Beam management assistance

Abstract

The embodiment of the invention relates to a device and method for beam management assistance and a computer readable storage medium. The first device receives assistance data from a third device for beam alignment with a second device based on measurements from a fourth device, the first device being to communicate with the second device. The first device determines a target beam from a plurality of candidate beams of the first device based on the assistance data and the measurements from the fourth device. The first device performs beam management and / or communication with the second device by utilizing the target beam.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] Various exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure relate generally to the field of telecommunications, and more particularly, to methods, devices, apparatuses, and computer-readable storage media for beam management assistance in a sidelink (SL). Background Art

[0002] SL beam management involves initial beam pairing, beam maintenance, beam failure recovery, etc. between SL UEs, which can be achieved by reusing the SL channel state information (CSI) framework and / or reusing the Uu beam management concept.

[0003] In SL Frequency Range 2 (FR2) communications, narrow width high gain beams are used to compensate for the significant path losses in the mmWave range. However, this implies an increased risk of FR2 SL beam failure, which may occur at any time during the lifetime of a beam pair (i.e. during initial beam pairing, maintenance and recovery) due to various factors such as sleep mode, transmission inactivity, mobility, unfavorable radio propagation, etc. The beam failure recovery procedure in SL FR2 can be triggered as a result of beam failure detection. The beam failure recovery procedure depends on mutual coordination between the two SL UEs involved in order to re-establish communications on a narrow width high gain beam. Summary of the invention

[0004] In a first aspect of the present disclosure, a first device is provided. The first device includes at least one processor; and at least one memory storing instructions, which, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the first device to at least: receive auxiliary data for beam alignment with a second device based on measurements from a fourth device from a third device, with the first device to communicate with the second device; determine a target beam from a plurality of candidate beams of the first device based on the auxiliary data and the measurements from the fourth device; and perform beam management and / or communication with the second device by using the target beam.

[0005] In a second aspect of the present disclosure, a third device is provided. The third device includes at least one processor; and at least one memory storing instructions, which, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the third device to at least: obtain beam capability information of a first device and a second device; determine a fourth device as a reference point for communication between the first device and the second device based on at least the beam capability information; and transmit auxiliary data for beam alignment between the first device and the second device based on measurements from the fourth device to the first device and the second device.

[0006] In a third aspect of the present disclosure, a method is provided. The method includes: receiving, at a first device and based on measurements from a fourth device, assistance data for beam alignment with a second device from a third device, the first device to communicate with the second device; determining a target beam from a plurality of candidate beams of the first device based on the assistance data and the measurements from the fourth device; and performing beam management or communication with the second device by using the target beam.

[0007] In a fourth aspect of the present disclosure, a method is provided. The method includes: obtaining beam capability information of a first device and a second device at a third device; determining a fourth device as a reference point for communication between the first device and the second device based at least on the beam capability information; and transmitting auxiliary data for beam alignment between the first device and the second device to the first device and the second device based on measurements from the fourth device.

[0008] In a fifth aspect of the present disclosure, a first device is provided. The first device includes: a component for receiving auxiliary data for beam alignment with a second device based on measurements from a fourth device from a third device, the first device to communicate with the second device; a component for determining a target beam from a plurality of candidate beams of the first device based on the auxiliary data and the measurements from the fourth device; and a component for performing beam management or communication with the second device by using the target beam.

[0009] In a sixth aspect of the present disclosure, a third device is provided. The third device includes: a component for acquiring beam capability information of a first device and a second device; a component for determining a fourth device as a reference point for communication between the first device and the second device based at least on the beam capability information; and a component for transmitting to the first device and the second device auxiliary data for beam alignment between the first device and the second device based on measurements from the fourth device.

[0010] In a seventh aspect of the present disclosure, a computer-readable medium is provided, wherein the computer-readable medium includes instructions stored thereon, and the instructions are used to cause a device to at least execute the method according to the third aspect.

[0011] In an eighth aspect of the present disclosure, a computer-readable medium is provided, wherein the computer-readable medium includes instructions stored thereon, and the instructions are used to cause a device to at least execute the method according to the fourth aspect.

[0012] It should be understood that the invention summary is not intended to identify the key features or essential features of the embodiments of the present disclosure, nor is it intended to be used to limit the scope of the present disclosure. Other features of the present invention will become readily understood through the following description. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0013] Some example embodiments will now be described with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:

[0014] Figure 1 illustrates an example communication environment in which example embodiments of the present disclosure may be implemented;

[0015] Figure 2 A signaling diagram illustrating a SL beam management procedure according to some example embodiments of the present disclosure;

[0016] FIG. 3A to FIG. 3D A schematic diagram showing SL beam management assistance according to some example embodiments of the present disclosure is shown;

[0017] Figure 4 A flowchart of a method implemented at a device according to some example embodiments of the present disclosure is shown;

[0018] Figure 5 A flowchart of a method implemented at a device according to some example embodiments of the present disclosure is shown;

[0019] Figure 6 shows a simplified block diagram of a device suitable for implementing an example embodiment of the present disclosure; and

[0020] Figure 7 A block diagram of an example computer-readable medium is shown according to some example embodiments of the present disclosure.

[0021] Throughout the drawings, the same or similar reference numerals refer to the same or similar elements. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0022] The principle of the present invention will now be described with reference to some exemplary embodiments. It should be understood that these embodiments are described only for the purpose of illustration, and help those skilled in the art to understand and implement the present disclosure, without implying any limitation to the scope of the present disclosure. In addition to the following description of the embodiments, the embodiments described herein can be implemented in various ways.

[0023] In the following description and claims, unless defined otherwise, all technical and scientific terms used herein have the same meaning as commonly understood by one of ordinary skill in the art to which this disclosure belongs.

[0024] In this disclosure, references to "one embodiment," "an embodiment," "an example embodiment," etc. indicate that the described embodiment may include a particular feature, structure, or characteristic, but not every embodiment necessarily includes the particular feature, structure, or characteristic. Moreover, such phrases do not necessarily refer to the same embodiment. Further, when a particular feature, structure, or characteristic is described in conjunction with an embodiment, it is considered to be within the knowledge of those skilled in the art to affect such feature, structure, or characteristic in conjunction with other embodiments, whether or not explicitly described.

[0025] It should be understood that, although the terms "first", "second" etc. in front of nouns etc. can be used to describe various elements in this article, these elements should not be limited by these terms. These terms are only used to distinguish one element from another element, and they do not limit the order of nouns. For example, without departing from the scope of the exemplary embodiment, the first element can be referred to as the second element, and similarly, the second element can be referred to as the first element. As used herein, the term "and / or" includes any and all combinations of one or more listed terms.

[0026] As used herein, “at least one of: ” and “at least one of ” and similar expressions (wherein a list of two or more elements is connected by “and” or “or”) refer to at least any one of the elements, or at least any two or more of the elements, or at least all of the elements.

[0027] As used herein, unless explicitly stated, performing a step “in response to A” does not mean performing the step immediately after “A” occurs, but may include one or more intermediate steps.

[0028] The terms used herein are used only for the purpose of describing specific embodiments and are not intended to limit the example embodiments. As used herein, the singular forms "a", "an", and "the" are intended to include the plural forms as well, unless the context clearly indicates otherwise. It will be further understood that when used herein, the terms "comprises", "comprising", "has", "having", "includes", and / or "including" specify the presence of features, elements, and / or parts, etc., but do not exclude the presence or addition of one or more other features, elements, parts, and / or combinations thereof.

[0029] As used in this application, the term "circuitry" may refer to one or more or all of the following: a) hardware circuit implementation only (e.g., implementation only in analog and / or digital circuits), and b) a combination of hardware circuitry and software such as (if applicable): (i) a combination of analog and / or digital hardware circuits and software / firmware, and (ii) any portion of a hardware processor (including a digital signal processor), software and memory with software that work together to enable a device such as a mobile phone or server to perform various functions; and c) A hardware circuit and / or processor that requires software (eg, firmware) for operation, such as a microprocessor or portion of a microprocessor, but the software may not be present when not needed for operation.

[0030] This definition of circuitry applies to all uses of this term in this application, including in any claims. As a further example, as used in this application, the term circuitry also covers an implementation of only a hardware circuit or processor (or multiple processors) or a portion of a hardware circuit or processor and its (or their) accompanying software and / or firmware. The term circuitry also covers, for example and if applicable to a particular claim element, a baseband integrated circuit or processor integrated circuit for a mobile device or a similar integrated circuit in a server, cellular network device, or other computing or network device.

[0031] As used herein, the term "communication network" refers to a network that complies with any suitable communication standard, for example, New Radio (NR), Long Term Evolution (LTE), Advanced LTE (LTE-A), Wideband Code Division Multiple Access (WCDMA), High Speed ​​Packet Access (HSPA), Narrowband Internet of Things (NB-IoT), etc. In addition, the communication between the terminal device and the network device in the communication network can be performed according to any suitable generation communication protocol, including but not limited to the first generation (1G), second generation (2G), 2.5G, 2.75G, third generation (3G), fourth generation (4G), 4.5G, fifth generation (5G), sixth generation (6G) communication protocol and / or any other protocol currently known or developed in the future. The embodiments of the present disclosure can be applied to various communication systems. In view of the rapid development of communication, there are of course future types of communication technologies and systems that can implement the present disclosure. It should not be considered that the scope of the present disclosure is limited to the above-mentioned system.

[0032] As used herein, the term "network device" refers to a node in a communication network via which a terminal device accesses the network and receives services from it. A network device may refer to a base station (BS) or an access point (AP), such as a Node B (NodeB or NB), an evolved Node B (eNodeB or eNB), a NR NB (also referred to as a gNB), a remote radio unit (RRU), a radio head (RH), a remote radio head (RRH), a repeater, an integrated access and backhaul (IAB) node, a low-power node such as a femto, a micro), a non-terrestrial network (NTN) or a non-terrestrial network device (such as a satellite network device, a low earth orbit (LEO) satellite and a geosynchronous orbit (GEO) satellite, an aircraft network device, etc.), depending on the terminology and technology applied. In some example embodiments, a radio access network (RAN) split architecture includes a centralized unit (CU) and a distributed unit (DU) at an IAB donor node. An IAB node includes a mobile terminal (IAB-MT) portion that behaves like a UE toward a parent node, and a DU portion of an IAB node behaves like a base station toward a next-hop IAB node.

[0033] The term "terminal device" refers to any terminal device capable of wireless communication. As an example and not limitation, the terminal device may also be referred to as a communication device, a user equipment (UE), a subscriber station (SS), a portable subscriber station, a mobile station (MS) or an access terminal (AT). The terminal device may include, but is not limited to, a mobile phone, a cellular phone, a smart phone, a voice over IP (VoIP) phone, a wireless local loop phone, a tablet computer, a wearable terminal device, a personal digital assistant (PDA), a portable computer, a desktop computer, an image capture terminal device such as a digital camera, a game terminal device, a music storage and playback facility, a vehicle-mounted wireless terminal device, a wireless endpoint, a mobile station, a laptop embedded device (LEE), a laptop mounted device (LME), a USB dongle, a smart device, a wireless user equipment (CPE), an Internet of Things (IoT) device, a watch or other wearable device, a head mounted display (HMD), a vehicle, a drone, medical equipment and applications (e.g., remote surgery), industrial equipment and applications (e.g., robots and / or other wireless devices operating in industrial and / or automatic processing chain environments), consumer electronic devices, equipment operating on commercial and / or industrial wireless networks, etc. The terminal device may also correspond to the mobile terminal (MT) part of an IAB node (eg, a relay node).In the following description, the terms "terminal device", "communication device", "terminal", "user equipment" and "UE" may be used interchangeably.

[0034] As used herein, the terms "resource", "transmission resource", "resource block", "physical resource block" (PRB), "uplink resource" or "downlink resource" may refer to any resource used to perform communication (e.g., communication between a terminal device and a network device), such as a resource in the time domain, a resource in the frequency domain, a resource in the spatial domain, a resource in the code domain, or any other combination of time domain, frequency domain, spatial domain and / or code domain resources to achieve communication. In the following, unless explicitly stated, resources in the frequency domain and the time domain will be used as examples of transmission resources for describing some example embodiments of the present disclosure. It should be noted that the example embodiments of the present disclosure are also applicable to other resources in other domains.

[0035] According to an example embodiment of the present disclosure, a solution for SL beam management is provided. In the solution, a SL UE in FR2 is provided with auxiliary data for beam pairing or recovery purposes. The auxiliary data may indicate valid beam pairing or recovery options, for example, a beam search sector or a simple specific beam. Using the auxiliary data, a SL UE that may be stable or rotated in an unknown manner in 3D space can accurately determine the relative orientation based on simple measurements from one or more reference points. Therefore, beam pairing, beam maintenance, and beam fault recovery in SLFR2 can be improved.

[0036] Hereinafter, exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0037] Figure 1 1 shows an example communication environment 100 in which an example embodiment of the present disclosure may be implemented. The communication environment 100 may support SL communication between terminal devices. Figure 1 As shown, the communication environment 100 may include a first device 110, a second device 120, a third device 130, and fourth devices 140-1 and 140-2 (collectively referred to as fourth devices 140) that may communicate with each other.

[0038] The first device 110 and the second device 120 may be terminal devices, such as UEs. Both the first device 110 and the second device 120 may support beam-based operations and thus be able to use multiple beams for SL communication. The first device 110 and the second device 120 may each have corresponding beam capabilities. Figure 1 In the example of , the first device 110 is configured with beams a1 to a4, and the second device 120 is configured with beams b1 to b4. In some example embodiments, beam capabilities may include, but are not limited to, spatial coverage, beam width, spatial orientation, and the like.

[0039] In some cases, at least one of the first device 110 and the second device 120 may be unstable, for example due to a mobility event or rotation in 3D space. Thus, the beam orientation may change accordingly.

[0040] The third device 130 may be a node capable of providing assistance data for beam alignment between the first device 110 and the second device 120. Figure 1 In the example of FIG. 1 , the third device 130 is shown as a network device, which can be a serving gNB of the first device 110 and the second device 120 in the SL Mode 1 scenario. In some other embodiments, in the SL Mode 2 scenario, the third device 130 can be a nearby UE. In the latter case, the third device 130 can be a third-party UE or one of the first device 110 and the second device 120.

[0041] In some example embodiments, the configuration of the assistance data may be conditional. The assistance data may be provided in response to a request from the first device 110 and / or the second device 120. For example, the first device 110 may require assistance with beam alignment with a particular UE (i.e., the second device 120), and therefore transmits a request with an indication to the third device 130.

[0042] In some example embodiments, the indication may be explicit. For example, the first device 110 may indicate the need for beam establishment with the second device 120 via a MAC CE or similar container.

[0043] Alternatively, in some other example embodiments, the indication may be implicit. For example, when the first device 110 operates in mode 1, it may indicate which peer UEs it will communicate with. This in turn triggers the third device 130 to initiate a beam assistance process, which may involve determining a reference point for beam management assistance, providing assistance data for beam alignment, etc.

[0044] In some example embodiments, the initiation of the beam-assisted process may be expected to occur only if the third device 130 is aware that both the first device 110 and the second device 120 support beam-based operations.

[0045] In some example embodiments, the assistance data may indicate beam pairing or recovery options, such as beam search sectors or simply specific beams. Specifically, this may be used as a function of or conditioned by mutual orientation knowledge (e.g., measurements from reference points), which will be discussed in detail later.

[0046] In an example embodiment, the fourth device 140 can be used as a reference point for beam alignment between the first device 110 and the second device 120. The reference point can be a third-party gNB (e.g., the fourth device 140-1) or a UE (e.g., the fourth device 140-2). In some example embodiments, multiple reference points are also possible, and thus, the present disclosure is not limited in this regard. For example, the fourth device 140 can be determined by the third device 130 based on SL UE data such as timing advance, reference signal received power (RSRP) for ranging, angle of arrival (AoA) for angular positioning, etc. In some cases, a static or non-moving reference point relative to the SL US may be preferred.

[0047] Depending on the relative position of the SL UE to the reference point and the beam capabilities, the transmission and reception performance of the beams vary. The first device 110 and the second device 120 can each measure the reference signal from the fourth device 140, and based on the measurement results, select one beam from their beams that is suitable for receiving from the fourth device 140. Using the auxiliary data, the first device 110 and the second device 120 can then obtain corresponding beams for SL communication with each other.

[0048] In the following, for the purpose of illustration, some example embodiments are described in which the first device 110, the second device 120, and the fourth device 140-2 operate as terminal devices, and the third device 130 and the fourth device 140-1 operate as network devices. However, in some example embodiments, the operations described in conjunction with the terminal device may be implemented at the network device or other device, and the operations described in conjunction with the network device may be implemented at the terminal device or other device.

[0049] In some example embodiments, if the first device 110 is a terminal device and the third device 130 is a network device, the link from the third device 130 to the first device 110 is referred to as a downlink (DL), and the link from the first device 110 to the third device 130 is referred to as an uplink (UL). In the DL, the third device 130 is a transmission (TX) device (or transmitter), and the first device 110 is a reception (RX) device (or receiver). In the UL, the first device 110 is a TX device (or transmitter), and the third device 130 is an RX device (or receiver).

[0050] It should be understood that Figure 1 The number of devices and their connections shown in the figure are for illustration purposes only and do not imply any limitation. The communication network 100 may include any suitable number of devices configured to implement the example embodiments of the present disclosure. Although not shown, it will be understood that one or more additional devices and connections may be deployed in the communication network 100.

[0051] Communications in the communication environment 100 may be implemented according to any suitable communication protocol, including but not limited to cellular communication protocols of the first generation (1G), second generation (2G), third generation (3G), fourth generation (4G), fifth generation (5G), sixth generation (6G), etc., wireless local area network communication protocols such as Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) 802.11, etc., and / or any other protocol currently known or developed in the future. In addition, communications may utilize any appropriate wireless communication technology, including but not limited to: code division multiple access (CDMA), frequency division multiple access (FDMA), time division multiple access (TDMA), frequency division duplex (FDD), time division duplex (TDD), multiple input multiple output (MIMO), orthogonal frequency division multiple access (OFDM), discrete Fourier transform spread OFDM (DFT-s-OFDM) and / or any other technology currently known or developed in the future.

[0052] Reference now Figure 2 , which shows a signaling diagram of the SL beam management process 200 according to some example embodiments of the present disclosure. Figure 2 As shown, the SL beam management process 200 involves a first device 110, a second device 120, a third device 130, and a fourth device 140. For the purpose of discussion, reference is made to Figure 1 The process 200 is described below.

[0053] The first device 110 and the second device 120 may transmit (205, 210) their respective beam capability information to the third device 130. In some example embodiments, the beam capability information may indicate at least one of spatial coverage, spatial orientation, or beam width of a respective one of the first device 110 and the second device 120.

[0054] Accordingly, the third device 130 acquires ( 215 ) beam capability information of the first device 110 and the second device 120 , and determines the fourth device 140 as a reference point for beam management assistance between the first device 110 and the second device 120 .

[0055] In some example embodiments, the third device 130 may also receive (220) additional data from the first device 110 and the second device 120, and the additional data may be used to determine the reference point. The additional data may include, but is not limited to, timing advance, RSRP for ranging, AoA for angular positioning, etc. Thus, the third device 130 may determine the fourth device 140 based on the additional data.

[0056] In some example embodiments, the reference point may be selected to be located in a line formed by the first device 110 and the second device 120, which the third device 130 determines based on radio resource management (RRM) measurements reported by the involved SL FR2 UEs, thereby effectively emulating a coarse positioning (e.g., timing advance relative to the range of the third device 130 and angle of arrival for angular positioning). Additionally, a static or non-moving reference point relative to the SL US may be preferred.

[0057] The third device 130 determines 225 assistance data for beam alignment between the first device 110 and the second device 120. Specifically, the assistance data for beam alignment may provide a beam selection or search option indicated as a function of measurements from reference point measurements.

[0058] In some example embodiments, the assistance data is provided based on a request from at least one involved SL UE. The request may be carried via a MAC CE or similar container. In this case, the third device 130 may receive a request for assistance data for beam alignment from at least one of the first device 110 and the second device 120.

[0059] The request may include a first indication of beam establishment with a specific SL UE. In other words, the first indication may be an explicit indication. For example, the first device 110 may indicate the need for beam establishment with the second device 120.

[0060] Additionally or alternatively, the request may include a second indication of a specific SL UE as a peer device to communicate with. For example, the first device 110 operating in mode 1 may indicate that the second device 120 is the peer UE to communicate with. This may in turn trigger the third device 130 to initiate a beam assist process.

[0061] The assistance data may then be distributed to the involved SL UEs. Figure 2 As shown, the third device 130 transmits (230, 235) auxiliary data for beam alignment to the first device 110 and the second device 120.

[0062] In some example embodiments, the assistance data may indicate a relationship between a target beam and a reference beam used to receive a reference signal from a reference point. For example, the relationship may be one of the following: The target beam is in the same direction as the reference beam, The target beam is in the opposite direction to the reference beam, or The angle between the target beam and the reference beam.

[0063] The assistance data may instruct one of the involved SL UEs to communicate with the other SL UE by using a particular beam having a certain relationship to the reference beam used to receive the reference signal from the reference point. By way of example, given knowledge of the capabilities of the second device 120, the third device 130 may issue specific beam pairing instructions depending on which beam of the second device 120 is strongest for reception from the fourth device 140. Similarly, the first device 110 is given assistance data instructing it to use the same beam that is best suited for reception from the fourth device 140.

[0064] The instructions provided by the auxiliary data can have various forms, which will be combined FIG. 3A to FIG. 3D discuss. FIG. 3A to FIG. 3D A schematic diagram of SL beam management assistance according to some example embodiments of the present disclosure is shown.

[0065] In such Figure 3A In the example 301 shown in , the fourth device 140-1 is determined as a reference point, represented by "gNB_R", and the third device 130 provides auxiliary data to the first device 110 (represented by UE_A) and the second device 120 (represented by UE_B), respectively.

[0066] Specifically, the assistance data transmitted to the first device 110 indicates "use the beam directed to the best beam for gNB_R as the beam for UE_B". The first device 110 may determine the beam a1 directed to the fourth device 140-1 as a beam suitable for reception from the fourth device 140-1. Using the assistance data, the first device 110 may then obtain the beam a1 as a target beam for communication with the second device 120.

[0067] The assistance data transmitted to the second device 120 indicates "use a beam opposite to the best beam for gNB_R as a beam for UE_A". The second device 120 may determine the beam b1 directed toward the fourth device 140-1 as a beam suitable for reception from the fourth device 140-1. Using the assistance data, the second device 120 may then obtain a beam b3 opposite to the beam b1 as a target beam for communication with the first device 110.

[0068] exist Figure 3B In the illustrated example 302, the fourth device 140-1 is determined as a reference point, represented by "gNB_R", and the third device 130 provides auxiliary data to the first device 110 (represented by UE_A) and the second device 120 (represented by UE_B), respectively.

[0069] Specifically, the auxiliary data sent to the first device 110 indicates the mapping of the target beam and the reference beam, for example, "If beam a1 is the best beam for gNB_R, use beam a3 for UE_B, if beam a2 is the best beam for gNB_R, use beam a4 for UE_B, if beam a3 is the best beam for gNB_R, use beam a1 for UE_B, if beam a4 is the best beam for gNB_R, use beam a2 for UE_B". The first device 110 can determine beam a1 as a beam suitable for receiving from the fourth device 140-1. Using the auxiliary data, the first device 110 can then obtain beam a1 as the target beam for communicating with the second device 120.

[0070] The auxiliary data sent to the second device 120 also indicates the mapping of the target beam and the reference beam, for example, "If beam b1 is the best beam for gNB_R, use beam b3 for UE_A, if beam b2 is the best beam for gNB_R, use beam b4 for UE_A, if beam b3 is the best beam for gNB_R, use beam b1 for UE_A, and if beam b4 is the best beam for gNB_R, use beam b2 for UE_A". The second device 120 can determine beam b1 directed to the fourth device 140-1 as a beam suitable for receiving from the fourth device 140-1. Using the auxiliary data, the second device 120 can then obtain beam b3 as the target beam for communicating with the second device 120.

[0071] exist Figure 3C In the example 303 shown in , the fourth device 140-2 is determined as a reference point, represented by "UE_R", and the third device 130 provides assistance data to the first device 110 (represented by UE_A) and the second device 120 (represented by UE_B), respectively.

[0072] Specifically, the auxiliary data sent to the first device 110 indicates "use the best beam for UE_R as the beam for UE_B". The first device 110 can determine beam a1 as a beam suitable for receiving from the fourth device 140-2 (for example, the scheme A discovery message or channel state information reference signal (CSI-RS) is determined to be the best). Using the auxiliary data, the first device 110 can then obtain beam a1 as the target beam for communicating with the second device 120.

[0073] The assistance data sent to the second device 120 indicates "use the best beam for UE_R as the beam for UE_A". The second device 120 can determine beam b3 as a beam suitable for receiving from the fourth device 140-2. Using the assistance data, the second device 120 can then obtain beam b3 as a target beam for communicating with the first device 110.

[0074] The first device 110 may receive 240 and measure 245 a reference signal from the fourth device 140. Thus, the first device 110 determines 250 a target beam from among a plurality of candidate beams a1 to a4 of the first device 110 based on the assistance data and the measurements from the fourth device 140.

[0075] In a similar manner, the second device 120 may receive 255 and measure 260 a reference signal from the fourth device 140. Thus, the second device 120 determines 265 a target beam from among a plurality of candidate beams b1 to b4 of the second device 120 based on the assistance data and the measurements from the fourth device 140.

[0076] The first device 110 and the second device 120 can then perform (270) beam management and / or communicate with each other by using the corresponding target beam. The beam management and / or communication can include, but are not limited to, beam pairing, beam maintenance, beam failure recovery, etc.

[0077] In some cases, the SL UE may not be spatially stable, for example, due to mobility events or rotations in 3D space. Such a SL UE may be at least part of a car or a mobile phone that can rotate freely in 3D space. Therefore, the beam orientation may be changed. If one of the SL UEs rotates, the SL UE may dynamically evaluate the beam based on reference measurements.

[0078] In some example embodiments, the first device 110 may determine that at least one of the first device 110 and the second device 120 changes the beam orientation. In this case, the first device 110 may determine an updated target beam from among the plurality of candidate beams based on the measurement from the fourth device 140.

[0079] By way of example, in Figure 3C After the auxiliary data is configured in the first device 110 and the beam pairing between the first device 110 and the second device 120 is successful, the second device 120 can change the beam orientation, such as Figure 3D In this case, the second device 120 can evaluate the beams based on the measurements from the fourth device 140 and determine the beam b4 as the updated target beam for communicating with the first device 110 .

[0080] In some example embodiments, once beam pairing between two SL UEs is successful, the received assistance data may no longer be used and the normal beam maintenance procedure will be followed. However, the assistance data may be automatically used during beam failure recovery. To this end, the serving gNB may update the assistance data periodically, for example, whenever there is a mobility event or after a predetermined time interval (e.g., after a certain minimum update time has passed).

[0081] For example, the first device 110 may receive updated assistance data for beam alignment with the second device 120 from the third device 130. Thus, the first device 110 may perform beam failure recovery based on the updated assistance data.

[0082] With the help of assistance data, beam management in SL FR2 can be improved, which can be applied to many use cases including public safety, V2X, industrial IoT, etc.

[0083] Figure 4 A flowchart of a method 400 implemented at an apparatus according to some example embodiments of the present disclosure is shown. The apparatus may be, for example, a terminal device (eg, UE). For the purpose of discussion, the method 400 will be described in detail in FIG. Figure 1 The angle of the first device 110 is described.

[0084] At block 410, the first device 110 receives assistance data from a third device for beam alignment with a second device based on measurements from a fourth device. The first device is to communicate with the second device.

[0085] At block 420 , the first device 110 determines a target beam from among a plurality of candidate beams of the first device based on the assistance data and the measurements from the fourth device.

[0086] At block 430 , the first device 110 performs beam management and / or communication with the second device by using the target beam.

[0087] In some example embodiments, method 400 may further include transmitting beam capability information of the first device and the second device to a third device, wherein the beam capability information indicates at least one of spatial coverage, spatial orientation, or beam width of a corresponding one of the first device and the second device, and auxiliary information for beam alignment is determined based on the beam capability information.

[0088] In some example embodiments, method 400 may further include transmitting a request for assistance data for beam alignment to a third device, wherein the request includes one of: a first indication of beam establishment with the second device, or a second indication that the second device is a peer device communicating with the first device.

[0089] In some example embodiments, determining a target beam may include: measuring at least one reference signal from a fourth device using each of a plurality of candidate beams; determining a reference beam for communicating with the fourth device from the plurality of candidate beams based on the measurement results; and determining a target beam for communicating with the second device based on the auxiliary information and the reference beam.

[0090] In some example embodiments, the fourth apparatus may be determined based on a radio resource management report from at least one of the first apparatus and the second apparatus.

[0091] In some example embodiments, the assistance data may indicate a relationship between the target beam and a reference beam used to receive a reference signal from the fourth apparatus.

[0092] In some example embodiments, the relationship includes one of: the target beam is in the same direction as the reference beam, the target beam is in an opposite direction to the reference beam, or an angle between the target beam and the reference beam.

[0093] In some example embodiments, beam management and / or communication may include at least one of: beam pairing, beam maintenance, or beam failure recovery.

[0094] In some example embodiments, the method 400 may further include: determining that at least one of the first device and the second device changes the beam orientation; and determining an updated target beam from the plurality of candidate beams based on the measurement from the fourth device.

[0095] In some example embodiments, the method 400 may further include: receiving updated assistance data for beam alignment with the second device from the third device; and performing beam failure recovery based on the updated assistance data.

[0096] In some example embodiments, the first apparatus may include a first terminal device, the second apparatus may include a second terminal device, and the second apparatus may be the same as or different from the third apparatus.

[0097] In some example embodiments, the third device may include one of a first network device serving the first and second devices or a third terminal device adjacent to the first and second devices, and the fourth device may include one of the second network device or the fourth terminal device.

[0098] Figure 5 A flowchart of an example method 500 implemented at an apparatus according to some example embodiments of the present disclosure is shown. The apparatus may be a terminal device (e.g., a UE) or a network device (e.g., a gNB). For the purpose of discussion, the method 500 will be described from Figure 1 The angle of the third device 130 is described.

[0099] At block 510 , the third device 130 acquires beam capability information of the first device and the second device.

[0100] At block 520 , the third device 130 determines the fourth device as a reference point for communication between the first device and the second device based at least on the beam capability information.

[0101] At block 530 , the third device 130 transmits to the first device and the second device assistance data for beam alignment between the first device and the second device based on the measurements from the fourth device.

[0102] In some example embodiments, the method 500 may further include receiving beam capability information from the first device and the second device, wherein the beam capability information indicates at least one of spatial coverage, spatial orientation, or beam width of a respective one of the first device and the second device.

[0103] In some example embodiments, method 500 may also include: receiving a request for auxiliary data for beam alignment from one of the first device and the second device, wherein the request includes one of: a first indication to establish a beam with the other of the first device and the second device, or a second indication to communicate with the other of the first device and the second device as a peer device.

[0104] In some example embodiments, the fourth apparatus may also be determined based on a radio resource management report from at least one of the first apparatus and the second apparatus.

[0105] In some example embodiments, the assistance data may indicate a relationship between the target beam and a reference beam used to receive a reference signal from the fourth apparatus.

[0106] In some example embodiments, the relationship includes one of: the target beam is in the same direction as the reference beam, the target beam is in an opposite direction to the reference beam, or an angle between the target beam and the reference beam.

[0107] In some example embodiments, the method 500 may further include transmitting updated assistance data for beam alignment to the first device and the second device, wherein the assistance data for beam alignment is updated periodically, based on a mobility event, or after a predetermined time interval.

[0108] In some example embodiments, the first apparatus may include a first terminal device, the second apparatus may include a second terminal device, and the second apparatus may be the same as or different from the third apparatus.

[0109] In some example embodiments, the third device may include one of a first network device serving the first and second devices or a third terminal device adjacent to the first and second devices, and the fourth device may include one of the second network device or the fourth terminal device. Example devices, equipment, and media

[0110] In some example embodiments, a first device (eg, Figure 1 The first device 110 in the method 400 may include a component for performing the corresponding operation of the method 400. The component may be implemented in any suitable form. For example, the component may be implemented in a circuit system or a software module. The first device may be implemented as or included in Figure 1 In the first device 110.

[0111] In some example embodiments, a first device includes: a component for receiving auxiliary data from a third device for beam alignment with a second device based on measurements from a fourth device, and the first device will communicate with the second device; a component for determining a target beam from a plurality of candidate beams of the first device based on the auxiliary data and the measurements from the fourth device; and a component for performing beam management and / or communicating with the second device by using the target beam.

[0112] In some example embodiments, the first device further includes: a component for transmitting beam capability information of the first device and the second device to a third device, wherein the beam capability information indicates at least one of spatial coverage, spatial orientation, or beam width of a corresponding one of the first device and the second device, and wherein auxiliary information for beam alignment is determined based on the beam capability information.

[0113] In some example embodiments, the first device further comprises: means for transmitting to a third device a request for assistance data for beam alignment, wherein the request comprises one of: a first indication of beam establishment with the second device, or a second indication of the second device as a peer device in communication with the first device.

[0114] In some example embodiments, the component for determining the target beam includes: a component for measuring at least one reference signal from a fourth device using each candidate beam of a plurality of candidate beams; a component for determining a reference beam for communicating with the fourth device from the plurality of candidate beams based on the measurement results; and a component for determining a target beam for communicating with the second device based on the auxiliary information and the reference beam.

[0115] In some example embodiments, the fourth device is determined based on a radio resource management report from at least one of the first device and the second device.

[0116] In some example embodiments, the assistance data indicates a relationship between the target beam and a reference beam used to receive a reference signal from the fourth apparatus.

[0117] In some example embodiments, the relationship includes one of: the target beam is in the same direction as the reference beam, the target beam is in an opposite direction to the reference beam, or an angle between the target beam and the reference beam.

[0118] In some example embodiments, beam management and / or communication includes at least one of: beam pairing, beam maintenance, or beam failure recovery.

[0119] In some example embodiments, the first device further comprises: means for determining that at least one of the first device and the second device changes beam orientation; and means for determining an updated target beam from the plurality of candidate beams based on measurements from the fourth device.

[0120] In some example embodiments, the first apparatus further comprises: means for receiving updated assistance data for beam alignment with the second apparatus from a third apparatus; and means for performing beam failure recovery based on the updated assistance data.

[0121] In some example embodiments, the first apparatus includes a first terminal device, the second apparatus includes a second terminal device, and the second apparatus is the same as or different from the third apparatus.

[0122] In some example embodiments, the third device includes one of a first network device serving the first and second devices or a third terminal device adjacent to the first and second devices, and the fourth device includes one of the second network device or the fourth terminal device.

[0123] In some example embodiments, the first apparatus further comprises means for performing the method 400 or other operations in some example embodiments of the first apparatus 110. In some example embodiments, the means comprises at least one processor and at least one memory storing instructions that, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the execution of the first apparatus.

[0124] In some example embodiments, a third device (eg, Figure 1 The third device 130 in the method 500 may include a component for performing the corresponding operation of the method 500. The component may be implemented in any suitable form. For example, the component may be implemented in a circuit system or a software module. The third device may be implemented as or included in Figure 1 In the third device 130.

[0125] In some example embodiments, the third device includes: a component for obtaining beam capability information of the first device and the second device; a component for determining a fourth device as a reference point for communication between the first device and the second device based at least on the beam capability information; and a component for transmitting to the first device and the second device auxiliary data for performing beam alignment between the first device and the second device based on measurements from the fourth device.

[0126] In some example embodiments, the third device further comprises means for receiving beam capability information from the first device and the second device, wherein the beam capability information indicates at least one of spatial coverage, spatial orientation or beam width of a corresponding one of the first device and the second device.

[0127] In some example embodiments, the third device further comprises: a component for receiving a request for auxiliary data for beam alignment from one of the first device and the second device, wherein the request comprises one of: a first indication to establish a beam with the other of the first device and the second device, or a second indication to communicate with the other of the first device and the second device as a peer device.

[0128] In some example embodiments, the fourth apparatus is further determined based on a radio resource management report from at least one of the first apparatus and the second apparatus.

[0129] In some example embodiments, the assistance data indicates a relationship between the target beam and a reference beam used to receive a reference signal from the fourth apparatus.

[0130] In some example embodiments, the relationship includes one of: the target beam is in the same direction as the reference beam, the target beam is in an opposite direction to the reference beam, or an angle between the target beam and the reference beam.

[0131] In some example embodiments, the third device further comprises: means for transmitting updated assistance data for beam alignment to the first device and the second device, wherein the assistance data for beam alignment is updated periodically, based on mobility events, or after a predetermined time interval.

[0132] In some example embodiments, the first apparatus includes a first terminal device, the second apparatus includes a second terminal device, and the second apparatus is the same as or different from the third apparatus.

[0133] In some example embodiments, the third device includes one of a first network device serving the first and second devices or a third terminal device adjacent to the first and second devices, and the fourth device includes one of the second network device or the fourth terminal device.

[0134] In some example embodiments, the third apparatus further comprises means for performing the method 500 or other operations in some example embodiments of the third apparatus 130. In some example embodiments, the means comprises at least one processor and at least one memory storing instructions that, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the execution of the third apparatus.

[0135] Figure 6 600 is a simplified block diagram of a device 600 suitable for implementing an example embodiment of the present disclosure. The device 600 may be provided to implement a communication device, such as Figure 1 The first device 110, the second device 120, the third device 130 or the fourth device 140 shown in FIG. As shown in the figure, the device 600 includes one or more processors 610, one or more memories 620 coupled to the processor 610, and one or more communication modules 640 coupled to the processor 610.

[0136] The communication module 640 is used for two-way communication. The communication module 640 has one or more communication interfaces to facilitate communication with one or more other modules or devices. The communication interface may represent any interface necessary for communication with other network elements. In some example embodiments, the communication module 640 may include at least one antenna.

[0137] Processor 610 may be of any type suitable for the local technology network and may include, as non-limiting examples, one or more of: a general purpose computer, a special purpose computer, a microprocessor, a digital signal processor (DSP), and a processor based on a multi-core processor architecture. Device 600 may have multiple processors, such as application specific integrated circuit chips that are time slaved to a clock of a synchronized main processor.

[0138] The memory 620 may include one or more non-volatile memories and one or more volatile memories. Examples of non-volatile memories include, but are not limited to, read-only memory (ROM) 624, electrically programmable read-only memory (EPROM), flash memory, hard disk, compact disk (CD), digital video disk (DVD), optical disk, laser disk, and other magnetic storage and / or optical storage. Examples of volatile memories include, but are not limited to, random access memory (RAM) 622 and other volatile memories that will not persist until power is removed.

[0139] The computer program 630 includes computer executable instructions executed by the associated processor 610. The instructions of the program 630 may include instructions for performing the operations / actions of some example embodiments of the present disclosure. The program 630 may be stored in a memory, such as ROM 624. The processor 610 may perform any suitable actions and processes by loading the program 630 into the RAM 622.

[0140] The exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure may be implemented by a program 630 so that the device 600 may execute the following steps: Figures 2 to 5 Any process of the present disclosure discussed. The exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure may also be implemented by hardware or a combination of software and hardware.

[0141] In some example embodiments, the program 630 may be tangibly embodied in a computer-readable medium that may be included in the device 600 (such as in the memory 620) or in other storage devices accessible by the device 600. The device 600 may load the program 630 from the computer-readable medium to the RAM 622 for execution. In some example embodiments, the computer-readable medium may include any type of non-transitory storage medium, such as ROM, EPROM, flash memory, hard disk, CD, DVD, etc. The term "non-transitory" as used herein is a limitation of the medium itself (i.e., tangible, not a signal), not a limitation on data storage persistence (e.g., RAM vs. ROM).

[0142] Figure 7 An example of a computer readable medium 700 is shown, which may be in the form of a CD, DVD or other optical storage disk. The computer readable medium 700 has a program 630 stored thereon.

[0143] Generally, various embodiments of the present disclosure may be implemented in hardware or dedicated circuits, software, logic, or any combination thereof. Some aspects may be implemented in hardware, and other aspects may be implemented in firmware or software that may be executed by a controller, microprocessor, or other computing device. Although various aspects of the embodiments of the present disclosure are illustrated and described as block diagrams, flow charts, or using some other graphical representations, it should be understood that, as non-limiting examples, the blocks, devices, systems, techniques, or methods described herein may be implemented in hardware, software, firmware, dedicated circuits or logic, general hardware or controllers or other computing devices, or some combination thereof.

[0144] Some example embodiments of the present disclosure also provide at least one computer program product tangibly stored on a computer-readable medium (such as, non-volatile computer-readable medium). The computer program product includes computer executable instructions, such as those computer executable instructions executed in a device on a target physical or virtual processor included in a program module to perform any method as described above. Typically, a program module includes routines, programs, libraries, objects, classes, components, data structures, etc. that perform specific tasks or implement specific abstract data types. The functionality of the program modules can be combined or split between program modules as needed in various embodiments. The machine executable instructions for the program modules can be executed in local or distributed devices. In distributed devices, program modules can be located in local and remote storage media.

[0145] The program code for executing the method of the present disclosure may be written in any combination of one or more programming languages. The program code may be provided to a processor or controller of a general-purpose computer, a special-purpose computer, or other programmable data processing device, so that when the program code is executed by the processor or controller, the implementation of the functions / operations specified in the flowchart and / or block diagram is realized. The program code may be executed entirely on the machine, partially on the machine, as an independent software package, partially on the machine and partially on a remote machine, or entirely on a remote machine or server.

[0146] In the context of the present disclosure, computer program codes or related data may be carried by any suitable carrier to enable a device, apparatus or processor to perform various processes and operations as described above. Examples of carriers include signals, computer readable media, etc.

[0147] The computer readable medium may be a computer readable signal medium or a computer readable storage medium. The computer readable medium may include, but is not limited to, electronic, magnetic, optical, electromagnetic, infrared, or semiconductor systems, devices, or equipment, or any suitable combination thereof. A more specific example of a computer readable storage medium may include an electrical connection with one or more wires, a portable computer disk, a hard disk, a random access memory (RAM), a read-only memory (ROM), an erasable programmable read-only memory (EPROM or flash memory), an optical fiber, a portable compact disk read-only memory (CD-ROM), an optical storage component, a magnetic storage component, or any suitable combination thereof.

[0148] In addition, although the operations are depicted in a specific order, this should not be understood as requiring the specific order shown or in a sequential order to perform these operations, or to perform all described operations, to achieve the desired result. In some cases, multitasking and parallel processing can be advantageous. Similarly, although several specific implementation details are included in the above discussion, these should not be interpreted as limitations on the scope of the present disclosure, but should be interpreted as descriptions of features that may be specific to a specific embodiment. Unless explicitly stated, certain features described in the context of a separate embodiment may also be implemented in combination in a single embodiment. On the contrary, unless explicitly stated, the various features described in the context of a single embodiment may also be implemented in multiple embodiments individually or in any suitable sub-combination.

[0149] Although the present disclosure has been described in language specific to structural features and / or methodological actions, it should be understood that the present disclosure defined in the appended claims is not necessarily limited to the specific features or actions described above. Rather, the specific features and actions described above are disclosed as example forms of implementing the claims.

Claims

1. A first device for communication, comprising: at least one processor; as well as at least one memory storing instructions, which, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the first device to at least: receiving from a third device assistance data for beam alignment with a second device based on measurements from a fourth device, the first device to be communicating with the second device; determining a target beam from a plurality of candidate beams of the first device based on the assistance data and the measurements from the fourth device; as well as Beam management and / or communication with the second device is performed by using the target beam.

2. The first device according to claim 1, wherein the first device is further caused to: transmitting beam capability information of the first device and the second device to the third device, wherein the beam capability information indicates at least one of spatial coverage, spatial orientation, or beam width of a corresponding one of the first device and the second device, and The auxiliary information used for beam alignment is determined based on the beam capability information.

3. The first device of claim 1, wherein the first device is further caused to: transmitting a request for said assistance data for beam alignment to said third device, The request includes one of the following: a first indication of beam establishment with the second device, or The second apparatus is a second indication of a peer device in communication with the first apparatus.

4. The first device of claim 1 , wherein the first device is caused to determine the target beam by: measuring at least one reference signal from the fourth device using each candidate beam of the plurality of candidate beams; determining, based on the measurement result, a reference beam for communicating with the fourth device from the plurality of candidate beams; as well as The target beam for communicating with the second device is determined based on the assistance information and the reference beam. 5 . The first device of claim 1 , wherein the fourth device is determined based on a radio resource management report from at least one of the first device and the second device. 6 . The first device of claim 1 , wherein the assistance data indicates a relationship between the target beam and a reference beam used to receive a reference signal from the fourth device.

7. The first device according to claim 6, wherein the relationship comprises one of the following: The target beam is in the same direction as the reference beam, The target beam is in the opposite direction to the reference beam, or The angle between the target beam and the reference beam.

8. The first device according to claim 1, wherein the beam management and / or communication comprises at least one of the following: Beam pairing, beam maintenance or beam failure recovery.

9. The first device of claim 1, wherein the first device is further caused to: determining that at least one of the first device and the second device changes beam orientation; and An updated target beam is determined from the plurality of candidate beams based on the measurements from the fourth device.

10. The first device of claim 1, wherein the first device is further caused to: receiving updated assistance data from the third device for beam alignment with the second device; and Beam failure recovery is performed based on the updated assistance data.

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