BWP Inactivity Timer Pausing for Beam Failure Recovery

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Solution Overview

Problem

In 5G NR wireless communication systems, the interaction between bandwidth part (BWP) switching and beam failure recovery procedures can lead to mis-alignment between base stations and user equipment, causing interruptions and additional latency due to the BWP inactivity timer expiring before beam failure recovery is completed.

Innovation Solution

A method where the user equipment (UE) stops the BWP inactivity timer when a beam failure recovery procedure is triggered, allowing it to switch from one BWP to another and continue the recovery process without interrupting the beam failure recovery procedure, by managing timers and CORESET configurations to ensure timely and successful recovery.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Use of energy by stationary object

If the BWP inactivity timer is used to automatically fallback to default BWP, then power saving is achieved for the UE, but beam failure recovery may be interrupted causing mis-alignment between BS and UE

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvepower savingVSAvoidbeam failure recovery reliability

Core Design Contradiction:

Use of energy by stationary objectVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The patent applies preliminary action by pausing the BWP inactivity timer when beam failure detection is triggered. This allows the UE to prepare and execute beam failure recovery procedures without the timer expiring and causing premature BWP switching, thereby ensuring recovery reliability while maintaining power saving benefits after successful recovery.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

2Productivity

If the BWP inactivity timer expires during beam failure recovery, then the UE switches to default BWP, but this causes additional latency and interrupts the recovery process

Engineering Contradiction:

Improverecovery speedVSAvoidrecovery latency

Core Design Contradiction:

ProductivityVSLoss of time

Solution Approach 1:

The patent applies preliminary action by proactively pausing the BWP inactivity timer when beam failure detection is triggered. This prevents the timer from expiring during the recovery process, eliminating the need for premature BWP switching and the associated latency, thereby enabling continuous and faster beam failure recovery.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

3Reliability

If the UE continuously monitors beam quality to detect failure, then reliable beam failure detection is achieved, but this increases power consumption

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvebeam failure detection accuracyVSAvoidpower consumption

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSUse of energy by stationary object

Solution Approach 1:

The patent applies periodic action by configuring the UE to monitor beam quality based on periodic thresholds rather than continuous monitoring. The network configures beam failure detection thresholds and the UE compares measured beam qualities against these thresholds at scheduled intervals, achieving reliable detection while significantly reducing power consumption compared to continuous monitoring.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #19Periodic action

Data Source

PatentUS11564168B2Apparatus and method for performing beam failure recovery in a wireless communication system

Publication Date: 2023.01.24 SHARP KK

AI summary

Apparatus and method for performing beam failure recovery in a wireless communication system are provided. The method performed by a User Equipment (UE) includes receiving, from a base station, a first bandwidth part (BWP) configuration corresponding to a first BWP, a second BWP configuration corresponding to a second BWP, and a BWP inactivity timer; determining whether a BFR procedure is triggered; when determining that the BFR procedure is triggered: stopping the BWP inactivity timer and performing BWP switching from the first BWP to the second BWP.