Apparatus, method and computer software module for improved device-to-device communication

By transmitting multiple data instances in different beam configurations, the solution ensures stable D2D communication even when the transmitting UE rotates, addressing the challenge of maintaining beam alignment and improving user experience.

WO2025056142A1PCT designated stage expired Publication Date: 2025-03-20TELEFONAKTIEBOLAGET LM ERICSSON (PUBL)
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Patent Information

Application Number
PCT/EP2023/074914
Authority / Receiving Office
WO · WO
Patent Type
Applications
Current Assignee / Owner
Filing Date
2023-09-11
Publication Date
2025-03-20

AI Technical Summary

Technical Problem

In Device-to-Device (D2D) communication, maintaining a stable beam-based connection is challenging, especially when the transmitting UE physically rotates, causing the current beam link to deteriorate without being tracked by typical beam management algorithms, leading to interrupted data transmissions.

Method used

The solution involves the transmitting UE transmitting multiple instances of the same data in different spatially 'nearby' beam configurations, ensuring that if the current preferred beam loses alignment due to UE movement, an alternative beam can maintain the link, thereby ensuring continuous data transmission.

Benefits of technology

This approach maintains robust and stable data transmission even when the beam management algorithms fail to track beam deterioration due to UE rotation, improving user experience and enabling D2D communication at higher frequencies for performance-critical applications without increasing receiver processing overhead.

✦ Generated by Eureka AI based on patent content.

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Abstract

A cellular communication arrangement (100, 100A) configured for device-to-device communication configured to: transmit a first instance of a data stream through a primary transmission beam (220A) to a second communication arrangement (100, 100B), transmit a second instance of the data stream through a secondary transmission beam (220B-H), wherein the first instance and second instance are transmitted utilizing a same set of radio resources, where the same set of radio resources comprises a subset of radio resources for control channels and a subset of radio resources for data channels.
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Description

[0001] APPARATUS, METHOD AND COMPUTER SOFTWARE MODULE FOR IMPROVED DEVICE-TO-DEVICE COMMUNICATION

[0002] TECHNICAL FIELD

[0003] The present invention relates to an arrangement, an arrangement comprising computer software modules, a device and a method for providing an improved device-to-device communication, and in particular to an arrangement, an arrangement comprising computer software modules and a method for providing an improved Device-To-Device, D2D, stability.

[0004] BACKGROUND

[0005] Contemporary communication devices such as smartphones, Internet of Things devices and other cellular communication capable devices are becoming adapted for Device-To-Device (D2D) communication. Release 12 of the 3GPP standard defines one such protocol. Device-To-Devoice communication is also referred to as LTE direct, PC5 Interface and in later releases and standards as Sidelink (SL) communication.

[0006] Within the concept of D2D communication, there are two main types or modes of resource allocation modes for providing communication resources (time and frequency) to the direct link, referred to in 5G as sidelink. Scheduled resource allocation is a network scheduled mode wherein each transmission is scheduled by the network base station. This method is sometimes referred to as mode 1. User Equipment, UE, autonomous resource selection is a UE scheduled mode wherein the network base station (gNB) allocates one or more resource pools for sidelink communication which UEs communicating over sidelink should select resources from. Such resource pools can be provided in system information or with dedicated control signaling to UEs. This mode is sometimes referred to as mode 2.

[0007] UE autonomous resource selection operation can be used when the UEs are not in Radio Resource Control, RRC, connected state towards the network such as when being out of coverage. But it can also be used when the network determines that the resource scheduling is better handled without direct gNB control.

[0008] One example for when a UE autonomous resource selection could be reasonable is when a gNB allocates resource pools on frequency bands which are less utilized by the gNB for direct UE communication itself, since the gNB may consider there is less benefit of detailed scheduling of resources not much utilized by itself. In addition, the UE autonomous resource selection operation could be reasonable from network perspective if a set of UEs communicate over sidelink in areas wherein interference to other UEs in the system could be assumed to be low. In 3GPP Release 18 work item description (WID) on sidelink enhancements, the addition of high frequency usage denoted as frequency range 2 (FR2) operation is included. Also, work on defining sidelink operation on unlicensed carriers (SL- U) is being defined within the same WID. A network mainly operating in lower frequency (FR1) could possibly find allocating FR2 resources with UE autonomous resource selection operation useful, considering FR2 resources not interfering significantly with others. Further, a network allocating unlicensed bands, which anyway cannot be fully controlled by a network, could also possibly find UE autonomous resource selection operation most suitable.

[0009] SL resources are organized in terms of SL subchannels, which is the smallest scheduling unit for the Physical Sidelink Shared Channel (PSSCH). One sub-channel corresponds to one blind decode. Other channels may occupy narrow allocations but on pre-defined resources. A subchannel contains a set of contiguous Resource Blocks (RBs), (pre-)configured. The SL resource pool defines a set of contiguous subchannels, (pre-)configured, and a set of slots (not necessarily contiguous), following a periodic pattern. Physical Sidelink Control Channel (PSCCH) and PSSCH multiplexing is performed in the following manner. PSCCH is carried in 2 or 3 symbols after an Automatic Gain Control (AGC) symbol. Each subchannel carries at most one PSCCH. Each PSSCH is transmitted together with its (unique) PSCCH. To simplify Sidelink Control Information (SCI) structure and reduce payload, a single PSCCH / PSSCH relationship is used. For example, for a PSSCH allocation spanning multiple sub-channel, the associated PSCCH is carried in the first sub-channel. SCI is not carried in AGC symbol i.e., PSCCH is expected after AGC symbol.

[0010] PSCCH (PHY Sidelink Control Channel) carries reservation information and part of the scheduling assignment (sidelink control information, stage 1). PSSCH (PHY Sidelink Shared Channel) carries part of the scheduling assignment (sidelink control information, stage 2) and data payload.

[0011] Sidelink control information is divided into the following two parts:

[0012] 1. Minimal control signaling that is necessary to enable coexistence of UEs in the same radio resources. Format is fixed for all future releases, enabling forward compatibility.

[0013] 2. Other control information fields that are necessary to decode the data packet. Format is flexible and may be modified in future releases to support new use cases. The mapping to physical resources is disclosed in detail in the 3GPP Specification TS 38.211, and the UE procedure for transmitting PSCCH is disclosed in detail in the 3GPP Specification TS 38.213.

[0014] In Device-to-Device communication, both the transmitter (TX) and the receiver (RX) may be mobile and maintaining a stable beam-based connection is more challenging than in conventional downlink DL scenarios. In particular and as the inventors have realized, when the transmitting UE physically rotates, the currently selected beam link may suddenly deteriorate, without being captured or tracked by typical beam management (BM) algorithm configurations. An ongoing data transmission may therefore be interrupted and the user experience or the application QoS requirements may be degraded. Solutions for more robust beam-based communication in such scenarios are needed.

[0015] One approach to make the beam pair link more robust may be to configure a more frequent BM measurement and reporting procedure. While this could improve the robustness, it increases the processing load at the UE, the channel resource usage for BM Reference Signal (RS) transmission and reporting, and interference generated to other entities in the network. Another robustness measure may be to perform data transmission in the form of a beam sweep where conventional data transmission in the current best beam may be followed by additional transmissions of the same data in other beam directions. However, receiving such additional transmissions requires extended control monitoring where the monitoring duration is proportional to the number of redundant beams. Additionally, the RX may receive multiple copies of the same data which requires special protocols for discarding repeated data arrivals.

[0016] There is thus a need for a solution that is transparent to the receiver and that can improve the robustness of an ongoing data transmission without resorting to intensifying BM support procedures, extended control channel motoring, or additional data handling protocols.

[0017] SUMMARY

[0018] An object of the present teachings is to overcome or at least reduce or mitigate the problems discussed in the background section. It should be noted that all references to either of Device-to-Device, LTE Direct, PC5 or Sidelink communication applies equally to one another.

[0019] This object is achieved through a UE-centric solution for ensuring robust data transmission from a first UE to a second UE over a D2D connection when there is a risk of sudden device movements or rotation, without requiring rapid BM response. The first (TX) UE transmits multiple instances of the same data in different spatially "nearby" beam configurations. If the current preferred beam loses alignment wrt. the second (RX) UE, e.g. due to UE movement, another alternative TX beam will remain able to maintain the link.

[0020] This has the advantage(s) that continuous data transmission can remain robust and stable, without interruptions even when the BM algorithms is unable to track deterioration due to rapid rotation of the transmitting UE. This improves user experience and / or allows D2D communication at higher frequencies to be used for performance-critical applications. This is achieved without incurring a receiver processing overhead for the second UE, avoiding any extra energy consumption.

[0021] The solution is particularly advantageous in e.g. FR2 indoors scenarios where ample frequency resources are available for data duplication and TX power constraints do not pose a limitation even when the first UE's PA power is divided among multiple transmission instances.

[0022] The approach is a device proprietary implementation so no standard impact is required.

[0023] According to one aspect there is provided a transmitting cellular communication arrangement configured for device-to-device communication utilizing multiple beams shaped by utilizing adjustable spatial configurations, the transmitting cellular communication arrangement comprising a radio frequency transmission circuit configured for device-to-device communication, a radio frequency receiver circuit, and a controller configured to: transmit a first instance of a data stream through a primary transmission beam utilizing the radio frequency transmission circuit to a second communication arrangement, transmit a second instance of the data stream through a secondary transmission beam utilizing the radio frequency transmission circuit to the receiving cellular communication arrangement, wherein the radio frequency transmission circuit is further configured to transmit the first instance and second instance utilizing a same set of radio resources, where the same set of radio resources comprises a subset of radio resources for control channels and a subset of radio resources for data channels.

[0024] Further embodiments are disclosed in the specification and in the appended claims.

[0025] According to one aspect there is provided a receiving cellular communication arrangement, configured for device-to-device communication utilizing multiple beams shaped by utilizing adjustable spatial configurations, the receiving cellular communication arrangement comprising a radio frequency transmission circuit configured for beamforming, a radio frequency receiver circuit, and a controller configured to receive a first instance of a data stream through a primary transmission beam utilizing the radio frequency receiving circuit from a transmitting cellular communication arrangement on a first signal, receive a second instance of the data stream through a secondary transmission beam utilizing the radio frequency receiving circuit from the transmitting cellular communication arrangement on a second signal, and then transmit a beam reception indication to the transmitting cellular communication arrangement indicating that the second instance is received over the second transmission beam.

[0026] Further embodiments are disclosed in the specification and in the appended claims.

[0027] According to one aspect there is provided a method for use in a transmitting cellular communication arrangement configured for device-to-device communication utilizing multiple beams shaped by utilizing adjustable spatial configurations, wherein the method comprises transmitting a first instance of a data stream through a primary transmission beam utilizing a radio frequency transmission circuit to a receiving cellular communication arrangement and transmitting a second instance of the data stream through a secondary transmission beam utilizing the radio frequency transmission circuit to the receiving cellular communication arrangement, wherein the first instance and second instance are transmitted utilizing a same set of radio resources, where the same set of radio resources comprises a subset of radio resources for control channels and a subset of radio resources for data channels.

[0028] According to one aspect there is provided a method for use in a receiving cellular communication arrangement configured for wireless communication, wherein the method comprises receiving a first instance of a data stream through a primary transmission beam utilizing a radio frequency receiving circuit from a transmitting cellular communication arrangement on a first signal, receiving a second instance of the data stream through a secondary transmission beam utilizing the radio frequency receiving circuit from the transmitting cellular communication arrangement on a second signal, and then transmitting a beam reception indication to the transmitting cellular communication arrangement indicating that the second instance is received over the second transmission beam.

[0029] According to one aspect there is provided a computer-readable medium carrying computer instructions that when loaded into and executed by a controller of a cellular communication arrangement enables the receiving cellular communication arrangement to implement the method according to herein.

[0030] According to one aspect there is provided a software component arrangement for use in a transmitting cellular communication arrangement configured for device-to-device communication, wherein the software component arrangement comprises a software module for transmitting a first instance of a data stream through a primary transmission beam utilizing a radio frequency transmission circuit to a receiving cellular communication arrangement, and a software module for transmitting a second instance of the data stream through a secondary transmission beam utilizing the radio frequency transmission circuit to the receiving cellular communication arrangement, wherein the first instance and second instance are transmitted utilizing a same set of radio resources, where the same set of radio resources comprises a subset of radio resources for control channels and a subset of radio resources for data channels.

[0031] According to one aspect there is provided a software component arrangement for use in a receiving cellular communication arrangement configured for device-to-device communication, wherein the software component arrangement further comprises a software module for receiving a first instance of a data stream through a primary transmission beam utilizing a radio frequency receiving circuit from a transmitting cellular communication arrangement on a first signal, a software module for receiving a second instance of the data stream through a secondary transmission beam utilizing the radio frequency receiving circuit from the transmitting cellular communication arrangement on a second signal, and a software module for transmitting a beam reception indication to the transmitting cellular communication arrangement indicating that the second instance is received over the second transmission beam in response thereto.

[0032] Further embodiments and advantages of the present invention will be given in the detailed description. It should be noted that the teachings herein find use in smartphones, smartwatches, tablet computers, media devices, and even in vehicular displays.

[0033] BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0034] Embodiments of the invention will be described in the following, reference being made to the appended drawings which illustrate non-limiting examples of how the inventive concept can be reduced into practice.

[0035] Figure 1A shows a schematic view of a cellular communication arrangement according to an embodiment of the present invention;

[0036] Figure IB shows a schematic view of a cellular communication arrangement according to an embodiment of the present invention;

[0037] Figure 2 shows a schematic view of cellular communication arrangement system having a user interface according to one embodiment of the teachings herein;

[0038] Figure 3 shows a schematic view of radio frequency beam according to one embodiment of the teachings herein; Figure 4A shows a schematic view of radio frequency beam arrangement having a first transmission beam and one or more second transmission beams according to one embodiment of the teachings herein;

[0039] Figure 4B shows a schematic view of radio frequency beam arrangement having a first transmission beam and one or more second transmission beams according to one embodiment of the teachings herein;

[0040] Figure 5A shows a schematic view of transmission of data utilizing a radio frequency beam arrangement having a first transmission beam and one or more second transmission beams according to one embodiment of the teachings herein;

[0041] Figure 5B shows a schematic view of transmission of data utilizing a radio frequency beam arrangement having a first transmission beam and one or more second transmission beams according to one embodiment of the teachings herein;

[0042] Figure 5C shows a schematic view of transmission of data utilizing a radio frequency beam arrangement having a first transmission beam and one or more second transmission beams according to one embodiment of the teachings herein;

[0043] Figure 5D shows a schematic view of transmission of data utilizing a radio frequency beam arrangement having a first transmission beam and one or more second transmission beams according to one embodiment of the teachings herein;

[0044] Figure 6A shows a flowchart of a general method for a transmitting cellular communications arrangement according to an embodiment of the present invention;

[0045] Figure 6B shows a flowchart of a general method for a receiving cellular communications arrangement according to an embodiment of the present invention;

[0046] Figure 7A shows a component view for a software component arrangement for a transmitting cellular communications arrangement according to an embodiment of the present invention;

[0047] Figure 7B shows a component view for a software component arrangement for a receiving cellular communications arrangement according to an embodiment of the present invention; and

[0048] Figure 8 shows a schematic view of a computer-readable medium carrying computer instructions that when loaded into and executed by a controller of an arrangement enables the arrangement to implement an embodiment of the present invention.

[0049] DETAILED DESCRIPTION Figure 1A shows a schematic view of a cellular communication arrangement 100 according to an embodiment of the present invention. The cellular communication arrangement 100 comprises a controller 110, a memory 120, a radio frequency communication interface 130 and in some embodiments a user interface 140.

[0050] The controller 110 is configured to control the overall operation of the cellular communication arrangement 100. In one embodiment, the controller 110 is a general purpose controller. As a skilled person would understand there are many alternatives for how to implement a controller, such as using Field -Programmable Gate Arrays circuits, ASIC, GPU, etc. in addition or as an alternative. For the purpose of this application, all such possibilities and alternatives will be referred to simply as the controller 110.

[0051] It should also be noted that in one embodiment, parts of or all of the processing of the controller is performed remotely, where a local controller 110 is configured to provide input data to a remote processing unit, such as in a cloud server, causing the remote processing unit to perform the processing and receiving the results of such processing as output from the remote processing unit. For the purpose of this application, such possibilities and alternatives will also be referred to simply as the controller 110, the controller thus representing both the local controller and the remote processing unit.

[0052] The memory 120 is configured to store data to be transmitted, transmission settings and computer-readable instructions that when loaded into the controller 110 indicates how the cellular communication arrangement 100 is to be controlled. The memory 120 may comprise several memory units or devices, but they will be perceived as being part of the same overall memory 120. There may be one memory unit for the image presenting device storing graphics data, one memory unit for the eyewear detector storing settings, one memory for the communications interface (if such is present) for storing settings, and so on. As a skilled person would understand there are many possibilities of how to select where data should be stored and a general memory 120 for the cellular communication arrangement 100 is therefore seen to comprise any and all such memory units for the purpose of this application. As a skilled person would understand there are many alternatives of how to implement a memory, for example using non-volatile memory circuits, such as EEPROM memory circuits, or using volatile memory circuits, such as RAM memory circuits. For the purpose of this application all such alternatives will be referred to simply as the memory 120.

[0053] The image presenting device 140A is in one embodiment a display arrangement comprising one or more displays arranged to present visual data, predominantly through images. In one such embodiment, the image presenting device 140A is a touch screen thereby enabling for user input to be provided to and received by the cellular communication arrangement 100. The visual data is related to the user interface of the cellular communication arrangement and to the content being presented by the cellular communication arrangement 100. The cellular communication arrangement 100 is thereby arranged to present (visual) content through a (graphical) user interface in a manner controller by the controller 110.

[0054] Figure IB shows a schematic view of a cellular communication arrangement 100 being a smart device 100 according to an embodiment of the present invention. In this embodiment, the smart device 100 is a smartphone or a tablet computer. In such an embodiment, the smart device 100 comprises a touchscreen 140A arranged to display visual content 105. The smart device 100 also comprises one or more input elements. The input elements may be physical such as keys or buttons 140C. Alternatively or additionally, the input elements are virtual, such as visual icons 140B that are displayed and selectable on the touchscreen 140A.

[0055] The cellular communication arrangement 100 as exemplified in either of figures 1A or IB is arranged with a radio frequency communication interface 130. The RF communication interface 130 is arranged to enable communication with other devices, such as other smart devices 100 or a server (not shown) for receiving content, instructions and / or settings or other data. The RF communication interface 130 comprises a cellular communications interface such as a fifth generation New Radio (5G NR) cellular communication interface, an LTE (Long Term Evolution) interface, a GSM (Global Systeme Mobile) interface and / or other interface commonly used for cellular communication.

[0056] The RF communication interface 130 comprises a transmitter 131, a receiver 132 and an antenna 133. As would be understood, the transmitter and the receiver may be comprised in a transceiver.

[0057] The RF communication interface 130 is arranged in particular for Device-to-Device communication, such as Sidelink communication, PC5 communication, LTE Direct o other wireless Device-to-Device technologies, for establishing a direct communication link with another cellular communication arrangement 100. The RF communication interface 130 is arranged for doing so by beamforming utilizing adjustable spatial configurations for the antenna 133.

[0058] In the following, simultaneous reference will be made to the cellular communication arrangements 100 of figures 1A and IB. Figure 2 shows a schematic view of a cellular communication system 200 adapted for Device- to-Device communication according to the teachings herein. The cellular communication system 200 comprises one or more cellular communication arrangements 100. In this example a first cellular communication arrangement 100A and a second cellular communication arrangement 100B is shown exemplified by a smart device 100 as disclosed in relation to figure IB, being a smartphone 100. In figure 2 a base station (gNB) 210 is also shown for enabling cellular communication for either of the first and second cellular communication arrangements 100. As indicated specifically in figure 2, the first and second cellular communication arrangements 100 are arranged for device-to-Device communication whereby a communication link is established directly between the first and the second cellular communication arrangements 100 as is indicated by the dashed arrow between the two. It should be noted that either of the first and second smartphone 100A, 100B may act as a receiver or a transmitter, and their roles are interchangeable.

[0059] As noted above, the RF communication interface 130 is arranged for beamforming utilizing different spatial configurations for the antenna 130. Figure 3 shows a schematic view of a beam or RF beam 220 used for transmitting data. Although a difference in spatial configuration between two transmissions can be of many different types, such as for example changing used antenna elements, antenna panels, beam width, beam direction, phase shift of one or more antenna signals or other modifications related to the spatial characteristics of a transmission - a beam 220 is represented as a cone (shown in the two-dimensional illustration as a triangle) having a base or origin 220-1, a beam angle 220-2 and a (main) direction 220-3. The beam angle 220-2 and the direction 220-3 are adjustable based on the spatial configuration for the antenna 130 and different spatial configurations will generate different beams.

[0060] As indicated above, the solution to the problem of maintaining a stable transmission even when a transmitting UE 100 is rotating or moving (or as a receiving UE is moving), the UE or cellular communication arrangement 100 is arranged to transmit a first instance of a data stream through a primary transmission beam 220A (utilizing the radio frequency transmission circuit 131) to a second communication arrangement 100B. At the same time the first UE 100A also transmits a second instance of the data stream (i.e. the same data) through a secondary transmission beam 220B-H (utilizing the radio frequency transmission circuit 131) to the second UE 100B.

[0061] The UE 100, through the radio frequency transmission circuit 131, is configured to transmit the first instance of the data stream and the second instance of the data stream utilizing a same set of radio resources, where the same set of radio resources comprises a subset of radio resources for control channels and a subset of radio resources for data channels.

[0062] Figure 4A and Figure 4B each shows an example of a primary transmission beam 220A and one or more secondary transmission beams 220B-H. The upper portions of Figure 4A and Figure 4B shows the transmission beams from the "front" and the upper portions of Figure 4A and Figure 4B shows the transmission beams from "above".

[0063] Starting with figure 4B an example is shown where a single secondary transmission beam 220H is utilized. The primary transmission beam 220A has a first origin, a first beam angle and first beam direction, where the second transmission beam 220B has second origin being the same as the first origin, a second beam angle being greater than the first beam angle and second beam direction being the same as the first beam direction. The secondary transmission beam 220H thus completely overlaps or covers the primary transmission beam 220A. Figure 4A shows an example where the beam directions are the same, but it should be noted that other examples are possible where the beam directions differ providing for a greater portion of the secondary transmission beam at a side where the UE is likely to be rotated to, i.e. the beam direction of the secondary transmission beam is offset to a side that the UE is likely to rotate from.

[0064] In figure 4A an example is shown where multiple secondary transmission beams 220-B 220G are utilized. The second transmission beams 220B-22G each has a second origin being the same as the first origin, a second beam angle being the same or greater than the first beam angle and second beam direction being the different than the first beam direction so that the second transmission beams are distributed around the first transmission beam. In the example of figure 4A there are 6 second transmission beams, but it should be noted that any number, such as 2, 3, 4, 5, 8, 12, or 16 are possible. As in the example of figure 4B the second transmission beams are distributed evenly around the first transmission beam, but it should be noted that the beams may also be distributed unevenly, possibly with more or wider second transmission beams in a direction opposite to where the UE is likely to rotate to. In some embodiments the likely rotation direction is determined based on an accelerometer sensor such as an IMU (Inertial Measurement Unit) sensor.

[0065] In figure 4A the overlap between two transmission beams 220 is indicated 220. The overlap 220 is in some embodiments, such as in figure 4B, 100%. The overlap 220 is in some embodiments, such as in figure 4B, + / - % where a negative overlap indicates a separation. It should be noted that the second transmission beams 220B-G may have different beam angles and overlaps 22, even if illustrated as all having the same separation and beam angles in the example of figure 4A.

[0066] Figure 5A shows an example where the first UE 100A transmits a first instance of a data stream in a first transmission beam 220A thus on a first signal 225A to the second UE 100B. The first UE 100A also transmits a second instance of the same data stream in a second transmission beam 220D, 220G (in this example two beams) thus on a second signal 225B. The beams are formed utilizing different spatial configurations for the antenna 133 as discussed in the above.

[0067] The lower portion of figure 5A shows the signal quality received at an angular difference from the main direction of the first transmission beam. As is seen the highest signal quality is received in the middle of the first transmission beam 220A, but a second maximum is also received at a middle of a second transmission beam 220G. In the example of figure 5A the received signal is in the middle of the first transmission beam 220A.

[0068] Figure 5B shows an example where the first UE 100A has rotated relative the second UE 100B. As would be understood, the rotation of the first UE 100A relative the second UE 100B could result from an actual physical rotation of the first UE 100A and / or a fast, physical movement of the second UE 100B. Here the second UE receives the signal as a second signal 225B which is in the overlap of the first and second transmission beam as is shown in the lower portion of figure 5B.

[0069] Looking at the receiving UE 100B, this UE 100B is configured to receive the first instance of the data stream through the primary transmission beam 220A (utilizing the radio frequency receiving circuit 132) from the first UE 100A on the first signal 225, and - as the first UE 100A rotates relative the second UE 100B - to receive a second instance of the data stream through a secondary transmission beam 220B- H (utilizing the radio frequency receiving circuit 132) from the second UE 100B on the second signal 225B, and then transmit a beam reception indication to the first UE 100A indicating that the second instance is received over the second transmission beam 225B. The receiver is thus configured to note that a stronger signal is received (through a second transmission beam) and notify the transmitting UE 100A thereof.

[0070] In some embodiments the second UE 100B is configured to do so by determining a signal level for the first signal (225A), determining a signal level for the second signal (225B) and if the signal level for the second signal (225B) exceeds the signal level for the first signal (225A), transmitting the beam reception indication to the first UE 100A indicating that the second instance is received over the second transmission beam. In some embodiments the signal level relates to signal quality (signal noise ratio), and in some embodiments the signal level relates to signal amplitude.

[0071] The first or transmitting UE 100A is thus further configured to receive the beam reception indication from the receiving UE 100B (through the radio frequency receiver circuit 132), and in response thereto transmit the first instance of the data stream through the secondary transmission beam 220B-H (utilizing the radio frequency transmission circuit 131). Which secondary transmission beam 220B-H to utilize is indicated in the beam reception indication. The first or transmitting UE may further determine or allocate a new (currently unused) transmission beam configuration for transmitting the second instance of the data stream.

[0072] In some embodiments the beam reception indication indicates that the receiving UE 100B is receiving the data stream through the secondary transmission beam 220G, and in some embodiments the beam reception indication includes HARQ indices.

[0073] In some embodiments the HARQ processes associated with the first and second beams are allocated different indices and the UE HARQ ACK / NACK report carrying the process index can be used to determine which beam was attempted to receive (successfully or unsuccessfully) by the UE. Essentially a data packet can include a HARQ process number as an identity of the packet, so that the transmitter and receiver can identify each packet and be aware of which packets have been received OK or not. This e.g. allows the transmitter to make appropriate re-transmission of correct data if data is not received ok. This indication can then be used to identify at the transmitter which of the beams were received by the receiver by utilizing different identities on the packets transmitted on the different beams.

[0074] In one embodiment, the HARQ processes associated with the first and second beams are allocated different indices and the UE HARQ ACK / NACK report carrying the process index can be used to determine which beam was attempted to receive (successfully or unsuccessfully) by the UE. (In an alternative embodiment, the receiving UE may provide additional feedback explicit signaling, standardized or proprietary, to inform the transmitting UE about the identity of the beam it received.) The transmitting UE can then use the received transmitting beam indication to change the preferred beam selection, e.g. to the indicated received transmitting beam or to another beam in the same spatial direction.

[0075] In some embodiments the beam reception indication includes an acknowledgement (ACK) for the second transmission beam, which provides an easy way to implement the teachings herein. And, in some embodiments the beam reception indication includes a reception report. In some embodiments the UE 100A further configured to initiate a beam management procedure for receiving further radio resource. This allows for further radio resources to be utilized for further transmission beams that are to be utilized as discussed in the below.

[0076] Figure 5C shows the example where the transmitting UE 100A is transmitting (the first instance of) the data through the second transmission beam 220G and the signal received 225C is also indicated in the lower portion to be received at a high quality.

[0077] Figure 5D shows a similar situation as to that of the example in figures 5A to 5C, but where an (completely) overlapping second transmission beam is utilized.

[0078] As can be seen the teachings herein allow for at least one instance of the data to be received at a reasonable signal quality level which allows for a stable connection, regardless any movement (rotation) of the UE(s).

[0079] As the first instance of the data is transmitted through the second transmission beam, the second transmission beam becomes or is replaced by a first transmission beam and new second transmission beams(s) is(are) formed for transmitting the second transmission beam. The transmitting UE 100 A is thus further configured to define a new primary transmission beam 220A, define a new secondary transmission beam 220B-H, transmit the first instance of the data stream through the new primary transmission beam 220A and transmit the second instance of the data stream through the new secondary transmission beam 220B-H. in some embodiments the transmitting UE 100A is further configured to define the new primary transmission beam 220A and define the new secondary transmission beam 220B-H based on the further radio resource. In some embodiments the new primary transmission beam 220A is the secondary beam 220G.

[0080] In some embodiments a radio resource relates to a time and frequency allocation, and in some embodiments the radio resource also includes the search space framework. For example, at least one set of one or more time-frequency allocations that the receiver is configured to monitor for signal reception.

[0081] As a skilled person would understand, there are many alternatives for how to provide spatial configurations for the first and second transmission beams, and some examples will be given below.

[0082] In some embodiments the secondary transmission beam 220B-H is transmitted with poweroffset with regards to the primary transmission beam 220A, where the power offset can be used to increase or decrease probability that a certain beam is detected at the receiver. The higher relative output power used on a certain beam, the more likely the receiver will detect it.

[0083] In some embodiments the primary transmission beam 220A is transmitted with a first coding and the secondary transmission beam 220B-H is transmitted with a second coding.

[0084] In some embodiments the primary transmission beam 220A is transmitted at a first transmission rate and the secondary transmission beam 220B-H is transmitted at a second transmission rate.

[0085] In some embodiments the primary transmission beam 220A is transmitted at a first Modulation Coding Scheme and the secondary transmission beam 220B-H is transmitted at a second Modulation Coding Scheme.

[0086] As noted above the transmitting UE 100A is configured to transmit a first instance and a second instance of the data stream. In some embodiments the first and second instance are the same. However, in some embodiments, the first instance is of a higher quality than the second instance so as to save on transmission resources. In some embodiments the second instance for one second beam is different to that of a second instance for another second transmission beam where a higher quality may be selected for a beam more likely to be used, i.e. rotated into as discussed in the above.

[0087] In some embodiments the first instance is thus a copy of the second instance, and, in some embodiments the first instance is at a first data resolution and the second instance is at a second data resolution, wherein the first data resolution is higher than the second data resolution. In some embodiments the data resolution relates to an image resolution. In some embodiments the data resolution relates to application performance, where data resolution can be used for e.g. audio codec resolution, video codec resolution, sensor data frequency (how often a certain information is sampled), analogue to digital conversion resolution etc.

[0088] The first and second instance may be transmitted as data or as control data using resource indications.

[0089] In one embodiment, consistent with 3GPP SL specifications up to Rel-17, a resource indication is the PSCCH location, i.e. explicit RE mapping for PSCCH data. A second PSCCH for the second instance is thus transmitted in same REs as a first PSCCH for the first instance, although their contents may be different. This creates a reception scenario where a worst-case SINR for PSCCH reception is 0 dB if the preferred and additional beam signal powers are equal. Otherwise, one of the PSCCHs will have an SIR above 0 dB. The receiving UE PSCCH decoder will extract one of the SCI stage 1 code words even in the presence of another valid codeword at same or lower power.

[0090] In one embodiment, the receiving UE monitors a certain search space for PSCCH reception, with multiple possible PSCCH RE locations. The second control channel may then be located in the same search space but in non-overlapping REs compared the first control channels REs. This improves the reception SINR for the first and second PSCCH.

[0091] In both embodiments, the preferred data channel solution is to allocate the first and additional data channels in disjoint Time / Frequency resources, to maximize the SINR and the link utilization. The disjoint allocations can be conveyed via the first and second control channels whose contents can be set independently and point to different data channel regions. Alternatively, e.g. in the absence of available bandwidth, the first and second data channels may also be placed overlapping in same resources and, given appropriate MCs selection in link adaptation, the decoder will be able to separate one of the code blocks.

[0092] In one approach, first and second data channel Time / Frequency resources share a common resource subset, with a more robust / low-code-rate / low-image-quality transmission, and resources outside the common subset carries transmission of less robust transmissions.

[0093] The second data channel may contain lower-rate and / or lower-MCS payload data compared to the first instance. Alternatively, the data in the first and second instances are the same.

[0094] In both embodiments, it may be desirable to further guide which control channel is received by the receiving UE if both control channels have a roughly equal received SINR. In one approach, power offsets may be added to the additional beams to reduce the probability of them being detected if the main beam is still viable. In another approach, for the shared SS embodiment, the transmitting UE may guide the order in which the UE tests the BD options in the SS by placing the first and second control channels in locations where the probability of checking the first control channel first is higher. Such locations may be determined e.g. via knowledge or experiments with practical UE implementations.

[0095] In some embodiments the radio frequency transmission circuit 131 is configured to transmit a control channel (PSCCH) for the first instance and transmit a control channel (PSCCH) for the second instance utilizing a same radio resource of the subset of radio resources for control channels.

[0096] In some embodiments the radio frequency transmission circuit 131 is further configured to transmit a data channel (PSSCH) for the first instance utilizing a radio resource of the subset of radio resources for data channels, and to transmit a data channel (PSSCH) for the second instance utilizing the same radio resource of the subset of radio resources for data channels.

[0097] In some embodiments the radio frequency transmission circuit 131 is further configured to transmit a data channel (PSSCH) for the first instance utilizing a first radio resource of the subset of radio resources for data channels and to transmit a data channel (PSSCH) for the second instance utilizing a second radio resource of the subset of radio resources for data channels.

[0098] In some embodiments the radio frequency transmission circuit 131 is configured to transmit the control channel (PSCCH) utilizing a PDCCH transmission, and wherein the radio frequency transmission circuit 131 is configured to transmit the control channel (PSCCH) for the first instance utilizing a first radio resource of the subset of radio resources for control channels and to transmit the control channel (PSCCH) for the second instance utilizing a second radio resource of the subset of radio resources for control channels.

[0099] In some embodiments the control channel (PSCCH) includes a pointer for the data channel (PSSCH).

[0100] As noted above, the device-to-device communication is achieved through wireless communication utilizing multiple beams shaped by utilizing adjustable spatial configurations according to sidelink protocols of 5G communication standards.

[0101] And, in some embodiments the receiving cellular communication arrangement 100B is a cellular communication arrangement 100 as in figure IB.

[0102] Figures 6A and 6B together shows a general flowchart for a method according to the teachings herein. The method corresponds to the operation of the cellular communication arrangement 100 as discussed in the above. Figure 6A corresponds to the actions of a transmitting UE 100A and figure 6B corresponds to the actions of a receiving UE 100B. It should be noted that the roles of the transmitting and receiving UE are interchangeable and a transmitting UE may act as a receiving UE and vice-versa - even during the same communication.

[0103] Initially a transmitting cellular communication arrangement, also referred to herein as a transmitting UE, 100A is configured for transmitting 610 a first instance of a data stream through a primary transmission beam 220A (utilizing a radio frequency transmission circuit 131) to a receiving cellular communication arrangement 100B and transmitting 620 a second instance of the data stream through a secondary transmission beam 220B-H utilizing the radio frequency transmission circuit 131 to the receiving cellular communication arrangement 100B, wherein the first instance and second instance are transmitted utilizing a same set of radio resources, where the same set of radio resources comprises a subset of radio resources for control channels and a subset of radio resources for data channels.

[0104] In some embodiments the transmitting UE may determine the extent of redundant transmissions, i.e. how many second transmission beams and the shape thereof to be used. This determination is in some embodiments based on the degree of mobility (speed) and type of mobility (rotational and / or translational) of the transmitting UE. For example a larger degree of redundancy may be required if the transmitting UE is in a rotational movement. If no rotation is detected in a predetermined period of time, the redundancy (i.e. the second transmission beams) may be reduced or removed.

[0105] The redundancy may also be based on the use case or traffic requirements, e.g. a larger degree of redundancy is chosen for high-reliability / low-latency use cases.

[0106] The redundancy may also depend on the bandwidth and / or power available for redundant transmissions, where larger resources may lead to selecting a higher degree of redundancy.

[0107] Further examples of conditions under which the redundancy is increased, or redundant transmission is activated, may include HARQ NACK in the previous transmission. If no NACKs are received during a predetermined time, the redundancy may be reduced or removed.

[0108] The selected degree of redundancy may then be expressed in terms of the number of additional beams to use for redundant transmission. In one embodiment, the transmitting UE 100A is configured to provide an ordered list of alternative beams and determine the number of entries from the list to be used.

[0109] At the same time the receiving UE 100B is configured for receiving 615 the first instance of a data stream through the primary transmission beam 220A (utilizing the radio frequency receiving circuit 132) from the transmitting UE 100A on a first signal 225, receiving 625 the second instance of the data stream through a secondary transmission beam 220B-H (utilizing the radio frequency receiving circuit 132) from the transmitting UE 100A on a second signal 225B, and then transmitting 635 a beam reception indication to the transmitting UE 100A indicating that the second instance is received over the second transmission beam.

[0110] Returning to the transmitting UE 100A and figure 6A, it is configured for receiving 630 a beam reception indication from the receiving cellular communication arrangement 100B (through the radio frequency receiver circuit 132), and in response thereto transmitting 640 the first instance of the data stream through the secondary transmission beam 220B-H (utilizing the radio frequency transmission circuit 131).

[0111] The method(s) of figure 6A and 6B is a general method and also allows for implementing other features as disclosed in above as sub functionality of any part of the method as disclosed.

[0112] Figure 7 shows a component view for a software component or module arrangement 700 according to an embodiment of the teachings herein and corresponds to the operation of the cellular communication arrangement 100 as discussed in the above. The software component arrangement 700 may thus be utilized in a transmitting UE 100A as shown in figure 7A and / or in a receiving UE 100B as shown in figure 7B.

[0113] The software component arrangement 700 thus comprises a software component for transmitting 710 a first instance of a data stream through a primary transmission beam 220A (utilizing a radio frequency transmission circuit 131) to a receiving cellular communication arrangement 100B and a software module for transmitting 720 a second instance of the data stream through a secondary transmission beam 220B-H (utilizing the radio frequency transmission circuit 131) to the receiving cellular communication arrangement 100B, wherein the first instance and second instance are transmitted utilizing a same set of radio resources, where the same set of radio resources comprises a subset of radio resources for control channels and a subset of radio resources for data channels.

[0114] At the same time the software component arrangement 700 for the receiving UE 100B comprises a software module for receiving 715 the first instance of a data stream through the primary transmission beam 220A (utilizing the radio frequency receiving circuit 132) from the transmitting UE 100A on a first signal 225, a software module receiving 725 the second instance of the data stream through a secondary transmission beam 220B-H (utilizing the radio frequency receiving circuit 132) from the transmitting UE 100A on a second signal 225B, and a software module for then transmitting 735 a beam reception indication to the transmitting UE 100A indicating that the second instance is received over the second transmission beam.

[0115] Returning to the transmitting UE 100A and figure 7A, the software component arrangement 700 further comprises a software module for receiving 730 a beam reception indication from the receiving cellular communication arrangement 100B (through the radio frequency receiver circuit 132), and a software module for transmitting 740 the first instance of the data stream through the secondary transmission beam 220B-H (utilizing the radio frequency transmission circuit 131) in response thereto. In some embodiments the software component arrangement 700 also comprises software module(s) 750 for further functionalities as discussed herein.

[0116] For the context of the teachings herein a software code module may be replaced or supplemented by a software component.

[0117] Figure 8 shows a schematic view of a computer-readable medium 120 carrying computer instructions 121 that when loaded into and executed by a controller of a cellular communication arrangement 100 enables the cellular communication arrangement 100 to implement the teachings herein.

[0118] The computer-readable medium 120 may be tangible such as a hard drive or a flash memory, for example a USB memory stick or a cloud server. Alternatively, the computer-readable medium 120 may be intangible such as a signal carrying the computer instructions enabling the computer instructions to be downloaded through a network connection, such as an internet connection.

[0119] In the example of figure 8, a computer-readable medium 120 is shown as being a computer disc 120 carrying computer-readable computer instructions 121, being inserted in a computer disc reader 122. The computer disc reader 122 may be part of a cloud server 123 - or other server - or the computer disc reader may be connected to a cloud server 123 - or other server. The cloud server 123 may be part of the internet or at least connected to the internet. The cloud server 123 may alternatively be connected through a proprietary or dedicated connection. In one example embodiment, the computer instructions are stored at a remote server 123 and be downloaded to the memory 120 of the cellular communication arrangement 100 for being executed by the controller 110.

[0120] The computer disc reader 122 may also or alternatively be connected to (or possibly inserted into) a cellular communication arrangement 100 for transferring the computer-readable computer instructions 121 to a controller of the cellular communication arrangement 100 (presumably via a memory of the cellular communication arrangement 100).

[0121] Figure 8 shows both the situation when a cellular communication arrangement 100 receives the computer-readable computer instructions 121 via a server connection and the situation when another cellular communication arrangement 100 receives the computer-readable computer instructions 121 through a wired interface. This enables for computer-readable computer instructions 121 being downloaded into a cellular communication arrangement 100 thereby enabling the cellular communication arrangement 100 to operate according to and implement the invention as disclosed herein. In one or more examples this method is applicable in Device to-Device communication for multimedia use cases, such as when application data payload consists of media (audio / video) and related control information. Such use cases may e.g. be a wireless gaming or video streaming use case. Data transmissions in-between wireless devices such as the assumed scenario for this proposal can as one example be related to a gaming video transfer from a gaming console to a wireless virtual reality headset. In such scenarios the quality of experience for an end user is determined by the encoded data resolution, but even more importantly by a continuous data stream delivery. In other words, an adaptive data rate can be used to adjust the payload data rate to the available transmission bit rate in order to ensure that the end user can receive a steady stream of video content even if the video quality of the stream needs to be adjusted to handle variations in the available transmission bit rate. Technologies available in the market includes e.g. the MPEG DASH (Dynamic Adaptive Streaming over HTTP) and HLS (HTTP live streaming) protocols. The technology is referred to as adaptive streaming and is widely used for wireless video streaming use cases such as from a remote video server to a wireless device. The example use cases described herein are typically applicable to the adaptive streaming setup.

[0122] With adaptive streaming, the media content is divided upon encoding into short blocks in time, and the switching of data rate can be performed in-between blocks of media, wherein the media decoder in the receiving device can directly decode the data with support of a media presentation description (MPD) received in conjunction with the streaming session outlining the available representation alternatives which the encoder can deliver. In other words, with the usage of an adaptive streaming setup, the proposed solution here would allow the transmitter to utilize different media representations in the different transmit beams and this would be fully transparent to the receiver side application since the decoder can handle a variation of the representations over time. A change to a higher or lower resolution is possible over time and can switch rapidly even in a live stream as a gaming scenarios, as long as described in the MPD coupled to the media stream.

[0123] The approach targets use cases where elements of high reliability and good energy efficiency is required in a sidelink application. For example, in a gaming use case, a mobile console with relatively mild power consumption constraints may need to transmit high-reliability data to a headset or glasses with extreme power efficiency requirements due to a physically small battery size. In this case, swept transmission of multiple data instances is not desirable since it proportionally extends the PSCCH monitoring duration for the receiving device. The invention with simultaneous transmission of multiple data stream instance options allows the serving / cluster head unit to configure the power-constrained UE with minimal temporal duration of the PSCCH search space while providing redundant transmissions, thus minimizing (almost or fully eliminating) the associated cost / overhead for the receiving device. Furthermore, the redundant transmission is transparent to the receiving device since only one of the transmissions will be processed even if the search space includes multiple occupied options.

[0124] Another target use case may be data transmission when there are high reliability requirements combined with low latency requirements where potentially delaying the reception of the data packet if it would come in a later beam location in the sweep may be unacceptable.

[0125] The solution can operate with minimal cellular system resource impact if the SL available frequency resources are large, e.g. a non-deployed FR2 carrier, and the redundant transmissions may be duplicate the payload in a frequency-multiplexed manner. Device performance and link quality impact may be negligible in non-power-limited scenarios, e.g. indoors, where the transmitting device's TX power may be divided between two or more transmissions without encountering power limits that affect the link quality.

[0126] It should be noted that the methods of figures 6A and 6B may be implemented in the same cellular communication arrangement 100.

[0127] It should also be noted that the software component arrangements of figures 7A and 7B may be implemented in the same cellular communication arrangement 100.

Claims

CLAIMS1. A transmitting cellular communication arrangement (100, 100A) configured for device-to- device communication utilizing multiple beams shaped by utilizing adjustable spatial configurations, the transmitting cellular communication arrangement (100, 100A) comprising a radio frequency transmission circuit (131) configured for device-to-device communication, a radio frequency receiver circuit (132), and a controller (110) configured to: transmit a first instance of a data stream through a primary transmission beam (220A) utilizing the radio frequency transmission circuit (131) to a second communication arrangement (100, 100B), transmit a second instance of the data stream through a secondary transmission beam (220B- H) utilizing the radio frequency transmission circuit (131) to the receiving cellular communication arrangement (100, 100B), wherein the radio frequency transmission circuit (131) is further configured to transmit the first instance and second instance utilizing a same set of radio resources, where the same set of radio resources comprises a subset of radio resources for control channels and a subset of radio resources for data channels.

2. The transmitting cellular communication arrangement (100, 100A) according to claim 1, wherein the radio frequency transmission circuit (131) is further configured to transmit a control channel (PSCCH) for the first instance and transmit a control channel (PSCCH) for the second instance utilizing a same radio resource of the subset of radio resources for control channels.

3. The transmitting cellular communication arrangement (100, 100A) according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the radio frequency transmission circuit (131) is further configured to transmit a data channel (PSSCH) for the first instance utilizing a radio resource of the subset of radio resources for data channels, and to transmit a data channel (PSSCH) for the second instance utilizing the same radio resource of the subset of radio resources for data channels.

4. The transmitting cellular communication arrangement (100, 100A) according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the radio frequency transmission circuit (131) is further configured to transmit a data channel (PSSCH) for the first instance utilizing a first radio resource of the subset of radio resources for datachannels and to transmit a data channel (PSSCH) for the second instance utilizing a second radio resource of the subset of radio resources for data channels.

5. The transmitting cellular communication arrangement (100, 100A) according to claim 1, wherein the radio frequency transmission circuit (131) is configured to transmit the control channel (PSCCH) utilizing a PDCCH transmission, and wherein the radio frequency transmission circuit (131) is configured to transmit the control channel (PSCCH) for the first instance utilizing a first radio resource of the subset of radio resources for control channels and to transmit the control channel (PSCCH) for the second instance utilizing a second radio resource of the subset of radio resources for control channels.

6. The transmitting cellular communication arrangement (100, 100A) according to any of claims 2 to 5, wherein the control channel (PSCCH) includes a pointer for the data channel (PSSCH).

7. The transmitting cellular communication arrangement (100,100A) according to any preceding claim, wherein the controller (110) is further configured to receive a beam reception indication from the receiving cellular communication arrangement (100, 100B) through the radio frequency receiver circuit (132), and in response thereto transmit the first instance of the data stream through the secondary transmission beam (220B- H) utilizing the radio frequency transmission circuit (131).

8. The transmitting cellular communication arrangement (100, 100A) according to claim 7, wherein the beam reception indication indicates that the receiving cellular communication arrangement (100, 100B) is receiving the data stream through the secondary transmission beam (220G).

9. The transmitting cellular communication arrangement (100, 100A) according to claim 7 or 8, wherein the beam reception indication includes HARQ indices.

10. The transmitting cellular communication arrangement (100, 100A) according to claim 7 or 8, wherein the beam reception indication includes an acknowledgement (ACK) for the second transmission beam.

11. The transmitting cellular communication arrangement (100, 100A) according to claim 7 or 8, wherein the beam reception indication includes a reception report.

12. The transmitting cellular communication arrangement (100, 100A) according to any of claims 7 to 11, wherein the controller (110) is further configured to initiate a beam management procedure for receiving further radio resource.

13. The transmitting cellular communication arrangement (100, 100A) according to any of claims 7 to 12, wherein the controller (110) is further configured to define a new primary transmission beam (220A), define a new secondary transmission beam (220B-H), transmit the first instance of the data stream through the new primary transmission beam (220A) and transmit the second instance of the data stream through the new secondary transmission beam (220B-H).

14. The transmitting cellular communication arrangement (100, 100A) according to claim 12 and 13, wherein the controller (110) is further configured to define the new primary transmission beam (220A) and define the new secondary transmission beam (220B-H) based on the further radio resource.

15. The transmitting cellular communication arrangement (100, 100A) according to any of claims 7 to 14, wherein the new primary transmission beam (220A) is the secondary beam (220G)16. The transmitting cellular communication arrangement (100, 100A) according to any preceding claim, wherein the secondary transmission beam (220B-H) is at least partially overlapping the primary transmission beam (220A)Y1. The transmitting cellular communication arrangement (100, 100A) according to any preceding claim, wherein the secondary transmission beam (220B-H) is completely overlapping the primary transmission beam (220A)18. The transmitting cellular communication arrangement (100, 100A) according to any preceding claim, wherein the secondary transmission beam (220B-H) is partially overlapping the primary transmission beam (220A) with a spatial coverage overlap.

19. The transmitting cellular communication arrangement (100, 100A) according to claim 18, wherein the spatial coverage overlap is less than 5%.

20. The transmitting cellular communication arrangement (100, 100A) according to any preceding claim, wherein the secondary transmission beam (220B-H) is partially overlapping the primary transmission beam (220A) with an angular coverage overlap.

21. The transmitting cellular communication arrangement (100, 100A) according to claim 20, wherein the angular coverage overlap is less than 5%.

22. The transmitting cellular communication arrangement (100, 100A) according to any preceding claim, wherein the secondary transmission beam (220B-H) is transmitted with power-offset with regards to the primary transmission beam (220A).

23. The transmitting cellular communication arrangement (100, 100A) according to any preceding claim, wherein the primary transmission beam (220A) is transmitted with a first coding and the secondary transmission beam (220B-H) is transmitted with a second coding.

24. The transmitting cellular communication arrangement (100, 100A) according to any preceding claim, wherein the primary transmission beam (220A) is transmitted at a first transmission rate and the secondary transmission beam (220B-H) is transmitted at a second transmission rate.

25. The transmitting cellular communication arrangement (100, 100A) according to any preceding claim, wherein the primary transmission beam (220A) is transmitted at a first Modulation Coding Scheme and the secondary transmission beam (220B-H) is transmitted at a second Modulation Coding Scheme.

26. The transmitting cellular communication arrangement (100, 100A) according to any preceding claim, wherein the first instance is a copy of the second instance.

27. The transmitting cellular communication arrangement (100, 100A) according to any of claims 1 to 26, wherein the first instance is at a first data resolution and the second instance is at a second data resolution, wherein the first data resolution is higher than the second data resolution28. The transmitting cellular communication arrangement (100, 100A) according to any preceding claim, wherein a radio resource indicates a time frequency allocation.

29. The transmitting cellular communication arrangement (100, 100A) according to any preceding claim, wherein the device-to-device communication is achieved through wireless communication utilizing multiple beams shaped by utilizing adjustable spatial configurations according to sidelink protocols of 5G communication standards.

30. The transmitting cellular communication arrangement (100, 100A) according to any preceding claim, wherein the transmitting cellular communication arrangement (100, 100A) is a receiving cellular communication arrangement (100, 100B)31. A receiving cellular communication arrangement (100, 100B), configured for device-to- device communication utilizing multiple beams shaped by utilizing adjustable spatial configurations, the receiving cellular communication arrangement (100, 100A) comprising a radio frequency transmission circuit (131) configured for beamforming, a radio frequency receiver circuit (132), and a controller (110) configured toreceive a first instance of a data stream through a primary transmission beam (220A) utilizing the radio frequency receiving circuit (132) from a transmitting cellular communication arrangement (100, 100A) on a first signal (225), receive a second instance of the data stream through a secondary transmission beam (220B-H) utilizing the radio frequency receiving circuit (132) from the transmitting cellular communication arrangement (100, 100A) on a second signal (225B), and then transmit a beam reception indication to the transmitting cellular communication arrangement (100) indicating that the second instance is received over the second transmission beam.

32. The receiving cellular communication arrangement (100, 100B) according to claim 31, wherein the controller (110) is further configured to determine a signal level for the first signal (225A), determine a signal level for the second signal (225B) and if the signal level for the second signal (225B) exceeds the signal level for the first signal (225A), transmit the beam reception indication to the transmitting cellular communication arrangement (100, 100A) indicating that the second instance is received over the second transmission beam.

33. The receiving cellular communication arrangement (100, 100B) according to claim 31 or 32, wherein the signal level relates to signal quality (signal noise ratio).

34. The receiving cellular communication arrangement (100, 100B) according to claim 31 or 32, wherein the signal level relates to signal amplitude.

35. A method for use in a transmitting cellular communication arrangement (100, 100A) configured for device-to-device communication utilizing multiple beams shaped by utilizing adjustable spatial configurations, wherein the method comprises transmitting a first instance of a data stream through a primary transmission beam (220A) utilizing a radio frequency transmission circuit (131) to a receiving cellular communication arrangement (100, 100B) andtransmitting a second instance of the data stream through a secondary transmission beam (220B-H) utilizing the radio frequency transmission circuit (131) to the receiving cellular communication arrangement (100, 100B), wherein the first instance and second instance are transmitted utilizing a same set of radio resources, where the same set of radio resources comprises a subset of radio resources for control channels and a subset of radio resources for data channels.

36. The method according to claim 35, wherein the method further comprises receiving a beam reception indication from the receiving cellular communication arrangement (100, 100B) through the radio frequency receiver circuit (132), and in response thereto transmitting the first instance of the data stream through the secondary transmission beam (220B-H) utilizing the radio frequency transmission circuit (131).

37. A method for use in a receiving cellular communication arrangement (100, 100B) configured for wireless communication, wherein the method comprises receiving a first instance of a data stream through a primary transmission beam (220A) utilizing a radio frequency receiving circuit (132) from a transmitting cellular communication arrangement (100, 100 A) on a first signal (225), receiving a second instance of the data stream through a secondary transmission beam (220B- H) utilizing the radio frequency receiving circuit (132) from the transmitting cellular communication arrangement (100, 100A) on a second signal (225B), and then transmitting a beam reception indication to the transmitting cellular communication arrangement (100, 100A) indicating that the second instance is received over the second transmission beam.

38. A computer-readable medium (120) carrying computer instructions (121) that when loaded into and executed by a controller (110) of a cellular communication arrangement (100) enables the receiving cellular communication arrangement (100) to implement the method according to claim 35, 3639. A software component arrangement (700) for use in a transmitting cellular communication arrangement (100, 100A) configured for device-to-device communication, wherein the software component arrangement (700) comprises a software module for transmitting a first instance of a data stream through a primary transmission beam (220A) utilizing a radio frequency transmission circuit (131) to a receiving cellular communication arrangement (100, 100B), and a software module for transmitting a second instance of the data stream through a secondary transmission beam (220B-H) utilizing the radio frequency transmission circuit (131) to the receiving cellular communication arrangement (100, 100B), wherein the first instance and second instance are transmitted utilizing a same set of radio resources, where the same set of radio resources comprises a subset of radio resources for control channels and a subset of radio resources for data channels.

40. The software component arrangement (700) according to claim 39, wherein the software component arrangement (700) further comprises a software module for receiving a beam reception indication from the receiving cellular communication arrangement (100, 100B) through the radio frequency receiver circuit (132), and a software module for transmitting the first instance of the data stream through the secondary transmission beam (220B-H) utilizing the radio frequency transmission circuit (131) in response thereto.

41. A software component arrangement (700) for use in a receiving cellular communication arrangement (100, 100B) configured for device-to-device communication, wherein the software component arrangement (700) further comprises a software module for receiving a first instance of a data stream through a primary transmission beam (220A) utilizing a radio frequency receiving circuit (132) from a transmitting cellular communication arrangement (100, 100A) on a first signal (225), a software module for receiving a second instance of the data stream through a secondary transmission beam (220B-H) utilizing the radio frequency receiving circuit (132) from the transmitting cellular communication arrangement (100, 100A) on a second signal (225B), anda software module for transmitting a beam reception indication to the transmitting cellular communication arrangement (100, 100A) indicating that the second instance is received over the second transmission beam in response thereto.

Citation Information

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