Joint UL-DL Beam Correspondence for Low-Latency Beam Management
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Solution Overview
Problem
In wireless cellular communication systems, separate uplink and downlink beam management can result in high overhead, latency, and power consumption due to the assumption of beam correspondence, which may not always be valid, especially for 5G and NR systems.
Innovation Solution
Implement methods and mechanisms for joint uplink and downlink beam management, including eNB-side and UE-side beam correspondence indications, using synchronization signals and higher-layer signaling to confirm beam correspondence, and utilizing SRS and CSI-RS for beam refinement.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If separate uplink and downlink beam management is implemented with beam correspondence assumption, then beam management can be performed independently for each direction, but overhead, latency, and power consumption increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines separate uplink and downlink beam management procedures into a joint beam management approach. The gNB configures both UL and DL beam parameters together, and the UE reports beam measurements for both directions in a unified manner, reducing the number of separate signaling exchanges and procedure steps required
2Ease of operation
If separate uplink and downlink beam management is implemented with beam correspondence assumption, then beam management can be performed independently for each direction, but overhead and power consumption increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges beam management operations to reduce power consumption. By configuring UL and DL beams jointly and reporting measurements in a unified procedure, the UE and gNB reduce the total number of active processing events, signaling transmissions, and measurement operations that consume power
3Device complexity
If beam correspondence is assumed, then beam management is simplified, but reliability decreases when correspondence does not hold
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements dynamic beam management where the gNB and UE can adapt between correspondence-based and non-correspondence-based approaches. The system dynamically configures beam parameters based on actual channel conditions and reciprocity validity, allowing flexibility to switch strategies rather than being fixed to one approach
Solution Approach 2:
The patent incorporates feedback mechanisms where the UE reports beam measurements and quality indicators for both UL and DL. This feedback allows the gNB to verify whether beam correspondence holds in practice and adjust beam configurations accordingly, ensuring reliability even when initial assumptions are incorrect
4Loss of time
If joint uplink and downlink beam management is implemented, then latency and power consumption are reduced, but system complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent creates universal beam management procedures that handle both correspondence-based and non-correspondence-based scenarios through unified configuration and reporting mechanisms. The same basic procedure structure serves multiple operational modes, reducing the need for separate specialized procedures for each case
Data Source
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AI summary
Described is a User Equipment (UE). The User Equipment (UE) is operable to communicate with an Evolved Node-B (eNB) on a wireless network and comprises one or more processors to: process a first transmission carrying an indicator of eNB beam correspondence; and generate a second transmission carrying an indicator of UE beam correspondence; and an interface for receiving the first transmission and for sending the second transmission.