Techniques for beam switching in wireless communications

Abstract

Methods, systems, and devices are described for wireless communication in which a user equipment (UE) can identify one or more candidate beams having better channel metrics than a serving beam. The UE can initiate a beam switch measurement counter and perform one or more measurements on the identified candidate beams. If one of the candidate beams is better than the serving beam for each of the one or more measurements, the UE can perform a beam switch procedure to switch from the serving beam to the candidate beam.

Description

[0001] Cross Reference to Related Applications

[0002] This Patent Application claims priority to U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 63 / 081,173 by ZHU, et al., entitled “TECHNIQUES FOR BEAM SWITCHING IN WIRELESS COMMUNICATIONS” and filed on September 21, 2020, and U.S. Patent Application No. 17 / 477,324 by ZHU, et al., entitled “TECHNIQUES FOR BEAM SWITCHING IN WIRELESS COMMUNICATIONS” and filed on September 16, 2021; each of which is assigned to the assignee hereof, and each of which is hereby expressly incorporated by reference herein. TECHNICAL FIELD

[0003] The following relates to wireless communications, including techniques for beam switching in wireless communications. BACKGROUND

[0004] Wireless communications systems are widely deployed to provide various types of communication content such as voice, video, packet data, messaging, broadcast, and so on. These systems are capable of supporting communication with multiple users by sharing the available system resources (e.g., time, frequency, and power). Examples of such multiple- access systems include fourth generation (4G) systems such as Long Term Evolution (LTE) systems, LTE-Advanced (LTE-A) systems, or LTE-A Pro systems, and fifth generation (5G) systems which can be referred to as New Radio (NR) systems. These systems can employ technologies such as code division multiple access (CDMA), time division multiple access (TDMA), frequency division multiple access (FDMA), orthogonal frequency division multiple access (OFDMA), or discrete Fourier transform spread orthogonal frequency division multiplexing (DFT-S-OFDM). A wireless multiple-access communications system can include one or more base stations or one or more network access nodes, each simultaneously supporting communications for multiple communication devices, which can be otherwise known as user equipment (UE).

[0005] Devices of a wireless communications system, such as UEs and base stations, can support beamforming to enhance communication reliability and efficiency using directional signal transmissions. These devices can switch between various directional beams based on channel conditions, relative directions between a UE and a base station antenna panel, UE mobility, and / or the like. Efficient switching between beams can be desirable to improve the efficiency and reliability of beamformed wireless communications. SUMMARY

[0006] The described techniques relate to improved methods, systems, devices, and apparatuses that support techniques for beam switching in wireless communications. In various aspects, a user equipment (UE) can establish a beamformed communication with a base station using a serving beam. The UE can identify one or more different beams, which can be referred to as candidate beams, that have better channel metrics than the serving beam. For example, the UE can identify one or more candidate beams that have a higher reference signal received power (RSRP), reference signal received quality (RSRQ), signal-to-noise ratio (SNR), or any combination thereof. Based on such identification, the UE can start a beam switch measurement counter and perform one or more measurements for the identified candidate beam(s). If one of the candidate beams is better than the serving beam for each of the one or more measurements, the UE can perform a beam switch procedure to switch from the serving beam to the candidate beam. If one or more measurements of the identified candidate beam(s) are not better than the serving beam, the UE can continue to use the serving beam for communication. Such techniques can enhance network efficiency and reliability by allowing the UE to confirm that the identified candidate beam has channel metrics that support the beam switch procedure before starting the beam switch procedure.

[0007] A method of wireless communication at a UE is described. The method can include identifying a beam metric of a serving beam, determining that one or more beam metrics of one or more candidate beams exceed the beam metric of the serving beam at the UE, starting a beam switch measurement counter based on the determination, where the beam switch measurement counter is associated with a measurement count threshold, measuring the one or more beam metrics for each of the one or more candidate beams based on the measurement count threshold, and selecting the serving beam or a first candidate beam of the one or more candidate beams for communication based on the measurement.

[0008] An apparatus for wireless communication at a UE is described. The apparatus can include a processor, memory coupled with the processor, and instructions stored in the memory. The instructions can be executable by the processor to cause the apparatus to identify a beam metric of a serving beam, determine that one or more beam metrics of one or more candidate beams exceed the beam metric of the serving beam at the UE, start a beam switch measurement counter based on the determination, where the beam switch measurement counter is associated with a measurement count threshold, measure the one or more beam metrics for each of the one or more candidate beams based on the measurement count threshold, and select the serving beam or a first candidate beam of the one or more candidate beams for communication based on the measurement.

[0009] Another apparatus for wireless communication at a UE is described. The apparatus can include means for identifying a beam metric of a serving beam; means for determining that one or more beam metrics of one or more candidate beams exceed the beam metric of the serving beam at the UE; means for initiating a beam switch measurement counter based on the determination, where the beam switch measurement counter is associated with a measurement count threshold; means for measuring the one or more beam metrics for each of the one or more candidate beams based on the measurement count threshold; and means for selecting the serving beam or a first candidate beam of the one or more candidate beams for communication based on the measurement.

[0010] A non-transitory computer-readable medium storing code for wireless communication at a UE is described. The code can include instructions executable by a processor to identify a beam metric of a serving beam; determine that one or more beam metrics of one or more candidate beams exceed the beam metric of the serving beam at the UE; initiate a beam switch measurement counter based on the determination, where the beam switch measurement counter is associated with a measurement count threshold; measure the one or more beam metrics for each of the one or more candidate beams based on the measurement count threshold; and select the serving beam or a first candidate beam of the one or more candidate beams for communication based on the measurement.

[0011] In some examples of the method, apparatus, and non-transitory computer-readable medium described herein, the selecting can include operations, features, means, or instructions for determining that the first candidate beam of the one or more candidate beams has a first candidate channel metric that exceeds the beam metric of the serving beam in each of the one or more measurements of the first candidate beam, and where the method further includes switching from the serving beam to the first candidate beam in response to the determination.

[0012] Some examples of the method, apparatus, and non-transitory computer-readable medium described herein can further include operations, features, means, or instructions for identifying a mobility type of the UE and setting the measurement count threshold based on the mobility type. In some examples of the method, apparatus, and non-transitory computer-readable medium described herein, the mobility type can be identified based on one or more of motion sensor input, positioning system input, a rate of change of channel metrics of the one or more channel metric measurements, or any combination thereof.

[0013] Some examples of the method, apparatus, and non-transitory computer-readable medium described herein can further include operations, features, means, or instructions for transmitting a beam switch indication to a serving base station based on a determination to use the first candidate beam for communication.

[0014] In some examples of the method, apparatuses, and non-transitory computer- readable medium described herein, the selecting can include operations, features, means, or instructions for determining to maintain the serving beam based on the beam metric of the serving beam being better than at least one candidate channel metric from each of the one or more candidate beams. In some examples of the method, apparatuses, and non-transitory computer-readable medium described herein, the UE falls back to an original scheduled grant of the serving beam based on the determination to maintain the serving beam.

[0015] In some examples of the method, apparatuses, and non-transitory computer- readable medium described herein, the one or more beam metrics can be measured from each of the one or more candidate beams only for the one or more candidate beams for a duration of measuring the one or more beam metrics. In some examples of the method, apparatuses, and non-transitory computer-readable medium described herein, the one or more beam metrics include one or more of a reference signal received power (RSRP), a reference signal received quality (RSRQ), a signal-to-noise ratio (SNR), or any combination thereof.

[0016] In some examples of the method, apparatuses, and non-transitory computer- readable medium described herein, the starting the beam switch measurement counter can be performed at a beam scheduling manager of the UE. In some examples of the method, apparatuses, and non-transitory computer-readable medium described herein, the determining can be performed by a beam switch decision manager of the UE. In some examples of the method, apparatuses, and non-transitory computer-readable medium described herein, the beam switch decision manager enables a separate beam switch measurement counter for each identified candidate beam. In some examples of the method, apparatuses, and non-transitory computer-readable medium described herein, the beam switch decision manager disables the beam switch measurement counter for an associated candidate beam based on the beam metric of the serving beam exceeding the candidate channel metric of the associated candidate beam. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS

[0017] Figure 1 FIG. 1 illustrates an example of a wireless communications system that supports techniques for beam switching in wireless communications in accordance with aspects of the present disclosure.

[0018] Figure 2 FIG. 1 illustrates an example of a wireless communications system that supports techniques for beam switching in wireless communications in accordance with aspects of the present disclosure.

[0019] Figure 3 FIG. 1 illustrates an example of a wireless communications system that supports techniques for beam switching in wireless communications in accordance with aspects of the present disclosure.

[0020] Figure 4 and Figure 5FIG. illustrates an example of a process flow that supports techniques for beam switching in wireless communications in accordance with aspects of the present disclosure.

[0021] Figure 6 and Figure 7 A block diagram of a device that supports techniques for beam switching in wireless communications is shown in accordance with aspects of the present disclosure.

[0022] Figure 8 A block diagram of a communications manager that supports techniques for beam switching in wireless communications is shown in accordance with aspects of the present disclosure.

[0023] Figure 9 A diagram of a system including a device that supports techniques for beam switching in wireless communications is shown in accordance with aspects of the present disclosure.

[0024] Figures 10 to 13 A flow diagram illustrating a method that supports techniques for beam switching in wireless communications is shown in accordance with aspects of the present disclosure. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0025] Devices of a wireless communications system can support beamforming to enhance communication reliability and efficiency using directional signal transmissions. For example, a base station and a user equipment (UE) can communicate using various beam pairs, and the devices can transition between beams during communications. In some cases, the UE can perform periodic measurements of a serving beam and one or more other beams, with channel metric measurements of the one or more other beams being stored in a measurement database (MDB). If the UE determines that one or more channel metrics in the MDB are better than a measured metric of the serving beam, the UE can initiate a beam switch procedure to switch to the beam with the better channel metric. However, in cases where the UE can be experiencing relatively high mobility or changing channel conditions, the measurements in the MDB can become relatively stale relatively quickly. Techniques as described herein provide that one or more candidate beams can be identified that can be measured prior to initiating the beam switch procedure.

[0026] For example, 5G systems can use millimeter wave (mmW) wavelengths for communication, and relatively narrow beamwidths can provide high speed uplink and downlink communications. Due to the relatively narrow beamwidths, UEs and base stations can need to perform beam tracking and beam switching to maintain high speed and smooth communications. Moreover, such beam tracking and switching can occur relatively frequently in cases with relatively high mobility and / or fading. To enable beam switching, a UE can measure various different beams at different occasions and store one or more associated beam metrics (e.g., reference signal received power (RSRP), reference signal received quality (RSRQ), signal-to-noise ratio (SNR), or any combination thereof) into an MDB. In some cases, a base station can perform a beam sweeping operation in which different beams (e.g., associated with different synchronization signal blocks (SSBs)) are used to transmit reference signals (e.g., channel state information reference signals (CSI-RSs)) in a time-division multiplexing (TDM) manner. Based on the measurements of the different beams, a UE can identify that a particular beam (or beams) can be better than a current serving beam. In traditional systems, the UE can simply switch to the identified better beam. However, in cases where the measurements in the MDB are stale (e.g., the associated beam metrics have changed significantly since the time of the measurements in the MDB), a simple switch based on the measurements stored in the MDB can not result in selecting a better beam and can result in reduced throughput or ping-pong switching between different beams.

[0027] According to techniques such as described herein, a beam switch measurement counter can be enabled if the UE identifies a candidate beam with better channel metrics (e.g., in terms of certain beam metrics such as RSRP, RSRQ, SNR, or combinations thereof) than the current serving beam. The beam switch measurement counter can be, for example, a timer corresponding to a certain number of periods of beam measurements, a number of beam measurements to be performed, and / or the like. While the beam switch measurement counter is enabled, the UE can measure the identified candidate beam(s) and the current serving beam, and not perform measurements of beams other than the identified candidate beam(s) and the serving beam. The UE can measure the beams in a round robin or alternating fashion until the identified candidate beam(s) have measurements that do not exceed the measurements of the serving beam, or the beam switch measurement counter reaches a measurement count threshold. For each measurement instance of the beam switch measurement counter, if a candidate beam has better (e.g., higher) channel metrics than the serving beam, the UE can switch to that candidate beam. If, during the beam switch measurement counter measurements, a candidate beam (or one of the candidate beams) is not better than the serving beam, the UE can fall back to its original scheduling order using the serving beam. In some cases, the beam switch measurement counter threshold can be selected based on a mobility type of the UE (e.g., certain mobility types can have a low threshold, while other mobility types can have a higher threshold).

[0028] Such techniques can enable a device (e.g., a UE or other communication device) to implement beam switching based on beam measurements initiated while a beam switch measurement counter is enabled, which can result in improved performance in a wireless communication system. For example, a device can experience relatively high mobility, which can result in one or more measurements in the MDB being stale for an identified candidate beam. By performing measurements of the candidate beam, the UE can confirm that the identified candidate beam is better than the serving beam prior to switching. If the identified candidate beam is not better than the current serving beam, the UE can maintain the current serving beam until a better candidate beam is identified and confirmed. Such techniques can thus improve the efficiency and reliability of beamformed communications.

[0029] Aspects of the disclosure are initially described in the context of a wireless communications system. Aspects of the disclosure are further illustrated by and described with reference to apparatus diagrams, system diagrams, process flow diagrams, and / or flowcharts that relate to techniques for beam switching in wireless communications.

[0030] Figure 1An example of a wireless communications system 100 that supports techniques for beam switching in wireless communications is illustrated in accordance with aspects of the present disclosure. The wireless communications system 100 can include one or more base stations 105, one or more UEs 115, and a core network 130. In some examples, the wireless communications system 100 can be a Long Term Evolution (LTE) network, an LTE-Advanced (LTE-A) network, an LTE-A Pro network, or a New Radio (NR) network. In some examples, the wireless communications system 100 can support enhanced broadband communications, ultra-reliable (e.g., mission critical) communications, low latency communications, communications with low-cost and low-complexity devices, or any combination thereof.

[0031] The base stations 105 can be dispersed throughout the geographic area of wireless communications system 100, and can be different forms or have different capabilities. The base stations 105 and UEs 115 can wirelessly communicate with one another over one or more communication links 125. Each base station 105 can provide a coverage area 110 over which UEs 115 and base stations 105 can establish one or more communication links 125. The coverage area 110 can be an example of a geographic area over which base stations 105 and UEs 115 can support communication in accordance with one or more radio access technologies.

[0032] The UEs 115 can be dispersed throughout the coverage areas 110 of wireless communications system 100, and each UE 115 can be stationary, or mobile, or both at different times. The UEs 115 can be devices in different forms or having different capabilities. Figure 1 Some example UEs 115 are illustrated in FIG. 1. As shown, UEs 115 can be configured to connect with one or more base stations 105 to one or more core networks 130 using one or more communication links 125 over one or more communication networks 115. By way of example, UEs 115 can be configured to connect with base stations 105 to access wireless network(s) and / or core network(s) using Figure 1 As shown, UEs 115 described herein can be able to communicate with various types of devices, such as other UEs 115, base stations 105, or network devices (e.g., core network nodes, relay devices, integrated access and backhaul (IAB) nodes, or other network devices).

[0033] The base stations 105 can communicate with the core network 130, or with one another, or both. For example, the base stations 105 can interface with the core network 130 through one or more backhaul links 120 (e.g., via an SI, N2, N3, or other interface). The base stations 105 can communicate with one another over the backhaul links 120 (e.g., over an X2, Xn, or other interface) either directly (e.g., when in close proximity), or indirectly (e.g., through the core network 130), or both, in some examples, the backhaul links 120 can be or include one or more wireless links.

[0034] One or more of the base stations 105 described herein can include or can be referred to as a base transceiver station, a radio base station, an access point, a radio transceiver, a NodeB, an eNodeB (eNB), a next-generation NodeB or giga-NodeB (either of which can be referred to as a gNB), a Home NodeB, or a Home eNodeB, among other examples. The UEs 115 described herein can be referred to as mobile devices, wireless devices, remote devices, handheld devices, or subscriber devices, among other examples, and can include, for example, a cellular phone, a cordless phone, a Session Initiation Protocol (SIP) phone, a

[0035] A UE 115 can include or can be referred to as a mobile device, a wireless device, a remote device, a handheld device, or a subscriber device, among other examples, and can include, for example, a cellular phone, a cordless phone, a Session Initiation Protocol (SIP) phone, a

[0036] The UEs 115 described herein can be able to communicate with various types of devices, such as other UEs 115 that can sometimes act as relays or devices that can include a base station 105, and network equipment including equipment used for Figure 1 as shown.

[0037] The UEs 115 and the base stations 105 can wirelessly communicate with one another using one or more communication links 125 over one or more carriers. The term “carrier” can refer to a set of radio frequency spectrum resources (e.g., frequency channels or physical resource blocks (PRBs)) that can be utilized by a base station 105 to communicate with UEs 115. The set of spectrum resources in a carrier can be scheduled for use by one or more base stations 105 over a designated time period. In some examples, a carrier can be a portion of a frequency band that can be scheduled and utilized for communications between a base station 105 and a UE 115. In some examples, the carrier can be the entire frequency band, which can be divided

[0038] In some examples (e.g., in carrier aggregation configurations), a carrier can also have acquisition signaling or control signaling that coordinates operations of other carriers. A carrier can be associated with a frequency channel (e.g., an evolved universal mobile telecommunication system terrestrial radio access (E-UTRA) absolute radio frequency channel number (EARFCN)) and can be positioned based on a channel raster in the frequency channel. Carriers can be located in the same frequency band or different frequency bands. Carriers can be of the same dynamic spectrum allocation type or different dynamic spectrum allocation types. In some examples, carriers can be located in different spectra, or partitions, of a spectrum, such as an operating band.

[0039] Communication links 125 shown in wireless communication system 100 can include uplink transmissions from a UE 115 to a base station 105, or downlink transmissions from a base station 105 to a UE 115. Carriers can carry downlink or uplink communications (e.g., in an FDD mode) or can be configured to carry downlink and uplink communications (e.g., in a TDD mode).

[0040] A carrier can be associated with a particular bandwidth of the radio frequency spectrum, and in some examples the carrier bandwidth can be referred to as a “system bandwidth” of the carrier or wireless communications system 100. For example, the carrier bandwidth can be one of a number of determined bandwidths for carriers of a particular radio access technology (e.g., 1.4, 3, 5, 10, 15, 20, 40, or 80 megahertz (MHz)). Devices of wireless communications system 100 (e.g., base stations 105, UEs 115, or both) can have hardware configurations that support communications over a particular carrier bandwidth, or can be configurable to support communications over one of a set of carrier bandwidths. In some examples, wireless communications system 100 can include base stations 105 or UEs 115 that support simultaneous communications via carriers associated with multiple carrier bandwidths. In some examples, each served UE 115 can be configured to operate over portions (e.g., sub-bands, BWPs) or all of the carrier bandwidth.

[0041] Signal waveforms transmitted over a carrier can be composed of multiple subcarriers (e.g., using multi-carrier modulation (MCM) techniques such as orthogonal frequency division multiplexing (OFDM) or discrete Fourier transform spread OFDM (DFT-S-OFDM)). In a system employing MCM techniques, a resource element can consist of one symbol period (e.g., a duration of one modulation symbol) and one subcarrier, where the symbol period and subcarrier spacing are inversely related. The number of bits carried by each resource element can depend on the modulation scheme (e.g., the order of the modulation scheme, the coding rate of the modulation scheme, or both). Thus, the more resource elements that a UE 115 receives and the higher the order of the modulation scheme, the higher the data rates for the UE 115 can be. A wireless communications resource can refer to a combination of a radio frequency spectrum resource, a time resource, and a spatial resource (e.g., spatial layers or beams), and the use of multiple spatial layers can further increase the data rate or data integrity for communications with a UE 115.

[0042] One or more parameter sets can be supported for a carrier, where a parameter set can include a subcarrier spacing (Af) and a cyclic prefix. A carrier can be partitioned into one or more BWPs with the same or different numerical

[0043] Time intervals for the base stations 105 or the UEs 115 can be expressed in multiples of a basic time unit, which may, for example, be a T s = 1 / (Af max · N f ) seconds, where Af max may represent the maximum supported subcarrier spacing, and N f may represent the maximum supported discrete Fourier transform (DFT) size. Time intervals of a communications resource can be organized as radio frames, each

[0044] Each frame can include a plurality of sequentially numbered subframes or slots, and each subframe or slot can have the same duration. In some examples, a frame (e.g., in the time domain) can be divided into subframes, and each subframe can be further divided into multiple slots. Alternatively, each frame can include a variable number of slots, and the number of slots can depend on the subcarrier spacing. Each slot can include a plurality of symbol periods (e.g., depending on the length of the cyclic prefix prepended to each symbol period). In some wireless communication systems 100, a slot can be further divided into multiple mini-slots containing one or more symbols. In addition to the cyclic prefix, each symbol period can include one or more (e.g., N f ) sampling periods. The duration of a symbol period can depend on the subcarrier spacing or frequency band operating.

[0045] A subframe, a slot, a mini-slot, or a symbol can be the smallest scheduling unit (e.g., in the time domain) of the wireless communications system 100 and can be referred to as a transmission time interval (TTI). In some examples, the TTI duration (e.g., the number of symbol periods in a TTI) can be variable. Additionally or alternatively, the smallest scheduling unit of the wireless communications system 100 (e.g., in a burst of shortened TTIs (sTTIs)) can be dynamically selected.

[0046] Physical channels can be multiplexed on a carrier according to various techniques. A physical control channel and a physical data channel can be multiplexed on a downlink carrier, for example, using one or more of time division multiplexing (TDM) techniques, frequency division multiplexing (FDM) techniques, or hybrid TDM-FDM techniques. A control region (e.g., a control resource set (CORESET)) for a physical control channel can be defined by multiple symbol periods and can extend across the system bandwidth or a subset of the system bandwidth of the carrier. One or more control regions (e.g., CORESETs) can be configured for a set of UEs 115. For example, one or more of the UEs 115 can monitor or search the control region for control information according to one or more search space sets, and each search space set can include one or more control channel candidates arranged in a cascaded manner in one or more aggregation levels. An aggregation level for a control channel candidate can refer to a number of control channel resources (e.g., control channel elements (CCEs)) associated with encoded information for a control information format having a given payload size. Search space sets can include common search space sets configured for sending control information to multiple UEs 115 and UE-specific search space sets configured for sending control information to a specific UE 115.

[0047] Each base station 105 can provide communication coverage for one or more cells, e.g., macro cells, small cells, hot spots, or other types of cells, or any combination thereof. The term "cell" can refer to a logical communication entity used for communication with a base station 105 (e.g., through a carrier) and can be associated with a identifier, such as a physical cell identifier (PCID), a virtual cell identifier (VCID), or otherwise, used to distinguish neighboring cells. In some examples, the cell can also refer to the geographical area 110 or a subset of the geographical area 110 (e.g., a sector) over which the logical communication entity operates. The size of such a cell can vary, depending on a variety of factors such as capacity requirements, spectral efficiency, and the like. For example, a cell can be or include a building, a subset of a building, or an outdoor space between or overlapping with geographical coverage areas 110, among other examples.

[0048] Macro cells can generally cover relatively large geographic areas (e.g., 5-10s of km in radius) and can allow for unrestricted access by UEs 115 with service subscriptions with the network provider supporting the macro cell. Small cells can be associated with a lower-powered base station 105, as compared with a macro cell, and can include base stations 105 that operate in a licensed, shared, or unlicensed frequency spectrum. A small cell can provide full service UE 115 service, can be used to increase network capacity, or can be used to cover small areas, such as in a home.

[0049] In some examples, a carrier can support multiple cells, and different cells of the carrier can be configured according to different protocol types (e.g., MTC, narrowband IoT (NB-IoT), enhanced mobile broadband (eMBB)) that can provide access for different types of devices.

[0050] In some examples, base stations 105 can be movable and therefore provide communication coverage for a moving geographic coverage area 110. In some examples, different geographic coverage areas 110 associated with different technologies can overlap, but the different geographic coverage areas 110 can be supported by the same base station 105. In other examples, the overlapping geographic coverage areas 110 associated with different technologies can be supported by different base stations 105. The wireless communications system 100 can include, for example, a heterogeneous network in which different types of base stations 105 provide coverage for various geographic coverage areas 110 using the same or different radio access technologies.

[0051] The wireless communications system 100 can support synchronous or asynchronous operation. For synchronous operation, the base stations 105 can have similar frame timings, and transmissions from different base stations 105 can be approximately aligned in time. For asynchronous operation, the base stations 105 can have different frame timings, and transmissions from different base stations 105 can not be aligned in time. The techniques described herein can be used for either synchronous or asynchronous operations.

[0052] Some UEs 115, such as MTC or IoT devices, can be low cost or low complexity devices, and can provide for automated communication between machines (e.g., via machine-to-machine (M2M) communication). M2M communication or MTC can refer to data communication technologies that allow devices to communicate with one another or a base station 105 without the need for human intervention. In some examples, M2M communication or MTC can include communications from devices that integrate sensors or meters to measure or capture information and relay such information to a central server or application program, which can make use of the information or present the information to humans interactively via a

[0053] The wireless communications system 100 can be configured to support ultra-reliable communications or low-latency communications, or various combinations thereof. For example, the wireless communications system 100 can be configured to support ultra-reliable low-latency communications (URLLC) or mission critical communications. UEs 115 can be designed to support ultra-reliable, low-latency, or critical functions (e.g., mission critical functions). Ultra-reliable communications can include private communications or group communications and can be supported by one or more mission critical services such as mission critical push-to-talk (MCPTT), mission critical video (MCVideo), or mission critical data (MCData). Support for mission critical functions can include service priority, and mission critical services can be used for public safety or general commercial applications. The terms ultra-reliable, low-latency, mission critical, and ultra-reliable low- latency can be used interchangeably herein.

[0054] In some examples, UEs 115 can also be able to communicate directly with other UEs 115 through device-to-device (D2D) communication link 135 (e.g., using a peer-to-peer (P2P) or device-to-device (D2D) protocol). One or more of UEs 115 utilizing D2D communications can be within the geographic coverage area 110 of a base station 105. Other UEs 115 in such a group can be outside the geographic coverage area 110 of a base station 105 or be otherwise unable to receive transmissions from a base station 105. In some examples, groups of UEs 115 communicating via D2D communications can utilize a one-to-many (1 :M) system in which each UE 115 transmits to every other UE 115 in the group. In some examples, a base station 105 facilitates the scheduling of resources for D2D communications. In other cases, D2D communications are carried out between UEs 115 without the involvement of a base station 105.

[0055] In some systems, D2D communication link 135 can be an example of a communication channel between vehicles (e.g., UEs 115), such as a sidelink communication channel. In some examples, vehicles can communicate using vehicle-to-everything (V2X) communications, car-to-car (V2V) communications, or some combination of these. A vehicle can signal information related to traffic conditions, signal scheduling, weather, safety, emergencies, or any other information related to V2X systems. In some examples, vehicles in a V2X system can communicate with roadside infrastructure, such as roadside units, or with networks through one or more network nodes (e.g., base stations 105) using vehicle-to-network (V2N) communications, or with both.

[0056] The core network 130 can provide user authentication, access authorization, tracking, Internet Protocol (IP) connectivity, and other access, routing, or mobility functions. The core network 130 can be an evolved packet core (EPC) or 5G core (5GC), which can include at least one control plane entity that manages access and mobility (e.g., a mobility management entity (MME), an access and mobility management function (AMF)) and at least one user plane entity that routes packets or interconnects to external networks, such as a serving gateway (S-GW), a packet data network (PDN) gateway (P-GW), or a user plane function (UPF). The control plane entity can manage non-access stratum (NAS) functions such as mobility, authentication, and bearer management for UEs 115 served by base stations 105 associated with the core network 130. User IP packets can be transferred through the user plane entity, which can provide IP address allocation as well as other functions. The user plane entity can be connected to the IP services 150 of the one or more network operators. The IP services 150 can include access to the Internet, intranet(s), an IP multimedia subsystem (IMS), or a packet-switched streaming service.

[0057] Some of the network devices, such as a base station 105, can include subcomponents such as an access network entity 140, which can be an example of an access node controller (ANC). Each access network entity 140 can communicate with UEs 115 through one or more other access network transmission entities 145, which can be referred to as radio heads, smart radio heads, or transmission / reception points (TRPs). Each access network transmission entity 145 can include one or more antenna panels. In some configurations, various functions of each access network entity 140 or base station 105 can be distributed across various network devices (e.g., radio heads and ANCs) or consolidated into a single network device (e.g., a base station 105).

[0058] The wireless communications system 100 can operate using one or more frequency bands, typically in the range of 300 megahertz (MHz) to 300 gigahertz (GHz). Often, the region from 300 MHz to 3 GHz is referred to as the ultra-high frequency (UHF) region or decimeter band, since the wavelengths range from approximately one decimeter to one meter in length. The UHF region includes bands around 900 MHz, 1.8 GHz, and 2.4 GHz. The region from 3 GHz to 30 GHz is often referred to as the super-high frequency (SHF) region or centimeter band, since the wavelengths range from approximately one centimeter to one meter in length. The SHF region includes bands around 5.7 GHz, 7.8 GHz, and 9.7 GHz. The region from 30 GHz to 300 GHz is often referred to as the extremely high frequency (EHF) region or millimeter band, since the wavelengths range from approximately one millimeter to one centimeter in length. The EHF region includes bands around 38.5 GHz and 60 GHz. The frequency bands used by the wireless communications system 100 can also include bands below 1 GHz, e.g., used by LTE, and bands above 30 GHz, e.g., for mmW communications.

[0059] The wireless communications system 100 can also operate in a super high frequency (SHF) region, a extremely high frequency (EHF) region, etc., using frequency bands from 3 GHz to 30 GHz (also referred to as centimeter band), or from 30 GHz to 300 GHz (also referred to as millimeter band), respectively. In some examples, the wireless communications system 100 can support millimeter wave (mmW) communications between the UEs 115 and the base stations 105, and EHF antennas of the respective devices can be smaller and more closely spaced than UHF antennas. In some examples, this can facilitate use of antenna arrays within a device. However, the propagation of EHF transmissions can be subject to even greater atmospheric attenuation than SHF transmissions, and EHF transmissions can therefore have a shorter range than SHF transmissions. Techniques disclosed herein can be employed across transmissions that use one or more different frequency regions, and designated use of bands across these frequency regions can differ by country or regulatory

[0060] The wireless communications system 100 can utilize both licensed and unlicensed radio frequency spectrum bands. For example, the wireless communications system 100 can employ License Assisted Access (LAA), LTE-Unlicensed (LTE-U) radio access technology, or NR technology in an unlicensed frequency band such as the 5 GHz industrial, scientific, and medical (ISM) band. When operating in unlicensed frequency

[0061] The base stations 105 or UEs 115 can be equipped with multiple antennas, which can be used to employ techniques such as transmit diversity, receive diversity, multiple-input multiple-output (MIMO) communications, or beamforming. The antennas of a base station 105 or a UE 115 can be co-located or separated by different geographic distances, and can be oriented in various directions. For example, one or more base station antennas can be co-located at a base station antenna assembly, such as an antenna tower. In some examples, antennas associated with a base station 105 can be located in different geographic locations. A base station 105 can have antenna arrays that have a number of rows and columns of antenna ports that can be used to support beamforming of communications signals to UEs 115. Similarly, a UE 115 can have one or more antenna arrays that can support various MIMO or beamforming operations. Additionally, or alternatively, antenna panels can support radio frequency beamforming of signals transmitted via antenna ports.

[0062] The base stations 105 or the UEs 115 can use MIMO communications to exploit multipath signal propagation and increase the spectral efficiency. Such techniques can be referred to as spatial multiplexing. The multiple signals may, for example, be transmitted by the transmitting device via different antennas or different combinations of antennas. Similarly, the multiple signals can be received by the receiving device via different antennas or different combinations of antennas. Each of the multiple signals can be referred to as a spatial stream, and can carry bits associated with the same data stream (e.g., the same codeword) or different data streams (e.g., different codewords). Different spatial layers can be associated with different antenna ports used for channel measurement and reporting. MIMO techniques include single-user MIMO (SU-MIMO), where multiple spatial layers are transmitted to the same receiving device, and multiple-user MIMO (MU-MIMO), where multiple spatial layers are transmitted to multiple devices.

[0063] Beamforming, which can also be referred to as spatial filtering, directional transmission, or directional reception, is a signal processing technique that can be used at a transmitting device or a receiving device (e.g., a base station 105, a UE 115) to shape or steer a beam of energy in a specific direction, such as to

[0064] The base stations 105 or the UEs 115 can use beam sweeping techniques as part of beamforming operations. For example, a base station 105 can use multiple antennas or antenna arrays (e.g., antenna panels) to do beamforming operations for directional communications with a UE 115. For instance, some signals (e.g., synchronization signals, reference signals, beam selection signals, or other control signals) can be transmitted by a base station 105 multiple times in different directions, which can include by applying different beamforming weight sets to the same data set or different data sets. The transmissions in the different directions can be part of a beam sweeping procedure, where a receiving device, such as a UE 115, can try to receive signals in different directions to identify the direction(s) with the strongest reception. The transmissions in the different directions may

[0065] Some signals, such as data signals, can be transmitted by a base station 105 in a single beam direction (e.g., associated with a receiving device, such as a UE 115). In some examples, the data signals can be transmitted using multiple beam directions (e.g., by the base station 105) and the receiving device, such as a UE 115, can receive the data signals using the multiple beam directions. In some examples, the data signals can be transmitted by

[0066] In some examples, transmissions by a device (e.g., by a base station 105 or a UE 115) can be performed using multiple beam directions, and the device can use a combination of digital precoding or radio frequency beamforming to generate a combined beam for transmissions (e.g., from a base station 105 to a UE 115). The UE 115 can report feedback that indicates precoding weights for one or more beam directions, and the feedback can correspond to a configured number of beams across a system bandwidth or one or more sub-bands. The base station 105 can transmit reference signals that can be precoded or unprecoded (e.g., cell-specific reference signals (CRS), channel state information reference signals (CSI-RS)). The UE 115 can provide feedback for beam selection, which can be a precoding matrix indicator (PMI) or codebook-based feedback (e.g., a multi-panel type codebook, a linear combination type codebook, a port selection type codebook). Although these techniques are described with reference to signals transmitted in one or more directions by the base station 105, a UE 115 can employ similar techniques for transmitting signals multiple times in different directions (e.g., for identifying beam directions for subsequent transmission or reception by the UE 115), or for transmitting a signal in a single direction (e.g., for transmitting data to a receiving device).

[0067] When receiving various signals (such as synchronization signals, reference signals, beam selection signals, or other control signals) from base station 105, the receiving device (e.g., UE 115) can attempt multiple receiving configurations (e.g., directional listening). For example, the receiving device can attempt multiple receiving directions by: receiving via different antenna subarrays; processing the received signals according to different antenna subarrays; receiving according to different sets of receiving beamforming weights applied to signals received at multiple antenna elements of the antenna array (e.g., different directional listening weight sets); or processing the received signals according to different sets of receiving beamforming weights applied to signals received at multiple antenna elements of the antenna array. Any of these methods can be referred to as "listening" according to different receiving configurations or receiving directions. In some examples, the receiving device can use a single receiving configuration to receive along a single beam direction (e.g., when receiving data signals). A single receiver configuration can be aligned based on a beam direction determined by listening in different receiver configuration directions (e.g., a beam direction determined by listening in multiple beam directions to have the highest signal strength, highest signal-to-noise ratio (SNR), or other acceptable signal quality).

[0068] In some cases, when using beamforming communication, UE 115 and base station 105 can communicate using various beam pairs, and the devices can switch between beams during communication. In some cases, UE 115 can perform periodic measurements on the serving beam and one or more other beams, where channel metric measurements of one or more other beams are stored in the MDB. If UE 115 determines that one or more channel metrics in the MDB are better than the measured metric of the serving beam, UE 115 can initiate a beam-switching procedure to switch to the beam with the better channel metric, where a beam-switching measurement counter is enabled. UE 115 can measure one or more identified candidate beams and the serving beam when the beam-switching measurement counter is enabled, and perform a beam-switching to the candidate beam if the candidate beam has a better channel metric than the associated channel metric of the serving beam.

[0069] Figure 2 An example of a wireless communication system 200 supporting beam switching techniques for wireless communication according to various aspects of this disclosure is illustrated. In some examples, the wireless communication system 200 may implement various aspects of the wireless communication system 100. For example, the wireless communication system 200 may include a UE 115-a and a base station 105-a, which may be references... Figure 1 Examples of corresponding devices described. Typically, wireless communication system 200 can illustrate an example of communication 205 between UE 115-a and base station 105-a within coverage area 110-a.

[0070] Devices of the wireless communications system 200 can support beamforming to enhance reliability and efficiency using directional signal transmissions. In some examples, the base station 105-a can indicate one or more downlink beams 210 (e.g., via a transmission configuration indicator (TCI) state configured with a quasi co-location (QCL) Type-D property in NR). The UE 115-a and the base station 105-a can establish communications using a first beam pair, which can include a first downlink beam 210 and a first uplink beam 215, which can be referred to as a serving beam. The base station 105-a can periodically transmit reference signals (e.g., CSI-RS transmissions) using different beams 210, which can be measured by the UE 115-a, with associated channel metrics stored in a MDB at the UE 115-a. Measurements of the serving beam and measurements of different beams (which can be referred to as candidate beams) can be stored in the MDB.

[0071] Based on the reference signal measurements of the serving beam and the candidate beams, the UE 115-a can identify that a first candidate beam (or multiple candidate beams) can have better channel metrics than the serving beam. In some cases, upon identifying a candidate beam with better channel metrics, the UE 115-a can start a beam switch measurement counter and perform one or more measurements of the candidate beam and the serving beam. The beam switch measurement counter can be, for example, a timer corresponding to a number of periods of beam measurements (e.g., based on an SSB periodicity of the base station 105-a), a number of beam measurements to be performed, and / or the like. While the beam switch measurement counter is enabled, the UE 115-a can measure the identified candidate beam and the current serving beam and not perform measurements of beams other than the identified candidate beam(s) and the serving beam. For each measurement instance of the beam switch measurement counter, if the candidate beam has better (e.g., higher) channel metrics than the serving beam, the UE 115-a can switch to the candidate beam. The UE 115-a can perform the beam switch by transmitting a beam switch indication 225 and a measurement report 220 (e.g., a CSI measurement report of one or more beams) to the base station 105-a. Figure 3 FIG. illustrates one example of determining to switch beams.

[0072] Figure 3 FIG. illustrates an example of a wireless communications system 300 that supports techniques for beam switching in wireless communications in accordance with aspects of the present disclosure. In some examples, wireless communications system 300 can implement aspects of wireless communications system 100 or 200. For example, wireless communications system 300 can include UE 115-b and base station 105-b, which can be examples of the UEs 115 and base stations 105 described with reference to FIGs. 1 or 2. Wireless communications system 300 can support beamforming to enhance reliability and efficiency using directional signal transmissions. Figure 1 or Figure 2An example of a corresponding device is described. In this example, UE 115-b can move from a first position 320 at time Tl to a second position 325 at time T2. Base station 105-b can transmit using various downlink beams 305, and UE 115-b can transmit using uplink beams 310, and beam reciprocity can be used to determine QCL parameters for the uplink beams 310 of UE 115-b, but the techniques described herein can be applied to cases where decoupled beam pairs are used (e.g., where the downlink beam and the uplink beam of a serving beam pair link are not based on beam reciprocity).

[0073] In this example, UE 115-b can use a serving downlink beam 305-a at time Tl that corresponds to a beam pair link 315-a of the serving downlink beam 305-a and a first uplink beam 310-a. In this example, UE 115-b can measure one or more channel metrics for one or more downlink beams 305 other than the serving downlink beam 305-a and store the associated channel metrics in the MDB. Then, UE 115-b can move to a second position 325 at time T2, and UE 115-b can measure a channel metric associated with the serving downlink beam 305-a that is decreased relative to the previous measurement when UE 115-b was at the first position 320. In addition, UE 115-b can have measurements in its MDB associated with a second downlink beam 305-b and a third downlink beam 305-c that can be candidate beams obtained by UE 115-b when at the first position 320, as described herein.

[0074] In such cases, at time T2, UE 115-b can identify candidate beams as second downlink beam 305-b and third downlink beam 305-c based on channel metrics in the MDB that are better than the most recent measurements of serving downlink beam 305-a. However, in this example, the measurements in the MDB can be stale, as they were obtained when UE 115-b was at first position 320. Thus, if beam switching were performed simply based on the MDB, UE 115-b can simply select second downlink beam 305-b based on stale measurements. In accordance with the techniques described herein, UE 115-b can start beam switching measurement counters for both second downlink beam 305-b and third downlink beam 305-c, and begin obtaining measurements for each identified candidate beam. In this example, UE 115-b can identify third downlink beam 305-c as having the best channel metric, and perform a beam switching procedure to switch communications to beam pair link 315-b of third downlink beam 305-c and second uplink beam 310-b.

[0075] Figure 4 FIG. illustrates an example of a process flow 400 that supports techniques for beam switching in wireless communications in accordance with aspects of the present disclosure. In some examples, process flow 400 can implement aspects of wireless communications system 100, 200, or 300. Generally, process flow 400 can illustrate determining to perform a beam switch in communications with a base station 105-c using one or more beam switching measurement counters of a UE 115-c. It should be understood that the operations illustrated in process flow 400 can be performed in a different order, operations performed at one device can be performed at another device, some operations can be removed, or additional operations can be performed.

[0076] At 405, UE 115-c and base station 105-c can establish a connection via a serving beam. For example, such a connection can be established in accordance with connection establishment techniques in NR systems. Optionally, at 410, base station 105-c can transmit configuration information to UE 115-c, which can include information related to CSI-RS periodicity of multiple beam transmissions of base station 105-c (e.g., based on SSB configuration), and / or the like. At 415, base station 105-c can transmit CSI-RS via the multiple beams.

[0077] At 420, UE 115-c can measure one or more of the CSI-RS transmissions of one or more beams. In some cases, UE 115-c can measure channel metrics (e.g., RSRP, RSRQ, SNR, and / or the like) of the serving beam and one or more other beams, and store the channel metrics in a MDB.

[0078] At 425, UE 115-c can determine that one or more candidate beams have better beam metrics than the serving beam. For example, UE 115-c can measure the RSRP of the serving beam and identify that the first candidate beam has a higher RSRP in the MDB.

[0079] At 430, UE 115-c can start a beam switch measurement counter. In some cases, the beam switch measurement counter can be a timer with a duration corresponding to a periodicity of CSI-RS transmissions by base station 105-c multiplied by a number of measurements to collect. In other cases, the beam switch measurement counter can be an absolute value of a count of a number of measurements to take before performing a beam switch at UE 115-c.

[0080] At 435, UE 115-c can perform measurements of the candidate beam(s) up to a measurement count limit. In some cases, each identified candidate beam can have its own associated beam switch measurement counter, and measurements for each candidate beam can be up to the associated beam switch measurement counter limit, and thus if measurements for one candidate beam are interrupted (e.g., because the measured channel metric does not exceed the serving beam channel metric), UE 115-c can continue measurements for other identified candidate beams.

[0081] At 440, UE 115-c can determine whether the candidate beam(s) have measurements that exceed the associated measurements of the serving beam based on the performed measurements. For example, UE 115-c can determine that the RSRP of the first candidate beam exceeds the RSRP of the serving beam. In some cases, multiple candidate beams can be identified, and such a determination can be made separately for each identified candidate beam. In cases where a candidate beam does have a measurement that exceeds the serving beam, UE 115-c can transmit a beam switch indication and a measurement report to base station 105-c at 445. In cases where two or more candidate beams have measurements that exceed the serving beam measurements, UE 115-c can select the candidate beam with the highest associated measurement or with other acceptable associated metrics. As shown at 450, base station 105-c can then update the serving beam based on the beam switch indication.

[0082] Figure 5FIGURE illustrates an example of a process flow 500 that supports techniques for beam switching in wireless communications in accordance with aspects of the present disclosure. In some examples, process flow 500 can implement aspects of wireless communication system 100, 200, or 300. In this example, process flow 500 can illustrate techniques at a UE (e.g., UE 115 as described herein) for determining to perform a beam switch in communications with a base station. It should be understood that the operations illustrated in process flow 500 can be performed in a different order, operations performed at one device can be performed at another device, some operations can be removed, or additional operations can be performed. In this example, a beam scheduling manager 505 and a beam switch decision manager 510 at the UE can determine to perform a beam switch.

[0083] At 515, the beam scheduling manager 505 can schedule measurements on multiple beams, including beam A, which can be a serving beam, and beam B, which can be a candidate beam. Measurements made in accordance with the scheduling can be stored in a MDB at the UE. In some cases, the beam scheduling manager 505 can schedule measurements on multiple different beams based on a periodicity of reference signal transmissions from the base station on the different beams. At 520, the beam switch decision manager 510 can be provided with measurement indications. In some cases, a beam measurement manager can perform beam measurements in accordance with the scheduling of the beam scheduling manager and can provide indications to the beam switch decision manager 510.

[0084] At 525, the beam switch decision manager 510 can evaluate the measurements associated with the measurement indications and, if the measured channel metric of beam B is greater than the channel metric of beam A (i.e., B > A), the beam switch decision manager 510 can enable a beam switch measurement counter associated with beam B. If the measured channel metric of beam B is not greater than the channel metric of beam A (i.e., B < A), the beam switch decision manager 510 can continue with the default measurement scheduling. At 530, based on determining to enable the beam switch measurement counter for beam B, the beam switch decision manager 510 can send a measurement counter enable indication to the beam scheduling manager 505. In some cases, the measurement counter enable indication can indicate a particular beam for which the measurement counter is enabled. In some cases, measurement counter enable indications can be provided for two or more candidate beams identified as having better channel metrics than the serving beam.

[0085] At 535, the beam scheduling manager 505 can schedule measurements of beam A and beam B in an alternating fashion and can increment the beam switch measurement counter. In cases where two or more candidate beams are identified, the beam scheduling manager 505 can schedule measurements of the serving beam and each identified candidate beam in a round robin fashion. At 540, the beam scheduling manager 505 can provide a measurement indication and a measurement counter update indication to the beam switch decision manager 510. In cases where multiple different candidate beams are identified, the beam scheduling manager 505 can provide separate measurement indications and measurement counter update indications to the beam switch decision manager 510.

[0086] At 545, the beam switch decision manager 510 can determine whether the measured channel metric is better than the associated metric of the serving beam. If the channel metric of beam B is less than or equal to the corresponding channel metric of beam A (i.e., B < A), the beam switch decision manager 510 can determine to disable and reset the beam switch measurement counter associated with beam B. In cases where multiple different candidate beams are identified and measured, the beam switch decision manager 510 can make such a determination separately for each identified candidate beam. If the channel metric of beam B exceeds the corresponding channel metric of beam A (i.e., B > A), the beam switch decision manager 510 can continue to enable the beam switch measurement counter for beam B (and any other candidate beams that have a better channel metric than the serving beam). At 550, the beam switch decision manager 510 can provide an indication to the beam scheduling manager 505 of whether the beam switch measurement counter is enabled or disabled.

[0087] Optionally, at 555, the beam scheduling manager 505 and the beam switch decision manager 510 can repeat the measurements and measurement comparisons until the beam switch measurement counter is incremented to a measurement count threshold (e.g., one measurement, three measurements, etc.). In some cases, the measurement count threshold can be based on a type of mobility that the UE is experiencing (e.g., based on a rate of change of the UE’s movement, where a higher rate of change can have a lower measurement count threshold, based on a rotation of the UE, where rotation-based mobility can have a lower measurement count threshold than non-rotation-based mobility, etc.), and the beam switch decision manager 510 can receive input from one or more different sensors of the UE (e.g., a gyroscope sensor, a location determination sensor, an accelerometer sensor, a magnetometer sensor, etc.).

[0088] At 560, the beam switch decision manager 510 can determine to perform a beam switch based on the measured channel metric of beam B exceeding the measured channel metric of beam A for each measurement of the measurement count threshold.

[0089] At 565, when the beam measurement counter reaches a measurement count threshold or if the beam measurement counter is otherwise disabled, the beam scheduling manager 505 can revert to the default beam measurement schedule. In some cases, as described herein, beam measurement counters can be enabled for multiple candidate beams individually, and the beam scheduling manager 505 can disable measurements for any non-serving beams that do not have enabled beam measurement counters when it receives an indication that one or more beam measurement counters are enabled. Therefore, when the beam switching decision manager 510 disables the beam measurement counter for a beam, the beam scheduling manager 505 can revert to the default schedule for that particular beam if no other beam has an enabled beam measurement counter, or disable measurements for that particular beam if one or more other beams have enabled beam measurement counters. At 570, in response to a beam switch, the beam switching decision manager can provide the beam scheduling manager 505 with updated serving beam information.

[0090] Figure 6 A block diagram 600 of a device 605 supporting beam switching techniques for wireless communication according to aspects of this disclosure is shown. Device 605 may be an example of aspects of a UE 115 as described herein. Device 605 may include a receiver 610, a communication manager 615, and a transmitter 620. Device 605 may also include a processor. Each of these components may communicate with each other (e.g., via one or more buses).

[0091] Receiver 610 can receive information associated with various information channels (e.g., control channels, data channels, and information related to beam-switching techniques in wireless communication), such as packets, user data, or control information. It can transmit this information to other components of device 605. Receiver 610 can serve as a reference. Figure 9 Examples of various aspects of the transceiver 920 are described. The receiver 610 may utilize a single antenna or an array of antennas.

[0092] Communication manager 615 can identify the beam metric of the serving beam, measure one or more beam metrics for each of one or more candidate beams based on a measurement count threshold, determine that one or more beam metrics of the one or more candidate beams exceed the beam metric of the serving beam at the UE, select either the serving beam or a first candidate beam from the one or more candidate beams for communication based on this measurement, and start a beam switching measurement counter based on this determination, wherein the beam switching measurement counter is associated with a measurement count threshold. Communication manager 615 may be an example of aspects of communication manager 910 described herein.

[0093] The actions performed by the communication manager 615 as described herein can be implemented to realize one or more potential advantages. For example, the communication manager 615 can implement the beam switch procedures described herein to confirm that a candidate beam has enhanced channel metrics relative to a serving beam prior to performing a beam switch to the candidate beam. Such operations can improve system performance, communication efficiency, and reliability.

[0094] The communication manager 615, or its sub-components, can be implemented in hardware, code (e.g., software or firmware) executed by a processor, or any combination thereof. If implemented in code executed by a processor, the functions of the communication manager 615, or its sub-components can be executed by a general-purpose processor, a DSP, an application-specific integrated circuit (ASIC), a FPGA or other programmable logic device, discrete gate or transistor logic, discrete hardware components, or any combination thereof designed to perform the functions described in the present disclosure.

[0095] The communication manager 615, or its sub-components, can be physically located at various positions, including being distributed so that functions of a single component can be implemented at different physical locations by one or more physical components. In some examples, the communication manager 615, or its sub-components, can be a separate and distinct component in accordance with various aspects of the present disclosure. In some examples, the communication manager 615, or its sub-components, can be combined with one or more other hardware components, including but not limited to an input / output (I / O) component, a transceiver, a network server, another computing device, one or more other components described in the present disclosure, or a combination thereof in accordance with various aspects of the present disclosure.

[0096] The transmitter 620 can transmit signals generated by other components of the device 605. In some examples, the transmitter 620 can be collocated with a receiver 610 in a transceiver module. For example, the transmitter 620 can be an example of aspects of the transceiver 920 described with reference to FIG. 9. The transmitter 620 can utilize a single antenna or a set of antennas. Figure 9

[0097] Figure 7 A block diagram 700 of a device 705 that supports techniques for beam switching in wireless communications in accordance with aspects of the present disclosure is shown. The device 705 can be an example of aspects of a device 605 or a UE 115 as described herein. The device 705 can include a receiver 710, a communication manager 715, and a transmitter 735. The device 705 can also include a processor. Each of these components can be in communication with one another (e.g., via one or more buses).

[0098] ​The receiver 710 can receive information such as packets, user data, or control information associated with various information channels (e.g., control channels, data channels, and information related to beam switching techniques in wireless communications, etc.). Information can be passed on to other components of the device 705. The receiver 710 can utilize a single antenna or a set of antennas. Figure 9 The transceiver 920 is an example of the transceiver 710 described with reference to

[0099] The communications manager 715 can be an example of aspects of the communications manager 615 described herein. The communications manager 715 can include a beam measurement manager 720, a beam switch decision manager 725, and a beam scheduling manager 730. The communications manager 715 can be an example of aspects of the communications manager 910 described herein.

[0100] The beam measurement manager 720 can identify a beam metric for a serving beam and measure one or more beam metrics for each of one or more candidate beams based on a measurement count threshold.

[0101] The beam switch decision manager 725 can determine that the one or more beam metrics for the one or more candidate beams exceed the beam metric for the serving beam at the UE and select the serving beam or a first candidate beam of the one or more candidate beams for communications based on the measurement.

[0102] The beam scheduling manager 730 can initiate a beam switch measurement counter based on the determination, where the beam switch measurement counter is associated with the measurement count threshold.

[0103] The transmitter 735 can transmit signals generated by other components of the device 705. In some examples, the transmitter 735 can be collocated with the receiver 710 in a transceiver module. For example, the transmitter 735 can be a component of the transceiver 920 described with reference to Figure 9 The transceiver 920 is an example of the transceiver 710 described with reference to

[0104] Figure 8 FIG. 8 shows a block diagram of a communications manager 805 that supports techniques for beam switching in wireless communications in accordance with aspects of the present disclosure. The communications manager 805 can be an example of aspects of a communications manager 615, a communications manager 715, or a communications manager 910 described herein. The communications manager 805 can include a beam measurement manager 810, a beam switch decision manager 815, a beam scheduling manager 820, a mobility determination manager 825, and a UE sensor input manager 830. Each of these modules can communicate, directly or indirectly, with one another (e.g., via one or more buses).

[0105] The beam measurement manager 810 can identify a beam metric of the serving beam. In some examples, the beam measurement manager 810 can measure one or more beam metrics for each of the one or more candidate beams based on a measurement count threshold. In some cases, the one or more beam metrics include one or more of an RSRP, an RSRQ, an SNR, or any combination thereof.

[0106] The beam switch decision manager 815 can determine that the one or more beam metrics of the one or more candidate beams exceed the beam metric of the serving beam at the UE. In some examples, the beam switch decision manager 815 can select the serving beam or a first candidate beam of the one or more candidate beams for communication based on the measurements.

[0107] In some examples, the beam switch decision manager 815 can determine that the first candidate beam of the one or more candidate beams has a first candidate channel metric that exceeds the beam metric of the serving beam in each of the one or more measurements of the first candidate beam. In some examples, the beam switch decision manager 815 can switch from the serving beam to the first candidate beam in response to the determination. In some examples, the beam switch decision manager 815 can transmit a beam switch indication to the serving base station based on the determination to communicate using the first candidate beam.

[0108] In some examples, the beam switch decision manager 815 can determine to maintain the serving beam based on the beam metric of the serving beam being equal to or better than at least one candidate channel metric from each of the one or more candidate beams. In some cases, the UE falls back to an original scheduling grant of the serving beam based on the determination to maintain the serving beam.

[0109] In some cases, the determination is performed by a beam switch decision manager of the UE. In some cases, the beam switch decision manager enables a separate beam switch measurement counter for each identified candidate beam. In some cases, the beam switch decision manager disables the beam switch measurement counter for an associated candidate beam based on the beam metric of the serving beam exceeding the candidate channel metric of the associated candidate beam.

[0110] The beam scheduling manager 820 can initiate a beam switch measurement counter based on the determination, where the beam switch measurement counter is associated with the measurement count threshold. In some cases, the one or more beam metrics are measured from each of the one or more candidate beams for only the one or more candidate beams for a duration of measuring the one or more beam metrics. In some cases, initiating the beam switch measurement counter is performed at the beam scheduling manager.

[0111] The mobility determination manager 825 can identify a mobility type of the UE. In some examples, the mobility determination manager 825 can set a measurement count threshold based on the mobility type.

[0112] The UE sensor input manager 830 can receive sensor input of one or more UE sensors. In some cases, the mobility type is identified based on one or more of motion sensor input, positioning system input, a rate of change of channel metrics of one or more channel metric measurements, or any combination thereof.

[0113] Figure 9 A diagram illustrates a system 900 including a device 905 that supports techniques for beam switching in wireless communications in accordance with aspects of the present disclosure. The device 905 can be an example of or include the components of a device 605, a device 705, or a UE 115 as described herein. The device 905 can include components for bi-directional voice and data communications including components for transmitting and receiving communications, including a communications manager 910, an I / O controller 915, a transceiver 920, an antenna 925, memory 930, and a processor 940. These components can be in electronic communication via one or more buses (e.g., bus 945).

[0114] The communications manager 910 can identify a beam metric of a serving beam, measure one or more beam metrics for each of one or more candidate beams based on a measurement count threshold, determine that the one or more beam metrics of the one or more candidate beams exceed the beam metric of the serving beam at the UE, select, based on the measuring, the serving beam or a first candidate beam of the one or more candidate beams for communications, and initiate, based on the determining, a beam switch measurement counter, where the beam switch measurement counter is associated with the measurement count threshold.

[0115] The I / O controller 915 can manage input and output signals for the device 905. The I / O controller 915 can also manage peripherals not integrated into the device 905. In some cases, the I / O controller 915 can represent a physical connection or port to the peripherals. In some cases, the I / O controller 915 can utilize an operating system such as iOS®, ANDROID®, MS-DOS®, MS-WINDOWS®, OS / 2®, LINUX®, or another operating system to manage peripherals. ​​​​The operating system of the device 905 can be any of the known operating systems, or another known operating system. In other cases, I / O controller 915 can represent or interact with a modem, a keyboard, a mouse, a touchscreen, or similar devices. In some cases, the I / O controller 915 can be implemented as part of the processor. In some cases, a user can interact with device 905 via the I / O controller 915 or via hardware components controlled by the I / O controller 915.

[0116] The transceiver 920 can communicate bi-directionally, via one or more antennas, wired, or wireless links as described herein. For example, the transceiver 920 can represent a wireless transceiver and can communicate bi-directionally with another wireless transceiver. The transceiver 920 can also include a modem to modulate the packets and provide the modulated packets to the antennas for transmission, and to demodulate packets received from the antennas.

[0117] In some cases, the wireless device can include a single antenna 925. However, in some cases the device can have more than one antenna 925, which can be capable of concurrently transmitting or receiving multiple wireless transmissions.

[0118] The memory 930 can include RAM and ROM. The memory 930 can store computer-readable, computer-executable software 935 including instructions that, when executed, cause the processor to perform various functions described herein. In some cases, the memory 930 can contain, among other computer-readable instructions, a BIOS which can control basic hardware or software operation such as the interaction with peripheral components or devices.

[0119] The processor 940 can include an intelligent hardware device, (e.g., a general- purpose processor, a DSP, a CPU, a microcontroller, an ASIC, an FPGA, a programmable logic device, a discrete gate or transistor logic component, a discrete hardware component, or any combination thereof). In some cases, the processor 940 can be configured to operate a memory array using a memory controller. In other cases, a memory controller can be integrated into the processor 940. The processor 940 can be configured to execute computer-readable instructions stored in a memory (e.g., the memory 930) to cause the device 905 to perform various functions (e.g., functions or tasks supporting techniques for beam switching in wireless communications).

[0120] The code 935 can include instructions to implement aspects of the present disclosure, including instructions to support wireless communications. The code 935 can be stored in a non-transitory computer-readable medium such as system memory or other type of memory. In some cases, the code 935 can not be directly executable by the processor 940 but can cause a computer (e.g., when compiled and executed) to perform functions described herein.

[0121] Figure 10 A flowchart illustrating a method 1000 supporting beam switching techniques for wireless communication, according to various aspects of this disclosure, is provided. Operation of method 1000 can be implemented by a UE 115 or its components as described herein. For example, operation of method 1000 can be implemented via reference to... Figures 6 to 9 The described communication manager is used to perform these functions. In some examples, the UE can execute a set of instructions to control the UE's functional elements to perform the functions described herein. Additionally or alternatively, the UE can use dedicated hardware to perform aspects of the functions described herein.

[0122] In 1005, the UE can identify the beam metric of the serving beam. Operation of 1005 can be performed according to the methods described herein. In some examples, aspects of 1005 operation can be determined as per reference. Figures 6 to 9 The described beam measurement manager is used to perform this.

[0123] In 1010, the UE can determine that one or more beam metrics of one or more candidate beams exceed the beam metric of the serving beam at the UE. The operation of 1010 can be performed according to the methods described herein. In some examples, aspects of the operation of 1010 can be determined by referring to [reference needed]. Figures 6 to 9 The described beam switching decision manager is used to execute this.

[0124] In step 1015, the UE can initiate a beam switching measurement counter based on this determination, where the beam switching measurement counter is associated with a measurement counting threshold. The operation of step 1015 can be performed according to the method described herein. In some examples, aspects of the operation of step 1015 can be determined as per reference. Figures 6 to 9 The described beam scheduling manager is used to execute this.

[0125] In 1020, the UE can measure one or more beam metrics for each of one or more candidate beams based on a measurement counting threshold. The operation of 1020 can be performed according to the methods described herein. In some examples, aspects of the operation of 1020 can be described as referenced... Figures 6 to 9 The described beam measurement manager is used to perform this.

[0126] In 1025, the UE can select a serving beam or a first candidate beam from one or more candidate beams for communication based on measurements. The operation of 1025 can be performed according to the methods described herein. In some examples, aspects of the operation of 1025 can be described as referenced... Figures 6 to 9 The described beam switching decision manager is used to execute this.

[0127] Alternatively, at 1035, the UE can fall back to an original scheduled grant of the serving beam based on the determination to maintain the serving beam. The operations of 1030 can be performed according to the methods described herein. In some examples, aspects of the operations of 1030 can be performed by a beam switch decision manager as described with reference to Figures 6 to 9 FIG. 13.

[0128] Alternatively, at 1035, the UE can fall back to an original scheduled grant of the serving beam based on the determination to maintain the serving beam. The operations of 1030 can be performed according to the methods described herein. In some examples, aspects of the operations of 1030 can be performed by a beam switch decision manager as described with reference to Figures 6 to 9 FIG. 13.

[0129] Figure 11 A flow diagram illustrating a method 1100 that supports techniques for beam switching in wireless communications in accordance with aspects of the present disclosure is shown. The operations of method 1100 can be implemented by a UE 115 or its components as described herein. For example, the operations of method 1100 can be performed by a communications manager as described with reference to Figures 6 to 9 FIG. 13. In some examples, a UE can execute a set of instructions to control the functional elements of the UE to perform the functions described herein. Additionally or alternatively, the UE can perform aspects of the functions described herein using special-purpose hardware.

[0130] At 1105, the UE can identify a beam metric of a serving beam. The operations of 1105 can be performed according to the methods described herein. In some examples, aspects of the operations of 1105 can be performed by a beam measurement manager as described with reference to Figures 6 to 9 FIG. 13.

[0131] At 1110, the UE can determine that one or more beam metrics of one or more candidate beams exceed the beam metric of the serving beam at the UE. The operations of 1110 can be performed according to the methods described herein. In some examples, aspects of the operations of 1110 can be performed by a beam switch decision manager as described with reference to Figures 6 to 9 FIG. 13.

[0132] At 1115, the UE can initiate a beam switch measurement counter based on the determination, where the beam switch measurement counter is associated with a measurement count threshold. The operations of 1115 can be performed according to the methods described herein. In some examples, aspects of the operations of 1115 can be performed by a beam scheduling manager as described with reference to Figures 6 to 9 FIG. 13.

[0133] At 1120, the UE can measure one or more beam metrics for each of the one or more candidate beams based on the measurement count threshold. The operations of 1120 can be performed according to the methods described herein. In some examples, aspects of the operations of 1120 can be performed by a beam measurement manager as described with reference to Figures 6 to 9 FIG. 16.

[0134] At 1125, the UE can determine that a first candidate beam of the one or more candidate beams has a first candidate channel metric that exceeds the beam metric of the serving beam in each of the one or more measurements of the first candidate beam. The operations of 1125 can be performed according to the methods described herein. In some examples, aspects of the operations of 1125 can be performed by a beam switch decision manager as described with reference to Figures 6 to 9 FIG. 16.

[0135] At 1130, the UE can switch from the serving beam to the first candidate beam in response to the determination. The operations of 1130 can be performed according to the methods described herein. In some examples, aspects of the operations of 1130 can be performed by a beam switch decision manager as described with reference to Figures 6 to 9 FIG. 16.

[0136] Figure 12 A flow diagram illustrating a method 1200 that supports techniques for beam switching in wireless communications in accordance with aspects of the present disclosure is shown. The operations of method 1200 can be implemented by a UE 115 or its components as described herein. For example, the operations of method 1200 can be performed by a communications manager as described with reference to Figures 6 to 9 FIG. 16. In some examples, a UE can execute a set of instructions to control the functional elements of the UE to perform the functions described herein. Additionally or alternatively, the UE can perform aspects of the functions described herein using special-purpose hardware.

[0137] At 1205, the UE can identify a beam metric of a serving beam. The operations of 1205 can be performed according to the methods described herein. In some examples, aspects of the operations of 1205 can be performed by a beam measurement manager as described with reference to Figures 6 to 9 FIG. 16.

[0138] At 1210, the UE can determine that one or more beam metrics of one or more candidate beams exceed the beam metric of the serving beam at the UE. The operations of 1210 can be performed according to the methods described herein. In some examples, aspects of the operations of 1210 can be performed by a beam switch decision manager as described with reference to Figures 6 to 9 FIG. 16.

[0139] At 1215, the UE can identify a mobility type of the UE. The operations of 1215 can be performed according to the methods described herein. In some examples, aspects of the operations of 1215 can be performed by a mobility determination manager as described with reference to FIGs. Figures 6 to 9 The mobility type is identified based on one or more of motion sensor input, positioning system input, a rate of change of channel metrics based on one or more channel metric measurements, or any combination thereof.

[0140] At 1220, the UE can set a measurement count threshold based on the mobility type. The operations of 1220 can be performed according to the methods described herein. In some examples, aspects of the operations of 1220 can be performed by a mobility determination manager as described with reference to FIGs. Figures 6 to 9

[0141] At 1225, the UE can initiate a beam switch measurement counter based on the determination, where the beam switch measurement counter is associated with the measurement count threshold. The operations of 1225 can be performed according to the methods described herein. In some examples, aspects of the operations of 1225 can be performed by a beam scheduling manager as described with reference to FIGs. Figures 6 to 9

[0142] At 1230, the UE can measure one or more beam metrics for each of one or more candidate beams based on the measurement count threshold. The operations of 1230 can be performed according to the methods described herein. In some examples, aspects of the operations of 1230 can be performed by a beam measurement manager as described with reference to FIGs. Figures 6 to 9

[0143] At 1235, the UE can select a serving beam or a first candidate beam of the one or more candidate beams for communication based on the measurements. The operations of 1235 can be performed according to the methods described herein. In some examples, aspects of the operations of 1235 can be performed by a beam switch decision manager as described with reference to FIGs. Figures 6 to 9

[0144] Figure 13 A flow diagram illustrating a method 1300 that supports techniques for beam switching in wireless communications in accordance with aspects of the present disclosure is shown. The operations of method 1300 can be implemented by a UE 115 or its components as described herein. For example, the operations of method 1300 can be performed by a communications manager as described with reference to FIGs. Figures 6 to 9 In some examples, a UE can execute a set of instructions to control the functional elements of the UE to perform the functions described herein. Additionally or alternatively, the UE can perform aspects of the functions described herein using special-purpose hardware.

[0145] ​​​​In 1305, the UE can identify the beam metric of the serving beam. Operation of 1305 can be performed according to the methods described herein. In some examples, aspects of 1305 operation can be determined through references... Figures 6 to 9 The described beam measurement manager is used to perform this.

[0146] In step 1310, the UE can determine that one or more beam metrics of one or more candidate beams exceed the beam metric of the serving beam at the UE. The operation of step 1310 can be performed according to the method described herein. In some examples, aspects of the operation of step 1310 can be obtained from references... Figures 6 to 9 The described beam switching decision manager is used to execute this.

[0147] In step 1315, the UE can initiate a beam switching measurement counter based on this determination, where the beam switching measurement counter is associated with a measurement counting threshold. The operation of step 1315 can be performed according to the method described herein. In some examples, aspects of the operation of step 1315 can be determined as per reference. Figures 6 to 9 The described beam scheduling manager is used to execute this.

[0148] In 1320, the UE can measure one or more beam metrics for each of one or more candidate beams based on a measurement counting threshold. The operation of 1320 can be performed according to the method described herein. In some examples, aspects of the operation of 1320 can be described as referenced... Figures 6 to 9 The described beam measurement manager is used to perform this.

[0149] In section 1325, the UE can determine the sustaining serving beam based on the serving beam metric being better than at least one candidate channel metric from each of one or more candidate beams. Operation of section 1325 can be performed according to the method described herein. In some examples, aspects of operation of section 1325 can be obtained as referenced. Figures 6 to 9 The described beam switching decision manager is used to execute this.

[0150] At 1330, the UE can revert to the original scheduling authorization of the serving beam based on the determination of the maintaining serving beam. The operation of 1330 can be performed according to the method described herein. In some examples, aspects of the operation of 1330 can be obtained through references... Figures 6 to 9 The described beam switching decision manager is used to execute this.

[0151] The following provides an overview of the various aspects of this disclosure:

[0152] Aspect 1 : A method for wireless communication at a UE, comprising: identifying a beam metric of a serving beam; determining that one or more beam metrics of one or more candidate beams exceed the beam metric of the serving beam at the UE; initiating a beam switch measurement counter based at least in part on the determination, wherein the beam switch measurement counter is associated with a measurement count threshold; measuring the one or more beam metrics for each of the one or more candidate beams based at least in part on the measurement count threshold; and selecting the serving beam or a first candidate beam of the one or more candidate beams for communication based at least in part on the measuring.

[0153] Aspect 2: The method of aspect 1, wherein the selecting comprises: determining that the first candidate beam of the one or more candidate beams has a first candidate channel metric that exceeds the beam metric of the serving beam in each of the one or more measurements of the first candidate beam; and wherein the method further comprises switching from the serving beam to the first candidate beam in response to the determining.

[0154] Aspect 3: The method of any of aspects 1-2, further comprising: identifying a mobility type of the UE; and setting the measurement count threshold based at least in part on the mobility type.

[0155] Aspect 4: The method of aspect 3, wherein the mobility type is identified based at least in part on one or more of motion sensor input, positioning system input, a channel metric rate of change of the one or more channel metric measurements, or any combination thereof.

[0156] Aspect 5: The method of any of aspects 1-4, further comprising: transmitting a beam switch indication to a serving base station based at least in part on the determination to communicate using the first candidate beam.

[0157] Aspect 6: The method of aspect 1, wherein the selecting comprises: determining to maintain the serving beam based at least in part on the beam metric of the serving beam being better than at least one candidate channel metric from each of the one or more candidate beams.

[0158] Aspect 7: The method of aspect 6, wherein the UE falls back to an original scheduled grant of the serving beam based on the determination to maintain the serving beam.

[0159] Aspect 8: The method of any of aspects 1-7, wherein the one or more beam metrics from each of the one or more candidate beams are measured only for the one or more candidate beams for a duration of measuring the one or more beam metrics.

[0160] Aspect 9: The method of any of aspects 1 through 8, wherein the one or more beam metrics comprise one or more of a reference signal received power (RSRP), a reference signal received quality (RSRQ), a signal-to-noise ratio (SNR), or any combination thereof.

[0161] Aspect 10: The method of any of aspects 1 through 9, wherein starting the beam switch measurement counter is performed at a beam schedule manager of the UE.

[0162] Aspect 11: The method of aspect 10, wherein the determining is performed by a beam switch decision manager of the UE.

[0163] Aspect 12: The method of aspect 11, wherein the beam switch decision manager enables a separate beam switch measurement counter for each identified candidate beam.

[0164] Aspect 13: The method of aspect 12, wherein the beam switch decision manager disables the beam switch measurement counter for an associated candidate beam based at least in part on a beam metric of a serving beam exceeding a candidate channel metric of the associated candidate beam.

[0165] Aspect 14: An apparatus for wireless communication at a UE, comprising a processor; memory coupled with the processor; and instructions stored in the memory and executable by the processor to cause the apparatus to perform the method of any of aspects 1 through 13.

[0166] Aspect 15: An apparatus for wireless communication at a UE, comprising at least one means for performing the method of any of aspects 1 through 13.

[0167] Aspect 16: A non-transitory computer-readable medium storing code for wireless communication at a UE, the code comprising instructions executable by a processor to perform the method of any of aspects 1 through 13.

[0168] It should be noted that the methods described herein describe possible implementations, and that the operations and the steps can be rearranged or otherwise modified and that other implementations are possible. Further, aspects from two or more of the methods can be combined.

[0169] Although aspects of an LTE, LTE-A, LTE-A Pro, or NR system can be described, for example, with reference to the LTE, LTE-A, LTE-A Pro, or NR technology, it is understood that the teachings herein can be applicable to other wireless communication systems, including other cellular systems, unless specifically noted. For example, the described technology can be applicable to various other wireless communication systems, such as Ultra Mobile Broadband (UMB), Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) 802.11 (Wi-Fi), IEEE 802.16 (WiMAX), IEEE 802.20, Flash-OFDM, and others, unless specifically noted. For example, the described technology can be applicable to various other wireless communication systems, such as Ultra Mobile Broadband (UMB), Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) 802.11 (Wi-Fi), IEEE 802.16 (WiMAX), IEEE 802.20, Flash-OFDM, and others, unless specifically noted.

[0170] Information and signals described herein can be represented using any of a variety of different technologies and techniques. For example, data, instructions, commands, information, signals, bits, symbols, and chips that can be referenced throughout the description can be represented by voltages, currents, electromagnetic waves, magnetic fields or particles, optical fields or particles, or any combination thereof.

[0171] The various illustrative blocks and modules described in connection with the disclosure herein can be implemented or performed with a general-purpose processor, a DSP, an ASIC, a CPU, a FPGA, or other programmable logic device, discrete gate or transistor logic, discrete hardware components, or any combination thereof designed to perform the functions described herein. The general-purpose processor can be a microprocessor, but in the alternative, the processor can be any processor, controller, microcontroller, or state machine. The processor can also be implemented as a combination of computing devices (e.g., a combination of a DSP and a microprocessor, multiple microprocessors, one or more microprocessors in conjunction with a DSP core, or any other such configuration).

[0172] The functions described herein can be implemented in hardware, software executed by a processor, firmware, or any combination thereof. If implemented in software executed by a processor, the functions can be stored on or transmitted over as one or more instructions or code on a computer-readable medium. Other examples and implementations are within the scope of the disclosure and appended claims. For example, due to the nature of software, functions described herein can be implemented using software executed by a processor, hardware, firmware, hardwiring, or combinations of any of these. Features implementing functions can also be physically located at various positions, including being distributed as discrete components or other ways serving essentially the same functionality without requiring individual implementation.

[0173] Computer-readable media includes both non-transitory computer storage media and communication media including any medium that facilitates transfer of a computer program from one place to another. A non-transitory storage medium can be any available medium that can be accessed by a general purpose or special purpose computer. By way of example, and not limitation, non-transitory computer-readable media can include random-access memory (RAM), read-only memory (ROM), electrically erasable programmable ROM (EEPROM), flash memory, compact disk (CD) ROM or other optical disk storage, magnetic disk storage or other magnetic storage devices, or any other non-transitory medium that can be used to carry or store desired program code means in the form of instructions or data structures and that can be accessed by a general-purpose or special-purpose computer, or a general-purpose or special-purpose processor. Also, any connection is properly termed a computer-readable medium. For example, if the software is transmitted from a website, server, or other remote source using a coaxial cable, fiber optic cable, twisted pair, digital subscriber line (DSL), or wireless technologies such as infrared, radio, and microwave, then the coaxial cable, fiber optic cable, twisted pair, DSL, or wireless technologies such as infrared, radio, and microwave are included in the definition of computer-readable medium. Disk and disc, as used herein, include CD, laser disc, optical disc, digital versatile disc (DVD), floppy disk and Blu-ray disc where disks usually reproduce data magnetically, while discs reproduce data optically with lasers. Combinations of the above are also included within the scope of computer-readable media.

[0174] As used herein, including in the claims “or” as used in a list of items (for example, a list of items prefaced by a phrase such as “at least one of’ or “one or more of’) indicates an inclusive list such that, for example, a list of at least one of A, B, or C means A or B or C or AB or AC or BC or ABC (i.e., A and B and C). Also, as used herein, the phrase “based on” shall not be construed as a reference to a closed set of conditions. For example, an example step that is described as “based on condition A” can be based on both a condition A and a condition B without departing from the scope of the present disclosure. In other words, as used herein, the phrase “based on” shall be construed in the same manner as the phrase “based at least in part on.”

[0175] In the drawings, like reference numerals can be used to denote similar components throughout the several views. Further, components of the same type can be distinguished by following the reference numeral with a dashed line and a second label wherein the second label denotes the distinction between the like reference numerals. If only the first reference numeral is used in the specification, the description is applicable to any one of the similar components having the same first reference numeral irrespective of the second reference label associated the similar components.

[0176] The description set forth herein, in connection with the appended drawings, describes example configurations and does not represent all the examples that can be implemented or that are within the scope of the claims. The term “example” used herein means “serving as an example, instance, or illustration,” and not “preferred” or “superior” to other examples. The detailed description includes specific details for the purpose of providing an understanding of the described techniques. These techniques, however, can be practiced without these specific details. In some instances, well-known structures and devices are shown in block diagram form in order to avoid obscuring the concepts of the described examples.

[0177] The description herein is presented to enable any person skilled in the art to make or use the disclosure. Various modifications to the disclosure will be readily apparent to those skilled in the art, and the generic principles defined herein can be applied to other variations without departing from the scope of the disclosure. Thus, the disclosure is not to be limited to the examples and designs described herein but is to be accorded the broadest scope consistent with the principles and novel features disclosed herein.

Claims

1. A method for wireless communication at a user equipment (UE), comprising: Beam measurement for identifying the service beam; One or more stored beam metrics of one or more candidate beams are determined to exceed the beam metric of the serving beam at the UE, wherein the one or more stored beam metrics are stored prior to identifying the beam metric of the serving beam; The beam switching measurement counter is activated at least in part based on the determination, wherein the beam switching measurement counter is associated with a measurement counting threshold; In response to the determination, one or more beam metrics are measured for each of the one or more candidate beams, at least in part based on the measurement count threshold; as well as The serving beam or a first candidate beam from the one or more candidate beams is selected for communication based at least in part on the measurement.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein, The selection includes: Determining that the first candidate beam among the one or more candidate beams has a first candidate channel metric, wherein the first candidate channel metric exceeds the beam metric of the serving beam in each of one or more measurements of the first candidate beam; and The method further includes responding to the determination to switch from the serving beam to the first candidate beam.

3. The method according to claim 1, further comprising: Identify the mobility type of the UE; as well as The measurement count threshold is set at least in part based on the mobility type.

4. The method according to claim 3, wherein, The mobility type is identified at least in part based on one or more of the following: motion sensor input, positioning system input, channel metric change rate measured by one or more channel metrics, or any combination thereof.

5. The method according to claim 1, further comprising: The beam switching instruction is sent to the serving base station based at least in part on the determination to use the first candidate beam for communication.

6. The method according to claim 1, wherein, The selection includes: The service beam metric is better determined based on the beam metric of the service beam than at least one candidate channel metric from each of the one or more candidate beams.

7. The method according to claim 6, wherein, The UE returns to the original scheduling authorization of the serving beam based on the determination of the maintaining serving beam.

8. The method according to claim 1, wherein, During the duration of the measurement of the one or more beam metrics, the one or more beam metrics from each of the one or more candidate beams are measured only for the one or more candidate beams.

9. The method according to claim 1, wherein, The one or more beam metrics include one or more of the following: reference signal received power (RSRP), reference signal received quality (RSRQ), signal-to-noise ratio (SNR), or any combination thereof.

10. The method according to claim 1, wherein, The beam switching measurement counter is started at the beam scheduling manager of the UE.

11. The method according to claim 10, wherein, The determination is performed by the UE's beam switching decision manager.

12. The method according to claim 11, wherein, The beam switching decision manager enables a separate beam switching measurement counter for each identified candidate beam.

13. The method according to claim 12, wherein, The beam switching decision manager disables the beam switching measurement counter of the associated candidate beam at least in part based on the fact that the beam metric of the serving beam exceeds the candidate channel metric of the associated candidate beam.

14. An apparatus for wireless communication at a user equipment (UE), comprising: At least one memory, the at least one memory including instructions; as well as At least one processor, the at least one processor being configured to execute the instructions to cause the device to: Beam measurement for identifying the service beam; One or more stored beam metrics of one or more candidate beams are determined to exceed the beam metric of the serving beam at the UE, wherein the one or more stored beam metrics are stored prior to identifying the beam metric of the serving beam; The beam switching measurement counter is activated at least in part based on the determination, wherein the beam switching measurement counter is associated with a measurement counting threshold; In response to the determination, one or more beam metrics are measured for each of the one or more candidate beams, at least in part based on the measurement count threshold; as well as The serving beam or a first candidate beam from the one or more candidate beams is selected for communication based at least in part on the measurement.

15. The apparatus according to claim 14, wherein, The at least one processor is further configured to cause the device to: The first candidate beam in the one or more candidate beams is determined to have a first candidate channel metric, wherein the first candidate channel metric exceeds the beam metric of the serving beam in each of the one or more measurements of the first candidate beam; as well as In response to the determination, switch from the serving beam to the first candidate beam.

16. The apparatus according to claim 14, wherein, The at least one processor is further configured to cause the device to: Identify the mobility type of the UE; and The measurement count threshold is set at least in part based on the mobility type.

17. The apparatus according to claim 16, wherein, The mobility type is identified at least in part based on one or more of the following: motion sensor input, positioning system input, channel metric change rate measured by one or more channel metrics, or any combination thereof.

18. The apparatus according to claim 14, wherein, The at least one processor is further configured to cause the device to: The beam switching instruction is sent to the serving base station based at least in part on the determination to use the first candidate beam for communication.

19. The apparatus according to claim 14, wherein, The at least one processor is further configured to cause the device to: The service beam metric is better determined based on the beam metric of the service beam than at least one candidate channel metric from each of the one or more candidate beams.

20. The apparatus according to claim 19, wherein, The UE returns to the original scheduling authorization of the serving beam based on the determination of the maintaining serving beam.

21. The apparatus according to claim 14, wherein, During the duration of the measurement of the one or more beam metrics, the one or more beam metrics from each of the one or more candidate beams are measured only for the one or more candidate beams.

22. An apparatus for wireless communication at a user equipment (UE), comprising: Components used to identify the beam metric of the serving beam; A component for determining one or more stored beam metrics that exceed the beam metric of the serving beam at the UE, wherein the one or more stored beam metrics are stored before the beam metric of the serving beam is identified; Components for activating a beam-switching measurement counter based at least in part on the determination, wherein the beam-switching measurement counter is associated with a measurement counting threshold; Components for measuring one or more beam metrics for each of the one or more candidate beams in response to the determination, at least in part based on the measurement count threshold; as well as A component for selecting, at least in part, the serving beam or a first candidate beam among the one or more candidate beams for communication based on the measurement.

23. The apparatus of claim 22, further comprising: A component for determining that the first candidate beam in one or more candidate beams has a first candidate channel metric, wherein the first candidate channel metric exceeds the beam metric of the serving beam in each of one or more measurements of the first candidate beam. as well as A component for responding to the determination to switch from the serving beam to the first candidate beam.

24. The apparatus of claim 22, further comprising: Components used to identify the mobility type of the UE; as well as A component for setting the measurement count threshold based at least in part on the mobility type.

25. The apparatus of claim 22, further comprising: A component for sending a beam switching indication to a serving base station based at least in part on determining that the first candidate beam will be used for communication.

26. The apparatus of claim 22, further comprising: The beam metric used to determine the component for maintaining the service beam is better than at least one candidate channel metric from each of the one or more candidate beams, at least in part, for determining the component for maintaining the service beam.

27. The apparatus according to claim 22, wherein, During the duration of the measurement of the one or more beam metrics, the one or more beam metrics from each of the one or more candidate beams are measured only for the one or more candidate beams.

28. A non-transitory computer-readable medium storing code for wireless communication at a user equipment (UE), the code comprising instructions executable by a processor to: Beam measurement for identifying the service beam; One or more stored beam metrics of one or more candidate beams are determined to exceed the beam metric of the serving beam at the UE, wherein the one or more stored beam metrics are stored prior to identifying the beam metric of the serving beam; The beam switching measurement counter is activated at least in part based on the determination, wherein the beam switching measurement counter is associated with a measurement counting threshold; In response to the determination, one or more beam metrics are measured for each of the one or more candidate beams, at least in part based on the measurement count threshold; as well as The serving beam or a first candidate beam from the one or more candidate beams is selected for communication based at least in part on the measurement.

29. The non-transitory computer-readable medium according to claim 28, wherein, The instructions can also be executed to: The first candidate beam in the one or more candidate beams is determined to have a first candidate channel metric, wherein the first candidate channel metric exceeds the beam metric of the serving beam in each of the one or more measurements of the first candidate beam; as well as In response to the determination, switch from the serving beam to the first candidate beam.

30. The non-transitory computer-readable medium according to claim 28, wherein, The instructions can also be executed to: Identify the mobility type of the UE; and The measurement count threshold is set at least in part based on the mobility type.

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