Decoupled Beam Recovery for Uplink and Downlink Beam Failure

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Solution Overview

Problem

Existing wireless communication systems face inefficiencies in managing decoupled uplink and downlink beams, leading to beam failures that require separate resources for recovery, which can slow down communication processes.

Innovation Solution

The system employs different sets of reference signals for uplink and downlink beams, allowing efficient detection and recovery by switching the downlink beam to correspond to the uplink beam upon failure, thereby eliminating the need for separate resources during recovery.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If separate resources are allocated for uplink and downlink beam recovery, then beam failure recovery can be performed independently for each direction, but system resources are wasted and recovery process becomes slower

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvebeam failure recovery capabilityVSAvoidsystem resources
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSQuantity of substance

Solution Approach 1:

The patent combines uplink and downlink beam recovery procedures into a single unified process. When beam failure is detected in either direction, the UE initiates a single beam recovery procedure that recovers both uplink and downlink beams simultaneously, eliminating the need for separate recovery resources and processes for each transmission direction.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #5Merging (Combining)

Solution Approach 2:

The patent creates a universal beam recovery mechanism that handles both uplink and downlink beam failures through a single procedure. The beam recovery process is designed to be multi-functional, capable of recovering communication in both transmission directions without requiring direction-specific recovery resources or procedures.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #6Universality (Multi-functionality)

2Reliability

If separate beam recovery procedures are implemented for uplink and downlink, then each beam direction can be recovered independently, but the overall recovery time increases

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvebeam recovery completenessVSAvoidbeam recovery time
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSLoss of time

Solution Approach 1:

The patent performs preliminary actions by initiating a single beam recovery procedure that simultaneously addresses both uplink and downlink beam failures. Instead of sequentially recovering each direction, the system prepares and executes a unified recovery process that restores both transmission directions in parallel, significantly reducing total recovery time.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #10Preliminary action

Solution Approach 2:

The patent ensures continuity of useful action by maintaining an active beam recovery process that simultaneously works on recovering both uplink and downlink beams. The unified recovery procedure continues to operate on both transmission directions without interruption or sequential delays, maximizing the efficiency of the recovery process.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #20Continuity of useful action

Data Source

PatentEP3909146B1Beam recovery techniques in beamformed wireless communications
Publication Date: 2026.02.18 QUALCOMM INC
  • EP3909146B1 patent drawingFigure 1
  • EP3909146B1 patent drawingFigure 2
  • EP3909146B1 patent drawingFigure 3

AI summary

Methods, systems, and devices for wireless communications are described that provide for measurement and recovery of beamformed transmission beams in which an uplink beam and a downlink beam may be decoupled beams that use different beamforming parameters. In the event that a user equipment (UE) detects a failure of the downlink beam, an indication may be provided to a base station, and the downlink beam may be switched to correspond to the uplink beam. In the event that the UE detects a failure of the uplink beam the UE may identify a candidate beam and transmit a beam recovery message to the base station. The downlink beam may have an associated first set of reference signals, and the uplink beam may have an associated second set of reference signals, and beam failure may be determined based on the different sets of reference signals.