Obstacle-Aware Proactive Beam Management Based on Real-Time Ray Tracing for mmWave Networks

The increasing demand for efficient millimeter-wave (mmWave) beam management in wireless communication systems of 5G, 6G and beyond necessitates innovative approaches to mitigate the resource-intensive and latency-prone nature of exhaustive search methods. This paper presents a novel approach leveraging FPGA-accelerated real-time ray tracing for dynamic beam management. The proposed method dynamically reduces the number of beam directions and burst periodicity based on the mobility and density of mobile devices, as well as the presence of obstacles and available propagation paths. By utilizing a digital twin and real-time ray tracing, the system estimates the required beam directions, enabling adaptive beam management that allows to respond to dynamic obstacles and user mobility. The efficacy of the proposed methodology is showcased in an initial vehicular logistics scenario and can be transferred to further scenarios like intelligent transportation systems and others. Within the sample scenario, the resource overhead is reduced to roughly a third, while the utilization of the base station antenna's beamforming gain is significantly improved.