Terminal Beam State Reporting via MAC CE
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current communication technologies for fifth-generation cellular systems, particularly in LTE-Advanced Pro and New Radio (NR), face challenges in efficiently managing beam states and reducing complexity and interference between cells and terminal apparatuses, especially in scenarios requiring high-speed, low-latency, and massive machine-type communications.
Innovation Solution
A terminal apparatus and base station apparatus are designed to monitor and report beam states through a MAC Control Element (MAC CE) and MAC Protocol Data Unit (MAC PDU), enabling efficient communication by identifying optimal beam states and serving cells, thereby reducing interference and complexity.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If multiple downlink signals are monitored in multiple serving cells to identify optimal beam states, then communication quality and reliability are improved, but device complexity and processing overhead increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the beam state information reporting by separating it into cell-specific MAC CEs for individual serving cells and a unified MAC PDU structure. This allows the terminal to monitor multiple downlink signals across multiple serving cells independently while organizing the reporting in a structured manner that reduces processing complexity. Each serving cell's beam state is evaluated separately through dedicated MAC CEs, which are then aggregated into a unified MAC PDU for transmission.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces a new dimension in beam state management by implementing MAC CE-based reporting at the Medium Access Control layer, bridging the gap between physical layer beam measurements and higher layer resource management. This dimensional shift allows for more flexible and efficient beam state information exchange, enabling the system to handle multiple serving cells without proportionally increasing processing complexity at each layer.
2Measurement precision
If beam state information is reported for each serving cell individually, then measurement precision and beam state accuracy are improved, but information overhead and signaling complexity increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges individual cell-specific beam state reports into a unified MAC PDU structure. Multiple MAC CEs, each containing beam state information for a specific serving cell, are combined into a single MAC PDU for transmission. This merging approach maintains the precision of individual cell measurements while reducing the overall signaling overhead compared to transmitting separate MAC CEs for each cell independently.
Solution Approach 2:
The MAC PDU structure serves multiple functions simultaneously: it carries beam state information for multiple serving cells, maintains cell-specific accuracy through dedicated MAC CEs, and provides a unified transmission mechanism that reduces overhead. This multi-functional design allows the same structure to handle both precise individual cell reporting and efficient aggregate transmission.
3Productivity
If MAC CE structures are used for beam state reporting, then communication efficiency and automation are improved, but protocol complexity and implementation difficulty increase
Solution Approach 1:
The MAC CE structure enables self-service beam state reporting where the terminal automatically generates and transmits beam state information without requiring explicit higher-layer scheduling or configuration for each report. The MAC layer itself handles the packaging, formatting, and transmission of beam state information, reducing the burden on higher layers and improving communication efficiency while maintaining manageable protocol complexity through standardized structures.
Data Source
AI summary
Terminal apparatuses (1, 1A, and 1B) efficiently communicate with a base station apparatus (3). The terminal apparatuses (1, 1A, and 1B): receive multiple downlink signals in downlink in one or multiple serving cells; monitor a beam state of the downlink, based on the multiple downlink signals received; generate a first MAC CE including first information indicating the beam state of the downlink of at least one of the one or multiple serving cells and second information identifying a serving cell of the one or multiple serving cells corresponding to the beam state indicated by the first information, and generate a first MAC PDU including the first MAC CE; and transmit the first MAC PDU.