Beam failure reporting using data field in uplink control channel

An apparatus for wireless communications at a user equipment (UE), comprising:

• a processor;
• memory coupled with the processor;
• and
• instructions stored in the memory and executable by the processor to cause the apparatus to:
• identify a beam failure event of one or more beams associated with a secondary cell of the UE;
• transmit, on a primary cell of the UE, a beam failure recovery request in an uplink data field of a physical uplink control channel message, wherein the uplink data field is configured to convey uplink payload data;
• and
• receive, on the primary cell, a beam failure recovery response based at least in part on transmitting the beam failure recovery request.

An apparatus for wireless communications at a base station associated with a primary cell, comprising:

• a processor;
• memory coupled with the processor;
• and
• instructions stored in the memory and executable by the processor to cause the apparatus to:
• receive, from a user equipment (UE), a beam failure recovery request for one or more beams associated with a secondary cell of the UE, wherein the beam failure recovery request is formatted in an uplink data field of a physical uplink control channel message that is configured to convey uplink payload data;
• and
• transmit a beam failure recovery response based at least in part on receiving the beam failure recovery request.