{
  "patent_number": "US 12231284",
  "country": "US",
  "title": "How 5G Networks Intelligently Switch Your Phone's Connection Beams",
  "original_title": "Network architecture, methods, and devices for a wireless communications network",
  "summary": "This patent describes how a 5G network efficiently manages and switches the directional radio signals (beams) your phone uses, especially when needing to look beyond its current cell tower.",
  "what_it_does": "The patent details a method for a \"network node\" (like a cell tower) to manage how a \"user equipment\" (UE, your phone) connects. When the network decides your phone needs a \"beam reconfiguration\" (a change in its radio signal connection), it first picks a set of \"candidate beams\" for your phone to check. If the beams available from your current cell tower (\"intra-cell candidate beams\") aren't enough, the network will activate special \"mobility reference signals\" (MRS) in these candidate beams (Claim 1). Your phone then measures these signals and sends the results back. Finally, the network uses these results to pick the best \"target beam\" for your phone (Claim 1). For example, if you're moving from one cell tower's coverage to another, this system helps the network find the best new connection point.",
  "what_it_does_not_cover": [
    "Does not cover beam reconfigurations where the network node does not determine to trigger the change itself.",
    "Does not cover scenarios where the network node selects a target beam without first receiving measurement results from the UE.",
    "Does not cover beam reconfigurations that rely solely on intra-cell candidate beams without activating MRS for broader options.",
    "Does not cover methods where the UE independently selects a new beam without network guidance.",
    "Does not cover beam management in wireless communication networks older than 5G, as the abstract specifies a fifth-generation network."
  ],
  "filed": "2022-06-08",
  "granted": "2025-02-18",
  "expires": "2042-06-08",
  "status": "active",
  "holder": "Telefonaktiebolaget LM Ericsson AB",
  "holder_url": "https://patentbrief.org/company/telefonaktiebolaget-lm-ericsson-ab",
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      "name": "Stefan Parkvall",
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    {
      "name": "Janne Peisa",
      "url": "https://patentbrief.org/inventor/janne-peisa"
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    {
      "name": "Gunnar Mildh",
      "url": "https://patentbrief.org/inventor/gunnar-mildh"
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    {
      "name": "Robert Baldemair",
      "url": "https://patentbrief.org/inventor/robert-baldemair"
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    {
      "name": "Stefan Wager",
      "url": "https://patentbrief.org/inventor/stefan-wager"
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    {
      "name": "Jonas Kronander",
      "url": "https://patentbrief.org/inventor/jonas-kronander"
    },
    {
      "name": "Karl Werner",
      "url": "https://patentbrief.org/inventor/karl-werner"
    },
    {
      "name": "Richard Abrahamsson",
      "url": "https://patentbrief.org/inventor/richard-abrahamsson"
    },
    {
      "name": "Ismet AKTAS",
      "url": "https://patentbrief.org/inventor/ismet-aktas"
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    {
      "name": "Peter Alriksson",
      "url": "https://patentbrief.org/inventor/peter-alriksson"
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    {
      "name": "Junaid Ansari",
      "url": "https://patentbrief.org/inventor/junaid-ansari"
    },
    {
      "name": "Shehzad Ali ASHRAF",
      "url": "https://patentbrief.org/inventor/shehzad-ali-ashraf"
    },
    {
      "name": "Henrik Asplund",
      "url": "https://patentbrief.org/inventor/henrik-asplund"
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    {
      "name": "Fredrik Athley",
      "url": "https://patentbrief.org/inventor/fredrik-athley"
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    {
      "name": "Håkan Axelsson",
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    {
      "name": "Joakim Axmon",
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      "name": "Johan Axnäs",
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    {
      "name": "Kumar Balachandran",
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    {
      "name": "Gunnar Bark",
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    {
      "name": "Jan-Erik Berg",
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      "name": "Andreas Bergström",
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      "name": "Nadia Brahmi",
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      "name": "Mikael Coldrey",
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      "name": "Icaro L. J. da Silva",
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      "name": "Ali EL ESSAILI",
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      "name": "Ulf Gustavsson",
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      "name": "Bo Hagerman",
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      "name": "Fredrik Harrysson",
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      "name": "Ning He",
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      "name": "Kimmo Hiltunen",
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      "name": "Qianxi Lu",
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      "name": "Jianfeng Wang",
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    {
      "name": "Yi-Pin Eric Wang",
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    {
      "name": "Niclas Wiberg",
      "url": "https://patentbrief.org/inventor/niclas-wiberg"
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    {
      "name": "Emma Wittenmark",
      "url": "https://patentbrief.org/inventor/emma-wittenmark"
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    {
      "name": "Osman Nuri Can Yilmaz",
      "url": "https://patentbrief.org/inventor/osman-nuri-can-yilmaz"
    },
    {
      "name": "Ali Zaidi",
      "url": "https://patentbrief.org/inventor/ali-zaidi"
    },
    {
      "name": "Zhan Zhang",
      "url": "https://patentbrief.org/inventor/zhan-zhang"
    },
    {
      "name": "Zhang Zhang",
      "url": "https://patentbrief.org/inventor/zhang-zhang"
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    {
      "name": "Yanli Zheng",
      "url": "https://patentbrief.org/inventor/yanli-zheng"
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  ],
  "times_cited": 3,
  "tags": [
    "telecommunications",
    "software",
    "consumer_electronics"
  ],
  "abstract": "Methods and apparatus in a fifth-generation wireless communications network, including an example method, in a wireless device, that includes determining a reporting quality threshold for a parameter related to channel state information (CSI); performing a measurement for each of a plurality of beams from a first predetermined set of beams for evaluation; evaluating the measurement for each of the plurality of beams against the reporting quality threshold; discontinuing the performing and evaluating of measurements in response to determining that the reporting quality threshold is met for one of the beams, such that one or more beams in the first predetermined set of beams are not measured and evaluated; and reporting, to the wireless communications network, CSI for the one of the beams.",
  "url": "https://patentbrief.org/patent/us/12231284/network-architecture-methods-and-devices-for-a-wireless-communications-network",
  "markdown_url": "https://patentbrief.org/patent/us/12231284/network-architecture-methods-and-devices-for-a-wireless-communications-network/md",
  "google_patents_url": "https://patents.google.com/patent/US12231284",
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}