SRS Beam Indication for 5G Uplink Management

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Solution Overview

Problem

Existing uplink beam management techniques in mobile communications are inefficient due to high training overhead, latency, power consumption, and processing time, especially when full beam sweeping is used.

Innovation Solution

The implementation of sounding reference signal (SRS) beam indication for uplink beam management, allowing for efficient beam indication across multiple bandwidth parts (BWPs) and transmit-receive points (TRPs), with configuration messages providing spatial relationship information for SRS resources.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Measurement precision

If full beam sweeping is used to identify optimal UL TX beam, then beam management accuracy is improved, but training overhead and latency increase

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvebeam management accuracyVSAvoidtraining overhead and latency

Core Design Contradiction:

Measurement precisionVSLoss of time

Solution Approach 1:

The patent segments the beam management process into two distinct phases: downlink beam management using DL beam sweeping for high accuracy, and uplink beam management using SRS-based beam indication for efficiency. This segmentation allows each phase to use the most appropriate method, avoiding the need for full UL beam sweeping while maintaining overall system performance.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

The patent performs downlink beam management first to establish optimal DL beams and obtain beam correspondence information. This preliminary action provides the WTRU with spatial relationship information that can be directly applied to uplink beam indication, eliminating the need for separate UL beam training and reducing overall latency.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

2Measurement precision

If full beam sweeping is used for UL BM, then optimal beam identification is improved, but power consumption increases

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveoptimal beam identificationVSAvoidpower consumption

Core Design Contradiction:

Measurement precisionVSUse of energy by moving object

Solution Approach 1:

The patent divides beam management into DL and UL phases, using energy-intensive DL beam sweeping only once to establish beam correspondence. The UL phase then leverages this pre-established information through SRS-based indication, significantly reducing power consumption while maintaining optimal beam identification.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

The WTRU uses the spatial relationship information obtained from DL beam management to autonomously determine UL transmit beams. This self-service approach eliminates the need for network-controlled UL beam sweeping, reducing both power consumption and signaling overhead.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #25Self-service

3Productivity

If partial beam sweeping is used to reduce resources, then resource efficiency is improved, but beam management performance may be insufficient

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveresource efficiencyVSAvoidbeam management performance

Core Design Contradiction:

ProductivityVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The patent introduces beam correspondence as an intermediary concept that links DL and UL beam management. The WTRU determines beam correspondence from DL BM results and uses this intermediary information to accurately identify UL beams without performing partial UL sweeping, thus maintaining reliability while improving resource efficiency.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

Solution Approach 2:

The patent replaces the mechanical beam sweeping process with an information-based SRS beam indication mechanism. Instead of physically sweeping through multiple UL beams, the system uses spatial relationship information from DL measurements to directly indicate the optimal UL beam, achieving both efficiency and reliability.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #28Mechanics substitution (Replace mechanical system)

4Productivity

If SRS beam indication with spatial relationship information is used, then beam indication efficiency is improved, but configuration complexity increases

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvebeam indication efficiencyVSAvoidconfiguration complexity

Core Design Contradiction:

ProductivityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent makes the spatial relationship information serve multiple functions: it is used for both DL beam management and UL beam indication. This multi-functionality reduces the need for separate configuration mechanisms and simplifies the overall system while maintaining high beam indication efficiency.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #6Universality (Multi-functionality)

Solution Approach 2:

The patent changes the parameter being indicated from direct UL beam indices to spatial relationship information derived from DL measurements. This parameter transformation simplifies the indication mechanism by leveraging existing DL measurement results rather than requiring separate UL beam training configurations.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #35Parameter changes

Data Source

PatentUS20250038828A1Beam indication for 5g new radio

Publication Date: 2025.01.30 INTERDIGITAL PATENT HOLDINGS INC

AI summary

A wireless transmit/receive unit (WTRU) may receive sounding reference signal (SRS) resource configuration information. The WTRU may also receive beam indication (ID) information and panel ID information in downlink control information (DCI) and determine a WTRU panel based on the panel ID information or the SRS resource configuration information. The WTRU may also determine uplink (UL) beam sweeping for each determined WTRU panel based on the beam ID using one or more sweeping parameters.