/Patent Tracker
AppleGranted patentNetworks & wirelessInterest 4/10

Apple patents faster 5G signal switching using pre-checks

This patent describes a method for smartphones to switch on extra 5G signal channels more efficiently. The phone receives a specific signal before it needs to connect, allowing it to measure the connection quality in advance. This helps the device activate the new channel quickly when required.

Why it mattersIt could make 5G connections feel more stable by reducing the delay when your phone switches between different signal sources.

In the filing’s own words

A user equipment is configured to receive a reference signal when secondary cell (SCell is to be activated. The UE receives a secondary cell (SCell) activation indication for activating an SCell, receives a reference signal (RS) triggering indication for triggering an RS prior to an expected SCell activation period, performs measurements on the triggered RS and activates the SCell based on the RS measurements.

What exactly they claim (claim 1)

1. An apparatus comprising processing circuitry coupled to memory, the processing circuitry configured to: transmit a medium access control (MAC)-control element (CE) comprising at least five octets, wherein a first set of the at least five octets includes four octets comprising a reserved field and 31 secondary cell (SCell) activation fields each corresponding to an SCell index, wherein a second set of the at least five octets include one or more octets each comprising a reference signal (RS) triggering field for triggering an aperiodic tracking reference signal (TRS) using a radio resource control (RRC) configured TRS index and wherein a user equipment (UE) performs measurements on the triggered aperiodic TRS and activates one or more SCells based on the MAC-CE.

Facts

Company
Apple (Apple Inc.)
Official title
SCell activation enhancement with assistance reference signal
Patent number
US12732908B2
Application number
18502570
Filed
Nov 6, 2023
Granted
Sep 8, 2026
Inventors
13
Claims
20

Classified under

H04W 52/0206 Electricity & electronicsH04L 5/0051 Electricity & electronicsH04W 72/232 Electricity & electronicsH04W 76/20 Electricity & electronics
Read the full filing (official PDF) ↗ Open in the Patent Tracker

More from Apple in Networks & wireless

Summaries are simplified from the filing’s own abstract and first claim. A patent filing is not a product announcement.
Patent data and drawings: U.S. Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO). Nebula is not affiliated with or endorsed by the USPTO.