User equipment request for multiple transmission configuration indicator states

Abstract

Various aspects of the present disclosure generally relate to wireless communication. In some aspects, a user equipment (UE) can transmit a request to use a preferred number of transmission configuration indicator (TCI) states for communicating with one or more base stations. The UE can receive an indication to use a number of TCI states based at least in part on the request. Numerous other aspects are described.

Description

[0001] Cross-referencing of related patents

[0002] This patent application claims priority to U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 62 / 986,424, filed March 6, 2020, entitled “USER EQUIPMENT REQUESTS FOR A NUMBER OF TRANSMISSION CONFIGURATION INDICATOR STATES”, and U.S. Non-Provisional Patent Application No. 17 / 186,695, filed February 26, 2021, entitled “USER EQUIPMENT REQUESTS FOR ANUMBER OF TRANSMISSION CONFIGURATION INDICATOR STATES”, which are hereby expressly incorporated herein by reference. Technical Field

[0003] Various aspects of this disclosure generally relate to wireless communication and techniques and apparatus for user equipment requests for multiple Transmission Configuration Indicator (TCI) states. Background Technology

[0004] Wireless communication systems are widely deployed to provide various telecommunications services such as telephone, video, data, messaging, and broadcasting. Typical wireless communication systems employ multiple access technologies that enable communication with multiple users by sharing available system resources (e.g., bandwidth, transmit power). Examples of such multiple access technologies include Code Division Multiple Access (CDMA), Time Division Multiple Access (TDMA), Frequency Division Multiple Access (FDMA), Orthogonal Frequency Division Multiple Access (OFDMA), Single Carrier Frequency Division Multiple Access (SC-FDMA), Time Division Synchronous Code Division Multiple Access (TD-SCDMA), and Long Term Evolution (LTE). LTE / LTE-Advanced is an enhanced set of the Universal Mobile Telecommunications System (UMTS) mobile standard issued by the 3rd Generation Partnership Project (3GPP).

[0005] A wireless network may include multiple base stations (BSs) capable of supporting communication for multiple user equipments (UEs). UEs can communicate with the BS via downlinks and uplinks. A downlink (or forward link) refers to the communication link from the BS to the UE, while an uplink (or reverse link) refers to the communication link from the UE to the BS. As will be described in more detail herein, a BS may be referred to as a Node B, gNB, Access Point (AP), Radio Head, Transmit / Receive Point (TRP), New Radio (NR) BS, 5G Node B, etc.

[0006] The above multiple access technologies have been adopted in various telecommunication standards to provide common protocol that enables different user equipment to communicate on the same frequency band and also to manage location areas, such as cities, nations, regions, and even globally. NR, which can also be referred to as 5G, is a set of enhancements to the LTE mobile standard promulgated by the 3 GPP. NR is designed to better support mobile broadband Internet access by improving spectral efficiency, lowering costs, improving services, making use of new spectrum, and better integrating with other open standards using orthogonal frequency division multiplexing (OFDM) with cyclic prefix (CP) (CP-OFDM) on the downlink (DL), using CP- OFDM and / or SC-FDM (e.g., also known as discrete Fourier transform spread ODFM (DFT-s- OFDM)) on the uplink (UL), as well as supporting beamforming, multiple-input multiple-output (MIMO) antenna technology, and carrier aggregation. However, as the demand for mobile broadband access continues to increase, there exists a need for further improvements in LTE, NR, and other radio access technologies. SUMMARY

[0007] In some aspects, a method of wireless communication performed by a user equipment (UE) includes transmitting a request to use a preferred number of transmission configuration indicator (TCI) states for communications with one or more base stations; and receiving an indication to use a plurality of TCI states based at least in part on the request.

[0008] In some aspects, a method of wireless communication performed by a base station includes receiving, from a UE, a request to use a preferred number of TCI states; and transmitting an indication to use a plurality of TCI states based at least in part on the request.

[0009] In some aspects, a UE for wireless communication includes a memory and one or more processors operatively coupled to the memory, the memory and the one or more processors configured to: transmit a request to use a preferred number of TCI states for communications with one or more base stations; and receive an indication to use a plurality of TCI states based at least in part on the request.

[0010] In some aspects, a base station for wireless communication includes a memory and one or more processors operatively coupled to the memory, the memory and the one or more processors configured to: receive, from a UE, a request to use a preferred number of TCI states; and transmit an indication to use a plurality of TCI states based at least in part on the request.

[0011] In some aspects, a non-transitory computer-readable medium storing a set of instructions for wireless communication includes one or more instructions that, when executed by one or more processors of a UE, cause the UE to: transmit a request to use a preferred number of TCI states for communication with one or more base stations; and receive an indication to use a plurality of TCI states based at least in part on the request.

[0012] In some aspects, a non-transitory computer-readable medium storing a set of instructions for wireless communication includes one or more instructions that, when executed by one or more processors of a base station, cause the base station to: receive, from a UE, a request to use a preferred number of TCI states; and transmit an indication to use a plurality of TCI states based at least in part on the request.

[0013] In some aspects, an apparatus for wireless communication includes means for transmitting a request to use a preferred number of TCI states for communication with one or more base stations; and means for receiving an indication to use a plurality of TCI states based at least in part on the request.

[0014] In some aspects, an apparatus for wireless communication includes means for receiving, from a UE, a request to use a preferred number of TCI states; and means for transmitting an indication to use a plurality of TCI states based at least in part on the request.

[0015] Various aspects are now described in greater detail as follows. Consistent with examples in accordance with the present disclosure, certain features and characteristics of the examples are described in order to provide a more thorough understanding of the examples. Additional features and advantages will be described in subsequent sections. The disclosed concepts and specific examples can be readily used as bases or premises by those who

[0016] The foregoing has outlined rather broadly the features and technical advantages of examples according to the present disclosure in order that the detailed description that follows can be better understood. Additional features and advantages will be described hereinafter. The disclosed concepts and specific examples can be readily utilized as bases or premises by those who are skilled in the art. Such equivalents are not to be considered in a limiting sense as the scope of the appended claims. The features, objects, and advantages of the concepts disclosed herein will become more fully apparent from the following description, when taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. Each of the drawings is provided for the purpose of illustration and description, and not as a definition of the limits of the claims. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS

[0017] Thus, the above-described features of the present disclosure can be better understood in view of the following detailed description together with the drawings, in which:

[0018] Figure 1 FIG. 1 is a diagram illustrating an example of a wireless network, in accordance with the present disclosure.

[0019] Figure 2 FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating an example of a base station in communication with a UE in a wireless network, in accordance with the present disclosure.

[0020] Figure 3 FIG. 3 is a diagram illustrating an example of communicating using one or more TCI states, in accordance with the present disclosure.

[0021] Figure 4 FIG. 4 is a diagram illustrating an example of a UE request for multiple TCI states, in accordance with the present disclosure.

[0022] Figure 5 FIG. 5 is a diagram illustrating an example process performed, for example, by a UE, in accordance with the present disclosure.

[0023] Figure 6 FIG. 6 is a diagram illustrating an example process performed, for example, by a base station, in accordance with the present disclosure.

[0024] Figure 7 FIG. 7 is a diagram illustrating an example process performed, for example, by a UE, in accordance with the present disclosure.

[0025] Figure 8 FIG. 8 is a diagram illustrating an example process performed, for example, by a base station, in accordance with the present disclosure. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0026] Aspects of the disclosure are described more fully below with reference to the accompanying drawings. This disclosure may, however, be embodied in many different forms and should not be construed as limited to any specific structure or function presented throughout this disclosure. Rather, these aspects are provided so that this disclosure will be thorough and complete, and will fully convey the scope of the disclosure to those skilled in the art. Based on the teachings herein one skilled in the art should appreciate that the scope of the disclosure is intended to cover any aspect of the disclosure whether implemented independently of, or combined with, any other aspect of the disclosure. For example, an apparatus can be implemented or a method can be practiced using any number of the aspects set forth herein. In addition, the scope of the disclosure is intended to cover an apparatus or method which is practiced using, in addition to or in place of the aspects set forth herein, other structures, functionality, or structures and functionality. It should be understood that any aspect of the disclosure can be embodied by one or more elements of a claim.

[0027] Several aspects of telecommunication systems will now be presented with reference to various apparatus and methods. These apparatus and methods will be described in the following detailed description and illustrated in the accompanying drawings by various blocks, modules, components, circuits, steps, processes, algorithms, etc. (collectively referred to as "elements"). These elements can be implemented using hardware, software, or combinations thereof. Whether such elements are implemented as hardware or software depends on the particular application and design constraints imposed on the overall system.

[0028] It should be noted that while aspects can be described herein using terminology commonly associated with a 5G or NR radio access technology (RAT), aspects of the present disclosure can be applied to other RATs, such as a 3G RAT, a 4G RAT, and / or a RAT subsequent to 5G (e.g., 6G).

[0029] Figure 1 FIG. 1 is a diagram illustrating an example of a wireless network 100 in accordance with the present disclosure. In other examples, the wireless network 100 can be or include elements of a 5G (NR) network and / or an LTE network. The wireless network 100 can include a number of base stations 110 (shown as BS 110a, BS 110b, BS 110c, and BS 1 lOd) and other network entities. A base station (BS) is an entity that communicates with user equipment (UEs) and can also be referred to as an NR BS, a Node B, a gNB, a 5G node B (NB), an access point, a transmit receive point (TRP), and / or the like. Each BS can provide communication coverage for a particular geographic area. In 3GPP, the term “cell” can refer to a coverage area of a BS and / or a BS subsystem serving the coverage area, depending on the context in which the term is used.

[0030] A BS can provide communication coverage for a macro cell, a pico cell, a femto cell, and / or other types of cell. A macro cell can cover a relatively large geographic area (e.g., several kilometers in radius) and can allow unrestricted access by UEs with service subscription. A pico cell can cover a relatively small geographic area and can allow unrestricted access by UEs with service subscription. A femto cell can cover a relatively small geographic area (e.g., a home) and can allow restricted access by UEs with association to a closed subscriber group (CSG). A BS for a macro cell can be referred to as a macro BS. A BS for a pico cell can be referred to as a pico BS. A BS for a femto cell can be referred to as a femto BS or a home BS. In Figure 1 In the example shown in FIG. 1, the BS 110a can be a macro BS for a macro cell 102a, the BS 110b can be a pico BS for a pico cell 102b, and the BS 110c can be a femto BS for a femto cell 102c. A BS can support one or multiple (e.g., three) cells. The terms “eNB,” “base station,” “NR BS,” “gNB,” “TRP,” “AP,” “node B,” “5G NB,” and “cell” can be used interchangeably herein.

[0031] In some aspects, a cell can not necessarily be stationary, and the geographic area of the cell can move according to the location of a mobile BS. In some aspects, a BS can be interconnected with other BSs or network nodes (not shown) in the wireless network 100 by various types of backhaul interfaces such as a direct physical connection, a virtual network, or the like using any suitable transport network.

[0032] Wireless network 100 can also include relay stations. A relay station is an entity that can receive a transmission of data from an upstream station (e.g., a BS or a UE) and send a transmission of the data to a downstream station (e.g., a UE or a BS). A relay station can also be a UE that can relay transmissions for other UEs. In Figure 1 In the example shown, a relay BS 1 lOd can communicate with macro BS 110a and a UE 120d in order to facilitate communications between the BS 110a and UE 120d. A relay BS can also be referred to as a relay station, a relay base station, a relay device, or the like.

[0033] Wireless network 100 can be a heterogeneous network that includes BSs of different types, such as macro BSs, pico BSs, femto BSs, relay BSs, or the like. These different types of BSs can have different transmit power levels, different coverage areas, and different impacts on interference. For example, macro BSs can have a high transmit power level (e.g., 5 to 40 Watts), whereas pico BSs, femto BSs, and relay BSs can have lower transmit power levels (e.g., 0.1 to 2 Watts).

[0034] A network controller 130 can couple to a set of BSs and can provide coordination and control for these BSs. Network controller 130 can be in communication with the BSs via a backhaul. The BSs can also communicate with one another directly or indirectly via a wireless or wireline backhaul.

[0035] UEs 120 (e.g., 120a, 120b, 120c) can be dispersed throughout wireless network 100, and each UE can be stationary or mobile. A UE can also be referred to as an access terminal, a terminal, a mobile station, a subscriber unit, a station, etc. A UE can be a cellular phone (e.g., a smart phone), a personal digital assistant (PDA), a wireless modem, a wireless communication device, a handheld device, a laptop computer, a cordless phone, a wireless local loop (WLL) station, a tablet, a camera, a gaming device, a netbook, a smartbook, an ultrabook, a medical device or equipment, a biometric sensor / device, a wearable device such as a smart watch, smart clothing, smart glasses, a smart bracelet, a smart jewelry (e.g., a smart ring, a smart bracelet), an entertainment device (e.g., a music or video device, or a satellite radio), a vehicular component or sensor, a smart meter / sensor, industrial manufacturing equipment, a global positioning system device, or any other suitable device that is configured to communicate via a wireless or wired medium.

[0036] Some UEs can be considered machine-type communication (MTC) or evolved or enhanced machine-type communication (eMTC) UEs. MTC and eMTC UEs include, e.g., robots, drones, remote devices, sensors, meters, monitors, and / or location tags, that can communicate with a base station, another device (e.g., remote device) or some other entity. A wireless node can provide, for example, connectivity for or to a network (e.g., a wide area network such as Internet or a cellular network) via a wired or wireless communication link. Some UEs can be considered Intemet-of-Things (IoT) devices and / or can be implemented as NB-IoT (narrowband

[0037] In general, any number of wireless networks can be deployed in a given geographic area. Each wireless network can support a particular RAT and can operate on one or more frequencies. A RAT can also be referred to as a radio technology, an air interface, and / or the like. Frequencies can also be referred to as carriers, frequency channels, and / or the like. Each frequency can support a single RAT in a given geographic area in order to avoid interference between wireless networks of different RATs. In some cases, NR or 5G RAT networks can be deployed.

[0038] In some aspects, two or more UEs 120 (e.g., shown as UE 120a and UE 120e) can communicate directly using one or more sidelink channels (e.g., without using base station 110 as an intermediary to communicate with one another). For example, UE 120 can perform scheduling operations, resource selection operations, and / or other operations described elsewhere herein as being performed by the base station 110. Some communications between UEs 120 can be referred to as “vehicle-to- everything” (V2X) communications. For example, V2X communications can include

[0039] Devices of wireless network 100 can communicate using the electromagnetic spectrum, which can be subdivided, based on frequency or wavelength, into various classes, bands, channels, and / or the like. For example, devices of wireless network 100 can communicate using an operating band having a first frequency range (FR1) that can span from 410 MHz to 7.125 GHz and / or can communicate using an operating band having a second frequency range (FR2) that can span from 24.25 GHz to 52.6 GHz. The frequencies between FR1 and FR2 are sometimes referred to as mid-band frequencies. Although a portion of FR1 is greater than 6 GHz, FR1 is often referred to as a “sub-6 GHz” frequency band. Similarly, FR2 is often referred to as a “millimeter wave” frequency band, despite being different from the extremely high frequency (EHF) band (30 GHz - 300 GHz) which is identified by the International Telecommunications Union (ITU) as a “millimeter wave” band. Thus, unless specifically stated otherwise, the term “sub-6 GHz” or the like, if used herein, can broadly represent frequencies less than 6 GHz, frequencies within FR1, and / or mid-band frequencies (e.g., greater than 7.125 GHz). Similarly, unless specifically stated otherwise, the term “millimeter wave” or the like, if used herein, can broadly represent frequencies within the EHF band, frequencies within FR2, and / or mid-band frequencies (e.g., less than 24.25 GHz). It is contemplated that the frequencies included in FR1 and FR2 can be modified, and thus the techniques described herein can be applicable to those modified frequency ranges.

[0040] As described above, there is provided Figure 1 by way of example. Other examples can differ from what is described Figure 1 with respect to the described examples.

[0041] Figure 2 FIG. 1 is a diagram illustrating an example 100 of a wireless network 100, in accordance with the present disclosure. Wireless network 100 can include one or more base stations 110, one or more UEs 120, and / or the like. Wireless network 100 can support operation on a millimeter wave (mmW) communication system, e.g., in FR2. Wireless network 100 can support other frequency ranges (e.g., FR1, FR4, FR5, etc.), and / or other radio access technologies (RATs), such as a new radio (NR) RAT, a long term evolution (LTE) RAT, a code division multiple access (CDMA) RAT, a global system for mobile communications (GSM) RAT, etc. In some examples, base stations 110 can include and / or can be referred to as

[0042] At the base station 110, a transmit processor 220 can receive data from a data source 212 for one or more UEs, select one or more modulation and coding schemes (MCS) for each UE based at least in part on channel quality indicators (CQIs) received from the UE, process (e.g., encode and modulate) the data for each UE based at least in part on the MCS(s) selected for the UE, and provide data symbols for all UEs. The transmit processor 220 can also process system information (e.g., for semi-static resource partitioning information (SRPI)) and control information (e.g., CQI requests, grants, and / or upper layer signaling) and provide overhead symbols and control symbols. The transmit processor 220 can also generate reference symbols for reference signals (e.g., a cell-specific reference signal (CRS) or a demodulation reference signal (DMRS)) and synchronization signals (e.g., a primary synchronization signal (PSS) or a secondary synchronization signal (SSS)). A transmit (TX) multiple-input multiple-output (MIMO) processor 230 can perform spatial processing (e.g., precoding) on the data symbols, the control symbols, the overhead symbols, and / or the reference symbols, if applicable, and can provide T output symbol streams to T modulators (MODs) 232a through 232t. Each modulator 232 can process a respective output symbol stream (e.g., for OFDM) to obtain an output sample stream. Each modulator 232 can further process (e.g., convert to analog, amplify, filter, and upconvert) the output sample stream to obtain a downlink signal. T downlink signals from modulators 232a through 232t can be transmitted via T antennas 234a through 234t, respectively.

[0043] At the UE 120, the antennas 252a-252r can receive the downlink signals from the base station 110 and / or other base stations and can provide received signals to the demodulators (DEMODs) 254a-254r, respectively. Each demodulator 254 can condition (e.g., filter, amplify, downconvert, and digitize) a received signal to obtain input samples. Each demodulator 254 can further process the input samples (e.g., for OFDM) to obtain received symbols. A MIMO detector 256 can obtain received symbols from all R demodulators 254a-254r, perform MIMO detection on the received symbols if applicable, and provide detected symbols. A receive processor 258 can process (e.g., demodulate and decode) the detected symbols, provide decoded data for the UE 120 to a data sink 260, and provide decoded control information and system information to a controller / processor 280. The term “controller / processor” can refer to one or more controllers, one or more processors, or combinations thereof. A channel processor can determine reference signal received power (RSRP) parameters, receive signal strength indicator (RSSI) parameters, reference signal received quality (RSRQ) parameters, and / or CQI parameters, among other examples. In some aspects, one or more components of UE 120 can be included in a housing.

[0044] The network controller 130 can include a communication unit 294, a controller / processor 290, and a memory 292. The network controller 130 can include, for example, one or more devices in a core network. The network controller 130 can communicate with the base station 110 via the communication unit 294.

[0045] Antennas (e.g., antennas 234a-234t and / or antennas 252a-252r) can include or can be included in one or more antenna panels, antenna groups, antenna element sets, and / or antenna arrays, among other examples. An antenna panel, antenna group, antenna element set, and / or antenna array can include one or more antenna elements. An antenna panel, antenna group, antenna element set, and / or antenna array can include a set of co-planar antenna elements and / or a set of non-co-planar antenna elements. An antenna panel, antenna group, antenna element set, and / or antenna array can include antenna elements that are internal to a single housing and / or antenna elements that are internal to multiple housings. An antenna panel, antenna group, antenna element set, and / or antenna array can include one or more antenna elements that are coupled to one or more transmit and / or receive components (such as one or more components of a transceiver 264 and / or a wireless communication management component 272). Figure 2 An antenna panel, antenna group, antenna element set, and / or antenna array can include one or more antenna elements that are coupled to one or more transmit and / or receive components (such as one or more components of a transceiver 264 and / or a wireless communication management component 272).

[0046] At the base station 110, the uplink signals from the UE 120 and other UEs can be received by the antennas 234, processed by the demodulators 232, detected by a MIMO detector 236 if applicable, and further processed by a receive processor 238 to obtain decoded data and control information sent by the UE 120. The receive processor 238 can provide the decoded data to a data sink 239 and to the controller / processor 240 for control information. The base station 110 can include a communication unit 244 and communicate to the network controller 130 via the communication unit 244. The base station 110 can include a scheduler 246 to schedule UEs 120 for downlink and / or uplink communications. In some aspects, a modulator and a demodulator (e.g., MOD / DEMOD 232) of the base station 110 can be included in a modem of the base station 110. In some aspects, the base station 110 includes a transceiver. The transceiver can include any combination of antenna(s) 234, modulators and / or demodulators 232, MIMO detector 236, receive processor 238, transmit processor 220, and / or TX MIMO processor 230. The transceiver can be used by a processor (e.g., controller / processor 240) and memory 242 to perform any of the aspects of any of the methods described herein, for example, as described with reference to FIG. 2D. Figures 4-8

[0047] At the base station 110, the uplink signals from the UE 120 and other UEs can be received by the antennas 234, processed by the demodulators 232, detected by a MIMO detector 236 if applicable, and further processed by a receive processor 238 to obtain decoded data and control information sent by the UE 120. The receive processor 238 can provide the decoded data to a data sink 239 and to the controller / processor 240 for control information. The base station 110 can include a communication unit 244 and communicate to the network controller 130 via the communication unit 244. The base station 110 can include a scheduler 246 to schedule UEs 120 for downlink and / or uplink communications. In some aspects, a modulator and a demodulator (e.g., MOD / DEMOD 232) of the base station 110 can be included in a modem of the base station 110. In some aspects, the base station 110 includes a transceiver. The transceiver can include any combination of antenna(s) 234, modulators and / or demodulators 232, MIMO detector 236, receive processor 238, transmit processor 220, and / or TX MIMO processor 230. The transceiver can be used by a processor (e.g., controller / processor 240) and memory 242 to perform any of the aspects of any of the methods described herein, for example, as described with reference to FIG. 2D. Figures 4-8

[0048] ​​As described in more detail elsewhere in this document, the controller / processor 240 of base station 110, the controller / processor 280 of UE 120, and / or Figure 2 Any other component(s) may perform one or more technologies associated with UE requests for multiple TCI states. For example, the controller / processor 240 of base station 110, the controller / processor 280 of UE 120, and / or Figure 2 Any other component(s) can perform or direct, for example Figure 5 Process 500 Figure 6 Process 600 Figure 7 The process 700 Figure 8 The operation of process 800 and / or other processes described herein. Memory 242 and 282 may store data and program code for base station 110 and UE 120, respectively. In some aspects, memory 242 and / or memory 282 may include a non-transitory computer-readable medium storing one or more instructions (e.g., code and / or program code) for wireless communication. For example, when executed by one or more processors of base station 110 and / or UE 120 (e.g., directly, or after compilation, transformation, and / or interpretation), one or more instructions may cause the one or more processors, UE 120, and / or base station 110 to perform or direct, for example... Figure 5 Process 500 Figure 6 Process 600 Figure 7 The process 700 Figure 8 The operation of process 800 and / or other processes described herein. In some aspects, the execution instructions may include run instructions, translation instructions, compilation instructions, and / or interpretation instructions, etc.

[0049] In some aspects, UE 120 may include components for determining a preferred number of TCI states for communicating with one or more base stations, and / or components for sending a request to communicate with one or more base stations using the preferred number of TCI states. In some aspects, UE 120 may include components for sending a request to communicate with one or more base stations using the preferred number of Transmission Configuration Indicator (TCI) states; and components for receiving an indication of using multiple TCI states, at least in part based on the request. In some aspects, such components may include combinations of... Figure 2 One or more components of the described UE 120, such as controller / processor 280, transmit processor 264, TX MIMO processor 266, MOD 254, antenna 252, DEMOD 254, MIMO detector 256, receive processor 258, etc.

[0050] In some aspects, base station 110 can include means for receiving, from a UE, a request to use a preferred number of TCI states; and / or means for determining a plurality of TCI states to use for communications with the UE based at least in part on the request. In some aspects, base station 110 can include means for receiving a request to use a preferred number of TCI states; and / or means for transmitting an indication to use a plurality of TCI states based at least in part on the request. In some aspects, these means can include one or more components of base station 110 described in connection with FIG. 2, such as antenna 234, DEMOD 232, MIMO detector 236, receive processor 238, controller / processor 240, transmit processor 220, TX MIMO processor 230, MOD 232, antenna 234, etc. Figure 2 One or more components of the base station 110 described, such as antenna 234, DEMOD 232, MIMO detector 236, receive processor 238, controller / processor 240, transmit processor 220, TX MIMO processor 230, MOD 232, antenna 234, etc.

[0051] Although Figure 2 the blocks in FIG. 14 are illustrated as distinct components, the functionality described above in relation to these blocks can be implemented in a single hardware, software, or combined component or in various combinations of components. For example, the functionality described in relation to transmit processor 264, receive processor 258, and / or TX MIMO processor 266 can be performed by or under the control of controller / processor 280.

[0052] As described above, a UE and a base station can communicate using one or more TCI states. Figure 2 As an example. Other examples can differ from what is described with respect to Figure 2 what is described with respect to FIG. 14.

[0053] Figure 3 is a diagram illustrating an example 300 of communicating using one or more TCI states, in accordance with the present disclosure. As Figure 3 shown, a UE and a base station can communicate using one or more TCI states. The UE and the base station can communicate via uplink and / or downlink transmissions as part of a wireless network.

[0054] As shown by reference number 310, the UE can be configured to communicate using a UE receive beam and / or a UE transmit beam associated with a first TCI state. In some examples, the UE can be configured to receive downlink communications using the UE receive beam and / or the UE transmit beam associated with the first TCI state, and to transmit uplink communications using a corresponding beam of a corresponding first spatial relation. The UE receive beam and / or the UE transmit beam associated with the first TCI state and the corresponding beam of the corresponding first spatial relation can have beam reciprocity.

[0055] As shown by reference number 320, the UE and the base station can communicate via a first transmission path. The first transmission path can be associated with a UE receive beam and / or a UE transmit beam associated with a first TCI state. The first transmission path and / or the first TCI state can be associated with a first RSRP, a first RSSI, a first RSRQ, a first CQI, and / or the like.

[0056] As shown by reference number 330, the UE can be configured to communicate using a UE receive beam and / or a UE transmit beam associated with a second TCI state (e.g., in addition to the UE receive beam associated with the second TCI state and / or instead of the UE receive beam and / or UE transmit beam associated with the second TCI state). In some examples, the UE can be configured to receive downlink communications using the UE receive beam and / or the UE transmit beam associated with the second TCI state and transmit uplink communications using a corresponding beam of the corresponding second spatial relation. The UE receive beam and / or the UE transmit beam associated with the second TCI state and the corresponding beam of the corresponding second spatial relation can have beam reciprocity.

[0057] As shown by reference number 340, the UE and the base station can communicate via a second transmission path. The second transmission path can be associated with a UE receive beam and / or a UE transmit beam associated with a second TCI state. The second transmission path and / or the second TCI state can be associated with a second RSRP, a second RSSI, a second RSRQ, a second CQI, and / or the like.

[0058] The UE can be configured to report one or more of RSRP, RSSI, RSRQ, CQI, and / or the like for a plurality of TCI states. The base station can determine which of the plurality of TCI states is to be used for communications between the base station and the UE. In some examples, the base station can determine that a set of the plurality of TCI states (e.g., a set of one or more of the plurality of TCI states) is to be used for a downlink transmission and a set of spatial relations is to be used for the downlink transmission. In some examples, the base station can determine that a set of the plurality of TCI states is to be used for a downlink transmission and a corresponding set of a plurality of spatial relations (e.g., having a same number, having reciprocity, and / or the like) is to be used for an uplink transmission. In some examples, the plurality of TCI states of the set of the plurality of TCI states is different from the plurality of spatial relations of the set of spatial relations to be used for the uplink transmission. In some examples, one or more directions associated with the set of the plurality of TCI states (e.g., associated with different non-reciprocal transmission paths) is different from one or more directions associated with the set of spatial relations.

[0059] A base station can determine a number of TCI states to use for communications between the UE and the base station. In some examples, the base station can determine to use a relatively high number of TCI states (e.g., two or more TCI states), which can increase robustness, decrease throughput, and increase power usage of the UE. In some examples, determining to use a relatively high number of TCI states can unnecessarily consume overhead and power of the UE based at least in part on one or more metrics of the communications or a state of the UE.

[0060] The base station can determine to use a relatively low number of TCI states (e.g., one TCI state), which can decrease robustness, increase throughput, and decrease power usage of the UE. In some examples, determining to use a relatively low number of TCI states can increase an error rate of the communications. This can cause the base station and / or the UE to consume computational, communication, and / or network resources to detect and recover from the errors.

[0061] In some aspects described herein, a UE can determine a preferred number of TCI states (e.g., 1 or 2 states) for communications with a base station. The UE can determine the preferred number of TCI states based at least in part on one or more metrics associated with the communications and / or based at least in part on a state of the UE. In some aspects, the UE can determine the number of TCI states based at least in part on information about the underlying raw channel (e.g., angles of arrival of channel paths and / or path gains, etc.). For example, if the UE infers that there are two strong channel paths with sufficient angular separation (e.g., to avoid exceeding a threshold amount of inter-beam interference), the UE can indicate a request to the base station to communicate using two TCI states. In some aspects, the UE can implement machine learning to generate a model for determining a number of TCI states to use for communications, where inputs include metrics associated with the communications and / or information about the underlying raw channel.

[0062] The UE can transmit a request to the base station to use the preferred number of TCI states for the communications. In some aspects, the UE can further indicate which TCI states (e.g., associated with UE receive beams and / or UE transmit beams) the UE prefers to use for the communications. Based at least in part on providing the request to the base station to use the preferred number of TCI states, the base station can consider the UE preferences when determining a number of TCI states to use for the communications. As described herein, this can conserve computational, communication, network, and / or power resources that would have otherwise been used to communicate via a number of TCI states without considering the UE preferences.

[0063] Figure 4is a diagram illustrating an example 400 of a UE request for a number of TCI states according to the present disclosure. As shown, a UE (e.g., UE 120) and a base station (e.g., base station 110) can communicate using one or more of downlink transmissions and uplink transmissions. In some aspects, the base station and the UE can be part of a wireless network (e.g., wireless network 100).

[0064] As shown, and by reference number 410, the base station can transmit radio resource control (RRC) signaling to configure the UE to determine a preferred number of TCI states for communicating with one or more base stations. In some aspects, the RRC signaling can indicate that the UE is to determine the preferred number of TCI states for the communication using one or more metrics associated with the communication, a state of the UE, and / or the like. In some aspects, the RRC signaling can indicate a message type (e.g., a medium access control control element (MAC CE), a physical uplink control channel (PUCCH) communication, and / or the like) for transmitting the request, a format for transmitting the request, and / or the like. Figure 4

[0065] As shown by reference number 410, the UE can configure the UE to determine a preferred number of TCI states for communicating with one or more base stations, transmit a request to use the preferred number of TCI states for the communication, and / or the like (e.g., based at least in part on the RRC signaling). For example, the UE can be configured to determine the preferred number of TCI states based at least in part on one or more metrics associated with the communication, a state of the UE, and / or the like. The UE can be configured to transmit the request to use the preferred number of TCI states using one or more MAC CEs, PUCCH communications, and / or the like.

[0066] As shown by reference number 415, the UE can determine one or more metrics of the communication and / or a state of the UE. In some aspects, the UE can determine the preferred number of TCI states for a new communication (e.g., prior to or near the start of a set of communications) or for an ongoing communication (e.g., while actively transmitting or receiving a set of communications).

[0067] In some aspects, the one or more metrics include a robustness metric, a throughput metric, and / or the like. In some aspects, the UE can determine a priority of the one or more metrics based at least in part on a type of the communication. For example, if the type of the communication is associated with a relatively high reliability requirement (e.g., ultra-reliable and low latency communications (URLLC)), the UE can determine that robustness has a relatively high priority. If the type of the communication is associated with a relatively high throughput requirement (e.g., a communication based on real-time streaming video, a communication based on real-time gaming, and / or the like), the UE can determine that throughput has a relatively high priority.

[0068] ​In some aspects, the UE can determine a state of the UE, including one or more metrics associated with the state of the UE. In some aspects, the one or more metrics associated with the state of the UE can include a mobility metric of the UE (e.g., an indication of a speed and / or velocity of the UE), a power state of the UE (e.g., a power state based at least in part on a battery power level within a range of battery power levels), a temperature of the UE (e.g., a temperature state of the UE based at least in part on a temperature within a range of temperatures), an indicated preference for the UE (e.g., indicated by a user, a UE setting activated by the UE, and / or the like), and / or the like. For example, the UE can be in a state that includes a low power mode (e.g., based at least in part on a battery power level, a setting indicated by user input, and / or the like) in which the UE can prioritize conserving power resources.

[0069] As shown by reference number 420, the UE can determine a preferred number of TCI states for communication with one or more base stations. In some aspects, the UE can determine an identification of one or more TCI states to recommend to one or more base stations. In some aspects, the UE can determine a number of TCI states for downlink communications from one or more base stations, a number of spatial relations for uplink communications to one or more base stations, or a number of TCI states for downlink communications from one or more base stations and a number of spatial relations for uplink communications to one or more base stations.

[0070] The UE can determine the preferred number of TCI states based at least in part on one or more metrics of the communication, a state of the UE, and / or the like. In some aspects, the UE can determine the preferred number of TCI states to be relatively low (e.g., one TCI state) based at least in part on one or more metrics including an throughput metric that satisfies a first throughput threshold (e.g., is greater than, or is greater than or equal to, the first throughput threshold), a robustness metric that satisfies a first robustness threshold (e.g., is less than, or is less than or equal to, the first robustness threshold), and / or the like.

[0071] In some aspects, the UE can determine the preferred number of TCI states to be relatively high (e.g., two or more TCI states) based at least in part on one or more metrics including an throughput metric that satisfies a second throughput threshold (e.g., is less than, or is less than or equal to, the second throughput threshold), a robustness metric that satisfies a second robustness threshold (e.g., is greater than, or is greater than or equal to, the second robustness threshold), and / or the like. In some aspects, the first robustness threshold and the second robustness threshold can be the same. In some aspects, the first throughput threshold and the second throughput threshold can be the same.

[0072] In some aspects, the UE can determine a preferred number of TCI states based at least in part on one or more metrics associated with a state of the UE. For example, based at least in part on a state of the UE including a low power mode, the UE can prefer to communicate via a relatively low number of TCI states (e.g., one TCI state).

[0073] As shown by reference number 425, the UE can transmit a request to use a preferred number of TCI states for communicating with one or more base stations. In some aspects, the preferred number of TCI states can be associated with simultaneous transmission and / or reception using multiple beams (e.g., with different directions). In some aspects, the UE can transmit the request via a PUCCH communication, one or more MAC CEs, and / or the like. In some aspects, the UE can transmit the request in response to receiving a prompt from a base station indicating that the base station requests a preferred number of TCI states from the UE. In some aspects, the request can include an identification of one or more TCI states for communicating with one or more base stations.

[0074] As shown by reference number 430, the base station can determine a number of TCI states to use. For example, the base station can determine the number of TCI states based at least in part on the request to use a preferred number of TCI states received from the UE. The base station can determine whether to comply with the request from the UE based at least in part on cell-specific metrics, beam-specific metrics, and / or the like. For example, if the request indicates that the UE prefers to communicate via a relatively high number of TCI states, the base station can determine whether communicating via the relatively high number of TCI states would cause interference, interruption, and / or the like to communications with other UEs.

[0075] As shown by reference number 435, the base station can transmit an indication of a number of TCI states to use for communicating with the UE. In some aspects, the indication can include an acknowledgement that the request is granted, an explicit indication of the number of TCI states to use, or an implicit indication of the number of TCI states to use (e.g., included in a resource grant, a semi-persistent scheduling activation message, and / or the like).

[0076] As shown by reference number 440, the UE and the base station can communicate using a number of beams based at least in part on the number of TCI states. In some aspects, the UE can configure one or more components of the UE to communicate using a number of spatial relations, spatial filters, antenna groups, transmit chains, and / or receive chains based at least in part on the number of TCI states.

[0077] As shown by reference number 445, the UE can transmit a request to disable or suspend one or more TCI states. For example, the UE can transmit a request to disable or suspend one or more TCI states to reduce a number of TCI states used for subsequent communications with one or more base stations. The UE can transmit the request based at least in part on a change in a type of communication for subsequent communications, a change in a state of the UE, and / or the like. In some aspects, the request can be temporary (e.g., have an expiration based at least in part on a time period and an indication from the UE, and / or the like). In some aspects, the UE can transmit the request to disable or suspend one or more TCI states via a PUCCH communication, one or more MAC CEs, and / or the like.

[0078] As shown by reference number 450, the UE can determine a subsequent preferred number of TCI states for subsequent communications with one or more base stations. In some aspects, the UE can determine the subsequent preferred number of TCI states for subsequent communications based at least in part on a completion of a communication (e.g., exiting a video feed, closing an application, and / or the like). In some aspects, the UE can determine the subsequent preferred number of TCI states for subsequent communications based at least in part on initiating a new type of communication (e.g., initiating a video feed, opening an application, and / or the like). In some aspects, the UE can determine the subsequent preferred number of TCI states for subsequent communications based at least in part on a change in a state of the UE.

[0079] As shown by reference number 455, the UE can transmit a subsequent request to use the subsequent preferred number of TCI states for subsequent communications with one or more base stations. In some aspects, the UE can transmit the request using a PUCCH communication, one or more MAC CEs, and / or the like.

[0080] By the UE transmitting the request to use the preferred number of TCI states, the base station can consider the UE preference when determining a number of TCI states to use for communications between the UE and the base station. This can conserve computing, communication, network, and / or power resources that might otherwise be used by the base station to determine the number of TCI states to use without considering input from the UE.

[0081] As described above, provide Figure 4 as examples. Other examples can differ from what is described with respect to Figure 4 the described examples.

[0082] Figure 5 FIG. 15 is a diagram illustrating an example process performed, for example, by a UE, in accordance with the present disclosure. Example process 500 is an example where the UE (e.g., UE 110, and / or the like) performs operations associated with UE requests for a number of TCI states.

[0083] As Figure 5As shown, in some aspects, process 500 can include determining a preferred number of TCI states for communicating with one or more base stations (block 510). For example, as described above, the UE (e.g., using controller / processor 280, etc.) can determine a preferred number of TCI states for communicating with one or more base stations.

[0084] As Figure 5 Further as shown, in some aspects, process 500 can include transmitting a request to use the preferred number of TCI states for communicating with the one or more base stations (block 520). For example, as described above, the UE (e.g., using controller / processor 280, transmit processor 264, TX MIMO processor 266, MOD 254, antenna 252, etc.) can transmit a request to use the preferred number of TCI states for communicating with the one or more base stations.

[0085] Process 500 can include additional aspects, such as any single aspect or any combination of aspects described below and / or in connection with one or more other processes described elsewhere herein.

[0086] In a first aspect, the preferred number of TCI states is based at least in part on one or more metrics associated with communicating with the one or more base stations.

[0087] In a second aspect, alone or in combination with the first aspect, the one or more metrics include one or more of a robustness metric or a throughput metric.

[0088] In a third aspect, alone or in combination with one or more of the first and second aspects, determining the preferred number of TCI states for communicating with the one or more base stations includes one or more of: determining the preferred number of TCI states to be one TCI state based at least in part on the one or more metrics including a throughput metric satisfying a first throughput threshold; determining the preferred number of TCI states to be one TCI state based at least in part on the one or more metrics including a robustness metric satisfying a first robustness threshold; determining the preferred number of TCI states to be two or more TCI states based at least in part on the one or more metrics including a throughput metric satisfying a second throughput threshold; or determining the preferred number of TCI states to be two or more TCI states based at least in part on the one or more metrics including a robustness metric satisfying a second robustness threshold.

[0089] In a fourth aspect, alone or in combination with one or more of the first through third aspects, the preferred number of TCI states is based at least in part on one or more metrics associated with a state of the UE.

[0090] In a fifth aspect, alone or in combination with one or more of the first through fourth aspects, the state of the UE is associated with one or more of a mobility metric of the UE, a power state of the UE, a temperature of the UE, or an indicated preference for the UE.

[0091] In a sixth aspect, alone or in combination with one or more of the first through fifth aspects, transmitting the request to use the preferred number of TCI states for communicating with the one or more base stations includes transmitting the request via one or more of a PUCCH communication or a MAC CE.

[0092] In a seventh aspect, alone or in combination with one or more of the first through sixth aspects, the request includes an identification of the one or more TCI states for communicating with the one or more base stations.

[0093] In an eighth aspect, alone or in combination with one or more of the first through seventh aspects, the process 500 includes determining a subsequent preferred number of TCI states for subsequent communications with the one or more base stations, and transmitting a subsequent request to use the subsequent preferred number of TCI states for the subsequent communications with the one or more base stations.

[0094] In a ninth aspect, alone or in combination with one or more of the first through eighth aspects, transmitting the subsequent request to use the subsequent preferred number of TCI states for the subsequent communications with the one or more base stations includes transmitting the subsequent request via one or more of a PUCCH communication or a MAC CE.

[0095] In a tenth aspect, alone or in combination with one or more of the first through ninth aspects, the process 500 includes transmitting a request to disable or suspend one or more TCI states to reduce a number of TCI states for the subsequent communications with the one or more base stations.

[0096] In an eleventh aspect, alone or in combination with one or more of the first through tenth aspects, transmitting the request to disable or suspend the one or more TCI states includes transmitting the request to disable or suspend the one or more TCI states via one or more of a PUCCH communication or a MAC CE.

[0097] In a twelfth aspect, alone or in combination with one or more of the first through eleventh aspects, the preferred number of TCI states for communicating with the one or more base stations is associated with a number of TCI states for downlink communications from the one or more base stations, a number of spatial relations for uplink communications to the one or more base stations, or a number of TCI states for downlink communications from the one or more base stations and uplink communications to the one or more base stations.

[0098] In a thirteenth aspect, alone or in combination with one or more of the first through eleventh aspects, process 500 includes receiving an indication to use a plurality of TCI states based at least in part on the request.

[0099] In a fourteenth aspect, alone or in combination with the twelfth aspect, process 500 includes communicating with the one or more base stations using a plurality of beams based at least in part on the plurality of TCI states.

[0100] Although Figure 5 Example blocks of process 500 are illustrated, but in some aspects, process 500 can include additional blocks, fewer blocks, different blocks, or differently arranged blocks than those depicted in Figure 5 than those depicted in FIG. 6, where additional blocks can be added, fewer blocks can be used, different blocks can be used, or a different arrangement of blocks can be used. Additionally or alternatively, two or more of the blocks in process 500 can be performed concurrently.

[0101] Figure 6 FIG. 6 is a diagram illustrating an example process 600 performed, for example, by a base station, in accordance with the present disclosure. Example process 600 is an example where a base station (e.g., base station 110 and / or the like) performs operations associated with a UE request for a number of TCI states.

[0102] As Figure 6 shown, in some aspects, process 600 can include receiving a request from a UE to use a preferred number of TCI states (block 610). For example, as described above, a base station (e.g., using receive processor 238, controller / processor 240, memory 242, and / or the like) can receive a request from a UE to use a preferred number of TCI states.

[0103] As Figure 6 further shown, in some aspects, process 600 can include determining a plurality of TCI states to use for communicating with the UE based at least in part on the request (block 620). For example, as described above, a base station (e.g., using transmit processor 220, receive processor 238, controller / processor 240, memory 242, and / or the like) can determine a plurality of TCI states to use for communicating with the UE based at least in part on the request.

[0104] Process 600 can include additional aspects, such as any single aspect or any combination of aspects described below and / or in connection with one or more other processes described elsewhere herein.

[0105] In a first aspect, the preferred number of TCI states is based at least in part on one or more metrics associated with the communication.

[0106] In a second aspect, alone or in combination with the first aspect, the one or more metrics include one or more of a robustness metric or a throughput metric.

[0107] In a third aspect, alone or in combination with one or more of the first and second aspects, the preferred number of TCI states is based at least in part on one or more metrics associated with a state of the UE.

[0108] In a fourth aspect, alone or in combination with one or more of the first through third aspects, the state of the UE is associated with one or more of a mobility metric of the UE, a power state of the UE, a temperature of the UE, or an indicated preference for the UE.

[0109] In a fifth aspect, alone or in combination with one or more of the first through fourth aspects, receiving the request to use the preferred number of TCI states for the communication includes receiving the request via one or more of a PUCCH communication or a MAC CE.

[0110] In a sixth aspect, alone or in combination with one or more of the first through fifth aspects, the request includes an identification of one or more TCI states for the communication.

[0111] In a seventh aspect, alone or in combination with one or more of the first through sixth aspects, the process 600 includes receiving a subsequent request to use a subsequent preferred number of TCI states for a subsequent communication.

[0112] In an eighth aspect, alone or in combination with one or more of the first through seventh aspects, receiving the subsequent request to use the subsequent preferred number of TCI states for the subsequent communication includes receiving the subsequent request via one or more of a PUCCH communication or a MAC CE.

[0113] In a ninth aspect, alone or in combination with one or more of the first through eighth aspects, the process 600 includes receiving a request to disable or suspend one or more TCI states to reduce a number of TCI states for the subsequent communication.

[0114] In a tenth aspect, alone or in combination with one or more of the first through ninth aspects, receiving the request to disable or suspend the one or more TCI states includes receiving the request to disable or suspend the one or more TCI states via one or more of a PUCCH communication or a MAC CE.

[0115] In an eleventh aspect, alone or in combination with one or more of the first through tenth aspects, the preferred number of TCI states is associated with a number of TCI states for downlink communications to the UE, a number of spatial relations for uplink communications from the UE, or a number of TCI states for downlink communications to the UE and uplink communications from the UE.

[0116] In a twelfth aspect, alone or in combination with one or more of the first through eleventh aspects, process 600 includes transmitting an indication to use a plurality of TCI states based at least in part on the request.

[0117] In a thirteenth aspect, alone or in combination with the twelfth aspect, process 600 includes communicating with the UE using a plurality of beams based at least in part on the plurality of TCI states.

[0118] Although Figure 6 Example blocks of process 600 are illustrated, but in some aspects, process 600 can include additional blocks, fewer blocks, different blocks, or differently arranged blocks than those depicted in Figure 6 Additionally or alternatively, two or more of the blocks of process 600 can be performed in parallel.

[0119] Figure 7 FIG. 7 is a diagram illustrating an example process 700 performed, for example, by a UE, in accordance with the present disclosure. Example process 700 is an example where the UE (e.g., UE 120) performs operations associated with a UE request for a number of TCI states.

[0120] As Figure 7 shown, in some aspects, process 700 can include transmitting a request to use a preferred number of TCI states for communicating with one or more base stations (block 710). For example, the UE, e.g., using controller / processor 280, transmit processor 264, TX MIMO processor 266, MOD 254, antenna 252, etc., can transmit a request to use a preferred number of TCI states for communicating with one or more base stations, as described above.

[0121] As Figure 7 further shown, in some aspects, process 700 can include receiving an indication to use a plurality of TCI states based at least in part on the request (block 720). For example, the UE, e.g., using antenna 252, DEMOD 254, MIMO detector 256, receive processor 258, controller / processor 280, etc., can receive an indication to use a plurality of TCI states based at least in part on the request, as described above.

[0122] Process 700 can include additional aspects, such as any single aspect or any combination of aspects described below and / or in connection with one or more other processes described elsewhere herein.

[0123] In a first aspect, the preferred number of TCI states is based at least in part on one or more metrics associated with communications with the one or more base stations.

[0124] In a second aspect, alone or in combination with the first aspect, the one or more metrics include one or more of a robustness metric or a throughput metric.

[0125] In a third aspect, alone or in combination with one or more of the first and second aspects, the process 700 includes determining that the preferred number of TCI states is one TCI state based at least in part on the one or more metrics including a throughput metric that satisfies a first throughput threshold; determining that the preferred number of TCI states is one TCI state based at least in part on the one or more metrics including a robustness metric that satisfies a first robustness threshold; determining that the preferred number of TCI states is two or more TCI states based at least in part on the one or more metrics including a throughput metric that satisfies a second throughput threshold; or determining that the preferred number of TCI states is two or more TCI states based at least in part on the one or more metrics including a robustness metric that satisfies a second robustness threshold.

[0126] In a fourth aspect, alone or in combination with one or more of the first through third aspects, the preferred number of TCI states is based at least in part on one or more metrics associated with a state of the UE.

[0127] In a fifth aspect, alone or in combination with one or more of the first through fourth aspects, the state of the UE is associated with one or more of a mobility metric of the UE, a power state of the UE, a temperature of the UE, or an indicated preference for the UE.

[0128] In a sixth aspect, alone or in combination with one or more of the first through fifth aspects, transmitting the request to use the preferred number of TCI states for communicating with the one or more base stations includes transmitting the request via one or more of a PUCCH communication or a MAC CE.

[0129] In a seventh aspect, alone or in combination with one or more of the first through sixth aspects, the request includes an identification of the one or more TCI states for communicating with the one or more base stations.

[0130] In an eighth aspect, alone or in combination with one or more of the first through seventh aspects, the process 700 includes transmitting a subsequent request to use a subsequent preferred number of TCI states for subsequent communications with the one or more base stations.

[0131] In a ninth aspect, alone or in combination with one or more of the first through eighth aspects, the process 700 includes transmitting a request to disable or suspend one or more TCI states to reduce a number of TCI states for subsequent communications with the one or more base stations.

[0132] In a tenth aspect, alone or in combination with one or more of the first through ninth aspects, transmitting the request to disable or suspend the one or more TCI states includes transmitting the request to disable or suspend the one or more TCI states via one or more of a PUCCH communication or a MAC CE.

[0133] In an eleventh aspect, alone or in combination with one or more of the first through tenth aspects, the preferred number of TCI states for communicating with the one or more base stations is associated with a number of TCI states for downlink communications from the one or more base stations, a number of spatial relations for uplink communications to the one or more base stations, or a number of TCI states for downlink communications from the one or more base stations and a spatial relation for uplink communications to the one or more base stations.

[0134] Although Figure 7 Exemplary blocks of the process 700 are shown, but in some aspects, the process 700 can include additional blocks, fewer blocks, different blocks, or differently arranged blocks than those depicted in FIG. 7. Additionally, or alternatively, two or more of the blocks of the process 700 can be performed concurrently. Figure 7 Exemplary blocks of the process 700 are shown, but in some aspects, the process 700 can include additional blocks, fewer blocks, different blocks, or differently arranged blocks than those depicted in FIG. 7. Additionally, or alternatively, two or more of the blocks of the process 700 can be performed concurrently.

[0135] Figure 8 FIG. 8 is a diagram illustrating an example process 800 performed, for example, by a base station, in accordance with the present disclosure. Example process 800 is an example where the base station (e.g., base station 110) performs operations associated with UE requests for a number of TCI states.

[0136] As Figure 8 shown in some aspects, process 800 can include receiving a request from a UE to use a preferred number of TCI states (block 810). For example, as described above, the base station (e.g., using antenna 234, DEMOD 232, MIMO detector 236, receive processor 238, controller / processor 240, etc.) can receive a request from a UE to use a preferred number of TCI states.

[0137] As Figure 8 further shown, in some aspects, process 800 can include transmitting an indication to use a number of TCI states based at least in part on the request (block 820). For example, as described above, the base station (e.g., using controller / processor 240, transmit processor 220, TX MIMO processor 230, MOD 232, antenna 234, etc.) can transmit an indication to use a number of TCI states based at least in part on the request.

[0138] Process 800 can include additional aspects, such as any single aspect or any combination of aspects described below and / or in connection with one or more other processes described elsewhere herein.

[0139] In a first aspect, the process 800 includes communicating with one or more base stations using a number of beams based at least in part on a number of TCI states.

[0140] In a second aspect, alone or in combination with the first aspect, the preferred number of TCI states is based at least in part on one or more metrics associated with the communication.

[0141] In a third aspect, alone or in combination with one or more of the first and second aspects, the one or more metrics include one or more of a robustness metric or a throughput metric.

[0142] In a fourth aspect, alone or in combination with one or more of the first through third aspects, the preferred number of TCI states is based at least in part on one or more metrics associated with a state of the UE.

[0143] In a fifth aspect, alone or in combination with one or more of the first through fourth aspects, the state of the UE is associated with one or more of a mobility metric of the UE, a power state of the UE, a temperature of the UE, or an indicated preference for the UE.

[0144] In a sixth aspect, alone or in combination with one or more of the first through fifth aspects, receiving the request to use the preferred number of TCI states for the communication includes receiving the request via one or more of a PUCCH communication or a MAC CE.

[0145] In a seventh aspect, alone or in combination with one or more of the first through sixth aspects, the request includes an identification of the one or more TCI states for the communication.

[0146] In an eighth aspect, alone or in combination with one or more of the first through seventh aspects, the process 800 includes receiving a subsequent request to use a subsequent preferred number of TCI states for a subsequent communication.

[0147] In a ninth aspect, alone or in combination with one or more of the first through eighth aspects, the process 800 includes receiving a request to disable or suspend one or more TCI states to reduce a number of TCI states for the subsequent communication.

[0148] In a tenth aspect, alone or in combination with one or more of the first through ninth aspects, receiving the request to disable or suspend the one or more TCI states includes receiving the request to disable or suspend the one or more TCI states via one or more of a PUCCH communication or a MAC CE.

[0149] In an eleventh aspect, alone or in combination with one or more of the first through tenth aspects, the preferred number of TCI states is associated with a number of TCI states for downlink communications to the UE, a number of spatial relations for uplink communications from the UE, or a number of TCI states for downlink communications to the UE and a spatial relation for uplink communications from the UE.

[0150] In a twelfth aspect, alone or in combination with one or more of the first through eleventh aspects, the process 800 includes communicating using a number of beams based at least in part on the number of TCI states.

[0151] Although Figure 8 Exemplary blocks of the process 800 are illustrated, but in some aspects, the process 800 can include additional blocks, fewer blocks, different blocks, or differently arranged blocks than those depicted in FIG. 8. Additionally, or alternatively, two or more of the blocks of the process 800 can be performed concurrently. Figure 8 In some aspects, the process 800 can include additional blocks, fewer blocks, different blocks, or differently arranged blocks than those depicted in FIG. 8. Additionally or alternatively, two or more of the blocks of the process 800 can be performed concurrently.

[0152] The following provides an overview of some aspects of the present disclosure:

[0153] Aspect 1 : A method of wireless communication performed by a user equipment (UE), comprising: transmitting a request to use a preferred number of transmission configuration indicator (TCI) states for communicating with one or more base stations; and receiving an indication to use a number of TCI states based at least in part on the request.

[0154] Aspect 2: The method of aspect 1, wherein the preferred number of TCI states is based at least in part on one or more metrics associated with communicating with the one or more base stations.

[0155] Aspect 3: The method of aspect 2, wherein the one or more metrics include one or more of: a robustness metric, or a throughput metric.

[0156] Aspect 4: The method of aspect 3, further comprising determining the preferred number of TCI states to be one TCI state based at least in part on the one or more metrics including a throughput metric satisfying a first throughput threshold, determining the preferred number of TCI states to be one TCI state based at least in part on the one or more metrics including a robustness metric satisfying a first robustness threshold, determining the preferred number of TCI states to be two or more TCI states based at least in part on the one or more metrics including a throughput metric satisfying a second throughput threshold, or determining the preferred number of TCI states to be two or more TCI states based at least in part on the one or more metrics including a robustness metric satisfying a second robustness threshold.

[0157] Aspect 5: The method of any of aspects 1-4, wherein the preferred number of TCI states is based at least in part on one or more metrics associated with a state of the UE.

[0158] Aspect 6: The method of aspect 5, wherein the state of the UE is associated with one or more of a mobility metric of the UE, a power state of the UE, a temperature of the UE, or an indicated preference for the UE.

[0159] Aspect 7: The method of any of aspects 1-6, wherein transmitting the request to use the preferred number of TCI states for communicating with the one or more base stations comprises transmitting the request via one or more of a physical uplink control channel communication or a medium access control control element.

[0160] Aspect 8: The method of any of aspects 1-7, wherein the request comprises an identification of one or more TCI states for communicating with the one or more base stations.

[0161] Aspect 9: The method of any of aspects 1-8, further comprising determining a subsequent preferred number of TCI states for subsequent communication with the one or more base stations; and transmitting a subsequent request to use the subsequent preferred number of TCI states for the subsequent communication with the one or more base stations.

[0162] Aspect 10: The method of aspect 9, wherein transmitting the subsequent request to use the subsequent preferred number of TCI states for the subsequent communication with the one or more base stations comprises transmitting the subsequent request via one or more of a physical uplink control channel communication or a medium access control control element.

[0163] Aspect 11: The method of any of aspects 1-10, further comprising transmitting a request to disable or suspend one or more TCI states to reduce a number of TCI states for subsequent communication with the one or more base stations.

[0164] Aspect 12: The method of aspect 11, wherein transmitting the request to disable or suspend the one or more TCI states comprises transmitting the request to disable or suspend the one or more TCI states via one or more of a physical uplink control channel communication or a medium access control control element.

[0165] Aspect 13: The method of any of aspects 1 through 12, wherein the preferred number of TCI states for communicating with the one or more base stations is associated with a number of TCI states for downlink communications from the one or more base stations, a number of spatial relations for uplink communications to the one or more base stations, or a number of TCI states for downlink communications from the one or more base stations and a spatial relation for uplink communications to the one or more base stations.

[0166] Aspect 14: The method of any of aspects 1 through 13, further comprising communicating with the one or more base stations using a number of beams based at least in part on the number of TCI states.

[0167] Aspect 15: A method of wireless communication performed by a base station, comprising: receiving, from a user equipment (UE), a request to use a preferred number of transmission configuration indicator (TCI) states; and determining, based at least in part on the request, a number of TCI states for communicating with the UE.

[0168] Aspect 16: The method of aspect 15, wherein the preferred number of TCI states is based at least in part on one or more metrics associated with the communication.

[0169] Aspect 17: The method of aspect 16, wherein the one or more metrics comprise one or more of: a robustness metric, or a throughput metric.

[0170] Aspect 18: The method of aspect 17, wherein the preferred number of TCI states is based at least in part on one or more metrics associated with a state of the UE.

[0171] Aspect 19: The method of aspect 18, wherein the state of the UE is associated with one or more of: a mobility metric of the UE, a power state of the UE, a temperature of the UE, or an indicated preference for the UE.

[0172] Aspect 20: The method of any of aspects 15 through 19, wherein receiving the request to use the preferred number of TCI states for the communication comprises receiving the request via one or more of: a physical uplink control channel communication, or a medium access control control element.

[0173] Aspect 21: The method of any of aspects 15 through 20, wherein the request comprises an identification of the one or more TCI states for the communication.

[0174] Aspect 22: The method of any of aspects 15 through 21, further comprising: receiving a subsequent request to use a subsequent preferred number of TCI states for a subsequent communication.

[0175] Aspect 23: The method of aspect 22, wherein receiving the subsequent request to use the subsequent preferred number of TCI states for subsequent communications comprises receiving the subsequent request via one or more of a physical uplink control channel communication or a medium access control control element.

[0176] Aspect 24: The method of any of aspects 15 through 23, further comprising receiving a request to disable or suspend one or more TCI states to reduce the number of TCI states used for subsequent communications.

[0177] Aspect 25: The method of aspect 24, wherein receiving the request to disable or suspend one or more TCI states comprises receiving the request to disable or suspend one or more TCI states via one or more of a physical uplink control channel communication or a medium access control control element.

[0178] Aspect 26: The method of any of aspects 15 through 25, wherein the preferred number of TCI states is associated with a number of TCI states used for downlink communications to the UE, a number of spatial relations used for uplink communications from the UE, or a number of TCI states used for downlink communications to the UE and spatial relations used for uplink communications from the UE.

[0179] Aspect 26: The method of any of aspects 15 through 25, further comprising communicating using a number of beams based at least in part on the number of TCI states.

[0180] Aspect 27: An apparatus for wireless communication at a device, comprising a processor, memory coupled with the processor, and instructions stored in the memory and executable by the processor to cause the apparatus to perform the method of one or more of aspects 1 through 26.

[0181] Aspect 28: A device for wireless communication comprising a memory and one or more processors coupled to the memory, the memory and the one or more processors configured to perform the method of one or more of aspects 1 through 26.

[0182] Aspect 29: An apparatus for wireless communication comprising at least one means for performing the method of one or more of aspects 1 through 26.

[0183] Aspect 30: A non-transitory computer-readable medium storing code for wireless communication, the code comprising instructions executable by a processor to perform the method of one or more of aspects 1 through 26.

[0184] Aspect 31 : A non-transitory computer-readable medium storing a set of instructions for wireless communication, the set of instructions comprising one or more instructions that, when executed by one or more processors of a device, cause the device to perform the method of one or more of Aspects 1-26.

[0185] The above disclosure provides illustrations and descriptions, but is not intended to be exhaustive or to limit the aspects to the precise form disclosed. Modifications and variations can be possible in light of the above disclosure or from practicing the aspects.

[0186] As used herein, the term “component” is intended to be broadly interpreted to encompass hardware and / or a combination of hardware and software. “Software” shall be broadly construed to mean instructions, instruction sets, code, code segments, program code, programs, subprograms, software modules, applications, software applications, software packages, routines, subroutines, objects, executables, threads of execution, procedures, and / or functions, among other examples, whether referred to as software, firmware, middleware, microcode, hardware description language, or otherwise. As used herein, a processor is implemented in hardware and / or a combination of hardware and software. It will be apparent that systems described herein can be implemented in different forms of hardware and / or a combination of hardware and software. The actual specialized control hardware or software code used to implement these systems and / or methods is not limiting of the aspects. Thus, the operation and behavior of the systems and / or methods were described herein without reference to specific software code — it is understood that software and hardware can be designed to implement the systems and / or methods based, at least in part, on the description herein.

[0187] As used herein, meeting a threshold value can refer to being greater than the threshold value, being greater than or equal to the threshold value, being less than the threshold value, being less than or equal to the threshold value, being equal to the threshold value, not being equal to the threshold value, etc., depending on the context.

[0188] Even if a particular feature is expressly identified as an aspect in a claim, and / or described above as being an aspect of the application, the specification can still include other aspects apart from those features. Thus, the description is not meant to be limiting, insofar as some aspects of the application do not include all the features that are expressly identified in the claims. Further, the description is not meant to be limiting, insofar as a claim can include some features and not others. Even though each dependent claim listed below can directly depend from only one claim, the disclosure of each aspect includes each dependent claim in combination with every other claim in the claim set. As used herein, the phrase “at least one of’ a list of items refers to any combination of those items, including single members. As an example, “at least one of a, b, or c” is intended to cover a, b, c, a-b, a-c, b-c, and a-b-c, as well as any combination with multiples of the same element (e.g., a-a, a-a-a, a-a-b, a-a-c, a-b-b, a-c-c, b-b, b-b-b, b-b-c, c-c, and c-c-c or any other ordering of a, b, and c).

[0189] No element, act, or instruction used herein should be construed as critical or essential unless explicitly described as such. Also, as used herein, the articles “a” and “an” are intended to include one or more items, and can be used interchangeably with “one or more.” Furthermore, as used herein, the article “the” is intended to include one or more items referenced by the article “the” and can be used interchangeably with “the one or more.” Also, as used herein, the terms “set” and “group” are intended to include one or more items (for example, related items, unrelated items, or a combination of related and unrelated items) and can be used interchangeably with “one or more.” Where only one item is intended, the phrase “only one” or similar language is used. Also, as used herein, the terms “has,” “have,” “having,” or “comprise,” “comprises,” or “comprising” are used to describe one or more of the features, structures, or concepts described herein. Furthermore, as used herein, the term “based on” is intended to mean “based, at least in part, on” unless explicitly stated otherwise. Also, as used herein, the term “or” is intended to mean “inclusive or” and can be used interchangeably with “and / or,” unless explicitly stated otherwise (for example, if used in a phrase such as “either A or B error”).

Claims

1. A user equipment (UE) for wireless communication, comprising: a memory; and one or more processors coupled to the memory, the one or more processors configured to cause the UE to: prior to determining a quantity of transmission configuration indicator (TCI) states for performing communications with one or more network nodes, transmit a request to use a preferred quantity of TCI states for the communications with the one or more network nodes, the preferred quantity of TCI states determined based at least in part on an angular separation of a set of channel paths; and receive an indication to use the quantity of TCI states based at least in part on the request. the preferred quantity of TCI states is based at least in part on one or more metrics associated with the communications with the one or more network nodes.

2. The UE of claim 1, wherein, the one or more metrics comprise one or more of:

3. The UE of claim 2, wherein, a robustness metric, or a throughput metric.

4. The UE of claim 3, wherein: the preferred quantity of TCI states is determined to be one TCI state based at least in part on the one or more metrics comprising a throughput metric that satisfies a first throughput threshold, the preferred quantity of TCI states is determined to be one TCI state based at least in part on the one or more metrics comprising a robustness metric that satisfies a first robustness threshold, the preferred quantity of TCI states is determined to be two or more TCI states based at least in part on the one or more metrics comprising a throughput metric that satisfies a second throughput threshold, or the preferred quantity of TCI states is determined to be two or more TCI states based at least in part on the one or more metrics comprising a robustness metric that satisfies a second robustness threshold. the preferred quantity of TCI states is based at least in part on one or more metrics associated with a state of the UE.

5. The UE of claim 1, wherein, the state of the UE is associated with one or more of:

6. The UE of claim 5, wherein, a mobility metric of the UE, a power state of the UE, a temperature of the UE, or an indicated preference for the UE. the one or more processors, when causing the UE to transmit the request to use the preferred quantity of TCI states for the communications with the one or more network nodes, are configured to cause the UE to:

7. The UE of claim 1, wherein, transmit the request via one or more of a physical uplink control channel communication or a medium access control control element. the request comprises an identification of one or more TCI states for the communications with the one or more network nodes.

8. The UE of claim 1, wherein, the one or more processors are further configured to cause the UE to:

9. The UE of claim 1, wherein, transmit a subsequent request to use a subsequent preferred quantity of TCI states for subsequent communications with the one or more network nodes. the one or more processors are further configured to cause the UE to:

10. The UE of claim 1, wherein, transmit a request to disable or suspend one or more TCI states to reduce a quantity of TCI states for subsequent communications with the one or more network nodes. the one or more processors, when causing the UE to transmit the request to disable or suspend the one or more TCI states, are configured to cause the UE to:

11. The UE of claim 10, wherein, ​ transmitting the request to disable or suspend the one or more TCI states via one or more of a physical uplink control channel communication or a medium access control control element.

12. The UE of claim 1, wherein, the preferred number of TCI states for communicating with the one or more network nodes is associated with: a number of TCI states for downlink communications from the one or more network nodes, a number of spatial relations for uplink communications to the one or more network nodes, or a number of TCI states for downlink communications from the one or more network nodes and a spatial relation for uplink communications to the one or more network nodes.

13. The UE of claim 10, wherein the preferred number of TCI states indicates a number of TCI states, and wherein the one or more processors are configured to cause the UE to: communicate with the one or more network nodes using a number of beams based at least in part on the number of TCI states.

14. A method of wireless communication performed by a user equipment (UE), comprising: transmitting, prior to determining a number of transmission configuration indicator (TCI) states for performing communications with one or more network nodes, a request to use a preferred number of TCI states for the communications with the one or more network nodes, the determination of the preferred number of TCI states based at least in part on an angular separation of a set of channel paths; and receiving, based at least in part on the request, an indication to use the number of TCI states.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein, the preferred number of TCI states is based at least in part on one or more metrics associated with the communications with the one or more network nodes.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein, the one or more metrics include one or more of: a robustness metric, or a throughput metric.

17. The method of claim 16, further comprising: determining the preferred number of TCI states to be one TCI state based at least in part on the one or more metrics including a throughput metric satisfying a first throughput threshold, determining the preferred number of TCI states to be one TCI state based at least in part on the one or more metrics including a robustness metric satisfying a first robustness threshold, determining the preferred number of TCI states to be two or more TCI states based at least in part on the one or more metrics including a throughput metric satisfying a second throughput threshold, or determining the preferred number of TCI states to be two or more TCI states based at least in part on the one or more metrics including a robustness metric satisfying a second robustness threshold.

18. The method of claim 14, wherein, the preferred number of TCI states is based at least in part on one or more metrics associated with a state of the UE.

19. The method of claim 18, wherein, the state of the UE is associated with one or more of: a mobility metric of the UE, a power state of the UE, a temperature of the UE, or an indicated preference for the UE.

20. The method of claim 14, wherein, transmitting the request to use the preferred number of TCI states for the communications with the one or more network nodes includes: transmitting the request via one or more of a physical uplink control channel communication or a medium access control control element.

21. The method of claim 14, wherein, the request includes an identification of one or more TCI states for the communication with the one or more network nodes.

22. The method of claim 14, further comprising: transmitting a subsequent request to use a subsequent preferred number of TCI states for a subsequent communication with the one or more network nodes.

23. The method of claim 14, further comprising: transmitting a request to disable or suspend one or more TCI states to reduce a number of TCI states for a subsequent communication with the one or more network nodes.

24. The method of claim 23, wherein, transmitting the request to disable or suspend the one or more TCI states includes: transmitting the request to disable or suspend the one or more TCI states via one or more of a physical uplink control channel communication or a medium access control control element.

25. The method of claim 14, wherein, the preferred number of TCI states for the communication with the one or more network nodes is associated with: a number of TCI states for downlink communications from the one or more network nodes, a number of spatial relations for uplink communications to the one or more network nodes, or a number of TCI states for downlink communications from the one or more network nodes and a number of spatial relations for uplink communications to the one or more network nodes.

26. The method of claim 14, the preferred number of TCI states indicates a number of TCI states, and the method further comprising: communicating with the one or more network nodes using a number of beams based at least in part on the number of TCI states.

27. A non-transitory computer-readable medium storing a set of instructions for wireless communication, the set of instructions comprising: one or more instructions that, when executed by one or more processors of a user equipment (UE), cause the UE to: prior to determining a number of transmission configuration indicator (TCI) states for performing a communication with one or more network nodes, transmit a request to use a preferred number of TCI states for the communication with the one or more network nodes, the determination of the preferred number of TCI states based at least in part on an angular separation of a set of channel paths; and receive an indication to use the number of TCI states based at least in part on the request.

28. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 27, wherein, the one or more instructions that cause the UE to transmit the request to use the preferred number of TCI states for the communication with the one or more network nodes cause the UE to: transmit the request via one or more of a physical uplink control channel communication or a medium access control control element.

29. An apparatus for wireless communication, comprising: A means for transmitting, prior to determining a number of transmission configuration indicator, TCI, states to use for performing communications with one or more network nodes, a request to use a preferred number of TCI states for the communications with the one or more network nodes, the determination of the preferred number of TCI states based at least in part on an angular separation of a set of channel paths; and A means for receiving, based at least in part on the request, an indication to use the number of TCI states.

30. The apparatus of claim 29, wherein, The means for transmitting the request to use the preferred number of TCI states for the communications with the one or more network nodes comprises: The means for transmitting the request via one or more of a physical uplink control channel communication or a medium access control control element.

Images