Methods, apparatuses and systems for beam selection based on unsupervised learning

Abstract

Methods, apparatuses and systems for performing a beam selection in a wireless communication system based on unsupervised learning. In one embodiment, a method includes: transmitting, at a wireless communication device, a first signal to a first wireless communication node, wherein the first signal includes a measurement report, wherein the measurement report includes a signal measurement associated with a second wireless communication node; and in response to transmitting the first signal, receiving, at the wireless communication device, a second signal from the first wireless communication node, wherein the second signal includes a first beam set, wherein the first beam set is associated with the signal measurement associated with the second wireless communication node.

Description

F9125-60700 METHODS, APPARATUSES AND SYSTEMS FOR BEAM SELECTION BASED ON UNSUPERVISED LEARNING TECHNICAL FIELD

[0001] The disclosure relates generally to wireless communications and, more particularly, to methods, apparatuses and systems for beam selection in a wireless communication system based on unsupervised learning. BACKGROUND

[0002] Massive Multiple Input Multiple Output (MIMO) is used in 5G networks and future communication systems to improve data throughput and spectrum efficiency by utilizing numerous antennas at a base station. Accurate acquisition of channel state information (CSI) at the transmitter is essential for effective MIMO operation, achieved through codebook-based feedback Frequency Division Duplexing (FDD) or reciprocity-based sounding Time Division Duplexing (TDD) network. However, as the number of antennas and beams increases, the 5G New Radio (NR) standard requires exhaustive beam searches to select optimal transmit-receive (Tx-Rx) beam pairs, resulting in considerable signaling overhead and beam selection delays.

[0003] Additionally, handover procedures in 5G networks are crucial for maintaining service quality during user equipment mobility. The handover process is initiated based on signal quality measurements, which are used for making timely and accurate decisions. In 5G NR, Reference Signals (RS) such as synchronization signal blocks (SSB) and channel state information reference signal (CSI-RS) blocks in the downlink, and sounding reference signals (SRS) in the uplink, are utilized for these measurements. Proper handover management ensures seamless connectivity and enhanced user experience, necessitating efficient channel 1 DM2\19875691.1F9125-60700 quality assessments either by the user equipment in the downlink or by the base station in the uplink.

[0004] The current handover process involves continuous cell searches and measurements by user equipment (UE), both when initially entering a base station's coverage area and while moving within the network. The UE performs neighboring cell measurements for cell reselection and handovers in both IDLE / INACTIVE and CONNECTED Radio Resource Control (RRC) states. In the IDLE / INACTIVE RRC state, the UE measures SSBs transmitted by neighboring cells, while in the CONNECTED RRC state, the UE may use SSB or CSI-RS measurements. The UE reports these measurements to the serving cell in a measurement report (MR), which includes the signal quality of neighboring cells. The serving cell uses this information to make handover decisions when a neighboring cell's signal quality surpasses that of the serving cell.

[0005] Since the increase in the number of antennas at the base station and the UE results in delays and signaling overhead for the beam search, the best beam search may take an excessive amount of time due to the large number of Tx-Rx pairs to search from. Therefore, this is a need to streamline the beam selection process and reduce the above delays and signaling overhead for the beam search in a wireless communication network. SUMMARY

[0006] The exemplary embodiments disclosed herein are directed to solving the issues relating to one or more of the problems presented in the prior art, as well as providing additional features that will become readily apparent by reference to the following detailed description when taken in conjunction with the accompany drawings. In accordance with various embodiments, exemplary systems, methods, devices and computer program products are disclosed herein. It is understood, however, that these embodiments are presented by way 2 DM2\19875691.1F9125-60700 of example and not limitation, and it will be apparent to those of ordinary skill in the art who read the present disclosure that various modifications to the disclosed embodiments can be made while remaining within the scope of the present disclosure.

[0007] In some embodiments, a method includes: transmitting, at a wireless communication device, a first signal to a first wireless communication node, wherein the first signal comprises a measurement report, wherein the measurement report includes a signal measurement associated with a second wireless communication node; and in response to transmitting the first signal, receiving, at the wireless communication device, a second signal from the first wireless communication node, wherein the second signal includes a first beam set, wherein the first beam set is associated with the signal measurement associated with the second wireless communication node.

[0008] In some embodiments, the method further includes: measuring, at the wireless communication device, strength of beams from the first beam set received in the second signal from the first wireless communication node; and reporting, at the wireless communication device, a second beam set selected from the first beam set to the wireless communication node.

[0009] In some embodiments, the method further includes: prior to transmitting the first signal, transmitting, at the wireless communication device, a preamble to the wireless communication node; and receiving, at the wireless communication device, a random access (RA) response from the wireless communication node. In some embodiments, the first signal is message 3 specified in 3GPP technical specifications, and the second signal is message 4 specified in the 3GPP technical specifications.

[0010] In some embodiments, the method further includes: receiving, at the wireless communication device, a configuration message from the first wireless communication node, 3 DM2\19875691.1F9125-60700 wherein the configuration message includes a plurality of downlink resources, and wherein the configuration message indicates that the wireless communication device performs device measurements on the plurality of downlink resources based on the first beam set.

[0011] In some embodiments, the measurement report includes a plurality of signal measurements associated with a plurality of wireless communication nodes, wherein the plurality of signal measurements is assigned to a selected one of a plurality of clusters, wherein the selected one of the plurality of clusters is associated with the first beam set.

[0012] In some embodiments, each of the plurality of clusters includes a respective plurality of wireless communication devices; and each of the plurality of clusters is associated with a respective beam set, wherein the respective beam set is a union of all beam sets from all wireless communication devices in the respective plurality of wireless communication devices.

[0013] In some embodiments, the plurality of signal measurements includes reference signal received powers (RSRPs). BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0014] Various exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure are described in detail below with reference to the following Figures. The drawings are provided for purposes of illustration only and merely depict exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure to facilitate the reader's understanding of the present disclosure. Therefore, the drawings should not be considered limiting of the breadth, scope, or applicability of the present disclosure. It should be noted that for clarity and ease of illustration these drawings are not necessarily drawn to scale. 4 DM2\19875691.1F9125-60700

[0015] FIG. 1A illustrates an exemplary wireless communication network, in accordance with some embodiments of the present disclosure.

[0016] FIG. 1B illustrates a block diagram of an exemplary wireless communication system, in accordance with some embodiments of the present disclosure.

[0017] FIG. 2 illustrates an exemplary scenario for performing beam selection in a wireless communication network, in accordance with some embodiments of the present disclosure.

[0018] FIG. 3 illustrates an exemplary framework for unsupervised learning that maps measurement reports to candidate beam sets, in accordance with some embodiments of the present disclosure.

[0019] FIG. 4 illustrates a signaling diagram between a base station and user equipment for performing beam selection, in accordance with some embodiments.

[0020] FIG. 5 illustrates another signaling diagram between a base station and user equipment for performing beam selection, in accordance with some embodiments.

[0021] FIG. 6 illustrates an example method for performing beam selection in a wireless communication system based on unsupervised learning, in accordance with some embodiments. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF EXEMPLARY EMBODIMENTS

[0022] Various exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure are described below with reference to the accompanying figures to enable a person of ordinary skill in the art to make and use the present disclosure. As would be apparent to those of ordinary skill in the art, after reading the present disclosure, various changes or modifications to the examples described herein can be made without departing from the scope of the present disclosure. 5 DM2\19875691.1F9125-60700 Thus, the present disclosure is not limited to the exemplary embodiments and applications described and illustrated herein. Additionally, the specific order and / or hierarchy of steps in the methods disclosed herein are merely exemplary approaches. Based upon design preferences, the specific order or hierarchy of steps of the disclosed methods or processes can be re-arranged while remaining within the scope of the present disclosure. Thus, those of ordinary skill in the art will understand that the methods and techniques disclosed herein present various steps or acts in a sample order, and the present disclosure is not limited to the specific order or hierarchy presented unless expressly stated otherwise.

[0023] Figure 1A illustrates an exemplary wireless communication network 100, in accordance with some embodiments of the present disclosure. In a wireless communication system, a network side communication node or a base station (BS) 102 can be a node B, an E-UTRA Node B (also known as Evolved Node B, eNodeB or eNB), a New Generation eNB (ng-eNB), a gNodeB (also known as gNB) in new radio (NR) technology, a pico station, a femto station, or the like. A terminal side communication device or a user equipment (UE) 104 can be a long range communication system like a mobile phone, a smart phone, a personal digital assistant (PDA), tablet, laptop computer, or a short range communication system such as, for example a wearable device, a vehicle with a vehicular communication system and the like. A network communication node and a terminal side communication device are represented by a BS 102 and a UE 104, respectively, and in all the embodiments in this disclosure hereafter, and are generally referred to as “communication nodes” and “communication device” herein. Such communication nodes and communication devices may be capable of wireless and / or wired communications, in accordance with various embodiments of the invention. It is noted that all the embodiments are merely preferred examples, and are not intended to limit the present disclosure. Accordingly, it is understood 6 DM2\19875691.1F9125-60700 that the system may include any desired combination of BSs 102 and UEs 104, while remaining within the scope of the present disclosure.

[0024] Referring to Figure 1A, the wireless communication network 100 includes a first BS 102-1, a second BS 102-2, a first UE 104-1, a second UE 104-2, a third UE 104-3, and a fourth UE 104-4. In some embodiments, the first BS 102-1 and the second BS 102-2 comprise a first plurality of antennas 106-1 to 106-n and a second plurality of antennas 116-1 to 116-n, respectively. The first plurality of antennas 106-1 to 106-n may communicate with a plurality of UEs 104 to form a first multiple-input multiple-output (MIMO) system, and the second plurality of antennas 116-1 to 116-n may communicate with the plurality of UEs 104 to form a second MIMO system.

[0025] In some embodiments, a plurality of UEs 104 may form direct communication (i.e., uplink) channels 103-1, 103-2, 103-3, and 103-4 with the first BS 102-1 and the second BS 102-2. In some embodiments, the plurality of UEs 104 may also form direct communication (i.e., downlink) channels 105-1, 105-2, 105-3, and 105-4 with the first BS 102-1 and the second BS 102-2. The direct communication channels between the plurality of UEs 104 and a distributed unit of the BS 102 can be through interfaces such as an Uu interface, which is also known as E-UTRAN air interface. In some embodiments, the UE 104 comprises a plurality of transceivers which enables the UE 104 to support multi connectivity so as to receive data simultaneously from the first BS 102-1 and the second BS 102-2. The first BS 102-1 and the second BS 102-2 each is connected to a core network (CN) 108 on a user plane (UP) through an external interface 107, e.g., an Iu interface, an NG-U interface, or an S1-U interface. In some embodiments, the CN 108 is one of the following: an Evolved Packet Core (EPC) and a 5G Core Network (5GC). In some embodiments, the CN 108 7 DM2\19875691.1F9125-60700 further comprises at least one of the following: Access and Mobility Management Function (AMF), User Plane Function (UPF), and System Management Function (SMF).

[0026] A direct communication channel 111 between the first BS 102-1 and the second 102-2 is through an X2 interface, in accordance with some embodiments. In some embodiments, a BS (gNB) is split into a Distributed Unit (DU) and a Central Unit (CU) on the UP, between which the direct communication is through a F1-U interface. In some embodiments, a CU of the second BS 102-2 can be further split into a Control Plane (CP) and a User Plane (UP), between which the direct communication is through an E1 interface. Hereinafter in the present disclosure, an Xx interface is used to describe one of the following interfaces, the NG interface, the S1 interface, the X2 interface, the Xn interface, the F1 interface, and the E1 interface. When an Xx interface is established between two nodes, the two nodes can transmit control signaling on the CP and / or data on the UP.

[0027] Figure 1B illustrates a block diagram of an exemplary wireless communication system 150, in accordance with some embodiments of the present disclosure. The system 150 may include components and elements configured to support known or conventional operating features that need not be described in detail herein. In some embodiments, the system 150 can be used to transmit and receive data symbols in a wireless communication environment such as the wireless communication network 100 of Figure 1A, as described above.

[0028] The system 150 generally includes a first BS 102-1, a second BS 102-2, and a UE 104, collectively referred to as BS 102 and UE 104 below for ease of discussion. The first BS 102-1 and the second BS 102-2 each comprises a BS transceiver module 152, a BS antenna array 154, a BS memory module 156, a BS processor module 158, and a network interface 160. In the illustrated embodiment, each module of the BS 102 is coupled and 8 DM2\19875691.1F9125-60700 interconnected with one another as necessary via a data communication bus 180. The UE 104 comprises a UE transceiver module 162, a UE antenna 164, a UE memory module 166, a UE processor module 168, and an I / O interface 169. In the illustrated embodiment, each module of the UE 104 is coupled and interconnected with one another as necessary via a date communication bus 190. The BS 102 communicates with the UE 104 via a communication channel 192, which can be any wireless channel or other medium known in the art suitable for transmission of data as described herein.

[0029] As would be understood by persons of ordinary skill in the art, the system 150 may further include any number of modules other than the modules shown in Figure 1B. Those skilled in the art will understand that the various illustrative blocks, modules, circuits, and processing logic described in connection with the embodiments disclosed herein may be implemented in hardware, computer-readable software, firmware, or any practical combination thereof. To clearly illustrate this interchangeability and compatibility of hardware, firmware, and software, various illustrative components, blocks, modules, circuits, and steps are described generally in terms of their functionality. Whether such functionality is implemented as hardware, firmware, or software depends upon the particular application and design constraints imposed on the overall system. Those familiar with the concepts described herein may implement such functionality in a suitable manner for each particular application, but such implementation decisions should not be interpreted as limiting the scope of the present invention.

[0030] A wireless transmission from a transmitting antenna of the UE 104 to a receiving antenna of the BS 102 is known as an uplink (UL) transmission, and a wireless transmission from a transmitting antenna of the BS 102 to a receiving antenna of the UE 104 is known as a downlink (DL) transmission. In accordance with some embodiments, the UE transceiver 162 9 DM2\19875691.1F9125-60700 may be referred to herein as an "uplink" transceiver 162 that includes a radio frequency (RF) transmitter and receiver circuitry that is each coupled to the UE antenna 164. A duplex switch (not shown) may alternatively couple the uplink transmitter or receiver to the uplink antenna in time duplex fashion. Similarly, in accordance with some embodiments, the BS transceiver 152 may be referred to herein as a "downlink" transceiver 152 that includes RF transmitter and receiver circuitry that are each coupled to the antenna array 154. A downlink duplex switch may alternatively couple the downlink transmitter or receiver to the downlink antenna array 154 in time duplex fashion. The operations of the two transceivers 152 and 162 are coordinated in time such that the uplink receiver is coupled to the uplink UE antenna 164 for reception of transmissions over the wireless communication channel 192 at the same time that the downlink transmitter is coupled to the downlink antenna array 154. Preferably, there is close synchronization timing with only a minimal guard time between changes in duplex direction. The UE transceiver 162 communicates through the UE antenna 164 with the BS 102 via the wireless communication channel 192. The BS transceiver 152 communications through the BS antenna 154 of a BS (e.g., the first BS 102-1) with the other BS (e.g., the second BS 102-2) via a wireless communication channel 196. The wireless communication channel 196 can be any wireless channel or other medium known in the art suitable for direct communication between BSs.

[0031] The UE transceiver 162 and the BS transceiver 152 are configured to communicate via the wireless data communication channel 192, and cooperate with a suitably configured RF antenna arrangement 154 / 164 that can support a particular wireless communication protocol and modulation scheme. In some exemplary embodiments, the UE transceiver 162 and the BS transceiver 152 are configured to support industry standards such as the Long Term Evolution (LTE) and emerging 5G standards (e.g., NR), and the like. It is understood, however, that the invention is not necessarily limited in application to a 10 DM2\19875691.1F9125-60700 particular standard and associated protocols. Rather, the UE transceiver 162 and the BS transceiver 152 may be configured to support alternate, or additional, wireless data communication protocols, including future standards or variations thereof.

[0032] The processor modules 158 and 168 may be implemented, or realized, with a general purpose processor, a content addressable memory, a digital signal processor, an application specific integrated circuit, a field programmable gate array, any suitable programmable logic device, discrete gate or transistor logic, discrete hardware components, or any combination thereof, designed to perform the functions described herein. In this manner, a processor module may be realized as a microprocessor, a controller, a microcontroller, a state machine, or the like. A processor module may also be implemented as a combination of computing devices, e.g., a combination of a digital signal processor and a microprocessor, a plurality of microprocessors, one or more microprocessors in conjunction with a digital signal processor core, or any other such configuration.

[0033] Furthermore, the steps of a method or algorithm described in connection with the embodiments disclosed herein may be embodied directly in hardware, in firmware, in a software module executed by processor modules 158 and 168, respectively, or in any practical combination thereof. The memory modules 156 and 166 may be realized as RAM memory, flash memory, ROM memory, EPROM memory, EEPROM memory, registers, a hard disk, a removable disk, a CD-ROM, or any other form of storage medium known in the art. In this regard, the memory modules 156 and 166 may be coupled to the processor modules 158 and 168, respectively, such that the processors modules 158 and 168 can read information from, and write information to, memory modules 156 and 166, respectively. The memory modules 156 and 166 may also be integrated into their respective processor modules 158 and 168. In some embodiments, the memory modules 156 and 166 may each include a 11 DM2\19875691.1F9125-60700 cache memory for storing temporary variables or other intermediate information during execution of instructions to be executed by processor modules 158 and 168, respectively. The memory modules 156 and 166 may also each include non-volatile memory for storing instructions to be executed by the processor modules 158 and 168, respectively.

[0034] The network interface 160 generally represents the hardware, software, firmware, processing logic, and / or other components of the base station 102 that enable bi-directional communication between BS transceiver 152 and other network components and communication nodes configured to communication with the BS 102. For example, network interface 160 may be configured to support internet or WiMAX traffic. In a typical deployment, without limitation, network interface 160 provides an 802.3 Ethernet interface such that BS transceiver 152 can communicate with a conventional Ethernet based computer network. In this manner, the network interface 160 may include a physical interface for connection to the computer network (e.g., Mobile Switching Center (MSC)). The terms “configured for” or “configured to” as used herein with respect to a specified operation or function refers to a device, component, circuit, structure, machine, signal, etc. that is physically constructed, programmed, formatted and / or arranged to perform the specified operation or function. The network interface 160 could allow the BS 102 to communicate with other BSs or a CN over a wired or wireless connection.

[0035] Referring again to Figure 1A, as mentioned above, the BS 102 repeatedly broadcasts system information associated with the BS 102 to one or more UEs 104 so as to allow the UEs 104 to access the network within the cells where the BS 102 is located, and in general, to operate properly within the cell. Plural information such as, for example, downlink and uplink cell bandwidths, downlink and uplink configuration, cell information, configuration for random access, etc., can be included in the system information. Typically, 12 DM2\19875691.1F9125-60700 the BS 102 broadcasts a first signal carrying some major system information, for example, configuration of the cell where the BS 102 is located through a Physical Broadcast Channel (PBCH). For purposes of clarity of illustration, such a broadcasted first signal is herein referred to as “first broadcast signal.” It is noted that the BS 102 may subsequently broadcast one or more signals carrying some other system information through respective channels (e.g., a Physical Downlink Shared Channel (PDSCH)).

[0036] Referring again to Figure 1B, in some embodiments, the major system information carried by the first broadcast signal may be transmitted by the BS 102 in a symbol format via the communication channel 192 (e.g., a PBCH). In accordance with some embodiments, an original form of the major system information may be presented as one or more sequences of digital bits and the one or more sequences of digital bits may be processed through plural steps (e.g., coding, scrambling, modulation, mapping steps, etc.), all of which can be processed by the BS processor module 158, to become the first broadcast signal. Similarly, when the UE 104 receives the first broadcast signal (in the symbol format) using the UE transceiver 162, in accordance with some embodiments, the UE processor module 168 may perform plural steps (de-mapping, demodulation, decoding steps, etc.) to estimate the major system information such as, for example, bit locations, bit numbers, etc., of the bits of the major system information. The UE processor module 168 is also coupled to the I / O interface 169, which provides the UE 104 with the ability to connect to other devices such as computers. The I / O interface 169 is the communication path between these accessories and the UE processor module 168.

[0037] Referring again to Figure 1A, during the transmission of signals between the BS 102 and the UE 104, the established wireless transmission channels between the BS 102 and the UE 104 may introduce various impairments and distortions to the transmitted signals due 13 DM2\19875691.1F9125-60700 to factors such as fading, interference, and noise. Channel estimation can be performed to estimate the characteristics of the communication channel between the BS 102 and the UE 104 to optimize wireless communication system performance and to improve the reliability of communication. A conventional way to perform channel estimation is to use channel reciprocity for MIMO precoding in the downlink by estimating the UL channel based on the symmetry properties between the UL and DL channels. That is, the UE 104 can periodically transmit pilot signals or Sounding Reference Signals (SRSs) during specific time slots allocated for UL channel sounding, and the corresponding BS 102 can measure the received SRSs to estimate the UL channel characteristics such as channel gains and phases. In case of a time-division duplexing (TDD) transmission, there is channel reciprocity between the UL and DL channels. This means that the UL and DL channel responses are related, allowing information obtained from UL measurements to be used for DL transmission. For example, the BS 102 can perform DL MIMO precoding based on the extracted UL channel state information (CSI) from the received pilot signals or SRSs. Once the DL MIMO precoding matrix is determined, the BS 102 can use it to precode the DL data transmission, which helps in mitigating the effects of channel fading and interference and improving the quality of the received signal at the UEs.

[0038] In some embodiments, a massive MIMO system is used with a number of antennas at the BS 102 to enhance data throughput and spectrum efficiency. However, the implementation of MIMO systems necessitates accurate CSI acquisition at the BS and UE transmitters, which can be achieved through codebook-based feedback in Frequency Division Duplexing (FDD) networks or reciprocity-based sounding in Time Division Duplexing (TDD) networks. Despite these methods, the exhaustive beam search required for selecting optimal transmit-receive (Tx-Rx) beam pairs in 5G New Radio (NR) technology results in significant signaling overhead and delays, thus necessitating more efficient approaches. 14 DM2\19875691.1F9125-60700

[0039] The handover process in 5G networks is another important aspect, ensuring that the UE 104 maintains continuous and high-quality service while moving within the wireless communication network 100. In some embodiments, the handover procedure is initiated if certain signal qualities are satisfied, making signal quality measurements one of the most important stages in the handover procedure. The signal quality can be measured in either the downlink or the uplink directions to effectively manage handover operations in 5G networks. In 5G NR technology, Reference Signals (RS) are specifically defined to measure the quality of received signals. These RS include synchronization signal blocks (SSB) and channel state information reference signal (CSI-RS) blocks in the downlink, and sounding reference signals (SRS) in the uplink, which are used by the BS. To ensure optimal service quality in connected mode, it is important that handover management is executed accurately and promptly. The on-time decision to switch the base station is achieved by channel quality measurements. These measurements can be obtained either in the downlink by the UE, or in the uplink by the BS.

[0040] When a UE initially enters the coverage area of a base station, a cell search is performed. To maintain mobility, the UE may continuously carry out cell searches while moving within the network, regardless of whether the UE is connected to the network or in an IDLE / INACTIVE state. As part of the cell search procedure, the UE may periodically measure the signal quality of neighboring cells to facilitate cell reselection and handovers during both the IDLE / INACTIVE and CONNECTED Radio Resource Control (RRC) states.

[0041] In the IDLE / INACTIVE RRC state, the UE may perform cell reselection by measuring the SSBs transmitted by the neighboring cells. Cell search based on the SSB measurements can also be used for the CONNECTED RRC state mobility, although in that case cell search can also be based on CSI-RS explicitly configured for the UE. During the 15 DM2\19875691.1F9125-60700 CONNECTED RRC state, the UE may send a control message called a measurement report (MR) to the serving cell. The MR may contain a list of neighboring cell IDs and their respective measured signal qualities. The serving cell’s BS may then use this MR to make handover decisions when a neighboring cell’s measured signal quality exceeds that of the serving cell.

[0042] According to current 3GPP standards, the serving cell configures the UE to send the MR based on the following three configureations: 1) Event-based MR: The MR is sent when a specific event occurs, such as a reduction in the power of the serving base station below a certain threshold specified in the network. 2) Periodic MR: The MR is sent at specified regular intervals. 3) Requested MR: The MR is sent upon request by the serving base station. Consequently, the UE perform signal quality measurements of neighboring cells during both the IDLE / INACTIVE and CONNECTED RRC states and send these measurements to the serving cell in the form of an MR, as configured. Since the increase in the number of antennas at the BS and the UE results in delays and signaling overhead for the beam search, the best beam search may take an excessive amount of time due to the large number of Tx-Rx pairs to search from. Therefore, this is a need to streamline the beam selection process and reduce the above delays and signaling overhead for the beam search in a wireless communication network.

[0043] FIG. 2 illustrates an exemplary scenario for beam selection in a wireless communication network, in accordance with some embodiments of the present disclosure. In some embodiments, each of a plurality of BSs may provide a respective serving area for reliable coverage. For example, a plurality of BSs 202-1 to 202-4 may provide a respective plurality of serving areas 206-1 to 206-4, wherein the serving areas 206-1, 206-2, 206-3 and 206-4 are provided by the BSs 202-1, 202-2, 202-3 and 202-4, respectively. 16 DM2\19875691.1F9125-60700

[0044] In some embodiments, a UE 204 may be in communication with the BS 202-1 within the serving area 206-1. The UE 204 may be located at distances 208, 210, 212 and 214 from the BSs 202-1, 202-2, 202-3 and 202-4, respectively. In some embodiments, the received signal strength measured at the UE 202 from a neighboring cell is a function of the distance between the UE 202 and the neighboring cell such that the signal measurements at the neighboring cell can be used to triangulate an approximate location of the UE 202 with respect to the serving cell. Conversely, a certain set of signal measurements of the neighboring cells represents a corresponding location within the serving cell area. In some embodiments, the UE 202 is located at a position denote by X with the distance 208 from its serving BS 202-1, and the UE 202 is configured to measure the signal strengths (e.g. reference signal received powers (RSRPs)) R1, R2 and R3 from the neighboring BSs 202-2, 202-3 and 202-4, respectively. In some embodiments, the signal measurements R1, R2 and R3 are inversely proportional to the distances 210, 212 and 214, respectively. Following the converse principle, the UE 202 located at position X would report an MR with the signal measurements R1, R2 and R3 to the serving BS 202-1. In some embodiments, the communication between the UE 202 and at least one of the plurality of BSs 202-1 to 202-4 is in a Non-Line of Sight (NLOS) scenario. In such a case, the radio frequency signal measurements-based distance may not be the same as the geo-distance. In addition to the MR, the UE 202 may perform beam selection to report a best beam set B to the serving cell BS 202-1 for the MIMO data transmissions. In some embodiments, the best beam set B is a function of the location X of the UE 204. In such a case, based on the location X of the UE 204, the signal measurements R1, R2 and R3 may be mapped to the best beam set B. In some embodiments, the best beam set B is reported for the serving cell of the UE 204, wherein the serving cell’s transmitting antennas are distributed antennas and may not be collocated. In some other embodiments, the serving cell comprises multiple nodes, wherein the 17 DM2\19875691.1F9125-60700 communication between the UE 204 and the serving cell is performed by coordinated joint- transmissions. In yet some other embodiments, upon receiving the MR and the reported best beam set B from all the UEs within the coverage area, the serving BS 202-1 may gather information of both the MR and reported the best beam set from all the UEs within the coverage area to generate a combined MR and best beam set report. Table 1 illustrates an exemplary combined MR and best beam set report generated by the BS 202-1, which provides coverage for a total of M UEs. Table 1. An exemplary combined MR and best beam set report.

[0045] As illustrated in Table 1, in some embodiments, the exemplary combined MR and best beam set report comprises a total number of ^ BSs: ^^^, … , ^^^and a total number ^ of UEs: ^^^, … , ^^^. For example, ^^^may perform ^ measurements ^^,^, … , ^^,^associated with ^ neighboring BSs:… , ^^^, respectively, and ^^^may measure another ^ measurements ^^,^, … , ^^,^associated with the ^ BSs:… , ^^^. In some embodiments, ^^^may report a best beam set B1=^^^, ^^, … , ^^^selected from the list of all possible beams ^^^, … , ^^^ to the serving BS 202-1, and ^^^may also report a best beam set B2= ^^^, ^^, … , ^^^^^ selected from the list of all possible beams ^^^, … , ^^^ to the serving BS 202-1, wherein ^ is the size of the codebook for beam selection or the total number of available beams.

[0046] In some embodiments, the ^ measurements ^^,^, … , ^^,^measured by ^^^may be arranged into a ^-dimensional vectorthe ^ measurements 18 DM2\19875691.1F9125-60700 ^^,^, … , ^^,^measured by ^^^may be arranged into another ^-dimensional vector ^^= [^^,^, … , ^^,^], and so on. Then the Euclidean distance between the two p-dimensional vectors and ^^may be expressed as: !"^^, ^ # =In some embodiments, with the total number of ^ UEs in the cell, the number of paired distances between the UEs can be expressed as: "^"^ − 1## / 2. In some embodiments, instead of using Euclidean distance to compute the measurement difference between different UEs, other distance methods can be used. Examples of distance methods that can be used to compute the measurement difference between different UEs include but not limited to: Manhattan distance, Minkowski distance, Chebyshev distance, Cosine imilarity, Hamming Ddistance, Jaccard distance, Mahalanobis distance, Bray-Curtis distance, and Bray-Curtis distance.

[0047] In some embodiments, the ^ UEs from Table 1 are partitioned into ) different clusters using an unsupervised learning method. For example, the ^ UEs may be partitioned into ) clusters using a )-means clustering algorithm based on the ^-dimensional measurement vectors for each of the ^ UEs: ^*= [^^,+, … , ^^,+]′, - = 1, … ,as well as the distances between the paired UEs from the total ^ UEs. The assumption is that the nearly located UEs will be assigned to the same cluster because those UEs will report similar neighboring cells’ signal measurements resulting in the smallest Euclidean distance between the UEs within the cluster. Algorithm 1 illustrates an example of pseudocode of the k-means clustering algorithm used to partition the ^ UEs into ) clusters. In addition to the k-means clustering algorithm illustrated in Algorithm 1, other data partition methods can be used to partition the ^ UEs into ) clusters, such as hierarchical clustering method, density-based spatial clustering method, mean shift clustering method, Gaussian Mixture Models (GMM), spectral clustering method, affinity propagation method, balanced iterative reducing and 19 DM2\19875691.1F9125-60700 clustering using hierarchies method, fuzzy c-means method, agglomerative clustering method, Self-Organizing Maps (SOM), ordering points to identify the clustering structure method, and grid-based clustering method. Algorithm 1. k-means clustering algorithm to partition / UEs into 0 clusters. Input: p-dimensional measurement vector for M UE: ^1=… , ^2,1]′, 1 =1 Initialization: Set k cluster means {3^, … , 30} to random values.2. Assignment: p-dimensional measurement vectors for the M UEs: ^1, 1 = ^, … , / are assigned to clusters with the nearest cluster mean. The assigned i-th cluster is denoted by 4*:3. Update: Compute the new cluster means 3*for * = ^, … , 0 with ;*being the number of UEs in the i-th cluster:4. Iterative refinement: Repeat steps 2-3 until the assignments do not change.

[0048] FIG. 3 illustrates an exemplary framework 300 for unsupervised learning that maps measurement reports to candidate beam sets, in accordance with some embodiments of the present disclosure. In some embodiments, a )-means clustering processing framework 320 takes a plurality of UE measurement reports 308-1 to 308-M and a plurality of best beam sets 310-1 to 310-M as inputs, wherein each of the plurality of UE measurement reports 308- 1 to 308-M is associated with a respective one of a plurality of UEs 304-1 to 304-M, and each of the plurality of best beam sets 310-1 to 310-M is associated with the respective one of the plurality of UEs 304-1 to 304-M. In some embodiments, the plurality of UEs 304-1 to 304-M is within a cell coverage area 306 provided by a BS 302. In some embodiments, Algorithm 1 is performed to allocate each of the plurality of UEs 304-1 to 304-M to an associated cluster located at different parts of the cell coverage area 306. For example, Algorithm 1 can be performed to partition the plurality of UEs 304-1 to 304-M to a plurality of clusters 316-1 to 20 DM2\19875691.1F9125-60700 316-k. In some embodiments, the number of clusters in the plurality of clusters 316-1 to 316- k and the locations of the clusters are a function of the UE geographic distribution in the cell coverage area 306 and the distances between the UEs and the neighboring cells.

[0049] In some embodiments, after the plurality of UEs 304-1 to 304-M is assigned to the plurality of clusters 316-1 to 316-k, the best beam set reported by the i-th UE in the j-th cluster may be denoted by >+,?. In some embodiments, a beam is selected to be included in >+,?if the strength (e.g. power value) of the beam is above a predetermined threshold. In some embodiments, the set of all possible beams is denoted by > = ^^^, ^^, … , ^^^ where ^@is the nth beam in A, and >+,?is selected from > with >+,?⊆ >. In some embodiments, > is defined by the network (e.g. by a codebook). In some other embodiments, each cluster is associated with the union of all the best beam sets from all UEs assigned to that cluster by the k-means algorithm. For example, the j-th cluster may comprise a total of m UEs, wherein each of the m UEs reports a respective one of m best beam sets>C,?. Then the j- th cluster may be assigned a candidate beam set >?= >^,?∪ >^,?∪ … ∪ >C,?. As such, the exemplary framework 300 may generate a mapping function as an output, as illustrated by the mapping function in FIG. 3. In some embodiments, the mapping function in FIG. 3 maps a plurality of measurement reports 312 to a respective plurality of best beam sets 314. In some other embodiments, the mapping function is used to select candidate beam sets for the UEs that are in the process of either attempting to access the network or reselecting beams for the MIMO transmissions. In some embodiments, Algorithm 1 can be repeated multiple times to form at least one new cluster. In one embodiment, Algorithm 1 is performed periodically. In case when Algorithm 1 is performed periodically, the resulting mapping function may be saved in the network for each particular cell. The mapping function may be used to generate the candidate beam set when needed. In some embodiments, the mapping function is updated 21 DM2\19875691.1F9125-60700 periodically with the new set of MR reports from more UEs within the same coverage cell. In another embodiment, Algorithm 1 is performed in an event-driven process, wherein the event is triggered when an updated measurement report and best beam sets are received from any of the UEs currently served by the serving BS 302. In yet another embodiment, the periodicity for performing Algorithm 1 is determined based on the traffic conditions of the network and the distribution of the UEs within the cell coverage area 306.

[0050] FIG. 4 illustrates a signaling diagram between a BS 402 and a UE 404 for performing a method for beam selection, in accordance with some embodiments. In some embodiments, the UE 404 may transmit a first signal to the BS 402 for performing beam selection. In some embodiments, the first signal comprises an MR obtained by the UE 404, wherein the MR comprises a plurality of signal measurements associated with a plurality of BSs. In some other embodiments, the MR comprises a signal measurement associated with at least one neighboring BS of the UE 404. In some embodiments, the at least one neighboring BS associated with the signal measurement is different from the BS 402. In some other embodiments, the at least one neighboring BS associated with the signal measurement is the BS 402. In yet some other embodiments, the first signal is message 3 specified in 3GPP technical specifications. Upon receiving the first signal, the BS 402 may be configured to compute the distance between the reported MR in the first signal and the centroids of a plurality of clusters, wherein the plurality of clusters is obtained by the procedure outlined in Algorithm 1. In some embodiments, the BS 402 assigns the UE 404 to a cluster, wherein the centroid of the assigned cluster has the Euclidean minimum distance from the reported MR (i.e. from a signal measurement vector ^ reported by the UE 404) in the first signal, and then sends a second signal back to the UE 404, wherein the second signal comprises a candidate beam set associated with the assigned cluster. For example, the UE 404 may report a signal measurement vector ^ = [^^, ^^, … , ^^] to the BS 402, wherein the reported measurement 22 DM2\19875691.1F9125-60700 vector ^ comprises p signal measurements associated with p BSs. The BS 402 may then assign the i-th cluster to the UE 404 using the k-means clustering algorithm outlined in Algorithm 1, wherein the Euclidean distance between the centroid of the i-th cluster and the signal measurement vector ^ is the minimum among all clusters, and the i-th cluster is associated with a candidate beam set >+wherein >E,+is the best beam set associated with the h-th UE in the i-th cluster. That is, the UE 404 is assigned the candidate beam set which is the union of all best beam sets of all the UEs in the i-th cluster. In some other embodiments, the second signal comprises a first beam set as a candidate beam set associated with the signal measurement associated with the at least one neighboring BS of the UE 404. In some embodiments, the UE 404 may be configured to measure the strength of beams from the first beam set and report a second beam set as a best beam set selected from the first beam set back to the BS 402. In some embodiments, the UE 404 selects the second beam set from the first beam set by measuring the strength of beams from the first beam set, wherein the second beam set is a subset of the first beam set, and the beams in the second beam set have better signal strength (such as RSRP) than the beams in the first beam set that are not selected by the UE 404. In some other embodiments, upon receiving the second beam set, the BS 402 may select one or more beams from the second beams set to serve data to the UE 404. In some embodiments, the second signal is message 4 specified in the 3GPP technical specifications.

[0051] In addition to the second signal, the BS 402 may send a set of downlink resources to the UE 404 in a configuration message on which measurements should be carried out based on the candidate beam set assigned to the UE 404. For example, in 5G NR, CSI-RS resources can be configured by the BS 402 and sent to the UE 404. In some embodiments, the UE 404 is configured to be in a CONNECTED state in order to send the first signal to the BS 402. In case when the UE 404 is in an IDLE / INACTIVE state, a random-access procedure 23 DM2\19875691.1F9125-60700 may be used for performing communication between the BS 402 and the UE 404, as will be illustrated with reference to FIG. 5 below.

[0052] FIG. 5 illustrates another signaling diagram between a BS 502 and a UE 504 for performing a method for beam selection, in accordance with some embodiments. In some embodiments, the UE 504 may be configured to transmit a preamble to the BS 502 in order to initiate the communication with the BS 502. In some embodiments, the preamble comprises a sequence of symbols or bits transmitted on the Random Access Channel (RACH) to request access to the network, such that the network can detect the UE 504, measure its timing, and allocate resources for further communication. Upon receiving the preamble, the BS 502 may be configured to transmit a random access (RA) response to the UE 504, wherein the RA response comprises at least one of: a timing advance command, an uplink resource grant, a temporary Cell Radio Network Temporary Identifier (C-RNTI), and a backoff indicator. Upon receiving the RA response from the BS 502, the UE 504 may transmit a first signal to the BS 502, and then the BS 502 may transmit the second signal back to the UE 504. The functions of the first and second signals are described above with reference to FIG. 4 and are, therefore, not repeated here. In some embodiments, the BS 502 may not require the MR in the first signal to be transmitted from the UE 504 because the BS 502 may be already aware of the location of the UE 504. For example, in 5G NR, the uplink resource used for the RA preamble transmission is an indication of the downlink beam in which the UE 504 is located. In such a case, the BS 502 may directly perform the k-means clustering algorithm and send the second signal comprising the assigned candidate beam set to the UE 504.

[0053] In some embodiments, the UE 504 may enter a new coverage area as a result of reselection during the IDLE / INACTIVE states. Additionally, the UE 504 entering the cell may not perform the RA procedure if the UE 504 does not seek network access. To handle 24 DM2\19875691.1F9125-60700 such situations, the BS 502 may proactively broadcast a message before the UE 504 transmits the first signal as part of the System Information Broadcast (SIB), as a dedicated RRC signaling message, or as a paging message, wherein the broadcast message comprises the neighboring cells list, a list of cluster centroids and the assigned candidate beam set associated with each of the clusters, wherein the clusters are obtained using the procedure outlined in Algorithm 1. For example, assuming there are p number of neighboring cells, K number of clusters, a codebook of size N or a total number of N beams. The BS 502 may broadcast the neighboring cells list, K number of p-dimensional cluster centroids and their associated candidate beams sets, as illustrated in Table 2 below. For example, the second row and the first column of Table 2 shows that the p-dimensional cluster centroid of the 1stcluster iswith the associated candidate beam set as ^^^, ^^, … , ^^^^^, and the third row and the first column of Table 2 shows that the p-dimensional cluster centroid of the 2ndcluster is F^^,^, ^^,^, … , ^^,^G with the associated candidate beam set as^^^, ^^, … , ^^^^. To summarize, the broadcast message transmitted by the BS 502 may comprise information associated with mapping between a plurality of measurement reports and a plurality of beam sets, i.e., between a plurality of clusters and a plurality of beam sets. In some embodiments, upon receiving the broadcast message, the UE 504 may be configured to measure the signal strengths of a plurality of neighboring BSs, and determine a first beam set as a candidate beam set based on the information associated with the mapping between the plurality of measurement reports and the plurality of beam sets. In some embodiments, the UE 504 may be configured to measure the strength of beams from the first beam set, and report a second beam set as a best beam set selected from the first beam set back to the BS 502, as discussed previously with reference to FIG. 4. Table 2. An exemplary list of cluster centroids and the corresponding candidate beam sets.Candidate Beams Set 25 DM2\19875691.1F9125-60700

[0054] In some embodiments, the BS 502 broadcasts the message as part of the SIB, and after the UE 504 decodes and acquires synchronization signal block, the UE 504 may decode the SIB and receive the cluster centroids included in the broadcast message. As part of the mobility procedure, the UE 504 may measure the signal strengths of the p neighboring cells to prepare an MR. The UE 504 may then compute the distance between the measured signal strengths of the p neighboring cells and each of the cluster centroids included in the broadcast message. The UE 504 may select the candidate beam set associated with the cluster centroid that has the minimum distance from the measured signal strengths of the p neighboring cells for initial beam establishment. In some embodiments, the UE 504 may perform the above task periodically or in the event when the UE 504 is attempting to access the network. In situations when the regional directional broadcasting is available, the BS 502 may broadcast in the message only those cluster centroids of the clusters that are located within the cell.

[0055] FIG. 6 illustrates an example method 600 for performing beam selection in a wireless communication system based on unsupervised learning, in accordance with some embodiments. The operations of method 600 presented below are intended to be illustrative. In some embodiments, method 600 may be accomplished with one or more additional operations not described and / or without one or more of the operations discussed. Additionally, the order in which the operations of method 600 are illustrated in FIG. 6 and described below is not intended to be limiting. 26 DM2\19875691.1F9125-60700

[0056] At step 602, a BS performs a k-means clustering algorithm to partition a plurality of UEs into a total of k clusters. In some embodiments, each of the plurality of UEs comprises a respective p-dimensional measurement vector, wherein the respective p- dimensional measurement vector is associated with the signal strengths of respective p neighboring BSs.

[0057] At step 604, a UE may be configured to send a first signal comprising reported measurements to the BS. In some embodiments, the UE sending the first signal belongs to the plurality of UEs used to perform the k-means clustering algorithm in step 602. In some other embodiments, the UE sending the first signal does not belong to the plurality of UEs used to perform the k-means clustering algorithm in step 602. In some embodiments, the first signal comprises an MR obtained by the UE, wherein the MR comprises a plurality of signal measurements (e.g. the signal strengths of p neighboring BSs) associated with a plurality of BSs and a best beam set for the MIMO data transmissions.

[0058] At step 606, the BS may calculate the distance between the reported MR from the UE and the centroids of all the k clusters learned in step 602. In some embodiments, the BS uses the p-dimensional measurement vector reported in the MR and the total number of k p- dimensional measurement vectors associated with the k cluster centroids to calculate the distances, and assigns the UE to the cluster that has a centroid with the minimum distance from the UE. In some embodiments, the BS also assigns a candidate beam set to the UE, wherein the candidate beam set is associated with the cluster having the minimum distance from the UE, and wherein the candidate beam set is the union of all the best beam sets of all the UEs in the cluster.

[0059] At step 610, the BS sends a second signal to the UE. In some embodiments, the second signal comprises the candidate beam set assigned to the UE as determined in step 608. 27 DM2\19875691.1F9125-60700 In some other embodiments, in addition to the second signal, the BS may send a set of downlink resources to the UE in a configuration message, wherein the configuration message indicates that the UE should perform UE measurements on the set of downlink resources based on the candidate beam set assigned to the UE. For example, in 5G NR, CSI-RS resources can be configured by the BS and sent to the UE.

[0060] While various embodiments of the present disclosure have been described above, it should be understood that they have been presented by way of example only, and not by way of limitation. Likewise, the various diagrams may depict an example architectural or configuration, which are provided to enable persons of ordinary skill in the art to understand exemplary features and functions of the present disclosure. Such persons would understand, however, that the present disclosure is not restricted to the illustrated example architectures or configurations, but can be implemented using a variety of alternative architectures and configurations. Additionally, as would be understood by persons of ordinary skill in the art, one or more features of one embodiment can be combined with one or more features of another embodiment described herein. Thus, the breadth and scope of the present disclosure should not be limited by any of the above-described exemplary embodiments.

[0061] It is also understood that any reference to an element herein using a designation such as "first," "second," and so forth does not generally limit the quantity or order of those elements. Rather, these designations can be used herein as a convenient means of distinguishing between two or more elements or instances of an element. Thus, a reference to first and second elements does not mean that only two elements can be employed, or that the first element must precede the second element in some manner.

[0062] Additionally, a person having ordinary skill in the art would understand that information and signals can be represented using any of a variety of different technologies 28 DM2\19875691.1F9125-60700 and techniques. For example, data, instructions, commands, information, signals, bits and symbols, for example, which may be referenced in the above description can be represented by voltages, currents, electromagnetic waves, magnetic fields or particles, optical fields or particles, or any combination thereof.

[0063] A person of ordinary skill in the art would further appreciate that any of the various illustrative logical blocks, modules, processors, means, circuits, methods and functions described in connection with the aspects disclosed herein can be implemented by electronic hardware (e.g., a digital implementation, an analog implementation, or a combination of the two), firmware, various forms of program or design code incorporating instructions (which can be referred to herein, for convenience, as "software" or a "software module), or any combination of these techniques.

[0064] To clearly illustrate this interchangeability of hardware, firmware and software, various illustrative components, blocks, modules, circuits, and steps have been described above generally in terms of their functionality. Whether such functionality is implemented as hardware, firmware or software, or a combination of these techniques, depends upon the particular application and design constraints imposed on the overall system. Skilled artisans can implement the described functionality in various ways for each particular application, but such implementation decisions do not cause a departure from the scope of the present disclosure. In accordance with various embodiments, a processor, device, component, circuit, structure, machine, module, etc. can be configured to perform one or more of the functions described herein. The term “configured to” or “configured for” as used herein with respect to a specified operation or function refers to a processor, device, component, circuit, structure, machine, module, etc. that is physically constructed, programmed and / or arranged to perform the specified operation or function. 29 DM2\19875691.1F9125-60700

[0065] Furthermore, a person of ordinary skill in the art would understand that various illustrative logical blocks, modules, devices, components and functions described herein can be implemented within or performed by one or more circuits or circuitry. As used herein, the term “circuitry” refers to and includes any one or more of the following: discrete circuit components or devices coupled to each other to form circuit, logic circuitry, integrated circuits, application specific integrated circuits, state machines, general purpose processors, special purpose processors, digital signal processors (DSP), microprocessors, field programmable gate arrays (FPGA) or other programmable logic devices, or any combination thereof. Circuitry can further include antennas, reflectors, transmitters, receivers and / or transceivers to communicate with various components, devices or nodes within a communication network. As used herein, the term “processor” refers to a combination of structures including processing circuitry, a memory coupled to the processing circuitry, and executable code stored in the memory that when executed by the processing circuitry perform the functions or operations instructed by the executable code.

[0066] If implemented in software, the functions can be stored as one or more instructions or code on a computer-readable medium. Thus, the steps of a method or algorithm disclosed herein can be implemented as software stored on a computer-readable medium. Computer- readable media includes both computer storage media and communication media including any medium that can be enabled to transfer a computer program or code from one place to another. A storage media can be any available media that can be accessed by a computer. By way of example, and not limitation, such non-transitory computer-readable media can include RAM, ROM, EEPROM, CD-ROM or other optical disk storage, magnetic disk storage or other magnetic storage devices, or any other non-transitory medium that can be used to store desired program code in the form of instructions or data structures and that can be accessed by a computer. 30 DM2\19875691.1F9125-60700

[0067] In this document, the term "module" as used herein, refers to software, firmware, hardware, and any combination of these elements for performing the associated functions described herein. Additionally, for purpose of discussion, the various modules are described as discrete modules; however, as would be apparent to one of ordinary skill in the art, two or more modules may be combined to form a single module that performs the associated functions according embodiments of the present disclosure.

[0068] Additionally, memory or other storage, as well as communication components, may be employed in embodiments of the present disclosure. It will be appreciated that, for clarity purposes, the above description has described embodiments of the present disclosure with reference to different functional units and processors. However, it will be apparent that any suitable distribution of functionality between different functional units, processing logic elements or domains may be used without detracting from the present disclosure. For example, functionality illustrated to be performed by separate processing logic elements, or controllers, may be performed by the same processing logic element, or controller. Hence, references to specific functional units are only references to a suitable means for providing the described functionality, rather than indicative of a strict logical or physical structure or organization.

[0069] Various modifications to the implementations described in this disclosure will be readily apparent to those skilled in the art, and the general principles defined herein can be applied to other implementations without departing from the scope of this disclosure. Thus, the disclosure is not intended to be limited to the implementations shown herein, but is to be accorded the widest scope consistent with the novel features and principles disclosed herein, as recited in the claims below. 31 DM2\19875691.1

Claims

F9125-60700 CLAIMS What is claimed is:

1. A method comprising: transmitting, at a wireless communication device, a first signal to a first wireless communication node, wherein the first signal comprises a measurement report, wherein the measurement report comprises a signal measurement associated with a second wireless communication node; and in response to transmitting the first signal, receiving, at the wireless communication device, a second signal from the first wireless communication node, wherein the second signal comprises a first beam set, wherein the first beam set is associated with the signal measurement associated with the second wireless communication node.

2. A method of claim 1, further comprising: measuring, at the wireless communication device, strength of beams from the first beam set received in the second signal from the first wireless communication node; and reporting, at the wireless communication device, a second beam set selected from the first beam set to the wireless communication node.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising: prior to transmitting the first signal, transmitting, at the wireless communication device, a preamble to the wireless communication node; and receiving, at the wireless communication device, a random access (RA) response from the wireless communication node. 32 DM2\19875691.1F9125-60700 4. The method of claim 3, wherein the first signal is message 3 specified in 3GPP technical specifications, and the second signal is message 4 specified in the 3GPP technical specifications.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising: receiving, at the wireless communication device, a configuration message from the first wireless communication node, wherein the configuration message comprises a plurality of downlink resources, and wherein the configuration message indicates that the wireless communication device performs device measurements on the plurality of downlink resources based on the first beam set.

6. A method of claim 1, wherein the measurement report comprises a plurality of signal measurements associated with a plurality of wireless communication nodes, wherein the plurality of signal measurements is assigned to a selected one of a plurality of clusters, wherein the selected one of the plurality of clusters is associated with the first beam set.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein: each of the plurality of clusters comprises a respective plurality of wireless communication devices; and each of the plurality of clusters is associated with a respective beam set, wherein the respective beam set is a union of all beam sets from all wireless communication devices in the respective plurality of wireless communication devices.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the signal measurement comprises reference signal 33 DM2\19875691.1F9125-60700 received powers (RSRPs).

9. A method comprising: receiving, at a wireless communication device, a broadcast message from a wireless communication node, wherein the broadcast message comprises information associated with mapping between measurement reports and beam sets, and wherein the broadcast message is transmitted: as part of a System Information Broadcast (SIB); as a dedicated Radio Resource Control (RRC) signaling message; or as a paging message; and measuring, at the wireless communication device, signal strength of a plurality of wireless communication nodes, determining, at the wireless communication device, a first beam set based on the information associated with mapping between measurement reports and beam sets.

10. A method of claim 9, further comprising: measuring, at the wireless communication device, strength of beams from the first beam set; and reporting, at the wireless communication device, a second beam set selected from the first beam set to the wireless communication node.

11. A method comprising: receiving, at a first wireless communication node, a first signal from a wireless communication device, wherein the first signal comprises a measurement report, wherein the measurement report comprises a signal measurement associated with a second wireless 34 DM2\19875691.1F9125-60700 communication node; and in response to receiving the first signal, transmitting, at the wireless communication node, a second signal to the wireless communication device, wherein the second signal comprises a first beam set, wherein the first beam set is associated with the signal measurement associated with the second wireless communication node.

12. A method of claim 11, further comprising: receiving, at the first wireless communication node from the wireless communication device, a second beam set selected from the first beam set.

13. The method of claim 11, further comprising: prior to receiving the first signal, receiving, at the wireless communication node, a preamble from the wireless communication device; and transmitting, at the wireless communication node, a random access (RA) response to the wireless communication device.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein the first signal is message 3 specified in 3GPP technical specifications, and the second signal is message 4 specified in the 3GPP technical specifications.

15. The method of claim 11, further comprising: transmitting, at the first wireless communication node, a configuration message to the wireless communication device, wherein the configuration message comprises a plurality of downlink resources, and wherein the configuration message indicates that the wireless 35 DM2\19875691.1F9125-60700 communication device performs device measurements on the plurality of downlink resources based on the first beam set.

16. A method of claim 11, wherein the measurement report comprises a plurality of signal measurements associated with a plurality of wireless communication nodes, wherein the plurality of signal measurements is assigned to a selected one of a plurality of clusters, wherein the selected one of the plurality of clusters is associated with the first beam set.

17. The method of claim 11, wherein: each of the plurality of clusters comprises a respective plurality of wireless communication devices; and each of the plurality of clusters is associated with a respective beam set, wherein the respective beam set is a union of all beam sets from all wireless communication devices in the respective plurality of wireless communication devices.

18. The method of claim 11, wherein the signal measurement comprises reference signal received powers (RSRPs).

19. A method comprising: transmitting, at a first wireless communication node, a broadcast message to a wireless communication device, wherein the broadcast message comprises information associated with mapping between measurement reports and beam sets, and wherein the broadcast message is transmitted: as part of a System Information Broadcast (SIB); as a dedicated Radio Resource Control (RRC) signaling message; or 36 DM2\19875691.1F9125-60700 as a paging message; and receiving, at the first wireless communication nodes from the wireless communication device, a second beam selected from a first beam set, wherein the first beam set is selected based on the information associated with mapping between measurement reports and beam sets.

20. A communication system comprising a wireless communication device and a first wireless communication node, wherein: the wireless communication device comprises a first transceiver configured to transmit a first signal to the wireless communication node, wherein the first signal comprises a measurement report, wherein the measurement report comprises a signal measurement associated with a second wireless communication node; and the wireless communication node comprises a second transceiver configured to, in response to receiving the first signal, transmit a second signal to the wireless communication device, wherein the second signal comprises a beam set, wherein the beam set is associated with the signal measurement associated with the second wireless communication node. 37 DM2\19875691.1

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