Beam selection based on user equipment device orientation

Abstract

In some examples described herein, a base station determines an initial set including one or more consecutive beams for transmitting a Synchronization Signal Block (SSB) signal based on a location of a user equipment (UE) device. The base station continuously transmits the SSB signal to the UE device via the initial set including one or more consecutive beams. In response to the UE device failing to successfully receive the SSB signal transmission via the initial set including one or more consecutive beams, the base station determines a second set including one or more consecutive beams for transmitting the SSB signal based on orientation information of the UE device. The base station continuously transmits the SSB signal to the UE device via the second set including one or more consecutive beams in a direction associated with the orientation information of the UE device.

Description

Claiming priority

[0001] This application claims priority to Provisional Patent Application No. 63 / 318697, entitled "POSITIONING ASSISTED INITIAL BEAMFORMING," docket number TPRO 00371 US, filed on March 10, 2022, and Provisional Patent Application No. 63 / 328847, entitled "BEAM SELECTION BASED ON UE'S HEADING," docket number TPRO 00372 US, filed on April 8, 2022, and is assigned to the assignee hereof, and is expressly incorporated by reference in its entirety. [Technical field]

[0002] The present invention relates generally to wireless communications, and more particularly to initial beam estimation for communication with a user equipment device (UE). [Background technology]

[0003] Beamforming is a traffic signaling system for cellular base stations that identifies the most efficient spatial direction to deliver data to a particular user equipment (UE) device while reducing interference to other UE devices in its vicinity. Rather than broadcasting a signal in all directions at once, beamforming focuses on a focused beam that points in the direction of a particular UE device. Summary of the Invention

[0004] In some examples described herein, a base station determines an initial set including one or more consecutive beams for transmitting a Synchronization Signal Block (SSB) signal based on a position of a user equipment (UE) device. The base station continuously transmits the SSB signal to the UE device via the initial set including one or more consecutive beams. In response to the UE device failing to successfully receive the SSB signal transmission via the initial set including one or more consecutive beams, a controller determines a second set including one or more consecutive beams for transmitting the SSB signal based on orientation information of the UE device. The base station continuously transmits the SSB signal to the UE device via the second set including one or more consecutive beams in a direction associated with the orientation information of the UE device. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0005] [Figure 1] 1 is a block diagram illustrating an example of a system for communicating with a base station and a UE device located at a particular angle and distance from the base station.

[0006] [Figure 2A] FIG. 2 is a block diagram illustrating an example of a base station.

[0007] [Figure 2B] FIG. 2 is a block diagram illustrating an example of a user equipment device.

[0008] [Diagram 3] 1 is a block diagram illustrating an example of a system in which a base station determines a distance to a UE device based on location information received from another UE device.

[0009] [Figure 4] 1 is a flow chart illustrating an example of a method for a base station to determine an initial beam for transmitting an SSB signal based on a location of a UE device. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0010] A multiple-input multiple-output (MIMO) base station uses multiple antennas to transmit signals to one or more destination UE devices. MIMO takes advantage of multipath propagation to simultaneously transmit and receive multiple data signals over the same wireless channel.

[0011] Because high frequency bands have large path losses, MIMO base stations transmit data to specific UE devices within the base station's coverage area using narrow beams. Obviously, narrow beams can only deliver signals to a part of the coverage area in a given time. Therefore, base stations perform beam sweeping to deliver signals to different parts of the coverage area.

[0012] Similarly, a UE device in the coverage area of ​​a base station also performs its own beam sweeping to determine the best link for communication with the base station. The UE device can obtain the best link when the pair of transmit beam and receive beam is optimal at a particular time. Depending on the number of beams and the size of the coverage area, beam sweeping may take time. In practice, beam sweeping is repeated several times from the first non-optimal beam pair. Then, channel state information (CSI) between the base station and the UE device is exchanged, and beam refinement is performed until the optimal pair of transmit beam and receive beam is determined.

[0013] In the 3rd Generation Partnership Project (3GPP) 5G New Radio (NR) communications standard, a base station transmits an SSB signal in one direction using one beam, and then transmits the next SSB signal in another direction using another beam during beam sweeping. The SSB signal is repeatedly transmitted in different directions using different beams until it is effectively transmitted to all parts of the coverage area. This burst of SSB transmission is known to UE devices within the coverage area of ​​the base station and is repeated at regular periods (e.g., time intervals).

[0014] The UE device performs beam strength measurements for each received SSB transmission. Based on a comparison of the beam strength measurements, the UE device transmits a report (e.g., an SSB index) to the base station indicating the best beam. The report from the UE device enables the base station to determine an initial beam direction to apply for transmission to the UE device.

[0015] The total time required for the UE device to determine the optimal beam pair is a function of the number of beams received by the UE device and the period of SSB transmission. A large number of beams can cause a large delay. If a small number of beams are used to save time, the UE device may select a wider beam (e.g., to cover a larger area) and may cause interference to other nearby UE devices. In such a case, the base station needs to receive CSI reports from nearby UE devices in order to improve beamforming to mitigate interference. This improvement causes additional delay and signaling overhead. The apparatus, system, and method described below can reduce the delays and inefficiencies associated with the beam sweeping process described above and are currently used to determine the optimal beam pair.

[0016] For example, the apparatus, system, and method described herein utilizes the location and / or orientation information of the UE device to determine an initial beam or an initial set of beams for initial transmission. Here, there are several ways to obtain the geographical location of the UE device within the coverage area of ​​the base station. One method is for a Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS)-enabled UE device to transmit its location to the base station. Another method to obtain the geographical location of the UE device is Device-to-Device (D2D) positioning, which has low signal overhead and low latency.

[0017] Alternatively, the base station requests the UE device to transmit a Sounding Reference Signal (SRS) or a Positioning Reference Signal (PRS) received from other nearby base stations. In an SRS-based process, the base station determines the geographic location of the UE device by measuring the strength of the received SRS signal and the Angle of Arrival (AoA) of the SRS signal. In a PRS-based process, the base station uses triangulation to calculate the location of the UE device.

[0018] The above-described UE device location determination method facilitates the construction of a positioning database that lists UE device identifiers (UE IDs) and their associated geographic locations. The base station continuously tracks the location of each UE device by requesting periodic transmission of location information (e.g., D2D neighbor list, SRS, PRS measurements, etc.) associated with the UE device.

[0019] A direct communication channel between a base station having multiple transmission elements and a single-antenna UE device is known as a Multiple-In Signal-Output (MISO) Line-Of-Sight (LOS) channel. In a MISO LOS channel, the UE device has a LOS channel in a particular direction and distance (e.g., channel vector, h) from the multi-antenna base station. An example of a MISO LOS channel is shown in FIG. 1 and described in more detail below with reference to FIG. 1.

[0020] The embodiments described herein are directed to a base station utilizing a uniform linear antenna (ULA) array, in which antenna elements are equally spaced along a line, but the concepts described herein may be applied to other array structures, MIMO configurations, etc.

[0021] In some examples, the MISO transmission path between the base station and the UE device is based on the number of antenna elements N of the base station and the distance d between the base station and the UE device. Because the dimension of the antenna array is much smaller than the distance between the base station and the UE device, the path attenuation corresponding to each antenna element of the MISO transmission path determined by the carrier frequency channel model is the same.

[0022] In some examples described herein, a base station determines an initial set including one or more consecutive beams for transmitting a Synchronization Signal Block (SSB) signal based on a position of a user equipment (UE) device. The base station continuously transmits the SSB signal to the UE device via the initial set including one or more consecutive beams. In response to the UE device failing to successfully receive the SSB signal transmission via the initial set including one or more consecutive beams, a controller determines a second set including one or more consecutive beams for transmitting the SSB signal based on orientation information of the UE device. The base station continuously transmits the SSB signal to the UE device via the second set including one or more consecutive beams in a direction associated with the orientation information of the UE device.

[0023] Although various examples are described separately herein, features of any example may be added to, omitted from, or combined with other examples. Similarly, any of the features of any example may be performed in parallel, or in a different manner / order than described or illustrated herein, etc.

[0024] Figure 1 is a block diagram illustrating an example of a system for communicating with a base station and a UE device located at a particular angle and distance from the base station. For simplicity, only one UE device 102 is illustrated in Figure 1. However, in other examples, any number of UE devices may be utilized.

[0025] As shown in FIG. 2B, the user equipment device (UE) 102 includes a controller 216, a transmitter 218, a receiver 214, and an antenna 212, as well as other electronic devices, hardware, and software code. In this specification, the UE device 102 may also be referred to as a UE or a wireless communication device (WCD). The UE 102 is wirelessly connected to a radio access network (not shown) that provides various wireless services to the UE 102 via a base station 106. In the example shown in FIG. 1, the UE 102 operates according to at least one revision of the 3rd Generaiton Partnership Project 5G New Radio (3GPP 5G NR) communication standard. In other examples, the UE 102 may operate according to other communication standards. In the example shown in FIG. 1, the UE 102 has the same components, circuits, and configuration as the UE 102 of FIG. 2B. However, in other examples, the UE 102 of FIG. 1 may have different components, circuits, and configuration than the UE 102 of FIG. 2B.

[0026] The UE 102 is any fixed, mobile, or portable device that performs the functions described herein. The various functions and operations of the blocks described with reference to the UE 102 may be implemented in any number of devices, circuits, or elements. Two or more of the functional blocks may be integrated into a single device, and multiple functions described as being performed in any single device may be implemented across multiple devices.

[0027] The controller 216 includes any combination of hardware, software, and / or firmware to perform the functions described herein and facilitate the overall functionality of the user equipment device. One example of a suitable controller 216 includes software code executing on a microprocessor or processor disposed in connection with memory. The transmitter 218 includes electronics for transmitting wireless signals. In some circumstances, the transmitter 218 may include multiple transmitters. The receiver 214 includes electronics for receiving wireless signals. In some circumstances, the receiver 214 may include multiple receivers. The receiver 214 and the transmitter 218 receive and transmit signals, respectively, via the antenna 212. The antenna 212 may include a separate transmit antenna and a separate receive antenna. In some circumstances, the antenna 212 may include multiple transmit and receive antennas.

[0028] The transmitter 218 and receiver 214 in the example of FIG. 2B perform Radio Frequency (RF) processing, including modulation and demodulation. Thus, the receiver 214 may include components such as Low Noise Amplifiers (LNAs) and filters. The transmitter 218 includes filters and amplifiers. Other components may include isolators, matching circuits, other RF components, etc. These components perform the functions of the user equipment device in combination or cooperation with other components. The components required may depend on the particular functionality required by the user equipment device.

[0029] The transmitter 218 includes a modulator (not shown) and the receiver 214 includes a demodulator (not shown). The modulator can apply any one of a number of modulation orders to modulate the signal transmitted by the transmitter 218. The demodulator demodulates the received signal according to one of a number of modulation orders.

[0030] For clarity and brevity, only one base station is shown in FIG. 1. However, in other examples, any suitable number of base stations may be utilized. In the example shown in FIG. 1, base station 106 provides wireless service to multiple UE devices within a coverage area 108. Although not explicitly shown, coverage area 108 may be comprised of multiple cells. In the example shown in FIG. 1, base station 106, which may also be referred to as a gNodeB or gNB, may receive uplink messages from UE devices and transmit downlink messages to UE devices.

[0031] The base station 106 is connected to the network via a backhaul (not shown) according to known techniques. As shown in FIG. 2A, the base station 106 comprises a controller 204, a transmitter 206, a receiver 208, and an antenna 210, as well as other electronics, hardware, and code. The base station 106 is any fixed, mobile, or portable device that performs the functions described herein. The various functions and operations of the blocks described with reference to the base station 106 may be implemented in any number of devices, circuits, or elements. Two or more functional blocks may be integrated into a single device, and multiple functional blocks performed in any single device may be implemented across multiple devices.

[0032] In the example shown in FIG. 2A, the base station 106 may be a fixed device or equipment that is installed at a specific location during system installation. Examples of such devices include fixed base stations or fixed transceiver stations. In some circumstances, the base station 106 may be a mobile device that is temporarily installed at a specific location. Examples of such devices include possible mobile transceiver stations that include power generation equipment such as generators, solar panels, and / or batteries. Larger and heavier versions of such equipment may be transported on trailers. Additionally, in other circumstances, the base station 106 may be a portable device that is not fixed to a specific location. Thus, in some circumstances, the base station 106 may be a portable user device such as a UE device.

[0033] The controller 204 includes any combination of hardware, software, and / or firmware for performing the functions described herein and facilitating the overall functionality of the base station 106. An example of a suitable controller 204 includes a microprocessor or code executing on a processor arranged in connection with memory. The transmitter 206 includes electronics for transmitting wireless signals. In some circumstances, the transmitter 206 may include multiple transmitters. The receiver 208 includes electronics for receiving wireless signals. In some circumstances, the receiver 208 may include multiple receivers. The receiver 208 and the transmitter 206 receive and transmit signals, respectively, via an antenna 210. The antenna 210 may include a separate transmit antenna and a separate receive antenna. In some circumstances, the antenna 210 may include multiple transmit and receive antennas.

[0034] The transmitter 206 and receiver 208 in the example of FIG. 2A perform radio frequency (RF) processing including modulation and demodulation. Thus, the receiver 208 may include components such as a low noise amplifier (LNA) and a filter. The transmitter 206 may include a filter and an amplifier. Other components may include isolators, matching circuits, other RF components, etc. These components may be combined or cooperated with other components to perform the functions of a base station. The components required will vary depending on the particular functionality required by the base station.

[0035] The transmitter 206 includes a modulator (not shown) and the receiver 208 includes a demodulator (not shown). The modulator can apply any one of a number of modulation orders to modulate the signal to be transmitted. The demodulator demodulates any uplink signals received at the base station 106 according to one of a number of modulation orders.

[0036] As shown in the example of FIG. 1, the system 100 includes a base station 106 having a coverage area 108. A UE device 102 (e.g., a UE A ) is located within the coverage area 108. More specifically, the UE device 102 is located at an angle φ Aalong the line at a distance d from the base station 106 A In the example shown in FIG. A is the horizontal angle (e.g., azimuth angle) from a reference direction (e.g., north). In another example, the angle φ A may be determined relative to any other suitable reference direction.

[0037] In operation, the base station 106, utilizing the controller 204, determines an initial estimate of at least one characteristic value of the MISO transmission path based on the location of the UE device 102. In this regard, rather than performing a beam sweeping operation throughout the base station's coverage area, as described above, the initial estimate of at least one characteristic value of the MISO transmission path is the first step in determining an initial beam along which the SSB signal is transmitted. The techniques for determining the initial beam described herein may be performed in some examples at any time when the base station and the UE device seek to initiate or coordinate communication with each other via beamforming. The MISO transmission path is characterized by a vector (e.g., direction and distance) between the base station 106 and the UE device 102. In some examples, the base station 106 may obtain the location of the UE device 102 by any suitable method, including the methods described above.

[0038] In some examples, at least one characteristic value of the MISO transmission line is a complex gain coefficient measured at each antenna element for each subcarrier. In some examples, the complex gain can be expressed as a magnitude-angle value or a real-imaginary value. Thus, a vector characterizing the MISO transmission line can be established or adjusted by setting the complex gain coefficient. To adjust the vector, other characteristic values ​​can be manipulated by adding them to the complex gain coefficient.

[0039] The base station 106 further utilizes the control unit 204 to apply a precoder to the Synchronization Signal Block (SSB) signal to determine an initial beam for transmitting the SSB signal. Precoding is a technique that utilizes transmit diversity (e.g., diversity from each antenna element of the base station) to appropriately weight the information stream (e.g., the SSB signal) to maximize the signal power when transmitting the signal to a receiving device (e.g., a UE device). The precoder is based on an initial estimate of at least one characteristic value of the MISO transmission path.

[0040] In some examples, the precoder is one of a number of predefined precoders and steers the initial beam at an incidence angle towards the location of the UE device 102. In some examples, the complex conjugate of the MISO channel is considered the optimal precoder. In other examples, a Minimum-Mean-Squared Error (MMSE) or Zero-Forcing precoder is utilized.

[0041] Once the initial beam is determined, the base station 106 transmits the SSB signal to the UE device 102 via the initial beam via the transmitter 206 and antenna 210. In some examples, the SSB signal is transmitted with a transmit power based on the distance between the UE device 102 and the base station 106.

[0042] The UE device 102 receives the SSB signal on the initial beam via the antenna 212 and the receiver 214. In response to receiving the SSB signal, the UE device 102 transmits a received signal strength of the SSB signal to the base station 106 via the transmitter 218 and the antenna 212. In some examples, the UE device 102 transmits the received signal strength of the SSB signal before a predefined timer expires. In a further example, the predefined timer is a network-configured timer.

[0043] The base station 106 receives the received signal strength of the SSB signal from the UE device 102 via the antenna 210 and the receiver 208. In some examples, the base station 106, in response to receiving the received signal strength of the SSB signal, adjusts the SSB signal for retransmission to the UE device 102 utilizing the transmitter 206 based on the received signal strength of the received SSB signal. In a further example, the base station 106 adjusts the transmit power of the SSB signal for retransmission to the UE device 102 utilizing the transmitter 206.

[0044] The operation of the system 100 of FIG. 1 described above is generally applicable to the example of a MISO transmission path between a gNB and a UE device having a low angular spread, since the initial SSB beam transmission is more likely to be successful in the MISO transmission path between the gNB and the UE device having a low angular spread. However, there may be scenarios in which the initial beamforming scheme is not optimal depending on the location of the UE device. One example of such a situation is when the UE device does not report back the received signal strength before a predetermined timer expires (e.g., when the UE moves to another location). Another reason for the UE device not reporting back is that the MISO transmission path between the gNB and the UE has a high angular spread (e.g., in the case of Non-Line-Of-Sight: NLOS), and the UE device was not able to successfully receive the SSB transmission on the initial beam.

[0045] One way to deal with UE device mobility and / or NLOS situations is to use a group of contiguous GoB (Grid of Beams) beams to make an initial transmission in the direction of the UE device's location. The selected group of contiguous GoB beams is transmitted one group at a time. If the UE device fails to receive the transmission by the first group of beams successfully, the gNB selects another group of narrow beams in a direction that is a predetermined number of degrees away from the transmission direction of the first group of beams. Then, the gNB selects another group of narrow beams on the opposite side of the transmission direction of the first group of beams, and so on. It should be noted that this method assumes that a short reporting period is given. This is because in a short reporting period, it is likely that the UE device's location has not changed much since it was last reported. In general, this approach is better than initiating an exhaustive beam search in random beam directions.

[0046] Thus, in some examples, to perform the above-described method, the base station 106 utilizes the transmitter 206 and antenna 210 to continuously transmit the SSB signal to the UE device 102 via a beam (e.g., in addition to the initial beam) or additional consecutive beams (e.g., consecutive beams in addition to the initial beam). In further examples, the base station 106 utilizes the transmitter 206 and antenna 210 to continuously transmit the SSB signal to the UE device 102 via a second group including a beam or consecutive beams. In these examples, the second group is separated from the first group in a first direction by a predefined number of degrees (e.g., 5 degrees) (e.g., φ A In yet another example, the base station 106 utilizes the transmitter 206 and antenna 210 to transmit the SSB signal continuously to the UE device 102 via a third group including a single beam or a plurality of consecutive beams. In these examples, the third group is spaced a predefined number of degrees (e.g., 5 degrees) from the first group in the second direction (e.g., φ A counterclockwise).

[0047] In an example where there are at least two UE devices within the coverage area 108, device-to-device (D2D) positioning may be utilized to provide location information of the UE devices to the base station 106. One potential advantage of D2D positioning over GNSS / SRS / PRS positioning schemes is that D2D positioning has lower signaling overhead and latency. Figure 3 illustrates an example of using D2D positioning in the system 100.

[0048] More specifically, Figure 3 is a block diagram of an example of the system of Figure 1 having a base station that determines a distance to a UE device based on location information received from another UE device that is already connected (e.g., in communication with the base station). A The UE device 104 is called a UE B In the example of Figure 3, the UE device 104 has the same components, circuitry, and configuration as the UE 102 of Figure 2B. However, in other examples, the UE 104 may have different components, circuitry, and configuration than the UE 102 of Figure 2B.

[0049] Considering the two UE scenarios shown in Figure 3, the UE A 102 is UE A 102 and UE B Distance d is the distance between AB The base station 106 reports the UE distance d AB By applying the above, the base station 106 and the UE B Distance d between 104 B The base station 106 calculates d A and d B Using the UE A 102 and UE B The base station 106 also uses AoS(θ) to calculate the angle of separation (AoS) between the UE 104 and the base station 106. B φ is the angle of incidence toward 104 B =φ A Then, the base station 106 calculates +θ. BThe base station 106 estimates the transmission path between the base station 106 and the UE 104. B 104, a beam precoder based on the transmission path between the UE and the SSB signal is applied to the SSB signal. B 104 determines an initial beam for transmitting an SSB signal to be connected thereto.

[0050] In this way, the UE distance d AB If available, the base station 106 may, at least for the first transmission, provide the UE B 104, which reduces the signaling overhead and processing delay. A Select a GoB beam or SSB index that is far from the GoB beam or SSB index that is directed to 102 by AoS θ. In this example, B The beam heading for 104 is at a distance d B has a gain proportional to

[0051] Thus, in an example performed according to the D2D positioning method, at least one characteristic value of the MISO transmission path is a distance between the UE device and another UE device (e.g., UE-to-UE distance d AB In a further example, the distance between the base station 106 and the UE device (e.g., d B ) may be used by another UE device (e.g., A In yet another example, the at least one characteristic value of the MISO transmission path is based on location information received from a UE device (e.g., UE B 104) position (e.g., φ B In another example, the initial beam is based on another UE device (e.g., A 102). In some of these examples, the initial beam is directed to a UE device (e.g., UE 104) from the base station 106 by a separation angle (e.g., θ). B 104) distance (e.g., d B )

[0052] In another example of handling UE mobility and / or NLOS situations, an initial set including one or more contiguous Grid of Beams (GoB) beams is selected for initial transmission in the direction of the UE's location. The selected set of contiguous GoB beams are transmitted one at a time (e.g., consecutively). If the UE device fails to successfully receive the transmission over the initial set of beams, the gNB selects another set of beams for retransmission based on the UE's orientation information. In another example, the gNB selects and applies a precoder from a different set of wide GoB precoders instead of selecting a different set of narrow GoB beams.

[0053] To perform the above process in which a set of different beams is selected, the base station 106, using the control unit 204, determines an initial set including one or more consecutive beams for transmitting the SSB signal based on the location of the UE device 102. The base station 106 transmits the SSB signal to the UE device 102 via the initial set including one or more consecutive beams via the transmitter unit 206 and antenna 210. In response to the UE device 102 failing to successfully receive the transmission of the SSB signal via the initial set including one or more consecutive beams, the base station 106, using the control unit 204, determines a second set including one or more consecutive beams for transmitting the SSB signal based on the orientation information of the UE device 102. The base station 106, using the transmitter unit 206 and antenna 210, continuously transmits the SSB signal to the UE device 102 via the second set including one or more consecutive beams in a direction related to the orientation information of the UE device 102.

[0054] In some examples, the UE device periodically transmits relevant information (e.g., SRS, PRS measurements, or D2D neighbor list) that allows the gNB to track the orientation of the UE device. In some examples, the gNB transmits a request for the relevant information (e.g., SRS, PRS measurements, and / or neighbor list) to the UE device via a System Information Block (SIB) message. In other examples, the UE device may be pre-configured by the network to provide the relevant information.

[0055] In an example where the base station requests the relevant information, the base station 106 utilizes the transmitter 206 and antenna 210 to transmit one or more indications to the UE device 102 instructing the UE device 102 when to start and stop periodic transmission of the relevant information. In some examples, the base station 106 transmits the one or more indications in a SIB message. In other examples, the base station 106 transmits the one or more indications in a paging message to inform the specific UE device of the periodic transmission and provide a time period for the periodic transmission (e.g., when to stop the periodic transmission). In a further example, the base station 106 transmits the one or more indications to the specific UE device via dedicated signaling. In a further example, the one or more indications may include a destination Layer 2 identifier (ID) applicable to a specific UE device, a group of UE devices, or a specific application. In one example, the one or more indications may inform the RRC connected UE device to obtain location information of neighboring UE devices according to the destination Layer 2 identifier or L2ID. In another example, the one or more indications may inform the RRC connected UE device to relay the indication to a neighboring UE device according to a destination Layer 2 identifier or L2ID.

[0056] The base station 106 utilizes the antenna 210 and the receiver 208 to receive periodic transmissions of relevant information from the UE device 102. The base station 106 utilizes the controller 204 to determine orientation information of the UE device 102 based on the periodic transmissions.

[0057] Returning to the example of FIG. 3 where there are at least two UEs within the coverage area 108, Device-to-Device (D2D) positioning can provide the base station 106 with location information of the UEs to facilitate selecting a set of beams for continuously transmitting SSB signals. In some examples, the UEs B 104 transmits the UE signal via an antenna 212 and a receiver 214. A From 102, UE B 104. When the PC5 communication link is established, the UE A 102 is UE B 104 to start transmitting relevant information over a PC5 communication link. A 102 sends the instruction in a PC5-Radio Resource Control (PC5-RRC) message or a PC5-S message. B 104 communicates with the UE via a PC5 communication link. A 102 is UE B 104 and transmits one or more signals to the base station 106 to report the orientation information to the UE. A 102. In some examples, the UE A 102 is UE B The one or more signals for determining the orientation information of 104 are reference signals.

[0058] In another example, the UE B 104 is UE A Via a discovery message from 102, UE B UE to 104 B 104. In response, the UE B 104 is UE B 104, including positioning information related to the UE A 102 is UE B 104 transmits one or more signals for determining orientation information.

[0059] As mentioned above, in another example, the UE A 102 and UE B104 establishes a PC5-RRC connection. This is a faster method than waiting for a timely discovery message. A 102 is UE B 104 to request orientation information. Thus, in these examples, B 104, via a PC5-RRC message, A 102 to UE B 104. In response, the UE B 104 is UE B 104, including positioning information related to the UE A 102 is UE B In a further example, the PC5-RRC connection may include transmitting one or more signals to the UE to determine the orientation information of the UE. B 104 is UE A 102 can facilitate sharing more information, for example including measured Reference Signal Received Power (RSRP) and camped cell identifier (Cell ID) as part of the orientation information in addition to Sidelink-RSRP (SL-RSRP).

[0060] UE A 102 is UE B Once the orientation information of 104 is determined / obtained, the UE A 102 reports the orientation information to the base station 106. The base station 106 A 102 to UE B 104. In some examples, the UE A 102, via dedicated signaling or traffic data (e.g., when in RRC CONNECTED state), B 104 reports location, positioning, and / or orientation information to base station 106 .

[0061] In another example, the UE A 102 performs all or part of a Radio Resource Control (RRC) connection procedure to a base station 106 to allow the UE B104 to the base station 106. Thus, in some examples, the UE A 102 is UE B Before reporting the orientation information of the UE 104 to the base station 106, the UE 104 transitions to an RRC CONNECTED state with the base station 106. A The UE 102 provides the pointing information to the base station 106 in an RRC establishment request message (e.g., Msg 3) during the RRC connection establishment request. After the base station 106 receives the pointing information in Msg 3 and before the RRC connection is completed, the UE A Since the UE 102 does not need to be connected to the base station 106, the base station 106 A Release 102.

[0062] In another example, the UE A 102 transmits the UE B The UE reports the orientation information of 104 to the base station 106. SDT is a process that allows data and / or signaling transmission while remaining in the RRC_INACTIVE state (e.g., without transitioning to the RRC CONNECTED state). In some examples, SDT is enabled on a radio bearer and initiated by the UE when (1) the amount of uplink data pending transmission on all radio bearers is less than the amount configured for enabling SDT, (2) the downlink Reference Signal Received Power (RSRP) exceeds a configured threshold, and (3) valid SDT resources are available. The SDT process is initiated by a transmission on a Random-Access Channel (RACH) (e.g., configured via a SIB) or a type-1 Configured Grant (CG) resource, so that the UE can transmit packets without having to send a scheduling request to the base station. On the RACH, the network configures two-step and / or four-step Random-Access (RA) resources for SDT.

[0063] In some instances, the UE A 102 to UEB Upon receiving the orientation information from 104, the base station 106 B Using the orientation information of 104, the UE B In another example, the base station 106 may select a set of beams for transmitting the SSB signal to the UE 104 before transmitting the SSB signal via a second set of one or more contiguous beams. B Based on the orientation information of 104, the precoder to be applied to the SSB signal is determined. As described above, in some examples, the UE devices exchange location information by establishing a PC5 connection. In other examples, the UE devices exchange location information based on the distance d between the UE devices. AB To calculate B Measure the reference signal transmitted by 104. A 102 is UE B 104 orientation information and distance d AB The base station 106 reports the distance d AB Using this, distance d B , separation angle θ, and UE B Once the base station 106 has determined the second set of one or more contiguous beams and / or the precoder, the base station 106 may derive orientation information associated with the UE 104 via the second set of one or more contiguous beams. B The set of SSB signals is continuously transmitted in a direction associated with the orientation information of 104 .

[0064] 4 is a flow chart illustrating an example of a method for a base station to determine an initial beam for transmitting an SSB signal based on a location of a UE device. In step 402, the base station determines an initial estimate of at least one characteristic value of a MISO transmission path based on the location of the UE device. The MISO transmission path is characterized by a vector between the base station and the UE device.

[0065] In step 404, the base station applies a precoder to the SSB signal to determine an initial beam for transmitting the SSB signal. The precoder is based on an initial estimate of at least one characteristic value of the MISO transmission path. In step 406, the base station transmits the SSB signal to the UE device via the initial beam. In step 408, the base station receives a received signal strength of the SSB signal from the UE device. In step 410, the base station adjusts the SSB signal based on the received signal strength for retransmission to the UE device.

[0066] In other examples, one or more of the steps of method 400 may be omitted, combined, performed in parallel, or performed in a different order than that described herein and shown in Figure 4. In yet other examples, additional steps may be added to method 400 that are not explicitly described in connection with the embodiment shown in Figure 4.

[0067] Clearly, other embodiments and modifications of the present invention will occur to those skilled in the art in view of these teachings. The above description is illustrative and not limiting. The present invention is intended to be limited only by the following claims, which include all such embodiments and modifications, when viewed in conjunction with the above specification and accompanying drawings. Therefore, the scope of the present invention should not be determined with reference to the above description, but should instead be determined with reference to the appended claims along with their full scope of equivalents.

Claims

1. A controller that determines an initial set including one or more contiguous beams for transmitting Synchronization Signal Block (SSB) signals based on a location of a user equipment (UE) device; a transmitter configured to continuously transmit the SSB signal to the UE device via the initial set including one or more continuous beams; In response to the UE device failing to successfully receive the transmission of the SSB signal via the initial set including one or more consecutive beams, the control unit further determines a second set including one or more consecutive beams for transmitting the SSB signal based on orientation information of the UE device, and the transmission unit further continuously transmits the SSB signal to the UE device via the second set including one or more consecutive beams in a direction related to the orientation information of the UE device. Base station.

2. a receiver for receiving periodic transmissions from the UE device; The controller is further configured to determine the orientation information of the UE device based on the periodic transmissions. The base station according to claim 1 .

3. The transmitting unit further transmits one or more instructions to the UE device indicating start and end timings of the periodic transmission of the UE device. The base station according to claim 2.

4. The transmitter is further configured to transmit the one or more instructions in a System Information Block (SIB) message. The base station according to claim 3.

5. The one or more instructions include a destination Layer 2 Identifier (ID). The base station according to claim 3.

6. The transmitter is further configured to transmit the one or more indications in a paging message that triggers the periodic transmissions and provides a time period for the periodic transmissions. The base station according to claim 3.

7. The transmitter is further configured to transmit the one or more indications via dedicated signaling. The base station according to claim 3.

8. and a receiving unit for receiving the orientation information of the UE device from another UE device. The base station according to claim 1 .

9. The receiving unit receives the orientation information of the UE device via Small Data Transmission (SDT). The base station according to claim 8.

10. The control unit further applies a precoder to the SSB signal before transmitting the SSB signal via the second set including one or more contiguous beams, the precoder being based on the orientation information of the UE device. The base station according to claim 8.

11. A first user equipment (UE) device, a receiving unit for receiving a request from a second UE device to establish a PC5 communication link with the first UE device; a transmitter configured to transmit, via the PC5 communication link, one or more signals to the second UE device for the second UE device to determine orientation information of the first UE device and report the orientation information to a base station; The receiver receives a Synchronization Signal Block (SSB) signal transmitted as part of a set of SSB signals transmitted continuously from the base station via a set including one or more consecutive beams in a direction associated with the orientation information of the first UE device. A first user equipment (UE) device.

12. The second UE device reports the orientation information of the first UE device to the base station via Small Data Transmission (SDT). The first user equipment (UE) device of claim 11.

13. The second UE device transitions to a Radio Resource Control (RRC) CONNECTED state with the base station before reporting the orientation information of the first UE device to the base station. The first user equipment (UE) device of claim 11.

14. The receiver further receives a request to transmit positioning information associated with the first UE device to the first UE device via a discovery message from the second UE device, and the one or more signals for the second UE device to determine the orientation information of the first UE device include the positioning information associated with the first UE device. The first user equipment (UE) device of claim 11.

15. The receiving unit further receives a request for transmitting positioning information associated with the first UE device to the first UE device via a PCS-Radio Resource Control (PC5-RRC) message from the second UE device, and the one or more signals for the second UE device to determine the orientation information of the first UE device include the positioning information associated with the first UE device. The first user equipment (UE) device of claim 11.

16. The one or more signals for the second UE device to determine orientation information of the first UE device are reference signals. The first user equipment (UE) device of claim 11.

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