Sidelink Beam Hopping for UE Mobility Adaptation

Solution Overview

Problem

Current wireless communication systems face challenges in efficiently managing sidelink communications, particularly in adapting beam configurations to account for user equipment (UE) mobility and environmental changes, which can lead to disrupted communications due to suboptimal beam usage.

Innovation Solution

The method involves a transmitter UE identifying and transmitting sidelink control information that includes explicit beam indications or beam hopping patterns, allowing the receiver UE to autonomously initiate beam switching based on measurements and rules, ensuring optimal beam usage for sidelink communications.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If beam configurations are kept static for sidelink communications, then device complexity is reduced, but reliability deteriorates due to UE mobility and environmental changes causing disrupted communications

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvereliability of sidelink communicationsVSAvoidcomplexity of beam management

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent implements dynamic beam configurations where the receiver UE autonomously initiates beam hopping based on measurements and rules. The transmitter UE transmits sidelink control information with beam hopping indications, and the receiver UE switches beams dynamically without requiring complex coordinated control, thus improving reliability while keeping device complexity manageable.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #15Dynamics

Solution Approach 2:

The receiver UE autonomously performs beam measurements, determines when beam hopping is needed based on predefined rules, and executes beam switching independently. This self-service approach eliminates the need for complex centralized beam management, improving reliability through adaptive beam selection while maintaining simple device architecture.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #25Self-service

2Reliability

If beam hopping is implemented to adapt to mobility and environmental changes, then reliability improves, but device complexity increases due to additional beam management procedures

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvesuccess rate of sidelink communicationsVSAvoidcomplexity of beam switching control

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The receiver UE autonomously performs beam measurements, determines when beam hopping is needed based on predefined rules, and executes beam switching independently. This self-service approach eliminates the need for complex centralized beam management, improving reliability through adaptive beam selection while maintaining simple device architecture.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #25Self-service

Solution Approach 2:

The transmitter UE pre-configures multiple beams and transmits sidelink control information containing beam hopping indications before communication disruptions occur. The receiver UE has predefined rules ready to trigger beam switching proactively, preventing communication failures before they happen rather than reacting to them.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

3Adaptability or versatility

If autonomous beam switching is enabled at the receiver UE, then adaptability improves in response to environmental changes, but ease of operation deteriorates due to autonomous control mechanisms

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveadaptability to environmental changesVSAvoidsimplicity of beam configuration

Core Design Contradiction:

Adaptability or versatilityVSEase of operation

Solution Approach 1:

The receiver UE autonomously performs beam measurements, determines when beam hopping is needed based on predefined rules, and executes beam switching independently. This self-service approach eliminates the need for complex centralized beam management, improving reliability through adaptive beam selection while maintaining simple device architecture.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #25Self-service

Data Source

PatentUS20240073900A1Sidelink beam hopping

Publication Date: 2024.02.29 QUALCOMM INC

AI summary

Various aspects of the present disclosure generally relate to wireless communication. In some aspects, a transmitter user equipment (UE) may identify a plurality of beams that are configured for transmitting one or more sidelink communications via one or more sidelink resources. The UE may transmit sidelink control information that indicates to reserve the one or more sidelink resources and that includes an explicit beam indication or a beam hopping indication associated with the plurality of beams. Numerous other aspects are described.