, W is the beamforming matrix,
and n is the noise. The transmitter analog beamforming and precoder
matrices are absorbed in an effective channel matrix, H. The
dimensions for each parameter are specified with the variables
below:
[0024] W: N.sub.RX.times.N.sub.RF;
[0025] H: N.sub.RX.times.N.sub.s;
[0026] y: N.sub.RF.times.1;
[0027] x: N.sub.s.times.1;
[0028] n: N.sub.RF.times.1; with
[0029] N.sub.s: the number of streams (e.g., 2);
[0030] N.sub.RF: the number of RF chains (e.g., 2);
[0031] N.sub.RX,RF: the number of received analog antennas per RF
chain (e.g., 4); and
[0032] N.sub.RX=N.sub.RX,RF*N.sub.RF: the number of total received
analog antennas (e.g., 8).
[0033] In particular, the receiver analog beamforming matrix, W, is
the main design parameter to derive. The following calculations
were made in the case where there are 2 Rx panels, each panel has 4
antennas such that N.sub.RF=2 and N.sub.RX,RF=4. To accommodate the
practical RF constraints, W is a form of block diagonal matrix,
having two column beamforming matrix vectors, w.sub.1 and w.sub.2,
each of which has the dimension N.sub.RX,RF.times.1 and corresponds
to the first and second RF chain. W may be written as in Equation
(2):
W = [ w 1 0 0 w 2 ] ( 2 ) ##EQU00001##
[0034] To overcome the channel covariance matrix
R = HH H = [ R a R b R c R d ] , ##EQU00002##
Equations (3) and (4) are used as follows:
( w ^ 1 , w ^ 2 ) = arg max log g ( w 1 , w 2 ) ( 3 ) g ( w 1 , w 2
) = .sigma. 2 I + [ w 1 0 0 w 2 ] H [ R a R b R c R d ] [ w 1 0 0 w
2 ] ( 4 ) ##EQU00003##
[0035] with Equation (4) being the indication function.
[0036] The beamforming matrix W and/or beamforming vectors w.sub.1,
w.sub.2 can be explicitly calculated via an iterative
single-connection analog beamforming (ISAB) process, where phase
shifter coefficients are obtained sequentially (e.g., take an
initial value for w.sub.1, then use w.sub.1 to calculate w.sub.2,
and with the new w.sub.2, calculate a new w.sub.1, calculate a new
w.sub.2 with the new w.sub.1, and so forth), or via an eigen-based
single-connection analog beamforming (ESAB) process.
[0037] The closed form solution for the single-connection
beamforming problem is derived with a few approximations in the
ESAB process. Channel information on analog antennas are used for
the explicit calculation analog beamforming method (both ISAB and
ESAB) of the present disclosure. However, the available receiver
(Rx) side channel information is the estimated channel on each RF
chain based on channel state information reference signal (CSI-RS)
beam-sweeping periods.
[0038] Regarding the ISAB process, the ISAB process is derived
assuming a narrow-band channel (or single subcarrier case). Given
an initial value of w.sub.2, the problem is formulated to Equation
(5):
max log(g(w.sub.1|w.sub.2)) (5)
[0039] such that, in Equation (6):
w ^ 1 ( w 2 ) = arg max w 1 H D 1 w 1 = Q 1 ( : , 1 ) ( 6 )
##EQU00004##
[0040] where, in Equation (7):
D.sub.1=R.sub.a(w.sub.2.sup.HR.sub.dw.sub.2+.sigma..sup.2)-R.sub.bw.sub.-
2w.sub.2.sup.HR.sub.b.sup.H=Q.sub.1.LAMBDA..sub.1Q.sub.1.sup.H
(7)
[0041] Updating with given w.sub.1 is similar, as in Equation
(8):
w ^ 2 ( w 1 ) = arg max w 2 H D 2 w 2 = arg max w 2 H Q 2 .LAMBDA.
2 Q 2 H w 2 = Q 2 ( : , 1 ) ( 8 ) ##EQU00005##
[0042] with Equation (9):
D.sub.2=R.sub.d(w.sub.1.sup.HR.sub.aw.sub.1+.sigma..sup.2)-R.sub.cw.sub.-
1w.sub.1.sup.HR.sub.c.sup.H=Q.sub.2.LAMBDA..sub.2Q.sub.2.sup.H
(9)
[0043] Multiple CSI-RS resource elements (REs) exist over the whole
bandwidth part. When applying the ISAB method, the D1 and D2 matrix
is computed for each subcarrier and then they are averaged across
subcarriers. D.sub.i,n represents the D.sub.i matrix calculated on
the nth subcarrier, as in Equation (10):
D i = 1 N n D i , n ( 10 ) ##EQU00006##
[0044] However, the above-described solutions may not consider the
constraint of amplitude in analog beamforming. To satisfy this
constraint, the phase information is taken as Equation (11) and
Equation (12):
w.sub.2=e.sup.j.angle.w.sup.2 (11)
w.sub.2=e.sup.j.angle.w.sup.1 (12)
[0045] Regarding the ESAB process, the ESAB process is, in general,
a suboptimum solution, and is a closed form solution for the
initial optimization problem in Equation (3) with the following
three assumptions:
[0046] (1) The signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) is high enough so that
noise is ignored (i.e., .sigma..sup.2.apprxeq.0);
[0047] (2) The amplitude constraint in the design of analog
beamforming is ignored at the derivation procedure (i.e.,
w.sub.1*D.sub.1w.sub.1.apprxeq..lamda..sub.max) under the
assumption its effects are minor; and
[0048] (3) Two streams are transmitted over multiple antennas.
[0049] Similar to ISAB, ESAB is also derived assuming a narrow-band
channel (e.g., a single subcarrier case). The channel matrix is
defined as
H = [ h 11 h 12 h 21 h 22 ] ##EQU00007##
and K=h.sub.22*h.sub.11.sup.H-h.sub.21*h.sub.12.sup.H, such that,
as in Equation (13):
D ~ 2 = [ h 22 * h 21 * ] [ h 11 H - h 12 H ] [ h 11 - h 12 ] [ h
22 T h 21 T ] = KK H = Q ~ 2 .LAMBDA. 2 Q ~ 2 H ( 13 )
##EQU00008##
[0050] Using the high SNR approximation and ignoring noise, the
optimal solution is w.sub.2={tilde over (Q)}.sub.2.sup.H(:,1) and
w.sub.1={tilde over (Q)}.sub.1(:,1) with Equation (14):
{tilde over (D)}.sub.1=K.sup.Hw.sub.2*w.sub.2.sup.TK={tilde over
(Q)}.sub.1{tilde over (.LAMBDA.)}.sub.1{tilde over (Q)}.sub.1.sup.H
(14)
[0051] For the single subcarrier case,
w 1 = 1 .beta. K H w 2 * , ##EQU00009##
where .beta. is the normalization factor. For multi subcarrier
cases, {tilde over (D)}.sub.i,n is defined as the {tilde over
(D)}.sub.i matrix calculated on the nth subcarrier, such that in
Equation (15):
D ~ i = 1 N n D ~ i , n ( 15 ) ##EQU00010##
[0052] Similar to ISAB, to satisfy the constraint of analog
beamforming, the phase information of w.sub.2 and w.sub.1 can be
taken.
[0053] In the present ISAB/ESAB processes, the channel matrix per
each analog antenna is assumed to be known. In reality, directly
estimating the channel per analog antenna may not be possible.
Instead, the beamformed channel in each CSI-RS symbol can be
estimated during beam sweeping.
[0054] In addition to the ISAB/ESAB processes above, multiple
processes for recovering analog channels are provided herein.
[0055] FIG. 1 is a diagram 100 of a channel recovery process,
according to an embodiment. The channel recovery process 100
involves an analog beamforming procedure based on per-antenna
channel estimation (CE). The process utilizes the signal 102 and a
beam sweeping pilot signal 104. At 106, the process performs the
digital channel estimation on the pilot 104. At 108, the process
performs the analog channel estimation.
[0056] Assuming the channel vector between the i.sup.th Rx panel
and the j.sup.th Tx panel on subcarrier k does not change during
the Rx beam sweeping duration, on the l.sup.th sweeping symbol,
beam forming vector a.sub.l is applied on the i.sup.th Rx panel.
l=1, . . . , N where N is the total number of beam sweeping
symbols, as in Equation (16):
r.sub.i,j,k,l=a.sub.1.sup.Hh.sub.i,j,k (16)
[0057] By defining r.sub.i,j,k=[r.sub.i,j,k,1, r.sub.i,j,k,2, . . .
, r.sub.i,j,k,N].sup.T and A=[a.sub.1, a.sub.2, . . . ,
a.sub.N].sup.H, Equation (17) is presented as:
r.sub.i,j,k=Ah.sub.i,j,k (17)
[0058] The analog channel estimation 108 is an under deterministic
problem, especially when the beam-sweeping duration is not long
enough to recover all the channel information per panel and has
many solutions, such as least square estimation and compress
sensing. Regularized least square (RLS) channel recovery may be
utilized in the analog channel estimation 108.
[0059] Assuming noise is completely eliminated via de-noising, the
channel vector for the i.sup.th Rx panel and the j.sup.th Tx panel
on subcarrier k can be recovered from a least square method as in
Equation (18):
h.sub.i,j,k=A.sup.H(AA.sup.H).sup.-1r.sub.i,j,k (18)
[0060] The dimension of r.sub.i,j,k is N.times.1, A is
N.times.N.sub.RX,RF, h.sub.i,j,k is N.sub.RX,RF.times.1. In
practical applications, it is likely that .ltoreq.N.sub.RX,RF,
which causes an ill-condition on the least square. Instead, the
regularized least square imposes another constraint that the
channel power does not diverge, as in Equation (19):
L(h.sub.i,j,.lamda.)=.parallel.r.sub.i,j,k-Ah.sub.i,j,k.parallel..sup.2+-
.lamda..parallel.h.sub.i,j,k.parallel..sup.2 (19)
[0061] Equation (19) is converted to an original least square
problem, as in Equation (20):
L ( h i , j , k , .lamda. ) = [ r i , j , k 0 ] - [ A .lamda. ] h i
, j , k 2 ( 20 ) ##EQU00011##
[0062] Thus, the RLS solution may be provided as Equation (21):
h.sub.i,j,k=A.sup.H(AA.sup.H+.lamda.I.sub.N).sup.-1r.sub.i,j,k
(21)
[0063] Then, at 110, the process performs the ISAB or ESAB as
described above, and at 112, the process performs analog
beamforming.
[0064] FIG. 2 is a diagram of a channel recovery process 200,
according to an embodiment. The channel recovery process 200 is an
analog beamforming procedure without per-antenna CE, such that the
explicit calculation analog beamforming process (ISAB/ESAB) are
performed first on the estimated channel on each RF chain, and then
a post processing function is applied to the beamforming vectors
from the ISAB/ESAB.
[0065] The process 200 utilizes a signal 202 and a beam sweeping
pilot signal 204. At 206, the process 200 performs digital channel
estimation on the pilot 204, and then performs the ISAB or ESAB as
described above at 208.
[0066] At 210, processing on a virtual antenna occurs. This is
another alternative solution to recover a channel vector,
h.sub.i,j,k, from a noise model of Equation (22):
r.sub.i,j,k=A(h.sub.i,j,k+{acute over (.delta.)}.sub.k) (22)
[0067] This process does not technically recover a channel vector
h.sub.i,j,k, but instead takes into account Ah.sub.i,j,k as a
virtual channel. As a result, the received signal is re-written as
Equation (23):
r.sub.i,j,k={tilde over (h)}.sub.i,j,k+A{acute over
(.delta.)}.sub.k (23)
[0068] Additionally, the noise can be pre-whitened, such as in
Equation (24):
r ~ i , j , k = R C - 1 2 r i , j , k = R C - 1 / 2 h ~ i , j , k +
.delta. k ( 24 ) ##EQU00012##
[0069] where, as in Equation (25):
R.sub.C=.sigma..sup.2AA.sup.H (25)
[0070] Now, R.sub.C.sup.-1/2{tilde over (h)}.sub.i,j,k serves as an
effective channel and is used to generate the average covariance of
channels over all subcarriers.
[0071] It is assumed that the resulting solution from ISAB or ESAB
would be W.sub.B, as in Equation (26):
W.sub.B=f.sub.ABF({tilde over (r)}.sub.i,j,k,A) (26)
[0072] where f.sub.ABF() is the analog beamforming function such as
ISAB or ESAB. W.sub.B is not restricted by the amplitude
constraint. It is generated from f.sub.ABF() without eliminating
the amplitude information. As a result, the amplitude of each
element in W.sub.B is not necessarily 1.
[0073] Thereafter, the virtual channel is used to derive the beam
coefficient vector as Equation (27):
W.sub.B=f.sub.ABF({tilde over (r)}.sub.i,j,k,A) (27)
[0074] The channel covariance matrix may be averaged in a frequency
domain over all subcarriers, and then D.sub.i in Equation (10) is
calculated once.
[0075] FIG. 3 is a block diagram of an electronic device 301 in a
network environment 300, according to one embodiment. Referring to
FIG. 3, the electronic device 301 in the network environment 300
may communicate with an electronic device 302 via a first network
398 (e.g., a short-range wireless communication network), or an
electronic device 304 or a server 308 via a second network 399
(e.g., a long-range wireless communication network). The electronic
device 301 may communicate with the electronic device 304 via the
server 308. The electronic device 301 may include a processor 320,
a memory 330, an input device 350, a sound output device 355, a
display device 360, an audio module 370, a sensor module 376, an
interface 377, a haptic module 379, a camera module 380, a power
management module 388, a battery 389, a communication module 390, a
subscriber identification module (SIM) 396, or an antenna module
397. In one embodiment, at least one (e.g., the display device 360
or the camera module 380) of the components may be omitted from the
electronic device 301, or one or more other components may be added
to the electronic device 301. In one embodiment, some of the
components may be implemented as a single integrated circuit (IC).
For example, the sensor module 376 (e.g., a fingerprint sensor, an
iris sensor, or an illuminance sensor) may be embedded in the
display device 360 (e.g., a display).
[0076] The processor 320 may execute, for example, software (e.g.,
a program 340) to control at least one other component (e.g., a
hardware or a software component) of the electronic device 301
coupled with the processor 320, and may perform various data
processing or computations. As at least part of the data processing
or computations, the processor 320 may load a command or data
received from another component (e.g., the sensor module 376 or the
communication module 390) in volatile memory 332, process the
command or the data stored in the volatile memory 332, and store
resulting data in non-volatile memory 334. The processor 320 may
include a main processor 321 (e.g., a central processing unit (CPU)
or an application processor (AP)), and an auxiliary processor 323
(e.g., a graphics processing unit (GPU), an image signal processor
(ISP), a sensor hub processor, or a communication processor (CP))
that is operable independently from, or in conjunction with, the
main processor 321. Additionally or alternatively, the auxiliary
processor 323 may be adapted to consume less power than the main
processor 321, or execute a particular function. The auxiliary
processor 323 may be implemented as being separate from, or a part
of, the main processor 321.
[0077] The auxiliary processor 323 may control at least some of the
functions or states related to at least one component (e.g., the
display device 360, the sensor module 376, or the communication
module 390) among the components of the electronic device 301,
instead of the main processor 321 while the main processor 321 is
in an inactive (e.g., sleep) state, or together with the main
processor 321 while the main processor 321 is in an active state
(e.g., executing an application). According to one embodiment, the
auxiliary processor 323 (e.g., an image signal processor or a
communication processor) may be implemented as part of another
component (e.g., the camera module 380 or the communication module
390) functionally related to the auxiliary processor 323.
[0078] The memory 330 may store various data used by at least one
component (e.g., the processor 320 or the sensor module 376) of the
electronic device 301. The various data may include, for example,
software (e.g., the program 340) and input data or output data for
a command related thererto. The memory 330 may include the volatile
memory 332 or the non-volatile memory 334.
[0079] The program 340 may be stored in the memory 330 as software,
and may include, for example, an operating system (OS) 342,
middleware 344, or an application 346.
[0080] The input device 350 may receive a command or data to be
used by other component (e.g., the processor 320) of the electronic
device 301, from the outside (e.g., a user) of the electronic
device 301. The input device 350 may include, for example, a
microphone, a mouse, or a keyboard.
[0081] The sound output device 355 may output sound signals to the
outside of the electronic device 301. The sound output device 355
may include, for example, a speaker or a receiver. The speaker may
be used for general purposes, such as playing multimedia or
recording, and the receiver may be used for receiving an incoming
call. According to one embodiment, the receiver may be implemented
as being separate from, or a part of, the speaker.
[0082] The display device 360 may visually provide information to
the outside (e.g., a user) of the electronic device 301. The
display device 360 may include, for example, a display, a hologram
device, or a projector and control circuitry to control a
corresponding one of the display, hologram device, and projector.
According to one embodiment, the display device 360 may include
touch circuitry adapted to detect a touch, or sensor circuitry
(e.g., a pressure sensor) adapted to measure the intensity of force
incurred by the touch.
[0083] The audio module 370 may convert a sound into an electrical
signal and vice versa. According to one embodiment, the audio
module 370 may obtain the sound via the input device 350, or output
the sound via the sound output device 355 or a headphone of an
external electronic device 302 directly (e.g., wiredly) or
wirelessly coupled with the electronic device 301.
[0084] The sensor module 376 may detect an operational state (e.g.,
power or temperature) of the electronic device 301 or an
environmental state (e.g., a state of a user) external to the
electronic device 301, and then generate an electrical signal or
data value corresponding to the detected state. The sensor module
376 may include, for example, a gesture sensor, a gyro sensor, an
atmospheric pressure sensor, a magnetic sensor, an acceleration
sensor, a grip sensor, a proximity sensor, a color sensor, an
infrared (IR) sensor, a biometric sensor, a temperature sensor, a
humidity sensor, or an illuminance sensor.
[0085] The interface 377 may support one or more specified
protocols to be used for the electronic device 301 to be coupled
with the external electronic device 302 directly (e.g., wiredly) or
wirelessly. According to one embodiment, the interface 377 may
include, for example, a high definition multimedia interface
(HDMI), a universal serial bus (USB) interface, a secure digital
(SD) card interface, or an audio interface.
[0086] A connecting terminal 378 may include a connector via which
the electronic device 301 may be physically connected with the
external electronic device 302. According to one embodiment, the
connecting terminal 378 may include, for example, an HDMI
connector, a USB connector, an SD card connector, or an audio
connector (e.g., a headphone connector).
[0087] The haptic module 379 may convert an electrical signal into
a mechanical stimulus (e.g., a vibration or a movement) or an
electrical stimulus which may be recognized by a user via tactile
sensation or kinesthetic sensation. According to one embodiment,
the haptic module 379 may include, for example, a motor, a
piezoelectric element, or an electrical stimulator.
[0088] The camera module 380 may capture a still image or moving
images. According to one embodiment, the camera module 380 may
include one or more lenses, image sensors, image signal processors,
or flashes.
[0089] The power management module 388 may manage power supplied to
the electronic device 301. The power management module 388 may be
implemented as at least part of, for example, a power management
integrated circuit (PMIC).
[0090] The battery 389 may supply power to at least one component
of the electronic device 301. According to one embodiment, the
battery 389 may include, for example, a primary cell which is not
rechargeable, a secondary cell which is rechargeable, or a fuel
cell.
[0091] The communication module 390 may support establishing a
direct (e.g., wired) communication channel or a wireless
communication channel between the electronic device 301 and the
external electronic device (e.g., the electronic device 302, the
electronic device 304, or the server 308) and performing
communication via the established communication channel. The
communication module 390 may include one or more communication
processors that are operable independently from the processor 320
(e.g., the AP) and supports a direct (e.g., wired) communication or
a wireless communication. According to one embodiment, the
communication module 390 may include a wireless communication
module 392 (e.g., a cellular communication module, a short-range
wireless communication module, or a global navigation satellite
system (GNSS) communication module) or a wired communication module
394 (e.g., a local area network (LAN) communication module or a
power line communication (PLC) module). A corresponding one of
these communication modules may communicate with the external
electronic device via the first network 398 (e.g., a short-range
communication network, such as Bluetooth, wireless-fidelity (Wi-Fi)
direct, or a standard of the Infrared Data Association (IrDA)) or
the second network 399 (e.g., a long-range communication network,
such as a cellular network, the Internet, or a computer network
(e.g., LAN or wide area network (WAN)). These various types of
communication modules may be implemented as a single component
(e.g., a single IC), or may be implemented as multiple components
(e.g., multiple ICs) that are separate from each other. The
wireless communication module 392 may identify and authenticate the
electronic device 301 in a communication network, such as the first
network 398 or the second network 399, using subscriber information
(e.g., international mobile subscriber identity (IMSI)) stored in
the subscriber identification module 396.
[0092] The antenna module 397 may transmit or receive a signal or
power to or from the outside (e.g., the external electronic device)
of the electronic device 301. According to one embodiment, the
antenna module 397 may include one or more antennas, and,
therefrom, at least one antenna appropriate for a communication
scheme used in the communication network, such as the first network
398 or the second network 399, may be selected, for example, by the
communication module 390 (e.g., the wireless communication module
392). The signal or the power may then be transmitted or received
between the communication module 390 and the external electronic
device via the selected at least one antenna.
[0093] At least some of the above-described components may be
mutually coupled and communicate signals (e.g., commands or data)
therebetween via an inter-peripheral communication scheme (e.g., a
bus, a general purpose input and output (GPIO), a serial peripheral
interface (SPI), or a mobile industry processor interface
(MIPI)).
[0094] According to one embodiment, commands or data may be
transmitted or received between the electronic device 301 and the
external electronic device 304 via the server 308 coupled with the
second network 399. Each of the electronic devices 302 and 304 may
be a device of a same type as, or a different type, from the
electronic device 301. All or some of operations to be executed at
the electronic device 301 may be executed at one or more of the
external electronic devices 302, 304, or 308. For example, if the
electronic device 301 should perform a function or a service
automatically, or in response to a request from a user or another
device, the electronic device 301, instead of, or in addition to,
executing the function or the service, may request the one or more
external electronic devices to perform at least part of the
function or the service. The one or more external electronic
devices receiving the request may perform the at least part of the
function or the service requested, or an additional function or an
additional service related to the request, and transfer an outcome
of the performing to the electronic device 301. The electronic
device 301 may provide the outcome, with or without further
processing of the outcome, as at least part of a reply to the
request. To that end, a cloud computing, distributed computing, or
client-server computing technology may be used, for example.
[0095] One embodiment may be implemented as software (e.g., the
program 340) including one or more instructions that are stored in
a storage medium (e.g., internal memory 336 or external memory 338)
that is readable by a machine (e.g., the electronic device 301).
For example, a processor of the electronic device 301 may invoke at
least one of the one or more instructions stored in the storage
medium, and execute it, with or without using one or more other
components under the control of the processor. Thus, a machine may
be operated to perform at least one function according to the at
least one instruction invoked. The one or more instructions may
include code generated by a complier or code executable by an
interpreter. A machine-readable storage medium may be provided in
the form of a non-transitory storage medium. The term
"non-transitory" indicates that the storage medium is a tangible
device, and does not include a signal (e.g., an electromagnetic
wave), but this term does not differentiate between where data is
semi-permanently stored in the storage medium and where the data is
temporarily stored in the storage medium.
[0096] According to one embodiment, a method of the disclosure may
be included and provided in a computer program product. The
computer program product may be traded as a product between a
seller and a buyer. The computer program product may be distributed
in the form of a machine-readable storage medium (e.g., a compact
disc read only memory (CD-ROM)), or be distributed (e.g.,
downloaded or uploaded) online via an application store (e.g., Play
Store.TM.), or between two user devices (e.g., smart phones)
directly. If distributed online, at least part of the computer
program product may be temporarily generated or at least
temporarily stored in the machine-readable storage medium, such as
memory of the manufacturer's server, a server of the application
store, or a relay server.
[0097] According to one embodiment, each component (e.g., a module
or a program) of the above-described components may include a
single entity or multiple entities. One or more of the
above-described components may be omitted, or one or more other
components may be added. Alternatively or additionally, a plurality
of components (e.g., modules or programs) may be integrated into a
single component. In this case, the integrated component may still
perform one or more functions of each of the plurality of
components in the same or similar manner as they are performed by a
corresponding one of the plurality of components before the
integration. Operations performed by the module, the program, or
another component may be carried out sequentially, in parallel,
repeatedly, or heuristically, or one or more of the operations may
be executed in a different order or omitted, or one or more other
operations may be added.
[0098] Although certain embodiments of the present disclosure have
been described in the detailed description of the present
disclosure, the present disclosure may be modified in various forms
without departing from the scope of the present disclosure. Thus,
the scope of the present disclosure shall not be determined merely
based on the described embodiments, but rather determined based on
the accompanying claims and equivalents thereto.
* * * * *