User equipment and scheduling equipment

Abstract

The present disclosure relates to user equipment (UE) and scheduling nodes, as well as corresponding methods. Specifically, downlink control information (DCI) signaling carries a TCI indicator specifying two or more transmission configuration indication (TCI) states configured and a frequency domain resource assignment specifying frequency domain resources allocated for the two or more TCI states. For each of the two or more TCI states, one or more regions in the frequency domain are determined, each region having an integer multiple of precoding resource block groups (PRGs), where the integer is equal to or greater than 1, and regions in different TCI states do not overlap. Data is received or transmitted for each TCI state on the frequency domain resources in the determined frequency domain regions.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present disclosure relates to the transmission and reception of signals in a communication system, and more particularly to methods and apparatus for such transmission and reception. Background Art

[0002] The 3rd Generation Partnership Project (3GPP) is working on the technical specifications for the next generation of cellular technology, also known as fifth generation (5G), including the "New Radio" (NR) radio access technology (RAT), which operates in the frequency range up to 100 GHz. NR is a follower of the technologies represented by Long Term Evolution (LTE) and LTE-Advanced (LTE-A).

[0003] For systems like LTE, LTE-A and NR, further modifications and options may aid in the efficient operation of the communication system and specific devices belonging to the system. Summary of the Invention

[0004] One non-limiting and exemplary embodiment facilitates efficient resource utilization, including efficient signaling of frequency domain resources for multiple transmit / receive points (TRPs), ie, for multiple transmission configuration indication (TCI) states.

[0005] In an embodiment, the technology disclosed herein is characterized by a user equipment (UE) comprising: a transceiver that receives downlink control information (DCI) signaling; and a processor that obtains, from the DCI signaling: a transmission configuration indication (TCI) indicator that specifies that two or more TCI states are configured; and a frequency domain resource assignment that indicates frequency domain resources allocated for the two or more TCI states; determining one or more regions in the frequency domain for each of the two or more TCI states, each region having an integer multiple of precoding resource block groups (PRGs), the integer being equal to or greater than 1, wherein regions for different TCI states do not overlap, and wherein the transceiver receives or transmits data for each TCI state on the frequency domain resources in the determined frequency domain region.

[0006] It should be noted that the general or specific embodiments may be implemented as a system, a method, an integrated circuit, a computer program, a storage medium, or any selective combination thereof.

[0007] Additional benefits and advantages of the disclosed embodiments will become apparent from the description and drawings. Benefits and / or advantages may be obtained individually from various embodiments and features of the description and drawings, and not all of these embodiments and features need to be provided in order to achieve one or more of such benefits and / or advantages. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0008] Hereinafter, exemplary embodiments will be described in more detail with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0009] Figure 1 is a schematic diagram showing an exemplary architecture of a 3GPP NR system;

[0010] Figure 2 is a block diagram illustrating an exemplary user and control plane architecture for LTE eNB, gNB, and UE;

[0011] Figure 3 is a schematic diagram showing the functional division between NG-RAN and 5GC;

[0012] Figure 4 is a sequence diagram of the RRC connection establishment / reconfiguration procedure;

[0013] Figure 5 is a schematic diagram illustrating usage scenarios of enhanced mobile broadband, massive machine type communication (mMTC), and ultra-reliable and low latency communication (URLLC);

[0014] Figure 6 is a block diagram illustrating an exemplary 5G system architecture;

[0015] Figure 7 is a block diagram illustrating a user equipment (UE) and a scheduling device (base station) communicating over a wireless channel;

[0016] Figure 8 is a block diagram showing the functional structure of a user equipment (UE);

[0017] Figure 9 is a block diagram showing the functional structure of a network node;

[0018] Figure 10 is a flow chart illustrating an exemplary method performed at a UE;

[0019] Figure 11 is a flow chart illustrating an exemplary method of communication performed on a UE side and a network side;

[0020] Figure 12 is a schematic diagram illustrating a first exemplary mapping of regions to precoding resource groups;

[0021] Figure 13 is a diagram illustrating a second exemplary mapping of regions to precoding resource groups;

[0022] Figure 14 is a diagram illustrating a third exemplary mapping of regions to precoding resource groups;

[0023] Figure 15is a diagram illustrating a fourth exemplary mapping of regions to precoding resource groups;

[0024] Figure 16 is a diagram illustrating a fifth exemplary mapping of regions to precoding resource groups; and

[0025] Figure 17 is a diagram illustrating a sixth exemplary mapping of regions to precoding resource groups. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0026] 5G NR system architecture and protocol stack

[0027] 3GPP has been working on the next version of fifth-generation cellular technology, or 5G, including the development of a new radio access technology (NR) operating at frequencies up to 100 GHz. The first version of the 5G standard was completed in late 2017, allowing for trials and commercial deployment of smartphones compliant with the 5G NR standard.

[0028] The overall system architecture assumes, among other things, a NG-RAN (Next Generation Radio Access Network) comprising gNBs, which provide NG-Radio Access user plane (SDAP / PDCP / RLC / MAC / PHY) and control plane (Radio Resource Control, RRC) protocol terminations to the UE. The gNBs are interconnected by means of Xn interfaces. The gNBs are also connected to the NGC (Next Generation Core) by means of the Next Generation (NG) interfaces, more specifically to the AMF (Access and Mobility Management Function) (e.g. a specific core entity implementing the AMF) by means of the NG-C interface, and to the UPF (User Plane Function) (e.g. a specific core entity implementing the UPF) by means of the NG-U interface. The NG-RAN architecture is as follows Figure 1 As shown (for example, see 3GPP TS 38.300 v15.6.0 Section 4).

[0029] A variety of different deployment scenarios can be supported (see, for example, 3GPP TR 38.801 v14.0.0). For example, a decentralized deployment scenario is presented (see, for example, Section 5.2 of TR 38.801; centralized deployment is described in Section 5.4), in which base stations supporting 5G NR can be deployed. Figure 2 An exemplary decentralized deployment scenario is shown (see, for example, the TR 38.801 Figure 5.2.-1), also showing an LTE eNB and user equipment (UE) connected to both the gNB and the LTE eNB. The new eNB for NR 5G may be exemplarily referred to as a gNB. The eLTE eNB is an evolution of the eNB, supporting connections to both the EPC (Evolved Packet Core) and the NGC (Next Generation Core).

[0030] The user plane protocol stack for NR (see, for example, 3GPP TS 38.300, Section 4.4.1) includes the PDCP (Packet Data Convergence Protocol, see Section 6.4 of TS 38.300), the RLC (Radio Link Control, see Section 6.3 of TS 38.300), and the MAC (Medium Access Control, see Section 6.2 of TS 38.300) sublayers, which terminate at the gNB on the network side. Furthermore, a new access stratum (AS) sublayer (SDAP, Service Data Adaptation Protocol) is introduced on top of PDCP (see, for example, 3GPP TS 38.300, Section 6.5). A control plane protocol stack is also defined for NR (see, for example, TS 38.300, Section 4.4.2). Subclause 6 of TS 38.300 provides an overview of Layer 2 functionality. Sections 6.4, 6.3, and 6.2 of TS 38.300 list the functions of the PDCP, RLC, and MAC sublayers, respectively. The functions of the RRC layer are listed in subclause 7 of TS 38.300.

[0031] For example, the media access control layer handles logical channel multiplexing, as well as scheduling and scheduling-related functions, including handling different numerologies.

[0032] For example, the physical layer (PHY) is responsible for coding, PHY HARQ processing, modulation, multi-antenna processing, and mapping signals to appropriate physical time-frequency resources. It also handles the mapping of transport channels to physical channels. The physical layer provides services to the MAC layer in the form of transport channels. A physical channel corresponds to a set of time-frequency resources used to transmit a specific transport channel, and each transport channel is mapped to a corresponding physical channel. One physical channel is the PRACH (Physical Random Access Channel) used for random access.

[0033] NR use cases / deployment scenarios may include enhanced mobile broadband (eMBB), ultra-reliable low latency communication (URLLC), massive machine type communication (mMTC), which have different requirements in terms of data rate, latency and coverage. For example, eMBB is expected to support peak data rates (20Gbps for downlink and 10Gbps for uplink) and user-experienced data rates that are approximately three times that provided by IMT-Advanced. On the other hand, in the case of URLLC, there is a demand for ultra-low latency (0.5ms each for user plane latency, UL and DL) and high reliability (1-10 times within 1ms). -5 ) puts forward more stringent requirements. Finally, mMTC may best require high connection density (1,000,000 devices / km in urban environments) 2 ), wide coverage in harsh environments, and ultra-long battery life (15 years) for low-cost devices.

[0034] Therefore, an OFDM parameter set (e.g., subcarrier spacing, OFDM symbol duration, cyclic prefix (CP) duration, number of symbols per scheduling interval) that is suitable for one use case may not be suitable for another use case. For example, a low latency service may preferably require a shorter symbol duration (and therefore a larger subcarrier spacing) and / or fewer symbols per scheduling interval (also called TTI) compared to an mMTC service. In addition, a deployment scenario with a large channel latency spread may preferably require a longer CP duration compared to a scenario with a short latency spread. The subcarrier spacing should be optimized accordingly to maintain similar CP overhead. NR can support more than one value of subcarrier spacing. Accordingly, subcarrier spacings of 15kHz, 30kHz, 60kHz, ... are currently under consideration. Symbol duration T u And the subcarrier spacing Δf is calculated by the formula Δf=1 / T u In a similar manner as in LTE, the term "resource element" may be used to denote the smallest resource unit consisting of one subcarrier of one OFDM / SC-FDMA symbol length.

[0035] In the new radio system 5G-NR, for each numerology set and carrier, a resource grid of subcarriers and OFDM symbols is defined for uplink and downlink, respectively. Each element in the resource grid is called a resource element and is identified based on a frequency index in the frequency domain and a symbol position in the time domain (see 3GPP TS 38.211 v15.6.0).

[0036] 5G NR functional division between NG-RAN and 5GC

[0037] Figure 3 The functional division between NG-RAN and 5GC is shown. The NG-RAN logical node is the gNB or ng-eNB. The 5GC has the logical nodes AMF, UPF, and SMF.

[0038] In particular, gNB and ng-eNB host the following key functions:

[0039] - Functions for radio resource management, such as radio bearer control, radio admission control, connection mobility control, dynamic allocation of resources to UEs in both uplink and downlink (scheduling);

[0040] -IP header compression, encryption and integrity protection of data;

[0041] - Selection of the AMF at the UE attachment when the route to the AMF cannot be determined based on the information provided by the UE;

[0042] - Routing user plane data towards UPF;

[0043] - routing control plane information towards the AMF;

[0044] -Connection establishment and release;

[0045] - Scheduling and transmission of paging messages;

[0046] - Scheduling and transmission of system broadcast information (from AMF or OAM);

[0047] -Mobility and scheduling measurements and measurement reporting configuration;

[0048] - Transmission class packet marking in uplink;

[0049] -Session management;

[0050] - Network slicing support;

[0051] -QoS flow management and mapping to data radio bearers;

[0052] -Support UE in RRC_INACTIVE state;

[0053] -NAS message distribution function;

[0054] - Radio access network sharing;

[0055] -Dual connection;

[0056] - Tight interworking between NR and E-UTRA.

[0057] The Access and Mobility Management Function (AMF) carries the following main functions:

[0058] - Non-Access Stratum (NAS) signalling termination;

[0059] -NAS signaling security;

[0060] -Access layer (AS) security control;

[0061] - Inter-core network (CN) node signaling for mobility between 3GPP access networks;

[0062] - Idle mode UE reachability (including control and execution of paging retransmissions);

[0063] -Registration area management;

[0064] -Support mobility within and between systems;

[0065] - Access authentication;

[0066] - Access authorization, including checking roaming permissions;

[0067] - Mobility management control (subscription and policy);

[0068] - Network slicing support;

[0069] -Session Management Function (SMF) selection.

[0070] In addition, the User Plane Function (UPF) carries the following main functions:

[0071] - Anchor point for intra-RAT / inter-RAT mobility (when applicable);

[0072] - External PDU session points for interconnection to data networks;

[0073] -Packet routing and forwarding;

[0074] -Packet inspection and user plane part of policy rule enforcement;

[0075] - Traffic usage report;

[0076] - Uplink classifier that supports routing of traffic flows to the data network;

[0077] -Support branch points for multi-homed PDU sessions;

[0078] - QoS processing in the user plane, e.g. packet filtering, gating, UL / DL rate enforcement;

[0079] - Uplink traffic verification (SDF to QoS flow mapping);

[0080] - Downlink packet buffering and downlink data notification triggering.

[0081] Finally, the Session Management Function (SMF) carries the following main functions:

[0082] -Session management;

[0083] -UE IP address allocation and management;

[0084] -Selection and control of UP function;

[0085] -Configure traffic steering at the User Plane Function (UPF) to route traffic to the correct destination;

[0086] -Control part for QoS and policy enforcement;

[0087] - Downlink data notification.

[0088] RRC connection establishment and reconfiguration procedures

[0089] Figure 4 Some interactions between the UE, gNB and AMF (5GC entity) are shown in the context of the UE transitioning from RRC_IDLE to RRC_CONNECTED for the NAS part (see TS 38.300 v15.6.0).

[0090] RRC is the higher-layer signaling (protocol) used for UE and gNB configuration. Specifically, this transition involves the AMF preparing UE context data (including, for example, PDU session context, security keys, UE radio capabilities, and UE security capabilities) and sending it to the gNB along with an Initial Context Setup Request. The gNB then activates AS security with the UE by sending a SecurityModeCommand message to the UE, with the UE responding with a SecurityModeComplete message to the gNB. The gNB then performs reconfiguration to establish Signaling Radio Bearer 2 (SRB2) and Data Radio Bearer (DRB) by sending an RRCReconfiguration message to the UE and, in response, receiving an RRCReconfigurationComplete message from the UE. For signaling-only connections, the steps related to RRCReconfiguration are skipped because SRB2 and DRB are not established. Finally, the gNB notifies the AMF that the establishment procedure is completed using the Initial Context Setup Response (INITIAL CONTEXT SETUPRESPONSE).

[0091] Therefore, the present disclosure provides a fifth generation core (5GC) entity (e.g., AMF, SMF, etc.), which includes: a control circuit that establishes a next generation (NG) connection with a gNodeB (or gNB); and a transceiver that sends an initial context setup message to the gNodeB via the NG connection to establish a signaling radio bearer between the gNodeB and a user equipment (UE). In particular, the gNodeB sends radio resource control (RRC) signaling containing a resource allocation configuration information element to the UE via the signaling radio bearer. The UE then performs uplink transmission or downlink reception based on the resource allocation configuration.

[0092] Use cases for IMT in 2020 and beyond

[0093] Figure 5 Some use cases for 5G NR are shown. Within the 3rd Generation Partnership Project New Radio (3GPP NR), three use cases are being considered that are envisioned to support the diverse services and applications of IMT-2020. The first phase of specifications for enhanced mobile broadband (eMMB) has been completed. In addition to further expanding eMMB support, current and future work will involve standardization of ultra-reliable and low-latency communications (URLLC) and massive machine-type communications. Figure 5Some examples of envisaged usage scenarios for IMT for 2020 and beyond are shown.

[0094] The URLLC use case has stringent requirements on capabilities such as throughput, latency and availability, and is envisioned as one of the enablers for future vertical applications such as wireless control of industrial manufacturing or production processes, telemedicine surgery, distribution automation in smart grids, transport safety, etc. Ultra-reliability for URLLC is supported by identifying technologies that meet the requirements set by TR 38.913. For NR URLCC in Release 15, the key requirements include a target user plane latency of 0.5ms for UL (uplink) and a target user plane latency of 0.5ms for DL ​​(downlink). The general URLLC requirement for one transmission of a packet is a BLER (block error rate) of 1E-5 for a packet size of 32 bytes with a user plane latency of 1ms.

[0095] From the RAN1 perspective, reliability can be improved in a number of possible ways. Current scope for improving reliability includes defining a separate CQI table for URLLC, more compact DCI formats, PDCCH repetition, etc. However, as NR becomes more stable and developed, the scope for achieving ultra-reliability (a key requirement for NR) is likely to expand. Special use cases for NR URLCC in Rel.15 include augmented reality / virtual reality (AR / VR), e-health, e-safety, and mission-critical applications.

[0096] In addition, the technical enhancements targeted by NR URLCC are aimed at latency improvement and reliability improvement. The technical enhancements for latency improvement include configurable parameter sets, non-slot-based scheduling with flexible mapping, unlicensed (configured license) uplink, slot-level repetition for data channels, and downlink pre-emption. Preemption means that the transmission to which resources have been allocated is stopped, and the allocated resources are used for another transmission that is requested later but has lower latency / higher priority requirements. Therefore, the transmission that has been granted is preempted by the subsequent transmission. Preemption applies independently of the specific service type. For example, a transmission of service type A (URLCC) may be preempted by a transmission of service type B (such as eMMB). Technical enhancements for reliability improvement include a dedicated CQI / MCS table for a target BLER of 1E-5.

[0097] The mMTC (Massive Machine Type Communication) use case is characterized by a large number of connected devices, often sending relatively small amounts of non-latency-sensitive data. Devices must be low-cost and have long battery life. From the perspective of NR, utilizing very narrow bandwidth segments is a possible solution that can save power and extend battery life from the perspective of user devices.

[0098] As mentioned above, the reliability scope of NR is expected to become even wider. A key requirement for all cases, and particularly necessary for URLLC and mMTC, is high or ultra-reliability. Several mechanisms can be considered to improve reliability from both a radio perspective and a network perspective. In general, there are a few key potential areas that can help improve reliability. These areas include compact control channel information, data / control channel repetition, and diversity in the frequency, time, and / or spatial domains. These areas apply generally to reliability, regardless of the specific communication scenario.

[0099] For NR URLLC, further use cases with more stringent requirements have been identified, such as factory automation, transport industry and power distribution. The more stringent requirements are higher reliability (up to 10-6), higher availability, packet sizes up to 256 bytes, time synchronization down to the order of a few μs, where this value can be one or several μs depending on the frequency range and short latency of about 0.5 to 1 ms, in particular a target user plane latency of 0.5 ms, depending on the use case.

[0100] In addition, for NR URLCC, from the perspective of RAN1, several technical enhancements have been identified. Among them are PDCCH enhancements related to compact DCI, PDCCH (Physical Downlink Control Channel) repetition, and increased PDCCH monitoring. In addition, UCI (Uplink Control Information) enhancements are related to enhanced HARQ (Hybrid Automatic Repeat Request) and CSI feedback enhancements. PUSCH enhancements related to mini-slot level hopping and retransmission / repetition enhancements have also been identified. The term "mini-slot" refers to a transmission time interval (TTI) that includes fewer symbols than a slot (a slot including 14 or 12 symbols).

[0101] In slot-based scheduling or assignment, the slot corresponds to the timing granularity (TTI - Transmission Time Interval) used for scheduling assignments. Generally, the TTI determines the timing granularity used for scheduling assignments. One TTI is the time interval in which a given signal is mapped to the physical layer. For example, conventionally, the TTI length can vary from 14 symbols (slot-based scheduling) to 2 symbols (non-slot-based scheduling). Downlink (DL) and uplink (UL) transmissions are specified to be organized into frames (10ms duration) consisting of 10 subframes (1ms duration). In slot-based transmission, the subframes are further divided into slots, the number of which is defined by the parameter set / subcarrier spacing. The specified values ​​vary between 10 slots per frame (1 slot per subframe) for a subcarrier spacing of 15kHz to 80 slots per frame (8 slots per subframe) for a subcarrier spacing of 120kHz. For a normal cyclic prefix, the number of OFDM symbols per slot is 14, and for an extended cyclic prefix, the number of OFDM symbols per slot is 12 (see Section 4.1 (General frame structure), Section 4.2 (Parameter sets), Section 4.3.1 (Frames and subframes), and Section 4.3.2 (Slots) of 3GPP TS 38.211 V15.3.0 (Physical Channels and Modulation, 2018-09)). However, the assignment of time resources for transmission may also be non-slot based. In particular, the TTI in a non-slot based assignment may correspond to a mini-slot instead of a slot. That is, one or more mini-slots may be assigned to the requested data / control signaling transmission. In a non-slot based assignment, the minimum length of a TTI may be, for example, 1 or 2 OFDM symbols.

[0102] QoS control

[0103] The 5G QoS (Quality of Service) model is based on QoS flows and supports QoS flows that require a guaranteed stream bit rate (GBR QoS flows) and QoS flows that do not require a guaranteed stream bit rate (non-GBR QoS flows). Therefore, at the NAS level, QoS flows are the finest granularity of QoS differentiation in a PDU session. In a PDU session, a QoS flow is identified by a QoS flow ID (QFI) carried in the encapsulation header on the NG-U interface.

[0104] For each UE, the 5GC establishes one or more PDU sessions. For each UE, the NG-RAN establishes at least one Data Radio Bearer (DRB) along with the PDU session, and additional DRBs for the QoS flows of that PDU session may then be configured (when to do so depends on the NG-RAN), e.g., as described above with reference to Figure 4As shown in Figure 2, NG-RAN maps packets belonging to different PDU sessions to different DRBs. NAS-level packet filters in the UE and 5GC associate UL and DL packets with QoS flows, while AS-level mapping rules in the UE and NG-RAN associate UL and DL QoS flows with DRBs.

[0105] Figure 6 The 5G NR non-roaming reference architecture (see TS 23.501v16.1.0 Section 4.23) is shown. Application Function (AF), e.g., bearer Figure 5 An external application server for the 5G services exemplarily described in

[15] interacts with the 3GPP core network to provide services, for example, to support the impact of applications on service routing, access the Network Exposure Function (NEF), or interact with the policy framework for policy control (see Policy Control Function (PCF)), for example, QoS control. Based on operator deployment, application functions that are considered to be trusted by the operator may be allowed to interact directly with related network functions. Application functions that the operator does not allow direct access to network functions use the external exposure framework to interact with related network functions via the NEF.

[0106] Figure 6 Also shown are the functional elements of the 5G architecture, namely the Network Slice Selection Function (NSSF), the Network Repository Function (NRF), the Unified Data Management (UDM), the Authentication Server Function (AUSF), the Access and Mobility Management Function (AMF), the Session Management Function (SMF) and the Data Network (DN), e.g. operator services, internet access or third-party services.

[0107] In LTE and NR, a terminal, user terminal, or user device is called a user equipment (UE). This can be a mobile device or communication device, such as a wireless phone, smartphone, tablet, or USB (Universal Serial Bus) stick with user equipment functionality. However, the term mobile device is not limited to this; generally, a repeater can also have the functionality of such a mobile device, and a mobile device can also function as a repeater.

[0108] A base station is a network node, for example, forming part of a network for providing services to a terminal. A base station is a network node or scheduling device that provides wireless access to a terminal. The communication between the terminal and the base station is generally standardized. In LTE and NR, the radio interface protocol stack comprises the physical layer, the media access layer (MAC) and higher layers. In the control plane, a higher layer protocol, the radio resource control protocol, is provided. Via RRC, the base station can control the configuration of the terminal, and the terminal can communicate with the base station to perform control tasks (such as connection and bearer establishment, modification, etc.), measurements and other functions. The term used in LTE is eNB (or eNodeB), while the term currently used in 5G NR is gNB.

[0109] The data delivery service provided by a layer to a higher layer is generally referred to as a channel. For example, LTE and NR distinguish between logical channels provided by the MAC layer to higher layers, transport channels provided by the physical layer to the MAC layer, and physical channels that define mappings on physical resources.

[0110] Logical channels are different types of data transfer services provided by the MAC. Each logical channel type is defined by the type of information it carries. Logical channels are divided into two groups: control channels and traffic channels. Control channels are used only to carry control plane information. Traffic channels are used only to carry user plane information.

[0111] The logical channels are then mapped onto transport channels by the MAC layer. For example, logical traffic channels and some logical control channels can be mapped onto a transport channel called the downlink shared channel DL-SCH in the downlink, and onto a transport channel called the uplink shared channel UL-SCH in the uplink.

[0112] Downlink control channel monitoring, PDCCH, DCI

[0113] Many functions operated by user equipment involve monitoring a downlink control channel (eg, PDCCH, see 3GPTS 38.300 v15.6.0, section 5.2.3) to receive, for example, specific control information or data destined for the UE.

[0114] As described above, PDCCH monitoring is performed by the UE in order to identify and receive information intended for the UE, such as control information and user traffic (eg, DCI on the PDCCH and user data on the PDSCH indicated by the PDCCH).

[0115] The control information in the downlink (which may be referred to as downlink control information, DCI) in 5G NR has the same purpose as DCI in LTE, namely as a special set of control information for, for example, scheduling downlink data channels (e.g., PDSCH) or uplink data channels (e.g., PUSCH). In 5G NR, there are many different DCI formats that have been defined (see TS 38.212 v15.6.0 Section 7.3.1).

[0116] PDCCH monitoring for each of these functions serves a specific purpose and therefore serves to achieve that purpose. PDCCH monitoring is typically controlled by the UE, at least based on a timer. The purpose of the timer is to control PDCCH monitoring, for example, to limit the maximum amount of time a UE monitors the PDCCH. For example, a UE may not need to monitor the PDCCH indefinitely, but may stop monitoring after a period of time to save power.

[0117] As mentioned above, one of the purposes of the DCI of the PDCCH is to dynamically schedule resources in the downlink or uplink or even the sidelink. In particular, some formats of DCI are provided to carry an indication of the resources allocated to the data channel of a specific user (resource allocation, RA). Resource allocation can include the designation of resources in the frequency domain and / or time domain.

[0118] Resource Allocation

[0119] In Release 15 of NR, two types of frequency domain resource allocation schemes are used, Type 0 and Type 1, both of which signal the allocation across the active bandwidth part (BWP).

[0120] Type 0 is a bitmap-based allocation scheme. The most flexible way to indicate the set of allocated resource blocks is to include a bitmap whose size is equal to the number of resource blocks in the BWP. A resource block corresponds to the smallest allocatable unit for data transmission and is defined by the number of subcarriers in frequency. (Note that the NR definition of a resource block differs from the LTE definition. An NR physical resource block is a one-dimensional measurement spanning only the frequency domain, while LTE uses a two-dimensional resource block of 12 subcarriers in frequency and one slot in time.) This allows any combination of resource blocks to be scheduled for transmission, but unfortunately also results in very large bitmaps for larger bandwidths. Therefore, the bitmap in the Type 0 resource allocation scheme is not used to point to a single resource block, but rather to a group of contiguous resource blocks called an RBG. The size of the RBG depends on the size of the active BWP. For example, as defined in 3GPP TS 38.214 V15.4.0 and summarized in Table 1, two different configurations are possible for each BWP size.

[0121] Bandwidth portion size Configuration 1 Configuration 2 1 36 2 4 37 72 4 8 73 144 8 16 145 275 16 16

[0122] Table 1

[0123] For example, as can be seen from Table 1, when configuration 1 is applied, an RBG allocated according to type 0 (where the bandwidth size of the BWP corresponds to the number of RBs from 1 to 36) includes 2 RBs. Thus, for example, when configuration 2 is applied, an RBG allocated according to type 0 (where the BWP size corresponds to the number of RBs from 73 to 144) includes 16 RBs. That is, the number of RBs in an RBG depends on the bandwidth of the active BWP.

[0124] The Type 1 resource allocation scheme does not rely on a bitmap. Instead, it uses a resource indicator value (RIV), which encodes the resource allocation as the start position and length of the allocation in terms of the number of resource blocks. Therefore, it does not support arbitrary allocation of resource blocks, but only frequency-contiguous allocation, thus reducing the number of bits required to signal the resource block allocation.

[0125] Both resource allocation types refer to virtual resource blocks (VRBs). For Type 0, non-interleaved mapping from virtual to physical resource blocks is used, meaning virtual resource blocks are mapped directly to corresponding physical resource blocks. On the other hand, for Type 1, non-interleaved mapping is supported for the UL. For the DL, Type 1 supports both interleaved and non-interleaved mapping, where the interleave size is the bandwidth of the active BWP.

[0126] In the time domain, for example, as specified in Release 15 (NR), scheduling timing (e.g., for scheduling the above-mentioned resources) can be indicated in the DCI by using a Time Domain Resource Allocation (TDRA) table. In particular, the resources allocated in the time domain can be notified to the UE by indicating an entry (row) of the TDRA table in the DCI, for example, by signaling the entry (row) index. The term table is used as a logical term in this document because for NR, the TDRA entry is summarized as a table in the standard specification.

[0127] Repetition on PDSCH and PUSCH

[0128] Transmissions in NR can include autonomous (i.e., not triggered by (H)ARQ) repetitions of data. In this case, the same data (e.g., transport block) is sent N times, where N is an integer greater than 1. The number of repetitions can be configured.

[0129] Multiple send / receive points, TRP

[0130] The physical layer in NR can provide multi-antenna operation, such as MIMO (Multiple Input Multiple Output), which can, for example, include the use of several (plural) or multiple transmission and reception points (multiple TRPs). For example, a user equipment can receive data from several TRPs (transmission and reception points), where the several TRPs can be controlled by the same or different network nodes. The terms multi-point transmission or coordinated multi-point transmission (CoMP) can also be used for multi-TRP communication or transmission.

[0131] The techniques described in this disclosure are not limited to a specific arrangement of TRPs, or a specific relationship between TRPs and gNBs. Thus, for example, multi-TRP operation can be performed by a gNB having different antenna panels or radio heads corresponding to the TRPs and different radio frequency units operating with the corresponding antennas.

[0132] Furthermore, in multiple TRPs, several options are conceivable regarding the positional relationship between the TRPs, and the distance between two TRPs can vary. For example, the TRPs may be close together, so that the UE receives signals from these TRPs from similar angles. However, the TRPs may also be far apart from each other, for example, in distant locations within a network cell. A UE served by two TRPs can receive and send signaling from and to the respective TRPs on unrelated channels. Thus, the gains from channel diversity can be optimally exploited.

[0133] For example, multiple TRPs can be divided into two high-level categories. That is, the categories can be distinguished based on the backhaul type of the backhaul link between two given TRPs.

[0134] On the one hand, an ideal backhaul is a very high throughput and very low latency backhaul, such as a dedicated point-to-point connection using, for example, optical fiber. It is assumed that an ideal backhaul allows communication between TRPs with approximately or almost 0 ms latency (for example, for LTE-A, the technical report 3GPP TR 36.932 V15.0.0 (2018-06) mentions a one-way latency of less than 2.5 us in Section 6.1.3, which, however, does not include propagation delay in the optical fiber / cable).

[0135] On the other hand, non-ideal backhaul is backhaul such as DSL, microwave and other similar relays, and may involve, for example, a finite (one-way) delay in the range of 2ms or 5ms for communications between two given TRPs.

[0136] Besides the classification into ideal backhaul and non-ideal backhaul, a further classification in multi-TRP MIMO technology may be about how the (central) baseband unit is shared between TRPs.

[0137] For example, although there is a different RF (Radio Frequency) unit for each of two given TRPs, the TRPs may share the same baseband unit. The link between the RF unit and the baseband unit may be ideal or non-ideal. Alternatively, there may be both a different (central) baseband unit and a different RF unit for each TRP. The corresponding links between the baseband unit and the RF unit, as well as the links between different baseband units, may be ideal or non-ideal.

[0138] The present disclosure provides methods that can facilitate multi-TRP operation, and can particularly facilitate scheduling of frequency domain resources for multi-TRP operation. For example, the disclosed techniques can facilitate URLLC use cases, but can also or alternatively facilitate eMBB and mMTC use cases. The present disclosure is applicable to scenarios that include either or both ideal and non-ideal backhaul.

[0139] As described above, multiple widely separated TRPs can allow for the provision of spatial diversity gains. Utilization of these spatial diversity gains can be particularly helpful for transmission and reception in high frequency ranges where blocking of any link or wireless communication channel between a TRP and a UE is particularly likely.

[0140] Recently, it has been discussed to schedule the same transport block (TB) from both TRPs on corresponding non-overlapping frequency regions and the same time symbols using single DCI based scheduling from one of the two TRPs. A transport block represents a unit of data delivered to the physical layer for transmission.

[0141] It should be understood that each TRP transmission (i.e., a transmission from one TRP) on a corresponding non-overlapping frequency region can be associated with a separate TCI state. In particular, each TRP can be associated with a separate TCI state. Thus, the terms "TCI state" and "TRP" can be used interchangeably—for example, TCI state 1 will refer to TRP1, TCI state 2 will refer to TRP2, and so on.

[0142] Support for different MCSs for transmitting the same TB from different TRPs is being considered, which may depend on the respective channel conditions from each TRP to the UE. If different MCSs are used, unequal frequency regions from two TRPs may be advantageous. Ideal backhaul can be considered between multiple TRPs. However, these are just some optional deployment scenarios and the present disclosure is not limited thereto.

[0143] For example, in order to schedule the same TB of PDSCH through a single DCI from one of the TRPs and multiplex them in two non-overlapping frequency regions belonging to multiple different TRPs, the inventors recognized the following problems, and the present disclosure solves these problems. The first problem is how to distribute and indicate multiple non-overlapping frequency regions using scheduling based on a single DCI. The second problem is how to associate the distributed non-overlapping frequency regions with the indicated TCI state. In addition, multiple other optimizations and improvements can be provided to improve the efficiency and / or scalability of resource signaling.

[0144] To address some of the aforementioned issues, according to an embodiment, physical resource blocks in the frequency domain are assigned to zones. Each zone is defined as a multiple of precoding resource block groups (PRGs). Each zone is associated with a transmission corresponding to a separate specific TCI state.

[0145] Here, each TCI state (TRP) is associated with one or more regions. Each region is associated with only one TCI state, and these regions do not overlap. A precoding block group is a group of (physical) resource blocks that share the same precoding. For example, a precoding resource block group applies the same precoding matrix.

[0146] One of the benefits of defining regions in multiples of PRGs and assigning them to different TRPs is that it allows for individual precoding of each TRP transmission. This approach applies to both resource allocation type 0 and type 1 without any impact on these respective schemes.

[0147] In this example, it is mentioned that the same TB is sent through multiple TRPs (with multiple TCI states). However, the present disclosure is not limited to this, and in general, the scheme can also be applied to the transmission of different TBs via different corresponding TCI states. In addition, in the following, for simplicity, an example in which there are two TRPs is shown. However, the scheme discussed here is applicable to more than two TRPs.

[0148] The present disclosure provides exemplary embodiments including apparatus and methods. For example, Figure 7An exemplary user equipment UE 760 is shown including a transceiver 770 that receives downlink control information DCI via a channel 750 (shown by a dotted line). UE (corresponding to a terminal, or generally, corresponding to a scheduled device) 760 also includes a circuit 780. The circuit is a processing circuit (processor) and can be implemented on one chip or several chips and other electronic components. The term "processor" should be understood as functional and can include one or more general-purpose processors, digital signal processors, programmable hardware and / or dedicated hardware. Circuit (processor) 780 obtains a transmission configuration indication (TCI) indicator specifying that two or more TCI states are configured and a frequency domain resource assignment of frequency domain resources allocated for the two or more TCI states from DCI signaling.

[0149] For example, the transceiver 770 blindly decodes the PDCCH to identify whether there is a DCI directed to the UE 760. If there is a DCI for the UE, the processor 780 parses (extracts) various signaling parameters from the DCI based on the syntax and semantics of the DCI known at the UE and at the scheduling device 710 that generates the DCI. The syntax and semantics can be defined by standards such as NR or other standards. The syntax and semantics of the DCI can also be configured in whole or in part by higher layer signaling. Generally, the DCI can include one or more bit fields, each bit field including one or more bits. Typically, the number of bits per field is statically configured (by a standard or network operator) or semi-statically configured (by higher layer signaling, such as RRC). A bit field can indicate one transmission parameter, or several transmission parameters that are jointly encoded.

[0150] For example, the TCI indicator mentioned above can be a single bit (a bit field with a length of one bit) indicating whether one or two TCI states are to be applied, or in other words, whether one or two TRPs are to be used for scheduling transmission (uplink) or reception (downlink). However, this exemplary embodiment only applies to the case where a maximum of two TRPs are used simultaneously. The present disclosure is not limited to this embodiment. In other exemplary embodiments, the TCI indicator can be carried by a separate DCI field dedicated to the TCI indicator, which has more than one bit. In particular, such a TCI indicator can signal how many TCI states (TRPs) are active for scheduled transmission or reception.

[0151] Here, it is assumed that the network provides one or more TRPs, so the TCI indicator specifies how many TRPs are active for transmission or reception by UE 760. Different TRPs can be located in the same base station or in different base stations. Even though it is easier to implement more TRPs on the network side, which generally has greater processing power, especially when the network side is one or more base stations or network nodes, in some scenarios, the terminal (UE) can also benefit from adopting more than one TRP. In this case, the embodiments and examples shown here are also applicable. For example, alternatively or in addition to signaling the scheduling device 710 how many TRPs to adopt, the DCI can also signal the number of TRPs to be adopted by the UE 760. The term "scheduling device" in this disclosure is used interchangeably with the term base station and refers to a network node with scheduling functionality that serves a UE as an access point to the network. Note that a scheduling device such as a base station schedules multiple active TRPs, regardless of whether the TRPs are actually located / terminated at the scheduling device.

[0152] In general, the TCI indicator need not be indicated as a separate bit field. It can be indicated jointly with another parameter or parameters. In other words, one or more code points of this joint bit field can indicate the use of one TRP, while one or more other code points can indicate the use of two TRPs. Similarly, any number of TRPs can be signaled by one or more code points of the joint bit field carrying this TCI indicator.

[0153] As described above, the present disclosure provides specific frequency domain resource assignments and signaling for situations where a TCI indicator specifies two or more TCI states are configured. The DCI also carries a frequency domain resource assignment that indicates the frequency domain resources allocated to the two or more TCI states. The frequency domain resource assignment can be provided in a separate (dedicated) DCI bit field or can be jointly encoded with the TCI indicator and / or one or more other transmission parameters.

[0154] In general, joint coding can provide greater efficiency in utilizing the bits available in the DCI. To provide fast scheduling, the number of parameters and the length of the DCI can be kept as low as possible. On the other hand, in some cases, encoding in separate fields can provide backward compatibility. Joint coding can be implemented, for example, by signaling in a joint bit field an index into a table that, for each index, contains a specific combination of parameter values, with the parameters corresponding to the columns of the table. Examples of such tables are, for example, the TDRA table mentioned above, or an MCS table.

[0155] Circuit 780 further determines one or more regions in the frequency domain for each of the two or more TCI states. Each region has an integer multiple of precoding resource block groups (PRGs). The integer is equal to or greater than 1. In other words, each region may be composed of (or comprised of) one or more PRGs. This determination may be performed based on a signaled frequency domain resource assignment. For example, the regions of the two or more TCI states may be located within the frequency domain resources specified by the frequency domain resource assignment.

[0156] As described above, regions of different TCI states do not overlap. In other words, the regions are frequency division multiplexed (FDM). In some embodiments, no regions overlap (not just those belonging to mutually different TCI states).

[0157] Circuit 780 may implement more functionality than the aforementioned determination of frequency domain resources for transmission / reception employing more than one TRP. Therefore, circuit 780 is considered to include frequency resource determination circuit 785, which is configured to perform frequency domain resource determination. This configuration may be provided by hardware adaptation and / or software.

[0158] Figure 8 The functional structure of the frequency resource determination circuit 785 is shown. Specifically, the frequency resource determination circuit 785 includes a PDCCH processing circuit 870, which extracts the TCI indicator and frequency domain assignment from the DCI. The frequency resource determination circuit 785 also includes a frequency resource control circuit 880. When the TCI indicator indicates two or more TCI states, the frequency resource control circuit 880 determines a region based on the assignment and determines the assignment of frequency resources allocated to each TCI state based on the region. The processing circuit can then control the transceiver 770 to receive or transmit data on the determined resources.

[0159] After determining the region, the transceiver 770 receives data for each TCI state on the frequency domain resources in the determined frequency domain region. This applies to the downlink case where the DCI schedules downlink resources for the UE to receive data. For the uplink case, the transceiver 770 transmits data for each TCI state on the frequency domain resources in the determined frequency domain region. Depending on whether the received DCI is downlink scheduling DCI or uplink scheduling DCI, a single UE may have a transceiver that is both a receiver and a transmitter and receives and transmits data from / to multiple TRPs.

[0160] Corresponding to UE 760, Figure 7A scheduling node 710 is shown. In the case of 5G-NR, the scheduling device can be any network access node, such as a base station or gNB. According to an embodiment, the scheduling device 710 includes a transceiver 720, which sends downlink control information (DCI) signaling. The transceiver 720 can have more than one antenna (e.g., antenna panel) in order to provide one or more TRPs. However, the TRPs can also be provided by multiple different network nodes. As mentioned above, the UE 760 can also provide more than one TRP, so the transceiver 770 of the UE 760 can also include more than one antenna (antenna panel). The DCI can correspond to the above-mentioned DCI in terms of syntax and semantics to enable communication between the scheduling device 710 and the UE 760.

[0161] The scheduling device 710 also includes a processor 730 that provides DCI signaling, which includes a transmission configuration indication (TCI) indicator that specifies that two or more TCI states are configured and a frequency domain resource assignment that indicates the frequency domain resources allocated for the two or more TCI states. The above-mentioned signaling possibilities for both the TCI indicator and the frequency domain resource assignment are applied. The processor 730 also determines one or more regions in the frequency domain for each TCI state of the two or more TCI states, each region having an integer multiple of precoding resource block groups (PRGs), the integer being equal to or greater than 1, wherein the regions of different TCI states do not overlap. Therefore, the transceiver 720 transmits (in the case of downlink) or receives (in the case of uplink) data for each TCI state on the frequency domain resources in the determined frequency domain region. Similar to the processor 780 in the UE, the processor 730 can also perform various different tasks. Here, the frequency resource allocation circuit 735 represents a functional part of the processor 730 , which performs the above-mentioned frequency domain allocation tasks, including determining resources and providing corresponding signaling to the UE 760 .

[0162] The scheduling device may also include allocation circuitry as part of circuitry 730 that performs scheduling of one or more UEs. As a result of the scheduling, frequency domain resource assignments are generated, and corresponding DCI signaling is generated that indicates the TCI indicator and the assignments. The circuitry then controls transceiver 720 to transmit or receive data in the resources scheduled for the one or more UEs.

[0163] Figure 9FIG2 shows an exemplary functional structure of the frequency resource allocation circuit 735. In particular, the frequency resource allocation circuit 735 may include a scheduling circuit 920 and a PDCCH generation circuit 930. The scheduling circuit 920 performs scheduling, for example, collecting measurement values ​​from one or more UEs and, based on these, assigning resources to the corresponding UEs in the frequency domain (and possibly in the time domain, and in the TRP) based on requests from the UEs and / or based on the availability of their resources. The PDCCH generation circuit 930 then generates a DCI including a TCI indicator and resource assignment based on the scheduling results for the corresponding one or more UEs.

[0164] like Figure 7 As shown, UE 760 and scheduling node 710 may form a communication system, ie, may be capable of communicating via channel 750 .

[0165] In the following, various embodiments regarding regions are described. In particular, one or more of the following configurations may be considered to define a region:

[0166] a) Number of regions: the number of regions within the allocated frequency resources,

[0167] b) Assignment of regions: Assign regions to physical layer resources (grids), e.g., precoding resource block groups,

[0168] c) Size of the region: the size of the region in terms of multiples of PRGs, and

[0169] d) Region association: Each region is assigned to a TRP (TCI state).

[0170] The above four configurations a) to d) may be configured and / or indicated in different ways.

[0171] Note that the region can be configured and utilized only when the code point of the bit field indicated by the TCI indicates more than one TCI state. However, the present disclosure is not limited thereto, and the concept of resource assignment can also be used in the case of a single TRP.

[0172] In NR, Rel.16 has agreed to use the codepoint of the TCI bit field to indicate two TCI states (instead of one TCI state in Rel.15), which basically means that two TRP transmissions are possible.

[0173] A. Determine the number of regions

[0174] According to a first example, the processor 770 (and correspondingly the processor 730 ) determines the number (amount) of regions according to the maximum number of TCI states, which is configured as semi-statically as possible to be indicated by one TCI of the DCI.

[0175] In other words, the UE determines the number of areas in a semi-static manner based on the maximum number of TCI states semi-statically configured to be indicated by one index of TCI signaling.

[0176] In particular, the base station 710 can be semi-statically configured by sending an RRC message to the UE 760, which indicates how many TCI states the DCI can be dynamically configured. For example, the RRC message can signal that the maximum number of TCI states is 1. In this case, the DCI only includes frequency resources for a single TCI state (single TRP). For example, the RRC message can signal that the maximum number of TCI states is 2. In this case, the TCI indicator can signal that 1 or 2 TCI states are to be applied to the transmission / reception of data scheduled in the same DCI. For example, the RRC message can signal that the maximum number of TCI states is 3 or more. In this case, the DCI can dynamically signal any number 1, 2, 3, ... up to the maximum value of the TCI states configured by the RRC.

[0177] Based on the TCI indicator, the resource assignment carried in the DCI is then interpreted as frequency resources covering the indicated number of TCI states. For example, if the maximum number of TCI states is 1, the entire allocated resource indicated by the frequency resource assignment pertains to transmission / reception using one TCI state. If the maximum number of TCI states is 2, there will be at least two distinct regions. Generally, there will be two super-regions for the corresponding two TCI states. Each super-region can include multiple regions and can be contiguous or discontinuous in the frequency domain, as will be shown later.

[0178] Semi-statically determining the number of regions may help reduce complexity since it does not have to be determined dynamically.

[0179] However, according to a second example, the processor 770 determines the number of regions based on the maximum number of TCI states indicated by the TCI indicator. Accordingly, the processor 730 of the base station determines the number of regions that conform to the maximum number of TCI states indicated by the TCI indicator. The regions, their number, size, location relative to physical resources, and their assignment to corresponding TCI states may be determined by the scheduling circuit 920 based on the quality / characteristics of the channel 750, UE capabilities, available resources in the cell handled by the base station 710, and the like.

[0180] In other words, the UE dynamically determines the number of regions based on the maximum number of TCI states dynamically indicated by the TCI codepoints in the DCI. In this example, the number of super regions is determined dynamically. Consequently, resources can be utilized more efficiently. For example, when the maximum number of TRPs indicated by RRC is 2, but the current DCI indicates, via the TCI indicator, that only a single TCI state will be used for the transmission / reception of data scheduled by the same DCI, the number or region will be determined for a TCI equal to 1. In practice, in this case, it is not necessary to determine the region.

[0181] For example, when the maximum number of TRPs indicated by RRC is 3, but the current DCI indicates through the TCI indicator that only two TCI states will be used for the transmission / reception of data scheduled by the same DCI, the number or area will be determined to be equal to 2 TCIs.

[0182] Note that for the purposes of this example, the maximum number of TCIs does not have to be signaled / evaluated. In particular, in this example, the number of zones is determined based on dynamic scheduling.

[0183] B. Region Mapping on PRG

[0184] In this example, the processor semi-statically assigns regions to a corresponding integer multiple of PRGs, without regard to dynamic resource allocation based on the DCI. For example, the assignment can be performed starting from the beginning of the frequency resources indicated by the frequency domain assignment in the DCI, and each PRG is associated with a specific TCI state according to a predetermined pattern. Different patterns are possible, which will be explained in detail below. For example, an alternating pattern may be used, in which PRGs are alternately assigned to multiple TCI states.

[0185] In other words, before completing resource allocation, the UE is semi-statically allocated regions on common physical resource blocks (PRBs) in multiple PRGs. Therefore, dynamic allocation can only refer to regions belonging to TCI states that are dynamically scheduled (according to semi-static assignment).

[0186] This embodiment in combination with the above-mentioned semi-static determination of the number of zones may provide a simple and efficient UE implementation.

[0187] In another example, the processor assigns regions to corresponding integer multiples of PRGs based on the frequency domain resource assignment. In this case, the assignment can contribute to more efficient resource utilization because only those regions are mapped to the currently scheduled resources. This embodiment, combined with the dynamic determination of the number of regions described above, can provide efficient resource utilization.

[0188] In other words, in this example, after completing resource allocation, the UE assigns regions on the allocated physical resource blocks in multiples of precoding resource block groups (PRGs) in a dynamic manner.

[0189] C. Regional Association Model

[0190] In a first example, the processor associates a region with two or more TCI states according to a preconfigured pattern. The preconfigured pattern can be static preconfiguration (set by an operator, etc. in the standard), semi-static preconfiguration (e.g., via RRC signaling), or dynamic preconfiguration via a code point in a bit field in the DCI.

[0191] The preconfigured pattern may correspond to round robin by alternating the TCI state after every integer number M of consecutive regions, where M is not less than 1. Round robin refers to a method by which TCI states are cyclically mapped onto the PRG in a predetermined order. A simple and efficient mapping may be M=1. However, the present disclosure is not limited thereto, and M may be greater than 1. In fact, there may be M1 and M2 defined for two corresponding TCI states, where M1 is different from M2. There may be a number Mx of regions defined for each of the x TCI states.

[0192] In other words, in this example, the UE associates each determined region with an indicated TCI state in a configurable pattern (static, semi-static or dynamic); for example, by non-continuously cycling through the entire frequency region.

[0193] On the base station side, the processor 730 must also map the regions to resources in the same manner so that data is mapped to resources in a correct manner when transmitting or receiving data.

[0194] According to a second example, processor 780 (and processor 730) sequentially associates consecutive regions with each of two or more TCI states. In other words, the UE (and base station) first sequentially associates each determined region with the indicated TCI state, followed by the next remaining region. This can be viewed as associating an entire super region (a super region containing all regions belonging to a TCI state) with the corresponding configured TCI state, with the super region sequentially mapped to the frequency resources allocated with the frequency domain assignment received in the DCI. One advantage of this approach may be reduced multiplexing complexity.

[0195] According to a third example, the processor 770 (and correspondingly the processor 730) associates a first portion of the continuous area with two or more TCI states according to the round-robin (as in the first example), and associates a second portion of the continuous area with one of the TCI states. In other words, the UE 760 (and correspondingly the base station 710) associates each determined area with the indicated TCI state in two steps, one of which involves associating in a discontinuous round-robin manner, and the other step involves associating one super area (the remaining area of ​​one TCI state) with the remaining PRGs continuously. This approach may be advantageous, particularly for cases with different MCSs and / or different TBs mapped to corresponding different TCI states.

[0196] According to a fourth example, a pre-configured pattern is received as a bitmap in semi-static or dynamic signaling, each bit of the bitmap representing a region, the first value of the bit indicating a first TCI state, and the second value of the bit indicating a second TCI state. In other words, the UE dynamically associates each determined region with the indicated TCI state based on the indication of the bitmap for each region, where "0" indicates not associated and "1" indicates associated. Note that this pattern signaling is merely exemplary. The bitmap can be provided with each bit representing a PRG (which corresponds to the case where the region size is 1 PRG). Generally, the fourth example provides the highest flexibility on the one hand, but also requires some additional resources to signal the bitmap.

[0197] In order to provide a balance between flexibility and signaling effort, hybrid solutions are possible. For example, bitmaps are statically defined and respectively associated with indices, which are then semi-statically signaled from the base station to the UE. Note that such indexing of different schemes is not limited to bitmap representation. For example, both modes such as round-robin mode (see the first example above) and continuous mode (see the second example above) can be statically defined (by the standard or the operator) as configurable, and both associated with corresponding indices (e.g., 0 and 1). The base station then configures the region and indicates the configured scheme by signaling its index in an RRC message or the like. For greater flexibility, in some embodiments, the index can be signaled in the DCI.

[0198] Alternatively, there may be more than one mode that is semi-statically signaled (pre-configured), for example, in the form of a bitmap or by reference to some predefined (e.g., in the standard) index of the different modes. Dynamic switching between such pre-configured modes may be made possible by means of the DCI, for example, as an index to a corresponding one of the pre-configured modes. Such an index is, for example, dynamically signaled in the DCI, either as a field or as a codepoint jointly encoded with one or more other parameters.

[0199] D. Area size

[0200] According to a first example, the processor (770 and / or 730) configures the size of each region to be a fixed size that is common to all regions of all TCI states. In other words, the UE is statically configured with a common fixed value for each region. For example, each region may have the size of one PRG. However, the region size may also be fixedly set to more than one PRG. Static configuration means that the standard defines the region length (in terms of the number of PRGs) or the network operator defines the region length. Generally, static configuration means that for established data carriers, reconfiguration is not possible.

[0201] According to a second example, the processor (770 and / or 730) configures the size of each region based on semi-static signaling received by the transceiver and specifying a size common to all regions of all TCI states, or specifying a size common to all regions of each TCI state.

[0202] In other words, the UE is semi-statically configured (by the base station) via RRC signaling with a common fixed value for each region. The first possibility of having a common size for all regions in all TCI states saves signaling resources. The second possibility of configuring different region sizes for different corresponding TCI states provides greater flexibility and is particularly suitable for situations where different TCI states are configured with different MCSs.

[0203] According to a third example, the processor determines the size of each region from the DCI by one or more of:

[0204] - obtain the absolute size expressed in multiples of PRGs from DCI,

[0205] - obtain the ratio between the sizes of regions belonging to different TCI states from DCI,

[0206] - obtain the transport block size of the corresponding region belonging to different TCI states from the DCI, and determine the size of the region based on the transport block size,

[0207] - Divide the total number of PRGs by the number of regions based on resource assignments.

[0208] For example, the UE dynamically determines the size of each region based on a dynamic indication via DCI. This indication may include the size directly (absolute size) or may indicate the size by means of an index associated with the size. For example, the region size may be part of a region configuration that further includes a mode, the number of regions, etc. Such a configuration may be listed in a table and associated with corresponding indices, which may then be indicated in the DCI. Any other signaling of the size within the DCI is possible.

[0209] As already mentioned above with reference to the semi-static signaling, the UE may be indicated with the absolute size expressed in multiples of PRGs or any other indication of the size individually for each TCI state or commonly for all TCI states.

[0210] For example, the ratio between the sizes of each region can be indicated to the UE via DCI signaling. One of the regions can be signaled as an absolute size, and the remaining regions can be signaled as a ratio or difference. As will be apparent to those skilled in the art, other possibilities exist, and the present disclosure is not limited to any of these examples.

[0211] In another exemplary embodiment, the UE determines the size of each region based on the TB size associated with each region, which can be calculated based on the individual MCS indications for the corresponding TCI state. The TB size can be derived from the MCS, and modulation can also be considered for determination. The MCS is typically indicated by an MCS index in an MCS table, which includes a combination of modulation (order) and transport block size (corresponding to code rate).

[0212] According to another exemplary embodiment, the UE (and corresponding base station) determines the size of each region by simply dividing the total number of PRGs by the total number of regions. In this example, it is assumed that the region size is the same for all TCI states. However, this determination can also be combined with signaling the ratio between the sizes of regions belonging to different TCI states to obtain the size, or the ratio can be defined / derived depending on the MCS.

[0213] Note that above, the determination and mapping of regions are distinct steps A to D, but this is merely exemplary, and in practice, the mapping of TCI states can be described / defined directly onto PRGs. For example, once the size of a region is known, e.g., M, then the TCI states are cyclically assigned to each of the M PRGs. Thus, the present disclosure is not limited to any particular way of performing the mapping of transmissions belonging to different TRPs onto PRGs, as long as the result is achieved (see, e.g., Figures 13 to 17 mapping).

[0214] Figure 10A method according to an embodiment is shown. The method is performed at the UE and begins with receiving RRC signaling in step 1010, which configures the UE for an FDM mechanism for multi-TRP reception and / or transmission of data. The RRC signaling is received from the network and may include any parameters for configuring regions, such as their size, location, number, and assignment of PRGs and TCI states. For example, the base station may configure the UEs in its cell via RRC. In step 1020, the UE receives the scheduling DCI and, for the TCI indicator, checks the code point of the relevant bit field in the DCI. In particular, in order to receive the DCI, the UE may monitor a pre-configured CORESET (control resource) and perform blind decoding to determine whether there is a DCI addressed to the UE. When such a DCI is detected, the UE parses the parameters signaled in the DCI. According to the present disclosure, the parameters include a TCI indicator that indicates at least whether one or more TCI states are configured. In some embodiments, the TCI indicator may also indicate the number of configured TCI states. After extracting the TCI indicator from the DCI, in step 1030 , it is evaluated (assessed / determined) whether more than one TCI state (indicated by the TCI indicator) is configured.

[0215] If it is indicated in step 1030 that there is more than one TCI state, steps 1040 to 1060 are performed. In particular, in step 1040, the UE determines the frequency resources for receiving data. This can be performed by extracting the frequency domain assignment from the DCI. However, the present disclosure is not limited to this, and the resources can be semi-permanently and / or at least partially semi-statically defined by some previously received DCI. Then, in step 1050, the UE associates the determined frequency resources with multiple TRPs with a granularity of multiple PRGs. Here, the multiple can be one or more times (integer multiples) of the PRG. Finally, in step 1060, the UE receives data transmissions from multiple TRPs on the allocated and associated resources. In this example, it is assumed that the scheduling DCI is a DCI that schedules transmissions in the downlink. However, as described above, in addition to or alternatively to the downlink, the present disclosure is applicable to the uplink. Note that the present disclosure may also be applicable to the side link.

[0216] If more than one TCI state is indicated in step 1030, steps 1070 to 1090 are performed. In step 1070, the UE determines the frequency resources for receiving data from one TRP. Following step 1070, in step 1080, the UE associates the transmission with the indicated single TCI state. Finally, in step 1090, the UE receives the data transmission from the one TRP on the allocated resources.

[0217] Figure 11The method is shown to be performed at both a UE and a base station in communication with each other.

[0218] The method performed at a base station may include step S1110, in which the base station performs scheduling on two or more TCI states (TRPs) and allocates resources to a UE. Based on the allocation, in step S1120, the base station generates a DCI carried on a PDCCH in a manner that provides a TCI indicator specifying two or more transmission configurations indicating that the TCI states are configured and a frequency domain resource assignment that specifies frequency domain resources allocated for the two or more TCI states within the DCI signaling. In order to appropriately map the transmission of data to the resources, the base station determines one or more regions in the frequency domain for each of the two or more TCI states, each region having an integer multiple of precoding resource block groups (PRGs), the integer being equal to or greater than 1, wherein the regions of different TCI states do not overlap. In step S1130, the base station transmits a PDCCH including the generated DCI. Finally, in step S1170, the base station transmits data for each TCI state on the frequency domain resources in the determined frequency domain region.

[0219] Accordingly, the method at the UE includes a step S1140 of receiving downlink control information DCI signaled by PDCCH. In step S1150, the UE obtains from the DCI signaling a TCI indicator that specifies two or more transmission configurations indicating that the TCI state is configured and a frequency domain resource assignment indicating the frequency domain resources allocated for the two or more TCI states. In step S1160, the UE determines one or more regions in the frequency domain for each TCI state of the two or more TCI states, each region having an integer multiple of precoding resource block groups PRG, the integer being equal to or greater than 1, wherein the regions of different TCI states do not overlap. Therefore, in step S1180, the UE receives data for each TCI state (TRP) on the frequency domain resources in the determined frequency domain region.

[0220] When referring to frequency domain resources, in this disclosure, it refers to frequency domain resources of one or more symbols (depending on the uplink / downlink specifications of the physical layer technology, OFDM or DFT-S-OFDM, etc.). Typically, DCI will carry (or its timing implies) the specific time domain resources to which the scheduling carried in the DCI applies.

[0221] Hereinafter, some specific embodiments are provided for exemplary purposes to illustrate some combinations of the previously described area determination parts A to D. Note that these embodiments do not limit the present invention.

[0222] Example 1

[0223] The UE (and base station) divides the PRBs in the frequency domain into multiple equally sized regions, where the size of each region is statically configured to be equal to one PRB. The number of super regions is equal to the number of configured TCI states. The semi-static association between regions and TCI states is performed in a round-robin manner, resulting in regions with the same index number (i.e., assigned to the same TCI state) being non-contiguously allocated in the frequency domain on the resources allocated by the frequency domain resource assignment carried by the DCI.

[0224] One of the advantages of embodiment 1 is that it does not require any additional signaling and relies only on this new procedure that will be configured to the UE and will be applied when the TCI indicator indicates more than one TCI state. Through non-contiguous allocation, embodiment 1 can provide maximum frequency diversity for the UE.

[0225] On the other hand, this embodiment also provides some limitations. The main use case of this embodiment is when the same MCS is used for transmissions from different TRPs and the PRG size is 2 or 4 as indicated by the DCI. Semi-static association means that even unavailable areas may be associated with a TRP, and actual transmission will only occur on available areas, so the effective association sequence with a TRP may not be round-robin.

[0226] Figure 12 An example of the area according to Embodiment 1 is shown.

[0227] Two regional super-regions are defined, where super-region 1 is associated with TCI state 1 and super-region 2 is associated with TCI state 2. Each super-region has 1 contiguous PRG and is generally associated with each TCI state in a round-robin manner. Therefore, the entire super-region is discontinuous. In this example, PRG 5 of the region may be unavailable due to being allocated to some other UE. Figure 12 As shown, since the assignment between regions and TCI states is performed before the actual resource allocation, PRG5 belongs to super region 1 but cannot be allocated / used in TCI state 1. PRG4 and PRG6 both belong to super region 2 and therefore belong to TCI state 2.

[0228] Example 2

[0229] The embodiment Figure 13As shown. In particular, the UE (corresponding to the configuration provided and followed by the base station) divides the PRG in the frequency domain into multiple regions of equal size. The size of the region is statically configured to be equal to 1 PRG and is common to all regions of all TCI states. The number (quantity) of regions is equal to the number of indicated TCI states (i.e., the TCI states indicated by the DCI within the TCI indicator (e.g., within the code point of the corresponding bit field)). The dynamic association between regions and TCI states is performed in a round-robin manner. Therefore, regions belonging to one TCI state are discontinuously allocated in the frequency domain.

[0230] The association here is done in a dynamic manner, which means that only available resources are considered for creating a region and associated with the TCI state. This can provide the advantage of efficient resource utilization. A suitable use case for this embodiment may be when the same MCS is used for transmissions from different TRPs and the DCI indicates a PRG size of, for example, 2 or 4.

[0231] like Figure 13 As shown, two super regions are defined (in Figure 13 1 and 2), where the PRG denoted as Super Region 1 is associated with TCI State 1, and the PRG denoted as Super Region 2 is associated with TCI State 2. Each region of Super Region 1 and Super Region 2 has a continuous PRG. Regions are generally associated with each TCI state in a round-robin manner, so the association of regions with TCI states is generally discontinuous. Region 1 corresponds to PRG 1, Region 2 corresponds to PRG 2, Region 3 corresponds to PRG 3, and so on.

[0232] All associated regions are also allocated, since association is performed dynamically only on allocated resources (ie, on resources specified in the frequency domain assignment of the DCI).

[0233] Example 3

[0234] Example 3 Figure 14 As shown. Accordingly, the UE (corresponding to the configuration adopted by the base station) divides the PRBs in the frequency domain into multiple regions of equal size. The size of the region is semi-statically configured via the RRC protocol. The number of super regions is equal to the number of indicated TCI states, which is 2 in this example. The dynamic association between regions and TCI states is done in a round-robin manner, resulting in super regions being allocated discontinuously. The dynamic indication of the size of the region can be indicated explicitly with a new bit field, or implicitly indicated together with the nominal RBG size indication.

[0235] This is shown in Table 2 below, which is a modification of Table 1 above. Therefore, the values ​​in brackets are exemplary region sizes associated with the RBG size. For example, for bandwidth part sizes between 73 and 144, in configuration 1, the RBG size is 8 RBs and the region size is 2 PRGs. Note that this table is presented as an example only, to illustrate that there may be a relationship between RBG sizes defined by the standard (or even configurable by semi-static signaling) and region sizes. This relationship can be specified in a different way than in this table and is independent of it. The advantage of this implicit relationship is that the signaling overhead for region size signaling is reduced.

[0236] Bandwidth portion size Configuration 1 Configuration 2 1 36 2(1) 4(2) 37 72 4(2) 8(2) 73 144 8(2) 16(2) 145 275 16(4) 16(4)

[0237] Table 2

[0238] exist Figure 14 In

[15] , two super regions are defined, where super region 1 is associated with TCI state 1, and super region 2 is associated with TCI state 2. Each region has indicated a size of 2 PRGs, and these regions are associated with each TCI state in a round-robin manner, resulting in a discontinuous resource distribution for each TCI state. Figure 14 Four regions 1 to 4 are shown, where region 1 and region 3 form super region 1, and region 2 and region 4 form super region 2. Super region 1 is associated with TCI state 1, and super region 2 is associated with TCI state 2.

[0239] This embodiment is relatively flexible because the size of the region is not fixed to 1 PRG. In this example, the size of the region is 2 PRGs. However, as mentioned above, the size can generally be indicated depending on the desired frequency diversity. An indication can be provided for all regions. One use case where this embodiment can provide an advantageous implementation is when the same MCS is used for transmissions from different TRPs and the DCI indicates a PRG size of, for example, 2 or 4. In order to make this embodiment also applicable to different MCSs for different TCI states, a region size indication can be provided per TCI state.

[0240] Example 4

[0241] In this embodiment, the number of regions (and in this case, the number of super regions) is equal to the number of indicated TCI states. Therefore, the UE divides the PRGs in the frequency domain into multiple regions of equal size (or, in general, substantially equal size when the number of PRGs is not divisible by the number of TCI states). The dynamic association between regions and TCI states is performed in a round-robin manner. In this embodiment, each region is allocated continuously, and the size of the region is calculated by dividing the total PRGs by the number of regions. This embodiment may be beneficial, especially when the precoding granularity is wideband, making continuous allocation more appropriate.

[0242] Example 4 Figure 15 As shown in Figure 1, two regions are defined, where Region 1 is associated with TCI State 1 and Region 2 is associated with TCI State 2. Each region is defined by dividing the total available PRG into these two parts, each associated with a separate TCI state. Each super region corresponds to a corresponding region, so only contiguous PRGs are allocated.

[0243] Example 5

[0244] According to embodiment 5, the UE divides the PRBs in the frequency domain into a plurality of regions of different sizes. The sizes of the regions are explicitly indicated to the UE in terms of the absolute values ​​or ratios of the sizes of the regions.

[0245] For example, if 2 and 4 are the explicit (absolute) sizes indicated for the respective regions of TCI state 1 and TCI state 2, then region 1 associated with TCI state 1 has 2 consecutive PRGs, and region 2 associated with TCI state 2 has 4 consecutive PRGs. If a ratio such as (1:2) is indicated, then region 1 associated with TCI state 1 has 1 consecutive PRG, and region 2 associated with TCI state 2 has 2 consecutive PRGs. In this embodiment, the number of super regions is equal to the number of configured TCI states. The dynamic association between regions and TCI states is performed in a round-robin manner, so that super regions are allocated discontinuously. This embodiment provides flexibility to support even the case of unequal sizes between different regions when different TBSs are sent from different TRPs.

[0246] Example 6

[0247] In this embodiment, the UE (and the corresponding base station) divides the PRBs (particularly PRGs) in the frequency domain into multiple regions of different sizes. In particular, the size of each region is calculated based on the indication of different MCSs for different TRPs. Let us assume that the first TRP is configured with MCS1 and the second TRP is configured with MCS2, where MCS1 and MCS2 are different from each other.

[0248] For example, if the MCS1 and MCS2 values ​​are within a certain threshold, the size of the area ratio is calculated as (1:1). The threshold is the threshold of the difference between MCS1 and MCS2. If MCS1>MCS2 (or vice versa) and the difference between them (MCS1-MCS2 and / or MCS2-MCS1, for example, the absolute difference) is higher than a certain threshold, the size of the area ratio is calculated as (1:2).

[0249] The number of super regions is equal to the number of configured TCI states. The dynamic association between regions and TCI states is done in a round-robin manner. Therefore, super regions are not allocated contiguously.

[0250] This embodiment calculates the size ratio between different areas based on the indicated MCS for different TRPs, so no explicit signaling is required, resulting in more efficient resource utilization.

[0251] Figure 16 An example of a region according to this embodiment is shown. Two super regions are defined, where super region 1 is associated with TCI state 1 and super region 2 is associated with TCI state 2. The ratio of the sizes between region 1 and region 2 is indicated or determined as (2:1), which means that region 1 (belonging to super region 1) has 2 consecutive PRGs and region 2 (belonging to super region 2) has 1 consecutive PRG. In this embodiment, the total resources associated with each TCI state are unequal.

[0252] Example 7

[0253] In this embodiment, the UE (also the base station) divides the PRBs (and therefore the PRGs) in the frequency domain into multiple regions of equal size. The size of the region is statically configured to be equal to 1 PRG. The number of super regions is equal to the number of configured TCI states. When different TB sizes are sent from different TRPs, the dynamic association between the region and the TCI state is completed in two steps. The association between the region and the TCI state is first completed in a round-robin manner until the lowest TB size associated with one of the TCI states is fully allocated. After the lowest TB size (here 1PRG) is fully allocated, the remaining regions will then be continuously associated with the TCI state with the highest TB size. Also in this case, the super regions are allocated discontinuously. This embodiment is simpler because calculations related to the calculation of the ratio of the sizes between different regions are required.

[0254] Figure 17An example of this embodiment is shown. Two regions are defined, where Region 1 is associated with TCI state 1 and Region 2 is associated with TCI state 2. Regions 1 and 2 are defined in a round-robin manner (1 PRG each) until the lower TBS associated with Region 2 is allocated, and then all remaining (allocated) PRGs are allocated consecutively with Region 1 because it has a higher TBS. The total resources associated with each TCI state are not equal.

[0255] The present disclosure can be implemented by software, hardware, or software and hardware collaboration. Each functional block used in the description of each of the above embodiments can be partially or entirely implemented by an LSI (large-scale integration) such as an integrated circuit, and each process described in each embodiment can be partially or entirely controlled by the same LSI or a combination of LSIs. The LSI can be formed as a chip alone, or a chip can be formed to include some or all of the functional blocks. The LSI can include data inputs and outputs coupled thereto. Depending on the degree of integration, the LSI here can be referred to as an IC, a system LSI, a super LSI, or an ultra LSI. However, the technology for implementing the integrated circuit is not limited to LSI, and can be implemented by using a dedicated circuit, a general-purpose processor, or a dedicated processor. In addition, an FPGA (field programmable gate array) that can be programmed after manufacturing the LSI or a reconfigurable processor that can reconfigure the connections and settings of the circuit units inside the LSI can be used. The present disclosure can be implemented as digital processing or analog processing. If, due to the advancement of semiconductor technology or other derivative technologies, future integrated circuit technology replaces LSI, future integrated circuit technology can be used to integrate the functional blocks. Biotechnology can also be applied.

[0256] The present disclosure may be implemented by any type of device, apparatus, or system having a communication function, which is referred to as a communication device.

[0257] Some non-limiting examples of such communication devices include phones (e.g., cellular (cell) phones, smart phones), tablet computers, personal computers (PCs) (e.g., laptops, desktops, netbooks), cameras (e.g., digital still / video cameras), digital players (digital audio / video players), wearable devices (e.g., wearable cameras, smart watches, tracking devices), game consoles, digital book readers, telehealth / telemedicine (remote health and medical) devices, and vehicles providing communication capabilities (e.g., cars, airplanes, ships), and various combinations thereof.

[0258] Communication devices are not limited to portable or movable, and may also include any kind of non-portable or fixed device, equipment, or system, such as smart home devices (e.g., appliances, lighting, smart meters, control panels), vending machines, and any other "things" in an "Internet of Things (IoT)" network.

[0259] Communications may include exchanging data via, for example, cellular systems, wireless LAN systems, satellite systems, etc., and various combinations thereof.

[0260] The communication apparatus may include a device such as a controller or a sensor coupled to a communication device that performs the communication functions described in the present disclosure. For example, the communication apparatus may include a controller or a sensor that generates a control signal or a data signal used by the communication device that performs the communication functions of the communication apparatus.

[0261] Communication devices may also include infrastructure such as base stations, access points, and any other device, equipment, or system that communicates with or controls devices such as those in the above non-limiting examples.

[0262] In summary, in a first embodiment, a user equipment UE is provided, comprising: a transceiver that receives downlink control information DCI signaling; and a processor that obtains from the DCI signaling: a TCI indicator that specifies two or more transmission configurations indicating that a TCI state is configured; and a frequency domain resource assignment that indicates frequency domain resources allocated for the two or more TCI states; determining one or more regions in the frequency domain for each TCI state of the two or more TCI states, each region having an integer multiple of precoding resource block groups PRG, the integer being equal to or greater than 1, wherein regions of different TCI states do not overlap, and wherein the transceiver receives or sends data for each TCI state on the frequency domain resources in the determined frequency domain region.

[0263] In a second embodiment, in addition to the first embodiment, the processor determines the number of regions according to a maximum number of TCI states, which is configured as semi-statically as possible to be indicated by one TCI of the DCI.

[0264] In a third embodiment, in addition to the first embodiment, the processor determines the number of regions according to a maximum number of TCI states indicated by the TCI indicator.

[0265] In a fourth embodiment, in addition to the first or second embodiment, the processor assigns regions to corresponding integer multiples of PRGs in a semi-static manner without considering dynamic resource allocation based on the DCI.

[0266] In a fifth embodiment, in addition to the first or third embodiment, the processor assigns regions to corresponding integer multiples of PRGs according to the frequency domain resource assignment.

[0267] In a sixth embodiment, in addition to any one of the first to fifth embodiments, a processor associates a region with two or more TCI states according to a preconfigured pattern.

[0268] In a seventh embodiment, in addition to the sixth embodiment, the preconfigured pattern is received as a bitmap in semi-static or dynamic signaling, each bit of the bitmap represents a region, the first value of the bit indicates a first TCI state, and the second value of the bit indicates a second TCI state.

[0269] In an eighth embodiment, in addition to the sixth embodiment, the preconfigured pattern corresponds to round-robin by alternating the TCI state after every integer M consecutive regions, where M is not less than 1.

[0270] In a ninth embodiment, in addition to the eighth embodiment, the processor associates a first portion of the continuous region with two or more TCI states and associates a second portion of the continuous region with one of the TCI states according to the round robin.

[0271] In a tenth embodiment, in addition to any one of the first to sixth embodiments, a processor sequentially associates a continuous region with each of two or more TCI states.

[0272] In an eleventh embodiment, in addition to any one of the first to ninth embodiments, the processor configures the size of each region: (i) as a fixed size common to all regions in all TCI states; (ii) or according to semi-static signaling received by the transceiver, and the semi-static signaling specifies: a size common to all regions in all TCI states; or for each TCI state, a size common to all regions in that TCI state.

[0273] In a twelfth embodiment, in addition to any one of the first to ninth embodiments, the processor determines the size of each region from the DCI by one or more of the following: (i) obtaining the absolute size expressed in the multiple of PRGs from the DCI, (ii) obtaining the ratio between the sizes of regions belonging to different TCI states from the DCI, (iii) obtaining the transport block sizes of the corresponding regions belonging to the different TCI states from the DCI and determining the size of the region based on the transport block size, and (iv) dividing the total number of PRGs by the number of regions according to the resource assignment.

[0274] According to a thirteenth embodiment, a scheduling device is provided, comprising: a transceiver that sends downlink control information DCI signaling; and a processor that provides within the DCI signaling: a TCI indicator that specifies two or more transmission configurations indicating that a TCI state is configured; and a frequency domain resource assignment that indicates frequency domain resources allocated for the two or more TCI states; determining one or more regions in the frequency domain for each of the two or more TCI states, each region having an integer multiple of precoding resource block groups PRG, the integer being equal to or greater than 1, wherein regions of different TCI states do not overlap, and wherein the transceiver sends or receives data for each TCI state on the frequency domain resources in the determined frequency domain region.

[0275] According to a fourteenth embodiment, a method is provided, comprising: receiving downlink control information DCI signaling; obtaining from the DCI signaling: a TCI indicator specifying two or more transmission configurations indicating that a TCI state is configured; and a frequency domain resource assignment indicating frequency domain resources allocated for the two or more TCI states; determining one or more regions in the frequency domain for each of the two or more TCI states, each region having an integer multiple of precoding resource block groups PRG, the integer being equal to or greater than 1, wherein regions of different TCI states do not overlap, and receiving or sending data for each TCI state on the frequency domain resources in the determined frequency domain region.

[0276] According to a fifteenth embodiment, a method is provided, comprising: sending downlink control information DCI signaling; providing within the DCI signaling: a TCI indicator specifying two or more transmission configurations indicating that a TCI state is configured; and a frequency domain resource assignment indicating frequency domain resources allocated for the two or more TCI states; determining one or more regions in the frequency domain for each of the two or more TCI states, each region having an integer multiple of precoding resource block groups PRG, the integer being equal to or greater than 1, wherein regions of different TCI states do not overlap, and sending or receiving data for each TCI state on the frequency domain resources in the determined frequency domain region.

[0277] Note that the second to twelfth embodiments are correspondingly applicable to the scheduling device of the thirteenth embodiment. In addition, the steps performed by the circuit in operation and the steps of the transceiver mentioned in the above UE and base station embodiments correspond to the corresponding methods.

[0278] Furthermore, a non-transitory medium storing program instructions is provided, which, when executed on a processing circuit such as a general purpose processor, performs all the steps of any of the above-described method embodiments.

[0279] In summary, the present disclosure relates to user equipment (UE) and scheduling nodes, as well as corresponding methods. Specifically, downlink control information (DCI) signaling carries a transmission configuration indicator (TCI) indicator specifying two or more configured TCI states and a frequency domain resource assignment indicating frequency domain resources allocated for the two or more TCI states. For each of the two or more TCI states, one or more regions in the frequency domain are determined, each region having an integer multiple of precoding resource block groups (PRGs), where the integer is equal to or greater than 1, and regions for different TCI states do not overlap. Data is received or transmitted for each TCI state on the frequency domain resources within the determined frequency domain regions.

Claims

1. A communication device, comprising: a transceiver for receiving downlink control information (DCI) signaling; processor: Obtained from the DCI signaling: - a TCI indicator specifying that two or more transmission configuration indication TCI states are configured, the two or more TCI states including a first TCI state and a second TCI state; and - a frequency domain resource assignment indicating frequency domain resources allocated for the two or more TCI states, determining, for the two or more TCI states, one or more regions in the frequency domain including a first region and a second region, wherein the first region and the second region each have an integer multiple of precoding resource block groups (PRGs), where the integer is equal to or greater than 1, wherein the first region for the first TCI state does not overlap with the second region for the second TCI state; The transceiver receives or sends data on a frequency resource in the determined first area for the first TCI state, and receives or sends data on a frequency resource in the determined second area for the second TCI state. Here, even-numbered PRGs are assigned to the first TCI state and odd-numbered PRGs are assigned to the second TCI state.

2. The communication device according to claim 1, wherein The processor determines the number of regions according to a maximum number of semi-statically configured TCI states indicated by one TCI in the DCI.

3. The communication device according to claim 1, wherein The processor determines the number of regions according to a maximum number of TCI states indicated by the TCI indicator.

4. The communication device according to any one of claims 1 or 2, wherein: The processor assigns the regions to corresponding integer multiples of PRGs in a semi-static manner without considering dynamic resource allocation based on the DCI.

5. The communication device according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein: The processor assigns the one or more regions to a corresponding integer multiple of PRGs according to the frequency domain resource assignment.

6. The communication device according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein: The processor associates the one or more regions with the two or more TCI states according to a preconfigured pattern.

7. The communication device according to claim 6, wherein: The preconfigured pattern corresponds to round robin by alternating the TCI state after every integer number M of consecutive regions, where M is not less than 1.

8. The communication device according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein: The processor sequentially associates consecutive regions with the first TCI state and the second TCI state.

9. A scheduling node, comprising: a transceiver that sends downlink control information (DCI) signaling; processor: Provided within the DCI signaling: - a TCI indicator specifying that two or more transmission configuration indication TCI states are configured, the two or more TCI states including a first TCI state and a second TCI state; and - a frequency domain resource assignment indicating frequency domain resources allocated for the two or more TCI states, Determine one or more regions in the frequency domain including a first region and a second region for the two or more TCI states, wherein the first region and the second region each have an integer multiple of precoding resource block groups PRG, where the integer is equal to or greater than 1, The first region for the first TCI state does not overlap with the second region for the second TCI state, wherein the transceiver transmits or receives data on frequency resources in the determined first region for the first TCI state and transmits or receives data on frequency resources in the determined second region for the second TCI state, and Here, even-numbered PRGs are assigned to the first TCI state and odd-numbered PRGs are assigned to the second TCI state.

10. A communication method, comprising: Receiving downlink control information DCI signaling; Obtained from the DCI signaling: - a TCI indicator specifying two or more transmission configuration indication TCI states to be configured, The two or more TCI states include a first TCI state and a second TCI state; and - a frequency domain resource assignment indicating frequency domain resources allocated for the two or more TCI states, determining, for the two or more TCI states, one or more regions in the frequency domain including a first region and a second region, wherein the first region and the second region each have an integer multiple of precoding resource block groups (PRGs), where the integer is equal to or greater than 1, wherein the first region for the first TCI state does not overlap with the second region for the second TCI state; receiving or sending data on a frequency resource in the determined first region for the first TCI state, and receiving or sending data on a frequency resource in the determined second region for the second TCI state, Here, even-numbered PRGs are assigned to the first TCI state and odd-numbered PRGs are assigned to the second TCI state.

11. A communication method, comprising: Send downlink control information DCI signaling; Provided within the DCI signaling: - a TCI indicator specifying two or more transmission configuration indication TCI states to be configured, The two or more TCI states include a first TCI state and a second TCI state; and - a frequency domain resource assignment indicating frequency domain resources allocated for the two or more TCI states, determining, for the two or more TCI states, one or more regions in the frequency domain including a first region and a second region, wherein the first region and the second region each have an integer multiple of precoding resource block groups (PRGs), where the integer is equal to or greater than 1, wherein the first region for the first TCI state does not overlap with the second region for the second TCI state; sending or receiving data on the frequency resources in the determined first area for the first TCI state, and sending or receiving data on the frequency resources in the determined second area for the second TCI state, Here, even-numbered PRGs are assigned to the first TCI state and odd-numbered PRGs are assigned to the second TCI state.

12. An integrated circuit comprising: Circuit that controls: Receiving downlink control information DCI signaling; Obtained from the DCI signaling: - a TCI indicator specifying two or more transmission configuration indication TCI states to be configured, The two or more TCI states include a first TCI state and a second TCI state; and - a frequency domain resource assignment indicating frequency domain resources allocated for the two or more TCI states, determining, for the two or more TCI states, one or more regions in the frequency domain including a first region and a second region, wherein the first region and the second region each have an integer multiple of precoding resource block groups (PRGs), where the integer is equal to or greater than 1, wherein the first region for the first TCI state does not overlap with the second region for the second TCI state; wherein data is received or sent on a frequency resource in the determined first region for the first TCI state and is received or sent on a frequency resource in the determined second region for the second TCI state, and Here, even-numbered PRGs are assigned to the first TCI state and odd-numbered PRGs are assigned to the second TCI state.

13. An integrated circuit comprising: Circuit that controls: Send downlink control information DCI signaling; Provided within the DCI signaling: - a TCI indicator specifying two or more transmission configuration indication TCI states to be configured, The two or more TCI states include a first TCI state and a second TCI state; and - a frequency domain resource assignment indicating frequency domain resources allocated for the two or more TCI states, determining, for the two or more TCI states, one or more regions in the frequency domain including a first region and a second region, wherein the first region and the second region each have an integer multiple of precoding resource block groups (PRGs), where the integer is equal to or greater than 1, wherein the first region for the first TCI state does not overlap with the second region for the second TCI state; sending or receiving data on the frequency resources in the determined first area for the first TCI state, and sending or receiving data on the frequency resources in the determined second area for the second TCI state, Here, even-numbered PRGs are assigned to the first TCI state and odd-numbered PRGs are assigned to the second TCI state.

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