Method and device for enhancing sounding reference signal indication

Abstract

A system and method for sounding reference signal (SRS) indication enhancement is proposed. A wireless communication device may determine to perform a first sounding reference signal (SRS) transmission in a first component carrier (CC). The wireless communication device may determine to perform a first SRS in an available time unit based on a time offset and a second SRS transmission in a second CC. The wireless communication device may receive one or more carrier indicator (CIF) value lists for SRS transmission from a wireless communication node. The wireless communication device may determine a first SRS transmission based on one or more CIF value lists. The wireless communication device may determine a first SRS transmission based on a value of a CIF field in downlink control information (DCI).

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present disclosure relates generally to wireless communications, including but not limited to systems and methods for sounding reference signal (SRS) indication enhancement. Background Art

[0002] The third generation partnership project (3GPP), a standardization organization, is currently specifying a new air interface called 5G New Radio (5GNR) and the next generation packet core network (NG-CN or NGC). 5G NR will have three main components: 5G access network (5G-AN), 5G core network (5GC) and user equipment (UE). In order to facilitate the implementation of different data services and requirements, the units of 5GC (also known as network functions) have been simplified, some of which are software-based and some are hardware-based so that they can be adjusted as needed. Summary of the invention

[0003] The example embodiments disclosed herein are intended to solve problems associated with one or more of the problems presented in the prior art, as well as to provide additional features that will become apparent by reference to the following detailed description when combined with the accompanying drawings. According to various embodiments, example systems, methods, devices, and computer program products are disclosed herein. However, it should be understood that these embodiments are presented by way of example and are not restrictive, and it will be apparent to a person of ordinary skill in the art who reads this disclosure that various modifications may be made to the disclosed embodiments while remaining within the scope of this disclosure.

[0004] At least one aspect relates to a system, method, apparatus, or computer-readable medium. A wireless communication device may determine to perform a first sounding reference signal (SRS) transmission in a first component carrier (CC). The wireless communication device may determine to perform the first SRS in an available time unit based on a time offset and a second SRS transmission in a second CC.

[0005] In some embodiments, the second SRS transmission may have a higher priority than the first SRS transmission. In some embodiments, the wireless communication device may not be able to support the first SRS transmission and the second SRS transmission at the same time. In some embodiments, the second SRS transmission may be a semi-static or periodic type. In some embodiments, the wireless communication device may identify a priority rule. In some embodiments, the priority rule may be predetermined or configured via high-level signaling. In some embodiments, the priority rule may be predetermined or configured to prioritize at least multiple SRS transmissions in the first CC and the second CC.

[0006] In some embodiments, the priority rule may operate according to a CC index of at least one of the first CC or the second CC. In some embodiments, the high-layer signaling may include radio resource control (RRC) signaling or media access control (MAC) layer signaling. In some embodiments, the available time unit may exclude instances where the second SRS transmission overlaps with the first SRS transmission in the same symbol.

[0007] In some embodiments, if the first SRS transmission and the second SRS transmission will overlap in time if performed in an available time unit, the wireless communication device may determine to perform the first SRS transmission in the next available time unit. In some embodiments, if the first SRS transmission and the second SRS transmission will overlap in time if performed in an available time unit, the wireless communication device may determine to discard or bypass the first SRS transmission. In some embodiments, the wireless communication device may not be able to support the first SRS transmission and the second SRS transmission at the same time. In some embodiments, the wireless communication device may not be able to support two beams for the first SRS transmission and the second SRS transmission, respectively, at the same time.

[0008] At least one aspect relates to a system, method, apparatus, or computer-readable medium. A wireless communication device may receive one or more carrier indicator (CIF) value lists for SRS transmission from a wireless communication node. The wireless communication device may determine a first SRS transmission based on the one or more CIF value lists. The wireless communication device may determine the first SRS transmission based on a value of a CIF field in downlink control information (DCI).

[0009] In some embodiments, each of the one or more CIF value lists may be configured to correspond to a corresponding SRS resource or SRS resource set. In some embodiments, each of the one or more CIF value lists may be configured to correspond to a corresponding SRS configuration (SRS-Config). In some embodiments, the wireless communication device may use a first SRS resource or SRS resource set for a first SRS transmission for transmission. In some embodiments, when the CIF value indicated by the DCI matches one of the one or more CIF value lists, the wireless communication device may transmit. In some embodiments, the one or more CIF value lists may include a first CIF value list for SRS transmission for positioning purposes. In some embodiments, the one or more CIF value lists may include a second CIF value list for SRS transmission for non-positioning purposes.

[0010] At least one aspect relates to a system, method, apparatus, or computer-readable medium. A wireless communication node may send one or more carrier indicator (CIF) value lists for SRS transmission to a wireless communication device. The wireless communication node may cause the wireless communication device to determine a first SRS transmission based on the one or more CIF value lists. The wireless communication node may cause the wireless communication device to determine the first SRS transmission based on a value of a CIF field in downlink control information (DCI).

[0011] In some embodiments, each of the one or more CIF value lists may be configured to correspond to a corresponding SRS resource or SRS resource set. In some embodiments, each of the one or more CIF value lists may be configured to correspond to a corresponding SRS configuration (SRS-Config). In some embodiments, the wireless communication device may use a first SRS resource or SRS resource set for a first SRS transmission for transmission. In some embodiments, when the CIF value indicated by the DCI matches one of the one or more CIF value lists, the wireless communication device may transmit. In some embodiments, the one or more CIF value lists may include a first CIF value list for SRS transmission for positioning purposes. In some embodiments, the one or more CIF value lists may include a second CIF value list for SRS transmission for non-positioning purposes.

[0012] In some embodiments, a first SRS transmission (e.g., SRS transmission A) in a CC (e.g., CC#i) may be scheduled in an available time slot based on a notified / configured time slot offset value. The available time slot may exclude a second SRS transmission (e.g., SRS transmission B) in another CC (e.g., CC#j). In some embodiments, the second SRS transmission may overlap / coincide / conflict with the first SRS transmission (e.g., SRS transmission A) in the time domain. The value associated with the CC (e.g., value i and / or value j) may be a non-negative integer. In some embodiments, the second SRS transmission (e.g., SRS transmission B) may have a higher priority than the first SRS transmission (e.g., SRS transmission A). A wireless communication device (e.g., UE) may not be able to support simultaneous transmission of at least two SRS transmissions (e.g., SRS transmission A and SRS transmission B). In some embodiments, RRC signaling (or other types of signaling) may be used to configure at least one priority rule. In some embodiments, one or more priority rules may be predetermined / predefined (e.g., based on the value of the CC index).

[0013] In some embodiments, a wireless communication node (e.g., a gNB) may configure one or more CIF value lists for SRS transmission. The configured one or more CIF value lists and / or the value of the CIF field of the DCI may indicate / specify at least one SRS transmission. In some embodiments, one or more CIF value lists may be configured for each SRS resource, SRS resource set, and / or SRS configuration (e.g., SRS-Config). In some embodiments, the CIF value indicated by the DCI may correspond to at least one CIF value of the configured CIF value list of the first SRS resource set. Thus, the first SRS resource set may be triggered by the CIF value of the DCI. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0014] Various example embodiments of the present technical solution are described in detail below with reference to the following diagrams or drawings. The drawings are provided for illustrative purposes only and only describe example embodiments of the present technical solution to facilitate the reader's understanding of the present technical solution. Therefore, the drawings should not be considered to limit the breadth, scope or applicability of the present technical solution. It should be noted that for clarity and ease of description, these drawings are not necessarily drawn to scale.

[0015] Figure 1 An example cellular communication network is shown in which the techniques disclosed herein may be implemented according to an embodiment of the present disclosure;

[0016] Figure 2 A block diagram showing an example base station and user equipment according to some embodiments of the present disclosure is shown;

[0017] Figure 3 A table showing example time division duplex (TDD) time slot configurations according to some embodiments of the present disclosure;

[0018] Figure 4 shows an example approach for redefining the value of a slot offset according to some embodiments of the present disclosure;

[0019] Figure 5-7 Various approaches for scheduling sounding reference signal (SRS) resources and / or SRS resource sets using downlink control information (DCI) according to some embodiments of the present disclosure are shown;

[0020] Figure 8 An example approach for mapping at least one carrier indicator (CIF) value to one or more component carriers according to some embodiments of the present disclosure is shown;

[0021] Fig. 9 An example approach for mapping at least one CIF value to one or more component carrier (CC) groups according to some embodiments of the present disclosure is shown;

[0022] Fig.10 An example approach for configuring at least one CIF value for an SRS resource and / or an SRS resource set according to some embodiments of the present disclosure is shown; and

[0023] Figure 11-12 A flowchart of an example method for SRS indication enhancement according to some embodiments of the present disclosure is shown. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0024] Various example embodiments of the present technical solution are described below with reference to the accompanying drawings so that a person of ordinary skill in the art can make and use the present technical solution. It is obvious to a person of ordinary skill in the art that, after reading this disclosure, various changes or modifications can be made to the examples described herein without departing from the scope of the present technical solution. Therefore, the present technical solution is not limited to the example embodiments and applications described and illustrated herein. In addition, the specific order or hierarchy of the steps in the method disclosed herein is merely an example approach. Based on design preferences, the specific order or hierarchy of the steps of the disclosed method or process can be rearranged while remaining within the scope of the present technical solution. Therefore, a person of ordinary skill in the art will understand that the methods and techniques disclosed herein present various steps or behaviors in a sample order, and unless otherwise explicitly stated, the present technical solution is not limited to the specific order or hierarchy presented.

[0025] The following abbreviations are used throughout this disclosure:

[0026]

[0027]

[0028]

[0029]

[0030] 1. Mobile Communication Technology and Environment

[0031] Figure 1An example wireless communication network and / or system 100 is shown in which the techniques disclosed herein may be implemented according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. In the following discussion, the wireless communication network 100 may be any wireless network, such as a cellular network or a narrowband Internet of Things (NB-IoT) network, and is referred to herein as "network 100." Such an example network 100 includes a base station 102 (hereinafter referred to as "BS 102"; also referred to as a wireless communication node) and a user equipment 104 (hereinafter referred to as "UE 104"; also referred to as a wireless communication device), which may communicate with each other via a communication link 110 (e.g., a wireless communication channel), and cell groups 126, 130, 132, 134, 136, 138, and 140 covering a geographic area 101. In Figure 1 1, BS 102 and UE 104 are contained within the respective geographic boundaries of cell 126. Each of the other cells 130, 132, 134, 136, 138, and 140 may include at least one base station operating with its allocated bandwidth to provide adequate wireless coverage to its intended users.

[0032] For example, BS 102 may operate under an allocated channel transmission bandwidth to provide sufficient coverage to UE 104. BS 102 and UE 104 may communicate via downlink radio frames 118 and uplink radio frames 124, respectively. Each radio frame 118 / 124 may be further divided into subframes 120 / 127, which may include data symbols 122 / 128. In the present disclosure, BS 102 and UE 104 are described herein as non-limiting examples of "communication nodes", which may generally implement the methods disclosed herein. According to various embodiments of the present technical solution, such communication nodes may be capable of wireless and / or wired communication.

[0033] Figure 2 A block diagram of an example wireless communication system 200 for sending and receiving wireless communication signals (e.g., OFDM / OFDMA signals) according to some embodiments of the present technology is shown. The system 200 may include components and elements configured to support known or conventional operating features that do not need to be described in detail herein. In an illustrative embodiment, as described above, the system 200 may be used in applications such as Figure 1 The wireless communication environment 100 may be used to transmit (eg, send and receive) data symbols.

[0034] System 200 generally includes a base station 202 (hereinafter referred to as "BS 202") and a user equipment 204 (hereinafter referred to as "UE 204"). BS 202 includes a BS (base station) transceiver module 210, a BS antenna 212, a BS processor module 214, a BS memory module 216, and a network communication module 218, each of which is coupled and interconnected to each other via a data communication bus 220 as needed. UE 204 includes a UE (user equipment) transceiver module 230, a UE antenna 232, a UE memory module 234, and a UE processor module 236, each of which is coupled and interconnected to each other via a data communication bus 240 as needed. BS 202 communicates with UE 204 via a communication channel 250, which can be any wireless channel or other medium suitable for transmitting data as described herein.

[0035] As will be appreciated by those skilled in the art, the system 200 may also include Figure 2 Any number of modules outside the modules shown. It will be appreciated by those skilled in the art that the various illustrative blocks, modules, circuits, and processing logic described in conjunction with the embodiments disclosed herein can be implemented in hardware, computer-readable software, firmware, or any actual combination thereof. In order to clearly illustrate this interchangeability and compatibility of hardware, firmware, and software, various illustrative components, blocks, modules, circuits, and steps are generally described according to their functions. Whether such functions are implemented in hardware, firmware, or software depends on the application of specific applications and the design constraints on the entire system. People familiar with the concepts described herein can implement such functions in an appropriate manner for each specific application, but such implementation decisions should not be interpreted as limiting the scope of the present disclosure.

[0036] According to some embodiments, the UE transceiver 230 may be referred to herein as an "uplink" transceiver 230, which includes a radio frequency (RF) transmitter and an RF receiver, each of which includes circuitry coupled to an antenna 232. A duplex switch (not shown) may alternatively couple the uplink transmitter or receiver to the uplink antenna in a time duplex manner. Similarly, according to some embodiments, the BS transceiver 210 may be referred to herein as a "downlink" transceiver 210, which includes an RF transmitter and an RF receiver, each of which includes circuitry coupled to an antenna 212. The downlink duplex switch may alternatively couple the downlink transmitter or receiver to the downlink antenna 212 in a time duplex manner. The operation of the two transceiver modules 210 and 230 may be coordinated in time such that the uplink receiver circuit is coupled to the uplink antenna 232 to receive transmissions over the wireless transmission link 250 while the downlink transmitter is coupled to the downlink antenna 212. Instead, the operation of the two transceivers 210 and 230 may be coordinated in time such that the downlink receiver is coupled with the downlink antenna 212 to receive transmissions over the wireless transmission link 250 at the same time as the uplink transmitter is coupled with the uplink antenna 232. In some embodiments, there is tight time synchronization with minimal guard times between changes in duplex direction.

[0037] The UE transceiver 230 and the base station transceiver 210 are configured to communicate via a wireless data communication link 250 and cooperate with an appropriately configured RF antenna arrangement 212 / 232 that can support a specific wireless communication protocol and modulation scheme. In some illustrative embodiments, the UE transceiver 210 and the base station transceiver 210 are configured to support industry standards such as Long Term Evolution (LTE) and emerging 5G standards. However, it should be understood that the present disclosure is not necessarily limited to the application of specific standards and related protocols. Instead, the UE transceiver 230 and the base station transceiver 210 can be configured to support alternative or additional wireless data communication protocols, including future standards or variants thereof.

[0038] According to various embodiments, BS 202 may be, for example, an evolved Node B (eNB), a serving eNB, a target eNB, a femtocell or a microcell. In some embodiments, UE 204 may be embodied in various types of user equipment, such as a mobile phone, a smart phone, a personal digital assistant (PDA), a tablet computer, a laptop computer, a wearable computing device, etc. Processor modules 214 and 236 may be implemented or implemented by a general purpose processor, a content addressable memory, a digital signal processor, an application specific integrated circuit, a field programmable gate array, any suitable programmable logic device, a discrete gate or transistor logic, a discrete hardware component, or any combination thereof, to perform the functions described herein. In this manner, the processor may be implemented as a microprocessor, a controller, a microcontroller, a state machine, etc. The processor may also be implemented as a combination of computing devices, for example, a combination of a digital signal processor and a microprocessor, a plurality of microprocessors, a combination of one or more microprocessors and a digital signal processor core, or any other such configuration.

[0039] In addition, the steps of the methods or algorithms described in conjunction with the embodiments disclosed herein may be directly embodied in hardware, firmware, software modules executed by the processor modules 214 and 236, respectively, or in any practical combination thereof. The memory modules 216 and 234 may be implemented as RAM memory, flash memory, ROM memory, EPROM memory, EEPROM memory, registers, hard disk, removable disk, CD-ROM, or any other form of storage medium known in the art. In this regard, the memory modules 216 and 234 may be coupled to the processor modules 210 and 230, respectively, so that the processor modules 210 and 230 can read information from and write information to the memory modules 216 and 234, respectively. The memory modules 216 and 234 may also be integrated into the corresponding processor modules 210 and 230. In some embodiments, the memory modules 216 and 234 may each include a cache for storing temporary variables or other intermediate information during the execution of instructions to be executed by the processor modules 210 and 230, respectively. Memory modules 216 and 234 may also each include non-volatile memory for storing instructions to be executed by processor modules 210 and 230, respectively.

[0040] The network communication module 218 generally represents the hardware, software, firmware, processing logic and / or other components of the base station 202, which implements two-way communication between the base station transceiver 210 and other network components and communication nodes configured to communicate with the base station 202. For example, the network communication module 218 can be configured to support Internet or WiMAX services. In a typical deployment, without limitation, the network communication module 218 provides an 802.3 Ethernet interface so that the base station transceiver 210 can communicate with a conventional Ethernet-based computer network. In this way, the network communication module 218 can include a physical interface for connecting to a computer network (e.g., a mobile switching center (MSC)). The terms "configured for", "configured to" and their conjunctions, as used herein with respect to a specified operation or function, refer to a device, component, circuit, structure, machine, signal, etc. that is physically constructed, programmed, formatted and / or arranged to perform a specified operation or function.

[0041] The Open Systems Interconnection (OSI) model (referred to herein as the "Open Systems Interconnection Model") is a concept and logical layout that defines network communications used by systems (e.g., wireless communication devices, wireless communication nodes) that are open to interconnection and communication with other systems. The model is divided into seven subcomponents or layers, each of which represents a conceptual set of services provided to the layers above and below it. The OSI model also defines a logical network and effectively describes computer data packet transmission by using different layer protocols. The OSI model may also be referred to as a seven-layer OSI model or a seven-layer model. In some embodiments, the first layer may be a physical layer. In some embodiments, the second layer may be a media access control (MAC) layer. In some embodiments, the third layer may be a radio link control (RLC) layer. In some embodiments, the fourth layer may be a packet data convergence protocol (PDCP) layer. In some embodiments, the fifth layer may be a radio resource control (RRC) layer. In some embodiments, the sixth layer may be a non-access stratum (NAS) layer or an Internet Protocol (IP) layer, and the seventh layer is other layers.

[0042] 2. System and method for sounding reference signal (SRS) indication enhancement

[0043] In certain specifications (e.g., 3GPP specifications and / or other specifications), downlink control information (DCI) may be used to schedule sounding reference signal (SRS) transmissions in a carrier. Therefore, the current level of flexibility for scheduling SRS transmissions may be insufficient / inadequate. The systems and methods presented herein include a novel approach for improving / enhancing SRS flexibility, for example, by at least 25% (e.g., 35%, 45%, or other percentages) without introducing / increasing DCI overhead. For example, the systems and methods may include one or more approaches using at least one carrier indicator field (CIF) value list. In some embodiments, at least one CIF value list may be configured for each SRS resource set.

[0044] In some systems (e.g., Long Term Evolution (LTE), New Radio (NR), and / or other systems), SRS may be a common feature. In wireless communication systems, SRS may be utilized for uplink (UL) and / or downlink (DL) channel measurements. For example, SRS (and / or other signaling) may be used to obtain / obtain one or more UL channel state measurements and / or other measurements. In some systems (e.g., time division duplex (TDD) systems and / or other systems) in which DL and UL time slots are in the same frequency band, SRS may be utilized to obtain one or more DL channel state information (CSI) measurements and / or other measurements.

[0045] In some embodiments, SRS may be transmitted / broadcasted / sent according to one or more time domain types, such as periodic SRS, semi-static SRS, non-periodic SRS, and / or other types. The time domain type may be configured and / or determined for an SRS resource set, which includes one or more SRS resources. One or more SRS resources may include one or more frequency domain and / or time domain resources allocated for SRS (e.g., positions in the time domain, positions in the frequency domain, and / or other resources). Radio resource control (RRC) signaling and / or other types of signaling may be used to configure periodic SRS transmission. In some embodiments, media access control unit (MAC-CE) signaling (or other types of signaling) may be used to configure / trigger semi-static SRS transmission. One or more SRS configurations may be configured via RRC signaling and / or other types of signaling. One or more SRS configurations may include frequency resources, time domain resources (e.g., the number of orthogonal frequency division multiplexing (OFDM) symbols), periodicity, time offset (e.g., time slot offset), and / or other SRS configurations. In some embodiments, the SRS configuration corresponding to the aperiodic SRS transmission can be configured by using RRC signaling, MAC-CE signaling and / or other types of signaling. One or more aperiodic SRS transmissions may be activated / triggered / caused by downlink control information (DCI) such as a wireless communication device (e.g., UE) specific DCI and / or a common group DCI.

[0046] Compared to other SRS time domain types such as periodic SRS and / or semi-static SRS, aperiodic SRS can provide greater flexibility (e.g., aperiodic SRS can be used / triggered / caused when necessary). The parameters of SRS can be configured / determined in each of a plurality of SRS resources and / or SRS resource sets. Therefore, each SRS resource and / or SRS resource set can be linked / associated with one or more SRS triggering states.

[0047] A wireless communication device (e.g., a UE, a terminal, or a served node) may use the SRS request field (or other field) of the DCI to indicate / provide / specify the value of the SRS trigger state. The value of the SRS trigger state (e.g., indicated by the DCI) may trigger one or more SRS resource sets linked / related / associated with the value of the SRS trigger state. For example, RRC signaling (or other types of signaling) may configure five (or other numbers of) non-periodic SRS resource sets (e.g., SRS resource set 0, SRS resource set 1, SRS resource set 2, SRS resource set 3, and SRS resource set 4). For example, among the five non-periodic SRS resource sets, SRS resource set 0 and / or SRS resource set 2 may be linked / related / associated with the SRS trigger state value 1. SRS resource set 1 and / or SRS resource set 3 may correspond to SRS trigger state value 2 (or other values), and SRS resource set 4 may be linked to SRS trigger state value 3 (or other values). If the SRS request field of the DCI indicates that the value of the SRS triggering state corresponds to 1, the wireless communication node may send / transmit / broadcast SRS resource set 0 and / or SRS resource set 2. For example, if the SRS request field indicates that the value of the SRS triggering state corresponds to 2, the wireless communication node may broadcast SRS resource set 1 and / or SRS resource set 3. If the SRS request field specifies that the value of the SRS triggering state corresponds to 3, the wireless communication node may transmit SRS resource set 4. In another example, if the SRS request field indicates that the value of the SRS triggering state corresponds to 0 (or other values), none of the SRS resource sets (e.g., SRS resource set 0, SRS resource set 1, and / or other resource sets) may be transmitted.

[0048] In some embodiments, the SRS request field of the DCI may be specified by using at least 2 bits (or other number of bits) of the DCI. Therefore, although the SRS request field of the DCI may trigger an SRS resource set (e.g., a value linked to an SRS triggering state), higher layer signaling (e.g., RRC signaling and / or MAC-CE signaling) may configure / determine the SRS parameters of the SRS resource set and / or the SRS parameters of the SRS resources included in the SRS resource set. The SRS parameters (e.g., SRS parameters of the SRS resource set and / or the SRS resources) may include a time offset between the DCI (or physical downlink control channel (PDCCH)) and the triggered SRS resource (or SRS resource set), transmissionComb, resourceMapping, freqDomainPosition, freqDomainShift, freqHopping, and / or other parameters of the SRS.

[0049] Reference now Figure 3, depicts an example of a TDD slot format or configuration 300. In some embodiments, the TDD slot configuration may include five consecutive slots (e.g., slot 0, slot 1, slot 2, slot 3, and / or slot 4). Columns 304, 306, 308, 310, and 312 of the example TDD slot configuration 300 correspond to individual slots of the five consecutive slots. Column 302 of the TDD slot format 300 specifies the value of the slot offset between PDCCH and SRS transmissions. In this example, slot 0, slot 1, and / or slot 2 correspond to DL slots (e.g., D slots) that may support DL symbols (e.g., PDCCH and / or physical downlink shared channel (PDSCH)). Slot 3 may correspond to a special and / or flexible slot (e.g., S slot) that may support DL symbols and / or UL symbols (e.g., PDCCH, SRS, and / or other DL / UL symbols). Slot 4 may correspond to a UL slot (eg, a U slot) that supports UL symbols (eg, SRS and / or a physical uplink shared channel (PUSCH)).

[0050] In some embodiments, RRC signaling (and / or other types of signaling) may be used to configure / determine the value of the slot offset (or other time offset). If the configured value of the slot offset corresponds to 0, the same slot (e.g., slot 3 and / or other slots supporting DL and UL symbols) may be used to transmit / send / broadcast PDCCH 314 (or other DL channels / symbols) and triggered SRS 316 (e.g., SRS resources and / or SRS resource sets). In the example TDD slot format 300, PDCCH 314 and / or SRS 316 may be transmitted in slot 3 (e.g., S slot) or by using slot 3 (e.g., S slot). Unless RRC signaling reconfigures the slot offset value (e.g., from 0 to another value), slot 4 (or other UL slots) may not be used to transmit SRS 316 and PDCCH 314.

[0051] In another example, if the configured value of the slot offset corresponds to 1, slot 2 and / or slot 3 (or other slots supporting DL symbols) may be used to transmit the PDCCH 314. If the PDCCH 314 is transmitted by using slot 2, slot 3 may be utilized to transmit the SRS 316. If the PDCCH 314 uses slot 3, the SRS 316 may be transmitted by using slot 4. The wireless communication device may not be able to trigger the SRS 316 transmission by sending / transmitting the PDCCH 314 by using slot 0 and / or slot 1 (e.g., the update interval of the RRC signaling may be long, which may cause PDCCH congestion).

[0052] In some embodiments, the configuration value of the slot offset may correspond to a value of 2. If the configuration value of the slot offset corresponds to 2, slot 1 and / or slot 2 (or other slots supporting DL symbols) may be used to transmit PDCCH 314. If PDCCH 314 is transmitted by using slot 1, slot 3 may be utilized to send SRS 316. If PDCCH 314 uses slot 2, SRS 316 may be transmitted by using slot 4. In another example, if the configuration value of the slot offset corresponds to 3, slot 0 and / or slot 1 may be used to transmit PDCCH 314. If slot 0 is used to transmit PDCCH 314, slot 3 may be used to transmit SRS 316. If PDCCH 314 is transmitted by using slot 1, SRS 316 may be transmitted by using slot 4. In some embodiments, the configuration value of the slot offset may correspond to a value of 4. If the configuration of the slot offset has a value of 4, slot 0 and slot 4 may be used to transmit the PDCCH 314 and the SRS 316, respectively.

[0053] A. Example 1

[0054] Reference now Figure 4, depicting an example approach 400 for redefining the value of a slot offset. In some embodiments, SRS flexibility can be enhanced by establishing a novel / new / different definition / interpretation of the value of a slot offset (sometimes referred to as a time offset). For example, the value of the slot offset can be interpreted / defined as indicating a slot offset between a PDCCH 414 transmission (or other DL channel / transmission) and the kth or (k+1)th slot that can be used for SRS 416 transmission. If the value of the slot offset is configured to 0 (e.g., via RRC signaling), the configured slot offset can be interpreted as indicating that the first available / allowed slot starting from the slot of the PDCCH 414 transmission can be used to transmit SRS 416. For example, if PDCCH 414 is transmitted by using a DL slot (e.g., slot 0, slot 1, and / or slot 2), the first available slot can correspond to slot 3. Therefore, slot 3 can transmit SRS 416. An available time slot may indicate a time slot in which one or more SRS symbols of an SRS resource and / or an SRS resource set may be sent / transmitted in a BWP or CC. In some embodiments, an available time slot may indicate a time slot in which all SRS symbols of an SRS resource or all SRS symbols of all SRS resources in an SRS resource set may be sent / transmitted in a BWP or CC. If a time slot offset parameter is configured for each SRS resource, multiple SRS resources in an SRS resource set may have different time slot offsets, and an available time slot may be replaced by a group of available time slots that may include one or more time slot offsets. In this case, a group of available time slots may indicate a group of time slots in which all SRS symbols of all SRS resources in an SRS resource set may be sent / transmitted in a BWP or CC.

[0055] In another example, RRC signaling (or other types of signaling) may be used to configure / determine the value of the slot offset to be 1. Thus, the configured slot offset value may be interpreted as indicating that the second available / allowed time slot starting from the time slot in which the PDCCH 414 is transmitted may be used to transmit the SRS 416. If the PDCCH 414 is transmitted by using time slot 0 (or other DL time slot), the second available time slot may correspond to, for example, time slot 4. Thus, time slot 4 may transmit / send / broadcast the SRS 416.

[0056] In some embodiments, the value of the slot offset may be interpreted / defined as indicating the first available slot after the kth slot from which the PDCCH 414 is transmitted. For example, if the value of the slot offset is 2, and the PDCCH 414 is transmitted in slot n, then the SRS 416 may be transmitted in the first available slot after / from slot n+2. In some embodiments, the SRS slot offset may be defined / interpreted as indicating the time offset between the PUSCH / PDSCH / DCI transmission (and / or other transmissions) and the SRS transmission. The time offset may correspond to a slot offset and / or a symbol offset. The SRS slot offset may include a negative value (e.g., an SRS transmission may precede a PUSCH transmission).

[0057] Other interpretations / definitions of the value of the slot offset may be considered. However, approaches that aim to redefine the value of the slot offset may not provide sufficient SRS flexibility (e.g., a maximum of 2 bits of the DCI are used to indicate the SRS request field). In some embodiments, increasing / extending the size of the SRS request field of the DCI may improve SRS flexibility. Combining one or more approaches, such as increasing the size of the SRS request field and / or reinterpreting the value of the slot offset, may further enhance the flexibility of the SRS. However, combining one or more approaches may result in additional DCI overhead.

[0058] If the SRS slot offset (or other time offset) is redefined / reinterpreted, PDCCH and / or other transmissions (e.g., triggering / causing aperiodic SRS transmission) can be transmitted in the slot without causing PDCCH congestion. However, PDCCH transmission may cause other difficulties in transmitting one or more SRS simultaneously in one or more carriers and / or serving cells.

[0059] Reference now Figure 5, depicts an example approach 500 for scheduling SRS resources and / or SRS resource sets using DCI. In some embodiments, a DCI (e.g., DCI0) in a component carrier (CC) (e.g., CCj) in a time slot (e.g., time slot n) may schedule a first SRS resource and / or SRS resource set 502(1). RRC signaling and / or other types of signaling may configure / determine a value of a time slot offset (e.g., time slot offset k). Another DCI (e.g., DCI1) in another CC (e.g., CCi) in a time slot (e.g., time slot n) may schedule a second SRS resource and / or SRS resource set 502(2). The time slot offset may correspond to a value associated with the configured time slot offset value (e.g., k+1 time slot). Thus, a first SRS resource and / or SRS resource set 502(1) in a CC (e.g., CCj) may be transmitted in time slot n+k (or other value). The second SRS resource and / or SRS resource set 502(2) in the corresponding CC (eg, CCi) may be transmitted in time slot n+k+1 (or other value).

[0060] Reference now Figure 6 , depicts an example approach 600 for scheduling SRS resources and / or SRS resource sets using DCI. In some embodiments, a DCI (e.g., DCI0) in a CC (e.g., CCj) in a time slot (e.g., time slot n) may schedule a first SRS resource and / or SRS resource set 602(1). In response to scheduling the first SRS transmission 602(1), an attempt to transmit / send / broadcast the first SRS resource and / or SRS resource set 602(1) using time slot n+k (or other time slots) may occur. However, in the corresponding CC (e.g., CCj), time slot n+k may not be available for the SRS transmission 602(1). For example, time slot n+k in CCj does not include UL symbols. Therefore, the first SRS transmission 602(1) may be delayed / rescheduled / moved to a second time slot (e.g., time slot n+k+1). The second time slot (e.g., time slot n+k+1) may be used / available / allowed to transmit / send / broadcast the first SRS transmission 602(1).

[0061] In some embodiments, another DCI (e.g., DCI1) in another CC (e.g., CCi) may schedule a second SRS resource and / or SRS resource set 602 (2) in time slot n+k+1. Therefore, the first SRS transmission 602 (1) and the second SRS transmission 602 (2) may overlap / coincide / conflict in the time domain (e.g., the SRS transmissions are scheduled in the same time slot n+k+1). However, the wireless communication device (e.g., UE) may not be able to support / enable / perform simultaneous SRS transmissions in the corresponding CCs (e.g., CCi and / or CCj). For example, the wireless communication device may not be able to support simultaneous transmission of data in at least two beams. However, the SRS transmission (e.g., SRS in CCi and / or SRS in CCj) may utilize at least two beams. In some embodiments, the beam may correspond to at least one of quasi co-location (QCL) type D, spatial relationship, and / or spatial domain transmission filter. The wireless communication device (e.g., UE) may report its capabilities to the wireless communication node (e.g., base station). For example, the wireless communication device may report / specify / indicate whether it is capable of supporting / enabling / performing synchronized SRS transmission in the corresponding CC.

[0062] In some embodiments, one or more SRS resources and / or SRS resource sets may be scheduled in the same time instance (e.g., time slot) and / or one or more identical orthogonal frequency division multiplexing (OFDM) symbols. In some embodiments, at least two SRS resources and / or SRS resource sets may overlap / collide / interfere in the time domain. The wireless communication device may not be able to send / transmit / broadcast SRS transmissions at the same time. Therefore, the wireless communication device may prioritize / sort SRS resources and / or SRS resource sets (e.g., in one or more CCs) to perform / complete transmission. SRS resources and / or SRS resource sets may be non-periodic SRS types. In some embodiments, there may be one or more options / pathways / methods to prioritize SRS transmissions (e.g., SRS resources and / or SRS resource sets).

[0063] Option 1: A first triggered SRS transmission (e.g., SRS resources and / or SRS resource set x1) in a first CC (e.g., CCi1) may be scheduled for transmission in a first time slot (e.g., time slot n1). A second triggered SRS transmission (e.g., SRS resources and / or SRS resource set x2) in a second CC (e.g., CCi2) may be scheduled for transmission in the same time slot, overlapping time or symbol (e.g., time slot n1). In some embodiments, the second SRS transmission may have a higher priority / importance than the first SRS transmission. Therefore, the first SRS transmission may be postponed / delayed / moved / scheduled to the next available time slot after the first time slot (e.g., in order to avoid overlap / conflict between SRS transmissions). In some embodiments, the first CC and / or the second CC may be different CCs.

[0064] Option 2: A first triggered SRS transmission (e.g., SRS resources and / or SRS resource set x1) in a first CC (e.g., CCi1) may be scheduled for transmission in a first time slot (e.g., time slot n1). A second triggered SRS transmission (e.g., SRS resources and / or SRS resource set x2) in a second CC (e.g., CCi2) may be scheduled for transmission in the same time slot, overlapping time or symbol (e.g., time slot n1). In some embodiments, the second SRS transmission may have a higher priority / importance than the first SRS transmission. Therefore, the first SRS transmission may be discarded / bypassed.

[0065] Option 3: A first triggered SRS transmission (e.g., SRS resources and / or SRS resource set x1) in a first CC (e.g., CCi1) may be scheduled for transmission in a first time slot (e.g., time slot n1). A second triggered SRS transmission (e.g., SRS resources and / or SRS resource set x2) in a second CC (e.g., CCi2) may be scheduled for transmission in the same time slot, overlapping time or symbol (e.g., time slot n1). In some embodiments, the second SRS transmission may have a higher priority / importance than the first SRS transmission. Therefore, one or more symbols of the first SRS transmission that overlap with the second SRS transmission may be discarded / bypassed / prevented from transmission.

[0066] In some embodiments, high-level signaling (e.g., RRC signaling, MAC signaling, and / or other types of signaling) may configure / determine / establish at least one priority rule. In some embodiments, the priority rule may be predetermined / predefined. When at least two SRS transmissions overlap / collide in the time domain, the wireless communication device may use one or more priority rules to determine an action plan (e.g., option 1, option 2, option 3, and / or other options). One or more methods / approaches for prioritizing SRS transmissions (e.g., non-periodic SRS resources and / or SRS resource sets) in one or more CCs may include:

[0067] Method 1: Use one or more CC indexes.

[0068] o SRS transmissions in CCs with lower / smaller CC indexes may have lower priority than SRS transmissions in CCs with higher CC indexes.

[0069] o SRS transmissions in CCs with higher / larger CC indices may have higher priority than SRS transmissions in CCs with lower CC indices.

[0070] o The primary cell (PCell) and / or Spcell (special cell) may have the highest priority. The priorities of the remaining CCs may be based on the CC index.

[0071] Method 2: Based on the usage of SRS.

[0072] o For example, SRS with codebook specific / related usage may have higher priority than SRS with antenna switching specific / related usage.

[0073] Method 3: Using higher layer signaling (eg, RRC signaling).

[0074] o For example, higher layer signaling may notify / indicate / provide / specify at least one priority rule in a CC, wherein at least two SRSs may not be sent simultaneously.

[0075] • Method 4: Using the configuration and / or location of one or more PDCCH transmissions (or other transmissions) to trigger SRS transmission.

[0076] o For example, a first PDCCH (e.g., an earlier PDCCH and / or other transmission) may trigger / cause a first SRS. A second PDCCH (e.g., a later PDCCH and / or other transmission) may trigger a second SRS. A priority rule may indicate that a first PDCCH has a higher priority than a second PDCCH.

[0077] • Method 5: CCs with PUSCH and / or Physical Uplink Control Channel (PUCCH) may have a higher (or lower) priority than CCs without PUSCH and / or PUCCH.

[0078] • Method 6: An SRS in a first CC scheduled by a PDCCH (or other channel) in a second CC may have a lower / lower priority. An SRS in a second CC scheduled by a PDCCH in the same CC may have a higher priority.

[0079] Method 7: When a CC carries a PDCCH, one or more CC indexes are used to trigger SRS transmission.

[0080] • Method 8: Using the subcarrier spacing value of SRS transmission. For example, an SRS with a larger subcarrier spacing in a first CC may have a lower priority than an SRS with a smaller subcarrier spacing in a second CC.

[0081] Method 9: Combine methods 1-8.

[0082] Reference now Figure 7 , depicts an example approach 700 for scheduling SRS resources and / or SRS resource sets using DCI and / or CC indexes. In some embodiments, one or more CC indexes may be used to determine the priority of non-periodic SRS transmissions. For example, an SRS transmission (e.g., SRS 702(1) and / or SRS 702(4)) in a CC with a lower CC index (e.g., CC0) may have a higher priority than an SRS transmission (e.g., SRS 702(3) and / or SRS 702(6)) in a CC with a higher CC index (e.g., CC2). In some embodiments, one or more SRS transmissions in one or more CCs may be triggered simultaneously. For example, SRS 702(1), SRS 702(2), and / or SRS 702(3) in CC0, CC1, and / or CC2 may be triggered in the same time slot (e.g., triggered simultaneously). However, the wireless communication device may not be able to transmit / send / broadcast one or more triggered SRSs simultaneously. Therefore, the SRS transmission 702(2) in CC1 can be delayed / changed / moved / rescheduled to the next available time slot to avoid overlapping / colliding / interfering with the SRS transmission 702(1) in CC0. The SRS transmission 702(3) in CC2 can be delayed / changed / moved / rescheduled to the next available time slot, wherein the SRS transmissions in CC0 and / or CC1 are not transmitted in the next available time slot.

[0083] In some embodiments, if the wireless communication device cannot (or lacks the ability to) transmit / send one or more SRS transmissions simultaneously in one or more CCs, at least one priority rule may be used. If the wireless communication device is able to transmit / send SRS transmissions simultaneously, one or more priority rules may not be required.

[0084] In some embodiments, the scheduling of a first SRS transmission 702(1) (e.g., SRS resources and / or SRS resource sets) having the highest priority (e.g., compared to other SRS transmissions) may remain unchanged in response to possible overlap / collision / interference (e.g., with other SRS transmissions). A second SRS transmission 702(2) having a second priority (e.g., compared to the first SRS transmission) may be changed / moved / rescheduled to a next available time slot in response to possible overlap / collision with the first SRS transmission 702(1) (or other transmissions having a higher priority). In some embodiments, a third SRS transmission 702(3) having a lower priority (e.g., compared to the first and / or second SRS transmissions) may be changed / moved / rescheduled to a next available time slot in response to possible overlap / collision with the first SRS transmission 702(1) and / or the second SRS transmission 702(2). The next available time slot of the third SRS transmission 702(3) may be determined by using the position (e.g., time slot number) of the first and / or second SRS transmissions 702(2). In some embodiments, other SRS transmissions may follow / use / implement the same priority rules. If an SRS resource and / or SRS resource set overlaps / collides / interferes with another SRS transmission with a higher priority (e.g., based on CC index and / or SRS usage), the wireless communication device may delay / change / reschedule the SRS resource and / or SRS resource set.

[0085] B. Example 2

[0086] In some embodiments, a DCI (e.g., DCI format 0_1, DCI format 0_2, DCI format 1_1, and / or DCI format 1_2) specific to a wireless communication device in a CC (e.g., CCi) may be used to schedule a PUSCH and / or PDSCH transmission (or other transmission). A PUSCH and / or PDSCH transmission may be scheduled in the same CC (e.g., CCi) and / or another CC (e.g., CCj). The DCI in CCi may include / indicate / provide / specify a carrier indicator field (CIF) and / or other fields. One or more bits (e.g., 3 bits) of the DCI may be used to indicate / specify the CIF. The CIF (or other DCI fields) may indicate / specify the relative carrier index of the CC (e.g., CCj). The relative carrier index of the CC (e.g., CCj) may correspond to the serving cell identifier (ID) of the CC. Therefore, the CIF may be used to indicate / specify the CC index of the CC (e.g., CCj).

[0087] Reference now Figure 8 , depicting an example approach 800 for mapping at least one CIF value to one or more CCs. In some embodiments, the CIF of the DCI may indicate / specify / notify in which CC (e.g., CC#i, CC#j1, and / or other CCs) the scheduled PUSCH / PDSCH (or other channels) is transmitted to the wireless communication device. For example, the DCI in CC#i may be used to schedule at least one PUSCH and / or PDSCH transmission (or other transmission). If the value of the CIF is 0 (or other value), the DCI may schedule one or more PUSCH / PDSCH transmissions in the same CC (e.g., CC#i). In another example, if the value of the CIF is 2 (or other value), the DCI (e.g., in CC#i) may schedule one or more PUSCH / PDSCH transmissions in another CC (e.g., CCj#2). Therefore, the value of the CIF is associated / mapped / linked / related to at least one CC.

[0088] In some embodiments, at least one DCI may schedule at least one SRS transmission in one or more CCs. At least one DCI may schedule a PUSCH and / or PDSCH transmission in one of the one or more CCs. In some embodiments, the DCI may trigger / cause one or more SRS transmissions in one or more CCs. Each of the one or more CCs may correspond to at least one CIF value in the DCI. In other words, it should be ensured that one of the CCs corresponds to a CIF value in the DCI.

[0089] Reference now Fig. 9Depicted is an example approach 900 for mapping at least one CIF value to one or more CC groups. In some embodiments, at least one CIF value may be mapped / associated / related to at least one CC group in which an SRS may be transmitted. A CC group may include one or more CCs. In some embodiments, different CIF values ​​may be mapped to different CC groups. For example, a CIF value of 0 may be mapped to a CC group including CC#i and / or CC#j2. In the same example, a CIF value of 5 may be mapped to a CC group including CC#j3 and / or CC#j5. For each CIF value, a mapped CC group for SRS transmission may include a CC for PUSCH transmission (or other transmission). In some embodiments, a CC group mapped to a CIF value for SRS transmission may include a CC mapped to a CIF for PUSCH / PDSCH transmission. For example, a first CC group may be mapped to an SRS transmission with a CIF value of 0. The same CIF value (e.g., value 0) may be mapped to a CC (e.g., CC#i) for a PUSCH / PDSCH transmission. Therefore, the first CC group may include CC#i, where CC#i is a CC used for PUSCH / PDSCH transmission.

[0090] In some embodiments, the SRS request may be triggered by a DCI (e.g., DCI#i). The CIF value of DCI#i may specify / correspond to a first CC group, where the CC group includes one or more CCs (e.g., CC#j3, CC#j2, and / or other CCs). Therefore, one or more SRS resources and / or SRS resource sets in the CCs of the first CC group may be triggered, where the SRS resources and / or SRS resource sets are linked to the SRS triggering state value indicated by DCI#i. For example, the CIF value of DCI#i (or other DCI) may be 1 (or other values). In the same example, the SRS request value of the same DCI (e.g., DCI#i) may be 2 (or other values). Therefore, the DCI may trigger an SRS resource and / or SRS resource set, which is linked to an SRS triggering state value of 2 in CC#j1, CC#j3, and CC#j5.

[0091] C. Example 2-1

[0092] Reference now Fig.10, depicts an example approach 1000 for configuring at least one CIF value for an SRS resource and / or an SRS resource set. In some embodiments, one or more CIF values ​​may be configured / predetermined for each SRS resource and / or SRS resource set in a CC (e.g., CC#j). The DCI may indicate / provide / specify at least one of the configured / predetermined CIF values. The DCI may trigger / initiate an SRS resource and / or an SRS resource set. Thus, the DCI may indicate / provide / specify one or more configured CIF values ​​and / or values ​​of an SRS request field. If the DCI specifies one or more configured CIF values ​​and / or SRS request fields linked to values ​​of an SRS resource and / or an SRS resource set, SRS transmission may be triggered. The configured CIF value may correspond to a CIF value list for each SRS resource and / or an SRS resource set. Thus, a CIF value list may be configured / predetermined for an SRS resource and / or an SRS resource set set in a CC. A DCI indicating at least one CIF value of the configured CIF value list may trigger an SRS resource and / or an SRS resource set.

[0093] For example, the SRS resource set m1 in CCj#3 may be linked / associated with the SRS triggering state value {1, 2} (or other values). The CIF value configured for the resource set m1 may correspond to the CIF value {1, 3} (or other values). The DCI may indicate / provide / specify / include the SRS request field value {1, 2} and the CIF value {1, 3}. Thus, the DCI may trigger the resource set m1 (or other resource sets with corresponding CIF and / or SRS request field values).

[0094] like Fig.10 As shown, one or more CIF values ​​may be configured for each SRS resource set in a CC. In some embodiments, different CIF values ​​may be configured for different SRS resource sets. For example, DCI #i (or other DCI) may include / specify a CIF value of 2 or 4. Thus, DCI #i may trigger SRS resource set 1 (or other SRS resource set) in CCj #2. In another example, SRS resource set 1 in CC #j1 may be triggered by a DCI, where the DCI includes CIF values ​​1, 3, and / or 5.

[0095] In some embodiments, a PUSCH / PDSCH transmission (or other transmission) in a first CC (e.g., CC#jx) may be triggered by a first DCI in a second CC (e.g., CC#i). The first DCI may indicate / provide / include a CIF value of x (or other value). Thus, the CIF value x may be used to trigger SRS transmission in the first CC (e.g., CC#jx). In some embodiments, the CIF value of the first DCI (e.g., CIF value x) may be predetermined / predefined for an SRS resource and / or an SRS resource set (e.g., using the same CIF value to trigger PUSCH / PDSCH and / or SRS transmission). Thus, the CIF value of the first DCI may be configured without using higher layer signaling (e.g., RRC signaling).

[0096] D. Example 2-2

[0097] In some embodiments, one or more CIF value lists may be configured under a corresponding SRS configuration (SRS-Config). For example, a CIF value list may be configured in SRS-Config. A DCI indicating at least one CIF value in a CIF value list may trigger one or more SRS resources and / or SRS resource sets. In some embodiments, a first DCI may indicate at least one CIF value in a CIF value list and an SRS request field value linked to an indication of one or more SRS resources and / or SRS resource sets. Therefore, a first DCI may trigger linked SRS resources and / or SRS resource sets. SRS resources and / or SRS resource sets may be excluded from positioning and / or non-positioning purposes.

[0098] In some embodiments, two or more CIF value lists may be configured under SRS-Config. Each CIF value list may correspond to a set of SRS resources and / or SRS resource sets. For example, a first CIF value list may be used for SRS transmission for positioning purposes, and a second CIF value list may be used for SRS transmission for non-positioning purposes.

[0099] E. Examples 2-3

[0100] In some embodiments, one or more CIF value lists and / or one or more scheduling service cell indexes may be configured for each SRS resource, SRS resource set, and / or SRS-Config. For example, the first CIF value list may include values ​​{2, 3}, and the first scheduling cell index list may include values ​​{1, 4}. The first CIF value list and / or the first scheduling cell index list may be configured for the SRS resource set m in the first CC (e.g., CC#j). Therefore, a DCI with a CIF value of 2 or 3 in CC1 and / or CC4 may trigger the SRS resource set m.

[0101] In some embodiments, a scheduling service cell with different configurations may have one or more CIF value lists with different / separate / independent configurations. In some embodiments, different DCI formats (e.g., DCI format 0_1, DCI format 0_2, and / or other DCI formats) may have one or more CIF value lists with different / separate / independent configurations.

[0102] F. Example 3

[0103] In some embodiments, the systems and methods presented in two or more of embodiments 1, 2, 2-1, 2-2, and 2-3 may be combined. For non-periodic SRS transmission, SRS flexibility may be increased / improved by redefining / reinterpreting the slot offset value k (or other time offset). The slot offset value k may identify / specify / indicate the slot offset between the PDCCH (or other transmission) and the kth and / or (k+1)th available slot for SRS transmission. The slot offset value k may be configured and / or indicated to a wireless communication device. In response to obtaining the slot offset value k, the wireless communication device may use the kth and / or (k+1)th available slots starting from / at the PDCCH transmission slot to transmit / send / broadcast one or more triggered SRS transmissions. In some embodiments, the slot offset value k may indicate / specify the first available slot after k slots transmitted from the PDCCH. For example, if the value of the slot offset value k is 0, the first available slot may correspond to the slot in which the PDCCH is transmitted.

[0104] In some embodiments, the slot offset value k may indicate / specify / provide a slot offset value between a PUSCH / PDSCH transmission and an SRS transmission. The value of the slot offset may correspond to an absolute value. In some embodiments, the slot offset value k may indicate / provide the kth and / or (k+1)th available slots starting, after and / or before the PDSCH / PUSCH transmission. In some embodiments, the slot offset value k may indicate / provide the first available slot starting, after and / or before the kth slot of the PDSCH / PUSCH transmission. If k is a positive value (e.g., k is greater than 0), the slot offset value k may indicate / provide the first available slot starting after the kth slot of the PDSCH / PUSCH transmission. If k is a negative value (e.g., k is less than 0), the slot offset value k may indicate / provide the first available slot starting before the kth slot of the PDSCH / PUSCH transmission.

[0105] In some embodiments, the available time slots may correspond to time slots in which one or more SRS symbols of a first SRS resource and / or SRS resource set in a first CC (e.g., CC#i) and / or bandwidth part (BWP) (e.g., BWP#i) are transmitted. The available time slots may exclude time slots in which a second SRS resource and / or SRS resource set in a second CC (e.g., CC#j) and / or BWP (e.g., BWP#j) is transmitted. In some embodiments, the available time slots may exclude time slots in which a second SRS resource and / or SRS resource set in a second CC (e.g., CC#j) and / or BWP (e.g., BWP#j) overlaps in time with one or more SRS transmissions in the first CC and / or BWP. The second SRS resource and / or SRS resource set in the second CC / BWP may have a higher priority than the first SRS resource and / or SRS resource set. The wireless communication device may not be able to transmit SRS resources and / or SRS resource sets simultaneously. High-layer signaling may be used to configure the priority between SRS transmissions in one or more CCs (e.g., embodiment 1). In some embodiments, the priority between SRS transmissions in one or more CCs may be predetermined. The second SRS resource and / or SRS resource set may include at least one aperiodic SRS. In some embodiments, the second SRS resource and / or SRS resource set may include at least one semi-static and / or periodic SRS.

[0106] In some embodiments, the available time slots may correspond to time slots in which one or more SRS symbols of a first SRS resource and / or SRS resource set in a first CC (e.g., CC#i) and / or a first BWP (e.g., BWP#i) are transmitted. The available time slots may exclude time slots in which semi-static and / or periodic SRS transmissions (e.g., SRS resources and / or SRS resource sets) in the same CC (e.g., CC#i) and / or BWP (e.g., BWP#i) are transmitted. In some embodiments, the available time slots may exclude time slots in which semi-static and / or periodic SRS transmissions (e.g., SRS resources and / or SRS resource sets) in the same CC (e.g., CC#i) and / or BWP (e.g., BWP#i) overlap in time with aperiodic SRS transmissions.

[0107] In some embodiments, the available time slots may correspond to time slots in which one or more SRS symbols of a first SRS resource and / or SRS resource set in a first CC (e.g., CC#i) and / or a first BWP (e.g., BWP#i) are transmitted. The available time slots may exclude time slots in which semi-static and / or periodic SRS transmissions (e.g., SRS resources and / or SRS resource sets) in a second CC (e.g., CC#j) and / or BWP (e.g., BWP#j) are transmitted. In some embodiments, the available time slots may exclude time slots in which semi-static and / or periodic SRS transmissions (e.g., SRS resources and / or SRS resource sets) in a second CC (e.g., CC#j) and / or BWP (e.g., BWP#j) overlap in time with aperiodic SRS transmissions in a first CC and / or BWP. The wireless communication device may not be able to transmit SRS resources and / or SRS resource sets simultaneously. In some embodiments, the indexes corresponding to the first and / or second CC / BWP (e.g., indexes i and j) may be the same or different.

[0108] In some embodiments, the same DCI and / or PDCCH (or other transmission) may trigger aperiodic SRS transmission in the first CC and / or the second CC (e.g., Embodiments 2, 2-2, 2-2, and / or 2-3). In some embodiments, high-layer signaling may refer to signaling outside the physical layer (e.g., MAC layer signaling, RRC signaling, and / or other types of signaling).

[0109] G. Example 4

[0110] In some embodiments, SRS transmission A in a first CC (e.g., CC#i) may be scheduled in an available time slot based on a time slot offset value. The available time slot may exclude SRS transmission B in a second CC (e.g., CC#j). SRS transmission B may overlap / coincide / conflict with SRS transmission A in the time domain. CC indices (e.g., indices i and j) may correspond to non-negative integers.

[0111] In some embodiments, SRS transmission B may have a higher priority than SRS transmission A. In some embodiments, the wireless communication device may not be able to simultaneously transmit / send / broadcast SRS transmission A and SRS transmission B. In some embodiments, SRS transmission B may correspond to a semi-static and / or periodic SRS transmission.

[0112] In some embodiments, a wireless communication node (e.g., a gNB) may configure / determine one or more CIF value lists in an SRS configuration. SRS transmission may use the configured one or more CIF value lists and / or the value of the CIF field of the DCI. In some embodiments, one or more CIF value lists may be configured according to SRS resources, SRS resource sets, and / or SRS-Config. If the CIF value indicated by the DCI corresponds to at least one CIF value in one or more CIF value lists, an SRS resource set may be triggered. In some embodiments, the CIF value list may be used for SRS transmission for positioning purposes. In some embodiments, the CIF value list may be used for SRS transmission for non-positioning purposes.

[0113] H. Method for Sounding Reference Signal (SRS) Indication Enhancement

[0114] Fig.11 A flow chart of a method 1150 for SRS indication enhancement is shown. The method 1150 may be used in conjunction with Figure 1 -10. In summary, method 1150 may include identifying a priority rule (1152). Method 1150 may include determining to execute a first SRS (1154).

[0115] Now referring to operation (1152), and in some embodiments, the wireless communication device may identify a priority rule. For example, the wireless communication device may identify a priority rule, wherein the priority rule uses one or more CC indexes to determine the priority / hierarchy of one or more SRS transmissions (e.g., SRS resources and / or SRS resource sets). High-level signaling (e.g., RRC signaling, MAC layer signaling, and / or other types of signaling) may be used to configure the priority rule. The high-level signaling may include radio resource control (RRC) signaling or media access control (MAC) layer signaling. In some embodiments, the priority rule may be predetermined / predefined. The wireless communication device may use the priority rule to prioritize / sort multiple SRS transmissions in at least the first CC and / or the second CC. For example, the wireless communication device may use an identification of SRS usage to prioritize one or more transmissions in CC#i and / or CC#j. In some embodiments, the priority rule operates according to a CC index of at least one of the first CC or the second CC. For example, the CC index of the first CC may correspond to a value of 0 (or other value), while the CC index of the second CC may correspond to a value of 1 (or other value). In this example, the priority rule may specify / indicate that the priority of SRS transmission may increase as the CC index decreases. Thus, an SRS transmission in a first CC (e.g., a CC index having a value of 0) may have a higher priority than an SRS transmission in a second CC (e.g., a CC index having a value of 1). In response to identifying the priority rule, the wireless communication device may use the priority rule to determine to perform SRS transmission.

[0116] Now referring to operation (1154), and in some embodiments, the wireless communication device (e.g., UE) may determine to perform a first SRS transmission (e.g., SRS resource and / or SRS resource set) in a first CC (e.g., CC#i). For example, due to the lack of other higher priority SRS transmissions (e.g., in other CCs) that overlap / interfere / conflict with the first SRS transmission, the wireless communication device may determine to perform the first SRS transmission in the first CC. The wireless communication device may determine to perform the first SRS transmission in an available time unit (e.g., time slot) based on the time offset (e.g., time slot offset value k) and / or the second SRS transmission in the second CC (e.g., CC#j). For example, the wireless communication device may determine to perform the first SRS transmission in the kth available time slot after the PDCCH transmission (or other transmission). In some embodiments, the second SRS transmission may have a higher priority than the first transmission. The wireless communication device may determine / identify the priority of one or more SRS transmissions by using a priority rule. In some embodiments, the wireless communication device cannot support the first SRS transmission and / or the second SRS transmission at the same time. In some embodiments, the second SRS transmission may correspond to a semi-static and / or periodic type of SRS transmission.

[0117] In some embodiments, the available time unit excludes instances (e.g., time slots) where the second SRS transmission overlaps / collides / conflicts with the first SRS transmission in the same symbol. In some embodiments, the wireless communication device may determine to perform the first SRS transmission in the next available time unit (e.g., the next available time slot). If the first SRS transmission will overlap in time with the second SRS transmission when performed in the available time unit, the wireless communication device may determine to perform the SRS transmission in the next available time unit. For example, the first SRS transmission in the first CC may be scheduled for transmission in the first time slot (e.g., time slot n1). The second SRS transmission in the second CC may be scheduled for transmission in the same time slot (e.g., time slot n1). In some embodiments, the second SRS transmission may have a higher priority / importance than the first SRS transmission. Therefore, the wireless communication device may postpone / delay / move the first SRS transmission to the next available time slot after the first time slot (e.g., to avoid overlap / conflict between SRS transmissions).

[0118] In some embodiments, the wireless communication device may determine to discard / bypass the first SRS transmission. If the first SRS transmission is performed in the available time unit and will overlap with the second SRS transmission in time / one or more symbols / time slots, the wireless communication device may determine to discard the SRS transmission. For example, the first SRS transmission in the first CC may be scheduled for transmission in the first time slot (e.g., time slot n1). The second SRS transmission in the second CC may be scheduled for transmission in the same time slot (e.g., time slot n1). In some embodiments, the second SRS transmission may have a higher priority / importance than the first SRS transmission. Therefore, the first SRS transmission may be discarded / bypassed / prevented. In some embodiments, the wireless communication device may not be able to support the first SRS transmission and / or the second SRS transmission at the same time. In some embodiments, the wireless communication device may not be able to support two beams for the first SRS transmission and / or the second SRS transmission at the same time.

[0119] Fig.12 A flow chart of a method 1250 for SRS indication enhancement is shown. The method 1250 may be used in conjunction with Figure 1 -10. In summary, method 1250 may include receiving one or more CIF value lists (1252). Method 1250 may include determining a first SRS transmission (1254).

[0120] Now refer to operation (1252), and in some embodiments, a wireless communication device (e.g., UE) may receive / obtain one or more CIF value lists. A wireless communication node may send / transmit / broadcast one or more CIF value lists for SRS transmission (e.g., SRS resources and / or SRS resource sets). A wireless communication device may receive / obtain one or more CIF value lists for SRS transmission. In some embodiments, each of the one or more CIF value lists may be configured / determined corresponding to a corresponding SRS resource and / or SRS resource set. In some embodiments, each of the one or more CIF value lists may be configured / determined corresponding to a corresponding SRS-Config. One or more CIF value lists may include a first CIF value list for SRS transmission for positioning purposes. One or more CIF value lists may include a second CIF value list for SRS transmission for non-positioning purposes.

[0121] Referring now to operation (1254), and in some embodiments, the wireless communication device may determine a first SRS transmission. In some embodiments, the wireless communication node may cause the wireless communication device to determine the first SRS transmission. The wireless communication device may determine the first SRS transmission based on one or more CIF value lists. In some embodiments, the wireless communication device may determine the first SRS transmission based on the value of the CIF field in the DCI. If the CIF value indicated by the DCI matches / corresponds to one of the one or more CIF value lists, the wireless communication device may transmit / send a first SRS resource and / or SRS resource set for the first SRS transmission.

[0122] Although various embodiments of the present technical solution have been described above, it should be understood that they are presented only by way of example rather than by way of limitation. Similarly, various figures may depict example architectures or configurations, and the example architectures or configurations provided enable those of ordinary skill in the art to understand the example features and functions of the present technical solution. However, these people will understand that the technical solution is not limited to the example architectures or configurations shown, but may be implemented using various alternative architectures and configurations. In addition, as will be understood by those of ordinary skill in the art, one or more features of an embodiment may be combined with one or more features of another embodiment described herein. Therefore, the breadth and scope of the present disclosure should not be limited by any of the illustrative embodiments described above.

[0123] It should also be understood that any reference to an element using names such as "first", "second", etc. herein does not generally limit the number or order of these elements. Instead, these names can be used herein as a convenient means of distinguishing two or more elements or element instances. Therefore, reference to a first element and a second element does not mean that only two elements can be used, or that the first element must be located before the second element in some way.

[0124] In addition, those of ordinary skill in the art will appreciate that information and signals may be represented using any of a variety of different technologies and techniques. For example, data, instructions, commands, information, signals, bits, and symbols referenced in the above description may be represented by voltages, currents, electromagnetic waves, magnetic fields or particles, optical fields or particles, or any combination thereof.

[0125] It will be further understood by those of ordinary skill in the art that any of the various illustrative logic blocks, modules, processors, means, circuits, methods, and functions described in conjunction with the aspects disclosed herein may be implemented by electronic hardware (e.g., digital implementations, analog implementations, or a combination of the two), firmware, various forms of programs or design codes containing instructions (which may be referred to herein as "software" or "software modules" for convenience), or any combination of these technologies. In order to clearly illustrate this interchangeability of hardware, firmware, and software, various illustrative components, blocks, modules, circuits, and steps have been generally described above according to their functions. Whether such functions are implemented in hardware, firmware, or software, or a combination of these technologies, depends on the specific application and the design constraints imposed on the entire system. Those skilled in the art may implement the described functions in various ways for each specific application, but such implementation decisions will not result in deviations from the scope of this disclosure.

[0126] In addition, it will be understood by those of ordinary skill in the art that the various illustrative logic blocks, modules, devices, components, and circuits described herein may be implemented or performed within an integrated circuit (IC) that includes a general purpose processor, a digital signal processor (DSP), an application specific integrated circuit (ASIC), a field programmable gate array (FPGA), or other programmable logic device, or any combination thereof. The logic blocks, modules, and circuits may further include antennas and / or transceivers to communicate with various components within a network or within a device. The general purpose processor may be a microprocessor, but in an alternative, the processor may be any conventional processor, controller, or state machine. The processor may also be implemented as a combination of computing devices, for example, a combination of a DSP and a microprocessor, a plurality of microprocessors, one or more microprocessors combined with a DSP core, or any other suitable configuration to perform the functions described herein.

[0127] If implemented in software, the functions may be stored as one or more instructions or codes on a computer-readable medium. Therefore, the steps of the method or algorithm disclosed herein may be implemented in software stored on a computer-readable medium. Computer-readable media include computer storage media and communication media, and communication media include any media that enables a computer program or code to be transferred from one place to another. The storage medium may be any available medium that can be accessed by a computer. By way of example and not limitation, such computer-readable media may include RAM, ROM, EEPROM, CD-ROM or other optical disk storage, magnetic disk storage or other magnetic storage devices, or any other medium that can be used to store the desired program code in the form of instructions or data structures and can be accessed by a computer.

[0128] In this document, the term "module" as used herein refers to software, firmware, hardware, and any combination of these elements for performing the relevant functions described herein. In addition, for the purpose of ease of discussion, various modules are described as discrete modules; however, it is obvious to those of ordinary skill in the art that two or more modules can be combined to form a single module that performs relevant functions according to an embodiment of the present technical solution.

[0129] In addition, in the embodiment of the present technical solution, a memory or other memory and a communication component can be used. It should be understood that, for the sake of clarity, the above description has described the embodiment of the present technical solution with reference to different functional units and processors. However, it is obvious that any appropriate functional distribution between different functional units, processing logic elements or domains can be used without affecting the present technical solution. For example, the function shown as being performed by a separate processing logic element or controller can be performed by the same processing logic element or controller. Therefore, reference to a specific functional unit is only a reference to an appropriate means for providing the described function, rather than an indication of a strict logical or physical structure or organization.

[0130] Various modifications to the embodiments described in this disclosure will be apparent to those skilled in the art, and the general principles defined herein may be applied to other embodiments without departing from the scope of this disclosure. Therefore, this disclosure is not intended to be limited to the embodiments shown herein, but is to be given the widest scope consistent with the novel features and principles disclosed herein, as recited in the claims.

Claims

1. A wireless communication method, comprising: According to the time offset and the second sounding reference signal SRS transmission in the second component carrier CC, the wireless communication device determines to perform the first sounding reference signal SRS transmission in the first component carrier CC in the available time unit, The first SRS transmission is performed by the wireless communication device in the first CC within the available time unit.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein: The second SRS transmission has a higher priority than the first SRS transmission, and the wireless communication device cannot support the first SRS transmission and the second SRS transmission at the same time.

3. The method according to claim 1, wherein: The second SRS transmission is of a semi-static or periodic type.

4. The method according to claim 2, comprising: A priority rule predetermined or configured via higher layer signaling is identified by the wireless communication device to prioritize a plurality of SRS transmissions in at least the first CC and the second CC.

5. The method according to claim 4, wherein: The priority rule operates according to a CC index of at least one of the first CC or the second CC.

6. The method according to claim 4, wherein: The high-layer signaling includes radio resource control RRC signaling or media access control MAC layer signaling.

7. The method according to claim 1, wherein: The available time unit excludes instances where the second SRS transmission overlaps with the first SRS transmission in the same symbol.

8. The method according to claim 1, comprising: If the first SRS transmission and the second SRS transmission would overlap in time if performed in the available time unit, the wireless communication device determines to perform the first SRS transmission in the next available time unit.

9. The method according to claim 1, comprising: If the first SRS transmission and the second SRS transmission would overlap in time if performed in the available time unit, the wireless communication device determines to drop or bypass the first SRS transmission.

10. The method according to claim 1, wherein: The wireless communication device cannot support the first SRS transmission and the second SRS transmission at the same time, or cannot support two beams respectively used for the first SRS transmission and the second SRS transmission at the same time.

11. A wireless communication method, comprising: Receiving, by a wireless communication device from a wireless communication node, one or more carrier indicator CIF value lists for sounding reference signal (SRS) transmission; Determining, by the wireless communication device, a first SRS transmission according to the one or more CIF value lists and according to a value of a CIF field in downlink control information DCI; The first SRS transmission is performed by the wireless communication device in a first component carrier CC mapped to the value of the CIF field.

12. The method according to claim 11, wherein: Each CIF value list in the one or more CIF value lists is configured to correspond to a corresponding SRS resource or an SRS resource set, or a corresponding SRS configuration SRS-Config.

13. The method according to claim 11, comprising: When the CIF value indicated by the DCI matches one of the one or more CIF value lists, the wireless communication device transmits using a first SRS resource or a first SRS resource set for the first SRS transmission.

14. The method according to claim 11, wherein: The one or more CIF value lists include: A first CIF value list is used for SRS transmission for positioning purposes, and a second CIF value list is used for SRS transmission for non-positioning purposes.

15. A wireless communication method, comprising: The wireless communication node sends one or more carrier indicator CIF value lists for sounding reference signal SRS transmission to the wireless communication device; as well as The wireless communication device is caused to determine a first SRS transmission according to the one or more CIF value lists and according to a value of a CIF field in downlink control information DCI, and the wireless communication device performs transmission of the first SRS in a first component carrier CC mapped to the value of the CIF field.

16. The method according to claim 15, wherein: Each CIF value list in the one or more CIF value lists is configured to correspond to a corresponding SRS resource or an SRS resource set, or a corresponding SRS configuration SRS-Config.

17. The method according to claim 15, wherein: When the CIF value indicated by the DCI matches one of the one or more CIF value lists, the wireless communication device uses a first SRS resource or a first SRS resource set for the first SRS transmission.

18. The method according to claim 15, wherein: The one or more CIF value lists include: A first CIF value list is used for SRS transmission for positioning purposes, and a second CIF value list is used for SRS transmission for non-positioning purposes.

19. A non-transitory computer-readable medium storing instructions which, when executed by at least one processor, cause the at least one processor to perform the method of any one of claims 1-18.

20. A wireless communication device, comprising: At least one processor configured to implement the method of any one of claims 1-18.

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