Multi-Panel Power Headroom Reporting for Accurate Uplink Scheduling

The patent segments the power headroom reporting by separating it into panel-specific PHR (reporting power headroom for each panel individually) and total PHR (reporting aggregate power headroom). This segmentation allows the network to understand both individual panel capabilities and overall terminal power status, enabling precise resource allocation without overwhelming complexity in the reporting mechanism.

The patent introduces a new dimension to power headroom reporting by adding panel identification information and distinguishing between different PHR types (panel-specific and total). This dimensional expansion transforms the traditional single-dimension PHR into a multi-dimensional reporting structure that captures the complexity of multi-panel transmission while maintaining manageable reporting overhead.

The patent merges panel-specific PHR and total PHR into a unified reporting framework where both types of power headroom information are transmitted together in coordinated fashion. This merging allows the network to simultaneously access both granular panel-level details and aggregate terminal power status without requiring separate reporting mechanisms, thereby reducing overall signaling overhead while maintaining high resource allocation accuracy.

The patent employs preliminary action by having the terminal calculate and prepare both panel-specific and total power headroom values before transmission. This pre-computation allows the network to receive ready-to-use accurate power information without requiring additional processing or multiple exchange rounds, thus improving resource allocation accuracy while minimizing signaling overhead.