IP Library › Granted Patent US 12,418,348
Granted Patent B2
US 12,418,348 · App. 17/950,933 · Granted Sep 16, 2025

Enhanced SSB beam reporting

Inventors: Sagar B. Shah (San Jose, CA); Sachin J. Sane (San Jose, CA)
Assignee: Apple Inc.
H04B17/318H04W24/10H04W56/001
View Patent ↗
Loading inventors, assignments & file history…
Monitor This Case
Get email alerts when status or documents change.
Order Certified Copies
Most orders are placed with the USPTO same day — all within 24 business hours.
Order via The Patent Place →
Pre-filled with this patent's details
Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 12,418,348
App. No.
17/950,933
Granted
Sep 16, 2025
Kind
B2
Abstract

Systems, apparatuses, methods, and computer programs for reference signal measurement reporting by a user equipment (UE) in a wireless communications system. In one aspect, the method can include actions of measuring a reference signal received power (RSRP) value for each of a plurality of synchronization signal block (SSB) beams from a base station, determining that a greatest RSRP value of the measured RSRP values is less than or equal to a predetermined threshold, responsive to the determination, calculating, based at least in part on the measured RSRP values and a horizontal/vertical (H/V) polarization imbalance for each of the plurality of SSB beams, a ranking of the plurality of SSB beams, and reporting at least one of the ranked plurality of SSB beams to the base station.

Claims (50)

1. A method comprising:

measuring a reference signal received power (RSRP) value for each of a plurality of synchronization signal block (SSB) beams;

in response to determining that a greatest RSRP value of the measured RSRP values is less than or equal to a predetermined threshold:

determining a horizontal RSRP value for a horizontal polarization of each particular SSB beam of the plurality of SSB beams;

determining a vertical RSRP value for a vertical polarization of each particular SSB beam of the plurality of SSB beams; and

determining a horizontal/vertical (H/V) polarization imbalance for each particular SSB beam of the plurality of SSB beams based at least on the horizontal RSRP value and the vertical RSRP value; and

calculating, based at least on the determined H/V polarization imbalance, a ranking of the plurality of SSB beams; and

reporting at least one of the ranked plurality of SSB beams.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein calculating the ranking of the plurality of SSB beams comprises:

determining, for each particular SSB beam of the plurality of SSB beams, a weight based on the RSRP value for the particular SSB beam and the H/V polarization imbalance for the SSB beam; and

calculating the ranking based on the determined weights for the plurality of SSB beams.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein reporting at least one of the ranked plurality of SSB beams comprises reporting a top ranked SSB beam of the plurality of SSB beams.

4. The method of claim 3 , wherein the top ranked SSB beam has a lowest H/V imbalance amongst the plurality of SSB beams.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein the ranking is calculated by a user equipment (UE) that is operating in an Evolved-Universal Terrestrial Radio Access-New Radio (EN-DC) mode.

6. The method of claim 1 , wherein the ranking is reported to a base station that is one of a gNodeB (gNB) or an eNB.

7. The method of claim 1 , wherein determining the H/V polarization imbalance comprises:

(a) selecting a maximum of the horizontal RSRP value and the vertical RSRP value, or

(b) selecting a sum of the horizontal RSRP value and the vertical RSRP value.

8. One or more processors configured to perform operations comprising:

measuring a reference signal received power (RSRP) value for each of a plurality of synchronization signal block (SSB) beams;

in response to determining that a greatest RSRP value of the measured RSRP values is less than or equal to a predetermined threshold:

determining a horizontal RSRP value for a horizontal polarization of each particular SSB beam of the plurality of SSB beams;

determining a vertical RSRP value for a vertical polarization of each particular SSB beam of the plurality of SSB beams; and

determining a horizontal/vertical (H/V) polarization imbalance for each particular SSB beam of the plurality of SSB beams based at least on the horizontal RSRP value and the vertical RSRP value; and

calculating, based at least on the determined H/V polarization imbalance, a ranking of the plurality of SSB beams; and

reporting at least one of the ranked plurality of SSB beams.

9. The one or more processors of claim 8 , wherein calculating the ranking of the plurality of SSB beams comprises:

determining, for each particular SSB beam of the plurality of SSB beams, a weight based on the RSRP value for the particular SSB beam and the H/V polarization imbalance for the SSB beam; and

calculating the ranking based on the determined weights for the plurality of SSB beams.

10. The one or more processors of claim 8 , wherein reporting at least one of the ranked plurality of SSB beams comprises reporting a top ranked SSB beam of the plurality of SSB beams.

11. The one or more processors of claim 10 , wherein the top ranked SSB beam has a lowest H/V imbalance amongst the plurality of SSB beams.

12. The one or more processors of claim 8 , wherein the ranking is calculated by a user equipment (UE) that is operating in an Evolved-Universal Terrestrial Radio Access-New Radio (EN-DC) mode.

13. The one or more processors of claim 8 , wherein the ranking is reported to a base station that is one of a gNodeB (gNB) or an eNB.

14. The one or more processors of claim 8 , wherein determining the H/V polarization imbalance comprises:

(a) selecting a maximum of the horizontal RSRP value and the vertical RSRP value, or

(b) selecting a sum of the horizontal RSRP value and the vertical RSRP value.

15. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium storing instructions that, when executed by one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to perform operations comprising:

measuring a reference signal received power (RSRP) value for each of a plurality of synchronization signal block (SSB) beams;

in response to determining that a greatest RSRP value of the measured RSRP values is less than or equal to a predetermined threshold:

determining a horizontal RSRP value for a horizontal polarization of each particular SSB beam of the plurality of SSB beams;

determining a vertical RSRP value for a vertical polarization of each particular SSB beam of the plurality of SSB beams; and

determining a horizontal/vertical (H/V) polarization imbalance for each particular SSB beam of the plurality of SSB beams based at least on the horizontal RSRP value and the vertical RSRP value; and

calculating, based at least on the determined H/V polarization imbalance, a ranking of the plurality of SSB beams; and

reporting at least one of the ranked plurality of SSB beams.

16. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 15 , wherein calculating the ranking of the plurality of SSB beams comprises:

determining, for each particular SSB beam of the plurality of SSB beams, a weight based on the RSRP value for the particular SSB beam and the H/V polarization imbalance for the SSB beam; and

calculating the ranking based on the determined weights for the plurality of SSB beams.

17. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 15 , wherein determining the H/V polarization imbalance comprises:

(a) selecting a maximum of the horizontal RSRP value and the vertical RSRP value, or

(b) selecting a sum of the horizontal RSRP value and the vertical RSRP value.

Assignments (1)
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Oct 10, 2022
From: SHAH, SAGAR B.; SANE, SACHIN J.
To: APPLE INC.
Reel/Frame 061361/0130 →
Continuity (2)
Provisional Application 63247788 · Sep 23, 2021
Related Publication 20230093045A1 · Mar 23, 2023
References Cited (13)
US 20220174531A1 · Zhu · 2022 [cited by examiner]
US 20220225312A1 · Levitsky · 2022 [cited by examiner]
US 20230209486A1 · Xing · 2023 [cited by examiner]
US 20230353204A1 · Petersson · 2023 [cited by examiner]
US 20240322866A1 · Nilsson · 2024 [cited by examiner]
CN 110430583A · 2019 [cited by applicant]
CN 113316955A · 2021 [cited by applicant]
WO WO2020089276A1 · 2020 [cited by applicant]
WO WO2021088797 · 2021 [cited by applicant]
WO WO2021133830A1 · 2021 [cited by applicant]
[Unknown Author], “3rd Generation Partnership Project; Technical Specification Group Radio Access Network; NR; Physical layer procedures for data (Release 15),” 38.214 V15.13.0, Jun. 2021, 106 pages. [cited by applicant]
[Unknown Author], “3rd Generation Partnership Project; Technical Specification Group Radio Access Network; NR; Requirements for support of radio resource management (Release 15),” 38.133 V15.14.0, Jun. 2021, 1225 pages. [cited by applicant]
Extended European Search Report in European Appln. No. 22197353.0, dated Feb. 1, 2023, 9 pages. [cited by applicant]