A Context Information Enhanced Multilevel Beam Search Procedure for mmWave Bands

Abstract

The mmWave band with its broad unused spectrum find its way into the 5th generation (5G) of communication networks to tackle the traffic demand and need for higher data rates. However, the mmWaves are subjected to high levels of attenuation and this loss can be compensated by making use of highly directional transmissions, this leads to delays that are incurred in searching for the appropriate narrow beam transmission which involves scanning the cell area with narrow directional beams. This paper deals with a beam search algorithm that makes use of user location information in reducing the time taken for obtaining the optimum beam configuration. We investigate the performance of the proposed algorithm in a scenario with location inaccuracies. We also evaluate how the algorithm fare in scenarios involving obstructions in the transmission path.