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Apple patents method to predict signal strength for future network beams

Patent drawing
Patent drawing from the official filing.

Apple describes a way for devices to predict how strong a wireless signal will be in future time slots using data from current signals. The device sends a compact report to the network that includes these predictions to help manage the connection.

Why it mattersThis could help mobile networks handle data more efficiently by reducing the amount of information a phone needs to send back to the tower.

In the filing’s own words

An apparatus configured to measure a first set of reference signals (RS) for a first set of beams, predict second measurements for a second set of beams from measurements of the first set of RS, the second set of beams corresponding to N future time slots after a latest transmission of the first set of RS, the configuration including an offset value relative to the latest transmission and a prediction window comprising the N future time slots and generate an inference report including an absolute layer 1 reference signal receive power (L1-RSRP) value corresponding to a largest L1-RSRP value predicted for the second set of beams, the largest L1-RSRP corresponding to a first future time slot, a time instance indicator indicating the first future time slot, or at least one differential L1-RSRP value corresponding to a second future time slot different from the first future time slot.

What exactly they claim (claim 1)

1. An apparatus comprising memory coupled to processing circuitry, wherein the processing circuitry is configured to: measure, based on signaling from a network, a first set of reference signals (RS) for a first set of beams; predict, based on a configuration received from the network, second measurements for a second set of beams from first measurements of the first set of RS for the first set of beams, the second set of beams corresponding to N future time slots after a latest transmission of the first set of RS, the configuration including an offset value relative to the latest transmission of the first set of RS and a prediction window comprising the N future time slots; and generate, for transmission to the network as uplink control information (UCI) on a physical uplink shared channel (PUSCH), an inference report including at least one of: an absolute layer 1 reference signal receive power (L1-RSRP) value corresponding to a largest L1-RSRP value predicted for the second set of beams, the largest L1-RSRP corresponding to a first future time slot, a time instance indicator indicating the first future time slot, or at least one differential L1-RSRP value corresponding to a second future time slot different from the first future time slot.

Facts

Company
Apple (Apple Inc.)
Official title
Payload-Efficient Differential RSRP Reporting With Time Instance Indicators and Configurable Offsets in AI/ML Beam Management
Publication number
US20260303235A1
Application number
19181711
Filed
Apr 17, 2025
Published
Oct 1, 2026
Inventors
3
Claims
20

Classified under

H04B 17/328 Electricity & electronicsH04W 24/10 Electricity & electronicsH04W 72/21 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.