US20260205188
2026-07-16
Electricity
H04B7/06952
The patent application describes a system for managing communication beams in cellular networks using a reconfigurable virtual user equipment (RVUE). This system includes a coordinator user equipment (UE) and at least one non-coordinator UE. The coordinator UE is responsible for indicating RVUE beam management capabilities to the network and performing coordinated beam management tasks. This approach aims to improve efficiency by delegating beam-reporting tasks from non-coordinator UEs to the coordinator UE, thereby reducing complexity and overhead.
In modern cellular networks, especially at higher frequencies, managing narrow beam transmissions is crucial due to high propagation loss. Beam management involves determining suitable beams for communication between base stations and UEs using reference signals like Channel State Information Reference Signal (CSI-RS) and Synchronization Signal Block (SSB). These signals help in identifying the best beams based on measurements and reporting back to the network. The patent outlines three procedures for beam management: finding approximate directions using wide beams, refining with narrow beams, and selecting suitable receive beams for UEs with analog beamforming.
The primary objective is to create a beam management method that reduces the overhead and complexity per wireless device. The method should scale efficiently with the number of devices in a network's coverage area. This involves minimizing the time and radio resources dedicated to beam management and reporting. Additionally, the system aims to provide wireless devices and network nodes that are optimized for this novel beam management method.
The system allows a network to configure a UE as a coordinator in an RVUE, which also includes non-coordinator UEs. The coordinator UE handles the beam-reporting tasks, performing measurements and reporting based on the network's configuration. Non-coordinator UEs receive instructions from the coordinator UE and transmit necessary beam-related information back to it. This division of tasks aims to streamline the process and reduce the workload on individual UEs.
The network node, such as a base station, plays a crucial role in this system. It configures UEs to operate as either coordinator or non-coordinator UEs within an RVUE. The network node receives capability indications from the coordinator UE and provides configurations for the beam management procedure. It also receives the final reporting from the coordinator UE, ensuring efficient beam management across the network.