Method and apparatus for communicating using joint phase-time array

Abstract

Methods and apparatus for uplink (UL) coverage enhancement with a joint phase-time array (JTPA) are disclosed. A method for communication by a base station (BS) includes identifying a criterion associated with a set of user equipments (UEs) in a cell of the BS; determining a first subset of the set of UEs using JPTA beamforming based on a criterion; the JPTA beamforming is used for signaling with a first subset of the UEs, and the analog beamforming is used for signaling with a second subset of the UEs in the set of UEs.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present disclosure relates generally to wireless communication systems, and more particularly, to uplink (UL) coverage enhancement utilizing a joint phase-time array (JTPA). Background Art

[0002] As wireless communications grow and the number of subscribers to wireless communications services continues to grow rapidly, the demand for wireless data services is rapidly increasing due to the increasing popularity among consumers and enterprises. In order to meet the high growth of mobile data services and support new applications and deployments, improvements in radio interface efficiency and coverage are critical. In addition, this demand for wireless data services has increased since the deployment of 4G communication systems, and in order to enable various vertical applications, 5G (e.g., fifth generation) communication systems have been developed and are currently being deployed. Several characteristics of such applications are also considered.

[0003] The basic principle of 5G or New Radio (NR) in the 3rd Generation Partnership Project (3GPP) is to support beam-specific operation for wireless communication between gNodeB (gNB) and user equipment (UE). There are several components in the 5G NR specification that can effectively operate in a beam-specific manner. Note that 5G communication systems involve implementations that include higher frequency millimeter wave (mmWave) bands (such as 28 GHz or 60 GHz bands, or generally above 6 GHz bands) to achieve higher data rates, or in lower frequency bands (such as below 6 GHz) to achieve robust coverage and mobility support. Summary of the invention

[0004] Technical Problem Solution to the Problem

[0005] The present disclosure relates to UL coverage enhancement using JTPA.

[0006] In an embodiment, a method for communication by a base station (BS) is provided. The method may include identifying a criterion associated with a set of user equipment (UE) in a cell of the BS. The method may include determining, based on the criterion, a first subset of the set of UEs to use JPTA beamforming. The method may include using the JPTA beamforming for signaling with the first subset of the UEs. The method may include using analog beamforming for signaling with a second subset of the UEs in the set of UEs.

[0007] In an embodiment, a UE for communication is provided. The UE may include a transceiver; and at least one processor coupled to the transceiver. The at least one processor may be configured to receive information about whether to use JTPA beamforming from a base station (BS). The at least one processor may be configured to determine whether to use joint phase-time array JPTA or analog beamforming based on the information. The at least one processor may be configured to use the JTPA beamforming for signaling with the BS when the information indicates the use of the JPTA beamforming. The at least one processor may be configured to use the analog beamforming for signaling with the BS when the information indicates the use of the analog beamforming.

[0008] In an embodiment, a BS for communication is provided. The BS may include a transceiver and at least one processor coupled to the transceiver. The at least one processor may be configured to identify a criterion associated with a set of UEs in a cell of the BS. The at least one processor may be configured to determine, based on the criterion, a first subset of the set of UEs to use JPTA beamforming. The at least one processor may be configured to use the JPTA beamforming for signaling with the first subset of the UEs. The at least one processor may be configured to use analog beamforming for signaling with a second subset of the UEs in the set of UEs. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0009] For a more complete understanding of the present disclosure and its advantages, reference is now made to the following description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, wherein like reference numerals represent like parts:

[0010] Figure 1 An example wireless network according to various embodiments of the present disclosure is shown;

[0011] Figure 2 An example BS according to various embodiments of the present disclosure is shown;

[0012] Figure 3 An example of a UE according to various embodiments of the present disclosure is shown;

[0013] Figure 4 A diagram illustrating a computing device according to various embodiments of the present disclosure;

[0014] Figure 5 An example of a transmitter structure for beamforming according to various embodiments of the present disclosure is shown;

[0015] Figure 6 An example of a BS JPTA architecture with one radio frequency (RF) chain and a single phase shifter per antenna element is shown according to various embodiments of the present disclosure;

[0016] Figure 7 An example of JPTA beamforming according to various embodiments of the present disclosure is shown;

[0017] Figure 8 An example of JPTA beamforming on a beam set according to various embodiments of the present disclosure is shown;

[0018] Fig. 9 illustrates an example resource diagram for JPTA beamforming for different sets of UL orthogonal frequency division multiplexing (OFDM) symbols according to various embodiments of the present disclosure;

[0019] Fig.10 A flowchart illustrating an example process for JPTA operation according to various embodiments of the present disclosure;

[0020] Fig.11 A flow chart illustrating an example process for resource allocation of a physical uplink shared channel (PUSCH) for a UE using a JPTA beam according to various embodiments of the present disclosure;

[0021] Fig.12 A flowchart illustrating an example process for JPTA operation according to various embodiments of the present disclosure;

[0022] Fig.13 shows an example resource diagram for JPTA beamforming on UL OFDM symbols according to various embodiments of the present disclosure;

[0023] Fig.14 A flow chart illustrating an example process for frequency resource indication in a downlink (DL) control information (DCI) format for physical uplink control channel (PUCCH) / sounding reference signal (SRS) transmission according to various embodiments of the present disclosure;

[0024] Fig.15 A flow chart illustrating an example process for control signaling indicating operations in a JPTA for a UE according to various embodiments of the present disclosure;

[0025] Fig.16 shows an example resource map for a JPTA beam that changes over time according to various embodiments of the present disclosure; and

[0026] Fig.17 An example resource diagram for JPTA operation for both UL and DL according to various embodiments of the present disclosure is shown. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0027] Before the following detailed description, it may be advantageous to set forth the definitions of certain words and phrases used throughout this patent document. The term "coupling" and its derivatives refer to any direct or indirect communication between two or more elements, whether or not these elements are in physical contact with each other. The terms "send", "receive" and "communication" and their derivatives include direct and indirect communication. The terms "include" and "comprise" and their derivatives mean including but not limited to this. The term "or" is inclusive, meaning and / or. The phrase "associated with..." and its derivatives mean including, included in, interconnected with, included in, connected to or connected with, coupled to or coupled with, communicable with, collaborate with, interweave, juxtapose, approach, bind to or bind with, have, have the property of, have a relationship with, etc. The term "controller" means any device, system or part thereof that controls at least one operation. Such a controller can be implemented in hardware or a combination of hardware and software and / or firmware. The functionality associated with any particular controller may be centralized or distributed, whether local or remote. When used with a list of items, the phrase "at least one of" means that different combinations of one or more of the listed items may be used, and only one of the items in the list may be required. For example, "at least one of A, B, and C" includes any of the following combinations: A, B, C, A and B, A and C, B and C, and A and B and C.

[0028] In addition, the various functions described below may be implemented or supported by one or more computer programs, each of which is formed by a computer-readable program code and embodied in a computer-readable medium. The terms "application" and "program" refer to one or more computer programs, software components, instruction sets, processes, functions, objects, classes, instances, related data, or a portion thereof, suitable for implementation in a suitable computer-readable program code. The phrase "computer-readable program code" includes any type of computer code, including source code, object code, and executable code. The phrase "computer-readable medium" includes any type of medium that can be accessed by a computer, such as a read-only memory (ROM), a random access memory (RAM), a hard drive, a compact disk (CD), a digital video disc (DVD), or any other type of memory. "Non-transitory" computer-readable media do not include wired, wireless, optical, or other communication links that transmit temporary electrical or other signals. Non-transitory computer-readable media include media that can store data permanently and media that can store data and rewrite data later, such as rewritable optical disks or erasable memory devices.

[0029] Definitions for certain other words and phrases are provided throughout this patent document. Those of ordinary skill in the art should understand that in many, if not most instances, such definitions apply to prior, as well as future uses of such defined words and phrases.

[0030] Discussed below Figure 1-17 The various non-limiting embodiments used to describe the principles of the present disclosure in this patent document are for illustration only and should not be interpreted in any way as limiting the scope of the present disclosure. Those skilled in the art will appreciate that the principles of the present disclosure can be implemented in any appropriately arranged system or device.

[0031] In order to meet the increased demand for wireless data services since the deployment of 4G communication systems, efforts have been made to develop improved 5G or quasi-5G communication systems. Therefore, 5G or quasi-5G communication systems are also called "super 4G networks" or "post-LTE systems."

[0032] 5G communication systems are considered to be implemented in higher frequency (mmWave) bands (e.g., 60 GHz bands) in order to achieve higher data rates. In order to reduce the propagation loss of radio waves and increase transmission coverage, beamforming, massive multiple-input multiple-output (MIMO), full-dimensional MIMO (FD-MIMO), array antennas, analog beamforming, massive antenna technology, etc. are discussed in 5G communication systems.

[0033] In addition, in 5G communication systems, development of system network improvements is underway based on advanced small cells, cloud radio access networks (RANs) ultra-dense networks, device-to-device (D2D) communication, wireless backhaul communication, mobile networks, cooperative communications, coordinated multi-point (CoMP) transmission and reception, interference mitigation and elimination, etc.

[0034] The discussion of 5G systems and frequency bands associated therewith is for reference, as certain embodiments of the present disclosure may be implemented in 5G systems. However, the present disclosure is not limited to 5G systems or frequency bands associated therewith, and non-limiting embodiments of the present disclosure may be used in conjunction with any frequency band. For example, aspects of the present disclosure may also be applied to the deployment of 5G communication systems, 6G, or even later versions that may use terahertz (THz) frequency bands.

[0035] The following Figure 1-3 Various embodiments are described that are implemented in a wireless communication system and using Orthogonal Frequency Division Multiplexing (OFDM) or Orthogonal Frequency Division Multiple Access (OFDMA) communication techniques. Figure 1-3 The description is not meant to imply physical or architectural limitations to how different embodiments may be implemented. Different embodiments of the disclosure may be implemented in any suitably arranged communications system.

[0036] Figure 1 An example wireless network according to various embodiments of the present disclosure is shown. Figure 1 The embodiment of the wireless network shown is for illustration only. Other embodiments of the wireless network 100 may be used without departing from the scope of the present disclosure.

[0037] like Figure 1 As shown, the wireless network includes gNB 101 (e.g., base station BS), gNB 102, and gNB 103. gNB 101 communicates with gNB 102 and gNB 103. gNB 101 also communicates with at least one network 130 (such as the Internet, a proprietary Internet Protocol (IP) network, or another data network).

[0038] gNB 102 provides wireless broadband access to network 130 for a first plurality of user equipment (UE) within coverage area 120 of gNB 102. The first plurality of UEs includes UE 111, which may be located in a small business; UE 112, which may be located in an enterprise; UE 113, which may be a WiFi hotspot; UE 114, which may be located in a first residence; UE 115, which may be located in a second residence; and UE 116, which may be a mobile device such as a cellular phone, a wireless laptop, a wireless PDA, etc. gNB 103 provides wireless broadband access to network 130 for a second plurality of UEs within coverage area 125 of gNB 103. The second plurality of UEs includes UE 115 and UE 116. In some embodiments, one or more of gNBs 101-103 may communicate with each other and with UEs 111-116 using 5G / NR, Long Term Evolution (LTE), Long Term Evolution-Advanced (LTE-A), WiMAX, WiFi, or other wireless communication technologies.

[0039] As described in more detail below, in various embodiments, eNB 102 and / or 103 provides UL coverage enhancement using JTPA, for example, to one or more UEs 111-116 that use JTPA beamforming to enhance UL coverage. In these embodiments, one or more UEs 111-116 use JTPA beamforming for UL transmissions to eNB 102 and / or 103 for enhanced UL coverage.

[0040] Depending on the network type, the term "base station" or "BS" may refer to any component (or collection of components) configured to provide wireless access to a network, such as a transmission point (TP), a transmission-reception point (TRP), an enhanced base station (eNodeB or eNB), a 5G / NR base station (gNB), a macro cell, a femto cell, a WiFi access point (AP), or other wirelessly enabled devices. A base station may provide wireless access according to one or more wireless communication protocols (e.g., 5G / NR, 3rd Generation Partnership Project (3GPP) NR, Long Term Evolution (LTE), Advanced LTE (LTE-A), High Speed ​​Packet Access (HSPA), Wi-Fi 802.11a / b / g / n / ac, etc.). For convenience, the terms "BS" and "TRP" are used interchangeably in this patent document to refer to a network infrastructure component that provides wireless access to a remote terminal. In addition, depending on the network type, the term "user equipment" or "UE" may refer to any component, such as a "mobile station", "subscriber station", "remote terminal", "wireless terminal", "reception point", or "user equipment". For convenience, the terms "user equipment" and "UE" are used in this patent document to refer to a remote wireless device that wirelessly accesses a BS, whether the UE is a mobile device (such as a mobile phone or smartphone) or a generally considered fixed device (such as a desktop computer or vending machine).

[0041] The dashed lines illustrate the approximate extents of the coverage areas 120 and 125, which are shown as approximately circular for purposes of illustration and explanation only. It should be clearly understood that the coverage areas associated with gNBs, such as coverage areas 120 and 125, may have other shapes, including irregular shapes, depending on the configuration of the gNBs and variations in the radio environment associated with natural and man-made obstacles.

[0042] In some embodiments, network 130 facilitates communication between at least one server 134 and various client devices, such as client device 136. Server 134 includes any suitable computing or processing device that can provide computing services to one or more client devices. Server 134 may include, for example, one or more processing devices, one or more memories storing instructions and data, and one or more network interfaces that facilitate communication over network 130.

[0043] Client device 136 represents any suitable computing or processing device that interacts with at least one server or other computing device through network 130. In this example, the client device is represented as a desktop computer, but other examples of client devices may include a mobile phone, a laptop computer, or a tablet computer. However, any other or additional client devices may be used in wireless network 100.

[0044] In this example, the client devices may communicate indirectly with the network 130. For example, some client devices may communicate via one or more base stations, such as cellular base stations or eNodeBs. In addition, the client devices may communicate via one or more wireless access points (not shown), such as IEEE 802.11 wireless access points. Note that these are for illustration only, and each client device may communicate directly with the network 130 or indirectly with the network 130 via any suitable intermediate device or network.

[0045] As described in more detail below, a computing device, such as server 134 or client device 136, may determine and / or generate parameters for when and for which UEs to use JTPA beamforming for UL coverage enhancement. For example, server 134 or client device 136 may perform cell planning based on field measurements and / or simulations, and generate and disseminate thresholds or criteria for when and for which UEs to use JTPA beamforming for UL coverage enhancement in network 100.

[0046] although Figure 1 An example of a wireless network is shown, but Figure 1 Various changes may be made. For example, the wireless network may include any number of gNBs and any number of UEs in any suitable arrangement. In addition, gNB 101 may communicate directly with any number of UEs and provide these UEs with wireless broadband access to network 130. Similarly, each gNB 102-103 may communicate directly with network 130 and provide the UEs with direct wireless broadband access to network 130. In addition, gNBs 101, 102, and / or 103 may provide access to other or additional external networks, such as an external telephone network or other type of data network.

[0047] Figure 2 An example gNB 102 is shown according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. Figure 2 The embodiment of the gNB 102 shown in FIG. is for illustration only, and Figure 1 gNBs 101 and 103 may have the same or similar configurations. However, gNBs have a variety of configurations, and Figure 2 The scope of the present disclosure is not limited to any particular implementation of the gNB.

[0048] like Figure 2 As shown, the gNB 102 includes multiple antennas 205a-205n, multiple transceivers 210a-210n, a controller / processor 225, a memory 230, and a backhaul or network interface 235.

[0049] The transceivers 210a-210n receive incoming RF signals from the antennas 205a-205n, such as signals transmitted by UEs in the network 100. The transceivers 210a-210n downconvert the incoming RF signals to generate IF or baseband signals. The IF or baseband signals are processed by receive (RX) processing circuits in the transceivers 210a-210n and / or the controller / processor 225, which generate processed baseband signals by filtering, decoding, and / or digitizing the baseband or IF signals. The controller / processor 225 may further process the baseband signals.

[0050] Transmit (TX) processing circuitry in the transceivers 210a-210n and / or the controller / processor 225 receives analog or digital data (such as voice data, network data, email, or interactive video game data) from the controller / processor 225. The TX processing circuitry encodes, multiplexes, and / or digitizes the outgoing baseband data to generate a processed baseband or IF signal. The transceivers 210a-210n up-convert the baseband or IF signal to an RF signal that is transmitted via the antennas 205a-205n.

[0051] The controller / processor 225 may include one or more processors or other processing devices that control the overall operation of the gNB 102. For example, the controller / processor 225 may control the reception of UL channel signals and the transmission of DL channel signals by the transceivers 210a-210n in accordance with well-known principles. The controller / processor 225 may also support additional functionality, such as more advanced wireless communication functionality. For example, the controller / processor 225 may support beamforming or directional routing operations, in which outgoing / incoming signals from / to multiple antennas 205a-205n are weighted differently to effectively direct the outgoing signals in a desired direction. The controller / processor 225 may support any of a variety of other functions in the gNB 102.

[0052] The controller / processor 225 is also capable of executing programs and other processes, such as an OS, that reside in the memory 230. The controller / processor 225 can move data into or out of the memory 230 as needed by executing the processes. As described in more detail below, in various embodiments, the eNB 102 provides UL coverage enhancement with JTPA, for example, to one or more UEs 111-116 that use JTPA beamforming to enhance UL coverage.

[0053] The controller / processor 225 is also coupled to a backhaul or network interface 235. The backhaul or network interface 235 allows the gNB 102 to communicate with other devices or systems over a backhaul connection or over a network. The interface 235 may support communication over any suitable wired or wireless connection. For example, when the gNB 102 is implemented as part of a cellular communication system (such as a system supporting 5G / NR, LTE, or LTE-A), the interface 235 may allow the gNB 102 to communicate with other gNBs over a wired or wireless backhaul connection. When the gNB 102 is implemented as an access point, the interface 235 may allow the gNB 102 to communicate over a wired or wireless local area network or over a wired or wireless connection to a larger network (such as the Internet). The interface 235 includes any suitable structure that supports communication over a wired or wireless connection, such as Ethernet or a transceiver.

[0054] The controller / processor 225 may control the operations of other elements of the eNB 102. The operations of the eNB 102 described herein may be interpreted as being performed by the controller / processor 225.

[0055] Memory 230 is coupled to controller / processor 225. A portion of memory 230 may include RAM, and another portion of memory 230 may include flash memory or other ROM.

[0056] although Figure 2 An example of a gNB 102 is shown, but the Figure 2 For example, gNB 102 may include Figure 2 Any number of each component shown in Figure 2 The various components in may be combined, further subdivided, or omitted, and additional components may be added according to specific needs.

[0057] Figure 3 An example UE 116 is shown in accordance with an embodiment of the present disclosure. Figure 3 The embodiment of UE 116 shown in FIG. 1 is for illustration only, and Figure 1 UEs 111-115 may have the same or similar configurations. However, UEs have a variety of configurations, and Figure 3 The scope of the present disclosure is not limited to any particular implementation of the UE.

[0058] like Figure 3As shown, UE 116 includes antenna 305, transceiver 310, and microphone 320. UE 116 also includes speaker 330, processor 340, input / output (I / O) interface (IF) 345, input 350, display 355, and memory 360. Memory 360 includes operating system (OS) 361 and one or more applications 362.

[0059] Transceiver 310 receives incoming RF signals from antenna 305 transmitted by a gNB of network 100. Transceiver 310 downconverts the incoming RF signals to generate an intermediate frequency (IF) or baseband signal. The IF or baseband signal is processed by RX processing circuitry in transceiver 310 and / or processor 340, which generates a processed baseband signal by filtering, decoding, and / or digitizing the baseband or IF signal. The RX processing circuitry transmits the processed baseband signal to speaker 330 (such as for voice data) or is processed by processor 340 (such as for web browsing data).

[0060] The TX processing circuit in the transceiver 310 and / or the processor 340 receives analog or digital voice data from the microphone 320, or receives other outgoing baseband data (such as network data, email, or interactive video game data) from the processor 340. The TX processing circuit encodes, multiplexes, and / or digitizes the outgoing baseband data to generate a processed baseband or IF signal. The transceiver 310 up-converts the baseband or IF signal to an RF signal that is transmitted via the antenna 305.

[0061] The processor 340 may include one or more processors or other processing devices and execute the OS 361 stored in the memory 360 to control the overall operation of the UE 116. For example, the processor 340 may control the transceiver 310 to receive DL channel signals and transmit UL channel signals according to well-known principles. In some embodiments, the processor 340 includes at least one microprocessor or microcontroller.

[0062] The processor 340 is also capable of executing other processes and programs resident in the memory 360. The processor 340 may move data into or out of the memory 360 as needed by executing the processes. For example, in various embodiments, the UE 116 uses JTPA beamforming for UL transmissions to the eNBs 102 and / or 103 for enhanced UL coverage.

[0063] In some embodiments, processor 340 is configured to execute application 362 based on OS 361 or in response to a signal received from a gNB or operator. Processor 340 is also coupled to I / O interface 345, which provides UE 116 with the ability to connect to other devices such as laptops and handheld computers. I / O interface 345 is the communication path between these accessories and processor 340.

[0064] Processor 340 is also coupled to input 350 and display 355. An operator of UE 116 may enter data into UE 116 using input 350. Display 355 may be a liquid crystal display, light emitting diode display, or other display capable of presenting text and / or at least limited graphics, such as from a website.

[0065] The processor 340 may control the operations of other elements of the UE 116. The operations of the UE 116 described herein may be interpreted as being performed by the processor 340.

[0066] Memory 360 is coupled to processor 340. A portion of memory 360 may include random access memory (RAM), and another portion of memory 360 may include flash memory or other read-only memory (ROM).

[0067] although Figure 3 An example of UE 116 is shown, but the Figure 3 Make various changes. For example, Figure 3 The various components in may be combined, further subdivided, or omitted, and additional components may be added as required. As a specific example, processor 340 may be divided into multiple processors, such as one or more central processing units (CPUs) and one or more graphics processing units (GPUs). In another example, transceiver 310 may include any number of transceivers and signal processing chains, and may be connected to any number of antennas. In addition, although Figure 3 The UE 116 is shown configured as a mobile phone or smart phone, but the UE may be configured to operate as other types of mobile or stationary devices.

[0068] Figure 4 An example of a computing device 400 according to various embodiments of the present disclosure is shown. In one embodiment, the computing device 400 is a server (such as Figure 1 Server 134 in the Figure 1 Computing device 400 is for illustration only, and other embodiments may be used without departing from the scope of the present disclosure.

[0069] like Figure 4As shown, computing device 400 includes a bus system 405 that supports communication between at least one processor 410, at least one storage device 415, at least one communication unit 420, and at least one input / output (I / O) unit 425. Processor 410 executes instructions that may be loaded into memory 430. Processor 410 may include any suitable number and type of processors or other devices in any suitable arrangement. Examples of types of processors 410 include microprocessors, microcontrollers, digital signal processors, field programmable gate arrays, application specific integrated circuits, and discrete circuits.

[0070] Memory 430 and persistent storage 435 are examples of storage devices 415, which represent any structure capable of storing and facilitating retrieval of information, such as temporary or permanent data, program code, and / or other suitable information. Memory 430 may represent random access memory or any other suitable volatile or non-volatile storage device. Persistent storage 435 may include one or more components or devices that support long-term storage of data, such as read-only memory, a hard drive, flash memory, or an optical disk.

[0071] Communications unit 420 supports communications with other systems or devices. For example, communications unit 420 may include a network interface card or a wireless transceiver that facilitates communications over network 130. Communications unit 420 may support communications over any suitable physical or wireless communications link.

[0072] I / O unit 425 allows input and output of data. For example, I / O unit 425 can provide a connection for user input through a keyboard, mouse, keypad, touch screen, or other suitable input device. I / O unit 425 can also send output to a display, printer, or other suitable output device.

[0073] In various embodiments, computing device 400 may determine and / or generate parameters for when and for which UEs to use JTPA beamforming for UL coverage enhancement. For example, server 134 or client device 136 may perform cell planning based on field measurements and / or simulations, and generate and disseminate thresholds or criteria for when and for which UEs to use JTPA beamforming for UL coverage enhancement.

[0074] Note that although Figure 4 Described as indicating Figure 1 134, but the same or similar structure can be used in one or more client devices. For example, the client device 136 can have Figure 4 The same or similar structure as shown.

[0075] Figure 5An example of a transmitter structure 500 for beamforming according to various embodiments of the present disclosure is shown. Figure 5 The non-limiting embodiment of transmitter structure 500 is shown for illustration only. Figure 5 The scope of the present disclosure is not limited to any particular implementation of the transmitter structure 500. In some embodiments, one or more of the gNB 102 or the UE 116 include the transmitter structure 500. For example, one or more of the antenna 205 and its associated system or the antenna 305 and its associated system may be included in the transmitter structure 500.

[0076] exist Figure 5 In the example shown, the transmitter structure 500 includes analog phase shifters 505, analog beamformers (BFs) 510, hybrid BFs 515, digital BFs 520, and one or more antenna arrays 525. In this case, one CSI-RS port is mapped to a large number of antenna elements in the antenna array 525, which can be controlled by a group of analog phase shifters 505. Then, one CSI-RS port can correspond to a subarray, which produces a narrow analog beam through analog beamforming by the analog BF 510. The analog beam can be configured to scan 530 over a wider angle range by changing the phase shifter group 505 across symbols or subframes.

[0077] As the operating frequency bands in NR become higher, the UE may include multiple antenna arrays 525 or panels, each panel capable of transmitting via one analog beam (e.g., analog BF 510) to enhance aspects of multi-beam operation, such as coverage enhancement, minimization of beam failure events, fast beam switching, etc. In various embodiments, the antenna array 525 performs JTPA beamforming to enhance UL coverage.

[0078] Embodiments of the present disclosure recognize and take into account that analog beamforming or hybrid beamforming relies on analog hardware such as phase shifters and switches to establish the beam shape. However, these analog hardware components establish a frequency flat response, i.e., all components of the input signal frequency experience similar transformations after passing through them. This reduces the flexibility of beamforming possible in such analog or hybrid beamforming systems compared to a fully digital architecture in which each antenna array is fed with a dedicated RF chain.

[0079] Embodiments of the present disclosure also recognize and take into account that a key issue in 5G deployment is limited coverage. Due to the high path loss, high penetration loss, and blocking at the millimeter wave band, the cell radius of millimeter wave 5G is much smaller than that of mid-band 5G and low-band LTE below 6 GHz. Therefore, the cost of installing a millimeter wave cellular network is much higher than that of mid-band GHz 5G and low-band LTE below 6 GHz. Currently, millimeter wave 5G is mainly available only in downtown areas, stadiums, airports, etc. In the case of sub-THz or THz communications proposed for 6G, embodiments of the present disclosure recognize and take into account that this coverage problem may become more serious. Various embodiments of the present disclosure also recognize that since the transmission power at the UE is lower than the transmission power at the BS, UL coverage is more likely to be a bottleneck for cell coverage.

[0080] Various embodiments of the present disclosure recognize that progress has been made in the implementation of a new type of analog hardware called True Time Delay (TTD). Unlike switches and phase shifters, TTDs have frequency-dependent behavior, i.e., different components of the input signal frequency undergo different transformations after passing through them. Therefore, using a hybrid transceiver architecture where several RF chains are connected to a large antenna array using TTDs, a more versatile frequency-dependent beamforming approach can be achieved than the frequency-flat beamforming approach. Here, the frequency-dependent beamforming approach is referred to as JPTA beamforming.

[0081] Therefore, various embodiments of the present disclosure provide JPTA beamforming techniques to extend UL coverage and enhance throughput for users in the center of a cell. For example, the present disclosure provides a standard-compatible operating scheme for JPTA, covering resource allocation schemes and control signaling. Various embodiments provide for utilizing analog beamforming on a first beam set serving one or more UEs and utilizing JPTA beamforming on a second beam set. In these embodiments, the first beam set can be used for UEs that may be at the center of a cell, where UL coverage is less likely to be a problem due to proximity to the BS. The second beam set can be used for UEs that may be at the edge of a cell. Various implementations of the present disclosure provide for utilizing joint phase time operations in the UL to enhance UL coverage of one or more UE devices.

[0082] For certain carrier frequencies, such as mmWave bands or higher, a gNB typically has multiple beams to provide signal coverage within a cell to UEs. Each of the beams of a gNB provides local coverage that does not overlap or partially overlaps with another beam in its spatial coverage. In various embodiments, the gNB may use a set of beams (beam set 1) for serving UEs that do not require enhanced UL coverage. For example, these UEs may be UEs that have a higher (e.g., below a threshold) signal quality (or strength) for UL signals received by the gNB. Although the gNB may not know the precise location of the UE, these UEs may be considered to be associated with the center of the cell (e.g., away from the cell edge and closer to the cell center), and may therefore be able to send UL signals that can be received by the gNB with sufficient quality so that enhanced UL coverage via JTPA beamforming is not required. On the other hand, the gNB may use a second set of beams (beam set 2) for serving UEs with enhanced UL coverage. For example, these UEs may be UEs that have a lower (e.g., below a threshold) signal quality for UL signals received by the gNB. Although the gNB may not know the precise location of the UEs, these UEs may be considered to be associated with the edge of the cell (e.g., far from the cell center and close to the cell edge) and may therefore not be able to transmit UL signals that can be received by the gNB with sufficient quality to benefit from the enhanced UL coverage via JTPA beamforming. Whether a beam should be included in beam set 1 or beam set 2 can be characterized by whether the signal received on the beam transmitted by the UE within the beam coverage has a sufficiently high signal strength or signal quality. If the signal received on the beam is generally (or on average) high enough so that a high data rate can be supported on the beam, it should be in beam set 1, otherwise it should be in beam set 2.

[0083] Figure 6 An example of a BS JPTA architecture 600 with one RF chain and a single phase shifter per antenna element according to various embodiments of the present disclosure is shown. For example, the BS JPTA architecture 600 may be implemented in a BS such as the gNB 102, and more specifically, in one or more of the transceivers 210. The BS JPTA architecture 600 is for illustration only, and other embodiments may be used without departing from the scope of the present disclosure.

[0084] In one embodiment, it is assumed that the BS has a uniform linear antenna array with M elements and N RF = 1 RF chain. Note that the present disclosure can be directly extended to a planar array configuration. The antenna spacing is the center frequency f 0 Each of the M antennas has a dedicated phase shifter, and they are connected to a single RF chain via a network of N≤M TTDs, as Figure 6 Here, P is a fixed M×N mapping matrix where each row m has one non-zero entry and determines which of the N TTD antennas m is connected to. Assume that TTD is configurable with 0 ≤ τ ≤ K The delay variation range of W is K is the design parameter to be chosen. The phase shifters are assumed to have unit amplitude and have arbitrarily reconfigurable phases -π≤φ<π. Transmissions in both uplink and downlink directions use Then, the subcarriers for the representative OFDM symbol are The M×1 downlink TX signal on can be expressed as:

[0085] .

[0086] Among them, s k and α k is the scalar data and digital beamforming on the kth subcarrier, f k is the frequency of the kth subcarrier (including the carrier frequency), τ n is the delay of the nth TTD, and φ m is the phase of the mth phase shifter connected to the mth antenna. Note that from the above equation, the total transmit power of the BS can be given by Note that for this JPTA architecture, the effective downlink unit norm analog beamformer on subcarrier k is e k =TPd k , where the M×M diagonal matrix T captures the effect of the phase shifter and the N×1 vector d k The impact of TTD is captured. It can be shown that for the uplink scenario, the same beamformer is also applicable to the BS.

[0087] Figure 7 An example of JPTA beamforming 700 according to various embodiments of the present disclosure is shown. For example, JPTA beamforming 700 provides an example of a frequency that varies linearly over a system bandwidth and an angular direction that is linearly scanned over a certain area according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. For example, JPTA beamforming 700 may be performed by BS 102 in network 100. JPTA beamforming is for illustration only, and other embodiments may be used without departing from the scope of the present disclosure.

[0088] In one example behavior of JPTA operation, the region of maximum gain of the beam sweeps over the angular range as the signal frequency varies. At any signal frequency f, the desired beam establishes the maximum possible array gain in an angular direction θ(f). When f varies linearly over the system bandwidth, the angular direction θ(f) also lies within a certain angular region [θ0 - Δθ / 2, θ 0 +Δθ / 2], such as Figure 7 The embodiments of the present disclosure may also be applied to other behaviors of JPTA operation. Figure 7 The examples shown in are for illustration only, and other embodiments may be used without departing from the scope of the present disclosure.

[0089] In the analog gNB beamforming scheme, the gNB switches the beam transmitted or received from the UE over time so that only one beam is used at any given time. For example, the gNB performs analog beamforming and scans the analog beam over time in order to communicate with its UE.

[0090] The eNB may also use JPTA operation in the UL for the purpose of enhancing the UL coverage of the UE. Specifically, the gNB may employ JPTA beamforming to receive UL channels / signals transmitted by the UE (e.g., corresponding to UL reception on beam set 2). The UE may still employ analog beamforming in its UL transmissions.

[0091] Figure 8 An example of JPTA beamforming 800 on a beam set according to various embodiments of the present disclosure is shown, and Fig. 9 An example resource map 900 for JPTA beamforming for different sets of UL OFDM symbols according to various embodiments of the present disclosure is shown. For example, according to an embodiment of the present disclosure, JPTA beamforming 800 may be performed by BS 102 in network 101, and resource map 900 may be used by BS 102 for analog beamforming and JPTA beamforming for UL sets of different UEs. JPTA beamforming 800 and resource map 900 are for illustration only, and other embodiments may be used without departing from the scope of the present disclosure.

[0092] exist Figure 8 In the simulation beam UL 0 To UL 3Receive data on the UL timeslot. Note that this is merely an illustrative example and the network 101 may have a beam of 10s or 100s. For JPTA operation, UEs located at the edge of the cell have greater UL transmission opportunities in the time domain. Therefore, the UE may send multiple copies of the physical uplink control channel (PUCCH) and / or physical uplink shared channel (PUSCH) packets, which improves the effective signal to interference and noise ratio (SINR), thereby facilitating decoding at the BS. The total time-frequency radio resources allocated to cell edge UEs may be the same between analog beamforming and JPTA beamforming. However, due to the longer uplink transmission duration, the UE in JPTA operation may deliver more energy to the BS. The result of JPTA beamforming applied to the UE enables simultaneous reception of UL signals in a single UL timeslot.

[0093] Embodiments of the present disclosure recognize that not all UL channels / signals may require coverage enhancement via JPTA operation. Therefore, in various embodiments, the gNB applies JPTA to a subset of UL channels / signals transmitted by UEs experiencing cell edge conditions. JPTA beamforming (UL 4 To UL 7 ) is applied to the first set of OFDM symbols in the UL slot, while analog beamforming (UL 4 To UL 7 ) is applied to a second set of OFDM symbols in the same UL time slot. In one example, the first set of OFDM symbols may be for UE 4 ,…,UE 7 PUSCH, and the second set of OFDM symbols may be for UE 4 ,…,UE 7 This can be implemented by the gNB to enhance the UL coverage of PUSCH for cell-edge UEs.

[0094] Fig.10 A flow chart of an example process 1000 for JPTA operation according to various embodiments of the present disclosure is shown. For example, process 1000 may be implemented by BS 102 or computing device 400. Process 1000 for JPTA operation is for illustration only, and other embodiments may be used without departing from the scope of the present disclosure.

[0095] In various embodiments, to achieve UL coverage enhancement via JPTA, BS 102 uses process 1000 to identify beam set 2, configure JPTA operation for the beam set, and configure related UL physical channels and signals. Fig.10Process 1000 in FIG. 1 may be performed based on field measurements and / or simulations (eg, by computing device 400 ) during a cell planning phase.

[0096] The method starts at step 1001, where a beam requiring coverage enhancement is identified by determining whether the UL SNR of the beam is less than a threshold, which may be determined by link budget analysis. For example, the threshold may be the minimum required UL SNR required to support a specific data rate at a target maximum distance of the cell. In another embodiment of this first step, a beam requiring coverage enhancement may be identified by checking whether the uplink block error rate (BLER) of the minimum MCS level is above a threshold (e.g., 10%).

[0097] In step 1002, JPTA is configured for the beam set to extend coverage. For example, the true time delay (TTD) element in the JPTA is tuned to extend the JPTA angular dispersion. The angular dispersion can be determined based on the target coverage / link budget and / or the TTD element cost. If there is only one JPTA beam to serve all cell edge UEs, the coverage extension is maximized. Each UE can access a small portion of the bandwidth, but can perform a maximum number of retransmissions in the time domain. When there are multiple JPTA beams, the coverage extension is smaller. However, the requirements of the TTD element (e.g., maximum delay range) are also lower. The choice can depend on the trade-off between the TTD element cost and the cell coverage extension benefit.

[0098] In other embodiments, Fig.10 The process 1000 in the embodiment may be performed during the cell planning phase based on field measurements and / or simulations (e.g., by computing device 400). After performing process 100, computing device 400 may identify an appropriate gNB beam for the UE and update the gNB via a beam management process involving beam measurements and reporting by the UE, e.g., due to environmental changes or as part of UE mobility.

[0099] Fig.11 A flow chart of an example process 1100 for resource allocation of a PUSCH for a UE using a JPTA beam according to various embodiments of the present disclosure is shown. For example, the process 1100 may be implemented by the BS 102. The process 1100 is for illustration only, and other embodiments may be used without departing from the scope of the present disclosure.

[0100] The process starts at step 1101, where BS 102 identifies that a JPTA beam corresponds to a frequency sub-band resource. Examples of UL sub-band resources to which a JPTA beam may correspond are PUSCH, PUCCH, SRS, etc.

[0101] In step 1102, BS 102 identifies a beam management process (e.g., process 1000) for determining that the best beam for the UE is the JPTA beam. Due to environmental changes or UE mobility, the appropriate gNB beam for the UE may be determined and updated via a beam management process involving beam measurements and reports by the UE. Then, in step 1103, BS 102 maps the PUSCH of the UE for the JPTA beam to resource blocks of the frequency subband.

[0102] In these examples, when the beam management process determines that the best beam for the UE is the JPTA beam, the BS 102 determines the frequency resources for the UE's UL transmission (in this case, PUSCH). In other embodiments, the UE, and therefore the corresponding gNB beam that can benefit from UL coverage enhancement, may not be limited to beams at the cell edge. Enhancement may also be beneficial for UEs far from the cell edge (e.g., near the cell center), especially when there is a blocking condition or non-line-of-sight (NLOS) condition. In addition, depending on the cause of the blocking / NLOS, the need for coverage enhancement due to the condition may be temporary or long-term. For example, if the blocking is caused by a building, the condition may be permanent. In another example, if the blocking is caused by a vehicle or a local condition such as a terminal in a pocket, it may be temporary. It is beneficial to have a process for identifying beam set 2 in a more dynamic manner during network operation and applying JPTA beamforming to the identified beam set 2. In other words, beam set 2 can be updated during network operation.

[0103] Fig.12 A flow chart of an example process 1200 for JPTA operation according to various embodiments of the present disclosure is shown. For example, the process 1200 may be implemented by the BS 102. The process 1200 is for illustration only, and other embodiments may be used without departing from the scope of the present disclosure.

[0104] Embodiments of the present disclosure provide various methods of JPTA operation. Fig.12 The flowchart of FIG. 1200 illustrates another example process 1200 of JPTA operation to implement dynamic updating of beam 2. The JPTA operation is for illustration only, and other embodiments may be used without departing from the scope of the present disclosure.

[0105] The method begins at step 1201, where the BS 102 determines a set of UEs that can benefit from JPTA. This involves identifying a set of UEs that are experiencing signal coverage issues with their current best beam. One or more criteria may be used for this purpose. An example criterion is that the UE's UL reference signal received power (RSRP) / SNR / SINR / (measured at the gNB) is less than a first threshold. The measurements may be averaged over an appropriate time window. Another example criterion is that the BLER of the UE for a certain physical channel of a certain MCS (e.g., PUSCH with MCS 0 (lowest code rate)) is greater than a second threshold. Another example criterion is that the UE's report of DL SNR / SINR / RSRP is less than a third threshold. The measurements may be averaged over an appropriate time window. Due to channel reciprocity, the DL measurement results can be used to infer the quality of the UL signal reception.

[0106] In step 1202, BS 102 identifies a beam set corresponding to a set of UEs suitable for JPTA. This may be the same as the best beam for those UEs, or may be selected from the best beam for those UEs based on some criteria. In one example, there may be a maximum set size of beam set 2, which may be beneficial for JPTA implementation simplification. Therefore, the beam set determined from step 1201 is further down selected to accommodate a predetermined maximum set size. The selection criteria may be based on maximization of the number of UEs that benefit from JPTA operation. Other selection criteria are also possible.

[0107] At block 1203 , BS 102 configures JPTA for the identified beam set. Executing this step includes applying JPTA to the identified beam set from step 1202 .

[0108] Fig.13 An example resource map 1300 for JPTA beamforming on UL OFDM symbols according to various embodiments of the present disclosure is shown. According to embodiments of the present disclosure, resource map 1300 may be used by BS 102 for analog beamforming and JPTA beamforming for UL sets of different UEs. In these examples, according to various embodiments of the present disclosure, JPTA beamforming (UL 4 To UL 7 ) is applied to all OFDM symbols in a UL slot, which may include PUSCH, PUCCH, and SRS. This example is for illustration only, and other embodiments may be used without departing from the scope of the present disclosure.

[0109] In certain wireless communication standards such as the 3GPP 5G NR standard, frequency resources for some UL physical channels and / or signals for a UE may be configured by the gNB in ​​a semi-static manner. For example, PUCCH frequency resources and SRS frequency resources are configured by the gNB via higher layer signaling such as radio resource control (RRC) signaling.

[0110] In one embodiment, when the best JPTA beam for the UE is updated based on the beam management process, RRC reconfiguration may be performed by the gNB to update the frequency resources used for PUCCH, SRS, and other related UL channels and signals.

[0111] Fig.14 A flow chart is shown of an example process 1400 for frequency resource indication in a DCI format for PUCCH / SRS transmission according to various embodiments of the present disclosure. For example, the process 1400 may be implemented by the BS 102. The process 1400 is for illustration only, and other embodiments may be used without departing from the scope of the present disclosure.

[0112] Embodiments of the present disclosure provide multiple methods for frequency resource indication in DL DCI formats. In one embodiment, if the UE is configured with JPTA operation, the BS 102 may indicate the frequency resources for PUSCH in the DCI format for scheduling PUSCH. In order to achieve lower latency or lower overhead frequency resource updates for PUCCH and / or SRS for the UE (compared to higher layer signaling updates), an indication of frequency resources according to JPTA operation may be included in the relevant DCI format. For example, in step 1401, the BS 102 determines whether the UE is configured with JTPA operation for PUCCH / SRS. If yes, then in step 1402, the BS 102 includes an indication of frequency resources for PUCCH / SRS in the DCI format and sends the DCI format to the UE. If not, then in step 1403, the BS 102 does not include an indication of frequency resources for PUCCH / SRS in the DCI format.

[0113] For 5G NR PUCCH, the relevant DCI formats to be modified for this purpose may be DCI format 1_0 and DCI format 1_1, which may be implemented with an enhanced PUCCH resource indicator, or by including a new field to include the allocated PUCCH frequency resources. The PUCCH formats to support JPTA may be PUCCH formats 1, 3, and 4, which are designed to support good coverage. Other PUCCH formats with time repetition to enhance coverage are not excluded.

[0114] For 5G NR SRS, the relevant DCI format to be modified for this purpose may be DCI format 0_1, which may be implemented with an enhanced SRS resource indicator, or by including a new field to include the allocated SRS frequency resources. When the DCI format indicates frequency resources, the UE also assumes that the SRS transmission is repeated on multiple time resources to enhance the received SNR at the gNB.

[0115] In another embodiment, when the UE is configured to operate in JPTA, the frequency resources allocated for PUCCH and / or SRS are implicitly determined based on the frequency resources allocated for PUSCH in the corresponding DCI format. This is due to the assumption that the same JPTA beam is used for PUSCH, PUCCH, and SRS. In one method, the physical resource blocks (PRBs) allocated by the gNB for PUSCH (e.g., the starting PRB) can be mapped to the PRB frequency offset of the PUCCH resources and / or SRS resources.

[0116] Fig.15 A flow chart of an example process for indicating control signaling for operation in a JPTA for a UE according to various embodiments of the present disclosure is shown. For example, process 1500 may be implemented by UE 116. Process 1500 is for illustration only, and other embodiments may be used without departing from the scope of the present disclosure.

[0117] According to some embodiments of the present disclosure, UE 116 is notified of JTPA operation so that it can act appropriately, for example, in DCI decoding or determination of frequency resources for certain UL channels and signals. For example, in step 1501, UE 116 receives control signaling and determines whether the control signaling indicates JTPA operation. If so, UE 116 determines to use JTPA operation in step 1502. If not, UE 116 determines not to use JTPA operation in step 1503.

[0118] In one method, the gNB may indicate activation of JPTA operation in the RRC configuration. In another method, the gNB may indicate activation of JPTA operation in the beam change indication signaling (e.g., with 1 bit). If the beam change indication is signaled with MAC CE (such as in Rel-15 5G NR), activation of JPTA operation may be included in the Medium Access Control - Control Channel (MAC CE) signaling. If the beam change indication is signaled with DCI (as supported in Rel-17 5G NR), activation of JPTA operation may be included in the DCI signaling.

[0119] In various embodiments, the JPTA beam and its corresponding frequency resources may be represented as a UL bandwidth part (BWP). In order to implement JPTA operation of the UE, multiple UL BWPs may be configured to the UE, for example, via a higher layer such as RRC signaling. Table 1 shows an example in which the UL BWP configuration includes BWPs assumed for analog beamforming and JPTA beamforming to support dynamic conversion of these two operation modes of the UE for mobility adaptation. The higher layer signaling may include mapping between DL beams and UL JPTA beams of spatial quasi-co-location properties (QCL type D). The beam indication procedure may be used to indicate the JPTA beam and UL BWP for the UE. Signaling that changes the serving DL beam for the UE via MAC CE or DCI signaling also indicates the JPTA beam for the UL and the change of the UL BWP. In practice, when the UE is indicated a BWP corresponding to a JPTA beam, the indication indicates the frequency resources used for the relevant UL channels / signals (including PUSCH, PUCCH, and SRS).

[0120] Table 1 shows the BWP indicator used to enable JPTA operation.

[0121] [Table 1]

[0122]

[0123] Fig.16 An example resource map 1600 for JPTA beams that vary over time is shown according to various embodiments of the present disclosure. Resource map 1600 may be used by BS 102 and UE 116 for beamforming over time. This example resource map 1600 is for illustration only, and other embodiments may be used without departing from the scope of the present disclosure.

[0124] In this embodiment, although multiple UL BWPs are configured for the UE, there can still be one DL BWP configured for the UE. In addition, 5G NR supports up to 4 UL BWPs, and the additional number of BWPs can be used for JPTA operation (M>4 in Table 1).

[0125] Fig.17 An example resource map 1700 for JPTA operation for both UL and DL according to various embodiments of the present disclosure is shown. Resource map 1700 may be used by BS 102 and UE 116 for JPTA beamforming for both UL and DL. Resource map 1700 is for illustration only, and other embodiments may be used without departing from the scope of the present disclosure.

[0126] In these illustrative examples, the first set of UEs (ie, the UEs assigned DL / UL 0 To DL / UL 3UEs) are configured to use analog beamforming operation, while the second set of UEs (i.e., DL / UL 4 To DL / UL 7 UE) is configured to use JPTA operation. By doing so, the frequency resources used for downlink and uplink are the same, and the UE does not have to change the bandwidth of UL and DL. 4 To -UE- 7 This may be helpful if a high speed analog-to-digital converter (ADC) / digital-to-analog converter (DAC) is not available to support the large bandwidth of the DL. This example is for illustration only, and other embodiments may be used without departing from the scope of the present disclosure.

[0127] For phased antenna array (PAA), the BS switches between narrow beams to receive uplink signals from UEs. Therefore, each UE can transmit only a small fraction of the time, but may transmit over the entire bandwidth determined by the uplink grant. Consider a simple setup where N UEs with the same distance to the BS and uniform angular spacing are dropped in the cell. UE UEs, the uplink throughput of each UE is,

[0128] , (1)

[0129] Where N UE is the number of active UEs, and is when the UE uses power P over the entire bandwidth W UE Uplink SNR when transmitting, G UE (G BS ) and G h Represent the beamforming gain and path gain at UE (BS), respectively. 0 represents the power spectral density of AWGN.

[0130] On the other hand, in the JPTA system, the BS can simultaneously serve multiple UEs in different directions at different frequencies. SZ spatial regions, and each UE can Uplink duration on access frequency band, the uplink throughput of each UE is,

[0131] , (2)

[0132] Comparing (1) and (2), for the JPTA system, there is a power boost with a factor of K.

[0133] Consider the example of 4 narrow beams for PAA case and 1 beam for JPTA. In the PAA case, the UE can only transmit in a single time slot (the second time slot in the figure). On the other hand, the UE in the JPTA case can transmit on 4 time slots, but only on a quarter of the frequency band. The total radio resources allocated to the UE are the same, however, assuming that there are instantaneous power constraints for the UE due to power amplifiers and / or RF exposure limitations, the UE in the JPTA case delivers 4 times more energy to the BS than for PAA.

[0134] The uplink coverage can be defined as the minimum uplink throughput R that a UE can achieve. min The maximum distance is converted into the following minimum SNR requirement,

[0135] , (3)

[0136] , (4)

[0137] To estimate the uplink coverage, we assume that the large-scale path gain is G h =αd -β , where β is the path loss exponent and α is the path gain at 1m distance. Therefore, the uplink SNR at d is,

[0138] , (5)

[0139] Then, the uplink coverage of PAA and JPTA is,

[0140] , (6)

[0141] , (7)

[0142] We can see from (7) that the JPTA system is 1 / β Increase the uplink coverage radius. Then, the coverage area is increased by a factor K 2 / β is extended, which means that the BS deployment density can be reduced by the same factor. The coverage radius and area expansion using K are shown in Figure 104. It can be seen that the K-fold uplink SNR gain is converted into coverage radius and area expansion. For example, when there are 32 UEs in the cell and β=3, the coverage radius is reduced by a factor of 32. 1 / 3 3.17 Increase; coverage area increased by factor 32 2 / 3 10.08 increase; and the BS density can be reduced to about 10%, which means a 90% saving in network installation costs! Although this is an idealized example, the advantages of uplink coverage extension are obviously significant.

[0143] Note that in order to achieve the coverage extension promised by JPTA, the UE must transmit for longer durations in the uplink. This may cause the UE to overheat, which in turn forces the UE to stop uplink transmissions early or reduce the transmit power. In addition, regulations such as the FCC’s maximum permissible exposure (MPE) requirements for handheld phones may also limit the uplink transmit power or duty cycle. Our analysis assumes that overheating can be addressed by better cooling techniques or better power conservation methods in the future, and that the uplink power will not be too high to exceed the MPE limit, ignoring these effects.

[0144] Note that for downlink transmission, the JPTA throughput is the same as the phased antenna array throughput.

[0145] , (8)

[0146] in is the downlink SNR. Here, we ignore the beam-steering effect of PAA, which will only reduce the throughput of PAA.

[0147] The above flow charts illustrate example methods that can be implemented according to the principles of the present disclosure, and various changes can be made to the methods shown in the flow charts herein. For example, although shown as a series of steps, the various steps in each figure can overlap, occur in parallel, occur in different orders, or occur multiple times. In another example, a step can be omitted or replaced by another step.

[0148] Although the drawings show different examples of user equipment, various changes may be made to the drawings. For example, the user equipment may include any number of each component in any suitable arrangement. Generally, the drawings do not limit the scope of the present disclosure to any particular configuration. In addition, although the drawings show operating environments in which various user equipment features disclosed in this patent document may be used, these features may be used in any other suitable system.

[0149] Although the present disclosure has been described using exemplary embodiments, various changes and modifications may be suggested to those skilled in the art. The present disclosure is intended to cover these changes and modifications that fall within the scope of the appended claims. The description in this application should not be interpreted as implying that any particular element, step or function is an essential element that must be included within the scope of the claims. The scope of the patent subject matter is defined by the claims.

Claims

1. A method for communication by a base station BS (102), the method include: identifying a criterion associated with a set of user equipments UE (111, 112, 113, 114, 115, 116) in a cell of the BS; Based on the criterion, determining a first subset of the set of UEs (111, 112, 113, 114, 115, 116) that use joint phase-time array (JPTA) beamforming; using the JPTA beamforming for signaling with a first subset of the UEs, and Analog beamforming is used for signaling with a second subset of UEs in the set of UEs.

2. The method according to claim 1, in, The criteria include an uplink (UL) signal strength metric for each UE in the set of UEs, and Wherein, the method further comprises: determining, for a UE in the set of UEs, the UL signal strength metric based on a measurement of an UL signal received from the UE, and Based on a comparison of the UL signal strength metric of the UE and a threshold, determining whether to include the UE in the first subset of the UEs that use the JPTA beamforming.

3. The method according to claim 1, further comprising: include: performing a beam management procedure based on uplink (UL) signals received from UEs in the set of UEs, determining a beam to be used for receiving UL transmissions from the UE based on the beam management procedure, and Based on identifying that the determined beam is a JPTA beam, determining to include the UE in a first subset of the UEs that use the JPTA beamforming.

4. The method according to claim 1, further comprising: include: Sending information indicating that the JPTA beamforming is to be transmitted on a first set of uplink (UL) symbols to one or more UEs in the first subset of UEs; as well as Transmitting on a second set of UL symbols using the analog beamforming.

5. The method according to claim 1, further comprising: include: sending information indicating use of the JPTA beamforming to one or more UEs in the first subset of UEs, The information is included in at least one of a radio resource control configuration, a beam change indication, a medium access control-control channel, and downlink control information.

6. The method according to claim 1, further comprising: include: Information is sent to one or more UEs in the first subset of UEs, the information indicating that the JPTA beamforming is used for uplink transmission and downlink reception on the same frequency resources.

7. The method according to claim 1, in, The first subset of UEs is associated with an edge of the cell.

8. A user equipment UE (116) for communication, the UE include: Transceiver (310); as well as At least one processor (340) coupled to the transceiver (310), wherein the at least one processor (340) is configured to: receiving information on whether to use JTPA beamforming from a base station BS (112); and determining whether to use a joint phase-time array (JPTA) or analog beamforming based on the information; When the information indicates to use the JTPA beamforming, being configured to use the JTPA beamforming for signaling with the BS; and When the information indicates to use the analog beamforming, the analog beamforming is used for signaling with the BS.

9. The UE according to claim 8, in, The at least one processor is further configured to send an uplink (UL) signal to the BS, and Whether the UE uses the JPTA beamforming is based on a UL signal strength metric associated with the UL signal.

10. The UE according to claim 8, in, The at least one processor is further configured to: performing a beam management procedure with the BS based on an uplink (UL) signal transmitted by the transceiver; and determining, as a result of the beam management process, a beam to be used for signaling with the BS, Whether the UE uses the JPTA beamforming is based on whether the determined beam is associated with a JPTA beam.

11. The UE according to claim 8, in, The information indicates to transmit on a first set of uplink (UL) symbols using the JPTA beamforming and to transmit on a second set of UL symbols using the analog beamforming.

12. The UE according to claim 8, in: The information indicates the use of the JPTA beamforming, and The information is included in at least one of a radio resource control configuration, a beam change indication, a medium access control-control channel, and downlink control information.

13. The UE according to claim 8, in, The information indicates that the JPTA beamforming is used for uplink transmission and downlink reception on the same frequency resources.

14. The UE according to claim 8, in: The information indicates the use of the JPTA beamforming, and The UE is associated with an edge of a cell of the BS.

15. A base station BS (102) for communication, the BS include: Transceivers (210a, 210b, ..., 210n); as well as At least one processor (225) coupled to the transceiver (210a, 210b, ..., 210n), wherein the at least one processor (225) is configured to operate according to the method of any one of claims 1 to 7.

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