IP Library › Granted Patent US 12684385

Granted Patent B2

US 12684385 · App. 17/832,413 · Granted Jul 14, 2026

Interference management for reconfigurable intelligent surfaces

Inventors: Anantharaman Balasubramanian (San Diego, CA); Shuanshuan Wu (San Diego, CA); Navid Abedini (Basking Ridge, NJ); Kapil Gulati (Belle Mead, NJ); Junyi Li (Fairless Hills, PA); Sourjya Dutta (San Diego, CA); Preeti Kumari (San Diego, CA)

Assignee: QUALCOMM Incorporated

H04W24/10 H04L5/0048 H04L5/0073

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Quick Facts

Patent No.: US 12684385
App. No.: 17/832,413
Granted: Jul 14, 2026
Kind: B2

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Abstract

Methods, systems, and devices for wireless communications are described. A user equipment (UE) or a base station may communicate a set of reference signals on a set of interference measurement resources. The set of interference measurements may be based on a first activation schedule of one or more reconfigurable intelligent surfaces (RISs). The UE or the base station may generate interference measurement information associated with the one or more RISs based on the set of reference signals. The base station may determine a second activation schedule of the one or more RISs or an allocation of resources for communicating with the UE based on the set of interference measurements. The base station may communicate with the UE based on the second activation schedule or the allocation of resources.

Claims (91)

1 . A first network node for wireless communication, comprising:

at least one processor; and

at least one memory coupled with the at least one processor, wherein the at least one processor is configured to:

receive a set of downlink reference signals associated with a second network node on a set of interference measurement resources, wherein the set of interference measurement resources is based on an activation schedule of one or more reconfigurable intelligent surfaces, and wherein the set of interference measurement resources indicate time and frequency resources allocated for one or more measurements of interference caused by the one or more reconfigurable intelligent surfaces;

generate interference measurement information associated with the one or more reconfigurable intelligent surfaces based on the set of downlink reference signals, wherein the interference measurement information indicates the interference;

transmit, to the second network node, a measurement report comprising the interference measurement information; and

receive, from the second network node, information indicative of an allocation of time and frequency resources for communication with the second network node, wherein the allocation of the time and frequency resources is based on the measurement report.

2 . The first network node of claim 1 , wherein the at least one processor is configured to:

communicate with the second network node via the one or more reconfigurable intelligent surfaces using the resources allocated by the allocation of the time and frequency resources.

3 . The first network node of claim 1 , wherein, to receive the set of downlink reference signals, the at least one processor is configured to:

receive the set of downlink reference signals associated with the second network node on the set of interference measurement resources, wherein the set of interference measurement resources is based on a set of directional settings associated with the activation schedule of the one or more reconfigurable intelligent surfaces, a set of active periods associated with the activation schedule of the one or more reconfigurable intelligent surfaces, or a set of inactive periods associated with the activation schedule of the one or more reconfigurable intelligent surfaces.

4 . The first network node of claim 1 , wherein the interference measurement information comprises information indicative of a respective received power for each respective downlink reference signal of the set of downlink reference signals.

5 . The first network node of claim 1 , wherein the at least one processor is configured to:

receive, from the second network node, information indicative of the set of interference measurement resources, wherein, to receive the set of downlink reference signals, the at least one processor is configured to receive the set of downlink reference signals based on the information.

6 . A first network node for wireless communication, comprising:

at least one processor; and

at least one memory coupled with the at least one processor, wherein the at least one processor is configured to:

transmit a set of downlink reference signals on a set of interference measurement resources, wherein the set of interference measurement resources is based on a first activation schedule of one or more reconfigurable intelligent surfaces, and wherein the set of interference measurement resources indicate time and frequency resources allocated for one or more interference measurements of interference caused by the one or more reconfigurable intelligent surfaces;

receive, from a second network node, a measurement report comprising interference measurement information associated with the one or more reconfigurable intelligent surfaces, wherein the interference measurement information indicates the interference;

determine, based on the measurement report, a second activation schedule of the one or more reconfigurable intelligent surfaces and an allocation of time and frequency resources for communicating with the second network node; and

communicate with the second network node based on the second activation schedule and the allocation of the time and frequency resources.

7 . The first network node of claim 6 , wherein, to determine the second activation schedule and the allocation of the time and frequency resources, the at least one processor is configured to:

determine a set of directional settings for the one or more reconfigurable intelligent surfaces, a set of active periods associated with the second activation schedule of the one or more reconfigurable intelligent surfaces, a set of inactive periods associated with the second activation schedule of the one or more reconfigurable intelligent surfaces, an allocation of uplink resources for communicating with the second network node, or an allocation of downlink resources for communicating with the second network node.

8 . The first network node of claim 6 , wherein the at least one processor is configured to:

transmit, to a third network node, first information indicative of the interference measurement information, a first set of directional settings associated with the second activation schedule of the one or more reconfigurable intelligent surfaces, a first set of active periods associated with the second activation schedule of the one or more reconfigurable intelligent surfaces, or a first set of inactive periods associated with the second activation schedule of the one or more reconfigurable intelligent surfaces; and

receive, from the third network node, second information indicative of second interference measurement information associated with the one or more reconfigurable intelligent surfaces, a second set of directional settings associated with the second activation schedule of the one or more reconfigurable intelligent surfaces, a second set of active periods associated with the second activation schedule of the one or more reconfigurable intelligent surfaces, or a second set of inactive periods associated with the second activation schedule of the one or more reconfigurable intelligent surfaces, wherein the at least one processor is configured to determine the second activation schedule and the allocation of the time and frequency resources based on the first information and the second information.

9 . The first network node of claim 6 , wherein the at least one processor is configured to:

receive, from a controller associated with the one or more reconfigurable intelligent surfaces, information indicative of a set of directional settings associated with the first activation schedule of the one or more reconfigurable intelligent surfaces, a set of active periods associated with the first activation schedule of the one or more reconfigurable intelligent surfaces, or a set of inactive periods associated with the first activation schedule of the one or more reconfigurable intelligent surfaces, wherein the at least one processor is configured to determine the second activation schedule and the allocation of the time and frequency resources based on the information.

10 . The first network node of claim 9 , wherein the at least one processor is configured to:

transmit, to the controller and based on the information received from the controller, second information indicative of the second activation schedule of the one or more reconfigurable intelligent surfaces.

11 . The first network node of claim 6 , wherein the at least one processor is configured to:

transmit, to the second network node, information indicative of the set of interference measurement resources, wherein the at least one processor is configured to transmit the set of downlink reference signals based on the information.

12 . The first network node of claim 6 , wherein, to communicate with the second network node, the at least one processor is configured to:

communicate with the second network node via the one or more reconfigurable intelligent surfaces based on the second activation schedule and the allocation of the time and frequency resources.

13 . The first network node of claim 6 , wherein, to transmit the set of downlink reference signals, the at least one processor is configured to:

transmit the set of downlink reference signals on the set of interference measurement resources, wherein the set of interference measurement resources is configured for a set of network nodes in a connected state with the first network node, a set of network nodes with a threshold received signal strength indicator, or a set of network nodes in a geographic coverage area of the first network node.

14 . The first network node of claim 6 , wherein, to transmit the set of downlink reference signals, the at least one processor is configured to:

transmit the set of downlink reference signals on the set of interference measurement resources, wherein two or more interference measurement resources of the set of interference measurement resources correspond to respective combinations of one or more active reconfigurable intelligent surfaces and one or more inactive reconfigurable intelligent surfaces, and wherein the one or more reconfigurable intelligent surfaces comprise the one or more active reconfigurable intelligent surfaces and the one or more inactive reconfigurable intelligent surfaces, and wherein the respective combinations are based on the first activation schedule.

15 . The first network node of claim 6 , wherein:

a first interference measurement resource of the set of interference measurement resources is within an active period of a first reconfigurable intelligent surface of the one or more reconfigurable intelligent surfaces; and

a second interference measurement resource of the set of interference measurement resources is within an inactive period of the first reconfigurable intelligent surface.

16 . The first network node of claim 15 , wherein:

the first interference measurement resource is within an inactive period of a second reconfigurable intelligent surface of the one or more reconfigurable intelligent surfaces; and

the second interference measurement resource is within an active period of the second reconfigurable intelligent surface.

17 . The first network node of claim 6 , wherein the at least one processor is configured to:

receive, from a third network node, a second measurement report comprising second interference measurement information associated with the one or more reconfigurable intelligent surfaces, wherein the at least one processor is configured to determine the second activation schedule and the allocation of the time and frequency resources based on the measurement report from the second network node and the second measurement report from the third network node.

18 . A first network node for wireless communications, comprising:

at least one processor; and

at least one memory coupled with the at least one processor, wherein the at least one processor is configured to:

receive, from a second network node, information indicative of a set of interference measurement resources, wherein the set of interference measurement resources is based on an activation schedule of one or more reconfigurable intelligent surfaces, and wherein the set of interference measurement resources indicate time and frequency resources allocated for one or more interference measurements of interference caused by the one or more reconfigurable intelligent surfaces;

transmit a set of uplink reference signals to the second network node on the set of interference measurement resources;

communicate with the second network node via the time and frequency resources based on the set of uplink reference signals.

19 . The first network node of claim 18 , wherein, to communicate with the second network node, the at least one processor is configured to:

communicate with the second network node via the one or more reconfigurable intelligent surfaces using the resources allocated by the allocation of the time and frequency resources.

20 . The first network node of claim 18 , wherein, to transmit the set of uplink reference signals, the at least one processor is configured to:

transmit the set of uplink reference signals to the second network node on the set of interference measurement resources, wherein the set of interference measurement resources is based on a set of directional settings associated with the activation schedule of the one or more reconfigurable intelligent surfaces, a set of active periods associated with the activation schedule of the one or more reconfigurable intelligent surfaces, or a set of inactive periods associated with the activation schedule of the one or more reconfigurable intelligent surfaces.

21 . The first network node of claim 18 , wherein:

a second interference measurement resource of the set of interference measurement resources is within an inactive period of the first reconfigurable intelligent surface.

22 . The first network node of claim 21 , wherein:

the first interference measurement resource is within an inactive period of a second reconfigurable intelligent surface of the one or more reconfigurable intelligent surfaces; and

the second interference measurement resource is within an active period of the second reconfigurable intelligent surface.

23 . A first network node for wireless communications, comprising:

at least one processor; and

at least one memory coupled with the at least one processor, wherein the at least one processor is configured to:

transmit, to a second network node, information indicative of a set of interference measurement resources, wherein the set of interference measurement resources is based on a first activation schedule of one or more reconfigurable intelligent surfaces, and wherein the set of interference measurement resources indicate time and frequency resources allocated for one or more interference measurements of interference caused by the one or more reconfigurable intelligent surfaces;

receive a set of uplink reference signals associated with the second network node on the set of interference measurement resources;

generate interference measurement information associated with the one or more reconfigurable intelligent surfaces based on the set of uplink reference signals, wherein the interference measurement information indicates the interference; and

determine, based on the interference measurement information, a second activation schedule of the one or more reconfigurable intelligent surfaces and an allocation of time and frequency resources for communicating with the second network node.

24 . The first network node of claim 23 , wherein, to determine the second activation schedule and the allocation of the time and frequency resources, the at least one processor is configured to:

determine a set of directional settings associated with the second activation schedule of the one or more reconfigurable intelligent surfaces, a set of active periods associated with the second activation schedule of the one or more reconfigurable intelligent surfaces, a set of inactive periods associated with the second activation schedule of the one or more reconfigurable intelligent surfaces, an allocation of uplink resources for communicating with the second network node, or an allocation of downlink resources for communicating with the second network node.

25 . The first network node of claim 23 , wherein the at least one processor is configured to:

receive, from the third network node, second information indicative of second interference measurement information, a second set of directional settings associated with the second activation schedule of the one or more reconfigurable intelligent surfaces, a second set of active periods associated with the second activation schedule of the one or more reconfigurable intelligent surfaces, or a second set of inactive periods associated with the second activation schedule of the one or more reconfigurable intelligent surfaces, wherein the at least one processor is configured to determine the second activation schedule and the allocation of the time and frequency resources based on the first information and the second information.

26 . The first network node of claim 23 , wherein the at least one processor is configured to:

27 . The first network node of claim 26 , wherein the at least one processor is configured to:

28 . The first network node of claim 23 , wherein the at least one processor is configured to:

determine the set of interference measurement resources based on a measurement resource coordination procedure between the first network node and a third network node or a controller associated with the one or more reconfigurable intelligent surfaces, wherein the at least one processor is configured to transmit the information indicative of the set of interference measurement resources to the second network node based on the measurement resource coordination procedure.

29 . The first network node of claim 23 , wherein the at least one processor is configured to:

communicate with the second network node via the one or more reconfigurable intelligent surfaces based on the second activation schedule and the allocation of the time and frequency resources.

30 . The first network node of claim 23 , wherein, to receive the set of uplink reference signals, the at least one processor is configured to:

receive the set of uplink reference signals on the set of interference measurement resources, wherein the set of interference measurement resources is configured for a set of network nodes in a connected state with the first network node, a set of network nodes with a threshold received signal strength indicator, or a set of network nodes in a geographic coverage area of the first network node.

31 . The first network node of claim 23 , wherein, to receive the set of uplink reference signals, the at least one processor is configured to:

receive the set of uplink reference signals on the set of interference measurement resources, wherein the set of interference measurement resources is based on whether the one or more reconfigurable intelligent surfaces are scheduled to be in an active state or an inactive state during a set of time periods corresponding to the set of interference measurement resources.

32 . The first network node of claim 23 , wherein the at least one processor is configured to:

receive a second set of uplink reference signals associated with a third network node on the set of interference measurement resources, wherein the set of uplink reference signals associated with the second network node and the second set of uplink reference signals associated with the third network node are associated with different orthogonal cover codes; and

generate second interference measurement information associated with the one or more reconfigurable intelligent surfaces based on the second set of uplink reference signals associated with the third network node, wherein the at least one processor is configured to determine the second activation schedule and the allocation of the time and frequency resources based on the interference measurement information from the second network node and the second interference measurement information from the third network node.