IP Library › Granted Patent US 12,464,440
Granted Patent B2
US 12,464,440 · App. 17/817,740 · Granted Nov 4, 2025

Control channel monitoring rules for inter-cell beam management

Inventors: Timo Koskela (Oulu, FI); Sami-Jukka Hakola (Kempele, FI); Keeth Saliya Jayasinghe Laddu (Espoo, FI); Mihai Enescu (Espoo, FI); Juha Pekka Karjalainen (Oulu, FI)
Assignee: Nokia Technologies Oy
H04W48/16
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 12,464,440
App. No.
17/817,740
Granted
Nov 4, 2025
Kind
B2
Abstract

Methods and apparatus, including computer program products, are provided for control channel monitoring. In some example embodiments, there may be provided a method that includes receiving, at user equipment, an indication of a codepoint activation, wherein the codepoint activation indicates that a transmission configuration indicator state being activated is associated with a second physical cell identifier different from a first physical cell identifier of a serving cell of the user equipment, and in response to the transmission configuration indicator state being activated in association with the second physical cell identifier, suspending control channel monitoring of at least one set of core resources associated with the first physical cell identifier of the serving cell of the user equipment. Related systems, methods, and articles of manufacture are also disclosed.

Claims (45)

1 . A method comprising:

receiving, at a user equipment, an indication of a codepoint activation, wherein the codepoint activation indicates that a transmission configuration indicator state being activated is associated with a second physical cell identifier different from a first physical cell identifier of a serving cell of the user equipment;

in response to the transmission configuration indicator state being activated in association with the second physical cell identifier, suspending control channel monitoring of at least one control resource set associated with the first physical cell identifier of the serving cell of the user equipment;

ignoring, for a time period, transmission configuration indicator state changes for other physical cell identifier values different from the second physical cell identifier;

configuring a timer set to the time period during which the user equipment ignores the transmission configuration indicator state changes for other physical cell identifier values different from the second physical cell identifier, and

applying, based on expiry of the timer, transmission configuration indicator state changes for other physical cell identifier values different from the second physical cell identifier.

2 . The method of claim 1 further comprising:

monitoring, by the user equipment, another control channel associated with the transmission configuration indicator state being activated for the second physical cell identifier.

3 . The method of claim 2 further comprising:

monitoring, by the user equipment, for transmission configuration indicator activations for a physical downlink shared channel associated with the second physical cell identifier.

4 . The method of claim 1 further comprising:

monitoring, by the user equipment, at least one other control resource set associated with the transmission configuration indicator state within the second physical cell identifier of a non-serving cell.

5 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the suspending further comprises suspending the monitoring of a search space set for downlink control information candidates on the at least one control resource set associated with the first physical cell identifier of the serving cell of the user equipment.

6 . The method of claim 1 further comprising:

starting the timer when receiving the transmission configuration indicator state associated with the second physical cell identifier.

7 . The method of claim 1 , wherein when the user equipment is configured to monitor data channels from two different cells, the user equipment is configured to apply, to the data channels from the two different cells, at least one transmission configuration indicator state.

8 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the suspending further comprises:

excluding at least a first reference signal for beam failure detection associated with the first physical cell identifier of the serving cell; and

including at least one other reference signal for beam failure detection associated with the second physical cell identifier of a non-serving cell.

9 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the suspending is in response to a trigger received by the user equipment or a condition detected by the user equipment; and

in response to the trigger or the condition, monitoring, by the user equipment, another control channel associated with the transmission configuration indicator state being activated for the second physical cell identifier.

10 . An apparatus comprising a user equipment, the apparatus comprising:

at least one processor; and at least one memory including computer program code, the at least one memory and the computer program code configured to, with the at least one processor, cause the user equipment to at least:

receive an indication of a codepoint activation, wherein the codepoint activation indicates that a transmission configuration indicator state being activated is associated with a second physical cell identifier different from a first physical cell identifier of a serving cell of the user equipment;

in response to the transmission configuration indicator state being activated in association with the second physical cell identifier, suspend control channel monitoring of at least one control resource set associated with the first physical cell identifier of the serving cell of the user equipment;

ignore, for a time period, transmission configuration indicator state changes for other physical cell identifier values different from the second physical cell identifier;

configure a timer set to the time period during which the user equipment ignores the transmission configuration indicator state changes for other physical cell identifier values different from the second physical cell identifier, and

apply, based on expiry of the timer, transmission configuration indicator state changes for other physical cell identifier values different from the second physical cell identifier.

11 . The apparatus of claim 10 , wherein the user equipment is further caused to at least:

monitor another control channel associated with the transmission configuration indicator state being activated for the second physical cell identifier.

12 . The apparatus of claim 10 , wherein the user equipment is further caused to at least:

monitor for transmission configuration indicator activations for a physical downlink shared channel associated with the second physical cell identifier.

13 . The apparatus of claim 10 , wherein the user equipment is further caused to at least:

monitor at least one other control resource set associated with the transmission configuration indicator state within the second physical cell identifier of a non-serving cell.

14 . The apparatus of claim 10 , wherein the user equipment is further caused to at least:

suspend monitoring of a search space set for downlink control information candidates on the at least one control resource set associated with the first physical cell identifier of the serving cell of the user equipment.

15 . The apparatus of claim 10 , wherein the user equipment is further configured to at least:

start the timer when receiving the transmission configuration indicator state associated with the second physical cell identifier.

16 . The apparatus of claim 10 , wherein when the user equipment is configured to monitor data channels from two different cells, the user equipment is configured to apply, to the data channels from the two different cells, at least one transmission configuration indicator state.

17 . The apparatus of claim 10 , wherein the user equipment is further caused to at least:

exclude at least a first reference signal for beam failure detection associated with the first physical cell identifier of the serving cell; and

include at least one other reference signal for beam failure detection associated with the second physical cell identifier of a non-serving cell.

18 . The apparatus of claim 10 , wherein the user equipment is further caused to at least:

suspend the control channel monitoring in response to a trigger received by the user equipment or a condition detected by the user equipment; and

in response to the trigger or the condition, monitor another control channel associated with the transmission configuration indicator state being activated for the second physical cell identifier.

Assignments (2)
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Aug 5, 2022
From: KOSKELA, TIMO; HAKOLA, SAMI-JUKKA; JAYASINGHE LADDU, KEETH SALIYA; ENESCU, MIHAI; KARJALAINEN, JUHA PEKKA
To: NOKIA SOLUTIONS AND NETWORKS OY
Reel/Frame 060732/0170 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Aug 5, 2022
From: NOKIA SOLUTIONS AND NETWORKS OY
To: NOKIA TECHNOLOGIES OY
Reel/Frame 060732/0251 →
Continuity (2)
Provisional Application 63230478 · Aug 6, 2021
Related Publication 20230037605A1 · Feb 9, 2023
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