Uplink beam management method and apparatus

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12200770-B2
Application number	US-202117452886-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Oct 29, 2021
Priority date	Apr 30, 2019
Publication date	Jan 14, 2025
Grant date	Jan 14, 2025

Abstract

A method includes: When user equipment is in an RRC idle mode or inactive mode, the user equipment sends a first random access preamble to an access network device on a PRACH resource, and sends first uplink data to the access network device on a PUSCH resource. The user equipment sends, by using at least two beams respectively, SRSs to the access network device on at least two SRS resources associated with the PUSCH resource. The user equipment receives a random access response from the access network device, where the random access response includes beam indication information, and the beam indication information is used to indicate an optimal beam in the at least two beams.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A method, comprising:
receiving, by user equipment, configuration information from an access network device, and using the configuration information to configure at least two sounding reference signal (SRS) resources, wherein the configuration information comprises, for each SRS resource of the at least two SRS resources: frequency domain indication information of the respective SRS resource, time domain indication information of the respective SRS resource, or an ID of an SRS sequence carried on the respective SRS resource;
while the user equipment is in a radio resource control (RRC) idle mode or inactive mode, sending, by the user equipment, a first random access preamble to the access network device on a physical random access channel (PRACH) resource, and sending, by the user equipment, first uplink data to the access network device on a physical uplink shared channel (PUSCH) resource;
sending, by the user equipment using at least two beams respectively, SRSs to the access network device on the at least two SRS resources, the at least two SRS resources being associated with the PUSCH resource; and
receiving, by the user equipment, a random access response from the access network device, wherein the random access response comprises beam indication information, and the beam indication information indicates a selected beam in the at least two beams.

2. The method according to claim 1 , wherein each SRS resource of the at least two SRS resources are located after the PUSCH resource in time domain, and a time domain distance between the PUSCH resource and each SRS resource of the at least two SRS resources is less than or equal to a preset distance.

3. The method according to claim 2 , wherein the time domain distance between the PUSCH resource and each SRS resource of the at least two SRS resources is zero.

4. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the beam indication information is a target SRS resource index, and the method further comprises:
determining, by the user equipment, as the selected beam, a beam corresponding to an SRS resource indicated by the target SRS resource index.

5. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the configuration information further comprises:
a quantity of SRS resources of the at least two SRS resources.

6. The method according to claim 1 , wherein:
the IDs of the SRS sequences carried on the at least two SRS resources are determined based on the first random access preamble; or
a resource element (RE) that is in the at least two SRS resources and that is used to send an SRS sequence is determined based on the first random access preamble.

7. The method according to claim 1 , further comprising:
sending, by the user equipment, second uplink data to the access network device using the selected beam.

8. An apparatus, comprising:
at least one processor; and
a non-transitory computer-readable storage medium storing instructions that are executable by the at least one processor, the instructions comprising instructions to:
receive configuration information from an access network device, and use the configuration information to configure at least two sounding reference signal (SRS) resources, wherein the configuration information comprises, for each SRS resource of the at least two SRS resources: frequency domain indication information of the respective SRS resource, time domain indication information of the respective SRS resource, or an ID of an SRS sequence carried on the respective SRS resource;
while the apparatus is in a radio resource control (RRC) idle mode or inactive mode, send a first random access preamble to the access network device on a physical random access channel (PRACH) resource, and send first uplink data to the access network device on a physical uplink shared channel (PUSCH) resource;
send, using at least two beams respectively, SRSs to the access network device on the at least two SRS resources, the at least two SRS resources being associated with the PUSCH resource; and
receive a random access response from the access network device, wherein the random access response comprises beam indication information, and the beam indication information indicates a selected beam in the at least two beams.

9. The apparatus according to claim 8 , wherein each SRS resource of the at least two SRS resources are located after the PUSCH resource in time domain, and a time domain distance between the PUSCH resource and each SRS resource of the at least two SRS resources is less than or equal to a preset distance.

10. The apparatus according to claim 8 , wherein the beam indication information is a target SRS resource index, and the instructions further comprise instructions to:
determine, as the selected beam, a beam corresponding to an SRS resource indicated by the target SRS resource index.

11. The apparatus according to claim 8 , wherein the configuration information comprises:
a quantity of the at least two SRS resources.

12. The apparatus according to claim 8 , wherein:
the IDs of the SRS sequences carried on the at least two SRS resources are determined based on the first random access preamble; or
a resource element (RE) that is in the at least two SRS resources and that is used to send an SRS sequence is determined based on the first random access preamble.

13. The apparatus according to claim 8 , wherein the instructions further include instructions to:
send second uplink data to the access network device by using the selected beam.

14. The apparatus according to claim 8 , wherein the time domain distance between the PUSCH resource and each SRS resource of the at least two SRS resources is zero.

15. An apparatus, comprising:
at least one processor; and
a non-transitory computer-readable storage medium storing instructions that are executable by the at least one processor, the instructions comprising instructions to:
send configuration information to user equipment, wherein the configuration information is used to configure at least two sounding reference signal (SRS) resources, wherein the configuration information comprises, for each SRS resource of the at least two SRS resources: frequency domain indication information of the respective SRS resource, time domain indication information of the respective SRS resource, or an ID of an SRS sequence carried on the respective SRS resource, wherein the configuration information comprises a quantity of the at least two SRS resources;
receive a first random access preamble sent on a physical random access channel (PRACH) resource and first uplink data sent on a physical uplink shared channel (PUSCH) resource, wherein the first random access preamble and the first uplink data are sent by the user equipment when the user equipment is in a radio resource control (RRC) idle mode or inactive mode;
receive SRSs on the at least two SRS resources, the at least two SRS resources being associated with the PUSCH resource;
determine a beam of the user equipment based on the SRSs on the at least two SRS resources; and
send a random access response to the user equipment, wherein the random access response comprises beam indication information, and the beam indication information indicates the determined beam.

16. The apparatus according to claim 15 , wherein each SRS resource of the at least two SRS resources is located after the PUSCH resource in time domain, and a time domain distance between the PUSCH resource and each SRS resource of the at least two SRS resources is less than or equal to a preset distance.

17. The apparatus according to cla

Assignees

• Huawei Tech Co Ltd

Inventors

• Chai Xiaomeng
• Wu Yiqun
• Chen Yan

Classifications

• H04L5/0048 Primary

  Allocation of pilot signals, i.e. of signals known to the receiver (allocation of control signalling H04L5/0053; use of control signalling H04L5/0091) · CPC title

• H04B7/06952

  Selecting one or more beams from a plurality of beams, e.g. beam training, management or sweeping · CPC title

• H04W74/0836

  with 2-step access · CPC title

• H04W74/0833 Primary

  Random access procedures, e.g. with 4-step access · CPC title

• H04W72/046

  the resource being in the space domain, e.g. beams · CPC title