Traffic-aware beam management for beam switching deferral

Abstract

This disclosure provides a system, device, apparatus, and method for beam management for beam switching deferral, including a computer program encoded on a storage medium. A UE receives multiple beams from a network entity for signal quality measurement (408, 708). The UE communicates with the network entity via a first beam of the multiple beams. Based on the fact that the signal quality of the second beam is higher than that of the first beam and the signal quality of the first beam is below a traffic type threshold, the UE sends a message to the network entity indicating a request to defer beam switching from the first beam to the second beam of the multiple beams for at least a subset of the communication channels (416, 516, 616, 716).

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This disclosure generally relates to wireless communication, and more specifically to beam management in wireless communication.

Background Art

[0002] The 3rd Generation Partnership Project (3GPP (registered trademark)) defines a radio interface called 5th Generation (5G) New Radio (5G NR). The architecture for a 5G NR wireless communication system includes a 5G Core (5GC) network, a 5G Radio Access Network (5G-RAN), user equipment (UE), etc. The 5G NR architecture aims to improve data rate, reduce latency, and / or increase capacity compared to previous-generation cellular communication systems.

[0003] A wireless communication system generally provides various telecommunication services (such as telephone, video, data, messaging, broadcast, etc.) based on multiple access technologies such as Orthogonal Frequency Division Multiple Access (OFDMA) technology that supports communication with multiple UEs. With the improvement of mobile broadband, the progress of such wireless communication technologies continues. For example, wireless Extended Reality (XR) communication provides a better degree of freedom of movement because geographical or behavioral restrictions are removed wirelessly, enabling XR users to move freely. However, it is difficult to achieve high data rate, high reliability, and low latency for XR communication in a wireless network.

Summary of the Invention

[0004] Below, a brief overview of one or more embodiments is presented to provide a basic understanding of such embodiments. This overview is not a comprehensive overview of all embodiments intended. This overview does not identify any important or definitive elements of all embodiments, nor does it define the scope of any or all embodiments. Its sole purpose is to present some concepts of one or more embodiments in a simplified form as a prelude to the more detailed explanations that will be presented later.

[0005] XR includes Augmented Reality (AR), Virtual Reality (VR), and Mixed Reality (MR). XR traffic includes traffic flows of downlink (DL) VR traffic or uplink (UL) AR traffic, and UL traffic flows that transmit attitude / control information that reflects the user's position and movement to adjust AR / VR content. XR traffic is quasi-periodic traffic with a duration equal to the reciprocal of the XR frame rate. In some scenarios, XR traffic is affected by jitter due to variations in the delay for encoding video frames.

[0006] XR traffic requires high data rates, high reliability, and low latency, which can be difficult to achieve in wireless networks susceptible to fading, mobility, and other factors. XR traffic is also susceptible to events that may interfere with the transmission of UL AR video traffic or DL ​​VR video traffic. These events include beam switching, bandwidth portion (BWP) switching, channel status information (CSI) measurement and reporting, and / or radio resource management (RRM) measurement. Some of these events can cause latency and jitter in XR traffic, potentially degrading / interfering with the quality of user experience (QoE).

[0007] For example, a beam switching procedure may include beam instruction from a network (NW) entity, beam fault recovery triggered by user equipment (UE), and / or random access channel (RACH) procedures (excluding physical random access channel (PRACH) via a physical downlink control channel (PDCCH) instruction dedicated to a primary cell (PCell)). To complete the beam switching procedure, the UE identifies a first parameter of the UE beam corresponding to the new network entity beam, a second parameter of DL pseudo-collocation (QCL) type A related parameters, and a third parameter of UL power control path loss. The time delay required for the UE to identify these three parameters can cause latency and interfere with XR communication.

[0008] This disclosure addresses the above and other shortcomings by delaying or postponing events such as beam switching, where possible, to reduce the impact on XR traffic. In some examples, when the new beam is of higher quality than the old beam, but the old beam can still provide a threshold level of performance to support XR traffic, the UE may send a message to the network entity indicating that it will postpone switching to the new beam. For example, the UE may send an acknowledgment / negation (ACK / NACK) to inform the network entity of the UE's preference regarding whether to continue using the old beam or switch to the new beam. The network entity may set specific criteria for the ACK / NACK decision, such as achieving a block error rate (BLER), packet error rate (PER), latency threshold, packet data unit (PDU) set error rate (PSER) threshold, PDU set latency threshold, data burst error rate threshold, or / or data burst latency threshold. In another example, the UE may report its desired action time for the new beam. The UE's desired action time may indicate when the UE is ready to begin communicating with the network entity through the new beam. For example, the UE can report the nearest time to apply a new beam that reduces the impact on XR traffic. In some cases, beam switching applies to a subset of channels. Network entities may still schedule some channels on the old beam to maintain XR traffic. For example, the UE can maintain both the new and old beams, but the new beam is for non-XR traffic and the old beam is for XR traffic. Other channels (non-XR channels) can switch to the new beam, and then, when XR traffic stabilizes, XR traffic can switch to the new beam. In other cases, some of the XR traffic (e.g., less important XR traffic) may be offloaded to the new beam.

[0009] In some embodiments, the UE receives multiple beams from a network entity for signal quality measurement. The UE communicates with the network entity via a first beam among the multiple beams. Based on the fact that the signal quality of the second beam is higher than that of the first beam and the signal quality of the first beam is below a traffic type threshold, the UE sends a message to the network entity indicating a request to postpone beam switching from the first beam to the second beam among the multiple beams for at least a subset of the communication channels.

[0010] In some embodiments, a network entity transmits multiple beams to the UE for signal quality measurement. The network entity communicates with the UE via a first beam among the multiple beams. Based on the signal quality measurement, the network entity receives a message from the UE indicating a request to postpone beam switching from the first beam to the second beam for at least a subset of communication channels, based on the fact that the signal quality of the second beam is higher than that of the first beam and the signal quality of the first beam is below a traffic type threshold.

[0011] Advantageously, delaying beam switching can reduce the impact on XR services, thus not affecting or reducing the impact on XR communications, and therefore not causing or reducing disturbances to the user's QoE. Beam switching procedures can be enhanced by delaying beam switching, enabling a seamless transition or a transition that reduces the impact on the user experience. For example, enhancing beam switching may help allow users to switch beams without being aware of the impact on the quality of XR video. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0012] [Figure 1]This diagram shows a wireless communication system including multiple user devices (UEs) and network entities communicating via one or more cells. [Figure 2] This figure shows an XR traffic model for XR communication. [Figure 3] This diagram shows the postponement of beam switching in XR communication between the UE and the network entity. [Figure 4] This is a signaling diagram illustrating an example of communication between a UE and a network entity to postpone beam switching based on the UE's preferences. [Figure 5] This is a signaling diagram illustrating an example of communication between a UE and a network entity to postpone beam switching based on the UE's desired action time. [Figure 6] This is a signaling diagram illustrating an example of communication between the UE and network entities to postpone beam switching for a portion of the channel. [Figure 7] This is a flowchart of wireless communication methods in UE. [Figure 8] This is a flowchart of wireless communication methods in a network entity. [Figure 9] This figure shows an exemplary hardware implementation of a UE device. [Figure 10] This figure shows the hardware implementation of one or more exemplary network entities. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0013] Figure 1 shows Figure 100 of a wireless communication system associated with multiple cells 190. The wireless communication system includes user equipment (UE) 102 and base station / network entities 104. Some base stations have a centralized base station architecture, while others have a distributed base station architecture. A centralized base station architecture utilizes a radio protocol stack that is physically or logically integrated within a single radio access network (RAN) node. A distributed base station architecture utilizes a protocol stack that is physically or logically distributed among two or more units (e.g., radio units (RU) 106, distributed units (DU) 108, and central units (CU) 110). For example, a CU 110 may be implemented within a RAN node, and one or more DU 108s may be located in the same location as the CU 110, or alternatively, geographically or virtually distributed across one or more other RAN nodes. A DU 108 may be implemented to communicate with one or more RU 106s. RU106, DU108, and CU110 can be implemented as virtual units such as a virtual radio unit (VRU), virtual distributed unit (VDU), or virtual central unit (VCU). A base station / network entity 104 (e.g., a centralized base station, or a distributed unit of a base station such as RU106 or DU108) may be called a transmit / receive point (TRP).

[0014] The operation and / or network design of base station 104 may be based on the aggregation characteristics of the base station functions. For example, distributed base station architectures are used in integrated access backhaul (IAB) networks, open radio access network (O-RAN) networks, or virtual radio access networks (vRAN), which may also be called cloud radio access networks (C-RAN). Decentralization may include distributing functions across two or more units at various physical locations, as well as virtually distributing the functions of at least one unit, thereby enabling flexibility in network design. Various units of a distributed base station architecture, or distributed RAN architecture, can be configured for wired or wireless communication with at least one other unit. For example, base stations 104d / 104e and / or RU106a-106d may communicate with UE102a-102d and 102s via one or more radio frequency (RF) access links based on Uu interfaces. In this example, multiple RU106 and / or base stations 104 can simultaneously provide services to UE102 via intracell and / or intercell access links between UE102 and RU106 / base stations 104.

[0015] RU106, DU108, and CU110 may include (or be coupled to) one or more interfaces configured to transmit or receive information / signals over a wired or wireless transmission medium. For example, a wired interface may be configured to transmit or receive information / signals over a wired transmission medium, such as via a fronthaul link 160 between RU106d and the baseband unit (BBU) 112 of base station 104d associated with cell 190d. The BBU 112 includes DU108 and CU110, which may also have a wired interface (e.g., a midhaul link) configured between DU108 and CU110 to transmit or receive information / signals between DU108d and CU110d. In a further example, the wireless interface may include a receiver, transmitter, or transceiver such as an RF transceiver, and is configured to transmit and / or receive information / signals via a wireless transmission medium, such as information communicated between RU106a in cell 190a and base station 104e in cell 190e via cross-cell communication beams 136-138 between RU106a and base station 104e.

[0016] RU106 may be configured to implement lower-layer functions. For example, RU106 may be controlled by DU108 and correspond to a logical node hosting lower-layer PHY functions such as RF processing functions, or performing fast Fourier transform (FFT), inverse FFT (iFFT), digital beamforming, and physical random access channel (PRACH) extraction and filtering. The functions of RU106 may be based on functional partitioning, such as functional partitioning of the lower layers.

[0017] RU106 can transmit or receive over-the-air (OTA) communications with one or more UE102s. For example, RU106b in cell 190b communicates with UE102b in cell 190b via a first set of communication beams 132 of RU106b and a second set of communication beams 134b of UE102b, these communication beams may correspond to intra-cell communication beams, or in some examples, cross-cell communication beams. For example, UE102b in cell 190b can communicate with RU106a in cell 190a via a third set of communication beams 134a of UE102b and a fourth set of communication beams 136 of RU106a. DU108 can control both real-time and non-real-time features of RU106's control plane communications and user plane communications.

[0018] Any combination of RU106, DU108, and CU110, or any individual reference to them, may correspond to base station 104. Thus, base station 104 may include at least one of RU106, DU108, or CU110. Base station 104 provides UE102 with access to the core network. Base station 104 can relay communications between UE102 and the core network (not shown). Base station 104 may be associated with a macrocell for high-power cellular base stations and / or a small cell for low-power cellular base stations. For example, cell 190e may correspond to a macrocell, while cells 190a-190d may correspond to small cells. Small cells include femtocells, picocells, microcells, etc. A network including at least one macrocell and at least one small cell may be called a “heterogeneous network”.

[0019] Transmission from UE102 to base station 104 / RU106 is called uplink (UL) transmission. On the other hand, transmission from base station 104 / RU106 to UE102 is called downlink (DL) transmission. Uplink transmission may also be called reverse link transmission, and downlink transmission may also be called forward link transmission. For example, RU106d transmits downlink / forward link communication to UE102d or receives uplink / reverse link communication from UE102d based on the Uu interface associated with the access link between UE102d and base station 104d / RU106d using the antenna of base station 104d in cell 190d.

[0020] The communication link between UE102 and base station 104 / RU106 may be based on multiple-input multiple-output (MIMO) antenna technology including spatial multiplexing, beamforming, and / or transmit diversity. The communication link may be associated with one or more carriers. UE102 and base station 104 / RU106 may utilize a spectral bandwidth of Y MHz (e.g., 5, 10, 15, 20, 100, 400, 800, 1600, 2000 MHz, etc.) for each carrier allocated with a carrier aggregation up to a total of Yx MHz, and the x component carriers (CCs) are used for each communication in the uplink direction and the downlink direction. The carriers may be adjacent to each other along the frequency spectrum or may not be adjacent. In the example, the uplink carriers and downlink carriers may be asymmetrically allocated such that more or fewer carriers are allocated to either the uplink or the downlink. A primary component carrier, as well as one or more secondary component carriers, may be included in the component carriers. The primary component carrier may be associated with a primary cell (PCell), and the secondary component carriers may be associated with secondary cells (SCells).

[0021] Some UE102s, such as the UE102a and UE102s, can perform device-to-device (D2D) communication via sidelinks. For example, sidelink communication / D2D links utilize the spectrum of a wireless wide area network (WWAN) associated with uplink and downlink communication. Such sidelink / D2D communication can be performed via various wireless communication systems, including Wireless Fidelity (Wi-Fi) systems, Bluetooth® systems, Long-Term Evolution (LTE) systems, and New Radio (NR) systems.

[0022] The electromagnetic spectrum is often subdivided into different classes, bands, channels, etc. based on the different frequencies / wavelengths associated with the electromagnetic spectrum. The 5th generation (5G) NR is generally associated with two operating frequency ranges (FR), generally referred to as Frequency Range 1 (FR1) and Frequency Range 2 (FR2). The range of FR1 is 410 MHz to 7.125 GHz, and the range of FR2 is 24.25 GHz to 71.0 GHz, which includes FR2-1 (24.25 GHz to 52.6 GHz) and FR2-2 (52.6 GHz to 71.0 GHz). Although part of FR1 actually exceeds 6 GHz, FR1 is often referred to as the "sub-6 GHz" band. In contrast, FR2 is often referred to as the "millimeter wave" (mmW) band. FR2 is a subset close to, but different from, the "extremely high frequency" (EHF) band, which is also referred to as the "millimeter wave" band in the range of 30 GHz to 300 GHz. The frequencies between FR1 and FR2 are often referred to as "mid-band" frequencies. The operating band of mid-band frequencies may be referred to as Frequency Range 3 (FR3) with a frequency range of 7.125 GHz to 24.25 GHz. The frequency bands within FR3 may include the characteristics of FR1 and / or FR2. Therefore, the characteristics of FR1 and / or FR2 may be extended to mid-band frequencies. To extend 5G NR communication beyond 52.6 GHz associated with the upper limit of FR2, higher operating frequency bands have been identified. Three of these higher operating frequency bands include FR2-2 in the range of 52.6 GHz to 71.0 GHz, FR4 in the range of 71.0 GHz to 114.25 GHz, and FR5 in the range of 114.25 GHz to 300 GHz. The upper limit of FR5 corresponds to the upper limit of the EHF band. Therefore, unless otherwise specified herein, the term "sub-6 GHz" may refer to frequencies below 6 GHz within FR1 or may include mid-band frequencies. Furthermore, unless otherwise specified herein, the term "millimeter wave" or mmW refers to frequencies that may include mid-band frequencies, may be within FR2-1, FR4, FR2-2, and / or FR5, or may be within the EHF band.

[0023] UE102 and base station 104 / RU106 may each have multiple antennas. The multiple antennas may correspond to antenna elements, antenna panels, and / or antenna arrays that can facilitate beamforming operations. For example, RU106b transmits a downlink beamforming signal to UE102b in one or more transmit directions of RU106b based on a first set of communication beams 132. UE102b may receive the downlink beamforming signal in one or more receive directions of UE102b based on a second set of communication beams 134b from RU106b. In a further example, UE102b may also transmit an uplink beamforming signal (e.g., a sounding reference signal (SRS)) to RU106b in one or more transmit directions of UE102b based on a second set of communication beams 134b. RU106b may receive the uplink beamforming signal from UE102b in one or more receive directions of RU106b.

[0024] UE102b may perform beam training to determine the optimal receiving and transmitting directions for beamforming signals. The transmitting and receiving directions of UE102 and base station 104 / RU106 may be the same or different. In a further example, beamforming signals may be communicated between a first base station / RU106a and a second base station 104e. For example, base station 104e in cell 190e may transmit beamforming signals to RU106a based on one or more transmitting communication beams 138 of base station 104e. RU106a may receive beamforming signals from base station 104e in cell 190e based on one or more receiving RU communication beams 136 of RU106a. In a further example, base station 104e transmits downlink beamforming signals to UE102e based on one or more transmitting communication beams 138 of base station 104e. UE102e receives a downlink beamforming signal from base station 104e based on one or more UE communication beams 130 in the receiving direction of UE102e. UE102e may also transmit an uplink beamforming signal to base station 104e based on one or more UE communication beams 130 in the transmitting direction of UE102e, thereby enabling base station 104e to receive the uplink beamforming signal from UE102e in one or more receiving directions of base station 104e.

[0025] Base station 104 may include and / or be referred to as a network entity. That is, “network entity” may refer to base station 104, or at least one unit of base station 104 such as RU106, DU108, and / or CU110. Base station 104 may also include and / or be referred to as next-generation evolved node B (ng-eNB), next-generation NB (gNB), evolved NB (eNB), access point, base transceiver, radio base station, radio transceiver, transceiver function, basic service set (BSS), extended service set (ESS), TRP, network node, network equipment, or other related terms. Base station 104 or entities of base station 104 can be implemented as an IAB node, relay node, sidelink node, aggregated (monolithic) base station, or a distributed base station including one or more RU106, DU108, and / or CU110. A set of aggregated or distributed base stations may be referred to as a next-generation radio access network (NG-RAN). In some examples, UE102a operates in dual-connection (DC) with base station 104e and base station / RU106a. In such cases, base station 104e may be the master node and base station / RU160a may be the secondary node.

[0026] Uplink / downlink signaling may also be communicated via a satellite positioning system (SPS) 114. In the example, the SPS 114 of cell 190c may communicate with one or more UE 102s, such as UE 102c, and one or more base stations 104 / RU 106, such as RU 106c. The SPS 114 may correspond to one or more of the Global Navigation Satellite Systems (GNSS), Global Positioning System (GPS), Non-Terrestrial Networks (NTN), or other satellite positioning / location systems. SPS114 may be associated with LTE signals, NR signals (e.g., those based on round-trip time (RTT) and / or multi-RTT), wireless local area network (WLAN) signals, terrestrial beacon systems (TBS), sensor-based information, NR extended cell ID (NR E-CID) technology, downlink departure angle (DL-AoD), downlink arrival time difference (DL-TDOA), uplink arrival time difference (UL-TDOA), uplink arrival angle (UL-AoA), and / or other systems, signals, or sensors.

[0027] Furthermore, as shown in Figure 1, in certain embodiments, one of the UEs 102 may include a beam switching deferral component 140 configured to receive multiple beams from a network entity for signal quality measurement. The UE 102 communicates with the network entity via a first beam of the multiple beams. The beam switching deferral component 140 is further configured to send messages to the network entity indicating a request to defer beam switching from the first beam to the second beam of the multiple beams for at least a subset of communication channels, based on the fact that the signal quality of the second beam is higher than that of the first beam and the signal quality of the first beam is below a traffic type threshold.

[0028] In certain embodiments, one of the base stations 104, or a network entity of the base stations 104, may include a beam switching component 150 configured to transmit multiple beams to the UE 102 for signal quality measurement. The network entity communicates with the UE via a first beam of the multiple beams. The beam switching component 150 is further configured to receive messages from the UE indicating a request to postpone beam switching from the first beam to the second beam of the multiple beams for at least a subset of communication channels, based on the signal quality measurement that the signal quality of the second beam is higher than that of the first beam and the signal quality of the first beam is below a traffic type threshold.

[0029] Accordingly, Figure 1 illustrates a wireless communication system that may be implemented in relation to one or more other embodiments of the figures described herein. Furthermore, although the following description may focus on 5G NR, the concepts described herein may be applicable to other similar areas such as 5G Advanced and future versions, LTE, LTE Advanced (LTE-A), and other wireless technologies such as 6G.

[0030] Figure 2 shows an XR traffic model for XR communication. XR communication covers AR, VR, and MR communication. In VR, users are immersed in a virtual environment that replaces the real environment by wearing a head-mounted device. AR enhances the perception of the real environment with several virtual elements, thereby superimposing several virtual elements onto the perception of the real environment. MR is an extension of AR, where real and virtual elements can interact in real time. Cloud gaming runs video games on remote servers, but does not require a gaming console or high-spec CPU and GPU to play such games. Cloud gaming streams games like streaming video, and the game can respond to the gamer's commands and controls in real time.

[0031] Wireless AR / VR and wireless gaming offer greater freedom of movement, as wireless technology removes geographical or behavioral limitations, allowing VR and AR users to move freely. Wireless AR / VR also enables new applications such as distance education in immersive environments in remote areas. Multiple XR scenarios and applications are being deployed. Offline sharing of 3D objects includes sharing 3D models or objects and 3D mixed reality scenes among users, for example, by using a phone with a depth camera to capture images in 3D and then sharing those images with contacts. XR conferencing is another use case, which includes people interacting within a virtual environment, not only sharing 3D experiences with each other but also presenting some content and even discussing it with others in the same conference.

[0032] XR traffic (e.g., XR communications) is quasi-periodic traffic with a period equal to the reciprocal of the XR frame rate. For example, if the frame rate is 60 frames per second (fps), the period is 16.67 milliseconds (ms). In some scenarios, XR traffic is affected by jitter due to variations in delay in the codec for encoding video frames. For example, jitter is the deviation from the true period of a potentially periodic signal, often in relation to a reference clock signal, in electronics and telecommunications. Jitter is statistically modeled, for example, as a truncated Gaussian distribution in the Third Generation Partnership Project (3GPP). XR packet / frame sizes are also very large and vary due to the variability of video frame content, and are statistically modeled as a truncated Gaussian distribution in 3GPP.

[0033] As shown in Figure 2, XR traffic 205, for example, video traffic, is quasi-periodic traffic. For example, XR traffic 205 may have a frame rate of 60 fps. XR traffic 205 may have variable jitter 203 and a variable packet size 209. In the first period 207A, XR traffic 205 may have jitter 203A and a packet size 209A. In the second period 207B, XR traffic 205 may have jitter 203B and a packet size 209B. In the third period 207C, XR traffic 205 may have jitter 203C and a packet size 209C, and so on. Jitter 203 may be modeled as a truncated Gaussian distribution with a mean of 0, a standard deviation of 2 ms, and a range of + / - 4 ms. XR packet / frame size 209 may also be modeled as a truncated Gaussian distribution.

[0034] XR traffic can include two types of traffic flows. The first type of traffic flow is DL VR traffic or UL AR traffic, which is quasi-periodic traffic. DL VR traffic or UL AR traffic can have periodicity, such as 30fps, 60fps, or 120fps. DL VR traffic or UL AR traffic can be affected by jitter. As shown in Figure 2, if jitter is present, arrival times can vary. For example, in Rel-17, the jitter of DL VR traffic may be within the range of + / - 4ms and may follow a Gaussian distribution. The jitter of UL AR traffic may be smaller, but jitter is present, for example in the case of tethering (e.g., when the 5G modem is on a mobile device and the display is on AR glasses or a VR headset). DL VR traffic or UL AR traffic may have variable packet sizes and follow a truncated Gaussian distribution (based on the RAN1 assumption for Rel-17). The bitrate of DL VR traffic or UL AR traffic may be between 10 and 200 Mbps, depending on the frame rate, resolution, and codec efficiency. For example, the latency requirement for DL ​​VR traffic or UL AR traffic may be 10 ms. DL VR traffic or UL AR traffic may include packet data unit (PDU) sets and data bursts. A data burst may be a video frame, and a PDU set is a slice of a video frame. Therefore, a data burst may include multiple PDU sets.

[0035] The second type of traffic flow involves transmitting attitude / control information that reflects the user's position and movement to adjust AR / VR content. This second type of traffic flow is also relevant to cloud gaming. For example, the most common described period for the second type of traffic flow may be 4ms, but a relaxed version of the same period as the first type of traffic flow can be used. The second type of traffic flow is jitter-free. It has small packets (e.g., about 100 bytes). The latency requirement for the second type of traffic flow may be in the range of 10-20ms. The packet loss rate for the second type of traffic flow should be lower than 10E-3. Several references to the XR traffic model can be found in 3GPP RAN1 TR 38.835, RAN2 TR 38.838, SA4 TR 26.928, SA4 TR 26.918, and SA4 TR 26.926. Figure 3 illustrates beam switching delay in XR communication based on the XR traffic model shown in Figure 2.

[0036] Figure 3 shows the postponement of beam switching 318 in XR communication between UE102 and network entity 104. Network entity 104 may correspond to a base station or a base station unit such as RU106, DU108, or CU110.

[0037] XR traffic requires high data rates, high reliability, and very low latency, which is difficult to achieve in wireless networks susceptible to fading, mobility, and other factors. XR traffic is also susceptible to events that may interfere with the transmission of UL AR video traffic or DL ​​VR video traffic. These events may include beam switching, bandwidth partial switching, CSI measurements and reports, and / or RRM measurements.

[0038] Some events can cause latency and jitter in XR traffic, potentially degrading or disrupting the quality of user experience (QoE). However, some of these events can be enhanced to allow for seamless transitions that do not affect the user experience, or transitions with reduced impact on the user experience. By postponing or delaying these events, latency and jitter in XR traffic can be reduced, thus preventing or mitigating disruption to user QoE. For example, enhancing beam switching can be very useful in allowing switching to occur without the user noticing any impact on the quality of XR video.

[0039] As shown in Figure 3, the XR traffic 305 between UE 102 and network entity 104 is quasi-periodic traffic and may have periodicity such as 30fps, 60fps, or 120fps. For example, the XR traffic 305 may include configured authorization (CG)-physical uplink shared channels (PUSCH) 301A, 301B, 301C, and 301D. The XR traffic 305 may arrive periodically with some jitter. For example, the XR traffic 305 may include video frames. UE 102 may transmit video frames at specific times. There may be a transmit gap (e.g., a time interval) 317 without UL video transmissions at the end of the first period 307A before the start time of the second period 307B. Depending on the characteristics of the XR traffic, there may be a transmit gap (e.g., a time interval) 317 with neither UL transmissions nor DL ​​transmissions. Events that cause latency and jitter in XR traffic and disrupt the user's QoE can be postponed or delayed to occur in a transmit gap (or time interval) 317. If an event cannot be addressed in one transmit gap 317 (for example, if an event cannot be completed in one transmit gap), the event may be completed in multiple transmit gaps. Part of the event may be completed in one transmit gap, and other parts of the event may be completed in other transmit gaps. For example, delaying or postponing an event to a transmit gap 317 in a UL or DL ​​transmit can reduce latency and jitter in XR traffic. Therefore, the event has little or no impact on XR communication, resulting in no or reduced disruption to the user's QoE.

[0040] For example, delaying beam switching 318 can mitigate the impact on the QoE of XR services. Beam switching 318 may be delayed or postponed until a transmission gap 317 does not have UL or DL ​​transmissions, as shown in Figure 3. Thus, beam switching 318 does not affect UL or DL ​​video transmissions, or its impact is reduced. In this way, beam switching 318 does not cause disturbances to the user's QoE, or reduces disturbances.

[0041] Regarding beam switching, the 3GPP specification supports operations for beam switching, namely beam instruction from a network entity, beam fault recovery via UE trigger, and / or random access (RA) procedures (except PRACH(PCell) via PDCCH instruction). A network entity constitutes a list of transmission configuration instruction (TCI) states by RRC signaling, each TCI state containing at least one downlink reference signal resource index indicating at least one downlink reference signal resource. A network entity may transmit downlink reference signals with different beams in different TCI states. The network provides beam instruction by indicating at least one of the TCI states in the TCI state list by MAC control element (CE) or DCI signal. To complete a beam switching procedure, for example, to apply a TCI state indicated by a network entity, or a downlink reference corresponding to a beam fault recovery procedure or associated with an RA procedure, the UE may identify beam switching parameters. The beam switching parameters include a first parameter of the UE beam corresponding to the new network entity beam, a second parameter of DL pseudo-collocation (QCL) type A related parameters, and a third parameter of UL power control path loss. To identify the first parameter, the UE may perform multiple measurements of the synchronization signal block (SSB) if the indicated beam (new beam) is unknown to the UE, for example, if it is not reported within a time window. The first parameter is for the UE's receive / transmit (Rx / Tx) beam. Network entities typically indicate DL reference signals (RS) for both UL and DL beam indications. The UE then identifies the UE beam corresponding to the DL RS. To identify the second parameter, the UE may track the SSB once. To identify the third parameter, the UE may measure the path loss RS associated with the new beam multiple times, for example, five measurements of the SSB configured or determined as the path loss RS.

[0042] The delay required for the UE to identify the beam switching parameters can introduce latency and disrupt XR services. For the first parameter, the delay depends on whether the indicated TCI state is known or unknown. For a known TCI state, it is assumed that the UE already knows it. For an unknown TCI state, the delay may be 8*T_SSB, where T_SSB represents the periodicity of the SSB. It also depends on the discontinuous receive (DRX) configuration. Details are defined in section 8.10 of 3GPP38.133. For the second parameter, the highest latency may be T_SSB. For the third parameter, the latency may be 5*T_SSB, using the Layer 3 reference signal received power (L3-RSRP) for path loss measurement. Assuming no DRX influence, the total delay range can be T_SSB~8*T_SSB. The UE measures the three beam switching parameters to complete the beam switching procedure. The UE can identify three beam switching parameters within one or more transmit gaps 317 to reduce latency and disturbances in XR communications.

[0043] Figures 4–6 are signaling diagrams illustrating examples of communication between the UE and network entities for beam switching deferral. In some examples, the new beam is superior to the old beam (e.g., the new beam has higher signal quality than the old beam), but the old beam can still provide good performance to support XR services. In this situation, the UE may request that the beam switching to the new beam be deferred to a later time, for example, during the transmit gap 317, as detailed in relation to Figure 3.

[0044] Figure 4 is a signaling diagram 400 illustrating an example of communication between UE 102 and network entity 104 for delaying beam switching based on UE preference. Network entity 104 may correspond to a base station or a base station unit such as RU106, DU108, or CU110. UE 102 may send additional acknowledgment (ACK) / negative acknowledgment (NACK) messages for beam instruction signaling to indicate the UE preference to delay beam switching.

[0045] In some examples, UE102 and network entity 104 may communicate via a serving beam, e.g., an old beam or a beam in progress (406). UE102 and network entity 104 may transmit / receive data via the serving beam. Network entity 104 may transmit a set of beams, e.g., multiple beams, for the UE to perform signal quality measurements (408). UE102 may receive a set of beams, e.g., multiple beams, for the UE to perform signal quality measurements (408).

[0046] Network entity 104 may transmit a control signal that sets specific criteria for determining the UE's preference (410). UE 102 may receive a control signal that sets specific criteria for determining the UE's preference (410). For example, the control signal may set a threshold for the UE to maintain the old beam or switch to a new beam. The threshold may be a block error rate (BLER) threshold, a packet error rate (PER) threshold, a Layer 1 reference signal received power (L1-RSRP) threshold, a Layer 1 signal-to-interference plus noise (L1-SINR) threshold, or a latency threshold, a PDU set error rate (PSER) threshold, a PDU set latency threshold, a data burst error rate threshold, or a data burst latency threshold. Network entity 104 may configure the UE to switch to a new beam in order to achieve the BLER threshold, PER threshold, L1-RSRP threshold, L1-SINR threshold, latency threshold, PSER threshold, PDU set latency threshold, data burst error rate threshold, or data burst latency threshold, etc.

[0047] UE102 measures the signal quality of the beamset by performing signal quality measurements (412). For example, UE may measure a synchronous signal block (SSB). Each beamset may contain an SSB or be pseudo-collocated with an SSB. Based on the signal quality measurements, UE determines that a new beam in the beamset is superior to an old beam (413). For example, UE may determine that a new beam is superior to an old beam based on a reference signal received power (RSRP) measurement.

[0048] The UE determines whether the aged beam can still provide good performance to support XR traffic (413). A network entity may set thresholds so that the UE can determine whether a serving beam, for example, an aged beam, can still provide good performance to support XR traffic. For example, thresholds may be a block error rate (BER) threshold, a packet error rate (PER) threshold, a BLER threshold, an L1-RSRP threshold, an L1-SINR threshold, a latency threshold, a PSER threshold, a PDU set latency threshold, a data burst error rate threshold, or a data burst latency threshold. In other examples, a network entity may configure the UE to determine thresholds. If the signal quality of the serving beam, e.g., the old beam, is below a threshold, the UE may determine that the serving beam, e.g., the old beam, still provides good performance to support XR traffic and meet the QoE requirements for XR traffic. If the signal quality of the serving beam, e.g., the old beam, is above a threshold, the UE may determine that the serving beam, e.g., the old beam, cannot provide good performance to support XR traffic and cannot meet the QoE requirements for XR traffic.

[0049] The UE may, for example, send a signal quality measurement report indicating a new beam to the network entity (414). Based on the signal quality measurement report, the network entity may, for example, send a beam indication signal indicating a new beam (415).

[0050] UE102 may send an ACK or NACK (ACK / NACK) message to a network entity indicating the UE's preference to retain the old beam or switch to the new beam (416). Network entity 104 may receive an ACK / NACK message from the UE indicating the UE's preference to retain the old beam or switch to the new beam (416). The UE sends an ACK / NACK message about beam designation signaling (416) to inform the network entity of its preference to stay on the serving beam (e.g., the old beam or the beam in progress) or move to the new beam. The UE may report whether it identifies the newly designated beam as valid, for example, whether the UR wants to switch to the newly designated beam.

[0051] For example, UE 102 may determine its UE preference based on criteria set by a control signal transmitted by a network entity. For example, the control signal may set a threshold for whether the UE will remain on the old beam or switch to a new beam. The threshold may be one of the following: BLER threshold, PER threshold, L1-RSRP threshold, L1-SINR threshold, latency threshold, PSER threshold, PDU set latency threshold, data burst error rate threshold, or data burst latency threshold. Network entity 104 may perform beam switching based on ACK / NACK messages at a delayed or postponed time, for example (418).

[0052] In some examples, UE102 may receive a beam switching message, e.g., a beam switching command, from network entity 104 before or after sending an ACK / NACK message, indicating (e.g., commanding) the UE to switch from the old first beam to the new beam.

[0053] Figure 5 is a signaling diagram 500 showing an example of communication between UE 102 and network entity 104 to postpone beam switching based on the UE's desired action time. Network entity 104 may correspond to a base station or a base station unit such as RU106, DU108, or CU110. UE 102 may report the UE's desired action time for the indicated beam.

[0054] As described above, UE102 and network entity 104 can communicate over a serving beam, e.g., an old beam or a beam in progress (406). UE102 and network entity 104 can transmit / receive data over a serving beam. Network entity 104 can transmit a set of beams, e.g., multiple beams, for the UE to perform signal quality measurements (408). UE102 can receive a set of beams, e.g., multiple beams, for the UE to perform signal quality measurements (408). UE102 measures the signal quality of the set of beams by performing signal quality measurements (412). The UE determines whether the old beam can still provide good performance to support the XR service (413). The UE can send a signal quality measurement report to the network entity, e.g., indicating a new beam (414). Based on the signal quality measurement report, the network entity can send a beam indication signal, e.g., indicating a new beam (415).

[0055] UE102 may send a message to the network entity indicating the UE's desired action time for the designated beam (516). Network entity 104 may receive the UE's desired action time for the designated beam (516). The UE may send a message to the network entity reporting the UE's desired action time for the designated beam (516). For example, the action time may be associated with a delay in beam switching. The action time may indicate the UE's desired time to perform the beam switching for the new beam. The action time may refer to the time when the UE is ready to begin communicating with the network entity on the new beam. For example, the UE may report the closest time to apply the new beam without impacting XR services. For example, the UE may recognize that there is significant traffic in progress, and, for example, UL AR traffic, after a short duration the traffic will likely decrease or disappear. The UE may indicate the UE's desired time for the beam switching to occur.

[0056] In some examples, the UE's desired action time may include a time window consisting of the number of slots, symbols, or periodic units associated with the XR communication. The UE may also specify the time window in milliseconds.

[0057] In some examples, UE102 may receive a beam switching message, e.g., a beam switching command, from network entity 104 before or after sending a message indicating the UE's desired action time, instructing (e.g., commanding) the UE to switch from the old first beam to the new beam.

[0058] In some cases, a UE may autonomously perform beam switching, such as beam refresh, after receiving a beam fault request (BFR) response or a random access response (RAR).

[0059] Figure 6 is a signaling diagram 600 illustrating an example of communication between a UE and a network entity to postpone beam switching for a portion of the communication channel. Network entity 104 may correspond to a base station or a base station unit such as RU106, DU108, or CU110. UE102 may report the UE's desired action time for the indicated beam.

[0060] As described above, UE102 and network entity 104 can communicate over a serving beam, e.g., an old beam or a beam in progress (406). UE102 and network entity 104 can transmit / receive data over a serving beam. Network entity 104 can transmit a set of beams, e.g., multiple beams, for the UE to perform signal quality measurements (408). UE102 can receive a set of beams, e.g., multiple beams, for the UE to perform signal quality measurements (408). UE102 measures the signal quality of the set of beams by performing signal quality measurements (412). The UE determines whether the old beam can still provide good performance to support the XR service (413). The UE can send a signal quality measurement report to the network entity, e.g., indicating a new beam (414). Based on the signal quality measurement report, the network entity can send a beam indication signal, e.g., indicating a new beam (415).

[0061] UE102 may send a message to the network entity indicating a deferral request to defer beam switching for a subset of communication channels (e.g., some, some) but not for other communication channels (multiple) (616). Network entity 104 may receive a message from the UE indicating a deferral request to defer beam switching for a subset of communication channels (e.g., some, some) but not for other communication channels (multiple) (616). The UE may send a message to the network entity indicating that beam switching applies only to a portion of the communication channels (616). The network entity can still schedule some channels on the old beam to maintain XR services. For example, the UE may maintain both a new beam and an old beam, however the new beam is for non-XR traffic and the old beam is for XR traffic. Deferring beam switching for a subset of communication channels can reduce beam switching delays for other channels or other traffic compared to deferring beam switching for all communication channels. Other channels (multiple non-XR channels) may be switched to the new beam first. The XR traffic can then be switched to a new beam later. In other examples, some of the XR traffic (e.g., less important XR traffic) can be offloaded to a new beam.

[0062] In some examples, network entities may assign different priorities to different types of XR traffic. Beam switching may be deferred for different types of XR traffic for different durations according to different priorities. XR traffic may have different types with different priorities or importance. XR traffic may include low-priority and high-priority video frames. The UE may request that some of the XR traffic be moved to a new beam and some of the XR traffic be kept on the old beam. For example, the UE may request that high-priority XR traffic be kept on the current serving beam (the old beam) and low-priority XR traffic be moved to a new beam.

[0063] In some examples, UE102 may receive a beam switching message, e.g., a beam switching command, from network entity 104, either before or after sending a message indicating a deferral request to postpone beam switching for a subset of communication channels, instructing (e.g., commanding) the UE to switch from the old first beam to the new beam.

[0064] Figures 4-6 show examples of communication between the UE and the network entity for delaying beam switching. Figures 7-8 show methods for implementing one or more embodiments of Figures 4-6. Specifically, Figure 7 shows an embodiment by the UE 102 of one or more embodiments of Figures 4-6. Figure 8 shows an embodiment by the network entity 104 of one or more embodiments of Figures 4-6.

[0065] Figure 7 shows a flowchart 700 of a wireless communication method at the UE. Referring to Figures 1-6 and 9, the method may be performed by UE 102, UE device 902, etc., which may include memory 926', 906', 916, and may correspond to the entire UE 102 or the entire UE device 902, or components of UE 102 or UE device 902 such as the wireless baseband processor 926 and / or application processor 906.

[0066] UE102 receives multiple beams from the network entity for signal quality measurement (708). The UE communicates with the network entity via the first beam of the multiple beams. For example, referring to Figures 4-6, UE102 may receive a set of beams, e.g., multiple beams, to perform signal quality measurement (408).

[0067] Based on the fact that the signal quality of the second beam is higher than that of the first beam and the signal quality of the first beam is below the traffic type threshold, UE102 sends a message to the network entity indicating a request to postpone beam switching from the first beam to the second beam among multiple beams for at least a subset of communication channels (716). For example, referring to Figure 4, UE102 may send an ACK or NACK message to the network entity indicating the UE's preference for whether to maintain the old beam or switch to the new beam (416). For example, referring to Figure 5, UE102 may send a message to the network entity indicating the UE's desired action time for the indicated beam (516). For example, referring to Figure 6, UE102 may send a message to the network entity indicating a postponement request to postpone beam switching for a subset of communication channels (e.g., some, some), but not for other communication channels (maybe more) (616). Figure 7 illustrates the method from the UE side of the wireless communication link, while Figure 8 illustrates the method from the network side of the wireless communication link.

[0068] Figure 8 is a flowchart 800 of a wireless communication method in a network entity. Referring to Figures 1-6 and 10, the method may be performed by one or more network entities 104, where a network entity 104 may correspond to a base station or a base station unit such as RU106, DU108, CU110, RU processor 1006, DU processor 1026, or CU processor 1046. One or more network entities 104 may include memory 1006' / 1026' / 1046', where memory 1006' / 1026' / 1046' may correspond to one or more network entities 104 as a whole or to a component of one or more network entities 104 such as RU processor 1006, DU processor 1026, or CU processor 1046.

[0069] The network entity 104 transmits multiple beams to the UE for signal quality measurement (808). The network entity communicates with the UE via the first beam of the multiple beams. For example, referring to Figures 4-6, the network entity 104 may transmit a set of beams, e.g., multiple beams, for the UE to perform signal quality measurement (408).

[0070] Network entity 104 receives a message from the UE indicating a request to postpone beam switching from the first beam to the second beam among multiple beams for at least a subset of communication channels, based on the fact that the signal quality of the second beam is higher than that of the first beam and the signal quality of the first beam is below a traffic type threshold (816). For example, referring to Figure 4, network entity 104 may receive an ACK / NACK message from the UE indicating the UE's preference for whether to maintain the old beam or switch to the new beam (416). For example, referring to Figure 5, network entity 104 may receive a message from the UE indicating the UE's desired action time for the indicated beam (516). For example, referring to Figure 6, network entity 104 may receive a message from the UE indicating a postponement request to postpone beam switching for a subset of communication channels (e.g., some, some) but not for other communication channels (maybe more) (616). UE device 902 may perform the method of flowchart 700, as shown in Figure 9. One or more network entities 104 may perform the method of flowchart 800, as shown in Figure 10.

[0071] Figure 9 is Figure 900, which shows an example of a hardware implementation of UE device 902. UE device 902 may be UE102, a component of UE102, or implement UE functionality. UE device 902 may include an application processor 906 which may have on-chip memory 906'. In the example, the application processor 906 may be coupled to a secure digital (SD) card 908 and / or a display 910. The application processor 906 may also be coupled to a sensor module 912, a power supply 914, an additional memory module 916, a camera 918, and / or other related components. For example, the sensor module 912 may control a barometric pressure sensor / altimeter, motion sensors such as an inertial management unit (IMU), a gyroscope, an accelerometer, a light detection and ranging (LIDAR) device, a radio detection and ranging (RADAR) device, an acoustic navigation and ranging (SONAR) device, a magnetometer, an audio device, and / or other technologies used for positioning.

[0072] The UE device 902 may further include a wireless baseband processor 926, which may be referred to as a modem. The wireless baseband processor 926 may have on-chip memory 926'. Together with the application processor 906, and similarly to the application processor 906, the wireless baseband processor 926 may also be coupled to a sensor module 912, a power supply 914, an additional memory module 916, a camera 918, and / or other related components. The wireless baseband processor 926 may further be coupled to one or more subscriber identification module (SIM) cards 920, and / or one or more transceivers 930 (e.g., wireless RF transceivers).

[0073] Within one or more transceivers 930, the UE device 902 may include a Bluetooth module 932, a WLAN module 934, an SPS module 936 (e.g., a GNSS module), and / or a cellular module 938. Each of the Bluetooth module 932, WLAN module 934, SPS module 936, and cellular module 938 may include an on-chip transceiver (TRX), or, in some cases, only a transmitter (TX) or only a receiver (RX). Each of the Bluetooth module 932, WLAN module 934, SPS module 936, and cellular module 938 may include a dedicated antenna for communication with one or more other nodes, and / or utilize an antenna 940. For example, UE device 902 can communicate with other UEs (e.g., sidelink communications) and / or network entities 104 (e.g., uplink / downlink communications) via transceiver(s) 930 and antenna 940, where network entities 104 may correspond to base stations or base station units such as RU106, DU108, or CU110.

[0074] The wireless baseband processor 926 and the application processor 906 may each include computer-readable media / memories 926' and 906', respectively. An additional memory module 916 may also be considered computer-readable media / memories. Each computer-readable media / memories 926', 906', and 916 may be non-temporary. The wireless baseband processor 926 and the application processor 906 may each be responsible for general processing, including the execution of software stored in the computer-readable media / memories 926', 906', and 916. When the software is executed by the wireless baseband processor 926 / application processor 906, it causes the wireless baseband processor 926 / application processor 906 to perform various functions described herein. The computer-readable media / memories may also be used to store data that is manipulated by the wireless baseband processor 926 / application processor 906 when the software is executed. The wireless baseband processor 926 / application processor 906 may be a component of UE102. The UE device 902 may be a processor chip (e.g., a modem and / or application) and may include only the wireless baseband processor 926 and / or the application processor 906. In other examples, the UE device 902 may be the entire UE 102 and may include additional modules of device 902.

[0075] As illustrated in Figure 1 and implemented with respect to Figure 7, the beam switching deferral component 140 is configured to receive multiple beams from a network entity for signal quality measurement. UE 102 communicates with the network entity via the first beam of the multiple beams. The beam switching deferral component 140 is further configured to send a message to the network entity indicating a request to defer beam switching from the first beam to the second beam of the multiple beams for at least a subset of communication channels, based on the fact that the signal quality of the second beam is higher than that of the first beam and the signal quality of the first beam is below a traffic type threshold. The beam switching deferral component 140 may reside in the application processor 906 (e.g., in 140a), in the wireless baseband processor 926 (e.g., in 140b), or in both the application processor 906 and the wireless baseband processor 926. The beam switching delay components 140a to 140b may be one or more hardware components specifically configured to perform the described process / algorithm, may be executed by one or more processors configured to perform the described process / algorithm, may be stored in a computer-readable medium for execution by one or more processors, or may be a combination thereof.

[0076] Figure 10 is a diagram 1000 showing an example of a hardware implementation of one or more network entities 104. One or more network entities 104 may be a base station, a component of a base station, or capable of performing base station functions. One or more network entities 104 may include or correspond to at least one of RU106, DU108, or CU110. CU110 may include a CU processor 1046 which may have on-chip memory 1046'. In some embodiments, CU110 may further include an additional memory module 1056 and / or a communication interface 1048, both of which may be coupled to the CU processor 1046. CU110 can communicate with DU108 via a midhall link 162, such as an F1 interface between the communication interface 1048 of CU110 and the communication interface 1028 of DU108.

[0077] DU108 may include a DU processor 1026 which may have on-chip memory 1026'. In some embodiments, DU108 may further include an additional memory module 1036 and / or a communication interface 1028, both of which may be coupled to the DU processor 1026. DU108 can communicate with RU106 via a fronthaul link 160 between the communication interface 1028 of DU108 and the communication interface 1008 of RU106.

[0078] RU106 may include an RU processor 1006 which may have on-chip memory 1006'. In some embodiments, RU106 may further include an additional memory module 1016, a communication interface 1008, and one or more transceivers 1030, all of which may be coupled to the RU processor 1006. RU106 may further include an antenna 1040 which may be coupled to one or more transceivers 1030, thereby enabling RU106 to communicate with UE102 via the antenna 1040 through one or more transceivers 1030.

[0079] On-chip memories 1006', 1026', 1046', and additional memory modules 1016, 1036, 1056 may each be considered computer-readable media / memory. Each computer-readable media / memory may be non-temporary. Each of the processors 1006, 1026, and 1046 is responsible for general processing, including the execution of software stored in the computer-readable media / memory. When the software is executed by the corresponding processor(s) 1006, 1026, and 1046, it causes the processor(s) 1006, 1026, and 1046 to perform various functions described herein. The computer-readable media / memory may also be used to store data that is manipulated by the processor(s) 1006, 1026, and 1046 when the software is executed. In the example, the beam switching component 150 may be located in one or more network entities 104, such as in CU110, in both CU110 and DU108, in each of CU110, DU108, and RU106, in DU108, in both DU108 and RU106, or in RU106.

[0080] As illustrated in Figure 1 and implemented with respect to Figure 8, the beam switching component 150 is configured to transmit multiple beams to the UE 102 for signal quality measurement. The network entity communicates with the UE via the first beam of the multiple beams. The beam switching component 150 is further configured to receive messages from the UE indicating a request to postpone beam switching from the first beam to the second beam of the multiple beams for at least a subset of communication channels, based on the signal quality measurement that the signal quality of the second beam is higher than that of the first beam and the signal quality of the first beam is below a traffic type threshold. The beam switching component 150 may reside in one or more processors of one or more network entities 104, such as the RU processor 1006 (e.g., as 150a), the DU processor 1026 (e.g., as 150b), and / or the CU processor 1046 (e.g., as 150c). The beam switching components 150a to 150c may be one or more hardware components specifically configured to perform a defined process / algorithm, which may be implemented by one or more processors 1006, 1026, 1046 configured to perform a defined process / algorithm, which may be stored in a computer-readable medium for implementation by one or more processors 1006, 1026, 1046, or a combination thereof.

[0081] The specific order or hierarchy of blocks in the processes and flowcharts disclosed herein is illustrative and describes an exemplary approach. Therefore, the specific order or hierarchy of blocks in the processes and flowcharts may be rearranged. Some blocks may also be combined or deleted. Dashed lines may indicate optional elements of the figures. The accompanying claims present elements of various blocks in an exemplary order and are not limited to the specific order or hierarchy presented in the claims, processes, and flowcharts.

[0082] The detailed descriptions provided herein illustrate various configurations related to the drawings and do not represent the only configurations in which the concepts described herein may be implemented. The detailed descriptions include specific details for the purpose of providing a complete explanation of the various concepts. However, these concepts may be implemented without these specific details. In some cases, well-known structures and components are shown in block diagrams to avoid obscuring those concepts.

[0083] Embodiments of wireless communication systems, such as telecommunications systems, are presented with reference to various devices and methods. These devices and methods are described in the following detailed description and are illustrated in the accompanying drawings by various blocks, components, circuits, processes, call flows, systems, algorithms, etc. (collectively referred to as “elements”). These elements may be implemented using electronic hardware, computer software, or a 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.

[0084] An element, or any part of an element, or any combination of elements, may be implemented as a “processing system” comprising one or more processors. Examples of processors include, but are not limited to, microprocessors, microcontrollers, graphics processing units (GPUs), central processing units (CPUs), application processors, digital signal processors (DSPs), reduced instruction set computing (RISC) processors, system-on-chip (SoCs), baseband processors, field-programmable gate arrays (FPGAs), programmable logic devices (PLDs), state machines, gating logic, discrete hardware circuits, and other similar hardware configured to perform various functions described throughout this disclosure. One or more processors in a processing system may run software, firmware, middleware, microcode, hardware description language, or otherwise referred to as such. Software is broadly interpreted to mean instructions, instruction sets, code, code segments, program code, programs, subprograms, software components, applications, software applications, software packages, routines, subroutines, objects, executable files, execution threads, procedures, functions, or any combination thereof.

[0085] If the functions described herein are implemented in software, the functions may be stored or encoded as one or more instructions or codes on a computer-readable medium, such as a non-temporary computer-readable storage medium. Computer-readable media include computer storage media and may include random-access memory (RAM), read-only memory (ROM), electrically erasable programmable ROM (EEPROM), optical disk storage devices, magnetic disk storage devices, other magnetic storage devices, combinations of these types of computer-readable media, or any other media that can be used to store computer executable code in the form of instructions or data structures accessible to a computer. The storage medium may be any available medium accessible to a computer.

[0086] The embodiments, examples, and / or use cases described herein can be implemented across many different platform types, devices, systems, shapes, sizes, and packaging arrangements. For example, the embodiments, examples, and / or use cases can be implemented through integrated chip implementations as well as other non-modular component-based devices such as end-user devices, vehicles, communication devices, computing devices, industrial equipment, retail / purchase devices, medical devices, artificial intelligence (AI)-enabled devices, and machine learning (ML)-enabled devices. The embodiments, examples, and / or use cases may range from chip-level or modular components to non-modular or non-chip-level embodiments, and furthermore, across aggregated, distributed, or original equipment manufacturer (OEM) devices or systems incorporating one or more of the technologies described herein.

[0087] Devices incorporating the embodiments and features described herein may also include additional components and features for carrying out and practicing the claimed and described embodiments and features. For example, wireless signal transmission and reception necessarily include several components for analog and digital purposes, such as hardware components, antennas, RF chains, power amplifiers, modulators, buffers, processors, interleavers, and digital / analog adders. The techniques described herein may be practiced in a wide variety of devices, chip-level components, systems, distributed, centralized or distributed components, end-user devices, etc., in various configurations.

[0088] The description is provided to enable those skilled in the art to carry out the various embodiments described herein. Various modifications to these embodiments will be readily apparent to those skilled in the art, and the general principles defined herein may apply to other embodiments. Accordingly, the claims are not limited to the embodiments described herein and should be interpreted in light of the entire scope of this disclosure, consistent with the language of the claims.

[0089] References to elements in the singular form mean "one or more," not "only one," unless otherwise specified. Terms such as "if," "when," and "while" do not imply an immediate temporal relationship or response. That is, these phrases, for example, "when," do not imply an immediate action in response to or during the occurrence of an action, but merely imply that an action will occur if the conditions are met, without requiring any specific or immediate temporal constraints for the action to occur. The terms "may," "might," and "can" as used in this disclosure often have specific meanings. For example, "may" refers to an acceptable characteristic that may or may not occur, "might" refers to a characteristic that is likely to occur, and "can" refers to an ability (e.g., "can do..."). The phrase "for example" often means the same thing as "may," and therefore "may" may be excluded from sentences that contain "for example" or other similar phrases.

[0090] Unless otherwise specified, the term "some" refers to one or more. Combinations such as "at least one of A, B, or C" or "one or more of A, B, or C" include A and B, A and C, B and C, or any combination of A, B, and C, and may include multiple A's, multiple B's, and / or multiple C's, or may include only A's, only B's, or only C's. A set should be interpreted as a set of elements in which one or more elements are numbered.

[0091] Unless otherwise specified, ordinal terms such as "first" and "second" do not necessarily imply order in time, sequence, or numerical terms, but are used to distinguish different instances of the terms or phrases that follow each ordinal number. Reference numbers used in specifications and drawings may be cross-referenced between drawings to indicate identical or similar features. Features that are exactly the same in multiple drawings may be labeled with the same reference number in multiple drawings. Features that are similar but not strictly identical across multiple drawings may be labeled with reference numbers that have different preceding numbers but one or more of the same ending numbers (e.g., 206, 306, 406, etc. may refer to similar features in drawings). "X" may be used to universally indicate multiple variations of a single feature. For example, "X06" can universally refer to all reference numbers ending in "06" (e.g., 206, 306, 406, etc.).

[0092] All elements and structural and functional equivalents of various aspects described throughout this disclosure, which are known to those skilled in the art or will subsequently become known to those skilled in the art, are expressly incorporated herein by reference and are included in the claims. Words such as “module,” “mechanism,” “element,” and “device” may not be substitutes for the word “means.” Accordingly, claim elements should not be construed as means plus functions unless the elements are expressly enumerated using the phrase “means to do.” Where used herein, the phrase “based on” shall not be construed as a reference to a closed set such as information, one or more conditions, one or more factors. In other words, the phrase “based on A” shall be construed as “at least based on A” unless specifically stated otherwise, where “A” may be information, a condition, a factor, etc.

[0093] The following examples are illustrative and may be combined with other examples or teachings described herein without limitation.

[0094] Embodiment 1 is a method for wireless communication in a UE, comprising receiving a plurality of beams from a network entity for signal quality measurement, wherein the UE communicates with the network entity via a first beam of the plurality of beams, and the method further comprises sending a message to the network entity indicating a request to postpone beam switching from the first beam to the second beam of the plurality of beams for at least a subset of communication channels, based on the fact that the signal quality of the second beam is higher than that of the first beam and the signal quality of the first beam is below a traffic type threshold.

[0095] Embodiment 2 may be combined with Embodiment 1, and further includes transmitting to the network entity the message indicating the request to postpone the beam switching, which includes transmitting to the network entity an acknowledgment (ACK) message or a negation (NACK) message indicating the UE's preference for maintaining the first beam or switching to the second beam.

[0096] Embodiment 3 may be combined with Embodiment 2 and further includes receiving a control signal from the network entity that sets a first threshold for the UE to maintain the first beam or switch to the second beam, the first threshold being one of the following: a block error rate (BLER) threshold, a packet error rate (PER) threshold, a latency threshold, a PSER threshold, a PDU set latency threshold, a data burst error rate threshold, or a data burst latency threshold.

[0097] Embodiment 4 may be combined with Embodiment 1, and further includes sending the message indicating the request to postpone the beam switching to the network entity to send the message indicating the desired action time of the UE to switch to the second beam to the network entity.

[0098] Embodiment 5 may be combined with Embodiment 4, and further comprises the desired action time of the UE including a time window consisting of the number of slots, symbols, or periodic units associated with augmented reality (XR) communication.

[0099] Embodiment 6 may be combined with Embodiment 1, and further includes transmitting to the network entity the message indicating the request to postpone the beam switching, which postpones the beam switching from the first beam to the second beam for the subset of the communication channels, but does not postpone it for one or more other subsets of the communication channels.

[0100] Embodiment 7 may be combined with Embodiment 6, further comprising the fact that the subset of the communication channels is for augmented reality (XR) communication, and the one or more other subsets of the communication channels are for non-XR communication.

[0101] Embodiment 8 may be combined with Embodiment 7 and further includes assigning different priorities to different types of XR communication, and delaying the beam switching from the first beam to the second beam for different durations for the different types of XR communication according to the different priorities.

[0102] Embodiment 9 may be combined with Embodiment 1 and further includes receiving a beam switching signal from the network entity indicating a switch from the first beam to the second beam before or after sending the message.

[0103] Embodiment 10 is a method for wireless communication in a network entity, comprising transmitting a plurality of beams to a user equipment (UE) for signal quality measurement, the network entity communicating with the UE via a first beam of the plurality of beams, and the method further comprises receiving a message from the UE indicating a request to postpone beam switching from the first beam to the second beam of the plurality of beams for at least a subset of communication channels, based on the signal quality measurement that the signal quality of the second beam is higher than that of the first beam and the signal quality of the first beam is below a traffic type threshold.

[0104] Embodiment 11 may be combined with Embodiment 10, and the receiving of the message from the UE indicating the request to postpone the beam switching further includes receiving an acknowledgment (ACK) message or a negation (NACK) message from the UE indicating the UE's preference to maintain the first beam or switch to the second beam.

[0105] Embodiment 12 may be combined with Embodiment 11 and further includes sending a control signal to the UE that sets a first threshold for the UE to maintain the first beam or switch to the second beam, the first threshold being one of the following: a block error rate (BLER) threshold, a packet error rate (PER) threshold, a latency threshold, a PSER threshold, a PDU set latency threshold, a data burst error rate threshold, or a data burst latency threshold.

[0106] Embodiment 13 may be combined with Embodiment 10, and the receiving of the message from the UE indicating the request to postpone the beam switching further includes receiving the message from the UE indicating the desired action time of the UE to switch to the second beam.

[0107] Embodiment 14 may be combined with Embodiment 10, and further includes receiving from the UE a message indicating a request to postpone the beam switching, which postpones the beam switching from the first beam to the second beam for the subset of the communication channels, but does not postpone it for one or more other subsets of the communication channels.

[0108] Embodiment 15 may be combined with Embodiment 14 and further includes assigning different priorities to different types of augmented reality (XR) communications and delaying the beam switching from the first beam to the second beam for different durations for the different types of XR communications according to the different priorities.

[0109] Example 16 may be combined with any of Example 10 and further includes sending a beam switching signal to the UE indicating a switch from the first beam to the second beam before or after receiving the message.

[0110] Example 17 may be combined with any one of Examples 10 to 16 and further includes, based on the message, performing the beam switching from the first beam to the second beam for at least the subset of communication channels at a delayed time.

[0111] Example 18 is a device for wireless communication comprising a transceiver, a memory, and a processor coupled to the memory and the transceiver, and is configured to perform the method described in any one of Examples 1 to 17.

[0112] Example 19 is an apparatus for wireless communication that includes means for performing the method described in any one of Examples 1 to 17.

[0113] Example 20 is a non-temporary computer-readable medium for storing computer executable code, which, when executed by a processor, causes the processor to perform the method described in any one of Examples 1 to 17.

Claims

1. A method of wireless communication in user equipment (UE), The method includes receiving multiple beams from a network entity for signal quality measurement (408, 708), wherein the UE communicates with the network entity via a first beam of the multiple beams, and the method further includes A wireless communication method further comprising sending a message to the network entity indicating a request to postpone beam switching from the first beam to the second beam among the plurality of beams for at least a subset of communication channels, based on the fact that the signal quality of the second beam is higher than the signal quality of the first beam and the signal quality of the first beam is below a traffic type threshold (416, 516, 616, 716).

2. Sending the message indicating the request to postpone the beam switching to the network entity (416, 516, 616, 716) is, The method according to claim 1, comprising sending an acknowledgment (ACK) message or a negation (NACK) message to the network entity indicating a UE preference for maintaining the first beam or switching to the second beam (416, 716).

3. The method according to claim 2, further comprising the UE receiving a control signal from the network entity for setting a first threshold for maintaining the first beam or switching to the second beam (410), wherein the first threshold is one of a block error rate (BLER) threshold, a packet error rate (PER) threshold, a Layer 1 reference signal received power (L1-RSRP) threshold, a Layer 1 signal-to-interference plus noise (L1-SINR) threshold, a latency threshold, a packet data unit (PDU) set error rate (PSER) threshold, a PDU set latency threshold, a data burst error rate threshold, or a data burst latency threshold.

4. Sending the message indicating the request to postpone the beam switching to the network entity (416, 516, 616, 716) is, The method according to claim 1, comprising sending the message to the network entity indicating the UE's desired action time for switching to the second beam (516, 716).

5. The method according to claim 4, wherein the desired action time of the UE includes a time window consisting of a number of slots, symbols, or periodic units associated with augmented reality (XR) communication.

6. Sending the message indicating the request to postpone the beam switching to the network entity (416, 516, 616, 716) is, The method according to claim 1, comprising sending the message to the network entity indicating a deferral request to defer the beam switching from the first beam to the second beam for the subset of the communication channels, but not for one or more other subsets of the communication channels (616, 716).

7. The method according to claim 6, wherein the subset of the communication channels is for augmented reality (XR) communication, and the one or more other subsets of the communication channels are for non-XR communication.

8. The method according to claim 7, wherein different types of XR communications are assigned different priorities, and the beam switching from the first beam to the second beam is postponed for different durations for the different types of XR communications according to the different priorities.

9. A method for wireless communication in a network entity, The method includes transmitting multiple beams to a user equipment (UE) for signal quality measurement (408, 808), wherein the network entity communicates with the UE via a first beam of the multiple beams, and the method further includes, A wireless communication method, comprising receiving a message from the UE indicating a request to postpone beam switching from the first beam to the second beam among the plurality of beams for at least a subset of the communication channel, based on the signal quality measurement that the signal quality of the second beam is higher than that of the first beam and the signal quality of the first beam is below a traffic type threshold (416, 516, 616, 816).

10. Receiving the message from the UE indicating the request to postpone the beam switching (416, 516, 616, 816) is, The method according to claim 9, comprising receiving an acknowledgment (ACK) message or a negation (NACK) message from the UE indicating the UE preference to maintain the first beam or switch to the second beam (416, 816).

11. The further includes transmitting a control signal to the UE that sets a first threshold for the UE to maintain the first beam or switch to the second beam (410), the first threshold being one of a block error rate (BLER) threshold, a packet error rate (PER) threshold, a Layer 1 reference signal received power (L1-RSRP) threshold, a Layer 1 signal-to-interference plus noise (L1-SINR) threshold, a latency threshold, a packet data unit (PDU) set error rate (PSER) threshold, a PDU set latency threshold, a data burst error rate threshold, or a data burst latency threshold. The method according to claim 10.

12. Receiving the message from the UE indicating the request to postpone the beam switching (416, 516, 616, 816) is, The method according to claim 9, comprising receiving the message from the UE indicating the UE's desired action time for switching to the second beam (516, 816).

13. Receiving the message from the UE indicating the request to postpone the beam switching (416, 516, 616, 816) is, The method according to claim 9, comprising receiving the message from the UE indicating a deferral request to defer the beam switching from the first beam to the second beam for the subset of the communication channels, but not for one or more other subsets of the communication channels (616, 816).

14. Assigning different priorities to different types of augmented reality (XR) communications (610), (616) The beam switching from the first beam to the second beam for the different types of XR communication is postponed for different durations according to the different priorities, The method according to claim 13, further comprising:

15. The method according to any one of claims 9 to 14, further comprising performing the beam switching from the first beam to the second beam for at least the subset of the communication channels at the delayed time based on the message (418, 618, 818).

16. An apparatus for wireless communication comprising a transceiver, a memory, and a processor coupled to the memory and the transceiver, the apparatus being configured to perform the method according to any one of claims 1 to 15.

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