US 11641661

US Patent 11641661, titled "Methods and apparatuses for determining quasi co-location (QCL) assumptions for beam operations," was issued to Hannibal IP LLC on May 2, 2023, from an application filed on May 6, 2021. The inventors are Chien-Chun Cheng, Tsung-Hua Tsai, Yu-Hsin Cheng, and Wan-Chen Lin.

Abstract:
The patent describes a method and User Equipment (UE) for beam operations in wireless communication. The method involves a UE monitoring multiple Control Resource Sets (CORESETs) within an active Bandwidth Part (BWP) of a serving cell in a time slot. It then applies a Quasi Co-Location (QCL) assumption from a specific CORESET to receive a Downlink (DL) Reference Signal (RS). This specific CORESET is characterized by being associated with a monitored search space that has the lowest CORESET Identity (ID) among all monitored CORESETs. Additionally, the UE can receive Downlink Control Information (DCI) scheduling a Physical Downlink Shared Channel (PDSCH) from a Physical Downlink Control Channel (PDCCH), and apply the QCL assumption used for the PDCCH reception to the PDSCH, especially when the time difference (scheduling offset) between the PDCCH and PDSCH is less than a threshold.

Plain-Language Overview of Independent Claims:

• Independent Claim 1 (User Equipment): This claim describes a User Equipment (UE) designed for beam operations. It includes computer-readable media and a processor that enables the UE to:

  1. Monitor CORESETs: Observe at least some of the configured Control Resource Sets (CORESETs) within a specific active frequency band (BWP) of a serving cell during a time slot.
  2. Receive Scheduled DL RS: Acquire Downlink Control Information (DCI) that schedules a Downlink Reference Signal (DL RS). This action is specifically triggered when the time gap between the end of the Physical Downlink Control Channel (PDCCH) carrying the DCI and the beginning of the DL RS resource is smaller than a predetermined limit (threshold).
  3. Apply QCL Assumption for DL RS: Use a particular beamforming configuration (first Quasi Co-Location, QCL, assumption) from a designated CORESET (the "first CORESET") to receive the DL RS. This "first CORESET" is identified as the one linked to a monitored search space that has the lowest identifying number (CORESET ID) among all the CORESETs being monitored.

• Independent Claim 9 (Method performed by UE): This claim describes a method executed by a User Equipment (UE) for beam operations, comprising the steps of:

  1. Monitoring CORESETs: The UE observes at least one of multiple Control Resource Sets (CORESETs) that have been configured for it within an active frequency band (BWP) of a serving cell in a specific time slot.
  2. Obtaining DCI for DL RS: The UE receives Downlink Control Information (DCI) that schedules a Downlink Reference Signal (DL RS) from the "first CORESET." This step is carried out when the time delay (scheduling offset) between the end of the Physical Downlink Control Channel (PDCCH) that delivers the DCI and the start of the DL RS resource is less than a set threshold.
  3. Applying QCL Assumption for DL RS: The UE then applies a specific beamforming configuration (first Quasi Co-Location, QCL, assumption) from that "first CORESET" to facilitate the reception of the DL RS. The "first CORESET" in this context is the one associated with a monitored search space that possesses the lowest CORESET Identity (ID) among the set of monitored CORESETs.

USPTO and CAFC Docket Search:
A review of USPTO records (as reflected in the provided patent text from Google Patents) confirms the details presented above regarding US Patent 11641661. The patent is currently active. The Google Patents legal status section notes an "Anticipated expiration" of 2039-10-22 and mentions "PTAB case IPR2025-01190 filed (Settlement)" and "US case filed in Texas Eastern District Court" (4:25-cv-00200). However, a specific search for US Patent 11641661 within the CAFC 2026 dockets did not yield any direct results indicating active litigation or precedential opinions involving this specific patent number for the year 2026. The provided search results for CAFC dockets for 2026 discuss other patent cases but do not mention US11641661.