Uplink Beam Management via MAC CE Down-Selection
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current 5G systems face limitations in beam management and power control for uplink transmissions, particularly for PUSCH, SRS, and PUCCH, leading to high latency and limited flexibility in beam indication.
Innovation Solution
The proposed solution enhances beam management and power control by using MAC CEs to down-select a subset of SRS resources and update power control parameters, reducing latency and increasing flexibility in uplink beam indication.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If RRC signaling is used to update SRS beams, then beam management is supported, but latency is high and flexibility is limited
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces MAC CEs as an intermediary mechanism between RRC signaling and physical layer beam management. MAC CEs serve as a mediator that can quickly update beam information without requiring full RRC reconfiguration, thus reducing latency while maintaining reliable beam management. The MAC CE carries beam indication information that supplements or updates the RRC-configured beam parameters.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent segments beam management into multiple layers: RRC signaling for initial beam configuration and MAC CE for dynamic beam updates. This segmentation allows different parts of the beam management process to operate at appropriate time scales, with RRC handling stable, long-term parameters and MAC CE handling dynamic, short-term adjustments, thereby reducing overall latency.
2Reliability
If RRC signaling is used to update SRS beams, then beam management is supported, but flexibility is limited
Solution Approach 1:
The patent makes the beam management system dynamic by enabling MAC CEs to update beam information in real-time based on changing channel conditions and traffic requirements. This dynamic capability allows the system to adapt flexibly to different scenarios while RRC signaling maintains the fundamental beam management framework, achieving both reliability and flexibility.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent uses RRC signaling to pre-configure beam parameters and SRS resources in advance, establishing a foundation for reliable beam management. Then MAC CEs build upon this preliminary configuration to provide flexible, real-time beam updates without requiring complete reconfiguration, thus maintaining both reliability and adaptability.
3Device complexity
If only two SRS resources are supported for codebook based transmissions, then device complexity is reduced, but adaptability is limited
Solution Approach 1:
The patent makes SRS resources universal by enabling the same SRS resource configuration to serve multiple purposes: codebook-based transmissions, non-codebook-based transmissions, and beam management. MAC CEs can dynamically indicate which SRS resources to use for different transmission schemes, allowing the system to support both codebook and non-codebook modes with the same physical resources, thereby increasing adaptability without proportionally increasing device complexity.
4Device complexity
If only four SRS resources are supported for non-codebook based transmissions, then device complexity is reduced, but adaptability is limited
Solution Approach 1:
The patent adds a new dimension to SRS resource management by introducing MAC CE-based dynamic indication. Instead of being limited to a fixed small number of SRS resources, the system can now dynamically select and activate additional SRS resources through MAC CEs. This dimensional addition (from static configuration to dynamic control) significantly increases adaptability while keeping the base device complexity manageable.
Data Source
AI summary
Systems, apparatuses, methods, and computer-readable media are provided for uplink beam management and power control in wireless communications systems. Disclosed embodiments include beam management and power control enhancements for Physical Uplink Shared Channel (PUSCH), Sounding Reference Signal (SRS), and Physical Uplink Control Channel (PUSCH) transmissions. Other embodiments may be described and/or claimed.