Beam Management Procedure for 5G NR Signal Optimization
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current wireless communication systems, particularly in 5G NR, face challenges in efficiently managing beams for optimal signal strength and coverage, leading to suboptimal performance in beam refinement procedures which are lengthy and resource-intensive, and may not always identify the best transmit and receive beam pair links.
Innovation Solution
A method and apparatus for beam management where a user equipment (UE) and base station exchange feedback messages to identify and refine transmit and receive beams sequentially, allowing the UE to measure signal strengths across multiple receive beams for each transmit beam, optimizing beam pair link selection without the need for separate P2 and P3 procedures, thereby reducing the beam refinement duration and increasing power efficiency.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If separate P2 and P3 procedures are used for beam refinement, then comprehensive beam pair link identification is achieved, but beam refinement duration and resource consumption increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines the P2 procedure (base station transmit beam refinement) and P3 procedure (UE receive beam refinement) into a single integrated beam refinement process. The base station transmits multiple transmit beams across different symbols, and the UE measures signal strengths for all transmit beams using all receive beams simultaneously, eliminating the need for separate sequential procedures while maintaining comprehensive beam pair link identification.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent enables continuous measurement of all receive beams for all transmit beams during a single beam refinement occasion. By configuring the UE to measure signal strengths continuously across multiple symbols and multiple receive beams without interruption or sequential switching between procedures, the system achieves complete beam pair evaluation in an uninterrupted manner, reducing total refinement time.
2Measurement precision
If multiple receive beams are measured simultaneously for each transmit beam, then beam coupling optimization is achieved, but measurement complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements a feedback mechanism where the UE measures signal strengths for multiple receive beams corresponding to each transmit beam and reports these measurements back to the base station. The base station uses this feedback information to identify the optimal transmit beam and configure subsequent communications. This feedback loop enables optimized beam coupling while managing measurement complexity through structured reporting.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent segments the beam measurement process into distinct measurable units: transmit beams are identified by symbol index, receive beams are identified by beam index, and signal strengths are measured for each combination. This segmentation allows the complex multi-dimensional measurement space to be organized into manageable discrete elements that can be systematically measured and reported without overwhelming complexity.
Data Source
AI summary
Aspects of the disclosure relate to beam management techniques in a wireless communication system. A UE establishes a communication link with a base station and receives a set of transmit beams transmitted via a plurality of symbols in a sequential manner, wherein a respective transmit beam is transmitted in a respective symbol of the plurality of symbols. The UE measures, for each transmit beam in the set of transmit beams, a set of signal strengths corresponding to the respective transmit beam using a plurality of receive beams in the respective symbol, wherein a respective signal strength is measured based on a respective receive beam. The UE then sends a feedback message to the base station including at least an identification of a transmit beam having a highest measured signal strength among all sets of signal strengths measured for the set of transmit beams and the highest measured signal strength.