Method and apparatus for beam indication in wireless communication system

Abstract

The disclosure relates to a communication method and system for converging a 5th-Generation (5G) communication system and a Internet of Things (IoT) technology, the 5th-Generation (5G) communication system supporting higher data rates beyond a 4th-Generation (4G) system. The disclosure is applicable to intelligent services based on the 5G communication technology and the IoT-related technology, such as smart home, smart building, smart city, smart car, connected car, health, digital education, smart retail, security, and safety services. The disclosure relates to a method and apparatus for indicating a beam for a communication device to communicate with a base station in a wireless communication system having a beamforming capability.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention generally relates to beam indication in wireless communication systems. Embodiments of this disclosure relate to methods and apparatus for indicating beams used by communication devices to communicate with a base station in a wireless communication system with beamforming capabilities. Background Technology

[0002] To meet the increased demand for wireless data services since the deployment of fourth-generation (4G) communication systems, efforts have been made to develop improved fifth-generation (5G) or pre-5G communication systems. 5G or pre-5G communication systems are also referred to as "beyond 4G networks" or "post-LTE systems." 5G communication systems are considered to be implemented in higher frequency (mmWave) bands (e.g., the 60GHz band) to achieve higher data rates. To reduce radio wave propagation loss and increase transmission distance, beamforming, massive MIMO, full-dimensional MIMO (FD-MIMO), array antennas, analog beamforming, and large antenna technologies have been discussed for 5G communication systems. Furthermore, system network improvements are being developed in 5G communication systems based on advanced small cells, cloud radio access networks (RAN), ultra-dense networks, device-to-device (D2D) communication, wireless backhaul, mobile networks, cooperative communication, coordinated multipoint (CoMP), and receiver interference cancellation. In 5G systems, hybrid FSK and QAM modulation (FQAM) and sliding window superposition coding (SWSC) have been developed as advanced coding modulation (ACM), while filter bank multicarrier (FBMC), non-orthogonal multiple access (NOMA) and sparse code multiple access (SCMA) have been developed as advanced access technologies.

[0003] The Internet, a human-centric network of connections where humans generate and consume information, is now evolving into the Internet of Things (IoT), where distributed entities, such as things, exchange and process information without human intervention. The Internet of Everything (IoE) has emerged as a combination of IoT technology and big data processing technology connected to cloud servers. Because IoT implementation requires technological elements such as sensing technology, wired / wireless communication and network infrastructure, service interface technology, and security technology, sensor networks, machine-to-machine (M2M) communication, and machine-type communication (MTC) have recently been studied. This IoT environment can provide intelligent Internet technology services that create new value for human life by collecting and analyzing data generated between connected things. Through the convergence and combination of existing information technology (IT) and various industrial applications, IT can be applied to a wide range of fields, including smart homes, smart buildings, smart cities, smart cars or connected cars, smart grids, healthcare, smart devices, and advanced medical services.

[0004] Consistent with this, various attempts have been made to apply 5G communication systems to IoT networks. For example, technologies such as sensor networks, MTC, and M2M communication can be implemented through beamforming, MIMO, and array antennas. Cloud RAN, as an application of the aforementioned big data processing technologies, can also be considered an example of the convergence between 5G and IoT technologies.

[0005] Wireless communication is one of the most successful innovations in modern history. Recently, the number of subscribers to wireless communication services has exceeded 5 billion and continues to grow rapidly. Summary of the Invention

[0006] [Technical Issues]

[0007] The increasing prevalence of smartphones and other mobile data devices (such as tablets, laptops, webbooks, e-readers, and machine-type devices) among consumers and businesses has led to a rapid increase in demand for wireless data services. To meet this high growth in mobile data service demand and support new applications and deployments, improvements in radio interface efficiency and coverage are crucial.

[0008] [Solution to the problem]

[0009] Embodiments of this disclosure provide a method and apparatus for:

[0010] In one embodiment, a user equipment (UE) is provided, including a transceiver and a processor. The transceiver is configured to receive configuration information regarding one or more Transport Configuration Indicator (TCI) states and corresponding channels, receive one or more TCI state identifiers (IDs) on a channel used for transmitting TCI state IDs in the corresponding channel based on the configuration information, and send an acknowledgment message in response to receiving one or more TCI state IDs. The processor is operatively connected to the transceiver and configured to determine the TCI states of a data channel and a control channel in the corresponding channel based on the one or more TCI state IDs, respectively, and update the spatial filters of the data and control channels based on the determined TCI states of the data and control channels, respectively. The transceiver is also configured to receive the data and control channels based on the updated spatial filters for the data and control channels, respectively.

[0011] In another embodiment, a base station (BS) is provided, including a transceiver and a processor. The transceiver is configured to transmit configuration information regarding one or more Transport Configuration Indicator (TCI) states and corresponding channels, transmit one or more TCI state identifiers (IDs) on channels transmitting TCI state IDs in the corresponding channels based on the configuration information, and receive acknowledgment messages in response to the transmission of the one or more TCI state IDs. The processor is operatively connected to the transceiver and configured to generate the one or more TCI state IDs such that the one or more TCI state IDs respectively indicate the TCI states of a data channel and a control channel in the corresponding channels, and update one or more spatial filters for the data channels and the control channels respectively based on the indicated TCI states of the data channels and the control channels. The transceiver is also configured to transmit the data channels and the control channels respectively based on the updated spatial filters for the data channels and the control channels.

[0012] In another embodiment, a method for a UE is provided, comprising the steps of: receiving configuration information regarding one or more Transport Configuration Indicator (TCI) states and corresponding channels; receiving one or more TCI state identifiers (IDs) on a channel transmitting TCI state IDs in the corresponding channels based on the configuration information; and sending an acknowledgment message in response to the reception of the one or more TCI state IDs. Based on the one or more TCI state IDs, determining one or more spatial filters for the data channels and control channels respectively based on the TCI states determined for the data channels and control channels in the corresponding channels, updating the TCI states for the data channels and control channels respectively, and receiving the data channels and control channels respectively based on the updated one or more spatial filters for the data channels and control channels.

[0013] In another embodiment, a user equipment (UE) is provided in a wireless communication system. The UE includes a transceiver and a processor operatively connected to the transceiver. The processor is configured to receive configuration information via the transceiver regarding one or more Transmission Configuration Indicator (TCI) states and corresponding channels; receive one or more TCI state identifiers (IDs) via the transceiver on a channel in the corresponding channel for transmitting TCI state IDs based on the configuration information; send an acknowledgment message via the transceiver in response to receiving one or more TCI state IDs; determine the TCI states of a data channel and a control channel in the corresponding channels based on the one or more TCI state IDs; update one or more spatial filters for the data channel and the control channel based on the determined TCI states of the data channel and the control channel, respectively; and receive the data channel and the control channel via the transceiver based on the updated spatial filters for the data channel and the control channel, respectively.

[0014] In another embodiment, a base station (BS) is provided in a wireless communication system. The BS includes a transceiver and a processor operatively connected to the transceiver. The processor is configured to transmit configuration information via the transceiver regarding one or more Transmission Configuration Indicator (TCI) states and corresponding channels; transmit one or more TCI state identifiers (IDs) via the transceiver on channels transmitting TCI state IDs in the corresponding channels based on the configuration information; receive acknowledgment messages via the transceiver in response to the transmission of the one or more TCI state IDs; generate the one or more TCI state IDs such that the one or more TCI state IDs respectively indicate the TCI states of a data channel and a control channel in the corresponding channels; update one or more spatial filters for the data channels and the control channels respectively based on the indicated TCI states of the data channels and the control channels; and transmit the data channels and the control channels via the transceiver based on the spatial filters used for updating the data channels and the control channels respectively.

[0015] In another embodiment, a method for a UE is provided. The method includes the following steps: receiving configuration information regarding one or more Transport Configuration Indicator (TCI) states and corresponding channels; receiving one or more TCI state identifiers (IDs) on a channel transmitting TCI state IDs in the corresponding channels based on the configuration information; sending an acknowledgment message in response to the reception of the one or more TCI state IDs; determining TCI states for data channels and control channels based on the one or more TCI state IDs respectively; updating one or more spatial filters for data channels and control channels based on the TCI states determined for data channels and control channels in the corresponding channels respectively; and receiving data channels and control channels based on the updated one or more spatial filters for data channels and control channels respectively.

[0016] Other technical features will be apparent to those skilled in the art from the following figures, description and claims.

[0017] [Beneficial effects of the invention]

[0018] Embodiments of this disclosure relate to methods and apparatus for indicating beams for communication devices to communicate with a base station in a wireless communication system with beamforming capabilities. Attached Figure Description

[0019] To gain a more complete understanding of this disclosure and its advantages, reference is now made to the following description in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, wherein like reference numerals denote like parts:

[0020] Figure 1 An example wireless network for transmitting signals according to the principles of this disclosure is shown;

[0021] Figure 2 An example gNodeB (gNB) according to an embodiment of this disclosure is shown;

[0022] Figure 3 An example user equipment (UE) according to an embodiment of the present disclosure is shown;

[0023] Figure 4 A block diagram of exemplary hybrid beamforming (BF) hardware according to embodiments of the present disclosure is shown;

[0024] Figure 5A A diagram illustrating beam operation according to an embodiment of the present disclosure is shown;

[0025] Figure 5B A diagram illustrating beam operation according to another embodiment of the present disclosure is shown;

[0026] Figure 6A An example of DL multibeam operation according to an embodiment of the present disclosure is shown;

[0027] Figure 6B An example of DL multibeam operation according to another embodiment of the present disclosure is shown;

[0028] Figure 6C An example of UL multibeam operation according to an embodiment of this disclosure is shown;

[0029] Figure 6D This describes an example of UL multi-beam operation according to another embodiment of the present invention;

[0030] Figure 7 An exemplary beam configuration according to an embodiment of the present disclosure is shown;

[0031] Figure 8 An exemplary beam configuration according to an embodiment of the present disclosure is shown;

[0032] Figure 9A Exemplary processes for beam management by a UE according to various embodiments of this disclosure are illustrated;

[0033] Figure 9B Exemplary processes for beam management by a UE according to various embodiments of this disclosure are illustrated;

[0034] Figure 10A Exemplary processes for beam management by a gNB according to various embodiments of this disclosure are illustrated; and

[0035] Figure 10B Exemplary processes for beam management by a gNB according to various embodiments of this disclosure are illustrated. Detailed Implementation

[0036] Before proceeding with the following detailed description, it may be advantageous to define certain words and phrases used throughout this patent document. The term “connection” and its derivatives refer to any direct or indirect communication between two or more elements, whether or not these elements are physically in contact with each other. The terms “transmit,” “receive,” and “communicate,” and their derivatives include both direct and indirect communication. The terms “include” and “comprise,” and their derivatives imply non-restrictive inclusion. The term “or” is inclusive, meaning and / or. The phrase “associated with,” and its derivatives mean including, being included within, interconnected with, containing, being contained within, connected to or connected to, linked to or connected to, capable of communicating with, cooperating with, intertwined, juxtaposed, proximate, bound to or bound to, having, possessing the characteristics of, having a relationship with, etc. The term “controller” refers to any device, system, or part thereof that controls at least one operation. Such a “controller” may be implemented in hardware or a combination of hardware and software and / or firmware. The functionality associated with any particular controller can be centralized or distributed, local or remote. When used with a list of items, the phrase "at least one" means that different combinations of one or more of the listed items can be used, and only one item from the list may be required. For example, "at least one of A, B, and C" includes any of the following combinations: A, B, C, A and B, A and C, B and C, and A and B and C.

[0037] Furthermore, the various functions described below can be implemented or supported by one or more computer programs, each computer program being formed by computer-readable program code and contained in a computer-readable medium. The terms "application program" and "program" refer to one or more computer programs, software components, instruction sets, procedures, functions, objects, classes, instances, associated data, or portions thereof suitable for implementation in appropriate computer-readable program code. The phrase "computer-readable program code" includes any type of computer code, including source code, object code, and executable code. The phrase "computer-readable medium" includes any type of medium accessible by a computer, such as read-only memory (ROM), random access memory (RAM), hard disk drive, optical disc (CD), digital video disc (DVD), or any other type of storage. "Non-transitory" computer-readable medium excludes wired, wireless, optical, or other communication links that transmit transient electrical or other signals. A non-transitory computer-readable medium includes media that can permanently store data, as well as media that can store data and subsequently rewrite it, such as rewritable optical discs or erasable storage devices.

[0038] The following literature and standards descriptions are incorporated herein as fully set forth herein:

[0039] [1] 3GPP TS 38.211v16.4.0, "NR; Physical Channels and Modulation".

[0040] [2] 3GPP TS 38.212v16.4.0, “NR; Multiplexing and Channel Coding”.

[0041] [3] 3GPP TS 38.213v16.4.0, "NR; Physical layer procedures for control".

[0042] [4] 3GPP TS 38.214v16.4.0, "NR; Physical layer procedure for data".

[0043] [5] 3GPP TS 38.321v16.3.0, "NR; Media Access Control (MAC) Protocol Specification".

[0044] [6] 3GPP TS 38.331v16.3.1, "NR; Radio Resource Control (RRC) Protocol Specification".

[0045] [abbreviation]

[0046] ACK: Confirmation

[0047] BW: Bandwidth

[0048] BWP: Bandwidth section

[0049] CORESET: Control Resource Set

[0050] C-RNTI: Community RNTI

[0051] CSI: Channel State Information

[0052] CSI-RS: Channel State Information Reference Signal

[0053] DCI: Downlink Control Information

[0054] D1: Downlink

[0055] DMRS: Demodulation Reference Signal

[0056] gNB: gNodeB (base station)

[0057] HARQ: Hybrid ARQ

[0058] mCS: Modulation and coding scheme

[0059] NR: New Radio

[0060] PBCH: Main Broadcast Channel

[0061] PCell: Main Cell

[0062] PDCCH: Physical Downlink Control Channel

[0063] PDSCH: Physical Downlink Shared Channel

[0064] PUCCH: Physical Uplink Control Channel

[0065] PUSCH: Physical Uplink Shared Channel

[0066] RB: Resource Block

[0067] RNTI: Temporary Identifier for Wireless Networks

[0068] RS: Reference signal

[0069] SCell: Secondary cell

[0070] SINR: Signal-to-Interference-Ratio

[0071] SRS: Detection Reference Signal

[0072] SS: Synchronization signal

[0073] TB: Transport Block

[0074] TDD: Time Division Duplex

[0075] TPC: Transmit Power Control

[0076] UCI: Uplink Control Information

[0077] UE: User Equipment

[0078] UL: Uplink

[0079] In this disclosure, the term "activation" describes an operation in which the UE receives and decodes a signal from the network or gNodeB (gNB) indicating a start time point. The start point can be a current or future time slot, subframe, or symbol—the exact location is either implicitly or explicitly indicated, or fixed or configured by higher layers. Once the signal is successfully decoded, the UE responds accordingly. The term "deactivation" describes an operation in which the UE receives and decodes a signal from the network or gNB indicating a stop time point. The stop point can be a current or future time slot, subframe, or symbol—the exact location is either implicitly or explicitly indicated, or fixed or configured by higher layers. Once the signal is successfully decoded, the UE responds accordingly.

[0080] In this disclosure, terms such as Transport Configuration Indicator (TCI), TCI status, TCI status identifier (ID), SpatialRelationInfo, Target RS, Reference RS, and other terms are used for illustrative purposes and are therefore not standard. Other terms referring to the same function may also be used.

[0081] Definitions of certain other words and phrases are provided throughout this patent document. Those skilled in the art will understand that, in many (if not most) instances, such definitions apply to the prior and future use of such defined words and phrases.

[0082] The following is discussed in this patent document. Figures 1 to 10B The various embodiments used to describe the principles of this disclosure are merely exemplary and should not be construed in any way as limiting the scope of this disclosure. Those skilled in the art will appreciate that the principles of the invention can be implemented in any suitably arranged system or apparatus.

[0083] Embodiments of this disclosure understand that, in a mobile wireless system, when a UE surrounds or rotates, the beam management process enables the network (NW), base station (e.g., gNB), or UE to measure, report, indicate, and utilize new, suitable beams for communication. One aspect of beam management is "beam indication," where the gNB transmits any suitable parameters or fields to the UE to allow the gNB to indicate to the UE the beam to which the UE is assigned. A suitable parameter or field for beam indication is a Transmission Configuration Indicator (TCI), such as DL-TCI, UL-TCI, or a combined TCI (which partially or completely concatenates DL and UL beam indications). Another suitable parameter or field is an SRS Resource Indicator (SRI). Embodiments of this disclosure provide enhancements to beam indication.

[0084] For simplicity, the embodiments of this disclosure relating to DL communication relate to communication from a gNB to a UE served by a gNB, and the embodiments of this disclosure relating to UL communication relate to communication from a UE to a gNB. However, it should be understood that the embodiments of this disclosure can be used with any suitable device, and the embodiments of this disclosure relating to DL and UL can refer to communication from any suitable device to any other suitable device.

[0085] For the purposes of this disclosure, the beam used to transmit or receive DL or UL channels before beam indication is referred to as the “old beam” or “current beam”. The beam used to transmit or receive upcoming DL or UL channels after beam indication is referred to as the “new beam”. The gNB indicates (or transmits) the new beam to the UE using a DL-related DCI (carrying DL authorization, such as DCI format 1_1 in NR), a UL-related DCI (carrying UL authorization, such as DCI format 0_1 ​​in NR), a target-designed DL channel for beam indication (which may be UE-specific or for UE groups), or a MAC control element (CE). The channel that transmits this beam indication is referred to as the “TCI channel”, but this does not limit the channel to only transmitting TCI, as it may also transmit SRI and other fields or alternatively transmit SRI and other fields. The beam used by the channel that transmits the beam indication is referred to as the “TCI channel beam” or the channel used to transmit the TCI state. “TCI state” refers to information characterizing the beam (e.g., information characterizing the beam width and direction, or information defining the spatial filters corresponding to the beam). Because a TCI state characterizes a given beam in a system, "TCI state" can also be used to refer to the beam itself, or to a beam identifier in a pre-configured list of TCI states (e.g., a beam hypothesis list) associated with a device. Additionally, a TCI can indicate a TCI state, therefore a TCI can also be referred to as a TCI state identifier (ID).

[0086] After determining that the channel conditions necessitate the use of a new beam, the gNB transmits the TCI channel. Since the transmission of beam indication is a result of the change in channel conditions, a beam indication mechanism / channel utilizing a properly designed beam (e.g., a properly designed TCI channel beam) is used to ensure that the UE successfully receives the beam indication of the new beam. More specifically, using the "old beam" as the TCI channel beam may not guarantee that the UE will receive the TCI channel because the UE may be outside the coverage area of ​​the old beam. Using the "new beam" as the TCI channel beam may also not guarantee that the UE will receive the TCI channel because the UE is unaware of the new beam before receiving it. Therefore, embodiments of this disclosure address aspects of enhancing TCI channel reception using TCI channel beams.

[0087] Embodiments of this disclosure also show that the TCI channel can transmit beam indication for a single UE (referred to as a UE-specific TCI channel or beam indication channel) or beam indication for a group of UEs (referred to as a UE group TCI channel or beam indication channel).

[0088] Embodiments of this disclosure also understand that the timing of applying a new beam for the transmission or reception of the channel after receiving a beam indication for the channel—in other words, the timing of updating the TCI state for the channel after receiving a TCI (or TCI state ID) indicating a new TCI state for the channel—is important for ensuring channel reception. If the transmitter and receiver do not align their respective timing for updating to the TCI state, channel transmission may fail because the receiver may not be monitoring the correct beam. Therefore, embodiments of this disclosure provide improvements regarding the timing of aligning the application of new beams at the gNB and UE to ensure beam alignment between the gNB and UE.

[0089] Embodiments of this disclosure further illustrate that, for the purpose of facilitating rapid beam management, it is necessary to streamline the basic components used for beam management. A key function of beam management is beam selection, which includes basic components such as beam measurement (including training), beam reporting (via the UL control channel for DL ​​beam management), and beam indication (via the DL control channel for both DL and UL beam management). Once the basic components are streamlined, additional features that facilitate faster beam management can be added. In some embodiments, a “lean mode” of streamlined design with such basic components can be used for rapid beam management. Due to its compact nature, the lean mode design can facilitate faster updates or reconfigurations through low-level control signaling. That is, L1 control signaling is the primary signaling mechanism, and higher-level signaling (e.g., MAC CE or RRC) is used only when necessary. Here, L1 control signaling includes the use of UE group DCI as well as dedicated (UE-specific) DCI.

[0090] Figure 1 An example wireless network 100 transmitting signals according to the principles of this disclosure is illustrated. In the illustrated embodiment, the wireless network 100 includes a next-generation node B (gNodeB or gNB) 101, gNB 102, and gNB 103. gNB 101 communicates with gNB 102 and gNB 103. gNB 101 also communicates with at least one Internet Protocol (IP) network 130, such as the Internet, a proprietary IP network, or other data network.

[0091] Depending on the network type, other well-known terms may be used instead of "gNodeB" or "gNB," such as "base station" (BS) or "access point" (AP). For convenience, the terms "gNodeB" and "gNB" are used in this disclosure to refer to network infrastructure components that provide wireless access to remote terminals. Furthermore, depending on the network type, other well-known terms may be used instead of "user equipment" (UE), such as "mobile station," "subscriber station," "remote terminal," "wireless terminal," or "user equipment." For convenience, the terms "user equipment" and "UE" are used in this disclosure to refer to remote wireless devices that wirelessly access the gNB, whether the UE is a mobile device (such as a mobile phone or smartphone) or a device generally considered to be fixed (such as a desktop computer or vending machine).

[0092] gNB 102 provides wireless broadband access to network 130 to a first plurality of UEs within its coverage area 120. The first plurality of UEs includes UE 111, which may be located in a small business; UE 112, which may be located in an enterprise (E); UE 113, which may be located in a WiFi hotspot (HS); UE 114, which may be located in a first residence (R); UE 115, which may be located in a second residence (R); and UE 116, which may be a mobile device (M) such as a cellular phone, wireless laptop computer, wireless PDA, etc. gNB 103 provides wireless broadband access to network 130 to a second plurality of UEs within its coverage area 125. The second plurality of UEs includes UE 115 and UE 116. In some embodiments, one or more of gNBs 101-103 may communicate with each other and with UEs 111-116 using 5G, 4G Long Term Evolution (LTE), 4G LTE Advanced (LTE-A), Global Microwave Access Interoperability (WiMAX), or other advanced wireless communication technologies.

[0093] The dashed lines indicate the approximate extent of coverage areas 120 and 125, which are shown as approximately circular for illustrative and explanatory purposes only. It should be clearly understood that coverage areas associated with the gNB, such as coverage areas 120 and 125, may have other shapes, including irregular shapes, depending on the configuration of the gNB and variations in the radio environment associated with natural and man-made obstacles.

[0094] As described in more detail below, according to embodiments of the present disclosure, one or more of gNB 101, gNB 102, and gNB 103 include a 2D antenna array. In some embodiments, one or more of gNB 101, gNB 102, and gNB 103 support codebook design and architecture for systems having 2D antenna arrays.

[0095] although Figure 1 An example of a wireless network 100 is shown, but more details can be found on other wireless networks. Figure 1 Various modifications can be made. For example, wireless network 100 can include any number of gNBs and any number of UEs. Furthermore, gNB 101 can communicate directly with any number of UEs and provide those UEs with wireless broadband access to network 130. Similarly, each gNB 101-103 can communicate directly with network 130 and provide UEs with direct wireless broadband access to network 130. Additionally, gNB 101-gNB 103 can provide access to other or additional external networks, such as external telephone networks or other types of data networks.

[0096] Figure 2 An exemplary gNB 102 according to an embodiment of the present disclosure is shown. Figure 2 The embodiment of gNB 102 shown is for illustrative purposes only. Figure 1 The gNB 102 can have the same or similar configuration. However, gNBs have multiple configurations, and Figure 2 The scope of this disclosure is not limited to any particular implementation of gNB. Note that gNB 101 and gNB 103 may include the same or similar structures as gNB 102.

[0097] like Figure 2 As shown, gNB 102 includes multiple antennas 205a-205n, multiple RF transceivers 210a-210n, transmit (TX) processing circuitry 215, and receive (RX) processing circuitry 220. In some embodiments, one or more of the multiple antennas 205a-205n include a 2D antenna array. gNB 102 also includes a controller / processor 225, a memory 230, and a backhaul or network interface 235.

[0098] RF transceivers 210a-210n receive input RF signals from antennas 205a-205n, such as signals transmitted by UE 116 or other UEs in network 100. RF transceivers 210a-210n down-convert the input RF signals to generate IF or baseband signals. The IF or baseband signals are sent to RX processing circuitry 220, which generates processed baseband signals by filtering, decoding, and / or digitizing the baseband or IF signals. RX processing circuitry 220 sends the processed baseband signals to controller / processor 225 for further processing.

[0099] TX processing circuit 215 receives digital data (e.g., voice data, web data, email, or interactive video game data) from controller / processor 225. TX processing circuit 215 encodes, multiplexes, and / or digitizes the output baseband data to generate a processed baseband or IF signal. RF transceivers 210a-210n receive the processed baseband or IF signal from the output of TX processing circuit 215 and up-convert the baseband or IF signal into an output RF signal transmitted through antennas 205a-205n.

[0100] The controller / processor 225 may include one or more processors or other processing devices that control the overall operation of the gNB 102. For example, the controller / processor 225 may control the RF transceivers 210a-210n, the RX processing circuit 220, and the TX processing circuit 215 to receive forward channel signals and transmit reverse channel signals according to known principles. The controller / processor 225 may also support additional functions, such as more advanced wireless communication functions.

[0101] For example, the controller / processor 225 can support beamforming or directional routing operations, where the output signals from multiple antennas 205a-205n are weighted differently to effectively guide the output signals in the desired direction. Any of a variety of other functions can be supported in the gNB 102 via the controller / processor 225.

[0102] The controller / processor 225 is also capable of executing programs and other processes, such as an operating system (OS), residing in the memory 230. The controller / processor 225 is also capable of supporting channel quality measurement and reporting for systems with 2D antenna arrays as described in embodiments of this disclosure. In some embodiments, the controller / processor 225 supports communication between entities, such as web RTC. The controller / processor 225 can move data into or out of the memory 230 as needed during process execution.

[0103] The controller / processor 225 is also coupled to a backhaul or network interface 235. The backhaul or network interface 235 allows the gNB 102 to communicate with other devices or systems via a backhaul connection or over a network. Interface 235 can support communication via any suitable wired or wireless connection. For example, when the gNB 102 is implemented as part of a cellular communication system (e.g., a system supporting 5G, LTE, or LTE-A), interface 235 can allow the gNB 102 to communicate with other gNBs via a wired or wireless backhaul connection. When the gNB 102 is implemented as an access point, interface 235 can allow the gNB 102 to communicate with a larger network (e.g., the Internet) via a wired or wireless local area network or via a wired or wireless connection. Interface 235 includes any suitable architecture supporting communication over a wired or wireless connection, such as an Ethernet or RF transceiver.

[0104] The memory 230 is coupled to the controller / processor 225. A portion of the memory 230 may include random access memory (RAM), and another portion of the memory 230 may include flash memory or other read-only memory (ROM).

[0105] although Figure 2 An example of gNB 102 is shown, but it is possible to compare it with other models. Figure 2 Various changes can be made. For example, gNB 102 can include any number of Figure 2 Each component is shown. As a specific example, an access point may include multiple interfaces 235, and the controller / processor 225 may support routing functionality for routing data between different network addresses. As another specific example, although shown as a single instance including TX processing circuitry 215 and a single instance including RX processing circuitry 220, gNB102 may include multiple instances of each (e.g., one per RF transceiver). Furthermore, Figure 2 The various components can be combined, further subdivided, or omitted, and additional components can be added as needed.

[0106] Figure 3 An example UE 116 according to an embodiment of the present disclosure is shown. Figure 3 The embodiment of UE 116 shown is for illustrative purposes only. Figure 1 UE 116 can have the same or similar configuration. However, UEs have multiple configurations, and Figure 3 This disclosure is not intended to limit the scope to any particular implementation of the UE.

[0107] like Figure 3As shown, UE 116 includes an antenna 305, a radio frequency (RF) transceiver 310, a TX processing circuit 315, a microphone 320, and a receive (RX) processing circuit 325. In some embodiments, antenna 305 is a 2D antenna array. UE 116 also includes a speaker 330, a processor 340, an input / output interface (I / O IF) 345, a touchscreen 350, a display 355, and memory 360. Memory 360 includes an OS 361 and one or more applications 362.

[0108] RF transceiver 310 receives an input RF signal from antenna 305 transmitted by a gNB (e.g., gNB 102) of network 100. RF transceiver 310 downconverts the input RF signal to generate an intermediate frequency (IF) or baseband signal. The IF or baseband signal is sent to RX processing circuitry 325, which generates a processed baseband signal by filtering, decoding, and / or digitizing the baseband or IF signal. RX processing circuitry 325 transmits the processed baseband signal to speaker 330 (e.g., for voice data) or processor 340 for further processing (e.g., for web browsing data).

[0109] The TX processing circuit 315 receives analog or digital voice data from the microphone 320 or baseband data from other outputs (such as web data, email, or interactive video game data) from the processor 340. The TX processing circuit 315 encodes, multiplexes, and / or digitizes the output baseband data to generate a processed baseband or IF signal. The RF transceiver 310 receives the processed baseband or IF signal from the TX processing circuit 315 and up-converts the baseband or IF signal into an output RF signal transmitted through the antenna 305.

[0110] Processor 340 may include one or more processors or other processing devices and executes OS 361 stored in memory 360 to control the overall operation of UE 116. For example, processor 340 may control the RF transceiver 310, RX processing circuit 325, and TX processing circuit 315 to receive forward channel signals and transmit reverse channel signals according to known principles. In some embodiments, processor 340 includes at least one microprocessor or microcontroller.

[0111] Processor 340 is also capable of executing other processes and programs residing in memory 360, such as operations for channel quality measurement and reporting of a system with a 2D antenna array as described in the embodiments of this disclosure. Processor 340 may move data into or out of memory 360 as needed for the execution process. In some embodiments, processor 340 is configured to execute application 362 based on OS 361 or in response to signals received from gNB or operator. Processor 340 is also coupled to I / O interface 345, which provides UE 116 with the ability to connect to other devices such as laptop computers and handheld computers. I / O interface 345 is the communication path between these accessories and processor 340.

[0112] The processor 340 is also connected to the touchscreen 350 and the display 355. The operator of the UE 116 can use the touchscreen 350 to input data into the UE 116. The display 355 may be a liquid crystal display, a light-emitting diode display, or other display capable of displaying, for example, text and / or at least limited graphics from a website.

[0113] The memory 360 is coupled to the processor 340. A portion of the memory 360 may include random access memory (RAM), and another portion of the memory 360 may include flash memory or other read-only memory (ROM).

[0114] although Figure 3 An example of UE 116 is shown, but it is possible to modify it. Figure 3 Make various changes. For example, Figure 3 The various components can be combined, further subdivided, or omitted, and additional components can be added as needed. As a specific example, processor 340 can be divided into multiple processors, such as one or more central processing units (CPUs) and one or more graphics processing units (GPUs). Furthermore, although... Figure 3 The UE 116 is shown configured as a mobile phone or smartphone, but the UE can be configured to operate as other types of mobile or fixed devices.

[0115] To meet the increased demand for wireless data services since the deployment of 4G communication systems, and to enable various vertical applications, efforts have been made to develop and deploy improved 5G / NR or pre-5G / NR communication systems. Therefore, 5G / NR or pre-5G / NR communication systems are also referred to as "super 4G networks" or "post-LTE systems." 5G / NR communication systems are considered to be implemented in higher frequency (mmWave) bands (e.g., 28 GHz or 60 GHz bands) to achieve higher data rates, or in lower frequency bands (e.g., 6 GHz) to achieve robust coverage and mobility support. Various aspects of this invention can also be applied to the deployment of 5G communication systems, 6G, or even later versions (which may use terahertz (THz) bands). To reduce radio wave propagation loss and increase transmission distance, beamforming, massive MIMO, full-dimensional MIMO (FD-MIMO), array antennas, analog beamforming, and large antenna technology are discussed in 5G / NR communication systems.

[0116] In addition, in 5G / NR communication systems, system network improvements are being developed based on advanced small cells, cloud radio access networks (RAN), ultra-dense networks, device-to-device (D2D) communication, wireless backhaul, mobile networks, cooperative communication, coordinated multipoint (CoMP), and receiver interference cancellation.

[0117] Figure 4 A block diagram of an exemplary hybrid beamforming (BF) hardware 400 according to an embodiment of the present disclosure is shown. For the purposes of this disclosure, in Figure 1 and Figure 2 Hybrid BF hardware 400 is implemented in gNB 102; however, it should be understood that any other wireless communication device with beamforming capability (e.g., UE 116) of wireless network 100 may include hybrid BF hardware 400.

[0118] 3GPP Release 14 LTE and 3GPP Release 15 NR support up to 32 CSI-RS antenna ports, which allows wireless communication devices to be equipped with a large number of antenna elements (e.g., 64 or 128 antenna elements). In this case, multiple antenna elements are mapped to a single CSI-RS port.

[0119] On the contrary, such as Figure 4 As shown, for millimeter-wave band devices, although the number of antenna elements can be large for a given shaping factor, the number of CSI-RS ports (which can correspond to the number of digital precoding ports) tends to be limited by hardware constraints (e.g., the feasibility of installing a large number of ADCs or DACs at millimeter-wave frequencies).

[0120] In such an embodiment, a CSI-RS port is mapped to a large number of antenna elements that can be controlled by a set of analog phase shifters 401. A CSI-RS port can then correspond to an antenna subarray 402 that generates a narrow analog beam 403 via analog beamforming 405. This analog beam can be configured to scan across symbols or subframes over a wide range of angles 420 by varying the group of analog phase shifters 401. The number of antenna subarrays (equal to the number of RF chains 425) is related to the number of CSI-RS ports N. CSI-PORT same.

[0121] Digital beamforming unit 410 span N CSI-PORT Analog beams perform linear combination to further increase precoding gain. While analog beams are wideband (and therefore not frequency-selective), digital precoding can vary across frequency subbands or resource blocks. Receiver operation can be designed similarly.

[0122] although Figure 4 An example of a hybrid BF hardware 400 is shown, but it is possible to... Figure 4 Make various changes. For example, Figure 4 The various components can be combined, further subdivided, or omitted, and additional components can be added as needed.

[0123] because Figure 4 The system uses multiple analog beams for transmitting and receiving (where, from time to time, for example, after a training period, one or a few analog beams are selected from a large number of beams), and the term "multi-beam operation" is used to refer to the operation of the entire system.

[0124] Figure 4 The system can also be applied to higher frequency bands, such as above 52.6 GHz (also known as FR4). In such embodiments, the system can use only analog beams. Due to oxygen absorption losses near 60 GHz (an additional loss of approximately 10 dB at a distance of 100 m), a greater number and sharper analog beams (and therefore a greater number of radiators in the antenna array) will be needed to compensate for the additional path loss.

[0125] Figure 5A and Figure 5B A diagram illustrating beam operation according to an embodiment of the present disclosure is shown. For the purposes of this disclosure, Figure 5A and Figure 5B The diagram illustrates the operation of wireless communication devices (e.g., gNB 102 and UE 116) in wireless network 100. It should be understood that the beamforming operations shown can be applied to any similar wireless communication device in any suitable wireless communication system.

[0126] like Figure 5A As shown, in a wireless system, the beam 500 for a wireless communication device 505 (e.g., gNB102 or UE 116) can be characterized by a beam direction 510 and a beamwidth 515. For example, the device 505 with a transmitter transmits radio frequency (RF) energy in the beam direction 510 and within the beamwidth 515. The device 505 with a receiver receives the RF energy directed to the device 505 in the beam direction 510 and within the beamwidth 515.

[0127] The device located at point A (520) can receive and transmit from device 505 because point A is within the beamwidth 515 of beam 500, which propagates in beam direction 510 and transmits from device 505. However, the device at point B (525) cannot receive or transmit from device 505 because point B is outside the beamwidth 515 of beam 500, which propagates in beam direction 510 and transmits from device 505. Although for illustrative purposes, Figure 5A The beam 500 is shown in 2D, but it will be apparent to those skilled in the art that the beam can be defined in 3D, where the beam direction 510 and beamwidth 515 are defined in 3D space.

[0128] In wireless systems, devices such as device 505 can transmit or receive on multiple beams. This is known as "multi-beam operation" and... Figure 5B As shown in the image. Although for illustrative purposes, Figure 5B It is 2D, but it will be obvious to those skilled in the art that the beam can be 3D, in which the beam can be sent in any direction or received from any direction in 3D space.

[0129] For illustrative purposes, multi-beam operation includes indicating the assigned DL or UL transmit (TX) beam (i.e., beam indication), measuring at least one reference signal for calculation and performing beam reporting (also referred to as “beam measurement” and “beam reporting”, respectively), and receiving the DL or UL transmission by selecting the appropriate receive (RX) beam.

[0130] In 3GPP Release 15NR, multi-beam operation is primarily designed for single transmit-receive point (TRP) and single antenna panel systems. Therefore, Release 15NR supports beam indication for a single TX beam, where the TX beam is associated with a reference RS. For DL ​​beam indication and measurement, the reference RS can be a non-zero power (NZP) CSI-RS or an SSB (Synchronization Signal Block, which includes the primary sync signal, secondary sync signal, and PBCH). In such embodiments, DL beam indication is accomplished via the TCI field in the DL-associated DCI, which includes an index to one (and only one) assigned reference RS. The set of beam assumptions or “TCI states” is configured via higher-layer signaling (e.g., RRC signaling), and, where applicable, subsets of those TCI states are selected (or activated) based on the TCI field code points via a MAC control element (MAC CE). For UL beam indication and measurement in this embodiment, the reference RS can be an NZP CSI-RS, an SSB, or an SRS. UL beam indication is accomplished via the SRI field in the UL-related DCI, which is linked to one (and only one) reference RS. This link is configured using the SpatialRelationInfoRRC parameter via higher-layer signaling (e.g., RRC signaling). Essentially, only one TX beam is indicated to the UE.

[0131] A “reference RS” corresponds to a set of characteristics of a DL or UL TX beam, such as directionality, precoding / beamforming, number of ports, etc. For example, for DL, when the UE receives the reference RS index / ID in the DL allocation represented by the TCI status, the UE applies the known characteristics of the reference RS to the allocated DL transmission. The reference RS can be received and measured by the UE (in this case, the reference RS is a downlink signal such as NZP CSI-RS or SSB), and the measurement results are used to calculate the beam report (in version 15NR, at least one L1-RSRP is accompanied by at least one CRI). When the gNB receives the beam report, the NW can be better equipped with information for allocating a specific DL TX beam to the UE. Alternatively, the reference RS can be transmitted by the UE (in this case, the reference RS is an uplink signal such as SRS). When the gNB receives the reference RS, the gNB can measure and calculate the necessary information to allocate a specific DL TX beam to the UE. This option is applicable when a DL-UL beam pair correspondence is established.

[0132] In another example, for UL, when the UE receives a reference RS index / ID in the UL authorization, the UE applies the known characteristics of the reference RS to the authorized UL transmission. The reference RS can be received and measured by the UE (in this case, the reference RS is a downlink signal such as NZP CSI-RS or SSB), and the measurement results are used to calculate the beam report. When the gNB receives the beam report, the NW can be better equipped with information for allocating a specific UL TX beam to the UE. This option is applicable when a DL-UL beam pair correspondence is established. Alternatively, the reference RS can be transmitted by the UE (in this case, the reference RS is an uplink signal such as SRS or DMRS). When the gNB receives the reference RS, the gNB can measure and calculate the necessary information to allocate a specific UL TX beam to the UE.

[0133] Reference RS can be dynamically triggered by gNB (e.g., via DCI in the case of aperiodic RS), pre-configured with some time-domain behavior (such as periodicity and offset in the case of periodic RS), or a combination of such pre-configuration and activation / deactivation (in the case of semi-persistent RS).

[0134] For millimeter wave (or FR2) or higher frequency bands (e.g., >52.6 GHz, or FR4) where multi-beam operation is particularly relevant, the transmit-receive process involves the receiver selecting the receive (RX) beam for a given TX beam. The following... Figures 6A to 6D An example of the selection process for DL ​​multibeam operation and UL multibeam operation is shown. Figures 6A to 6D The exemplary operation illustrates beam selection for communication between the gNB and the UE using the selected beam, and for simplicity, the discussion is from the perspective of gNB 102 and UE 116; however, it should be understood that any suitable device can be used. It should also be understood that devices such as the gNB can perform this operation on multiple devices such as the UE. Figures 6A to 6D The operation allows each of the multiple UEs to communicate with the gNB using a different beam.

[0135] Typically, for DL ​​multi-beam operation, the UE selects a DL RX beam for each DL TX beam (corresponding to a reference RS) that the UE expects to receive from the gNB. When a DL RS (such as a CSI-RS or SSB) is used as a reference RS, the gNB sends the DL RS to the UE (which is associated with the selection of the DL TX beam). In response, the UE measures the DL RS (and selects the DL RX beam in the process) and reports the beam metric associated with the quality of the DL RS. In this case, the UE determines the TX-RX beam pair for each configured (DL) reference RS. Therefore, although this knowledge is not available to the gNB, the UE can select the DL RX beam from the knowledge of all TX-RX beam pairs when it receives the DL RS indication (and therefore the DL TX beam indication) from the gNB.

[0136] When a UL RS (such as an SRS or DMRS) is used as a reference RS (when DL-UL beam correspondence or reciprocity is established), the gNB triggers or configures the UE to transmit the UL RS (reciprocally, for DL, this corresponds to the DL RX beam). The gNB selects the DL TX beam when receiving and measuring the UL RS. As a result, a TX-RX beam pair is obtained. The gNB can perform this operation for all configured UL RSs (with each reference RS or via "beam scan") and determine all TX-RX beam pairs associated with all UL RSs configured for the UE.

[0137] Figure 6A and Figure 6B An example of DL multibeam operation according to an embodiment of the present disclosure is shown. Figure 6A and Figure 6B The example utilizes DL beam indication based on DL-TCI. In Figure 6A In this embodiment, aperiodic CSI-RS is transmitted by the gNB and measured by the UE. This embodiment can be used regardless of whether UL-DL beampatch correspondence is established (where "UL-DL beampatch correspondence" refers to the condition under which a beampatch link (BPL) exists between the UL and DL). Figure 6B In this embodiment, the aperiodic SRS is triggered by the gNB and transmitted by the UE, allowing the gNB to measure the UL channel quality for allocating the DL RX beam. This embodiment can be used when the UL-DL beam correspondence is established. Although aperiodic RS is used in these two examples, periodic or semi-persistent RS can also be used.

[0138] about Figure 6AThe DL multi-beam operation 600 begins with the gNB signaling a non-periodic CSI-RS (AP-CSI-RS) trigger or indication to the UE (step 601). This trigger or indication may be included in the DCI (related to UL or DL, signaled separately or in conjunction with a non-periodic CSI request / trigger) and indicates that the AP-CSI-RS will be transmitted in the same (zero time offset) or later (>0 time offset) time slot or subframe. Upon receiving the AP-CSI-RS sent by the gNB (step 602), the UE measures the AP-CSI-RS and then calculates and reports a "beam metric" (indicating the quality of a specific TX beam assumption) (step 603). An example of such beam reporting is the association of its associated L1-RSRP / L1-RSRQ / L1-SINR / CQI with a CSI-RS resource indicator (CRI) or SSB resource indicator (SSB-RI).

[0139] When the gNB receives a beam report from the UE, it can use the beam report to select a DL RX beam for the UE and indicate the DL RX beam selection using the DL-TCI field in the DL-related DCI (which carries the DL license, such as DCI format 1_1 in NR) (step 604). In this case, the DL-TCI indicates the reference RS (in this case, AP-CSI-RS) representing the DL TX beam selected by the gNB. Furthermore, the DL-TCI can also indicate the “target” RS (e.g., CSI-RS) linked to the reference RS (in this case, AP-CSI-RS). Upon successful decoding of the DL-related DCI with the DL-TCI, the UE selects the DL RX beam and performs DL reception (e.g., data reception via PDSCH) using the DL RX beam associated with the reference CSI-RS (step 605).

[0140] In an alternative embodiment, the gNB may use a beam report to select a DL RX beam for the UE and indicate the DL RX beam selection for the UE using the DL-TCI field in the target-designed DL channel for beam indication (step 604). The target-designed DL channel for beam indication may be UE-specific or for a group of UEs. In this case, the DL-TCI indication represents the reference RS (in this case, AP-CSI-RS) of the DL TX beam selected by the gNB. Furthermore, the DL-TCI may also indicate the “target” RS (e.g., CSI-RS) linked to the reference RS (in this case, AP-CSI-RS). Upon successful decoding of the target-designed DL channel with DL-TCI for beam indication, the UE selects the DL RX beam and performs DL reception (e.g., data reception via PDSCH) using the DL RX beam associated with the reference CSI-RS (step 605).

[0141] As mentioned above, for Figure 6A In one embodiment, the UE selects the DL RX beam from a reference RS (in this case, AP-CSI-RS) index sent via the DL-TCI field. In this case, the CSI-RS resource configured for the UE as a reference RS resource (or typically, DL RS resources including CSI-RS, SSB, or a combination of both) can be linked (or associated) to a "beammetric" report such as CRI / L1-RSRP or L1-SINR.

[0142] about Figure 6B The DL multi-beam operation 610 begins with the gNB signaling to the UE to notify of an aperiodic SRS (AP-SRS) trigger or request (step 611). This trigger may be included in the DCI (UL-related or DL-related). Upon receiving and decoding the AP-SRS trigger, the UE sends the AP-SRS to the gNB (step 612), enabling the gNB to measure the UL propagation channel and select the DL RX beam for the UE for DL ​​(assuming beam correspondence).

[0143] Then, the gNB can use the DL-TCI field in the DL-related DCI (which carries DL authorization, such as DCI format 1_1 in NR) to indicate DL RX beam selection (step 613). In this case, the DL-TCI indicates the reference RS (in this case, AP-SRS) representing the selected DL RX beam. In addition, the DL-TCI can also indicate the “target” RS (e.g., CSI-RS) linked to the reference RS (in this case, AP-SRS). Upon successful decoding of the DL-related DCI with DL-TCI, the UE performs DL reception (e.g., data reception via PDSCH) using the DL RX beam indicated by the DL-TCI (step 614).

[0144] In an alternative embodiment, the gNB may use the DL-TCI field in the target-designed DL channel for beam indication to indicate DL RX beam selection for the UE (step 613). The target-designed DL channel for beam indication may be UE-specific or for a group of UEs. In this case, the DL-TCI indication represents the reference RS (in this case, AP-SRS) of the selected DL RX beam. Furthermore, the DL-TCI may also indicate the “target” RS (e.g., CSI-RS) linked to the reference RS (in this case, AP-SRS). Upon successful decoding of the target-designed DL channel with DL-TCI for beam indication, the UE performs DL reception (e.g., data reception via PDSCH) using the DL RX beam indicated by the DL-TCI (step 614).

[0145] As mentioned above, for Figure 6B In one embodiment, the UE selects the DL RX beam based on the UL TX beam associated with the reference RS (AP-SRS) index signaled via the DL-TCI field.

[0146] Go to Figure 6C and Figure 6D For example, in UL multi-beam operation, the gNB selects a UL RX beam for each UL TX beam (which corresponds to a reference RS) that the gNB expects to receive from the UE. When a UL RS (such as an SRS or DMRS) is used as a reference RS, the gNB triggers or configures the UE to transmit the UL RS (which is associated with the selection of the UL TX beam). The gNB selects the UL RX beam while receiving and measuring the UL RS. As a result, a TX-RX beam pair is obtained. The gNB can perform this operation for all configured reference RSs (either per reference RS or via a "beam scan") and determine all TX-RX beam pairs associated with all reference RSs configured for the UE.

[0147] When a DL RS (e.g., CSI-RS or SSB) is used as a reference RS (when DL-UL beam correspondence or reciprocity is established), the gNB sends the RS to the UE (reciprocally, for UL, this corresponds to the UL RX beam). In response, the UE measures the reference RS (and selects the UL TX beam in the process) and reports the beam metric associated with the quality of the reference RS. In this case, the UE determines the TX-RX beam pair for each configured (DL) reference RS. Therefore, although this knowledge is not available to the gNB, the UE can select the UL TX beam from the knowledge of all TX-RX beam pairs when it receives the reference RS indication from the gNB (and therefore the UL RX beam indication).

[0148] Figure 6C and Figure 6D An example of UL multi-beam operation according to an embodiment of the present invention is described. Figure 6C and Figure 6D The example utilizes UL-TCI-based UL beam indication after the gNB receives some transmissions from the UE. Figure 6C In this embodiment, aperiodic CSI-RS is transmitted by the gNB and measured by the UE. This embodiment can be used, for example, when UL-DL beam correspondence is established. Figure 6D In this embodiment, the aperiodic SRS is triggered by the gNB and transmitted by the UE, allowing the gNB to measure the UL channel quality for UL TX beam allocation. This embodiment can be used regardless of whether UL-DL beam correspondence is established. Although aperiodic RS is used in these two examples, periodic or semi-persistent RS can also be used.

[0149] about Figure 6C UL multi-beam operation 620 begins with signaling notification from the gNB to the UE of an aperiodic CSI-RS (AP-CSI-RS) trigger or indication (step 621). This trigger or indication may be included in the DCI (related to UL or DL, notified separately by signaling or jointly with an aperiodic CSI request / trigger), and indicates that the AP-CSI-RS will be transmitted in the same (zero time offset) or later (>0 time offset) time slot or subframe. Upon receiving the AP-CSI-RS sent by the gNB (step 622), the UE measures the AP-CSI-RS and then calculates and reports a “beam metric” (indicating the quality of a specific TX beam assumption) (step 623). An example of such beam reporting is the association of its associated L1-RSRP / L1-RSRQ / L1-SINR / CQI with a CSI-RS resource indicator (CRI) or SSB resource indicator (SSB-RI).

[0150] When the gNB receives a beam report from the UE, it can use the beam report to select a UL TX beam for the UE and indicate the UL TX beam selection using the UL-TCI field in the UL-related DCI (which carries UL authorization, such as DCI format 0_1 ​​in NR) (step 624). In this case, the UL-TCI indicates the reference RS (in this case, AP-CSI-RS) representing the UL RX beam selected by the gNB. Furthermore, the UL-TCI may also indicate the “target” RS (e.g., SRS) linked to the reference RS (in this case, AP-CSI-RS). Upon successful decoding of the UL-related DCI with the UL-TCI, the UE selects the UL TX beam and performs UL transmissions (such as data transmission on the PUSCH) using the UL TX beam associated with the reference CSI-RS (step 625).

[0151] In an alternative embodiment, the gNB may use a beamforming report to select a UL TX beam for the UE and indicate the UL TX beam selection to the UE using the UL-TCI field in the target-designed DL channel for beam indication (step 624). The target-designed DL channel for beam indication may be UE-specific or for a group of UEs. In this case, the UL-TCI indication represents the reference RS (in this case, AP-CSI-RS) of the UL RX beam selected by the gNB. Furthermore, the UL-TCI may also indicate the “target” RS (e.g., SRS) linked to the reference RS (in this case, AP-CSI-RS). Upon successful decoding of the target-designed DL channel for beam indication with UL-TCI, the UE selects the UL TX beam and performs UL transmissions (e.g., data transmission on the PUSCH) using the UL TX beam associated with the reference CSI-RS (step 625).

[0152] for Figure 6C In one embodiment, as described above, the UE selects the UL TX beam based on a derived DL RX beam, which is associated with a reference RS index signaled via the UL-TCI field. In this case, the CSI-RS resource configured for the UE as a reference RS resource (or typically, DL RS resources including CSI-RS, SSB, or a combination of both) can be linked (or associated) to a "beammetric" report such as CRI / L1-RSRP or L1-SINR.

[0153] about Figure 6DThe UL multi-beam operation 630 begins with the gNB signaling to the UE to notify of an aperiodic SRS (AP-SRS) trigger or request (step 631). This trigger may be included in the DCI (UL-related or DL-related). Upon receiving and decoding the AP-SRS trigger, the UE sends the AP-SRS to the gNB (step 632), enabling the gNB to measure the UL propagation channel and select the UL TX beam for the UE.

[0154] Then, the gNB can use the UL-TCI field in the UL-related DCI (which carries UL authorization, such as DCI format 0_1 ​​in NR) to indicate UL TX beam selection (step 633). In this case, the UL-TCI indicates the reference RS (in this case, AP-SRS) representing the selected UL TX beam. Furthermore, the UL-TCI can also indicate the “target” RS (e.g., SRS) linked to the reference RS (in this case, AP-SRS). Upon successful decoding of the UL-related DCI with UL-TCI, the UE performs UL transmissions (such as data transmission on the PUSCH) using the UL TX beam indicated by the UL-TCI (step 634).

[0155] In an alternative embodiment, the gNB may indicate UL TX beam selection for the UE using the UL-TCI field in a target-designed DL channel for beam indication (step 633). The target-designed DL channel for beam indication may be UE-specific or for a group of UEs. In this case, the UL-TCI indication represents the reference RS (in this case, AP-SRS) of the selected UL TX beam. Furthermore, the UL-TCI may also indicate the “target” RS (e.g., SRS) linked to the reference RS (in this case, AP-SRS). Upon successful decoding of the target-designed DL channel for beam indication with UL-TCI, the UE performs UL transmissions (such as data transmission on the PUSCH) using the UL TX beam indicated by the UL-TCI (step 634).

[0156] As mentioned above, for Figure 6D In one embodiment, the UE selects the UL TX beam from a reference RS (in this case, SRS) index that is signaled via the UL-TCI field.

[0157] exist Figures 6A-6DIn the exemplary embodiments described above, the DL and UL beam indicators are separate (decoupled). That is, the DL beam indicator is based on the DL-TCI indicator, while the UL beam indicator is based on the UL-TCI. In some embodiments, a combined TCI that connects the DL and UL beam indicators (partially or entirely) can be used in place of either the DL-TCI or UL-TCI described above. An exemplary use of the combined TCI indicator is in a reciprocal system in which the UL-DL beam correspondence is established.

[0158] The following discussion Figure 7 and Figure 8 This relates to the design aspects of TCI channel beams (i.e., beams that transmit TCI, SRI, or any other suitable beam indication parameters or fields). As mentioned above, any given beam in the system has a corresponding TCI state characterizing the beam, and therefore the TCI channel beam transmits, for example, a TCI indicating the TCI state. Additionally, the beam used for a channel can be referred to as the TCI state of the channel; for example, the TCI state of a TCI channel can refer to the TCI channel beam, or the TCI state of a DL channel (DL-TCI) or UL channel (UL-TCI) can refer to the DL channel beam or UL channel beam, respectively.

[0159] Figure 7 An exemplary beam configuration 700 according to an embodiment of the present disclosure is shown. Figure 7 The example illustrates communication between gNB 102 and UE 116; however, it should be understood that... Figure 7 The example can be applied to any suitable wireless communication device with beamforming capabilities.

[0160] Beam configuration 700 includes a wide TCI channel beam 705 and narrow UE-specific channel beams 710 and 715. Wide and narrow are relative terms; a wide beam can include multiple narrow beams. In this example, the wide TCI channel beam 705 includes several narrow UE-specific channel beams 710 and 715 and transmits the TCI channel from gNB 102 to UE 116. Narrow UE-specific channel beams 710 and 715 are used to transmit or receive UE-specific DL or UL channels not used for beam indication (e.g., data channels such as PDSCH or PUSCH for a specific UE 116, or control channels such as PDCCH or PUCCH). In some embodiments, the narrow beam can be used for transmitting or receiving UE group channels or UE common channels (e.g., data or control channels for multiple UEs). In some embodiments, the wide beam can be used for transmitting or receiving UE group channels or UE common channels (e.g., data or control channels for multiple UEs). In some embodiments, a UE-specific channel beam may be used only for data channel transmission or only for control channel transmission, while in other embodiments, the UE-specific channel beam may be used for both data and control channel transmission. In the latter case, it can be said that the data channel and control channel of a particular UE share a common TCI state. This may also correspond to the UL channel and DL channel of a particular UE sharing a common TCI state.

[0161] like Figure 7 As shown, UE 116 starts within the coverage area of ​​narrow beam 710 and moves along path 720, which takes it out of the coverage area of ​​narrow beam 710 and into the coverage area of ​​narrow beam 715. This represents a change in channel conditions, causing the narrow beam suitable for UE-specific DL or UL channel transmission or reception to change from narrow UE-specific channel beam 710 (the old or current beam) to narrow UE-specific channel beam 715 (the new beam). Because both narrow beams are within the coverage area of ​​wide TCI channel beam 705, the TCI channel transmitted on wide TCI channel beam 705 can be used to indicate narrow UE-specific channel beam 715 as a new beam for UE-specific DL or UL channel transmission or reception (e.g., by transmitting a TCI indicating the TCI state of narrow UE-specific channel beam 715).

[0162] In embodiments where narrow UE-specific channel beams 710 and 715 are used for UE-specific DL channels (e.g., PDSCH or PDCCH), the TCI channel can be: a PDCCH channel with a DL-associated DCI, which includes at least DL-TCI or a combined TCI; a PDCCH channel with a UL-associated DCI, which includes DL-TCI, UL-TCI, or a combined TCI; a target-designed DL channel for beam indication, which includes at least DL-TCI or a combined TCI; or a MAC CE for transmitting TCI. In such embodiments, from the perspective of gNB 102, the TCI channel beam and the UE-specific channel beam are TX beams, while from the perspective of UE 116, they are RX beams.

[0163] In embodiments where narrow UE-specific channel beams 710 and 715 are used for UE-specific UL channels (e.g., PUSCH, PUCCH, or PRACH), the TCI channel can be: a PDCCH channel with a UL-associated DCI, which includes at least UL-TCI or a combined TCI; a PDCCH channel with a DL-associated DCI, which includes UL-TCI, DL-TCI, or a combined TCI; a target-designed DL channel for beam indication, which includes at least UL-TCI or a combined TCI; or a MAC CE for transmitting TCI. In such embodiments, from the perspective of gNB 102, the TCI channel beam is a TX beam and the UE-specific channel beam is an RX beam, while from the perspective of UE 116, the TCI channel beam is an RX beam and the UE-specific channel beam is a TX beam.

[0164] although Figure 7 An example of a beam configuration 700 is shown, but more can be found elsewhere. Figure 7 Various modifications can be made. For example, any number of narrow UE-specific channel beams and wide TCI channel beams can exist to provide coverage for additional spatial resources. Additionally, any number of UEs or other beamforming-capable wireless communication devices can communicate with the gNB 102.

[0165] Figure 8 An exemplary beam configuration 800 according to an embodiment of the present disclosure is shown. Figure 8 The example illustrates communication between gNB 102 and UE 116; however, it should be understood that... Figure 8 The example can be applied to any suitable wireless communication device with beamforming capabilities.

[0166] Beam configuration 800 includes wide TCI channel beams 805 and 810, and narrow UE-specific channel beams 815, 820, 825, 830, 835, and 840. As mentioned above, wide and narrow are relative terms, and a wide beam can include multiple narrow beams. In this example, wide TCI channel beam 805 includes narrow UE-specific channel beams 815, 820, 825, and 830. Wide TCI channel beam 810 includes narrow UE-specific channel beams 825, 830, 835, and 840. Wide TCI channel beams 805 and 810 have partially overlapping coverage areas, and as a result, both wide TCI channel beams 805 and 810 include narrow UE-specific channel beams 825 and 830.

[0167] like Figure 8 As shown, UE 116 starts in the coverage area of ​​narrow beam 815 and moves along path 845, which sequentially passes through the coverage areas of narrow beams 820, 825, 830, and finally 835. This represents a change in channel conditions, causing the narrow beam suitable for transmitting or receiving UE-specific DL or UL channels to sequentially change from narrow UE-specific channel beam 815 (the old or current beam) to narrow UE-specific channel beams 820, 825, 830, and 835 (new beams in sequence). Furthermore, UE 116 starts in the coverage area of ​​wide TCI channel beam 805 and moves to the coverage area of ​​wide TCI channel beam 810. This represents a change in channel conditions, causing the wide beam suitable for transmitting TCI channels to change from wide TCI channel beam 805 to wide TCI channel beam 810.

[0168] In this embodiment, the TCI channel can indicate the TCI state of the new beam for the next transmission of the narrow UE-specific channel, as well as the TCI state of the new beam for the next transmission of the TCI channel. For example, since both wide TCI channel beams 805 and 810 include narrow UE-specific channel beams 825 and 830, a TCI channel transmitted on wide TCI channel beam 805 that indicates a change from narrow UE-specific channel beam 820 (old UE-specific channel beam) to 825 (new UE-specific channel beam) can also indicate a change from wide TCI channel beam 805 (old TCI channel beam) to 810 (new TCI channel beam). The beam indication for the new TCI channel beam can be explicit (e.g., a TCI indicating the TCI state of wide TCI channel beam 810) or implicit (as discussed further below). Alternatively, beam indication of wide TCI channel beam 810 as new TCI channel beam may be included in a TCI channel indicating a change from narrow UE-specific channel beam 825 to 830, or indicating a change from narrow UE-specific channel beam 830 to 835.

[0169] Implicit beam indication for a new TCI channel beam can occur in various ways. In some embodiments, UE 116 is pre-configured (e.g., via higher-layer signaling) with information that associates each narrow UE-specific channel beam with the wide TCI channel beam containing it. UE 116 can then infer the indication of a new wide TCI channel beam from the indication of the new narrow UE-specific channel beam. For example, if UE 116 receives a TCI channel on wide TCI channel beam 805, which includes using narrow UE-specific channel beam 825 as the beam indication of a new UE-specific channel beam, then UE 116 can infer that wide TCI channel beam 810 is the beam indication of a new TCI channel beam.

[0170] In some embodiments, UE 116 is additionally (e.g., via higher-layer signaling) pre-configured with information that associates each narrow UE-specific channel beam with an adjacent narrow UE-specific channel beam on either side. In such an embodiment, when UE 116 receives a beam indication for a new UE-specific channel beam, it can infer its direction of movement based on a comparison of the TCI state of the old UE-specific channel beam with the TCI state of the new UE-specific channel beam. UE 116 can then use this knowledge in conjunction with a pre-configured association between the narrow UE-specific channel beam and the wide TCI channel beam to infer the beam indication for the new TCI channel beam. For example, when narrow UE-specific channel beam 820 is the old UE-specific channel beam, and UE 116 receives a beam indication on wide TCI channel beam 805 indicating that narrow UE-specific channel beam 825 is the new UE-specific channel beam, UE 116 can infer that it is moving towards the coverage area of ​​wide TCI channel beam 810. Therefore, UE 116 can infer that the wide TCI channel beam 810 is the beam indication for the new TCI channel beam. Conversely, when the narrow UE-specific channel beam 825 is the old UE-specific channel beam, and UE 116 receives a beam indication on the wide TCI channel beam 810 that the narrow UE-specific channel beam 830 is the new UE-specific channel beam, the UE infers that it is moving away from the coverage area of ​​the wide TCI channel beam 805 (and remains within the coverage area of ​​the wide TCI channel beam 810). Therefore, although the narrow UE-specific channel beam 830 is associated with the wide TCI channel beam 805, the UE does not infer the beam indication of the wide TCI channel beam 805.

[0171] After UE 116 has received (explicitly or implicitly) a TCI channel on wide TCI channel beam 805 that indicates wide TCI channel beam 810 as a new TCI channel beam, subsequent TCI channels will be transmitted on wide TCI channel beam 810, indicating the next new beam to be used for narrow UE-specific channels. In this way, as the UE travels along path 845, it is able to receive TCIs that sequentially indicate new narrow UE-specific channel beams 820, 825, 830, and 835 as new beams for transmission or reception of UE-specific DL or UL channels, as well as TCIs that indicate new wide TCI channel beam 810 as a new beam for reception of TCI channels.

[0172] Similar to Figure 7 In embodiments of narrow UE-specific channel beams 815, 820, 825, 830, 835, and 840 used for UE-specific DL channels (e.g., PDSCH or PDCCH), the TCI channel can be: a PDCCH channel with DL-related DCI, which includes at least DL-TCI or combined TCI; a PDCCH channel with UL-related DCI, which includes DL-TCI, UL-TCI, or combined TCI; a DL channel for beam indication of a target design, which includes at least DL-TCI or combined TCI; or a MAC CE transmitting TCI. In such embodiments, from the perspective of gNB 102, the TCI channel beam and the UE-specific channel beam are TX beams, while from the perspective of UE 116, they are RX beams.

[0173] Similarly Figure 7 In embodiments where narrow UE-specific channel beams 815, 820, 825, 830, 835, and 840 are used for UE-specific UL channels (e.g., PUSCH, PUCCH, or PRACH), the TCI channel can be: a PDCCH channel with UL-related DCI, which includes at least UL-TCI or a combined TCI; a PDCCH channel with DL-related DCI, which includes UL-TCI, DL-TCI, or a combined TCI; a DL channel for beam indication of a target design, which includes at least UL-TCI or a combined TCI; or a MACCE for transmitting TCI. In such embodiments, from the perspective of gNB 102, the TCI channel beam is a TX beam and the UE-specific channel beam is an RX beam, while from the perspective of UE 116, the TCI channel beam is an RX beam and the UE-specific channel beam is a TX beam.

[0174] although Figure 8 An example of beam configuration 800 is shown, but it is possible to modify it further. Figure 8Various modifications can be made. For example, any number of narrow UE-specific channel beams and wide TCI channel beams can exist to provide coverage for additional spatial resources. Additionally, any number of UEs or other beamforming-capable wireless communication devices can communicate with the gNB 102.

[0175] In the above Figure 7 and Figure 8 In the example, the TCI channel beam is a separate beam from the UE-specific channel beam, and only the TCI channel is transmitted on the TCI channel beam. In other embodiments, the TCI channel beam and the UE-specific channel beam can be the same beam (i.e., sharing the same TCI state). That is, the TCI channel and at least one UE-specific data or control DL channel or UE-specific data or control UL channel can all be transmitted using a single beam.

[0176] In addition, in the above Figure 8 The examples disclosed illustrate embodiments where the TCI channel can indicate both the TCI state of a new UE-specific channel beam and the TCI state of a new TCI channel beam. In some embodiments, two TCI states (i.e., the TCI state of the UE-specific channel beam and the TCI state of the TCI channel beam) can be indicated in a single TCI channel transmission. That is, the two TCI states can be explicitly signaled in a single TCI channel transmission, or the TCI state of the TCI channel beam can be derived from a TCI channel transmission that only explicitly signals the TCI state of the UE-specific channel beam (as described above).

[0177] In other embodiments, the TCI status of a new TCI channel beam and the TCI status of a new UE-specific channel beam can be explicitly signaled in different transmissions. In some embodiments, the same TCI channel can be used to indicate the TCI status of both the TCI channel beam and the UE-specific channel beam in different transmissions. In other embodiments, two different TCI channels can be used.

[0178] For example, a first TCI channel can be used to indicate a new TCI state for a specific channel beam of the UE, and a second TCI channel can be used to indicate a new TCI state for the TCI channel beam. In some such embodiments, both TCI channels are transmitted on the TCI channel beam. In other such embodiments, the first TCI channel is transmitted on the TCI channel beam, while the second TCI channel is transmitted on a specific beam of the UE.

[0179] In embodiments using a first TCI channel and a second TCI channel, different signaling can be used to transmit each of the first and second TCI channels. For example, the first TCI channel can be an L1 control channel (e.g., DCI), and the second TCI channel can be a MAC CE (or vice versa). Alternatively, the first TCI channel can be a first L1 control channel (e.g., DCI), and the second TCI channel can be a second L1 control channel (e.g., DCI). Furthermore, the first TCI channel can be a first MAC CE, and the second TCI channel can be a second MAC CE.

[0180] Another consideration in the above embodiments is applying timing for the new beam for transmitting or receiving the channel after receiving the channel beam indication (whether implicitly or explicitly). In other words, the timing for updating the channel's TCI state is updated after receiving the TCI indicating the new TCI state of the channel. It is important that both the transmitter and receiver align their respective timings for updating the TCI state; otherwise, channel transmission may fail because the receiver may not be monitoring the correct beam. Two considerations for aligning the TCI state update timing at the gNB and UE are the feedback acknowledgment sent from the UE to the gNB after successful reception of the TCI channel (e.g., a HACK ARQ in response to the DL channel beam indication or a PUSCH in response to the UL channel beam indication) and the use of a pre-configured time delay starting from a pre-configured time point (e.g., from when the UE receives the beam indication or from when the UE sends the feedback acknowledgment).

[0181] Various examples of timing for applying new TCI states are disclosed below. In these examples, according to the embodiments discussed in this disclosure, the gNB (e.g., gNB 102) transmits a TCI channel to the UE (e.g., UE 116). The TCI channel transmits one or more TCIs to the UE, indicating that one or more TCI states (e.g., for a UE-specific channel or one or both of the TCI channels) will be applied to the future transmission or reception of the corresponding channel. Additionally, all DL channels are transmitted from the gNB to the UE, and all UL channels are transmitted from the UE to the gNB. It should be understood that any suitable wireless communication device with beamforming capabilities can be used instead of the gNB and the UE.

[0182] In some examples of timing for applying a new TCI state, the TCI channel is a PDCCH with DL-related DCI, which includes at least DL-TCI or UL-TCI and DL allocation information. Following the PDCCH with DL-related DCI may be a PDSCH transmission from the gNB. In response to receiving the PDSCH, the UE may send a HARQ ACK to the gNB, which can be recognized by the gNB as a feedback acknowledgment of receiving the TCI channel. The gNB can recognize the HARQ ACK as an indication of receiving the TCI channel.

[0183] In some embodiments of such examples, the UE applies a new TCI state, indicated by DL-TCI or UL-TCI, to the corresponding channel immediately after sending the HARQ ACK, and the gNB similarly applies the new TCI state immediately after receiving the HARQ ACK. In other embodiments, if the TCI channel includes an indication of a new TCI state for a UE-specific channel (e.g., in the case of DL-TCI, PDSCH, or PDCCH not used for beam indication, or in the case of UL-TCI, PUSCH, PRACH, or PUCCH that may include a PUCCH carrying HARQ ACK), the new TCI state is applied to the UE-specific channel after a time period T1 (which may be referred to as "timeDurationForQCL"), which begins after sending the HARQ ACK or after receiving the TCI channel. If the TCI channel includes an indication of a new TCI state for the TCI channel, the new TCI state is applied to the TCI channel after a time period T2 (which may be referred to as "timeDurationForQCLForBeamIndication"), which begins after the HARQ ACK is sent or after the TCI channel is received. In some cases, T2 and T1 are the same time period (i.e., T2 = T1).

[0184] In other examples of timing the application of the new TCI state, the TCI channel is a PDCCH channel with UL-related DCI, which includes at least: UL-TCI or DL-TCI, and UL permission. Following the PDCCH with UL-related DCI may be a PUSCH transmission from the UE. The PUSCH transmission can be recognized by the gNB as a feedback acknowledgment of receiving the TCI channel.

[0185] In some embodiments of such examples, the UE applies the new TCI state indicated by UL-TCI or DL-TCI to the corresponding channel immediately after sending the PUSCH, and the gNB also applies the new TCI state immediately after receiving the PUSCH. In other embodiments, if the TCI channel includes an indication of a new TCI state for a UE-specific channel (e.g., in the case of DL-TCI, PDSCH, or PDCCH not used for beam indication, or in the case of UL-TCI, future PUSCH, PUCCH, or PRACH), the new TCI state is applied to the UE-specific channel after time period T1. Period T1 begins after sending the PUSCH or after receiving the TCI channel. If the TCI channel includes an indication of a new TCI state for the TCI channel, the new TCI state is applied to the TCI channel after time period T2, which begins after sending the PUSCH or after receiving the TCI channel. In some cases, T2 and T1 are the same time period (i.e., T2 = T1).

[0186] In other examples of timing the application of the new TCI state, the TCI channel is a target-specific DL channel or MAC CE used for beam indication and is UE-specific or UE-group specific. In these examples, the target-specific DL channel or MAC CE includes at least DL-TCI, UL-TCI, or a combined TCI.

[0187] In some embodiments of such examples, the UE sends a HARQ ACK to the gNB in ​​response to the reception of the TCI channel, and the gNB can recognize the HARQ ACK as a feedback acknowledgment of the received TCI channel. In other embodiments, the UE does not send a HARQ ACK, and the gNB infers successful reception of the TCI channel based on the transmit or receive beams used by the UE for subsequent transmit or receive, or based on the decoding state of such transmit or receive.

[0188] In other embodiments of such an example, the gNB blindly repeats the transmission of the TCI channel across multiple time instances, stopping when the gNB receives a HARQ ACK from the UE (or from all UEs in the UE group) or when the maximum number of repetitions has been reached. The maximum number of repetitions can be fixed by the specification, configured by higher-layer signaling (e.g., RRC signaling), configured by MAC CE, or indicated by L1 control information. Alternatively, the gNB transmits the TCI channel periodically. The transmission period and offset for periodic TCI channel transmission can be fixed by the specification, configured by higher-layer signaling (e.g., RRC signaling), configured by MAC CE, or indicated by L1 control information.

[0189] After receiving a TCI channel according to one of the above embodiments of the example (where the TCI channel is a target-designed DL channel or MAC CE for beam indication), the UE and gNB can apply the new TCI state transmitted by the TCI channel using the following timing. In some embodiments, the UE applies the new TCI state indicated by UL-TCI, DL-TCI, or combined TCI to the corresponding channel immediately after receiving the TCI channel, and the gNB similarly applies the new TCI state immediately after sending the TCI channel. In other embodiments, if the TCI channel includes an indication of a new TCI state for a UE-specific channel (e.g., a DL data or control channel not used for beam indication, or a UL data or control channel), the new TCI state is applied to the UE-specific channel after a time period T1, which begins after sending a HARQ ACK or after receiving the TCI channel. If the TCI channel includes an indication of a new TCI state for the TCI channel, the new TCI state is applied to the TCI channel after a time period T2, which begins after sending a HARQ ACK or after receiving the TCI channel. In some cases, T2 and T1 are the same time period (i.e., T2 = T1).

[0190] In other examples of timing the application of the new TCI state, the TCI channel is a PDCCH channel with DL-related DCI, which includes at least DL-TCI, UL-TCI, or a combined TCI, but does not include DL allocation information. The UE sends a HARQ ACK feedback to the gNB in ​​response to receiving the TCI channel, and the gNB can recognize the HARQ ACK as a confirmation of receiving the TCI channel.

[0191] In these examples, the first TCI channel includes an indication of a new TCI state for a UE-specific channel (e.g., a DL data or control channel not used for beam indication, or a UL data or control channel), and applies the new TCI state to the UE-specific channel after a time period T1, which begins after sending a HARQ ACK or after receiving the first TCI channel. In some embodiments of such examples, the first TCI channel also includes an indication of a new TCI state for the first TCI channel, and applies the new TCI state to the first TCI channel after a time period T2, which begins after sending a HARQ ACK or after receiving the first TCI channel. In other embodiments of such examples, the second TCI channel includes an indication of a new TCI state for the first TCI channel, and applies the new TCI state to the first TCI channel after a time period T2, which begins after sending a HARQ ACK (e.g., a second HARQ ACK indicating receipt of the second TCI channel) or after receiving the second TCI channel. In some of the above cases, T2 and T1 are the same time period (i.e., T2 = T1).

[0192] In other examples of timing the application of the new TCI state, the TCI channel is a PDCCH channel with a UL-related DCI, which includes at least DL-TCI, UL-TCI, or a combined TCI, but excludes UL authorization (i.e., has a "UL-SCH indicator" set to "0") and includes a UL CSI request (i.e., has a non-zero "CSI request," where the associated "reportQuantity" in CSI-ReportConfig is set to "none" for all CSI reports triggered by the "CSI request" in this DCI). The UE may ignore all fields of the DCI except for the "CSI request" field and the TCI. Alternatively, the TCI channel may also lack a UL CSI request (i.e., the "CSI request" is set to "0"). In response to receiving the TCI channel, the UE sends a HARQ ACK feedback to the gNB, and the gNB can recognize the HARQ ACK as an acknowledgment of receipt of the TCI channel.

[0193] In these examples, the first TCI channel includes an indication of a new TCI state for a UE-specific channel (e.g., a DL data or control channel not used for beam indication, or a UL data or control channel), and the new TCI state is applied to the UE-specific channel after a time period T1, which begins after sending a HARQ ACK or after receiving the first TCI channel. In some embodiments of such examples, the first TCI channel also includes an indication of a new TCI state for the first TCI channel, and the new TCI state is applied to the first TCI channel after a time period T2, which begins after sending a HARQ ACK or after receiving the first TCI channel. In other embodiments of such examples, the second TCI channel includes an indication of a new TCI state for the first TCI channel, and the new TCI state is applied to the first TCI channel after a time period T2, which begins after sending a HARQ ACK (e.g., a second HARQ ACK indicating receipt of the second TCI channel) or after receiving the second TCI channel. In some of the above cases, T2 and T1 are the same time period (i.e., T2 = T1).

[0194] In each of the above examples of timing the application of the new TCI state, T1 (e.g., timeDurationForQCL) and T2 (e.g., timeDurationForQCLForBeamIndication) may depend on the UE's UE performance. The first and second time periods can be configured to the UE via higher-layer signaling (e.g., RRC signaling), MAC CE, or L1 control signaling. In any of the above examples, if the UE is configured to apply the new beam using time period T2, but the UE has not received configuration information for time period T2, the UE may set T2 equal to T1.

[0195] Figures 9A to 9B and Figures 10A to 10B Examples of processes for beam management according to various embodiments of this disclosure are shown. Figures 9A to 9B The process shown is executed by UE116, while Figures 10A to 10B The process shown is performed by gNB102; however, it should be understood that... Figures 9A to 9B and Figures 10A to 10B The process can be performed separately by any suitable beamforming-enabled wireless receiver and transmitter.

[0196] Figures 9A to 9BAn exemplary process 900 for beam management by a UE according to various embodiments of the present disclosure is illustrated. The process begins when the UE receives configuration information regarding one or more TCI states and corresponding channels (e.g., channels used to transmit TCIs (i.e., TCI channels) and one or more data channels and control channels (i.e., UE-specific channels)) (step 905). The UE may receive this configuration information via higher-layer signaling (e.g., RRC signaling), MAC CE, or L1 control signaling. The data channels and control channels may include one or more UE-specific channels that are DL channels and UL channels.

[0197] Configuration information may include, for example, the UE assuming that the ND is used for the PDSCH or PDCCH channel (e.g., data or control channels not used for beam indication). K A set of TCI states (e.g., DL-TCI states) for a narrow UE-specific DL channel beam; the UE may assume that the uplink channel (e.g., data or control channel, such as PUSCH, or PUCCH, or PRACH) corresponds to the NU. M A set of TCI states (e.g., DL-TCI states) for a narrow UE-specific UL channel beam; and a corresponding W that the UE can assume for receiving the TCI channel (e.g., the channel for transmitting TCI). N A set of TCI states for the TCI channel beam.

[0198] In some cases, the narrow DL channel beam and the narrow UL channel beam can come from the same set that can be indicated by the joint TCI. Additionally, the TCI channel beam can come from the same set that can be indicated by the joint TCI. In other embodiments, the narrow DL channel beam and the TCI channel beam can come from the same set.

[0199] Next, the UE receives configuration information including a first time period (e.g., T1 or timeDurationForQCL) and a second time period (e.g., T2 or timeDurationForQCLForBeamIndication) (step 910). In some embodiments, the UE uses one of higher-layer signaling (e.g., RRC signaling), MAC CE, or L1 control signaling to receive this configuration information. The UE may also receive only the first time period, in which case the UE may set the second time period to be equal to the first time period (e.g., T2 = T1). The configuration information in step 910 may also be received in step 905.

[0200] Next, the UE determines the association between the TCI states of the data channels and control channels (i.e., UE-specific channels) and the TCI states of the channels used to transmit TCI (i.e., TCI channels) based on the received configuration (step 915). In some embodiments, these associations are determined based on the configuration received from the gNB for defining or generating the associations.

[0201] These associations can include associations between any one or more TCI states for one or more UE-specific channels and a TCI state of the channel used to transmit the TCI, i.e., a "one-to-one" association, where a TCI channel beam includes one and only one narrow beam (e.g., the narrow beam and the TCI channel beam share the same TCI state and are the same beam). The association can also include associations between multiple TCI states for one or more UE-specific channels and a TCI state of the channel used to transmit the TCI, i.e., a "many-to-one" association, where multiple narrow beams are included in and associated with one and only one TCI channel beam (e.g., ...). Figure 7 (As shown in the example). The association may also include an association between at least one TCI state for one or more UE-specific channels and multiple TCI states for the channel transmitting the TCI, i.e., a "many-to-many" association, where the TCI channel beam includes multiple narrow beams, and the narrow beams are included by multiple TCI channel beams (e.g., as shown in the example). Figure 8 (Example: TCI channel beam overlap). In some embodiments, at least some data channels and some control channels share the same TCI state, i.e., some data and control channels share a beam.

[0202] As described above, these associations allow for an implicit mapping between the TCI state of a UE-specific channel and the TCI states of one or more TCI channels. For example, the UE can generate a set of NDs (narrow UE-specific DL channel beams). K The set of NU (narrow UE-specific UL channel beams) M A given TCI state is mapped to a set W (of TCI channel beams). N A table of given TCI states is generated. These tables can then be referenced by the UE to determine which TCI states are known for the TCI channel beam, including the TCI states for the DL or UL channel beam indicated to the UE by the beam indicator. In some embodiments, when the DL and UL channels share a beam, only one table is generated, which will come from the group ND. K and group NU M The TCI states of both are mapped to group W NIn other embodiments, the DL-TCI table or UL-TCI table, which includes a mapping between reference RS and target RS and QCL types, is extended to include one or more reference RSs and corresponding QCL types for the TCI channel.

[0203] Next, the UE establishes initial TCI states for the data and control channels (i.e., UE-specific channels) and initial TCI states for the channels used to transmit TCIs (i.e., TCI channels), and monitors these TCI states for the respective channels (step 920). For example, during initial access or during inter-cell mobility, the UE may receive TCI states indicating UE-specific channels (e.g., group ND from the DL channel). K TCI state ND k and group NU from UL channel M TCI state NU m ) and TCI channels (e.g., from group W) N TCI state W n The UE then monitors the indicated TCI channel beam for the TCI channel and uses the indicated UE-specific channel beam to receive or transmit other DL or UL channels.

[0204] Next, the UE determines whether it has received one or more TCIs (or TCI status IDs), that is, whether it has successfully received the TCI channel transmitting the TCI on the current TCI channel beam (step 925). If yes, the UE proceeds to step 930. If not, the UE continues to monitor the TCI channel beam to obtain the TCI channel, and continues to receive and transmit other DL and UL channels on the current UE-specific channel beam.

[0205] Next, in response to receiving one or more TCIs on the channel through which the TCIs are transmitted (i.e., the TCI channel), the UE uses a spatial filter to send an acknowledgment message based on the current TCI state of the TCI channel (i.e., the TCI channel beam) (step 930). For example, as described above, this could be a HARQ ACK or PUCCH transmission. In other embodiments, the UE does not send any dedicated acknowledgment signal; instead, the UE sends other signals inferred by the gNB as acknowledgment of receipt of the TCI channel.

[0206] Next, the UE determines, based on one or more received TCIs, the TCI states for the data channel and control channel (i.e., the UE-specific channel) for use as new TCI states for the UE-specific channel (step 935). For example, as described above, the TCI is used as a beam indicator, and its indicator group ND K New TCI state ND of DL channel beam kor group NU M NU of UL channel beam m One or both. TCI can also be an indicator of the new TCI state ND. k and NU m The combination of the two is TCI.

[0207] Next, the UE updates one or more spatial filters for the data channel and control channel (i.e., UE-specific channels) based on the determined TCI states of the data channel and control channel, respectively (step 940). For example, the UE sets the TCI state to be used for the UE-specific channel to the new TCI state ND determined in step 935. k and NU m .

[0208] Next, based on the TCI states of the data channel and control channel (i.e., UE-specific channels) determined in step 935, the UE infers the TCI state of the channel used to transmit TCI (i.e., the TCI channel) to serve as the new TCI state for the TCI channel. Alternatively, the UE determines the TCI state based on explicit indications in one or more TCI channels received in step 925 to serve as the new TCI state for the TCI channel (step 945). For example, as described above, the UE can infer the group W used for the TCI channel based on the association generated in step 915. N New TCI status W n .

[0209] Alternatively, as described above, the UE may determine a new TCI state for the TCI channel based on either the first MAC CE or the first L1 control signaling received at step 925, wherein the first MAC CE or the first L1 control signaling includes a group W that explicitly indicates the TCI channel. N New TCI status W n The TCI. In this case, the signaling received in step 925 may also include a second MAC CE or a second L1 control, which includes an indication of the new TCI state of the UE-specific channel (e.g., new TCI state ND). k and NU m TCI.

[0210] As described above, in other embodiments, the UE may determine a new TCI state for the TCI channel based on information provided in one of the UE-specific channels. For example, a UE-specific DL channel such as PDCCH or PDSCH may include UE-specific control information and a group W that explicitly indicates the TCI channel. N New TCI status W n TCI.

[0211] As shown above, in other embodiments, the UE may determine a new TCI state for the TCI channel based on a MAC CE or L1 control signaling that includes multiple TCIs, wherein one of the TCIs explicitly indicates the group W for the TCI channel. N New TCI status W n And one or more TCIs explicitly indicate one or more TCI states for a UE-specific channel (e.g., ND). k and NU m ).

[0212] Next, the UE updates the spatial filter of the channel used for transmitting TCI based on the determined or inferred TCI state of the channel (i.e., the TCI channel) (step 950). For example, the UE sets the TCI state to be used for the TCI channel to the new TCI state W inferred or determined in step 945. n .

[0213] Next, after a first time period (e.g., T1) has elapsed since the confirmation message was sent in step 930 or since the TCI was received in step 925, the UE determines that the updated spatial filter is used for the data channel and control channel (i.e., the UE-specific channel). And after a second time period (e.g., T2) has elapsed since the confirmation message was sent in step 930 or since the TCI was received (or other information used to infer the TCI state), the UE determines that the updated spatial filter (i.e., the TCI channel) is used for the channel used to transmit the TCI (step 955). In other words, the UE determines the timing for applying the new TCI state determined or inferred in steps 935 and 945.

[0214] Next, the UE transmits or receives data and control channels (i.e., UE-specific channels) based on updated spatial filters for UE-specific channels, and receives channels for transmitting TCI (i.e., TCI channels) based on updated spatial filters for TCI channels (step 960). That is, the UE monitors new TCI states for TCI channels and UE-specific DL data and control channels, and applies the new TCI states for UE-specific UL data and control channels to the next reception or transmission on those channels. Then, when a new TCI is received, the process can return to step 925.

[0215] Figures 10A to 10BAn exemplary process 1000 for beam management by a gNB according to various embodiments of the present disclosure is illustrated. The process begins with the gNB determining and transmitting configuration information for one or more TCI states and corresponding channels (e.g., channels for transmitting TCIs (i.e., TCI channels), and one or more data channels and control channels (i.e., UE-specific channels)) (step 1005). The gNB may transmit this configuration information via higher-layer signaling (e.g., RRC signaling), MAC CE, or L1 control signaling. The data channels and control channels may include one or more UE-specific channels, which may be DL channels and UL channels.

[0216] Configuration information may include, for example, the gNB assuming that the ND is used for the PDSCH or PDCCH channel (e.g., data or control channels not used for beam indication). K A set of TCI states (e.g., DL-TCI states) for the narrow UE-specific DL channel beam; the gNB may assume a corresponding NU for uplink channels (e.g., data or control channels, such as PUSCH, PUCCH, or PRACH). M A set of TCI states (e.g., UL-TCI states) for the narrow UE-specific UL channel beam, and a corresponding W that the gNB can assume for receiving the TCI channel (e.g., the channel for transmitting TCI). N A set of TCI states for the TCI channel beam.

[0217] In some cases, the narrow DL channel beam and the narrow UL channel beam can come from the same group that can be indicated by the joint TCI. Additionally, the TCI channel beam can come from the same group that can be indicated by the joint TCI. In other embodiments, the narrow DL channel beam and the TCI channel beam can come from the same group. Group ND K NU M and W N Each of these can be UE-specific (i.e., configured for a specific UE), common to a group of UEs within the cell, or common to all UEs within the cell.

[0218] Next, the gNB sends configuration information, which includes a first time period (e.g., T1 or timeDurationForQCL) and a second time period (e.g., T2 or timeDurationForQCLForBeamIndication) (step 1010). In some embodiments, the gNB uses one of higher-layer signaling (e.g., RRC signaling), MAC CE, or L1 control signaling to transmit this configuration information. The gNB may also send only the first time period, in which case the UE can set the second time period to be equal to the first time period (e.g., T2 = T1). The configuration information in step 1010 may also be sent in step 1005.

[0219] Next, the gNB determines and sends a configuration relating the TCI states of the data channels and control channels (i.e., UE-specific channels) to the TCI states of the channels through which the TCI is transmitted (i.e., the TCI channels) (step 1015).

[0220] These associations can include associations between any one or more TCI states for one or more UE-specific channels and a TCI state of the channel used to transmit the TCI, i.e., a "one-to-one" association, where one TCI channel beam includes one and only one narrow beam (e.g., the narrow beam and the TCI channel beam share the same TCI state and are the same beam). The association can also include associations between multiple TCI states for one or more UE-specific channels and a TCI state of the channel used to transmit the TCI, i.e., a "many-to-one" association, where multiple narrow beams are included in and associated with one and only one TCI channel beam (e.g., ...). Figure 7 (As shown in the example). The association may also include an association between at least one TCI state of one or more UE-specific channels and multiple TCI states of channels used to transmit the TCI, i.e., a "many-to-many" association, wherein the TCI channel beam includes multiple narrow beams, and the narrow beams are included by multiple TCI channel beams (e.g., as shown in the example). Figure 8 (Example: TCI channel beam overlap). In some embodiments, at least some data channels and some control channels share the same TCI state, i.e., some data and control channels share a beam.

[0221] As described above, these associations allow for an implicit mapping between the TCI state of a specific UE channel and the TCI state of one or more TCI channels.

[0222] Next, the gNB establishes initial TCI states for data and control channels (i.e., UE-specific channels) and initial TCI states for channels transmitting TCI (i.e., TCI channels), and uses the TCI states for the corresponding UE-specific channels to transmit or receive DL or UL data or control channels (step 1020). For example, during initial access or during inter-cell mobility, the gNB may transmit TCI states indicating UE-specific channels (e.g., group ND from DL channels). K TCI state ND k and group NU from UL channel M TCI state NU m ) and the TCI state of the TCI channel (e.g., from group W) N TCI state W n The gNB then transmits any DL channel (e.g., PDSCH or PDCCH) based on the UE-specific beam of the indicated DL channel, and receives any UL channel (e.g., PUSCH, PUCCH, or PRACH) based on the UE-specific beam of the indicated UL channel.

[0223] Next, the gNB determines whether one or more TCI states of the data and control channels (i.e., UE-specific channels) or the channels transmitting TCI (i.e., TCI channels) need to be updated (step 1025). As described above, the gNB can determine this, for example, based on measurement reports received from the UE, or based on its own measurements of transmissions from the UE. If the gNB determines that the beams used for one or more of the UE-specific channels and TCI channels do not need to be updated (e.g., when channel conditions have not changed to the point that the current TCI state is no longer suitable for the corresponding channel), the gNB continues to use the current TCI state and continues to check for the need to update the TCI state in step 1025. If the gNB determines that the beams used for one or more of the UE-specific channels and TCI channels do need to be updated (e.g., when channel conditions have changed to the point that the current TCI state is no longer suitable for the corresponding channel), the process continues to step 1030.

[0224] Next, the gNB determines one or more TCI states used for data channels and control channels (i.e., UE-specific channels) and the TCI states of channels used for transmitting TCI (i.e., TCI channels) as new TCI states for the respective channels (step 1030). For example, as disclosed above, the gNB may determine which TCI state is suitable as a new TCI state for a given channel based on measured changes in channel conditions.

[0225] Next, the gNB generates and transmits one or more TCIs (or TCI state IDs) on the TCI channel using the current TCI state (i.e., TCI channel beam) of the TCI channel. These one or more TCIs (or TCI state IDs) indicate the TCI state determined for one or more data channels and control channels (i.e., UE-specific channels) and the channel used to transmit the TCI (i.e., the TCI channel) (step 1035). For example, the TCI may indicate a group ND. K New TCI state ND of DL channel beam k or group NU M NU of UL channel beam m One or both. TCI can also be an indicator of the new TCI state ND. k and NU m The combined TCI of both. In some cases, the TCI does not explicitly indicate the TCI state of the TCI channel, but rather implies it. For example, as mentioned above, the gNB can imply the group W used for the TCI channel based on the association determined in step 1015. N New TCI status W n .

[0226] In other cases, in step 1035, the gNB may send one of a first MAC CE or a first L1 control signaling, which includes an explicit indication of a group W for the TCI channel. N New TCI status W n The TCI. In this case, the signaling may also include a second MAC CE or a second L1 control, which includes an indication of the new TCI state for a specific channel of the UE (e.g., new TCI state ND). k and NU m TCI.

[0227] As described above, in other embodiments, the gNB may provide information indicating a new TCI state of the TCI channel in one of the UE-specific channels. For example, a UE-specific DL channel (e.g., PDCCH) may include UE-specific control information and explicit indications of the group W used for the TCI channel. N New TCI status W n TCI.

[0228] As shown above, in other embodiments, the gNB may transmit MAC CE or L1 control signaling including multiple TCIs, wherein one of the TCIs explicitly indicates a group W for the TCI channel. N New TCI status W nAnd one or more of the TCIs explicitly indicate one or more TCI states for a UE-specific channel (e.g., ND). k and NU m ).

[0229] Next, the gNB uses a spatial filter based on the current TCI state of the TCI channel (i.e., the TCI channel beam) to receive an acknowledgment message indicating that one or more TCIs have been received on the channel used to transmit the TCIs (i.e., the TCI channel) (step 1040). For example, as disclosed above, this could be a HARQ ACK or PUCCH transmission, or the gNB could receive other signals transmitted from the UE, which the gNB infers as acknowledgments of the received TCI channel.

[0230] Next, after receiving the acknowledgment message in step 1040 or after a first time period (e.g., T1) has elapsed since the TCI was sent in step 1035, the gNB determines to use a spatial filter based on updates to the TCI state for the data channel and control channel (i.e., UE-specific channels); and after receiving the acknowledgment message in step 1040 or after a second time period (e.g., T2) has elapsed since the TCI was sent (or other information indicating the TCI state), it determines to use a spatial filter based on updates to the TCI state for the channel used to transmit the TCI (i.e., the TCI channel) (step 1045). That is, the gNB determines the timing for applying the new TCI state sent or indicated in step 1035.

[0231] Next, the gNB transmits or receives data and control channels (i.e., UE-specific channels) based on updated spatial filters for UE-specific channels, and transmits channels for transmitting TCI (i.e., TCI channels) based on updated spatial filters for TCI channels (step 1050). That is, the gNB monitors new TCI states for UE-specific UL data and control channels and applies the new TCI states for UE-specific DL data and control channels and TCI channels to the next reception or transmission on those channels. Then, when the gNB determines that the new TCI states are appropriate, the process can return to step 1025.

[0232] The flowcharts above illustrate example methods that can be implemented according to the principles of this disclosure, and various modifications can be made to the methods shown in the flowcharts herein. For example, although shown as a series of steps, the individual steps in each diagram can overlap, occur in parallel, occur in different orders, or occur multiple times. In another example, steps can be omitted or replaced with other steps.

[0233] Although this disclosure has been described with reference to exemplary embodiments, various changes and modifications may be suggested by those skilled in the art. This disclosure is intended to include such changes and modifications that fall within the scope of the appended claims. Nothing described in this application should be construed as implying that any particular element, step, or function is an essential element that must be included within the scope of the claims. The scope of the patent subject matter is defined by the claims.

Claims

1. A user equipment (UE) in a wireless communication system, the UE comprising: a transceiver; and a processor operably connected to the transceiver, the processor configured to: receive, from a base station via the transceiver, configuration information about one or more transmission configuration indicator (TCI) states, receive, from the base station via the transceiver, a TCI state indication indicating a joint TCI state among the one or more TCI states, the TCI state indication being received in a downlink channel different from a downlink control information (DCI) including a downlink assignment and a DCI including an uplink grant, in response to receiving the TCI state indication, transmit, to the base station via the transceiver, a hybrid automatic repeat request-acknowledgement (HARQ-ACK) information, and in case that the joint TCI state is different from a previously indicated TCI state, apply the joint TCI state for downlink reception and uplink transmission after a time period from transmitting the HARQ-ACK information.

2. The UE of claim 1, wherein, the downlink channel is associated with a DCI format 1_1 in a new radio (NR) system. 3.The UE of claim 1, wherein, information about the time period is configured by radio resource control (RRC) signaling.

4. The UE of claim 1, wherein, the processor is further configured to receive, from the base station via the transceiver, a medium access control (MAC) control element (CE) indicating a subset of the one or more TCI states, and wherein the TCI state indication indicates the joint TCI state in the subset of the one or more TCI states. 5.A base station in a wireless communication system, the base station comprising: a transceiver; and a processor operably connected to the transceiver, the processor configured to: transmit, to a user equipment (UE) via the transceiver, configuration information about one or more transmission configuration indicator (TCI) states, transmit, to the UE via the transceiver, a TCI state indication indicating a joint TCI state among the one or more TCI states, the TCI state indication being transmitted in a downlink channel different from a downlink control information (DCI) including a downlink assignment and a DCI including an uplink grant, in response to transmitting the TCI state indication, receive, from the UE via the transceiver, a hybrid automatic repeat request-acknowledgement (HARQ-ACK) information, and in case that the joint TCI state is different from a previously indicated TCI state, apply the joint TCI state for downlink transmission and uplink reception after a time period from transmitting the HARQ-ACK information.

6. The base station of claim 5, wherein, the downlink channel is associated with a DCI format 1_1 in a new radio (NR) system. 7.The base station of claim 5, wherein, information about the time period is configured by radio resource control (RRC) signaling.

8. The base station of claim 5, wherein, the processor is further configured to transmit, via the transceiver, a medium access control (MAC) control element (CE) indicating a subset of the one or more TCI states to the UE, and wherein the TCI state indication indicates the joint TCI state in the subset of the one or more TCI states. 9.A method performed by a user equipment (UE) in a wireless communication system, the method comprising: receiving, from a base station, configuration information on one or more transmission configuration indicator (TCI) states; receiving, from the base station, a TCI state indication indicating a joint TCI state in the one or more TCI states, the TCI state indication being received in a downlink channel different from a downlink control information (DCI) including a downlink assignment and a DCI including an uplink grant; in response to receiving the TCI state indication, transmitting hybrid automatic repeat request-acknowledgement (HARQ-ACK) information to the base station; and in case that the joint TCI state is different from a previously indicated TCI state, applying the joint TCI state for downlink reception and uplink transmission after a time period from when the HARQ-ACK information is transmitted.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein, the downlink channel is associated with a DCI format 1_1 in a new radio (NR) system. 11.The method of claim 9, wherein information on the time period is configured by radio resource control (RRC) signaling.

12. The method of claim 9, wherein, further comprising receiving, from the base station, a medium access control (MAC) control element (CE) indicating a subset of the one or more TCI states, wherein the TCI state indication indicates the joint TCI state in the subset of the one or more TCI states. 13.A method performed by a base station in a wireless communication system, the method comprising: transmitting, to a user equipment (UE), configuration information on one or more transmission configuration indicator (TCI) states; transmitting, to the UE, a TCI state indication indicating a joint TCI state in the one or more TCI states, the TCI state indication being transmitted in a downlink channel different from a downlink control information (DCI) including a downlink assignment and a DCI including an uplink grant; in response to transmitting the TCI state indication, receiving hybrid automatic repeat request-acknowledgement (HARQ-ACK) information from the UE; and in case that the joint TCI state is different from a previously indicated TCI state, applying the joint TCI state for downlink transmission and uplink reception after a time period from when the HARQ-ACK information is transmitted.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein, the downlink channel is associated with a DCI format 1_1 in a new radio (NR) system. 15.The method of claim 13, wherein information on the time period is configured by radio resource control (RRC) signaling.

16. The method of claim 13, wherein, further comprising transmitting, to the UE, a medium access control (MAC) control element (CE) indicating a subset of the one or more TCI states, and The TCI state indication indicates the joint TCI state in the subset of the one or more TCI states.

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