Autonomous beam switch in HAPS coverage

1. A high altitude platform station (HAPS) network device comprising:

a wireless antenna array configured to communicate with at least one user equipment (UE) located within a cell coverage area associated with the HAPS network device, the cell coverage area including a plurality of beam layers and a plurality of beams, each of the plurality of beam layers including at least one beam of the plurality of beams;

a memory storing computer readable instructions; and

processing circuitry configured to execute the computer readable instructions to cause the HAPS network device to,

determine beam layer information corresponding to the plurality of beam layers, the beam layer information including layer identifiers (ID) associated with each beam layer of the plurality of beam layers, and beam IDs associated with each beam included in each of the beam layers;

transmit the beam layer information to the at least one UE;

receive an autonomous beam switch request from the at least one UE in response to the transmitted beam layer information, the request including beam switch parameters;

determine a selected beam layer based on the beam switch parameters; and

enable communication with the at least one UE using the selected beam layer.

2. The HAPS network device of claim 1 , wherein a direction of each beam of the plurality of beams is fixed relative to the HAPS network device.

3. The HAPS network device of claim 1 , wherein

the processing circuitry is further configured to cause the HAPS network device to,

determine a beam dwell time for each of the plurality of beam layers, and

transmit the beam layer information to the at least one UE, the beam layer information including the plurality of layer IDs, a plurality of beam IDs associated with a respective beam layer of the plurality of beam layers, and the plurality of beam dwell times.

4. The HAPS network device of claim 1 , wherein the beam switch parameters include a selected beam ID identifying a beam selected by the UE, and reference time information associated with the selected beam.

5. The HAPS network device of claim 4 , wherein the processing circuitry is further configured to cause the HAPS network device to:

determine the selected beam layer based on the selected beam ID;

select a transmission beam from the at least one beam associated with the determined beam layer based on the reference time information, a beam dwell time corresponding to the determined beam layer, and a current time; and

enable the communication with the at least one UE using the transmission beam.

6. The HAPS network device of claim 1 , wherein the processing circuitry is further configured to cause the HAPS network device to:

transmit an acknowledgement to the at least one UE in response to the autonomous beam switch request, the acknowledgement indicating to the at least one UE to activate autonomous beam switch mode.

7. The HAPS network device of claim 1 , wherein the HAPS network device is configured to fly in a desired flight pattern at a desired speed, the flying in the desired flight pattern and the desired speed causing each beam layer of the plurality of beam layers to have different beam dwell times from each other.

8. The HAPS network device of claim 7 , wherein the processing circuitry is further configured to cause the HAPS network device to:

update the beam layer information based on a change in the desired flight pattern or a change in the desired speed of the HAPS network device; and

transmit the updated beam layer information to the at least one UE.

9. A user equipment (UE) comprising:

a memory storing computer readable instructions; and

processing circuitry configured to execute the computer readable instructions to cause the UE to,

receive beam layer information from a high altitude platform station (HAPS) network device, the beam layer information including information corresponding to a plurality of beam layers associated with a cell coverage area of the HAPS network device, the cell coverage area further including a plurality of beams, and each of the plurality of beam layers including at least one beam of the plurality of beams, the beam layer information including layer identifiers (ID) associated with each beam layer of the plurality of beam layers, and beam IDs associated with each beam included in each of the beam layers,

perform radio signal measurements associated with each of the plurality of beam layers,

select a desired beam layer from the plurality of beam layers based on the radio signal measurements,

transmit an autonomous beam switch request to the HAPS network device, the request including beam switch parameters associated with the selected beam layer, and

enable communication with the HAPS network device using the selected beam layer.

10. The UE of claim 9 , wherein the processing circuitry is further configured to cause the UE to:

observe a beam change pattern of the desired beam layer based on the performed radio signal measurements;

validate the observed beam change pattern based on the beam layer information; and

transmit the autonomous beam switch request to the HAPS network device based on results of the validation of the observed beam change pattern.

11. The UE of claim 9 , wherein the processing circuitry is further configured to cause the UE to:

receive an acknowledgement from the HAPS network device in response to the autonomous beam switch request; and

activate autonomous beam switch mode in response to the acknowledgement.

12. The UE of claim 9 , wherein the processing circuitry is further configured to cause the UE to:

measure a reference signal strength for the at least one beam of each of the plurality of beam layers;

determine a strongest beam based on the measured reference signal strengths;

select a beam layer associated with the strongest beam as the desired beam layer;

determine a maximum signal strength and a minimum signal strength associated with the strongest beam; and

determine reference time information based on a time associated with the maximum signal strength of the strongest beam.

13. The UE of claim 12 , wherein the beam switch parameters include a selected beam ID identifying the strongest beam, and the reference time information.

14. The UE of claim 12 , wherein

each beam layer of the plurality of beam layers is associated with a beam dwell time; and

the beam layer information further includes the plurality of beam dwell times.

15. The UE of claim 14 , wherein the processing circuitry is further configured to cause the UE to:

autonomously select a transmission beam from the at least one beam associated with the selected beam layer based on the reference time information, the beam dwell time corresponding to the selected beam layer, and a current time; and

enable the communication with the HAPS network device using the selected transmission beam.

16. The UE of claim 9 , wherein the processing circuitry is further configured to cause the UE to:

monitor a reference signal strength of the at least one beam of the desired beam layer;

determine whether the monitored reference signal strengths of the at least one beam are within an expected range;

perform updated radio signal measurements associated with each of the plurality of beam layers based on results of the determining;

select a new desired beam layer from the plurality of beam layers based on the updated radio signal measurements;

transmit a new autonomous beam switch request to the HAPS network device, the request including updated beam switch parameters associated with a selected new beam layer; and

enable the communication with the HAPS network device using the selected new beam layer.

17. A method of operating a high altitude platform station (HAPS) network device comprising:

determining beam layer information corresponding to a plurality of beam layers, the beam layer information including information corresponding to a plurality of beam layers associated with a cell coverage area of the HAPS network device, the cell coverage area further including a plurality of beams, and each of the plurality of beam layers including at least one beam of the plurality of beams), the beam layer information including layer identifiers (ID) associated with each beam layer of the plurality of beam layers, and beam IDs associated with each beam included in each of the beam layers;

transmitting the beam layer information to at least one user equipment (UE);

receiving an autonomous beam switch request from the at least one UE in response to the transmitted beam layer information, the request including beam switch parameters;

determining a selected beam layer based on the beam switch parameters; and

enabling communication with the at least one UE using the selected beam layer.

18. The method of claim 17 , further comprising:

determining a beam dwell time for each of the plurality of beam layers;

selecting a beam from the at least one beam associated with the selected beam layer based on reference time information included in the beam switch parameters, a beam dwell time corresponding to the selected beam layer, and a current time; and

enabling the communication with the at least one UE using the selected beam.

19. The method of claim 17 , wherein

the beam switch parameters include a selected beam ID identifying a beam selected by the UE, and reference time information associated with the selected beam; and

the method further comprises:

determining the selected beam layer based on the selected beam ID;

selecting a transmission beam from the at least one beam associated with the determined beam layer based on the reference time information, a beam dwell time corresponding to the determined beam layer, and a current time; and

enabling the communication with the at least one UE using the transmission beam.

20. The method of claim 17 , further comprising:

updating the beam layer information based on a change in a desired flight pattern of the HAPS network device or a change in a desired speed of the HAPS network device; and

transmitting the updated beam layer information to the at least one UE.