System and method for enhanced multi-beam operation

1. A method of uplink beam selection, comprising:

receiving, by a user equipment (UE), reference signals associated with a plurality of downlink beams comprising a first downlink beam;

transmitting measurement information associated with a first plurality of downlink beams, of the plurality of downlink beams, comprising the first downlink beam, wherein the measurement information comprises identifiers of the first plurality of downlink beams associated with the reference signals;

selecting, by the UE, an uplink beam associated with the first downlink beam based on a measurement of the reference signals, wherein selecting the uplink beam includes selecting the uplink beam based on a beam correspondence; and

transmitting, by the UE, uplink data or control information using the uplink beam.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the reference signals comprise at least one of:

channel state information reference signals (CSI-RSs); or

synchronization signal blocks (SSBs).

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein selecting the uplink beam comprises selecting a plurality of uplink beams associated with the first downlink beam based on the measurement of the reference signals, and the method further comprises:

identifying, by the UE, a corresponding ranking associated with each of the plurality of uplink beams.

4. The method of claim 3 , wherein:

the plurality of uplink beams correspond to a first plurality of downlink beams based on the beam correspondence; and

the first plurality of downlink beams are associated with downlink precoding matrix indicators (PMIs) that have highest matching with a first downlink PMI associated with the first downlink beam.

5. The method of claim 4 further comprising determining the precoding matrix indicators (PMIs) based on a pre-determined codebook.

6. The method of claim 4 , wherein individual rankings of the uplink beams of the plurality of uplink beams are based on a matching between a precoding matrix indicator (PMI) associated with a downlink beam, corresponding to the uplink beam, and the first downlink PMI associated with the first downlink beam.

7. The method of claim 3 , wherein maximum permissible exposure (MPE) limits associated with individual uplink beams are individually independent.

8. The method of claim 7 , wherein the maximum permissible exposure (MPE) limit of an identified uplink beam is associated with a first maximum allowed output power reduction (P-MPR) and a first maximum uplink duty cycle.

9. The method of claim 8 further comprising determining whether the first plurality of uplink beams are subject to link failure based on whether the first plurality of uplink beams satisfy maximum permissible exposure (MPE) limits.

10. The method of claim 9 , wherein determining whether the first plurality of uplink beams are subject to link failure is based on the maximum allowed output power reductions (P-MPRs).

11. The method of claim 9 , wherein determining whether the first plurality of uplink beams are subject to link failure is based on the maximum uplink duty cycles associated with the first plurality of uplink beam.

12. The method of claim 3 , further comprising:

determining, by the UE, a first plurality of uplink beams, of the plurality of uplink beams, that satisfy maximum permissible exposure (MPE) limits and that are not subject to link failure; and

determining, by the UE, a first uplink beam, of the first plurality of uplink beams, that is associated with a highest corresponding ranking.

13. The method of claim 12 , wherein the first uplink beam is identified while using the first downlink beam for receiving a physical downlink control channel (PDCCH).

14. The method of claim 13 , wherein using the first downlink beam comprises detecting one or more first reference signals associated with the first downlink beam.

15. The method of claim 12 , further comprising: transmitting, by the UE, an indication of switching to the first uplink beam by the UE.

16. The method of claim 15 , wherein transmitting the indication includes transmitting the indication based on a medium access control (MAC) control element (CE).

17. The method of claim 16 , wherein transmitting the indication based on the medium access control (MAC) control element (CE) includes transmitting the indication via a physical uplink shared channel.

18. The method of claim 16 , wherein the medium access control (MAC) control element (CE) is a power headroom report (PHR).

19. The method of claim 18 , wherein the power headroom report (PHR) comprises a field with a first value indicating switching to the first uplink beam by the user equipment (UE) and a second value of the field indicating no uplink beam switching.

20. The method of claim 1 , wherein the reference signals, associated with the first plurality of downlink beams, correspond to reference signals received with a highest power.

21. The method of claim 1 further comprising receiving, by the UE, a medium access control (MAC) control element (CE) indicating a set of downlink beams, comprising the first downlink beam for receiving downlink data.

22. The method of claim 21 further comprising receiving, by the UE, a downlink control information comprising a transmission configuration indication (TCI) state field indicating the first downlink beam as a selected downlink beam, from the set of downlink beams, for receiving a scheduled physical downlink shared channel (PDSCH).

23. The method of claim 1 further comprising receiving, by the UE, a medium access control (MAC) control element (CE) comprising a transmission configuration indication (TCI) state identifier indicating the first downlink beam, as a selected downlink beam, for receiving a physical downlink control channel (PDCCH).

24. The method of claim 1 , further comprising: receiving, by the UE, one or more messages comprising configuration parameters associated with the reference signals.

25. The method of claim 1 , further comprising receiving, by the UE, a MAC Control element (MAC CE) indicating a transmission configuration indication (TCI) state and/or a downlink control information comprising a field of the TCI state indicating a Quasi-Colocation (QCL) between the reference signals.

26. The method of claim 25 , wherein the reference signals include at least one of SSB or CSI-RS.

27. The method of claim 1 , wherein a Quasi-Colocation (QCL) is maintained between the reference signals.

28. A user equipment (UE) for utilization in wireless communications comprising:

an antenna for use in transmission of electromagnetic signals;

a memory for maintaining computer-readable code; and

a processor for executing the computer-readable code that causes the UE to:

receive reference signals associated with a plurality of downlink beams comprising a first downlink beam;

transmit measurement information associated with a first plurality of downlink beams, of the plurality of downlink beams, comprising the first downlink beam, wherein the measurement information comprises identifiers of the first plurality of downlink beams associated with the reference signals;

select an uplink beam associated with the first downlink beam based on a measurement of the reference signals, wherein selecting the uplink beam includes selecting the uplink beam based on a beam correspondence; and

transmit uplink data or control information using the uplink beam.

29. A method of uplink beam selection, comprising:

receiving, by a user equipment (UE), one or more reference signals associated with a plurality of downlink beams comprising a first downlink beam;

transmitting measurement information associated with a first one or more downlink beams, of the plurality of downlink beams, comprising the first downlink beam, wherein the measurement information comprises identifiers of the first one or more downlink beams associated with the reference signals;

selecting, by the UE, an uplink beam associated with the first downlink beam based on a measurement of the one or more first reference signals associated with the plurality of downlink beams, the one or more reference signals including at least one of a synchronization signal block (SSB) or a channel state information reference signal (CSI-RS); and

transmitting, by the UE, uplink data or control information using the uplink beam.