Method and apparatus for synchronization signal and physical broadcast channel block transmission in wireless communications

Abstract

The present disclosure relates to synchronization signal and physical broadcast channel block transmissions in wireless communications. A user equipment (UE) may monitor a downlink frequency position to detect a synchronization block (SSB) from a cellular base station. When monitoring the downlink frequency position, the UE may be configured to use at least one step size when calculating the SSB frequency position. The UE may determine a subcarrier spacing (SCS) used by the cellular base station in response to monitoring the downlink frequency position, and may determine the subcarrier spacing for one or more SSB transmissions based at least in part on the step size used when calculating the SSB frequency position. The UE may then utilize the determined subcarrier spacing for the one or more SSB transmissions when communicating with the cellular base station.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to wireless communications, and more particularly to an apparatus, system and method for synchronization signal and physical broadcast channel block transmission in wireless communications.

[0002] Related technical description

[0003] The use of wireless communication systems is growing rapidly. In recent years, wireless devices such as smart phones and tablet computers have become increasingly sophisticated. In addition to supporting phone calls, many mobile devices now also provide access to the Internet, email, text messaging, and navigation using the Global Positioning System (GPS), and are capable of operating sophisticated applications that utilize these capabilities. In addition, there are many different wireless communication technologies and wireless communication standards. Some examples of wireless communication standards include GSM, UMTS (e.g., associated with WCDMA or TD-SCDMA air interfaces), LTE, Advanced LTE (LTE-A), HSPA, 3GPP2 CDMA2000 (e.g., 1xRTT, 1xEV-DO, HRPD, eHRPD), IEEE 802.11 (WLAN or Wi-Fi), BLUETOOTH (Broadband Wi-Fi), and LTE-A. TM wait.

[0004] The introduction of an ever-increasing number of features and functions in wireless communication devices has also created a continuing need for improved wireless communications and improved wireless communication devices. In order to increase coverage and better serve the growing demand and intended range of uses for wireless communications, in addition to the communication standards mentioned above, more wireless communication technologies are being developed.

[0005] The next telecommunication standard proposed to go beyond the current International Mobile Telecommunications Advanced (IMT-Advanced) standard is called the 5th Generation Mobile Network or 5th Generation Wireless System, or 5G for short (also called 5G-NR for 5G New Radio, also referred to as NR for short). Compared to the current LTE standard, 5G-NR proposes higher capacity for a higher density of mobile broadband users, while supporting ultra-reliable and massive machine communications from device to device, as well as lower latency and lower battery consumption. In addition, the 5G-NR standard may allow for less restrictive UE scheduling than the current LTE standard. Therefore, efforts are being made to take advantage of the higher throughput possible at higher frequencies in the continued development of 5G-NR. Therefore, there is a need for improvements in the areas that support such development and design. Summary of the invention

[0006] Embodiments relate to wireless communications, and more particularly to apparatus, systems, and methods for synchronization signal and physical broadcast channel block transmission in wireless communications.

[0007] For example, a user equipment (UE) may monitor a downlink frequency location to detect a synchronization block (SSB) from a cellular base station. When monitoring the downlink frequency location, the UE may be configured to use at least one step size when calculating the SSB frequency location. The UE may determine a subcarrier spacing (SCS) used by the cellular base station in response to monitoring the downlink frequency location, and may determine the subcarrier spacing for one or more SSB transmissions based at least in part on the step size used when calculating the SSB frequency location. The UE may then utilize the determined subcarrier spacing for the one or more SSB transmissions when communicating with the cellular base station.

[0008] In some embodiments, while monitoring downlink frequency positions, the UE may be configured to use multiple step sizes when calculating SSB frequency positions. The UE may use a first step size to calculate frequency positions for a first set of SSB subcarrier spacings, and use a second step size to calculate frequency positions for a second set of SSB subcarrier spacings. Additionally, while monitoring downlink frequency positions, the UE may be configured to use a first step size to calculate frequency positions for a first set of SSB subcarrier spacings that are mandatorily supported by one or more UEs in accordance with a cellular communication standard, and use a second step size to calculate frequency positions for a second set of SSB subcarrier spacings that are optionally supported by one or more UEs in accordance with a cellular communication standard.

[0009] Additionally or alternatively, when monitoring the downlink frequency position, the UE may be configured to use a corresponding different second step size for each SSB subcarrier spacing in a plurality of SSB subcarrier spacings in a second set of SSB subcarrier spacings that are optionally supported by one or more UEs according to a cellular communication standard. The second set of SSB subcarrier spacings may include 480kHz and 960kHz, etc. Furthermore, when monitoring the downlink frequency position, the UE may be configured to use a single step size when calculating the frequency positions of all possible subcarrier spacings for SSB, including SSB subcarrier spacings that are mandatorily supported by one or more UEs according to a cellular communication standard and SSB subcarrier spacings that are optionally supported by one or more UEs according to a cellular communication standard.

[0010] In some embodiments, a cellular base station may include an antenna, a radio operatively coupled to the antenna, and a processing element operatively coupled to the radio. The cellular base station may be configured to transmit synchronization signaling as part of a physical broadcast channel (PBCH) payload according to a periodic pattern, wherein in at least one periodic subset of the periodic pattern, one or more SS bursts each including a plurality of SS blocks (SSBs) are transmitted, wherein each SS burst includes at least one symbol reserved for beam switching between two consecutive SSBs.

[0011] In some embodiments, a user equipment (UE) may include an antenna, a radio operatively coupled to the antenna, and a processing element operatively coupled to the radio. The UE may be configured to monitor a downlink frequency location to detect one or more synchronization signal blocks (SSBs) as part of a physical broadcast channel (PBCH) payload transmission from a cellular base station, wherein the one or more SSBs include information that can be used by the UE in determining the presence or absence of a discovery burst transmission window (DBTW).

[0012] The techniques described herein may be implemented in and / or used with a number of different types of devices, including, but not limited to, any of unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), unmanned aerial controllers (UACs), base stations, access points, cellular telephones, tablet computers, wearable computing devices, portable media players, automobiles and / or motor vehicles, and a variety of other computing devices.

[0013] This disclosure is intended to provide a brief overview of some of the topics described in this document. Therefore, it should be understood that the above features are only examples and should not be construed as narrowing the scope or essence of the topics described herein in any way. Other features, aspects and advantages of the topics described herein will become apparent through the following detailed description, drawings and claims. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0014] A better understanding of the present subject matter may be obtained when the following detailed description of various embodiments is considered in conjunction with the following drawings, in which:

[0015] Figure 1A An exemplary wireless communication system is shown in accordance with some embodiments.

[0016] Figure 1B Examples of base stations (BSs) and access points in communication with user equipment (UE) devices are shown in accordance with some embodiments.

[0017] Figure 2 An exemplary simplified block diagram of a WLAN access point (AP) is shown in accordance with some embodiments.

[0018] Figure 3A An example block diagram of a BS according to some embodiments is shown.

[0019] Figure 3B An example block diagram of a server according to some embodiments is shown.

[0020] Figure 4 An exemplary block diagram of a UE according to some embodiments is shown.

[0021] Figure 5 An example block diagram of cellular communication circuitry is shown according to some embodiments.

[0022] Fig. 6A An example of the connection between the evolved packet core (EPC) network, LTE base stations (eNBs), and 5G NR base stations (gNBs) is shown.

[0023] Figure 6B Examples of protocol stacks for eNB and gNB are shown.

[0024] Figure 7 is a flow chart illustrating an exemplary method for determining SSB-SCS during initial access operations according to some embodiments.

[0025] Figure 8 Examples of SSB-SCS related synchronization grating positions in the frequency domain are shown according to some embodiments.

[0026] Fig. 9 An example of non-interleaved global synchronization channel (GSCN) allocation is shown in accordance with some embodiments.

[0027] Fig.10 An example of interleaved GSCN allocation according to some embodiments is shown.

[0028] Fig.11 An offset-based synchronization grating determination for a frequency band with multiple SSB SCSs is shown according to some embodiments.

[0029] Fig.12 A modified system information block 4 (SIB4) indicating an optional SCS according to some embodiments is shown.

[0030] Fig.13 An example of SSB transmission supporting CGI reporting functionality by allowing CORESET#0 and Type 0 search space for SIB1 acquisition according to some embodiments is shown.

[0031] Fig.14 is a flow chart illustrating a method of indicating beam switching between candidate SSBs according to some embodiments.

[0032] Fig.15 Candidate SSB patterns for 480kHz and 960kHz SCS with multiplexing between CORESET 0 and SSB are shown according to some embodiments.

[0033] Fig.16A 1-bit SSB mode index is shown signaled by a second demodulation reference signal (DMRS) symbol transmitted by the PBCH according to some embodiments.

[0034] Fig.17 An exemplary synchronization signal block transmission window (SSBTW) based on an SSB pattern in a discovery burst transmission window (DBTW) with uplink (UL) control signaling transmission is shown in accordance with some embodiments.

[0035] Fig.18 An exemplary sub-slot based SSB mode is shown according to some embodiments.

[0036] Fig.19A and Fig.19B Two examples of SSBTW modes for time alignment of the new 480kHz and 960kHz SCS are shown according to some embodiments.

[0037] Fig. 20 is a flow chart illustrating a method for indicating the presence of a DPTW in a candidate SCS according to some embodiments.

[0038] Fig.21 Examples of 120kHz and 240kHz subcarrier spacing in a 5ms half-frame and SSB start positions in an extended portion of 2 slots in a 5ms half-frame are shown according to some embodiments.

[0039] Fig. 22 Pre-allocated DBTW presence indication based on GSCN values ​​according to some embodiments is shown.

[0040] Fig.23 An example method is shown that reuses an existing field in the Physical Broadcast Channel (PBCH) payload as a way to indicate the presence of a DBTW in accordance with some embodiments.

[0041] Fig.24 A second DMRS symbol transmitted using the PBCH is shown in accordance with some embodiments to indicate the presence of a DBTW.

[0042] Fig.25 The presence of DBTW and associated Q values ​​in multiple absolute radio frequency channels (ARFCNs) as indicated by SIB4 according to some embodiments is shown.

[0043] Fig.26 An example of an SSB having a fixed position within a 5 ms Discovery Reference Signal (DRS) window is shown in accordance with some embodiments.

[0044] Fig. 27An example of a time-shifted SSB transmission within a 5 ms DBTW window is shown in accordance with some embodiments.

[0045] Although the features described herein are susceptible to various modifications and alternative forms, specific embodiments thereof are shown by way of example in the drawings and described in detail herein. However, it should be understood that the drawings and detailed description thereof are not intended to limit this document to the specific forms disclosed, but on the contrary, their purpose is to cover all modifications, equivalents and alternatives that fall within the spirit and scope of the subject matter as defined by the appended claims. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0046] Acronyms

[0047] Various acronyms are used throughout this disclosure. The definitions of the most prominent acronyms used that may appear throughout this disclosure are as follows:

[0048] 3GPP: Third Generation Partnership Project

[0049] TS: Technical Specification

[0050] RAN: Radio Access Network

[0051] RAT: Radio Access Technology

[0052] UE: User Equipment

[0053] RF: Radio Frequency

[0054] BS: Base Station

[0055] DL: Downlink

[0056] UL: Uplink

[0057] LTE: Long Term Evolution

[0058] NR: New Radio

[0059] 5GS: 5G system

[0060] 5GMM: 5GS Mobility Management

[0061] 5GC: 5G core network

[0062] IE: Information Element

[0063] LBT: Listen before speaking

[0064] SCS: Subcarrier Spacing

[0065] SSB: Synchronous Signal Block

[0066] RRM: Radio Resource Management

[0067] RLM: Radio Link Management

[0068] QCL: Quasi-Co-location

[0069] SMTC: SSB-based RRM measurement timing configuration SSBTW: Synchronization signal block transmission window

[0070] DBTW: Discovery Burst Transmit Window

[0071] DRS: Discovery Reference Signal

[0072] EPC: Evolved Packet Core

[0073] DMRS: Demodulation Reference Signal

[0074] ARFCN: Absolute Radio Frequency Channel

[0075] PSS: Primary Synchronization Signal

[0076] SSS: Secondary synchronization signal

[0077] FR: Frequency range

[0078] CGI: Cell Global Identifier

[0079] RB: Resource Block

[0080] BPSK: Binary Phase Shift Keying

[0081] QPSK: Quadrature Phase Shift Keying

[0082] the term

[0083] The following is a glossary of terms used in this disclosure:

[0084] Memory medium - any of various types of non-transitory memory devices or storage devices. The term "memory medium" is intended to include installation media, such as CD-ROM, floppy disk or tape devices; computer system memory or random access memory such as DRAM, DDR RAM, SRAM, EDO RAM, Rambus RAM, etc.; non-volatile memory such as flash memory, magnetic media, for example, hard disk drive or optical storage device; registers or other similar types of memory elements, etc. The memory medium may also include other types of non-transitory memory or combinations thereof. In addition, the memory medium may be located in the first computer system executing the program, or may be located in a different second computer system connected to the first computer system via a network such as the Internet. In the latter case, the second computer system may provide program instructions to the first computer for execution. The term "memory medium" may include two or more memory media that may reside in different locations in different computer systems connected, for example, via a network. The memory medium may store program instructions (e.g., expressed as a computer program) that may be executed by one or more processors.

[0085] Carrier Medium—storage media as described above, and physical transmission media such as a bus, network, and / or other physical transmission media that transport signals such as electrical, electromagnetic or digital signals.

[0086] Programmable hardware element - includes various hardware devices that include multiple programmable function blocks connected via programmable interconnects. Examples include FPGA (field programmable gate array), PLD (programmable logic device), FPOA (field programmable object array), and CPLD (complex PLD). Programmable function blocks can vary from fine-grained (combinational logic unit or lookup table) to coarse-grained (arithmetic logic unit or processor core). Programmable hardware elements may also be referred to as "configurable logic units".

[0087] Computer system (or computer)—any of various types of computing or processing systems, including a personal computer system (PC), a mainframe computer system, a workstation, a network appliance, an Internet appliance, a personal digital assistant (PDA), a television system, a grid computing system, or other devices or combinations of devices. In general, the term "computer system" can be broadly defined to encompass any device (or combination of devices) having at least one processor that executes instructions from a memory medium.

[0088] User Equipment (UE) (or "UE device") - any of various types of computer system devices that are mobile or portable and perform wireless communications. Examples of UE devices include mobile phones or smart phones (e.g., iPhone TM , based on AndroidTM phones), portable gaming devices (e.g., Nintendo DS TM , PlayStation Portable TM 、Gameboy Advance TM , iPhone TM ), laptops, wearable devices (e.g., smart watches, smart glasses), PDAs, portable Internet devices, music players, data storage devices, other handheld devices, automobiles and / or motor vehicles, unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) (e.g., drones), UAV controllers (UACs), etc. In general, the term "UE" or "UE device" may be broadly defined to cover any electronic, computing, and / or telecommunication device (or combination of devices) that is easily transportable by (or with) a user and that is capable of wireless communication.

[0089] Base Station—The term “base station” has the full breadth of its ordinary meaning and includes at least a wireless communication station that is installed at a fixed location and used to communicate as part of a wireless telephone system or radio system.

[0090] Processing element (or processor) - refers to various elements or combinations of elements that are capable of performing functions in a device such as user equipment or cellular network equipment. Processing elements may include, for example, processors and associated memory, portions or circuits of individual processor cores, entire processor cores, processor arrays, circuits such as ASICs (application specific integrated circuits), programmable hardware elements such as field programmable gate arrays (FPGAs), and any of the above various combinations.

[0091] Channel - a medium used to transmit information from a sender (transmitter) to a receiver. It should be noted that since the characteristics of the term "channel" may vary according to different wireless protocols, the term "channel" used in the present invention may be considered to be used in a manner that conforms to the standards of the type of device to which the term is used. In some standards, the channel width may be variable (e.g., depending on device capabilities, frequency band conditions, etc.). For example, LTE may support scalable channel bandwidths of 1.4MHz to 20MHz. In contrast, a WLAN channel may be 22MHz wide, while a Bluetooth channel may be 1Mhz wide. Other protocols and standards may include different definitions of channels. In addition, some standards may define and use multiple types of channels, such as different channels for uplink or downlink and / or different channels for different purposes such as data, control information, etc.

[0092] Frequency band—The term “frequency band” has the full breadth of its ordinary meaning and includes at least a segment of the spectrum (eg, radio frequency spectrum) in which channels are used or set aside for the same purpose.

[0093] Wi-Fi—The term "Wi-Fi" has the full scope of its usual meaning and includes at least wireless communication networks or RATs that are served by wireless LAN (WLAN) access points and provide connectivity to the Internet through these access points. Most modern Wi-Fi networks (or WLAN networks) are based on the IEEE 802.11 standard and are marketed under the name "Wi-Fi". Wi-Fi (WLAN) networks are distinct from cellular networks.

[0094] Automatic—refers to an action or operation being performed by a computer system (e.g., software executed by a computer system) or a device (e.g., a circuit, a programmable hardware element, an ASIC, etc.) without the need for the action or operation to be directly specified or performed by a user input. Thus, the term "automatic" is in contrast to a user manually performing or specifying an action, wherein the user provides input to directly perform the action. An automatic process may be initiated by input provided by a user, but subsequent actions performed "automatically" are not specified by the user, i.e., are not performed "manually," wherein the user specifies each action to be performed. For example, a user filling out an electronic form by selecting each field and providing input specifying information (e.g., by typing in information, selecting checkboxes, radio selections, etc.) is manually filling out the form, even though the computer system must update the form in response to the user action. The form may be automatically filled out by a computer system, wherein the computer system (e.g., software executed on the computer system) analyzes the fields of the form and fills out the form without requiring any user input to specify the answers to the fields. As indicated above, a user may invoke automatic filling out of a form, but not participate in the actual filling out of the form (e.g., the user does not manually specify the answers to the fields but rather they are automatically completed). This specification provides various examples of operations that are automatically performed in response to actions taken by a user.

[0095] Approximately - refers to a value that is close to a correct or exact value. For example, approximately can refer to a value that is within 1% to 10% of an exact (or desired) value. However, it should be noted that the actual threshold value (or tolerance) may depend on the application. For example, in some embodiments, "approximately" may mean within 0.1% of some specified or desired value, while in various other embodiments, the threshold value may be, for example, 2%, 3%, 5%, etc., depending on the expectations or requirements of a particular application.

[0096] Concurrency - refers to parallel execution or implementation, where tasks, processes, or programs are executed in an at least partially overlapping manner. For example, concurrency can be achieved using "strong" or strict parallelism, where tasks are executed (at least partially) in parallel on respective computing elements, or using "weak parallelism", where tasks are executed in an interleaved manner (e.g., by time multiplexing of execution threads).

[0097] Various components may be described as being "configured to" perform one or more tasks. In such environments, "configured to" is a broad statement that generally means "having a structure" that performs one or more tasks during operation. Thus, even when the component is not currently performing the task, the component can be configured to perform the task (e.g., a set of electrical conductors can be configured to electrically connect a module to another module even when the two modules are not connected). In some contexts, "configured to" can be a broad statement that generally means "having a structure" that performs one or more tasks during operation. Thus, even when the component is not currently turned on, the component can be configured to perform the task. Typically, the circuitry that forms the structure corresponding to "configured to" may include hardware circuitry.

[0098] For ease of description, various components may be described as performing one or more tasks. Such descriptions should be interpreted as including the phrase "configured to". The description of a component being configured to perform one or more tasks is expressly intended not to invoke 35 U.S.C. §112(f) interpretation of that component.

[0099] Figure 1A and 1B :Communication System

[0100] Figure 1A A simplified exemplary wireless communication system according to some embodiments is shown. Note that Figure 1A The system is merely one example of a possible system, and features of the present disclosure may be implemented in any of a variety of systems, as desired.

[0101] As shown, the exemplary wireless communication system includes a base station 102A, which communicates with one or more user equipment 106A, user equipment 106B to user equipment 106N, etc. through a transmission medium. Each user equipment may be referred to as a "user equipment" (UE) in this document. Therefore, user equipment 106 is referred to as a UE or UE device.

[0102] The base station (BS) 102A may be a base transceiver station (BTS) or a cell site ("cellular base station") and may include hardware that enables wireless communications with the UEs 106A through 106N.

[0103] The communication area (or coverage area) of a base station may be referred to as a "cell". The base station 102A and the UE 106 may be configured to communicate over a transmission medium using any of a variety of radio access technologies (RATs), which are also referred to as wireless communication technologies or telecommunication standards, such as GSM, UMTS (associated with, for example, WCDMA or TD-SCDMA air interfaces), LTE, Advanced LTE (LTE-A), 5G New Radio (5G NR), HSPA, 3GPP2CDMA2000 (e.g., 1xRTT, 1xEV-DO, HRPD, eHRPD), and the like. Note that if the base station 102A is implemented in the context of LTE, it may alternatively be referred to as an "eNodeB" or "eNB". Note that if the base station 102A is implemented in the context of 5G NR, it may alternatively be referred to as a "gNodeB" or "gNB".

[0104] As shown, base station 102A may also be configured to communicate with network 100 (e.g., a cellular service provider's core network, a telecommunications network such as a public switched telephone network (PSTN), and / or the Internet, among other possibilities). Thus, base station 102A may facilitate communications between user devices and / or between user devices and network 100. In particular, cellular base station 102A may provide UE 106 with various communication capabilities, such as voice, SMS, and / or data services.

[0105] Base station 102A and other similar base stations (such as base stations 102B...102N) operating according to the same or different cellular communication standards can therefore be provided as a network of cells that can provide continuous or nearly continuous overlapping service to UE 106A-N and similar devices over a geographic area via one or more cellular communication standards.

[0106] Thus, while base station 102A may serve as a "serving cell" for UEs 106A-N as shown in FIG. 1 , each UE 106 may also be able to receive signals from (and possibly be within communication range of) one or more other cells (which may be provided by base stations 102B-N and / or any other base stations), which may be referred to as "neighboring cells." Such cells may also be able to facilitate communications between user devices and / or between user devices and network 100. Such cells may include "macro" cells, "micro" cells, "pico" cells, and / or cells of any various other granularity that provide service area sizes. For example, base stations 102A to 102B shown in FIG. 1 may be macro cells, while base station 102N may be a micro cell. Other configurations are also possible.

[0107] In some embodiments, base station 102A may be a next generation base station, such as a 5G New Radio (5G NR) base station or "gNB". In some embodiments, a gNB may be connected to a legacy Evolved Packet Core (EPC) network and / or to a New Radio Communications Core (NRC) network. In addition, a gNB cell may include one or more transmission and reception points (TRPs). In addition, a UE capable of operating in accordance with 5G NR may be connected to one or more TRPs within one or more gNBs.

[0108] It should be noted that UE 106 is capable of communicating using multiple wireless communication standards. For example, in addition to at least one cellular communication protocol (e.g., GSM, UMTS (associated with, for example, WCDMA or TD-SCDMA air interface), LTE, LTE-A, 5G NR, HSPA, 3GPP2CDMA2000 (e.g., 1xRTT, 1xEV-DO, HRPD, eHRPD), etc.), UE 106 can be configured to communicate using wireless networking (e.g., Wi-Fi) and / or peer-to-peer wireless communication protocols (e.g., Bluetooth, Wi-Fi peer-to-peer, etc.). If desired, UE 106 can also or alternatively be configured to communicate using one or more global navigation satellite systems (GNSS, such as GPS or GLONASS), one or more mobile television broadcast standards (e.g., ATSC-M / H or DVB-H), and / or any other wireless communication protocols. Other combinations of wireless communication standards (including more than two wireless communication standards) are also possible.

[0109] Figure 1B A user equipment 106 (e.g., one of device 106A through device 106N) is shown in communication with a base station 102 and an access point 112 according to some embodiments. The UE 106 may be a device having cellular communication capabilities and non-cellular communication capabilities (e.g., Bluetooth, Wi-Fi, etc.), such as a mobile phone, a handheld device, a computer or tablet, or virtually any type of wireless device.

[0110] UE 106 may include a processor configured to execute program instructions stored in a memory. UE 106 may perform any of the method embodiments described herein by executing such stored instructions. Alternatively or in addition, UE 106 may include a programmable hardware element, such as a field programmable gate array (FPGA) configured to perform any of the method embodiments described herein or any portion of any of the method embodiments described herein.

[0111] UE 106 may include one or more antennas for communicating using one or more wireless communication protocols or technologies. In some embodiments, UE 106 may be configured to communicate using, for example, CDMA2000 (1xRTT / 1xEV-DO / HRPD / eHRPD), LTE / Advanced LTE, or 5G NR using a single shared radio component and / or GSM, LTE, Advanced LTE, or 5G Nr using a single shared radio component. The shared radio may be coupled to a single antenna, or may be coupled to multiple antennas (e.g., for MIMO) for performing wireless communications. Typically, the radio component may include any combination of a baseband processor, an analog radio frequency (RF) signal processing circuit (e.g., including filters, mixers, oscillators, amplifiers, etc.), or a digital processing circuit (e.g., for digital modulation and other digital processing). Similarly, the radio component may use the aforementioned hardware to implement one or more receive chains and transmit chains. For example, UE 106 may share one or more parts of a receive chain and / or transmit chain between multiple wireless communication technologies such as those discussed above.

[0112] In some embodiments, UE 106 may include a separate transmit chain and / or receive chain (e.g., including separate antennas and other radio components) for each wireless communication protocol configured to communicate with it. As another possibility, UE 106 may include one or more radio components shared between multiple wireless communication protocols, and one or more radio components used uniquely by a single wireless communication protocol. For example, UE 106 may include a shared radio component for communicating using either LTE or 5GNR (or LTE or 1xRTT, or LTE or GSM), and a separate radio component for communicating using each of Wi-Fi and Bluetooth. Other configurations are also possible.

[0113] Figure 2 : Access Point Block Diagram

[0114] Figure 2 An exemplary block diagram of an access point (AP) 112 is shown. Note that Figure 2 The block diagram of the AP 112 is only one example of a possible system. As shown, the AP 112 may include a processor 204 that may execute program instructions for the AP 112. The processor 204 may also be coupled (directly or indirectly) to a memory management unit (MMU) 240 or other circuit or device, which may be configured to receive addresses from the processor 204 and convert these addresses to locations in memory (e.g., memory 260 and read-only memory (ROM) 250).

[0115] AP 112 may include at least one network port 270. Network port 270 may be configured to couple to a wired network and provide access to the Internet to multiple devices such as UE 106. For example, network port 270 (or an additional network port) may be configured to couple to a local network, such as a home network or an enterprise network. For example, port 270 may be an Ethernet port. The local network may provide a connection to an additional network such as the Internet.

[0116] The AP 112 may include at least one antenna 234, which may be configured to function as a wireless transceiver and may be further configured to communicate with the UE 106 via the wireless communication circuit 230. The antenna 234 communicates with the wireless communication circuit 230 via a communication chain 232. The communication chain 232 may include one or more receive chains, one or more transmit chains, or both. The wireless communication circuit 230 may be configured to communicate via Wi-Fi or WLAN (e.g., 802.11). For example, when the AP is co-located with a base station in the case of a small cell, or in other cases where it may be desirable for the AP 112 to communicate via a variety of different wireless communication technologies, the wireless communication circuit 230 may also or alternatively be configured to communicate via various other wireless communication technologies, including, but not limited to, 5G NR, Long Term Evolution (LTE), Advanced LTE (LTE-A), Global System for Mobile (GSM), Wideband Code Division Multiple Access (WCDMA), CDMA2000, etc.

[0117] In some embodiments, as further described below, AP 112 may be configured to perform methods for overhead reduction for multi-carrier beam selection and power control as further described herein.

[0118] Figure 3A :Block diagram of base station

[0119] Figure 3A An example block diagram of a base station 102 according to some embodiments is shown. Note that Figure 3A The base station of is only one example of a possible base station. As shown, the base station 102 may include a processor 304, which may execute program instructions for the base station 102. The processor 304 may also be coupled to a memory management unit (MMU) 340, which may be configured to receive addresses from the processor 304 and convert these addresses into locations in memory (e.g., memory 360 and read-only memory (ROM) 350), or into other circuits or devices.

[0120] The base station 102 may include at least one network port 370. The network port 370 may be configured to couple to a telephone network and provide access to the telephone network to a plurality of devices (eg, the UE device 106), as described above in FIG. Figure 2Described in .

[0121] The network port 370 (or an additional network port) may also or alternatively be configured to couple to a cellular network, such as a core network of a cellular service provider. The core network may provide mobility-related services and / or other services to multiple devices, such as the UE devices 106. In some cases, the network port 370 may be coupled to a telephone network via the core network, and / or the core network may provide a telephone network (e.g., between other UE devices served by a cellular service provider).

[0122] In some embodiments, base station 102 may be a next generation base station, e.g., a 5G New Radio (5G NR) base station, or "gNB". In such embodiments, base station 102 may be connected to a legacy Evolved Packet Core (EPC) network and / or to an NR Core (NRC) network. Furthermore, base station 102 may be considered a 5G NR cell and may include one or more transition and reception points (TRPs). Furthermore, a UE capable of operating in accordance with 5G NR may be connected to one or more TRPs within one or more gNBs.

[0123] The base station 102 may include at least one antenna 334, and may include multiple antennas. At least one antenna 334 may be configured to operate as a wireless transceiver, and may also be configured to communicate with the UE device 106 via the radio component 330. The antenna 334 communicates with the radio component 330 via a communication chain 332. The communication chain 332 may be a receive chain, a transmit chain, or both. The radio component 330 may be configured to communicate via various wireless communication standards, including but not limited to, 5G NR, LTE, LTE-A, GSM, UMTS, CDMA2000, Wi-Fi, etc.

[0124] Base station 102 may be configured to perform wireless communications using multiple wireless communication standards. In some cases, base station 102 may include multiple radios that enable base station 102 to communicate according to multiple wireless communication technologies. For example, as one possibility, base station 102 may include an LTE radio component for performing communications according to LTE and a 5G NR radio component for performing communications according to 5GNR. In this case, base station 102 may be able to operate as both an LTE base station and a 5G NR base station. As another possibility, base station 102 may include a multimode radio component capable of performing communications according to any one of multiple wireless communication technologies (e.g., 5GNR and Wi-Fi, LTE and Wi-Fi, LTE and UMTS, LTE and CDMA2000, UMTS and GSM, etc.).

[0125] As further described later herein, the base station 102 may include hardware and software components for implementing or supporting the implementation of the features described herein. The processor 304 of the base station 102 may be configured to implement or support the implementation of some or all of the methods described herein, for example, by executing program instructions stored on a storage medium (e.g., a non-transitory computer-readable storage medium). Additionally, the processor 304 may be configured as a programmable hardware element, such as an FPGA (field programmable gate array), or an ASIC (application-specific integrated circuit), or a combination thereof. Optionally (or additionally), the processor 304 of the BS 102, together with one or more other components 330, 332, 334, 340, 350, 360, 370, may be configured to implement or support the implementation of some or all of the features described herein.

[0126] In addition, as described herein, processor 304 may include one or more processing elements. In other words, one or more processing elements may be included in processor 304. Therefore, processor 304 may include one or more integrated circuits (ICs) configured to perform the functions of processor 304. In addition, each integrated circuit may include a circuit (e.g., a first circuit, a second circuit, etc.) configured to perform the functions of processor 304.

[0127] In addition, as described herein, radio 330 may include one or more processing elements. In other words, one or more processing elements may be included in radio 330. Thus, radio 330 may include one or more integrated circuits (ICs) configured to perform the functions of radio 330. In addition, each integrated circuit may include a circuit (e.g., a first circuit, a second circuit, etc.) configured to perform the functions of radio 330.

[0128] Figure 3B :Block diagram of the server

[0129] Figure 3B An example block diagram of a server 104 according to some embodiments is shown. Note that Figure 3B The server 104 is just one example of a possible server. As shown, the server 104 may include a processor 344 that can execute program instructions for the server 104. The processor 344 may also be coupled to a memory management unit (MMU) 374, which may be configured to receive addresses from the processor 344 and convert these addresses to locations in memory (e.g., memory 364 and read-only memory (ROM) 354) or to other circuits or devices.

[0130] Server 104 may be configured to provide access network functionality to a plurality of devices, such as base station 102, UE device 106, and / or UTM 108, for example, as further described herein.

[0131] In some embodiments, server 104 may be part of a radio access network, such as a 5G New Radio (5G NR) access network. In some embodiments, server 104 may be connected to a legacy Evolved Packet Core (EPC) network and / or to a NR Core (NRC) network.

[0132] As further described later herein, the server 104 may include hardware and software components for implementing or supporting the features described herein. The processor 344 of the server 104 may be configured to implement or support implementing part or all of the methods described herein, for example, by executing program instructions stored on a storage medium (e.g., a non-transitory computer-readable storage medium). Alternatively, the processor 344 may be configured as a programmable hardware element such as an FPGA (field programmable gate array) or as an ASIC (application-specific integrated circuit) or a combination thereof. Alternatively (or in addition thereto), in combination with one or more of the other components 354, 364, and / or 374, the processor 344 of the server 104 may be configured to implement or support implementing part or all of the features described herein.

[0133] In addition, as described herein, processor 344 may be composed of one or more processing elements. In other words, one or more processing elements may be included in processor 344. Therefore, processor 344 may include one or more integrated circuits (ICs) configured to perform the functions of processor 344. In addition, each integrated circuit may include a circuit (e.g., a first circuit, a second circuit, etc.) configured to perform the functions of processor 344.

[0134] Figure 4 :UE block diagram

[0135] Figure 4 1 shows an exemplary simplified block diagram of a communication device 106 according to some embodiments. Note that Figure 4The block diagram of the communication device is only an example of a possible communication device. According to the embodiment, the communication device 106 can be a user equipment (UE) device, a mobile device or a mobile station, a wireless device or a wireless station, a desktop computer or a computing device, a mobile computing device (e.g., a laptop, a notebook or a portable computing device), a tablet computer, an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV), a UAV controller (UAC) and / or a combination of devices and other devices. As shown in the figure, the communication device 106 may include a group of components 400 configured to perform core functions. For example, the group of components may be implemented as a system on a chip (SOC), which may include parts for various purposes. Alternatively, the group of components 400 may be implemented as a separate component or a group of components for various purposes. This group of components 400 may be (e.g., communicatively; directly or indirectly) coupled to various other circuits of the communication device 106.

[0136] For example, the communication device 106 may include various types of memory (e.g., including NAND flash memory 410), input / output interfaces such as a connector I / F 420 (e.g., for connecting to a computer system; a docking station; a charging station; an input device such as a microphone, a camera, a keyboard; an output device such as a speaker; etc.), a display 460 that may be integrated with the communication device 106 or external to the communication device 106, and cellular communication circuits 430 such as for 5G NR, LTE, GSM, etc., and short-range to medium-range wireless communication circuits 429 (e.g., Bluetooth TM In some embodiments, the communication device 106 may include wired communication circuitry (not shown), such as, for example, a network interface card for Ethernet.

[0137] Cellular communication circuitry 430 may be (e.g., communicatively; directly or indirectly) coupled to one or more antennas, such as antennas 435 and 436 as shown. Short-range to medium-range wireless communication circuitry 429 may also be (e.g., communicatively; directly or indirectly) coupled to one or more antennas, such as antennas 437 and 438 as shown. Alternatively, short-range to medium-range wireless communication circuitry 429 may be (e.g., communicatively; directly or indirectly) coupled to antennas 435 and 436 in addition to or in lieu of being (e.g., communicatively; directly or indirectly) coupled to antennas 437 and 438. Short-range to medium-range wireless communication circuitry 429 and / or cellular communication circuitry 430 may include multiple receive chains and / or multiple transmit chains for receiving and / or transmitting multiple spatial streams, such as in a multiple-input-multiple-output (MIMO) configuration.

[0138] In some embodiments, as further described below, the cellular communication circuit 430 may include dedicated receive chains (including and / or coupled to (e.g., communicatively; directly or indirectly) dedicated processors and / or radio components) for multiple RATs (e.g., a first receive chain for LTE and a second receive chain for 5G-NR). In addition, in some embodiments, the cellular communication circuit 430 may include a single transmit chain that can switch between radio components dedicated to specific RATs. For example, a first radio component may be dedicated to a first RAT, such as LTE, and may communicate with a dedicated receive chain and a transmit chain shared with an additional radio component, such as a second radio component that may be dedicated to a second RAT (e.g., 5G NR) and may communicate with the dedicated receive chain and the shared transmit chain.

[0139] The communication device 106 may also include and / or be configured for use with one or more user interface elements. The user interface elements may include various elements such as a display 460 (which may be a touch screen display), a keyboard (which may be a separate keyboard or may be implemented as part of a touch screen display), a mouse, a microphone and / or speakers, one or more cameras, one or more buttons, and / or any of a variety of other elements capable of providing information to a user and / or receiving or interpreting user input.

[0140] The communication device 106 may also include one or more smart cards 445 with SIM (Subscriber Identity Module) functionality, such as one or more UICC cards (one or more Universal Integrated Circuit Cards) 445. Note that the term "SIM" or "SIM entity" is intended to include any of various types of SIM implementations or SIM functionality, such as one or more UICC cards 445, one or more eUICCs, one or more eSIMs, removable or embedded, etc. In some embodiments, the UE 106 may include at least two SIMs. Each SIM may execute one or more SIM applications and / or implement SIM functionality in other ways. Thus, each SIM may be a single smart card that may be embedded, for example, soldered to a circuit board in the UE 106, or each SIM may be implemented as a removable smart card. Thus, the SIM may be one or more removable smart cards (such as a UICC card, sometimes referred to as a "SIM card"), and / or the SIM 410 may be one or more embedded cards (such as an embedded UICC (eUICC), sometimes referred to as an "eSIM" or "eSIM card"). In some embodiments (such as when the SIM includes an eUICC), one or more of the SIMs may implement embedded SIM (eSIM) functionality; in such embodiments, a single SIM of the SIM may execute multiple SIM applications. Each SIM may include components such as a processor and / or a memory; instructions for performing SIM / eSIM functionality may be stored in the memory and executed by the processor. In some embodiments, the UE 106 may include a combination of removable smart cards and fixed / non-removable smart cards (such as one or more eUICC cards that implement eSIM functionality) as needed. For example, the UE 106 may include two embedded SIMs, two removable SIMs, or a combination of one embedded SIM and one removable SIM. Various other SIM configurations are also contemplated.

[0141] As described above, in some embodiments, UE 106 may include two or more SIMs. Including two or more SIMs in UE 106 may allow UE 106 to support two different phone numbers, and may allow UE 106 to communicate on corresponding two or more corresponding networks. For example, a first SIM may support a first RAT such as LTE, and a second SIM may support a second RAT such as 5G NR. Of course, other implementations and RATs are also possible. In some embodiments, when UE 106 includes two SIMs, UE 106 may support dual card dual communication (DSDA) functionality. The DSDA functionality may allow UE 106 to be connected to two networks (and use two different RATs) at the same time, or allow two connections supported by two different SIMs using the same or different RATs to be maintained on the same or different networks at the same time. The DSDA functionality may also allow UE 106 to receive voice calls or data traffic on any phone number at the same time. In some embodiments, voice calls may be packet-switched communications. In other words, voice calls may be received using voice over LTE (VoLTE) technology and / or voice over NR (VoNR) technology. In some embodiments, the UE 106 may support dual SIM dual standby (DSDS) functionality. The DSDS functionality may allow either of the two SIMs in the UE 106 to standby for a voice call and / or data connection. In DSDS, when a call / data is established on one SIM, the other SIM is no longer active. In some embodiments, the DSDx functionality (DSDA or DSDS functionality) may be implemented using a single SIM (e.g., eUICC) that executes multiple SIM applications for different carriers and / or RATs.

[0142] As shown, SOC 400 may include a processor 402 that may execute program instructions for communication device 106 and a display circuit 404 that may perform graphics processing and provide display signals to display 460. Processor 402 may also be coupled to a memory management unit (MMU) 440 (which may be configured to receive addresses from processor 402 and convert those addresses to locations in memory (e.g., memory 406, read-only memory (ROM) 450, NAND flash memory 410)) and / or to other circuits or devices (such as display circuit 404, short-range to medium-range wireless communication circuit 429, cellular communication circuit 430, connector I / F 420, and / or display 460). MMU 440 may be configured to perform memory protection and page table translation or setup. In some embodiments, MMU 440 may be included as part of processor 402.

[0143] As described above, the communication device 106 can be configured to communicate using wireless and / or wired communication circuits. The communication device 106 can be configured to perform a method for beam failure recovery based on a unified TCI framework (e.g., in 5G NR systems and higher systems), as further described herein.

[0144] As described herein, the communication device 106 may include hardware and software components for implementing the above-described features of the communication device 106 to send a scheduling profile for power saving to the network. The processor 402 of the communication device 106 may be configured to implement some or all of the features described herein, for example, by executing program instructions stored on a memory medium (e.g., a non-transitory computer-readable memory medium). Alternatively (or in addition), the processor 402 may be configured as a programmable hardware element, such as an FPGA (field programmable gate array) or an ASIC (application-specific integrated circuit). Alternatively (or in addition), in combination with one or more of the other components 400, 404, 406, 410, 420, 429, 430, 440, 445, 450, 460, the processor 402 of the communication device 106 may be configured to implement some or all of the features described herein.

[0145] In addition, as described in the present invention, processor 402 may include one or more processing elements. Therefore, processor 402 may include one or more integrated circuits (ICs) configured to perform the functions of processor 402. In addition, each integrated circuit may include a circuit (e.g., a first circuit, a second circuit, etc.) configured to perform the functions of processor 402.

[0146] Further, as described herein, the cellular communication circuit 430 and the short-range to medium-range wireless communication circuit 429 may each include one or more processing elements. In other words, one or more processing elements may be included in the cellular communication circuit 430, and similarly, one or more processing elements may be included in the short-range to medium-range wireless communication circuit 429. Therefore, the cellular communication circuit 430 may include one or more integrated circuits (ICs) configured to perform the functions of the cellular communication circuit 430. In addition, each integrated circuit may include a circuit (e.g., a first circuit, a second circuit, etc.) configured to perform the functions of the cellular communication circuit 430. Similarly, the short-range to medium-range wireless communication circuit 429 may include one or more ICs configured to perform the functions of the short-range to medium-range wireless communication circuit 429. In addition, each integrated circuit may include a circuit (e.g., a first circuit, a second circuit, etc.) configured to perform the functions of the short-range to medium-range wireless communication circuit 429.

[0147] Figure 5 : Block diagram of a cellular communication circuit

[0148] Figure 5 An exemplary simplified block diagram of a cellular communication circuit according to some embodiments is shown. Note that Figure 5 The block diagram of the cellular communication circuit of is only one example of one possible cellular communication circuit. According to an embodiment, the cellular communication circuit 530 (which may be the cellular communication circuit 430) may be included in a communication device such as the communication device 106 described above. As described above, the communication device 106 may be a user equipment (UE) device, a mobile device or mobile station, a wireless device or wireless station, a desktop computer or computing device, a mobile computing device (e.g., a laptop, notebook, or portable computing device), a tablet computer, and / or a combination of devices, among other devices.

[0149] Cellular communication circuitry 530 may be (eg, communicatively; directly or indirectly) coupled to one or more antennas, such as ( Figure 4 In some embodiments, the cellular communication circuit 530 may include dedicated receive chains (including and / or coupled to (e.g., communicatively; directly or indirectly) dedicated processors and / or radio components) for multiple RATs (e.g., a first receive chain for LTE and a second receive chain for 5G-NR). For example, Figure 5 As shown, cellular communication circuitry 530 may include modem 510 and modem 520. Modem 510 may be configured for communication according to a first RAT, such as, for example, LTE or LTE-A, and modem 520 may be configured for communication according to a second RAT, such as, for example, 5G NR.

[0150] As shown, the modem 510 may include one or more processors 512 and a memory 516 in communication with the processor 512. The modem 510 may communicate with a radio frequency (RF) front end 530. The RF front end 530 may include circuits for transmitting and receiving radio signals. For example, the RF front end 530 may include a receiving circuit (RX) 532 and a transmitting circuit (TX) 534. In some embodiments, the receiving circuit 532 may communicate with a downlink (DL) front end 550, which may include circuits for receiving radio signals via an antenna 335a.

[0151] Similarly, the modem 520 may include one or more processors 522 and a memory 526 in communication with the processor 522. The modem 520 may communicate with the RF front end 540. The RF front end 540 may include circuits for transmitting and receiving radio signals. For example, the RF front end 540 may include a receiving circuit 542 and a transmitting circuit 544. In some embodiments, the receiving circuit 542 may communicate with the DL front end 560, which may include circuits for receiving radio signals via the antenna 335b.

[0152] In some embodiments, the switch 570 may couple the transmit circuit 534 to an uplink (UL) front end 572. In addition, the switch 570 may couple the transmit circuit 544 to the UL front end 572. The UL front end 572 may include circuitry for transmitting radio signals via the antenna 336. Thus, when the cellular communication circuit 530 receives an instruction to transmit according to a first RAT (e.g., via a transmit chain including the transmit circuit 534 and the UL front end 572) supported by the modem 510, the switch 570 may be switched to a first state that allows the modem 510 to transmit signals according to the first RAT (e.g., via a transmit chain including the transmit circuit 534 and the UL front end 572). Similarly, when the cellular communication circuit 530 receives an instruction to transmit according to a second RAT (e.g., via a transmit chain including the transmit circuit 544 and the UL front end 572) supported by the modem 520, the switch 570 may be switched to a second state that allows the modem 520 to transmit signals according to the second RAT (e.g., via a transmit chain including the transmit circuit 544 and the UL front end 572).

[0153] In some embodiments, the cellular communication circuit 530 may be configured to perform a method for beam failure recovery based on a unified TCI framework (e.g., in 5G NR systems and higher systems), as further described herein.

[0154] As described herein, the modem 510 may include hardware and software components for implementing the above-described features or for time-division multiplexing UL data for NSA NR operations and various other techniques described herein. For example, by executing program instructions stored on a memory medium (e.g., a non-transitory computer-readable memory medium), the processor 512 may be configured to implement part or all of the features described herein. Alternatively (or in addition), the processor 512 may be configured as a programmable hardware element such as an FPGA (field programmable gate array), or as an ASIC (application-specific integrated circuit). Alternatively (or in addition), in combination with one or more of the other components 530, 532, 534, 550, 570, 572, 335, and 336, the processor 512 may be configured to implement part or all of the feature parts described herein.

[0155] In addition, as described herein, processor 512 may include one or more processing elements. Thus, processor 512 may include one or more integrated circuits (ICs) configured to perform the functions of processor 512. In addition, each integrated circuit may include circuits (e.g., a first circuit, a second circuit, etc.) configured to perform the functions of processor 512.

[0156] As described herein, the modem 520 may include hardware and software components intended to implement the above-described features for transmitting a power-saving scheduling profile to a network, as well as various other techniques described herein. The processor 522 may be configured to implement part or all of the feature parts described herein, for example, by executing program instructions stored on a memory medium (e.g., a non-transitory computer-readable memory medium). Alternatively (or in addition), the processor 522 may be configured as a programmable hardware element such as an FPGA (field programmable gate array), or as an ASIC (application-specific integrated circuit). Alternatively (or additionally), in combination with one or more of the other components 540, 542, 544, 550, 570, 572, 335, and 336, the processor 522 may be configured to implement part or all of the feature parts described herein.

[0157] In addition, as described herein, processor 522 may include one or more processing elements. Thus, processor 522 may include one or more integrated circuits (ICs) configured to perform the functions of processor 522. In addition, each integrated circuit may include circuits (e.g., a first circuit, a second circuit, etc.) configured to perform the functions of processor 522.

[0158] Fig. 6A and 6B : 5G NR architecture with LTE

[0159] In some implementations, fifth generation (5G) wireless communications will initially be deployed concurrently with current wireless communications standards (e.g., LTE). For example, dual connectivity between LTE and 5G New Radio (5G NR or NR) has been specified as part of the initial deployment of NR. FIG. 6A to FIG. 6B As shown, the evolved packet core (EPC) network 600 may continue to communicate with the current LTE base station (e.g., eNB 602). In addition, the eNB 602 may communicate with the 5G NR base station (e.g., gNB 604), and data may be transferred between the core network 600 and the gNB 604. Thus, the EPC network 600 may be used (or reused), and the gNB 604 may serve as additional capacity for the user equipment, for example, to provide increased downlink throughput for the UE. In other words, LTE may be used for control plane signaling, and NR may be used for user plane signaling. Thus, LTE may be used to establish a connection with the network, and NR may be used for data services.

[0160] Figure 6BThe proposed protocol stack for the eNB 602 and the gNB 604 is shown. As shown, the eNB 602 may include a medium access control (MAC) layer 632 that interfaces with the radio link control (RLC) layers 622a-622b. The RLC layer 622a may also interface with the packet data convergence protocol (PDCP) layer 612a, and the RLC layer 622b may interface with the PDCP layer 612b. Similar to the dual connectivity specified in LTE-Advanced Release 12, the PDCP layer 612a may interface with the EPC network 600 via a master cell group (MCG) bearer, while the PDCP layer 612b may interface with the EPC network 600 via a separate bearer.

[0161] In addition, as shown, the gNB 604 may include a MAC layer 634 that interfaces with the RLC layers 624a-624b. The RLC layer 624a may interface with the PDCP layer 612b of the eNB 602 via an X2 interface for information exchange and / or coordination (e.g., scheduling UEs) between the eNB 602 and the gNB 604. In addition, the RLC layer 624b may interface with the PDCP layer 614. Similar to the dual connectivity specified in Advanced LTE Release 12, the PDCP layer 614 may interface with the EPC network 600 via a secondary cell group (SCG) bearer. Therefore, the eNB 602 may be considered a master node (MeNB) and the gNB 604 may be considered a secondary node (SgNB). In some cases, the UE may be required to maintain a connection with both the MeNB and the SgNB. In such a scenario, the MeNB may be used to maintain a radio resource control (RRC) connection with the EPC, while the SgNB may be used for capacity (e.g., additional downlink and / or uplink throughput).

[0162] Sync block index signaling

[0163] Synchronization signals are typically used in cellular communication systems to help wireless devices detect and acquire system information of cells of the cellular communication system. In other words, synchronization signals may be transmitted by a base station in a cellular network to allow a UE to detect and use information in the synchronization signal to properly communicate with the base station. According to various embodiments, there may be multiple types of synchronization signals, which may include any of a primary synchronization signal (PSS), a secondary synchronization signal (SSS), a physical broadcast channel (PBCH), and / or various other parts. Among various possibilities, the synchronization signal may provide / facilitate one or more aspects of cell detection / access, such as timing synchronization (e.g., symbol, time slot, subframe, and / or radio frame level timing), a physical cell identifier (cell ID), and / or part or all of the system information of a cell (e.g., a master information block (MIB), one or more system information blocks (SIBs), etc.).

[0164] The synchronization signals may be provided together or at different times, and may be transmitted according to any of a variety of transmission modes as desired. As one possibility (e.g., according to 3GPP LTE), the PSS, SSS, and PBCH may be provided at separate periodic intervals. As another possibility (e.g., according to 3GPP NR), the PSS, SSS, and PBCH may be provided together (e.g., using consecutive symbols) in each of a plurality of synchronization signal blocks transmitted according to a desired transmission mode. According to some embodiments, each periodic pattern of synchronization signals provided by a cell may be referred to as a synchronization signal burst set.

[0165] Method and apparatus for synchronization signal / PBCH block transmission in wireless communication

[0166] Extending current NR operation to 71 GHz has been the subject of recent research and work item discussions. In particular, it may be desirable to modify current SSB transmissions to accommodate this extension. For example, extending operation to the 71 GHz frequency range may require support for a 120 kHz subcarrier spacing (SCS) for synchronization signal blocks (SSBs) and a 120 kHz SCS for initial access-related signals / channels in the initial bandwidth part (BWP). In addition, various other higher frequency SCSs (e.g., 240 kHz, 480 kHz, 960 kHz) may also be used for SSB as well as additional SCSs (e.g., 480 kHz, 960 kHz) for initial access-related signals / channels in the initial BWP or in other situations other than initial access.

[0167] In addition, support of 480kHz and 960kHz SCS for initial access may be required in order to reduce power consumption on the UE side. More specifically, due to the fact that these SCS are generally optional features and therefore the UE may not support these SCS, the UE may waste valuable battery life performing cell search operations on an SCS that is ultimately not supported. Therefore, the embodiments described below attempt to provide a solution for assisting the UE so that the UE can identify an SSB with an optional SCS when performing a cell search or other functions.

[0168] Figure 7 — Method for determining subcarrier spacing by calculating frequency position using frequency step size

[0169] Figure 7 A method of determining subcarrier spacing by calculating frequency position using frequency step size according to some embodiments is shown.

[0170] In 702, the UE may use at least one step size when calculating the SSB frequency location. In other words, the UE may use at least one step size when determining the frequency location at which the UE searches for or monitors the SSB. For example, the UE may use different step sizes (e.g., Δ SCS) in frequency bands corresponding to different SCSs that may be mandatorily supported (e.g., 120 kHz SCS) or optionally supported (e.g., 240 kHz, 480 kHz, 960 kHz SCS). i ) to calculate the SSB frequency position. Additionally or alternatively, according to some embodiments, the step size can be characterized by the difference between the minimum channel bandwidth and the SSB bandwidth of the SCS, and a single step size can be used for all SSB SCSs (mandatory and optional) or only the optional SSB SCS. In addition, separate single step sizes can be used for different optional SSB SCSs or GSCN indexes can be used to calculate the SSB frequency position. In other words, by utilizing frequency steps (e.g., a synchronization raster with certain frequency intervals (e.g., step sizes)), the raster can be used to indicate the frequency position of a synchronization block that can be used by the UE for system acquisition when there is no explicit signaling of the synchronization block position.

[0171] In 704, based on the calculated SSB frequency position determined in 702, the UE may monitor the downlink frequency position to detect a synchronization block (SSB) from a cellular base station. For example, the UE may be capable of operating in a frequency band above 52.6 GHz in an unlicensed spectrum, and may be further configured to support higher frequency subcarrier spacing (e.g., 240 kHz, 480 kHz, 960 kHz). Thus, the UE may perform a cell search operation for initial access, and may potentially receive an SSB from a network (e.g., a base station) using the corresponding SCS. In other words, in order to attempt to communicate with the network and, more specifically, a particular cell of the network, the UE may monitor the downlink frequency position using the SCS.

[0172] Next, in 706, by monitoring the DL frequency position, the UE may determine the subcarrier spacing used by the cellular base station based at least in part on the step size. For example, as described above with respect to 704, the UE may calculate the SSB frequency position using a specific step size corresponding to a specific SCS, and may further determine the subcarrier spacing associated with the calculated SSB frequency position. Additionally or alternatively, the UE may use a step size characterized by a minimum channel bandwidth and an SSB bandwidth of a known SCS (e.g., an expected or searched SCS) to calculate the SSB frequency position and ultimately confirm or determine the step size of the subcarrier spacing expected based on the selected step size. In other words, by calculating the SSB frequency position (based on the step size) and knowing the subcarrier spacing and periodicity of the mandatory and / or optional SCSs (e.g., 120kHz, 240kHz, 480kHz, and 960kHz), the UE may confirm or determine the subcarrier spacing associated with the received SSB based on the calculated SSB frequency position using a synchronization raster.

[0173] The UE may utilize the determined subcarrier spacing when communicating with the cellular base station at 708. In other words, having determined the subcarrier spacing associated with the SSB (based on the calculated SSB frequency location using a particular step size), the UE may configure its future transmissions to support the subcarrier spacing and may attempt to communicate with the network (e.g., base station) by performing a cell search and cell attach procedure.

[0174] In some embodiments, at 702, the UE may use any of various combinations of one or more step sizes to calculate the frequency position used in monitoring the frequency position using the SSB. For example, the UE may be configured to use multiple step sizes when calculating the SSB frequency position. The UE may use a first step size to calculate the frequency position for a first set of SSB subcarrier spacings, and use a second step size to calculate the frequency position for a second set of SSB subcarrier spacings. In addition, when monitoring the downlink frequency position, the UE may be configured to use a first step size to calculate the frequency position for a first set of SSB subcarrier spacings that are mandatory according to a cellular communication standard, and use a second step size to calculate the frequency position for a second set of SSB subcarrier spacings that are optional according to the cellular communication standard.

[0175] Additionally or alternatively, at 702, the UE may be configured to use a respective different second step size for each of a plurality of SSB subcarrier spacings in a second set of SSB subcarrier spacings that are selectable according to a cellular communication standard. The second set of SSB subcarrier spacings may include 480 kHz and 960 kHz, etc. Furthermore, when monitoring downlink frequency positions, the UE may be configured to use a single step size when calculating frequency positions of all possible subcarrier spacings for SSB, including SSB subcarrier spacings that are mandatory according to a cellular communication standard and SSB subcarrier spacings that are selectable according to a cellular communication standard.

[0176] Figures 8 to 11 —SSB-SCS determination during initial access

[0177] A UE may employ multiple methods to perform an initial access procedure in an NR operating band having at least one optional SCS for an SSB. More specifically, the UE may employ multiple methods for the initial access procedure to determine the SCS (e.g., 480 kHz SCS and 960 kHz SCS) of an SSB associated with a given global synchronization channel number (GSCN) value that the UE may use for system acquisition.

[0178] In some embodiments, the UE may use different step sizes (e.g., Δ i ) to calculate the SSB frequency position SS for mandatory SSB SCS (e.g., 120kHz SCS) and optional SSB SCS (e.g., 480kHz / 960kHz SCS) REF For example, Δ0=17.28 can be used for mandatory SSB SCS and for optional SSB SCSi the step size Δ i (e.g., i=0,1 for 480kHz and 960kHz SCS, respectively) can be based on the minimum channel bandwidth within the frequency range FR3 with SCSi and the SSB bandwidth of the SCS In some embodiments, the step size may be characterized by the difference between the minimum channel bandwidth and the SSB bandwidth of the SCS (e.g., )where Δ1<Δ2.

[0179] In some embodiments, a single step size Δ may be used for all optional SSB SCSs. However, in this case, if the UE only supports a subset of the optional SCSs instead of all optional SCSs, the UE may also perform hypothetical detection of the SSB SCS.

[0180] Figure 8 —SSB-SCS correlation of synchronized grating positions in the frequency domain

[0181] Individual step sizes Δ i It may also be used for different optional SSB SCSi. For example, in some embodiments, the number of optional SSB SCSs may be limited to 1 to minimize the cell search complexity for UEs supporting more than one optional SCS. Figure 8 An example of the synchronization grating position of the SSB-SCS correlation in the frequency domain is shown. More specifically, Figure 8 shows the SCSΔ for different selectable SSB i A separate step size i is used. For example, in the case of three SCSs including one mandatory SCS (e.g., 120kHz SCS) and two optional SSB SCSs (e.g., 480kHz / 960kHz SCS), a 120kHz SCS-capable UE may, in some embodiments, only be able to receive the 480kHz / 960kHz SCS-capable UE in the 480kHz / 960kHz SCS-capable UE. Figure 8 The UE may perform a cell search on the frequency positions 810, 820, 830, 840, and / or 850 of the optional SSB SCS. In other words, the UE may save power (eg, reduce its power consumption) by not performing an additional cell search operation on the optional SSB SCS.

[0182] Fig. 9 - Non-interleaved Global Synchronization Channel (GSCN) allocation

[0183] In some embodiments, a single step size Δ may be used for all SCSs of an SSB, including both any mandatory SCS (e.g., 120 / 240kHz SCS) and any optional SSB SCS (e.g., 480 / 960kHz SCS). In addition, to reduce SSB detection complexity, supported GSCNs may be divided into different groups, and the association between SSB SCSs and GSCN groups may be hard-coded in the UE or specification.

[0184] In some embodiments, a certain number of GSCNs may be evenly split into N groups (e.g., groups with a one-to-one ratio), where the groups are reserved for supported SCSs within the frequency band. In addition, in some embodiments, a certain number of GSCNs may be allocated in a non-interleaved pattern. For example, Fig. 9 A non-interleaved synchronization raster determination for a frequency band having multiple SSB SCSs is shown. More specifically, Fig. 9 Three groups of GSCNs including mandatory SCS (eg, 120 kHz SCS corresponding to the 1st group of GSCNs) and optional SSB SCS (eg, 480 / 960 kHz SCS corresponding to the 2nd and 3rd groups of GSCNs) and their corresponding GSCN indexes are shown.

[0185] In addition, the non-interleaved allocation of GSCNs may be defined by G1=mod(T,N), where T represents the total number of GSCNs in the band and N represents the number of supported SCSs in the band. For example, if G1>0, group n, n=0, 1, ..., G1-1 may be composed of GSCN value indices n*K1+k, k=0, 1, ..., K1–1 where In addition, the group n, n = G1, G1 + 1, ..., N-1 can be composed of GSCN index G1 * K1 + (n-G1) * K2 + k, k = 0, 1, ..., K2-1 where Fig. 9 An example of such a non-interleaved GSCN group is shown, where it is assumed that T = 10, N = 3, G1 = 1, K1 = 4, and K2 = 3. Therefore, Fig. 9 As shown, group 1 may correspond to GSCN indices 0-3, group 2 may correspond to GSCN indices 4-6, and group 3 may correspond to GSCN indices 7-9.

[0186] Fig.10 - Interleaved GSCN allocation

[0187] As described above, a single step size Δ can be used for all SCSs of SSB, including mandatory SCSs (e.g., 120 / 240kHz SCSs) and optional SSB SCSs (e.g., 480 / 960kHz SCSs). In addition, to reduce the complexity of SSB detection, the supported GSCNs can be divided into different groups, and the association between the SSB SCSs and the GSCN groups can be hard-coded in the UE or in the cellular communication specification.

[0188] Furthermore, in some embodiments, a certain number of GSCNs may be allocated in an interleaved pattern. More specifically, the interleaved allocation of GSCNs may be defined by G1=mod(T,N) where T represents the total number of GSCNs in the band and N represents the number of supported SCSs in the band. Thus, group n, n=0, 1, ..., G1-1 may include GSCN value indexes k*N+n, k=0, 1, ..., K1–1 where In addition, groups n, n = G1, G1 + 1, ..., N may include GSCN indexes k*N + n, k = 0, 1, ..., K2-1 where Fig.10 An example of such a non-interleaved GSCN group for determining the synchronization raster of different SSB SCSs is shown, where it is assumed that T=10, N=3, G1=1, K1=4, and K2=3. Fig.10As shown, Group 1 may correspond to GSCNs for 120kHz SSB SCSs, indexed as 0, 3, 6, and 9, Group 2 may correspond to GSCNs for 480kHz SSB SCSs, indexed as 1, 4, and 7, and Group 3 may correspond to GSCNs for 960kHz SSB SCSs, indexed as 2, 5, and 8. This interleaved allocation of GSCNs may be preferred to the previously described GSCN allocation techniques because it may allow an increase in the number of component carriers (CCs) to be utilized with larger SCSs (e.g., 480kHz and 960kHz). Therefore, this may be more difficult than the previous non-interleaved example because the GSCN gaps may be defined using the minimum bandwidth (BW) for the smallest SCS. (e.g., 240kHz SCS).

[0189] Fig.11 —Offset-based synch raster determination for frequency bands with multiple SSB SCS

[0190] In some embodiments, a single step size Δ may be used for all but the different frequency offsets Or starting position S i All SCSs of the SSBs other than the SSBs to determine the SCSi for different SSBs More specifically, in some embodiments, the SSB frequency position for the GSCN value "0" of SCSi (where O>22255) can be determined as passing Additionally or alternatively, according to some embodiments, the starting frequency position for each SCS may be directly defined as Fig.11 The use of the aforementioned method to determine the SCSi for different SSBs is shown. Examples of synchronization grating determination for different SSB SCS. Fig.11 Three SSB SCSs in the frequency band are presented (120kHz, 480kHz and 960kHz respectively).

[0191] More specifically, Fig.11 An offset-based synchronization raster determination for a frequency band with multiple SSB SCSs is shown. For example, Fig.11 A single step size Δ is shown for three assumed SSB SCSs (120 kHz, 480 kHz, and 960 kHz, respectively), as and between 240kHz, and and between 480kHz, and and In addition, different frequency offset parameters corresponding to the frequency offset between 240kHz SCS SSB and 480kHz SCS SSB are also shown. and the frequency offset corresponding to 240kHz SCS SSB and 960kHz SCS SSB

[0192] Fig.12 - Modified System Information Block 4 (SIB4) indicating optional SCS of SSB

[0193] For inter-frequency cell reselection, according to some embodiments, the use of optional SSB SCS (i.e., 480kHz or 960kHz) may be explicitly provided for each listed carrier using System Information Block 4 (SIB4). In addition, at least one absolute radio frequency channel number (ARFCN) or GSCN with a mandatory SCS (e.g., 120kHz SCS) should be included in the frequency list provided by SIB4. Fig.12 A modified SIB4 according to some embodiments is shown to explicitly provide optional SSB SCS information for each listed frequency and cell. Fig.12 As shown, if the UE does not support SCS 960kHz, the UE may choose not to perform cell reselection on ARFCN3, ARFCN4 or ARFCN8. Similarly, if the UE does not support SCS 480kHz, the UE may choose not to perform cell reselection on ARFCN1 or ARFCN5.

[0194] Additionally, when considering the Cell Global Identity (CGI) reading to support the Automatic Neighbor Relations (ANR) functionality in frequency bands above 52.6 GHz, the optional SCS for the SSBs (i.e., 480 kHz or 960 kHz SCS) for CGI purposes may need to be restricted to non-GSCN locations. Furthermore, a key condition may relate to the frequency position of the SSB with the optional SCS provided by the ssbFrequency Information Element (IE) in the measurement configuration associated with the reporting configuration providing the reportCGIIE. Therefore, this should not correspond to the GSCN of the synchronization raster entry. This restriction to non-GSCN positions may be used to eliminate the possibility of using these optional SCSs for initial access during the cell selection procedure.

[0195] In some embodiments, the UE may determine an offset from the minimum resource block (RB) index of the CORESET for the Type0-PDCCH CSS setting to the minimum RB index of a common RB overlapping the first RB of the corresponding synchronization signal / physical broadcast channel (SS / PBCH) block based on the sum of two offsets O1 and O2. In addition, the offset O1 may be signaled by the IEcontrolResourceSetZero of the PBCH payload based on a table hard-coded in the UE or specification. In addition, the offset O2 may be determined as an offset from the minimum RB index of a common RB overlapping the first RB of the SS / PBCH block indicated in the measurement configuration to the minimum RB index of a common RB overlapping the first RB of the SS / PBCH block assumed to be located at the GSCN corresponding to the synchronization raster entry of the relevant cell configured for CGI reporting.

[0196] Fig.13 —SSB transmission with optional SCS for CGI reporting

[0197] Fig.13 An example of SSB 1330 transmission supporting CGI reporting functionality by allowing CORESET#0 1350 and type 0 search space for SIB1 acquisition according to some embodiments is shown. For example, by limiting SSB 1330 transmissions with optional SCS (480kHz and 960kHz SCS) to ARFCN 610 without a valid GSCN mapping (compared to ARFCN 1320 with a valid GSCN mapping), the network (e.g., base station or gNB) can effectively solve the problem of unnecessary power consumption of optional SCS SSB detection during cell search for UEs that do not support these optional SCS.

[0198] More specifically, if Fig.13 As shown, the UE may obtain the "O1" value based on the value of the IE "controlResourceSetZero" in the SSB 1330. Additionally, in some embodiments, the value of "O2" may be derived by the UE based on the lowest physical resource block (PRB) of the SSB 1330 on the ARFCN13, which value is provided in the CGI measurement configuration. Additionally or alternatively, the value of "O2" may be derived by the UE based on the lowest PRB of an assumed SSB 1340 on the ARFCN 1320 with a valid GSCN or based on the offset RB between the transmitted SSB and CORESET#0 for SIB1, where the received value is the sum of the "O1" value and the "O2" value.

[0199] In some embodiments, the modified SCS IESubcarrierSpacing may also be used to provide information of an optional SSB SCS for a target cell to UEs that report support of the corresponding optional SCS.

[0200] Sample IE:

[0201] SubcarrierSpacing::=ENUMERATED{kHz15,kHz30,kHz60,kHz120,kHz240,kHz480,kHz960,spare 1}

[0202] For example, in the SCell add / modify message, the measurement-related IEs may include at least: “MeasIdleCarrierNR-R16”, “MeasObjectNR”, and “MeasTiming” to convey the existence and exact values ​​of the optional SSB SCS information of the listed frequency bands as auxiliary information.

[0203] Method for SS / PBCH block transmission in wireless communication

[0204] As described above, new approaches related to initial access channels (e.g., SSB transmissions) may be needed to enable extension of NR operation up to 71 GHz in licensed and unlicensed bands. For example, support for up to 64 SSB beams for licensed and unlicensed operation in this frequency range has been analyzed, as well as support for a 120 kHz SCS for SSB and a 120 kHz SCS for initial access-related signals / channels in the initial bandwidth part (BWP). Additionally, support for SCS (240 kHz, 480 kHz, 960 kHz) for SSB and support for additional SCS (480 kHz, 960 kHz) for initial access-related signals / channels in the initial BWP has been analyzed, in addition to the potential need for additional SCS (480 kHz, 960 kHz) for SSB for situations other than initial access.

[0205] Therefore, there is a clear need to develop solutions for SSB transmissions with larger SCS (i.e., 480kHz and 960kHz SCS), in addition to considering the need for DL-UL switching gaps to enable UL short control transmissions between consecutive SSB transmissions. In addition, the power consumption for cell search also needs to be considered, which will decrease with the increased size of the larger SCS SSB transmission window. The embodiments described below attempt to provide solutions for assisting UEs so that the UE can effectively switch between different beam modes for candidate SSBs for various SCSs.

[0206] Fig.14—Method to indicate beam switching between candidate SSBs

[0207] Fig.14 A method for indicating beam switching between candidate SSBs according to some embodiments is shown. The method can be performed by a cellular base station in a cellular network. For example, as briefly described above, cell search operations can greatly affect the power consumption of the UE, especially in larger SCS transmission windows. Therefore, the method described below attempts to provide a mechanism for enabling UL short control transmissions between consecutive SSB transmissions by effectively switching between different beam modes for candidate SSBs for various SCSs.

[0208] At 1402, a base station (BS) may transmit a plurality of synchronization signal (SS) blocks according to a periodic pattern. For example, a synchronization signal block (SSB) may be transmitted in a pattern such that certain symbols in a time slot have the same index value whenever the SSB is transmitted according to the pattern. In other words, the symbols of the SSB may occupy the same position in the time slot whenever the SSB is transmitted in the periodic pattern.

[0209] Additionally, as part of 1402, in 1402a, the BS may transmit SS bursts, each including SS blocks (SSBs) transmitted in a periodic subset of the periodic pattern. In other words, the plurality of synchronization signals transmitted by the base station may be transmitted corresponding to a particular periodicity of a group or burst of one or more SSBs. For example, a first SS burst including three SSBs may be transmitted by the base station, followed by (after a particular time period) another SS including three more SSBs for measurement by the UE. Such a burst periodicity may be a subset of the periodic pattern corresponding to the plurality of SSBs transmitted by the base station.

[0210] Next, as part of 1402, in 1402b, the BS may include in each SS burst at least one symbol reserved for beam switching between two consecutive SSBs. For example, a synchronization signal block (SSB) may be transmitted in a pattern such that certain symbols in a time slot are reserved for beam switching. More specifically, the reserved beam switching symbols of the candidate SSBs may have indices corresponding to a periodic pattern such that the symbols are arranged in the time slot to allow different transmit beams to be used for two consecutive SSBs. In other words, by providing appropriate spacing between the reserved beam switching symbols (according to the periodic pattern), the UE may be able to more efficiently perform beam switching operations between consecutive SSBs.

[0211] Fig.15 —Candidate SSB modes for 480kHz and 960kHz SCS with multiplexing between CORESET 0 and SSB

[0212] In some embodiments, various “symmetric” SS / PBCH block (SSB) patterns can be implemented by reserving at least one symbol between two consecutive candidate SSBs for beam switching (e.g., symbols #6 and #7 in pattern 1). Fig.15 For a half-frame with SSB, the first symbol index for a candidate SSB may be determined as follows, where index 0 corresponds to the first symbol of the first slot in the half-frame. For example, Fig.15 In pattern #1 1510, the first symbol of the candidate SSB has index {2,9}+14*n, n=0,1,2,…,31. According to some embodiments, using this pattern, two symbols (i.e., symbols #6 and #13) can be reserved for SSB beam switching in a single time slot, so that different Tx beams #1530 and #1540 can be used for two consecutive SSBs.

[0213] about Fig.15 In mode #2 1520 in FIG. 1520 , the first symbol of the candidate SSB may have an index of 2+14*n, where n=0, 1, 2, ..., 63. According to some embodiments, mode #2 may be able to allocate more resources for SIB1 so that the same analog beam (e.g., Fig.15 The SSB, the associated CORESET 0 and SIB1 messages are transmitted on beam #1550 in the same beam without beam switching. Therefore, by transmitting the above resources on the same beam, one benefit may be that the switching gap overhead is minimized.

[0214] When determining from Fig.15 When determining the corresponding SSB mode for mode #1 and mode #2 in Sync Raster Entry (if both modes are supported), a variety of approaches may be considered. For example, in some embodiments, the different modes may be hard-coded in the UE or specification as a one-to-one mapping with different SCSs for the SSBs without explicit signaling. Furthermore, it may be assumed that the SCS for the SSBs is hard-coded in the 3GPP specification for each allowed GSCN for a sync raster entry.

[0215] In some embodiments, mode #2 may be used for 960kHz SCS SSB to avoid beam switching within a slot given the fact that the slot duration is quite short. On the other hand, mode #1 may be applied to 480kHz SCS, which may be beneficial for SSB beam scanning delay reduction and reduce UE power consumption and delay for cell search.

[0216] According to some embodiments, various alternatives may be considered to indicate one of the two SSB modes by using a 1-bit field in the master information block (MIB) or the PBCH payload. For example, according to some embodiments, the reserved 1-bit field "R" in the MIB payload may be utilized, the 1-bit field "subCarrierSpacingCommon" may be reused (assuming the same SCS between CORESET 0 / SIB and SSB may be used to indicate SSB), and / or the 1-bit a in the PBCH payload may be reused. A+5 (Assuming u for frequencies above the 52.6 GHz band SSB ≥u CORESET0 and k SSB ≤11, where u SSB ≥u CORESET0 The numbers representing SSB and CORESET 0 respectively) indicate the corresponding SSB mode.

[0217] Fig.16 - A 1-bit SSB mode index signaled by the second DMRS symbol transmitted through the PBCH

[0218] In some embodiments, the 1-bit SSB mode index b(0) may be obtained by using, for example, [w0, w1, ..., w 23 ] to scramble the CRC bits of PBCH, such as Fig.16 According to some embodiments, in another method, the DMRS sequence of the second PBCH symbol may be modulated to signal a 1-bit SSB mode index. and SSB block index (i SSB ) and use the equation Generate DMRS sequences for two PBCH symbols. In other words, the DMRS sequences for two different PBCH symbols may be the same.

[0219] In some embodiments, the 1-bit SSB mode index b(0) may be indicated or signaled by modulating the 1-bit information bit using binary phase shift keying (BPSK) to produce a single modulation symbol d(0), such as Fig.16 The modulation symbol d(0) can then be used to generate a reference symbol for PBCH transmission, as shown in 1620. Fig.16 shown.

[0220] Fig.17 — Example of SSBTW-based SSB mode in DBTW window with UL control signaling transmission

[0221] According to some embodiments, a set of consecutive N slotThe time slot gap may be reserved for UL transmission (e.g., hybrid automatic repeat request acknowledgement (HARQ-ACK), channel state information (CSI) feedback, or ultra-reliable low delay communication (URLLC) physical uplink shared channel (PUSCH) scheduling). Fig.17 As shown, the SSB time slot can be shown as a time slot consisting of SSB transmissions having mode 1 or mode 2. In addition, the SSB burst transmission window (SSBTW) can be shown as Fig.17 The window 1710 in FIG. 17 includes a first value K1 of consecutive SSB time slots and a second value K2 of consecutive time slots without SSB transmission. In addition, it is found that the burst transmission window (DBTW) can be shown as Fig.17 A periodic window 1710 in , which consists of consecutive "N" SSBTWs in the first S=N*(K1+K2) time slots.

[0222] Therefore, the number of symbols provided by the K2 slot needs to be at least large enough to accommodate the total amount of UL to DL switching, DL to UL switching operations and allowed DL / UL transmissions (e.g., Physical Uplink Control Channel (PUCCH)). Fig.17 Mode 1 in may be defined using the first symbol of a candidate SSB within a SSBTW with indices {2,9}+14*n, n=0,1,2,…,K1, where index 0 corresponds to the first symbol of the first slot in the SSBTW. In addition, Fig.17 Mode 2 in can be defined using the first symbol of the candidate SSB with index 2+14*n, n=0,1,2,…,K1, where index 0 corresponds to the first symbol of the first time slot in SSBTW.

[0223] Fig.18 —Exemplary sub-slot based SSB mode

[0224] In some embodiments, the SSB mode may be introduced to improve resource efficiency and minimize power consumption for cell search. Fig.18 As shown, the last SSB slot 1830 in an SSBTW with an even number may consist of one SSB transmission in the first half slot. Additionally, the first SSB slot 1840 in an SSBTW with an odd number may consist of one SSB transmission (rather than two SSBs as in other SSB slots in the same SSBTW). In doing so, UL / DL switching 1810 and 1820 may be performed within a half slot of slots 1830 or 1840, rather than puncturing two slots for the switching operation (assuming the UL / DL switching time value is less than or equal to 7 μs (i.e., a half slot for a 960 kHz SCS)).

[0225] therefore, Fig.18The values ​​of K1 and K2 time slots for SSB transmissions in may be defined in a variety of ways. For example, according to some embodiments, the values ​​of K1 and K2 may be hard-coded in the specification and may be generally applied to all new SCSs (i.e., 480kHz and 960kHz SCSs). Additionally or alternatively, in some embodiments, the values ​​of K1 and K2 may depend on the SSB SCS to ensure that the gap patterns are aligned in time between different new SCSs. In other words, the K1 and K2 values ​​may be scaled (e.g., multiplied by a digital factor) to ensure timing alignment between the gap patterns corresponding to the new SCSs.

[0226] Fig.19A and Fig.19B — SSBTW for exemplary time alignment of different new SCSs

[0227] Fig.19A and Fig.19B Two examples of SSBTW patterns for time alignment of the new 480kHz and 960kHz SCS according to some embodiments are shown. More specifically, FIG. 19a shows the K2 slot at the end of each "K1+K2" slot SSBTW reserved for UL / DL switching and PUCCH / PUSCH transmission. Fig.19A It is further shown in<K1,K2> Can be hard-coded to <4,2> and <8,4> for 480kHz and 960kHz SCS respectively to align the interstitial slots.

[0228] exist Fig.19B In FIG. 1 , assuming that a reference time slot (e.g., a 120 kHz SCS time slot) can be used as a reference for defining the SSBTW for a larger SCS, K1+K2=4 for a 480 kHz SCS and K1+K2=8 for a 240 kHz SCS are shown. Fig.19B It is further shown in<K1,K2> Can be hard-coded to <2,2> or <4,4> for 480kHz and 960kHz SCS to align interstitial slots.

[0229] Method and apparatus for discovering burst transmission window operation in wireless communications

[0230] As mentioned above, there are many studies and work item discussions related to extending current NR operation to 71 GHz. In order to facilitate NR operation at these high frequencies, it may be desirable to modify the SSB transmissions in the discovery burst transmission window. In particular, extending operation to the 71 GHz frequency range has introduced the need for specific restrictions on transmissions in this extension. For example, compared to the 5 GHz and 6 GHz bands, the 52.6 GHz band and above does not limit the number of control transmissions, but rather the total duration of transmissions within the observation period. More specifically, a margin of up to 10% of control frame transmissions without performing LBT may be allowed within a 100 ms observation period.

[0231] For 480kHz and 960kHz SCS, 64 beams with 20ms discovery reference signal (DRS) periodicity can count 2.86% and 1.43% of the broadcast time, which is less than the 10% margin for short control signaling in the 100ms observation window. In addition, when calculating the short control signaling broadcast time, according to some embodiments, SS / PBCH symbols can only be counted and the orthogonal frequency division multiplexing (OFDM) symbols between SSBs should not be excluded from the calculation. Therefore, with respect to 120kHz SCS with 64SSBs and 20ms periodicity, a problem becomes apparent. More specifically, the overhead can be calculated using 0.125*8 / 14*32*5 / 100=11.43%, which exceeds the 10% limit.

[0232] With respect to SSB transmissions above the 52.6 GHz band, and in particular for unlicensed bands that require listen before talk (LBT), it may be desirable to support discovery bursts (DB) and discovery burst transmission windows (DBTW) for at least 120 kHz SSB SCS. More specifically, if DB is supported, it may be further desirable to determine the signals and channels (in addition to SS / PBCH blocks) included in the DB. In addition, if DBTW is supported, it may be further desirable to incorporate a support mechanism to indicate or inform the enable / disable of DBTW for idle and connected mode UEs. In addition, it may be desirable to determine how to support UEs that do not have any prior information on DBTW to perform initial access. In addition, if DBTW is supported, the PBCH payload size may be less than or equal to the payload size specified for FR2, the duration of DBTW may be less than or equal to 5 ms, and the number of PBCH DMRS sequences may be the same as in FR2.

[0233] Therefore, the embodiments described herein are directed to a mechanism for effectively enabling and / or disabling DBTW, and providing auxiliary information about the presence of DBTW prior to initial access. The embodiments described below attempt to provide a solution for assisting UEs so that the UEs can effectively determine about the presence of DBTW and act accordingly. In addition, the embodiments described below attempt to provide a solution for assisting UEs via a mechanism for indicating candidate SSB indices and quasi-co-location (QCL) relationships, without exceeding the above-mentioned limitations on the PBCH payload size.

[0234] Fig. 20 —Method to indicate the presence of DPTW in a candidate SCS

[0235] Fig. 20 Methods for indicating the presence of a DPTW in a candidate SCS according to some embodiments are shown.

[0236] For example, in 2002, a base station (BS) may transmit a plurality of synchronization signal blocks (SSBs) to one or more user equipments (UEs). More specifically, the synchronization signal may indicate one or more aspects of cell detection / access of a cell, such as timing synchronization (e.g., symbol, slot, subframe, and / or radio frame level timing) for the cell. Thus, the UE may receive and measure these SSBs to attempt to determine whether any operations or configuration changes are needed to support additional communications with the network according to the parameters indicated by the transmitting cell.

[0237] As part of 2002, in 2002a, the BS may include a value in the SSB or PBCH payload indicating the presence of a discovery burst transmission window (DBTW). For example, the transmission may include information or values ​​corresponding to GSCN indices, which in turn may correspond to the presence or absence of the DBTW. Additionally or alternatively, the transmission from the BS may include information included as a SIB4 symbol in a modified bit field, DMRS symbol, or other various elements to indicate the presence or absence of the DBTW. In other words, the BS may explicitly attempt to inform the UE of the presence of the DBTW in order to allow the UE to take appropriate action in response to receiving the indication.

[0238] Next, the BS may transmit additional SSBs in the DBTW in 2004. In other words, based on the information received from the BS indicating the presence of the DBTW, the UE may configure its future transmissions to support the DBTW and may attempt to communicate with the network (e.g., base station) by performing a cell attachment procedure.

[0239] Fig.21 - 120kHz and 240kHz SCS

[0240] In NR, 120kHz and 240kHz SSBs may be specified with a total maximum of 64SSBs per SSB burst. In addition, with respect to 120kHz subcarrier spacing, the starting position of each SSB may be defined as {4,8,16,20}+28n, where n=0,1,2,3,5,6,7,8,10,11,12,13,15,16,17,18. Similarly, with respect to 240kHz subcarrier spacing, the starting position of each SSB may be defined as {8,12,16,20,32,36,40,44}+56n, where n=0,1,2,3,5,6,7,8. Fig.21 An example of 120kHz and 240kHz subcarrier spacing in a 5ms half-frame containing their corresponding CORESET#0, SSB, SIB1 and beam switching symbols, and the SSB starting position in the extended portion of 2 time slots in the 5ms half-frame according to some embodiments is shown.

[0241] In some embodiments, the potential presence of DBTW may be hard-coded in the specification on a per-band basis, or a mechanism may be used to provide a priori knowledge of the presence of a discovery burst transmission window (DBTW) for a given frequency. In other words, the provided prior knowledge of DBTW may only be applied to a given frequency band that indicates the potential presence of DBTW due to regional LBT regulation requirements.

[0242] Fig. 22 — Pre-allocated DBTW presence indication based on GSCN value

[0243] In some embodiments, the mechanism for indicating the presence of a DBTW may be GSCN-based. For example, different synchronization raster values ​​(i.e., global synchronization channel numbers (GSCNs)) may be defined and may be associated with different DBTW configurations. In some embodiments, two GSCNs may be reserved for component carriers (CCs), such as Fig. 22 As shown, the first GSCN 2210 may be used for SSB transmission with DBTW, while the second GSCN 2220 may be used for SSB transmission without DBTW. Therefore, when the UE performs a cell search on the corresponding GSCN value, the DBTW may be assumed respectively.

[0244] According to some embodiments, additionally or alternatively, GSCN with DBTW ( Fig. 22 ) can be compared with the GSCN without DBTW ( Fig. 22 For example, a single offset value may be hard-coded in the specification for a particular frequency range, and / or different offset values ​​may be defined for each frequency band within the frequency range.

[0245] In some embodiments involving multiple GSCNs for a frequency band, GSCNs with even numbers may be used for Type 1 GSCNs to indicate the presence of DBTW, and odd GSCN numbers may be reserved for Type 2 GSCNs to transmit SSBs without DBTW.

[0246] Additionally or alternatively, the step size Δ2 of the Type 2 GSCN may be compared to a relatively larger GSCN step size Δ1 that may correspond to the Type 1 GSCN, where Δ1 may be defined as an integer where Δ1=K*Δ1, K≥1.

[0247] Fig. 22 At least some of the foregoing embodiments are shown. Fig. 22 As shown, with respect to option 22-1, according to some embodiments, GSCNs 2210 and 2220 may be predefined in the specification to be associated with different configurations (e.g., with or without DBTW). Additionally or alternatively, instead of indicating a GSCN 2240 for Type 1, option 22-3 shows the UE's derivation of a Type 1 GSCN based on a predefined value relative to a Type 2 GSCN 2230 in the same CC.

[0248] In addition, in Fig. 22 In some embodiments related to option 22-3 shown in FIG, Type 1 and / or Type 2 GSCN may be known at the UE side based on even or odd GSCN values ​​as described above. Additionally or alternatively, Fig. 22 Option 22-4 is shown, where the step size of Type 1 GSCN is K times that of Type 2 GSCN and is hard-coded in the specification.

[0249] Fig.23 - DBTW presence indication by reusing existing fields of PBCH payload

[0250] Fig.23 An exemplary method of reusing an existing field in the PBCH payload as a way to indicate the presence of DBTW according to some embodiments is shown. For example, a reserved bit field "R" in the MIB may be used to indicate the presence of DBTW for the corresponding frequency band. More specifically, according to some embodiments, when the R field is set to "0", it may indicate that the UE disables DBTW, and if the R field is set to "1", it may indicate that the UE enables DBTW.

[0251] In some embodiments, the same SCS may be used for SSB and associated CORESET 0. Therefore, with the same restrictions, the 1-bit "subCarrierSpacingCommon" field in the PBCH payload may be reused to indicate the presence of DBTW, using "0" and "1" to indicate disabling / enabling DBTW, respectively.

[0252] Similarly, according to some embodiments, by restricting the same SCS between an SSB and the associated CORESET0, the “ssb-SubcarrierOffset” (i.e., k SSB ) can be reused to indicate the presence of DBTW with the help of "0" and "1" values. In addition, the frequency domain offset between the SSB and the overall resource block grid can be restricted to even numbers (i.e., 0, 2, 4, ..., 14) by using the three most significant bits (MSBs) of "ssb-SubcarrierOffset", as shown in Fig.24 shown.

[0253] In some embodiments, the 1 MSB of "controlResourceSetZero" in "pdcch-ConfigSIB1" may be reused to indicate the presence of DBTW taking into account the fact that only eight entries are used for {SSB,PDCCH}={120,120}kHz configuration. Additionally or alternatively, one of the three MSBs of "searchSpaceZero" in "pdcch-ConfigSIB1" may be used to indicate the presence of DBTW taking into account the condition that Mode-3 is used for SSB and CORESET#0 multiplexing.

[0254] Additionally or alternatively, according to some embodiments, the 1-bit "DMRS-TypeA-Position" may also be reused assuming a fixed value (ie, pos2 or pos3), which may be hard-coded in the specification for the frequency range. Since LTE is not used in this frequency range because it is a re-beam forming system, pos2 may be sufficient for PDCCH transmission. The following sample code block illustrates at least some of the above embodiments for reusing existing fields in the PBCH payload.

[0255] Example code block:

[0256] MIB::=SEQUENCE{

[0257] SystemFrameNumber BIT STRING(SIZE(6)),

[0258] subCarrierSpacingCommon ENUMERATED{scs15or60,scs30or120},

[0259] ssb-SubcarrierOffset INTEGER(0..15),

[0260] dmrs-TypeA-Position ENUMERATED{pos2,pos3},

[0261] pdcch-ConfigSIB1 PDCCH-ConfigSIB1

[0262] cellBarred ENUMERATED{barred,notBarred},

[0263] intraFreqReselection ENUMERATED{allowed,notAllowed},

[0264] DBTW ENUMERATED{enabled}

[0265] }

[0266] PDCCH-ConfigSIB1::=SEQUENCE{

[0267] controlResourceSetZero ControlResourceSetZero,

[0268] searchSpaceZero SearchSpaceZero

[0269] }

[0270] Fig.24 — The presence of DBTW signaled using the second DMRS symbol transmitted on the PBCH

[0271] Fig.24 A second DMRS symbol transmitted using PBCH is shown according to some embodiments to indicate the presence of DBTW. For example, the 1-bit DBTW presence information b(0) may be transmitted using a scrambling sequence such as [w0, w1, ..., w 23 ] is carried by scrambling the CRC bits of the PBCH, such as Fig.24 In another method, according to some embodiments, the DMRS sequence of the second PBCH symbol may be modulated. For example, based on the cell and SSB block index (i SSB ) and use the equation Generate DMRS sequences for two PBCH symbols. In other words, the DMRS sequences for two different PBCH symbols may be the same.

[0272] In some embodiments, the 1-bit DBTW presence information b(0) may be indicated or signaled by modulating the information bit to generate a single modulation symbol d(0), such as Fig.24 The modulation symbol d(0) can then be used to generate a reference symbol for PBCH transmission, as shown in 2420 in FIG. Fig.24 shown.

[0273] Fig.25 — The presence of DBTW in the ARFCN indicated by SIB4 and the associated Q value

[0274] Fig.25 The presence of DBTW and associated Q values ​​in multiple ARFCNs as indicated by SIB4 according to some embodiments are shown. In other words, information about the presence of DBTW and the value of Q (if DBTW is enabled) may be provided in different higher layer signals. For example, for inter-frequency cell reselection, the presence of DBTW and the corresponding Q value may be explicitly provided for each listed carrier by using system information block 4 (SIB4). Fig.25 An example of a SIB4 configuration according to some embodiments is shown to provide explicit DBTW presence information, such as enabled DBTW and a specific Q value. More specifically, Fig.26 2520 shows that DBTW enabled on AFRCN #1, #2, and #3 has Q values ​​of 2, 4, and 8, respectively.

[0275] In addition, for SCell addition and / or modification, the presence of DBTW for each SCell may be included in the sCellToAddModList and the Q value may be provided separately in the sCellConfigCommon and sCellConfigDedicated IEs for the SCell or SCG (if DBTW is enabled).

[0276] In some embodiments involving radio resource management (RRM) measurements of neighbor cells in IDLE, inactive, and connected states, the DBTW presence and corresponding Q value may be broadcast in the SIB (e.g., SIB2 for intra-frequency neighbor cells and SIB3 for intra-frequency cell reselection) and / or in a dedicated RRC signaling measObjectNR for the serving cell.

[0277] Furthermore, in some embodiments, a common Q value may be signaled from the serving cell for the listed neighboring cells, which may override the value signaled by the SIB message. Additionally, it may be assumed that the DBTW window exists during the initial access procedure unless disabled by the base station (e.g., gNB) after the initial access via broadcast SIB information or dedicated radio resource control (RRC) signaling. Furthermore, according to some embodiments, such information regarding whether DBTW is enabled or disabled may be stored as part of the cell information and then utilized in the cell selection procedure of the UE.

[0278] Candidate SSB index and QCL relationship

[0279] In some embodiments, the parameter "Q" may be used to indicate a quasi-co-site (QCL) relationship between the candidatesSSB locations on the frequency indicated by ssbFrequency for operation with shared spectrum channel access. For example, a set of integer values ​​may be hard-coded in the specification for Q signaling such as <32,64>. Additionally or alternatively, according to some embodiments, fractional values ​​may be introduced to support finer granularity of the number of DL SSB beams.

[0280] With respect to indicating a quasi-co-location (QCL) relationship between the candidatesSSB positions on the frequency indicated by ssbFrequency, reusing an existing field in the PBCH payload may provide a mechanism for indicating the relationship with the parameter "Q". In addition, in some embodiments, if the candidate Q value is greater than 2, more than one existing field in the PBCH payload for DBTW signaling may be reused. For example, according to some embodiments, the 1-bit "subCarrierSpacingCommon" field and the 1-bit LSB of ssb-SubcarrierOffset may be used together to indicate a 2-bit Q value.

[0281] In addition, a scrambling sequence such as [w0, w1, …, w 23 ] to scramble the CRC bits of PBCH, such as Fig.24 In addition, in the case of 2 bits, in addition to Fig.24 In addition to the sequence defined in 2410, two additional scrambling sequences can also be defined.

[0282] Additionally or alternatively, according to some embodiments, the DMRS sequence of the second PBCH symbol may be modulated based on the Q value. Furthermore, in the example of the 2-bit Q value mentioned previously, QPSK modulation instead of BPSK modulation may be used for d(0), such as Fig.24 The 2420 is shown.

[0283] In some embodiments, the duration of a DBTW may be less than or equal to 5 ms. Therefore, the maximum number of candidate SSBs within a DMTW may be limited to in For 120kHz SSB SCS.

[0284] A variety of methods may be utilized to determine candidate SSBs that are quasi-co-located with respect to average gain and quasi-co-located "Type A" and "Type D" characteristics (hereinafter referred to as QCLed candidate SSBs). For example, according to some embodiments, within DBTW, a combination of L1 SSBs used as short control signaling without LBT and L2 SSBs transmitted with LBT operation may be assumed at the UE side.

[0285] In one embodiment, L1=56, accounting for 0.125*8 / 14*28=2ms, assuming the SSB period is 20ms, further accounting for 10% of the 100ms observation period. Therefore, for the paired Q value and L2, the relationship may need to be satisfied To support L = L1 + L2 DL physical beams. Correspondingly, the value of Q can be signaled and can also indicate a pair of<L1,L2,Q> Values ​​such as<L1=48,L2=16,Q=2> or<L1=56,L2=8,Q=3> In order to support up to L = 64 physical beams, such as Fig.26 shown.

[0286] In some embodiments, once the Q value signaled by the base station (e.g., gNB) has been obtained, the pair<L1,L2,Q> The value may be hard-coded in the specification and the UE may derive<L1,L2> value.

[0287] For example, Fig.26 As shown in 2610, L1=56SSB has a fixed position within the 5ms DRS window and remains under the short control signaling rule corresponding to L2=8SSB, where Q=3, and. In addition, as Fig.26 As shown in 2620, L1=48SSB has a fixed position within the 5ms DRS window and remains under the short control signaling rule corresponding to L2=16SSB, where Q=2.

[0288] In some embodiments, the DB may include a set of signals and / or channels that are defined within the DBTW and associated with a duty cycle. For example, the DB may include an SSB, CORESET#0 that schedules the SIB1 physical downlink control channel (PDCCH), the SIB1 PDSCH, and / or a non-zero power channel state information resource set (NZP-CSI-RS). However, the base station (e.g., gNB) scheduler may decide to select a channel / signal without LBT operation. In other words, the base station may apply a short control signal exemption corresponding to a restriction of 10% control frame transmission without performing LBT that is satisfied within an observation period of 100ms.

[0289] In addition, the candidate SS / PBCH blocks in the half-frame can be from 0 to The UE may assume or know that the SS / PBCH blocks in the serving cell are quasi-co-located QCLed candidate SSBs within the same DBTW or across DBTWs.

[0290] For example, according to some embodiments, as a first option, one value of (L mod Q) may be the same between SS / PBCH blocks, and thus the SS / PBCH blocks may be quasi-co-located QCLed candidate SSBs. Additionally or alternatively as a second option, if If a value of is the same between SS / PBCH blocks, then the SS / PBCH blocks can be quasi-co-located QCLed candidate SSBs.

[0291] Furthermore, for the first and second options described above, the physical meaning of the "Q" parameter may be fundamentally different. For example, in the first option, the value of Q may be equal to the number of physical beams (e.g., <56,64>), while in the second option, the value of Q may define the number of repetitions for a given DL beam.

[0292] Fig. 27 — Time-shifted SSB transmission for frequency range (FR) 3

[0293] Fig. 27 An example of a time-shifted SSB transmission within a 5 ms DBTW window according to some embodiments is shown. Fig. 27 As shown, each block may consist of two SSB blocks, with a total of 80 candidate SSBs within the 5ms DBTW window, of which 40 blocks are indexed from 0 to 39. Regarding option 2710, it may be assumed that Q=64 is signaled by the network (e.g., a base station or gNB). Correspondingly, the first candidate SSB index 0-15 may have QCLed SSB candidates with indexes 64-79.

[0294] Additionally or alternatively in option 2720, it may be assumed that Q=2 is signaled by the network or base station. Correspondingly, the first candidate SSB index 0-39 has QCLed SSB candidates with indexes 40-79.

[0295] It is understood that the use of personally identifiable information should be subject to privacy policies and practices that are generally recognized to meet or exceed industry or government requirements for maintaining user privacy. Specifically, personally identifiable information data should be managed and processed to minimize the risk of unintentional or unauthorized access or use, and the nature of the authorized use should be clearly stated to users.

[0296] The embodiments of the present disclosure may be implemented in any of a variety of forms. For example, some embodiments may be implemented as computer-implemented methods, computer-readable storage media, or computer systems. Other embodiments may be implemented using one or more custom-designed hardware devices such as ASICs. Other embodiments may be implemented using one or more programmable hardware elements such as FPGAs.

[0297] In some embodiments, a non-transitory computer-readable storage medium may be configured such that it stores program instructions and / or data, wherein if the program instructions are executed by a computer system, the computer system is caused to perform a method, such as any one of the method embodiments described herein, or any combination of the method embodiments described herein, or any subset of any of the method embodiments described herein or any combination of such subsets.

[0298] In some embodiments, a device (e.g., UE 106) may be configured to include a processor (or a group of processors) and a memory medium, wherein the memory medium stores program instructions, wherein the processor is configured to read and execute the program instructions from the memory medium, wherein the program instructions are executable to implement any of the various method implementations described herein (or any combination of the method implementations described herein, or any subset of any of the method implementations described herein, or any combination of such subsets). The device may be implemented in any of various forms.

[0299] By interpreting each message / signal X received by a user equipment (UE) in the downlink as a message / signal X transmitted by the base station, and interpreting each message / signal Y transmitted by the UE in the uplink as a message / signal Y received by the base station, any of the methods for operating a UE described herein may become the basis for the corresponding method for operating a base station.

[0300] Although the above embodiments have been described in considerable detail, numerous variations and modifications will become apparent to those skilled in the art once the above disclosure is fully appreciated. It is intended that the following claims be interpreted to encompass all such variations and modifications.

Claims

1. A method for transmitting synchronization signals and physical broadcast channel blocks in wireless communications, comprising: Transmitting synchronization signaling SS, the SS comprising a plurality of SS blocks SSB, the plurality of SSBs being transmitted according to a first mode, wherein for the first mode, for an SSB having a subcarrier spacing of 480 kHz or 960 kHz, a first symbol index for a candidate SSB depends on the equation {2,9}+14*n, n=0,1,2,…,31, wherein the SS comprises a first parameter Q for indicating a quasi-co-located QCL relationship between candidate SSB positions on a frequency indicated by a frequency of the SSB for operation with shared spectrum channel access, wherein a set of integer values ​​is hard-coded in the specification for Q signaling, and wherein the set corresponds to <32,64>.

2. The method according to claim 1, Wherein the plurality of SSBs are included in a half-frame, and wherein for the half-frame, a first symbol of the second periodic pattern comprises an index for a candidate SSB according to an equation 2+14*n, n=0,1,2,…,63.

3. The method according to claim 1, The one or more SS bursts including the plurality of SSBs further include two symbols reserved for SSB beam switching in a single time slot so that different transmit beams can be used for two consecutive SSBs.

4. The method according to claim 1, The first mode provides additional resources for system information block 1 SIB1, so that the SS block, the associated CORESET 0 and SIB1 message can be transmitted using the same analog beam in a single time slot without beam switching.

5. The method according to claim 1, The method further includes using one or more SSB modes among a plurality of SSB modes, wherein each of the modes is defined in a cellular communication specification and has a one-to-one mapping with a different subcarrier spacing of the SSB.

6. The method according to claim 1, The method further includes using one or more SSB modes among a plurality of SSB modes, and providing signaling to a user equipment UE to indicate one SSB mode among the plurality of SSB modes.

7. The method according to claim 6, The signaling includes a reserved 1-bit field "R" in the master information block MIB payload to indicate the corresponding SSB mode.

8. The method according to claim 6, The signaling includes reusing the subCarrierSpacingCommon field to indicate the corresponding SSB mode.

9. The method according to claim 6, The signaling includes reusing a field in a physical broadcast channel (PBCH) payload to indicate a corresponding SSB mode.

10. The method according to claim 6, The signaling includes an SSB mode index specified by selecting a scrambling sequence for scrambling cyclic redundancy check CRC bits.

11. The method according to claim 6, The signaling includes a demodulation reference signal DMRS sequence for modulating a second physical broadcast channel PBCH symbol.

12. The method according to claim 1, Further comprising transmitting a plurality of consecutive SSB burst transmission windows, wherein each SSB burst transmission window comprises K1 consecutive SSB time slots followed by K2 consecutive time slots reserved for other uplink and / or downlink transmissions.

13. The method according to claim 12, in, In an even-numbered SSB transmission window, the last SSB time slot of the SSB transmission window includes only one SSB transmission in the first half of the last time slot.

14. The method according to claim 12, in, In an odd-numbered SSB transmission window, a first SSB time slot of the SSB transmission window includes only one SSB transmission, wherein other SSB time slots in the same SSB transmission window have two SSB transmissions.

15. The method according to claim 12, The values ​​of K1 and K2 depend on the SSB subcarrier spacing to ensure that the gap pattern is aligned in time between different new subcarrier spacings.

16. A method for transmitting synchronization signals and physical broadcast channel blocks in wireless communications, comprising: Synchronization signaling SS is received according to a first mode, the SS comprising a plurality of SS blocks SSB, wherein for the first mode, for an SSB having a subcarrier spacing of 480 kHz or 960 kHz, a first symbol index for a candidate SSB depends on an equation {2,9}+14*n, n=0,1,2,…,31, wherein the SS comprises a first parameter Q for indicating a quasi-co-located QCL relationship between candidate SSB positions on a frequency indicated by a second parameter ssbFrequency for operation with shared spectrum channel access, wherein a set of integer values ​​is hard-coded in the specification for Q signaling, and wherein the set corresponds to <32,64>.

17. The method of claim 16, further comprising receiving a plurality of consecutive SSB burst transmission windows, wherein each SSB burst transmission window comprises K1 consecutive SSB time slots followed by K2 consecutive time slots reserved for other uplink and / or downlink transmissions.

18. The method according to claim 17, Wherein in an even-numbered SSB transmission window, the last SSB time slot of the SSB transmission window includes only one SSB transmission in the first half of the last time slot.

19. An apparatus for transmitting synchronization signals and physical broadcast channel blocks in wireless communications, comprising: The processor is configured to, when executing the instructions stored in the memory, cause the user equipment UE to perform the method according to any one of claims 16-18.

20. The apparatus according to claim 19, further comprising: A radio is operatively coupled to the processor.

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