An apparatus comprising at least one processor

Abstract

An apparatus comprising at least one processor and at least one memory storing instructions, the at least one memory and instructions being configured, together with the at least one processor, to cause a user equipment to determine first information, the first information characterizing the spatial separation of a radio cell associated with the user equipment with respect to at least two antenna panels of the user equipment.

Description

[0001] manual Technical Field

[0002] Various example embodiments relate to devices that include at least one processor.

[0003] Other embodiments relate to methods of operation associated with such a device. Background Technology

[0004] Wireless communication systems can be used, for example, for the wireless exchange of information between two or more entities, including, for example, one or more terminal devices (e.g., user equipment) and one or more network devices (e.g., base stations).

[0005] Some terminal devices may include more than one antenna panel for, for example, exchanging wireless information with network devices. A user equipment with multiple antenna panels may be, for example, referred to as a multi-panel UE (MPUE). Summary of the Invention

[0006] Various embodiments of this disclosure are set forth in the independent claims. Example embodiments and features (if any) described in this specification that do not fall within the scope of the independent claims are to be construed as examples for understanding the various exemplary embodiments of this disclosure.

[0007] Some embodiments relate to an apparatus including at least one processor and at least one memory storing instructions, the at least one memory and instructions being configured to use the at least one processor to determine first information, the first information characterizing the spatial separation of a radio cell associated with the user equipment with respect to at least two antenna panels of the user equipment.

[0008] In some embodiments, the device may be a device for a wireless communication system.

[0009] In some embodiments, the device or its functions may be provided in the terminal equipment of the communication system, such as in the user equipment (UE) or in the data modem or similar equipment.

[0010] In some embodiments, the apparatus or its functionality according to the embodiments can be used in wireless communication systems (e.g., networks) based on or at least partially in accordance with the 3GPP (Third Generation Partnership Project), such as 4G E-UTRAN or 5G NR (Fifth Generation New Radio) radio standards or other radio access technologies.

[0011] In some embodiments, when executed by at least one processor, the instructions cause the user equipment to use the first information at least temporarily for at least one of: a) controlling the operation of the user equipment, b) sending to the network device at least one of b1) the first information and b2) second information that can be derived at least based on the first information.

[0012] In some embodiments, controlling the operation of the user equipment may include, for example, determining whether and / or when to send first information or, for example, a measurement report based on the first information to a network device (e.g., a serving base station).

[0013] In some embodiments, sending the first information and / or the second information to the network device may, for example, enable or at least help the network device to perform load balancing, such as loading or unloading terminal devices based on spatial separation characterized by the first information.

[0014] In some embodiments, the second information may include, for example, a measurement report or a portion thereof, such as the first information.

[0015] In some embodiments, the first information includes at least one of the following: a) a first parameter characterizing the spatial separation of neighboring cells, for example, measured by a user equipment; b) a second parameter characterizing the spatial separation of the serving cell, for example, measured by a user equipment.

[0016] In some embodiments, the first parameter may be represented as "Dn", while the second parameter may be represented as "DP".

[0017] In some embodiments, the instructions, when executed by at least one processor, cause the user equipment to modify (e.g., change) at least one of the first and second parameters based on at least one scaling factor. This allows for greater flexibility, for example, when using the first and second parameters to control the operation of the user equipment.

[0018] In some embodiments, the user equipment may determine at least one scaling factor, for example, by evaluating a configuration (e.g., a predetermined configuration). In some embodiments, the configuration may also be determined by standardization.

[0019] In some embodiments, determining at least one scaling factor may include receiving configuration information characterizing at least one scaling factor from the user equipment.

[0020] In some embodiments, the serving cell or network equipment associated with the serving cell (e.g., the serving base station) may provide at least one scaling factor, for example as part of a measurement configuration provided to the user equipment, such as using an RRC (Radio Resource Control) reconfiguration message according to some accepted specifications.

[0021] In some embodiments, at least one of the scaling factors may be represented, for example, as “scalen_onload”, while another scaling factor may be represented, for example, as “scalep_offload”.

[0022] In some embodiments, when executed by at least one processor, the instructions cause a user equipment to determine a reporting event (e.g., a measurement reporting event) based on first information, and to send at least one of the first information and second information that can be derived at least based on the first information to a network device.

[0023] In some embodiments, measurement report events can be used to signal network devices (e.g., serving base stations) that a handover from the serving base station to a neighboring base station (e.g., the target base station for the handover process) should be performed.

[0024] In some embodiments, a measurement report event may be an A3 event, according to some accepted specifications. In other words, in some embodiments, the A3 event of some accepted specifications may be enhanced, for example, by providing first information and / or second information in the A3 measurement report.

[0025] In some embodiments, measurement reporting events can be characterized based on the following relationship:

[0026] Mn-Dn+Ofn+Ocn-Hys>Mp-Dp+Ofp+Ocp+Off+Hys

[0027] (Relationship 1)

[0028] Where Mn represents the measurement result of the neighboring cell, such as cell quality, Mp represents the measurement result of the serving cell, such as cell quality, Dn is the first parameter of the first information, Dp is the second parameter of the first information, Ofn is the measurement object-specific offset of the reference signal of the neighboring cell, and Ofp is the measurement object-specific offset of the reference signal of the serving cell, such as offsetMO defined in the measObjectNR corresponding to the neighboring cell according to some accepted specifications.

[0029] In some embodiments, in relation 1, Ocn represents the cell-specific offset of the neighboring cell, and Ocp represents the cell-specific offset of the serving cell, such as cellIndividualOffset defined in measObjectNR according to some accepted specifications, corresponding to the frequency of the neighboring cell, and set to zero if no neighboring cell is configured.

[0030] In some embodiments, in relation 1, Hys is a hysteresis parameter used to measure the hysteresis of the reported event, such as the hysteresis defined in reportConfigNR according to some accepted specification.

[0031] In some embodiments, in relation 1, Off is an offset parameter used to measure reported events, such as the A3 offset defined in reportConfigNR according to some acceptable specification.

[0032] In some embodiments, measurement reporting events can be characterized based on the following relationship:

[0033] Mn-scalen onload ·Dn+Ofn+Ocn-Hys>Mp-scalep offload ·Dp+Ofp+Ocp+Off+Hys(relation 2), where scalen onload The first scaling factor is represented, and where scalen onload Characterizes the second scaling factor.

[0034] In some embodiments, the first scaling factor “scalen_onload” may be configured by the network and may, for example, control the loading associated with the radio cell (e.g., per-neighbor n-ground). In some embodiments, the first scaling factor may include a value between 0 and 1, wherein a value of 0 disables loading, and according to some embodiments, a value of 1 supports the use of spatial separation information.

[0035] As an example, in some embodiments, it is assumed that there is a 20 dB backward attenuation of the neighboring cell (e.g., the target cell) on the serving antenna panel (“Panel 1”). This means that the user equipment can remain in the serving cell for up to 20 dB longer (“load”), and this can be achieved, for example, by scaling down the neighbor measurement Mn by up to 20 dB for loading. In some embodiments, the network can determine whether and how to actively load via a first scaling factor “scalen_onload” (e.g., by selecting a specific value for the first scaling factor). In some embodiments, the first scaling factor can be used, for example, by an empty cell (or by a cell with a relatively low load) willing to accommodate load from neighboring cells.

[0036] In some embodiments, the serving antenna panel is defined as an antenna panel that receives the serving cell or beam with the highest quality, respectively.

[0037] In some embodiments, the second scaling factor “scalep_offload” can be configured by the network and can be used, for example, to control offloading associated with a radio cell.

[0038] In some embodiments, the second scaling factor may include a value between 0 and 1, where a value of 0 disables offloading and a value of 1 (fully) enables offloading, for example, by utilizing spatial separation information according to some embodiments. For example, in some embodiments, if spatial separation allows, SpCell (special cell) measurements may be reduced by up to 20 dB and an early report (offloading) may be sent.

[0039] In some embodiments, the second scaling factor scalep_offload (and the second parameter Dp) can be used, for example, by a congested cell willing to offload its load to an empty (or less loaded) neighboring cell.

[0040] In some embodiments, when executed by at least one processor, the instructions cause the user equipment to determine a first parameter (e.g., Dn) based on the difference between the measurement results of the neighboring cell and at least one of the following: a) the measurement results associated with the neighboring cell performed on one of at least two antenna panels serving the serving cell; b) the average of the measurement results associated with the neighboring cell and all at least two antenna panels; c) the average of the measurement results associated with the neighboring cell and all at least two antenna panels different from the serving panel of the neighboring cell; and d) the maximum measurement result of at least two antenna panels other than the serving panel used for the neighboring cell.

[0041] In some embodiments, when executed by at least one processor, the instructions cause the user equipment to determine a second parameter (e.g., Dp) based on the difference between the measurement results of the serving cell and at least one of the following: a) the measurement results associated with the serving cell and one of the at least two antenna panels to be used to serve neighboring cells; b) the average of the measurement results associated with the serving cell and all at least two antenna panels; c) the average of the measurement results associated with the serving cell and all at least two antenna panels that are different from the serving cell; and d) the maximum measurement result of at least two antenna panels other than one of the at least two antenna panels serving the serving cell.

[0042] In the following, variations a), b), c), and d) of determining the first parameter (Dn) and the second parameter (Dp) may be described in further detail according to some embodiments, see, for example, the following four options according to another embodiment:

[0043] In some embodiments, it is assumed that “M_x_y” is a measurement of “cell x” on “antenna panel y”, and px is the antenna panel used to serve cell x, i.e., pp is the serving panel used to serve serving cell p. In some embodiments, “Mx” is defined as the best measurement among all M_x_y.

[0044] In some embodiments, the following exemplary options (“Options 1” through “Options 4”) are available, for example, for determining the first parameter Dn and / or the second parameter Dp, for example, as the difference between the measured value Mx and the following:

[0045] Option 1: Measurements on a specific antenna panel, for example:

[0046] Dn = Mn - M_n_pp, which is the target cell measurement n on the serving panel pp. M_n_pp can be calculated, for example, by taking the average of the N' strongest beams of the target cell n on the serving panel pp that are above a threshold T'.

[0047] Dp = Mp - M_p_pn, meaning the SpCell measurement on panel pn will be used to serve target cell n. M_p_pn can be calculated by taking the average of the N" strongest beams of serving cell p on serving panel pn of target cell n that are above the threshold T'.

[0048] Option 2: The average value of all panels (mean_y[M_x_y])

[0049] Dn = Mn - mean_y[M_n_y], where “mean_y[M_n_y]” represents the average value of M_n_y total antenna panels.

[0050] Dp = Mp - mean_y[M_p_y], where "mean_y[M_p_y]" represents the average value of the M_p_p panel.

[0051] Option 3: The average of all “Other” panels (mean_y[M_x_{y<>px}])

[0052] Dn = Mn - mean y[Mn{y<>pn}] where “mean_y[M_n_{y<>pn}]]” represents the average value of M_n_y obtained from a panel different from the serving panel p of the target cell n.

[0053] Do = Mp - mean_y[M_p_{y<>pp}] where “mean_y[M_p_{y<>pp}]” represents the average value of M_p_y obtained from a panel different from pp of the serving cell p.

[0054] Option 4: Maximum value of other panels (max_y[M_x_{y<>px}])

[0055] Dn = Mn - max_y[M_n_{y<>pn}] where max_y[M_n_{y<>pn}] represents the maximum value M_n_y obtained from a panel different from the serving panel pn of the target cell n.

[0056] Dp = Mp - max_y[M_p_{y<>pp}] where max_y[M_p_{y<>pp}] represents the maximum value M_n_y obtained from a panel different from the serving panel pn of the target cell n.

[0057] Note that in some embodiments, options 3 and 4 are equivalent when the user equipment has two antenna panels.

[0058] In some embodiments, the user equipment may apply, for example, another method for characterizing spatial separation and / or for representing first information, such as using a first parameter and a second parameter, for example, manufacturer-specific.

[0059] As an example, in some embodiments, the first information may be based on, for example, analog, RF measurements, such as instead of the digital measurements exemplarily mentioned above with respect to options 1 through 4. In some embodiments, this can simplify the complexity of the user equipment, particularly if the user equipment is, for example, limited to receiving / measuring on a single antenna panel at a time.

[0060] In some embodiments, if available, the user equipment may also use directional information of the involved cells, such as the serving cell and / or neighboring cells (potential handover target cells). In some embodiments, the directional information may be based, for example, on the angle of arrival of each signal associated with each cell. In some embodiments, the first information may be derived from the beam pattern (e.g., beam characteristics) of the antenna panel.

[0061] In some embodiments, when executed by at least one processor, the instructions cause the user equipment to determine a method for determining at least one of the first and second parameters based on at least one of the following: a) configuration; b) instructions from a network device.

[0062] In other words, in some embodiments, the user equipment may determine the first and / or second parameters, for example, following one of the options 1 to 4 mentioned above, 1) as specified in the specification or configuration, or 2) as indicated by the network equipment (e.g., the serving cell) using (e.g., dedicated) signaling (e.g., RRC reconfiguration according to some accepted specification).

[0063] In some embodiments, such as the latter case, the serving cell may use two bits to indicate which definition or option of the first parameter and / or the second parameter should be applied by the user equipment.

[0064] Another embodiment relates to an apparatus including at least one processor and at least one memory storing instructions, the at least one memory and the instructions being configured, together with the at least one processor, to cause a network device to receive first information from a user equipment (e.g., a user equipment according to an embodiment), the first information representing spatial separation of a radio cell associated with the user equipment with respect to at least two antenna panels of the user equipment. In some embodiments, the network device may be, for example, a ground state, such as a gNodeB (gNB).

[0065] In some embodiments, the instructions, when executed by at least one processor, cause the network device to perform load balancing based on first information. In some embodiments, load balancing may include, for example, loading and / or unloading user equipment to / from at least one radio cell provided by the network device.

[0066] In some embodiments, when executed by at least one processor, the instructions cause the network device to perform at least one of the following: a) sending at least one scaling factor to the user equipment to modify at least one of a first parameter and a second parameter of the first information based on the at least one scaling factor, wherein the first parameter characterizes the spatial separation of neighboring cells and wherein the second parameter characterizes the spatial separation of the serving cell; b) instructing the user equipment to select which of a plurality of methods to determine at least one of the first parameter and the second parameter; c) receiving an indication characterizing which scaling factor the user equipment applies to its measurements associated with at least one cell.

[0067] In some embodiments, receiving an indication of which scaling factor a user equipment applies to its measurements associated with at least one cell can be performed, for example, by a target gNB for the handover process.

[0068] In some embodiments, when executed by at least one processor, the instructions cause the network device to make a handover decision based on at least one of the following: a) first information, b) second information (e.g., a measurement report).

[0069] Another embodiment relates to a method comprising: determining first information by a user equipment, the first information representing spatial separation of a radio cell associated with the user equipment with respect to at least two antenna panels of the user equipment.

[0070] Another embodiment relates to a method comprising: receiving first information from a user equipment by a network device, the first information representing spatial separation of a radio cell associated with the user equipment with respect to at least two antenna panels of the user equipment.

[0071] Another embodiment relates to an apparatus including components for determining first information, the first information representing the spatial separation of a radio cell associated with a user equipment with respect to at least two antenna panels of the user equipment. In some embodiments, the components for determining the first information may, for example, include at least one processor and at least one memory storing instructions, the at least one memory and the instructions being configured to perform the steps together with the at least one processor.

[0072] Another embodiment relates to an apparatus including components for receiving first information from a user equipment, the first information representing spatial separation of a radio cell associated with the user equipment relative to at least two antenna panels of the user equipment. In some embodiments, the components for receiving the first information from the user equipment may, for example, include at least one processor and at least one memory storing instructions, the at least one memory and the instructions being configured to perform the steps together with the at least one processor.

[0073] Other embodiments relate to a wireless communication system including at least one user equipment according to an embodiment.

[0074] Another embodiment relates to a wireless communication system including at least one network device according to an embodiment. Attached Figure Description

[0075] Figure 1 A simplified block diagram of a device according to some embodiments is schematically depicted.

[0076] Figure 2 A simplified block diagram of a device according to some embodiments is schematically depicted.

[0077] Figure 3 A simplified block diagram according to some embodiments is schematically depicted.

[0078] Figure 4 A simplified flowchart according to some embodiments is schematically depicted.

[0079] Figure 5 A simplified flowchart according to some embodiments is schematically depicted.

[0080] Figure 6 A simplified block diagram according to some embodiments is schematically depicted.

[0081] Figure 7 A simplified flowchart according to some embodiments is schematically depicted.

[0082] Figure 8 A simplified flowchart according to some embodiments is schematically depicted.

[0083] Figure 9A simplified flowchart according to some embodiments is schematically depicted.

[0084] Figure 10 A simplified flowchart according to some embodiments is schematically depicted.

[0085] Figure 11 A simplified flowchart according to some embodiments is schematically depicted.

[0086] Figure 12 A simplified flowchart according to some embodiments is schematically depicted.

[0087] Figure 13 A simplified block diagram according to some embodiments is schematically depicted.

[0088] Figure 14 A simplified block diagram according to some embodiments is schematically depicted, and

[0089] Figure 15 A simplified block diagram according to some embodiments is schematically depicted. Detailed Implementation

[0090] Some embodiments relate to apparatus, for example, for terminal devices (e.g., user equipment) in wireless communication systems. Figure 1 A simplified block diagram of a device 100 according to some embodiments is schematically depicted, and Figure 4 A simplified flowchart of a method of operating the device 100 according to some embodiments is schematically depicted.

[0091] Device 100 ( Figure 1 The user equipment 10 includes at least one processor 102 and at least one memory 104 storing instructions 106, the at least one memory 104 and the instructions 106 being configured to utilize the at least one processor 102 to cause the user equipment 10 ( Figure 3 ) Determine 300 ( Figure 4 First information I-1, which represents radio cells C-1 and C-2 associated with user equipment 10. Figure 3 Spatial separation relative to at least two antenna panels 11, 12 of user equipment 10.

[0092] In some embodiments, device 100 may be a device for wireless communication system 1, for example, see Figure 3 .

[0093] In some embodiments, the device 100 or its functions may be provided in the terminal device 10 of the communication system 1, for example in the user equipment (UE) 10 or in the data modem (not shown) or similar device.

[0094] In some embodiments, the apparatus 100 or its functionality according to the embodiments can be used in a wireless communication system 1 (e.g., a network) based on or at least partially in accordance with the 3GPP (Third Generation Partnership Project), such as 4GE-UTRAN or 5G NR (Fifth Generation New Radio) radio standards or other radio access technologies.

[0095] In some embodiments, the first radio cell C-1 may be the source cell for a (future) handover process, while the second radio cell C-2 (e.g., a neighboring cell) may be a potential target cell for the handover. The source cell C-1 is provided by the current serving network device 20 (e.g., gNB 20), while the target cell C-2 is provided by the neighboring gNB 30.

[0096] In some embodiments, instruction 106 ( Figure 1 When executed by at least one processor 102, the user equipment 10 is made to use 302 at least temporarily. Figure 4 First information I-1, for use Figure 5 At least one of the following: a) controlling the operation of user equipment 10 302a based on first information I-1, b) sending at least one of b1) first information I-1 and b2) second information I-2 which can be derived at least based on first information I-1 to network device 20.

[0097] In some embodiments, controlling the operation of user equipment 10 302a may include, for example, determining whether and / or when to send first information I-1 or, for example, a measurement report based on first information I-1 to a network device, such as serving base station 20.

[0098] In some embodiments, sending the first information I-1 and / or the second information I-2 to the network device 20 may, for example, support or at least help the network device 20 perform load balancing, such as loading and / or unloading the terminal device 10 based on the spatial separation characterized by the first information I-1.

[0099] In some embodiments, the second information I-2 may include, for example, a measurement report or a portion thereof, such as the first information I-1.

[0100] In some embodiments, Figure 6 The first information I-1 includes at least one of the following: a) characterizing the neighboring cell C-2 ( Figure 3 The first parameter P-1 for spatial separation, for example, is measured by user equipment 10; and b) characterizes the serving cell C-1. Figure 3 The second parameter P-2 for spatial separation of ) Figure 6 For example, it is measured by user equipment 10.

[0101] In some embodiments, the first parameter P-1 can be represented as "Dn", while the second parameter P-2 can be represented as "Dp".

[0102] In some embodiments, instruction 106 ( Figure 1 When executed by at least one processor 102, the user equipment 10 modifies 312 based on at least one scaling factor SF-1, SF-2. Figure 7 At least one of the first parameter P-1 and the second parameter P-2. This allows for greater freedom of operation, for example, when using the first parameter P-1 and / or the second parameter P-2 to control the operation of the user equipment 10.

[0103] In some embodiments, user equipment 10 may determine 310, for example, by evaluating a configuration (e.g., a predetermined configuration). Figure 7 At least one scaling factor SF-1, SF-2. In some embodiments, the configuration may also be determined by standardization.

[0104] In some embodiments, determining at least one scaling factor SF-1, SF-2 may include receiving configuration information characterizing at least one scaling factor by the user equipment 10, for example, from gNB 20.

[0105] In some embodiments, serving cell C-1 ( Figure 3 The network equipment 20 (e.g., the serving base station) associated with the serving cell C-1 can provide at least one scaling factor SF-1, SF-2, for example, as part of the measurement configuration provided to the user equipment 10, for example, using RRC (Radio Resource Control) reconfiguration messages according to some accepted specifications.

[0106] In some embodiments, at least one of the scaling factors SF-1 and SF-2 may be represented, for example, as “scalen_onload”, while the other scaling factor may be represented, for example, as “scalep_offload”.

[0107] In some embodiments, instruction 106 ( Figure 1 When executed by at least one processor 102, the user equipment 10 determines 320 based on the first information I-1. Figure 8 Report events, such as measurement reporting events, and send at least one of 322 first information I-1 and / or second information I-2 that can be derived at least based on the first information I-1 to network devices 20, 30 (e.g., serving gNB 20 and / or another gNB 30).

[0108] In some embodiments, measurement report events can be used to signal network devices (e.g., serving base station 20) that a handover should be performed from serving base station 20 to neighboring base station 30 (e.g., the target base station for the handover process).

[0109] In some embodiments, a measurement report event may be an A3 event, according to some accepted specifications. In other words, in some embodiments, the A3 event of some accepted specifications may be enhanced, for example, by providing first information I-1 and / or second information I-2 in the A3 measurement report.

[0110] In some embodiments, measurement reporting events can be characterized based on the following relationship:

[0111] Mn-Dn+Ofn+Ocn-Hys>Mp-Dp+Ofp+Ocp+Off+Hys (relationship 1), where o represents the measurement result of neighboring cell C-2, such as cell quality, where Mp represents the measurement result of serving cell C-1, such as cell quality, and Dn is the first parameter P-1 of the first information I-1 ( Figure 6 ), where Dp is the second parameter P-2 of the first information I-1, where Ofn is the object-specific offset of the reference signal of the neighboring cell C-2, and where Ofp is the object-specific offset of the reference signal of the serving cell C-1, such as offsetMO defined in the measObjectNR corresponding to the neighboring cell according to some accepted specifications.

[0112] In some embodiments, in relation 1, Ocn represents the cell-specific offset of the neighboring cell, and Ocp represents the cell-specific offset of the serving cell, such as cellIndividualOffset defined in measObjectNR according to some accepted specifications, corresponding to the frequency of the neighboring cell, and set to zero if not configured for the neighboring cell.

[0113] In some embodiments, in relation 1, Hys is a hysteresis parameter used to measure the reported event, such as the hysteresis defined within reportConfigNR according to some acceptable specification.

[0114] In some embodiments, in relation 1, Off is an offset parameter used to measure reported events, such as the A3 offset defined in reportConfigNR according to some acceptable specification.

[0115] In some embodiments, measurement reporting events can be characterized based on the following relationship:

[0116] Mn-scalen onload ·Dn+Ofn+Ocn-Hys>Mp-scalepoffload ·Dp+Ofp+Ocp+Off+Hys(relation 2), where scalen onload The first scaling factor is represented, and where scalen onload Characterizes the second scaling factor.

[0117] In some embodiments, the first scaling factor SF-1 (“scalen_onload”) may be configured by the network (e.g., network device 20) and may, for example, control the loading associated with radio cells (e.g., per neighbor n). In some embodiments, the first scaling factor SF-1 may include a value between 0 and 1, wherein a value of 0 disables loading, and according to some embodiments, a value of 1 enables the utilization of spatial separation information.

[0118] As an example, in some embodiments, it is assumed that the serving antenna panel (“panel 1”) 11 ( Figure 3 The 20dB backward attenuation of the neighboring (e.g., target) cell C-2 on the serving cell means that user equipment 10 can remain in the serving cell for up to 20dB longer ("overload"), and this can be achieved, for example, by scaling down the neighbor measurement Mn by up to 20dB for overload. In some embodiments, the network can determine whether and how to actively load via a first scaling factor "scalen_onload" (e.g., by selecting a specific value for the first scaling factor). In some embodiments, the first scaling factor can be used, for example, by an empty cell (or by a cell with relatively low load) willing to accommodate load from neighboring cells.

[0119] In some embodiments, the second scaling factor SF-2 (“scalep_offload”) can be configured by the network (e.g., gNB20) and can be used, for example, to control offloading associated with radio cells.

[0120] In some embodiments, the second scaling factor SF-2 may include a value between 0 and 1, where a value of 0 disables offloading and a value of 1 (fully) enables offloading, for example, by utilizing spatial separation information according to some embodiments. For example, in some embodiments, if spatial separation, exemplarily characterized by the first information I-1, is permitted, SpCell (special cell) measurements can be reduced by up to 20 dB and an early report (offloading) can be sent.

[0121] In some embodiments, the second scaling factor SF-2 (“scalep_offload”) (and the second parameter P-2 (“Dp”) can be used, for example, by a congested cell willing to offload its load to an empty (or less loaded) neighboring cell.

[0122] In some embodiments, when executed by at least one processor 102, instruction 106 causes user equipment 10 to determine 300a based on the difference between the measurement results of neighboring cell C-2 and at least one of the following: Figure 9 The first parameter P-1 (e.g., Dn) is: a) a measurement result associated with neighboring cell C-2 performed on one of at least two antenna panels 11, 12 serving serving cell C-1; b) the average of the measurement results associated with neighboring cell C-2 and all at least two antenna panels 11, 12; c) the average of the measurement results associated with neighboring cell C-2 and all at least two antenna panels (for serving cells) other than neighboring cell C-2; and d) the maximum measurement result of at least two antenna panels other than the serving panel for neighboring cell C-2.

[0123] In some embodiments, when executed by at least one processor 102, instruction 106 causes user equipment 10 to determine a second parameter P-2 (e.g., Dp) based on the difference between the measurement results of serving cell C-1 and at least one of the following: a) the measurement results associated with serving cell C-1 and one of at least two antenna panels 11, 12 to serve neighboring cell C-2; b) the average of the measurement results associated with serving cell C-1 and all at least two antenna panels 11, 12; c) the average of the measurement results associated with serving cell C-1 and at least two antenna panels different from the serving cell; and d) the maximum measurement result of at least two antenna panels other than the one used to serve the serving cell.

[0124] In the following, variations a), b), c), and d) of determining the first parameter (Dn) of 300a and the second parameter (Dp) of 300b may be described in further detail according to some embodiments, see, for example, the following four options according to another embodiment:

[0125] In some embodiments, it is assumed that “M_x_y” is a measurement of “cell x” on “antenna panel y”, and px is the antenna panel used to serve cell x, i.e., pp is the serving panel used to serve serving cell p. In some embodiments, “Mx” is defined as the best metric among all M_x_y.

[0126] In some embodiments, the following exemplary options (“Options 1” through “Options 4”) are available, for example, for determining the first parameter Dn and / or the second parameter Dp, for example, as the difference between the measured value Mx and the following:

[0127] Option 1: Measurements on a specific antenna panel, for example:

[0128] Dn = Mn - M_n_pp, which is the target cell measurement n on the serving panel pp. M_n_pp can be calculated, for example, by taking the average of the N' strongest beams of the target cell n on the serving panel pp that are above a threshold T'.

[0129] Dp = Mp - M_p_pn, meaning the SpCell measurement on panel pn will be used to serve target cell n. M_p_pn can be calculated by taking the average of the N" strongest beams of serving cell p on serving panel pn of target cell n that are above the threshold T'.

[0130] Option 2: The average value of all panels (mean_y[M_x_y])

[0131] Dn = Mn - mean_y[M_n_y], where “mean_y[M_n_y]” represents the average value of M_n_y total antenna panels.

[0132] Dp = Mp - mean_y[M_p_y], where "mean_y[M_p_y]" represents the average value of the M_p_p panel.

[0133] Option 3: The average of all “Other” panels (mean_y[M_x_{y<>px}])

[0134] Dn = Mn - mean y[Mn{y<>pn}] where “mean_y[M_n_{y<>pn}]]” represents the average value of M_n_y obtained from a panel different from the serving panel p of the target cell n.

[0135] Dp = Mp - mean_y[M_p_{y<>pp}] where “mean_y[M_p_{y<>pp}]” represents the average value of M_p_y obtained from a panel different from pp of the serving cell p.

[0136] Option 4: Maximum value of other panels (max_y[M_x_{y<>px}])

[0137] Dn = Mn - max_y[M_n_{y<>pn}] where max_y[M_n_{y<>pn}] represents the maximum value M_n_y obtained from a panel different from the serving panel pn of the target cell n.

[0138] Dp = Mp - max_y[M_p_{y<>pp}] where max_y[M_p_{y<>pp}] represents the maximum value M_n_y obtained from a panel different from the serving panel pn of the target cell n.

[0139] Note that in some embodiments, options 3 and 4 are equivalent when the user equipment has two antenna panels.

[0140] In some embodiments, the user equipment 10 may apply, for example, another method for characterizing spatial separation and / or for representing first information I-1 using, for example, a manufacturer-specific method.

[0141] As an example, in some embodiments, the first information I-1 may be based on, for example, analog, RF measurements, instead of the digital measurements exemplarily mentioned above with respect to options 1 to 4. In some embodiments, this can simplify the complexity of user equipment 10, particularly if user equipment 10 is, for example, limited to receiving / measuring on a single antenna panel at a time.

[0142] In some embodiments, if available, user equipment 10 may also use directional information of the involved cells C-1, C-2, such as serving cell C-1 and / or neighboring cell C-2 (potential handover target cell). In some embodiments, the directional information may be based, for example, on the angle of arrival of each signal associated with each cell. In some embodiments, the first information I-1 may be derived from the beam pattern (e.g., beam characteristics) of antenna panels 11, 12.

[0143] In some embodiments, when executed by at least one processor 102, instruction 106 causes user equipment 10 to determine 330 ( Figure 10 The method for determining at least one of the first parameter P-1 and the second parameter P-2 is determined based on at least one of the following: a) configuration, and b) instructions from network device 20.

[0144] In other words, in some embodiments, user equipment 10 may determine 332 first and / or second parameters, for example, following one of the options 1 to 4 mentioned above, 1) as specified in the specification or configuration; or 2) as indicated by network equipment 20 (e.g., serving cell) for example using (e.g., dedicated) signaling (e.g., RRC reconfiguration according to some accepted specification).

[0145] In some embodiments, such as the latter case, the serving cell C-1 may use two bits to indicate which definition or option of the first parameter P-1 and / or the second parameter P-2 should be applied by the user equipment 10.

[0146] Figure 2 Another embodiment relates to an apparatus 200 including at least one processor 202 and at least one memory 204 storing instructions 206, the at least one memory 204 and the instructions 206 being configured to utilize the at least one processor 202 to cause a network device 20 ( Figure 3 ) Receives 350 ( Figure 11 First information I-1, which represents the spatial separation of radio cells C-1 and C-2 associated with user equipment 10 relative to at least two antenna panels 11 and 12 of user equipment 10. In some embodiments, network device 20 may be, for example, a base station, such as a gNodeB (gNB).

[0147] In some embodiments, for example, as an alternative or additional means of receiving 350 first information I-1 from user equipment 10, network device 20 may also receive second information I-2 from user equipment 10.

[0148] In some embodiments, when executed by at least one processor 202, instruction 206 causes network device 20 to perform load balancing 352 based on first information I-1. In some embodiments, load balancing 352 may include, for example, uploading and / or offloading user equipment 10 to / from at least one radio cell C-1 provided by network device 20.

[0149] In some embodiments, when executed by at least one processor 202, instruction 206 causes network device 20 to perform a 354 handover decision based on at least one of: a) first information I-1, b) second information I-2 (e.g., a measurement report) received from user equipment 10.

[0150] In some embodiments, instruction 206, when executed by at least one processor 202, causes network device 20 to perform at least one of the following: a) send 360 ( Figure 12 a) At least one scaling factor SF-1 for modifying at least one of the first parameter P-1 and the second parameter P-2 of the first information I-1 based on at least one scaling factor SF-1, SF-2, wherein the first parameter P-1 characterizes the spatial separation of neighboring cell C-2, and wherein the second parameter P-2 characterizes the spatial separation of serving cell C-1; b) Instruction 362 User equipment 10 to select which of a plurality of methods to use for determining at least one of the parameters P-1 and the second parameter P-2; and c) Receive 364 Indication IND characterizing which scaling factor of SF-1, SF-2 has been applied by user equipment 10 to its measurements associated with at least one cell.

[0151] In some embodiments, receiving an indication IND (Indicator 364) characterizing which scaling factor the user equipment applies to its measurements associated with at least one cell can, for example, be provided by a target gNB 30 for the handover process. Figure 3 ) to execute.

[0152] Another embodiment relates to a method comprising: determining 300 (…) by user equipment 10 Figure 4 First information I-1, which represents the spatial separation of radio cells C-1 and C-2 associated with user equipment 10 with respect to at least two antenna panels 11 and 12 of user equipment 10.

[0153] Another embodiment relates to a method comprising: receiving 350 ( Figure 11 First information I-1, which represents the spatial separation of radio cells C-1 and C-2 associated with user equipment 10 with respect to at least two antenna panels 11 and 12 of user equipment 10.

[0154] Other embodiments involve Figure 13 The apparatus 100' includes a component 102' for determining first information I-1, the first information I-1 characterizing the spatial separation of a radio cell associated with a user equipment with respect to at least two antenna panels of the user equipment. In some embodiments, the component 102' for determining the first information may, for example, include at least one processor 102 and at least one memory 104 storing instructions 106, the at least one memory 104 and the instructions 106 being configured to perform the steps together with the at least one processor 102.

[0155] Figure 14 Other embodiments relate to an apparatus 200' that includes a component 202' for receiving first information I-1 from a user equipment 10, the first information I-1 representing the spatial separation of radio cells C-1 and C-2 associated with the user equipment 10 with respect to at least two antenna panels 11 and 12 of the user equipment 10. In some embodiments, the apparatus 202' for receiving the first information I-1 from the user equipment may, for example, include at least one processor 202 and at least one memory 204 storing instructions 206, the at least one memory 204 and the instructions 206 being configured to perform the steps together with the at least one processor 202.

[0156] Other embodiments involve Figure 3 A wireless communication system 1, which includes at least one user equipment 10 according to an embodiment and / or at least one network device 20, 30 according to an embodiment.

[0157] Figure 15 A simplified block diagram according to some embodiments is schematically depicted. Three scenarios SC1, SC2, and SC3 of user equipment 10' with multiple antenna panels are described, along with the source cell SRC and potential target cell TGT of the handover process.

[0158] In some embodiments, the level of inter-cell interference (ICI) depends on the UE's antenna configuration and orientation. This is in Figure 15 As shown in the figure, Figure 15 Three different cases are shown:

[0159] a) UE10' with an omnidirectional antenna (Scenario SC1)

[0160] b) Multi-panel UE10' with optimal UE orientation relative to minimizing inter-cell interference (scenario SC2), and

[0161] c) Multi-panel UE10' (Scenario SC3) with poor orientation relative to inter-cell interference.

[0162] For an omnidirectional UE in scenario a), receiving signals from both the serving cell and the target cell using the same omnidirectional antenna results in the highest level of interference. If the UE is not connected to the nearest / strongest cell, the SINR quickly drops below 0 dB. In this situation, it's possible that only one cell has a SINR > 0 dB, while all other cells have a SINR < 0 dB, making connections very inefficient or even impossible (assuming the cells have some adequate load). In other words, in the omnidirectional case, radio conditions are not favorable for the relevant load balancing, and they may force the UE to connect to the strongest cell.

[0163] exist Figure 15 In MPUE case b), in some embodiments, the serving cell SRC is received at high signal power on antenna panel 1 and at low power on antenna panel 2. Conversely, the target cell TGT is received at high signal power on antenna panel 2 and low power on antenna panel 1. According to some embodiments, if antenna panel 1 is used as the UE's serving panel, interference from the target cell TGT can be attenuated by the antenna / beamforming pattern of antenna panel 1, resulting in minimal interference. In contrast to omnidirectional case a), in case b), according to some embodiments, the UE can have SINR >> 0 dB even when connected to a weaker cell. It can be concluded that such a UE can connect well to either the serving cell SRC or the target cell TG over a relatively wide range (e.g., due to interference isolation provided by the panel).

[0164] However, if MPUE UE' changes Figure 15If the orientation is clockwise (as shown in case c), the signal from the target cell received on antenna panel 1 can have an antenna pattern / beamforming attenuation similar to the serving cell signal, again generating high levels of interference, similar to case a). From this, it can be seen that MPUE UE's generally does not allow associated load balancing itself. Conversely, some constellations (i.e., orientation with respect to cell SRC, TGT) can allow significant load balancing (e.g., case b), but others do not (e.g., case c). Therefore, in some embodiments, it is advantageous if the load balancing mechanism can be adapted to a specific constellation. Furthermore, note that in practice, different UEs may have different orientations, i.e., the network may not be able to know this orientation from the past.

[0165] In view of this, aspects of the embodiments can employ, for example, spatial separation characterized by the first information I-1 to help or facilitate load balancing at the gNB, see, for example, see Figure 11 Box 252.

[0166] In some embodiments, a new measurement report event may be provided based on the first information I-1, and the use of the new measurement report event, such as MPUE-specific measurements and / or spatial separation of individual cells C-1, C-2, may be utilized to achieve, for example, a larger handover area, such as allowing better redistribution of UEs and thereby achieving better load balancing.

[0167] In some embodiments, the first parameter P-1 (“Dn”) and / or the second parameter P-2 (“Dp”) may be quantities determined (e.g., measured) by the UE 10 and not (must) be reported to the network. In some embodiments, this has the advantage that the measurements of the multiple antenna panels 11, 12 remain transparent to the network, as is the case in some acceptable specifications. Note that in some embodiments, the constellation (i.e., the spatial orientation of the UE 10) may inherently overlay the spatial separation characterized by the first information, for example, in the form of the first and / or second parameters.

[0168] In some embodiments, UE 10 may include the values ​​of a first parameter P-1 (“Dn”) and / or a second parameter P-2 (“Dp”) in the measurement report sent to serving cell C-1.

[0169] In some embodiments, UE 10 may indicate to cell C-2 (the target cell for handover, the new cell it connects to, or the cell it re-establishes) that it has applied scaling to the measurements of the serving cell and the target cell using scaling factors SF-1, SF-2 (scalen_onload, scalep_offload), Dn, and / or Dp (the values ​​of which may also be reported).

[0170] Some implementations allow the network to efficiently load and / or unload MPUE 10, resulting in better use of radio resources, for example.

[0171] In some embodiments, the proposed method inherently takes into account the spatial orientation of the UE10, thereby taking into account the spatial interference isolation provided by the antenna panels 11, 12.

[0172] In some embodiments, the network can still scale the use of features via optional scaling factors SF-1, SF-2.

Claims

1. An apparatus for communication, comprising at least one processor and at least one memory, the at least one memory storing instructions, the at least one memory and the instructions being configured, together with the at least one processor, to cause a user equipment to determine first information, the first information characterizing spatial separation of radio cells associated with the user equipment with respect to at least two antenna panels of the user equipment, wherein the first information includes a) a first parameter characterizing spatial separation of neighboring cells, and b) a second parameter characterizing spatial separation of serving cells. When the instructions are executed by the at least one processor, the user equipment determines the first parameter based on the difference between the measurement results of the neighboring cell and at least one of the following: a) the measurement results associated with the neighboring cell performed on one of the at least two antenna panels serving the serving cell; b) the average of the measurement results associated with the neighboring cell and all of the at least two antenna panels; c) the average of the measurement results associated with the neighboring cell and all of the at least two antenna panels other than the serving panel used for the neighboring cell; and d) the maximum measurement result of the at least two antenna panels other than the serving panel used for the neighboring cell. And wherein the instruction, when executed by the at least one processor, causes the user equipment to determine the second parameter based on the difference between the measurement result of the serving cell and at least one of the following: a) the measurement result associated with the serving cell and one of the at least two antenna panels to be used to serve the neighboring cell; b) The average of the measurements associated with the serving cell and all of the at least two antenna panels; c) The average of the measurements associated with the serving cell and all of the at least two antenna panels other than the serving panel used for the serving cell; and d) The maximum measurement of the at least two antenna panels other than the antenna panel serving the serving cell. The at least one scaling factor is determined by receiving configuration information representing at least one scaling factor from network devices associated with the serving cell by the user equipment. as well as The first parameter and the second parameter are modified based on the at least one scaling factor.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the instructions, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the user equipment to use the first information at least temporarily for at least one of: a) controlling the operation of the user equipment; b) sending at least one of b1) the first information and b2) second information to a network device, the second information being derived at least based on the first information.

3. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the instructions, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the user equipment to: determine a reporting event based on the first information, and send at least one of the first information and second information to a network device, the second information being derived at least based on the first information.

4. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the instructions, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the user equipment to determine a method for determining at least one of the first parameter and the second parameter based on at least one of: a) configuration, and b) an instruction from a network device.

5. An apparatus for communication, comprising at least one processor and at least one memory, the at least one memory storing instructions, the at least one memory and the instructions being configured, together with the at least one processor, to cause a network device to receive first information from a user equipment, the first information representing spatial separation of a radio cell associated with the user equipment with respect to at least two antenna panels of the user equipment; When the instructions are executed by the at least one processor, the network device performs load balancing based on the first information; and When the instructions are executed by the at least one processor, the network device performs at least one of the following: a) sending at least one scaling factor to the user equipment for modifying at least one of a first parameter and a second parameter of the first information based on the at least one scaling factor, wherein the first parameter represents spatial separation of neighboring cells and wherein the second parameter represents spatial separation of the serving cell; b) instructing the user equipment to select which of a plurality of methods to determine at least one of the first parameter and the second parameter; c) receiving an indication that the user equipment has applied which scaling factor to the user equipment's measurements associated with at least one cell.

6. A method for communication, comprising: The user equipment (UE) determines first information, which characterizes the spatial separation of radio cells associated with the UE with respect to at least two antenna panels of the UE. The first information includes a) a first parameter characterizing the spatial separation of neighboring cells; and b) a second parameter characterizing the spatial separation of the serving cell. The first parameter is determined based on the difference between the measurement results of the neighboring cell and at least one of the following: a) the measurement results associated with the neighboring cell performed on one of the at least two antenna panels serving the serving cell; b) the average of the measurement results associated with the neighboring cell and all of the at least two antenna panels; c) the average of the measurement results associated with the neighboring cell and all of the at least two antenna panels other than the serving panel used for the neighboring cell; and d) the maximum measurement result of the at least two antenna panels other than the serving panel used for the neighboring cell. The second parameter is determined based on the difference between the measurement results of the serving cell and at least one of the following: a) the measurement results associated with the serving cell and one of the at least two antenna panels to be used to serve the neighboring cell; b) The average of the measurements associated with the serving cell and all of the at least two antenna panels; c) The average of the measurements associated with the serving cell and all of the at least two antenna panels other than the serving panel used for the serving cell; and d) The maximum measurement of the at least two antenna panels other than the antenna panel serving the serving cell. The at least one scaling factor is determined by receiving configuration information representing at least one scaling factor from network devices associated with the serving cell by the user equipment. as well as The first parameter and the second parameter are modified based on the at least one scaling factor.

7. The method of claim 6, further comprising: The first information may be used, at least temporarily, for at least one of the following: a) controlling the operation of the user equipment; b) Send at least one of b1) the first information and b2) the second information to the network device, wherein the second information can be derived at least based on the first information.

8. The method of claim 6, further comprising: Based on the first information, a reporting event is determined, and at least one of the first information and the second information is sent to the network device, wherein the second information can be derived at least based on the first information.

9. The method of claim 6, wherein the method for determining at least one of the first parameter and the second parameter is based on at least one of the following: a) configuration, and b) an indication from a network device.

Images