Beam application time differentiation for ue panels

By coordinating beam application timing reports between the UE and the base station, the challenges of antenna panel selection and beam application timing are addressed, improving the efficiency and performance of wireless communication systems.

CN116648865BActive Publication Date: 2026-06-12QUALCOMM INC
View PDF 1 Cites 0 Cited by

Patent Information

Authority / Receiving Office
CN · China
Patent Type
Patents(China)
Current Assignee / Owner
QUALCOMM INC
Filing Date
2021-09-29
Publication Date
2026-06-12

Smart Images

  • Figure CN116648865B_ABST
    Figure CN116648865B_ABST
Patent Text Reader

Abstract

A configuration for reporting a beam application time for a particular beam at an antenna panel of a UE. The apparatus transmits, to a base station, a beam application time report for at least one antenna panel of the UE, where the beam application time report includes a time for applying a beam for use by the at least one antenna panel. The apparatus applies the beam at the at least one antenna panel of the UE based on the beam application time report in preparation for communication with the base station. The apparatus communicates with the base station using the beam of the at least one antenna panel at least at a time based on the beam application time report.
Need to check novelty before this filing date? Find Prior Art

Description

[0001] Cross-references to related applications

[0002] This application claims the benefit of U.S. Patent Application No. 17 / 119,718, filed on December 11, 2020, entitled “UE PANEL SPECIFIC BEAMAPPLICATION TIME,” which is expressly incorporated herein by reference in its entirety. Background Technology Technical Field

[0004] This disclosure generally relates to communication systems, and more specifically, to a configuration for reporting the beam application time of a specific beam at an antenna panel for a user equipment (UE).

[0005] introduction

[0006] Wireless communication systems are widely deployed to provide a variety of telecommunications services such as telephone, video, data, messaging, and broadcasting. Typical wireless communication systems employ multiple access technologies that enable communication with multiple users by sharing available system resources. Examples of such multiple access technologies include Code Division Multiple Access (CDMA) systems, Time Division Multiple Access (TDMA) systems, Frequency Division Multiple Access (FDMA) systems, Orthogonal Frequency Division Multiple Access (OFDMA) systems, Single Carrier Frequency Division Multiple Access (SC-FDMA) systems, and Time Division Synchronous Code Division Multiple Access (TD-SCDMA) systems.

[0007] These multiple access technologies have been adopted in various telecommunications standards to provide a common protocol enabling different wireless devices to communicate at the city, country, region, and even global levels. An example telecommunications standard is 5G New Radio (NR). 5G NR is part of the continuous evolution of mobile broadband, promulgated by the 3rd Generation Partnership Project (3GPP) to meet new requirements associated with latency, reliability, security, scalability (e.g., with the Internet of Things (IoT), and other requirements. 5G NR includes services associated with enhanced mobile broadband (eMBB), massive machine-type communications (mMTC), and ultra-reliable low latency communications (URLLC). Some aspects of 5G NR can be based on the 4G Long Term Evolution (LTE) standard. There is a need for further improvements to 5G NR technology. These improvements can also be applied to other multiple access technologies and telecommunications standards that adopt them. Summary of the Invention

[0008] The following provides a brief overview of one or more aspects to offer a basic understanding of such aspects. This overview is not an exhaustive summary of all conceived aspects, nor is it intended to identify the key or decisive elements of all aspects, nor to define the scope of any or all aspects. Its sole purpose is to present some concepts of one or more aspects in a simplified form as an introduction to the more detailed description that follows.

[0009] In one aspect of this disclosure, a method, computer-readable medium, and apparatus are provided. The apparatus may be a device at a UE (User Equipment). The device may be a processor and / or modem at the UE, or the UE itself. The apparatus transmits a beam application timing report for at least one antenna panel of the UE to a base station, wherein the beam application timing report includes the time for applying a beam for use by the at least one antenna panel. Based on the beam application timing report, the apparatus applies a beam at the at least one antenna panel of the UE to prepare for communication with the base station. The apparatus communicates with the base station using the beam from the at least one antenna panel.

[0010] In one aspect of this disclosure, a method, computer-readable medium, and apparatus are provided. The apparatus may be a device at a base station. The device may be a processor and / or modem at the base station, or the base station itself. The apparatus receives a beam application timing report from a user equipment (UE) for at least one antenna panel of the UE, wherein the beam application timing report includes the time for applying a beam for use by the at least one antenna panel. The apparatus applies a beam at an antenna array of the base station based on the beam application timing report to prepare for communication with the UE. The apparatus uses the beam of the antenna array of the base station to communicate with the UE.

[0011] To achieve the foregoing and related objectives, these one or more aspects include the features fully described below and specifically pointed out in the claims. Certain illustrative features of these one or more aspects are set forth in detail in the following description and drawings. However, these features merely indicate a few of the various ways in which the principles of these various aspects may be employed, and this description is intended to cover all such aspects and their equivalents. Brief description of the attached diagram

[0013] Figure 1 This is a diagram illustrating an example of a wireless communication system and access network.

[0014] Figure 2A This is an example illustration of the first frame explaining various aspects of this disclosure.

[0015] Figure 2B This is a diagram illustrating an example of a DL channel within a subframe according to various aspects of this disclosure.

[0016] Figure 2CThis is an example illustration of the second frame explaining various aspects of this disclosure.

[0017] Figure 2D This is a diagram illustrating an example of a UL channel within a subframe according to various aspects of this disclosure.

[0018] Figure 3 This is a diagram illustrating an example of a base station and user equipment (UE) in an access network.

[0019] Figure 4 It is a call flow diagram of signaling between the UE and the base station according to certain aspects of this disclosure.

[0020] Figure 5 This is a flowchart of a wireless communication method.

[0021] Figure 6 This is a diagram illustrating an example of the hardware implementation of the example device.

[0022] Figure 7 This is a flowchart of a wireless communication method.

[0023] Figure 8 This is a diagram illustrating an example of the hardware implementation of the example device.

[0024] Detailed description

[0025] The detailed description that follows, taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, is intended as a description of various configurations and is not intended to represent only the configurations in which the concepts described herein can be practiced. This detailed description includes specific details to provide a thorough understanding of the various concepts. However, it will be apparent to those skilled in the art that these concepts can be practiced without these specific details. In some instances, well-known structures and components are shown in block diagram form to avoid obscuring such concepts.

[0026] Several aspects of a telecommunications system will now be described with reference to various apparatuses and methods. These apparatuses and methods will be described in detail below and explained in the accompanying drawings by various blocks, components, circuits, processes, algorithms, etc. (collectively, “elements”). These elements can be implemented using electronic hardware, computer software, or any combination thereof. Whether such elements are implemented as hardware or software depends on the specific application and the design constraints imposed on the overall system.

[0027] As an example, an element, or any part of an element, or any combination of elements, may be implemented as a "processing system" including one or more processors. Examples of processors include: microprocessors, microcontrollers, graphics processing units (GPUs), central processing units (CPUs), application processors, digital signal processors (DSPs), reduced instruction set computing (RISC) processors, system-on-a-chip (SoCs), baseband processors, field-programmable gate arrays (FPGAs), programmable logic devices (PLDs), state machines, gated logic, discrete hardware circuits, and other suitable hardware configured to perform the various functionalities described throughout this disclosure. One or more processors in a processing system can execute software. Software should be broadly interpreted as instructions, instruction sets, code, code segments, program code, programs, subroutines, software components, applications, software applications, software packages, routines, subroutines, objects, executables, threads of execution, procedures, functions, etc., whether referred to as software, firmware, middleware, microcode, hardware description languages, or other terms.

[0028] Accordingly, in one or more example embodiments, the described functionality can be implemented in hardware, software, or any combination thereof. If implemented in software, the functionality can be stored or encoded as one or more instructions or code on a computer-readable medium. Computer-readable media includes computer storage media. Storage media can be any available medium accessible to a computer. By way of example and not limitation, such computer-readable media may include random access memory (RAM), read-only memory (ROM), electrically erasable programmable ROM (EEPROM), optical disc storage, magnetic disk storage, other magnetic storage devices, combinations of computer-readable media of the types described above, or any other medium capable of being used to store computer-executable code in the form of instructions or data structures accessible to a computer.

[0029] Figure 1 This is a diagram illustrating an example of a wireless communication system and access network 100. The wireless communication system (also known as a wireless wide area network (WWAN)) includes base station 102, UE 104, evolved packet core (EPC) 160, and another core network 190 (e.g., a 5G core (5GC)). Base station 102 may include macrocells (high-power cellular base stations) and / or small cells (low-power cellular base stations). Macrocells include base stations. Small cells include femtocells, picocells, and microcells.

[0030] Base station 102 configured for 4G LTE (collectively referred to as Evolved Universal Mobile Telecommunications System (UMTS) Terrestrial Radio Access Network (E-UTRAN)) can interface with EPC 160 via a first backhaul link 132 (e.g., S1 interface). Base station 102 configured for 5G NR (collectively referred to as Next Generation RAN (NG-RAN)) can interface with core network 190 via a second backhaul link 184. Among other functions, base station 102 can also perform one or more of the following functions: user data delivery, radio channel cryptography and cryptography decoding, integrity protection, header compression, mobility control functions (e.g., handover, dual connectivity), inter-cell interference coordination, connection establishment and release, load balancing, distribution of Non-Access Stratum (NAS) messages, NAS node selection, synchronization, Radio Access Network (RAN) sharing, Multimedia Broadcast Multicast Service (MBMS), subscriber and equipment tracking, RAN Information Management (RIM), paging, location, and delivery of alarm messages. Base station 102 can communicate with each other directly or indirectly (e.g., via EPC 160 or core network 190) on third backhaul link 134 (e.g., X2 interface). First backhaul link 132, second backhaul link 184 and third backhaul link 134 can be wired or wireless.

[0031] Base station 102 can wirelessly communicate with UE 104. Each base station 102 can provide communication coverage for its respective geographical coverage area 110. Overlapping geographical coverage areas 110 may exist. For example, small cell 102' may have coverage areas 110' that overlap with the coverage areas 110 of one or more macro base stations 102. A network that includes both small cells and macro cells may be referred to as a heterogeneous network. The heterogeneous network may also include a Home Evolved B Node (eNB) (HeNB) that can provide services to a restricted group referred to as a Closed Subscriber Group (CSG). The communication link 120 between base station 102 and UE 104 may include uplink (UL) (also known as reverse link) transmission from UE 104 to base station 102 and / or downlink (DL) (also known as forward link) transmission from base station 102 to UE 104. The communication link 120 may use multiple-input multiple-output (MIMO) antenna technologies, including spatial multiplexing, beamforming, and / or transmit diversity. These communication links may use one or more carriers. For each carrier allocated in a total of up to Yx MHz (x component carriers) for transmission in each direction, the base station 102 / UE 104 may use a spectrum with a bandwidth of up to Y MHz (e.g., 5, 10, 15, 20, 100, 400 MHz, etc.). These carriers may or may not be adjacent to each other. The allocation of carriers may be asymmetric with respect to DL and UL (e.g., more or fewer carriers may be allocated to DL compared to UL). Component carriers may include primary component carriers and one or more secondary component carriers. The primary component carrier may be referred to as the primary cell (PCell), and the secondary component carrier may be referred to as the secondary cell (SCell).

[0032] Some UEs 104 may communicate with each other using device-to-device (D2D) communication link 158. D2D communication link 158 may use DL / UL WWAN spectrum. D2D communication link 158 may use one or more sidelink channels, such as the Physical Sidelink Broadcast Channel (PSBCH), Physical Sidelink Discovery Channel (PSDCH), Physical Sidelink Shared Channel (PSSCH), and Physical Sidelink Control Channel (PSCCH). D2D communication can be achieved through a wide variety of wireless D2D communication systems, such as, for example, WiMedia, Bluetooth, ZigBee, Wi-Fi based on the IEEE 802.11 standard, LTE, or NR.

[0033] The wireless communication system may further include a Wi-Fi access point (AP) 150 communicating with a Wi-Fi station (STA) 152 via a communication link 154, for example, in an unlicensed spectrum such as 5 GHz. When communicating in unlicensed spectrum, the STA 152 / AP 150 may perform a clear channel assessment (CCA) before communication to determine whether the channel is available.

[0034] Small cell 102' can operate in licensed and / or unlicensed spectrum. When operating in unlicensed spectrum, small cell 102' can employ NR and use the same unlicensed spectrum (e.g., 5 GHz, etc.) used by Wi-Fi AP 150. Small cell 102' employing NR in unlicensed spectrum can enhance access network coverage and / or increase access network capacity.

[0035] The electromagnetic spectrum is typically subdivided into various classes, bands, channels, etc., based on frequency / wavelength. In 5G NR, two initial operating bands have been designated as frequency ranges FR1 (410MHz–7.125GHz) and FR2 (24.25GHz–52.6GHz). The frequencies between FR1 and FR2 are generally referred to as the mid-band frequencies. Although a portion of FR1 is greater than 6GHz, FR1 is often (interchangeably) referred to as the “sub-6GHz” band in various documents and articles. Similar naming issues sometimes arise regarding FR2; although different from the Very High Frequency (EHF) band (30GHz–300GHz) designated as the “millimeter wave” band by the International Telecommunication Union (ITU), FR2 is often (interchangeably) referred to as the “millimeter wave” band in various documents and articles.

[0036] In light of the foregoing, unless otherwise stated, it should be understood that, as used herein, the term "sub-6GHz" and the like can broadly refer to frequencies less than 6GHz, within FR1, or including intermediate frequency band frequencies. Furthermore, unless otherwise stated, it should be understood that, as used herein, the term "millimeter wave" and the like can broadly refer to frequencies that can include intermediate frequency band frequencies, within FR2, or within the EHF band.

[0037] Whether it is a small cell 102' or a large cell (e.g., a macro base station), base station 102 may include and / or be referred to as an eNB, gB node (gNB), or another type of base station. Some base stations (such as gNB 180) may operate in conventional sub-6 GHz spectrum, millimeter wave frequencies, and / or near-millimeter wave frequencies to communicate with UE 104. When gNB 180 operates in millimeter wave frequencies or near-millimeter wave frequencies, gNB 180 may be referred to as a millimeter wave base station. Millimeter wave base station 180 may utilize beamforming 182 with UE 104 to compensate for path loss and short range. Base station 180 and UE 104 may each include multiple antennas, such as antenna elements, antenna panels, and / or antenna arrays, to facilitate beamforming.

[0038] Base station 180 may transmit beamformed signals to UE 104 in one or more transmission directions 182'. UE 104 may receive beamformed signals from base station 180 in one or more reception directions 182'. UE 104 may also transmit beamformed signals to base station 180 in one or more transmission directions. Base station 180 may receive beamformed signals from UE 104 in one or more reception directions. Base station 180 / UE 104 may perform beam training to determine the optimal reception and transmission directions for each of base station 180 / UE 104. The transmission and reception directions of base station 180 may be the same or different. The transmission and reception directions of UE 104 may be the same or different.

[0039] EPC 160 may include Mobility Management Entity (MME) 162, other MMEs 164, Serving Gateway 166, Multimedia Broadcast Multicast Service (MBMS) Gateway 168, Broadcast Multicast Service Center (BM-SC) 170, and Packet Data Network (PDN) Gateway 172. MME 162 may communicate with Home Subscriber Server (HSS) 174. MME 162 is the control node that handles signaling between UE 104 and EPC 160. Generally, MME 162 provides bearer and connection management. All user Internet Protocol (IP) packets are delivered through Serving Gateway 166, which is itself connected to PDN Gateway 172. PDN Gateway 172 provides UE IP address allocation and other functions. PDN Gateway 172 and BM-SC 170 are connected to IP Service 176. IP Service 176 may include the Internet, intranet, IP Multimedia Subsystem (IMS), PS streaming service, and / or other IP services. The BM-SC 170 provides functionality for MBMS user service provisioning and delivery. The BM-SC 170 can serve as an entry point for content provider MBMS transmissions, authorize and initiate MBMS bearer services within a Public Land Mobile Network (PLMN), and schedule MBMS transmissions. The MBMS gateway 168 can be used to distribute MBMS traffic to base station 102 within a Broadcast-Specific Service Single Frequency Network (MBSFN) area, and can be responsible for session management (start / stop) and collecting eMBMS-related billing information.

[0040] The core network 190 may include Access and Mobility Management Functions (AMF) 192, other AMFs 193, Session Management Functions (SMF) 194, and User Plane Functions (UPF) 195. AMF 192 may communicate with Unified Data Management (UDM) 196. AMF 192 is the control node that handles signaling between UE 104 and the core network 190. Generally, AMF 192 provides QoS flow and session management. All user Internet Protocol (IP) packets are transmitted through UPF 195. UPF 195 provides UE IP address allocation and other functions. UPF 195 connects to IP services 197. IP services 197 may include the Internet, intranet, IP Multimedia Subsystem (IMS), Packet Switched (PS) Streaming (PSS) services, and / or other IP services.

[0041] Base stations may include and / or be referred to as gNB, B-node, eNB, access point, base transceiver station, radio base station, radio transceiver, transceiver function, basic service set (BSS), extended service set (ESS), transmit / receive point (TRP), or some other suitable term. Base station 102 provides UE 104 with access to EPC 160 or core network 190. Examples of UE 104 include cellular phones, smartphones, Session Initiation Protocol (SIP) phones, laptop devices, personal digital assistants (PDAs), satellite radios, GPS devices, multimedia devices, video devices, digital audio players (e.g., MP3 players), cameras, game consoles, tablet devices, smart devices, wearable devices, vehicles, electricity meters, air pumps, large or small kitchen appliances, healthcare devices, implants, sensors / actuators, displays, or any other similar functional devices. Some UE 104 may be referred to as IoT devices (e.g., parking timers, oil pumps, ovens, vehicles, heart monitors, etc.). UE 104 may also be referred to as a station, mobile station, subscriber station, mobile unit, subscriber unit, radio unit, remote unit, mobile device, radio device, wireless communication device, remote device, mobile subscriber station, access terminal, mobile terminal, radio terminal, remote terminal, handheld device, user agent, mobile client, client, or some other suitable term.

[0042] Refer again Figure 1 In some aspects, UE 104 may be configured to provide a beam application time report indicating the time at which a beam is applied at a panel of the UE for communication with a base station. For example, UE 104 may include a reporting component 198 configured to transmit to base station 180 the beam application time report indicating the time at which a beam is applied at a panel of the UE for communication with the base station. UE 104 may transmit to base station 180 a beam application time report for at least one antenna panel of the UE, wherein the beam application time report includes the time for applying the beam for use by at least one antenna panel. UE 104 may apply a beam at at least one antenna panel of UE 104 based on the beam application time report to prepare for communication with base station 180. UE 104 may communicate with base station 180 using the beam of at least one antenna panel at least during the time based on the beam application time report.

[0043] Refer again Figure 1In some aspects, base station 180 may be configured to configure a beam for communicating with UE 104 in response to a beam application timing report received from UE 104, wherein the beam application timing report indicates the time for applying a beam at a panel of UE 104 for communication with the base station. For example, base station 180 may include beaming component 199 configured to configure a beam for communicating with UE 104 in response to a beam application timing report received from UE 104, wherein the beam application timing report indicates the time for applying a beam at a panel of UE 104 for communication with the base station. Base station 180 may receive a beam application timing report from UE 104 for at least one antenna panel of UE 104, wherein the beam application timing report includes the time for applying a beam for use by at least one antenna panel. Base station 180 may apply a beam at its antenna array based on the beam application timing report to prepare for communication with UE 104. Base station 180 can communicate with UE 104 using the beams of the base station's antenna array at least during the time based on the beam application time report.

[0044] While the following description may focus on 5G NR, the concepts described herein are applicable to other similar areas such as LTE, LTE-A, CDMA, GSM, and other wireless technologies.

[0045] Figure 2A This is a diagram 200 illustrating an example of the first subframe within the 5G NR frame structure. Figure 2B Figure 230 is an example illustrating the DL channel within a 5G NR subframe. Figure 2C This is a diagram 250 illustrating an example of the second subframe within the 5G NR frame structure. Figure 2D Figure 280 illustrates an example of the UL channel within a 5G NR subframe. The 5G NR frame structure can be Frequency Division Duplex (FDD), where subframes within a specific set of subcarriers (carrier system bandwidth) are dedicated to either DL or UL; or it can be Time Division Duplex (TDD), where subframes within a specific set of subcarriers (carrier system bandwidth) are dedicated to both DL and UL. Figure 2A , 2CIn the provided example, the 5G NR frame structure is assumed to be TDD, where subframe 4 is configured with slot format 28 (mostly DL) and subframe 3 is configured with slot format 1 (all UL), where D is DL, U is UL, and F is for flexible use between DL and UL. Although subframes 3 and 4 are shown as having slot formats 1 and 28, respectively, any particular subframe can be configured with any of the various available slot formats 0-61. Slot formats 0 and 1 are all DL and all UL, respectively. Other slot formats 2-61 include a mixture of DL, UL, and flexible symbols. The UE is configured to have a slot format via the received Slot Format Indicator (SFI) (dynamically configured via DL Control Information (DCI) or semi-statically / statically configured via Radio Resource Control (RRC) signaling). Note that the following description also applies to 5G NR frame structures for TDD.

[0046] Other wireless communication technologies may have different frame structures and / or different channels. A frame (10ms) can be divided into 10 equally sized subframes (1ms). Each subframe may include one or more time slots. Subframes may also include mini-time slots, which may include 7, 4, or 2 symbols. Each time slot may include 7 or 14 symbols, depending on the time slot configuration. For time slot configuration 0, each time slot may include 14 symbols, while for time slot configuration 1, each time slot may include 7 symbols. Symbols on the DL can be Cyclic Prefix (CP) Orthogonal Frequency Division Multiplexing (OFDM) (CP-OFDM) symbols. Symbols on the UL can be CP-OFDM symbols (for high-throughput scenarios) or Discrete Fourier Transform (DFT) Extended OFDM (DFT-s-OFDM) symbols (also known as Single Carrier Frequency Division Multiple Access (SC-FDMA) symbols) (for power-constrained scenarios; limited to single-stream transmission). The number of time slots within a subframe is based on the time slot configuration and parameter design. For slot configuration 0, different parameter designs μ of 0 to 4 allow 1, 2, 4, 8, and 16 slots per subframe, respectively. For slot configuration 1, different parameter designs 0 to 2 allow 2, 4, and 8 slots per subframe, respectively. Correspondingly, for slot configuration 0 and parameter design μ, there are 14 symbols per slot and 2 symbols per subframe. μ Each time slot. The subcarrier spacing and symbol length / duration vary depending on the design parameters. The subcarrier spacing can be equal to 2. μ *15kHz, where μ is the parameter design from 0 to 4. Thus, parameter design μ = 0 has a subcarrier spacing of 15kHz, while parameter design μ = 4 has a subcarrier spacing of 240kHz. Symbol length / duration is inversely correlated with subcarrier spacing. Figures 2A to 2DAn example is provided with a slot configuration of 0 (14 symbols per slot) and a parameter design of μ=2 (4 slots per subframe). The slot duration is 0.25 ms, the subcarrier spacing is 60 kHz, and the symbol duration is approximately 16.67 μs. Within the frame set, there may be one or more different bandwidth portions (BWPs) that are frequency-division multiplexed (see [link to relevant documentation]). Figure 2B Each BWP can have specific parameter designs.

[0047] A resource grid can be used to represent the frame structure. Each time slot includes a resource block (RB) extending 12 consecutive subcarriers (also known as a physical RB (PRB)). The resource grid is divided into multiple resource elements (REs). The number of bits carried by each RE depends on the modulation scheme.

[0048] like Figure 2A As explained in the text, some REs carry reference (pilot) signals (RS) for the UE. RSs may include demodulation RS (DM-RS) for channel estimation at the UE (indicated as R for a particular configuration, but other DM-RS configurations are possible) and channel state information reference signals (CSI-RS). RSs may also include beam measurement RS (BRS), beam refinement RS (BRRS), and phase tracking RS (PT-RS).

[0049] Figure 2BExamples of various DL channels within a subframe of a frame are explained. The Physical Downlink Control Channel (PDCCH) carries the DCI within one or more Control Channel Elements (CCEs) (e.g., 1, 2, 4, 8, or 16 CCEs), each CCE comprising 6 RE Groups (REGs), each REG comprising 12 coherent REs in the OFDM symbols of the RB. A PDCCH within a BWP may be referred to as a Control Resource Set (CORESET). The UE is configured to monitor PDCCH candidates in a PDCCH search space (e.g., a shared search space, a UE-specific search space) during PDCCH monitoring on the CORESET, where the PDCCH candidates have different DCI formats and different aggregation levels. Additional BWPs may be located at higher and / or lower frequencies spanning the channel bandwidth. The Primary Synchronization Signal (PSS) may be located within symbol 2 of a specific subframe of the frame. The PSS is used by the UE 104 to determine subframe / symbol timing and physical layer identity. The Secondary Synchronization Signal (SSS) may be located within symbol 4 of a specific subframe of the frame. The SSS is used by the UE to determine the Physical Layer Cell Identity Group Number and radio frame timing. Based on the Physical Layer Identity and the Physical Layer Cell Identity Group Number, the UE can determine the Physical Cell Identifier (PCI). Based on the PCI, the UE can determine the location of the aforementioned DM-RS. The Physical Broadcast Channel (PBCH), carrying the Master Information Block (MIB), can be logically grouped with the PSS and SSS to form a Synchronization Signal (SS) / PBCH block (also known as an SS block (SSB)). The MIB provides the number of RBs in the system bandwidth and the System Frame Number (SFN). The Physical Downlink Shared Channel (PDSCH) carries user data, broadcast system information not transmitted via the PBCH (such as System Information Block (SIB)), and paging messages.

[0050] As in Figure 2C As explained, some REs carry DM-RS for channel estimation at the base station (indicated as R for a specific configuration, but other DM-RS configurations are possible). The UE can transmit DM-RS for the Physical Uplink Control Channel (PUCCH) and DM-RS for the Physical Uplink Shared Channel (PUSCH). The PUSCH DM-RS can be transmitted in the first or first two symbols of the PUSCH. The PUCCH DM-RS can be transmitted in different configurations depending on whether a short or long PUCCH is being transmitted and on the specific PUCCH format used. The UE can transmit a probe reference signal (SRS). The SRS can be transmitted in the last symbol of a subframe. The SRS can have a comb structure, and the UE can transmit the SRS on one of the combs. The SRS can be used by the base station for channel quality estimation to enable frequency-dependent scheduling on the UL.

[0051] Figure 2DExamples of various UL channels within a subframe of a frame are explained. The PUCCH can be located as indicated in one configuration. The PUCCH carries uplink control information (UCI), such as scheduling requests, channel quality indicators (CQI), precoding matrix indicators (PMI), rank indicators (RI), and hybrid automatic repeat request (HARQ) acknowledgment (ACK) / negative ACK (NACK) feedback. The PUCCH carries data and may additionally be used to carry buffer status reports (BSR), power clearance reports (PHR), and / or UCI.

[0052] Figure 3 This is a block diagram showing the communication between base station 310 and UE 350 in the access network. In the DL, IP packets from EPC 160 can be provided to controller / processor 375. Controller / processor 375 implements Layer 3 and Layer 2 functionality. Layer 3 includes the Radio Resource Control (RRC) layer, and Layer 2 includes the Serving Data Adaptation Protocol (SDAP) layer, Packet Data Convergence Protocol (PDCP) layer, Radio Link Control (RLC) layer, and Media Access Control (MAC) layer. The controller / processor 375 provides RRC layer functionality associated with broadcasting system information (e.g., MIB, SIB), RRC connection control (e.g., RRC connection paging, RRC connection establishment, RRC connection modification, and RRC connection release), inter-Radio Access Technology (RAT) mobility, and measurement configuration of UE measurement reports; PDCP layer functionality associated with header compression / decompression, security (cryptography, cryptographic decoding, integrity protection, integrity verification), and handover support functions; RLC layer functionality associated with upper-layer packet data unit (PDU) delivery, error correction via ARQ, concatenation, segmentation and reassembly of RLC service data units (SDUs), resegmentation of RLC data PDUs, and reordering of RLC data PDUs; and MAC layer functionality associated with mapping between logical channels and transport channels, multiplexing MAC SDUs onto transport blocks (TBs), demultiplexing MAC SDUs from TBs, scheduling information reporting, error correction via HARQ, priority handling, and logical channel priority differentiation.

[0053] Transmit (TX) processor 316 and receive (RX) processor 370 implement Layer 1 functionality associated with various signal processing functions. Layer 1, including the physical (PHY) layer, may include error detection on the transport channel, forward error correction (FEC) decoding / decoding of the transport channel, interleaving, rate matching, mapping to the physical channel, modulation / demodulation of the physical channel, and MIMO antenna processing. TX processor 316 processes the mapping to the signal constellation based on various modulation schemes (e.g., binary phase shift keying (BPSK), quadrature phase shift keying (QPSK), M-phase shift keying (M-PSK), M-quadrature amplitude modulation (M-QAM)). The decoded and modulated symbols may then be split into parallel streams. Each stream may then be mapped to an OFDM subcarrier, multiplexed with a reference signal (e.g., a pilot) in the time and / or frequency domains, and subsequently combined using an inverse fast Fourier transform (IFFT) to produce a physical channel carrying a time-domain OFDM symbol stream. The OFDM stream is spatially precoded to generate multiple spatial streams. Channel estimates from channel estimator 374 can be used to determine coding and modulation schemes and for spatial processing. The channel estimates can be derived from reference signals and / or channel condition feedback transmitted by UE 350. Each spatial stream can then be provided to a different antenna 320 via a separate transmitter 318TX. Each transmitter 318TX can modulate an RF carrier with the corresponding spatial stream for transmission.

[0054] At UE 350, each receiver 354RX receives signals via its respective antenna 352. Each receiver 354RX recovers the information modulated onto the RF carrier and provides this information to the receive (RX) processor 356. The TX processor 368 and RX processor 356 implement Layer 1 functionality associated with various signal processing functions. The RX processor 356 can perform spatial processing on the information to recover any spatial stream destined for UE 350. If multiple spatial streams are destined for UE 350, they can be combined by the RX processor 356 into a single OFDM symbol stream. The RX processor 356 then uses a Fast Fourier Transform (FFT) to transform the OFDM symbol stream from the time domain to the frequency domain. The frequency domain signal consists of a separate OFDM symbol stream for each subcarrier of the OFDM signal. The symbols on each subcarrier, along with the reference signal, are recovered and demodulated by determining the signal constellation points most likely to be transmitted by base station 310. These soft decisions can be based on a channel estimate calculated by channel estimator 358. These soft decisions are then decoded and deinterleaved to recover the original data and control signals transmitted by base station 310 over the physical channel. This data and control signals are then provided to controller / processor 359, which implements layer 3 and layer 2 functionality.

[0055] The controller / processor 359 may be associated with a memory 360 that stores program code and data. The memory 360 may be referred to as a computer-readable medium. In the UL, the controller / processor 359 provides demultiplexing between transport and logical channels, packet reassembly, cipher decoding, header decompression, and control signal processing to recover IP packets from the EPC 160. The controller / processor 359 is also responsible for error detection using ACK and / or NACK protocols to support HARQ operation.

[0056] Similar to the functionality described in conjunction with DL transmissions performed by base station 310, controller / processor 359 provides RRC layer functionality associated with system information (e.g., MIB, SIB) capture, RRC connection, and measurement reporting; PDCP layer functionality associated with header compression / decompression and security (cryptography, cryptographic decoding, integrity protection, integrity verification); RLC layer functionality associated with upper-layer PDU delivery, error correction via ARQ, concatenation, segmentation, and reassembly of RLC SDUs, resegmentation of RLC data PDUs, and reordering of RLC data PDUs; and MAC layer functionality associated with mapping between logical channels and transport channels, multiplexing MAC SDUs onto TBs, demultiplexing MAC SDUs from TBs, scheduling information reporting, error correction via HARQ, priority handling, and logical channel priority differentiation.

[0057] The channel estimate derived by the channel estimator 358 from the reference signal or feedback transmitted by the base station 310 can be used by the TX processor 368 to select an appropriate coding and modulation scheme and to facilitate spatial processing. The spatial stream generated by the TX processor 368 can be provided to different antennas 352 via separate transmitters 354TX. Each transmitter 354TX can use the corresponding spatial stream to modulate an RF carrier for transmission.

[0058] UL transmissions are processed at base station 310 in a manner similar to that described in conjunction with the receiver function at UE 350. Each receiver 318RX receives signals via its corresponding antenna 320. Each receiver 318RX recovers the information modulated onto the RF carrier and provides that information to the RX processor 370.

[0059] The controller / processor 375 may be associated with a memory 376 that stores program code and data. The memory 376 may be referred to as a computer-readable medium. In the UL, the controller / processor 375 provides demultiplexing between transport and logical channels, packet reassembly, cipher decoding, header decompression, and control signal processing to recover IP packets from the UE 350. IP packets from the controller / processor 375 may be provided to the EPC 160. The controller / processor 375 is also responsible for error detection using ACK and / or NACK protocols to support HARQ operation.

[0060] At least one of the TX processor 368, RX processor 356, and controller / processor 359 can be configured to perform and Figure 1 The 198 combines various aspects.

[0061] At least one of the TX processor 316, RX processor 370, and controller / processor 375 can be configured to perform operations related to... Figure 1 The 199 combines various aspects.

[0062] In wireless communication systems (e.g., including 5G NR wireless communication systems and other wireless communication systems), fast antenna panel selection for the UE can be challenging. A UE antenna panel can include a collection of transceiver units (TXRUs) capable of generating analog beams. In some instances, if a dual-polarized array is used, the analog beams may correspond to two antenna ports. UE antenna panels can have the same or different numbers of antenna ports, beam numbers, or effective isotropic radiated power (EIRP), and beam correspondence across different UE antenna panels does not exist. In some instances, each UE antenna panel can include independent units for UL transmit power, power control (PC) parameters, Fast Fourier Transform (FFT) timing windows, and / or timing advance (TA). In some instances, the same or different sets of UE antenna panels can be used separately for downlink reception and uplink transmission.

[0063] DCI-based beam indication can be used to improve antenna panel selection at the UE and reduce the performance impact of beam switching delay. Beam indication can include the application time of the beam indication. In some instances, if the beam indication is received by the UE, the time at which the UE applies the beam can correspond to a first time slot at least X milliseconds or Y symbols later than the receipt of a DCI-based beam indication with joint or individual downlink / uplink beam indications. In some instances, if the beam indication is received by the UE, the time at which the UE applies the beam can correspond to a first time slot at least X milliseconds or Y symbols later than the receipt of the joint or individual downlink / uplink beam indications. In some instances, X ≥ 1 ms, and Y can include 2 time slots. However, this disclosure is not intended to be limited to the examples of X and Y presented herein; for example, X can be greater than or less than 1 ms, or Y can be greater than or less than 2 time slots. The beam application time, or the time at which the UE applies the beam for communication, can be configured by the network (e.g., a base station) based on UE capabilities. In such instances, the UE can transmit UE capabilities to the base station. UE capabilities can indicate the minimum value of beam application time that a UE supports. In some instances, UE capabilities can indicate one or more of the exact minimum values ​​of beam application time supported by the UE, whether existing UE capabilities can be reused, whether different beam application time values ​​are supported for uplink and downlink, or whether the UE capability includes the maximum value of beam application time. In some instances, beam application time can be fixed and pre-configured, while in other instances, beam application time can be configured by the network (e.g., base station), where the minimum value of beam application time is fixed and pre-configured.

[0064] This document presents various aspects of providing a configuration for supplying beam application timing reports to the base station to optimize antenna panel selection at the UE. The beam application timing report indicates the timing for applying a beam at the UE's panel to communicate with the base station. In some instances, the UE's antenna panels may be in different sleep or active modes (e.g., active mode, light sleep mode, or deep sleep mode), which may result in different beam application times for activation and / or handover. The mode of the UE's antenna panel can affect the beam application timing. For example, an antenna panel in an active mode or state may include an instance where at least one antenna panel is actively communicating with another device (e.g., a base station). A deep sleep mode or state may include an instance where the antenna panel is in a low-power or reduced-power state and is not monitoring incoming transmissions and is not transmitting any uplink transmissions. A light sleep mode or state may include a situation where the antenna panel is in a low-power or reduced-power state but monitors incoming transmissions on a scheduled or periodic basis without transmitting any uplink transmissions. Different panels may have different beam handover wait times, allowing the beam application timing report to indicate the associated beam application time based on the handover wait time.

[0065] In some instances, the UE can report beam application time for each panel, panel group, or panel save state (e.g., in different sleep or active modes). In some instances, beam application time reports can be included in the UE capability signaling. In some instances, beam application time reports can be transmitted based on event occurrence or on a periodic basis, which can be more dynamic than transmitting reports in the UE capability signaling.

[0066] Beam application time may include a first report based on beam indication application time according to DCI or a second report based on beam indication application time according to MAC-CE. The beam application times in the first report or the second report may be the same or different. The beam application time report may include at least one of the first report or the second report.

[0067] In some instances, the beam application times for downlink and uplink may be the same. For example, the downlink and uplink may use the same antenna panel or different panels with the same or similar beam application times. The UE's uplink antenna panel may be the same as the downlink antenna panel or a subset of the downlink antenna panels. In some instances, the beam application times for downlink and uplink may be different. For example, the downlink and uplink may use different panels, which may have different beam application times. In some instances, the UE may report whether the UE supports different beam application times for downlink and uplink.

[0068] Figure 4 This is a call flow diagram 400 showing the signaling between UE 402 and base station 404. Base station 404 can be configured to provide at least one cellular cell. UE 402 can be configured to communicate with base station 404. For example, in Figure 1 In the context of this, base station 404 may correspond to base station 102 / 180, and accordingly, the cellular cell may include a geographic coverage area 110 in which communication coverage is provided and / or a small cellular cell 102' having coverage area 110'. Furthermore, UE 402 may correspond to at least UE 104. In another example, in Figure 3 In this context, base station 404 may correspond to base station 310, and UE 402 may correspond to UE 350. Optional aspects are illustrated with dashed lines.

[0069] As explained in 406, UE 402 may transmit a beam application timing report for at least one antenna panel of UE 402. UE 402 may transmit the beam application timing report to base station 404. Base station 404 may receive the beam application timing report from UE 402. The beam application timing report may include the time for applying a beam for use by at least one antenna panel. For example, the beam application timing report may indicate the time at which a particular beam at the at least one antenna panel of the UE can be activated or prepared for communication with the base station. In some aspects, the beam application timing report may indicate that the time for applying the beam includes a first time slot at least X milliseconds or Y symbols later than the receipt of the joint or individual downlink / uplink beam indication from the base station. In some aspects, the beam application timing report may indicate that the time for applying the beam includes a first time slot at least X milliseconds or Y symbols later than the confirmation of the joint or individual downlink / uplink beam indication from the base station. A joint downlink / uplink beam indication may include an indication of at least one downlink beam and one uplink beam as a joint shared beam TCI. A separate downlink / uplink beam indication may include an indication of at least one downlink beam separate from the indication of at least one uplink beam as a shared downlink or uplink beam TCI. In some aspects, the at least one antenna panel may include multiple antenna panels configured in a panel group, wherein a beam application time report corresponds to the panel group of the multiple antenna panels. In some aspects, the multiple antenna panels may have different handover wait times. Thus, the beam application time report can indicate the beam application time based on the handover wait times of the respective multiple antenna panels. In some aspects, different panels may have different beam handover wait times, such that the beam application time report can indicate the associated beam application time based on the handover wait times. Different panels may have different beam handover wait times, partly because different panels cover different frequency bands. For example, one panel or a first panel group may cover frequency range (FR)2, while another panel or a second panel group may cover FR4. In such instances, the panels may have different beam switching latency times, partly due to different hardware configurations. In some aspects, the at least one antenna panel may comprise a single antenna panel, with the beam application time report corresponding to that single antenna panel. In some aspects, the beam application time report may be based on the panel power-saving state of the at least one antenna panel, wherein the at least one antenna panel is in an active state, a light sleep state, or a deep sleep state. An active state may include an instance where the at least one antenna panel is actively communicating with another device (e.g., a base station). A deep sleep state may include a situation where the at least one antenna panel is in a low-power state and is not monitoring incoming transmissions or transmitting any uplink transmissions.A light sleep state may include a situation where at least one antenna panel is in a low-power state but is monitoring incoming transmissions on a scheduled or periodic basis without transmitting any uplink transmissions.

[0070] In some aspects, beam application time reports may be included within UE capability signals transmitted to the base station. Transmission of beam application time reports within UE capability signals may occur during the connection establishment procedure with the base station. In some aspects, beam application time report transmission may be triggered by the occurrence of an event. Events that may trigger beam application time report transmission include at least panel group changes or panel power-saving state changes. However, other events may trigger beam application time report transmission, and this disclosure is not intended to limit the examples presented herein. In some aspects, beam application time report transmission may occur periodically, aperiodically, or semi-persistently. In some aspects, beam application time reports may include a first report based on beam indication application time according to downlink control information (DCI) or a second report based on beam indication application time according to media access control (MAC) control element (CE) (MAC-CE). The beam application times of the first report or the second report may be the same or different. Beam application time reports may include at least one of the first report or the second report.

[0071] As explained at 408, UE 402 may apply a beam at at least one antenna panel of UE 402. UE 402 may apply a beam at at least one antenna panel of UE 402 based on a beam application time report to prepare for communication with the base station. In response to transmitting a beam application time report to base station 404, UE 402 may apply a beam at at least one antenna panel of UE 402. For example, UE 402 may apply a beam on at least one antenna panel at a time corresponding to a first timeslot that is at least X milliseconds or Y symbols later than the receipt of the joint or individual downlink / uplink beam indication from the base station. In some aspects, UE 402 may apply a beam on at least one antenna panel at a time corresponding to a first timeslot that is at least X milliseconds or Y symbols later than the confirmation of the joint or individual downlink / uplink beam indication from the base station.

[0072] As explained at 410, base station 404 may apply a beam at its antenna array in response to receiving a beam application timing report from UE 402. Base station 404 may apply a beam at its antenna array based on the beam application timing report to prepare for communication with the UE. Applying a beam at its antenna array based on the beam application timing report allows the base station and UE to synchronize for communication between UE 402 and base station 404. The beam application timing report may indicate to base station 404 the time when one or more beams at UE 402 can be prepared or activated for communication with base station 404.

[0073] In some respects, such as as explained in 412, UE 402 may indicate whether UE 402 supports different beam application times for uplink and / or downlink communications. UE 402 may indicate whether UE 402 supports different beam application times for uplink and / or downlink communications in UE capability signaling or other uplink signaling. For example, UE 402 may indicate whether UE 402 supports different beam application times for uplink and / or downlink communications in uplink RRC signaling, MAC-CE, or UCI.

[0074] As explained in 414, UE 402 and base station 404 can communicate with each other. UE 402 and base station 404 can initiate communication with each other at least at a time based on the beam application time report. For example, UE 402 communicating with base station 404 may include using a beam at at least one antenna panel of UE 402 to receive and / or transmit transmissions at least at the time indicated in the beam application time report. The beam application time report may indicate when the beam at at least one antenna panel of UE 402 is ready to communicate with base station 404, such that the corresponding beams of UE 402 and base station 404 are synchronized. Receiving or transmitting transmissions may occur at the same antenna panel or different antenna panels of at least one antenna panel of UE 402. In some aspects, the beam application time report may be the same for downlink and uplink communication of UE 402. Downlink and uplink communication of UE 402 may utilize the same or different antenna panels of UE 402 with the same beam application time. In some respects, the beam application time report is different for the downlink and uplink communication of UE 402, where the downlink and uplink communication of UE 402 utilize different antenna panels with different beam application times.

[0075] Figure 5This is a flowchart 500 of a wireless communication method. The method can be performed by a UE or a component of a UE (e.g., UE 104, 402; device 602; cellular baseband processor 604, which may include memory 360 and may be the entire UE 350 or components of UE 350 (such as TX processor 368, RX processor 356, and / or controller / processor 359)). One or more of the illustrated operations may be omitted, interchanged, or performed simultaneously. Optionally, aspects may be illustrated with dashed lines. The method may allow the UE to provide a beam application time report indicating the time at which a beam is applied at the UE's panel for communication with a base station.

[0076] As in 502, the UE may transmit a beam application timing report for at least one antenna panel of the UE. For example, 502 may be performed by the reporting component 640 of device 602. The UE may transmit the beam application timing report to the base station. The beam application timing report may include the time for applying a beam for use by at least one antenna panel. For example, the beam application timing report may indicate the time at which a specific beam at at least one antenna panel of the UE can be activated or ready for communication with the base station. In some aspects, the beam application timing report may indicate that the time for applying the beam includes a first time slot at least X milliseconds or Y symbols later than the receipt of the joint or individual downlink / uplink beam indication from the base station. In some aspects, the beam application timing report may indicate that the time for applying the beam includes a first time slot at least X milliseconds or Y symbols later than the confirmation of the joint or individual downlink / uplink beam indication from the base station. The joint downlink / uplink beam indication may include an indication of at least one downlink beam and one uplink beam as a joint shared beam TCI. Individual downlink / uplink beam indications may include indications of at least one downlink beam, separate from the indication of at least one uplink beam, as a common downlink or uplink beam TCI. In some aspects, at least one antenna panel may include multiple antenna panels configured in a panel group, wherein the beam application time report corresponds to the panel group of multiple antenna panels. In some aspects, the multiple antenna panels may have different handover wait times. Thus, the beam application time report may indicate the beam application time based on the handover wait times of the respective multiple antenna panels. In some aspects, different panels may have different beam handover wait times, such that the beam application time report can indicate the associated beam application time based on the handover wait time. Different panels may have different beam handover wait times, partly because different panels cover different frequency bands. For example, one panel or a first panel set may cover FR2, while another panel or a second panel set may cover FR4. In such instances, the panels may have different beam handover wait times, partly because of different hardware configurations. In some aspects, at least one antenna panel may include a single antenna panel, wherein the beam application time report corresponds to a single antenna panel. In some aspects, beam application time reporting can be based on the panel power-saving state of at least one antenna panel, wherein at least one antenna panel is in an active state, a light sleep state, or a deep sleep state. An active state can include instances where at least one antenna panel is actively communicating with another device (e.g., a base station). A deep sleep state can include instances where at least one antenna panel is in a low-power state and is not monitoring incoming transmissions or transmitting any uplink transmissions. A light sleep state can include instances where at least one antenna panel is in a low-power state but monitors incoming transmissions on a scheduled or periodic basis without transmitting any uplink transmissions.

[0077] In some aspects, beam application time reports may be included within UE capability signals transmitted to the base station. Transmission of beam application time reports within UE capability signals may occur during the connection establishment procedure with the base station. In some aspects, beam application time report transmission may be triggered by the occurrence of an event. Events that may trigger beam application time report transmission include at least panel group changes or panel power-saving state changes. However, other events may trigger beam application time report transmission, and this disclosure is not intended to limit the examples presented herein. In some aspects, beam application time report transmission may occur periodically, aperiodically, or semi-persistently. In some aspects, beam application time may include a first report based on beam indication application time according to DCI or a second report based on beam indication application time according to MAC-CE. The beam application times of the first report or the second report may be the same or different. The beam application time report may include at least one of the first report or the second report.

[0078] At 504, the UE may apply a beam at at least one antenna panel of the UE. For example, 504 may be performed by a beam assembly 642 equipped with 602. The UE may apply the beam at the at least one antenna panel of the UE based on the beam application time report to prepare for communication with the base station.

[0079] In some aspects, such as at 506, the UE can indicate whether it supports different beam application times for uplink and / or downlink communications. For example, 506 can be performed by the indication component 644 of device 602. The UE can indicate whether it supports different beam application times for uplink and / or downlink communications in UE capability signaling or other uplink signaling. For example, the UE can indicate whether it supports different beam application times for uplink and / or downlink communications in uplink RRC signaling, MAC-CE, or UCI.

[0080] At 508, the UE can communicate with the base station using the beam of the at least one antenna panel. For example, 508 can be performed by the communication component 646 of device 602. The UE can communicate with the base station using the beam of the at least one antenna panel at a time based on a beam application time report. Communicating with the base station further includes using the beam at at least one antenna panel to receive or transmit transmissions at least at the time indicated by the beam application time report. The beam application time report can indicate when the beam at at least one antenna panel of the UE is ready to communicate with the base station, such that the corresponding beams of the UE and the base station are synchronized. Receiving or transmitting transmissions can occur at the same antenna panel or different antenna panels of the at least one antenna panel. In some aspects, the beam application time report can be the same for the UE's downlink and uplink communication. The UE's downlink and uplink communication can utilize the same or different antenna panels of the UE with the same beam application time. In some aspects, the beam application time report is different for the UE's downlink and uplink communication, wherein the UE's downlink and uplink communication utilize different antenna panels with different beam application times.

[0081] Figure 6Figure 600 illustrates an example of the hardware implementation of device 602. Device 602 is a UE and includes a cellular baseband processor 604 (also referred to as a modem) coupled to a cellular RF transceiver 622 and one or more Subscriber Identity Module (SIM) cards 620, an application processor 606 coupled to a Secure Digital Card (SD) card 608 and a screen 610, a Bluetooth module 612, a Wireless Local Area Network (WLAN) module 614, a Global Positioning System (GPS) module 616, and a power supply 618. Cellular baseband processor 604 communicates with UE 104 and / or BS 102 / 180 via cellular RF transceiver 622. Cellular baseband processor 604 may include computer-readable medium / memory. The computer-readable medium / memory may be non-transient. Cellular baseband processor 604 is responsible for general processing, including the execution of software stored on the computer-readable medium / memory. This software, when executed by cellular baseband processor 604, causes cellular baseband processor 604 to perform the various functions described above. The computer-readable medium / memory can also be used to store data manipulated by the cellular baseband processor 604 during software execution. The cellular baseband processor 604 further includes a receiving component 630, a communication manager 632, and a transmission component 634. The communication manager 632 includes one or more of the described components. The components within the communication manager 632 can be stored in the computer-readable medium / memory and / or configured as hardware within the cellular baseband processor 604. The cellular baseband processor 604 can be a component of the UE 350 and may include a memory 360 and / or at least one of the following: a TX processor 368, an RX processor 356, and a controller / processor 359. In one configuration, the device 602 may be a modem chip and include only the cellular baseband processor 604, and in another configuration, the device 602 may be the entire UE (e.g., see...). Figure 3 (350) and includes the aforementioned additional modules of device 602.

[0082] Communication manager 632 includes reporting component 640, which is configured to transmit beam application time reports for at least one antenna panel of the UE, for example, as in combination with Figure 5 As described in 502. The communication manager 632 further includes a beaming assembly 642 configured to apply a beam at at least one antenna panel of the UE, for example, as in combination with Figure 5 As described in 504. The communication manager 632 further includes an indication component 644 configured to indicate whether the UE supports different beam application times for uplink and / or downlink communication, for example, as in combination Figure 5As described in 506. The communication manager 632 further includes a communication component 646 configured to communicate with a base station using the beam of at least one antenna panel, for example, as in combination with... Figure 5 As described in 508.

[0083] The device may include execution Figure 5 The additional components of each block of the algorithm in the aforementioned flowchart. Thus, Figure 5 Each block in the aforementioned flowchart can be executed by a component, and the device may include one or more of those components. These components may be one or more hardware components specifically configured to execute the process / algorithm, implemented by a processor configured to execute the process / algorithm, stored in a computer-readable medium for implementation by a processor, or some combination thereof.

[0084] In one configuration, device 602, particularly cellular baseband processor 604, includes means for transmitting a beam application time report of at least one antenna panel of a UE to a base station. The beam application time report includes the time for applying a beam for use by at least one antenna panel. The device includes means for applying the beam at the at least one antenna panel of the UE based on the beam application time report to prepare for communication with the base station. The device includes means for communicating with the base station using the beam of the at least one antenna panel. The device further includes means for using the beam at the at least one antenna panel to receive or transmit transmissions. The device further includes means for indicating in UE capability signaling or other uplink signaling whether the UE supports different beam application times for uplink and downlink communication. The aforementioned means may be one or more of the aforementioned components in device 602 configured to perform the functions described by the aforementioned means. As described above, device 602 may include TX processor 368, RX processor 356, and controller / processor 359. Thus, in one configuration, the aforementioned apparatus may be a TX processor 368, an RX processor 356, and a controller / processor 359 configured to perform the functions described by the aforementioned apparatus.

[0085] Figure 7This is a flowchart 700 of a wireless communication method. The method can be performed by a base station or a component of a base station (e.g., base station 102 / 180, 404; device 802; baseband unit 804, which may include memory 376 and may be the entire base station 310 or components of base station 310 (such as TX processor 316, RX processor 370, and / or controller / processor 375)). One or more of the illustrated operations may be omitted, interchanged, or performed simultaneously. Optionally, aspects may be illustrated with dashed lines. The method allows the base station to configure a beam for communication with the UE in response to a beam application timing report received from the UE, wherein the beam application timing report indicates the time at which a beam is applied at the UE's panel for communication with the base station.

[0086] At 702, the base station may receive a beam application timing report for at least one antenna panel of the UE. For example, 702 may be performed by a reporting component 840 of device 802. The base station may receive the beam application timing report from the UE. The beam application timing report may include the time for applying a beam at the UE for use by at least one antenna panel of the UE. For example, the beam application timing report may indicate the time when a specific beam at at least one antenna panel of the UE can be activated or prepared for communication with the base station. In some aspects, the beam application timing report may indicate that the time for applying the beam to at least one antenna panel of the UE includes a first time slot at least X milliseconds or Y symbols later than the time the UE receives the combined or individual downlink / uplink beam indication. In some aspects, the beam application timing report indicates that the time for applying the beam to at least one antenna panel of the UE includes a first time slot at least X milliseconds or Y symbols later than the confirmation of the combined or individual downlink / uplink beam indication from the UE. The combined downlink / uplink beam indication may include indications of the downlink beam and the uplink beam as a combined TCI. Individual downlink / uplink beam indications may include downlink / beam indications independent of uplink / beam indications. In some aspects, at least one antenna panel of the UE may include multiple antenna panels configured in a panel group, wherein the beam application time report corresponds to the panel group of multiple antenna panels of the UE. In some aspects, the multiple antenna panels of the UE may have different handover wait times. Thus, the beam application time report may indicate the beam application time based on the handover wait times of the corresponding multiple antenna panels of the UE. In some aspects, different panels may have different beam handover wait times, such that the beam application time report can indicate the associated beam application time based on the handover wait time. Different panels may have different beam handover wait times, partly because different panels cover different frequency bands. For example, one panel or a first panel set may cover frequency range (FR)2, while another panel or a second panel set may cover FR4. In such instances, panels may have different beam handover wait times, partly because of different hardware configurations. In some aspects, at least one antenna panel of the UE may include a single antenna panel, wherein the beam application time report corresponds to a single antenna panel. The beam application time report is based on the panel power-saving state of at least one antenna panel of the UE, wherein at least one antenna panel is in an active state, a light sleep state, or a deep sleep state. An active state can include instances where at least one antenna panel is actively communicating with another device (e.g., a base station). A deep sleep state can include instances where at least one antenna panel is in a low-power state and is not monitoring incoming transmissions and / or not transmitting any uplink transmissions. A light sleep state can include instances where at least one antenna panel is in a low-power state but is monitoring incoming transmissions on a scheduled or periodic basis.

[0087] In some aspects, beam application time reports may be included within UE capability signals transmitted by the UE to the base station. Transmission of beam application time reports within the UE capability signals may occur during the connection establishment procedure with the base station. In some aspects, the transmission of beam application time reports by the UE may be triggered by the occurrence of an event. For example, events that may trigger the transmission of beam application time reports include at least panel group changes or panel power-saving state changes. However, other events may trigger the transmission of beam application time reports, and this disclosure is not intended to be limited to the examples presented herein. In some aspects, the transmission of beam application time reports by the UE may occur periodically, aperiodically, or semi-persistently. In some aspects, beam application time may include a first report based on beam indication application time according to DCI or a second report based on beam indication application time according to MAC-CE. The beam application times of the first report or the second report may be the same or different. The beam application time report may include at least one of the first report or the second report.

[0088] At 704, the base station can apply beams at its antenna array. For example, 704 can be performed by beamforming component 842 equipped with 802. The base station can apply beams at its antenna array based on a beam application time report to prepare for communication with the UE.

[0089] In some aspects, such as at 706, the base station may receive an indication indicating whether the UE supports different beam application times for uplink and / or downlink communication. For example, 706 may be performed by the indication component 844 of device 802. The base station may receive the indication from the UE. The base station may receive an indication in UE capability signaling or other uplink signaling indicating whether the UE supports different beam application times for uplink and / or downlink communication. For example, the base station may receive an indication from the UE in uplink RRC signaling, MAC-CE, or UCI indicating whether the UE supports different beam application times for uplink and / or downlink communication.

[0090] At 708, the base station can communicate with the UE using the beams of its antenna array. For example, 708 can be performed by the communication component 846 of device 802. The base station can communicate with the UE at a time based on a beam application time report. Communicating with the UE further includes receiving or transmitting transmissions via beams at at least one antenna panel of the UE at least at the time indicated in the beam application time report. The beam application time report can indicate when beams at at least one antenna panel of the UE are ready to communicate with the base station, such that the corresponding beams of the UE and the base station are synchronized. Receiving or transmitting transmissions can occur at the same antenna panel or different antenna panels of at least one antenna panel of the UE. In some aspects, the beam application time report can be the same for both downlink and uplink communication of the UE. The downlink and uplink communication of the UE can utilize the same or different antenna panels of the UE with the same beam application time. In some aspects, the beam application time report is different for both downlink and uplink communication of the UE, wherein the downlink and uplink communication of the UE utilize different antenna panels with different beam application times.

[0091] Figure 8 Figure 800 illustrates an example of the hardware implementation of device 802. Device 802 is a BS and includes a baseband unit 804. Baseband unit 804 can communicate with UE 104 via cellular RF transceiver 822. Baseband unit 804 may include computer-readable medium / memory. Baseband unit 804 is responsible for general processing, including the execution of software stored on computer-readable medium / memory. When executed by baseband unit 804, the software causes baseband unit 804 to perform the various functions described above. Computer-readable medium / memory may also be used to store data manipulated by baseband unit 804 during software execution. Baseband unit 804 further includes a receiving component 830, a communication manager 832, and a transmitting component 834. Communication manager 832 includes one or more of the illustrated components. Components within communication manager 832 may be stored in computer-readable medium / memory and / or configured as hardware within baseband unit 804. The baseband unit 804 may be a component of the BS 310 and may include memory 376 and / or at least one of the following: TX processor 316, RX processor 370, and controller / processor 375.

[0092] Communication manager 832 includes reporting component 840, which receives beam application time reports for at least one antenna panel of the UE, for example, as combined with Figure 7 As described in 702. The communication manager 832 further includes a beaming assembly 842 that can apply beaming at the antenna array of a base station, for example, as in combination with Figure 7As described in 704. The communication manager 832 further includes an indication component 844, which can receive an indication of whether the UE supports different beam application times for uplink and / or downlink communication, for example, as in combination Figure 7 As described in 706. The communication manager 832 further includes a communication component 846 that can communicate with the UE using the beam of the base station's antenna array, for example, as in combination with... Figure 7 As described in 708.

[0093] The device may include execution Figure 7 The additional components of each block of the algorithm in the aforementioned flowchart. Thus, Figure 7 Each block in the aforementioned flowchart can be executed by a component, and the device may include one or more of those components. These components may be one or more hardware components specifically configured to execute the process / algorithm, implemented by a processor configured to execute the process / algorithm, stored in a computer-readable medium for implementation by a processor, or some combination thereof.

[0094] In one configuration, device 802, particularly baseband unit 804, includes means for receiving a beam application timing report for at least one antenna panel of the UE from the UE. The beam application timing report includes the time for applying a beam for use by at least one antenna panel. The device includes means for applying a beam at an antenna array of a base station based on the beam application timing report to prepare for communication with the UE. The means includes means for communicating with the UE using the beam of the antenna array of the base station. The device further includes means for receiving from the UE an indication in UE capability signaling or other uplink signaling indicating whether the UE supports different beam application times for uplink and downlink communication. The aforementioned means may be one or more of the aforementioned components in device 802 configured to perform the functions described by the aforementioned means. As described above, device 802 may include TX processor 316, RX processor 370, and controller / processor 375. Thus, in one configuration, the aforementioned apparatus may be a TX processor 316, an RX processor 370, and a controller / processor 375 configured to perform the functions described by the aforementioned apparatus.

[0095] It should be understood that the specific order or hierarchy of the boxes in the disclosed process / flowcharts is an explanation of exemplary methods. It should be understood that the specific order or hierarchy of the boxes in these process / flowcharts can be rearranged based on design preferences. Furthermore, some boxes may be combined or omitted. The appended method claims present the elements of the various boxes in an exemplary order and are not intended to be limited to the specific order or hierarchy presented.

[0096] The following examples are merely illustrative and can be combined with other embodiments or aspects of the teachings described herein without limitation.

[0097] Aspect 1 is a method for wireless communication of a UE, comprising: transmitting to a base station a beam application time report for at least one antenna panel of the UE, wherein the beam application time report includes time for applying a beam for use by the at least one antenna panel; applying the beam at the at least one antenna panel of the UE based on the beam application time report to prepare for communication with the base station; and communicating with the base station using the beam of the at least one antenna panel.

[0098] In aspect 2, the method of aspect 1 further includes: the beam application time report indicates that the time for applying the beam includes a first time slot that is at least X milliseconds or Y symbols later than the time for receiving the joint or individual downlink / uplink beam indication from the base station.

[0099] In aspect 3, the method of aspect 1 or aspect 2 further includes: the beam application time report indicating the time for applying the beam includes a first time slot that is confirmed to be at least X milliseconds or Y symbols later than the joint or individual downlink / uplink beam indication from the base station.

[0100] In aspect 4, the method of any one of aspects 1-3 further includes: the at least one antenna panel comprising a plurality of antenna panels configured in a panel group, wherein the beam application time report corresponds to the panel group of the plurality of antenna panels.

[0101] In aspect 5, the method of any one of aspects 1-4 further includes: the plurality of antenna panels having different switching wait times, wherein the beam application time report indicates the beam application time based on the switching wait times of the respective plurality of antenna panels.

[0102] In aspect 6, the method of any one of aspects 1-5 further includes: the beam application time report is based on the panel power saving state of the at least one antenna panel, wherein the at least one antenna panel is in an active state, a light sleep state, or a deep sleep state.

[0103] In aspect 7, the method of any one of aspects 1-6 further includes: the beam application time report being included in a UE capability signal transmitted to the base station, wherein the transmission of the beam application time report in the UE capability signal occurs during the connection establishment procedure with the base station.

[0104] In aspect 8, the method of any one of aspects 1-7 further includes: the transmission of the beam application time report is triggered by the occurrence of an event, wherein the event that triggers the transmission of the beam application time report includes at least a panel group change or a panel power saving state change.

[0105] In aspect 9, the method of any one of aspects 1-8 further includes: the transmission of the beam application time report occurs periodically, non-periodically, or semi-persistently.

[0106] In aspect 10, the method of any one of aspects 1-9 further includes: the beam application time report includes a first report based on beam indication application time according to DCI or a second report based on beam indication application time according to MAC-CE.

[0107] In aspect 11, the method of any one of aspects 1-10 further includes: the beam application time of the first report or the second report is the same or different, wherein the beam application time report includes at least one of the first report or the second report.

[0108] In aspect 12, the method of any one of aspects 1-11 further includes: communicating with a base station, which further includes using the beam at the at least one antenna panel to receive or transmit transmissions.

[0109] In aspect 13, the method of any one of aspects 1-12 further includes: receiving or transmitting the transmission occurring at the same antenna panel or a different antenna panel of the at least one antenna panel.

[0110] In aspect 14, the method of any one of aspects 1-13 further includes: the beam application time report is the same for the downlink and uplink communications of the UE, wherein the downlink and uplink communications of the UE utilize the same antenna panel or different antenna panels of the UE having the same beam application time.

[0111] In aspect 15, the method of any one of aspects 1-14 further includes: the beam application time report is different for the downlink and uplink communication of the UE, wherein the downlink and uplink communication of the UE utilize different antenna panels with different beam application times.

[0112] In aspect 16, the method of any one of aspects 1-15 further includes: indicating in UE capability signaling or other uplink signaling whether the UE supports different beam application times for uplink and downlink communications.

[0113] Aspect 17 is an apparatus comprising one or more processors and one or more memories in electronic communication with the one or more processors, the one or more memories storing instructions executable by the one or more processors to enable a system or apparatus to perform the methods of any of Aspects 1-16.

[0114] Aspect 18 is a system or apparatus that includes means for implementing the method of any of aspects 1-16 or the apparatus of any of aspects 1-16.

[0115] Aspect 19 is a non-transitory computer-readable medium that stores instructions which can be executed by one or more processors to cause the one or more processors to implement the methods of any of Aspects 1-16.

[0116] Aspect 20 is a wireless communication method for a base station, comprising: receiving from a UE a beam application time report for at least one antenna panel of the UE, wherein the beam application time report includes a time for applying a beam for use by the at least one antenna panel; applying a beam at an antenna array of the base station based on the beam application time report to prepare for communication with the UE; and communicating with the UE using the beam of the antenna array of the base station at least during the time based on the beam application time report.

[0117] In aspect 21, the method of aspect 20 further includes: the beam application time report indicating that the time for applying the beam of the at least one antenna panel of the UE includes a first time slot that is at least X milliseconds or Y symbols later than the time by which the UE receives the combined or separate downlink / uplink beam indication.

[0118] In aspect 22, the method of aspect 20 or aspect 21 further includes: the beam application time report indicating that the time for applying the beam of the at least one antenna panel of the UE includes a first time slot that is at least X milliseconds or Y symbols later than the confirmed reception of the combined or separate downlink / uplink beam indication from the UE.

[0119] In aspect 23, the method of any one of aspects 20-22 further includes: the at least one antenna panel of the UE includes a plurality of antenna panels configured in a panel group, wherein the beam application time report corresponds to the panel group of the plurality of antenna panels of the UE.

[0120] In aspect 24, the method of any one of aspects 20-23 further includes: the plurality of antenna panels of the UE having different handover wait times, wherein the beam application time report indicates a beam application time based on the handover wait times of the respective plurality of antenna panels of the UE.

[0121] In aspect 25, the method of any one of aspects 20-24 further includes: the beam application time report is based on the panel power saving state of the at least one antenna panel of the UE, wherein the at least one antenna panel is in an active state, a light sleep state, or a deep sleep state.

[0122] In aspect 26, the method of any one of aspects 20-25 further includes: the beam application time report being included in a UE capability signal transmitted by the UE, wherein the transmission of the beam application time report in the UE capability signal occurs during the connection establishment procedure between the base station and the UE.

[0123] In aspect 27, the method of any one of aspects 20-26 further includes: the transmission of the beam application time report by the UE is triggered by the occurrence of an event, wherein the event that triggers the transmission of the beam application time report includes at least a panel group change at the UE or a panel power saving state change at the UE.

[0124] In aspect 28, the method of any one of aspects 20-27 further includes: the transmission of the UE’s application time report to the beam occurs periodically, non-periodically, or semi-persistently.

[0125] In aspect 29, the method of any one of aspects 20-28 further includes: the beam application time report includes a first report based on beam indication application time according to DCI or a second report based on beam indication application time according to MAC-CE.

[0126] In aspect 30, the method of any one of aspects 20-29 further includes: the beam application time of the first report or the second report is the same or different, wherein the beam application time report includes at least one of the first report or the second report.

[0127] In aspect 31, the method of any one of aspects 20-30 further includes: receiving from the UE an indication in UE capability signaling or other uplink signaling indicating whether the UE supports different beam application times for uplink and downlink communications.

[0128] Aspect 32 is an apparatus comprising one or more processors and one or more memories in electronic communication with the one or more processors, the one or more memories storing instructions executable by the one or more processors to enable a system or apparatus to perform the methods of any of aspects 20-31.

[0129] Aspect 33 is a system or apparatus that includes means for implementing the method or apparatus of any of aspects 20-31.

[0130] Aspect 34 is a non-transitory computer-readable medium that stores instructions which can be executed by one or more processors to cause the one or more processors to implement the methods of any of aspects 20-31.

[0131] The preceding description is provided to enable any person skilled in the art to practice the various aspects described herein. Various modifications to these aspects will readily be understood by those skilled in the art, and the universal principles defined herein may be applied to other aspects. Therefore, the claims are not intended to be limited to the aspects shown herein, but are to be granted the full scope consistent with the language of the claims, wherein references to the singular form of an element, unless specifically stated otherwise, are not intended to mean “one and only one,” but rather “one or more.” Terms such as “if,” “when,” and “at the time of” should be interpreted as meaning “under this condition,” rather than implying a direct temporal relationship or reaction. That is, these phrases (e.g., “when”) do not imply an immediate action in response to the occurrence of an action or during the occurrence of an action, but only imply that an action will occur when a condition is met, without requiring a specific or immediate temporal constraint for the action to occur. The term “exemplary” is used herein to mean “serving as an example, instance, or illustration.” Any aspect described herein as “exemplary” is not necessarily to be construed as superior to or overriding other aspects. Unless specifically stated otherwise, the term “some / a” refers to one or more. Combinations such as "at least one of A, B, or C", "one or more of A, B, or C", "at least one of A, B, and C", "one or more of A, B, and C", and "A, B, C, or any combination thereof" include any combination of A, B, and / or C, and may include multiple A, multiple B, or multiple C. Specifically, combinations such as "at least one of A, B, or C", "one or more of A, B, or C", "at least one of A, B, and C", "one or more of A, B, and C", and "A, B, C, or any combination thereof" may be only A, only B, only C, A and B, A and C, B and C, or A and B and C, wherein any such combination may include one or more members of A, B, or C. Elements of all aspects described throughout this disclosure that are presently or hereafter known to those skilled in the art are expressly incorporated herein by reference and are intended to be covered by the claims. Furthermore, nothing disclosed herein is intended as a donation to the public, whether or not such disclosure is explicitly stated in the claims. Terms such as “module,” “mechanism,” “element,” and “device” are not necessarily substitutes for the term “apparatus.” Thus, no claim element should be interpreted as an apparatus plus a function unless the element is explicitly stated using the phrase “apparatus for…”.

Claims

1. An apparatus for wireless communication at a user equipment (UE), comprising: Memory; as well as At least one processor, said at least one processor being coupled to the memory and configured to: Transmit a beam application time report for at least one antenna panel of the UE to the base station, wherein the beam application time report includes the time for applying a beam for use by the at least one antenna panel, at least in part, based on the frequency band covered by the at least one antenna panel. Based on the beam application time report, the beam is applied at at least one antenna panel of the UE to prepare for communication with the base station; as well as The beam of the at least one antenna panel is used to communicate with the base station at least during the time based on the beam application time report.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the beam application time report indicates that the time for applying the beam includes a first time slot that is at least X milliseconds or Y symbols later than the time at which the combined or separate downlink / uplink beam indication is received from the base station.

3. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the beam application time report indicating the time for applying the beam includes a first time slot that compares the receipt of a joint or individual downlink / uplink beam indication from the base station with a delay of at least X milliseconds or Y symbols.

4. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the at least one antenna panel comprises a plurality of antenna panels disposed in a panel group, wherein the beam application time report corresponds to the panel group of the plurality of antenna panels.

5. The apparatus of claim 4, wherein the plurality of antenna panels have different switching wait times, and wherein the beam application time report indicates the beam application time based on the switching wait times of the respective plurality of antenna panels.

6. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the beam application time report is based on the panel power-saving state of the at least one antenna panel, wherein the at least one antenna panel is in an active state, a light sleep state, or a deep sleep state.

7. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the beam application time report is included in a UE capability signal transmitted to the base station, wherein the transmission of the beam application time report in the UE capability signal occurs during a connection establishment procedure with the base station.

8. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the transmission of the beam application time report is triggered by the occurrence of an event, wherein the event triggering the transmission of the beam application time report includes at least a panel group change or a panel power saving state change.

9. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the transmission of the beam application time report occurs periodically, aperiodically, or semi-persistently.

10. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the beam application time report includes a first report based on beam indication application time according to downlink control information (DCI) or a second report based on beam indication application time according to media access control (MAC) control element (CE) (MAC-CE).

11. The apparatus of claim 10, wherein the beam application time of the first report or the second report is the same or different, wherein the beam application time report includes at least one of the first report or the second report.

12. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein, in order to communicate with the base station, the at least one processor is configured to: The beam is used at at least one antenna panel to receive or transmit data.

13. The apparatus of claim 12, wherein receiving or transmitting the transmission occurs at the same antenna panel or different antenna panels of the at least one antenna panel.

14. The apparatus of claim 12, wherein the beam application time report is the same for the downlink and uplink communications of the UE, wherein the downlink and uplink communications of the UE utilize the same antenna panel or different antenna panels of the UE having the same beam application time.

15. The apparatus of claim 12, wherein the beam application time report is different for the downlink and uplink communication of the UE, wherein the downlink and uplink communication of the UE utilize different antenna panels with different beam application times.

16. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the at least one processor is configured to: The UE capability signaling or other uplink signaling indicates whether the UE supports different beam application times for uplink and downlink communication.

17. A wireless communication method for a user equipment (UE), the method comprising: Transmit a beam application time report for at least one antenna panel of the UE to the base station, wherein the beam application time report includes the time for applying a beam for use by the at least one antenna panel, at least in part, based on the frequency band covered by the at least one antenna panel. Based on the beam application time report, the beam is applied at at least one antenna panel of the UE to prepare for communication with the base station; as well as The beam of the at least one antenna panel is used to communicate with the base station at least during the time based on the beam application time report.

18. An apparatus for conducting wireless communication at a base station, comprising: Memory; as well as At least one processor, said at least one processor being coupled to the memory and configured to: Receives a beam application time report for at least one antenna panel of the user equipment (UE), wherein the beam application time report includes the time for applying a beam for use by the at least one antenna panel, at least in part based on the frequency band covered by the at least one antenna panel. Based on the beam application time report, a beam is applied at the antenna array of the base station to prepare for communication with the UE; as well as The base station uses the beam of the antenna array to communicate with the UE at least during the time based on the beam application time report.

19. The apparatus of claim 18, wherein the beam application time report indicating the time for applying the beam of the at least one antenna panel of the UE includes a first time slot that is at least X milliseconds or Y symbols later than the time by which the UE receives the combined or separate downlink / uplink beam indication.

20. The apparatus of claim 18, wherein the beam application time report indicates that the time for applying the beam of the at least one antenna panel of the UE includes a first time slot that is at least X milliseconds or Y symbols later than the receipt of a combined or individual downlink / uplink beam indication from the UE.

21. The apparatus of claim 18, wherein the at least one antenna panel of the UE comprises a plurality of antenna panels configured in a panel group, wherein the beam application time report corresponds to the panel group of the plurality of antenna panels of the UE.

22. The apparatus of claim 21, wherein the plurality of antenna panels of the UE have different handover wait times, wherein the beam application time report indicates a beam application time based on the handover wait times of the respective plurality of antenna panels of the UE.

23. The apparatus of claim 18, wherein the beam application time report is based on the panel power-saving state of the at least one antenna panel of the UE, wherein the at least one antenna panel is in an active state, a light sleep state, or a deep sleep state.

24. The apparatus of claim 18, wherein the beam application time report is included in a UE capability signal transmitted by the UE, wherein the transmission of the beam application time report in the UE capability signal occurs during a connection establishment procedure between the base station and the UE.

25. The apparatus of claim 18, wherein the transmission of the beam application time report by the UE is triggered by the occurrence of an event, wherein the event triggering the transmission of the beam application time report includes at least a panel group change at the UE or a panel power saving state change at the UE.

26. The apparatus of claim 18, wherein the transmission of the beam application time report by the UE occurs periodically, aperiodically, or semi-persistently.

27. The apparatus of claim 18, wherein the beam application time report includes a first report based on beam indication application time according to downlink control information (DCI) or a second report based on beam indication application time according to media access control (MAC) control element (CE) (MAC-CE).

28. The apparatus of claim 27, wherein the beam application time of the first report or the second report is the same or different, wherein the beam application time report includes at least one of the first report or the second report.

29. The apparatus of claim 18, wherein the at least one processor is configured to: The UE receives an indication in UE capability signaling or other uplink signaling indicating whether the UE supports different beam application times for uplink and downlink communication.

30. A method for wireless communication in a base station, comprising: Receives a beam application time report for at least one antenna panel of the user equipment (UE), wherein the beam application time report includes the time for applying a beam for use by the at least one antenna panel, at least in part based on the frequency band covered by the at least one antenna panel. Based on the beam application time report, a beam is applied at the antenna array of the base station to prepare for communication with the UE; as well as The base station uses the beam of the antenna array to communicate with the UE at least during the time based on the beam application time report.