Google Inc.

Aamir Akram

Jibing Wang

Erik Richard Stauffer

Sharath Ananth

Thomas Klingenbrunn

Vijay L Asrani

Neil Hendin

Chien Pin Chiu

Hung Tsang

Fernando Selma

Shihhao Chiu

A user equipment (UE) manages thermal levels of antenna modules with reference to a temperature threshold. The UE includes multiple antenna modules having a first antenna module and a second antenna module and at least one wireless transceiver coupled to the multiple antenna modules. The UE also includes a processor and memory system implementing an antenna module thermal manager. The manager is configured to obtain a first temperature indication corresponding to the first antenna module of the multiple antenna modules. The manager is also configured to perform a comparison of the first temperature indication to at least one temperature threshold. The manager is further configured to switch, based on the comparison, from using the first antenna module to using the second antenna module for wireless communication with the at least one wireless transceiver.

Thermal management with antenna modules

In aspects, a non-terrestrial communication system communicates with a user equipment, UE, using repetitive communications. The non-terrestrial communication system determines a repetition configuration for repetitive communications with the UE and indicates the repetition configuration to the UE. The non-terrestrial communication system communicates with the UE using the repetitive communications in accordance with the repetition configuration.

Repetitive communications for improving reliability of satellite communications

Techniques and apparatuses are described for enabling a base station to enable peer-to-peer communication among multiple user equipment (UE) over a mmWave link. The techniques described herein overcome challenges that the multiple UEs might otherwise face in trying to establish peer-to-peer links on their own. By relying on the base station to grant air interface resources for the UE to perform peer-to-peer communications with the UE, the UE can communicate directly with the other UE, independent of links that the UE or the other UE maintains with the base station. Furthermore, reliance on the base station may help the UE and the other UE mitigate interference from other nearby mmWave links that are separate from the peer-to-peer wave link. In addition, by relying on the base station to specify the beam sweeping pattern, beam acquisition by the UE and the other UE may be improved.

Establishing peer-to-peer links for peer-to-peer communication between user equipment

A User Equipment(UE) determinesa maximum UL/DL duty cycle to utilize for a connection with a base stationbased on a content of a UE capabilities requestsent by the base station, where the maximum UL/DL duty cycle is typically is less than a most restrictive, possible UL/DL duty cycle of the UE, yet allows the UE to remain SAR compliant. The UE may determinethe maximum UL/DL duty cycle further based on, e.g., requested frequency bands, operational UE transceivers, carrier components, UE power class, stored power data, etc. The UE communicatesthe maximum UL/DL duty cycle for the connection to the base station, thereby resulting in more efficient downlink data delivery during the connection as well as increasing cell site coverage and overall system efficiency. The UE may store a global parameter whose value is indicative of the maximum UL/DL duty cycle.

Uplink power and resource allocation enhancement for user devices

The present disclosure describes systems and methods for a user equipment wirelessly communicating with another user equipment using dual connectivity (DC) with a terrestrial base station and a satellite or high-altitude platform. The described methods and systems include a principal routing manager assessing that different subsets of data, to be transmitted from the user equipment to the other user equipment, can use different, respective qualities of service (QoS) offered through different wireless-communication networks associated with the terrestrial base station and the satellite or high-altitude platform. The principal routing manager causes a routing command message to be sent to the user equipment, directing the user equipment to enter a state of dual connectivity with the terrestrial base station and the satellite or high-altitude platform and transmit the different of the data in accordance with the QoS offered by the different wireless-communication networks that are associated with the terrestrial base station and satellite or high-altitude platform.

User equipment dual connectivity with a terrestrial base station and a satellite or a high-altitude platform

The present disclosure describes systems and methods directed to mitigating a local interference condition caused by concurrent transmissions in a multi-radio access technology and multi-connectivity environment. For a user equipment transmitting data in a multi-radio access technology/multi-connectivity environment, an interference manager application directs the user equipment to determine that an interference condition exists local to user equipment. The interference manager application directs the user equipment to determine a configuration of the user equipment wireless-communication hardware to mitigate the local interference condition and directs the user equipment to transmit a request message to a base station, causing the base station to configure wireless-communication hardware of the base station to receive data transmitted by the user equipment in accordance with the determined configuration of the user equipment wireless-communication hardware that mitigates the determined local interference condition.

Mitigating a local interference condition caused by concurrent transmissions in a multi-radio access technology and multi-connectivity environment

This document describes techniques and apparatuses that include a three-dimensional (3D) antenna module for transmitting or receiving electromagnetic millimeter waves (mmWaves). In general, a user equipment (UE) may include the 3D antenna module in a corner of a housing of the UE. The 3D antenna module may include three antenna panels that are generally planar and generally orthogonal to three respective axes of a Cartesian-coordinate system. The 3D antenna module may transmit and receive the electromagnetic mmWaves as part of a wireless link between the UE and another device, such as a satellite that is part of a wireless-communication network. In general, the 3D antenna module may mitigate propagation losses and allow the UE to maintain a link-budget for the wireless link.

Three-dimensional antenna module for transmitting and receiving electromagnetic millimeter waves

This document describes methods, devices, and systems for configuring a smartphone () for network connectivity via a charging station (), in which the smartphone () detects a connection or a coupling to the charging station (). In response to the detection of the connection or coupling to the charging station (), the smartphone () configures a WLAN transceiver () as a WLAN access point and forms a mesh WLAN network with one or more other WLAN access points (). In other aspects, the charging station () detects the presence of the smartphone () that is connected or coupled to the charging station (). In response to sensing the presence of the smartphone (), the charging station () configures power and charging circuitry () to charge a battery of the smartphone () and configures WLAN radio circuitry () to relay WLAN communications for the smartphone ().

Smartphone charging station connectivity

The present disclosure describes methods and apparatuses for beamforming for communication over preferred resources of a wireless network. A user device receives a signal from a plurality of antenna arrays of one or more base stations. The signal is transmitted, by the base stations, over a set of dedicated communication resources of a wireless network. Each of the base stations may dedicate a same set of resource elements for narrow-band communication with user devices outside of a standard range of a single antenna array. The user device determines a quality of the signal received over the dedicated communication resources and generates an index to identify preferred resources for communicating with the one or more base stations. The user device then communicates the index to the base stations to enable the base stations to establish a narrow-band wireless connection with the user device.

Opportunistic beamforming

Methods, systems, and apparatus, including machine-readable media storing executable instructions, for enabling concurrent use of multiple cellular network technologies. In some implementations, a system includes a first wireless base station configured to support a first wireless connection providing uplink and downlink data transfer to a user device. The system includes a second wireless base station configured to support a second wireless connection providing at least downlink data transfer to the user device. The system includes a communication interface between the first wireless base station and the second wireless base station. The system includes a first scheduler, coupled to the first wireless base station, configured to schedule uplink timeslots such that the user device can use a single radio to concurrently communicate with the first wireless base station using the first wireless connection and with the second wireless base station using the second wireless connection.

Enabling concurrent use of multiple cellular network technologies

The present disclosure describes methods and apparatuses for beamforming enhancement via strategic resource utilization. In some aspects, an air interface resource is used for exchanging wireless communications using one or more signal beams. In some implementations, end-user devices are classified into a beamforming state&#x2014;such as active, idle, or inactive&#x2014;based on an activity level with a base station. To facilitate antenna beamforming between the base station and an end-user device, opportunities for beamforming training are provided by strategically granting resource units based on one or more resource allocation rules. For example, both control and data information can be allocated together on the same frequencies for each end-user device. Also, an uplink or a downlink grant can be provided that precedes a downlink or an uplink allocation, respectively. In some implementations, the resource allocation rules are applied based on the beamforming state to which an end-user device has been classified.

Beamforming enhancement via strategic resource utilization

The present disclosure describes methods and apparatuses for narrow-band communication. In some aspects, a base station determines a quantity of resource elements to allocate to a user device for wireless communication based on a state of the user device. The base station selects, from a resource block, resource elements for the user device that include the determined quantity of resource elements and a portion of subcarriers of the resource block. The base station then communicates, to the user device, an identification of the selected resource elements that includes respective frequencies and time locations of the selected resource elements within the resource block.

Narrow-band communication

The present disclosure describes techniques and systems for wireless communication via a mobile relay. These techniques may include a user device that determines that a transceiver is unavailable for communicating with a base station via a wireless connection. The user device then uses a mobile relay to communicate with the base station while the transceiver is unavailable. The mobile relay may be used for transmitting or receiving data from the base station. Additionally or alternatively, the mobile relay may participate in the wireless connection as an external resource of the mobile device or may establish an independent wireless connection with the base station.

Wireless communication via a mobile relay

The present disclosure describes methods and apparatuses for satellite-based narrow-band communication. In some aspects, the systems include a user device () that establishes a Narrow-Band Internet of Things (NB-IoT) wireless connection () with one or more orbital satellites () in order to transmit () and receive () data when other wireless connections are not available. The data may be relayed by the orbital satellite () to and from a base station () on Earth.

Satellite-based narrow-band communication

The present disclosure describes methods and apparatuses for opportunistic beamforming for communication over preferred resources of a wireless network. A user device receives a signal from a plurality of antenna arrays of one or more base stations. The signal is transmitted, by the base stations, over a set of dedicated communication resources of a wireless network. Each of the base stations may dedicate a same set of resource elements for narrow-band communication with user devices outside of a standard range of a single antenna array. The user device determines a quality of the signal received over the dedicated communication resources and generates an index to identify preferred resources for communicating with the one or more base stations. The user device then communicates the index to the base stations to enable the base stations to establish a narrow-band wireless connection with the user device.

Growing community of inventors

San Jose, CA, United States of America

Aamir Akram