Partial Beam Correspondence Uplink Management

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Solution Overview

Problem

In the context of 5G wireless communication, devices with partial beam correspondence face challenges in uplink beam management, leading to inefficiencies in beam alignment and increased latency due to implementation errors and the inability to perfectly reproduce the best receive beam for uplink transmission.

Innovation Solution

The proposed solution involves mechanisms for maintaining consistent beam management between user equipment (UE) and access nodes, using spatial relation information to determine the appropriate transmit beams for uplink signals, and incorporating sounding reference signals (SRS) in transmission configuration indications to refine beams, thereby reducing overhead and latency.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Measurement precision

If traditional beam management methods are used for user equipment with partial beam correspondence, then the system maintains simplicity in beam selection, but beam alignment accuracy deteriorates and latency increases due to implementation errors

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvebeam alignment accuracyVSAvoidbeam management latency

Core Design Contradiction:

Measurement precisionVSLoss of time

Solution Approach 1:

The patent implements feedback mechanisms where the network device receives beam management information from the user equipment and sends back control indications to refine beam selection. This closed-loop feedback allows the system to correct implementation errors and improve beam alignment accuracy while managing latency through efficient feedback timing.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #23Feedback

Solution Approach 2:

The patent uses preliminary beam sweeping and sounding reference signal transmissions to pre-establish beam correspondence relationships before actual data transmission. By performing these measurements and selections in advance, the system reduces real-time latency while maintaining accurate beam alignment through pre-computed beam pairs.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

2Measurement precision

If multiple sounding reference signal resources are configured for beam management, then beam refinement accuracy improves, but signaling overhead increases

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvebeam refinement accuracyVSAvoidsignaling overhead

Core Design Contradiction:

Measurement precisionVSLoss of information

Solution Approach 1:

The patent configures a set of sounding reference signal resources where only a subset needs to be actively used for beam management based on current conditions. This partial action approach maintains the option for high-accuracy beam refinement when needed while reducing overhead by not requiring all resources to be continuously active or reported.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #16Partial or excessive action

Solution Approach 2:

The sounding reference signal resources are designed to serve multiple functions: beam sweeping, beam refinement, and beam correspondence establishment. This multi-functionality allows the same set of resources to improve beam refinement accuracy across different operational scenarios without proportionally increasing overhead, as the same signals serve multiple purposes.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #6Universality (Multi-functionality)

Data Source

PatentUS12021773B2Beam management for partial beam correspondence user equipment

Publication Date: 2024.06.25 APPLE INC

AI summary

Embodiments of the present disclosure provide for uplink and downlink beam management for partial beam correspondence user equipments. Other embodiments may be described and claimed.