Early UE panel switch reporting
A user equipment includes a plurality of antenna panels, at least one processor, and at least one memory including computer program code. The at least one memory and the computer program code are configured to, with the at least one processor, cause the user equipment to: identify a potential change in active antenna panel at the user equipment from a first of the plurality of antenna panels to a second of the plurality of antenna panels; and transmit at least one early panel switch detection message indicating the potential change in active antenna panel to a base station serving the user equipment.
1 . A user equipment comprising:
a plurality of antenna panels;
at least one processor; and
at least one memory storing instructions that, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the user equipment to:
identify a potential change in active antenna panel at the user equipment from a first of the plurality of antenna panels to a second of the plurality of antenna panels, and
transmit at least one early panel switch detection message indicating the potential change in active antenna panel to a base station serving the user equipment,
wherein the at least one memory stores instructions that, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the user equipment to switch the active antenna panel from the first of the plurality of antenna panels to the second of the plurality of antenna panels,
wherein the at least one early panel switch detection message includes:
(i) a difference between a first received signal power for the first of the plurality of
antenna panels and a second received signal power for the second of the plurality of antenna panels,
(ii) an estimated time until the active antenna panel is to switch from the first of the plurality of antenna panels to the second of the plurality of antenna panels,
(iii) an indication of a selected downlink reference signals for the second of the plurality of antenna panels, and
(iv) an indication of a number of transmit beams for the second of the plurality of antenna panels.
2 . The user equipment according to claim 1 , wherein the at least one memory stores instructions that, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the user equipment to
estimate, based on a received signal block, a difference between a first received signal power for the first of the plurality of antenna panels and a second received signal power for the second of the plurality of antenna panels, and
identify the potential change in active antenna panel at the user equipment based on the estimated difference.
3 . The user equipment of claim 2 , wherein the at least one memory stores instructions that, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the user equipment to identify the potential change in active antenna panel at the user equipment in response to the estimated difference being less than a panel switch threshold value.
4 . The user equipment of claim 2 , wherein the at least one memory stores instructions that, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the user equipment to
determine that the estimated difference is less than a panel switch threshold value, and
calculate a panel switch delay in response to determining that the estimated difference is less than the panel switch threshold value,
wherein
the at least one early panel switch detection message includes the panel switch delay.
5 . The user equipment according to claim 1 , wherein the at least one early panel switch detection message is transmitted via L1 signaling or L2 signaling.
6 . The user equipment of claim 5 , wherein the at least one early panel switch detection message is at least one Physical Uplink Shared Channel message.
7 . The user equipment of claim 6 , wherein the at least one Physical Uplink Shared Channel message includes:
an Uplink Control Information (UCI) message transmitted via L1 signaling, and
a MAC control element transmitted via L2 signaling, wherein for the L2 signaling, a payload of an upcoming panel switch notification message comprises a 2-field container designed to include a panel switch gap and a slot_offset/subframe_offset and wherein a device ID is implicit by having dedicated uplink resources to carry the signaling or included in the payload.
8 . The user equipment of claim 5 , wherein the at least one early panel switch detection message includes an Uplink Control Information (UCI) message transmitted on a Physical Uplink Control Channel via L1 signaling.
9 . The user equipment according to claim 1 , wherein the at least one memory stores instructions that, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the user equipment to
transmit a scheduling request for transmitting the at least one early panel switch detection message, and
transmit the at least one early panel switch detection message in response to a scheduling grant sent in response to the scheduling request.
10 . The user equipment according to claim 1 , wherein the at least one memory stores instructions that, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the user equipment to periodically transmit the at least one early panel switch detection message, each early panel switch detection message including at least (i) a difference between a first received signal power for the first of the plurality of antenna panels and a second received signal power for the second of the plurality of antenna panels, and (ii) an estimated time until the active antenna panel is to change from the first of the plurality of antenna panels to the second of the plurality of antenna panels.
11 . The user equipment of claim 1 , wherein at least two of the plurality of antenna panels are active simultaneously.
12 . A method comprising:
identifying, by a user equipment, a potential change in active antenna panel at the user equipment from a first of a plurality of antenna panels to a second of the plurality of antenna panels; and
transmitting at least one early panel switch detection message indicating the potential change in active antenna panel to a base station serving the user equipment,
the method further comprising:
switching the active antenna panel from the first of the plurality of antenna panels to the second of the plurality of antenna panels,
wherein the at least one early panel switch detection message includes:
(i) a difference between a first received signal power for the first of the plurality of
antenna panels and a second received signal power for the second of the plurality of antenna panels,
(ii) an estimated time until the active antenna panel is to switch from the first of the plurality of antenna panels to the second of the plurality of antenna panels,
(iii) an indication of a selected downlink reference signals for the second of the plurality of antenna panels, and
(iv) an indication of a number of transmit beams for the second of the plurality of antenna panels.
13 . A radio access network element comprising: at least one processor; and
at least one memory storing instructions that, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the radio access network element to:
receive at least one early panel switch detection message indicating a potential upcoming change in active antenna panel at a user equipment from a first antenna panel to a second antenna panel, and
transmit a reference signal with repetition to the user equipment based on the received at least one early panel switch detection message,
wherein the at least one early panel switch detection message includes:
a difference between a first received signal power for the first antenna panel and a second received signal power for the second antenna panel,
an estimated time until the active antenna panel is to change from the first antenna panel to the second antenna panel,
an indication of a selected downlink reference signals for the second antenna panel at the radio access network element, and
an indication of a number of transmit beams for the second antenna panel.
14 . The radio access network element according to claim 13 , wherein the at least one early panel switch detection message is received via L1 signaling or L2 signaling.
15 . The radio access network element of claim 14 , wherein the at least one early panel switch detection message comprises:
at least one Uplink Control Information (UCI) messages transmitted on a Physical Uplink Shared Channel or a Physical Uplink Control Channel via L1 signaling, and
at least one MAC control element transmitted on the Physical Uplink Shared Channel via L2 signaling.
16 . The radio access network element according to claim 13 , wherein the at least one memory stores instructions that, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the radio access network element to transmit a scheduling grant in response to a scheduling request for transmitting the at least one early panel switch detection message.
17 . The radio access network element according to claim 13 , wherein the at least one memory stores instructions that, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the radio access network element to
determine an estimated time at which the active antenna panel is to change from the first antenna panel to the second antenna panel based on the at least one early panel switch detection message, and
transmit the reference signal with repetition based on the estimated time.
18 . The radio access network element of claim 17 , wherein
the at least one early panel switch detection message include a plurality of early panel switch detection messages, and
the at least one memory stores instructions that, when executed by at least one processor, cause the radio access network element to determine the estimated time at which the active antenna panel is to change from the first antenna panel to the second antenna panel based on the plurality of early panel switch detection messages.