Method and apparatus for performing UE beamforming in a wireless communication system
View Patent ↗A method for a wireless communications system is disclosed. In one example, a user equipment (UE) (e.g. a mobile phone), receives an indication from a network about one or more UE beams that the UE can use for transmission or reception. The UE uses the one or more UE beams for transmission or reception. If and when a certain condition is fulfilled, for example, there is a beam tracking failure, the UE transmits or receives a specific signal via a specific UE beam. The specific UE beam is different from the one or more UE beams that were indicated by the network, and is selected by the UE.
1. A method for a user equipment (UE), comprising:
receiving a first indication from a network node about at least one UE beam to be used for a transmission or a reception in a physical downlink control channel (PDCCH);
receiving a periodic signaling from the network node associated with detection of a change of a serving beam for beam tracking;
using the at least one UE beam for the transmission or the reception at a first time; and
responsive to the UE detecting failure of the beam tracking based on the periodic signaling at a second time:
selecting, by the UE, a second UE beam, wherein the second UE beam is different than the at least one UE beam; and
transmitting a second indication about the change of the serving beam using the second UE beam, wherein the transmitting the second indication using the second UE beam responsive to the UE detecting failure of the beam tracking based on the periodic signaling at the second time is performed without UE beam sweeping.
2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the transmitting the second indication is performed responsive to (i) the UE detecting failure of the beam tracking based on the periodic signaling at the second time is performed and (ii) determining that the at least one UE beam and the serving beam are misaligned.
3. The method of claim 1 , wherein the beam tracking is used to track and change the serving beam.
4. The method of claim 1 , wherein the UE maintains information about the at least one UE beam to be used for the transmission or the reception based on the beam tracking.
5. The method of claim 1 , wherein the UE receives the first indication together with scheduling information for the transmission or the reception.
6. The method of claim 1 , wherein timing associated with transmitting the second indication is configured by the network node.
7. The method of claim 1 , wherein the first indication implicitly indicates that the at least one UE beam to be used for the transmission or the reception is the at least one UE beam receiving scheduling information for the transmission or the reception.
8. The method of claim 1 , wherein the selecting the second UE beam responsive to the UE detecting failure of the beam tracking based on the periodic signaling at the second time is performed responsive to successfully receiving a common signal from the second UE beam.
9. The method of claim 8 , wherein the common signal includes a synchronization signal or a reference signal.
10. A user equipment (UE), comprising:
a control circuit;
a processor installed in the control circuit; and
a memory installed in the control circuit and operatively coupled to the processor, wherein the processor is configured to execute a program code stored in the memory to perform operations comprising:
receiving a first indication from a network node about at least one UE beam to be used for a transmission or a reception in a physical downlink control channel (PDCCH);
receiving a periodic signaling from the network node associated with detection of a change of a serving beam for beam tracking;
using the at least one UE beam for the transmission or the reception at a first time; and
responsive to the UE detecting failure of the beam tracking based on the periodic signaling at a second time:
selecting, by the UE, a second UE beam, wherein the second UE beam is different than the at least one UE beam; and
transmitting a second indication about the change of the serving beam using the second UE beam, wherein the transmitting the second indication using the second UE beam responsive to the UE detecting failure of the beam tracking based on the periodic signaling at the second time is performed without UE beam sweeping.
11. The UE claim 10 , wherein the transmitting the second indication is performed responsive to (i) the UE detecting failure of the beam tracking based on the periodic signaling at the second time is performed and (ii) determining that the at least one UE beam and the serving beam are misaligned.
12. The UE of claim 10 , wherein the beam tracking is used to track and change the serving beam.
13. The UE of claim 10 , wherein the UE maintains information about the at least one UE beam to be used for the transmission or the reception based on the beam tracking.
14. The UE of claim 10 , wherein the UE receives the first indication together with scheduling information for the transmission or the reception.
15. The UE of claim 10 , wherein timing associated with transmitting the second indication is configured by the network node.
16. The UE of claim 10 , wherein the first indication implicitly indicates that the at least one UE beam to be used for the transmission or the reception is the at least one UE beam receiving scheduling information for the transmission or the reception.
17. The UE of claim 10 , wherein the selecting the second UE beam responsive to the UE detecting failure of the beam tracking based on the periodic signaling at the second time is performed responsive to successfully receiving a common signal from the second UE beam.
18. The UE of claim 17 , wherein the common signal includes a synchronization signal or a reference signal.