Sidelink Beam Recovery via Fallback and Uu Failure Reporting
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing wireless communication protocols do not adequately address beam failure recovery on sidelinks, particularly in Frequency Range 2 (FR2), which is crucial for efficient sidelink communication between user equipment (UEs) in scenarios like vehicle-to-everything (V2X) communications.
Innovation Solution
Methods and systems for sidelink beam failure reporting, where a receiving UE detects beam failure and generates a report via a different component carrier, a fallback beam, or a Uu link, enabling recovery mechanisms even when sidelink carrier aggregation is not supported, and supporting various RRC states and resource allocation modes.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If beam failure recovery protocols are implemented on sidelinks in FR2, then communication reliability is improved, but device complexity and protocol overhead increase
Solution Approach 1:
The beam failure recovery protocol is segmented into distinct phases: detection phase (monitoring beam quality metrics), reporting phase (generating and transmitting BFR messages), and recovery phase (selecting new beams and resuming communication). This segmentation allows each phase to be optimized independently and simplifies the overall protocol implementation.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces intermediary elements such as beam failure detection references (BDRs) and candidate beam references (CBRs) that mediate between the physical beam signals and the higher-layer protocol decisions. These intermediaries simplify the detection and reporting processes by providing standardized measurement targets.
2Adaptability or versatility
If multiple reporting methods (different CC, fallback beam, Uu link) are supported, then adaptability to different scenarios is improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The reporting method is made dynamic and configurable. The network can dynamically indicate which reporting method to use through downlink control information (DCI) or higher-layer signaling. The UE can adaptively select reporting methods based on current radio conditions, such as using Uu link reporting when sidelink quality is poor or using different component carriers when sidelink carrier aggregation is available.
Solution Approach 2:
The beam failure reporting mechanism is designed to be universal across multiple scenarios and modes. The same basic BFR message structure and detection procedures work across Mode 1 and Mode 2 resource allocation, different RRC states (idle, inactive, connected), and various reporting methods (sidelink on different CC, fallback beam, Uu link). This multi-functionality reduces the need for separate protocols for each scenario.
3Reliability
If beam failure detection and reporting is implemented, then sidelink communication reliability in FR2 is improved, but processing time and overhead increase
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs preliminary actions by pre-configuring candidate beams and their associated reference signals before beam failure occurs. The network provides candidate beam references (CBRs) in advance, so when failure is detected, the UE can immediately select from pre-evaluated candidates rather than performing time-consuming beam sweeping and measurement from scratch.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent enables skipping of certain time-consuming procedures under specific conditions. For example, if the UE has already measured and identified suitable candidate beams during normal operation, it can skip the beam sweeping phase during recovery and directly report the pre-identified candidates, significantly reducing recovery time.
Data Source
AI summary
Disclosed are methods, systems, and computer-readable media to perform operations including: detecting a failure of a sidelink beam of a sidelink interface used to communicate with a second UE, wherein the first UE and the second UE are served by a base station; responsive to detecting the beam failure, generating a report for the sidelink beam failure; and sending the beam failure report to the second UE or the base station.