Techniques for beam selection for acquiring resources using channel state information reference signals

CN116941193BActive Publication Date: 2026-10-30QUALCOMM INC
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Patent Information

Application Number
CN202280018513.8
Authority / Receiving Office
CN · China
Patent Type
Patents(China)
Current Assignee / Owner
Priority Date
2022-03-04
Filing Date
2022-03-07
Publication Date
2026-10-30
Estimated Expiration
2042-03-07

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Abstract

Methods, systems, and devices for wireless communication are described. A user equipment (UE) can perform a set of synchronization signal block (SSB) measurements and select a serving UE beam and a set of candidate UE beams for measuring channel state information (CSI) reference signals (CSI-RSs) based on the set of SSB measurements. The UE can identify or predict time resources for the CSI-RSs based on a previous CSI-RS configuration. The UE can measure the CSI-RSs based on the time resources using candidate UE beams from the set of candidate UE beams. The UE can transmit a measurement report to an access network entity based on measuring the CSI-RSs using the candidate UE beams or a last CSI-RS measurement on the serving UE beam.
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Description

[0001] Cross-referencing

[0002] This patent application claims U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 63 / 158,347, filed March 8, 2021, entitled "TECHNIQUES FOR BEAM SELECTION USING CHANNEL STATE INFORMATION REFERENCE SIGNAL ACQUISITION RESOURCES" by LAGHATE et al.; U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 63 / 197,304, filed June 4, 2021, entitled "TECHNIQUES FOR BEAM SELECTION USING CHANNEL STATE INFORMATION REFERENCE SIGNAL ACQUISITION RESOURCES" by LAGHATE et al.; and U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 63 / 197,304, filed March 4, 2022, entitled "TECHNIQUES FOR BEAM SELECTION USING CHANNEL STATE INFORMATION REFERENCE SIGNAL ACQUISITION" by LAGHATE et al. The benefits of U.S. Patent Application No. 17 / 687,450, entitled “RESOURCES”, are assigned to the assignee of this application. Technical Field

[0003] The following relates to wireless communication, including techniques for beam selection using channel state information reference signals to acquire resources. Background Technology

[0004] Wireless communication systems are widely deployed to provide various types of communication content, such as voice, video, packet data, messaging, and broadcasting. These systems can support communication with multiple users by sharing available system resources (e.g., time, frequency, and power). Examples of such multiple access systems include fourth-generation (4G) systems (such as Long Term Evolution (LTE), LTE-A Advanced (LTE-A), or LTE-A Pro systems) and fifth-generation (5G) systems (which may be referred to as New Radio (NR) systems). These systems can employ technologies such as Code Division Multiple Access (CDMA), Time Division Multiple Access (TDMA), Frequency Division Multiple Access (FDMA), Orthogonal FDMA (OFDMA), or Discrete Fourier Transform Extended Orthogonal Frequency Division Multiplexing (DFT-S-OFDM). A wireless multiple access communication system may include one or more base stations or one or more network access nodes, each of which simultaneously supports communication with multiple communication devices (which may also be referred to as User Equipment (UE)). Summary of the Invention

[0005] The described technology relates to improved methods, systems, devices, and apparatuses for beam selection to support resource acquisition using Channel State Information (CSI) Reference Signals (CSI-RS). The described technology provides switching to candidate UE beams to measure CSI-RS. A User Equipment (UE) can use multiple UE beams to measure Synchronization Signal Blocks (SSBs) and select a beam as the serving UE beam based on these measurements. The UE can be configured to use non-serving or candidate UE beams to measure CSI-RS. For example, the UE can identify a list of candidate UE beams to be measured on CSI-RS resources, which can be used for cell acquisition. The list of candidate UE beams can be identified based on or from a beam set used to perform SSB measurements.

[0006] The UE can identify the time slots and symbols of the resources to be scheduled for acquiring CSI-RS. In some cases, the UE can predict the time resources used for CSI-RS in order to switch to a candidate UE beam and measure CSI-RS. For example, the UE can estimate the time slots and symbols used for CSI-RS based on previously scheduled aperiodic CSI-RS resources, switch to a candidate UE beam for the predicted time resources, and use the candidate UE beam to measure CSI-RS. This allows the UE to use the candidate UE beam to measure CSI-RS without waiting for downlink control information (if present) indicating where the CSI-RS is located in the time slot. In some cases, when scheduling a candidate UE beam to measure CSI-RS, the UE can schedule the candidate UE beam throughout the entire time slot. In some cases, the UE can use the same beam for multiple time slots within a time window around the predicted time slot, which can further increase the likelihood of using the candidate UE beam to measure CSI-RS. The UE can measure the spectral efficiency on resources carrying CSI-RS and prepare and send a report to an access network entity (such as a base station). This report includes the last measurement on the serving UE beam or the most recent measurement on the candidate UE beam. The UE or the access network entity, or both, can process the measured spectral efficiency for use in serving beam selection.

[0007] A method for wireless communication at a UE is described. The method may include: performing a set of synchronization signal block measurements; selecting a serving UE beam and a set of candidate UE beams for measuring CSI-RS based on the set of synchronization signal block measurements; identifying a set of time resources for the CSI-RS based on one or more previous CSI-RS configurations; measuring the CSI-RS using candidate UE beams from the set of candidate UE beams based on the time resource set; and transmitting a measurement report to an access network entity based on the measurement of the CSI-RS using the candidate UE beams or the last CSI-RS measurement on the serving UE beam, or both.

[0008] An apparatus for wireless communication at a UE is described. The apparatus may include a processor, a memory coupled to the processor, and instructions stored in the memory. The instructions, executable by the processor, cause the apparatus to perform a set of synchronization signal block measurements, select a serving UE beam and a set of candidate UE beams for measuring CSI-RS based on the set of synchronization signal block measurements, identify a set of time resources for the CSI-RS based on one or more previous CSI-RS configurations, measure the CSI-RS using candidate UE beams from the candidate UE beam set based on the time resource set, and transmit to an access network entity a measurement report based on the CSI-RS measurement using the candidate UE beams or the last CSI-RS measurement on the serving UE beam, or both.

[0009] Another apparatus for wireless communication at a UE is described. The apparatus may include: components for performing a set of synchronization signal block measurements; components for selecting a serving UE beam and a set of candidate UE beams based on the set of synchronization signal block measurements for measuring CSI-RS; components for identifying a set of time resources for the CSI-RS based on one or more previous CSI-RS configurations; components for measuring the CSI-RS using candidate UE beams from the set of candidate UE beams based on the time resource set; and components for transmitting to an access network entity a measurement report based on the measurement of the CSI-RS using the candidate UE beams or the last CSI-RS measurement on the serving UE beam, or both.

[0010] A non-transient computer-readable medium is described, storing code for wireless communication at a UE. The code may include instructions executable by a processor to: perform a set of synchronization signal block measurements; select a serving UE beam and a set of candidate UE beams for measuring CSI-RS based on the set of synchronization signal block measurements; identify a set of time resources for the CSI-RS based on one or more previous CSI-RS configurations; measure the CSI-RS using candidate UE beams from the candidate UE beam set based on the time resource set; and transmit to an access network entity a measurement report based on the CSI-RS measured using the candidate UE beams or the last CSI-RS measurement on the serving UE beam, or both.

[0011] In some examples of the methods, apparatuses and non-transitory computer-readable media described herein, identifying the time resource set may include operations, features, components or instructions for predicting the time resource set based on the one or more prior CSI-RS configurations.

[0012] Some examples of the methods, apparatuses, and non-transitory computer-readable media described herein may also include operations, features, components, or instructions for performing the following: determining a time slot format for including time slots of the time resource set, wherein the time slot format includes at least one downlink shared channel resource; and using the candidate UE beam to monitor the time slots based on determining the time slot format, wherein the CSI-RS can be measured based on monitoring the time slots.

[0013] Some examples of the methods, apparatuses, and non-transitory computer-readable media described herein may also include operations, features, components, or instructions for performing: measuring a demodulation reference signal on at least one downlink shared channel resource using a candidate UE beam, and performing channel estimation for a time slot based on the measured demodulation reference signal.

[0014] Some examples of the methods, apparatuses, and non-transitory computer-readable media described herein may also include operations, features, components, or instructions for performing the following: using candidate UE beams for a set of multiple time slots based on a time window surrounding a set of time resources, wherein CSI-RS may be measured during at least one symbol in the set of multiple time slots.

[0015] Some examples of the methods, apparatuses, and non-transitory computer-readable media described herein may also include operations, features, components, or instructions for performing the following: determining scheduling changes for the access network entity, wherein the candidate UE beam can be used for the set of the plurality of time slots based on the scheduling changes.

[0016] In some examples of the methods, apparatuses, and non-transitory computer-readable media described herein, using the candidate UE beam for the set of the plurality of time slots may include operations, features, components, or instructions for using the candidate UE beam for uplink and downlink communication during the set of the plurality of time slots.

[0017] The methods, apparatuses, and non-transient computer-readable media described herein may further include operations, features, components, or instructions for using candidate UE beams to monitor time slots that include a time resource set, wherein CSI-RS resources can be measured on symbols of the time slot that differ from the predicted symbols of the CSI-RS for the time resource set.

[0018] In some examples of the methods, apparatuses, and non-transient computer-readable media described herein, identifying a time resource set may include operations, features, components, or instructions for: identifying an aperiodic reference signal resource configuration from one or more prior CSI-RS configurations, and determining scheduling information for one or more prior channel state information measurements based on the aperiodic reference signal resource configuration, wherein the time resource set may be identified based on the scheduling information.

[0019] In some examples of the methods, apparatuses, and non-transitory computer-readable media described herein, measuring the CSI-RS may include operations, features, components, or instructions for performing the following: measuring spectral efficiency using the candidate UE beam based on the CSI-RS, wherein the measurement report may be generated based on the spectral efficiency.

[0020] Some examples of the methods, apparatuses, and non-transitory computer-readable media described herein may also include operations, features, components, or instructions for measuring spectral efficiency for each rank of a candidate UE beam.

[0021] Some examples of the methods, apparatuses, and non-transitory computer-readable media described herein may also include operations, features, components, or instructions for updating the candidate UE beam set based on measurements of the CSI-RS, additional synchronization signal block measurements, one or more CSI-RS measurements using one or more additional candidate UE beams, or any combination thereof.

[0022] Some examples of the methods, apparatuses, and non-transitory computer-readable media described herein may also include operations, features, components, or instructions for reselecting the serving UE beam based on a measurement of the channel state information reference signal.

[0023] In some examples of the methods, apparatuses, and non-transient computer-readable media described herein, identifying candidate UE beam sets may include operations, features, components, or instructions for performing filtering, biasing, thresholding, or any combination thereof on a first and second rank of a measurement of a channel state information reference signal, wherein the reselection of the serving beam is based on filtering, biasing, thresholding, or any combination thereof.

[0024] In some examples of the methods, apparatuses and non-transitory computer-readable media described herein, identifying the candidate UE beam set may include operations, features, components or instructions for identifying the candidate UE beam set from a beam subset used for measurements of the set of synchronization signal blocks.

[0025] In some examples of the methods, apparatuses and non-transitory computer-readable media described herein, the candidate UE beam set can be identified based on reference signal received power measurements of the beam subset used for measurements of the set of synchronization signal blocks.

[0026] In some examples of the methods, apparatuses and non-transitory computer-readable media described herein, the candidate UE beam set can be identified based on channel impulse response measurements of the beam subset used for the measurement of the set of synchronization signal blocks.

[0027] In some examples of the methods, apparatuses and non-transitory computer-readable media described herein, candidate UE beam sets can be identified based on the UE's uplink link budget.

[0028] In some examples of the methods, apparatuses and non-transitory computer-readable media described herein, the CSI-RS may be the acquisition of the CSI-RS.

[0029] A method for wireless communication at a user equipment (UE) is described. The method may include: performing a set of synchronization signal block measurements; selecting a serving UE beam and a set of candidate UE beams based on the set of synchronization signal block measurements for measuring channel state information reference signals; receiving downlink grants with a threshold number of demodulation reference signals using the serving UE beam; monitoring one or more radio channels in a time slot using candidate UE beams from the set of candidate UE beams based on the received threshold number of downlink grants; measuring one or more demodulation reference signals transmitted on the one or more radio channels in the time slot using the candidate UE beams; and sending a measurement report to an access network entity based on the measurement of the one or more demodulation reference signals using the candidate UE beams, or the last channel state information reference signal measurement on the serving UE beam, or both.

[0030] An apparatus for wireless communication at a UE is described. The apparatus may include a processor, a memory coupled to the processor, and instructions stored in the memory. The instructions are executable by the processor to cause the apparatus to perform the following operations: perform a set of synchronization signal block measurements; select a serving UE beam and a set of candidate UE beams based on the set of synchronization signal block measurements for measuring channel state information reference signals; receive downlink grants with a threshold number of demodulation reference signals using the serving UE beam; based on receiving the threshold number of downlink grants, monitor one or more radio channels in a time slot using candidate UE beams from the set of candidate UE beams; measure one or more demodulation reference signals transmitted on the one or more radio channels in the time slot using the candidate UE beams; and send a measurement report to an access network entity based on the measurement of the one or more demodulation reference signals using the candidate UE beams, or the last channel state information reference signal measurement on the serving UE beam, or both.

[0031] Another apparatus for wireless communication at a UE is described. The apparatus may include: components for performing a set of synchronization signal block measurements; components for selecting a serving UE beam and a set of candidate UE beams based on the set of synchronization signal block measurements for measuring channel state information reference signals; components for receiving downlink grants with a threshold number of demodulation reference signals using the serving UE beam; components for monitoring one or more radio channels in a time slot using candidate UE beams from the set of candidate UE beams based on receiving the threshold number of downlink grants; components for measuring one or more demodulation reference signals transmitted on the one or more radio channels in the time slot using the candidate UE beams; and components for sending a measurement report to an access network entity based on the measurement of the one or more demodulation reference signals using the candidate UE beams, or the last channel state information reference signal measurement on the serving UE beam, or both.

[0032] A non-transient computer-readable medium is described, storing code for wireless communication at a UE. The code may include instructions executable by a processor to: perform a set of synchronization signal block measurements; select a serving UE beam and a set of candidate UE beams for measuring channel state information reference signals based on the set of synchronization signal block measurements; receive downlink grants with a threshold number of demodulation reference signals using the serving UE beam; monitor one or more radio channels in a time slot using the candidate UE beams from the set of candidate UE beams based on the received threshold number of downlink grants; measure one or more demodulation reference signals transmitted on the one or more radio channels in the time slot using the candidate UE beams; and send a measurement report to an access network entity based on the measurement of the one or more demodulation reference signals using the candidate UE beams, or the last channel state information reference signal measurement on the serving UE beam, or both.

[0033] In some examples of the methods, apparatuses, and non-transitory computer-readable media described herein, measuring the channel state information reference signal may include operations, features, components, or instructions for performing the following: measuring spectral efficiency or signal-to-noise ratio, or both, using the candidate UE beam based on the one or more demodulation reference signals, wherein the measurement report may be generated based on the spectral efficiency or the signal-to-noise ratio, or both. Attached Figure Description

[0034] Figure 1 An example of a wireless communication system supported by various aspects of this disclosure for beam selection using channel state information (CSI) reference signals (CSI-RS) to acquire resources is illustrated.

[0035] Figure 2 An example of a wireless communication system supporting techniques for beam selection using CSI-RS to acquire resources, according to various aspects of this disclosure, is illustrated.

[0036] Figure 3 An example of a beam scheduling technique that supports beam selection using resources acquired via CSI-RS, according to various aspects of this disclosure, is illustrated.

[0037] Figure 4 The illustration shows an example of a process flow supporting techniques for beam selection using CSI-RS to acquire resources, according to various aspects of this disclosure.

[0038] Figure 5 and Figure 6 A block diagram of an apparatus supporting a technique for beam selection using CSI-RS to acquire resources, according to various aspects of this disclosure, is shown.

[0039] Figure 7 A block diagram of a communication manager supporting techniques for beam selection using CSI-RS to acquire resources is shown, according to various aspects of this disclosure.

[0040] Figure 8 A diagram of a system including a device for beam selection using CSI-RS to acquire resources, according to various aspects of this disclosure, is shown.

[0041] Figures 9 to 12 A flowchart illustrating a method for beam selection using CSI-RS to acquire resources, supported by various aspects of this disclosure, is shown. Detailed Implementation

[0042] Wireless communication systems can support beamforming communication. For example, an access network entity (such as a base station) can use one or more base station beams to communicate with a user equipment (UE), and a UE can use one or more UE beams to communicate with the base station. A UE can use multiple UE beams to measure synchronization signal blocks (SSBs) and select a beam as the serving UE beam based on the measurement. A UE can be configured to use candidate UE beams to measure channel state information (CSI) reference signals (CSI-RS). The CSI-RS can be the CSI-RS used for cell acquisition. For example, a UE can identify a list of candidate UE beams to measure on the CSI-RS resources used for acquisition. The list of candidate UE beams can be based on a beam set used for serving SSB measurements, or identified from a beam set used for serving SSB measurements. In some cases, a set of UE beams can be selected as candidate UE beams based on measurements with high reference signal received power (RSRP), high channel impulse response, or both.

[0043] The UE can identify the time slots and symbols for which resources will be scheduled for acquiring CSI-RS. In some wireless communication systems, the UE can identify the time slots and symbols with CSI-RS based on downlink control information on the earlier physical downlink control channel (PDCCH) within the time slot. However, this may not provide sufficient time to process the PDCCH indicating CSI-RS and switch to the candidate UE beam (e.g., from the serving UE beam) before the time resources for CSI-RS are available. Therefore, the UE described herein can implement techniques for predicting the time resources for CSI-RS to support CSI-RS measurement using candidate UE beams. For example, the UE can estimate the time slots and symbols for CSI-RS based on previously scheduled aperiodic CSI-RS resources, switch to the candidate UE beam for the predicted time resources, and use the candidate UE beam to measure CSI-RS.

[0044] The UE can schedule candidate UE beams or serving UE beams for at least the identified symbols during the identified time slot. This allows the UE to use candidate UE beams to measure CSI-RS without waiting for PDCCH processing. In some cases, when scheduling candidate UE beams to measure CSI-RS, the UE can schedule the candidate UE beams for the entire time slot. Using candidate UE beams for the entire time slot increases the likelihood of correctly predicting the time resources for CSI-RS. In some examples, the Physical Downlink Shared Channel (PDSCH) can be multiplexed with CSI-RS. Using the same beam throughout the time slot can provide better channel estimation using the demodulation reference signal (DMRS) on the PDSCH. In some cases, the UE can use the same beam for multiple time slots within a time window around the prediction time slot, which can further increase the likelihood of using candidate UE beams to measure CSI-RS.

[0045] The UE can measure spectral efficiency on resources carrying CSI-RS. In some cases, spectral efficiency can be measured individually for each rank. The UE can prepare a report to the base station, which includes the last measurement on the serving UE beam or the most recent measurement on a candidate UE beam. In some cases, the report can be generated based on both the most recent measurement on the serving UE beam and measurements on one or more candidate UE beams, or it can include information from both. The UE can send the report to the base station. The UE or the base station, or both, can process the measured spectral efficiency for serving beam selection.

[0046] The aspects of this disclosure are initially described in the context of wireless communication systems. These aspects are further illustrated and described with reference to apparatus diagrams, system diagrams, and flowcharts relating to techniques for beam selection used to acquire resources using CSI-RS.

[0047] Figure 1 An example of a wireless communication system 100 supporting techniques for beam selection using CSI-RS resource acquisition, according to various aspects of this disclosure, is illustrated. The wireless communication system 100 may include one or more base stations 105, one or more UEs 115, and a core network 130. In some examples, the wireless communication system 100 may be a Long Term Evolution (LTE) network, an Advanced LTE (LTE-A) network, an LTE-A Pro network, or a New Radio (NR) network. In some examples, the wireless communication system 100 may support enhanced broadband communication, ultra-reliable (e.g., mission-critical) communication, low latency communication, communication with low-cost and low-complexity devices, or any combination thereof.

[0048] Base stations 105 can be distributed throughout a geographical area to form a wireless communication system 100, and can be different types of devices or devices with different capabilities. Base stations 105 and UE 115 can communicate wirelessly via one or more communication links 125. Each base station 105 can provide a coverage area 110, on which UE 115 and base station 105 can establish one or more communication links 125. Coverage area 110 can be an example of a geographical area on which base station 105 and UE 115 can support signal communication according to one or more wireless access technologies.

[0049] UE 115 can be distributed throughout the coverage area 110 of wireless communication system 100, and each UE 115 can be stationary, mobile, or both at different times. UE 115 can be devices of different forms or with different capabilities. Figure 1 The diagram illustrates some example UE 115s. The UE 115 described in this document is capable of communicating with various types of devices, such as other UE 115s, base station 105, or network equipment (e.g., core network nodes, relay equipment, integrated access and backhaul (IAB) nodes, or other network equipment)... Figure 1 As shown.

[0050] Base station 105 can communicate with core network 130, or communicate with each other, or communicate with core network 130 and communicate with each other. For example, base station 105 can interface with core network 130 through one or more backhaul links 120 (e.g., via S1, N2, N3, or other interfaces). Base station 105 can communicate with each other directly (e.g., directly between base stations 105) or indirectly (e.g., via core network 130) or both via backhaul links 120 (e.g., via X2, Xn, or other interfaces). In some examples, backhaul link 120 can be or include one or more radio links.

[0051] One or more of the base stations 105 described herein may include, or may be referred to by those skilled in the art as, base station, radio base station, access point, radio transceiver, NodeB, eNodeB (eNB), next-generation NodeB or gigabit NodeB (any of which may be referred to as gNB), home NodeB, home eNodeB or other suitable terms.

[0052] UE 115 may include or be referred to as a mobile device, wireless device, remote device, handheld device, or subscriber device, or some other suitable term, wherein "device" may also be referred to as a unit, station, terminal, or client, among other examples. UE 115 may also include or be referred to as a personal electronic device, such as a cellular phone, personal digital assistant (PDA), tablet computer, laptop computer, or personal computer. In some examples, UE 115 may include or be referred to as a wireless local loop (WLL) station, Internet of Things (IoT) device, Internet of Everything (IoE) device, or machine-type communication (MTC) device, among other examples, which may be implemented in various objects such as appliances, vehicles, meters, and other examples.

[0053] The UE 115 described in this document can communicate with various types of devices, such as other UEs 115 that can sometimes act as relays, as well as base station 105 and network devices (including macro eNBs or gNBs, small cell eNBs or gNBs, or relay base stations), and other examples, such as Figure 1 As shown.

[0054] UE 115 and base station 105 can communicate wirelessly with each other via one or more communication links 125 on one or more carriers. The term "carrier" can refer to a set of radio frequency spectrum resources having a defined physical layer structure for supporting communication link 125. For example, a carrier for communication link 125 may include a portion of the radio frequency spectrum band (e.g., a bandwidth portion (BWP)) operating according to one or more physical layer channels for a given radio access technology (e.g., LTE, LTE-A, LTE-A Pro, NR). Each physical layer channel may carry acquisition signaling (e.g., synchronization signals, system information), control signaling coordinating the operation of the carrier, user data, or other signaling. Wireless communication system 100 can support communication with UE 115 using carrier aggregation or multi-carrier operation. UE 115 may be configured with multiple downlink component carriers and one or more uplink component carriers according to a carrier aggregation configuration. Carrier aggregation can be used in conjunction with both frequency division duplex (FDD) and time division duplex (TDD) component carriers.

[0055] In some examples (e.g., in a carrier aggregation configuration), the carrier may also have acquisition or control signaling to coordinate the operation of other carriers. The carrier may be associated with a frequency channel (e.g., an Evolved Universal Mobile Telecommunications System Terrestrial Radio Access (E-UTRA) Absolute Radio Frequency Channel Number (EARFCN)) and can be located according to a channel grid for discovery by UE 115. The carrier can operate in standalone mode, where initial acquisition and connection can be performed by UE 115 via the carrier, or the carrier can operate in non-standalone mode, where the connection is anchored using different carriers (e.g., with the same or different radio access technologies).

[0056] The communication link 125 shown in the wireless communication system 100 may include uplink transmission from UE 115 to base station 105 or downlink transmission from base station 105 to UE 115. The carrier may carry downlink or uplink communication (e.g., in FDD mode), or may be configured to carry both downlink and uplink communication (e.g., in TDD mode).

[0057] A carrier may be associated with a specific bandwidth of the radio frequency spectrum, and in some examples, the carrier bandwidth may be referred to as the carrier or the “system bandwidth” of the wireless communication system 100. For example, the carrier bandwidth may be one of several defined bandwidths of a carrier used for a particular radio access technology (e.g., 1.4, 3, 5, 10, 15, 20, 40, or 80 MHz). Devices of the wireless communication system 100 (e.g., base station 105, UE 115, or both) may have a hardware configuration that supports communication over a specific carrier bandwidth, or may be configurable to support communication over a single carrier bandwidth within a set of carrier bandwidths. In some examples, the wireless communication system 100 may include a base station 105 or UE 115 that supports simultaneous communication via carriers associated with multiple carrier bandwidths. In some examples, each served UE 115 may be configured to operate over portions (e.g., subbands, BWPs) or all of the carrier bandwidth.

[0058] The signal waveform transmitted on a carrier can consist of multiple subcarriers (e.g., using multicarrier modulation (MCM) techniques such as Orthogonal Frequency Division Multiplexing (OFDM) or Discrete Fourier Transform Extended OFDM (DFT-S-OFDM). In a system employing MCM, a resource element can include a symbol period (e.g., the duration of a modulation symbol) and a subcarrier, where the symbol period and subcarrier spacing are inversely related. The number of bits carried by each resource element can depend on the modulation scheme (e.g., the order of the modulation scheme, the coding rate of the modulation scheme, or both). Therefore, the more resource elements the UE 115 receives and the higher the order of the modulation scheme, the higher the data rate that can be used for the UE 115. Wireless communication resources can refer to a combination of radio frequency spectrum resources, temporal resources, and spatial resources (e.g., spatial layers or beams), and the use of multiple spatial layers can further increase the data rate or data integrity used for communication with the UE 115.

[0059] One or more parameter sets can be supported for a carrier, where the parameter sets may include subcarrier spacing (Δf) and a cyclic prefix. A carrier can be divided into one or more BWPs with the same or different parameter sets. In some examples, the UE115 can be configured with multiple BWPs. In some examples, a single BWP for a carrier can be active at a given time, and communication for the UE115 can be limited to one or more active BWPs.

[0060] The time interval used for base station 105 or UE 115 can be expressed as a multiple of a basic time unit, which can, for example, refer to Ts = 1 / (Δf) max ·N f The sampling period is ) seconds, where Δf max This can represent the maximum supported subcarrier spacing, and N f This can represent the maximum supported Discrete Fourier Transform (DFT) size. The time interval of the communication resources can be organized according to radio frames, each with a specified duration (e.g., 10 milliseconds (ms)). Each radio frame can be identified by a System Frame Number (SFN) (e.g., ranging from 0 to 1023).

[0061] Each frame may include multiple consecutively numbered subframes or time slots, and each subframe or time slot may have the same duration. In some examples, a frame may be divided (e.g., in the time domain) into subframes, and each subframe may be further divided into multiple time slots. Alternatively, each frame may include a variable number of time slots, and the number of time slots may depend on the subcarrier spacing. Each time slot may include multiple symbol periods (e.g., depending on the length of the cyclic prefix preceding each symbol period). In some wireless communication systems 100, time slots may be further divided into multiple micro-time slots containing one or more symbols. Excluding the cyclic prefix, each symbol period may contain one or more (e.g., N) symbols. f (Number) sampling periods. The duration of a symbol period can depend on the subcarrier spacing or the operating frequency band.

[0062] A subframe, time slot, micro-time slot, or symbol can be the smallest scheduling unit of the wireless communication system 100 (e.g., in the time domain) and can be referred to as a transmission time interval (TTI). In some examples, the duration of the TTI (e.g., the number of symbol periods in the TTI) can be variable. Additionally or alternatively, the smallest scheduling unit of the wireless communication system 100 can be dynamically selected (e.g., in a burst of shortened TTIs (sTTIs)).

[0063] Physical channels can be multiplexed on a carrier using various techniques. For example, one or more of Time Division Multiplexing (TDM), Frequency Division Multiplexing (FDM), or hybrid TDM-FDM techniques can be used to multiplex physical control channels and physical data channels on a downlink carrier. A control region (e.g., a control resource set (CORESET)) for physical control channels can be defined by multiple symbol periods and can be extended across the system bandwidth or a subset of the system bandwidth of the carrier. One or more control regions (e.g., CORESETs) can be configured for a set of UEs 115. For example, one or more of the UEs 115 can monitor or search control regions for control information based on one or more search space sets, and each search space set can include one or more control channel candidates from one or more aggregation levels arranged in a cascaded manner. An aggregation level for control channel candidates can refer to the number of control channel resources (e.g., control channel elements (CCEs)) associated with coded information for a control information format having a given payload size. The search space set may include a shared search space set configured to send control information to multiple UEs 115 and a UE-specific search space set configured to send control information to a particular UE 115.

[0064] Each base station 105 may provide communication coverage via one or more cells (e.g., macro cells, small cells, hotspots, or other types of cells, or any combination thereof). The term "cell" may refer to a logical communication entity used to communicate with base station 105 (e.g., via a carrier) and may be associated with an identifier used to distinguish neighboring cells (e.g., Physical Cell Identifier (PCID), Virtual Cell Identifier (VCID), or other identifier). In some examples, a cell may also refer to a geographic coverage area 110 or a portion of geographic coverage area 110 (e.g., a sector) on which a logical communication entity operates. Depending on various factors such as the capabilities of base station 105, the extent of such cells can range from smaller areas (e.g., structures, subsets of structures) to larger areas. For example, a cell may be or include buildings, subsets of buildings, or external space between or overlapping geographic coverage areas 110, and other examples.

[0065] Macro cells typically cover a relatively large geographical area (e.g., an area with a radius of several kilometers) and allow unrestricted access by UE 115 with a service subscription to the network provider supporting the macro cell. In contrast, small cells can be associated with a lower-power base station 105 and can operate in the same or different (e.g., licensed, unlicensed) frequency bands as macro cells. Small cells can provide unrestricted access to UE 115 with a service subscription to a network provider, or restricted access to UE 115 associated with a small cell (e.g., UE 115 in a Closed Subscriber Group (CSG), or UE 115 associated with a user in a home or office). Base station 105 can support one or more cells and can also support communication on one or more cells using one or more component carriers.

[0066] In some examples, a carrier can support multiple cells, and different cells can be configured according to different protocol types that can provide access for different types of devices (e.g., MTC, Narrowband IoT (NB-IoT), Enhanced Mobile Broadband (eMBB)).

[0067] In some examples, base station 105 may be mobile, and thus provide communication coverage for mobile geographic coverage areas 110. In some examples, different geographic coverage areas 110 associated with different technologies may overlap, but the different geographic coverage areas 110 may be supported by the same base station 105. In other examples, overlapping geographic coverage areas 110 associated with different technologies may be supported by different base stations 105. Wireless communication system 100 may include, for example, a heterogeneous network, in which different types of base stations 105 use the same or different radio access technologies to provide coverage for various geographic coverage areas 110.

[0068] The wireless communication system 100 can support synchronous or asynchronous operation. For synchronous operation, base stations 105 can have similar frame timing, and transmissions from different base stations 105 can be approximately time-aligned. For asynchronous operation, base stations 105 can have different frame timing, and in some examples, transmissions from different base stations 105 can be time-disaligned. The techniques described herein can be used for both synchronous and asynchronous operation.

[0069] Some UE 115 devices (such as MTC or IoT devices) can be low-cost or low-complexity devices and can provide automated communication between machines (e.g., via machine-to-machine (M2M) communication). M2M communication or MTC can refer to data communication technologies that allow devices to communicate with each other or with base station 105 without human intervention. In some examples, M2M communication or MTC may include communication from devices with integrated sensors or meters to measure or capture information and relay such information to a central server or application that utilizes or presents the information to humans interacting with the application. Some UE 115 devices may be designed to collect information or automate the behavior of machines or other devices. Examples of applications for MTC devices include smart metering, inventory monitoring, water level monitoring, equipment monitoring, healthcare monitoring, wildlife monitoring, weather and geological event monitoring, fleet management and tracking, remote security sensing, physical access control, and transaction-based billing.

[0070] Some UE 115s can be configured to operate in reduced-power modes, such as half-duplex communication (e.g., a mode that supports unidirectional communication via transmission or reception but does not involve simultaneous transmission and reception). In some examples, half-duplex communication can be performed at a reduced peak rate. Other power-saving techniques for UE 115s include entering a power-saving deep sleep mode when not engaged in active communication, operating on limited bandwidth (e.g., according to narrowband communication), or a combination of these techniques. For example, some UE 115s can be configured to operate using a narrowband protocol type associated with a defined portion or range (e.g., a set of subcarriers or resource blocks (RBs)) within the carrier, within the carrier's guard band, or outside the carrier.

[0071] Wireless communication system 100 may be configured to support ultra-reliable communication or low-latency communication, or various combinations thereof. For example, wireless communication system 100 may be configured to support ultra-reliable low-latency communication (URLLC) or mission-critical communication. UE 115 may be designed to support ultra-reliable, low-latency, or mission-critical functions (e.g., mission-critical functions). Ultra-reliable communication may include private or group communication and may be supported by one or more mission-critical services (e.g., Mission-Critical Push-to-Talk (MCPTT), Mission-Critical Video (MCVideo), or Mission-Critical Data (MCData)). Support for mission-critical functions may include service prioritization, and mission-critical services may be used for public safety or general commercial applications. The terms ultra-reliable, low-latency, mission-critical, and ultra-reliable low-latency are used interchangeably herein.

[0072] In some examples, UE 115 may also be able to communicate directly with other UE 115 via device-to-device (D2D) communication link 135 (e.g., using peer-to-peer (P2P) or D2D protocols). One or more UE 115s utilizing D2D communication may be within the geographic coverage area 110 of base station 105. Other UE 115s in such a group may be outside the geographic coverage area 110 of base station 105, or otherwise unable to receive transmissions from base station 105. In some examples, a group of UE 115s communicating via D2D communication may utilize a one-to-many (1:M) system, where each UE 115 transmits to every other UE 115 in the group. In some examples, base station 105 facilitates the scheduling of resources for D2D communication. In other cases, D2D communication is performed between UE 115s without involving base station 105.

[0073] In some systems, the D2D communication link 135 may be an example of a communication channel (such as a sidelink communication channel) between vehicles (e.g., UE 115). In some examples, vehicles may communicate using vehicle-to-everything (V2X) communication, vehicle-to-vehicle (V2V) communication, or some combination thereof. Vehicles may use signals to notify information related to traffic conditions, signal control, weather, safety, emergencies, or any other information related to the V2X system. In some examples, vehicles in a V2X system may communicate with roadside infrastructure (such as roadside units), or communicate with the network via one or more network nodes (e.g., base station 105) using vehicle-to-network (V2N) communication, or communicate with both.

[0074] Core network 130 provides user authentication, access authorization, tracking, Internet Protocol (IP) connectivity, and other access, routing, or mobility functions. Core network 130 may be an evolved packet core (EPC) or a 5G core (5GC), and may include at least one control plane entity (e.g., a mobility management entity (MME), access and mobility management function (AMF)) managing access and mobility, and at least one user plane entity (e.g., a serving gateway (S-GW), packet data network (PDN) gateway (P-GW), or user plane function (UPF)) routing packets or interconnects to external networks. The control plane entity may manage non-access stratum (NAS) functions, such as mobility, authentication, and bearer management of UE 115 served by base station 105 associated with core network 130. User IP packets may be transmitted through the user plane entity, which may provide IP address allocation and other functions. The user plane entity may connect to IP service 150 for one or more network operators. IP service 150 may include access to the Internet, one or more intranets, IP Multimedia Subsystem (IMS), or packet-switched streaming services.

[0075] Some network devices (such as base station 105) may include sub-components, such as access network entity 140, which may be an example of an access node controller (ANC). Each access network entity 140 may communicate with UE 115 through one or more other access network transport entities 145, which may be referred to as radio headends, smart radio headends, or transmit / receive points (TRPs). Each access network transport entity 145 may include one or more antenna panels. In some configurations, the various functions of each access network entity 140 or base station 105 may be distributed across various network devices (e.g., radio headends and ANCs) or combined into a single network device (e.g., base station 105).

[0076] Wireless communication system 100 can operate using one or more frequency bands in the range of 300 MHz to 300 GHz. For example, the region from 300 MHz to 3 GHz is called the ultra-high frequency (UHF) region or decimeter band because the wavelength range ranges from approximately one decimeter to one meter in length. UHF waves can be blocked or redirected by buildings and environmental features, but the waves can penetrate structures sufficiently to enable macrocells to provide service to UE 115 located indoors. Compared to transmissions using smaller frequencies and longer waves in the high frequency (HF) or very high frequency (VHF) portions of the spectrum below 300 MHz, UHF wave transmission can be associated with smaller antennas and shorter ranges (e.g., less than 100 km).

[0077] The wireless communication system 100 can also operate in the ultra-high frequency (SHF) region using a frequency band from 3 GHz to 30 GHz (also known as the centimeter band), or in the extremely high frequency (EHF) region of the spectrum (e.g., from 30 GHz to 300 GHz) (also known as the millimeter band). In some examples, the wireless communication system 100 can support millimeter-wave (mmW) communication between the UE 115 and the base station 105, and the EHF antennas of the corresponding devices can be smaller and more closely spaced than UHF antennas. In some examples, this can facilitate the use of antenna arrays within the device. However, the propagation of EHF transmissions may be subject to greater atmospheric attenuation and a shorter range than SHF or UHF transmissions. The techniques disclosed herein can be adopted across transmissions using one or more different frequency regions, and the designated use of frequency bands across these frequency regions can vary by country or regulatory body.

[0078] Wireless communication system 100 may utilize both licensed and unlicensed radio frequency spectrum bands. For example, wireless communication system 100 may employ Licensed Assisted Access (LAA), LTE Unlicensed (LTE-U) radio access technology, or NR technology in unlicensed frequency bands (e.g., the 5 GHz Industrial, Scientific, and Medical (ISM) band). When operating in unlicensed radio frequency spectrum bands, devices (such as base station 105 and UE 115) may employ carrier sensing for collision detection and avoidance. In some examples, operation in unlicensed frequency bands may be based on carrier aggregation configurations (e.g., LAA) that combine component carriers operating in licensed frequency bands. Operation in unlicensed spectrum may include downlink transmissions, uplink transmissions, P2P transmissions, or D2D transmissions, among other examples.

[0079] Base station 105 or UE 115 may be equipped with multiple antennas that can be used to employ techniques such as transmit diversity, receive diversity, multiple-input multiple-output (MIMO) communication, or beamforming. The antennas of base station 105 or UE 115 may be located within one or more antenna arrays or antenna panels that can support MIMO operation or transmit or receive beamforming. For example, one or more base station antennas or antenna arrays may be co-located at an antenna assembly (such as an antenna tower). In some examples, the antennas or antenna arrays associated with base station 105 may be located in different geographical locations. Base station 105 may have antenna arrays with multiple rows and columns of antenna ports that base station 105 can use to support beamforming communication with UE 115. Similarly, UE 115 may have one or more antenna arrays that can support various MIMO or beamforming operations. Additionally or alternatively, antenna panels may support radio frequency beamforming for signals transmitted via antenna ports.

[0080] Base station 105 or UE 115 can use MIMO communication to utilize multipath signal propagation and improve spectral efficiency by transmitting or receiving multiple signals via different spatial layers. Such a technique can be called spatial multiplexing. For example, multiple signals can be transmitted by a transmitting device via different antennas or different combinations of antennas. Similarly, a receiving device can receive multiple signals via different antennas or different combinations of antennas. Each of the multiple signals can be referred to as a separate spatial stream and can carry bits associated with the same data stream (e.g., the same codeword) or different data streams (e.g., different codewords). Different spatial layers can be associated with different antenna ports used for channel measurement and reporting. MIMO techniques include single-user MIMO (SU-MIMO), where multiple spatial layers are transmitted to the same receiving device, and multi-user MIMO (MU-MIMO), where multiple spatial layers are transmitted to multiple devices.

[0081] Beamforming (also known as spatial filtering, directional transmission, or directional reception) is a signal processing technique used at a transmitting or receiving device (e.g., base station 105, UE 115) to shape or manipulate an antenna beam (e.g., a transmit beam, a receive beam) along a spatial path between the transmitting and receiving devices. Beamforming can be achieved by combining signals transmitted via antenna elements of an antenna array such that some signals propagating relative to a particular orientation of the antenna array experience constructive interference, while others experience destructive interference. Adjustments to signals transmitted via antenna elements can include applying amplitude offset, phase offset, or both to the signals carried via the antenna elements associated with the device by the transmitting or receiving device. The adjustments associated with each antenna element can be defined by a beamforming weight set associated with a particular direction (e.g., relative to the antenna array of the transmitting or receiving device, or relative to some other direction).

[0082] Base station 105 or UE 115 may use beam scanning technology as part of beamforming operations. For example, base station 105 may use multiple antennas or antenna arrays (e.g., antenna panels) to perform beamforming operations for directional communication with UE 115. Some signals (e.g., synchronization signals, reference signals, beam selection signals, or other control signals) may be transmitted multiple times by base station 105 in different directions. For example, base station 105 may transmit signals according to different beamforming weight sets associated with different transmission directions. Transmissions in different beam directions may be used (e.g., by a transmitting device (such as base station 105) or by a receiving device (such as UE 115)) to identify beam directions for base station 105 to transmit or receive later.

[0083] Some signals (such as data signals associated with a particular receiving device) may be transmitted by base station 105 in a single beam direction (e.g., the direction associated with the receiving device, such as UE 115). In some examples, the beam direction associated with transmission along a single beam direction may be determined based on the signals transmitted in one or more beam directions. For example, UE 115 may receive one or more signals transmitted by base station 105 in different directions and may report to base station 105 an indication of the signal received by UE 115 with the highest signal quality or otherwise acceptable signal quality.

[0084] In some examples, transmissions performed by a device (e.g., base station 105 or UE 115) may be executed using multiple beam directions, and the device may use a combination of digital precoding or radio frequency beamforming to generate a combined beam for transmission (e.g., from base station 105 to UE 115). UE 115 may report feedback indicating precoding weights for one or more beam directions, and the feedback may correspond to the number of beam configurations across the system bandwidth or one or more subbands. Base station 105 may transmit reference signals (e.g., cell-specific reference signals (CRS), CSI-RS), which may or may not be precoded. UE 115 may provide feedback on beam selection, which may be a precoding matrix indicator (PMI) or codebook-based feedback (e.g., multi-plane type codebook, linear combination type codebook, port selection type codebook). Although these techniques are described with reference to signals transmitted by base station 105 in one or more directions, UE 115 may employ similar techniques to transmit signals multiple times in different directions (e.g., to identify beam directions for subsequent transmission or reception by UE 115) or to transmit signals in a single direction (e.g., to transmit data to a receiving device).

[0085] A receiving device (e.g., UE 115) may attempt multiple receive configurations (e.g., directional listening) when receiving various signals (such as synchronization signals, reference signals, beam selection signals, or other control signals) from base station 105. For example, the receiving device may attempt multiple receive directions by: receiving via different antenna subarrays; processing the received signal according to different antenna subarrays; receiving according to different sets of receive beamforming weights applied to signals received at multiple antenna elements of the antenna array (e.g., different sets of directional listening weights); or processing the received signal according to different sets of receive beamforming weights applied to signals received at multiple antenna elements of the antenna array, any of which can be referred to as "listening" according to different receive configurations or receive directions. In some examples, the receiving device may use a single receive configuration to receive along a single beam direction (e.g., when receiving data signals). The single receive configuration may be aligned on a beam direction determined based on listening according to different receive configuration directions (e.g., a beam direction determined to have the highest signal strength, highest signal-to-noise ratio (SNR), or otherwise acceptable signal quality based on listening according to multiple beam directions).

[0086] The wireless communication system 100 can be a packet-based network operating according to a layered protocol stack. In the user plane, communication at the bearer or Packet Data Convergence Protocol (PDCP) layer can be IP-based. The Radio Link Control (RLC) layer can perform packet segmentation and reassembly for communication on logical channels. The Media Access Control (MAC) layer can perform priority processing and multiplexing of logical channels to transport channels. The MAC layer can also use error detection techniques, error correction techniques, or both to support retransmissions at the MAC layer to improve link efficiency. In the control plane, the Radio Resource Control (RRC) protocol layer can provide the establishment, configuration, and maintenance of RRC connections between the UE 115 and the base station 105 or core network 130 supporting radio bearers for user plane data. At the physical layer, transport channels can be mapped to physical channels.

[0087] UE 115 and base station 105 can support data retransmission to increase the likelihood of successful data reception. Hybrid Automatic Repeat Request (HARQ) feedback is a technique used to increase the likelihood of correct data reception on communication link 125. HARQ can include a combination of error detection (e.g., using Cyclic Redundancy Check (CRC)), forward error correction (FEC), and retransmission (e.g., Automatic Repeat Request (ARQ)). HARQ can improve throughput at the MAC layer under poor radio conditions (e.g., low signal-to-noise ratio conditions). In some examples, the device can support simultaneous time-slot HARQ feedback, where the device can provide HARQ feedback for data received in a previous symbol within a specific time slot. In other cases, the device can provide HARQ feedback in subsequent time slots or according to some other time interval.

[0088] The wireless communication system 100 can support beamforming communication. For example, base station 105 can communicate with UE 115 using one or more base station beams, and UE 115 can communicate with base station 105 using one or more UE beams.

[0089] Wireless communication system 100 can use CSI-RS for one or more types of measurements. For example, CSI-RS (such as non-zero power (NZP) CSI-RS) can be used for cell acquisition, tracking (e.g., tracking reference signal (TRS)), or beam management. In some cases, the fields of CSI-RS or the resources configured for CSI-RS can be based on how CSI-RS is used (e.g., acquisition, tracking, or beam management). CSI-RS used for acquisition can be configured without a tracking or repetition field and can be used for Channel State Feedback (CSF) to optimize downlink throughput through link adaptation. CSI-RS or TRS used for tracking can be configured with a tracking field and can be designed for UE 115 to update timing and frequency tracking loops. CSI-RS used for beam management can be configured with a repetition field and without a tracking field. If the repetition field is set to false, the CSI-RS can be a CSI-RS P2 resource. CSI-RS P2 resources can be used for gNB beam refinement. UE 115 can measure the RSRP of CSI-RS P2 and report the RSRP back to the network for beamfinding. If the repeat field is set to true, CSI-RS can be a CSI-RS P3 resource and is designed for UE beamfinding.

[0090] In some scenarios, UE 115 may use multiple UE beams to measure the Synchronization Signal Block (SSB) and select a beam as the serving UE beam based on these measurements. The SSB can be a rank-1 periodic reference signal. In some cases, the SSB may include one or more periodic reference signals, such as the Primary Synchronization Signal (PSS), Secondary Synchronization Signal (SSS), and Physical Broadcast Channel (PBCH). In some cases, due to the rank-1 nature of the SSB, it may not be used to optimize rank-2 performance for UE beam selection. Some networks may perform beam selection based on CSI-RS P3.

[0091] In some scenarios, CSI-RS can be configured with quasi-co-located (QCL) to the serving SSB or with aperiodic CSI-RS. UE115 can scan candidate UE beams over time (e.g., if the channel is stationary) and report CSF based on measurements. UE115 can update CSF based on DMRS and perform channel estimation. In some examples, CSI-RS can be QCLed to a non-serving SSB. For periodic CSI-RS, UE115 can sweep UE beams on CSI-RS with a non-serving SSB QCL. These techniques can provide improved throughput because SSB beam management may not be able to provide or predict rank-2 throughput.

[0092] However, some of these techniques may still present challenges. For example, CSF estimation from SSB or TRS channel estimation may be impossible, or may not provide rank-2 estimation, since SSB and TRS are rank-1 signals. In some cases, aperiodic CSI-RS can be scheduled in the same time slot as PDCCH, making it impossible for UE 115 to physically switch in time to receive CSI-RS based on processing PDCCH in the same time slot. Some of the techniques described in this paper can be implemented to mitigate these challenges.

[0093] For example, UE 115 can predict the time slots and symbols for scheduling CSI-RS. For instance, UE 115 can predict time slots and symbols based on previous aperiodic CSI-RS configurations or scheduling. This allows UE 115 to switch UE beams for CSI-RS in time, even if the PDCCH in the same time slot indicating CSI-RS resources has not been processed. Some techniques for using candidate UE beams for one or more time slots are described to avoid possible scheduling changes or incorrect predictions based on scheduling changes.

[0094] Wireless communication system 100 can implement beam dithering techniques using CSI-RS. For example, UE 115 can identify candidate UE beam sets based on SSB measurements or past CSI-RS measurements. UE 115 can predict the time slots and symbols available for CSI-RS acquisition based on previously scheduled aperiodic resources or previous CSI-RS configurations. UE 115 can use one or more candidate UE beams to measure acquisition CSI-RS and determine spectral efficiency on resources. UE 115 can report CSF for candidate UE beams based on measurements using candidate UE beams. In some cases, UE 115 or the network, or both, can process the measured spectral efficiency for serving beam selection purposes, such as when selecting or reselecting a serving beam for UE 115.

[0095] Figure 2 An example of a wireless communication system 200 supporting techniques for beam selection using CSI-RS resource acquisition, according to various aspects of this disclosure, is illustrated. The wireless communication system 200 may implement aspects of or be an example of wireless communication system 100. The wireless communication system 200 may include a UE 215 and a base station 205, which may be as described in reference... Figure 1 Examples of UE 115 and base station 105 described herein. In some examples, base station 205 may be an example of a network entity, access network entity, or network node described herein.

[0096] The wireless communication system 200 can support beamforming communication. For example, base station 205 can communicate with UE 215 using one or more base station beams 210, and UE 215 can communicate with base station 205 using one or more UE beams 220. For example, base station beam 210 may include base station beam 210-a, base station beam 210-b, and base station beam 210-c.

[0097] UE 215 can use multiple UE beams 220 to measure SSBs and select a beam as the serving UE beam based on the measurement. For example, UE 215 can use at least UE beams 220-a, UE beam 220-b, and UE beam 220-c to measure SSBs. In one example, UE 215 can select UE beam 220-b as the serving UE beam based on UE beam 220-b having the highest RSRP measurement on the corresponding SSB. The serving UE beam can be used, for example, to receive or transmit PDCCH, PDSCH, Physical Uplink Control Channel (PUCCH), Physical Uplink Shared Channel (PUSCH), or Random Access Channel (RACH) messages (e.g., RACH message 3) or any combination thereof. For example, the serving UE beam can be selected for control or data signaling to or from base station 205.

[0098] UE 215 can be configured to use candidate UE beams to measure CSI-RS for acquisition. In some cases, UE 215 may receive control signaling from base station 205 that configures UE 215 to use candidate UE beams to measure CSI-RS for acquisition. For example, UE 215 may identify a list of candidate UE beams to be measured on the CSI-RS resources to be acquired. The candidate UE beam list may be based on or identified from the beam set used for serving SSB measurements. For example, the top K beams from SSB measurements may be included in the candidate UE beam list. In some cases, the top K beams may be determined based on the highest RSRP measurement, channel impulse response measurement, or both. Additionally or alternatively, the top K beams may be identified based on previous CSI-RS measurements. For example, UE 215 may update or select the candidate UE beam set based on previous CSI-RS measurements using previous serving UE beams or previous candidate UE beams.

[0099] In some examples, UE 215 can identify candidate beams based on its uplink link budget. For instance, UE 215 can estimate its uplink link budget based on a Maximum Allowable Exposure (MPE) limit. The MPE limit can constrain some mmW transmissions in the wireless communication system 200 or limit the power of mmW transmissions. In some cases, UE 215 can determine a virtual power margin based on the MPE limit and select the beam that best approximates the virtual power margin to measure the strongest beam within the MPE limit. In some cases, the virtual power margin may differ from the actual power margin of UE 215.

[0100] UE 215 can identify the time slots and symbols of the resources to be scheduled for acquisition of CSI-RS. In some wireless communication systems, UE 115 can identify the time slots and symbols based on the PDCCH in the same time slot as the resources used for CSI-RS. However, in these systems, UE 115 may not have enough time to process the PDCCH indicating CSI-RS and switch to the candidate UE beam (e.g., from the serving UE beam).

[0101] UE 215 can implement techniques for predicting time slots and symbols for resources used in CSI-RS to support the use of candidate UE beams to measure CSI-RS for acquisition. For example, UE 215 can estimate the time slots or symbols of CSI-RS based on previously scheduled aperiodic resources or CSI-RS configurations, or both. UE 215 can schedule candidate UE beams (e.g., UE beam 220-a or UE beam 220-c) or serving UE beams (e.g., UE beam 220-b) for at least the identified symbols during the identified time slots. This allows UE 215 to use candidate UE beams to measure CSI-RS without waiting for PDCCH processing, as the resources carrying CSI-RS may have already occurred once the PDCCH is processed.

[0102] In some cases, when scheduling UE beam 220 for a CSI-RS symbol, UE 215 can schedule UE beam 220 for the entire time slot. In some examples, PDCCH and PDSCH can exist in the same time slot. PDSCH can be frequency-division multiplexed on the same symbol as CSI-RS. Using the same beam throughout the time slot can provide better channel estimation using PDSCH DMRS on another symbol in the same time slot. If the CSI-RS time slot prediction is inaccurate (e.g., due to scheduling changes at base station 205), UE 215 can use the same beam for multiple time slots within a time window surrounding the predicted time slot. Reference Figure 3 A more detailed description of some techniques used to predict symbols, time slots, or both.

[0103] UE 215 can measure the spectral efficiency on the resources carrying the CSI-RS used for acquisition. In some cases, the spectral efficiency can be measured individually for each rank. In some cases, UE 215 can perform filtering, biasing, or thresholding for the first and second ranks of the CSI-RS measurement.

[0104] UE 215 may prepare a report for base station 205, which includes the last measurement of the serving UE beam (e.g., UE beam 220-b) or the most recent measurement of a candidate UE beam (e.g., UE beam 220-a or UE beam 220-c). In some cases, the report may be generated based on both the most recent measurement of the serving UE beam and measurements of one or more candidate UE beams, or may include information from both. UE 215 may then send the report to base station 205. UE 215, base station 205, or both may process the measured spectral efficiency for serving beam selection. In some cases, the measured spectral efficiency may be processed to update or reselect the serving UE beam. In some examples, base station 205 may update base station beam 210 or update the configuration for beampup link based on the measured spectral efficiency.

[0105] In some examples, UE 215 can scan UE beam 220 to utilize different UE candidate beams to measure CSI-RS at multiple times. For example, at a first time point, UE 215 can use UE beam 220-a (e.g., a candidate UE beam) to measure a first CSI-RS, then use UE beam 220-b (e.g., the serving UE beam) to measure a second CSI-RS, and then use UE beam 220-c (e.g., another candidate UE beam) to measure a third CSI-RS. These techniques can provide enhanced beam selection, which can lead to the selection of stronger beams and greater throughput.

[0106] In some examples described herein, the CSI-RS can be a CSI-RS used for cell acquisition. For example, the CSI-RS may not include tracking or repetition fields. The CSI-RS can be used for channel state feedback to optimize downlink throughput through link adaptation. In some cases, CSI-RS resources can be configured or selected based on the CSI-RS used for acquisition.

[0107] Some time slots may include DMRS resources, which can be used to send downlink data grants aperiodically. Downlink grants can be sent aperiodically because scheduled data is typically aperiodic. The network can indicate the presence of PDSCH and DMRS symbols via downlink control information in the K0 time slots preceding the PDSCH symbol. Some systems can use K0=0, where the PDCCH and PDSCH resources are in the same time slot. Information used for PDSCH and DMRS can be indicated by scheduling downlink control information. In some cases, if the PDSCH grant is rank 2, the DMRS can also be rank 2.

[0108] In some examples, similar techniques can be used to scan the UE beam 220 on the PDSCH time slot and measure the spectral efficiency or SNR on the DMRS transmitted during the PDSCH time slot. For example, UE 215 can identify a set of candidate beams and select a serving UE beam. UE 215 can count the number of downlink licenses with DMRS and switch from the serving UE beam to a candidate UE beam after reaching a threshold number of downlink licenses with DMRS. In some cases, UE 215 can switch to a candidate UE beam for all channels in one or more time slots. UE 215 can perform SNR or spectral efficiency measurements based on the DMRS received using the candidate UE beam. Subsequently, UE 215 can send a measurement report to base station 205 indicating a measurement based on the last DMRS received using the UE serving beam (e.g., the last SNR or spectral efficiency measurement), or one or more measurements based on the DMRS received using the candidate UE beam, or both. In some cases, certain techniques or aspects can be implemented for measuring CSI-RS using candidate UE beams, in order to measure DMRS using candidate UE beams.

[0109] Figure 3 An example of a beam scheduling technique 300 supporting beam selection using CSI-RS resource acquisition, according to various aspects of this disclosure, is illustrated. The beam scheduling technique 300 can be implemented by a UE 115, a base station 105, an access network entity, or any combination thereof, as shown in reference... Figure 1 As described. See also Figure 1 and 2 .

[0110] UE 115 can use candidate UE beam 315 to measure CSI-RS 305 in time slot 310. CSI-RS 305 can be an example of a CSI-RS to be acquired, and UE 115 can use candidate UE beam 315 for enhanced beam selection technology to measure CSI-RS 305.

[0111] To measure CSI-RS 305, UE 115 can identify the time slot 310 and symbols in which resources will be scheduled for CSI-RS 305. In some wireless communication systems, CSI-RS resources can be indicated or scheduled in the same time slot 310 as the resources scheduled for CSI-RS, based on downlink control information included in the PDCCH. For example, the PDCCH resources in the first or second symbol of time slot 310-a can indicate resources for CSI-RS 305.

[0112] The apparatus described herein implements techniques for supporting handover to candidate UE beam 315 (e.g., from serving UE beam 320) to measure CSI-RS 305 by predicting scheduling for CSI-RS 305. By implementing these techniques, UE 115 can perform a handover before the PDCCH has finished processing and with sufficient time to complete the handover and measure CSI-RS 305. For example, UE 115 can estimate or predict the slot 310 or symbol or both of CSI-RS 305 based on past scheduled aperiodic resources or CSI-RS configuration, or both. This allows UE 115 to measure CSI-RS 305 using candidate UE beam 315 without waiting for PDCCH processing, as the resources carrying CSI-RS 305 may have already occurred once the PDCCH is processed.

[0113] UE 115 can implement symbol-based handover 325 or slot-based handover 330, or both. UE 115 can schedule candidate UE beams 315 for at least the identified symbols during the identified slot 310. For symbol-based handover 325, UE 115 can switch from serving UE beam 320 to candidate UE beam 315 for CSI-RS 305, but use serving UE beam 320 for other symbols in slot 310. For example, UE 115 can use serving UE beam 320 for PDCCH, PDSCH 335, and PUSCH in slot 310-a, and UE 115 can use candidate UE beam 315 for CSI-RS 305.

[0114] For slot-based handover 330, UE 115 can schedule at least the entire slot including CSI-RS 305 to use candidate UE beam 315. In the first example, UE 115 can schedule all slots 310-a to use candidate UE beam 315. In the first example, adjacent slots (e.g., slots 310-b and 310-c) can use serving UE beam 320. PDCCH and PDSCH 335 can be included in slot 310 with CSI-RS 305. In some cases, PDSCH 335 can be frequency-division multiplexed on the same symbol as CSI-RS. Using the same beam throughout the slot can provide enhanced channel estimation using PDSCH DMRS, which can be on another symbol in the same slot. In some cases, slot-based handover 330 can be enabled if symbol prediction is inaccurate. For example, if UE 115 uses symbol-based handover 325 to predict an incorrect symbol at the first prediction time, then UE 115 can implement slot-based handover 330 for the next prediction time.

[0115] In some cases, if CSI-RS slot prediction using slot-based handover 330 is inaccurate, UE 115 may use the same beam for multiple slots within a time window surrounding the predicted slot. For example, UE 115 may predict that CSI-RS 305 is transmitted in slot 310-a. UE 115 may use handover to use candidate UE beam 315 for the slot window surrounding the predicted slot. For example, UE 115 may use handover to candidate UE beam 315 for slots 310-b, 310-a, and 310-c. In other examples, the window may have different sizes, cover different numbers of slots, or cover portions of slots. In some cases, UE 115 may use the same beam for each channel within the window. For example, UE 115 may use candidate UE beam 315 for PDCCH, PDSCH, PUCCH, PUSCH, Probe Reference Signal (SRS) transmission, CSI-RS reception, or any combination thereof.

[0116] Figure 4 An example of a process flow 400 supporting techniques for beam selection using CSI-RS resource acquisition, according to various aspects of this disclosure, is illustrated. Process flow 400 may include a UE 415 and a base station 405, which may be as described in reference... Figure 1 Examples of UE 115 and base station 105 are described. In some examples, base station 405 may be an example of an access network entity.

[0117] Base station 405 may periodically transmit SSBs. SSBs can be measured by UEs 115 (such as UE 415) within the coverage area of ​​base station 405 to synchronize with base station 405 or select a serving beam. At 410, UE 415 may perform a set of SSB measurements. For example, UE 415 may measure different SSBs to identify strong UE beams, base station beams, or beam-to-beam links. SSBs may have a one-to-one mapping to different base station beams of base station 405. Therefore, UE 415 may measure multiple different beams. In some cases, UE 415 may measure RSRP, channel impulse response, or another characteristic of the SSB.

[0118] At 420, UE 415 can select a serving UE beam and a candidate UE beam set for measuring CSI-RS based on a set of SSB measurements. For example, UE 415 can select the UE beam associated with the SSB that has the highest RSRP measurement among the set of SSB measurements used for the serving UE beam. UE 415 can select a candidate UE beam set based on RSRP measurements of a subset of beams used for a set of SSB measurements. For example, the top K UE beams can be selected for the candidate UE beam set based on RSRP measurements, channel impulse response measurements, uplink link budget based on virtual power headroom, or other types of measurements.

[0119] At 425, UE 415 can identify the set of time resources for CSI-RS based on one or more previous CSI-RS configurations. In some cases, UE 415 can predict the set of time resources based on one or more previous CSI-RS configurations. For example, UE 415 can predict when CSI-RS will be transmitted (e.g., in which time slot or in which symbol of the time slot) to provide sufficient time to switch from the serving UE beam to the candidate UE beam. CSI-RS can be transmitted in a time slot with a PDCCH that indicates scheduling information for CSI-RS. However, if UE 415 waits to identify scheduling information based on the PDCCH, the resources for CSI-RS may have already passed once the PDCCH is processed. Therefore, UE 415 can predict when to transmit CSI-RS in order to measure CSI-RS using the UE candidate beam.

[0120] At 430, UE 415 can use candidate UE beams to monitor the downlink channel during at least the identified time resource set. At 435, base station 405 can send CSI-RS to UE 415. UE 415 can use candidate UE beams from the candidate UE beam set to measure CSI-RS based on the time resource set.

[0121] In some cases, UE 415 may use candidate UE beams to monitor time slots that include an identified set of time resources. For example, UE 415 may use candidate UE beams for communication throughout the entire time slot to provide a higher probability of measuring CSI-RS with candidate UE beams. In some examples, UE 415 may use candidate UE beams for a set of multiple time slots based on a time window around the set of time resources, where CSI-RS is measured during at least one symbol in the set of multiple time slots. For example, UE 415 may use candidate UE beams for multiple time slots in which UE 415 detects a scheduling change at base station 405.

[0122] In some cases, if UE 415 incorrectly predicts time resources, UE 415 can use the candidate UE beam across instances for a slightly longer period. For example, UE 415 can first perform a symbol-based handover and attempt to switch from the serving UE beam to the candidate UE beam only for the predicted symbol carrying CSI-RS. If UE 415 predicts the wrong symbol, UE 415 can perform a slot-based handover and use the candidate UE beam for the full slot at the next instance. If the predicted slot for the slot-based handover is incorrect, UE 415 can use the candidate UE beam for a set of multiple slots based on a window around the predicted slot.

[0123] In some examples, the UE candidate beam set can be selected or updated based on previous CSI-RS measurements. For example, UE415 can update the candidate UE beam set based on CSI-RS measurements, additional SSB measurements, one or more CSI-RS measurements using one or more additional candidate UE beams, or any combination thereof.

[0124] In some examples, base station 405 and UE 415 can implement techniques for measuring PDSCH DMRS using candidate UE beams or performing UE beam scanning against PDSCH DMRS. In some cases, the techniques for UE beam scanning against PDSCH DMRS can be similar to those used in process flow 400 for beam selection using CSI-RS to acquire resources. For example, at 405, UE 415 can perform a set of SSB measurements and at 410 select a serving UE beam and a set of candidate UE beams based on the SSB measurements. UE 415 communicates with base station 405 and receives a threshold number of downlink grants using the serving UE beam along with the DMRS.

[0125] Once UE 415 receives a downlink grant with a threshold number of DMRS, UE 415 can switch to a candidate UE beam from the candidate UE beam set. For example, at 430, UE 415 can use a candidate UE beam from the candidate UE beam set to monitor one or more radio channels in a time slot based on receiving the threshold number of downlink grants. For example, UE 415 can use the selected candidate UE beam to monitor PDSCH DMRS for all channels in one or more time slots. At 445, base station 405 can transmit DMRS on the PDSCH resources of the time slot. UE 415 can use the candidate UE beam to measure one or more DMRS transmitted on one or more radio channels in the time slot. Subsequently, similar to 440, UE 415 can send a measurement report to the base station based on measuring one or more DMRS using the candidate UE beam, or the last measurement using the serving UE beam, or both. For example, the measurement report may include SNR or spectral efficiency measurements performed using the candidate UE beam, or previous SNR or spectral efficiency measurements performed using the serving UE beam, or any combination thereof.

[0126] In some examples, UE 415 can process measurements of the channel state information reference signal, such as for serving beam selection purposes. For example, UE 415 can process the measured spectral efficiency for serving beam selection purposes. For example, at 450, UE 415 can perform filtering, biasing, or thresholding on the first and second rank measurements as part of reselecting the serving beam. In some cases, UE 415 can select the serving beam based on the measured, filtered, biased, or thresholded spectral efficiency of the candidate beam (e.g., reselecting the serving beam to a candidate UE beam from a set of candidate UE beams).

[0127] Figure 5 A block diagram 500 of an apparatus 505 supporting techniques for beam selection using CSI-RS to acquire resources, according to various aspects of this disclosure, is shown. Apparatus 505 may be an example of various aspects of a UE 115 as described herein. Apparatus 505 may include a receiver 510, a transmitter 515, and a communications manager 520. Apparatus 505 may also include a processor. Each of these components may communicate with each other (e.g., via one or more buses).

[0128] Receiver 510 may provide components for receiving information (such as packets, user data, control information, or any combination thereof) associated with various information channels (e.g., control channels, data channels, information channels related to techniques for beam selection using CSI-RS to acquire resources). Information may be passed to other components of device 505. Receiver 510 may utilize a single antenna or a collection of antennas.

[0129] Transmitter 515 may provide components for transmitting signals generated by other components of device 505. For example, transmitter 515 may transmit information associated with various information channels (e.g., control channels, data channels, information channels related to techniques for beam selection using CSI-RS to acquire resources), such as packets, user data, control information, or any combination thereof. In some examples, transmitter 515 may be co-located with receiver 510 in a transceiver. Transmitter 515 may utilize a single antenna or a collection of multiple antennas.

[0130] The communication manager 520, receiver 510, transmitter 515, or various combinations thereof or components thereof may be examples of apparatuses for performing various aspects of the techniques described herein for beam selection using CSI-RS to acquire resources. For example, the communication manager 520, receiver 510, transmitter 515, or various combinations thereof or components thereof may support methods for performing one or more functions described herein.

[0131] In some examples, the communication manager 520, receiver 510, transmitter 515, or various combinations or components thereof may be implemented in hardware (e.g., in a communication management circuitry system). The hardware may include a processor, digital signal processor (DSP), application-specific integrated circuit (ASIC), field-programmable gate array (FPGA) or other programmable logic device, discrete gate or transistor logic, discrete hardware components, or any combination thereof configured to or otherwise support means for performing the functions described in this disclosure. In some examples, the processor and memory coupled to the processor may be configured to perform one or more functions described herein (e.g., by executing instructions stored in memory by the processor).

[0132] Additionally or alternatively, in some examples, the communication manager 520, receiver 510, transmitter 515, or various combinations or components thereof may be implemented using code executed by a processor (e.g., as communication management software or firmware). If implemented using processor-executed code, the functionality of the communication manager 520, receiver 510, transmitter 515, or various combinations or components thereof may be performed by a general-purpose processor, DSP, central processing unit (CPU), ASIC, FPGA, or any combination of these or other programmable logic devices (e.g., components configured or otherwise supported for performing the functions described in this disclosure).

[0133] In some examples, the communication manager 520 may be configured to perform various operations (e.g., receive, monitor, transmit) using or otherwise cooperating with the receiver 510, transmitter 515, or both. For example, the communication manager 520 may receive information from the receiver 510, send information to the transmitter 515, or integrate with or in combination with the receiver 510, transmitter 515, or both to receive information, send information, or perform various other operations as described herein.

[0134] Communication Manager 520 may support wireless communication at a UE according to the examples disclosed herein. For example, Communication Manager 520 may be configured or otherwise support means for performing a set of synchronization signal block measurements. Communication Manager 520 may be configured or otherwise support components for selecting a serving UE beam and candidate UE beam set for measuring CSI-RS based on a set of synchronization signal block measurements. Communication Manager 520 may be configured or otherwise support components for identifying a time resource set for CSI-RS based on one or more previous CSI-RS configurations. Communication Manager 520 may be configured or otherwise support components for measuring CSI-RS based on a time resource set using candidate UE beams from a candidate UE beam set. Communication Manager 520 may be configured or otherwise support components for sending a measurement report to an access network entity based on CSI-RS measurements using candidate UE beams, or the last CSI-RS measurement on the serving UE beam, or both.

[0135] Additionally or alternatively, the communication manager 520 may support wireless communication at the UE according to the examples disclosed herein. For example, the communication manager 520 may be configured or otherwise support components for performing a set of synchronization signal block measurements. The communication manager 520 may be configured or otherwise support components for selecting a serving UE beam and a set of candidate UE beams for measuring channel state information reference signals based on a set of synchronization signal block measurements. The communication manager 520 may be configured or otherwise support components for receiving downlink grants with a threshold number of demodulated reference signals using the serving UE beam. The communication manager 520 may be configured or otherwise support components for monitoring one or more radio channels in a time slot using candidate UE beams from a set of candidate UE beams based on the received threshold number of downlink grants. The communication manager 520 may be configured or otherwise support components for measuring one or more demodulated reference signals transmitted on one or more radio channels in a time slot using candidate UE beams. The communication manager 520 can be configured or otherwise supported for sending measurement reports to access network entities based on the measurement of one or more demodulation reference signals using the candidate UE beam or the last measurement using the serving UE beam, or both.

[0136] By including or configuring a communication manager 520 according to the example described herein, device 505 (e.g., a processor that controls or otherwise couples to receiver 510, transmitter 515, communication manager 520, or a combination thereof) can support techniques for measuring CSI-RS using candidate UE beams. Measuring CSI-RS using candidate UE beams can improve beam selection techniques and provide more information about the candidate beams. This information can be used when performing beam selection or reselection to select the strongest beam and increase throughput.

[0137] Figure 6 A block diagram 600 of a device 605 supporting techniques for beam selection using CSI-RS resource acquisition, according to various aspects of this disclosure, is shown. Device 605 may be an example of aspects of device 505 or UE 115 as described herein. Device 605 may include a receiver 610, a transmitter 615, and a communications manager 620. Device 605 may also include a processor. Each of these components may communicate with each other (e.g., via one or more buses).

[0138] Receiver 610 provides means for receiving information (such as packets, user data, control information, or any combination thereof) associated with various information channels (e.g., control channels, data channels, information channels related to techniques for beam selection using CSI-RS to acquire resources). The information can be passed to other components of device 605. Receiver 610 may utilize a single antenna or a set of multiple antennas.

[0139] Transmitter 615 may provide components for transmitting signals generated by other components of device 605. For example, transmitter 615 may transmit information associated with various information channels (e.g., control channels, data channels, information channels related to techniques for beam selection using CSI-RS to acquire resources), such as packets, user data, control information, or any combination thereof. In some examples, transmitter 615 may be co-located with receiver 610 in a transceiver. Transmitter 615 may utilize a single antenna or a collection of multiple antennas.

[0140] Device 605 or its various components may be examples of parts used to perform various aspects of the techniques described herein for beam selection using CSI-RS to acquire resources. For example, communication manager 620 may include SSB measurement component 625, beam selection component 630, CSI-RS resource identification component 635, CSI-RS measurement component 640, measurement reporting component 645, or any combination thereof. Communication manager 620 may be examples of various aspects of communication manager 520 as described herein. In some examples, communication manager 620 or its various components may be configured to perform various operations (e.g., receive, monitor, transmit) using receiver 610, transmitter 615, or both, or otherwise in cooperation with receiver 610, transmitter 615, or both. For example, communication manager 620 may receive information from receiver 610, transmit information to transmitter 615, or integrate with receiver 610, transmitter 615, or a combination thereof to receive information, transmit information, or perform various other operations as described herein.

[0141] Communication Manager 620 can support wireless communication at the UE according to the examples disclosed herein. SSB Measurement Component 625 can be configured or otherwise supported for performing a set of synchronization signal block measurements. Beam Selection Component 630 can be configured or otherwise supported for selecting the serving UE beam and candidate UE beam set for measuring CSI-RS based on a set of synchronization signal block measurements. CSI-RS Resource Identification Component 635 can be configured or otherwise supported for identifying a time resource set for CSI-RS based on one or more previous CSI-RS configurations. CSI-RS Measurement Component 640 can be configured or otherwise supported for measuring CSI-RS using candidate UE beams from the candidate UE beam set based on the time resource set. Measurement Reporting Component 645 can be configured or otherwise supported for sending a measurement report to an access network entity based on CSI-RS measurements using candidate UE beams or the last CSI-RS measurement on the serving UE beam, or both.

[0142] Additionally or alternatively, the communication manager 620 may support wireless communication at the UE according to the examples disclosed herein. The SSB measurement component 625 may be configured or otherwise support components for performing a set of synchronization signal block measurements. The beam selection component 630 may be configured or otherwise support components for selecting a serving UE beam and a candidate UE beam set for measuring channel state information reference signals based on a set of synchronization signal block measurements. The beam selection component 630 may be configured or otherwise support components for receiving downlink permissions with a threshold number of demodulated reference signals using the serving UE beam. The measurement reporting component 645 may be configured or otherwise support components for monitoring one or more radio channels in a time slot using candidate UE beams from the candidate UE beam set based on the received threshold number of downlink permissions. The measurement reporting component 645 may be configured or otherwise support components for measuring one or more demodulated reference signals transmitted on one or more radio channels in a time slot using candidate UE beams. The measurement report component 645 may be configured or otherwise supported for sending a measurement report to an access network entity based on the measurement of one or more demodulation reference signals using the candidate UE beam or the last measurement using the serving UE beam, or both.

[0143] Figure 7 A block diagram 700 of a communication manager 720 supporting techniques for beam selection using CSI-RS resource acquisition, according to various aspects of this disclosure, is shown. The communication manager 720 may be an example of aspects of the communication manager 520, communication manager 620, or both as described herein. The communication manager 720 or its various components may be examples of parts for performing various aspects of the techniques for beam selection using CSI-RS resource acquisition, as described herein. For example, the communication manager 720 may include an SSB measurement component 725, a beam selection component 730, a CSI-RS resource identification component 735, a CSI-RS measurement component 740, a measurement reporting component 745, a CSI-RS resource prediction component 750, a time-slot-based beam switching component 755, a switching window component 760, or any combination thereof. Each of these components may communicate directly or indirectly with each other (e.g., via one or more buses).

[0144] Communication Manager 720 can support wireless communication at the UE according to the examples disclosed herein. SSB Measurement Component 725 can be configured or otherwise supported to support means for performing a set of synchronization signal block measurements. Beam Selection Component 730 can be configured or otherwise supported to support components for selecting the serving UE beam and candidate UE beam set for measuring CSI-RS based on a set of synchronization signal block measurements. CSI-RS Resource Identification Component 735 can be configured or otherwise supported to support components for identifying a time resource set for CSI-RS based on one or more previous CSI-RS configurations. CSI-RS Measurement Component 740 can be configured or otherwise supported to support components for measuring CSI-RS based on a time resource set using candidate UE beams from the candidate UE beam set. Measurement Reporting Component 745 can be configured or otherwise supported to support components for sending a measurement report to an access network entity based on CSI-RS measurements using candidate UE beams or the last CSI-RS measurement on the serving UE beam, or both.

[0145] Communication manager 720 can support wireless communication at a UE according to the examples disclosed herein. SSB measurement component 725 can be configured or otherwise supported for performing a set of synchronization signal block measurements. Beam selection component 730 can be configured or otherwise supported for selecting a serving UE beam and a candidate UE beam set for measuring channel state information reference signals based on a set of synchronization signal block measurements. In some examples, beam selection component 730 can be configured or otherwise supported for using the serving UE beam to receive a threshold number of downlink grants with demodulated reference signals. Measurement reporting component 735 can be configured or otherwise supported for monitoring one or more radio channels in a time slot using candidate UE beams from a candidate UE beam set based on the received threshold number of downlink grants. In some examples, measurement reporting component 745 can be configured or otherwise supported for measuring one or more demodulated reference signals transmitted on one or more radio channels in a time slot using candidate UE beams. In some examples, the measurement reporting component 745 may be configured or otherwise supported for sending a measurement report to an access network entity based on the measurement of one or more demodulation reference signals using the candidate UE beam or the last measurement using the serving UE beam, or both.

[0146] In some examples, to support the identification of time resource sets, the CSI-RS resource prediction component 750 can be configured or otherwise supported for predicting time resource sets based on one or more prior CSI-RS configurations.

[0147] In some examples, the slot-based beam switching component 755 may be configured or otherwise support components for determining a slot format that includes a set of time resources, wherein the slot format includes at least one downlink shared channel resource. In some examples, the slot-based beam switching component 755 may be configured or otherwise support components for monitoring slots using candidate UE beams based on the determined slot format, wherein CSI-RS is measured based on the monitoring slots.

[0148] In some examples, the slot-based beam switching component 755 may be configured or otherwise supported for components used to measure a demodulation reference signal on at least one downlink shared channel resource using candidate UE beams. In some examples, the slot-based beam switching component 755 may be configured or otherwise supported for components used to perform channel estimation on the slots based on the measured demodulation reference signal.

[0149] In some examples, the switching window component 760 may be configured or otherwise supported for using candidate UE beams for multiple time slot sets based on time windows around a time resource set, wherein CSI-RS is measured during at least one symbol in the multiple time slot sets.

[0150] In some examples, the switching window component 760 may be configured or otherwise supported for determining scheduling changes for access network entities, wherein candidate UE beams are used for a set of multiple time slots based on the scheduling changes.

[0151] In some examples, to support the use of candidate UE beams for a set of multiple time slots, the switching window component 760 can be configured or otherwise supported for use of candidate UE beams for uplink and downlink communications during a set of multiple time slots.

[0152] In some examples, the slot-based beam switching component 755 may be configured or otherwise support means for monitoring slots that include a time resource set using candidate UE beams, wherein CSI-RS resources are measured on symbols of the slot that are different from the predicted symbols of the CSI-RS used for the time resource set.

[0153] In some examples, to support the identification of time resource sets, the CSI-RS resource prediction component 750 may be configured or otherwise supported as means for identifying aperiodic reference signal resource configurations from one or more previous CSI-RS configurations. In some examples, to support the identification of time resource sets, the CSI-RS resource prediction component 750 may be configured or otherwise supported as means for determining scheduling information for one or more previous channel state information measurements based on aperiodic reference signal resource configurations, wherein the time resource set is identified based on the scheduling information.

[0154] In some examples, to support CSI-RS measurements, the CSI-RS measurement component 740 can be configured or otherwise supported for measuring spectral efficiency using candidate UE beams based on CSI-RS, wherein the measurement report is generated based on spectral efficiency.

[0155] In some examples, the CSI-RS measurement component 740 can be configured or otherwise supported as a component for individually measuring spectral efficiency for each rank of a candidate UE beam.

[0156] In some examples, the beam selection component 730 may be configured or otherwise support components for updating the candidate UE beam set based on measurement CSI-RS, additional synchronization signal block measurements, one or more CSI-RS measurements using one or more additional candidate UE beams, or any combination thereof.

[0157] In some examples, the beam selection component 730 may be configured or otherwise support means for reselecting the serving UE beam based on a measured channel state information reference signal.

[0158] In some examples, beam selection component 730 may be configured or otherwise support means for performing filtering, biasing, thresholding, or any combination thereof for measurements of the channel state information reference signal in the first and second ranks, wherein the reselection of the serving beam is based on filtering, biasing, thresholding, or any combination thereof.

[0159] In some examples, in order to support the identification of candidate UE beam sets, the SSB measurement component 725 may be configured or otherwise supported as means for identifying candidate UE beam sets from a beam subset used for a set of synchronization signal blocks.

[0160] In some examples, candidate UE beam sets are identified based on reference signal received power measurements of a subset of beams used for a set of synchronization signal block measurements.

[0161] In some examples, the candidate UE beamset is identified based on channel impulse response measurements of a subset of beams used for a set of synchronization signal blocks. In some examples, the candidate UE beamset is identified based on the UE's uplink link budget. In some examples, the CSI-RS is obtained by acquiring the CSI-RS.

[0162] Figure 8 A diagram of a system 800 including a device 805 supporting beam selection for acquiring resources using CSI-RS is shown according to various aspects of this disclosure. Device 805 may be an example of a component of device 505, device 605, or UE 115 as described herein, or may include components of device 505, device 605, or UE 115 as described herein. Device 805 may wirelessly communicate with one or more base stations 105, UE 115, or any combination thereof. Device 805 may include components for bidirectional voice and data communication, including components for transmitting and receiving communications, such as a communication manager 820, an input / output (I / O) controller 810, a transceiver 815, an antenna 825, a memory 830, a code 835, and a processor 840. These components may communicate electronically or be otherwise coupled (e.g., operatively, communicatively, functionally, electronically, or electrically) via one or more buses (e.g., bus 845).

[0163] I / O controller 810 can manage input and output signals for device 805. I / O controller 810 can also manage peripheral devices not integrated into device 805. In some cases, I / O controller 810 can represent a physical connection or port to an external peripheral device. In some cases, I / O controller 810 may utilize an operating system, such as or another known operating system. Additionally or alternatively, I / O controller 810 can represent or interact with a modem, keyboard, mouse, touchscreen, or similar device. In some cases, I / O controller 810 may be implemented as part of a processor (such as processor 840). In some cases, a user can interact with device 805 via I / O controller 810 or via hardware components controlled by I / O controller 810.

[0164] In some cases, device 805 may include a single antenna 825. However, in other cases, device 805 may have more than one antenna 825, which are capable of simultaneously transmitting or receiving multiple wireless transmissions. Transceiver 815 may communicate bidirectionally via one or more antennas 825, a wired or wireless link, as described herein. For example, transceiver 815 may represent a wireless transceiver and be capable of bidirectional communication with another wireless transceiver. Transceiver 815 may also include a modem to modulate packets, provide modulated packets to one or more antennas 825 for transmission, and demodulate packets received from the one or more antennas 825. Transceiver 815, or transceiver 815 and one or more antennas 825, may be an example of transmitter 515, transmitter 615, receiver 510, receiver 610, or any combination thereof or components thereof as described herein.

[0165] Memory 830 may include random access memory (RAM) and read-only memory (ROM). Memory 830 may store computer-readable, computer-executable code 835, including instructions that, when executed by processor 840, cause device 805 to perform the various functions described herein. Code 835 may be stored in a non-transitory computer-readable medium, such as system memory or another type of memory. In some cases, code 835 may not be directly executed by processor 840, but may instead cause a computer (e.g., when compiled and executed) to perform the functions described herein. In some cases, memory 830 may, in particular, include a basic I / O system (BIOS) that controls basic hardware or software operations, such as interaction with peripheral components or devices.

[0166] Processor 840 may include intelligent hardware devices (e.g., general-purpose processors, DSPs, CPUs, microcontrollers, ASICs, FPGAs, programmable logic devices, discrete gate or transistor logic components, discrete hardware components, or any combination thereof). In some cases, processor 840 may be configured to use a memory controller to operate a memory array. In other cases, the memory controller may be integrated into processor 840. Processor 840 may be configured to execute computer-readable instructions stored in memory (e.g., memory 830) to cause device 805 to perform various functions (e.g., functions or tasks supporting techniques for beam selection using CSI-RS to acquire resources). For example, device 805 or components of device 805 may include processor 840 and memory 830 coupled to processor 840, processor 840 and memory 830 being configured to perform the various functions described herein.

[0167] Communication manager 820 may support wireless communication at a UE according to examples disclosed herein. For example, communication manager 820 may be configured or otherwise support means for performing a set of synchronization signal block measurements. Communication manager 820 may be configured or otherwise support components for selecting a serving UE beam and candidate UE beam set for measuring CSI-RS based on a set of synchronization signal block measurements. Communication manager 820 may be configured or otherwise support means for identifying a time resource set for CSI-RS based on one or more previous CSI-RS configurations. Communication manager 820 may be configured or otherwise support means for measuring CSI-RS based on a time resource set using candidate UE beams from a candidate UE beam set. Communication manager 820 may be configured or otherwise support means for sending a measurement report to a base station based on CSI-RS measurements using candidate UE beams or the last CSI-RS measurement on the serving UE beam, or both.

[0168] Additionally or alternatively, the communication manager 820 may be configured or otherwise support components for receiving a threshold number of downlink grants with demodulation reference signals using the serving UE beam. The communication manager 820 may be configured or otherwise support components for monitoring one or more radio channels in a time slot using candidate UE beams from a candidate UE beam set based on the received threshold number of downlink grants. The communication manager 820 may be configured or otherwise support components for measuring one or more demodulation reference signals transmitted on one or more radio channels in a time slot using candidate UE beams. The communication manager 820 may be configured or otherwise support components for sending a measurement report to a base station based on the measurement of one or more demodulation reference signals using candidate UE beams or the last measurement using the serving UE beam, or both.

[0169] By including or configuring a communication manager 820 according to the examples described herein, device 805 can support techniques for measuring CSI-RS using candidate UE beams and predicting time resources for CSI-RS. These techniques enable UE 115 to switch beams in a timely manner (e.g., from the serving UE beam to a candidate UE beam) to utilize the candidate UE beam for CSI-RS measurement. UE 115 can use these techniques instead of processing the PDCCH early in the time slot, because once the PDCCH is processed and the time slot information is determined, the CSI-RS may have already passed. For example, UE 115 can buffer information that is processed and obtained from the buffer after the resource conveying the information has passed. However, for things like measurements utilizing different beams, UE 115 must have switched beams when the measurement resource appears. Therefore, instead of waiting to process the PDCCH to find the location of the CSI-RS, UE 115 can employ these techniques to predict where the CSI-RS will be in the time slot.

[0170] In some examples, the communication manager 820 may be configured to cooperate with or in conjunction with transceiver 815, one or more antennas 825, or any combination thereof to perform various operations (e.g., receiving, monitoring, transmitting). Although the communication manager 820 is illustrated as a separate component, in some examples, one or more functions described with reference to the communication manager 820 may be supported or performed by processor 840, memory 830, code 835, or any combination thereof. For example, code 835 may include instructions executable by processor 840 to cause device 805 to perform various aspects of the techniques described herein for beam selection using CSI-RS to acquire resources, or processor 840 and memory 830 may be otherwise configured to perform or support such operations.

[0171] Figure 9 A flowchart illustrating a method 900 for beam selection using CSI-RS to acquire resources, according to various aspects of this disclosure, is shown. Operation of method 900 can be implemented by a UE or its components as described herein. For example, operation of method 900 can be performed by, as referred to... Figures 1 to 8 The UE 115 described is used to perform this function. In some examples, the UE can execute a set of instructions to control the functional elements of the UE to perform the described function. Additionally or alternatively, the UE can use dedicated hardware to perform aspects of the described function.

[0172] At 905, the method may include performing a set of synchronization signal block measurements. The operation of 905 can be performed according to the examples disclosed herein. In some examples, aspects of the operation of 905 may be derived from, as referenced... Figure 7The SSB measurement component 725 is described to perform this function.

[0173] At 910, the method may include: selecting the serving UE beam and candidate UE beam set for measuring CSI-RS based on a set of synchronization signal block measurements. The operation of 910 can be performed according to the examples disclosed herein. In some examples, aspects of the operation of 910 may be provided by reference to [reference needed]. Figure 7 The beam selection component 730 described is used to perform this.

[0174] At 915, the method may include identifying a set of time resources for CSI-RS based on one or more prior CSI-RS configurations. The operation of 915 can be performed according to the examples disclosed herein. In some examples, aspects of the operation of 915 may be derived from, as referenced... Figure 7 The CSI-RS resource identification component 735 is described and used for execution.

[0175] At 920, the method may include measuring CSI-RS using candidate UE beams from a candidate UE beam set based on a time resource set. The operation at 920 can be performed according to the examples disclosed herein. In some examples, aspects of the operation at 920 may be provided by reference to [reference needed]. Figure 7 The CSI-RS measurement component 740 described herein is used to perform this measurement.

[0176] At point 925, the method may include: sending a measurement report to the base station based on CSI-RS measurements taken using the candidate UE beam or the last CSI-RS measurement on the serving UE beam, or both. The operation of point 925 can be performed according to the examples disclosed herein. In some examples, aspects of the operation of point 925 may be provided by reference to... Figure 7 The measurement report component 745 is described to perform this.

[0177] Figure 10 A flowchart illustrating a method 1000 for beam selection using CSI-RS resource acquisition, according to various aspects of this disclosure, is shown. Operation of method 1000 can be implemented by a UE or its components as described herein. For example, operation of method 1000 can be performed by, as described in reference... Figures 1 to 8 The UE 115 described is used to perform this function. In some examples, the UE can execute a set of instructions to control the functional elements of the UE to perform the described function. Additionally or alternatively, the UE can use dedicated hardware to perform aspects of the described function.

[0178] At point 1005, the method may include performing a set of synchronization signal block measurements. The operation of point 1005 can be performed according to the examples disclosed herein. In some examples, aspects of the operation of point 1005 may be derived from, as referenced... Figure 7 The SSB measurement component 725 is described to perform this function.

[0179] At point 1010, the method may include: selecting a serving UE beam and a candidate UE beam set for measuring CSI-RS based on a set of synchronization signal block measurements. The operation of point 1010 can be performed according to the examples disclosed herein. In some examples, aspects of the operation of point 1010 may be provided by reference to [reference needed]. Figure 7 The beam selection component 730 described is used to perform this.

[0180] At 1015, the method may include determining a time slot format for a time slot that includes a set of time resources, wherein the time slot format includes at least one downlink shared channel resource. The operation at 1015 can be performed according to the examples disclosed herein. In some examples, aspects of the operation at 1015 may be derived from, as referenced... Figure 7 The described time-slot-based beam switching component 755 performs this action.

[0181] At point 1020, the method may include identifying a set of time resources for CSI-RS based on one or more prior CSI-RS configurations. The operation of point 1020 can be performed according to the examples disclosed herein. In some examples, aspects of the operation of point 1020 may be derived from, as referenced... Figure 7 The CSI-RS resource identification component 735 is described and used for execution.

[0182] At 1025, the method may include using candidate UE beams to monitor time slots based on a determined time slot format, wherein CSI-RS is measured based on the monitored time slots. The operation at 1025 can be performed according to the examples disclosed herein. In some examples, aspects of the operation at 1025 may be provided by reference to [reference needed]. Figure 7 The described time-slot-based beam switching component 755 performs this action.

[0183] At 1030, the method may include measuring CSI-RS using candidate UE beams from a candidate UE beam set based on a time resource set. The operation of 1030 can be performed according to the examples disclosed herein. In some examples, aspects of the operation of 1030 may be provided by reference to [reference needed]. Figure 7 The CSI-RS measurement component 740 described herein is used to perform this measurement.

[0184] At 1035, the method may include: sending a measurement report to the base station based on CSI-RS measurements taken using the candidate UE beam or the last CSI-RS measurement on the serving UE beam, or both. The operation of 1035 can be performed according to the examples disclosed herein. In some examples, aspects of the operation of 1035 may be provided by reference to... Figure 7 The measurement report component 745 is described to perform this.

[0185] Figure 11A flowchart illustrating a method 1100 for beam selection using CSI-RS to acquire resources, according to various aspects of this disclosure, is shown. Operation of method 1100 can be implemented by a UE or its components as described herein. For example, operation of method 1100 can be performed by, as described in reference... Figure 1 The UE 115 described is used for execution. For example... Figures 1 to 8 As shown. In some examples, the UE can execute a set of instructions to control the UE's functional elements to perform the described functions. Additionally or alternatively, the UE can use dedicated hardware to perform aspects of the described functions.

[0186] At 1105, the method may include performing a set of synchronization signal block measurements. The operation of 1105 can be performed according to the examples disclosed herein. In some examples, aspects of the operation of 1105 may be derived from, as referenced... Figure 7 The SSB measurement component 725 is described to perform this function.

[0187] At 1110, the method may include: selecting the serving UE beam and candidate UE beam set for measuring CSI-RS based on a set of synchronization signal block measurements. The operation of 1110 can be performed according to the examples disclosed herein. In some examples, aspects of the operation of 1110 may be provided by reference to [reference needed]. Figure 7 The beam selection component 730 described is used to perform this.

[0188] At 1115, the method may include identifying an aperiodic reference signal resource configuration from one or more prior CSI-RS configurations. The operation of 1115 can be performed according to the examples disclosed herein. In some examples, aspects of the operation of 1115 may be derived from, as referenced... Figure 7 The CSI-RS resource prediction component 750 is described to perform this.

[0189] At 1120, the method may include determining scheduling information for one or more previous CSI measurements based on aperiodic reference signal resource configuration. The operation of 1120 can be performed according to the examples disclosed herein. In some examples, aspects of the operation of 1120 may be determined by, as referenced... Figure 7 The CSI-RS resource prediction component 750 is described to perform this.

[0190] In 1125, the method may include identifying a set of time resources for CSI-RS based on one or more previous CSI-RS configurations, wherein the set of time resources is identified based on scheduling information of one or more previous CSI measurements (e.g., previous aperiodic CSI measurements). The operation of 1125 can be performed according to the examples disclosed herein. In some examples, aspects of the operation of 1125 may be derived from, as referenced... Figure 7 The CSI-RS resource identification component 735 is described and used for execution.

[0191] At 1130, the method may include measuring CSI-RS using candidate UE beams from a candidate UE beam set based on a time resource set. The operation of 1130 can be performed according to the examples disclosed herein. In some examples, aspects of the operation of 1130 may be provided by reference to [reference needed]. Figure 7 The CSI-RS measurement component 740 described herein is used to perform this measurement.

[0192] At 1135, the method may include: sending a measurement report to the base station based on CSI-RS measurements taken using the candidate UE beam or the last CSI-RS measurement on the serving UE beam, or both. The operation of 1135 can be performed according to the examples disclosed herein. In some examples, aspects of the operation of 1135 may be provided by reference to... Figure 7 The measurement report component 745 is described to perform this.

[0193] Figure 12 A flowchart illustrating a method 1200 for beam selection using CSI-RS to acquire resources according to various aspects of this disclosure is shown. Operation of method 1200 can be implemented by a UE or its components as described herein. For example, operation of method 1200 can be implemented by, as referred to... Figures 1 to 8 The UE 115 described is used to perform this function. In some examples, the UE can execute a set of instructions to control the functional elements of the UE to perform the described function. Additionally or alternatively, the UE can use dedicated hardware to perform aspects of the described function.

[0194] In 1205, the method may include performing a set of synchronization signal block measurements. The operation of 1205 can be performed according to the examples disclosed herein. In some examples, aspects of the operation of 1205 may be provided as referenced. Figure 7 The SSB measurement component 725 is described to perform this function.

[0195] At 1210, the method may include: selecting a serving UE beam and a candidate UE beam set for measuring CSI-RS based on a set of synchronization signal block measurements. The operation of 1210 can be performed according to the examples disclosed herein. In some examples, aspects of the operation of 1210 may be provided by reference to [reference needed]. Figure 7 The beam selection component 730 described is used to perform this.

[0196] At 1215, the method may include: receiving a threshold number of downlink licenses using the serving UE beam along with the DMRS. The operation of 1215 can be performed according to the examples disclosed herein. In some examples, aspects of the operation of 1215 may be provided as referenced. Figure 7 The beam selection component 730 described is used to perform this.

[0197] At 1220, the method may include: monitoring one or more radio channels in a time slot using candidate UE beams from a candidate UE beamset, based on the number of downlink grants received (a threshold number of grants). The operation of 1220 can be performed according to the examples disclosed herein. In some examples, aspects of the operation of 1220 may be provided by reference to [reference needed]. Figure 7 The measurement report component 745 is described to perform this.

[0198] At 1225, the method may include: using candidate UE beam measurements to measure one or more DMRSs transmitted on one or more radio channels in one time slot. The operation of 1225 can be performed according to the examples disclosed herein. In some examples, aspects of the operation of 1225 may be provided by reference to... Figure 7 The measurement report component 745 is described to perform this.

[0199] At 1230, the method may include: sending a measurement report to the base station based on the last measurement using one or more DMRSs with the candidate UE beam or using the serving UE beam, or both. The operation of 1230 can be performed according to the examples disclosed herein. In some examples, aspects of the operation of 1230 may be provided by reference to... Figure 7 The measurement report component 745 is described to perform this.

[0200] The following provides an overview of the various aspects of this disclosure:

[0201] Aspect 1: A method for wireless communication at a UE, comprising: performing a set of synchronization signal block measurements; selecting a serving UE beam and a set of candidate UE beams for measuring a channel state information reference signal, at least in part based on the set of synchronization signal block measurements; identifying a set of time resources for the channel state information reference signal, at least in part based on one or more previous channel state information reference signal configurations; measuring the channel state information reference signal using candidate UE beams from the set of candidate UE beams, at least in part based on the time resource set; and sending a measurement report to an access network entity, at least in part based on the measurement of the channel state information reference signal using the candidate UE beams, or the last channel state information reference signal measurement on the serving UE beam, or both.

[0202] Aspect 2: According to the method of aspect 1, identifying the time resource set includes: predicting the time resource set based at least in part on one or more previous channel state information reference signal configurations.

[0203] Aspect 3: The method according to any one of Aspects 1 to 2 further includes: determining a time slot format for a time slot including a time resource set, wherein the time slot format includes at least one downlink shared channel resource; and monitoring the time slot using a candidate UE beam at least in part based on the determined time slot format, wherein the channel state information reference signal is measured at least in part based on the monitored time slot.

[0204] Aspect 4: The method according to aspect 3 further includes: measuring a demodulation reference signal using a candidate UE beam on at least one downlink shared channel resource; and performing channel estimation for a time slot based at least in part on the measured demodulation reference signal.

[0205] Aspect 5: The method according to any one of Aspects 1 to 2 further includes: using candidate UE beams for multiple time slots based at least in part on a time window surrounding a time resource set, wherein the channel state information reference signal is measured during at least one symbol in the multiple time slots.

[0206] Aspect 6: The method according to aspect 5 further includes: determining a scheduling change for the access network entity, wherein the candidate UE beam is used for the plurality of time slots at least in part based on the scheduling change.

[0207] Aspect 7: The method according to any one of Aspects 5 to 6, wherein using the candidate UE beam for the plurality of time slots comprises: using the candidate UE beam for uplink communication and downlink communication during the plurality of time slots.

[0208] Aspect 8: The method according to any one of Aspects 1 to 7 further includes: using a candidate UE beam to monitor a time slot including a time resource set, wherein the channel state information reference signal resource is measured on a symbol of the time slot that is different from the predicted symbol of the channel state information reference signal used for the time resource set.

[0209] Aspect 9: The method according to any one of Aspects 1 to 8, wherein identifying the time resource set comprises: identifying an aperiodic reference signal resource configuration from one or more previous channel state information reference signal configurations; and determining scheduling information for one or more previous aperiodic channel state information measurements based at least in part on the aperiodic reference signal resource configuration, wherein the time resource set is identified based at least in part on the scheduling information.

[0210] Aspect 10: The method according to any one of Aspects 1 to 9, wherein measuring the channel state information reference signal includes: measuring spectral efficiency using candidate UE beams based at least in part on the channel state information reference signal, wherein the measurement report is generated based at least in part on the spectral efficiency.

[0211] Aspect 11: The method according to aspect 10 further includes: measuring the spectral efficiency for each rank of the candidate UE beam.

[0212] Aspect 12: The method according to any one of Aspects 1 to 11 further includes updating the candidate UE beam set based at least in part on measuring channel state information reference signals, additional synchronization signal block measurements, one or more channel state information reference signal measurements using one or more additional candidate UE beams, or any combination thereof.

[0213] Aspect 13: The method according to any one of Aspects 1 to 12 further includes: reselecting the serving UE beam based at least in part on a measured channel state information reference signal.

[0214] Aspect 14: The method according to aspect 13 further includes: performing filtering, biasing, thresholding, or any combination thereof on a first rank and a second rank of the measurement of the channel state information reference signal, wherein the reselection of the serving beam is based at least in part on the filtering, the biasing, the thresholding, or any combination thereof.

[0215] Aspect 15: The method according to any one of Aspects 1 to 14, wherein identifying a candidate UE beam set comprises: identifying a candidate UE beam set from a beam subset used for a set of synchronization signal block measurements.

[0216] Aspect 16: According to the method of aspect 15, the candidate UE beam set is identified at least in part based on reference signal received power measurements of a subset of beams used for a set of synchronization signal block measurements.

[0217] Aspect 17: The method according to any one of Aspects 15 to 16, wherein the candidate UE beam set is identified at least in part based on channel impulse response measurements of a subset of beams used for the measurement of the set of synchronization signal blocks.

[0218] Aspect 18: The method according to any one of Aspects 15 to 17, wherein the candidate UE beam set is identified at least in part based on the UE’s uplink link budget.

[0219] Aspect 19: The method according to any one of Aspects 1 to 18, wherein the channel state information reference signal is an acquired channel state information reference signal.

[0220] Aspect 20: A method for wireless communication at a UE, comprising: performing a set of synchronization signal block measurements; selecting a serving UE beam and a set of candidate UE beams for measuring channel state information reference signals based at least in part on the set of synchronization signal block measurements; receiving downlink grants having a threshold number of demodulation reference signals using the serving UE beam; monitoring one or more radio channels in a time slot using candidate UE beams from the set of candidate UE beams based at least in part on receiving the threshold number of downlink grants; measuring one or more demodulation reference signals transmitted on the one or more radio channels in the time slot using the candidate UE beams; and sending a measurement report to an access network entity based at least in part on measuring the one or more demodulation reference signals using the candidate UE beams, or on the last channel state information reference signal measured on the serving UE beam, or both.

[0221] Aspect 21: According to the method of aspect 20, wherein measuring the channel state information reference signal includes: measuring spectral efficiency or signal-to-noise ratio or both using candidate UE beams, based at least in part on one or more demodulation reference signals, wherein the measurement report is generated based at least in part on spectral efficiency or signal-to-noise ratio or both.

[0222] Aspect 22: An apparatus for wireless communication at a UE, comprising: a processor; a memory coupled to the processor; and instructions stored in the memory and executable by the processor to cause the apparatus to perform the method according to any one of aspects 1 to 19.

[0223] Aspect 23: An apparatus for wireless communication at a UE, comprising at least one component for performing the method according to any one of aspects 1 to 19.

[0224] Aspect 24: A non-transitory computer-readable medium storing code for wireless communication at a UE, the code comprising instructions executable by a processor to perform the method according to any one of aspects 1 to 19.

[0225] Aspect 25: An apparatus for wireless communication at a UE, comprising: a processor; a memory coupled to the processor; and instructions stored in the memory and executable by the processor to cause the apparatus to perform the methods of any one of Aspects 20 to 21.

[0226] Aspect 26: An apparatus for wireless communication at a UE, comprising at least one component for performing the method according to any one of aspects 20 to 21.

[0227] Aspect 27: A non-transitory computer-readable medium storing code for wireless communication at a UE, the code including instructions executable by a processor to perform the methods of any one of Aspects 20 to 21.

[0228] It should be noted that the methods described in this paper describe possible implementations, and the operations and steps can be rearranged or otherwise modified, and other implementations are possible. Furthermore, aspects from two or more methods can be combined.

[0229] While aspects of LTE, LTE-A, LTE-A Pro, or NR systems may be described for illustrative purposes, and the terms LTE, LTE-A, LTE-A Pro, or NR may be used in most of the description, the techniques described herein can be applied beyond LTE, LTE-A, LTE-A Pro, or NR networks. For example, the techniques described can be applied to a variety of other wireless communication systems, such as Ultra Mobile Broadband (UMB), IEEE 802.11 (Wi-Fi), IEEE 802.16 (WiMAX), IEEE 802.20, Flash-OFDM, and other systems and wireless technologies not explicitly mentioned herein.

[0230] The information and signals described herein can be represented using any of a wide variety of different techniques and methods. For example, data, instructions, commands, information, signals, bits, symbols, and chips that may be mentioned throughout the specification can be represented by voltage, current, electromagnetic waves, magnetic fields or particles, light fields or particles, or any combination thereof.

[0231] The various illustrative boxes and components described herein can be implemented or executed using a general-purpose processor, DSP, ASIC, CPU, FPGA or other programmable logic device, discrete gate or transistor logic, discrete hardware components, or any combination thereof designed to perform the functions described herein. A general-purpose processor may be a microprocessor, but alternatively, the processor may be any processor, controller, microcontroller, or state machine. The processor may also be implemented as a combination of computing devices (e.g., a combination of a DSP and a microprocessor, multiple microprocessors, one or more microprocessors combined with a DSP core, or any other such configuration).

[0232] The functions described herein can be implemented in hardware, software executed by a processor, firmware, or any combination thereof. If implemented in software executed by a processor, the functions can be stored on or transmitted via a computer-readable medium as one or more instructions or code. Other examples and implementations are within the scope of this disclosure and the appended claims. For example, due to the nature of software, the functions described herein can be implemented using software executed by a processor, hardware, firmware, hardwired, or any combination thereof. Features implementing the functions can also be physically located in various locations, including portions distributed such that the functions are implemented in different physical locations.

[0233] Computer-readable media includes both non-transitory computer storage media and communication media, with communication media including any medium that facilitates the transmission of a computer program from one location to another. Non-transitory storage media can be any available medium accessible by a general-purpose or special-purpose computer. By way of example and not limitation, non-transitory computer-readable media may include RAM, ROM, electrically erasable programmable ROM (EEPROM), flash memory, disc-on-CD ROM or other optical disk storage, magnetic disk storage or other magnetic storage devices, or any other non-transitory medium that can be used to carry or store desired program code in the form of instructions or data structures and is accessible by a general-purpose or special-purpose computer, or a general-purpose or special-purpose processor. Furthermore, any connection is appropriately referred to as computer-readable media. For example, if software is transmitted from a website, server, or other remote source using coaxial cable, fiber optic cable, twisted pair, digital subscriber line (DSL), or wireless technologies such as infrared, radio, and microwave, then coaxial cable, fiber optic cable, twisted pair, DSL, or wireless technologies such as infrared, radio, and microwave are included in the definition of computer-readable media. As used herein, disks and optical discs include CDs, laser discs, optical discs, digital versatile discs (DVDs), floppy disks, and Blu-ray discs, wherein disks typically reproduce data magnetically, while optical discs reproduce data optically using lasers. Combinations of these are also included within the scope of computer-readable media.

[0234] As used herein (including the claims), the word "or" as used in a list of items (e.g., a list of items ending with a phrase such as "at least one of..." or "one or more of...") indicates an inclusive list, such that a list of at least one of a, B, or C means a or B or C or AB or AC or BC or ABC (i.e., a and B and C). Furthermore, as used herein, the phrase "based on" should not be construed as a reference to a closed set of conditions. For example, an example step described as "based on condition a" may be based on both condition a and condition B without departing from the scope of this disclosure. In other words, as used herein, the phrase "based on" should be interpreted in the same manner as the phrase "at least partially based on".

[0235] The term "determine" or "determining" encompasses a wide variety of actions, and therefore, "determining" can include calculating, computation, processing, deriving, investigating, searching (such as by looking in a table, database, or other data structure), ascertaining, etc. Furthermore, "determining" can include receiving (such as receiving information), accessing (such as accessing data in memory), etc. Additionally, "determining" can include parsing, selecting, picking, building, and other similar actions.

[0236] In the accompanying drawings, similar components or features may have the same reference numerals. Furthermore, various components of the same type can be distinguished by a dash following the reference numeral and a second reference numeral used to differentiate between similar components. If only the first reference numeral is used in the specification, the description applies to any one of the similar components having the same first reference numeral, regardless of the second or other subsequent reference numerals.

[0237] This document, illustrated with reference to the accompanying drawings, describes exemplary configurations but does not represent all examples that can be implemented or fall within the scope of the claims. The term "example" as used herein means "serving as an example, instance, or illustration," not "preferred" or "superior to other examples." The detailed description includes specific details used to provide an understanding of the described techniques. However, these techniques can be practiced without these specific details. In some instances, known structures and devices are shown in block diagram form to avoid obscuring the concepts of the described examples.

[0238] The description provided herein is intended to enable those skilled in the art to implement or use the present disclosure. Various modifications to the present disclosure will be readily apparent to those skilled in the art, and the general principles defined herein can be applied to other variations without departing from the scope of the disclosure. Therefore, the present disclosure is not limited to the examples and designs described herein, but is to be accorded the widest scope consistent with the principles and novel features disclosed herein.

Claims

1. A method for wireless communication at a user equipment (UE), comprising: Perform a set of synchronization signal block measurements; The serving UE beam and candidate UE beam set for measuring the channel state information reference signal are selected, at least in part, based on the set of synchronization signal block measurements. The time resource set for the channel state information reference signal is estimated based at least in part on one or more previous channel state information reference signal configurations; The channel state information reference signal is measured using candidate UE beams from the candidate UE beam set, at least in part based on the time resource set; Determine a time slot format for time slots including the time resource set, wherein the time slot format includes at least one downlink shared channel resource; and The candidate UE beam is used to monitor the time slot, at least in part based on determining the time slot format, wherein the channel state information reference signal is measured at least in part based on monitoring the time slot; and A measurement report is sent to the access network entity based at least in part on the channel state information reference signal measured using the candidate UE beam, or the last channel state information reference signal measurement on the serving UE beam, or both.

2. The method according to claim 1, further comprising: The demodulation reference signal is measured on at least one downlink shared channel resource using the candidate UE beam; as well as Channel estimation for the time slot is performed, at least in part, based on measurements of the demodulation reference signal.

3. The method according to claim 1, further comprising: The candidate UE beam is used for multiple time slots at least in part based on a time window surrounding the time resource set, wherein the channel state information reference signal is measured during at least one symbol of the multiple time slots.

4. The method according to claim 3, further comprising: Determine scheduling changes for the access network entity, wherein the candidate UE beams are used for the plurality of time slots at least in part based on the scheduling changes.

5. The method according to claim 3, wherein, Using the candidate UE beam in the plurality of time slots includes: The candidate UE beam is used for uplink and downlink communication during the plurality of time slots.

6. The method according to claim 1, further comprising: The candidate UE beam is used to monitor time slots including the time resource set, wherein the channel state information reference signal is measured on a symbol in the time slot that is different from the prediction symbol of the channel state information reference signal used for the time resource set.

7. The method according to claim 1, wherein, The estimated set of time resources includes: Identify aperiodic reference signal resource configurations from the one or more prior channel state information reference signal configurations; and Scheduling information for one or more previous channel state information measurements is determined at least in part based on the aperiodic reference signal resource configuration, wherein the time resource set is identified at least in part based on the scheduling information.

8. The method according to claim 1, wherein, Measuring the channel state information reference signal includes: The spectral efficiency is measured using the candidate UE beam, based at least in part on the channel state information reference signal, wherein the measurement report is generated based at least in part on the spectral efficiency.

9. The method according to claim 8, further comprising: The spectral efficiency is measured for each rank of the candidate UE beam.

10. The method according to claim 1, further comprising: The candidate UE beam set is updated at least in part based on measurements of the channel state information reference signal, additional synchronization signal block measurements, one or more channel state information reference signal measurements using one or more additional candidate UE beams, or any combination thereof.

11. The method according to claim 1, further comprising: The serving UE beam is reselected at least in part based on the measurement of the channel state information reference signal.

12. The method according to claim 11, wherein, Reselecting the serving UE beam also includes: Filtering, biasing, thresholding, or any combination thereof are performed on the first and second rank measurements of the channel state information reference signal, wherein the reselection of the serving UE beam is based at least in part on the filtering, the biasing, the thresholding, or any combination thereof.

13. The method according to claim 1, wherein, Selecting the candidate UE beam set includes: The candidate UE beam set is identified from the beam subset used for the measurement of the set of synchronization signal blocks.

14. The method according to claim 13, wherein, The candidate UE beam set is identified, at least in part, based on reference signal received power measurements of the beam subset used for the measurement of the set of synchronization signal blocks.

15. The method according to claim 13, wherein, The candidate UE beam set is identified, at least in part, based on channel impulse response measurements of the beam subset used for the measurement of the set of synchronization signal blocks.

16. The method according to claim 13, wherein, The candidate UE beamset is identified at least in part based on the UE's uplink link budget.

17. The method according to claim 1, wherein, The channel state information reference signal is used to obtain the channel state information reference signal.

18. An apparatus for wireless communication at a user equipment (UE), comprising: At least one memory, said at least one memory including instructions; and At least one processor, the at least one processor being configured to execute the instructions to cause the device to: Perform a set of synchronization signal block measurements; The serving UE beam and candidate UE beam set for measuring the channel state information reference signal are selected, at least in part, based on the set of synchronization signal block measurements. The time resource set for the channel state information reference signal is estimated based at least in part on one or more previous channel state information reference signal configurations; The channel state information reference signal is measured using candidate UE beams from the candidate UE beam set, at least in part based on the time resource set; Determine a time slot format for time slots including the time resource set, wherein the time slot format includes at least one downlink shared channel resource; and The candidate UE beam is used to monitor the time slot, at least in part based on determining the time slot format, wherein the channel state information reference signal is measured at least in part based on monitoring the time slot; and A measurement report is sent to the access network entity based at least in part on the channel state information reference signal measured using the candidate UE beam, or the last channel state information reference signal measurement on the serving UE beam, or both.

19. The apparatus according to claim 18, wherein, The instructions can also be executed by the processor to cause the device to: The demodulation reference signal is measured on at least one downlink shared channel resource using the candidate UE beam; and Channel estimation for the time slot is performed, at least in part, based on measurements of the demodulation reference signal.

20. The apparatus according to claim 18, wherein, The instructions can also be executed by the processor to cause the device to: The candidate UE beam is used for multiple time slots at least in part based on a time window surrounding the time resource set, wherein the channel state information reference signal is measured during at least one symbol of the multiple time slots.

21. The apparatus according to claim 20, wherein, The instructions can also be executed by the processor to cause the device to: Determine scheduling changes for the access network entity, wherein the candidate UE beams are used for the plurality of time slots at least in part based on the scheduling changes.

22. The apparatus according to claim 18, wherein, The instructions can also be executed by the processor to cause the device to: The candidate UE beam is used to monitor time slots that include the time resource set, wherein the channel state information reference signal is measured on a symbol in the time slot that is different from the predicted symbol of the channel state information reference signal used for the time resource set.

23. The apparatus according to claim 18, wherein, The instructions for selecting the candidate UE beam set can be executed by the processor to enable the device to: The candidate UE beam set is identified from the beam subset used for the set of synchronization signal block measurements based at least in part on: reference signal received power measurements of the beam subset used for the set of synchronization signal block measurements, channel impulse response measurements of the beam subset used for the set of synchronization signal block measurements, or the UE's uplink link budget, or any combination thereof.

24. An apparatus for wireless communication at a user equipment (UE), the apparatus comprising components for performing the method according to any one of claims 1-17.

25. A non-transitory computer-readable medium storing computer-executable instructions, which, when executed, cause one or more processors of a means for wireless communication at a user equipment (UE) to perform the method according to any one of claims 1-17.

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