Method and network device for signal resource configuration

Abstract

The present disclosure provides a method at a network device. The method includes receiving beam information obtained during multiple beam management processes. The beam information includes information related to multiple preferred beams of the network device determined by a terminal device during the multiple beam management processes. The method also includes determining speed information of the terminal device based on the beam information obtained during the multiple beam management processes. The method also includes determining a resource configuration for a signal based on the speed information of the terminal device. The signal is a reference signal or a report signal.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present disclosure relates to wireless communications, and more particularly, to methods and network devices for resource configuration of reference signals and / or related reports. Background Art

[0002] Reference signals and related reports are important signals in wireless communications. A first communications device can send a reference signal, known in advance to a second communications device, via a channel. The second communications device can measure the received reference signal to obtain information about the channel (e.g., information about channel estimation or channel quality). Alternatively or additionally, the second communications device can also respond to the first communications device with a report including information about the channel. Reference signals and related reports can therefore be useful for the subsequent transmission or reception of signals.

[0003] Since reference signals and related reports are useful as described above, a large number of reference signals and related reports are configured during communication and thus have an impact on cell throughput. Summary of the Invention

[0004] An object of the present disclosure is to provide a method and a network device for resource configuration of a reference signal, which can increase cell throughput by appropriately allocating resources to the reference signal.

[0005] In a first aspect of the present disclosure, a method at a network device is provided. The method includes: receiving beam information obtained in a multiple beam management process, the beam information including information related to multiple preferred beams of the network device determined by a terminal device in the multiple beam management process; determining speed information of the terminal device based on the beam information obtained in the multiple beam management process; and determining resource configuration of a signal based on the speed information of the terminal device, the signal being a reference signal or a report signal.

[0006] In one embodiment, the speed information may be based on distance information between the plurality of preferred beams.

[0007] In one embodiment, the distance information between the multiple preferred beams can be obtained by the following operations: determining multiple distances, the multiple distances including beam distances, each beam distance being the distance between a corresponding pair of preferred beams obtained in different beam management processes; and determining the maximum value or average value of the multiple distances as the distance information.

[0008] In one embodiment, if the beam distance between a pair of preferred beams is not greater than a predetermined distance, the beam distance between the pair of preferred beams is determined to be zero.

[0009] In one embodiment, the multiple distances may also include a group distance between a first group of preferred beams determined in a first beam management process and a second group of preferred beams determined in a second beam management process, wherein the group distance is a beam distance between a preferred beam of the first group and a preferred beam of the second group.

[0010] In one embodiment, the group distance may be the maximum value of the beam distances between the preferred beams of the first group and the preferred beams of the second group; or the group distance may be the beam distance between the best beam among the preferred beams of the first group and the best beam among the preferred beams of the second group.

[0011] In one embodiment, the beam distance between the corresponding pair of preferred beams may be the number of beams between the centers of the pair of preferred beams.

[0012] In one embodiment, the beam distance between the corresponding pair of preferred beams may be the angle included between the centers of the pair of preferred beams.

[0013] In one embodiment, each of the plurality of distances may be a distance normalized by a time interval between preferred beams of a corresponding beam management process.

[0014] In one embodiment, based on the speed information of the terminal device, determining the resource configuration of the signal may include at least one of the following: allocating resources to the signal; not allocating resources to the signal; reallocating resources to the signal; and changing the time period of the signal.

[0015] In one embodiment, determining the resource configuration of a signal based on the speed information of the terminal device may include: allocating resources to the signal if the speed information is less than a first threshold; or not allocating resources to the signal if the speed information is not less than the first threshold.

[0016] In one embodiment, the signal includes a sounding reference signal SRS used for uplink codebook-based transmission, and based on the speed information of the terminal device, determining the resource configuration of the signal may include: if the speed information is less than a first threshold and the channel quality is greater than a quality threshold, allocating resources to the signal; or if the speed information is less than the first threshold and the channel quality is not greater than the quality threshold, not allocating resources to the signal.

[0017] In one embodiment, not allocating resources to the signal may include releasing resources that have been allocated to the signal.

[0018] In one embodiment, the method may further include setting the downlink transmission mode to a non-reciprocal transmission mode in response to not allocating resources to the signal if the signal is intended for use with downlink channel reciprocity.

[0019] In one embodiment, the method may further include: in response to not allocating resources to the signal, if the signal is intended for use with uplink transmission, setting the uplink transmission mode to a transmission mode not based on the signal.

[0020] In one embodiment, if the speed information is less than a first threshold, allocating resources to the signal may include: if the speed information is less than a second threshold that is smaller than the first threshold, setting a first time period for the signal; or if the speed information is not less than the second threshold and is smaller than the first threshold, setting a second time period for the signal, the second time period being smaller than the first time period.

[0021] In one embodiment, changing the time period of the signal may include: in response to determining that the speed information increases to become not less than a second threshold, reducing the time period of the signal from a first time period to a second time period less than the first time period; or in response to determining that the speed information decreases to become less than the second threshold, increasing the time period of the signal from the second time period to the first time period.

[0022] In one embodiment, reallocating resources to the signal may include reallocating resources to the signal in response to determining that the speed information increases to become not less than a second threshold or in response to determining that the speed information decreases to become less than the second threshold.

[0023] In one embodiment, the method may further include: configuring a detection signal between two consecutive signals if the period of the signal is greater than a period threshold.

[0024] In one embodiment, the method may further include: sending channel state information CSI-reference signal CSI-RS and / or synchronization signal block SSB to the terminal device; receiving a corresponding CSI report from the terminal device, wherein the beam information includes the beam index of the multiple preferred beams included in the corresponding CSI report; sending the determined resource configuration of the signal to the terminal device; and receiving the signal sent from the terminal device based on the resource configuration of the signal, wherein the signal includes at least one of a sounding reference signal SRS and a CSI report.

[0025] In one embodiment, the method may further include: sending channel state information CSI-reference signal CSI-RS and / or synchronization signal block SSB to the terminal device; receiving a corresponding CSI report from the terminal device, wherein the beam information includes the beam index of the multiple preferred beams included in the corresponding CSI report; and sending the signal to the terminal device according to the determined resource configuration of the signal, wherein the signal includes at least one of CSI-RS, sounding reference signal SRS and SSB.

[0026] In a second aspect of the present disclosure, a network device is provided. The network device includes a transceiver, a processor, and a memory. The memory includes instructions executable by the processor, whereby the network device is operable to perform the method according to the first aspect.

[0027] In a third aspect of the present disclosure, a computer-readable storage medium is provided. The computer-readable storage medium stores computer program instructions thereon. The computer program instructions, when executed by a processor in a network device, cause the network device to perform the method according to the first aspect.

[0028] In a fourth aspect of the present disclosure, a computer program is provided, wherein the computer program includes instructions, and when the instructions are executed by a processor of a network device, the network device executes the method according to the first aspect.

[0029] Using the embodiments of the present disclosure, cell throughput can be increased without requiring additional measurements. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0030] The above and other objects, features and advantages will become more apparent from the following description of the embodiments with reference to the accompanying drawings, which are:

[0031] Figure 1 is a flowchart illustrating an exemplary method for determining resource configuration of a signal according to an embodiment of the present disclosure;

[0032] Figure 2 is a schematic diagram illustrating an example of a beam management process according to an embodiment of the present disclosure;

[0033] Figures 3 to 5 is a schematic diagram illustrating an example of how speed information of a terminal device may be determined based on beam information according to an embodiment of the present disclosure;

[0034] Figure 6 is a flowchart illustrating an exemplary process for determining resource configuration of a signal based on speed information of a terminal device according to an embodiment of the present disclosure;

[0035] Figure 7 is a table showing an example of resource configuration of a signal based on speed information of a terminal device according to an embodiment of the present disclosure;

[0036] Figure 8 is a flow chart illustrating an exemplary process in which resource configuration determination of an application signal is performed according to an embodiment of the present disclosure;

[0037] Figure 9 is a block diagram of a network device according to an embodiment of the present disclosure;

[0038] Figure 10 is a block diagram of a network device according to another embodiment of the present disclosure;

[0039] Figure 11 schematically illustrates a telecommunications network connected to a host computer via an intermediary network;

[0040] Figure 12 is a generalized block diagram of a host computer communicating with a user device via a base station over a partially wireless connection; and

[0041] Figures 13 to 16 is a flow chart illustrating a method implemented in a communication system including a host computer, a base station, and a user equipment. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0042] Embodiments of the present disclosure are described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. It should be understood that these embodiments are discussed only to enable those skilled in the art to better understand and therefore implement the present disclosure, rather than to impose any limitation on the scope of the present disclosure. References to features, advantages, or similar language throughout the specification do not imply that all features and advantages that can be implemented with the present disclosure should be in or in any single embodiment of the present disclosure. On the contrary, language relating to features and advantages is understood to mean that specific features, advantages, or characteristics described in conjunction with the embodiments are included in at least one embodiment of the present disclosure. In addition, the features, advantages, and characteristics described in the present disclosure can be combined in any suitable manner in one or more embodiments. Those skilled in the relevant art will recognize that the present disclosure can be practiced without one or more specific features or advantages of a particular embodiment. In other cases, additional features and advantages that may not be present in all embodiments of the present disclosure can be identified in a particular embodiment.

[0043] As used herein, the term "wireless communication network" refers to a network that complies with any suitable communication standard, such as NR, LTE-Advanced (LTE-A), LTE, Wideband Code Division Multiple Access (WCDMA), High Speed ​​Packet Access (HSPA), etc. In addition, communication between terminal devices and network devices in the wireless communication network can be performed according to any suitable generation of communication protocols, such as Global System for Mobile Communications (GSM), Universal Mobile Telecommunications System (UMTS), Long Term Evolution (LTE) and / or other suitable 1G (first generation), 2G (second generation), 2.5G, 2.75G, 3G (third generation), 4G (fourth generation), 4.5G, 5G (fifth generation) communication protocols, wireless local area network (WLAN) standards, such as IEEE 802.11 standards; and / or any other suitable wireless communication standards, such as Worldwide Interoperability for Microwave Access (WiMax), Bluetooth and / or ZigBee standards and / or any other protocols currently known or to be developed in the future.

[0044] The term "network device" refers to a device in a wireless communication network through which a terminal device accesses the network and receives services from it. A network device refers to a base station (BS), access point (AP), or any other suitable device in a wireless communication network. A BS may be, for example, a NodeB (NodeB or NB), an evolved NodeB (eNodeB or eNB), or a gNB, a remote radio unit (RRU), a radio head (RH), a remote radio head (RRH), a repeater, a low-power node (e.g., a femto, pico, etc.). Further examples of network devices may include a multi-standard radio (MSR) radio device (e.g., an MSR BS), a network controller (e.g., a radio network controller (RNC) or a base station controller (BSC)), a base transceiver station (BTS), a transmission point, or a transmission node. However, more generally, a network device may refer to any suitable device (or group of devices) that is capable of, configured, arranged, and / or operable to enable and / or provide a terminal device with access to a wireless communication network, or to provide certain services to a terminal device that has accessed the wireless communication network.

[0045] The term "terminal device" refers to any terminal device that can access a wireless communication network and receive services therefrom. By way of example and not limitation, a terminal device refers to a mobile terminal, user equipment (UE), or other suitable device. A UE may be, for example, a subscriber station (SS), a portable subscriber station, a mobile station (MS), or an access terminal (AT). A terminal device may include, but is not limited to, a portable computer, a desktop computer, an image capture terminal device (e.g., a digital camera), a game terminal device, a music storage and playback device, a mobile phone, a cellular phone, a smart phone, a voice over IP (VoIP) phone, a wireless local loop phone, a tablet computer, a personal digital assistant (PDA), a wearable terminal device, a vehicle-mounted wireless terminal device, a wireless endpoint, a mobile station, a laptop embedded device (LEE), a laptop mounted device (LME), a USB adapter, a smart device, a wireless customer premises equipment (CPE), etc. In the following description, the terms "terminal device," "terminal," "user equipment," and "UE" may be used interchangeably. As an example, a terminal device may represent a UE configured for communicating in accordance with one or more communication standards promulgated by the Third Generation Partnership Project (3GPP), such as 3GPP's GSM, UMTS, LTE and / or 5G standards. As used herein, a "user equipment" or "UE" may not necessarily have a "user" in the sense of a human user who owns and / or operates the associated device. In some embodiments, a terminal device may be configured to send and / or receive information without direct human interaction. For example, a terminal device may be designed to send information to a network based on a predetermined schedule when triggered by an internal or external event, or in response to a request from a wireless communication network. Alternatively, a UE may represent a device that is intended to be sold to or operated by a human user but may not initially be associated with a specific human user.

[0046] The terminal device may support device-to-device (D2D) communication, for example by implementing the 3GPP standard for side-link communication, and in this case may be referred to as a D2D communication device.

[0047] As yet another example, in an Internet of Things (IoT) scenario, a terminal device may represent a machine or other device that performs monitoring and / or measurements and sends the results of such monitoring and / or measurements to another terminal device and / or network device. In this case, the terminal device may be a machine-to-machine (M2M) device, which may be referred to as a machine-type communication (MTC) device in the 3GPP context. As a specific example, the terminal device may be a UE that implements the 3GPP Narrowband Internet of Things (NB-IoT) standard. Specific examples of such machines or devices are sensors, metering equipment such as power meters, industrial machinery or household or personal appliances (e.g., refrigerators, televisions), personal wearable devices (e.g., watches, etc.). In other scenarios, a terminal device may represent a vehicle or other device that is capable of monitoring and / or reporting its operating status or other functions associated with its operation.

[0048] As used herein, "downlink" refers to transmission from a network device to a terminal device, and "uplink" refers to transmission in the opposite direction.

[0049] References in this specification to "one embodiment," "an embodiment," "an example," "some embodiments," etc. indicate that the described embodiment or example may include a particular feature, structure, or characteristic, but not every embodiment or example necessarily includes the particular feature, structure, or characteristic. Furthermore, such phrases do not necessarily refer to the same embodiment or example. Furthermore, when a particular feature, structure, or characteristic is described in conjunction with one embodiment or example, it is considered within the knowledge of those skilled in the art to implement such feature, structure, or characteristic in conjunction with other embodiments (whether or not explicitly described).

[0050] It will be understood that although the terms "first" and "second" etc. may be used herein to describe various elements, these elements should not be limited by these terms. These terms are merely used to distinguish one element from another. For example, a first element may be referred to as a second element, and similarly, a second element may be referred to as a first element without departing from the scope of the example embodiments. As used herein, the term "and / or" includes any and all combinations of one or more of the listed associated items.

[0051] The terminology used herein is for the purpose of describing particular embodiments only and is not intended to be limiting of the example embodiments. As used herein, the singular forms "a," "an," and "the" are intended to include the plural forms as well, unless the context clearly indicates otherwise. It will also be understood that when used herein, the terms "comprises," "having," and "includes" specify the presence of stated features, units, and / or components, etc., but do not preclude the presence or addition of one or more other features, units, components, and / or combinations thereof.

[0052] In the following description and claims, unless defined otherwise, all technical and scientific terms used herein have the same meaning as commonly understood by one of ordinary skill in the art to which this disclosure belongs.

[0053] Figure 1 1 is a flow chart illustrating an exemplary method 100 for determining resource configuration of a signal according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. The method 100 may be performed at a network device (eg, an eNB or a gNB).

[0054] like Figure 1 As shown, method 100 may include block S110: receiving beam information obtained in a plurality of beam management processes. The beam information may include information related to a plurality of preferred beams of a network device determined by the terminal device in the plurality of beam management processes. Method 100 may further include block S120: determining speed information of the terminal device based on the beam information obtained in the plurality of beam management processes. Method 100 may further include block S130: determining resource configuration of a signal based on the speed information of the terminal device. The signal here may be a reference signal or a report signal (e.g., a report in response to a reference signal).

[0055] according to Figure 1 In the illustrated method 100, because resource configuration for reference signals and / or related reports can be determined based on speed information of a terminal device, unnecessary resource allocation can be avoided, thereby increasing cell throughput. Furthermore, because the speed information of the terminal device is determined based on beam information obtained during an already executed beam management process, the determination of resource configuration can be freed from complex hardware or processing (e.g., a special speedometer or related algorithm). Furthermore, the beam management process can be used not only to determine the beam to be used for transmission, but also to obtain speed information of the terminal device for use in determining resource configuration.

[0056] In the following, reference will be made to Figure 2-8 The various embodiments shown describe each block of method 100 in greater detail.

[0057] In block S110 , the network device obtains beam information in a plurality of beam management processes.

[0058] Beam management can be used for a communication device to select the beam to transmit to or receive from another device. It is particularly useful in communication scenarios with high frequencies and narrow beams, where fine alignment of highly directional beams is desirable.

[0059] Figure 2 is a schematic diagram illustrating an example of a beam management process according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0060] According to the illustrated example, the beam management process may include three processes, which include:

[0061] Process P1: Initial beam selection process, in which the network device initially selects a wide transmission beam;

[0062] Process P2: Transmit beam refinement process, in which the network device determines the transmit beam to use; and

[0063] Process P3: Receive beam selection process, in which the terminal device determines the receive beam to be used.

[0064] In the example of process P2, the network device sends a channel state information-reference signal (CSI-RS) or a synchronization signal block (SSB) to the terminal device through multiple beams, and receives a channel state information report (CSI report) from the terminal device. The CSI report may include beam information, which includes information about one or more preferred beams. The beam information may include the reference signal received power (RSRP) of one or more (e.g., one to four) preferred beams and the beam index of the preferred beam. The terminal device can select one or more preferred beams (e.g., with the largest RSRP) from the multiple beams based on the corresponding RSRP of the CSI-RS or SSB.

[0065] In this manner, beam information including information about multiple preferred beams of a network device determined by a terminal device in multiple beam management processes can be obtained through multiple beam management processes. For example, the beam information may include information about two preferred beams determined in a first beam management process, information about one preferred beam determined in a second beam management process, and information about four preferred beams determined in a third beam management process.

[0066] In block S120 , the network device determines speed information of the terminal device based on the beam information obtained in the multiple beam management process.

[0067] In one example, the speed information may be based on (eg, include) distance information between multiple preferred beams determined in a multiple beam management process.

[0068] The preferred beam in each beam management process reflects the directionality of the terminal device at the time of the beam management process. Therefore, the distance between the preferred beams of different beam management processes is a good indicator of how fast the terminal device moves across the coverage areas of different beams.

[0069] In one example, distance information between multiple preferred beams can be obtained by determining multiple distances and determining a maximum or average value of the multiple distances as the distance information. The multiple distances may include beam distances. Each beam distance may be the distance between a corresponding pair of preferred beams obtained during a different beam management process.

[0070] Figure 3 FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram showing an example of how velocity information can be determined based on beam information according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. Figure 3 In the example of , there are a total of 12×4=48 transmission beams 300 that can be used by the network device. The preferred beam 310 is determined in a first beam management process, the preferred beam 320 is determined in a subsequent second beam management process, and the preferred beam 330 is determined in a further subsequent third beam management process.

[0071] In one example, the beam distance between a pair of preferred beams obtained from different beam management processes may be calculated as the Euclidean distance between the centers of the preferred beams.

[0072] In one example, the beam distance between a corresponding pair of preferred beams may be the number of beams between the centers of the preferred beams of the pair. For example, the center of the beam may be the center point between the points on each side of the beam lobe where the power drops to half of its maximum value (i.e., -3 dB). Figure 3 For example, the beam distance between a pair of preferred beams 310 and 320 may be determined as 7-3=4 beams, the beam distance between a pair of preferred beams 320 and 330 may be determined as 4-2=2 beams, and the beam distance between a pair of preferred beams 310 and 330 may be determined as beams.

[0073] Alternatively, the number of beams may be weighted by the beamwidth so that the beam distance between a corresponding pair of preferred beams may be determined as the angle contained between the centers of the preferred beams of the pair. In one example, the half power beamwidth (HPBW) (also referred to as beam angle) may be used as the beamwidth, which is defined as the angle contained between the points on each side of the beam lobe where the power drops to half of its maximum value (i.e., -3 dB). In the case where a pair of preferred beams are separated only horizontally or only vertically, the angle contained between the centers of the preferred beams of the pair may be simply approximated as the sum of the beamwidths of the beams located between the centers of the pair of preferred beams. For Figure 3For example, assuming that the beamwidth is, for example, 10° horizontally and 6° vertically, the beam distance between the pair of preferred beams 310 and 320 can be determined as (7-3)×10°=40°, and the beam distance between the pair of preferred beams 320 and 330 can be determined as (4-2)×6°=12°. In the case where a pair of preferred beams is separated not only in the horizontal direction but also in the vertical direction, the angle included between the centers of the preferred beams of the pair can be approximated as a Euclidean distance based on the number of beams weighted according to the beamwidth in both the horizontal and vertical directions. For Figure 3 For example, the beam distance between the pair of preferred beams 310 and 330 is determined to be

[0074] When determining the distance information, only some preferred beam pairs may be considered. Figure 3 In the example of , some preferred beam pairs may include the pair of preferred beams 310 and 320 and the pair of preferred beams 320 and 330. Nevertheless, because long-term considerations with less short-term interference may also reveal a meaningful indication of the speed of the terminal device, all preferred beam pairs may be considered, for Figure 3 In the example in , all preferred beam pairs may also include the pair of preferred beams 310 and 330.

[0075] If the time interval between each pair of preferred beams used in determining the distance information is fixed, the absolute beam distance may simply reflect the speed of the terminal device, and thus the distance information described above may be directly used as speed information. Alternatively, when determining the speed information based on the distance information, the time interval between the preferred beams of the corresponding beam management process may also be considered. In one example, each beam distance may be a distance normalized by the time interval between the preferred beams of the corresponding beam management process. Figure 3 For example, assuming that the time interval between the preferred beams 310 and 320 is 20 ms and the time interval between the preferred beams 320 and 330 is also 20 ms, the time-normalized beam distance between the preferred beams 310 and 320 can be calculated as 4 / 20=0.2 beam / ms (or 40° / 20=2° / ms), the time-normalized beam distance between the preferred beams 320 and 330 is 2 / 20=0.1 beam / ms (or 12° / 20=0.6° / ms), and the time-normalized beam distance between the preferred beams 310 and 330 is 4.47 / 40=0.11 beam / ms (or 42° / 40=1.05° / ms).

[0076] According to the above example, the beam distance (and therefore the distance information and speed information) can be determined based on the number of beams, the angle contained between the centers of the preferred beams, the number of beams normalized by the time interval, or the angle normalized by the time interval, which can reflect how quickly the terminal device moves from one beam coverage area to another beam coverage area relative to the network device.

[0077] In one example, a maximum value or an average value of a plurality of distances may be determined as the distance information. Figure 3 For example, if the beam distance is determined based on the time-normalized number of beams, the distance information (speed information) can be determined as the maximum value of multiple (time-normalized) distances, i.e., 0.2 beam / ms, or as the average value of multiple (time-normalized) distances, i.e., (0.2+0.1+0.11) / 3=0.14 beam / ms.

[0078] In many cases (especially in non-line-of-sight (NLOS) scenarios), multiple beams may result in essentially the same RSRP in one beam management process. In this case, even if the terminal device selects only one preferred beam in the beam management process, the selected preferred beam is not necessarily the dominant beam, but other nearby beams may have similar RSRPs. Therefore, even if the terminal device selects two different beams close to each other in two different beam management processes, the terminal device is still likely to have no noticeable movement.

[0079] Considering the above, preferred beams considered sufficiently close to each other can be defined as a group of preferred beams, and the distance information described above can be determined based on such a group. The concept of a group can be applied to both preferred beams determined in different beam management processes and preferred beams determined in the same beam management process.

[0080] In one example, if the beam distance between a pair of preferred beams determined in different beam management processes is not greater than a predetermined distance (i.e., the pair of preferred beams can be considered to be in the same set of preferred beams), the beam distance between the pair of preferred beams can be determined to be zero. For example, the predetermined distance can be set to a beam distance corresponding to one beam (or 0.05 beam / ms).

[0081] It is possible for a terminal device to select more than one preferred beam in a single beam management process. In this case, all preferred beams can be considered when determining the beam distance between pairs of preferred beams, as long as any pair does not include two preferred beams selected in the same beam management process. However, more than one preferred beam that is close to each other and determined in the same beam management process can also be considered a group.

[0082] More specifically, in one example, the plurality of distances may further include a group distance between a first group of preferred beams determined in a first beam management process and a second group of preferred beams determined in a second beam management process. The group distance may be determined as the beam distance between a preferred beam of the first group and a preferred beam of the second group.

[0083] For example, the group distance may be determined as the maximum of the beam distances between the preferred beams of the first group and the preferred beams of the second group. In another example, the group distance may be determined as the beam distance between the best beam among the preferred beams of the first group and the best beam among the preferred beams of the second group. The best beam may be the preferred beam with the highest RSRP among the preferred beams of the group.

[0084] Figure 4 FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram showing an example of how a group distance can be determined based on beam information according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. Figure 4 As shown in the example, because the two preferred beams 410a and 410b determined in the first beam management process are close to each other, they can be considered the first group. Similarly, because the three preferred beams 420a, 420b, and 420c determined in the second beam management process are close to each other, they can be considered the second group. The distances between the beams determined in the first and second beam management processes can then be determined as the group distance between the first and second groups. The group distance between the first and second groups can be determined as the maximum distance between the first and second groups, that is, the distance between preferred beam 410a and preferred beam 420c. Alternatively, the group distance can be determined as the distance between the best beam of the first group and the best beam of the second group, for example, the distance between best beam 410a and best beam 420b. Similar to the beam distance, the group distance can also be determined based on the number of beams, the angle between the centers of the preferred beams, the number of beams normalized by the time interval, or the angle normalized by the time interval.

[0085] There may be various ways to define a group of preferred beams that are close to each other. Figure 5 Some examples of possible preferred beam groups are shown with shading, where preferred beam groups can be defined by relative distances and / or positional relationships. For example, beams that are no more than a threshold distance (horizontally and / or vertically) apart can be considered to be in the same group. It will be understood that the manner in which preferred beam groups are defined is not limited to Figure 5 The manner shown, but rather can be varied depending on requirements, specific applications and / or scenarios.

[0086] By defining groups for preferred beams, preferred beams that are close together can be treated as a single beam. This way, preferred beams that may have similar RSRPs are not given excessive weight in determining the speed information of the terminal device. This can reduce the impact of NLOS scenarios.

[0087] In one example, the process of block S120 and thus the entire method 100 may be performed periodically during each period of time. If the terminal devices served by the network device have the same CSI reporting period, the period may include multiple CSI reporting periods. The period may alternatively be set to a fixed time. The period may be set based on the requirements of a specific application and scenario (e.g., how frequently the speed of the terminal device is expected to change).

[0088] In some cases, the beam may be large enough, and therefore it may not be necessary to frequently determine the speed information of the terminal device based on the beam information. In this case, not all beam management processes in a time period are used to determine the speed information. For example, only one beam management process out of every several beam management processes may be used to determine the speed information. In other words, for Figure 3 For example, there may be other beam management processes between the first beam management process and the second beam management process.

[0089] After determining the speed information of the terminal device, the network device determines resource configuration of a signal based on the speed information of the terminal device at block S130. The signal may be a reference signal or a report in response to a reference signal.

[0090] More specifically, the step of determining resource configuration of the signal in block S130 may include at least one of: allocating resources to the signal, not allocating resources to the signal, reallocating resources to the signal; and changing a time period of the signal.

[0091] The inventors have found that reference signals and / or related reports can bring different levels of benefit depending on the speed of the terminal device. More specifically, reference signals (e.g., sounding reference signals (SRS)) and / or related reports are more useful if the terminal device does not move quickly across different beam coverage areas. This is because if the terminal device does not move quickly across different beam coverage areas, the channel used for the reference signal will better resemble the actual communication channel to be used (e.g., physical uplink shared channel (PUSCH), physical downlink shared channel (PDSCH), physical uplink control channel (PUCCH), or physical downlink control channel (PDCCH)). When the speed is too high, the preferred beam to be used also changes quickly, the channel state changes accordingly quickly, and therefore the reference signal may not necessarily be able to reflect the channel state to be used subsequently.

[0092] Taking the above into consideration, Figure 6 FIG. 6 shows an exemplary process 600 for determining resource configuration of a signal based on speed information of a terminal device in block S130. Figure 6 In the example of , the signal for which the resource configuration is to be determined may include an uplink reference signal or a downlink reference signal (eg, an SRS signal) or a related report thereof.

[0093] like Figure 6 As shown, at block S610, a determination is made as to whether the speed information is less than a first threshold. If the speed information is less than the first threshold, the process proceeds to block S630, where resources are allocated to the signal. Otherwise, if the speed information is not less than the first threshold, the process proceeds to block S640, where no resources are allocated to the signal. If the speed information is determined based on the number of beams, the threshold is also the number of beams. If the speed information is an angle, the threshold is also the angle. If normalization by time interval is used to determine the speed information, the threshold is also a value normalized by time interval. The first threshold can be set based on requirements, specific applications, and / or scenarios, and can correspond to, for example, but not limited to, a value in the range of 0.1 beam / ms to 0.25 beam / ms.

[0094] The inventors have also discovered that when the channel quality between the network device and the terminal device is low, reference signals (eg, SRS signals used for uplink codebook-based transmission) may not provide substantial benefits for communication.

[0095] With this in mind, it is proposed and also Figure 6 An alternative example is shown in FIG, in which process 600 can be performed while further considering channel quality. More specifically, at block S610, a determination is made as to whether the speed information is less than a first threshold. If the speed information is less than the first threshold, the process proceeds to block S620, where a determination is made as to whether the channel quality is greater than a quality threshold. If the channel quality is greater than the quality threshold, the process proceeds to block S630, where resources are allocated to the signal. Otherwise, if the channel quality is not greater than the quality threshold, the process proceeds to block S640, where no resources are allocated to the signal. In other words, if the speed information is less than the first threshold and the channel quality is greater than the quality threshold, resources are allocated to the signal, or if the speed information is less than the first threshold and the channel quality is not greater than the quality threshold, no resources are allocated to the signal. The quality threshold can be set based on requirements, specific applications, and / or scenarios.

[0096] Among the reference signals, the SRS signal allows channel estimation for scheduling and / or beamforming. In the NR system, the SRS signal has extended use for both downlink and uplink transmissions and is particularly useful in configuring NR uplink transmissions. For example, the SRS signal can be used for uplink codebook-based transmission, uplink non-codebook-based transmission, and uplink beam management in the NR system. In addition, the SRS signal can also be used for downlink reciprocity-based transmission in the NR system.

[0097] In the NR system, although a larger bandwidth is provided than the LTE system, the transmit power of the terminal device is still substantially the same or similar to that of the LTE system, and therefore SRS coverage will become a problem in the NR system. In addition, for the NR time division duplex (TDD) mode, the uplink time slot is less than the downlink time slot, and the uplink symbols used for SRS configuration are also limited by the uplink physical layer processing capability. Therefore, if a considerable number of uplink symbols are configured for the SRS signal, the uplink cell throughput will be significantly reduced. In this regard, the exemplary process 600 can be particularly useful in increasing cell throughput by reducing unnecessary costs of the SRS signal.

[0098] although Figure 6 Process 600 may be implemented before resources are allocated to a reference signal, but may also be useful after resources have been allocated to the reference signal if the reference signal has not yet been transmitted. More specifically, when it is determined that the speed information becomes no less than a first threshold, or alternatively, when it is determined that the speed information is less than the first threshold but the channel quality becomes no greater than a quality threshold, if resources have been allocated to the reference signal, the resources may be released.

[0099] In some examples, if resources are not allocated to a reference signal or related report (eg, no resources are allocated at all or resources that have been allocated are released), some fallback schemes may be performed in response to the lack of a reference signal or related report.

[0100] In one example, in the case where a signal is intended for use with downlink channel reciprocity (eg, an SRS signal for use with downlink channel reciprocity), the downlink transmission mode may be set to a non-reciprocal transmission mode in response to not allocating resources to the signal.

[0101] In another example, where a signal is intended for use with uplink transmission (eg, an SRS signal for use with uplink transmission), in response to not allocating resources to the signal, the uplink transmission mode may be set to a transmission mode not based on the signal.

[0102] Furthermore, the inventors have discovered that the faster a terminal device moves across different beam coverage areas, the shorter the useful period for configuring reference signals. This is because for high-speed terminal devices, the preferred beam may change more frequently, and therefore frequent channel measurements and estimates will be preferred, and vice versa.

[0103] With this in mind, an example is proposed in which, if it is decided to allocate resources to a signal, different time periods may be set for the signal based on speed information of a terminal device.

[0104] In one example, allocating resources to a signal may include: if the speed information is less than a second threshold that is less than the first threshold, setting a first time period for the signal; or if the speed information is not less than the second threshold and less than the first threshold, setting a second time period for the signal that is less than the first time period. The second threshold, the first time period, and the second time period may be set according to requirements, specific applications, and / or scenarios. The second threshold may be set to correspond to a value within a range of, for example, but not limited to, 0.05 beams / ms to 0.15 beams / ms. The first time period may be set to a value within a range of, for example, but not limited to, 20 ms to 60 ms. The second time period may be set to a value within a range of, for example, but not limited to, 10 ms to 40 ms.

[0105] Although only two different time periods in response to two speed ranges are described above, it will be understood that more thresholds (and therefore more speed ranges) may be set for the speed information, and more different time periods may be set in response to the comparison results between the speed information and the thresholds.

[0106] In this way, if the speed of the terminal device is relatively low, a longer period can be set for reference signals and related reports. As a result, cell throughput can be increased because if the terminal device is not moving as fast, fewer reference signals and related reports will be sent in a given period of time.

[0107] Figure 7 : is a table showing an example of resource configuration of a signal based on speed information of a terminal device according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0108] like Figure 7As shown, based on the comparison of speed information with a threshold, terminal devices can be divided into different groups. If the speed information of the terminal device falls into the high-speed group in which the speed information is not less than a first threshold (e.g., 0.2 beam / ms), no resources will be allocated to the reference signal associated with the terminal device. If the speed information of the terminal device is less than the first threshold (e.g., 0.2 beam / ms) and not less than a second threshold (e.g., 0.1 beam / ms), resources will be allocated to a reference signal with a second period (e.g., 20ms). If the speed information of the terminal device is less than the second threshold (e.g., 0.1 beam / ms), resources will be allocated to a reference signal with a first period (e.g., 40ms) that is longer than the second period.

[0109] In one example, the duration of the signal may be changed based on the speed of the terminal device. More specifically, in response to determining that the speed information has increased to be no less than a second threshold, the duration of the signal may be reduced from a first duration to a second duration. Similarly, in response to determining that the speed information has decreased to be less than the second threshold, the duration of the signal may be increased from the second duration to the first duration.

[0110] If resources have been allocated to a reference signal but the reference signal has not yet been transmitted using the allocated resources, then upon determining that the speed has changed to cross the second threshold, the resources may be reallocated before transmission. In other words, in response to determining that the speed information has increased to become no less than the second threshold or in response to determining that the speed information has decreased to become less than the second threshold, the resources may be reallocated to the signal. For example, in the case where it is determined that the speed information has decreased from being no less than the second threshold to becoming less than the second threshold, the resources used for the signal may be reallocated to a later time slot (e.g., corresponding to a longer period). In the case where it is determined that the speed information has increased from being less than the second threshold to becoming no less than the second threshold, the resources used for the signal may be reallocated to an earlier time slot (e.g., corresponding to a shorter period).

[0111] In one example, for a terminal device that is configured with a long period for a reference signal (for example, if the period of the reference signal is greater than a period threshold), a detection signal can be configured between two consecutive reference signals. The detection signal can be non-periodic or have a shorter period. The detection signal can be a CSI-RS or SSB sent from a network device to a terminal device. In response to the detection signal, a CSI report can be sent from the terminal device to the network device. With the help of the detection signal, even if the period of the reference signal is relatively long, it is still possible to detect how quickly the preferred beam changes without missing the opportunity for the network device to learn about the possible increase in the speed of the terminal device. In this way, degradation of communication quality due to the lack of necessary channel measurements will be avoided.

[0112] Figure 8is a flow chart illustrating an exemplary process in which resource configuration determination of an application signal is performed according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0113] like Figure 8 As shown, the exemplary process may include the following steps. In step S810, the network device sends a CSI-RS signal and / or an SSB signal to the terminal device. In step S820, the terminal device sends a CSI report to the network device. The CSI report may include beam information as described above. The beam information may include a beam index of a preferred beam. Steps S810 and S820 may be performed multiple times so that multiple beam management processes may be performed. The network device may then perform Figure 1 The method 100 is shown, wherein speed information of a terminal device is determined, and resource configuration of a reference signal and related reports is determined based on the speed information.

[0114] The reference signals and related reports may include uplink signals, including at least one of an SRS signal and a CSI report. The reference signals and related reports may also include downlink signals, including at least one of an SSB signal and a CSI-RS signal.

[0115] For the SRS signal, in step S830, the network device may send the SRS resource configuration determined in method 100 to the terminal device so that the terminal device can know whether and when to send the SRS signal. In step S840, the terminal device sends the SRS signal to the network device according to the resource configuration received from the network device.

[0116] For other signals, in step S850, the network device may send the resource configuration of the CSI report determined in method 100 to the terminal device. Optionally and alternatively, in step S850, the network device may send the resource configuration of the SSB or CSI-RS signal determined in method 100 to the terminal device. In step S860, the network device may send the SSB or CSI-RS signal to the terminal device according to the resource configuration determined in method 100. In step S870, the terminal device may send the CSI report to the network device in response to the SSB or CSI-RS signal according to the resource configuration received from the network device. Although Figure 8 It is shown that the SRS is used as an uplink reference signal, but the SRS can also be used as a downlink reference signal if, for example, DL reciprocity transmission is performed.

[0117] Corresponding to the method 100 described above, a network device may be provided. Figure 9 9 is a block diagram of a network device 900 according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. The network device 900 may be, for example, an eNB or a gNB.

[0118] like Figure 9 As shown, the network device 900 includes a receiving unit 901, which is configured to receive beam information obtained in a multiple beam management process. The beam information may include information related to multiple preferred beams of the network device determined by the terminal device in the multiple beam management process. The network device 900 also includes a first determining unit 902, which is configured to determine speed information of the terminal device based on the beam information obtained in the multiple beam management process. The network device 900 also includes a second determining unit 903, which is configured to determine a resource configuration of a signal based on the speed information of the terminal device. The signal can be a reference signal or a report signal.

[0119] In one embodiment, the speed information may be based on distance information between a plurality of preferred beams.

[0120] In one embodiment, the distance information between multiple preferred beams can be obtained by the following operations: determining multiple distances, the multiple distances including beam distances, each beam distance being the distance between a corresponding pair of preferred beams obtained in different beam management processes; and determining the maximum value or average value of the multiple distances as the distance information.

[0121] In one embodiment, if the beam distance between a pair of preferred beams is not greater than a predetermined distance, the beam distance between the pair of preferred beams may be determined to be zero.

[0122] In one embodiment, the plurality of distances may further include a group distance between a first group of preferred beams determined in the first beam management process and a second group of preferred beams determined in the second beam management process. The group distance may be a beam distance between a preferred beam of the first group and a preferred beam of the second group.

[0123] In one embodiment, the group distance may be the maximum of the beam distances between the preferred beam of the first group and the preferred beam of the second group; or the group distance may be the beam distance between the best beam of the first group and the best beam of the second group.

[0124] In one embodiment, the beam distance between a corresponding pair of preferred beams may be the number of beams between the centers of the preferred beams of the pair.

[0125] In one embodiment, the beam distance between a corresponding pair of preferred beams may be the angle contained between the centers of the preferred beams of the pair.

[0126] In one embodiment, each of the plurality of distances may be a distance normalized by a time interval between preferred beams of a corresponding beam management process.

[0127] In one embodiment, the second determining unit may be configured to perform at least one of: allocating resources to the signal; not allocating resources to the signal; reallocating resources to the signal; and changing a time period of the signal.

[0128] In one embodiment, the second determining unit may include an allocating unit configured to: allocate resources to the signal if the speed information is less than a first threshold; or not allocate resources to the signal if the speed information is not less than the first threshold.

[0129] In one embodiment, the signal may include an SRS used for uplink codebook-based transmission. In addition, the second determining unit may include an allocating unit configured to: allocate resources to the signal if the speed information is less than a first threshold and the channel quality is greater than a quality threshold; or not allocate resources to the signal if the speed information is less than the first threshold and the channel quality is not greater than the quality threshold.

[0130] In one embodiment, the allocating unit may include a releasing unit configured to release resources that have been allocated to the signal.

[0131] In one embodiment, the network device may further include a first setting unit configured to: in a case where the signal is intended to be used with downlink channel reciprocity, in response to not allocating resources to the signal, set the downlink transmission mode to the non-reciprocal transmission mode.

[0132] In one embodiment, the network device may further include a second setting unit configured to: if the signal is intended for use with uplink transmission, in response to not allocating resources to the signal, set the uplink transmission mode to a transmission mode not based on the signal.

[0133] In one embodiment, the allocation unit may include: a setting unit configured to: set a first time period of the signal if the speed information is less than a second threshold value that is smaller than the first threshold value; or set a second time period of the signal if the speed information is not less than the second threshold value and is smaller than the first threshold value, which is smaller than the first time period.

[0134] In one embodiment, the network device may further include a period changing unit, which is configured to: in response to determining that the speed information increases to become no less than a second threshold, reduce the period of the signal from a first period to a second period less than the first period; or in response to determining that the speed information decreases to become less than the second threshold, increase the period of the signal from the second period to the first period.

[0135] In one embodiment, the network device may further include a reallocation unit configured to reallocate resources to the signal in response to determining that the speed information increases to become not less than a second threshold or in response to determining that the speed information decreases to become less than the second threshold.

[0136] In one embodiment, the network device may further include a configuration unit configured to: configure a detection signal between two consecutive signals if the period of the signals is greater than a period threshold.

[0137] In one embodiment, the network device may further include a first sending unit configured to send a CSI-RS and / or SSB to the terminal device. The network device may further include a second receiving unit configured to receive a corresponding CSI report from the terminal device, wherein the beam information includes a beam index of a plurality of preferred beams included in the corresponding CSI report. The network device may further include a second sending unit configured to send a determined resource configuration of a signal to the terminal device. The network device may further include a third receiving unit configured to receive a signal sent from the terminal device according to the resource configuration of the signal. The signal may include at least one of an SRS and a CSI report.

[0138] In one embodiment, the network device may further include a first transmitting unit configured to transmit a CSI-RS and / or SSB to the terminal device. The network device may further include a second receiving unit configured to receive a corresponding CSI report from the terminal device, wherein the beam information includes beam indices of multiple preferred beams included in the corresponding CSI report. The network device may further include a second transmitting unit configured to transmit a signal to the terminal device according to the determined resource configuration of the signal. The signal may include an SRS and an SSB.

[0139] The receiving unit 901, the first determining unit 902, the second determining unit 903 and various other units may be implemented as a pure hardware solution or a combination of software and hardware, for example, by one or more of the following: Figure 1 The actions shown are a processor or microprocessor and sufficient software and memory for storing the software, a programmable logic device (PLD) or other electronic component or processing circuit.

[0140] Figure 10 is a block diagram of a network device 1000 according to another embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0141] The network device 1000 includes a transceiver 1001, a processor 1002, and a memory 1003. The memory 1003 contains instructions that can be executed by the processor 1002, whereby the network device 1000 can be operated to perform, for example, the aforementioned Figure 1Specifically, the memory 1003 includes instructions executable by the processor 1002, whereby the network device 1000 is operable to: receive beam information obtained in a multiple beam management process. The beam information includes information related to multiple preferred beams of the network device determined by the terminal device in the multiple beam management process; determine speed information of the terminal device based on the beam information obtained in the multiple beam management process; and determine resource configuration of a signal based on the speed information of the terminal device, where the signal is a reference signal or a report signal.

[0142] In some embodiments, the memory 1003 may also contain instructions executable by the processor 1002 , such that the network device 1000 is operable to perform any of the methods, steps, and processes described above.

[0143] The present disclosure also provides at least one computer program product in the form of a non-volatile or volatile memory, such as a non-transitory computer-readable storage medium, an electrically erasable programmable read-only memory (EEPROM), a flash memory, and a hard drive. The computer program product includes a computer program. The computer program includes: code / computer-readable instructions that, when executed by the processor 1002, cause the network device 1000 to perform, for example, the previously described operations in conjunction with Figure 1 Describes the actions of a process.

[0144] The computer program product may be configured as a computer program code structured as computer program modules. The computer program modules may essentially execute Figure 1 The actions of the process shown.

[0145] The processor may be a single CPU (central processing unit), but may also include two or more processing units. For example, the processor may include a general-purpose microprocessor; an instruction set processor and / or an associated chipset and / or a special-purpose microprocessor, such as an application-specific integrated circuit (ASIC). The processor may also include on-board memory for caching purposes. The computer program may be carried by a computer program product connected to the processor. The computer program product may include a non-transitory computer-readable storage medium on which the computer program is stored. For example, the computer program product may be a flash memory, a random access memory (RAM), a read-only memory (ROM) or an EEPROM, and in alternative embodiments, the computer program modules described above may be distributed across different computer program products in the form of memories.

[0146] refer to Figure 11According to one embodiment, a communications system includes a telecommunications network 1110, such as a 3GPP-type cellular network, including an access network 1111, such as a radio access network, and a core network 1114. The access network 1111 includes a plurality of base stations 1112a, 1112b, 1112c (e.g., NBs, eNBs, gNBs) or other types of wireless access points, each defining a corresponding coverage area 1113a, 1113b, 1113c. Each base station 1112a, 1112b, 1112c can be connected to the core network 1114 via a wired or wireless connection 1115. A first user equipment (UE) 1191 located in the coverage area 1113c is configured to wirelessly connect to or be paged by the corresponding base station 1112c. A second UE 1192 in the coverage area 1113a can wirelessly connect to the corresponding base station 1112a. Although multiple UEs 1191 , 1192 are shown in this example, the disclosed embodiments are equally applicable to situations where only a single UE is in the coverage area or a single UE is connected to the corresponding base station 1112 .

[0147] Telecommunications network 1110 itself is connected to a host computer 1130, which can be embodied in the hardware and / or software of a standalone server, a cloud-enabled server, a distributed server, or as processing resources in a server farm. Host computer 1130 can be under the ownership or control of a service provider, or can be operated by or on behalf of a service provider. Connections 1121, 1122 between telecommunications network 1110 and host computer 1130 can extend directly from core network 1114 to host computer 1130, or can be via an optional intermediary network 1120. Intermediary network 1120 can be one of a public, private, or managed network, or a combination of more than one of these; intermediary network 1120, if present, can be a backbone network or the Internet; in particular, intermediary network 1120 can include two or more subnetworks (not shown).

[0148] Overall, Figure 11The communication system enables connectivity between connected UEs 1191, 1192 and a host computer 1130. This connectivity can be described as an over-the-top (OTT) connection 1150. The host computer 1130 and the connected UEs 1191, 1192 are configured to communicate data and / or signaling via the OTT connection 1150, using the access network 1111, the core network 1114, any intermediate networks 1120, and possibly other infrastructure (not shown) as intermediaries. The OTT connection 1150 can be transparent because the participating communication devices through which the OTT connection 1150 passes are unaware of the routing of uplink and downlink communications. For example, the base station 1112 may not be informed or need not be informed of the past routing of incoming downlink communications with data originating from the host computer 1130 to be forwarded (e.g., handed over) to the connected UE 1191. Similarly, the base station 1112 does not need to know the future routing of outgoing uplink communications from the UE 1191 to the host computer 1130.

[0149] According to one embodiment, reference will now be made to Figure 12 Describe the example implementations of the UE, base station, and host computer discussed in the previous paragraphs. In the communication system 1200, the host computer 1210 includes hardware 1215, which includes a communication interface 1216 configured to establish and maintain a wired or wireless connection with different communication devices of the communication system 1200. The host computer 1210 also includes processing circuitry 1218, which may have storage and / or processing capabilities. In particular, the processing circuitry 1218 may include one or more programmable processors, application-specific integrated circuits, field programmable gate arrays, or a combination of these items (not shown) suitable for executing instructions. The host computer 1210 also includes software 1211, which is stored in the host computer 1210 or accessible by the host computer 1210 and executable by the processing circuitry 1218. The software 1211 includes a host application 1212. The host application 1212 is operable to provide services to a remote user, such as a UE 1230 connected via an OTT connection 1250 that terminates at the UE 1230 and the host computer 1210. In providing services to the remote user, the host application 1212 may provide user data sent using the OTT connection 1250.

[0150] The communication system 1200 also includes a base station 1220 provided in the telecommunication system, and the base station 1220 includes hardware 1225 that enables it to communicate with the host computer 1210 and the UE 1230. The hardware 1225 may include a communication interface 1226 for establishing and maintaining wired or wireless connections with different communication devices of the communication system 1200, and for establishing and maintaining connections with the network devices located in the coverage area ( Figure 12The communication interface 1226 may be configured to facilitate a connection 1250 with the host computer 1210. The connection 1250 may be direct, or the connection 1250 may be through a core network (e.g., a wireless communication network) of the telecommunications system. Figure 12 The base station 1220 may also include a processor 1228 (not shown) and / or one or more intermediate networks external to the telecommunications system. In the illustrated embodiment, the hardware 1225 of the base station 1220 also includes processing circuitry 1228, which may include one or more programmable processors, application specific integrated circuits, field programmable gate arrays, or a combination thereof (not shown) adapted to execute instructions. The base station 1220 also has software 1221 stored internally or accessible via an external connection.

[0151] Communication system 1200 also includes the previously mentioned UE 1230. The hardware 1235 of UE 1230 may include a radio interface 1237 configured to establish and maintain a wireless connection 1270 with a base station serving the coverage area in which UE 1230 is currently located. The hardware 1235 of UE 1230 also includes processing circuitry 1238, which may include one or more programmable processors, application-specific integrated circuits, field-programmable gate arrays, or a combination thereof (not shown) adapted to execute instructions. UE 1230 also includes software 1231, which is stored in or accessible to UE 1230 and executable by processing circuitry 1238. Software 1231 includes client applications 1232. Client applications 1232 are operable to provide services to human or non-human users via UE 1230 with the support of host computer 1210. In host computer 1210, a host application 1212 executing can communicate with a client application 1232 executing via an OTT connection 1250 terminating at UE 1230 and host computer 1210. When providing a service to a user, client application 1232 can receive request data from host application 1212 and provide user data in response to the request data. OTT connection 1250 can transmit both the request data and the user data. Client application 1232 can interact with the user to generate the user data it provides.

[0152] Notice, Figure 12 The host computer 1210, base station 1220 and UE 1230 shown can be respectively Figure 11 The host computer 530, one of the base stations 512a, 512b, 512c, and one of the UEs 591, 592 may be similar or identical. That is, the internal workings of these entities may be as follows: Figure 12 shown, and independently, the surrounding network topology can be Figure 11 The surrounding network topology.

[0153] exist Figure 12 In FIG, an OTT connection 1250 has been abstractly drawn to illustrate communication between a host computer 1210 and a user device 1230 via a base station 1220, without explicitly referencing any intermediate devices and the precise routing of messages through these devices. The network infrastructure can determine the routing, and the network infrastructure can be configured to hide the routing from the UE 1230 or from the service provider operating the host computer 1210, or both. While the OTT connection 1250 is active, the network infrastructure can further make decisions based on which it dynamically changes the routing (e.g., based on load balancing considerations or network reconfiguration).

[0154] The wireless connection 1270 between the UE 1230 and the base station 1220 is in accordance with the teachings of the embodiments described throughout this disclosure. One or more of the various embodiments improves the performance of OTT services provided to the UE 1230 using the OTT connection 1250 (where the wireless connection 1270 forms the final segment). More specifically, the teachings of these embodiments can improve data throughput, thereby providing benefits such as reduced user latency.

[0155] A measurement process may be provided for the purpose of monitoring data rate, latency, and other factors that one or more embodiments improve upon. In response to changes in measurement results, an optional network function may also be provided for reconfiguring the OTT connection 1250 between the host computer 1210 and the UE 1230. The measurement process and / or network function for reconfiguring the OTT connection 1250 may be implemented in the software 1211 of the host computer 1210, in the software 1231 of the UE 1230, or in both. In an embodiment, a sensor (not shown) may be deployed in or associated with the communication device through which the OTT connection 1250 passes; the sensor may participate in the measurement process by providing values ​​of the monitored quantities exemplified above or other physical quantities from which the software 1211, 1231 can calculate or estimate the monitored quantities. Reconfiguration of the OTT connection 1250 may include message formats, retransmission settings, preferred routing, and the like. The reconfiguration need not affect the base station 1220 and may be unknown or imperceptible to the base station 1220. Such processes and functions may be known and practiced in the art. In certain embodiments, the measurements may involve proprietary UE signaling that facilitates the host computer 1210 to measure throughput, propagation time, latency, etc. The measurements may be achieved because the software 1211, 1231 causes messages, particularly empty or "dummy" messages, to be sent using the OTT connection 1250 during its monitoring of propagation time, errors, etc.

[0156] Figure 13is a flow chart showing a method implemented in a communication system according to one embodiment. The communication system includes a host computer, a base station and a UE, which may be a reference Figure 11 and 12 To simplify this disclosure, only the host computers, base stations, and UEs described in this section are included. Figure 13 Reference is made to the accompanying drawings of FIG. In a first step 1310 of the method, a host computer provides user data. In an optional sub-step 1311 of first step 1310, the host computer provides the user data by executing a host application. In a second step 1320, the host computer initiates a transmission carrying the user data to the UE. In an optional third step 1330, in accordance with the teachings of the embodiments described throughout this disclosure, the base station transmits the user data carried in the host computer-initiated transmission to the UE. In an optional fourth step 1340, the UE executes a client application associated with the host application executed by the host computer.

[0157] Figure 14 is a flow chart showing a method implemented in a communication system according to one embodiment. The communication system includes a host computer, a base station and a UE, which may be a reference Figure 11 and 12 To simplify this disclosure, only the host computers, base stations, and UEs described in this section are included. Figure 14 Reference is made to the accompanying drawings of the present invention. In a first step 1410 of the method, a host computer provides user data. In an optional sub-step (not shown), the host computer provides the user data by executing a host application. In a second step 1420, the host computer initiates a transmission carrying the user data to the UE. According to the teachings of the embodiments described throughout this disclosure, this transmission may be through a base station. In an optional third step 1430, the UE receives the user data carried in the transmission.

[0158] Figure 15 is a flow chart showing a method implemented in a communication system according to one embodiment. The communication system includes a host computer, a base station and a UE, which may be a reference Figure 11 and 12 To simplify this disclosure, only the host computers, base stations, and UEs described in this section are included. Figure 15Reference is made to the accompanying drawings of . In an optional first step 1510 of the method, the UE receives input data provided by the host computer. Additionally or alternatively, in an optional second step 1520, the UE provides user data. In an optional sub-step 1521 of the second step 1520, the UE provides the user data by executing a client application. In another optional sub-step 1511 of the first step 1510, the UE executes a client application, which provides the user data in response to the input data received from the host computer. When providing the user data, the executed client application may further take into account user input received from the user. Regardless of the specific manner in which the user data is provided, the UE initiates transmission of the user data to the host computer in an optional third sub-step 1530. In a fourth step 1540 of the method, the host computer receives the user data sent from the UE in accordance with the teachings of the embodiments described throughout this disclosure.

[0159] Figure 16 is a flow chart showing a method implemented in a communication system according to one embodiment. The communication system includes a host computer, a base station and a UE, which may be a reference Figure 11 and 12 To simplify this disclosure, only the host computers, base stations, and UEs described in this section are included. Figure 16 Reference is made to the accompanying drawings of FIG. In an optional first step 1610 of the method, a base station receives user data from a UE in accordance with the teachings of the embodiments described throughout this disclosure. In an optional second step 1620, the base station initiates transmission of the received user data to a host computer. In a third step 1630, the host computer receives the user data carried in the transmission initiated by the base station.

[0160] The present disclosure has been described above with reference to the embodiments of the present disclosure. It should be understood that various modifications, changes, and additions may be made by those skilled in the art without departing from the spirit and scope of the present disclosure. Therefore, the scope of the present disclosure is not limited to the specific embodiments described above, but is limited only by the appended claims.

Claims

1. A method (100) at a network device, comprising: receiving (S110) beam information obtained in a multiple beam management process, the beam information including information related to multiple preferred beams of the network device determined by a terminal device in the multiple beam management process; determining (S120) speed information of the terminal device based on the beam information obtained during the multiple beam management process; as well as Determining (S130) a resource configuration of a signal based on the speed information of the terminal device, the signal being a reference signal or a report signal, wherein the speed information is based on distance information between the plurality of preferred beams, and wherein the distance information between the plurality of preferred beams is obtained by: determining a plurality of distances, the plurality of distances including beam distances, each beam distance being a distance between a corresponding pair of preferred beams obtained in a different beam management process; and A maximum value or an average value of the plurality of distances is determined as the distance information.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein If the beam distance between a pair of preferred beams is not greater than a predetermined distance, the beam distance between the pair of preferred beams is determined to be zero.

3. The method according to claim 1, wherein The plurality of distances further includes a group distance between a first group of preferred beams determined in a first beam management process and a second group of preferred beams determined in a second beam management process, the group distance being a beam distance between one preferred beam of the first group and one preferred beam of the second group.

4. The method according to claim 3, wherein: The group distance is a maximum value of beam distances between the preferred beam of the first group and the preferred beam of the second group; or The group distance is a beam distance between a best beam in the first group of preferred beams and a best beam in the second group of preferred beams.

5. The method according to claim 1, wherein The beam distance between the corresponding pair of preferred beams is determined as the number of beams between the centers of the pair of preferred beams.

6. The method according to claim 1, wherein The beam distance between the corresponding pair of preferred beams is determined as the angle contained between the centers of the pair of preferred beams.

7. The method according to claim 1, wherein Each distance of the plurality of distances is a distance normalized by a time interval between preferred beams of a corresponding beam management process.

8. The method according to claim 1, wherein Determining (S130) a resource configuration of a signal based on the speed information of the terminal device includes at least one of the following: allocating resources to the signal; allocating no resources to the signal; reallocating resources to the signal; and The period of the signal is varied.

9. The method according to claim 1, wherein Determining (S130) a resource configuration of a signal based on the speed information of the terminal device includes: If the speed information is less than a first threshold, allocating (S630) resources to the signal; or If the speed information is not less than the first threshold, no resources are allocated (S640) to the signal.

10. The method according to claim 1, wherein The signal includes a sounding reference signal SRS used for uplink codebook-based transmission, Determining (S130) a resource configuration of a signal based on the speed information of the terminal device includes: If the speed information is less than a first threshold and the channel quality is greater than a quality threshold, allocating (S630) resources to the signal; or If the speed information is less than the first threshold and the channel quality is not greater than the quality threshold, no resources are allocated (S640) to the signal.

11. The method according to claim 8, wherein Not allocating (S640) resources to the signal includes: Releases the resources that have been allocated to the semaphore.

12. The method according to claim 8, further comprising: In case the signal is intended for use with downlink channel reciprocity, in response to not allocating resources to the signal, the downlink transmission mode is set to a non-reciprocal transmission mode.

13. The method according to claim 8, further comprising: In a case where the signal is intended for use with uplink transmission, in response to not allocating resources to the signal, the uplink transmission mode is set to a transmission mode not based on the signal.

14. The method according to claim 9, wherein If the speed information is less than a first threshold, allocating (S630) resources to the signal includes: If the speed information is less than a second threshold value that is less than the first threshold value, setting a first time period of the signal; or If the speed information is not less than the second threshold and less than the first threshold, a second period of the signal is set, the second period being smaller than the first period.

15. The method according to claim 8, wherein The period of changing the signal includes: In response to determining that the speed information increases to become not less than a second threshold, reducing the period of the signal from a first period to a second period that is less than the first period; or In response to determining that the speed information decreases to become smaller than the second threshold, the period of the signal is increased from the second period to the first period.

16. The method according to claim 8, wherein Reallocating resources to the signal includes: In response to determining that the speed information increases to become not less than a second threshold or in response to determining that the speed information decreases to become less than the second threshold, resources are reallocated to the signal.

17. The method according to claim 14, further comprising: If the period of the signals is greater than the period threshold, a detection signal is configured between two consecutive signals.

18. The method of claim 1, further comprising: Sending (S810) channel state information CSI-reference signal CSI-RS and / or synchronization signal block SSB to the terminal device; receiving (S820) a corresponding CSI report from the terminal device, wherein the beam information includes beam indices of the plurality of preferred beams included in the corresponding CSI report; sending (S830, S850) the determined resource configuration of the signal to the terminal device; and receiving (S840, S870) the signal sent from the terminal device according to the resource configuration of the signal, The signal includes at least one of a sounding reference signal SRS and a CSI report.

19. The method of claim 1, further comprising: Sending (S810) channel state information CSI-reference signal CSI-RS and / or synchronization signal block SSB to the terminal device; receiving (S820) a corresponding CSI report from the terminal device, wherein the beam information includes beam indices of the plurality of preferred beams included in the corresponding CSI report; and sending (S860) the signal to the terminal device according to the determined resource configuration of the signal, The signal includes at least one of a CSI-RS, a sounding reference signal SRS and an SSB.

20. A network device (1000) comprising a transceiver (1001), a processor (1002) and a memory (1003), the memory (1003) comprising instructions executable by the processor (1002), whereby the network device (1000) is operable to perform the method according to any one of claims 1-19.

21. A computer-readable storage medium having stored thereon computer program instructions which, when executed by a processor in a network device, cause the network device to perform the method according to any one of claims 1-19.

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