Beam-Level Radio Resource Management in 5G Networks

The patent segments the channel state information reporting into multiple parts: first identifying a set of candidate beams, then selecting a subset of preferred beams from candidates, and finally reporting channel quality for the preferred beams. This segmentation allows the system to handle large antenna arrays by breaking down the complex reporting task into manageable steps, improving adaptability while controlling complexity.

The patent introduces a two-dimensional beam space dimension in addition to the traditional frequency and time dimensions. By organizing channel state information reporting around beam pairs (horizontal and vertical beam indices) and introducing a third reporting dimension through beam quality indicators, the system can effectively accommodate large 2D antenna arrays without proportionally increasing overall system complexity.

The patent performs preliminary beam identification and candidate beam selection before final channel quality reporting. By pre-identifying candidate beams and filtering them down to preferred beams based on initial measurements, the system reduces the complexity of subsequent processing and enables efficient massive MIMO operation without proportionally increasing overall system complexity.

The patent implements dynamic beam selection where the set of candidate beams and preferred beams can change based on channel conditions, user equipment movement, and network requirements. This dynamic approach allows the system to adapt to changing conditions efficiently, maintaining high data rates through beamforming while managing complexity through adaptive rather than static beam management.

The patent extracts and reports only the most relevant channel state information for preferred beams rather than reporting all possible beam measurements. By identifying candidate beams first, then selecting a subset of preferred beams from candidates, and reporting channel quality only for these preferred beams, the system maintains measurement precision for the most important directions while significantly reducing signaling overhead compared to comprehensive reporting of all antenna elements.

The patent implements partial reporting by focusing on a subset of preferred beams rather than all possible beams. This partial action approach reports sufficient channel state information to enable effective beamforming and resource allocation without the excessive overhead of comprehensive reporting, achieving an optimal balance between measurement precision and signaling efficiency.