Physical downlink control channel transmission in wireless communications

Abstract

A user equipment (UE) or other network equipment (e.g., a next generation node B (gNB)) component can be operable to process or configure a search space information element (IE) configured with at least one of: a transmission configuration indicator (TCI) state identifier (ID), or a physical downlink control channel (PDCCH) repetition field indicating a number of PDCCH repetitions or a number of user-specific search space (USS) repetitions for the PDCCH. The UE can perform a search space set group (SSSG) beam switch based on one or more TCI states and at least one of: a search space set (SSS) index, a SSSG index, or a beam switch request (BSR) field value. A physical downlink control channel (PDCCH) associated with the search space can be transmitted according to the search space information element for the beam switch.

Description

[0001] Cross Reference to Related Applications

[0002] This application is the National Stage Entry of International Patent Application No. PCT / US2021 / 043726, filed July 29, 2021, which claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 63 / 061,546, entitled “USER EQUIPMENT (UE) PHYSICAL DOWNLINK CONTROL CHANNEL TRANSMISSION IN WIRELESS COMMUNICATION,” filed August 5, 2020, and U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 63 / 061,577, entitled “NETWORK DEVICE PHYSICAL DOWNLINK CONTROL CHANNEL TRANSMISSION IN WIRELESS COMMUNICATION,” filed August 5, 2020, the contents of which are incorporated by reference herein in their entirety. TECHNICAL FIELD

[0003] The present disclosure is in the field of wireless communications and more specifically relates to physical downlink control channel (PDCCH) transmissions. BACKGROUND

[0004] Generally, a UE can monitor a set of physical downlink control channel (PDCCH) candidates in one or more control resource sets (CORESETs) on an active downlink (DL) bandwidth part (BWP) on each activated serving cell according to a corresponding search space, where monitoring means or refers to decoding (or attempting to decode) some or all of the PDCCH candidates in the set of PDCCH candidates according to a monitored downlink control information (DCI) format. The set of PDCCH candidates that a UE is to monitor can be defined according to a PDCCH search space. A search space can be a common search space (CSS) or a UE-specific search space (USS). According to current NR implementations, a UE can monitor PDCCH candidates in a discontinuous reception (DRX) slot (or slots) in one or more of various defined search spaces.

[0005] For example, for PDCCH monitoring purposes, each BWP configured to a UE can be associated with multiple control resource sets (CORESETs) and up to ten search space sets. In particular, the number of PDCCH candidates per aggregation level (AL) can be configured independently among {0, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 8} for each search space (SS). For example, the monitoring periodicity of different SS sets can be different and can be chosen from a set of possible values given as {1, 2, 4, 5, 8, 10, 16, 20} slots.

[0006] Ideally, a UE can be able to monitor PDCCH candidates configured by a next generation NodeB (gNB) so that best scheduling flexibility can be achieved. UE speed oriented mobility management for Long Term Evolution (LTE) or New Radio (NR) networks for high speed trains (e.g., high speed tracks capable of about 200 km / h / 120 mph track transportation) and other such devices also require better coverage along the railway to better serve users on high speed trains. So-called high speed railway dedicated "networks" (or HST non-station cells) can differ in eNodeB (eNB) or gNB functionality and network structure from networks deployed for normal ground users or low to medium mobility users. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS

[0007] Figure 1 is a block diagram illustrating an example of a user equipment (UE) that can be used in connection with various aspects described herein, which is communicatively coupled with network constituents as a peer device via a network.

[0008] Figure 2 is an exemplary simplified block diagram of a user equipment (UE) wireless communication device or other network device / component (e.g., eNB, gNB) in accordance with various aspects.

[0009] Figure 3 is an illustration of an exemplary search space information element (IE) in accordance with various aspects.

[0010] Figure 4 is an illustration of exemplary signaling 400 for beam switching with control resource sets (CORESETs) in accordance with various aspects.

[0011] Figure 5 is an illustration of exemplary group-based switching in accordance with various aspects.

[0012] Figure 6 is an illustration of exemplary downlink control information (DCI) fields in accordance with various aspects.

[0013] Figure 7 is an illustration of another example of group-based switching in accordance with various aspects.

[0014] Figure 8 This is another block diagram illustrating an exemplary process flow for group-based beam switching according to various aspects.

[0015] Figure 9 This is another block diagram illustrating an exemplary process flow for group-based beam switching according to various aspects. Detailed Implementation

[0016] As is widely recognized, the use of personally identifiable information should comply with privacy policies and practices that are generally accepted to meet or exceed industry or governmental requirements for protecting 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 authorized use should be clearly explained to users.

[0017] This disclosure will now be described with reference to the accompanying drawings, wherein similar (or similarly ending) reference numerals are used throughout to denote similar elements, and the structures and devices shown therein are not necessarily drawn to scale. As used herein, the terms “component,” “system,” “interface,” etc., are intended to refer to entities, hardware, software (e.g., in execution), and / or firmware related to a computer. For example, a component can be a processor (e.g., a microprocessor, controller, or other processing device), a process running on a processor, a controller, an object, an executable file, a program, a storage device, a computer, a tablet computer, and / or user equipment with processing devices (e.g., a mobile phone, etc.). By way of example, an application running on a server and a server can also be components. One or more components may reside in a process, and components may be located on a single computer and / or distributed across two or more computers. This document may describe a set of elements or other sets of components, wherein the term “set” can be interpreted as “one or more.”

[0018] Furthermore, these components can be executed from various computer-readable storage media on which various data structures are stored, such as by utilizing modules, for example. Components can communicate via local and / or remote processes, for example, based on signals having one or more data packets (e.g., data from one component interacts with another component in a local system, a distributed system, and / or throughout a network, such as the Internet, a local area network, a wide area network, or similar networks with other systems via signals).

[0019] For example, a component can be a device with a specific function provided by a mechanical component operated by electrical or electronic circuitry, wherein the electrical or electronic circuitry can be operated by a software application or firmware application executed by one or more processors. The one or more processors can be internal or external to the device and can execute at least a portion of the software or firmware application. As another example, a component can be a device that provides a specific function through an electronic component without a mechanical component; the electronic component may include one or more processors to execute software and / or firmware that at least partially endows the electronic component with that function.

[0020] The use of the term “exemplary” is intended to present the concept in a specific manner. As used herein, the term “or” is intended to mean an inclusive “or” rather than an exclusive “or.” That is, unless otherwise stated or clearly apparent from the context, “X adopts A or B” is intended to mean any natural inclusive arrangement. That is, “X adopts A or B” is satisfied if X adopts A; X adopts B; or X adopts both A and B. Additionally, the articles “a” and “an” used in this application and the appended claims should generally be interpreted as meaning “one or more” unless otherwise stated or clearly apparent from the context to refer to the singular form. Furthermore, to the extent that the terms “comprising,” “including,” “having,” “having,” “with,” or variations thereof are used in the Detailed Description and Claims, such terms are intended to be included in a manner similar to the term “comprising.” Furthermore, in the context of discussing one or more numbered items (e.g., “first X,” “second X,” etc.), generally, the one or more numbered items may be different or they may be the same, but in some cases, the context may indicate that they are different or that they are the same.

[0021] As used herein, the term "circuit" may refer to, be part of, or may include: an application-specific integrated circuit (ASIC), electronic circuit, processor (shared, dedicated, or grouped), or associated memory (shared, dedicated, or grouped) operatively coupled to the circuit, which executes one or more software or firmware programs, combinational logic circuitry, or other suitable hardware components that provide the described functionality. In some embodiments, the circuit may be implemented in one or more software or firmware modules, or the functionality associated with the circuit may be implemented by one or more software or firmware modules. In some embodiments, the circuit may include logic that is at least partially operable in hardware.

[0022] Considering various concerns regarding the operation of New Radio (NR) 5G communications, and to ensure optimal scheduling flexibility with increased reliability and coverage performance, various aspects (implementation schemes) are described. The network typically indicates the TCI status of the Physical Downlink Control Channel (PDCCH) reception of the Control Resource Set (CORESET) of the serving cell by sending a Transmission Configuration Indicator (TCI) status indication of the UE-specific PDCCH MAC Control Element (CE). More specifically, a MAC CE is introduced to activate / deactivate the UE-specific PDCCH MAC CE, which may have a fixed size (e.g., 16 bits, etc.) with the following fields: Serving Cell ID, CORESET ID, and TCI Status Identifier (ID). A problem with the CORESET-based TCI signaling framework is that temporal beam scanning of the search space associated with a single CORESET may be limited. However, due to reduced bandwidth, a single CORESET configuration can be a typical use case for Reduced Capability (RedCap) devices. Therefore, there is a clear need to provide a Search Space Set (SSS) beam scanning mechanism to improve reliability and coverage performance in the case of a single CORESET, especially for RedCap devices with a reduced number of antennas and bandwidth in scenarios such as high-speed train deployments.

[0023] In one aspect, the UE may receive a search space information element (IE) for the PDCCH. The TCI state can be configured based on a TCI state identifier (ID) within the search space IE. The UE may determine the TCI state based on the search space IE of a search space (e.g., a UE-specific search space (USS)) to enable beam switching across different PDCCH monitoring times. Each TCI state may include parameters for configuring a quasi-co-location (QCL) relationship between one or more downlink reference signals (e.g., sounding reference signals (SRS), etc.) and demodulation reference signals (DM-RS) antenna ports for PDCCH reception in the USS. Specifically, the TCI state ID may indicate one of a set of TCI states configured for a corresponding CORESET to determine the QCL relationship between the PDCCH DM-RS ports in the search space and the DL reference signals (RS) in the RS set for the TCI state.

[0024] Alternatively or additionally, the UE may determine the UE-specific search space (USS) repetition count for PDCCH repetitions associated with one or more control resource sets (CORESETs) of TCI states based on the PDCCH repetition field of the search space IE. The PDCCH repetition field of the search space IE can indicate the repetition count at consecutive PDCCH monitoring times as, for example, based on time slots or hour slots. The PDCCH repetition field can be configured independently in the search space IE or in combination with the TCI state ID.

[0025] A UE, acting as a High-Speed ​​Train (HST) device, other RedCap device, or as a network device, is operable to receive an SSSG index associated with one or more Search Space Sets (SSSs) to monitor the PDCCH on the serving cell. Each SSS may be configured with one or more TCI states. The UE is then operable to perform SSSG-based beam switching based on a Downlink Control Information (DCI) format. Depending on various aspects, the DCI format may be a particularly unique DCI format for DCI based on a Private Radio Network Temporary Identifier (RNTI). Other aspects and details of this disclosure are further described below with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0026] Figure 1 An exemplary architecture of system 100 for a network according to various implementations (aspects) is illustrated. The following description is provided for an example system 100 operating in combination with LTE system standards and 5G or NR system standards provided by 3GPP technical specifications. However, the exemplary implementation is not limited in this respect, and the implementation can be applied to other networks that benefit from the principles described herein, such as future 3GPP systems (e.g., sixth generation (6G)) systems, IEEE 802.16 protocols (e.g., WMAN, WiMAX, etc.), etc.

[0027] like Figure 1As shown, system 100 includes UE 101a and UE 101b (collectively referred to as "UE101"). UE 101 can be configured as a smartphone (e.g., a handheld touchscreen mobile computing device that can connect to one or more cellular networks), but may include any mobile or non-mobile computing device, such as consumer electronics, cellular phones, smartphones, feature phones, tablet computers, wearable computing devices, personal digital assistants (PDAs), pagers, wireless handheld devices, desktop computers, laptop computers, in-vehicle infotainment (IVI), in-vehicle entertainment (ICE) devices, instrument cluster (IC), head-up display (HUD) devices, on-board diagnostic (OBD) devices, dashtop mobile equipment (DME), mobile data terminal (MDT), electronic engine management system (EEMS), electronic / engine control unit (ECU), electronic / engine control module (ECM), embedded systems, microcontrollers, control modules, engine management system (EMS), connected or “smart” appliances, machine-type communication (MTC) devices, machine-to-machine (M2M) devices, Internet of Things (IoT) devices, high-speed train (HST) devices, other RedCap devices, etc.

[0028] In some implementations, any of UEs 101 can be an IoT UE, which may include a network access layer designed to utilize low-power IoT applications with short-lived UE connections. The IoT UE may utilize technologies such as M2M or MTC to exchange data with an MTC server or device via a Public Land Mobile Network (PLMN), Proximity Service (ProSe), or Device-to-Device (D2D) communication, sensor network, or IoT network. M2M or MTC data exchange may be machine-initiated data exchange. The IoT network describes interconnected IoT UEs, which may include uniquely identifiable embedded computing devices (within the Internet infrastructure) with short-lived connections. The IoT UE may execute background applications (e.g., keeping track of activity messages, status updates, etc.) to facilitate connectivity within the IoT network.

[0029] UE 101 can be configured to connect to (e.g., communicatively coupled to) a radio access network (RAN) 110. In implementations, RAN 110 can be a next-generation (NG) RAN or 5G RAN, an evolved-UMTS terrestrial RAN (E-UTRAN), or a legacy RAN such as UTRAN or GERAN. As used herein, the term "NG RAN," etc., can refer to RAN 110 operating in an NR or 5G system 100, while the term "E-UTRAN," etc., can refer to RAN 110 operating in an LTE or 4G system 100. UE 101 utilizes connections (or channels) 102 and 104, each connection (or channel) including a physical communication interface / layer.

[0030] The diagram shows UE 101b configured to access AP 106 (also referred to as "WLAN node 106", "WLAN 106", "WLAN terminal 106", "WT 106", etc.) via connection 107. Connection 107 may include a local wireless connection, such as a connection consistent with any IEEE 802.11 protocol, where AP 106 will include Wireless Fibre. Router. In this example, AP106 is shown connected to the Internet but not to the core network of the wireless system (described in further detail below). In various implementations, UE 101b, RAN 110, and AP 106 can be configured to utilize LTE-WLAN aggregation (LWA) operation and / or LTE / WLAN radio-level operation integrated with IPsec tunneling (LWIP). LWA operation may involve RAN nodes 111a-111b configuring UE 101b, which is in the Radio Resource Control (RRC_CONNECTED) state, to utilize the radio resources of LTE and WLAN. LWIP operation may involve UE 101b using WLAN radio resources (e.g., connection 107) via IPsec protocol tunneling to authenticate and encrypt packets (e.g., IP packets) transmitted through connection 107. IPsec tunneling may include encapsulating the entire original IP packet and adding a new packet header to protect the original header of the IP packet.

[0031] RAN 110 includes one or more access nodes (ANs) or RAN nodes 111a and 111b (collectively referred to as "RAN node 111") that enable connections between 102 and 104. As used herein, the terms "access node," "access point," etc., can describe equipment that provides radio baseband functionality for data and / or voice connections between the network and one or more users. These access nodes can be referred to as BS, gNB, RAN node, eNB, node B, RSU, transmit / receive point (TRxP), or TRP, etc., and can include ground stations (e.g., terrestrial access points) or satellite stations that provide coverage within a geographic area (e.g., a cell). As used herein, the terms "NG RAN node," etc., can refer to RAN node 111 (e.g., gNB) operating in NR or 5G system 100, while the terms "E-UT RAN node," etc., can refer to RAN node 111 (e.g., eNB) operating in LTE or 4G system 100. According to various implementation schemes, RAN node 111 may be implemented as one or more of dedicated physical devices such as macro cell base stations and / or low-power (LP) base stations, which are used to provide femtocell base stations, picocell base stations or other similar cells with smaller coverage area, smaller user capacity or higher bandwidth compared to macro cells.

[0032] In some implementations, all or part of the multiple RAN nodes 111 may be implemented as one or more software entities running on a server computer as part of a virtual network, which may be referred to as a Centralized RAN (CRAN) and / or a Virtual Baseband Unit Pool (vBBUP). In these implementations, the CRAN or vBBUP may implement RAN function splitting, such as Packet Data Convergence Protocol (PDCP) splitting, where the Radio Resource Control (RRC) layer and PDCP layer are operated by the CRAN / vBBUP, and other L2 protocol entities are operated by the individual RAN nodes 111; Media Access Control (MAC) / Physical (PHY) layer splitting, where the RRC layer, PDCP layer, RLC layer, and MAC layer are operated by the CRAN / vBBUP, and the PHY layer is operated by the individual RAN nodes 111; or “lower PHY” splitting, where the upper part of the RRC layer, PDCP layer, RLC layer, MAC layer, and PHY layer is operated by the CRAN / vBBUP, and the lower part of the PHY layer is operated by the individual RAN nodes 111. This virtualization framework allows the idle processor cores of the multiple RAN nodes 111 to execute other virtualized applications. In some implementations, a single RAN node 111 may represent a gNB distributed unit (DU) connected to the gNB central unit (CU) via a respective F1 interface. In these implementations, the gNB-DU may include one or more remote radio headers or RF front-end modules (RFEMs) (not shown), and the gNB-CU may be operated by a server (not shown) located in RAN 110 or by a server pool in a manner similar to CRAN / vBBUP. Alternatively, one or more of the plurality of RAN nodes 111 may be a next-generation eNB (ng-eNB), which is a RAN node that provides E-UTRA user plane and control plane protocol terminals to UE 101 and is connected to 5GC via an NG interface.

[0033] Any node in RAN 111 can serve as the endpoint of the air interface protocol and can be the first point of contact for UE 101. In some implementations, any node in RAN 111 can perform various logical functions of RAN 110, including but not limited to the functions of the Radio Network Controller (RNC), such as radio bearer management, uplink and downlink dynamic radio resource management and data packet scheduling, and mobility management.

[0034] In the implementation, UE 101 may be configured to communicate with each other or with any of the RAN nodes 111 on a multi-carrier communication channel using orthogonal frequency division multiplexing (OFDM) communication signals, according to various communication technologies such as, but not limited to, OFDMA communication technology (e.g., for downlink communication) or single-carrier frequency division multiple access (SC-FDMA) communication technology (e.g., for uplink and ProSe or sidelink communication), but the scope of the implementation (aspect) is not limited in this respect. The OFDM signal may include multiple orthogonal subcarriers.

[0035] In some implementations, the downlink resource grid can be used for downlink transmissions from any node in RAN 111 to UE 101, while uplink transmissions can utilize similar techniques. The grid can be a time-frequency grid, referred to as a resource grid or time-frequency resource grid, which represents the physical resources in the downlink within each time slot. This time-frequency plane representation is common practice for OFDM systems, making radio resource allocation intuitive. Each column and row of the resource grid corresponds to an OFDM symbol and an OFDM subcarrier, respectively. The duration of the resource grid in the time domain corresponds to a time slot in a radio frame. The smallest time-frequency unit in the resource grid is represented as a resource element. Each resource grid comprises multiple resource blocks that describe the mapping of certain physical channels to resource elements. Each resource block comprises a set of resource elements; in the frequency domain, this can represent the minimum amount of resources currently available for allocation. Such resource blocks are used to transmit several different physical downlink channels.

[0036] According to various implementations, UE 101 and RAN node 111 transmit data (e.g., transmit and receive data) through licensed media (also referred to as “licensed spectrum” and / or “licensed band”) and unlicensed shared media (also referred to as “unlicensed spectrum” and / or “unlicensed band”). Licensed spectrum may include channels operating in the frequency range of approximately 400 MHz to approximately 2.8 GHz, while unlicensed spectrum may include a 5 GHz band.

[0037] To operate in unlicensed spectrum, UE 101 and RAN node 111 may use Licensed Assisted Access (LAA), eLAA, and / or feLAA mechanisms. In these specific implementations, UE 101 and RAN node 111 may perform one or more known media sensing and / or carrier sensing operations to determine whether one or more channels in the unlicensed spectrum are unavailable or otherwise occupied before transmission in the unlicensed spectrum can proceed. Media / carrier sensing operations may be performed according to a Listen-After-Talk (LBT) protocol.

[0038] The PDSCH carries user data and higher-layer signaling to UE 101. The Physical Downlink Control Channel (PDCCH) carries information such as the transmission format and resource allocation related to the PDSCH channel. It also informs UE 101 about the transmission format, resource allocation, and Hybrid Automatic Repeat Request (HARQ) information related to the uplink shared channel. Typically, downlink scheduling (allocating control and shared channel resource blocks to UE 101b within the cell) can be performed at any RAN node of RAN node 111 based on channel quality information fed back from any UE in UE 101. Downlink resource allocation information can be transmitted on the PDCCH used for (e.g., allocated to) each UE in UE 101.

[0039] PDCCH uses Control Channel Elements (CCEs) to transmit control information. Before being mapped to resource elements, the complex-valued symbols of the PDCCH can first be organized into quadruplets, which can then be arranged using a sub-block interleaver for rate matching. One or more of these CCEs can be used to transmit each PDCCH, where each CCE can correspond to nine sets, called REGs, each with four physical resource elements. Four Quadrature Phase Shift Keying (QPSK) symbols can be mapped to each REG. Depending on the size of the DCI and channel conditions, one or more CCEs can be used to transmit the PDCCH. In LTE, four or more different PDCCH formats with different numbers of CCEs (e.g., aggregation levels, L = 1, 2, 4, 8, or 16) can be defined.

[0040] RAN nodes 111 can be configured to communicate with each other via interface 112. In an implementation where system 100 is an LTE system, interface 112 can be an X2 interface 112. This X2 interface can be defined between two or more RAN nodes 111 (e.g., two or more eNBs, etc.) connected to the evolved packet core (EPC) or core network 120, and / or between two eNBs connected to the EPC 120. In some specific implementations, the X2 interface may include an X2 user plane interface (X2-U) and an X2 control plane interface (X2-C). X2-U provides flow control mechanisms for user packets transmitted through the X2 interface and can be used to transmit information about the delivery of user data between eNBs. For example, X2-U can provide specific sequence number information about user data transmitted from the primary eNB (MeNB) to the secondary eNB (SeNB); information about the successful in-order delivery of PDCP Packet Data Units (PDUs) from the SeNB to UE 101 for user data; information about PDCP PDUs not delivered to UE 101; information about the current minimum expected buffer size at the SeNB for transmitting user data to the UE; and so on. X2-C can provide intra-LTE access mobility functions, including context transfer from the source eNB to the target eNB, user plane transmission control, load management functions, and inter-cell interference coordination functions.

[0041] In implementations where System 100 is a 5G or NR system, regardless of whether a coexisting RAT is present, Interface 112 may be an Xn interface 112. The Xn interface is defined between two or more RAN nodes 111 (e.g., two or more gNBs, etc.) connected to 5GC 120, between a RAN node 111 (e.g., a gNB) connected to 5GC 120 and an eNB, and / or between two eNBs connected to 5GC 120. In some specific implementations, the Xn interface may include an Xn user plane (Xn-U) interface and an Xn control plane (Xn-C) interface. Xn-U provides non-guaranteed delivery of user plane PDUs and supports / provides data forwarding and flow control functions. Xn-C provides management and error handling functions for managing the functionality of the Xn-C interface; mobility support for UE 101 in connected modes (e.g., CM-CONNECTED) includes functions for managing UE mobility in connected modes between one or more RAN nodes 111. Mobility support may include context transfer from the old (source) serving RAN node 111 to the new (destination) serving RAN node 111, and control of the user plane tunnel between the old (source) serving RAN node 111 and the new (destination) serving RAN node 111. The Xn-U protocol stack may include a transport network layer built on top of the Internet Protocol (IP) transport layer and a user plane GPRS Tunneling Protocol (GTP-U) layer on top of the User Datagram Protocol (UDP) and / or IP layers for carrying user plane PDUs. The Xn-C protocol stack may include an application layer signaling protocol (referred to as the Xn Application Protocol (Xn-AP)) and a transport network layer built on top of the Flow Control Transport Protocol (SCTP). SCTP may be on top of the IP layer and provides guaranteed delivery of application layer messages. In the transport IP layer, point-to-point transport is used to deliver signaling PDUs. In other specific implementations, the Xn-U protocol stack and / or the Xn-C protocol stack may be the same as or similar to the user plane and / or control plane protocol stacks shown and described herein.

[0042] RAN 110 is shown communicatively coupled to the core network—in this embodiment, communicatively coupled to the core network (CN) 120. CN 120 may include a plurality of network elements 122 configured to provide various data and telecommunications services to customers / subscribers (e.g., users of UE 101) connected to CN 120 via RAN 110. Components of CN 120 may be implemented in a single physical node or separate physical nodes, including components for reading and executing instructions from machine-readable or computer-readable media (e.g., non-transitory machine-readable storage media). In some embodiments, NFV may be used to virtualize any or all of the aforementioned network node functions via executable instructions stored in one or more computer-readable storage media (described in further detail below). A logical instance of CN 120 may be referred to as a network slice, and a logical instance of a portion of CN 120 may be referred to as a network subslice. Network Function Virtualization (NFV) architectures and infrastructure may be used to virtualize one or more network functions onto a physical resource comprising a combination of industry-standard server hardware, storage hardware, or switches (optionally performed by proprietary hardware). In other words, NFV systems can be used to execute virtual or reconfigurable concrete implementations of one or more Evolution Packet Core (EPC) components / functions.

[0043] Generally, application server 130 may be an element that provides IP bearer resources for use with the core network (e.g., Universal Mobile Telecommunications System Packet Service (UMTS PS) domain, LTE PS data service, etc.). Application server 130 may also be configured to support one or more communication services for UE 101 via EPC 120 (e.g., VoIP sessions, PTT sessions, group communication sessions, social networking services, etc.).

[0044] In the implementation, CN 120 can be a 5GC (referred to as "5GC 120", etc.), and RAN 110 can be connected to CN 120 via NG interface 112. In the implementation, NG interface 112 can be divided into two parts: a Next Generation (NG) User Plane (NG-U) interface 114, which carries traffic data between RAN node 111 and the User Plane Function (UPF); and an S1 Control Plane (NG-C) interface 115, which is the signaling interface between RAN node 111 and the Access and Mobility Management Function (AMF). The core network CN 120 can also be a 5GC 120.

[0045] In one implementation, CN 120 may be a 5G CN (referred to as "5GC 120", etc.), while in other implementations, CN 120 may be an Evolved Packet Core (EPC). When CN 120 is an EPC (referred to as "EPC 120", etc.), RAN 110 may be connected to CN 120 via S1 interface 112. In another implementation, S1 interface 112 may be divided into two parts: an S1 user plane (S1-U) interface 114, which carries traffic data between RAN node 111 and S-GW; and an S1-MME interface 115, which is the signaling interface between RAN node 111 and MME.

[0046] refer to Figure 2 This diagram illustrates a user equipment (UE) device or other network device / component (e.g., gNB, eNB, or other participating network entities / components). The UE device 200 includes: one or more processors 210 (e.g., one or more baseband processors) including processing circuitry and associated interfaces; transceiver circuitry 220 (e.g., including RF circuitry, which may include transmitter circuitry (e.g., associated with one or more transmit chains) and / or receiver circuitry (e.g., associated with one or more receive chains), the transmitter and receiver circuitry may employ common circuitry elements, different circuitry elements, or combinations thereof); and memory 230 (which may include any of a variety of storage media and may store instructions and / or data associated with one or more of the processors 210 or transceiver circuitry 220).

[0047] Additionally, memory 230 (and other memory components discussed herein, such as memory, data storage devices, etc.) may include one or more machine-readable media comprising instructions that, when executed by the machine or components herein, cause the machine to perform actions of a method, apparatus, or system for concurrent communication using various communication technologies according to the embodiments and examples described herein. It should be understood that the aspects described herein can be implemented by hardware, software, firmware, or any combination thereof. When implemented in software, functionality may be stored as one or more instructions or code on or transmitted via a computer-readable medium (e.g., the memory or other storage device described herein). Computer-readable media includes both computer storage media and communication media, including any medium that facilitates the transfer of a computer program from one place to another. Storage media or computer-readable storage devices may be any available medium accessible by a general-purpose or special-purpose computer. By way of example only and not limitation, such computer-readable media may include RAM, ROM, EEPROM, CD-ROM or other optical disk storage devices, magnetic disk storage devices or other magnetic storage devices, or other tangible and / or non-transitory media that can be used to carry or store desired information or executable instructions. Furthermore, any connection may also be referred to as a computer-readable medium. For example, if software is transmitted from a website, server, or other remote source using coaxial cable, fiber optic cable, twisted pair, digital subscriber line (DSL), or wireless technologies such as infrared, radio, and microwave, then coaxial cable, fiber optic cable, twisted pair, DSL, or wireless technologies such as infrared, radio, and microwave are included in the definition of the medium. As described in more detail below, System 400 can facilitate higher power efficiency for beam management operations, including CSI reporting / feedback based on a hierarchical precoding scheme.

[0048] Depending on the aspects, UE 300 / 101 or gNB 300 / 110 is operable to configure or process the search space IE for PDCCH. The search space IE may include a TCI state ID indicating at least one of a plurality of TCI states. For each UE-specific search space (USS), UE 101 may be provided with an antenna port quasi-co-address from a set of antenna port quasi-co-addresses provided by the TCI state. Therefore, the TCI state indicates quasi-co-address information for the DM-RS antenna ports used for PDCCH reception in the corresponding USS. The TCI state also enables beam switching to be performed across different PDCCH monitoring times.

[0049] UE 101 can also receive and process SSSG indices associated with one or more Search Space Sets (SSSs) to monitor the PDCCH on the serving cell. For example, each SSS may be configured with one or more TCI states by belonging to different SSSGs. The UE can then operate to perform SSSG-based beam handover based on downlink control information (DCI) format.

[0050] refer to Figure 3 An exemplary search space configuration 300 is illustrated according to various aspects. Search space configuration 300 may include a search space IE 310 having one or more fields or data items, which include at least one of the following: a TCI status ID field 320 or a PDCCH repeat field 330. Although fields or elements including the TCI status ID field 320 and the PDCCH repeat field 330 are shown, search space IE 310 may include one field 320 or 330, or both fields 320 and 330, and one or more other fields or data items therein as additional parts of the indicated data belonging to search space IE 310. The search space is indicated as a sequence type and includes a search space ID and a specific CORESET ID that may be provided by search space IE 310.

[0051] In Rel-15, the network can indicate the TCI status of PDCCH reception for a CORESET of the serving cell by sending a TCI status indication in a UE-specific PDCCH MAC CE. More specifically, a MAC CE is introduced to activate / deactivate a UE-specific PDCCH MAC CE, which may have a fixed size (e.g., 16 bits) with the following fields: Serving Cell ID, CORESET ID, and TCI status ID. An issue related to the CORESET-based TCI signaling framework is that it can disable temporal beam scanning for the search space associated with a single CORESET. This CORESET configuration can be a typical use case for RedCap devices due to reduced bandwidth. However, when beam switching occurs, reassociation uses MAC CEs between CORESET and other TCI states. In the case of UE 101 operating at high speeds and with limited bandwidth (e.g., less than 20 MHz), only one CORESET can typically be configured. This means switching to another beam direction to reassociate the CORESET with other TCI states using another MAC CE. This can take a relatively long time. Therefore, there is a clear need to provide a Search Space Set (SSS) beam scanning mechanism to improve reliability and coverage performance in the case of a single CORESET, especially for RedCap devices with a reduced number of antennas and bandwidth in high-speed train deployment scenarios.

[0052] For NR PDCCH monitoring, two configuration parameters can be used: one parameter indicates CORESET information, and the other configures SSS, which indicates time-domain information such as spectral density estimation and monitoring timing. However, CORESET does not necessarily indicate the duration of a switching transport block or a transmission timing in the frequency domain. Instead, this information about transmission timing within a certain time period can be configured via SSS configuration, which sets up multiple search spaces (SS) for multiple aggregation levels in NR.

[0053] In one aspect, the search space IE 310 may include a TCI-State ID field 320, a PDCCH repeat field 330, or both. The TCI-State ID 320 indicates one of one or more TCI states configured for the corresponding CORESET to determine the QCL relationship between the PDCCH DM-RS port of the search space and a DL RS in an RS set. Additionally, for each USS, multiple consecutive monitoring opportunities can be provided to UE101 within a monitoring period using a bitmap or a signaling method based on start and length indicator values ​​(SLIV). The TCI state also enables beam switching to be performed across different PDCCH monitoring opportunities. The TCI-State ID 320 may indicate which SRS can be used for interactive correlation. For example, if different beams exist for transmit / receive, the TCI state may indicate from which reference signal the Tracking Reference Signal (TRS) or Synchronization Signal Block (SSB) can be estimated, and from which specific information is derived.

[0054] Alternatively or additionally, the search space IE 310 may be configured with a PDCCH repeat field 330, which indicates the number of repeats during continuous monitoring as a time-slot-based or hour-slot-based repeat. UE 101 can determine the UE-specific search space (USS) repeat count for PDCCH repeats associated with one or more TCI states CORESETs based on the PDCCH repeat field 330 of the search space IE 310. The PDCCH repeat field 330 can be configured independently in the search space IE 310 or in combination with the TCI state ID 320.

[0055] refer to Figure 4 The diagram illustrates exemplary signaling 400 for implementing beam switching according to various aspects. For PDCCH repetitions across search spaces 410 and 420 associated with the same CORESET 404, a separate TCI state can be indicated by the TCI state ID field 402. Signaling 400 is an example of USS repetition for multi-TPR scenarios or multi-beam operations (e.g., on frequency range 2 (FR2)) assuming a repetition factor (i.e., setting the PDCCH repetition IE field 330 to 'n2' among different factors). Both USS 410 and 420 may be associated with the same CORESET 404 but configured with different TCI states, as indicated by the TCI state ID field 402 in one or more UE search spaces IE 300.

[0056] For example, a PDCCH transmission for a RedCap device can be associated with only one CORESET 404. CORESET 404 can be associated with different search spaces 410, 420, and additionally with search space repetition (e.g., UE search space repetition). Both UE 101 and gNB 111 can align their understanding of these two timings to repeatedly transmit in the same DCI format at search space 410 or 420. For example, a DCI can be transmitted in a first transmission timing 430, and then a repeated DCI can be transmitted in a second transmission timing 432. UE 101 can then perform decoding by combining / combining these two transmission timings 430 and 432. Similarly, similar transmission repetition can be configured based on the PDCCH repetition field 330 in SS 420.

[0057] In one aspect, for example, each SS 410 and 420 can be associated with a PDCCH repeat 330. The first two timings can be derived by obtaining the time-domain timing, and each set of repeats or each repeat can be associated with a different TCI state 402. A single TCI state associated with a single CORESET 404 may not be sufficiently efficient, especially considering RedCap devices. If the bandwidth starts with only one TCI state, beam-switching flexibility may be lost when beam-switching at high speeds is being performed while the MAC CE is being used to reassociate the TCI with only one CORESET. Thus, based on the location of high-speed devices or trains, faster signaling for beam scanning with TCI adaptation can be utilized by leveraging the repeat field and TCI fields 310 and 320 of the search space IE 400.

[0058] refer to Figure 5An example of DCI format X for group-based fast beam switching operations is shown, according to various aspects. DCI 500 can be configured with multiple (N) Beam Scan Request (BSR) fields. For example, one or more BSR fields 510 to 540 can be configured with the location or index of the serving cell to further enable group-based beam switching for PDDCH. A group index or search space set group index can be provided to UE 101 for the corresponding search space set (SSS) for PDDCH monitoring on the serving cell. Each search space set group (SSSG) can be associated with a pair {TCIx, TCIy, ..., TCIz}, such that one or more TSI states are associated with each SSS of the SSSG. Each search space of the SSS can be linked to an aggregation level, and thus, for example, multiple aggregation levels and multiple search spaces in the SSS, as well as one or more TCI states associated with the SSSG, can be configured to UE 101. The search space set, or in particular the SSS, can be configured with different PDCCH monitoring times in the time domain, which still allows for operation on more than one service type because there are more than one SSS for each SSSG. For example, SSSG-based beam switching thus enables greater flexibility in beam switching for each SS.

[0059] In one aspect, a list of serving cell groups (e.g., ServingCellGroupList) indicating the serving cell can be provided to UE 101. The SSSG can be used to simultaneously apply SSSG beam switching, especially when UE 101 moves along different locations with different serving cells, as in a high-speed train scenario. The SSSG configured with different search space sets or the list of serving cell groups for the SSS can be provided by RRC signaling or higher-level signaling.

[0060] In all respects, a unique dedicated DCI format can be configured to trigger SSSG-based beam switching. Each SSS can be associated with a specific SSSG, and the SSSG can have a different set of search spaces or a subset of search spaces, which can be configured differently for each serving cell as part of the PDCCH configuration, for example, via dedicated signaling with UE-specific search spaces, where up to 10 SSSs can be configured for each bandwidth portion.

[0061] For example, DCI format X can be configured for group-based beam switching triggering and is configured to include BSR fields: Beam Switching Request 1 (BSR 1) 510, Beam Switching Request 2 (BSR 2) 520, Beam Switching Request 3 (BSR 3) 530... Beam Switching Request N (BSR N) 540, where N is an integer (e.g., an integer greater than one). For example, any or more of BSR fields 510 to 540 can indicate the PDCCH to be used for beam switching based on bit fields. Specifically, the BSR field bits are related to the SSSG associated with the PDCCH. SS are associated with or paired with TCI states. One SSS can be associated with one or more TCI states in different SSSGs. For example, DCI format X 500 with BSR fields can be configured with a dedicated RNTI such that the DCI is scrambled or encoded according to the RNTI (e.g., X-RNTI).

[0062] In one aspect, the DCI format, including one or more BSR fields 310 to 340, can be configured to trigger SSSG-based beam switching for at least one of the PDCCH and additional PDSCH and uplink transmissions (e.g., Physical Uplink Shared Channel (PUSCH)). In this way, different TCI states for different beams can be used to provide PDCCH when the BSR field of DCI 500 indicates an SSSG change for the PDCCH at a specific location or index in the serving cell. For example, this different beam can also be used for similar switching for PDSCH, PUSCH, or both, and PDCCH.

[0063] In one aspect, the size of DCI format X can be configured to align with the payload size of a conventional DCI format (e.g., DCI format 1-0 or backoff DCI) to avoid increasing blind decoding attempts at the UE side. The conventional DCI format can be a relatively small DCI format to reduce blind decoding attempts or at least not introduce additional blind decoding attempts with the functionality described in the various aspects herein. To distinguish it from other DCI formats 500 with the same payload size, the CRC 550 of DCI format X 500 can be scrambled using a dedicated RNTI (e.g., X-RNTI), which can be used to differentiate DCI 500 from consistent conventional or backoff DCI formats.

[0064] refer to Figure 6 An example of a BSR field 600 in DCI format X is shown, based on various aspects. Figure 5The BSR fields 510 to 540 of the DCI format X 500 can be configured with descriptions or indications based on multiple bits (e.g., two bits, etc.) of the BSR field values ​​and an SSSG index for SSSG-based beam handover. The UE 101 can be configured with the location or index of the BSR field for the serving cell in the DCI format X 500 to switch SSSGs associated with different TCI states to achieve SSSG-based beam handover across different PDCCH monitoring times. For example, the location or index value of the BSR field for the serving cell can be configured based on RRC signaling or higher-layer signaling. Therefore, the UE 101 can switch to different SSSGs based on the BSR field values.

[0065] In one aspect, a BSR field value (e.g., '00') can indicate that no beam handover is performed. Other fields can indicate the SSSG index that UE 101 can switch to, configured by higher-layer signaling for the serving cell. Therefore, unless the BSR value indicates that a handover is not required, different DCIs can be provided to trigger UE 101 to switch to a different search space based on the SSSG index or group index configured for a given serving cell. For a given period, UE 101 may still be in the same search space or at the same rate with the same beam. In this case, the monitoring timing may still be operational, and gNB 111 may still transmit DCIs, but a beam change may not be necessary. Therefore, when gNB 111 configures the DCI, the fields can be set to, for example, '00' or other values ​​indicating that a handover is not required. This can take into account vehicle or UE device rates for a particular beam change, where the same beam is used for a given monitoring timing (PDCCH monitoring timing) compared to earlier monitoring timings.

[0066] Assuming the BSR field size can be K bits, where K can be, for example, an integer of two or larger, UE 101 can begin monitoring the PDCCH based on a search space set associated with the SSSG index according to the value of the BSR field. SSSG-based beam switching can be based on a 2-bit BSR field received in the group common DCI format X500 (i.e., K = 2). UE 101 begins monitoring the PDCCH at a first time slot, which can be at least Z symbols, based on the SSSG indicated by the BSR field 600 on the serving cell or serving cell group, where Z is an integer following the last symbol of the PDCCH with DCI format X. This DCI format X is operable to provide flexibility to gNB 111, allowing different SSSs within the group index to be switched to a target beam based on information predicted on the gNB side, such that the associated target SSSG can use different associated BSR field values.

[0067] refer to Figure 7An example of group-based beam switching for PDCCH transmission is shown, based on various aspects. UE101 can be configured as a high-speed train 702, or multiple high-speed trains 704 and 706 traveling at different locations and speeds. An example of SSSG configuration is provided with table configuration 710, which includes a pairing of two parameters: an SSS index and a TCI index.

[0068] In various aspects, an SSS can be configured with more than one TCI state to achieve SSS beam scanning across different monitoring times (e.g., PDCCH monitoring times) by associating the SSS with different TCI states in different SSSG indices. As an example, SSS index 1 can be associated with TCI 0 in SSSG1. This SSS index, however, can be associated with TCI state 1 in SSSG2. Using this method, SSS scanning can be achieved by triggering an SSSG-based beam switching (e.g., switching from SSSG 1 to SSSG 2 by setting the BSR state or field value (e.g., 510) to '10' in DCI format X 500). Therefore, when different SSSG group indices are configured, an SSS can be associated with different TCI states. For example,<SSS 1,TCI 1> It can be included in SSSG 2, and<SSS 1,TCI 0> It remains associated with SSSG 1. This achieves at least partial overlap between SSS indices across different groups, where one SSS can be associated with a different SSSG via different TCI states. Associating an SSS with different TCI states and different beams can be done within the same time-domain monitoring timing configuration. Instead of associating an SSS with a CORESET, an SSS can be associated with different TCI states, and this allows for flexibility in SSS configurations (which typically do not indicate the processing of the SSS configuration) to different TCI states.

[0069] In one respect, Figure 5 Different BSR fields among the multiple BSR fields 510 to 540 can be associated with different directions of movement based on RRC signaling to trigger SSSG-based beam switching in different directions. For example, in the case where there are more than one train 702 and 704 and another train 706 can be considered to have an offset. In this case, from the perspective of gNB 111, instead of signaling two separate DCIs to trigger beam switching, to improve resource efficiency, the same DCI can be used instead and the second train can be associated with another separate field.

[0070] For example, when instructing a user or passenger UE 101 of train 702 to monitor the beam switching field or BSR field 1 (e.g., 510), an additional value may be associated with the first train in the right-hand direction. For another train 704 that may be traveling in the left-hand direction, one or more UEs 101 of that train 704 may be instructed to monitor BSR index 2 (e.g., 520). In these cases, a DCI transmission can use different fields to trigger beam switching in different directions. For example, from SSSG 2 to SSSG 1, or the opposite direction from SSSG 1 to SSSG 2.

[0071] refer to Figure 8 This illustrates an exemplary process flow 800 in which a network device or component (e.g., UE 101, base station 110, AP 106, baseband processor, or other network component) performs beam switching. Process flow 800 may begin at 802 by receiving a search space information element (IE) for the physical downlink control channel (PDCCH). At 804, the process flow further includes determining a TCI state based on the Transport Configuration Indicator (TCI) state ID of the search space IE.

[0072] In another embodiment, process flow 800 may include: determining the number of PDCCH repetitions associated with the control resource set (CORESET) of the TCI state and the number of UE-specific search space (USS) repetitions based on the PDCCH repetition field of the search space IE, wherein one of the USS repetitions corresponds to the TCI state, and the TCI state indicates antenna port quasi-co-addressing to determine quasi-co-addressing information for the demodulation reference signal (DMRS) used for PDCCH reception. The CORESET may be associated with different UE-specific search spaces associated with different TCI states.

[0073] Additionally or alternatively, the SSSG can be configured based on the Serving Cell Group List to enable concurrent or simultaneous switching from one SSSG to another for SSSG-based beam handover. The search space set of the SSSG can be associated with different TCI states to achieve beam handover across different PDCCH monitoring times. SSSG-based beam handover can therefore be performed based on downlink control information (DCI) including a Beam Handover Request (BSR) field.

[0074] refer to Figure 9An exemplary process flow 900 is shown for configuring beam switching operations according to various network devices or components (e.g., gNB, base station 110, AP 106, baseband processor, or other network components). Process flow 900 may begin at 902, configuring a TCI status identifier (ID) in the search space information element (IE) to indicate the TCI status. At 904, the physical downlink control channel (PDCCH) associated with the search space IE may be provided (e.g., to UE 101).

[0075] On the other hand, a PDCCH repeat indicator can be provided or configured in the search space IE to indicate the number of DCI repeats across the search space with a control resource set (CORESET).

[0076] Alternatively or additionally, a DCI in DCI format may be provided to the UE to trigger beam switching between different search space groups (SSSGs) associated with one or more different physical channels, including a PDCCH or another PDCCH. Different Beam Switching Request (BSR) fields of the DCI may be configured to be associated with different directions of movement to trigger SSSG-based beam switching in different directions based on the configured bit values ​​of the different BSR fields.

[0077] One or more Search Space Sets (SSSs) of the UE Search Space are associated with one or more TCI states at different SSSG indices to enable beam switching across different PDCCH monitoring times. For example, an SSSG configuration can be generated based on the SSS index of the SSS, the TCI index of the TCI, and the SSSG index of the SSSG, where the SSS index is paired with the TCI index, and the same SSS index is associated with different SSSG indices and different TCI states.

[0078] As used herein, the term "processor" can refer to virtually any computing processing unit or device, including but not limited to single-core processors; single-processors with software multithreading capabilities; multi-core processors; multi-core processors with software multithreading capabilities; multi-core processors with hardware multithreading technology; parallel platforms; and parallel platforms with distributed shared memory. Additionally, a processor can refer to an integrated circuit, application-specific integrated circuit, digital signal processor, field-programmable gate array, programmable logic controller, complex programmable logic device, discrete gate or transistor logic, discrete hardware components, or any combination thereof designed to perform the functions and / or processes described herein. Processors can utilize nanoscale architectures, such as, but not limited to, molecular and quantum dot-based transistors, switches, and gates, to optimize space utilization or enhance the performance of mobile devices. Processors can also be implemented as a combination of computing processing units.

[0079] Implementations may include subjects such as methods, means for performing actions or blocks of the methods, at least one machine-readable medium including instructions that, when executed by a machine (e.g., a processor with memory, an application-specific integrated circuit (ASIC), a field-programmable gate array (FPGA), etc.), cause the machine to perform actions of a method, apparatus, or system for concurrent communication using various communication technologies according to the implementations and embodiments described herein.

[0080] The first embodiment is a set of user equipment (UE) devices, including: a memory; and processing circuitry configured to: receive a search space information element (IE) for a physical downlink control channel (PDCCH); and determine one or more TCI states based on one or more Transport Configuration Indicator (TCI) status identifiers (IDs) of the search space IE.

[0081] The second embodiment may include the first embodiment, wherein the processing circuit is further configured to: determine the UE-specific search space (USS) repetition number for PDCCH repetitions associated with the control resource set (CORESET) of the one or more TCI states based on the PDCCH repetition field of the search space IE.

[0082] The third embodiment may include the first embodiment or the second embodiment, wherein the UE-specific search space of the CORESET includes different TCI states to enable beam switching across different PDCCH monitoring times.

[0083] The fourth embodiment may include any or more of the first to third embodiments, wherein the processing circuit is further configured to: receive an SSSG index of a search space set group (SSSG) associated with one or more search space sets to monitor the PDCCH on the serving cell, wherein one of the one or more search space sets (SSS) is configured with the one or more TCI states.

[0084] The fifth embodiment may include any or more of the first to fourth embodiments, wherein the processing circuit is further configured to: receive downlink control information (DCI), wherein the DCI includes one or more beam switching request (BSR) fields and is scrambled using a dedicated radio network temporary identifier; and perform SSSG-based beam switching based on the DCI.

[0085] The sixth embodiment may include any or more of the first to fifth embodiments, wherein the SSSG-based beam switching includes: switching of a single DCI based on the DCI format between different SSSGs associated with at least one of the PDCCH and the Physical Downlink Shared Channel (PDSCH) or the Physical Uplink Shared Channel (PUSCH).

[0086] The seventh embodiment may include any or more of the first to sixth embodiments, wherein the BSR field of the DCI includes the location or index of the serving cell.

[0087] The eighth embodiment may include any one or more of the first to seventh embodiments, wherein different BSR fields among the plurality of BSR fields are associated with different directions of movement based on radio resource control (RRC) signaling to trigger the SSSG-based beam switching in these different directions.

[0088] The ninth embodiment may include any or more of the first to eighth embodiments, wherein the processing circuit is further configured to process a set of search spaces (SSS) of the UE search space associated with different TCI states at different SSSG indices to enable beam switching across different monitoring times.

[0089] The tenth embodiment may include any or more of the first to ninth embodiments, wherein the one or more processors are further configured to monitor the PDCCH based on the SSS index, the SSSG index, and the BSR field value, wherein the SSS index is paired with a different TCI index for a different SSSG index associated with the SSS index.

[0090] The eleventh embodiment may include any one or more of the first to tenth embodiments, wherein the processing circuit is further configured to switch to different SSSGs based on the BSR field bit value.

[0091] The twelfth embodiment may be a tangible computer-readable storage device that stores executable instructions that, in response to execution, cause a processor of a user equipment (UE) to perform operations including: receiving a search space information element (IE) for a physical downlink control channel (PDCCH); and determining a TCI state based on a Transmission Configuration Indicator (TCI) state ID of the search space IE.

[0092] The thirteenth embodiment may include the twelfth embodiment, which further includes: determining, based on the PDCCH repetition field of the search space IE, the number of PDCCH repetitions associated with the control resource set (CORESET) of the TCI state and the number of UE-specific search space (USS) repetitions, wherein one of the USS repetitions corresponds to the TCI state, and the TCI state indicates antenna port quasi-co-addressing to determine quasi-co-addressing information for demodulation reference signal (DMRS) for receiving the PDCCH.

[0093] The fourteenth embodiment may include any or more of the twelfth to thirteenth embodiments, wherein the CORESET is associated with a different UE-specific search space including different TCI states.

[0094] The fifteenth embodiment may include any or more of the twelfth to fourteenth embodiments, and these operations further include: determining a search spatial group (SSSG) based on a Serving Cell Group List to concurrently switch from one SSSG to another, wherein the SSS of the SSSG is associated with different TCI states to enable beam switching across different PDCCH monitoring times.

[0095] The sixteenth embodiment may include any or more of the twelfth to fifteenth embodiments, and these operations further include performing SSSG-based beam switching based on downlink control information (DCI) including a beam switching request (BSR) field.

[0096] The seventeenth embodiment may include any or more of the twelfth to sixteenth embodiments, wherein the DCI enables the SSSG-based beam switching to switch the PDCCH and at least one of the Physical Downlink Shared Channel (PDSCH) or Physical Uplink Shared Channel (PUSCH).

[0097] The eighteenth embodiment may include any or more of the twelfth to seventeenth embodiments, and these operations further include: monitoring the PDCCH according to the SSSG indicated by the BSR field of the DCI on the serving cell at a first time slot at least Z symbols after the last symbol of the PDCCH, where Z includes an integer of one or greater.

[0098] The nineteenth embodiment may be a broadband processor, including: a memory; and processing circuitry configured to: receive a search space information element (IE) for a physical downlink control channel (PDCCH); and determine one or more TCI states based on one or more Transmission Configuration Indicator (TCI) status identifiers (IDs) of the search space IE; and perform a search space set (SSSG) beam switching based on the one or more TCI states and at least one of the following: a search space set (SSS) index, an SSSG index, or a beam switching request (BSR) field value.

[0099] The twentieth embodiment may include the nineteenth embodiment, wherein the processing circuitry is further configured to determine PDCCH repetition based on the PDCCH repetition field of the search space IE associated with the one or more TCI states.

[0100] The twenty-first embodiment may be a next-generation node B (gNB) device, including: a memory; processing circuitry configured to: configure a Transmission Configuration Indicator (TCI) status identifier (ID) in a search space information element (IE) to indicate a TCI status; and provide a physical downlink control channel (PDCCH) associated with the search space IE.

[0101] The twenty-second embodiment may include the twenty-first embodiment, wherein the one or more processors are further configured to: configure a PDCCH repetition indicator in the search space IE to indicate the number of DCI or PDCCH repetitions across multiple search spaces.

[0102] The twenty-third embodiment may include any one or more of the twenty-first to twenty-second embodiments, wherein the PDCCH repetition indicator indicates the number of times the DCI or PDCCH is repeated across the plurality of search spaces associated with the control resource set (CORESET).

[0103] The 24th embodiment may include any of the 21st to 23rd embodiments, wherein the one or more processors are further configured to: provide an SSSG index of a search space set group (SSSG) based on one or more search space sets (SSS) associated with one or more TCI states to monitor the PDCCH on the serving cell.

[0104] The twenty-fifth embodiment may include any of the twenty-first to twenty-fourth embodiments, wherein the one or more processors are further configured to provide a ServingCellGroupList that instructs one or more SSSGs to switch from one SSSG to another for beam switching.

[0105] The twenty-sixth embodiment may include any of the twenty-first to twenty-fifth embodiments, wherein the one or more processors are further configured to: encode or scramble the cyclic redundancy check (CRC) of the DCI of the DCI format X based on a dedicated RNTI; and provide the DCI to trigger beam switching between different SSSGs associated with one or more different physical channels.

[0106] The twenty-seventh embodiment may include any of the twenty-first to twenty-sixth embodiments, wherein the one or more different physical channels are based on the DCI including the PDCCH and at least one of the Physical Downlink Shared Channel (PDSCH) or Physical Uplink Shared Channel (PUSCH).

[0107] The twenty-eighth embodiment may include any one of the twenty-first to twenty-seventh embodiments, wherein the one or more processors are further configured to: configure the beam switching request (BSR) field in the DCI to enable SSSG-based beam switching between these different SSSGs, wherein these different SSSGs are associated with different TCI states.

[0108] The twenty-ninth embodiment may include any of the twenty-first to twenty-eighth embodiments, wherein the BSR fields include the location or index of the BSR fields associated with the serving cell for switching between these different SSSGs associated with different TCI states.

[0109] The thirtieth embodiment may include any of the twenty-first to twenty-ninth embodiments, wherein the one or more processors are further configured to: align the DCI of the DCI format X with the payload size of a conventional DCI format or a fallback DCI format to reduce user equipment (UE) blind decoding attempts, wherein the dedicated RNTI enables differentiation between the conventional DCI format and the DCI format X.

[0110] The thirty-first embodiment may include any of the twenty-first to thirty-third embodiments, wherein the one or more processors are further configured to configure one of the BSR fields based on a bit configuration of a set of bit configurations indicating the SSSG index for beam switching.

[0111] The thirty-second embodiment may include any one of the twenty-first to thirty-first embodiments, wherein at least one configuration indication in the group bit configuration will not perform beam switching.

[0112] The thirty-third embodiment may be a tangible computer-readable storage device that stores executable instructions that, in response to execution, cause one or more processors of a next-generation node B (gNB) to perform operations including: configuring a Transport Configuration Indicator (TCI) status identifier (ID) in a search space information element (IE) to indicate a TCI status; and providing a physical downlink control channel (PDCCH) associated with the search space IE.

[0113] The thirty-fourth embodiment may include the thirty-third embodiment, which further includes: providing a PDCCH repetition indication in the search space IE to indicate the number of DCI repetitions across a search space having a control resource set (CORESET).

[0114] The thirty-fifth embodiment may include any of the thirty-third to thirty-fourth embodiments, and these operations further include: providing a DCI in DCI format to trigger beam switching between different search space groups (SSSGs) associated with one or more different physical channels, wherein the one or more different physical channels include the PDCCH or another PDCCH.

[0115] The thirty-sixth embodiment may include any of the thirty-third to thirty-fifth embodiments, and these operations further include: configuring different beam switching request (BSR) fields of the DCI associated with different directions of movement to trigger SSSG-based beam switching in these different directions based on the configured bit values ​​of these different BSR fields.

[0116] The thirty-seventh embodiment may include any of the thirty-third to thirty-sixth embodiments, and these operations further include: configuring one or more search space sets respectively associated with one or more TCI states at different SSSG indices to enable beam switching across different PDCCH monitoring times.

[0117] The thirty-eighth embodiment may include any of the thirty-third to thirty-seventh embodiments, and these operations further include: generating an SSSG configuration based on the SSS index of SSS, the TCI index of TCI, and the SSSG index of SSSG, wherein the SSS index is paired with the TCI index, and the same SSS index is associated with different SSSG indices and different TCI states.

[0118] The thirty-ninth embodiment may be a baseband processor, including: a memory; and processing circuitry configured to: provide a Transmission Configuration Indicator (TCI) status identifier (ID) in a Search Space Information Element (IE) to indicate one or more TCI states; and provide an SSSG configuration in the DCI including a Search Space Set (SSS) index, a Search Space Set Group (SSSG) index, and a Beam Switching Request (BSR) field to implement beam switching based on the one or more TCI states.

[0119] The fortieth embodiment may include the thirty-ninth embodiment, wherein the processing circuit is further configured to: implement handover to different SSSGs based on the BSR field bit value of the BSR field of the DCI, wherein the DCI triggers handover for one or more physical channels.

[0120] Furthermore, standard programming and / or engineering techniques can be used to implement the various aspects or features described herein as methods, apparatus, or articles of art. As used herein, the term "article of art" is intended to cover a computer program accessible from any computer-readable device, carrier, or medium. For example, computer-readable media may include, but is not limited to, magnetic storage devices (e.g., hard disks, floppy disks, magnetic stripes), optical discs (e.g., high-density disks (CDs), digital versatile disks (DVDs), etc.), smart cards, and flash memory devices (e.g., EPROMs, cards, sticks, key drives, etc.). Additionally, the various storage media described herein may represent one or more devices and / or other machine-readable media for storing information. The term "machine-readable medium" may include, but is not limited to, wireless channels and various other media capable of storing, containing, and / or carrying instructions and / or data. Furthermore, a computer program product may include a computer-readable medium having one or more instructions or codes that are operable to cause a computer to perform the functions described herein.

[0121] Communication media embody computer-readable instructions, data structures, program modules, or other structured or unstructured data in data signals such as modulated data signals, such as carrier waves or other transmission mechanisms, and include any information delivery or transmission medium. The term "modulated data signal" or signal refers to a signal whose one or more characteristics are set or altered in a manner that encodes information in one or more signals. By way of example, and not limitation, communication media include wired media such as wired networks or direct wired connections, and wireless media such as acoustic, RF, infrared, and other wireless media.

[0122] An exemplary storage medium can be coupled to a processor, enabling the processor to read information from and write information to the storage medium. Alternatively, the storage medium can be integrated with the processor. Furthermore, in some aspects, the processor and storage medium can reside in an ASIC. Additionally, the ASIC can reside in a user terminal. Alternatively, the processor and storage medium can reside as discrete components in the user terminal. Furthermore, in some aspects, the process and / or actions of a method or algorithm can reside as one or any combination or set of code and / or instructions on a machine-readable and / or computer-readable medium, and can be incorporated into a computer program product.

[0123] In this regard, although the subject matter disclosed herein has been described in conjunction with various embodiments and corresponding drawings, it should be understood that other similar embodiments may be used, or modifications and additions may be made to the described embodiments, to perform the same, similar, alternative, or substitute functions of the disclosed subject matter without departing from the described embodiments. Therefore, the disclosed subject matter should not be limited to any single embodiment described herein, but should be interpreted in accordance with the breadth and scope of the following appended claims.

[0124] In particular, regarding the various functions performed by the aforementioned components (components, devices, circuits, systems, etc.), unless otherwise stated, the terminology used to describe such components (including references to "means") is intended to correspond to any component or structure that performs the specified function of the said component (e.g., functionally equivalent), even if it is not structurally equivalent to the disclosed structure that performs the function in the exemplary embodiments of this disclosure shown herein. Furthermore, while certain features have been disclosed with respect to only one of several embodiments, it may be desirable and advantageous for any given or particular application to combine such features with one or more other features of other embodiments.

Claims

1. A user equipment (UE) device, comprising: Transceiver circuit; Processing circuitry, coupled to the transceiver circuitry and configured to: Obtain the configuration of two or more search space sets (SSSGs) associated with the same control resource set (CORESET), wherein each SSSG comprises one or more search space sets (SSSs), and each SSS is associated with a Transport Configuration Indicator (TCI) state. Physical downlink control channel (PDCCH) monitoring is performed based on the first SSSG, which includes the first SSS associated with the first TCI state. In response to receiving a DCI format, wherein the DCI format indicates a second SSSG in the beam switching request BSR field of the DCI, the second SSSG including the first SSS associated with a second TCI state, wherein the DCI format includes a plurality of BSR fields, each BSR field carrying a bit configuration indicating an SSSG, further wherein at least two of the plurality of BSR fields of the DCI format are associated with different directions of movement based on Radio Resource Control (RRC) signaling to trigger SSSG-based beam switching in the different directions of movement. Control the transceiver circuitry to perform beam switching to the second TCI state; and PDCCH monitoring is performed in the first SSS based on the second TCI state.

2. The UE device according to claim 1, wherein the processing circuit is further configured to: The number of UE-specific search space USS repetitions for PDCCH repetitions associated with the CORESET for one or more TCI states is determined based on the PDCCH repetition field of the search space IE.

3. The UE device according to claim 2, wherein the UE-specific search space of the CORESET includes different TCI states to enable beam switching across different PDCCH monitoring times.

4. The UE device according to claim 1, wherein the beam switching includes: Based on the DCI format, switching is performed between different SSSGs associated with the PDCCH associated with the CORESET and at least one of the following: Physical Downlink Shared Channel (PDSCH) or Physical Uplink Shared Channel (PUSCH).

5. The UE device of claim 1, wherein at least one bit configuration from a set of bit configurations that can be carried by the BSR field indicates that beam switching will not be performed.

6. The UE device of claim 1, wherein the processing circuitry is further configured to receive an indication to monitor a specific BSR field from one or more BSR fields in the DCI format.

7. A baseband processor including a memory and processing circuitry, the baseband processor being coupled to the memory and configured to: Obtain the configuration of two or more search space sets (SSSGs) associated with the same control resource set (CORESET), wherein each SSSG comprises one or more search space sets (SSSs), and each SSS is associated with a Transport Configuration Indicator (TCI) state. Physical downlink control channel (PDCCH) monitoring is performed based on the first SSSG, which includes the first SSS associated with the first TCI state. In response to receiving a DCI format, wherein the DCI format indicates a second SSSG in the beam switching request BSR field of the DCI, the second SSSG including the first SSS associated with a second TCI state, such that beam switching to the second TCI state is achieved, wherein the DCI format includes a plurality of BSR fields, each BSR field carrying a bit configuration indicating an SSSG, and further wherein at least two of the plurality of BSR fields of the DCI format are associated with different directions of movement based on Radio Resource Control (RRC) signaling to trigger SSSG-based beam switching in the different directions of movement; as well as PDCCH monitoring is performed in the first SSS based on the second TCI state.

8. The baseband processor according to claim 7, wherein the baseband processor is further configured to: PDCCH repetition is determined based on the PDCCH repetition field of the search space IE associated with the one or more TCI states.

9. The baseband processor of claim 7, wherein at least one bit configuration from a set of bit configurations that can be carried by the BSR field indicates that beam switching will not be performed.

10. The baseband processor of claim 7, wherein the baseband processor is further configured to receive an indication to monitor a specific BSR field from one or more BSR fields in the DCI format.

11. A base station, comprising: Memory; Processing circuit, the processing circuit being configured to: The configuration of a user equipment (UE) is identified by identifying two or more search space sets (SSSGs) associated with the same control resource set (CORESET), wherein each SSSG includes one or more search space sets (SSSs), and each SSS is associated with a Transport Configuration Indicator (TCI) state. It is determined that the UE will switch from a first TCI state associated with a first SSS in a first SSSG to a second TCI state associated with the first SSS in a second SSSG; as well as The system transmits downlink control information (DCI) format, wherein the DCI format instructs the second SSSG in the beam switching request (BSR) field to cause the UE to switch to the second TCI state, wherein the DCI format includes a plurality of BSR fields, each BSR field carrying bit configuration indicating the SSSG, and further wherein at least two of the plurality of BSR fields in the DCI format are associated with different directions of movement based on radio resource control (RRC) signaling to trigger SSSG-based beam switching in the different directions of movement.

12. The base station according to claim 11, wherein the processing circuit is further configured to: Configure a PDCCH repetition indicator in the search space IE to indicate the number of repetitions of the downlink control information DCI or physical downlink control channel PDCCH across multiple search spaces.

13. The base station according to claim 11, wherein, The configuration includes a ServingCellGroupList, which indicates one or more SSSGs to switch from one SSSG to another for beam switching.

14. The base station of claim 11, wherein the DCI format triggers beam switching for the Physical Downlink Control Channel (PDCCH) and at least one of the following: Physical Downlink Shared Channel (PDSCH) or Physical Uplink Shared Channel (PUSCH).

15. The base station according to claim 11, wherein the processing circuit is further configured to: The BSR field is configured to carry a bit configuration indicating that the SSSG will not perform beam switching.

16. The base station of claim 15, wherein the processing circuitry is configured to instruct the UE to monitor a BSR field associated with the UE's current direction of motion.

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