# US 2021/0344408 A1 · Flexible beamforming techniques for wireless devices

> Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt

- Number: US 2021/0344408 A1
- Document ID: US20210344408A1
- Status: Published application
- Kind: A1
- Application number: 17/378,289
- Filed: 2021-07-16
- Published: 2021-11-04
- Earliest claimed: 2018-12-14
- Assignees: QUALCOMM Incorporated
- Applicants: QUALCOMM Incorporated
- Inventors: Vasanthan Raghavan; Junyl Li
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US20210344408A1

## CPC

- H04B 7/0617: {for beam forming}
- H04B 7/0874: {using subgroups of receive antennas}
- H04B 7/0417: Feedback systems
- H04B 7/0628: {Diversity capabilities}
- H04B 7/0691: {using subgroups of transmit antennas}
- H04M 1/0214: {Foldable telephones, i.e. with body parts pivoting to an open position around an axis parallel to the plane they define in closed position (combined with translation movement H04M1/0235)}
- H04M 1/0241: {using relative motion of the body parts to change the operational status of the telephone set, e.g. switching on/off, answering incoming call}
- H04W 8/24: Transfer of terminal data
- H04W 88/02: Terminal devices
- H04B: TRANSMISSION
- H04M: TELEPHONIC COMMUNICATION (circuits for controlling other apparatus via a telephone cable and not involving telephone switching apparatus G08)
- H04W: WIRELESS COMMUNICATION NETWORKS (broadcast communication H04H; communication systems using wireless links for non-selective communication, e.g. wireless extensions H04M1/72)

## Abstract

Methods, systems, and devices for wireless communications are described. A wireless device such as a user equipment (UE) may include multiple antenna arrays used to support wireless communications. The antenna arrays may be located at different parts of the UE and may allow the UE to flexibly perform beamforming communications. The antenna arrays maybe configured as antenna sets, and the size of each antenna set may vary based on the configuration of the UE. For example, a UE may include a foldable display having multiple foldable display units, and the communication parameters used for transmission and reception of signals via the antenna arrays may depend on the configuration of the foldable display units. In some aspects, a state of the foldable display units or the arrangement of the antenna arrays relative to one another may be used to configure and perform beamforming communications between the UE and a base station.

## Claims

### Claim 1

An apparatus for wireless communications, comprising:
a processor;
memory coupled with the processor, the processor and memory configured to:
receive, from a user equipment (UE), an indication of foldable state capability information of the UE, the foldable state capability information corresponding to a state of the one or more foldable units of the UE; and
perform a beamforming communication with the UE based at least in part on a beamforming parameter for beamforming communications with the UE base at least in part on the foldable state capability information.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the processor and memory are further configured to:
determine a periodicity for a set of reference signals of a beam training process for the UE; and
transmit an indication of the periodicity for the set of reference signals of the beam training process to the UE.

### Claim 3 (depends on 2)

The apparatus of claim 2, wherein the processor and memory are further configured to:
increase or decrease the periodicity of the set of reference signals with respect to a current or previous periodicity of the set of reference signals.

### Claim 4 (depends on 2)

The apparatus of claim 2, wherein the indication of the periodicity is transmitted to the UE via a downlink control channel.

### Claim 5 (depends on 1)

The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the processor and memory are further configured to:
determine a set of beam indices or a number of beams for use at the UE in beamforming communications with the UE, wherein the number of beams is determined based at least in part on a hierarchy of the number of beams; and
transmit an indication of the set of beam indices or the number of beams to the UE.

### Claim 6 (depends on 1)

The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the processor and memory are further configured to:
determine a beamwidth of a beam for use at the UE in beamforming communications with the UE; and
transmit an indication of the beamwidth of the beam to the UE.

### Claim 7 (depends on 1)

The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the processor and memory are further configured to:
determine a set of beam indices or a number of beams for use at the base station in beamforming communications with the UE, wherein the beamforming communication is performed based at least in part on the set of beam indices or the number of beams, wherein the number of beams is determined based at least in part on a hierarchy of the number of beams; and
adjust a codebook associated with the number of beams, the beam indices, or the hierarchy of the number of beams, or a combination thereof.

### Claim 8 (depends on 1)

The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the processor and memory are further configured to:
determine a beamwidth of a beam for use at the base station in beamforming communications with the UE, wherein the beamforming communication is performed based at least in part on the beamwidth; and
adjust a codebook associated with the beamforming of the beam.

### Claim 9 (depends on 8)

The apparatus of claim 8, wherein the processor and memory are further configured to:
receive the beamformed communication from the UE according to a beamwidth used by the UE, the beamwidth for use by the base station is determined based at least in part on the beamwidth used by the UE.

### Claim 10 (depends on 1)

The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the processor and memory are further configured to:
determine a transmit power for at least one beam for beamforming communications with the UE.

### Claim 11 (depends on 10)

The apparatus of claim 10, wherein the processor and memory are further configured to:
determine respective transmit powers for each of a set of beams for beamforming communications with the UE.

### Claim 12 (depends on 10)

The apparatus of claim 10, wherein the processor and memory configured to perform the beamforming communication with the UE further comprises the processor and memory configured to:
transmit the beamforming communication via the at least one beam in accordance with the transmit power.

### Claim 13

A method for wireless communications at a base station, comprising:
receiving, from a user equipment (UE), an indication of foldable state capability information of the UE, the foldable state capability information corresponding to a state of the one or more foldable units of the UE; and
performing a beamforming communication with the UE based at least in part on a beamforming parameter for beamforming communications with the UE based at least in part on the foldable state capability information.

### Claim 14 (depends on 13)

The method of claim 13, further comprising:
determining a periodicity for a set of reference signals of a beam training process for the UE; and
transmitting an indication of the periodicity for the set of reference signals of the beam training process to the UE.

### Claim 15 (depends on 14)

The method of claim 14, wherein determining the periodicity comprises:
increasing or decreasing the periodicity of the set of reference signals with respect to a current or previous periodicity of the set of reference signals.

### Claim 16 (depends on 14)

The method of claim 14, wherein the indication of the periodicity is transmitted to the UE via a downlink control channel.

### Claim 17 (depends on 13)

The method of claim 13, further comprising:
determining a set of beam indices or a number of beams for use at the UE in beamforming communications with the UE, wherein determining the number of beams comprises determining a hierarchy of the number of beams; and
transmitting an indication of the set of beam indices or the number of beams to the UE.

### Claim 18 (depends on 13)

The method of claim 13, further comprising:
determining a beamwidth of a beam for use at the UE in beamforming communications with the UE; and
transmitting an indication of the beamwidth of the beam to the UE.

### Claim 19 (depends on 13)

The method of claim 13, further comprising:
determining a set of beam indices or a number of beams for use at the base station in beamforming communications with the UE, wherein the beamforming communication is performed based at least in part on the set of beam indices or the number of beams, wherein the determination of the number of beams comprises determining a hierarchy of the number of beams; and
adjusting a codebook associated with the number of beams, the beam indices, or the hierarchy of the number of beams, or a combination thereof.

### Claim 20 (depends on 13)

The method of claim 13, further comprising:
determining a beamwidth of a beam for use at the base station in beamforming communications with the UE, wherein the beamforming communication is performed based at least in part on the beamwidth; and
adjusting a codebook associated with the beamforming of the beam.

### Claim 21 (depends on 20)

The method of claim 20, further comprising:
receiving the beamformed communication from the UE according to a beamwidth used by the UE, the beamwidth for use by the base station is determined based at least in part on the beamwidth used by the UE.

### Claim 22 (depends on 13)

The method of claim 13, further comprising:
determining a transmit power for at least one beam for beamforming communications with the UE.

### Claim 23 (depends on 22)

The method of claim 22, further comprising:
determining respective transmit powers for each of a set of beams for beamforming communications with the UE.

### Claim 24 (depends on 22)

The method of claim 22, wherein performing the beamforming communication with the UE comprises:
transmitting the beamforming communication via the at least one beam in accordance with the transmit power.

### Claim 25

An apparatus for wireless communications, comprising:
means for receiving, from a user equipment (UE), an indication of foldable state capability information of the UE, the foldable state capability information corresponding to a state of the one or more foldable units of the UE; and
means for performing a beamforming communication with the UE based at least in part on a beamforming parameter for beamforming communications with the UE based at least in part on the foldable state capability information.

### Claim 26 (depends on 25)

The apparatus of claim 25, further comprising:
means for determining a periodicity for a set of reference signals of a beam training process for the UE; and
means for transmitting an indication of the periodicity for the set of reference signals of the beam training process to the UE.

### Claim 27 (depends on 26)

The apparatus of claim 26, wherein the means for determining the periodicity comprises:
means for increasing or decreasing the periodicity of the set of reference signals with respect to a current or previous periodicity of the set of reference signals.

### Claim 28 (depends on 26)

The apparatus of claim 26, wherein the indication of the periodicity is transmitted to the UE via a downlink control channel.

### Claim 29 (depends on 25)

The apparatus of claim 25, further comprising:
means for determining a set of beam indices or a number of beams for use at the UE in beamforming communications with the UE, wherein determining the number of beams comprises determining a hierarchy of the number of beams; and
means for transmitting an indication of the set of beam indices or the number of beams to the UE.

### Claim 30

A non-transitory computer-readable medium storing code for wireless communication, the code comprising instructions executable by a processor to:
receive, from a user equipment (UE), an indication of foldable state capability information of the UE, the foldable state capability information corresponding to a state of the one or more foldable units of the UE; and
perform a beamforming communication with the UE based at least in part on a beamforming parameter for beamforming communications with the UE based at least in part on the foldable state capability information.