Vehicle, infrastructure, transceiver, device, method and computer program for determining a physical layer configuration for a radio link

Abstract

Embodiments of the present disclosure relate to vehicles, infrastructure, transceivers, devices, methods and computer programs for determining a physical layer configuration for a radio link for a communication system. A method (10) for determining a physical layer configuration for a radio link at a first transceiver (100), the first transceiver (100) being used to communicate with a second transceiver (200) via the radio link, the method (10) comprising: obtaining (12) information related to an environment and a mobility state of the first transceiver and the second transceiver (100; 200); estimating (14) radio conditions of the radio link based on the information related to the environment and the mobility state of the first transceiver and the second transceiver (100; 200); and determining (16) a physical layer configuration for the radio link based on the radio conditions.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] Embodiments of the present disclosure relate to vehicles, infrastructure, transceivers, devices, methods and computer programs for determining the physical layer configuration of a radio link for a communication system, and more particularly but not exclusively to concepts for more efficiently determining the physical layer configuration using environmental and mobile state information of transceivers in a mobile communication system. Background Art

[0002] The physical layer configuration of modern mobile communication systems is becoming more and more adaptable. In order to adapt to the greatly changing radio environment, more and more parameters can be adjusted to achieve high spectral efficiency. Most of the mobile communication systems use reference signaling to achieve channel estimation, which forms the basis for parameter adjustment such as modulation and coding configuration.

[0003] Document US2020 / 0007247A1 describes a concept in which a first device communicates with a second device, including transmitting or receiving a first transmission. The first device receives information about the second device from a sensor at the first device and / or from a BSM (Basic Safety Message). The device determines whether the first device and the second device are in a LOS (line of sight) condition based on a correlation of the information with one or more of a channel estimate, a PMI (precoder matrix index) feedback, or an R1 (rank indicator) feedback. The device may adapt transmission parameters for the second transmission based on a predicted location of the first device or the second device.

[0004] Document US2016 / 0080961A1 relates to a quasi-fifth generation (5G) or 5G communication system to be provided to support higher data rates beyond fourth generation (4G) communication systems such as long term evolution (LTE). A filter bank-based channel state reporting and resource allocation method and device for use in a wireless communication system are provided. A channel state reporting method for a receiver in a filter bank-based wireless communication system includes receiving filter bank information about at least two filter banks from a transmitter, measuring a channel state of each of the at least two filter banks based on the filter bank information, and transmitting channel state information to the transmitter, the channel state information being generated based on the measurement results.

[0005] Document EP3611891A1 relates to a signal processing device and method capable of reducing the degradation of receiving sensitivity. The received signal is corrected using channel information obtained from a plurality of frequency samples, which are important components extracted from frequency samples of known information included in the received signal. The concept can be applied to, for example, signal processing devices, transmitting devices, receiving devices, transceiver devices, communication devices, information processing devices, electronic devices, computers, programs, storage media, systems and the like.

[0006] Document EP3579465A1 provides a method and apparatus for determining a modulation and coding scheme (MCS) to be applied to data in a wireless communication system. In particular, the method may include the following steps: reporting channel state information to a base station, the channel state information including a first measurement value related to the channel state between a terminal and a base station; receiving at least one downlink reference signal from the base station; calculating a second measurement value related to the channel state by using the received at least one downlink reference signal; when the second measurement value is equal to or less than a preconfigured threshold compared to the first measurement value, transmitting a specific uplink signal to the base station, the uplink signal requesting a change in the MCS assigned to the downlink data; and receiving downlink data from the base station, the changed MCS having been applied to the downlink data.

[0007] Document WO2019 / 192684A1 discloses a technology for transmitting data over the radio. Regarding the method aspect of the technology, the data to be transmitted to the receiver is represented by at least two partial modulation symbols. Each of the at least two partial modulation symbols is associated with a different layer of the radio transmission to the receiver. A modulation symbol is generated by combining at least two partial modulation symbols at different power levels according to the associated layers. The modulation symbol is transmitted to the receiver.

[0008] Document US2019 / 0319868A1 discusses various systems and methods for determining and delivering link performance predictions (LPPs), for example in conjunction with the management of radio communication links. The LPP is a prediction of future network behavior / metrics (e.g., bandwidth, latency, capacity, coverage holes, etc.). The LPP is delivered to applications and / or network infrastructure, which allows the applications / infrastructure to make operational decisions for improved signaling / link resource utilization. In an embodiment, link performance analysis is divided into multiple layers, which determine their own link performance metrics, which are then fused together to perform LPP. Each layer runs a different algorithm and provides corresponding results to the LPP layer / engine, which fuses the results to obtain the LPP.

[0009] Document EP3525374A1 discloses a method comprising the steps of observing the surroundings of a transmission participant and determining the position and movement of the communication participant. In addition, the method comprises estimating the transmission conditions at a later point in time and classifying the data for data communication in different categories. The categories determine the sensitivity of the data to transmission errors.

[0010] INTERDIGITAL INC’s “On NR Uu enhancement for advanced V2X use cases” (3GPP DRAFT; R1-1902602, February 16, 2019, XP051600295 contribution) discusses perspectives on NR Uu for advanced V2X use cases. It discusses more details (e.g., range) on the message size of Uu V2X traflic reported by the UE to the gNB to support NR V2X advanced use cases. In addition, it discusses handling dynamic changes in Doppler frequency and supporting faster handovers, with the UE reporting speed and direction of movement information to the gNB.

[0011] Document KR20110071793A discloses an adaptive modulation and coding method suitable for wireless transmission environment. The adaptive modulation and coding operation device applies active AMC (Active Adaptive Modulation and Coding) technology or manual AMC (Passive Adaptive Modulation and Coding) technology to data information transmitted and received in communication between a vehicle and a roadside unit.

[0012] Document US2017 / 041760A1 discloses a method for adapting at least one parameter of a communication system between two subscribers, wherein at least one subscriber is mobile. In this case, the current position of the mobile subscriber is determined each time, and the channel quality for future time is estimated based on the current position using an environmental model.

[0013] Document US2017 / 295596A1 discloses a base station that can distinguish, determine, configure, adopt and / or allocate a first physical random access channel (PRACH) resource set and a second PRACH resource set. The first PRACH resource set to be used by a user equipment (UE) encounters a higher Doppler condition than a UE using a second PRACH resource set. The base station can transmit an indication of the first PRACH resource set and the second PRACH resource set to the UE.

[0014] There is a need for improved physical layer adaptation / configuration concepts in mobile communication systems. Summary of the invention

[0015] This need is met by the subject matter of the independent claims.

[0016] Embodiments are based on the finding that conventional link adaptation methods mainly use knowledge of the signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) for selecting the most appropriate modulation and coding scheme (MCS). In some cases, adaptation of the modulation and coding scheme based solely on such a metric can lead to inappropriate actions, such as reducing the modulation order instead of increasing the density of channel estimation pilots. Embodiments are based on the finding that not only the MCS can be adapted, but also a more complete set of physical layer parameters. Furthermore, an initial set of parameters is selected based on actual parameters of the environment and knowledge of the mobility state of the transceiver.

[0017] An embodiment provides a method for determining a physical layer configuration for a radio link at a first transceiver, the first transceiver being used to communicate with a second transceiver via the radio link. The method includes obtaining information related to an environment and a mobile state of the first transceiver and the second transceiver. The method includes estimating a radio condition of the radio link based on the information related to the environment and the mobile state of the first transceiver and the second transceiver. The method further includes determining a physical layer configuration for the radio link based on the radio condition. Taking into account the mobile state of the transceiver and the environmental information, a more appropriate and effective estimation of the radio condition of the radio link can be achieved, and a more appropriate selection of the physical layer configuration can be achieved accordingly.

[0018] For example, obtaining information related to the environment and the mobility state of the first transceiver and the second transceiver includes evaluating sensor data of the first transceiver. The sensor data available at the transceiver may provide a basis for determining the environment data and the information about the mobility state of the transceiver. The sensor data may be available at the transceiver and may therefore form an efficient basis for radio condition estimation as it does not need to be communicated using valuable air interface resources.

[0019] In some embodiments, obtaining information related to the environment and the mobile state of the first transceiver and the second transceiver includes evaluating an environmental model of the first transceiver. The transceiver can model its environment using sensors or other available data. In the environmental model, there can be static and dynamic objects, which also affect the radio environment. By taking into account the environmental model, for example, for mobile reflectors in the environment, embodiments can improve the estimation of radio conditions.

[0020] The information about the environment and the mobility status of the first transceiver and the second transceiver may include an environment map of the first transceiver. The environment map may further enable a better understanding of the radio environment, which may further improve the estimation of the radio conditions.

[0021] In addition, at least in some embodiments, obtaining information related to the environment and the mobile state of the first transceiver and the second transceiver may include receiving broadcast messages from traffic participants. Such messages may be delivered among traffic participants on a regular basis (e.g., in a cycle or period). Knowledge related to the status (e.g., location, speed, direction of travel) of traffic participants may lead to a better understanding of environmental conditions and, therefore, an improved estimation of radio conditions may be achieved.

[0022] The information related to the environment and the mobile state of the first transceiver and the second transceiver may include at least one element of the group consisting of: the position of the first transceiver and the second transceiver; the relative speed between the first transceiver and the second transceiver; the mutual distance of the first transceiver and the second transceiver; and the distance of other transceivers and / or other physical objects. The more detailed the information about the mobile state and the environment, the better the radio condition estimation.

[0023] For example, estimating the radio condition comprises estimating a Doppler shift based on a relative movement between the first transceiver and the second transceiver.In an embodiment, the Doppler shift may relate to a density configuration of reference symbols used for a physical layer configuration.

[0024] The physical layer configuration may include at least one element of the group consisting of: subcarrier spacing; pilot symbol configuration in time and / or frequency; slot duration; modulation order; and coding parameters. In an embodiment, the physical layer configuration may be highly adaptive and a variety of physical layer parameters may be set.

[0025] The physical layer configuration may be an initial physical layer configuration, and the method may further include fine-tuning the physical layer configuration during communication on the radio link. According to the above, by considering the environmental information and the mobility status of the first transceiver and / or the second transceiver, the initial physical layer configuration may be better adapted to the actual radio conditions.

[0026] The physical layer configuration may be a random access configuration.Radio transmission may be more efficient, as embodiments may enable adapting the physical layer configuration for random access to actual radio conditions in a better way.

[0027] In an embodiment, the first transceiver may be a vehicle and the second transceiver may be a vehicle or infrastructure of a mobile communication system.Embodiments may utilize environmental information available at the vehicle.

[0028] An embodiment further provides a computer program having a program code, and when the computer program is executed on a computer, a processor or a programmable hardware component, the computer program is used to perform one or more of the above methods. Another embodiment is a computer-readable storage medium storing instructions, which, when executed by a computer, a processor or a programmable hardware component, causes the computer to implement one of the methods described herein.

[0029] Another embodiment is a device for determining a physical layer configuration for a radio link at a first transceiver, the first transceiver being used to communicate with a second transceiver via the radio link. The device comprises: a transmitter module for communicating with the second transceiver; and a control module configured to control the transmitter module and perform one of the methods described herein. Another embodiment is a vehicle comprising the device. A further embodiment is an infrastructure of a mobile communication system, such as a base station, access point or NodeB, comprising the device. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0030] Some other features or aspects will be described, by way of example only and with reference to the accompanying drawings, the following non-limiting embodiments using an apparatus or a method or a computer program or a computer program product, in which:

[0031] Figure 1 A block diagram illustrating an embodiment of a method for determining, at a first transceiver, a physical layer configuration for a radio link, the first transceiver being used to communicate with a second transceiver via the radio link;

[0032] Figure 2 A block diagram illustrating an embodiment of an apparatus for determining a physical layer configuration for a radio link at a first transceiver used to communicate with a second transceiver and an embodiment of a vehicle or infrastructure;

[0033] Figure 3 A block diagram illustrating a flow chart of a method for selecting a modulation and coding scheme in an embodiment; and

[0034] Figure 4 A flow chart showing a method for selecting a physical layer configuration in an embodiment. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0035] Various example embodiments will now be described more fully with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which some example embodiments are illustrated. In the accompanying drawings, the thickness of lines, layers and / or regions may be exaggerated for clarity. Optional components may be illustrated using broken lines, dashed lines or dotted lines.

[0036] Accordingly, although the example embodiments are capable of various modifications and alternative forms, their embodiments are shown as examples in the drawings and will be described in detail herein. It should be understood, however, that there is no intention to limit the example embodiments to the specific forms disclosed, but rather, the example embodiments are intended to cover all modifications, equivalents, and alternatives that fall within the scope of the present invention. Like numbers throughout the description of the drawings represent like or similar elements.

[0037] As used herein, the term "or" means a non-exclusive or, unless otherwise indicated (e.g., "or otherwise" or "or in the alternative"). In addition, as used herein, unless otherwise indicated, words used to describe the relationship between elements should be broadly interpreted to include a direct relationship or the presence of intermediate elements. For example, when an element is referred to as being "connected" or "coupled" to another element, the element may be directly connected or coupled to the other element, or there may be intermediate elements. In contrast, when an element is referred to as being "directly connected" or "directly coupled" to another element, no intermediate elements exist. Similarly, words such as "between," "adjacent," and the like should be interpreted in a similar manner.

[0038] The terms used herein are for the purpose of describing specific embodiments only and are not intended to limit the example embodiments. As used herein, the singular forms "a", "an" and "the" are intended to include the plural forms as well, unless the context clearly indicates otherwise. It will be further understood that the terms "comprises", "comprising" or "includes", "including", when used herein, specify the presence of the described features, integers, steps, operations, elements or components, but do not exclude the presence or addition of one or more other features, integers, steps, operations, elements, components or groups thereof.

[0039] Unless otherwise defined, all terms (including technical and scientific terms) used herein have the same meaning as commonly understood by one of ordinary skill in the art to which the example embodiments belong. It will be further understood that terms (e.g., those defined in commonly used dictionaries) should be interpreted as having a meaning consistent with their meaning in the context of the relevant art, and will not be interpreted in an idealized or overly formal sense unless expressly defined as such herein.

[0040] Figure 1Block diagram illustrating a flow chart of a method 10 for determining a physical layer configuration for a radio link at a first transceiver, the first transceiver being used to communicate with a second transceiver via the radio link. The method 10 comprises obtaining 12 information related to an environment and a mobility state of the first transceiver and the second transceiver, and estimating 14 radio conditions of the radio link based on the information related to the environment and the mobility state of the first transceiver and the second transceiver. The method further comprises determining 16 a physical layer configuration for the radio link based on the radio conditions.

[0041] Figure 2 A block diagram of an embodiment of a device 20 for determining a physical layer configuration for a radio link at a first transceiver 100, the first transceiver being used to communicate with a second transceiver 200, is illustrated. The device 20 comprises: a transmitter module 22 for communicating with the second transceiver 200; and a control module 24 coupled to the transmitter module 22. The control module 24 is configured to control the transmitter module 22 and perform the method 10 as described herein. Figure 2 Further illustrated is an embodiment of a first transmitter 100 comprising an embodiment of the device 20. A further embodiment is a vehicle or an infrastructure of a mobile communication system comprising the first transceiver 100. The second transceiver 200 may also comprise an embodiment of the device 20. Figure 2 An embodiment of a communication system 300 having a first transceiver and a second transceiver 100 , 200 is also illustrated.

[0042] The transmitter module 22 may also include receiver features and thus may be a transceiver module. It may be implemented as any component for transmitting, receiving or transceiving (i.e., receiving and / or transmitting, etc.), one or more transmitter / receiver units, one or more transmitter / receiver devices, and it may include typical receiver and / or transmitter components, such as one or more elements of the group consisting of: one or more low noise amplifiers (LNA); one or more power amplifiers (PA); one or more filters or filter circuit modules; one or more duplexers; one or more duplexers; one or more analog to digital converters (A / D); one or more digital to analog converters (D / A); one or more modulators or demodulators; one or more mixers; one or more antennas; etc. In some embodiments, the control module 24 may provide certain functionality that may be found in a transceiver module. For example, the control module 24 may be a processing module of the transmitter / receiver / transceiver module 22 and may include one or more filters or filter circuit modules and / or one or more modulators or demodulators.

[0043] In an embodiment, the control or processing / control module 24 may be implemented using one or more processing units, one or more processing devices, any component for processing (e.g., a processor), a computer, or a programmable hardware component operable with corresponding adapted software. In other words, the described functions of the processing or control module 24 may also be implemented in software, which is then executed on one or more programmable hardware components. Such hardware components may include a general purpose processor, a digital signal processor (DSP), a microcontroller, etc. The corresponding processing or control module 24 may be configured to perform any of the methods described herein.

[0044] The first transceiver and the second transceiver 100 , 200 may be any device of a wireless communication system 300 (eg, a mobile communication system, a broadcast system, a unicast system, etc.).

[0045] The mobile communication system 300 may be, for example, an Orthogonal Time Frequency Space (OTFS) system or one of the 3rd Generation Partnership Project (3GPP) standardized mobile communication networks, wherein the terms mobile communication system and mobile communication network are used synonymously. The mobile or wireless communication system may correspond to a fifth generation (5G) mobile communication system and may use millimeter wave technology. The mobile communication system may correspond to or include, for example, Long Term Evolution (LTE), Advanced LTE (LTE-A), High Speed ​​Packet Access (HSPA), Universal Mobile Telecommunications System (UMTS) or UMTS Terrestrial Radio Access Network (UTRAN), Evolved UTRAN (e-UTRAN), Global System for Mobile Communications (GSM) or Enhanced Data Rates for GSM Evolution (EDGE) network, GSM / EDGE Radio Access Network (GERAN), or a mobile communication network with a different standard, such as the Worldwide Interoperability for Microwave Access (WIMAX) network IEEE 802.16 or the Wireless Local Area Network (WLAN) IEEE 802.11, generally an Orthogonal Frequency Division Multiple Access (OFDMA) network, a Time Division Multiple Access (TDMA) network, a Code Division Multiple Access (CDMA) network, a Wideband CDMA (WCDMA) network, a Frequency Division Multiple Access (FDMA) network, a Space Division Multiple Access (SDMA) network, etc.

[0046] The base station transceiver or infrastructure can be operable or configured to communicate with one or more active mobile transceivers, and the base station transceiver can be located in the coverage area of ​​another base station transceiver (e.g., a macrocell base station transceiver or a small cell base station transceiver) or adjacent to it. Therefore, an embodiment can provide a mobile communication system 300, the mobile communication system 300 includes two or more mobile transceivers and one or more base station transceivers, wherein the base station transceiver can establish a macrocell or a small cell, such as, for example, a microcell, a metropolitan area cell or a femtocell. The mobile transceiver can correspond to a smart phone, a cellular phone, a user device, a laptop, a notebook, a personal computer, a personal digital assistant (PDA), a universal serial bus (USB) stick, a car, a vehicle, etc. According to 3GPP terminology, the mobile transceiver can also be referred to as a user equipment (UE) or a mobile part. The vehicle can correspond to any conceivable component for transportation, for example, a car, a bicycle, a motorcycle, a van, a truck, a bus, a ship, a boat, an airplane, a train, a tram, etc.

[0047] Base transceiver stations can be located in a fixed or stationary part of a network or system. Base transceiver stations can correspond to remote radio heads, transmission points, access points, macro cells, small cells, micro cells, femto cells, metropolitan cells, etc. Base transceiver stations can be wireless interfaces of a wired network, which implement the transmission of radio signals to UEs or mobile transceivers. Such radio signals may conform to radio signals standardized by 3GPP, for example, or generally in accordance with one or more of the above listed systems. Therefore, base transceiver stations can correspond to NodeBs, eNodeBs, base transceiver stations (BTSs), access points, remote radio heads, relay stations, transmission points, etc., which can be further subdivided into remote units and central units.

[0048] A mobile transceiver can be associated with a base transceiver station or a cell. The term cell represents the coverage area of ​​a radio service provided by a base transceiver station (e.g., NodeB (NB), eNodeB (eNB), remote radio head, transmission point, etc.). A base transceiver station can operate one or more cells on one or more frequency layers, and in some embodiments, a cell can correspond to a sector. For example, a sector can be implemented using a sector antenna that provides characteristics for covering an angular segment around a remote unit or base transceiver station. In some embodiments, a base transceiver station can, for example, operate three or six cells covering sectors of 120° (in the case of three cells), 60° (in the case of six cells), respectively. A base transceiver station can operate multiple sectorized antennas. In the following, a cell can represent a corresponding base transceiver station that generates the cell, or similarly, a base transceiver station can represent a cell generated by the base transceiver station.

[0049] Mobile transceivers can communicate directly with each other, i.e. without involving any base transceiver station, which is also called device-to-device (D2D) communication. An example of D2D is direct communication between vehicles, also called vehicle-to-vehicle communication (V2V). To do this, radio resources are used, such as frequency, time, code and / or space resources, which can also be used for wireless communication with base transceiver stations. The allocation of radio resources can be controlled by the base transceiver station, i.e. the determination of which resources are used for D2D and which are not used for D2D. Here and in the following, the radio resources of the respective components may correspond to any conceivable radio resources on a radio carrier, and they may use the same or different granularity on the respective carriers. The radio resources may correspond to resource blocks (such as RBs in LTE / LTE-A / LTE License-Free (LTE-U)), one or more carriers, subcarriers, one or more radio frames, radio subframes, radio time slots, one or more code sequences potentially with corresponding spreading factors, one or more spatial resources, such as spatial subchannels, spatial precoding vectors, any combination thereof, etc.

[0050] For example, direct cellular vehicle to everything (C-V2X) according to 3GPP Release 14 (where V2X includes at least V2V, V2 infrastructure (V2I), etc.) transmission can be managed by the infrastructure (so-called Mode 3) or run in a user equipment (UE) autonomous mode (UEA) (so-called Mode 4). In an embodiment, the mobile transceiver may be registered in the same mobile communication system 300. In other embodiments, one or more of two or more mobile transceivers may be registered in different mobile communication systems 300. The different mobile communication systems 300 may use the same access technology but different operators, or they may use different access technologies as described above.

[0051] In an embodiment, the physical layer configuration may include any parameter that can be configured relative to the physical layer. The physical layer configuration may include at least one element in the group consisting of: subcarrier spacing; pilot symbol configuration in time and / or frequency; slot duration; modulation order; and coding parameters. The physical layer configuration may include parameters that affect or set one or more elements in the group consisting of: time division duplex scheme; frequency division duplex scheme; code division duplex scheme; space division duplex scheme; and orthogonal frequency division multiplexing scheme. The physical layer configuration may include at least an orthogonal frequency division multiplexing component. For example, the physical layer data channel configuration may include information about the subcarrier bandwidth configuration for the orthogonal frequency division multiplexing component. Such a configuration may involve indication or configuration of additional parameters (e.g., symbol duration, cyclic prefix duration, time transfer interval (TTI) length, subcarrier spacing, etc.). The physical layer data channel configuration may include information about numerology defined for the mobile communication system.

[0052] The information related to the environment may be an environment model, which is a digital model of the environment of the first transceiver, which can be based on sensor data or on messages exchanged with other transceivers. For example, the first transceiver may be a vehicle, which may be equipped with multiple sensors, such as vision / optics (camera), radar, ultrasound, lidar (light detection and ranging), etc. The vehicle may use this sensor data to model its surroundings. At least in some embodiments, such a model may be based on known static data, such as map data, which includes a series of one or more roads, intersections, traffic infrastructure (lights, signs, intersections, etc.), buildings, etc. Such a basic layer for the environment model may be supplemented by dynamic or moving objects detected via sensor data. Such an environment model based on sensor data may form the basis for a second environment map.

[0053] The environment map may include static and dynamic objects in the environment of the vehicle / traffic entity along at least a portion of the trajectory of the vehicle. Such a portion of the trajectory may be, for example, a portion that the vehicle is planning to travel in the next 30 seconds, 1 minute, 5 minutes, 10 minutes, etc. Dynamic objects are objects that are not permanently static / fixed (e.g., other road participants, pedestrians, vehicles), but also semi-static objects (e.g., components on the side of mobile construction, traffic signs for narrowing roads or lanes, etc.). For example, such dynamic objects may be other vehicles, pedestrians, bicycles, road participants, etc. When determining the environment model, not all objects in the model may be determined with the same confidence. There are objects for which a higher certainty can be achieved than for other objects. For example, if multiple sensors can identify or confirm an object, its existence and / or movement state can potentially be determined with a higher confidence than the case where only data from a single sensor indicates the object. Similar considerations apply to message-based maps. If there are objects reported by multiple traffic participants in the environment, a higher confidence is generated as compared to the case where only a single road participant reports the object.

[0054] An embodiment will be described below, which implements 5G NR physical layer adaptation.

[0055] After a cold start of a cellular network user equipment (UE), when the device has no knowledge of its environment, its physical layer parameters may be adjusted based on estimated link quality variables (e.g., bit error rate (BER), data throughput, or signal-to-noise ratio (SNR)). Those link quality parameters can be derived from an initial handshake transmission requiring a measurement time duration, which may be reduced in an embodiment. When the derived parameters (SNR, BER, etc.) are not within an appropriate range (due to a sharp transition of the coding BER curve), this handshake transmission may be repeated using other modulation and coding scheme parameters. This process may allow the iterative mechanism to end with a parameter set, which will ensure quasi-error-free transmission with the lowest possible redundancy and robustness. More iterations of the above actions result in a higher probability of achieving an appropriate modulation and coding parameter set, but generate an increased delay along with a reduction in achievable data throughput. In an embodiment, the number of iterations may be reduced. In some embodiments, iterations may even be avoided.

[0056] Furthermore, monitoring link quality metrics (i.e., BER, SNR, and / or throughput) does not provide complete information about the reasons why the link quality is ultimately degraded. Low link quality may be caused by a variety of effects, from multipath propagation or high relative motion between transmitter and receiver to outdated channel state information (CSI) or even adjacent channel transmissions. In some cases, adaptation of the modulation and coding scheme based solely on such metrics can lead to inappropriate actions, for example, reducing the modulation order instead of increasing the density of channel estimation pilots.

[0057] Considering the concept of vehicular communication, the communication link between the ego-vehicle and the base station (BS) and / or the vehicles in the relevant surroundings will exhibit a Doppler shift, which is determined before the actual transmission of the built-in user equipment begins. Such a shift is relatively easy to compensate in a pure line-of-sight link, but its full compensation in the presence of multipath propagation remains a tricky task.

[0058] Estimating 14 the radio conditions may include estimating a Doppler shift based on a relative movement between the first transceiver and the second transceiver.

[0059] When the cellular user device is integrated into the electronic system of a vehicle, the embodiment can provide the benefit of obtaining optimal or improved physical layer settings. The first transceiver can be a vehicle, and the second transceiver can be a vehicle or infrastructure of the mobile communication system 300. Therefore, the vehicle is considered to have knowledge of its location and related surroundings at its disposal. This knowledge is obtained from active or passive sensors (e.g., built-in radar, camera, lidar, high-precision positioning system and high-definition map (HD map)). In method 10, obtaining 12 information related to the environment and the mobile state of the first transceiver and the second transceiver may include evaluating sensor data of the first transceiver. For example, obtaining 12 information related to the environment and the mobile state of the first transceiver and the second transceiver includes evaluating the environmental model of the first transceiver. In addition, at least in some embodiments, obtaining 12 information related to the environment and the mobile state of the first transceiver and the second transceiver may include receiving broadcast messages from traffic participants.

[0060] In some embodiments, the information related to the environment and the movement status of the first transceiver and the second transceiver includes an environment map of the first transceiver. It may include

[0061] (1) The location of other transportation vehicles and / or BS,

[0062] (2) their speed relative to the self-aware vehicle, and

[0063] (3) The distances between vehicles and other physical objects.

[0064] For example, in an embodiment, the information related to the environment and the movement status of the first transceiver and the second transceiver includes at least one element of the group consisting of: the positions of the first transceiver and the second transceiver; the relative speed between the first transceiver and the second transceiver; the mutual distance between the first transceiver and the second transceiver; and the distances to other transceivers and / or other physical objects.

[0065] Since BER and SNR are strongly correlated with Doppler shift and range, respectively, embodiments may adapt physical layer parameters from said quantities, namely:

[0066] (1) The location of other means of transport,

[0067] (2) their speed relative to the self-aware vehicle, and

[0068] (3) The distances between vehicles and other physical objects.

[0069] A benefit of at least some embodiments is that modulation and coding parameters are optimized prior to actual transmission and thus latency is reduced and data throughput is increased.

[0070] The quantities (1)-(3) used for optimization / improvement of the itemized physical layer link parameter set can be:

[0071] The subcarrier spacing is proportional to the maximum expected Doppler shift,

[0072] The density of pilots for channel estimation in the time and frequency domains is proportional to the maximum expected Doppler shift,

[0073] The time slot duration is inversely proportional to the maximum expected Doppler shift,

[0074] the modulation order, which is inversely proportional to the maximum expected Doppler shift, and

[0075] Forward Error Correction (FEC) encoder parameter (coding rate), which is inversely proportional to the maximum expected Doppler shift.

[0076] Figure 3 A block diagram illustrating a flow diagram of a method for selecting a modulation and coding scheme in an embodiment. This flow diagram shows conventional link estimation, which can be simplified using an embodiment. The flow diagram shows the proposed 5G NR physical layer adaptation, and it starts in step 31. In step 32, a timer t is set to 1, and a legacy modulation and coding scheme (MCS) parameter is set to MCS L In step 33, check the MCS L is still valid, and if so, the transfer is performed in step 35. If not, MCS1 is set to MCS as the initial value in step 34. INIT , and the transmission is performed in step 35. In step 37, the BER is evaluated against a threshold. If the BER is above the threshold 37 (too many errors), then in step 36, the timer is increased by t=t+1 and the next MCS 1+t Set to MCS t -1 (more robust MCS). If the BER is below threshold 37 (more errors can be tolerated), then in step 38 the timer is increased by t=t+1 and the next MCS 1+t Set to MCS t +1 (higher spectral efficiency).

[0077] More details on conventional link adaptation methods can be found in L. Lihua, Z. Mingyu, X. Yongtai, W. Haifeng, and Z. Ping, "LDPC Coded AMC Based on Decoding Iteration Times for OFDM Systems," VTC Spring 2008 - IEEE Vehicular Technology Conference, Singapore, 2008, pp. 1157-1161, doi: 10.1109 / VETECS.2008.245, and MS Al-Janabi, CC Tsimenidis, BS Sharif, and SYL Goff, "Adaptive MCS Selection in OFDM Systems Based on Channel Frequency Coherence," 2009 Fifth Advanced International Conference on Telecommunications, Venice, 2009, pp. 177-182, doi: 10.1109 / AICT.2009.37, which describe Figure 3 The principle of operation depicted in , mainly uses the knowledge of the signal to noise ratio (SNR) for selecting the most appropriate modulation and coding scheme (MCS). In order to obtain this SNR estimate, the data transmission needs to be carried out within the coherence time of the channel. If the value of the MCS is out of date, the MCS needs to be set to its initial state 34, for which several strategies (e.g., the lowest MCS) can be used to ensure correct signal reception. Thereafter, the MCS index is iteratively adapted based on the bit error rate (BER) value.

[0078] Figure 4A flow chart of a method for selecting a physical layer configuration in an embodiment is shown. The method starts in step 41. In step 42, a timer t=1 is set and a legacy parameter set P0 is selected. In step 44, it is checked whether P0 is still valid. If so, a transmission is performed in step 46. If not, another parameter set P1 is selected from a lookup table (LUT) in step 45. This selection is further based on radar, lidar, airborne camera, GPS, and other sensor data determined in step 43 (e.g., further determining rate, position, relative speed, and distance). In step 46, the transmission is then performed based on P1. In step 48, the BER is evaluated against a threshold. If the BER is above threshold 48 (too many errors), in step 47, the timer is increased by t=t+1, and the next P 1+t is set to P1-1 (more robust MCS). If the BER is below threshold 48 (more errors can be tolerated), then in step 49 the timer is incremented by t=t+1 and the next P 1+t Set to P1+1 (higher spectral efficiency).

[0079] like Figure 4 The embodiment shown in not only adapts the MCS, but also adapts the complete set of physical layer parameters (P) listed above. In addition, the initial parameter set is selected based on the knowledge of the actual parameters of the environment. A BER-based iterative procedure is used for fine tracking of the PHY parameter set. For example, the physical layer configuration is an initial physical layer configuration, and the method 10 further includes fine-tuning 46, 47, 48, 49 of the physical layer configuration during communication on the radio link. The physical layer configuration P1 can be a random access configuration.

[0080] Aspects and features mentioned and described in conjunction with one or more of the previously detailed examples and figures may also be combined with one or more of the other examples, in order to replace similar features of the other examples or in order to introduce features also to the other examples.

[0081] Examples may further be or relate to a computer program having a program code, which, when executed on a computer or processor, is used to perform one or more of the above methods. The steps, operations or processes of various above methods may be performed by a programmed computer or processor. Examples may also include program storage devices, such as digital data storage media, which are readable by a machine, a processor or a computer and encode a machine-executable, processor-executable or computer-executable program of instructions. The instructions perform or cause some or all of the actions of the above methods to be performed. The program storage device may include or be, for example, a digital memory, a magnetic storage medium (e.g., a disk and a tape), a hard drive or an optically readable digital data storage medium. Additional examples may also include a computer, a processor or a control unit programmed to perform the actions of the above methods or a (field) programmable logic array ((F)PLA) or a (field) programmable gate array ((F)PGA) programmed to perform the actions of the above methods.

[0082] This description and the accompanying drawings illustrate only the principles of the present disclosure. In addition, all examples recorded herein are generally intended to be used for illustrative purposes only to help readers understand the principles of the present disclosure and the concepts contributed by (one or more) inventors to promote the art. All statements recording the principles, aspects and examples of the present disclosure and their specific examples herein are intended to include their equivalents.

[0083] A functional block represented as a "means for..." performing a certain function may represent a circuit configured to perform a certain function. Therefore, a "means for a certain aspect" may be implemented as a "means configured to or suitable for a certain aspect", for example, a device or circuit configured to or suitable for a corresponding task.

[0084] The functions of the various elements shown in the drawings, including any functional blocks marked as "components", "components for providing signals", "components for generating signals", etc., may be implemented in the form of dedicated hardware such as "signal providers", "signal processing units", "processors", "controllers", etc., as well as hardware capable of executing software in association with appropriate software. When provided by a processor, the functions may be provided by a single dedicated processor, a single shared processor, or multiple individual processors (some or all of which may be shared). However, the term "processor" or "controller" is not currently limited to specifically referring to hardware capable of executing software, but may include digital signal processor (DSP) hardware, network processors, application specific integrated circuits (ASICs), field programmable gate arrays (FPGAs), read-only memories (ROMs), random access memories (RAMs), and non-volatile storage devices for storing software. Other hardware, conventional or customized, may also be included.

[0085] Block diagrams, for example, may illustrate high-level circuit diagrams that implement the principles of the present disclosure. Similarly, flow charts, flow diagrams, state transition diagrams, pseudocodes, etc. may represent various processes, operations, or steps, which, for example, may be substantially represented in a computer-readable medium and thus executed by a computer or processor, whether or not such a computer or processor is explicitly shown. The methods disclosed in this specification or in the claims may be implemented by an apparatus having components for performing each of the corresponding actions of these methods.

[0086] It is to be understood that the disclosure of multiple actions, processes, operations, steps or functions disclosed in this specification or claims, for example, cannot be understood as being in a specific order due to technical reasons, unless otherwise explicitly or implicitly stated. Therefore, the disclosure of multiple actions or functions will not limit these actions or functions to a specific order, unless such actions or functions are not interchangeable due to technical reasons. In addition, in some examples, a single action, function, process, operation or step may include or may be decomposed into multiple sub-actions, sub-functions, sub-processes, sub-operations or sub-steps, respectively. Such sub-actions may be included, and include the disclosed part of this single action, unless explicitly excluded.

[0087] In addition, the following claims are hereby incorporated into the detailed description, where each claim can stand on its own as a separate example. Although each claim can stand on its own as a separate example, it should be noted that - although a dependent claim may refer to a specific combination with one or more other claims in the claims - other examples may also include a combination of the dependent claim with the subject matter of each other dependent claim or independent claim. Such combinations are explicitly proposed herein unless it is stated that a specific combination is not intended. In addition, it is intended to also include features of a claim to any other independent claim, even if this claim is not directly dependent on the independent claim.

[0088] Reference Symbols List

[0089] 10 Method for determining, at a first transceiver, a physical layer configuration for a radio link, the first transceiver being used to communicate with a second transceiver via the radio link

[0090] 12. Obtaining information related to the environment and the movement status of the first transceiver and the second transceiver

[0091] 14. estimating a radio condition of the radio link based on the information related to the environment and the mobility states of the first transceiver and the second transceiver

[0092] 16. Determining the physical layer configuration for the radio link based on the radio conditions

[0093] 20 Apparatus for determining, at a first transceiver, a physical layer configuration for a radio link, the first transceiver being used to communicate with a second transceiver via the radio link

[0094] 22 Transmitter Module

[0095] 24 Control Module

[0096] 31 Start

[0097] 32 Traditional settings

[0098] 33 Setting effective

[0099] 34 Initial Settings

[0100] 35 Teleport

[0101] 36 MCS reduction

[0102] 37 BER < threshold

[0103] 38 MCS increase

[0104] 41 Start

[0105] 42 Traditional settings

[0106] 43 Sensor data

[0107] 44 Setting effective

[0108] 45 Select P1 from LUT

[0109] 46 Teleport

[0110] 47 MCS reduction

[0111] 48 BER < threshold

[0112] 49 MCS increase

[0113] 100 First Transceiver

[0114] 200 Second transceiver

[0115] 300 Communication systems.

Claims

1. A method (10) for determining a physical layer configuration for a radio link at a first transceiver (100), the first transceiver (100) being used to communicate with a second transceiver (200) via the radio link, the method (10) comprising: obtaining (12) information related to an environment and a movement state of the first transceiver and the second transceiver (100; 200); estimating (14) radio conditions of the radio link based on the information related to the environment and the mobility states of the first transceiver and the second transceiver (100; 200); as well as determining (16) the physical layer configuration for the radio link based on the radio conditions, Wherein obtaining (12) the information related to the environment and the movement state of the first transceiver and the second transceiver (100; 200) comprises evaluating an environment model of the first transceiver (100), the environment model using sensor data around the vehicle.

2. The method (10) of claim 1, wherein: Obtaining (12) the information related to the environment and the movement states of the first transceiver and the second transceiver (100; 200) comprises evaluating sensor data of the first transceiver (100).

3. The method (10) of claim 1, wherein: The information related to the environment and the movement status of the first transceiver and the second transceiver includes an environment map of the first transceiver (100).

4. The method (10) according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein: Obtaining (12) the information related to the environment and the movement status of the first transceiver and the second transceiver (100; 200) includes receiving a broadcast message from a traffic participant.

5. The method (10) according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein: The information related to the environment and the movement state of the first transceiver and the second transceiver (100; 200) comprises at least one element from the group consisting of: the position of the first transceiver and the second transceiver (100; 200); the relative speed between the first transceiver and the second transceiver (100; 200); the mutual distance of the first transceiver and the second transceiver (100; 200); and the distance to other transceivers and / or other physical objects.

6. The method (10) according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein: Estimating (14) the radio conditions comprises estimating a Doppler shift based on a relative movement between the first transceiver and the second transceiver (100; 200).

7. The method (10) according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein: The physical layer configuration includes at least one element from the group consisting of: subcarrier spacing; pilot symbol configuration in time and / or frequency; slot duration; modulation order; and coding parameters.

8. The method (10) according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein: The physical layer configuration is an initial physical layer configuration, and wherein the method (10) further comprises fine-tuning the physical layer configuration during communication over the radio link.

9. The method (10) according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein: The physical layer configuration is a random access configuration.

10. The method (10) according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein: The first transceiver (100) is a vehicle, and the second transceiver (200) is a vehicle or an infrastructure of a mobile communication system (300).

11. A computer program product comprising a computer program having a program code for performing the method (10) according to any one of claims 1 to 10 when the computer program is executed on a computer, a processor or a programmable hardware component.

12. A device (20) for determining a physical layer configuration for a radio link at a first transceiver (100), the first transceiver (100) being used to communicate with a second transceiver (200) via the radio link, the device (20) comprising: a transmitter module (22) for communicating with the second transceiver (200); as well as A control unit (24) configured to: controlling the conveyor module (22), and Execute the method as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 10.

13. A vehicle (100) comprising a device (20) as claimed in claim 12.

14. An infrastructure (100) of a mobile communication system (300), comprising a device (20) as claimed in claim 12.

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