SYSTEMS AND METHODS FOR PERFORMING INITIAL CLUSTERING IN CELL-FREE NETWORKS

    公开(公告)号:US20250056622A1

    公开(公告)日:2025-02-13

    申请号:US18794790

    申请日:2024-08-05

    Applicant: APPLE INC.

    Abstract: Systems and methods for clustering in cell-free networks are described herein. A cluster of one or more base stations provides radio access network (RAN) functionality to a user equipment (UE) within the wireless communication system in a cell-free manner (e.g., without using a base-station-centric cell context, as in prior wireless communication systems). A cluster that is serving a UE comprises one or more connected base stations (cBSs) that actively serve the UE. A clustering control function (CCF) of the network establishes and maintains the cluster that is serving one or more UEs. Herein, messaging systems and messaging types used by the CCF, base station(s), and UE(s) within this cell-free context are discussed. Initial clustering methods used by a CCF to form a cluster for a UE are discussed. Further, clustering update methods used by a CCF to maintain/modify a cluster for a UE are discussed.

    Device Positioning with Reconfigurable Intelligent Surfaces

    公开(公告)号:US20240310470A1

    公开(公告)日:2024-09-19

    申请号:US18184566

    申请日:2023-03-15

    Applicant: Apple Inc.

    CPC classification number: G01S5/0273

    Abstract: A communication system may include a transmitting (TX) device, a receiving (RX) device, and a one or more reconfigurable intelligent surfaces (RIS's). The TX device may transmit a wireless signal received by the RX device over multiple propagation paths including paths that reflect off the RIS(s) and paths that include other reflections. The RX device may receive location information from each RIS. The RX device or a control device may control each RIS to modulate the wireless signal with a different respective identifier upon reflection of the wireless signal by the RIS. The RX device may distinguish the wireless signal as reflected off the RIS(s) from reflections off other objects based on the RIS identifiers modulated onto the wireless signals by the RIS(s). The RX device may use a multilateration technique to detect its position based on the received location information and the wireless signals as reflected off the RIS(s).

    POWER MANAGEMENT IN WIRELESS MODEMS

    公开(公告)号:US20210345238A1

    公开(公告)日:2021-11-04

    申请号:US17144398

    申请日:2021-01-08

    Applicant: Apple Inc.

    Abstract: Techniques discussed herein can facilitate power management at a User Equipment (UE) via selection of a power management stage based on a current power status. One example aspect is a UE comprising one or more processors configured to: monitor a temperature of the UE via one or more temperature sensors and a power usage of the UE; determine a power status of the UE based at least in part on the temperature of the UE and the power usage of the UE; select, based at least in part on the determined power status, a power management stage of a plurality of power management stages; and implement one or more power management techniques associated with the selected power management stage. A notification can be triggered to alert a user that the processor is implementing the one or more power management techniques prior to implementation.

    CLUSTER PARTITIONING IN RADIO PROTOCOL ARCHITECTURES FOR CELL-FREE NETWORKS

    公开(公告)号:US20250056301A1

    公开(公告)日:2025-02-13

    申请号:US18797281

    申请日:2024-08-07

    Applicant: APPLE INC.

    Abstract: Systems and methods for radio protocol architectures in cell-free networks are disclosed herein. One or more base stations make up a cell-free cluster that serves a user equipment (UE). A clustering control function (CCF) may establish, for a radio bearer that communicates data between the cluster and the UE, one or more sub-clusters of the one or more base stations. Each sub-cluster corresponds to a unique RLC entity within the protocol stack for the radio bearer in question. The CCF communicates with the base stations of the cluster and the UE to establish this sub-clustering arrangement. Details of this messaging are described herein. Data of the radio bearer is then transmitted between the cluster and the UE according to the established sub-clusters/RLC entities. For example, the network may transport either the same data of the radio bearer and/or unique data of the radio bearer through any/each of the sub-clusters/RLC entities.

    Electronic devices with multi-antenna sensing

    公开(公告)号:US12111393B2

    公开(公告)日:2024-10-08

    申请号:US17893034

    申请日:2022-08-22

    Applicant: Apple Inc.

    Abstract: An electronic device may include wireless circuitry that detects the location of external objects. A signal generator may concurrently transmit different radio-frequency ranging signals over two or more transmit antennas. The ranging signals may include waveforms with time-varying frequencies, where each waveform includes frequencies that are non-overlapping with the frequencies of each of the other waveforms at any given time. Antennas may receive reflected versions of the ranging signals and a processor may process the reflected versions of the ranging signals to identify the location of the external objects. This may prevent interference between the ranging signals and may significantly reduce the latency of location detection relative to examples where the ranging signals are transmitted by different transmit antennas in series.

    Electronic Devices with Multi-Antenna Sensing

    公开(公告)号:US20230085972A1

    公开(公告)日:2023-03-23

    申请号:US17893034

    申请日:2022-08-22

    Applicant: Apple Inc.

    Abstract: An electronic device may include wireless circuitry that detects the location of external objects. A signal generator may concurrently transmit different radio-frequency ranging signals over two or more transmit antennas. The ranging signals may include waveforms with time-varying frequencies, where each waveform includes frequencies that are non-overlapping with the frequencies of each of the other waveforms at any given time. Antennas may receive reflected versions of the ranging signals and a processor may process the reflected versions of the ranging signals to identify the location of the external objects. This may prevent interference between the ranging signals and may significantly reduce the latency of location detection relative to examples where the ranging signals are transmitted by different transmit antennas in series.

    Electronic Devices with Time Division Radio-Frequency Communication and Sensing

    公开(公告)号:US20230089794A1

    公开(公告)日:2023-03-23

    申请号:US17834801

    申请日:2022-06-07

    Applicant: Apple Inc.

    Abstract: An electronic device may include wireless circuitry with a radio that conveys wireless data with a wireless base station using antennas according to a communication schedule and that performs sensing using the antennas. The sensing may involve transmission of sensing signals and reception of reflected signals during sensing periods. Control circuitry may adjust timing of the sensing periods, based on network configuration information and the current sensing requirements of the device, to align with scheduled inactive times for the radio. In this way, the radio may perform radio-frequency sensing for use in adjusting wireless transmissions to satisfy radio-frequency exposure requirements without substantially disrupting wireless data communications.

    Power-efficient body proximity sensing for mmWave systems

    公开(公告)号:US11388676B2

    公开(公告)日:2022-07-12

    申请号:US17234930

    申请日:2021-04-20

    Applicant: Apple Inc.

    Abstract: A user equipment (UE), or other network component can operate to generate new radio (NR) communications in millimeter wave (mmW) frequencies. Body proximity sensing (BPS) operations can be performed to determine whether a maximum permissible exposure (MPE) event is triggered. A safe transmit power level associated with the one or more bands can then be used to provide the NR communications. Additionally, determinations of whether various conditions are satisfied to suspend the BPS operations for a period can be evaluated and implemented. The BPS can be configured such that a BPS period of the BPS operations are aligned with a discontinuous reception (DRX) cycle at a beginning of a DRX on-duration of a DRX cycle, wherein the one or more conditions comprise a DRX idle time or state.

    POWER-EFFICIENT BODY PROXIMITY SENSING FOR mmWAVE SYSTEMS

    公开(公告)号:US20210352592A1

    公开(公告)日:2021-11-11

    申请号:US17234930

    申请日:2021-04-20

    Applicant: Apple Inc.

    Abstract: A user equipment (UE), or other network component can operate to generate new radio (NR) communications in millimeter wave (mmW) frequencies. Body proximity sensing (BPS) operations can be performed to determine whether a maximum permissible exposure (MPE) event is triggered. A safe transmit power level associated with the one or more bands can then be used to provide the NR communications. Additionally, determinations of whether various conditions are satisfied to suspend the BPS operations for a period can be evaluated and implemented. The BPS can be configured such that a BPS period of the BPS operations are aligned with a discontinuous reception (DRX) cycle at a beginning of a DRX on-duration of a DRX cycle, wherein the one or more conditions comprise a DRX idle time or state.

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