Antenna panel management

Abstract

Aspects and embodiments relate to apparatuses and methods performing antenna panel management. An apparatus is provided comprising: means for obtaining signal reception information related to at least one downlink signal; means for determining, for each of a plurality of selectively activatable antenna panels configurable to transmit signals to a network node from which the downlink signal is received, an indication of an effective power radiatable to the network node from which the downlink signal is received based on the signal reception information related to the at least one downlink signal received by the antenna panel; means for calculating, for each of the plurality of selectively activatable antenna panels, an indication of power consumption; and means for selecting and configuring, responsive to the calculated indication of power consumption, at least one of the selectively activatable antenna panels to be used to transmit signals to the network node from which the downlink signal is received.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] Various example embodiments relate to an apparatus and method for performing antenna panel management. Background Technology

[0002] In some wireless telecommunication networks, the nature of the frequency range on which communication can be carried out (e.g., frequency range 2 (FR2)) allows base stations and user equipment to operate using relatively narrow beams. Communication nodes such as base stations and user equipment can be configured such that the increased array / antenna gain can compensate for the higher path loss that may occur when using mmWave (e.g., if operating at frequency range 2 or above).

[0003] To provide the ability to communicate effectively within a network, for example, to provide communication coverage around a "sphere" of user equipment, some user equipment have multiple antenna panels. It will be understood that each antenna panel may require appropriate configuration to allow the user equipment to communicate effectively and efficiently within the network.

[0004] While technologies exist for managing antenna panels while supporting intra-network communication, unintended consequences may arise, particularly in terms of power consumption. Therefore, an improved technology for effectively managing antenna panels is desired. Summary of the Invention

[0005] The scope of protection sought by the various embodiments of the present invention is defined by the independent claims. Embodiments and features described in this specification that are not within the scope of the independent claims (if any) are to be interpreted as examples useful for understanding the various embodiments of the invention.

[0006] According to various, but not necessarily all, embodiments of the present invention, an apparatus is provided, the apparatus comprising: a component for acquiring signal reception information related to at least one downlink signal, the at least one downlink signal being received by a user equipment using at least one receiving antenna panel of a plurality of selectively activatable antenna panels;

[0007] A component for determining an indication of the effective power that can be radiated to the network node from which the downlink signal is received, for each of a plurality of selectively activatable antenna panels configurable to transmit signals to the network node from which the downlink signal is received, based on signal reception information associated with at least one downlink signal received with the antenna panel.

[0008] Components for calculating an indication of power consumption for each of a plurality of selectively activatable antenna panels, the power consumption being correlated with an indication of effective power radiable to a network node; and

[0009] A component for selecting and configuring at least one antenna panel of a selectively activatable antenna panel, to be used for transmitting downlink signals from the network node where they are received, in response to an indication of calculated power consumption.

[0010] The device enables components for selecting and configuring at least one of a plurality of selectively activatable antenna panels to be used for transmitting signals to operate to select an antenna panel with transmission capability associated with an indication of calculated power consumption indicating the lowest power consumption.

[0011] The device enables components for selecting and configuring at least one of a plurality of selectively activatable antenna panels to be used for transmitting signals to select an antenna panel with transmission capability associated with an indication of calculated power consumption indicating the lowest power consumption, subject to an indication of a determined effective power that the antenna panel can radiate being higher than a preselection threshold.

[0012] The device enables components for selecting and configuring at least one of a plurality of selectively activatable antenna panels to be used for transmitting signals to be operable to select an antenna panel that is different from the selectively activatable antenna panel selected for receiving at least one downlink signal.

[0013] The device enables the components for calculating an indication of power consumption associated with an indication of effective power that can be radiated to a network node for each of a plurality of selectively activatable antenna panels to be configured to: determine, based on stored correlations for the antenna panels, an indication of power consumption associated with the determined indication of effective power that can be radiated to a network node for the antenna panel.

[0014] The device can make the stored correlations include indications of power consumption based on the antenna panel, antenna beam configuration, and / or beam steering angle.

[0015] The apparatus may include a component for selecting, based on acquired signal reception information associated with at least one downlink signal received by a plurality of selectively activatable antenna panels, at least one antenna panel to be used for receiving communication signals.

[0016] The device allows the selection of receiving antenna panels to include selecting whether each antenna panel among the selectively active panels is to be either active or inactive, in response to whether signal reception information related to at least one downlink signal received by the user equipment has exceeded a predetermined threshold.

[0017] The device allows the threshold to include a threshold related to the received signal strength at each selectively activatable receiving antenna panel.

[0018] The device allows the selection of a receiving panel to receive communication signals to include: selecting a selectively activatable antenna panel determined to have the best received signal strength.

[0019] The device allows the received signal strength to be determined based on one or more of the following: reference signal received power, signal-to-noise ratio, and / or signal-to-interference-plus-noise ratio.

[0020] The device enables signal reception information to be obtained from at least one of the following: sensors on the user equipment; radio measurements of at least one downlink signal received by the user equipment using at least one receiving antenna panel; and information from a network node providing at least one downlink signal.

[0021] The device can make the signal reception information include an indication of the signal quality of at least one downlink signal received by a user equipment using at least one receiving antenna panel, and optionally wherein the indication of signal quality includes at least one of the following: reference signal received power, reference signal received quality; signal-to-noise ratio and / or signal-to-interference-plus-noise ratio.

[0022] The device can make the indication of signal quality include at least one of the following: reference signal received power, reference signal received quality, and signal-to-interference ratio.

[0023] The device may include: at least one processor; and at least one memory including computer program code, wherein the at least one memory and the computer program code are configured to cause the execution of the device together with the at least one processor.

[0024] According to various, but not necessarily all, embodiments of the present invention, a method is provided, the method comprising: acquiring signal reception information related to at least one downlink signal, the at least one downlink signal being received by a user equipment using at least one receiving antenna panel of a plurality of selectively activatable antenna panels;

[0025] For each of a plurality of selectively activatable antenna panels configurable to transmit downlink signals from the network node where they are received, an indication of the effective power that can be radiated to the network node where the downlink signal is received is determined based on signal reception information associated with at least one downlink signal received by that antenna panel.

[0026] For each of a plurality of selectively activatable antenna panels, calculate an indication of power consumption associated with an indication of the effective power that can be radiated to network nodes; and

[0027] In response to an indication of calculated power consumption, select and configure at least one selectively activatable antenna panel to be used for transmitting downlink signals from the network node where they are received.

[0028] This method enables components for selecting and configuring at least one of a plurality of selectively activatable antenna panels to be used for transmitting signals to select an antenna panel with transmission capability associated with an indication of calculated power consumption indicating the lowest power consumption.

[0029] This method enables components for selecting and configuring at least one of a plurality of selectively activatable antenna panels to be used for transmitting signals to: select an antenna panel with transmission capability associated with an indication of calculated power consumption indicating the lowest power consumption, subject to an indication of a determined effective power that the antenna panel can radiate being higher than a preselection threshold.

[0030] This method enables components for selecting and configuring at least one of a plurality of selectively activatable antenna panels to be used for transmitting signals to select an antenna panel that is different from the selectively activatable antenna panel selected for receiving at least one downlink signal.

[0031] This method allows the components used to calculate an indication of power consumption associated with an indication of effective power that can be radiated to a network node for each of a plurality of selectively activatable antenna panels to be configured to: determine, based on stored correlations for the antenna panels, an indication of power consumption associated with the determined indication of effective power that can be radiated to a network node for the antenna panel.

[0032] This method allows the stored correlations to include indications of power consumption based on the antenna panel, antenna beam configuration, and / or beam steering angle.

[0033] The method may enable the apparatus to include a component for selecting at least one antenna panel from a plurality of selectively activatable antenna panels to be used for receiving communication signals, depending on acquired signal reception information associated with at least one downlink signal received by the user equipment.

[0034] The method allows the selection of receiving antenna panels to include selecting whether each antenna panel among selectively active panels is to be either active or inactive in response to whether signal reception information related to at least one downlink signal received by the user equipment has exceeded a predetermined threshold.

[0035] This method allows the threshold to include a threshold related to the received signal strength at each selectively activatable receiving antenna panel.

[0036] This method allows the selection of a receiving panel to receive communication signals to include: selecting a selectively activatable antenna panel determined to have the best received signal strength.

[0037] This method allows the received signal strength to be determined based on one or more of the following: reference signal received power, signal-to-noise ratio, and / or signal-to-interference-plus-noise ratio.

[0038] This method enables signal reception information to be obtained from at least one of the following: sensors on the user equipment; radio measurements of at least one downlink signal received by the user equipment using at least one receiving antenna panel; and information from a network node providing at least one downlink signal.

[0039] The method may enable signal reception information to include an indication of the signal quality of at least one downlink signal received by a user equipment using at least one receiving antenna panel, and optionally wherein the indication of signal quality includes at least one of the following: reference signal received power, reference signal received quality; signal-to-noise ratio and / or signal-to-interference-plus-noise ratio.

[0040] This method allows the indication of signal quality to include at least one of the following: reference signal received power, reference signal received quality, and signal-to-interference ratio.

[0041] The method may cause the component to include: at least one processor; and at least one memory including computer program code, wherein the at least one memory and the computer program code are configured to cause the execution of the device together with the at least one processor.

[0042] According to various, but not necessarily all, embodiments of the present invention, a computer program product is provided that, when executed on a computer, is operable to perform the methods described above.

[0043] Further specific and preferred aspects are set forth in the appended independent and dependent claims. Features of the dependent claims may be suitably combined with features of the independent claims, and may be combined in different combinations than those expressly set forth in the claims.

[0044] When a device feature is described as operable to provide a function, it should be understood that this includes device features that provide the function or are adapted or configured to provide the function. When a device feature is described as a component for performing a function, it should be understood that such a component may include appropriate circuitry and / or appropriate logic configured to perform the function. Attached Figure Description

[0045] Some exemplary embodiments will now be described with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:

[0046] Figure 1 Two types of multi-panel user equipment (MPUE) are schematically illustrated;

[0047] Figure 2A and Figure 2B The features of two possible RF front-end antenna panel architectures are schematically illustrated.

[0048] Figure 3 The schematic diagram illustrates the radio frequency front-end component architecture for a user equipment (RF) unit with two antenna panels.

[0049] Figure 4 The diagram illustrates the relationship between power amplifier (PA) power consumption for a given effective omnidirectional received power (EIRP) for different antenna panel array configurations using different numbers of elements in a 1×4 array and individual element antennas.

[0050] Figure 5A and Figure 5B This schematically illustrates a possible example of an MPUE arrangement in which uplink and downlink panel selection are differentiated;

[0051] Figure 6 This illustrates some of the main steps in the antenna panel selection process achievable by a multi-panel UE in a communication network related to the transmission of communication signals; and

[0052] Figure 7 It is a graphical representation of the correlation between EIRP and power consumption for a specific set of antenna panels in the MPUE. Detailed Implementation

[0053] Before discussing the example embodiments in more detail, an overview will first be provided.

[0054] Multi-panel user equipment (MPUE) for operation, for example, within frequency range 2 (FR2) communication networks, is known. A limiting factor associated with any user equipment is the limited available power. Providing multiple antenna panels increases the need for user equipment with carefully considered power consumption. Connected-mode power consumption in FR2 deployments is one potential area where energy-efficient operation of the MPUE could be particularly useful.

[0055] Multi-panel user equipment (MPUE) can be configured to operate in various ways. In particular, MPUEs may differ in their ability to transmit or receive simultaneously. For example, an MPUE may enable multiple panels to be implemented on the UE, with only one panel active at a time, and a panel switching / activation delay of a few milliseconds. Alternatively, an MPUE may enable multiple panels to be implemented on the UE, with multiple panels active at a time and one or more panels available for transmission. Alternatively, an MPUE may enable multiple panels to be implemented on the UE, with multiple panels active at a time but only one panel available for transmission. Therefore, it should be understood that an MPUE may not necessarily be able to receive from multiple panels simultaneously, and / or transmit from multiple panels simultaneously. As a result, MPUEs enable them to implement one or more decision mechanisms to select (multiple) receive and / or transmit panels from the available antenna panels. Such decisions can be implemented specifically for the UE. Baseline UE behavior selects the panel to use based on the optimal receive downlink reference signal received power (RSRP) value of the connected beam.

[0056] MPUEs can be provided in various forms. In particular, antenna panel configuration or antenna panel type may not be set. Figure 1 Two types of multi-panel user equipment (MPUE) are schematically illustrated. Each MPUE has four antenna panels: A0, A1, A2, and A3. Higher-level MPUEs may be equipped with multiple high-gain panels, each covering a specific area of ​​the coverage sphere, such as... Figure 1 The left side is schematically shown. This high-gain panel solution is expensive. Mid-layer and low-layer MPUEs may only be equipped with one or two high-gain panels A0, A2, such as... Figure 1 As shown in the example on the right. Figure 1 As shown, A1 and A3 can be replaced by one or more cheaper antenna patches arranged at the UE to provide sufficient coverage to meet standard requirements. A cost-effective solution is to add several unit panels A1 and A3 around the UE to increase coverage and link robustness. Unit panels are attractive because their implementation loss is lower than that of a 1×4 antenna array, and because their implementation is less complex, for example, they do not require phase shifters and component distribution networks.

[0057] Whether high-end or low-end, MPUE optimizes the front-end radio architecture for each type of antenna panel (A0, A1, A2, A3) provided, ensuring operation for that specific panel type. As panels exhibit different capabilities, they may also require different receive (Rx) and transmit (Tx) chains to support optimal performance. Specifically, power amplifier (PA) optimization can be panel-specific, allowing, for example, a UE to transmit at 23 dBm using that panel and thus meet Power Class 3 (PC3) UE requirements. For instance, if the antenna panel contains only a single element, the PA can be optimized to 23 dBm. Similarly, if the antenna panel contains four elements, the PA can be optimized to achieve a combined PA power of 23 dBm from all four ports and an effective isotropic radiated power (EIRP) greater than 22.4 dBm, thus classifying the UE as a PC3 device.

[0058] Figure 2A and Figure 2B The features of two possible RF front-end antenna panel architectures are schematically shown. Figure 2A It involves a 4×1 antenna panel architecture, and Figure 2B This involves a single-surface panel architecture. Figure 2A In this design, a 4×1 antenna panel can generate a beam with a half-power beamwidth (HPBW) of 22 degrees to achieve an effective all-directional received power (EIRP) of 25 dBm. The panel comprises four antenna elements, each with an associated power amplifier. Based on "optimal" PA operation, each PA operates at 17 dBm to support a combined PA power of 23 dBm, thus achieving an EIRP of 25 dBm. In contrast, Figure 2B The unit arrangement can produce a beam with a half-power beamwidth (HPBW) of 90 degrees to achieve an effective isotropic received power (EIRP) of 24 dBm. A single power amplifier is required. Based on "optimal" PA operation, the PA operates at 23 dBm to achieve an EIRP of 24 dBm. It is understood that when considering possible patch architectures, the power amplifier efficiency is not flat or linear over the available output power, and therefore different power amplifier optimization choices have a specific impact on the battery consumption of user equipment in a panel-specific manner depending on the output power.

[0059] In addition to power amplifier implementations optimized for each panel design, antenna element types and RF chains can also be optimized for each panel design. For example, for Figure 2B The single-piece panel shown does not require a phase shifter, and the antenna element itself can be any of the following: a patch antenna, a monopole antenna, or a dipole antenna. Since the antenna Q is much lower, the latter two choices maximize radiation efficiency. Therefore, such as Figure 2BThe total insertion loss in the unit panel transmitter shown can be significantly less than that of the transmitter shown. Figure 2A The loss of the 1×4 phased array transmitter shown.

[0060] The loss differences between antenna patch arrangements can be significant. For example, Figure 2A The phased array shown has an insertion loss of 10 dB, which is consistent with... Figure 2B The insertion loss associated with the unit panel shown is 5 dB.

[0061] Figure 3 A schematic illustration shows a user equipment radio frequency front-end assembly architecture for an MPUE with two antenna panels. This architecture includes a shared baseband unit 10 and a shared transceiver section 20 that can be connected to one or both of the antenna panels 30A and 30B that together form an antenna section 30. The antenna section 30 in the illustrated example includes a 1×4 antenna panel 30A and a unit panel 30B.

[0062] UE power control and efficiency are subject to various standards and thresholds. One general approach is that the UE must be able to generate a signal with sufficient power to communicate with the network, but not so high that prolonged proximity to a user would cause potential harm. Beyond this general approach, providing the UE with a battery with limited available energy leads to various power control and energy-saving methods. Nevertheless, MPUEs include additional features that facilitate different approaches to UE power management.

[0063] Therefore, some arrangements may provide an apparatus comprising: means for acquiring signal reception information associated with at least one downlink signal received by a user equipment using at least one receiving antenna panel of a plurality of selectively activatable antenna panels; means for determining an indication of effective power radiated to the network node from which the downlink signal is received, based on the signal reception information associated with the at least one downlink signal received with the antenna panel; means for calculating an indication of power consumption associated with the indication of effective power consumption radiated to the network node for each of the plurality of selectively activatable antenna panels; and means for selecting and configuring at least one of the selectively activatable antenna panels to be used for transmitting the downlink signal from the network node from which the downlink signal is received, in response to the calculated power consumption indication.

[0064] A key issue related to the operation of any UE is minimizing UE power consumption to maximize UE battery life. Power consumption at the UE is primarily driven by UE transmit operations in RRC_Connected mode. Typically, for a given transmit power level, the power consumption of a single panel is distributed among the front-end (FE), baseband (BB), and transceiver (TRX). Both the transceiver and baseband are significant power consumers.

[0065] MPUEs are easy to operate, where different antenna panels can be used, if appropriate, to perform reception and transmission to best support communication within the network. This contrasts with what might be considered standard UE operation in a communication network, where UE receive beam management is typically driven by downlink RSRP, SNR, and / or SINR maximization, and typical UE behavior implements joint UE Tx / Rx beaming, i.e., using the same antenna panel selected for reception for transmission.

[0066] Specifically, appropriate power-efficient operation of the MPUE allows for differentiation between uplink and downlink panel selection, enabling UE power savings while minimizing or eliminating performance degradation. In other words, the MPUE can be configured to differentiate between antenna panels used for transmission and those used for reception. The receiving panel(s) can be selected based on which panel(s) is receiving a signal with optimal quality. Regardless of the received signal quality of a panel, it is possible to determine whether the transmitting panel can effectively communicate with the network and the power consumption associated with that effective communication. Therefore, the selection of the antenna panel used for transmission to the communication network can be based on the power consumption associated with maintaining effective communication with the network using that panel. If the antenna panel can transmit effectively within the network, the received signal quality at the panel may have little relevance to the selection of the panel used for transmission. Providing multiple antenna panels on the UE can indicate that single-element antenna panels can be used for transmission to save PA power consumption and maintain good UL performance, while multi-element antenna panels can be used for reception. Considering the selection of other RF FE components for optimization (e.g., operation of the entire element array), transmission using a single element of the same multi-element panel is unlikely to provide the same energy savings as using single-element panels.

[0067] Figure 4The diagram illustrates the relationship between power amplifier (PA) power consumption for a given effective omnidirectional received power (EIRP) for different antenna panel array configurations of a 1×4 array, for a given line-of-sight beam configuration. The configurations shown are full 1×4 operation (solid lines); 1×2 operation (dashed lines); and 1×1 operation (dotted-dashed lines). For comparison purposes, equivalent relationships for element antennas are also shown (dashed lines). Providing multi-element antenna panels does indeed provide beam amplification as a mechanism for achieving power scaling. The beam scaling and power usage associated with this beam scaling have been calculated and... Figure 4 As shown in the figure, the following assumptions are made: Average Power Tracking (APT) is only applicable to a single PA design; the PA quiescent power is assumed to be 15mW, and an agreed antenna loss level is assumed.

[0068] refer to Figure 4 As can be seen, reducing the array from four active elements to a single active element can significantly reduce PA power consumption. Furthermore, Figure 4 The reference PA power consumption (dashed line) for a single-element antenna is also shown. The power consumption of a single-element panel (due to lower insertion loss) can be significantly lower than that of a multi-element patch array, even if only one patch element on the array is active, especially at low EIRP. In fact, at low EIRP (e.g., for a 1×4 array with a loss of 10dB, below 17dBm), the quiescent current is per PA and dominates the PA power consumption. Figure 4 This indicates that even operating only a single element of a 1×4 array results in higher power consumption than a single-element design with the same EIRP. Nevertheless, it can be seen that when providing multi-element panels, or several multi-element panels at different locations on the UE, beamscaling can be used, and some elements in the array can be selectively used, to attempt to achieve energy savings.

[0069] The device may include user equipment or similar network-connectable devices.

[0070] The apparatus may include components for acquiring signal reception information related to at least one downlink signal, which is received by a user equipment using at least one receiving antenna panel from a plurality of selectively activatable antenna panels. The selectively activatable antenna panels may include at least two types of antenna panels. One type of antenna panel may include a unit panel. Another type of antenna panel may include an antenna array.

[0071] The apparatus may include: components for determining an indication of the effective power radiated to the network node from which the downlink signal is received, for each of a plurality of selectively activatable antenna panels configurable to transmit signals from a network node to which downlink signals are received, based on signal reception information associated with at least one downlink signal received with the antenna panel. One, some, or all of the antenna panels may be configured as transceivers operable or configurable to transmit and receive signals from the apparatus. The apparatus may include components for calculating an indication of power consumption associated with the indication of the effective power radiated to the network node for each of the plurality of selectively activatable antenna panels. The apparatus may include components for selecting and configuring at least one of the selectively activatable antenna panels to be used for transmitting signals from the network node to which downlink signals are received, in response to the calculated power consumption indication.

[0072] Various arrangements are possible regarding the appropriate selection of the transmission antenna panels. According to one arrangement, for example, components for selecting and configuring at least one of a plurality of selectively activatable antenna panels to be used for transmitting signals are operable to select the transmitting antenna panel associated with an indication of calculated power consumption indicating minimum power consumption. Therefore, power consumption at, for example, network-connectable devices with limited power supplies can be strongly optimized to be as low as possible, while also seeking to maintain the receiving and transmitting capabilities of such devices.

[0073] According to some arrangements, functional reservation can be considered, for example, by having a component for selecting and configuring at least one of a plurality of selectively activatable antenna panels to be used for transmitting signals. This component is configured or operable to select, subject to an indication of a determined effective power that the antenna panel can radiate being higher than a preselected threshold, an antenna panel with transmission capability associated with an indication of calculated power consumption indicating minimum power consumption. The threshold can be selected to enable effective communication with another network node (such as a gNB).

[0074] The arrangement allows components for selecting and configuring at least one of a plurality of selectively activatable antenna panels to be used for signal transmission to operate on an antenna panel that can be selected differently from the selectively activatable antenna panel selected for reception of at least one downlink signal. Therefore, transmission and reception at the device can be split across more than one antenna panel. In other words, the device can allow more than one antenna panel to be activated. One antenna panel can be activated for transmission. Different antenna panels can be activated for signal reception. The antenna panels activated for each of transmission and reception can be of different types. In other words, the panel activated for transmission can be a unit panel or an array, and the panel activated for reception can be another type of unit panel or array.

[0075] Various arrangements are possible for the appropriate calculation of power consumption of the transmission antenna panels. For example, components for calculating an indication of power consumption associated with an indication of effective power radiated to a network node for each of a plurality of selectively activatable antenna panels can be configured to determine, based on stored correlations for the antenna panels, the indication of power consumption associated with the determined effective power radiated to the network node. The stored correlations may include appropriate lookup tables or graphs. The stored correlations may be associated with a specific antenna panel type or a specific implementation of an antenna panel type. The stored correlations include indications of power consumption based on the antenna panel, antenna beam configuration, and / or beam steering angle.

[0076] Various arrangements are possible regarding the selection of the antenna panel used for the downlink. According to some arrangements, the apparatus may include components for selecting at least one antenna panel from a plurality of selectively activatable antenna panels to be used for receiving communication signals, based on acquired signal reception information associated with at least one downlink signal received by the user equipment. Therefore, the apparatus can be configured to select the antenna panel for receiving the signal based on the antenna panel that best receives or is capable of best receiving the signal.

[0077] In some arrangements, the selection of receiving antenna panels includes selecting whether each antenna panel among selectively active panels should be either active or inactive, in response to whether signal reception information related to at least one downlink signal received by the user equipment has exceeded a predetermined threshold. For example, available active panels suitable for signal reception can be selected. A minimum signal quality threshold may need to be met before a panel becomes a candidate for signal reception. If one or more panels are able to receive at or above the required threshold, panel selection can be made among those panels that meet the threshold.

[0078] In some arrangements, the thresholds include thresholds related to the received signal strength at each selectively activatable receiving antenna panel. The received signal strength can be determined based on one or more of the following: reference signal received power, signal-to-noise ratio (SNR), and / or signal-to-interference-plus-noise ratio (SINR), all of which can provide an indication of the signal received by the antenna panels.

[0079] In some arrangements, selecting the receiving panel on which to receive communication signals includes selecting a selectively activated antenna panel determined to have the best received signal strength. If more than one antenna panel can receive with similar signal strength, the choice of which antenna panel to use for reception can be determined based on secondary factors such as the power usage for receiving these panels.

[0080] Various arrangements are possible for determining signal reception information. In some arrangements, the signal reception information can be obtained from at least one of the following: sensors on the user equipment; radio measurements of at least one downlink signal received by the user equipment using at least one receiving antenna panel; and information from a network node providing at least one downlink signal. In particular, as described herein, it should be understood that the signal reception information includes an indication of the signal quality of at least one downlink signal received by the user equipment using at least one receiving antenna panel, and optionally wherein the indication of signal quality includes at least one of the following: reference signal received power, reference signal received quality; signal-to-noise ratio and / or signal-to-interference-plus-noise ratio.

[0081] The arrangement can cause the device to include a computer, chip, or software configured to perform the various steps described above. In other words, the term "component" can include: at least one processor; and at least one memory including computer program code, wherein the at least one memory and the computer program code are configured to, together with the at least one processor, cause the execution of the device.

[0082] Example Operation

[0083] Figure 5A and Figure 5B This schematically illustrates a possible example of an MPUE deployment where uplink and downlink panel selection are differentiated, facilitating UE energy saving without performance loss when power conservation is determined to be achieved. In other words, the UE is configured to differentiate between TX and RX panel operations to save, for example, PA power consumption.

[0084] Figure 5A and Figure 5BAn MPUE100 with four antenna panels A0, A1, A2, and A3 is shown. Two panels are element panels A1 and A3. Two panels are multi-element array panels A0 and A2. A0 and A2 are 1×4 antenna arrays, and A1 and A3 are element antennas. In the illustrated arrangement, A0 and A1 both receive signals with similar RSRP levels from the serving base station 200 during beam scanning mode, indicating that they are equal competitors in terms of the selection of the reception mode of the signal from base station 200. For the same EIRP, even if A0 only activates a single element, the calculated PA power consumption associated with A1 operation may be significantly lower than that of A0 operation because the implementation penalty of element design is lower than the design trade-offs of phased arrays, such as in Figure 4 The correlation curves are presented in quantitative form.

[0085] To optimize power consumption, MPUEs of one configuration are configured to run separate panel management procedures for UL and DL communications. The DL panel management procedure aims to maximize RSRP, SNR, and / or SINR. The UL panel management procedure aims to minimize UE power consumption, particularly power consumption associated with PA operation, while maintaining the target EIRP. According to some implementations, for example, in active phased array panels (such as...) Figure 5A and Figure 5B If the estimated power consumption of A0 and A2 in the diagram is determined to be lower than the estimated power consumption associated with similar operation of other panels, the UE can be configured to use the same RX and TX beams (i.e., the same panel and the same codebook entries). However, when using different panels for transmission, and the estimated power consumption is calculated to be lower, UEs with certain arrangements can allow the selection and configuration of different RX and TX panels for use. In other words, the arrangement can enable the use of TX beams supported by antenna panels other than the antenna panel selected as the downlink RX panel. This selection of different antenna panels can support the minimization or improvement of overall UE power consumption.

[0086] exist Figure 5B In the scenario presented, UE 100 implements an antenna panel selection process, which results in the decision to use antenna panel A1 for TX and A0 for RX. This selection minimizes PA power consumption without affecting UL, as panels A1 and A0 are both determined to deliver the same power in the direction of gNB 200. The UE splits the TX and RX antenna panels and selects a clearly suboptimal panel for TX (from the perspective of DL RSRP only) to save power without sacrificing link quality.

[0087] Figure 6This paper illustrates some of the main steps in the antenna panel selection process that can be implemented in a multi-panel UE in a communication network related to the transmission of communication signals. Figure 6 The detailed description of the advanced process explained in the document is as follows:

[0088] S1: The UE enters RRC connection mode.

[0089] S2: The UE calculates the EIRP required for each panel of the current serving link, called the "virtual" EIRP. The calculation of the virtual EIRP is based on: the maximum gain of each panel, and the required PA power (i.e., the RSRP of each panel of the serving link) required to compensate for any differences in the power level received across panels related to the serving link.

[0090] S3: Given the available gain on the alternative panel, the UE evaluates the absolute PA power required by the virtual EIRP to maintain UL quality.

[0091] S4: The UE estimates the "virtual" power consumption to meet the virtual EIRP for each panel in a specific calculation. For example, this estimation can be achieved using a lookup table or stored correlation values ​​with respect to possible beam configurations and steering angles, such as... Figure 4 These are shown.

[0092] S5: The UE selects the UL panel based on the estimated PA power consumption while meeting UL power control requirements. The selection is to optimize the minimum UE power consumption.

[0093] Steps S1 to S5 will be described in more detail below with respect to one possible implementation.

[0094] It should be understood that, according to Figure 6 The implementation of the selection process shown for choosing the antenna panel used for transmission from the MPUE to the base station or other network nodes allows the operation of the TX UE panel to be managed separately from the operation of the RX UE panel. UE TX panel management is driven by power consumption angles, not just based on the downlink reference signal received power (RSRP) link budget. According to some management procedures, the MPUE can be configured to store PA power consumption values ​​at different EIRP levels on a per-panel, per-beam configuration, and / or per-steering angle basis. According to some management procedures, the UE can be configured to compare the per-panel virtual EIRP calculated or determined based on the per-panel RSRP. According to some management procedures, the UE can be configured to calculate PA operation requirements to meet the virtual EIRP. The UE can be configured to estimate the PA power consumption associated with the calculated PA operation requirements on a per-panel basis. According to some management procedures, the UE can be configured to use different panels for RX and TX, where this separation of antenna panel usage minimizes power consumption while maintaining UL quality across panels within similar RSRP thresholds.

[0095] In some arrangements, the details of the main steps S1 to S5 described above may include some or all of the following steps:

[0096] S1: The MPUE enters RRC connected mode. The method described in this document applies to the operation of the UE in connected mode because transmissions in connected mode represent significant power usage at the UE.

[0097] S2: MPUE is configured to compute from available panels with base stations (e.g., Figure 5A and Figure 5B The EIRP required for successful UL communication (in the 200) is calculated based on the fact that the MPUE can detect the serving gNB signal at an RSRP above a threshold in all available antenna panels.

[0098] The EIRP calculated for each panel is called the "virtual EIRP" because only one panel will be used for UL transmission, and the calculation is only a virtual EIRP until one of the panels is selected for UL operation.

[0099] Those skilled in the art will understand various UL power control mechanisms, such as P_PUSCH or PUCCH, and the mechanisms that can then be used to calculate (virtual) EIRP. While PUSCH has been described, it should be understood that antenna panel management can be performed with respect to various channels or combinations of channels, such as: PRACH, PUCCH, PUSCH, and SRS, or a subset of channels, such as PUSCH only.

[0100] The virtual EIRP (VEIRP) of PUSCH is defined as follows:

[0101] VEIRP = Maximum panel array gain + P_PUSCH (1)

[0102] VEIRP is calculated using the maximum panel gain, and therefore the array gain will vary for any incident angle outside the viewing axis. For example, the maximum panel array gain for a 4-patch element panel can be 12 dBi, while the maximum panel array gain for a 1-patch element panel can be 6 dBi.

[0103] In some implementations, the MPUE can be configured to embed a dynamic threshold that accelerates or delays UL panel switching based solely on the power consumption for the line-of-sight implementation, which is calculated only based on the UE’s local knowledge of switching between UL panels, or determining the angle of arrival of the current UE beam, the target (candidate) UE beam from different antenna panels, or both.

[0104] According to some implementations, it should be understood that the splitting of uplink and downlink operations at the UE can occur, for example, by either: selecting the DL / UL antenna panel based on maximizing DL RSRP, SNR, and / or SINR on the UE's wide beam, and switching UL operation to another antenna panel while optimizing power consumption in this switching; or selecting the DL / UL antenna panel based on DL RSRP, SNR, and / or SINR on the UE's wide beam, and only switching DL to another panel that can refine the UE beam to enhance RX, while maintaining UL operation at the original antenna panel.

[0105] S3: MPUE can be configured to evaluate which antenna panels can meet the EIRP required to maintain proper UL power control.

[0106] In one implementation, the MPUE can evaluate whether each panel can meet the threshold EIRP required to maintain UL power control associated with ongoing UE-to-base station transmission. It should be understood that the available UL array gain will be lower for a panel with a single antenna element or for a panel with very few antenna elements than for a panel with a large number of elements (e.g., 4 or 8). If a given panel cannot meet the target (threshold) V-EIRP, the panel will be discarded for the next step.

[0107] S4: For these antenna panels that are determined to meet the UL power control requirements, the UE can be configured to estimate virtual power consumption (VPC).

[0108] During the production and commissioning of UE antenna panels, a pre-calculated "virtual power consumption" lookup table can be generated. Such a table can be generated relative to an ideal UE device, containing theoretically or empirically derived values ​​for all commissioned devices. This table is stored similarly to... Figure 4 These values ​​or correlations are illustrated in the diagram. These values ​​can be stored and adjusted based on actual load conditions (e.g., steering angle). For example, when the UE operates and aligns the DL beam, the load conditions become known for the RX narrow beam setup, and the UE can be configured to refine its VEIRP based on the beam alignment and load an appropriate lookup table to obtain improved accuracy related to the estimated PA power consumption and associated potential energy savings.

[0109] Figure 7 This is a graphical representation of the correlation between EIRP and power consumption for a specific set of antenna panels in an MPUE. For example... Figure 7 As shown, MPUE can be configured to estimate the power consumption value corresponding to each calculated virtual target EIRP on an antenna panel determined to meet the EIRP requirements.

[0110] A0 and A2 are 1×4 phased arrays, and A1 and A3 are unit panel panels.

[0111] For example, suppose such as Figure 5A and Figure 5B The MPUE arrangement shown depicts an MPUE 100 communicating with a base station 200 and equipped with four antenna panels: A0 and A2 are 1×4 phased arrays, and A1 and A3 are unit panel panels. According to a possible panel management method, the MPUE 100 can be configured to check the following:

[0112] A0 was determined to have the optimal RSRP value and is the first choice panel for power calculation purposes. A0 was determined to have the minimum EIRP (i.e., the optimal RSRP value) and is consistent with virtual power consumption (according to...). Figure 7 The lookup shown is associated with VPC A0.

[0113] For power consumption reasons, A0 can be reduced to a single-surface operation. Doing so will result in a slightly lower VPC A0, such as... Figure 7 As shown.

[0114] MPUE can be configured to calculate the VEIRP of antenna panel A1, and once calculated, the associated power consumption VPC of A1 can be found. It can be seen that A1 exhibits the minimum VPC for the required VEIRP. As a result, MPUE can be configured to switch UL operation to antenna panel A1 to optimize power consumption.

[0115] The MPUE can be configured to calculate the VEIRP of antenna panel A2, and once calculated, the associated power consumption VPC A2 can be found. Antenna panel A2 is pointed away from the main input power direction from base station 200 to MPUE 100, so the required VEIRP associated with the operation of panel A2 is high because the UE beam gain is low (e.g., the antenna panel may effectively use the generated back lobe).

[0116] MPUE can be configured to calculate the VEIRP of antenna panel A3. VEIRP is "out of reach," therefore the power consumption VPC A3 cannot be used. Figure 7 The lookup diagram shown is used for calculation. In other words, the VEIRP associated with using antenna panel A3 will be higher than the upper limit threshold of 26 dBm, which is the maximum EIRP capability of this UE.

[0117] Based on the above actions, it can be understood that MPUE can be configured to manage its operation so that it follows the process that leads to the minimum VPC associated with the UL antenna panel decision, independent of the DL antenna panel decision, which can be optimized solely based on RSRP.

[0118] S5: MPUE can be configured to select and configure the UL antenna panel for transmission operations based on determining which panel provides the lowest power consumption while meeting uplink power control requirements. Figure 7 and Figure 5A and 5B In the example shown, VPC A1 (unit panel) was determined to have the lowest power consumption while meeting VEIRP requirements.

[0119] In summary, certain antenna panel management arrangements allow for UL panel management recommendations to operate UL on the panel with the lowest power consumption if the EIRP difference between antenna panels is equal to or less than the RSRP difference between antenna panels. This may differ from the panel supporting downlink operation. DL operation is reserved for the panel with the best RSRP, for example, by including only the narrow beam gain of the DL.

[0120] Independent UL and DL management, depending on the arrangement, allows UE behavior to adapt to radio conditions while taking into account power usage effects. For example, if the UE is close to the gNB and directivity may be less critical, the UE can use a single-element antenna to transmit to the gNB, thus saving power, and due to directivity requirements, a 1×4 array can be used for transmission, for example, when far from the gNB. In some cases, for the typical absolute EIRP level of an MPUE far from the base station (gNB), independent UL panel management operations can force the MPUE to utilize single-element panels (such as...) as long as the RSRP value allows. Figure 5A (or A1 and A3 in 5B) for power saving.

[0121] Numerical Examples

[0122] Numerical examples are provided to illustrate the potential power savings that can be achieved as a result of panel management implementations based on some described arrangements. Such examples show the potential gain in battery power (in mW) associated with the UE using the proposed Tx / Rx beam management for a given EIRP level.

[0123] With Figure 7 Taking the expected EIRP of 13dBm related to the lookup table as an example:

[0124] a. Typical operation using a joint Tx / Rx antenna panel with a narrow beam from a multi-element array: PA consumption is 170mW when using a full panel (1×4).

[0125] b. By reducing the Tx and Rx on a multi-element panel to use fewer antenna elements: PA consumption is reduced to 110mW, and Rx loss is 6dB.

[0126] c. By reducing only the Tx operation on the multi-element panel, PA consumption is reduced to 110mW while Rx remains unaffected.

[0127] d. According to the layout management panel, Tx will be transferred to the unit panel: PA consumption is reduced to 60mW and Rx is unaffected.

[0128] Therefore, using something similar Figure 7 The lookup table figures, compared to typical UE Rx / Tx beam management (e.g., from 170mW to 60mW), show that 13dBm of EIRP antenna panel management according to the described arrangement can provide a significant gain in PA power. While it is understood that the available gain depends on the UE implementation (e.g., available antenna panels and antenna panel configuration, PA design, etc.), it is believed that panel management according to the described method can represent a significant power consumption gain.

[0129] According to some descriptions, the advantages of antenna panel management include improved UE battery life.

[0130] Based on some of the advantages of the antenna panel management described, where the MPUE is configured to implement Tx beam management independently of Rx beam management and decoupled from the requirement of using overlapping antenna panels to support both, it allows for minimal UE power consumption; maximizes DL performance without sacrificing one or both to support the other; maintains good UL performance; and from the gNB's perspective, the management performed at the MPUE is transparent because the UE operates using the same SSB, and it complies with the radio resource management specifications governing the operation of the UE within communication networks, including FR2 networks.

[0131] Those skilled in the art will readily recognize that the steps of the various methods described above can be performed by a programmed computer. In this document, some embodiments are also intended to cover program storage devices, such as digital data storage media, which are machine- or computer-readable and encoded with machine-executable or computer-executable instructions that perform some or all of the steps of the methods described above. Program storage devices can be, for example, digital memories, magnetic storage media such as disks and magnetic tapes, hard disk drives, or optically readable digital data storage media. Embodiments are also intended to cover computers programmed to perform the steps of the methods described above.

[0132] As used in this application, the terms "circuit system," "component," or "logic" may refer to one or more or all of the following:

[0133] (a) Pure hardware circuit implementation (such as implementation using only analog and / or digital circuits), and

[0134] (b) A combination of hardware circuitry and software, such as (if applicable):

[0135] (i) A combination of (multiple) analog and / or digital hardware circuits and software / firmware, and

[0136] (ii) Any part of a hardware processor(s) having software (including digital signal processors), software, and memory, which work together to cause a device (such as a mobile phone or server) to perform various functions, and

[0137] (c) (Multiple) hardware circuits and / or (multiple) processors, such as (multiple) microprocessors or a portion thereof, which require software (e.g., firmware) to operate, but the software may not be present when operation is not required.

[0138] The definitions of circuit system, logic, and component apply to all uses of such terms in this application, including in any claim. As another example, as used in this application, the terms circuit system, logic, and / or component also cover only hardware circuitry or processors (or processors) or a portion of hardware circuitry or processors and the software and / or firmware accompanying their implementation. The terms circuit system, logic, and component also cover (e.g., and if applicable to a particular claim element) baseband integrated circuits or processor integrated circuits for mobile devices, or similar integrated circuits in servers, cellular network devices, or other computing or networking devices.

[0139] Although embodiments of the invention have been described with reference to various examples in the preceding paragraphs, it should be understood that modifications can be made to the given examples without departing from the scope of the claimed invention.

[0140] The features described above can be used in combinations other than those explicitly stated.

[0141] Although some features have been described with reference to certain characteristics, these functions can be performed by other features, whether or not they are described.

[0142] Although features have been described with reference to certain embodiments, these features may also exist in other embodiments, whether or not they are described.

[0143] Although the foregoing description has been intended to draw attention to these features of the invention as particularly important, it should be understood that the applicant claims protection with respect to any patentable features or combinations thereof mentioned above and / or shown in the drawings, whether or not they are specifically emphasized.

Claims

1. A user equipment comprising: means for obtaining, by the user equipment, signal reception information related to at least one downlink signal received by the user equipment using at least one receiving antenna panel of a plurality of selectively activatable antenna panels; means for determining, by the user equipment, for each antenna panel of the plurality of selectively activatable antenna panels configurable to transmit signals to a network node from which the downlink signal is received, an indication of effective power radiatable to the network node based on the signal reception information related to the at least one downlink signal received by the antenna panel; means for calculating, by the user equipment, for each antenna panel of the plurality of selectively activatable antenna panels, an indication of power consumption associated with the indication of effective power radiatable to the network node; and means for selecting and configuring, by the user equipment, at least one antenna panel of the selectively activatable antenna panels to be used for transmitting signals to the network node from which the downlink signal is received by selecting, by the user equipment, in response to the calculated indications of power consumption, the antenna panel having transmission capabilities associated with the calculated indication of power consumption indicating the lowest power consumption, and wherein the selected and configured antenna panel is different from the selectively activatable antenna panel selected for reception of the at least one downlink signal.

2. The user equipment according to claim 1, wherein the means for selecting and configuring at least one antenna panel of the plurality of selectively activatable antenna panels to be used for transmitting signals is operable to select the antenna panel having transmission capabilities associated with the calculated indication of power consumption indicating the lowest power consumption subject to the determined indication of effective power radiatable by the antenna panel being above a preselected threshold.

3. The user equipment according to claim 1, wherein the means for calculating, for each antenna panel of the plurality of selectively activatable antenna panels, an indication of power consumption associated with the indication of effective power radiatable to the network node is configured to determine the indication of power consumption of an antenna panel associated with a determined indication of effective power radiatable to the network node from a stored correlation between effective power radiatable to the network node and power consumption associated with the antenna panel.

4. The user equipment according to claim 3, wherein the stored correlation between effective power radiatable to the network node and power consumption associated with an antenna panel comprises an indication of power consumption dependent on antenna panel, antenna beam configuration and / or beam steering angle.

5. The user equipment according to claim 1, wherein the user equipment comprises: means for selecting, dependent on acquired signal reception information related to at least one downlink signal received by the user equipment, at least one of the plurality of selectively activatable antenna panels to be used for receiving a communication signal.

6. The user equipment of claim 1, wherein selecting the receive antenna panels comprises selecting whether each of the selectively activatable panels is to be one of active and inactive in response to whether the signal reception information related to at least one downlink signal received by the user equipment has exceeded a predetermined threshold.

7. The user equipment of claim 6, wherein the threshold comprises a threshold related to a received signal strength at each selectively activatable receive antenna panel.

8. The user equipment of claim 5, wherein selecting a plurality of selectively activatable antenna panels to be used to receive a communication signal comprises: selecting the selectively activatable antenna panel determined to have the best received signal strength.

9. The user equipment of claim 1, wherein received signal strength is determined according to one or more of: reference signal received power, signal-to-noise ratio, and / or signal-to-interference noise ratio.

10. The user equipment of claim 1, wherein the signal reception information is acquirable from at least one of: a sensor on the user equipment; a radio measurement of the at least one downlink signal received by the user equipment using the at least one receive antenna panel; and information from a network node providing the at least one downlink signal.

11. The user equipment of claim 1, wherein the signal reception information comprises an indication of a signal quality of the at least one downlink signal received by the user equipment using the at least one receive antenna panel, and optionally wherein the indication of signal quality comprises at least one of: reference signal received power, reference signal received quality; signal-to-noise ratio, and / or signal-to-interference noise ratio.

12. The user device of claim 1, wherein the components comprise: at least one memory including computer program code, the at least one memory and the computer program code configured to, with the at least one processor, cause the performance of the user equipment.

13. The user equipment of any of claims 1-12, wherein the means comprises: at least one processor; and at least one memory storing instructions that, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the performance of the user equipment.

14. A method for a user equipment, comprising acquiring, by the user equipment, signal reception information related to at least one downlink signal received by the user equipment using at least one of a plurality of selectively activatable antenna panels; determining, by the user equipment for each of the plurality of selectively activatable antenna panels configurable to transmit signals to a network node from which the downlink signal is received, an indication of an effective power that can be radiated to the network node from which the downlink signal is received based on the signal reception information related to the at least one downlink signal received by the antenna panel; computing, by the user equipment, an indication of power consumption for each of the plurality of selectively activatable antenna panels, the indication of power consumption being associated with the indication of effective power that can be radiated to the network node; and selecting and configuring, by the user equipment, at least one of the selectively activatable antenna panels to be used for transmitting signals to the network node from which the downlink signals are received in response to the computed indication of power consumption by selecting, by the user equipment, the antenna panel with transmission capabilities that is associated with the computed indication of power consumption that indicates the lowest power consumption, and wherein the selected and configured antenna panel is different from the selectively activatable antenna panel that is selected for reception of the at least one downlink signal.

15. A user equipment comprising: at least one processor; and at least one memory storing instructions that, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the user equipment to at least perform: obtaining signal reception information related to at least one downlink signal received by the user equipment using at least one receiving antenna panel of a plurality of selectively activatable antenna panels; determining, for each of the plurality of selectively activatable antenna panels that can be configured to transmit signals to the network node from which the downlink signals are received, an indication of effective power that can be radiated to the network node from which the downlink signals are received based on the signal reception information related to the at least one downlink signal received by the antenna panel; computing, by the user equipment, an indication of power consumption for each of the plurality of selectively activatable antenna panels, the indication of power consumption being associated with the indication of effective power that can be radiated to the network node; and selecting and configuring, by the user equipment, at least one of the selectively activatable antenna panels to be used for transmitting signals to the network node from which the downlink signals are received in response to the computed indication of power consumption by selecting, by the user equipment, the antenna panel with transmission capabilities that is associated with the computed indication of power consumption that indicates the lowest power consumption, and wherein the selected and configured antenna panel is different from the selectively activatable antenna panel that is selected for reception of the at least one downlink signal.

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