Channel Quality Indicator (CQI) reporting method and apparatus

Abstract

According to one or more embodiments, a wireless device (22) is provided that is configured to report one of a plurality of predefined channel quality indicator (CQI) values. A maximum CQI value among the plurality of predefined CQI values ​​corresponds to any one of a plurality of signal characteristic values ​​that are greater than or equal to a threshold signal characteristic value. The wireless device (22) includes processing circuitry (84) configured to determine a first signal characteristic value associated with a received signal. The processing circuitry (84) is further configured to: if the first signal characteristic value is greater than or equal to a threshold signal characteristic value associated with the maximum CQI value, generate a CQI report indicating: the maximum CQI value; and a power backoff from the first signal characteristic value that resulted in the threshold signal characteristic value.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] Wireless communications and, more particularly, to Channel Quality Indicator (CQI) reporting with CQI margin during CQI saturation. Background Art

[0002] Active Antenna System (AAS) is a technology adopted by the Third Generation Partnership Project (3GPP) for fourth generation (4G) long term evolution (LTE) and fifth generation (5G) new radio (NR) to help improve wireless network performance and capacity by using full-dimensional multiple-input multiple-output (FD-MIMO) or massive MIMO. An exemplary AAS system includes a two-dimensional array of antenna elements with M rows, N columns, and K polarizations (K=2 in the case of cross-polarization), such as Figure 1 As shown in .

[0003] Codebook-based precoding in AAS can be based on a set of predefined precoding matrices. The precoding matrix indicator (PMI) can be selected by the wireless device using the downlink (DL) channel state information reference signal (CSI-RS) or by the network node using the uplink (UL) reference signal.

[0004] The precoding matrix (denoted as W) can be further described as a two-stage precoding structure as follows:

[0005] W=W1W2.

[0006] The first level of the precoding structure (i.e., W1) can be described as a codebook and essentially consists of a set of two-dimensional grids of beams (GoBs), which can be characterized as

[0007]

[0008] Among them, w h and w v are the precoding vectors selected from the oversampled Discrete Fourier Transform (DFT) for the horizontal and vertical directions, respectively, and can be given by Represents, where O1 and O2 are the oversampling rates in the horizontal and vertical directions respectively.

[0009] The second level of the precoding matrix (ie, W2) is used for beam selection within the set of 2D GoBs and for co-phasing of the correlation between the two polarizations.

[0010] At the wireless device, a channel quality indicator (CQI) is reported based on the strongest beam (precoding matrix indicator (PMI)) and the reported rank indicator (RI). The CQI represents the supported coding rate given the channel quality (e.g., SINR), PMI, and RI. When the SINR at the wireless device (i.e., measured and / or determined by the wireless device) exceeds a threshold, the maximum CQI 15 is reported, e.g., Figure 2 As shown in . The highest modulation and coding rate can be scheduled. However, when an indication of CQI 15 is received by the network node and CQI 15 corresponds to a saturated CQI, in addition to the CQI 15 corresponding to Figure 2 Outside of any one SINR value in the range of SINR values ​​shown in , the network node has no additional information about the actual SINR at the wireless device side.

[0011] However, the inability of the network node to determine the actual SINR measured by the wireless device due to CQI saturation may cause various problems. Summary of the Invention

[0012] Some embodiments advantageously provide methods and systems for channel quality indicator (CQI) reporting with CQI margin during CQI saturation.

[0013] In one or more embodiments, a method for extending CQI reporting in an AAS is provided. A network node configures a wireless device to provide extended CQI reporting. The wireless device determines a CQI margin that exceeds a maximum CQI. The wireless device reports the additional CQI margin to the network node using an existing CQI report. The network node is configured to obtain an extended PDSCH SINR (i.e., actual SINR) based at least in part on the CQI margin report. In one or more embodiments, the network node may apply the extended CQI margin to power backoff and power allocation.

[0014] According to one aspect of the present disclosure, a wireless device is provided, the wireless device being configured to report one of a plurality of predefined channel quality indicator (CQI) values. A maximum CQI value among the plurality of predefined CQI values ​​corresponds to any one of a plurality of signal characteristic values ​​that is greater than or equal to a threshold signal characteristic value. The wireless device includes processing circuitry configured to: determine a first signal characteristic value associated with a received signal; and if the first signal characteristic value is greater than or equal to the threshold signal characteristic value associated with the maximum CQI value, generate a CQI report indicating: the maximum CQI value; and a power backoff from the first signal characteristic value that resulted in the threshold signal characteristic value.

[0015] According to one or more embodiments of this aspect, the power backoff is indicated in an information element (IE) that is separate from the indication of the maximum CQI value. According to one or more embodiments of this aspect, the processing circuit is further configured to: generate a CQI report without an indication of the power backoff if the first signal characteristic value is not greater than a threshold signal characteristic value associated with the maximum CQI value. According to one or more embodiments of this aspect, if the first signal characteristic value is not greater than the threshold signal characteristic value associated with the maximum CQI value, generate a CQI report that indicates: the maximum CQI value; and a power backoff equal to zero.

[0016] According to one or more embodiments of this aspect, a CQI report is triggered based at least in part on one of: a preconfigured reporting periodicity; and physical uplink shared channel (PUSCH) downlink control information (DCI). According to one or more embodiments of this aspect, if the first signal characteristic value is greater than a threshold signal characteristic value, the first signal characteristic value corresponds to a CQI saturation region. According to one or more embodiments of this aspect, the indication of power backoff is one of: an additional CQI value included in the CQI report, the additional CQI value being mapped to a signal to interference plus noise ratio (SINR) value; and an SINR value. According to one or more embodiments of this aspect, the processing circuit is further configured to cause transmission of a capability indication to the network node, wherein the capability indication indicates an ability to determine the first signal characteristic value.

[0017] According to another aspect of the present disclosure, a method implemented in a wireless device is provided, the wireless device being configured to report one of a plurality of predefined channel quality indicator (CQI) values. A maximum CQI value among the plurality of predefined CQI values ​​corresponds to any one of a plurality of signal characteristic values ​​that is at least equal to a threshold signal characteristic value. A first signal characteristic value associated with a received signal is determined. If the first signal characteristic value is greater than the threshold signal characteristic value associated with the maximum CQI value, a CQI report is generated, the CQI report indicating: the maximum CQI value; and a power backoff from the first signal characteristic value that resulted in the threshold signal characteristic value.

[0018] In accordance with one or more embodiments of this aspect, power backoff is indicated in an information element (IE) that is separate from an indication of a maximum CQI value. In accordance with one or more embodiments of this aspect, if the first signal characteristic value is not greater than a threshold signal characteristic value associated with the maximum CQI value, a CQI report is generated without an indication of power backoff. In accordance with one or more embodiments of this aspect, if the first signal characteristic value is not greater than the threshold signal characteristic value associated with the maximum CQI value, a CQI report is generated that indicates the maximum CQI value and a power backoff equal to zero.

[0019] According to one or more embodiments of this aspect, a CQI report is triggered based at least in part on one of: a preconfigured reporting periodicity; and physical uplink shared channel (PUSCH) downlink control information (DCI). According to one or more embodiments of this aspect, if the first signal characteristic value is greater than a threshold signal characteristic value, the first signal characteristic value corresponds to a CQI saturation region. According to one or more embodiments of this aspect, the indication of power backoff is one of: an additional CQI value included in the CQI report, the additional CQI value being mapped to a signal to interference plus noise ratio (SINR) value; and an SINR value. According to one or more embodiments of this aspect, transmission of a capability indication to the network node is caused, wherein the capability indication indicates an ability to determine the first signal characteristic value.

[0020] According to another aspect of the present disclosure, a network node is provided, the network node being configured to communicate with a wireless device, the wireless device being configured to report one of a plurality of predefined CQI values. A maximum CQI value among the plurality of predefined CQI values ​​corresponds to any one of a plurality of signal characteristic values ​​that is equal to or greater than a threshold signal characteristic value. The network node includes processing circuitry configured to: receive a CQI report. If the first signal characteristic value is greater than or equal to the threshold signal characteristic value associated with the maximum CQI value, the CQI report indicates: the maximum CQI value; and a power backoff from a first signal characteristic value among the plurality of signal characteristic values ​​that results in the threshold signal characteristic value. The processing circuitry is further configured to: optionally estimate the first signal characteristic value based at least in part on the CQI report.

[0021] In accordance with one or more embodiments of this aspect, the power backoff is indicated in an information element (IE) that is separate from the indication of the maximum CQI value. In accordance with one or more embodiments of this aspect, the CQI report lacks an indication of the power backoff if the first signal characteristic value is not greater than a threshold signal characteristic value associated with the maximum CQI value. In accordance with one or more embodiments of this aspect, the power backoff is equal to zero.

[0022] According to one or more embodiments of this aspect, the processing circuit is further configured to: configure the wireless device to trigger a CQI report based at least in part on one of: a preconfigured reporting periodicity; and physical uplink shared channel (PUSCH) downlink control information (DCI). According to one or more embodiments of this aspect, if the first signal characteristic value is greater than a threshold signal characteristic value, the first signal characteristic value corresponds to a CQI saturation region. According to one or more embodiments of this aspect, the indication of power backoff is one of: an additional CQI value included in the CQI report, the additional CQI value being mapped to a signal to interference plus noise ratio (SINR) value; and an SINR value. According to one or more embodiments of this aspect, the processing circuit is further configured to: receive a capability indication, wherein the capability indication indicates an ability to determine the first signal characteristic value.

[0023] According to another aspect of the present disclosure, a method implemented in a network node is provided. The network node is configured to communicate with a wireless device, the wireless device being configured to report one of a plurality of predefined CQI values. A maximum CQI value among the plurality of predefined CQI values ​​corresponds to any one of a plurality of signal characteristic values ​​that is at least equal to a threshold signal characteristic value. A CQI report is received, wherein if the first signal characteristic value is greater than or equal to the threshold signal characteristic value associated with the maximum CQI value, the CQI report indicates: the maximum CQI value; and a power backoff from a first signal characteristic value among the plurality of signal characteristic values ​​that results in the threshold signal characteristic value. The first signal characteristic value is optionally estimated based at least in part on the CQI report.

[0024] In accordance with one or more embodiments of this aspect, the power backoff is indicated in an information element (IE) that is separate from the indication of the maximum CQI value. In accordance with one or more embodiments of this aspect, the CQI report lacks an indication of the power backoff if the first signal characteristic value is not greater than a threshold signal characteristic value associated with the maximum CQI value. In accordance with one or more embodiments of this aspect, the power backoff is equal to zero.

[0025] According to one or more embodiments of this aspect, the wireless device is configured to trigger a CQI report based at least in part on one of: a preconfigured reporting periodicity; and physical uplink shared channel (PUSCH) downlink control information (DCI). According to one or more embodiments of this aspect, if the first signal characteristic value is greater than a threshold signal characteristic value, the first signal characteristic value corresponds to a CQI saturation region. According to one or more embodiments of this aspect, the indication of power backoff is one of: an additional CQI value included in the CQI report, the additional CQI value being mapped to a signal to interference plus noise ratio (SINR) value; and an SINR value. According to one or more embodiments of this aspect, a capability indication is received, wherein the capability indication indicates an ability to determine the first signal characteristic value. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0026] A more complete understanding of the embodiments of the present disclosure and its attendant advantages and features will be more readily appreciated by reference to the following detailed description when considered in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which:

[0027] Figure 1 is a diagram of a two-dimensional antenna array;

[0028] Figure 2 is a diagram showing CQI saturation;

[0029] Figure 3 is a schematic diagram of an exemplary network architecture according to the principles of the present disclosure, showing a communication system connected to a host computer via an intermediate network;

[0030] Figure 4 is a block diagram of a host computer communicating with a wireless device via a network node over an at least partially wireless connection according to some embodiments of the present disclosure;

[0031] Figure 5 is a flow chart illustrating an exemplary method for executing a client application on a wireless device implemented in a communication system according to some embodiments of the present disclosure, the communication system including a host computer, a network node, and a wireless device;

[0032] Figure 6 is a flow chart illustrating an exemplary method for receiving user data at a wireless device implemented in a communication system according to some embodiments of the present disclosure, the communication system including a host computer, a network node, and a wireless device;

[0033] Figure 7 is a flow chart illustrating an exemplary method for receiving user data from a wireless device at a host computer implemented in a communication system according to some embodiments of the present disclosure, the communication system including a host computer, a network node, and a wireless device;

[0034] Figure 8 is a flow chart illustrating an exemplary method for receiving user data at a host computer implemented in a communication system according to some embodiments of the present disclosure, the communication system including a host computer, a network node, and a wireless device;

[0035] Figure 9 is a flowchart of an exemplary process in a network node according to some embodiments of the present disclosure;

[0036] Figure 10 is a flowchart of an exemplary process in a wireless device according to some embodiments of the present disclosure; and

[0037] Figure 11is a block diagram of CQI margin according to some embodiments of the present disclosure. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0038] As discussed above, CQI saturation can cause various problems. Some examples of problems caused by CQI saturation are as follows:

[0039] High interference and power waste. In an AAS with high beamforming gain, since the actual SINR measured at the wireless device is unknown when the CQI is saturated, the network node may transmit at full power on the physical downlink shared channel (PDSCH) without backoff, causing high interference to neighboring cells. In addition, when the DL peak throughput can be achieved with less than full power, transmitting at full power may be a waste of power resources.

[0040] SINR Underestimation in MU-MIMO. For MU-MIMO, power can be allocated among co-scheduled radios. Therefore, the CQI reported by the radio can be backed off based on the number of co-scheduled radios. However, for saturated CQI 15, CQI backoff with power allocation may not be appropriate because the SINR at the radio side may be underestimated due to CQI saturation, which may adversely cause the network node to underestimate the MU-MIMO SINR.

[0041] One method for mitigating CQI saturation is to configure the wireless device with a static power control offset. For example, in NR, the wireless device is configured with a power offset (powerControlOffset, e.g., -10 dB) from PDSCH REs to NZP CSI-RS REs via RRC, so that the wireless device always applies the power control offset before reporting CQI. The powerControlOffset of the CQI fallback configuration reported by the wireless device is then expressed as:

[0042] CQI_value_reported=CQI_SINR_Measured+powerControlOffset

[0043] At the network node, the PDSCH SINR is obtained by subtracting the pre-configured powerControlOffset from the CQI report of the wireless device and adding the outer loop adjustment of the PDSCH link adaptation, which is expressed as:

[0044] PDSCH_SINR=CQI_value_reported-powerControlOffset+OCL

[0045] Wherein, OLA is the outer loop adjustment (OLA) for PDSCH link adaptation. In one or more embodiments, if an ACK is received, the OLA is increased, and on the other hand, if a NACK is received, the OLA is decreased. Once the block error rate (BLER) target is achieved, the OLA may converge.

[0046] Problems caused by the above power control offset method may include one or more of the following problems:

[0047] - negatively impacts the minimum SINR estimate

[0048] In the case where the CQI varies from 0 to 15, the minimum CQI reported by the wireless device is zero. On the network node side, CQI 0 is mapped to the minimum SINR, called CQI_0_SINR (e.g., -10dB). In the case of a power control offset, the lowest SINR obtained on the network node side is CQI_0_SINR-powerControlOffset. For example, in the case of no power control offset, the minimum SINR obtained at the network node may be -10dB. In the case of a power control offset, the minimum SINR obtained at the network node increases to 0dB. However, due to the power control offset, the network node will not be able to determine the actual SINR below 0dB. In other words, in this power control offset example, in the case where the network node cannot determine the actual SINR of the wireless device reporting CQI 0, CQI 0 can correspond to any SINR value from -10dB to 0dB.

[0049] - Impact Rank Report

[0050] Using the power control offset in existing systems, the CQI reported by the wireless device falls back by powerControlOffset. Although the CQI can be compensated by the powerControlOffset at the network node, this may cause the wireless device to perform conservative rank estimation and reporting.

[0051] The present disclosure advantageously helps address one or more issues with existing systems and methods by configuring and / or providing Channel Quality Indicator (CQI) reporting with CQI margin during CQI saturation to allow a network node to determine whether transmit power can be allocated for fallback in SU-MIMO or MU-MIMO to mitigate interference to neighboring cells and save energy.

[0052] Before describing the exemplary embodiments in detail, it is noted that the embodiments reside primarily in a combination of apparatus components and processing steps related to channel quality indicator (CQI) reporting with CQI margin during CQI saturation. Accordingly, where appropriate, components have been represented in the drawings by conventional symbols, and only those specific details relevant to understanding the embodiments are shown so as not to obscure the disclosure with details that will be readily apparent to those of ordinary skill in the art having the benefit of the description herein. Like numbers refer to like elements throughout the description.

[0053] As used herein, relational terms (such as, "first" and "second," "top" and "bottom," and the like) may be used only to distinguish one entity or element from another entity or element, without necessarily requiring or implying any physical or logical relationship or order between such entities or elements. The terms used herein are for the purpose of describing specific embodiments only and are not intended to limit the concepts described herein. As used herein, the singular forms "a," "an," and "the" are also intended to include the plural forms unless the context clearly indicates otherwise. It will also be understood that when used herein, the terms "include" and / or "comprise" specify the presence of stated features, integers, steps, operations, elements, and / or parts, but do not exclude the presence or addition of one or more other features, integers, steps, operations, elements, parts, and / or groups thereof.

[0054] In the embodiments described herein, the connection terms "in communication with..." and the like may be used to indicate electrical or data communication, which may be accomplished through, for example, physical contact, induction, electromagnetic radiation, radio signaling, infrared signaling, or optical signaling. Those skilled in the art will appreciate that the various components may interoperate and that modifications and variations in achieving electrical and data communication are possible.

[0055] In some embodiments described herein, the terms "coupled," "connected," and the like may be used herein to indicate a connection (though not necessarily a direct connection), and may include wired and / or wireless connections.

[0056] The term "network node" as used herein can be any type of network node included in a radio network, and may also include any of the following: base station (BS), radio base station, base transceiver station (BTS), base station controller (BSC), radio network controller (RNC), gNodeB (gNB), evolved NodeB (eNB or eNodeB), NodeB, multi-standard radio (MSR) radio node (such as MSR BS), multi-cell / multicast coordination entity (MCE), integrated access and backhaul (IAB) node, relay node, donor node controlling relay, radio access point (AP), transmission point, transmission node, remote radio unit (RRU) remote radio head (RRH), core network node (e.g., mobility management entity (MME), self-organizing network (SON) node, coordination node, positioning node, MDT node, etc.), external node (e.g., third-party node, node outside the current network), node in distributed antenna system (DAS), spectrum access system (SAS) node, element management system (EMS), etc. Network nodes may also include test equipment. As used herein, the term "radio node" may be used to refer also to a wireless device (WD), such as a wireless device (WD), or a radio network node.

[0057] In some embodiments, the non-limiting terms wireless device (WD) or user equipment (UE) are used interchangeably. The WD herein can be any type of wireless device capable of communicating with a network node or another WD via radio signals, such as a wireless device (WD). The WD can also be a radio communication device, a target device, a device-to-device (D2D) WD, a machine type WD or a WD capable of machine-to-machine communication (M2M), a low-cost and / or low-complexity WD, a sensor equipped with a WD, a tablet, a mobile terminal, a smart phone, a laptop embedded device (LEE), a laptop mounted device (LME), a USB dongle, a customer premises equipment (CPE), an Internet of Things (IoT) device, or a narrowband IoT (NB-IOT) device, etc.

[0058] Furthermore, in some embodiments, the general term "radio network node" is used. It can be any kind of radio network node, which may include any of the following: base station, radio base station, base transceiver station, base station controller, network controller, RNC, evolved Node B (eNB), Node B, gNB, multi-cell / multicast coordination entity (MCE), IAB node, relay node, access point, radio access point, remote radio unit (RRU), remote radio head (RRH).

[0059] An indication may generally indicate the information it represents and / or indicates explicitly and / or implicitly. An implicit indication may, for example, be based on the location and / or resources used for transmission. An explicit indication may, for example, be based on parameterization, where one or more parameters and / or one or more indices and / or one or more bit patterns represent information. In particular, it may be considered that control signaling, as described herein, implicitly indicates the type of control signaling based on the sequence of resources used.

[0060] Transmission in a downlink may involve transmission from a network or a network node to a terminal. Transmission in an uplink may involve transmission from a terminal to a network or a network node. Transmission in a through link may involve (direct) transmission from one terminal to another terminal. Uplink, downlink and through link (e.g., through link transmission and reception) may be considered as communication directions. In some variants, uplink and downlink may also be used to describe wireless communications between network nodes, such as for wireless backhaul and / or relay communication and / or (wireless) network communication, in particular communication terminated therein, for example, between base stations or similar network nodes. It may be considered that backhaul and / or relay communication and / or network communication are implemented in the form of through link or uplink communication or communications similar thereto.

[0061] Configuring a terminal, wireless device, or node may involve instructing the wireless device, node, and / or causing the wireless device, node, or node to change its configuration, such as at least one setting and / or registry entry and / or operating mode. The terminal, wireless device, or node may be adapted to configure itself, for example, based on information or data in a memory of the terminal or wireless device. Configuring a node, terminal, or wireless device by another device, node, or network may refer to and / or include transmitting information and / or data and / or instructions, such as allocation data (which may also be configuration data and / or include configuration data) and / or scheduling data and / or scheduling grants, to the wireless device or node. Configuring a terminal may include sending allocation / configuration data to the terminal, the allocation / configuration data indicating which modulation and / or coding to use. The terminal may be configured with scheduling data and / or configured for scheduling data and / or configured to use scheduled and / or allocated uplink resources, such as for transmission, and / or to use scheduled and / or allocated downlink resources, such as for reception. Using the allocation or configuration data, uplink resources and / or downlink resources may be scheduled and / or provided.

[0062] Note that while terminology from one particular wireless system, such as, for example, 3GPP LTE and / or New Radio (NR), may be used in the present disclosure, this should not be considered to limit the scope of the present disclosure to only the aforementioned systems. Other wireless systems, including, but not limited to, Wideband Code Division Multiple Access (WCDMA), Worldwide Interoperability for Microwave Access (WiMax), Ultra Mobile Broadband (UMB), and Global System for Mobile Communications (GSM), may also benefit from utilizing the concepts encompassed within the present disclosure.

[0063] Note also that the functions described herein as being performed by a wireless device or network node may be distributed across multiple wireless devices and / or network nodes. In other words, it is contemplated that the functions of the network nodes and wireless devices described herein are not limited to being performed by a single physical device and can, in fact, be distributed across several physical devices.

[0064] Unless otherwise defined, all terms (including technical and scientific terms) used herein have the same meaning as commonly understood by one of ordinary skill in the art to which this disclosure belongs. It will also be understood that the terms used herein should be interpreted as having a meaning consistent with their meaning in the context of the relevant art and this specification, and will not be interpreted in an idealized or overly formal sense unless explicitly defined as such herein.

[0065] Referring again to the drawings, wherein like elements are designated by like reference numerals, Figure 3 , a schematic diagram of a communication system 10 (such as a 3GPP-type cellular network that can support standards such as LTE and / or NR (5G)) according to an embodiment is shown. The communication system 10 includes an access network 12 (such as a radio access network) and a core network 14. The access network 12 includes a plurality of network nodes 16a, 16b, 16c (collectively referred to as network nodes 16), such as NBs, eNBs, gNBs, or other types of wireless access points, each of which defines a corresponding coverage area 18a, 18b, 18c (collectively referred to as coverage area 18). Each network node 16a, 16b, 16c can be connected to the core network 14 via a wired or wireless connection 20. A first wireless device (WD) 22a located in the coverage area 18a is configured to be wirelessly connected to or paged by the corresponding network node 16c. A second WD 22b in the coverage area 18b can also be wirelessly connected to the corresponding network node 16a. Although multiple WDs 22a, 22b (collectively referred to as wireless devices 22) are shown in this example, the disclosed embodiments are equally applicable to situations where only a single WD is located in the coverage area or a single WD is connected to a corresponding network node 16. Note that although only two WDs 22 and three network nodes 16 are shown for convenience, the communication system may include many more WDs 22 and network nodes 16.

[0066] Furthermore, it is contemplated that the WD 22 can communicate simultaneously with more than one network node 16 and more than one type of network node 16, and / or be configured to communicate individually with more than one network node 16 and more than one type of network node 16. For example, the WD 22 can have dual connectivity with a network node 16 that supports LTE and the same or different network node 16 that supports NR. As an example, the WD 22 can communicate with an eNB for LTE / E-UTRAN and a gNB for NR / NG-RAN.

[0067] The communication system 10 may itself be connected to a host computer 24, which may be implemented in hardware and / or software of a stand-alone server, a cloud-implemented server, a distributed server, or as a processing resource in a server farm. The host computer 24 may be owned or controlled by a service provider, or may be operated by or on behalf of a service provider. The connections 26, 28 between the communication system 10 and the host computer 24 may extend directly from the core network 14 to the host computer 24, or may extend via an optional intermediate network 30. The intermediate network 30 may be one of a public, private, or managed network, or a combination of more than one of a public, private, or managed network. If any intermediate network 30 is present, the intermediate network 30 may be a backbone network or the Internet. In some embodiments, the intermediate network 30 may include two or more subnetworks (not shown).

[0068] Figure 3 The communication system as a whole enables connectivity between one of the connected WDs 22a, 22b and the host computer 24. This connectivity can be described as an over-the-top (OTT) connection. The host computer 24 and the connected WDs 22a, 22b are configured to communicate data and / or signaling via the OTT connection using the access network 12, the core network 14, any intermediate networks 30, and possibly additional infrastructure (not shown) as intermediaries. The OTT connection can be transparent in the sense that at least some of the participating communication devices through which the OTT connection passes are unaware of the routing of uplink and downlink communications. For example, the network node 16 may not be informed or need not be informed of the past routing of incoming downlink communications having data originating from the host computer 24 that will be forwarded (e.g., handed over) to the connected WD 22a. Similarly, the network node 16 does not need to know the future routing of outgoing uplink communications originating from the WD 22a toward the host computer 24.

[0069] The network node 16 is configured to include a CQI unit 32 configured to perform one or more network node functions described herein, such as network node functions for CQI reporting with CQI margin during CQI saturation. The wireless device 22 is configured to include a reporting unit 34 configured to perform one or more wireless device functions as described herein, such as wireless device functions for CQI reporting with dynamic CQI margin during CQI saturation.

[0070] Now refer to Figure 4 An exemplary implementation of the WD 22, network node 16, and host computer 24 discussed in the previous paragraphs according to an embodiment is described. In the communication system 10, the host computer 24 includes hardware (HW) 38, which includes a communication interface 40, which is configured to establish and maintain a wired or wireless connection to the interface of different communication devices of the communication system 10. The host computer 24 also includes processing circuitry 42, which may have storage and / or processing capabilities. The processing circuitry 42 may include a processor 44 and a memory 46. In particular, as an addition to or alternative to a processor (such as a central processing unit) and a memory, the processing circuitry 42 may include an integrated circuit for processing and / or control, for example, one or more processors and / or processor cores and / or an FPGA (field programmable gate array) and / or an ASIC (application-specific integrated circuit) suitable for executing instructions. The processor 44 may be configured to access (e.g., write to and / or read from) a memory 46, which may include any type of volatile and / or non-volatile memory, such as cache and / or buffer memory and / or RAM (random access memory) and / or ROM (read-only memory) and / or optical memory and / or EPROM (erasable programmable read-only memory).

[0071] Processing circuitry 42 may be configured to control any of the methods and / or processes described herein and / or cause such methods and / or processes to be performed, for example, by host computer 24. Processor 44 corresponds to one or more processors 44 for performing the functions of host computer 24 described herein. Host computer 24 includes memory 46 configured to store data, program software code, and / or other information described herein. In some embodiments, software 48 and / or host application 50 may include instructions that, when executed by processor 44 and / or processing circuitry 42, cause processor 44 and / or processing circuitry 42 to perform the processes described herein for host computer 24. The instructions may be software associated with host computer 24.

[0072] The software 48 may be executable by the processing circuitry 42. The software 48 includes a host application 50. The host application 50 may be operable to provide services to a remote user (such as a WD 22 connected via an OTT connection 52 that terminates at the WD 22 and the host computer 24). In providing services to the remote user, the host application 50 may provide user data transmitted using the OTT connection 52. "User data" may be data and information described herein as implementing the described functionality. In one embodiment, the host computer 24 may be configured to provide control and functionality to a service provider and may be operated by or on behalf of the service provider. The processing circuitry 42 of the host computer 24 may enable the host computer 24 to observe, monitor, control, transmit to, and / or receive from the network node 16 and / or wireless device 22. The processing circuitry 42 of the host computer 24 may include an information unit 54 configured to enable the service provider to perform one or more of the following: processing, determining, transmitting, receiving, forwarding, relaying, storing, managing, etc., information related to CQI reporting with dynamic CQI margin during CQI saturation.

[0073] Communication system 10 also includes a network node 16, which is disposed within communication system 10 and includes hardware 58 that enables network node 16 to communicate with host computer 24 and with WD 22. Hardware 58 may include a communication interface 60 for establishing and maintaining wired or wireless connections to various communication devices within communication system 10, and a radio interface 62 for establishing and maintaining at least a wireless connection 64 with WD 22 located within coverage area 18 served by network node 16. Radio interface 62 may be formed as, or may include, one or more RF transmitters, one or more RF receivers, and / or one or more RF transceivers, for example. Communication interface 60 may be configured to facilitate a connection 66 to host computer 24. Connection 66 may be a direct connection, or it may traverse core network 14 of communication system 10 and / or one or more intermediate networks 30 external to communication system 10.

[0074] In the illustrated embodiment, the hardware 58 of the network node 16 also includes processing circuitry 68. The processing circuitry 68 may include a processor 70 and a memory 72. In particular, in addition to or in lieu of a processor (such as a central processing unit) and a memory, the processing circuitry 68 may include an integrated circuit for processing and / or control, such as one or more processors and / or processor cores and / or an FPGA (field programmable gate array) and / or an ASIC (application-specific integrated circuit) adapted to execute instructions. The processor 70 may be configured to access the memory 72 (e.g., write to and / or read from the memory 72), which may include any type of volatile and / or non-volatile memory, such as a cache and / or buffer memory and / or RAM (random access memory) and / or ROM (read-only memory) and / or optical memory and / or EPROM (erasable programmable read-only memory).

[0075] Therefore, network node 16 also has software 74, which is stored internally, for example, in memory 72 or in external memory (e.g., a database, storage array, network storage device, etc.) accessible by network node 16 via an external connection. Software 74 may be executable by processing circuitry 68. Processing circuitry 68 may be configured to control any of the methods and / or processes described herein and / or cause such methods and / or processes to be performed, for example, by network node 16. Processor 70 corresponds to one or more processors 70 configured to perform the network node 16 functions described herein. Memory 72 is configured to store data, program software code, and / or other information described herein. In some embodiments, software 74 may include instructions that, when executed by processor 70 and / or processing circuitry 68, cause processor 70 and / or processing circuitry 68 to perform the processes described herein for network node 16. For example, processing circuitry 68 of network node 16 may include CQI unit 32, which is configured to perform one or more network node functions described herein.

[0076] The communication system 10 also includes the already mentioned WD 22. The WD 22 may have hardware 80 that may include a radio interface 82 configured to establish and maintain a wireless connection 64 with a network node 16 that serves the coverage area 18 in which the WD 22 is currently located. The radio interface 82 may be formed as, for example, one or more RF transmitters, one or more RF receivers, and / or one or more RF transceivers, or may include, for example, one or more RF transmitters, one or more RF receivers, and / or one or more RF transceivers.

[0077] The hardware 80 of the WD 22 also includes processing circuitry 84. The processing circuitry 84 may include a processor 86 and a memory 88. In particular, in addition to or in lieu of a processor (such as a central processing unit) and memory, the processing circuitry 84 may include an integrated circuit for processing and / or control, such as one or more processors and / or processor cores and / or an FPGA (field programmable gate array) and / or an ASIC (application-specific integrated circuit) adapted to execute instructions. The processor 86 may be configured to access the memory 88 (e.g., write to and / or read from the memory 88), which may include any type of volatile and / or non-volatile memory, such as a cache and / or buffer memory and / or RAM (random access memory) and / or ROM (read-only memory) and / or optical memory and / or EPROM (erasable programmable read-only memory).

[0078] Therefore, WD 22 may also include software 90, which is stored, for example, in the memory 88 of WD 22 or in an external memory (e.g., a database, storage array, network storage device, etc.) accessible by WD 22. The software 90 may be executable by the processing circuit 84. The software 90 may include a client application 92. The client application 92 may be operable to provide services to human or non-human users via WD 22 with the support of the host computer 24. In the host computer 24, the executed host application 50 may communicate with the executed client application 92 via the OTT connection 52 terminated at WD 22 and the host computer 24. When providing services to users, the client application 92 may receive request data from the host application 50 and provide user data in response to the request data. The OTT connection 52 may transmit both the request data and the user data. The client application 92 may interact with the user to generate the user data it provides.

[0079] The processing circuitry 84 may be configured to control any of the methods and / or processes described herein and / or cause such methods and / or processes to be performed, for example, by the WD 22. The processor 86 corresponds to one or more processors 86 configured to perform the WD 22 functions described herein. The WD 22 includes a memory 88 configured to store data, program software code, and / or other information described herein. In some embodiments, the software 90 and / or client application 92 may include instructions that, when executed by the processor 86 and / or processing circuitry 84, cause the processor 86 and / or processing circuitry 84 to perform the processes described herein for the WD 22. For example, the processing circuitry 84 of the wireless device 22 may include a reporting unit 34 configured to perform one or more wireless device functions described herein.

[0080] In some embodiments, the internal workings of network node 16, WD 22, and host computer 24 may be as follows: Figure 4 As shown in , and independently, the surrounding network topology can be Figure 3 network topology.

[0081] exist Figure 4 In FIG, OTT connection 52 has been abstractly drawn to illustrate communication between host computer 24 and wireless device 22 via network node 16, without explicitly mentioning any intermediary devices and the precise routing of messages through these devices. The network infrastructure can determine the routing, and it can be configured to hide the routing from WD 22 or from the service provider operating host computer 24, or both. While OTT connection 52 is active, the network infrastructure can further make decisions by which it dynamically changes the routing (e.g., based on load balancing considerations or reconfiguration of the network).

[0082] The wireless connection 64 between the WD 22 and the network node 16 is in accordance with the teachings of the embodiments described throughout this disclosure. One or more of the various embodiments improve the performance of OTT services provided to the WD 22 using the OTT connection 52, wherein the wireless connection 64 may form the final leg. More specifically, the teachings of some of these embodiments may improve data rates, latency, and / or power consumption, thereby providing benefits such as reduced user wait time, relaxed file size restrictions, better responsiveness, extended battery life, and the like.

[0083] In some embodiments, a measurement process may be provided for the purpose of monitoring data rates, latency, and other factors improved by one or more embodiments. Optional network functionality may also be provided for reconfiguring the OTT connection 52 between the host computer 24 and the WD 22 in response to changes in measurement results. The measurement process and / or network functionality for reconfiguring the OTT connection 52 may be implemented in the software 48 of the host computer 24, in the software 90 of the WD 22, or in both. In embodiments, sensors (not shown) may be deployed in or associated with the communication device through which the OTT connection 52 passes. The sensors may participate in the measurement process by providing values ​​of the monitored quantities exemplified above or other physical quantities from which the software 48 or 90 may calculate or estimate the monitored quantities. Reconfiguration of the OTT connection 52 may include message formats, retransmission settings, preferred routing, and the like. Reconfiguration need not affect the network node 16 and may be unknown or imperceptible to the network node 16. Some of these processes and functionality may be known and implemented in the art. In some embodiments, the measurements may involve proprietary WD signaling that facilitates measurements of throughput, propagation time, latency, and the like by the host computer 24. In some embodiments, the measurements may be achieved because the software 48, 90 causes messages (particularly empty or "dummy" messages) to be transmitted using the OTT connection 52 while it monitors propagation time, errors, etc.

[0084] Thus, in some embodiments, host computer 24 includes processing circuitry 42 configured to provide user data and communication interface 40 configured to forward the user data to a cellular network for transmission to WD 22. In some embodiments, cellular network also includes a network node 16 having a radio interface 62. In some embodiments, network node 16 is configured to perform the functions and / or methods described herein for preparing / initiating / maintaining / supporting / ending transmissions to WD 22 and / or preparing / terminating / maintaining / supporting / ending receipt of transmissions from WD 22, and / or processing circuitry 68 of network node 16 is configured to perform the functions and / or methods described herein for preparing / initiating / maintaining / supporting / ending transmissions to WD 22 and / or preparing / terminating / maintaining / supporting / ending receipt of transmissions from WD 22.

[0085] In some embodiments, host computer 24 includes processing circuitry 42 and communication interface 40 configured to receive user data originating from a transmission from WD 22 to network node 16. In some embodiments, WD 22 is configured to perform the functions and / or methods described herein for preparing / initiating / maintaining / supporting / ending a transmission to network node 16 and / or preparing / terminating / maintaining / supporting / ending reception of a transmission from network node 16, and / or WD 22 includes a radio interface 82 and / or processing circuitry 84 configured to perform the functions and / or methods described herein for preparing / initiating / maintaining / supporting / ending reception of a transmission to network node 16 and / or preparing / terminating / maintaining / supporting / ending reception of a transmission from network node 16.

[0086] Although Figure 3 and 4 Various "units" (such as CQI unit 32 and reporting unit 34) are shown as being within respective processors, but it is contemplated that these units may be implemented such that a portion of the unit is stored in corresponding memory within the processing circuitry. In other words, the units may be implemented within the processing circuitry in hardware or in a combination of hardware and software.

[0087] Figure 5 is a diagram illustrating a method for transmitting data in a communication system (such as, for example, Figure 3 and 4 The communication system may include a host computer 24, a network node 16, and a WD 22. The host computer 24, the network node 16, and the WD 22 may be reference Figure 4 1 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the host computer 24, network node 16, and WD 22 are described. In a first step of the method, the host computer 24 provides user data (block S100). In an optional substep of the first step, the host computer 24 provides the user data by executing a host application (such as, for example, the host application 50) (block S102). In a second step, the host computer 24 initiates a transfer carrying the user data to the WD 22 (block S104). In an optional third step, in accordance with the teachings of the embodiments described throughout this disclosure, the network node 16 transmits the user data carried in the transfer initiated by the host computer 24 to the WD 22 (block S106). In an optional fourth step, the WD 22 executes a client application, such as, for example, the client application 92 associated with the host application 50 executed by the host computer 24 (block S108).

[0088] Figure 6 is a diagram illustrating a method for transmitting data in a communication system (such as, for example, Figure 3The communication system may include a host computer 24, a network node 16, and a WD 22. The host computer 24, the network node 16, and the WD 22 may be reference Figure 3 and 4 1 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the host computer 24, network node 16, and WD 22 are described. In a first step of the method, the host computer 24 provides user data (block S110). In an optional sub-step (not shown), the host computer 24 provides the user data by executing a host application (such as, for example, host application 50). In a second step, the host computer 24 initiates a transmission carrying the user data to the WD 22 (block S112). In accordance with the teachings of the embodiments described throughout this disclosure, the transmission may pass through the network node 16. In an optional third step, the WD 22 receives the user data carried in the transmission (block S114).

[0089] Figure 7 FIG. 1 is a diagram illustrating a method for transmitting data in a communication system (such as, for example, Figure 3 The communication system may include a host computer 24, a network node 16, and a WD 22. The host computer 24, the network node 16, and the WD 22 may be reference Figure 3 and 4 1 . The method further includes a host computer 24, a network node 16, and a WD 22. In an optional first step of the method, the WD 22 receives input data provided by the host computer 24 (block S116). In an optional sub-step of the first step, the WD 22 executes the client application 92, which provides user data in response to the input data received from the host computer 24 (block S118). Additionally or alternatively, in an optional second step, the WD 22 provides user data (block S120). In an optional sub-step of the second step, the WD provides user data by executing a client application (such as, for example, the client application 92) (block S122). When providing the user data, the executed client application 92 may further consider user input received from the user. Regardless of the specific manner in which the user data is provided, the WD 22 may initiate the transmission of the user data to the host computer 24 in an optional third sub-step (block S124). In a fourth step of the method, host computer 24 receives the user data transmitted from WD 22 (block S126 ), in accordance with the teachings of the embodiments described throughout this disclosure.

[0090] Figure 8 FIG. 1 is a diagram illustrating a method for transmitting data in a communication system (such as, for example, Figure 3The communication system may include a host computer 24, a network node 16, and a WD 22. The host computer 24, the network node 16, and the WD 22 may be reference Figure 3 and 4 1 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the host computer 24, network node 16, and WD 22 are described. In an optional first step of the method, network node 16 receives user data from WD 22 in accordance with the teachings of the embodiments described throughout this disclosure (block S128). In an optional second step, network node 16 initiates a transmission of the received user data to host computer 24 (block S130). In a third step, host computer 24 receives the user data carried in the transmission initiated by network node 16 (block S132).

[0091] Figure 9 is a flow chart of an exemplary process in the network node 16 according to some embodiments of the present disclosure. One or more blocks and / or functions executed by the network node 16 may be performed by one or more elements of the network node 16, such as the CQI unit 32, the processor 70, the radio interface 62, etc. in the processing circuit 68. In one or more embodiments, the network node 16 is configured to communicate with the wireless device 22, and the wireless device 22 is configured to report one of a plurality of predefined CQI values, wherein a maximum CQI value of the plurality of predefined CQI values ​​corresponds to any one of a plurality of signal characteristic values ​​that is at least equal to a threshold signal characteristic value.

[0092] In one or more embodiments, as described herein, the network node 16 is configured to receive (block S134) a CQI report, such as via one or more of the processing circuitry 68, the processor 70, the communication interface 60, and the radio interface 62, wherein the CQI report indicates: the maximum CQI value; and a power backoff from a first signal characteristic value of the plurality of signal characteristic values ​​that resulted in the threshold signal characteristic value, if the first signal characteristic value is greater than or equal to a threshold signal characteristic value associated with the maximum CQI value. In one or more embodiments, as described herein, the network node 16 is configured to optionally estimate (block S136) the first signal characteristic value based at least in part on the CQI report, such as via one or more of the processing circuitry 68, the processor 70, the communication interface 60, and the radio interface 62.

[0093] Having generally described arrangements for the network node 16, details of one or more of these arrangements, functions and processes are provided below.

[0094] An extended PDSCH SINR (ie, a signal characteristic value) is obtained / estimated based at least in part on the extended CQI report including the CQI headroom report.

[0095] In one or more embodiments, when an indication of a CQI 15 (i.e., a maximum CQI value) with a margin (i.e., with an indicated margin or power backoff value) is received by the network node 16, such as via the radio interface 62, the actual PDSCH SINR measured by the wireless device 22 can be estimated by the following expression:

[0096] PDSCH_SINR=CQI_15_SINR+CQI_Headroom_SINR

[0097] Thus, the range of possible PDSCH SINRs is extended by the CQI margin reporting, wherein the network node 16 is able to determine the PDSCH SINR value (ie, the first signal characteristic) measured by the wireless device 22 during instances where the CQI 15 is indicated by the wireless device 22 .

[0098] The network node 16, such as via the processing circuitry 68 (e.g., including the CQI unit 32) and / or the radio interface 62, may be configured to perform at least one action based, at least in part, on the SINR value determined / estimated from the CQI headroom report. For example, the extended PDSCH SINR can be used by the network node 16, such as via the processing circuitry 68, to allocate power among the co-scheduled wireless devices 22. For example, if a wireless device 22 is reporting (i.e., indicating) a CQI 15 with a 6 dB headroom, such as via the radio interface 82, the network node 16, such as via the processing circuitry 68, may determine to pair various wireless devices 22 (e.g., four wireless devices 22) without LA backoff. Without the CQI headroom report, a 6 dB LA backoff may be required, which results in a conservative SINR estimate for the co-scheduled wireless devices 22, thereby negatively impacting throughput. In another example of actions performed by the network node 16, such as via the processing circuitry 68 (e.g., including the CQI unit 32) and / or the radio interface 62, the network node 16 may use the SINR value determined from the CQI headroom report for power backoff for SU-MIMO to reduce transmit power and interference to neighboring cells.

[0099] In accordance with one or more embodiments, the power backoff is indicated in an information element (IE) that is separate from the indication of the maximum CQI value. In accordance with one or more embodiments, the CQI report lacks an indication of the power backoff if the first signal characteristic value is not greater than a threshold signal characteristic value associated with the maximum CQI value. In accordance with one or more embodiments, the power backoff is equal to zero.

[0100] According to one or more embodiments, the processing circuit 68 is further configured to configure the wireless device 22 to trigger a CQI report based at least in part on one of: a preconfigured reporting periodicity; and physical uplink shared channel (PUSCH) downlink control information (DCI). According to one or more embodiments, if the first signal characteristic value is greater than a threshold signal characteristic value, the first signal characteristic value corresponds to a CQI saturation region. According to one or more embodiments, the indication of power backoff is one of: an additional CQI value included in the CQI report, the additional CQI value being mapped to a signal to interference plus noise ratio (SINR) value; and an SINR value. According to one or more embodiments, the processing circuit 68 is further configured to receive a capability indication to the network node 16, the capability indication indicating an ability to determine the first signal characteristic value.

[0101] In one or more embodiments, the network node 16 can configure the wireless device 22 with a CQI headroom report, such as via the processing circuit 68 (e.g., including the CQI unit 32) and / or the radio interface 62. The CQI headroom report can be part of an extended CQI report. In one or more embodiments, the CQI headroom report can be configured by the network node 16 via RRC signaling. A new IE (e.g., cqiHeadRoomReportConfig) can be introduced in the CSI-ReportConfig, in which the CQI headroom configuration can be indicated to the wireless device 22. For example, the CQI headroom:

[0102] - Wideband or sub-band CQI margin reporting.

[0103] - Periodic, aperiodic or semi-continuous CQI headroom reporting.

[0104] -Length of CQI margin reporting bits.

[0105] - Mapping between CQI margin bits and SINR margin values.

[0106] Figure 1084, the reporting unit 34, the processor 86, the radio interface 82, and the like. In one or more embodiments, the wireless device 22 is configured to determine (Block S138) a first signal characteristic value associated with a received signal, such as via one or more of the processing circuitry 84, the reporting unit 34, the processor 86, and the radio interface 82. For example, in one or more embodiments, the wireless device 22 is configured to report one of a plurality of predefined CQI values, such as via the processing circuitry 84 (e.g., including the reporting unit 34) and / or the radio interface 82, wherein the maximum CQI value among the plurality of predefined CQI values ​​corresponds to any one of a plurality of signal characteristic values ​​(e.g., SINR values) that is at least equal to a threshold signal characteristic value.

[0107] In one or more embodiments, such as via one or more of the processing circuit 84, the reporting unit 34, the processor 86, and the radio interface 82, the wireless device 22 is configured to, if the first signal characteristic value is greater than a threshold signal characteristic value associated with the maximum CQI value, generate (block S140) a CQI report if the first signal characteristic value is greater than a threshold signal characteristic value associated with the maximum CQI value, and if the first signal characteristic value is greater than or equal to the threshold signal characteristic value associated with the maximum CQI value, the CQI report indicating: the maximum CQI value; and a power backoff from the first signal characteristic value that resulted in the threshold signal characteristic value.

[0108] According to one or more embodiments, the power backoff is indicated in an information element (IE) that is separate from the indication of the maximum CQI value. According to one or more embodiments, the processing circuit 84 is further configured to generate a CQI report without an indication of the power backoff if the first signal characteristic value is not greater than a threshold signal characteristic value associated with the maximum CQI value. According to one or more embodiments, if the first signal characteristic value is not greater than the threshold signal characteristic value associated with the maximum CQI value, a CQI report is generated, the CQI report indicating: the maximum CQI value; and a power backoff equal to zero.

[0109] According to one or more embodiments, the CQI report is triggered based at least in part on one of: a preconfigured reporting periodicity; and physical uplink shared channel (PUSCH) downlink control information (DCI). According to one or more embodiments, if the first signal characteristic value is greater than a threshold signal characteristic value, the first signal characteristic value corresponds to a CQI saturation region. According to one or more embodiments, the indication of power backoff is one of: an additional CQI value included in the CQI report, the additional CQI value being mapped to a signal to interference plus noise ratio (SINR) value; and an SINR value. According to one or more embodiments, the processing circuit 84 is further configured to cause transmission of a capability indication to the network node 16, the capability indication indicating an ability to determine the first signal characteristic value.

[0110] Having generally described arrangements for the wireless device 22, details of one or more of these arrangements, functions, and processes are provided as follows.

[0111] Determine the CQI margin at the wireless device 22

[0112] In the case of an associated PMI and RI, if a maximum CQI is reached at the wireless device 22 as determined by the wireless device 22, such as via the processing circuitry 84 (e.g., including the reporting unit 34) and / or the radio interface 82, a CQI margin may be determined by the wireless device 22, such as via the processing circuitry 84 (e.g., including the reporting unit 34) and / or the radio interface 82. The CQI margin is a maximum power backoff that can be applied to ensure the maximum CQI in the case of the corresponding PMI and RI. For example, in one or more embodiments, the CQI margin corresponds to a second signal characteristic value that corresponds to a power backoff from the first signal characteristic value that results in a threshold signal characteristic value.

[0113] Figure 11 An example of a CQI margin is shown. For example, a PDSCH SINR is measured and / or determined at the wireless device 22, such as via the processing circuit 84 (e.g., including the reporting unit 34) and / or the radio interface 82, wherein the PDSCH SINR amount is a margin value greater than a threshold SINR for the CQI 15 and / or greater than a minimum SINR value among the SINR values ​​associated with the CQI 15.

[0114] In one example, if the corresponding SINR for the maximum CQI 15 is 20 dB with PMI and RI, then with a 25 dB SINR measured by the wireless device 22 on the PDSCH, there is a 5 dB margin over the CQI 15. This information (e.g., CQI margin or signal characteristic value) can be reported to the network node 16 so that the network node 16 can perform at least one action based on the CQI margin. In one or more embodiments, the at least one action includes power backoff for SU-MIMO or power allocation for MU-MIMO. In one or more embodiments, if the CQI is determined by the processing circuit 84 and / or the reporting unit 34 to be below 15, there may not be room for power backoff or power allocation, so that the wireless device 22 may, for example, report a CQI margin of "zero" or may omit the CQI margin report from the extended CQI report. The reporting of CQI is described in detail below.

[0115] Report CQI margin

[0116] The CQI margin can be reported with the associated CSI report, such as if CQI saturation is determined to exist. In one or more embodiments, the CQI margin can be quantized into a saved CQI margin value, which is mapped to a margin SINR value (e.g., a signal characteristic value), for example using the following 4-bit CQI margin report and SINR mapping table.

[0117] Table 1, CQI margin and SINR mapping

[0118] CQI margin reporting value CQI margin SINR value (dB) 0 0 1 2 2 4 3 6 4 8 5 10 6 12 7 14 8 16 9 18 10 20 11 22 12 24 13 26 14 28 15 30 and above

[0119] In one or more embodiments, the CQI headroom value corresponds to the power backoff value indicated to the network node 16. In one or more embodiments, the CQI headroom report may be triggered in a manner similar to the triggering of the CSI report. For example, the CQI headroom report may be triggered in one or more instances as follows:

[0120] - Triggered in a pre-configured manner similar to the triggering of periodic reports.

[0121] - Triggered by a bit in PUSCH DCI similar to aperiodic reporting.

[0122] - Triggered in a similar manner to semi-continuous reporting.

[0123] In one or more embodiments, if CQI saturation is detected by the wireless device 22, such as based at least in part on a PDSCH SINR measured by the wireless device, such as via the processing circuitry 84 (e.g., including the reporting unit 34) and / or the radio interface 82, an indication of power backoff may be triggered. In one or more embodiments, the wireless device 22 may indicate, such as via the processing circuitry 84 (e.g., including the reporting unit 34) and / or the radio interface 82, whether the CQI report is an extended CQI report, i.e., whether the CQI report includes a power backoff or headroom indication. In one or more embodiments, the CQI reports described herein may refer to two or more CQI reports, wherein the CQI headroom or power backoff indication may be included in a CQI headroom report separate from the CQI report.

[0124] Abbreviations that may be used in the preceding description include:

[0125] Abbreviation Explanation

[0126] AAS Active Antenna System

[0127] BBU baseband unit

[0128] BFG beamforming gain

[0129] CQI channel quality indicator

[0130] CSI-RS channel state information reference signal

[0131] DFT Discrete Fourier Transform

[0132] DMRS demodulation reference signal

[0133] FD-MIMO Full Dimension MIMO

[0134] GoB beam grid

[0135] PBF power back-off factor

[0136] PMI precoding matrix indicator

[0137] RRH Remote Radio Head

[0138] SRS sounding reference symbol

[0139] As will be appreciated by those skilled in the art, the concepts described herein may be implemented as methods, data processing systems, and / or computer program products. Thus, the concepts described herein may take the form of entirely hardware embodiments, entirely software embodiments, or embodiments combining software and hardware aspects, all collectively referred to herein as "circuits" or "modules." Additionally, the present disclosure may take the form of a computer program product on a tangible computer-usable storage medium having computer program code implemented therein that can be executed by a computer. Any suitable tangible computer-readable medium may be used, including a hard disk, a CD-ROM, an electronic storage device, an optical storage device, or a magnetic storage device.

[0140] Some embodiments are described herein with reference to flowchart illustrations and / or block diagrams of methods, systems, and computer program products. It will be understood that each block of the flowchart illustrations and / or block diagrams, and combinations of blocks in the flowchart illustrations and / or block diagrams, can be implemented by computer program instructions. These computer program instructions can be provided to a processor of a general-purpose computer, a special-purpose computer, or other programmable data processing device to produce a machine, whereby the instructions, executed by the processor of the computer or other programmable data processing device, create means for implementing the functions / actions specified in one or more blocks of the flowchart illustrations and / or block diagrams.

[0141] These computer program instructions may also be stored in a computer-readable memory or storage medium. These computer program instructions can instruct a computer or other programmable data processing device to operate in a specific manner, so that the instructions stored in the computer-readable memory produce an article of manufacture, which includes an instruction device that implements the functions / actions specified in one or more boxes of the flowchart and / or block diagram.

[0142] The computer program instructions may also be loaded onto a computer or other programmable data processing device so that a series of operational steps are performed on the computer or other programmable device to produce a computer-implemented process, whereby the instructions executed on the computer or other programmable device provide steps for implementing the functions / actions specified in one or more blocks of the flowchart and / or block diagram.

[0143] It should be understood that the functions / actions noted in the blocks may not occur in the order noted in the operational diagrams. For example, depending on the functionality / actions involved, two blocks shown in succession may in fact be executed substantially simultaneously, or the blocks may sometimes be executed in the reverse order. While some of the diagrams in the figures include arrows on communication paths to illustrate the primary direction of communication, it should be understood that communication may occur in the opposite direction of the depicted arrows.

[0144] Computer program code for carrying out operations of the concepts described herein may be written in an object oriented programming language such as or C++). However, the computer program code for performing the operations of the present disclosure may also be written in a conventional procedural programming language (such as the "C" programming language). The program code may be executed entirely on the user's computer, partially on the user's computer, as a stand-alone software package, partially on the user's computer and partially on a remote computer, or entirely on the remote computer. In the latter scenario, the remote computer may be connected to the user's computer via a local area network (LAN) or a wide area network (WAN), or may be connected to an external computer (e.g., via the Internet using an Internet service provider).

[0145] In conjunction with the above description and accompanying drawings, many different embodiments have been disclosed herein. It will be understood that it would be unduly repetitive and obfuscating to fully describe and illustrate every combination and subcombination of these embodiments. Therefore, all embodiments can be combined in any manner and / or combination, and this specification (including the accompanying drawings) should be construed to constitute a complete written description of all combinations and subcombinations of the embodiments described herein, as well as the manner and process of making and using them, and should support claims directed to any such combination or subcombination.

[0146] Those skilled in the art will appreciate that the embodiments described herein are not limited to what has been shown and described in detail herein. In addition, unless otherwise indicated above, it should be noted that all drawings are not drawn to scale. Various modifications and variations are possible in view of the above teachings without departing from the scope of the following claims.

Claims

1. A wireless device (22) configured to report one of a plurality of predefined channel quality indicator (CQI) values, a maximum CQI value of the plurality of predefined CQI values ​​corresponding to any one of a plurality of signal characteristic values ​​that are greater than or equal to a threshold signal characteristic value, the wireless device (22) comprising processing circuitry (84), the processing circuitry (84) configured to: determining a first signal characteristic value associated with the received signal; If the first signal characteristic value is greater than or equal to the threshold signal characteristic value associated with the maximum CQI value, generating a CQI report indicating: said maximum CQI value; and A power backoff from the first signal characteristic value results in the threshold signal characteristic value.

2. The wireless device (22) of claim 1, wherein: The power backoff is indicated in an information element (IE) separate from the indication of the maximum CQI value.

3. The wireless device (22) of claim 1, wherein: The processing circuit (84) is further configured to generate a CQI report without the indication of the power backoff if the first signal characteristic value is not greater than the threshold signal characteristic value associated with the maximum CQI value.

4. The wireless device (22) of claim 1, wherein: If the first signal characteristic value is not greater than the threshold signal characteristic value associated with the maximum CQI value, generating a CQI report indicating: the maximum CQI value; and The power back-off is equal to zero.

5. The wireless device (22) of claim 1, wherein: The CQI report is triggered based at least in part on one of the following: Pre-configured reporting periodicity; and Physical Uplink Shared Channel (PUSCH) Downlink Control Information (DCI).

6. The wireless device (22) of claim 1, wherein: If the first signal characteristic value is greater than the threshold signal characteristic value, then the first signal characteristic value corresponds to a CQI saturation region.

7. The wireless device (22) of claim 1, wherein: The indication of the power backoff is one of: an additional CQI value included in the CQI report, the additional CQI value being mapped to a signal to interference plus noise ratio (SINR) value; and SINR value.

8. The wireless device (22) of claim 1, wherein: The processing circuit (84) is further configured to cause transmission of a capability indication to the network node (16), the capability indication indicating a capability to determine the first signal characteristic value.

9. A method implemented in a wireless device (22), the wireless device (22) being configured to report one of a plurality of predefined channel quality indicator (CQI) values, a maximum CQI value of the plurality of predefined CQI values ​​corresponding to any one of a plurality of signal characteristic values ​​that is at least equal to a threshold signal characteristic value, the method comprising: determining (S138) a first signal characteristic value associated with the received signal; If the first signal characteristic value is greater than the threshold signal characteristic value associated with the maximum CQI value, generating (S140) a CQI report indicating: said maximum CQI value; and A power backoff from the first signal characteristic value results in the threshold signal characteristic value.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein: The power backoff is indicated in an information element (IE) separate from the indication of the maximum CQI value.

11. The method of claim 9, further comprising: If the first signal characteristic value is not greater than the threshold signal characteristic value associated with the maximum CQI value, generating a CQI report without the indication of the power backoff.

12. The method of claim 9, wherein: If the first signal characteristic value is not greater than the threshold signal characteristic value associated with the maximum CQI value, generating a CQI report indicating: the maximum CQI value; and The power back-off is equal to zero.

13. The method of claim 9, wherein: The CQI report is triggered based at least in part on one of the following: Pre-configured reporting periodicity; and Physical Uplink Shared Channel (PUSCH) Downlink Control Information (DCI).

14. The method of claim 9, wherein: If the first signal characteristic value is greater than the threshold signal characteristic value, then the first signal characteristic value corresponds to a CQI saturation region.

15. The method of claim 9, wherein: The indication of the power backoff is one of the following: additional CQI values ​​included in the CQI report, the additional CQI values ​​being mapped to signal-to-interference-plus-noise ratio (SINR) values; and SINR value.

16. The method of claim 9, further comprising: A transmission of a capability indication to a network node is caused, the capability indication indicating a capability to determine the first signal characteristic value.

17. A network node (16) configured to communicate with a wireless device (22), the wireless device (22) configured to report one of a plurality of predefined CQI values, a maximum CQI value of the plurality of predefined CQI values ​​corresponding to any one of a plurality of signal characteristic values ​​that are equal to or greater than a threshold signal characteristic value, the network node (16) comprising processing circuitry (68), the processing circuitry (68) configured to: Receive a CQI report, the CQI report indicating: said maximum CQI value; and power backoff from a first signal characteristic value of the plurality of signal characteristic values ​​that results in the threshold signal characteristic value; and The first signal characteristic value is estimated based at least in part on the CQI report.

18. The network node (16) of claim 17, wherein: The power backoff is indicated in an information element (IE) separate from the indication of the maximum CQI value.

19. The network node (16) of claim 17, wherein: If the first signal characteristic value is not greater than the threshold signal characteristic value associated with the maximum CQI value, then the CQI report lacks the indication of the power backoff.

20. The network node (16) of claim 17, wherein: The power back-off is equal to zero.

21. The network node (16) of claim 17, wherein: The processing circuit (68) is further configured to configure the wireless device (22) to trigger the CQI report based at least in part on one of: Pre-configured reporting periodicity; and Physical Uplink Shared Channel (PUSCH) Downlink Control Information (DCI).

22. The network node (16) of claim 17, wherein: If the first signal characteristic value is greater than the threshold signal characteristic value, then the first signal characteristic value corresponds to a CQI saturation region.

23. The network node (16) of claim 17, wherein: The indication of the power backoff is one of the following: additional CQI values ​​included in the CQI report, the additional CQI values ​​being mapped to signal-to-interference-plus-noise ratio (SINR) values; and SINR value.

24. The network node (16) of claim 17, wherein: The processing circuit (68) is further configured to receive a capability indication indicating an ability to determine the first signal characteristic value.

25. A method implemented in a network node (16), the network node (16) configured to communicate with a wireless device (22), the wireless device (22) configured to report one of a plurality of predefined CQI values, a maximum CQI value of the plurality of predefined CQI values ​​corresponding to any one of a plurality of signal characteristic values ​​that is at least equal to a threshold signal characteristic value, the method comprising: Receive (S134) a CQI report, the CQI report indicating: the maximum CQI value; and power backoff from a first signal characteristic value of the plurality of signal characteristic values ​​that results in the threshold signal characteristic value; and The first signal characteristic value is estimated (S136) based at least in part on the CQI report.

26. The method of claim 25, wherein: The power backoff is indicated in an information element (IE) separate from the indication of the maximum CQI value.

27. The method of claim 25, wherein: If the first signal characteristic value is not greater than the threshold signal characteristic value associated with the maximum CQI value, then the CQI report lacks the indication of the power backoff.

28. The method of claim 25, wherein: The power back-off is equal to zero.

29. The method of claim 25, further comprising: The wireless apparatus is configured to trigger the CQI reporting based at least in part on one of: Pre-configured reporting periodicity; and Physical Uplink Shared Channel (PUSCH) Downlink Control Information (DCI).

30. The method of claim 25, wherein: If the first signal characteristic value is greater than the threshold signal characteristic value, then the first signal characteristic value corresponds to a CQI saturation region.

31. The method of claim 25, wherein: The indication of the power backoff is one of the following: additional CQI values ​​included in the CQI report, the additional CQI values ​​being mapped to signal-to-interference-plus-noise ratio (SINR) values; and SINR value.

32. The method of claim 25, further comprising: A capability indication is received, the capability indication indicating an ability to determine the first signal characteristic value.

33. A computer program product comprising computer program code which, when executed by a processor, causes the processor to perform the method of any one of claims 9-16 and 25-32.

34. A computer readable medium storing computer program code, which, when executed by a processor, causes the processor to perform the method of any one of claims 9-16 and 25-32.

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