User-equipment coordination set beam sweeping

A method performed by a base station for configuring beamformed joint communication between the base station and multiple user equipments in a user-equipment-coordination set, the method comprising:

• transmitting, to a coordinating user equipment in the user-equipment-coordination set, an indication to coordinate beam sweeping with the user-equipment-coordination set;
• transmitting a set of downlink beam transmissions that cover a spatial area according to pre-specified time intervals and directions;
• receiving, from the user-equipment-coordination set, beam report information that indicates beam quality information for at least two user equipments in the user-equipment-coordination set, the beam quality information based on the set of downlink beam transmissions;
• selecting, based on the beam report information, one or more beam identities that specify specific beams to be used by the at least two user equipments;
• selecting, based on the beam report information, one or more time slots to be used by the at least two user equipments;
• and
• directing the at least two user equipments to use specific beams indicated by the one or more beam identities at specific time slots indicated by the one or more time slots by transmitting an indication of the one or more beam identities and the one or more time slots to the at least two user equipments.

A user equipment apparatus comprising:

• at least one wireless transceiver;
• a processor;
• and
• computer-readable storage media comprising instructions, responsive to execution by the processor, for directing the user equipment apparatus to perform operations comprising:
• receiving an indication to coordinate beam sweeping with a user-equipment-coordination set;
• in response to receiving the indication to coordinate beam sweeping, directing, over a local wireless network connection, each user equipment in the user-equipment-coordination set to perform a beam-training procedure that includes receiving, from a base station, a set of downlink beam transmissions that cover a spatial area according to pre-specified time intervals and directions;
• forwarding, to the base station and over a wireless network connection, beam report information that indicates beam quality information based on the beam-training procedure;
• in response to forwarding the beam report information, receiving, from the base station and over the wireless network connection, an indication of one or more beam identities and one or more assigned time slots;
• and
• directing at least two user equipments in the user-equipment-coordination set to use specific beams indicated by the one or more beam identities at specific time slots indicated by the one or more assigned time slots by transmitting, over the local wireless network connection, a respective beam identity of the one or more beam identities and a respective time slot of the one or more assigned time slots to each user equipment of the at least two user equipments.