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Apple patents faster signal checking for phones with multiple antenna panels

Apple describes a method for phones with two separate antenna panels to measure wireless signals more quickly. The phone uses narrow, focused beams to test signals from two different network points at the same time. It then reports the best signal path to the network to reduce delay in connecting.

Why it mattersThis improves how quickly a phone can adjust its connection when using multiple antennas, which is a standard part of modern 5G and 6G network design.

In the filing’s own words

Systems and methods for reducing measurement delay for group-based beam reporting (GBBR) are disclosed herein. A user equipment (UE) having first and a second antenna panels receives, from a network, a pair of channel measurement resource (CMR) sets identifying reference signals transmitted across a pair of transmission reception points (TRPs) and that are together transmitted periodically. The UE measures the reference signals using narrow beams within a plurality of broader beams that each correspond to one of the reference signals and that is on one of the antenna panels and selects first and second narrow beams (one on each antenna panel) to use for simultaneous downlink (DL) reception. The UE sends a beam report indicating one reference signal from each CMR set that is associated with one of the two selected narrow beams. Herein, particular methods for efficiently making the measurements across the two antenna panels are disclosed.

What exactly they claim (claim 1)

1. A method of a user equipment (UE) having a first antenna panel and a second antenna panel, comprising: receiving, from a network, a first channel measurement resource (CMR) set identifying first reference signals transmitted by a first TRP of the network and a second CMR set identifying second reference signals transmitted by a second TRP of the network, wherein the first reference signals and the second reference signals are together transmitted periodically; performing measurements of the first reference signals and the second reference signals using a plurality of narrow beams within a plurality of broader beams, wherein each of the broader beams corresponds to one of the first reference signals and the second reference signals and is on one of the first antenna panel and the second antenna panel; selecting, based on the measurements, a first narrow beam of the plurality of narrow beams that is on the first antenna panel and a second narrow beam of the plurality of narrow beams that is on the second antenna panel to use for a simultaneous downlink (DL) reception; and sending, to the network, a beam report indicating a first selected reference signal of the first reference signals that is associated with the first narrow beam and a second selected reference signal of the second reference signals that is associated with the second narrow beam; wherein performing the measurements of the first reference signals and the second reference signals using the plurality of narrow beams comprises performing measurements using a single narrow beam of the plurality of narrow beams during each periodic transmission of the first reference signals and the second reference signals.

Facts

Company
Apple (APPLE INC.)
Official title
SYSTEMS AND METHODS FOR REDUCING MEASUREMENT DELAY FOR GROUP-BASED BEAM REPORTING
Publication number
US20260269922A1
Application number
19167954
Filed
May 8, 2024
Published
Sep 10, 2026
Inventors
7
Claims
20

Classified under

H04B 7/06956 Electricity & electronicsH04L 5/0094 Electricity & electronicsH04W 72/231 Electricity & electronicsH04W 72/542 Electricity & electronics
Read the full filing (official PDF) ↗ Open in the Patent Tracker

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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.