/Patent Tracker
ApplePatent applicationNetworks & wirelessInterest 2/10

Apple patents wireless method to simplify beam tracking for 5G devices

Patent drawing
Patent drawing from the official filing.

Apple describes a method for 5G devices to determine which signal beam to listen to when receiving data. The system uses a unified indicator to tell the phone which beam to use, simplifying the process compared to managing separate indicators for different parts of the connection.

Why it mattersThis is a technical improvement to how 5G networks manage signal beams, which may help maintain stable connections but is unlikely to be noticeable to everyday users.

In the filing’s own words

Systems, methods, and apparatuses for unified transmission configuration indicator (TCI) state indication for multi-downlink control information (mDCI) multi-transmission reception point (mTRP) use cases are discussed. Manners of making TCI state indications for mDCI mTRP that use TCI state lists, medium access control control elements (MAC-CEs), and/or downlink control information (DCI) are discussed. Determinations of TCI state(s) at a user equipment (UE) for physical downlink control channel (PDCCH) reception and/or physical downlink shared channel (PDSCH) reception are discussed. Applications of a unified TCI state for other types of downlink (DL) and/or uplink (UL) channels are also discussed.

What exactly they claim (claim 1)

1. A method of a user equipment (UE), comprising: determining whether a control resource set (CORESET) used to monitor for a physical downlink control channel (PDCCH) has been configured to use a unified transmission configuration indicator (TCI) state indicated by a first medium access control control element (MAC-CE); monitoring for the PDCCH using a beam indicated by the unified TCI state if the CORESET has been configured to use the unified TCI state; and monitoring for the PDCCH using a separate TCI state indicated by a second MAC-CE if the CORESET has not been configured to use the unified TCI state.

Facts

Company
Apple (APPLE INC.)
Official title
SYSTEMS, METHODS, AND APPARATUSES FOR UNIFIED TRANSMISSION CONFIGURATION INDICATOR STATE INDICATION FOR MULTI-DOWNLINK CONTROL INFORMATION MULTI-TRANSMISSION RECEPTION POINT USE CASES IN WIRELESS COMMUNICATION
Publication number
US20260322561A1
Application number
19101373
Filed
Jan 24, 2023
Published
Oct 15, 2026
Inventors
10
Claims
21

Classified under

H04L 5/0053 Electricity & electronicsH04W 72/232 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.