AP-SRS trigger offset enhancement for further enhanced MIMO

Abstract

This disclosure relates to AP-SRS triggered offset enhancement for further enhanced MIMO. User equipment (UE), base station, apparatus, method, computer-readable storage medium, and computer program product are disclosed. The UE can be configured to: receive offset information associated with an AP-SRS transmission of the UE; determine a time slot offset associated with the AP-SRS transmission based at least on the offset information; determine a specific time slot for the AP-SRS transmission based on the determined time slot offset; and perform the AP-SRS transmission in the determined specific time slot.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This application relates to wireless communications, and more specifically to user equipment (UE), base stations, apparatus, methods, computer-readable storage media, and computer program products for providing enhanced offset triggered by aperiodic probe reference signal (AP-SRS) for further enhanced multiple-input multiple-output (MIMO). Background Technology

[0002] The use of wireless communication systems is growing rapidly. In recent years, wireless devices such as smartphones and tablets have become increasingly sophisticated. In addition to supporting phone calls, many mobile devices now offer access to the internet, email, text messaging, and navigation using the Global Positioning System (GPS), and can operate complex applications that utilize these capabilities. Furthermore, many different wireless communication technologies and standards exist. Some examples of wireless communication standards include GSM, UMTS (e.g., associated with WCDMA or TD-SCDMA air interfaces), LTE, LTE-A Advanced, HSPA, 3GPP2 CDMA2000 (e.g., 1xRTT, 1xEV-DO, HRPD, eHRPD), IEEE 802.11 (WLAN or Wi-Fi), and BlueTouch.

[0003] The increasing number of features and functionalities introduced into wireless communication devices has also created a continuous demand for improvements in wireless communication and devices themselves. In addition to the aforementioned communication standards, there are wireless communication technologies under development, including fifth-generation (5G) New Radio (NR) communication, to increase coverage and better serve the intended uses of wireless communication. Therefore, there is a need to improve areas that support this development and design. For example, it may be desirable to dynamically trigger AP-SRS transmissions. Summary of the Invention

[0004] The implementation scheme relates to UEs, base stations, apparatuses, methods, computer-readable storage media, and computer program products for providing AP-SRS-triggered offset enhancements for further enhanced MIMO.

[0005] According to one aspect of this disclosure, a user equipment (UE) is provided. The UE includes: at least one antenna; at least one radio component coupled to the at least one antenna; and a processor coupled to the at least one radio component. The UE is configured to: receive offset information associated with an AP-SRS transmission of the UE; determine a time slot offset associated with the AP-SRS transmission based at least on the offset information; determine a specific time slot for the AP-SRS transmission based on the determined time slot offset; and perform the AP-SRS transmission in the determined specific time slot.

[0006] According to another aspect of this disclosure, a base station is provided. The base station includes at least one antenna, at least one radio component coupled to the at least one antenna, and a processor coupled to the at least one radio component. The base station is configured to determine a specific timeslot for AP-SRS transmission for a UE, determine a timeslot offset between the specific timeslot and a reference timeslot, and transmit offset information associated with the determined timeslot offset to the UE.

[0007] According to other aspects of this disclosure, apparatus, methods, computer-readable storage media, and computer program products for operating a UE or a base station are disclosed.

[0008] According to the techniques described herein, a base station can provide the UE with offset information associated with AP-SRS transmissions. The offset information indicates a slot offset associated with the UE's AP-SRS transmissions. The slot offset indicates a specific slot allocated by the base station to the UE for performing AP-SRS transmissions. Upon receiving the offset information, the UE can determine the allocated specific slot and perform AP-SRS transmissions in that specific slot. The offset information can be provided via downlink configuration information (DCI) and / or RRC signaling. Therefore, according to at least some embodiments, the techniques described herein can be used to support AP-SRS-triggered offset enhancements for further enhanced MIMO.

[0009] The technologies described herein can be implemented in and / or used with a variety of different types of devices, including but not limited to any one of cellular phones, tablets, wearable computing devices, portable media players, various base stations, and various other computing devices.

[0010] The present invention is intended to provide a brief overview of some of the subjects described in this document. Therefore, it should be understood that the above features are merely illustrative and should not be construed as narrowing the scope or substance of the subjects described herein in any way. Other features, aspects, and advantages of the subjects described herein will become apparent from the following detailed description, drawings, and claims. Attached Figure Description

[0011] A better understanding of the subject matter can be obtained by considering the following detailed description of the various embodiments in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which:

[0012] Figure 1 An exemplary wireless communication system according to some implementation schemes is shown;

[0013] Figure 2 This illustrates a base station (BS) communicating with a user equipment (UE) device according to some implementation schemes;

[0014] Figure 3 An exemplary block diagram of a UE according to some implementation schemes is shown;

[0015] Figure 4 An exemplary block diagram of a BS according to some implementation schemes is shown;

[0016] Figure 5 An exemplary block diagram of a cellular communication circuit according to some embodiments is shown;

[0017] Figure 6 This is a flowchart illustrating an exemplary method for a base station to perform AP-SRS triggered offset enhancement according to some implementation schemes;

[0018] Figure 7 This is a flowchart illustrating an exemplary method by which a UE performs AP-SRS transmission based on AP-SRS triggered offset enhancement according to some implementation schemes;

[0019] Figure 8 Exemplary criteria are shown for use in determining available time slots for AP-SRS transmissions, according to some implementation schemes;

[0020] Figure 9 Exemplary options for method selection considering changing the duplex direction, according to some implementation schemes, are shown; and

[0021] Figure 10 Exemplary options for determining the relationship between a slot offset, a slot offset indicated by DCI, and a slot offset configured by RRC, according to some implementation schemes, are shown.

[0022] While the features described herein may be subject to various modifications and alternatives, specific embodiments thereof are shown by way of example in the accompanying drawings and described in detail herein. However, it should be understood that the drawings and their detailed description are not intended to limit this document to the specific forms disclosed, but rather are intended to cover all modifications, equivalents, and alternatives falling within the substance and scope of the subject matter as defined by the appended claims. Detailed Implementation

[0023] the term

[0024] The following is a glossary of terms used in this disclosure:

[0025] Memory media—any device of any type of nontransitory memory device or storage device. The term "memory media" is intended to include mounting media such as CD-ROMs, floppy disks, or magnetic tape devices; computer system memory or random access memory such as DRAM, DDR RAM, SRAM, EDO RAM, Rambus RAM, etc.; non-volatile memory such as flash memory, magnetic media, e.g., hard disk drives or optical storage devices; registers or other similar types of memory elements, etc. Memory media may also include other types of nontransitory memory or combinations thereof. Furthermore, memory media may reside in a first computer system executing a program, or may reside in a different second computer system connected to the first computer system via a network such as the Internet. In the latter case, the second computer system may provide program instructions to the first computer for execution. The term "memory media" may include two or more memory media that may reside in different locations on different computer systems connected via a network, for example. Memory media may store program instructions (e.g., representing a computer program) that can be executed by one or more processors.

[0026] Carrier medium—the memory medium as described above, and physical transmission medium, such as buses, networks, and / or other physical transmission media for transmitting signals (such as electrical signals, electromagnetic signals, or digital signals).

[0027] Programmable hardware elements encompass a variety of hardware devices that include multiple programmable functional blocks connected via programmable interconnects. Examples include FPGAs (Field-Programmable Gate Arrays), PLDs (Programmable Logic Devices), FPOAs (Field-Programmable Object Arrays), and CPLDs (Complex PLDs). Programmable functional blocks can vary from fine-grained (combinatorial logic units or lookup tables) to coarse-grained (arithmetic logic units or processor cores). Programmable hardware elements may also be referred to as "configurable logic units."

[0028] Computer system—any of all types of computing or processing systems, including personal computer systems (PCs), mainframe computer systems, workstations, networked appliances, internet-connected appliances, personal digital assistants (PDAs), television systems, grid computing systems, or other devices or combinations thereof. In general, the term "computer system" can be broadly defined to encompass any device (or combination of devices) having at least one processor that executes instructions from a memory medium.

[0029] User equipment (UE) (or “UE device”) — any of various types of computer systems or devices that are mobile or portable and perform wireless communication. Examples of UE devices include mobile phones or smartphones (e.g., iPhone). TM Based on Android TM Telephones), portable gaming devices (e.g., Nintendo DS) TM PlayStation Portable TM Gameboy Advance TM iPhone TM ), laptops, wearable devices (e.g., smartwatches, smart glasses), personal digital assistants, portable internet devices, music players, data storage devices, or other handheld devices, etc. Generally speaking, the term "UE" or "UE device" can be broadly defined as any electronic device, computing device, and / or telecommunications device (or combination of devices) that is portable to the user and capable of wireless communication.

[0030] A wireless device is any of various types of computer systems or devices that perform wireless communication. A wireless device can be portable (or mobile), or it can be stationary or fixed in a location. A UE is an example of a wireless device.

[0031] A communication device is any of various types of computer systems or devices that perform communication, which may be wired or wireless. A communication device may be portable (or mobile), or it may be stationary or fixed in a location. A wireless device is one example of a communication device. A UE is another example of a communication device.

[0032] Base station—The term “base station” has the full range of its common meaning and includes at least a wireless communication station that is installed in a fixed location and is used for communication as part of a wireless telephone system or radio system.

[0033] A processing element (or processor) is a component or combination of components capable of performing the functions of a device such as user equipment or cellular network equipment. A processing element may include, for example: a processor and associated memory, portions or circuitry of individual processor cores, an entire processor core, a single processor, a processor array, circuitry such as an ASIC (Application-Specific Integrated Circuit), programmable hardware components such as a Field-Programmable Gate Array (FPGA), and any combination thereof.

[0034] A channel is a medium used to transmit information from a transmitter to a receiver. It should be noted that because the characteristics of the term "channel" can vary depending on different wireless protocols, the term "channel" as used herein can be considered to be used in a standard manner consistent with the type of device to which the term is referenced. In some standards, the channel width can be variable (e.g., depending on device capabilities, band conditions, etc.). For example, LTE can support scalable channel bandwidths from 1.4 MHz to 20 MHz. In contrast, WLAN channels can be 22 MHz wide, while Bluetooth channels can be 1 MHz wide. Other protocols and standards may include different definitions of channels. Furthermore, some standards may define and use multiple types of channels, such as different channels for uplink or downlink and / or different channels for different purposes such as data, control information, etc.

[0035] Frequency band—The term “frequency band” has the full range of its general meaning and includes at least a segment of spectrum (e.g., radio frequency spectrum) in which channels are used or reserved for the same purpose.

[0036] Automatic—means an action or operation performed by a computer system (e.g., software executed by the computer system) or device (e.g., circuits, programmable hardware elements, ASICs, etc.) without requiring direct user input to specify or perform that action or operation. Therefore, the term "automatic" contrasts with an action performed or specified manually by a user, where the user provides input to directly perform that action. An automatic process can be initiated by user-provided input, but the subsequent actions performed "automatically" are not specified by the user; that is, they are not performed "manually," where the user specifies each action to be performed. For example, a user filling out a form by selecting each field and providing input to specify information (e.g., by typing information, selecting a checkbox, radio selection, etc.) is considered manually filling out the form, even though the computer system must update the form in response to the user's actions. The form can be automatically filled out by a computer system (e.g., software executed on the computer system) which analyzes the fields of the form and fills it out without any user input specifying answers for the fields. As indicated above, the user can invoke the automatic filling of the form but does not participate in the actual filling of the form (e.g., the user does not manually specify answers for the fields, but they are completed automatically). This manual provides various examples of operations that are automatically performed in response to actions taken by the user.

[0037] Approximately—means a value close to the correct or precise value. For example, approximately can refer to a value within 1% to 10% of the precise (or expected) value. However, it should be noted that the actual threshold (or tolerance) can vary depending on the application. For example, in some implementations, “approximately” may mean within 0.1% of some specified or expected value, while in various other implementations, the threshold may be, for example, 2%, 3%, 5%, etc., depending on the expectations or requirements of the specific application.

[0038] Concurrency refers to the parallel execution or implementation of tasks, processes, or programs in a manner that at least partially overlaps. For example, concurrency can be achieved using “strong” or strict parallelism, where tasks are executed in parallel (at least partially) on corresponding computing elements; or using “weak parallelism,” where tasks are executed in an interleaved manner (e.g., by time multiplexing of execution threads).

[0039] "Configured as"—Various components can be described as being "configured as" to perform one or more tasks. In such contexts, "configured as" is a broad expression generally meaning "having" a "structure" that performs one or more tasks during operation. Thus, a component can be configured to perform a task even when it is not currently performing one (e.g., a set of electrical conductors can be configured to electrically connect one module to another, even when the two modules are not connected). In some contexts, "configured as" can also be a broad expression generally meaning a structure that "has" a "circuit" that performs one or more tasks during operation. Thus, a component can be configured to perform a task even when it is not currently powered on. Typically, the circuit forming the structure corresponding to "configured as" can include hardware circuitry.

[0040] For ease of description, various components may be described as performing one or more tasks. Such descriptions should be interpreted as including the phrase "configured to". Statements describing a component as configured to perform one or more tasks are explicitly intended not to invoke the interpretation of 35 U.S.SC §112(f) for that component.

[0041] Figure 1 and Figure 2 —Communication System

[0042] Figure 1 A simplified exemplary wireless communication system according to some implementation schemes is shown. It should be noted that... Figure 1 The system described herein is merely one example of a possible system, and the features of this disclosure can be implemented in any of a variety of systems as needed.

[0043] As shown in the figure, the exemplary wireless communication system includes a base station 102A, which communicates with one or more user equipments 106A, 106B to 106N via a transmission medium. Each user equipment may be referred to herein as a "user equipment" (UE). Therefore, user equipment 106 is referred to as a UE or UE device.

[0044] Base station (BS) 102A may be a transceiver base station (BTS) or a cell site (“cellular base station”), and may include hardware that enables wireless communication with UE 106A to UE 106N.

[0045] The communication area (or coverage area) of a base station can be referred to as a "cell". Base station 102A and UE 106 can be configured to communicate via a transmission medium using any of a variety of Radio Access Technologies (RATs), also known as wireless communication technologies or telecommunications standards, such as GSM, UMTS (associated with air interfaces such as WCDMA or TD-SCDMA), LTE, LTE-A Advanced, 5G New Radio (5G NR), HSPA, 3GPP2CDMA2000 (e.g., 1xRTT, 1xEV-DO, HRPD, eHRPD), etc. Note that if base station 102A is implemented in an LTE environment, its alternative location can be referred to as an "eNodeB" or "eNB". Note that if base station 102A is implemented in a 5G NR environment, its alternative location can be referred to as a "gNodeB" or "gNB".

[0046] As shown in the figure, base station 102A can also be configured to communicate with network 100 (e.g., in various possibilities, the core network of a cellular service provider, telecommunications networks such as the Public Switched Telephone Network (PSTN), and / or the Internet). Therefore, base station 102A can facilitate communication between user equipments and / or between user equipments and network 100. Specifically, cellular base station 102A can provide UE 106 with various communication capabilities such as voice, SMS, and / or data services.

[0047] Base station 102A and other similar base stations (such as base stations 102B...102N) operating according to the same or different cellular communication standards can therefore be provided as a network of cells that can provide continuous or nearly continuous overlapping services to UE 106A-N and similar devices over a geographical area via one or more cellular communication standards.

[0048] Therefore, although base station 102A can act as such Figure 1The diagram shows the "serving cell" of UEs 106A-N, but each UE 106 may also be able to receive signals (and possibly within its communication range) from one or more other cells (which may be provided by base stations 102B-N and / or any other base stations), which may be referred to as "neighboring cells". Such cells may also facilitate communication between user equipments and / or between user equipments and network 100. These cells may include "macro" cells, "micro" cells, "pecimen" cells, and / or any other cells of various other granularities providing service area size. For example, in Figure 1 Base stations 102A to 102B shown can be macro cells, while base station 102N can be a micro cell. Other configurations are also possible.

[0049] In some implementations, base station 102A may be a next-generation base station, such as a 5G New Radio (5G NR) base station or a “gNB”. In some implementations, the gNB may be connected to a legacy evolved packet core (EPC) network and / or to an NR core (NRC) network. Furthermore, the gNB cell may include one or more transition and receive points (TRPs). Additionally, a UE capable of operating under 5G NR conditions may connect to one or more TRPs within one or more gNBs. For example, base station 102A and one or more other base stations 102 may support joint transmission, enabling UE 106 to receive transmissions from multiple base stations (and / or multiple TRPs provided by the same base station).

[0050] It should be noted that UE 106 can communicate using multiple wireless communication standards. For example, in addition to at least one cellular communication protocol (e.g., GSM, UMTS (associated with, for example, WCDMA or TD-SCDMA air interfaces), LTE, LTE-A, 5G NR, HSPA, 3GPP2CDMA2000 (e.g., 1xRTT, 1xEV-DO, HRPD, eHRPD, etc.), UE 106 can be configured to communicate using wireless networking (e.g., Wi-Fi) and / or peer-to-peer wireless communication protocols (e.g., Bluetooth, Wi-Fi peer-to-peer, etc.). If desired, UE 106 can also or alternatively be configured to communicate using one or more Global Navigation Satellite Systems (GNSS, e.g., GPS or GLONASS), one or more mobile television broadcasting standards (e.g., Advanced Television Systems Committee—Mobile / Handheld (ATSC-M / H)) and / or any other wireless communication protocol. Other combinations of wireless communication standards (including more than two wireless communication standards) are also possible.

[0051] Figure 2The illustration shows a user equipment 106 (e.g., one of devices 106A to 106N) communicating with base station 102 according to some embodiments. UE 106 can be a cellular communication-capable device, such as a mobile phone, handheld device, computer, laptop, tablet, smartwatch, or other wearable device, or virtually any type of wireless device.

[0052] UE 106 may include a processor (processing element) configured to execute program instructions stored in memory. UE 106 may perform any of the method embodiments of the present invention by executing such stored instructions. Alternatively or additionally, UE 106 may include any of the programmable hardware elements, such as any of the FPGA (Field Programmable Gate Array), integrated circuits, and / or various other possible hardware components configured to perform (e.g., individually or in combination) any of or any portion of any of the method embodiments described herein.

[0053] UE 106 may include one or more antennas for communicating using one or more wireless communication protocols or technologies. In some embodiments, UE 106 may be configured to communicate using, for example, NR or LTE using at least some shared radio components. As an additional possibility, UE 106 may be configured to communicate using CDMA2000 (1xRTT / 1xEV-DO / HRPD / eHRPD) or LTE using a single shared radio component and / or GSM or LTE using a single shared radio component. The shared radio may be coupled to a single antenna or to multiple antennas (e.g., for MIMO) for performing wireless communication. Typically, the radio components may include any combination of baseband processors, analog radio frequency (RF) signal processing circuitry (e.g., including filters, mixers, oscillators, amplifiers, etc.) or digital processing circuitry (e.g., for digital modulation and other digital processing). Similarly, the radio components may use the aforementioned hardware to implement one or more receive chains and transmit chains. For example, UE 106 may share one or more portions of the receive chain and / or transmit chain among various wireless communication technologies such as those discussed above.

[0054] In some implementations, UE 106 may include separate transmit and / or receive chains (e.g., including separate antennas and other radio components) for each wireless communication protocol configured to communicate therewith. As another possibility, UE 106 may include one or more radio components shared among multiple wireless communication protocols, as well as one or more radio components used uniquely by a single wireless communication protocol. For example, UE 106 may include shared radio components for communicating using either LTE or 5G NR (or, in various possibilities, either LTE or 1xRTT, or either LTE or GSM), and separate radio components for communicating using each of Wi-Fi and Bluetooth. Other configurations are also possible.

[0055] Figure 3 —UE block diagram

[0056] Figure 3 An exemplary simplified block diagram of a communication device 106 according to some embodiments is shown. It should be noted that... Figure 3 The block diagram of the communication device is merely one example of possible communication devices. According to the implementation, among other devices, the communication device 106 may be a user equipment (UE) device, a mobile device or mobile station, a wireless device or wireless station, a desktop computer or computing device, a mobile computing device (e.g., a laptop, notebook, or portable computing device), a tablet computer, and / or a combination of devices. As shown, the communication device 106 may include a set of components 300 configured to perform core functions. For example, this set of components may be implemented as a system-on-a-chip (SOC), which may include portions for various purposes. Alternatively, the set of components 300 may be implemented as individual components or groups of components for various purposes. This set of components 300 may be (e.g., communicatively; directly or indirectly) coupled to various other circuitry of the communication device 106.

[0057] For example, communication device 106 may include various types of memory (e.g., including NAND flash memory 310), input / output interfaces such as connector I / F 320 (e.g., for connection to a computer system; docking station; charging station; input devices such as microphone, camera, keyboard; output devices such as speaker; etc.), a display 360 that may be integrated with or external to communication device 106, and wireless communication circuitry 330 (e.g., for LTE, LTE-A, NR, UMTS, GSM, CDMA2000, Bluetooth, Wi-Fi, NFC, GPS, etc.). In some embodiments, communication device 106 may include wired communication circuitry (not shown), such as a network interface card for Ethernet, for example.

[0058] The wireless communication circuit 330 may (e.g., communicatively; directly or indirectly) be coupled to one or more antennas, such as one or more antennas 335 as shown in the figure. The wireless communication circuit 330 may include cellular communication circuitry and / or medium-to-short-range wireless communication circuitry, and may include multiple receive chains and / or multiple transmit chains for receiving and / or transmitting multiple spatial streams, such as in a multiple-input multiple-output (MIMO) configuration.

[0059] In some embodiments, as further described below, the cellular communication circuit 330 may include one or more receive chains of multiple RATs (including and / or coupled to (e.g., communication ground; directly or indirectly) dedicated processors and / or radio components (e.g., a first receive chain for LTE and a second receive chain for 5G NR). Furthermore, in some embodiments, the cellular communication circuit 330 may include a single transmit chain that can be switched between radio components dedicated to a particular RAT. For example, a first radio component may be dedicated to a first RAT (e.g., LTE) and can communicate with a dedicated receive chain and a transmit chain shared with a second radio component. A second radio component may be dedicated to a second RAT (e.g., 5G NR) and can communicate with a dedicated receive chain and a shared transmit chain.

[0060] The communication device 106 may also include one or more user interface elements and / or be configured to be used with one or more user interface elements. User interface elements may include any of a variety of components such as a display 360 (which may be a touch screen display), a keyboard (which may be a separate keyboard or may be implemented as part of the touch screen display), a mouse, a microphone and / or a speaker, one or more cameras, one or more buttons, and / or any of a variety of other components capable of providing information to the user and / or receiving or interpreting user input.

[0061] The communication device 106 may also include one or more smart cards 345 with SIM (Subscriber Identity Module) functionality, such as one or more UICC cards (one or more general purpose integrated circuit cards) 345.

[0062] As shown in the figure, the SOC 300 may include a processor 302 and display circuitry 304. The processor executes program instructions for the communication device 106, and the display circuitry performs graphics processing and provides display signals to the display 360. One or more processors 302 may also be coupled to a memory management unit (MMU) 340 (which may be configured to receive addresses from one or more processors 302 and translate those addresses into locations in memory (e.g., memory 306, read-only memory (ROM) 350, NAND flash memory 310)) and / or coupled to other circuitry or devices (such as display circuitry 304, wireless communication circuitry 330, connector I / F 320, and / or display 360). The MMU 340 may be configured to perform memory protection and page table translation or setup. In some embodiments, the MMU 340 may be included as part of the processor 302.

[0063] As described above, communication device 106 may be configured to communicate using wireless and / or wired communication circuitry. As described herein, communication device 106 may include hardware and software components for implementing any of the various features and techniques described herein. For example, by executing program instructions stored on a memory medium (e.g., a non-transitory computer-readable memory medium), processor 302 of communication device 106 may be configured to implement some or all of the features described herein. Alternatively (or in addition), processor 302 may be configured as a programmable hardware element, such as an FPGA (Field-Programmable Gate Array) or an ASIC (Application-Specific Integrated Circuit). Alternatively (or in addition), in conjunction with one or more of other components 300, 304, 306, 310, 320, 330, 340, 345, 350, 360, processor 302 of communication device 106 may be configured to implement some or all of the features described herein.

[0064] Furthermore, as described in this invention, processor 302 may include one or more processing elements. Therefore, processor 302 may include one or more integrated circuits (ICs) configured to perform the functions of processor 302. Additionally, each integrated circuit may include circuitry (e.g., a first circuit, a second circuit, etc.) configured to perform the functions of one or more processors 302.

[0065] Furthermore, as described herein, the wireless communication circuit 330 may include one or more processing elements. In other words, one or more processing elements may be included in the wireless communication circuit 330. Therefore, the wireless communication circuit 330 may include one or more integrated circuits (ICs) configured to perform the functions of the wireless communication circuit 330. Additionally, each integrated circuit may include circuitry (e.g., a first circuit, a second circuit, etc.) configured to perform the functions of the wireless communication circuit 330.

[0066] Figure 4 —Block diagram of a base station

[0067] Figure 4 An exemplary block diagram of a base station 102 according to some embodiments is shown. It should be noted that... Figure 4 The base station shown is merely one example of a possible base station. As illustrated, base station 102 may include a processor 404 capable of executing program instructions specific to base station 102. Processor 404 may also be coupled to a memory management unit (MMU) 440 or other circuitry or device, which may be configured to receive addresses from processor 404 and translate those addresses into locations in memory (e.g., memory 460 and read-only memory (ROM) 450).

[0068] Base station 102 may include at least one network port 470. Network port 470 may be configured to be coupled to a telephone network and provide access rights as described above. Figure 1 and Figure 2 The telephone network described herein includes multiple devices such as UE device 106.

[0069] Network port 470 (or an additional network port) may also be configured, or alternatively configured, to be coupled to a cellular network, such as the core network of a cellular service provider. The core network may provide mobility-related services and / or other services to multiple devices, such as UE device 106. In some cases, network port 470 may be coupled to a telephone network via the core network, and / or the core network may provide the telephone network (e.g., in other UE devices served by the cellular service provider).

[0070] In some implementations, base station 102 may be a next-generation base station, such as a 5G New Radio (5G NR) base station, or a “gNB”. In such implementations, base station 102 may be connected to a legacy evolved packet core (EPC) network and / or to an NR core (NRC) network. Furthermore, base station 102 may be considered a 5G NR cell and may include one or more transition and receive points (TRPs). Additionally, UEs capable of operating according to 5G NR may connect to one or more TRPs within one or more gNBs.

[0071] Base station 102 may include at least one antenna 434 and possibly multiple antennas. The at least one antenna 434 may be configured to function as a wireless transceiver and may be further configured to communicate with UE device 106 via radio component 430. Antenna 434 communicates with radio component 430 via communication link 432. Communication link 432 may be a receive link, a transmit link, or both. Radio component 430 may be configured to communicate via various wireless communication standards, including but not limited to 5G NR, LTE, LTE-A, GSM, UMTS, CDMA2000, Wi-Fi, etc.

[0072] Base station 102 can be configured to perform wireless communication using multiple wireless communication standards. In some cases, base station 102 may include multiple radios that enable base station 102 to communicate according to multiple wireless communication technologies. For example, as one possibility, base station 102 may include an LTE radio component for performing communication according to LTE and a 5G NR radio component for performing communication according to 5G NR. In this case, base station 102 may be able to operate as both an LTE base station and a 5G NR base station. As another possibility, base station 102 may include a multimode radio component capable of performing communication according to any of multiple wireless communication technologies (e.g., 5G NR and LTE, 5G NR and Wi-Fi, LTE and Wi-Fi, LTE and UMTS, LTE and CDMA2000, UMTS and GSM, etc.).

[0073] As further described herein, BS 102 may include hardware and software components for implementing or supporting specific implementations of the features described herein. The processor 404 of base station 102 may be configured to implement or support some or all of the methods described herein, for example, by executing program instructions stored on a memory medium (e.g., a non-transitory computer-readable memory medium). Alternatively, processor 404 may be configured as a programmable hardware element such as a FPGA (Field-Programmable Gate Array), or as an ASIC (Application-Specific Integrated Circuit), or a combination thereof. Alternatively (or in addition), in conjunction with one or more of other components 430, 432, 434, 440, 450, 460, and 470, the processor 404 of base station 102 may be configured to implement or support some or all of the implementations of the features described herein.

[0074] Furthermore, as described in this invention, one or more processors 404 may include one or more processing elements. Therefore, processor 404 may include one or more integrated circuits (ICs) configured to perform the functions of processor 404. Additionally, each integrated circuit may include circuitry (e.g., a first circuit, a second circuit, etc.) configured to perform the functions of one or more processors 404.

[0075] Furthermore, as described in this invention, the radio component 430 may include one or more processing elements. Therefore, the radio component 430 may include one or more integrated circuits (ICs) configured to perform the functions of the radio component 430. Additionally, each integrated circuit may include circuitry (e.g., a first circuit, a second circuit, etc.) configured to perform the functions of the radio component 430.

[0076] Figure 5 —Block diagram of cellular communication circuit

[0077] Figure 5 An exemplary simplified block diagram of a cellular communication circuit according to some embodiments is shown. It should be noted that... Figure 5 The block diagram of the cellular communication circuit is merely one example of possible cellular communication circuits; other circuits, such as those including or coupled to sufficient antennas for different RATs to perform uplink activities using independent antennas, or those including or coupled to fewer antennas, such as those that can be shared among multiple RATs, are also possible. According to some embodiments, the cellular communication circuit 330 may be included in a communication device such as the communication device 106 described above. As mentioned above, among other devices, the communication device 106 may be a user equipment (UE) device, a mobile device or mobile station, a wireless device or wireless station, a desktop computer or computing device, a mobile computing device (e.g., a laptop computer, notebook computer, or portable computing device), a tablet computer, and / or a combination of these devices.

[0078] Cellular communication circuitry 330 may be coupled (e.g., communicatively; directly or indirectly) to one or more antennas, such as antennas 335a-b and 336 as shown in the figure. In some embodiments, cellular communication circuitry 330 may include dedicated receive chains for multiple RATs (including and / or coupled (e.g., communicatively; directly or indirectly) to dedicated processors and / or radio components (e.g., a first receive chain for LTE and a second receive chain for 5G NR). For example, as Figure 5 As shown, the cellular communication circuit 330 may include a first modem 510 and a second modem 520. The first modem 510 may be configured for communication according to a first RAT (e.g., such as LTE or LTE-A), and the second modem 520 may be configured for communication according to a second RAT (e.g., such as 5G NR).

[0079] As shown, the first modem 510 may include one or more processors 512 and a memory 516 communicating with the processors 512. The modem 510 may communicate with a radio frequency (RF) front-end 530. The RF front-end 530 may include circuitry for transmitting and receiving radio signals. For example, the RF front-end 530 may include a receiver circuit (RX) 532 and a transmitter circuit (TX) 534. In some embodiments, the receiver circuitry 532 may communicate with a downlink (DL) front-end 550, which may include circuitry for receiving radio signals via an antenna 335a.

[0080] Similarly, the second modem 520 may include one or more processors 522 and a memory 526 communicating with the processors 522. The modem 520 may communicate with an RF front-end 540. The RF front-end 540 may include circuitry for transmitting and receiving radio signals. For example, the RF front-end 540 may include receiving circuitry 542 and transmitting circuitry 544. In some embodiments, the receiving circuitry 542 may communicate with a DL front-end 560, which may include circuitry for receiving radio signals via an antenna 335b.

[0081] In some implementations, switch 570 may couple transmitting circuitry 534 to uplink (UL) front-end 572. Additionally, switch 570 may couple transmitting circuitry 544 to UL front-end 572. UL front-end 572 may include circuitry for transmitting radio signals via antenna 336. Therefore, when cellular communication circuitry 330 receives an instruction to transmit according to a first RAT (e.g., supported by a first modem 510), switch 570 may be switched to a first state allowing the first modem 510 to transmit signals according to the first RAT (e.g., via a transmission chain including transmitting circuitry 534 and UL front-end 572). Similarly, when cellular communication circuitry 330 receives an instruction to transmit according to a second RAT (e.g., supported by a second modem 520), switch 570 may be switched to a second state allowing the second modem 520 to transmit signals according to the second RAT (e.g., via a transmission chain including transmitting circuitry 544 and UL front-end 572).

[0082] As described herein, the first modem 510 and / or the second modem 520 may include hardware and software components for implementing any of the various features and techniques described herein. For example, processors 512, 522 may be configured to implement some or all of the features described herein by executing program instructions stored on a memory medium (e.g., a non-transitory computer-readable storage medium). Alternatively (or in addition), processors 512, 522 may be configured as programmable hardware elements, such as FPGAs (Field-Programmable Gate Arrays) or as ASICs (Application-Specific Integrated Circuits). Alternatively (or in addition), processors 512, 522 may be configured to implement some or all of the features described herein by combining with one or more of other components 530, 532, 534, 540, 542, 544, 550, 570, 572, 335, and 336.

[0083] Furthermore, as described herein, processors 512 and 522 may include one or more processing elements. Therefore, processors 512 and 522 may include one or more integrated circuits (ICs) configured to perform the functions of processors 512 and 522. Additionally, each integrated circuit may include circuitry (e.g., a first circuit, a second circuit, etc.) configured to perform the functions of processors 512 and 522.

[0084] In some implementations, the cellular communication circuit 330 may include only one transmit / receive chain. For example, the cellular communication circuit 330 may not include modem 520, RF front-end 540, DL front-end 560, and / or antenna 335b. As another example, the cellular communication circuit 330 may not include modem 510, RF front-end 530, DL front-end 550, and / or antenna 335a. In some implementations, the cellular communication circuit 330 may also not include switch 570, and RF front-end 530 or RF front-end 540 may communicate with UL front-end 572, for example, through direct communication.

[0085] Figures 6 to 10 AP-SRS Trigger Offset Enhancement

[0086] New cellular communication technologies are constantly evolving to increase coverage, better meet diverse needs and use cases, and for various other reasons. One technology currently under development may include MIMO. In some MIMO schemes, the UE can be configured to transmit AP-SRS to the base station. As part of this development, a framework supporting AP-SRS triggered offset enhancements will be useful.

[0087] Accordingly, Figure 6 This is a flowchart illustrating an exemplary method 600 for a base station to perform AP-SRS triggered offset enhancement according to some implementation schemes. Figure 6The aspects of the method can be implemented by a base station (such as BS 102 shown in the various figures herein), and / or more generally, can be implemented as needed in combination with any of the computer circuits, systems, devices, elements, or components shown in the figures above. For example, the processor (and / or other hardware) of such a device can be configured to cause the device to perform any combination of the illustrated method elements and / or other method elements.

[0088] In various implementation schemes, some elements of the method shown may be performed simultaneously in a different order than shown, may be replaced by other method elements, or may be omitted. Additional elements may also be performed as needed. As shown in the figure, Figure 6 The method can be operated as follows.

[0089] At position 602, the base station can determine a specific timeslot for AP-SRS transmission by the UE. This specific timeslot can be any timeslot available for the UE to perform AP-SRS transmission. Depending on various implementations, the available timeslots for the UE to perform AP-SRS transmission can be determined based on various criteria.

[0090] Figure 8 Exemplary criteria applied in determining available time slots for AP-SRS transmissions, according to some implementation schemes, are shown. Two exemplary factors are illustrated, including duplex direction collision and PHY channel / signal collision. Those skilled in the art will understand that any other factors may be considered without limitation.

[0091] Duplex direction conflicts can occur for time-division duplex (TDD) devices that can perform only one of uplink (UL) or downlink (DL) transmissions in a single timeslot. Because the SRS symbol (or AP-SRS symbol) is a UL symbol, the SRS symbol may conflict with a coexisting DL symbol in a single timeslot used by the TDD device.

[0092] When the PHY channel is occupied by other UL transmissions, a PHY channel / signal conflict may occur. For example, an SRS symbol may conflict with a PUCCH transmission, which could lead to a PHY channel / signal conflict.

[0093] Figure 8Three exemplary options are shown for determining available time slots for AP-SRS transmission. According to the first embodiment (Proposal 1.1 Option 1), any time slot can be considered an available time slot for AP-SRS transmission. In this embodiment, duplex direction conflict or PHY channel / signal conflict may be disregarded. According to the second embodiment (Proposal 1.1 Option 2), duplex direction conflict may be considered, while PHY channel / signal conflict may be disregarded. That is, any time slot without duplex direction conflict may be considered an available time slot for AP-SRS transmission, regardless of the presence of PHY channel / signal conflict. According to the third embodiment (Proposal 1.1 Option 3), both duplex direction conflict and PHY channel / signal conflict may be considered. In this case, any time slot without either duplex direction conflict or PHY channel / signal conflict may be considered an available time slot for AP-SRS transmission. If either duplex direction conflict or PHY channel / signal conflict occurs in a time slot, that time slot will not be considered an available time slot for AP-SRS transmission. Other options are also possible. For example, in another option, PHY channel / signal conflicts can be considered, while duplex direction conflicts can be ignored.

[0094] In implementations that consider duplex direction conflicts, the duplex direction of a time slot can be changed via various methods (Proposal 1.2). The duplex direction of a time slot can change from UL to DL, or vice versa. Therefore, changes in duplex direction can be further considered when determining available time slots for AP-SRS transmission. According to some implementations, the duplex direction can be changed semi-statically or dynamically based on RRC or DCI. Exemplary methods for changing the duplex direction may include, but are not limited to:

[0095] (a) Method 1: Semi-static modification by RRC / SIB (System Information Block), for example via tdd-UL-DL-ConfigurationCommon;

[0096] (b) Method 2: Semi-static modification by RRC, for example via tdd-UL-DL-ConfigurationDedicated;

[0097] (c) Method 3: Dynamically change via dynamic SFI (slot format indicator) (i.e., DCI format 2_0);

[0098] (d) Method 4: Dynamically change through dynamic DCI (i.e., DCI format 1_0, 1_1, 1_2, 2_0, 2_1, 2_2).

[0099] While the duplex direction of a time slot can be changed via any of the methods described above, the base station may consider only one or more of these methods when determining the available time slots for AP-SRS transmission. For example, it is preferable to consider changes in duplex direction only via RRC and / or SIB. In this case, changes due to SFI or DCI may not be considered.

[0100] Figure 9 Exemplary options for selecting methods to change the duplex direction are shown according to some embodiments. According to a first embodiment, option 1 can be used, where methods 1 and 2 are considered, while methods 3 and 4 are not considered. According to a second embodiment, option 2 can be used, where method 1 is considered, while methods 2, 3, and 4 are not considered. According to a third embodiment, option 3 can be used, where methods 1, 2, and 3 are considered, while method 4 is not considered. According to a fourth embodiment, option 4 can be used, where methods 1, 2, 3, and 4 are all considered. According to other embodiments, any other combination of methods 1, 2, 3, and 4 may also be considered. By considering a particular method, the base station can consider the occurrence or elimination of duplex direction conflicts caused by a change in duplex direction via that particular method. By not considering a particular method, the base station can disregard the occurrence or elimination of duplex direction conflicts caused by a change in duplex direction via that particular method.

[0101] According to some implementations of AP-SRS transmission, which may have one or more SRS symbols to be transmitted in a single time slot, conflicts between one or more SRS symbols and one or more symbols of a time slot can be taken into account when determining the available time slot sequence.

[0102] For multi-symbol SRS transmissions within a single timeslot, the timeslot can be determined as invalid (i.e., unavailable) based on various criteria. According to some implementations, a timeslot is determined as invalid (not an available timeslot) when a predetermined number / percentage of SRS symbols in the SRS transmission is invalid. In a first implementation (Proposal 1.4 Option 1), the timeslot is determined as not available if each SRS symbol in one or more SRS symbols conflicts with a corresponding symbol in the timeslot. In a second implementation (Proposal 1.4 Option 2), the timeslot is determined as not available if at least one SRS symbol in one or more SRS symbols conflicts with a corresponding symbol in the timeslot. In another implementation, other predetermined numbers / percentages can be applied.

[0103] Furthermore, for each SRS symbol, an SRS symbol can be determined as incompatible (conflicting) for duplex direction conflicts based on various criteria. In the first embodiment (Proposal 1.3 Option 1), an SRS symbol can be determined as conflicting when it conflicts with a symbol configured as DL. In the second embodiment (Proposal 1.3 Option 2), an SRS symbol can be determined as conflicting when it conflicts with a symbol configured as DL or flexible. A symbol configured as flexible means that the duplex direction for the symbol has not yet been determined, which can be DL or UL.

[0104] return Figure 6 Note that the base station is not necessarily required to determine the first upcoming available time slot as the specific time slot for AP-SRS transmission. Instead, the base station can determine any upcoming available time slot as the specific time slot for AP-SRS transmission. According to some implementations, the base station can use a reference time slot and a time slot offset to indicate the specific time slot determined for AP-SRS transmission.

[0105] At 604, the base station can determine the time slot offset between the specific time slot determined at 602 and the reference time slot. The specific time slot is associated with an AP-SRS transmission. According to some embodiments, any suitable time slot can be designated as the reference time slot. According to other embodiments, the reference time slot can be designated as the specific time slot, for example, the time slot in which one or more specific transmissions are performed. In a preferred embodiment, the reference time slot can be the time slot in which the transmission triggers the DCI of the AP-SRS.

[0106] According to some implementations, determining the time slot offset may include determining the number of available time slots between a specific time slot and a reference time slot. As mentioned above, various criteria can be applied when determining whether a time slot is available for AP-SRS transmission. Therefore, the determined number of available time slots between a specific time slot and a reference time slot may depend on the specific criterion applied. In a first implementation, each time slot between the specific time slot and the reference time slot may be counted as a available time slot. In a second implementation, for each time slot between the specific time slot and the reference time slot, the base station may determine whether the time slot has a duplex direction conflict, and determine the time slot as a available time slot based on the determination that the time slot does not have a duplex direction conflict. In a third implementation, for each time slot between the specific time slot and the reference time slot, the base station may determine whether the time slot has a duplex direction conflict or a PHY channel / signal conflict, and determine the time slot as a available time slot based on the determination that the time slot does not have a duplex direction conflict or a PHY channel / signal conflict.

[0107] According to some implementation schemes, the number of available time slots can be determined based on the change in duplex direction of one or more time slots between a specific time slot and a reference time slot, as described above (Proposal 1.2).

[0108] According to some implementations, the number of available time slots can be determined based on the conflict between one or more SRS symbols and one or more symbols of the time slot between a specific time slot and a reference time slot, as described above in (Proposal 1.3) and (Proposal 1.4).

[0109] At position 606, the base station may send offset information associated with the determined time slot offset to the UE. According to some implementations, the offset information may be sent in various formats. According to some implementations, the offset information may indicate the determined time slot offset in various ways.

[0110] According to some implementation schemes, the offset information sent by the base station can include one or more types of offset information in different types of signaling. For example, the base station sends RRC signaling to the UE. The RRC signaling may include first offset information associated with the AP-SRS transmission. The first offset information can be regarded as "slot offset configured by RRC". In this way, slot offsets can be configured by RRC in each SRS-ResourceSet. An example of slot offsets configured by RRC is shown below (see parameter slotOffset):

[0111]

[0112] According to some implementations, in addition to or as a replacement for the slot offset configured in the RRC, the base station may transmit a DCI that includes second offset information associated with the AP-SRS transmission. The second offset information can be considered as a "slot offset indicated by the DCI." The DCI provides a dynamic indication of the slot offset. The second offset information, alone or in combination with the first offset information configured in the RRC, can dynamically indicate the slot offset associated with the AP-SRS transmission.

[0113] According to some implementations, the slot offset determined at 604 can be indicated via DCI, regardless of the first offset information in the RRC signaling. In a first implementation (Proposal 2.2 Option 1), the slot offset indicated by DCI can override the slot offset configured in the RRC. For example, the second offset can indicate the slot offset as determined at 604, or more specifically, the determined number of available slots between a specific slot used for AP-SRS transmission and a reference slot. Thus, the slot offset indicated by DCI can be calculated as follows:

[0114] DCI-indicated slot offset = slot offset (Equation 1)

[0115] According to some implementations, slot offsets can be indicated via a combination of DCI and RRC signaling. In these implementations, for dynamic indication of slot offsets, the second offset information indicated in the DCI can coexist and be combined with the slot offset configured in the RRC in various ways.

[0116] In the second implementation scheme (Proposal 2.2 Option 2), a slot offset indicated by DCI can be added to the slot offset configured by RRC. For example, the second offset information may include a second offset. The second offset may indicate the difference between the first offset configured in the RRC signaling by the first offset information and the determined number of available slots. Thus, the slot offset indicated by DCI can be calculated as follows:

[0117] DCI-indicated slot offset = Slot offset - RRC-configured slot offset (Equation 2)

[0118] In the third implementation (Proposal 2.2 Option 3), when the DCI can indicate a slot offset, the RRC can configure a list of slot offsets for each APSRS resource set, and the DCI can indicate an index, i.e., a value, in one of the multiple slot offset lists configured by the RRC. For example, the first offset information in the RRC signaling may include a list of offsets, while the second offset information in the DCI may include an index used for the offset. The offset in the list corresponding to the index used for the offset may indicate a slot offset as determined at 604, or more specifically, the determined number of available slots between a specific slot and a reference slot as determined at 602. Thus, the index used for the offset in the DCI can be selected such that:

[0119] The RRC-configured slot offset list [index indicated by DCI] = slot offset (Equation 3)

[0120] According to some of the above implementation schemes, the time slot offset can be indicated in the DCI based on the time slot offset configured in the RRC. In these implementation schemes, the time slot offset indicated by the DCI (i.e., the second offset) and the time slot offset configured in the RRC (i.e., the first offset) can be counted or determined based on different criteria.

[0121] Figure 10Exemplary options for determining the relationship between a slot offset, a slot offset indicated by a DCI, and a slot offset configured by an RRC, according to some embodiments, are shown. In a first embodiment (Proposal 3.1, Option 1), the slot offset indicated by the DCI overrides the slot offset configured by the RRC. Thus, the slot offset between a reference slot (where the DCI triggering AP-SRS transmission is transmitted) and the determined specific slot (where SRS symbols will be transmitted) can be the slot offset indicated by the DCI, which counts available slots based solely on the aforementioned criteria. In a second embodiment (Proposal 3.1, Option 2), the slot offset indicated by the DCI is counted as available slots for AP-SRS transmission using the aforementioned criteria, while the slot offset configured by the RRC is counted as conventional slots (i.e., any slot whose availability for AP-SRS transmission is uncertain). Thus, the slot offset between the reference slot and the determined specific slot can be the sum of the slot offset configured by the RRC, which counts any slots, and the slot offset indicated by the DCI, which counts only available slots. In the third implementation (Proposal 3.1, Option 3), both the slot offset indicated by the DCI and the slot offset configured by the RRC can be counted as available slots for AP-SRS transmission. Thus, the slot offset between the reference slot and the determined specific slot can be the sum of the slot offset configured by the RRC (counting only available slots) and the slot offset indicated by the DCI (counting only available slots).

[0122] According to some implementations, the base station may send multiple DCIs to the UE, each DCI including corresponding second offset information. In one implementation, the slot offset may be indicated solely by the latest DCI. In this case, similar to the first implementation described above (Proposal 2.2 Option 1 and Proposal 3.1 Option 1), the second offset in the later DCI overrides the second offset in the earlier DCI. When using an index for offset, the index for offset in the later DCI overrides the index for offset in the earlier DCI. In another implementation, the effective slot offset may be the sum of the corresponding second offsets in multiple DCIs (and the first offset in the RRC signaling).

[0123] According to some implementation schemes, the DCI including the second offset information can be a UL DCI (such as DCI format 0_1, 0_2), a DL DCI (such as DCI format 1_1, 1_2), or a special DCI (such as DCI format 2_3).

[0124] According to some implementation schemes, DCI field enhancements can be introduced to dynamically indicate time slot offsets. Specifically, the base station can include second offset information in the DCI by adding a new field to the DCI or by increasing the bit width of existing fields in the DCI.

[0125] In the first implementation (Proposal 2.1, Option 1), a new DCI field, “SRS Slot Offset,” can be introduced. In the second implementation (Proposal 2.1, Option 2), the bit width of the existing “SRS Request” field can be increased, with M LSB / MSB bits used to indicate the AP SRS resource set ID and the remaining bits used to indicate the slot offset (more specifically, the second offset information). In a third implementation where a special DCI (such as DCI format 2_3) can be used, each block of DCI format 2_3 can be enhanced for the AP-SRS trigger offset. In the first example (Proposal 2.3, Option 1), a new field for each block can be added to “SRS Slot Offset.” In the second implementation (Proposal 2.3, Option 2), the bit width of the existing block can be increased, with M LSB / MSB bits used to indicate the AP SRS resource set ID and the remaining bits used to indicate the slot offset (more specifically, the second offset information).

[0126] According to some implementation schemes (Proposal 2.4), we can increase the bit width of the “SRS Request” field. Currently, the maximum bit width of the “SRS Request” field is 2 bits, thus allowing only a maximum of three (3) AP-SRS resource sets to be configured. By increasing the bit width, it is possible for a base station (e.g., a gNB) to configure more than 3 AP-SRS resource sets. In this way, the base station can configure multiple AP-SRS resource sets using the same configuration except for the slot offset. In this case, the base station can trigger different AP-SRS resource sets to indicate different slot offsets.

[0127] return Figure 6 Note that the base station may perform one or more additional steps. For example, the base station may receive AP-SRS transmissions from the UE in a specific time slot as determined at 602. Furthermore, the base station may perform any MIMO operation based on the received AP-SRS transmissions.

[0128] Figure 7 This is a flowchart illustrating an exemplary method 700 for a UE to perform AP-SRS transmission based on AP-SRS triggered offset enhancement according to some implementation schemes.

[0129] Figure 7 The various aspects of the method can be implemented by user equipment such as UE 106 shown in the various figures herein, and / or more generally, can be implemented as needed in combination with any of the computer circuits, systems, devices, elements or components shown in the above figures. For example, the processor (and / or other hardware) of such a device can be configured to cause the device to perform any combination of the illustrated method elements and / or other method elements.

[0130] In various implementation schemes, some elements of the method shown may be performed simultaneously in a different order than shown, may be replaced by other method elements, or may be omitted. Additional elements may also be performed as needed. As shown in the figure, Figure 7 The method can be operated as follows.

[0131] At position 702, the UE can receive offset information associated with its AP-SRS transmission. According to some embodiments, the offset information can be received from the base station in various formats. According to some embodiments, the offset information can indicate the time slot offset associated with the AP-SRS transmission in various ways.

[0132] According to some implementation schemes, the received offset information may include one or more types of offset information in different types of signaling. For example, the UE may receive RRC signaling from the base station, which includes first offset information associated with AP-SRS transmission.

[0133] According to some implementations, in addition to or as a replacement for the time slot offset configured in the RRC, the UE may receive DCI from the base station. DCI may include second offset information associated with AP-SRS transmission.

[0134] At 704, the UE can determine the slot offset associated with the AP-SRS transmission based at least on offset information. The determined slot offset can indicate the offset between a reference slot and a specific slot in which the AP-SRS transmission will be performed. Depending on various implementations, this can be determined based on separate second offset information or in combination with first offset information configured in RRC signaling.

[0135] In some implementations, the UE may determine the slot offset associated with the AP-SRS transmission based on the second offset indicated in the second offset information in the DCI, regardless of the first offset in the first offset information in the RRC signaling. In this case, the UE may use the slot offset indicated by the DCI (i.e., the second offset) to overwrite the received RRC-configured slot offset (i.e., the first offset). That is, the UE determines the slot offset as the second offset indicated in the second offset information, as described below (Equation 4):

[0136] Effective slot offset = Slot offset indicated by DCI (Equation 4)

[0137] In an alternative implementation, the UE may determine the time slot offset via a combination of DCI and RRC signaling. The combination may have different specific implementations in different implementations.

[0138] In the second implementation, a slot offset indicated by DCI can be added to the slot offset configured in the RRC. Specifically, the UE can determine the slot offset as the sum of the first offset configured in the first offset information and the second offset indicated in the second offset information, as described below (Equation 5):

[0139] Effective slot offset = Slot offset indicated by DCI + Slot offset configured by RRC (Equation 5)

[0140] In the third embodiment, the first offset information may include a list of offsets, and the second offset information may include an index for the offset. In this case, the UE may determine the slot offset as the offset in the list corresponding to the index for the offset, as described below (Equation 6):

[0141] Effective slot offset = Slot offset list configured by RRC [index indicated by DCI] (Equation 6)

[0142] At 706, the UE can determine a specific timeslot for AP-SRS transmission based on the determined timeslot offset. This specific timeslot can be a timeslot offset from a reference timeslot by the timeslot offset determined at 704. The reference timeslot can be specified by any predetermined rule agreed upon by the UE and the base station. According to some embodiments, any suitable timeslot can be designated as the reference timeslot. According to other embodiments, the reference timeslot can be designated as a specific timeslot, for example, a timeslot in which one or more specific transmissions are performed. In a preferred embodiment, the reference timeslot can be a timeslot in which DCI triggers the execution of AP-SRS transmission.

[0143] According to some implementation schemes, in order to determine a specific time slot for AP-SRS transmission, the UE may determine a sequence of available time slots counted from a reference time slot. In addition, the UE may determine the specific time slot as the (t+1)th available time slot in the sequence of available time slots, where t represents the determined time slot offset, and the reference time slot is counted as a time slot in the sequence of available time slots [0].

[0144] As mentioned above, various standards can be applied when determining available time slots. The standard applied by the UE can be consistent with the standard applied by the base station. In this way, the UE can determine the sequence of available time slots in various ways.

[0145] In a first embodiment where any time slot can be considered a usable time slot, the UE can determine each time slot counted from the reference time slot as a usable time slot, thereby obtaining a sequence of usable time slots. In a second embodiment considering duplex directional conflict, for each time slot counted from the reference time slot, the UE can determine whether the time slot has a duplex directional conflict, and determine the time slot as a usable time slot based on the determination that the time slot does not have a duplex directional conflict. Therefore, the resulting sequence of usable time slots excludes any time slots with duplex directional conflicts. In a third embodiment considering both duplex directional conflict and PHY channel / signal conflict, for each time slot counted from the reference time slot, the UE can determine whether the time slot has a duplex directional conflict or a PHY channel / signal conflict, and determine the time slot as a usable time slot based on the determination that the time slot does not have a duplex directional conflict or a PHY channel / signal conflict. Therefore, the resulting sequence of usable time slots excludes any time slots with either duplex directional conflict or PHY channel / signal conflict. Other options are also possible. For example, in another option, PHY channel / signal conflict can be considered, while duplex directional conflict can be disregarded.

[0146] In implementations that consider duplex direction conflicts, the duplex direction of a time slot can be changed via various methods. Therefore, changes in duplex direction can be considered when determining available time slots for AP-SRS transmission. For methods capable of changing the duplex direction of a time slot, the UE can consider one or more of these methods when determining available time slots for AP-SRS transmission. For example, changes in duplex direction only via RRC and / or SIB are preferably considered. In this case, changes due to SFI or DCI can be disregarded. (Already combined) Figure 9 Exemplary options for the method selection considered by the UE are discussed. According to a first embodiment, option 1 can be used, where methods 1 and 2 are considered, while methods 3 and 4 are not. According to a second embodiment, option 2 can be used, where method 1 is considered, while methods 2, 3, and 4 are not. According to a third embodiment, option 3 can be used, where methods 1, 2, and 3 are considered, while method 4 is not. According to a fourth embodiment, option 4 can be used, where methods 1, 2, 3, and 4 are all considered. By considering a specific method, the UE can consider the change in duplex direction caused by that specific method. By not considering a specific method, the UE can ignore the change in duplex direction caused by that specific method. In other words, when determining whether a duplex direction conflict occurs for a time slot, the UE considers the initial duplex direction for the time slot, rather than the changed duplex direction.

[0147] According to some implementations, AP-SRS transmission may have one or more SRS symbols to be transmitted in a single timeslot. In these implementations, a timeslot may be determined as invalid (i.e., unavailable) based on various criteria. According to some implementations, the UE may determine a timeslot as invalid if a predetermined number / percentage of SRS symbols in the SRS transmission within the timeslot are invalid. In a first implementation, the UE may determine a timeslot as unavailable if each SRS symbol in one or more SRS symbols conflicts with a corresponding symbol in the timeslot. In a second implementation, the UE may determine a timeslot as unavailable if at least one SRS symbol in one or more SRS symbols conflicts with a corresponding symbol in the timeslot. In another implementation, other predetermined numbers / percentages may be applied.

[0148] Furthermore, for each SRS symbol, the UE can determine that the SRS symbol has a conflict for duplex direction based on various criteria. In a first embodiment, the UE can determine that an SRS symbol has a conflict when it conflicts with a symbol configured as DL. In a second embodiment, the UE can determine that an SRS symbol has a conflict when it conflicts with a symbol configured as DL or flexible.

[0149] According to some of the above implementation schemes, the time slot offset can be indicated in the DCI based on the time slot offset configured in the RRC. In these implementation schemes, the time slot offset indicated by the DCI (i.e., the second offset) and the time slot offset configured in the RRC (i.e., the first offset) can be counted or determined based on different criteria. Therefore, when determining the available time slot sequence, the UE may need to treat the time slot offset configured in the RRC and the time slot offset indicated by the DCI differently. The above has already combined... Figure 10 Different exemplary options regarding the relationship between time slot offset, DCI-indicated time slot offset, and RRC-configured time slot offset are discussed. In Option 1, where the DCI-indicated time slot offset overrides the RRC-configured time slot offset, the UE can count t2 available time slots from a reference time slot to obtain a specific time slot for AP-SRS transmission, where t2 represents the DCI-indicated time slot offset. In Option 2, where the DCI-indicated time slot offset is counted as available time slots and the RRC-configured time slot offset is counted as traditional time slots, the UE can first determine t1 traditional time slots (representing the RRC-configured time slot offset) from the reference time slot, and then determine t2 subsequent available time slots (representing the DCI-indicated time slot offset) to obtain a specific time slot for AP-SRS transmission. In Option 3, where both the slot offset indicated by DCI and the slot offset configured by RRC can be counted as available slots, the UE can determine a sequence of t1 available slots (representing the slot offset configured by RRC) + t2 available slots (representing the slot offset indicated by DCI) from the reference slot, thereby obtaining a specific slot for AP-SRS transmission.

[0150] According to some implementation schemes, the UE may receive multiple DCIs from the base station, each DCI including corresponding second offset information. In one implementation scheme, the UE may determine the slot offset solely based on the latest DCI. In this case, the second offset in the later DCI may override the second offset in the earlier DCI. When using an index for offset, the index for offset in the later DCI may override the index for offset in the earlier DCI. In another implementation scheme, the slot offset may be the sum of the corresponding second offsets in multiple DCIs (and the first offset in the RRC signaling).

[0151] According to some implementation schemes, the subcarrier spacing (SCS) of the AR-SRS can be different from the SCS of the DCI that triggers AR-SRS transmission. In this case, the width of the reference time slot can be determined in various ways. In the first implementation scheme (Proposal 3.2, Option 1), the reference time slot can be determined based on the SCS of the AR-SRS. In the second implementation scheme (Proposal 3.2, Option 2), the reference time slot can be determined based on the SCS of the DCI that triggers AR-SRS. In the third implementation scheme (Proposal 3.2, Option 3), the reference time slot can be determined based on the larger of the SCS of the AR-SRS and the SCS of the DCI that triggers AR-SRS. In the fourth implementation scheme (Proposal 3.2, Option 4), the reference time slot can be determined based on the smaller of the SCS of the AR-SRS and the SCS of the DCI that triggers AR-SRS. Additionally, the width of the available time slot can be specified in the same manner.

[0152] According to some implementations, the received DCI including the second offset information can be a UL DCI (such as DCI format 0_1, 0_2), a DL DCI (such as DCI format 1_1, 1_2), or a special DCI (such as DCI format 2_3). Furthermore, the second offset information can be included in the DCI by adding a new field or by increasing the bit width of an existing field in the DCI, as can be achieved through the various exemplary methods described above.

[0153] return Figure 7 At 708, the UE can perform AP-SRS transmission in a specific time slot as determined. AP-SRS transmission may include one or more SRS symbols.

[0154] Various specific implementations of a framework for enhancing AP-SRS trigger offset for further enhanced MIMO, providing dynamic and flexible triggering to support AP-SRS transmission, have been disclosed.

[0155] Further exemplary implementations are provided below.

[0156] One set of implementations may include user equipment (UE), the UE including: at least one antenna; at least one radio component coupled to the at least one antenna; and a processor coupled to the at least one radio component; wherein the UE is configured to: receive offset information associated with an AP-SRS transmission of the UE; determine a time slot offset associated with the AP-SRS transmission based at least on the offset information; determine a specific time slot for the AP-SRS transmission based on the determined time slot offset; and perform the AP-SRS transmission in the determined specific time slot.

[0157] According to some implementation schemes, receiving offset information includes: receiving RRC signaling, which includes first offset information associated with the AP-SRS transmission; and / or receiving DCI, which includes second offset information associated with the AP-SRS transmission.

[0158] According to some implementation schemes, determining the time slot offset includes determining the time slot offset as a second offset indicated in the second offset information.

[0159] According to some implementation schemes, determining the time slot offset includes determining the time slot offset as the sum of a first offset configured in the first offset information and a second offset indicated in the second offset information.

[0160] According to some implementation schemes, the first offset information includes a list of offsets, the second offset information includes an index for offset, and determining the time slot offset includes determining the time slot offset as the offset in the list corresponding to the index for offset.

[0161] According to some implementation schemes, determining a specific time slot based on the determined time slot offset includes: determining a sequence of available time slots counted from a reference time slot; and determining the specific time slot as the (t+1)th available time slot in the sequence of available time slots, where t represents the determined time slot offset and t≥0.

[0162] According to some implementation schemes, determining the available time slot sequence includes identifying each time slot as an available time slot.

[0163] According to some implementation schemes, determining the available time slot sequence includes: determining whether the time slot has a duplex direction conflict; and determining the time slot as an available time slot based on the determination that the time slot does not have a duplex direction conflict.

[0164] According to some implementation schemes, determining the available time slot sequence includes: determining whether the time slot has duplex direction conflict or PHY channel / signal conflict; and determining the time slot as an available time slot based on the determination that the time slot does not have duplex direction conflict or PHY channel / signal conflict.

[0165] According to some implementation schemes, the available time slot sequence is determined based on at least one or more time slot duplex direction changes.

[0166] According to some implementation schemes, the change of duplex direction is carried out via RRC and / or SIB.

[0167] According to some implementation schemes, AP-SRS transmission has one or more SRS symbols to be transmitted in a time slot, and the available time slot sequence is determined based at least on the conflict between one or more SRS symbols and one or more symbols of the time slot.

[0168] According to some implementation schemes, determining the available time slot sequence includes: if each of one or more SRS symbols conflicts with the corresponding symbol in the time slot, then the time slot is determined to be unavailable; or if at least one of one or more SRS symbols conflicts with the corresponding symbol in the time slot, then the time slot is determined to be unavailable.

[0169] According to some implementation schemes, SRS symbol conflicts include at least one of the following: an SRS symbol conflicts with a DL symbol; or an SRS symbol conflicts with a flexible symbol.

[0170] According to some implementation schemes, the width of the reference time slot is based on at least one of the following: the SCS of the DCI; or the SCS of the AP-SRS.

[0171] According to some implementation schemes, the DCI including the second offset information is at least one of the following: uplink (UL) DCI format 0_1, 0_2; downlink (DL) DCI format 1_1, 1_2; or special DCI format 2_3; and the second offset information is included in the DCI by adding a new field to the DCI or by increasing the bit width of an existing field of the DCI.

[0172] One set of embodiments may include an apparatus for operating user equipment (UE), the apparatus comprising: a processor configured to cause the UE to: receive offset information associated with an AP-SRS transmission of the UE; determine a time slot offset associated with the AP-SRS transmission based at least on the offset information; determine a specific time slot for the AP-SRS transmission based on the determined time slot offset; and perform the AP-SRS transmission in the determined specific time slot.

[0173] According to some implementations, the processor of the device can be configured to cause the UE to perform any other operations of the UE disclosed herein.

[0174] One set of implementations may include a method for operating user equipment (UE), the method comprising: receiving offset information associated with an AP-SRS transmission of the UE; determining a time slot offset associated with the AP-SRS transmission based at least on the offset information; determining a specific time slot for the AP-SRS transmission based on the determined time slot offset; and performing the AP-SRS transmission in the determined specific time slot.

[0175] According to some implementations, the method may also include any other operations of the UE disclosed herein.

[0176] One set of embodiments may include a non-transitory computer-readable storage medium storing program instructions, wherein when executed by a processor of a user equipment (UE), the program instructions cause the UE to: receive offset information associated with an AP-SRS transmission of the UE; determine a time slot offset associated with the AP-SRS transmission based at least on the offset information; determine a specific time slot for the AP-SRS transmission based on the determined time slot offset; and perform the AP-SRS transmission in the determined specific time slot.

[0177] According to some implementations, program instructions stored in a non-transitory computer-readable storage medium may cause any other operation of the UE disclosed herein when executed by a processor.

[0178] One set of implementations may include a computer program product comprising program instructions, wherein when executed by a processor of a user equipment (UE), the program instructions cause the UE to: receive offset information associated with an AP-SRS transmission of the UE; determine a time slot offset associated with the AP-SRS transmission based at least on the offset information; determine a specific time slot for the AP-SRS transmission based on the determined time slot offset; and perform the AP-SRS transmission in the determined specific time slot.

[0179] According to some implementation schemes, program instructions included in a computer program product, when executed by a processor, can cause the UE to perform any other operations of the UE disclosed herein.

[0180] One set of embodiments may include a base station comprising: at least one antenna; at least one radio component coupled to the at least one antenna; and a processor coupled to the at least one radio component; wherein the base station is configured to: determine a specific time slot for AP-SRS transmission for a user equipment (UE); determine a time slot offset between the specific time slot and a reference time slot; and transmit offset information associated with the determined time slot offset to the UE.

[0181] According to some implementation schemes, determining the time slot offset includes determining the number of available time slots between a specific time slot and a reference time slot.

[0182] According to some implementation schemes, sending offset information includes: sending RRC signaling, which includes first offset information associated with the AP-SRS transmission; and / or sending DCI, which includes second offset information associated with the AP-SRS transmission.

[0183] According to some implementation schemes, the second offset information includes a second offset that indicates the number of available time slots determined.

[0184] According to some implementations, the second offset information includes a second offset that indicates the difference between the first offset configured by the first offset information and the determined number of available time slots.

[0185] According to some implementation schemes, the first offset information includes an offset list, and the second offset information includes an index for offsetting, wherein the offset in the list corresponding to the index for offsetting indicates the number of available time slots determined.

[0186] According to some implementation schemes, determining the number of available time slots involves identifying each time slot between a specific time slot and a reference time slot as an available time slot.

[0187] According to some implementation schemes, determining the number of available time slots includes: for each time slot between a specific time slot and a reference time slot: determining whether the time slot has a duplex direction conflict; and determining the time slot as an available time slot based on the determination that the time slot does not have a duplex direction conflict.

[0188] According to some implementation schemes, determining the number of available time slots includes: for each time slot between a specific time slot and a reference time slot, determining whether the time slot has duplex direction conflict or PHY channel / signal conflict; and determining the time slot as an available time slot based on the determination that the time slot does not have duplex direction conflict or PHY channel / signal conflict.

[0189] According to some implementation schemes, the number of available time slots is also determined based on the change in duplex direction of one or more time slots between a specific time slot and a reference time slot.

[0190] According to some implementation schemes, the change of duplex direction is carried out via RRC and / or SIB.

[0191] According to some implementation schemes, AP-SRS transmission has one or more SRS symbols to be transmitted in a time slot, and the determination of the number of available time slots is also based on the conflict between one or more SRS symbols and one or more symbols of a time slot between a specific time slot and a reference time slot.

[0192] According to some implementation schemes, determining the available time slot sequence includes: if each of one or more SRS symbols conflicts with the corresponding symbol in the time slot, then the time slot is determined to be an unavailable time slot; or if at least one of one or more SRS symbols conflicts with the corresponding symbol in the time slot, then the time slot is determined to be an unavailable time slot.

[0193] According to some implementation schemes, conflicts of SRS symbols include at least one of the following: conflicts between SRS symbols and DL symbols; or conflicts between SRS symbols and flexible symbols.

[0194] According to some implementation schemes, the width of the reference time slot is determined based on at least one of the following: the SCS of the DCI; or the SCS of the AP-SRS.

[0195] According to some implementation schemes, the DCI including the second offset information is at least one of the following: uplink (UL) DCI format 0_1, 0_2; downlink (DL) DCI format 1_1, 1_2; or special DCI format 2_3; wherein the second offset information is included in the DCI by adding a new field to the DCI or by increasing the bit width of an existing field of the DCI.

[0196] One set of embodiments may include an apparatus for operating a base station, the apparatus comprising: a processor configured to cause the base station to: determine a specific timeslot for AP-SRS transmission for a user equipment (UE); determine a timeslot offset between the specific timeslot and a reference timeslot, the timeslot offset indicating the number of available timeslots between the specific timeslot and the reference timeslot; and send second offset information associated with the determined timeslot offset to the UE.

[0197] According to some implementations, the processor of the device can be configured to cause the base station to perform any other operations of the base station disclosed herein.

[0198] One set of implementations may include a method for operating a base station, the method comprising: determining a specific timeslot for AP-SRS transmission for a user equipment (UE); calculating a timeslot offset between the specific timeslot and a reference timeslot, the timeslot offset indicating the number of available timeslots between the specific timeslot and the reference timeslot; and sending second offset information associated with the determined timeslot offset to the UE.

[0199] According to some implementations, the method may also include any other operations of the base station disclosed herein.

[0200] One set of embodiments may include a non-transitory computer-readable storage medium storing program instructions, wherein the program instructions, when executed by a base station, cause the base station to: determine a specific timeslot for AP-SRS transmission for a user equipment (UE); determine a timeslot offset between the specific timeslot and a reference timeslot, the timeslot offset indicating the number of available timeslots between the specific timeslot and the reference timeslot; and send second offset information associated with the determined timeslot offset to the UE.

[0201] According to some implementations, program instructions stored in a non-transitory computer-readable storage medium, when executed by a processor, can cause any other operation of the base station disclosed herein.

[0202] One set of implementations may include a computer program product comprising program instructions, wherein when executed by a base station, the program instructions cause the base station to: determine a specific timeslot for AP-SRS transmission for a user equipment (UE); determine a timeslot offset between the specific timeslot and a reference timeslot, the timeslot offset indicating the number of available timeslots between the specific timeslot and the reference timeslot; and send second offset information associated with the determined timeslot offset to the UE.

[0203] According to some implementation schemes, program instructions included in a computer program product, when executed by a processor, can cause the base station to perform any other operations of the base station disclosed herein.

[0204] As is widely recognized, the use of personally identifiable information should comply with privacy policies and practices that are generally accepted to meet or exceed industry or governmental requirements for protecting user privacy. Specifically, personally identifiable information data should be managed and processed to minimize the risk of unintentional or unauthorized access or use, and the nature of authorized use should be clearly explained to users.

[0205] Embodiments of this disclosure may be implemented in any of a variety of forms. For example, some embodiments may be implemented as computer-implemented methods, computer-readable storage media, or computer systems. Other embodiments may be implemented using one or more custom-designed hardware devices such as ASICs. Other embodiments may be implemented using one or more programmable hardware elements such as FPGAs.

[0206] In some embodiments, a non-transitory computer-readable storage medium may be configured to store program instructions and / or data, wherein if the program instructions are executed by a computer system, the computer system performs a method, such as any method embodiment of the method embodiments described herein, or any combination of the method embodiments described herein, or any subset of any method embodiments described herein, or any combination of such subsets.

[0207] In some implementations, the device (e.g., UE 106 or BS 102) may be configured to include a processor (or a set of processors) and a memory medium, wherein the memory medium stores program instructions, and wherein the processor is configured to read from the memory medium and execute the program instructions, wherein the program instructions are executable to implement any of the various method implementations described herein (or any combination of method implementations described herein, or any subset of any method implementations of method implementations described herein, or any combination of such subsets). The device may be implemented in any of a variety of forms.

[0208] Although the above embodiments have been described in considerable detail, many variations and modifications will become apparent to those skilled in the art once the disclosure is fully understood. This disclosure is intended to render the following claims as encompassing all such variations and modifications.

Claims

1. A user equipment (UE), comprising: At least one antenna; At least one radio component coupled to the at least one antenna; as well as A processor coupled to the at least one radio component; The UE is configured as follows: Receive offset information associated with the aperiodic probe reference signal (AP-SRS) transmission of the UE; The time slot offset associated with the AP-SRS transmission is determined at least based on the offset information; The specific time slot for the AP-SRS transmission is determined based on the determined time slot offset by: determining a sequence of available time slots counted from a reference time slot, wherein the availability of the time slot is determined at least based on a change in the duplex direction of one or more time slots between the specific time slot and the reference time slot, wherein the change in the duplex direction of one or more time slots between the specific time slot and the reference time slot is based at least on a change in the duplex direction via Radio Resource Control (RRC) and / or System Information Block (SIB), while ignoring a change in the duplex direction via Dynamic Digital Information (DCI). as well as The AP-SRS transmission is performed in the determined specific time slot.

2. The UE according to claim 1, wherein receiving the offset information includes: Receive RRC signaling, the RRC signaling including first offset information associated with the AP-SRS transmission; And / or Receive DCI, which includes second offset information associated with the AP-SRS transmission.

3. The UE according to claim 2, wherein determining the time slot offset includes: The time slot offset is determined as the second offset indicated in the second offset information.

4. The UE according to claim 2, wherein determining the time slot offset includes: The time slot offset is determined as the sum of a first offset configured in the first offset information and a second offset indicated in the second offset information.

5. The UE of claim 2, wherein the first offset information includes a list of offsets, the second offset information includes an index for the offset, and determining the time slot offset includes: The time slot offset is determined as the offset in the list corresponding to the index used for offset.

6. The UE of claim 1, wherein determining the specific time slot based on the determined time slot offset comprises: The specific time slot is determined as the (t+1)th available time slot in the available time slot sequence, where t represents the determined time slot offset.

7. The UE of claim 1, wherein determining the available time slot sequence further comprises: Determine whether the time slot has duplex directional conflict; as well as Based on the determination that there is no duplex direction conflict in the time slot, the time slot is determined to be an available time slot.

8. The UE of claim 1, wherein determining the available time slot sequence further comprises: Determine whether the time slot has duplex direction conflict or PHY channel / signal conflict; as well as Based on the determination that the time slot has no duplex direction conflict or PHY channel / signal conflict, the time slot is determined to be an available time slot.

9. The UE of claim 1, wherein the AP-SRS transmission has one or more SRS symbols to be transmitted in a time slot between the specific time slot and the reference time slot, and the available time slot sequence is determined at least based on the conflict between the one or more SRS symbols and one or more symbols of the time slot.

10. The UE of claim 9, wherein determining the available time slot sequence further comprises: If each of the one or more SRS symbols conflicts with the corresponding symbol in the time slot, then the time slot is determined to be an unavailable time slot; or If at least one of the one or more SRS symbols conflicts with the corresponding symbol in the time slot, the time slot is determined to be an unavailable time slot.

11. The UE of claim 9, wherein the conflict of the SRS symbol includes at least one of the following: The SRS symbol conflicts with the DL symbol; or The SRS symbol conflicts with the flexible symbol.

12. The UE of claim 6, wherein the width of the reference time slot is based on at least one of the following: The SCS of the DCI; or The SCS of the AP-SRS.

13. The UE of claim 2, wherein the DCI including the second offset information is at least one of the following: Uplink (UL) DCI format 0_1, 0_2; Downlink (DL) DCI format 1_1, 1_2; or Special DCI format 2_3; The second offset information is included in the DCI by adding a new field to the DCI or by increasing the bit width of an existing field in the DCI.

14. An apparatus for operating user equipment (UE), the apparatus comprising: Processor, the processor being configured to cause the UE to: Receive offset information associated with the aperiodic probe reference signal (AP-SRS) transmission of the UE; The time slot offset associated with the AP-SRS transmission is determined at least based on the offset information; The specific time slot for the AP-SRS transmission is determined based on the determined time slot offset by: determining a sequence of available time slots counted from a reference time slot, wherein the availability of the time slot is determined at least based on a change in the duplex direction of one or more time slots between the specific time slot and the reference time slot, wherein the change in the duplex direction of one or more time slots between the specific time slot and the reference time slot is based at least on a change in the duplex direction via Radio Resource Control (RRC) and / or System Information Block (SIB), while ignoring a change in the duplex direction via Dynamic Digital Information (DCI). as well as The AP-SRS transmission is performed in the determined specific time slot.

15. A method for operating a user equipment (UE), the method comprising: Receive offset information associated with the aperiodic probe reference signal (AP-SRS) transmission of the UE; The time slot offset associated with the AP-SRS transmission is determined at least based on the offset information; The specific time slot for the AP-SRS transmission is determined based on the determined time slot offset by: determining a sequence of available time slots counted from a reference time slot, wherein the availability of the time slot is determined at least based on a change in the duplex direction of one or more time slots between the specific time slot and the reference time slot, wherein the change in the duplex direction of one or more time slots between the specific time slot and the reference time slot is based at least on a change in the duplex direction via Radio Resource Control (RRC) and / or System Information Block (SIB), while ignoring a change in the duplex direction via Dynamic Digital Information (DCI). as well as The AP-SRS transmission is performed in the determined specific time slot.

16. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium storing program instructions, wherein the program instructions, when executed by a processor of a user-equipped UE, cause the UE to: Receive offset information associated with the aperiodic probe reference signal (AP-SRS) transmission of the UE; The time slot offset associated with the AP-SRS transmission is determined at least based on the offset information; The specific time slot for the AP-SRS transmission is determined based on the determined time slot offset by: determining a sequence of available time slots counted from a reference time slot, wherein the availability of the time slot is determined at least based on a change in the duplex direction of one or more time slots between the specific time slot and the reference time slot, wherein the change in the duplex direction of one or more time slots between the specific time slot and the reference time slot is based at least on a change in the duplex direction via Radio Resource Control (RRC) and / or System Information Block (SIB), while ignoring a change in the duplex direction via Dynamic Digital Information (DCI). as well as The AP-SRS transmission is performed in the determined specific time slot.

17. A computer program product comprising program instructions, wherein the program instructions, when executed by a processor of a user-equipped UE, cause the UE to: Receive offset information associated with the aperiodic probe reference signal (AP-SRS) transmission of the UE; The time slot offset associated with the AP-SRS transmission is determined at least based on the offset information; The specific time slot for the AP-SRS transmission is determined based on the determined time slot offset by: determining a sequence of available time slots counted from a reference time slot, wherein the availability of the time slot is determined at least based on a change in the duplex direction of one or more time slots between the specific time slot and the reference time slot, wherein the change in the duplex direction of one or more time slots between the specific time slot and the reference time slot is based at least on a change in the duplex direction via Radio Resource Control (RRC) and / or System Information Block (SIB), while ignoring a change in the duplex direction via Dynamic Digital Information (DCI). as well as The AP-SRS transmission is performed in the determined specific time slot.

18. A base station, comprising: At least one antenna; At least one radio component coupled to the at least one antenna; as well as A processor coupled to the at least one radio component; The base station is configured as follows: Determine the specific time slots for the transmission of aperiodic probe reference signals (AP-SRS) for user equipment (UE); The time slot offset between the specific time slot and the reference time slot is determined by: determining the number of available time slots between the specific time slot and the reference time slot, wherein the number of available time slots is determined based on the change in duplex direction of one or more time slots between the specific time slot and the reference time slot, wherein the change in duplex direction of one or more time slots between the specific time slot and the reference time slot is based at least on the change in duplex direction via Radio Resource Control (RRC) and / or System Information Block (SIB), while ignoring the change in duplex direction via Dynamic Digital Information (DCI); as well as The offset information associated with the determined time slot offset is sent to the UE.

19. The base station according to claim 18, wherein transmitting the offset information comprises: Send RRC signaling, the RRC signaling including first offset information associated with the AP-SRS transmission; And / or A DCI is sent, which includes second offset information associated with the AP-SRS transmission.

20. The base station of claim 19, wherein the second offset information includes a second offset, the second offset indicating the determined number of available time slots.

21. The base station of claim 19, wherein the second offset information includes a second offset, the second offset indicating the difference between the first offset configured by the first offset information and the determined number of available time slots.

22. The base station of claim 19, wherein the first offset information includes a list of offsets, and the second offset information includes an index for offsetting, wherein the offset in the list corresponding to the index for offsetting indicates the determined number of available time slots.

23. The base station according to claim 18, wherein determining the number of available time slots further includes: For each time slot between the specific time slot and the reference time slot: Determine whether the time slot has a duplex direction conflict; as well as Based on the determination that there is no duplex direction conflict in the time slot, the time slot is determined to be an available time slot.

24. The base station according to claim 18, wherein determining the number of available time slots further includes: For each time slot between the specific time slot and the reference time slot: Determine whether the time slot has a duplex direction conflict or a PHY channel / signal conflict; Based on the determination that the time slot has no duplex direction conflict or PHY channel / signal conflict, the time slot is determined to be an available time slot.

25. The base station of claim 18, wherein the AP-SRS transmission has one or more SRS symbols to be transmitted in a time slot between the specific time slot and the reference time slot, and the determination of the number of available time slots is further based on conflicts between the one or more SRS symbols and one or more symbols of the time slot between the specific time slot and the reference time slot.

26. The base station of claim 25, wherein determining the available time slot sequence further comprises: If each of the one or more SRS symbols conflicts with the corresponding symbol in the time slot, then the time slot is determined to be an unavailable time slot; or If at least one of the one or more SRS symbols conflicts with the corresponding symbol in the time slot, the time slot is determined to be an unavailable time slot.

27. The base station of claim 26, wherein the SRS symbol collision includes at least one of the following: The SRS symbol conflicts with the DL symbol; or The SRS symbol conflicts with the flexible symbol.

28. The base station of claim 19, wherein the width of the reference time slot is determined based on at least one of the following: The SCS of the DCI; or The SCS of the AP-SRS.

29. The base station of claim 19, wherein the DCI including the second offset information is at least one of the following: Uplink (UL) DCI format 0_1, 0_2; Downlink (DL) DCI format 1_1, 1_2; or Special DCI format 2_3; The second offset information is included in the DCI by adding a new field to the DCI or by increasing the bit width of an existing field in the DCI.

30. An apparatus for operating a base station, the apparatus comprising: Processor, the processor being configured to cause the base station to: Determine the specific time slots for the transmission of aperiodic probe reference signals (AP-SRS) for user equipment (UE); The time slot offset between the specific time slot and the reference time slot is determined by: determining the number of available time slots between the specific time slot and the reference time slot, wherein the number of available time slots is determined based on the change in duplex direction of one or more time slots between the specific time slot and the reference time slot, wherein the change in duplex direction of one or more time slots between the specific time slot and the reference time slot is based at least on the change in duplex direction via Radio Resource Control (RRC) and / or System Information Block (SIB), while ignoring the change in duplex direction via Dynamic Digital Information (DCI); as well as Send second offset information associated with the determined time slot offset to the UE.

31. A method for operating a base station, the method comprising: Determine the specific time slots for the transmission of aperiodic probe reference signals (AP-SRS) for user equipment (UE); The time slot offset between the specific time slot and the reference time slot is calculated by determining the number of available time slots between the specific time slot and the reference time slot, wherein the number of available time slots is determined based at least on the change of duplex direction of one or more time slots between the specific time slot and the reference time slot, wherein the change of duplex direction of one or more time slots between the specific time slot and the reference time slot is based at least on the change of duplex direction via Radio Resource Control (RRC) and / or System Information Block (SIB), while the change of duplex direction via Dynamic Digital Information (DCI) is ignored; as well as Send second offset information associated with the determined time slot offset to the UE.

32. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium storing program instructions, wherein the program instructions, when executed by a base station, cause the base station to: Determine the specific time slots for the transmission of aperiodic probe reference signals (AP-SRS) for user equipment (UE); The time slot offset between the specific time slot and the reference time slot is determined by: determining the number of available time slots between the specific time slot and the reference time slot, wherein the number of available time slots is determined based on the change in duplex direction of one or more time slots between the specific time slot and the reference time slot, wherein the change in duplex direction of one or more time slots between the specific time slot and the reference time slot is based at least on the change in duplex direction via Radio Resource Control (RRC) and / or System Information Block (SIB), while ignoring the change in duplex direction via Dynamic Digital Information (DCI); as well as Send second offset information associated with the determined time slot offset to the UE.

33. A computer program product comprising program instructions, wherein the program instructions, when executed by a base station, cause the base station to: Determine the specific time slots for the transmission of aperiodic probe reference signals (AP-SRS) for user equipment (UE); The time slot offset between the specific time slot and the reference time slot is determined by: determining the number of available time slots between the specific time slot and the reference time slot, wherein the number of available time slots is determined based on the change in duplex direction of one or more time slots between the specific time slot and the reference time slot, wherein the change in duplex direction of one or more time slots between the specific time slot and the reference time slot is based at least on the change in duplex direction via Radio Resource Control (RRC) and / or System Information Block (SIB), while ignoring the change in duplex direction via Dynamic Digital Information (DCI); as well as Send second offset information associated with the determined time slot offset to the UE.

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