Flexible beamforming techniques for wireless devices

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.

What is claimed is: 
     
         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.   
     
     
         2 . 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.   
     
     
         3 . 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.   
     
     
         4 . The apparatus of  claim 2 , wherein the indication of the periodicity is transmitted to the UE via a downlink control channel. 
     
     
         5 . 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.   
     
     
         6 . 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.   
     
     
         7 . 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.   
     
     
         8 . 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.   
     
     
         9 . 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.   
     
     
         10 . 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.   
     
     
         11 . 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.   
     
     
         12 . 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.   
     
     
         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.   
     
     
         14 . 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.   
     
     
         15 . 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.   
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 14 , wherein the indication of the periodicity is transmitted to the UE via a downlink control channel. 
     
     
         17 . 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.   
     
     
         18 . 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.   
     
     
         19 . 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.   
     
     
         20 . 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.   
     
     
         21 . 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.   
     
     
         22 . The method of  claim 13 , further comprising:
 determining a transmit power for at least one beam for beamforming communications with the UE.   
     
     
         23 . The method of  claim 22 , further comprising:
 determining respective transmit powers for each of a set of beams for beamforming communications with the UE.   
     
     
         24 . 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.   
     
     
         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.   
     
     
         26 . 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.   
     
     
         27 . 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.   
     
     
         28 . The apparatus of  claim 26 , wherein the indication of the periodicity is transmitted to the UE via a downlink control channel. 
     
     
         29 . 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.   
     
     
         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.