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BR-112019001727-B1 - A method for wireless communication performed by a user device, a method for wireless communication performed by a base station, a user device for wireless communication, a base station for wireless communication, and memory.

BR112019001727B1BR 112019001727 B1BR112019001727 B1BR 112019001727B1BR-112019001727-B1

Abstract

This refers to methods, systems, and devices for wireless communication. A user device (UD) may be communicating with a base station via beamforming transmissions on an active beam. The UD may receive refined reference signals (RRSs) from the base station that include an active beam RRS that corresponds to the active beam. The UD can identify that the active beam RRS corresponds to the active beam and performs a beam state measurement on the active beam RRS. The UD can refine the active beam based, at least in part, on the beam state information from the active beam RRS.

Inventors

  • Bilal Sadiq
  • Ashwin Sampath
  • Tao Luo
  • Juergen Cezanne
  • Sundar Subramanian
  • Muhammad Nazmul Islam
  • ALEXEI YURIEVITCH GOROKHOV
  • Shrenik Patel
  • Junyi Li

Assignees

  • QUALCOMM INCORPORATED

Dates

Publication Date
20260317
Application Date
20170728
Priority Date
20170515

Claims (15)

  1. 1. Method for wireless communication performed by a user equipment, UE, characterized by comprising: communicating (1405) with a base station by means of one or more beamforming transmissions in an active beam, wherein the active beam is selected using beam reference signals, BRSs (205), in a BRS procedure, the BRSs (205) being non-UE-specific reference signals and wherein the active beam corresponds to a BRS (205-g); receiving (1410) from the base station a plurality of refinement reference signals, RRSs (210), the plurality of RRSs including an active beam RRS (210-c) corresponding to the active beam, wherein a coverage of two neighboring RRSs is less than a coverage of two neighboring BRSs and wherein the RRSs are UE-specific reference signals; identifying (1415) the active beam RRS (210-c) as corresponding to the active beam; performing (1420) a beam state measurement at least in the active beam RRS (210-c); and refine (1425) the active beam based at least in part on the beam state measurement in the active beam RRS, wherein refining (1425) the active beam comprises modifying aspects of one or more beamforming transmissions in the active beam and/or selecting a candidate beam as a new active beam.
  2. 2. Method according to claim 1, characterized by identifying (1415) the active beam RRS as corresponding to the active beam comprising: determining a resource identifier, ID, associated with the active beam RRS.
  3. 3. Method according to claim 2, characterized by further comprising: identifying the resource ID based on an indication conducted in a Radio Resource Control (RRC) configuration procedure performed with the base station.
  4. 4. Method, according to claim 2, characterized in that the resource ID is associated with an antenna port configuration used by the base station to transmit the active beam RRS and the active beam.
  5. 5. Method according to claim 1, characterized by identifying (1415) the active beam RRS as corresponding to the active beam comprising: identifying one or more antenna ports associated with the active beam RRS based on an antenna port configuration of the active beam.
  6. 6. Method according to claim 1, characterized by refining (1425) the active beam comprising: using one or more receiving beams to receive the active beam RRS; determining a refined beam state information from one or more receiving beams; using the refined beam state information to adjust the active beam used by the UE.
  7. 7. Method according to claim 6, characterized by further comprising: adjusting the active beam at a predetermined time.
  8. 8. Method according to claim 1, characterized by refining (1425) the active beam comprising: receiving an active beam refining authorization from the base station; and refining the active beam based, at least in part, on the active beam refining authorization.
  9. 9. Method for wireless communication performed by a base station, BS, characterized by comprising: communicating (1505) with a user equipment, UE, by means of one or more beamforming transmissions using an active beam, wherein the active beam is selected using beam reference signals, BRSs (205), in a BRS procedure, the BRSs (205) being non-UE-specific reference signals and wherein the active beam corresponds to a BRS (205-g); selecting (1510) a plurality of refinement reference signals, RRSs (210) for transmission to the UE, the RRSs (210) including an active beam RRS corresponding to the active beam, wherein a coverage of two neighboring RRSs is less than a coverage of two neighboring BRSs and wherein the RRSs are UE-specific reference signals; transmitting (1515) the plurality of RRSs (210), including the active beam RRS (210-c), to the UE; indicate (1520) to the UE that the active beam RRS (210-c) corresponds to the active beam.
  10. 10. Method according to claim 9, characterized by indicating (1520) to the UE that the active beam RRS (210-c) corresponds to the active beam comprising: conducting an indication of a resource identifier, ID, associated with the active beam RRS, wherein the resource ID is additionally associated with the active beam.
  11. 11. Method according to claim 10, characterized in that the indication is an antenna port configuration used to transmit the active beam RRS (210-c).
  12. 12. Method according to claim 9, characterized by further comprising: transmitting an active beam refining authorization to the UE, wherein the UE refines the active beam based, at least in part, on the active beam refining authorization.
  13. 13. User equipment, UE, for wireless communication, characterized by comprising means for carrying out the steps of a method as defined in any one of claims 1 to 8.
  14. 14. Base station, BS, for wireless communication, characterized by comprising means for carrying out the steps of a method as defined in any one of claims 9 to 12.
  15. 15. Memory characterized by comprising instructions for implementing a method as defined in any one of claims 1 to 12.

Description

CROSS-REFERENCES [0001] This Patent Application claims priority to Patent Application No. U.S. 15/595,328 by Sadiq et al., entitled “Beam Refinement for Active and Candidate Beams”, filed May 15, 2017; and Provisional Patent Application No. U.S. 62/369,642 by Sadiq et al., entitled “Beam Refinement for Active and Candidate Beams”, filed August 1, 2016; each of which is assigned to the assignee thereof. BACKGROUND [0002] What follows refers generally to wireless communication and, more specifically, to beam refinement for active and candidate beams. [0003] Wireless communication systems are widely installed to provide various types of communication content such as voice, video, packet data, messaging, broadcasting, and so on. These systems may have the capability to support communication with multiple users by sharing available system resources (e.g., time, frequency, and power). Examples of such multiple access systems include Code Division Multiple Access (CDMA) systems, Time Division Multiple Access (TDMA) systems, Frequency Division Multiple Access (FDMA) systems, and Orthogonal Frequency Division Multiple Access (OFDMA) systems (e.g., a Long Term Evolution (LTE) system). A wireless multiple access communication system may include numerous base stations, each simultaneously supporting communication to multiple communication devices, which may otherwise be known as user equipment (UE). [0004] Wireless communication systems can operate in millimeter wave (mmW) frequency bands, for example, 28 GHz, 40 GHz, 60 GHz, etc. Wireless communications at these frequencies can be associated with increased signal attenuation (e.g., path loss), which can be influenced by various factors such as temperature, barometric pressure, diffraction, etc. As a result, signal processing techniques, such as beamforming, can be used to coherently combine energy and overcome path losses at these frequencies. Due to the increased amount of path loss in mmW communication systems, base station and/or UE transmissions may be beamformed. [0005] Wireless communications between two wireless nodes, for example, between a base station and a UE, can use beams or beamforming signals for transmission and/or reception. A beam used for such wireless communications can be referred to as an active beam or a server beam. Sometimes, due to altered communication conditions, the movement of a UE, etc., an active beam may be refined. For example, an active UE beam or an active base station beam may be refined. Additionally, there may also be a need to explore candidate or alternative beams to the currently employed active beam and/or to measure the beam state of the active beam as well as other candidate beams. Thus, the active beam may initially be chosen from a reference beam and then refined over time. SUMMARY [0006] The techniques described refer to enhanced methods, systems, devices, or apparatus that support beam refinement for active and candidate beams in a wireless communication system, such as a millimeter wave (mmW) communication system. In some respects, the techniques described provide a user equipment (UE) and a base station to be in communication using beamforming transmissions on an active beam. The active beam can be selected using a beam reference signal (BRS) procedure, for example, between the UE and the base station. The base station can select a refinement reference signal (RRS) for an active beam refinement procedure with the UE. The RRS(s) may include at least one RRS that corresponds to the active beam, for example, an active beam RRS that is associated with the same antenna ports. In some examples, the base station may select an RRS transmission configuration for the RRS transmission, for example, based on the capabilities and/or preferences of the UE. [0007] The base station can transmit the RRS(s), including the active beam RRS, to the UE and, in some instances, can conduct an indication of which RRS is the active beam RRS. The UE can receive the RRS(s) and identify the active beam RRS, for example, it can identify or otherwise determine that the active beam RRS corresponds to the active beam that is currently being used for communications. The UE can perform a beam state measurement for some or all of the RRS(s), or it can perform a beam state measurement for at least the active beam RRS. The UE can refine the active beam using the beam state measurement of the active beam RRS, for example, it can adjust one or more UE receiving beam parameters to communicate on the active beam. In this way, the UE can autonomously refine the UE beam parameters to enhance wireless communications using beamforming transmissions on the active beam. [0008] A wireless communication method is described. The method may include communicating with a base station by means of one or more beamforming transmissions on an active beam, receiving from the base station one or more RRSs, wherein the one or more RRSs includes an active beam RRS that correspon