Apple Inc.
Hierarchical Beamforming Structure and Transmission of Beam Indication to Improve Device Mobility and Reduce Network Traffic Overhead in New Radio (NR)

Abstract:

A hierarchical beamforming structure may help reduce network traffic overhead for transmission of beam indication (information) and enable efficient Transmission Configuration Indication, while facilitating beam tracking between a base station(s) and a mobile device(s) during downlink communications. Downlink control information (DCI) may be expanded to carry/transmit a beam/QCL (quasi co-location) indication for a control resource set (CORESET) for monitoring a next instance of a physical control channel. Error resilient design techniques may be employed to further improve device mobility while increasing the flexibility and reducing the latency for GC-PDCCH/PDCCH beam/QCL indications. For example, the aggregation level for select DCI (e.g. DCI in which the GC-PDCCH/PDCCH beam indication has changed) may be increased, the transmission of such select DCI may be limited to a certain (specified) aggregation level, and in case discontinuous transmission (DTX) is received, the base station may transmit both old and new beam/QCL indications.