System and method for user equipment operations management

1. A method implemented by a user equipment (UE), the method comprising:

receiving, by the UE, a message from a first network device, the message specifying uplink beaconing channel information that includes uplink beaconing direction information and uplink beaconing timing information associated with a second network device;

selecting a set of transmit beams in accordance with the uplink beaconing direction information and the uplink beaconing timing information specified by the message received from the first network device; and based thereon transmitting, by the UE, beamformed beacon signals to the second network device using transmit beams in the selected set of transmit beams; and

receiving, by the UE, beamformed downlink reference signals from the second network device.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the uplink beaconing channel information from the first network device further comprises at least one of an approximate location of the second network device, uplink beacon channel resources in code and frequency, or uplink beamform information of the second network device.

3. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:

selecting, by the UE, a best transmit beam in accordance with a best receive beam associated with the second network device; and based thereon transmitting, by the UE, a beamformed reference signal to the second network device over an uplink channel using the selected best transmit beam.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein the beamformed beacon signals are transmitted over a dedicated uplink beaconing channel, or over a transmission opportunity that is randomly or pseudo-randomly selected by the UE in accordance with the uplink beaconing channel information, that is explicitly received by the UE in the uplink beaconing channel information.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein the first network device is a transmit receive point (TRP), a base station, a UE, or a core network device.

6. The method of claim 1 , wherein the beamformed beacon signals are transmitted over a dedicated beaconing channel, a shared channel for scheduled uplink access, or a shared channel for uplink random access.

7. The method of claim 1 , wherein the beamformed beacon signals comprise sounding signal at a physical layer, a message at a media access control layer or a radio resource control layer, a scheduled uplink reference signal, or an uplink random access preamble.

8. The method of claim 1 , wherein the uplink beaconing channel information further includes at least one of uplink beaconing duration information, uplink beaconing sequence information or uplink beaconing frequency information.

9. The method of claim 1 , wherein the uplink beaconing channel information is received over an independent beamformed carrier or channel.

10. The method of claim 1 , wherein the uplink beaconing channel information is received over an omni-beamformed channel.

11. The method of claim 1 , wherein the uplink beaconing channel information is received over a lower-frequency carrier or cell than that over which the beamformed beacon signals are transmitted.

12. The method of claim 1 , wherein the uplink beaconing channel information is received via a radio resource control (RRC) signal.

13. The method of claim 1 , wherein the uplink beaconing channel information is received over a non-access stratum (NAS) signal.

14. The method of claim 1 , wherein the uplink beaconing channel information is received via a physical control signal.

15. The method of claim 1 , wherein the first network device differs from the second network device in physical locations, carrier frequencies, or coverage areas.

16. The method of claim 1 , wherein the UE communicates with the first network device over a lower carrier frequency than the second network device.

17. The method of claim 1 , wherein the UE communicates with the first network device over a wider frequency spectrum, or using a wider beamwidth, than the second network device.

18. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:

selecting, by the UE, a best receive beam from a set of receive beams based on the uplink beaconing information for the selected set of transmit beams to the second network device.

19. A user equipment (UE) comprising:

a processor; and

a non-transitory computer readable storage medium storing programming for execution by the processor, the programming including instructions to:

receive a message from a first network device, the message specifying uplink beaconing channel information that includes uplink beaconing direction information and uplink beaconing timing information associated with a second network device;

select a set of transmit beams in accordance with the uplink beaconing direction information and the uplink beaconing timing information specified by the message received from the first network device; and based thereon transmitting, by the UE, beamformed beacon signals to the second network device using transmit beams in the selected set of transmit beams; and

receive beamformed downlink reference signals from the second network device.

20. The UE of claim 19 , wherein the uplink beaconing channel information from the first network device further comprises at least one of an approximate location of the second network device, uplink beacon channel resources in code and frequency, or uplink beamform information of the second network device.

21. The UE of claim 19 , wherein the programming further includes instructions to:

select a best transmit beam in accordance with a best receive beam associated with the second network device; and based thereon transmit a beamformed reference signal to the second network device over an uplink channel using the selected best transmit beam.

22. The UE of claim 19 , wherein the beamformed beacon signals are transmitted over a dedicated uplink beaconing channel, or over a transmission opportunity that is randomly or pseudo-randomly selected by the UE in accordance with the uplink beaconing channel information, that is explicitly received by the UE in the uplink beaconing channel information.

23. The UE of claim 19 , wherein the first network device is a transmit receive point (TRP), a base station, a UE, or a core network device.

24. The UE of claim 19 , wherein the beamformed beacon signals are transmitted over a dedicated beaconing channel, a shared channel for scheduled uplink access, or a shared channel for uplink random access.

25. The UE of claim 19 , wherein the beamformed beacon signals comprises a sounding signal at a physical layer, a message at a media access control layer or a radio resource control layer, a scheduled uplink reference signal, or an uplink random access preamble.

26. The UE of claim 19 , wherein the uplink beaconing channel information further includes at least one of uplink beaconing duration information, uplink beaconing sequence information or uplink beaconing frequency information.

27. The UE of claim 19 , wherein the uplink beaconing channel information is received over an independent beamformed carrier or channel.

28. The UE of claim 19 , wherein the uplink beaconing channel information is received over an omni-beamformed channel.

29. The UE of claim 19 , wherein the uplink beaconing channel information is received over a lower-frequency carrier or cell than that over which the beamformed beacon signals are transmitted.

30. The UE of claim 19 , wherein the uplink beaconing channel information is received via a radio resource control (RRC) signal.

31. The UE of claim 19 , wherein the uplink beaconing channel information is received over a non-access stratum (NAS) signal.

32. The UE of claim 19 , wherein the uplink beaconing channel information is received via a physical control signal.

33. The UE of claim 19 , wherein the first network device differs from the second network device in physical locations, carrier frequencies, or coverage areas.

34. The UE of claim 19 , wherein the UE communicates with the first network device over a lower carrier frequency than the second network device.

35. The UE of claim 19 , wherein the UE communicates with the first network device over a wider frequency spectrum, or using a wider beamwidth, than the second network device.

36. The UE of claim 19 , wherein the programming further includes instructions to:

select a best receive beam from a set of receive beams based on the uplink beaconing information for the selected set of transmit beams to the second network device.

37. A method implemented by a first network device, the method comprising:

transmitting, by the first network device, a message to a user equipment (UE), the message specifying uplink beaconing channel information that includes uplink beaconing direction information and uplink beaconing timing information associated with a second network device, the message instructing, or otherwise prompting, the UE to select a set of transmit beams, in accordance with the uplink beaconing direction information and the uplink beaconing timing information, for transmitting uplink beamformed beacon signals to the second network device.

38. A first network device comprising:

a processor; and

a non-transitory computer readable storage medium storing programming for execution by the processor, the programming including instructions to:

transmit a message to a user equipment (UE), the message specifying uplink beaconing channel information that includes uplink beaconing direction information and uplink beaconing timing information associated with a second network device, the message instructing, or otherwise prompting, the UE to select a set of transmit beams, in accordance with the uplink beaconing direction information and the uplink beaconing timing information, for transmitting uplink beamformed beacon signals to the second network device.