Sidelink Rx Beam Schedule via SCI Without Unicast Setup

Solution Overview

Problem

Current wireless communication systems face challenges in efficiently transmitting and receiving sidelink beam schedules between user equipment (UEs) without the need for a unicast connection, limiting the ability of UEs to use Rx beam schedules for sidelink communications.

Innovation Solution

Implementing a method where a first sidelink UE transmits an Rx beam schedule to a second sidelink UE via sidelink control information (SCI), indicating the Rx beams associated with the first sidelink UE in a set of slots, allowing the second UE to transmit sidelink transmissions using the indicated Rx beams without a prior unicast connection setup.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If a unicast connection setup is required for transmitting Rx beam schedules between sidelink UEs, then the reliability of beam schedule transmission is improved, but the signaling overhead and connection setup complexity increase

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvereliability of beam schedule transmissionVSAvoidconnection setup complexity

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent extracts the Rx beam schedule transmission function from the unicast connection setup process. By allowing UEs to transmit and receive beam schedules directly via SCI without establishing a unicast connection, the invention separates the beam scheduling function from the connection management function, thereby reducing connection setup complexity while maintaining transmission reliability

Inventive Principle:

Principle #2Taking out (Extraction)

Solution Approach 2:

The patent introduces SCI (Sidelink Control Information) as an intermediary mechanism for transmitting Rx beam schedules. Instead of requiring direct unicast connection setup between UEs, the beam schedules are transmitted through the SCI channel, which serves as a mediator that enables reliable beam schedule communication without the overhead of establishing dedicated unicast connections

Inventive Principle:

Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

2Reliability

If a unicast connection setup is required for sidelink communications, then the security and reliability of communication are improved, but the signaling overhead increases

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvereliability of sidelink communicationVSAvoidsignaling overhead

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSLoss of information

Solution Approach 1:

The patent extracts the beam schedule transmission function from the unicast connection setup process. By allowing UEs to transmit and receive beam schedules directly via SCI without establishing a unicast connection, the invention separates the beam scheduling function from the connection management function, thereby reducing connection setup complexity while maintaining transmission reliability

Inventive Principle:

Principle #2Taking out (Extraction)

Solution Approach 2:

The patent introduces SCI (Sidelink Control Information) as an intermediary mechanism for transmitting Rx beam schedules. Instead of requiring direct unicast connection setup between UEs, the beam schedules are transmitted through the SCI channel, which serves as a mediator that enables reliable beam schedule communication without the overhead of establishing dedicated unicast connections

Inventive Principle:

Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

3Reliability

If UEs must establish unicast connections before using Rx beam schedules, then the communication reliability is improved, but the accessibility and range of sidelink communications are limited

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvecommunication reliabilityVSAvoidaccessibility of sidelink communications

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSAdaptability or versatility

Solution Approach 1:

The patent applies preliminary action by having UEs transmit their Rx beam schedules in advance via SCI before actual data transmission begins. This allows receiving UEs to have the beam schedule information ready beforehand, enabling immediate communication without the need for prior unicast connection setup, thus improving accessibility while maintaining reliability through pre-configured beam information

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

Solution Approach 2:

The patent introduces SCI (Sidelink Control Information) as an intermediary mechanism for transmitting Rx beam schedules. Instead of requiring direct unicast connection setup between UEs, the beam schedules are transmitted through the SCI channel, which serves as a mediator that enables reliable beam schedule communication without the overhead of establishing dedicated unicast connections

Inventive Principle:

Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

Data Source

PatentUS11647500B2Transmitting beam schedules to and receiving beam schedules from sidelink user equipments

Publication Date: 2023.05.09 QUALCOMM INC

AI summary

Various aspects of the present disclosure generally relate to wireless communication. In some aspects, a first sidelink user equipment (UE) may transmit, to a second sidelink UE via sidelink control information (SCI), a receiving (Rx) beam schedule indicating Rx beams associated with the first sidelink UE in a set of slots, wherein the Rx beam schedule indicates that the first sidelink UE is configured to tune to the Rx beams in the set of slots for possible sidelink receptions. The first sidelink UE may receive, from the second sidelink UE, a sidelink transmission using an Rx beam indicated in the Rx beam schedule. Numerous other aspects are described.