SRS Transmission Control for Thermal-Aware Downlink Throttling
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Solution Overview
Problem
Thermal management issues in user equipment (UE) due to high power consumption, leading to excessive junction and skin temperatures, which can cause reduced performance or damage, are not adequately addressed by existing downlink throttling techniques, particularly when antenna switching (AS) sounding reference signal (SRS) transmissions are enabled.
Innovation Solution
The UE transmits channel state feedback with a report of a lower rank than the actual measured rank, refrains from transmitting AS-SRSs, and adjusts SRS resource usage to induce downlink throttling, ensuring the base station selects configurations suitable for reduced power consumption and heat dissipation.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Use of energy by moving object
If downlink throttling is implemented to reduce power consumption, then battery life is improved, but communication performance deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the rank parameter reported in channel state feedback from the actual measured rank to a lower artificial rank. This parameter manipulation causes the base station to select downlink configurations with fewer layers, thereby reducing power consumption while maintaining a controllable level of communication performance degradation
Solution Approach 2:
The patent dynamically adjusts the reported rank based on thermal conditions. When temperature exceeds a threshold, the UE reports a lower rank to trigger downlink throttling. This dynamic adaptation allows the system to balance power consumption and communication performance based on real-time thermal state
2Measurement precision
If AS-SRS transmissions are performed to enable antenna switching, then channel estimation accuracy is improved, but power consumption increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts or removes the AS-SRS transmissions from the communication protocol when thermal conditions require throttling. By refraining from transmitting these additional reference signals, the UE reduces its power consumption while the base station relies on previously obtained channel state information for configuration selection
Solution Approach 2:
Instead of performing full AS-SRS transmissions for complete channel estimation, the patent applies partial action by omitting these transmissions when throttling is needed. The system accepts reduced channel estimation accuracy in exchange for significant power savings during thermal stress conditions
3Productivity
If downlink configurations with higher rank are selected, then data throughput is improved, but junction temperature increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies preliminary anti-action by proactively reporting a lower rank before the base station selects downlink configurations. This preemptive manipulation of channel state feedback prevents the base station from selecting high-rank configurations that would generate excessive heat, thereby avoiding thermal issues before they occur
Solution Approach 2:
The patent performs preliminary action by manipulating the rank report in channel state feedback to influence future base station decisions. By setting the reported rank lower than the actual measured rank, the system prepares the base station to select more thermally efficient configurations in advance
Data Source
AI summary
This disclosure provides systems, methods and apparatuses for enabling downlink throttling, such as for thermal mitigation. For example, a user equipment (UE) may transmit channel state feedback (CSF) with a report of a first rank that is less than a second rank associated with a channel condition and may communicate with a base station using a configuration associated with the first rank and without a set of sounding reference signals (SRSs). Alternatively, the UE may transmit one or more SRSs using a configuration associated with the first rank. In this way, by refraining from transmission of the SRSs or by adjusting the configuration the SRSs, the UE causes the base station to support downlink throttling.