Antenna-side combination or antenna-side selection in L-shaped antenna module

Abstract

Aspects of the present disclosure generally relate to wireless communications. In some aspects, a user equipment (UE) may determine a target mode of operation of an L-shaped antenna module that includes a first antenna sub-array on a first side of the L-shaped antenna module and a second antenna sub-array on a second side of the L-shaped antenna module. The UE may configure the L-shaped antenna module to operate in the target mode. Numerous other aspects are described.

Description

[0001] CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

[0002] This patent application claims priority to U.S. Patent Application No. 17 / 812,331, filed on July 13, 2022, entitled "ANTENNA SIDE COMBINING OR ANTENNA SIDE SELECTION IN AN L-SHAPED ANTENNA MODULE" and assigned to the assignee of this application. The disclosure of the prior application is considered a part of and incorporated by reference into this patent application. Technical Field

[0003] Aspects of the present disclosure relate generally to wireless communications, and to techniques and apparatus associated with antenna-side combining or antenna-side selection in an L-shaped antenna module. Background Art

[0004] Wireless communication systems are widely deployed to provide a variety of telecommunication services, such as telephony, video, data, messaging, and broadcasting. Typical wireless communication systems may employ multiple access technologies that can support communication with multiple users by sharing available system resources (e.g., bandwidth, transmit power, etc.). Examples of such multiple access technologies include code division multiple access (CDMA) systems, time division multiple access (TDMA) systems, frequency division multiple access (FDMA) systems, orthogonal frequency division multiple access (OFDMA) systems, single carrier frequency division multiple access (SC-FDMA) systems, time division synchronous code division multiple access (TD-SCDMA) systems, and long term evolution (LTE). LTE / LTE-Advanced is a set of enhancements to the Universal Mobile Telecommunications System (UMTS) mobile standard promulgated by the Third Generation Partnership Project (3GPP).

[0005] A wireless network may include one or more network nodes that support communications for wireless communication devices, such as user equipment (UE) or multiple UEs. A UE may communicate with a network node via downlink communications and uplink communications. A "downlink" (or "DL") refers to a communication link from a network node to a UE, and an "uplink" (or "UL") refers to a communication link from a UE to a network node. Some wireless networks may support device-to-device communications, such as via a local link (e.g., a side link (SL), a wireless local area network (WLAN) link, and / or a wireless personal area network (WPAN) link, etc.).

[0006] The above-mentioned multiple access technologies have been adopted in various telecommunication standards to provide a common protocol that enables different UEs to communicate at a city, country, region and / or global level. New Radio (NR), which may be referred to as 5G, is a set of enhancements to the LTE mobile standard promulgated by 3GPP. NR is designed to better support mobile broadband Internet access by improving spectrum efficiency, reducing costs, improving services, utilizing new spectrum, and using orthogonal frequency division multiplexing (OFDM) with cyclic prefix (CP) (CP-OFDM) on the downlink, using CP-OFDM and / or single carrier frequency division multiplexing (SC-FDM) (also known as discrete Fourier transform spread OFDM (DFT-s-OFDM)) on the uplink to better integrate with other open standards, as well as supporting beamforming, multiple input multiple output (MIMO) antenna technology and carrier aggregation. As the demand for mobile broadband access continues to increase, further improvements in LTE, NR and other radio access technologies remain useful. Summary of the invention

[0007] Some aspects described herein relate to a method of wireless communication performed by a user equipment (UE). The method may include determining a target mode of operation of an L-shaped antenna module, the L-shaped antenna module including a first antenna subarray on a first side of the L-shaped antenna module and a second antenna subarray on a second side of the L-shaped antenna module. The method may include configuring the L-shaped antenna module to operate in the target mode.

[0008] Some aspects described herein relate to a UE for wireless communication. The UE may include a memory and one or more processors coupled to the memory. The one or more processors may be configured to determine a target mode of operation of an L-shaped antenna module, the L-shaped antenna module including a first antenna subarray on a first side of the L-shaped antenna module and a second antenna subarray on a second side of the L-shaped antenna module. The one or more processors may be configured to configure the L-shaped antenna module to operate in the target mode.

[0009] Some aspects described herein relate to a non-transitory computer-readable medium storing an instruction set for wireless communication by a UE. The instruction set, when executed by one or more processors of the UE, may cause the UE to determine a target mode of operation of an L-shaped antenna module, the L-shaped antenna module including a first antenna subarray on a first side of the L-shaped antenna module and a second antenna subarray on a second side of the L-shaped antenna module. The instruction set, when executed by one or more processors of the UE, may cause the UE to configure the L-shaped antenna module to operate in the target mode.

[0010] Some aspects described herein relate to an apparatus for wireless communication. The apparatus may include means for determining a target mode of operation of an L-shaped antenna module, the L-shaped antenna module including a first antenna subarray on a first side of the L-shaped antenna module and a second antenna subarray on a second side of the L-shaped antenna module. The apparatus may include means for configuring the L-shaped antenna module to operate in the target mode.

[0011] The various aspects generally include methods, apparatus, systems, computer program products, non-transitory computer-readable media, user equipment, base stations, network entities, network nodes, wireless communication devices and / or processing systems as fully described herein with reference to the drawings and description and as illustrated in the drawings and description.

[0012] The features and technical advantages of the examples according to the present disclosure have been outlined quite extensively above so that the following specific embodiments may be better understood. Additional features and advantages will be described below. The disclosed concepts and specific examples may be easily used as a basis for modifying or designing other structures for achieving the same purpose of the present disclosure. Such equivalent constructions do not depart from the scope of the appended claims. The characteristics of the concepts disclosed herein, both in terms of their organization and method of operation, and the associated advantages will be better understood by considering the following description in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. Each of the figures in the accompanying drawings is provided for the purpose of illustration and description, and not as a definition of the limitations of the claims.

[0013] Although various aspects are described in the present disclosure by illustrating some examples, it will be understood by those skilled in the art that such aspects can be implemented in many different arrangements and scenarios. The technology described herein can be implemented using different platform types, devices, systems, shapes, sizes and / or packaging arrangements. For example, some aspects can be implemented via integrated chip implementations or other devices based on non-module components (e.g., end-user devices, vehicles, communication equipment, computing equipment, industrial equipment, retail / shopping equipment, medical equipment, and / or artificial intelligence devices). Various aspects can be implemented in chip-level components, modular components, non-modular components, non-chip-level components, device-level components and / or system-level components. The equipment incorporating the various aspects and features described may include additional components and features for implementing and practicing the various aspects claimed and described. For example, the transmission and reception of wireless signals may include one or more components (e.g., hardware components, including antennas, radio frequency (RF) chains, power amplifiers, modulators, buffers, processors, interleavers, adders and / or summers) for analog and digital purposes. The various aspects described herein are intended to be practiced in various devices, components, systems, distributed arrangements, and / or end-user devices of various sizes, shapes and configurations. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0014] In order to fully understand the above-mentioned features of the present disclosure, a more specific description of the invention briefly summarized above can be obtained by referring to various aspects (some of which are illustrated in the accompanying drawings). However, it should be noted that the accompanying drawings only illustrate certain typical aspects of the present disclosure and are therefore not to be considered as limiting the scope thereof, as the specification may admit of other equally effective aspects. The same reference numerals in different drawings may identify the same or similar elements.

[0015] Figure 1 is a diagram illustrating an example of a wireless network according to the present disclosure.

[0016] Figure 2 is a diagram illustrating an example of communication between a network node and a user equipment (UE) in a wireless network according to the present disclosure.

[0017] Figure 3 is a diagram illustrating an example beamforming architecture supporting beamforming for millimeter wave (mmW) communications according to the present disclosure.

[0018] Figure 4 is a diagram illustrating an example of an antenna module design supporting beamforming for mmW communication according to the present disclosure.

[0019] FIG. 5A to FIG. 5C is a diagram illustrating an example associated with antenna-side combination or antenna-side selection in an L-shaped antenna module according to the present disclosure.

[0020] Figure 6 is a diagram illustrating an example process associated with antenna-side combination or antenna-side selection in an L-shaped antenna module according to the present disclosure.

[0021] Figure 7 is a diagram of an example apparatus for wireless communications according to the present disclosure. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0022] The various aspects of the present disclosure are described more fully below with reference to the accompanying drawings. However, the present disclosure can be embodied in many different forms, and should not be interpreted as being limited to any specific structure or function presented throughout the present disclosure. Instead, these aspects are provided so that the present disclosure will be thorough and complete, and the protection scope of the present disclosure will be fully conveyed to those skilled in the art. It should be appreciated by those skilled in the art that the scope of the present disclosure is intended to cover any aspect of the present disclosure disclosed herein, whether it is implemented independently or in combination with any other aspect of the present disclosure. For example, any number of aspects set forth herein may be used to implement a device or practice method. In addition, the scope of the present disclosure is intended to cover such devices or methods that are practiced using other structures, functions, or structures and functions in addition to or different from the various aspects of the disclosure set forth herein. It should be understood that any aspect of the disclosure disclosed herein may be embodied by one or more elements of the claims.

[0023] Several aspects of telecommunication systems will now be presented with reference to various devices and techniques. These devices and techniques will be described in the following detailed description and illustrated in the accompanying drawings by various blocks, modules, components, circuits, steps, processes, algorithms, etc. (collectively referred to as "elements"). These elements can be implemented using hardware, software, or a combination thereof. Whether these elements are implemented as hardware or software depends on the specific application and the design constraints imposed on the overall system.

[0024] Although various aspects may be described herein using terms generally associated with 5G or new radio (NR) radio access technology (RAT), various aspects of the present disclosure may be applied to other RATs, such as 3G RAT, 4G RAT and / or RATs beyond 5G (e.g., 6G).

[0025] Figure 11 is a diagram illustrating an example of a wireless network 100 according to the present disclosure. The wireless network 100 may be a 5G (e.g., NR) network and / or a 4G (e.g., Long Term Evolution (LTE)) network, or may include elements of a 5G (e.g., NR) network and / or elements of a 4G (e.g., Long Term Evolution (LTE)) network, as well as other examples. The wireless network 100 may include one or more network nodes 110 (shown as network node 110a, network node 110b, network node 110c, and network node 110d), user equipment (UE) 120 or multiple UEs 120 (shown as UE 120a, UE 120b, UE 120c, UE 120d, and UE 120e), and / or other entities. The network node 110 is a network node that communicates with the UE 120. As shown in the figure, the network node 110 may include one or more network nodes. For example, the network node 110 may be a converged network node, which means that the converged network node is configured to utilize a radio protocol stack that is physically or logically integrated within a single radio access network (RAN) node (e.g., within a single device or unit). For another example, the network node 110 may be a decomposed network node (sometimes referred to as a decomposed base station), which means that the network node 110 is configured to utilize a protocol stack that is physically or logically distributed between two or more nodes (such as one or more central units (CUs), one or more distributed units (DUs), or one or more radio units (RUs)).

[0026] In some examples, the network node 110 is or includes a network node (such as an RU) that communicates with the UE 120 via a radio access link. In some examples, the network node 110 is or includes a network node (such as a DU) that communicates with other network nodes 110 via a fronthaul link or a midhaul link. In some examples, the network node 110 is or includes a network node (such as a CU) that communicates with other network nodes 110 via a midhaul link or communicates with the core network via a backhaul link. In some examples, the network node 110 (such as an aggregated network node 110 or a decomposed network node 110) may include multiple network nodes, such as one or more RUs, one or more CUs, and / or one or more DUs. For example, the network node 110 may include an NR base station, an LTE base station, a Node B, an eNB (e.g., in 4G), a gNB (e.g., in 5G), an access point, a transmit receive point (TRP), a DU, a RU, a CU, a mobility element of a network, a core network node, a network element, a network equipment, a RAN node, or a combination thereof. In some examples, network nodes 110 may be interconnected to each other or to one or more other network nodes 110 in wireless network 100 via various types of fronthaul, midhaul, and / or backhaul interfaces, such as direct physical connections, air interfaces, or virtual networks, using any suitable transport network.

[0027] In some examples, the network node 110 may provide communication coverage for a particular geographic area. In the Third Generation Partnership Project (3GPP), the term "cell" may refer to the coverage area of ​​the network node 110 and / or the network node subsystem serving the coverage area, depending on the context in which the term is used. The network node 110 may provide communication coverage for a macro cell, a pico cell, a femto cell, and / or another type of cell. A macro cell may cover a relatively large geographic area (e.g., a radius of several kilometers) and may allow unrestricted access by a UE 120 with a service subscription. A pico cell may cover a relatively small geographic area and may allow unrestricted access by a UE 120 with a service subscription. A femto cell may cover a relatively small geographic area (e.g., a home) and may allow restricted access by a UE 120 associated with a femto cell (e.g., a UE 120 in a closed subscriber group (CSG)). A network node 110 for a macro cell may be referred to as a macro network node. A network node 110 for a pico cell may be referred to as a pico network node. The network node 110 for a femto cell may be referred to as a femto network node or a home network node. Figure 1 In the example shown, network node 110a may be a macro network node for macro cell 102a, network node 110b may be a pico network node for pico cell 102b, and network node 110c may be a femto network node for femto cell 102c. The network node may support one or more (e.g., three) cells. In some examples, the cells may not necessarily be stationary, and the geographic area of ​​the cells may move according to the location of the mobile network node 110 (e.g., a mobile network node).

[0028] In some aspects, the term "base station" or "network node" may refer to a converged base station, a decomposed base station, an integrated access and backhaul (IAB) node, a relay node, or one or more components thereof. For example, in some aspects, a "base station" or "network node" may refer to a CU, a DU, a RU, a near real-time (near RT) RAN intelligent controller (RIC), or a non-real-time (non-RT) RIC, or a combination thereof. In some aspects, the term "base station" or "network node" may refer to a device configured to perform one or more functions (such as those described herein in conjunction with the network node 110). In some aspects, the term "base station" or "network node" may refer to a plurality of devices configured to perform one or more functions. For example, in some distributed systems, each of a number of different devices (which may be located in the same geographic location or in different geographic locations) may be configured to perform at least a portion of a function, or to repeat the execution of at least a portion of the function, and the term "base station" or "network node" may refer to any one or more of these different devices. In some aspects, the term "base station" or "network node" may refer to one or more virtual base stations or one or more virtual base station functions. For example, in some aspects, two or more base station functions may be instantiated on a single device. In some aspects, the term "base station" or "network node" may refer to one of the base station functions but not another base station function. In this way, a single device may include more than one base station.

[0029] The wireless network 100 may include one or more relay stations. A relay station is a network node that can receive transmissions of data from an upstream node (e.g., a network node 110 or a UE 120) and transmit transmissions of data to a downstream node (e.g., a UE 120 or a network node 110). A relay station may be a UE 120 that can relay transmissions for other UEs 120. Figure 1 In the example shown, a network node 110d (e.g., a relay network node) may communicate with a network node 110a (e.g., a macro network node) and a UE 120d to facilitate communications between the network node 110a and the UE 120d. A network node 110 that relays communications may be referred to as a relay station, a relay base station, a relay network node, a relay node, a relay, etc.

[0030] The wireless network 100 may be a heterogeneous network that includes different types of network nodes 110, such as macro network nodes, pico network nodes, femto network nodes, relay network nodes, etc. These different types of network nodes 110 may have different transmit power levels, different coverage areas, and / or different impacts on interference in the wireless network 100. For example, a macro network node may have a high transmit power level (e.g., 5 watts to 40 watts), while a pico network node, a femto network node, and a relay network node may have a lower transmit power level (e.g., 0.1 watt to 2 watts).

[0031] The network controller 130 may be coupled to or in communication with a set of network nodes 110 and may provide coordination and control for the network nodes 110. The network controller 130 may communicate with the network nodes 110 via a backhaul communication link or a midhaul communication link. The network nodes 110 may also communicate directly with each other or indirectly via a wireless backhaul link or a wired backhaul link. In some aspects, the network controller 130 may be or may include a CU or a core network device.

[0032] UE 120 can be dispersed throughout the wireless network 100, and each UE 120 can be fixed or mobile. UE 120 can include, for example, access terminals, terminals, mobile stations, and / or subscriber units. UE 120 can be a cellular phone (e.g., a smart phone), a personal digital assistant (PDA), a wireless modem, a wireless communication device, a handheld device, a laptop computer, a cordless phone, a wireless local loop (WLL) station, a tablet computer, a camera, a gaming device, a netbook, a smartbook, an ultrabook, a medical device, a biometric device, a wearable device (e.g., a smart watch, smart clothing, smart glasses, a smart wristband, smart jewelry (e.g., a smart ring or a smart bracelet)), an entertainment device (e.g., a music device, a video device, and / or a satellite radio), a vehicle component or sensor, a smart meter / sensor, an industrial manufacturing equipment, a global positioning system device, a UE function of a network node, and / or any other suitable device configured to communicate via a wireless or wired medium.

[0033] Some UE 120 may be considered as machine type communication (MTC) or evolved or enhanced machine type communication (eMTC) UE. MTC UE and / or eMTC UE may include, for example, a robot, a drone, a remote device, a sensor, a meter, a monitor and / or a location tag, which may communicate with a network node, another device (e.g., a remote device) or some other entity. Some UE 120 may be considered as an Internet of Things (IoT) device and / or may be implemented as a NB-IoT (narrowband IoT) device. Some UE 120 may be considered as customer site equipment. UE 120 may be included in a housing that houses components of UE 120, such as a processor component and / or a memory component. In some examples, the processor component and the memory component may be coupled together. For example, a processor component (e.g., one or more processors) and a memory component (e.g., a memory) may be operationally coupled, communicatively coupled, electronically coupled, and / or electrically coupled.

[0034] In general, any number of wireless networks 100 may be deployed in a given geographic area. Each wireless network 100 may support a specific RAT and may operate on one or more frequencies. RAT may be referred to as a radio technology, an air interface, etc. Frequency may be referred to as a carrier, a frequency channel, etc. Each frequency may support a single RAT in a given geographic area to avoid interference between wireless networks of different RATs. In some cases, NR or 5G RAT networks may be deployed.

[0035] In some examples, two or more UEs 120 (e.g., shown as UE 120a and UE 120e) may communicate directly using one or more side link channels (e.g., without using network node 110 as an intermediary to communicate with each other). For example, UE 120 may communicate using peer-to-peer (P2P) communication, device-to-device (D2D) communication, vehicle-to-everything (V2X) protocols (e.g., which may include vehicle-to-vehicle (V2V) protocols, vehicle-to-infrastructure (V2I) protocols, or vehicle-to-pedestrian (V2P) protocols), and / or mesh networks. In such examples, UE 120 may perform scheduling operations, resource selection operations, and / or other operations described elsewhere herein as being performed by network node 110.

[0036] The devices of the wireless network 100 may communicate using an electromagnetic spectrum, which may be subdivided into various categories, bands, channels, etc., based on frequency or wavelength. For example, the devices of the wireless network 100 may communicate using one or more operating bands. In 5G NR, two initial operating bands have been identified as frequency ranges designated FR1 (410 MHz–7.125 GHz) and FR2 (24.25 GHz–52.6 GHz). It should be understood that, although a portion of FR1 is greater than 6 GHz, FR1 is often (interchangeably) referred to as a “below 6 GHz” band in various documents and articles. A similar naming issue sometimes occurs with respect to FR2, which is often (interchangeably) referred to as a “millimeter wave” band in documents and articles, despite being different from the extremely high frequency (EHF) band (30 GHz–300 GHz) identified as a “millimeter wave” band by the International Telecommunication Union (ITU).

[0037] Frequencies between FR1 and FR2 are generally referred to as mid-band frequencies. Recent 5G NR research has identified the operating bands for these mid-band frequencies as frequency range designation FR3 (7.125GHz–24.25GHz). The bands falling within FR3 can inherit FR1 characteristics and / or FR2 characteristics, and therefore the features of FR1 and / or FR2 can be effectively extended to mid-band frequencies. In addition, higher frequency bands are currently being explored to extend 5G NR operations to more than 52.6GHz. For example, three higher operating bands have been identified as frequency range designations FR4a or FR4-1 (52.6GHz–71GHz), FR4 (52.6GHz–114.25GHz), and FR5 (114.25GHz–300GHz). Each of these higher frequency bands falls within the EHF band.

[0038] Considering the above examples, unless otherwise expressly stated, it should be understood that if the term "below 6 GHz" or the like is used herein, the term can broadly refer to frequencies that can be lower than 6 GHz, can be within FR1, or can include mid-band frequencies. In addition, unless otherwise expressly stated, it should be understood that if the term "millimeter wave" or the like is used herein, the term can broadly refer to frequencies that can include mid-band frequencies, can be within FR2, FR4, FR4-a or FR4-1 and / or FR5, or can be within the EHF band. It is contemplated that the frequencies included in these operating bands (e.g., FR1, FR2, FR3, FR4, FR4-a, FR4-1, and / or FR5) can be modified, and the techniques described herein are applicable to those modified frequency ranges.

[0039] In some aspects, UE 120 may include a communications manager 140. As described in more detail elsewhere herein, communications manager 140 may determine a target mode of operation of an L-shaped antenna module including a first antenna subarray on a first side of the L-shaped antenna module and a second antenna subarray on a second side of the L-shaped antenna module; and configure the L-shaped antenna module to operate in the target mode. Additionally or alternatively, communications manager 140 may perform one or more other operations described herein.

[0040] As indicated above, Figure 1 Other examples can be found in the Figure 1 Different than described.

[0041] Figure 22 is a diagram illustrating an example 200 of a network node 110 communicating with a UE 120 in a wireless network 100 according to the present disclosure. The network node 110 may be equipped with a set of antennas 234a to 234t, such as T antennas (T≥1). The UE 120 may be equipped with a set of antennas 252a to 252r, such as R antennas (R≥1). The network node 110 of example 200 includes one or more radio frequency components, such as an antenna 234 and a modem 254. In some examples, the network node 110 may include an interface, a communication component, or another component that facilitates communication with the UE 120 or another network node. Some network nodes 110 may not include a radio frequency component that facilitates direct communication with the UE 120, such as one or more CUs or one or more DUs.

[0042] At the network node 110, a transmit processor 220 may receive data intended for a UE 120 (or a set of UEs 120) from a data source 212. The transmit processor 220 may select one or more modulation and coding schemes (MCS) for the UE 120 based at least in part on one or more channel quality indicators (CQIs) received from the UE 120. The network node 110 may process (e.g., encode and modulate) the data for the UE 120 based at least in part on the MCS selected for the UE 120, and provide data symbols for the UE 120. The transmit processor 220 may process system information (e.g., for semi-static resource partitioning information (SRPI)) and control information (e.g., CQI requests, grants, and / or upper layer signaling), and provide overhead symbols and control symbols. The transmit processor 220 may generate reference symbols for reference signals (e.g., cell-specific reference signals (CRS) or demodulation reference signals (DMRS)) and synchronization signals (e.g., primary synchronization signals (PSS) or secondary synchronization signals (SSS)). The transmit (TX) multiple-input multiple-output (MIMO) processor 230 may perform spatial processing (e.g., pre-coding) on ​​data symbols, control symbols, overhead symbols, and / or reference symbols, where applicable, and may provide a set of output symbol streams (e.g., T output symbol streams) to a corresponding set of modems 232 (e.g., T modems) (shown as modems 232a to 232t). For example, each output symbol stream may be provided to a modulator component (shown as MOD) of the modem 232. Each modem 232 may process a corresponding output symbol stream (e.g., for OFDM) using a corresponding modulator component to obtain an output sample stream. Each modem 232 may further process (e.g., convert to analog, amplify, filter, and / or upconvert) the output sample stream using a corresponding modulator component to obtain a downlink signal. The modems 232a through 232t may transmit a set of downlink signals (eg, T downlink signals) via a corresponding set of antennas 234 (eg, T antennas) (shown as antennas 234a through 234t).

[0043] At the UE 120, a set of antennas 252 (shown as antennas 252a to 252r) may receive downlink signals from the network node 110 and / or other network nodes 110 and may provide a set of received signals (e.g., R received signals) to a set of modems 254 (e.g., R modems) (shown as modems 254a to 254r). For example, each received signal may be provided to a demodulator component (shown as DEMOD) of the modem 254. Each modem 254 may use a corresponding demodulator component to condition (e.g., filter, amplify, downconvert, and / or digitize) the received signal to obtain input samples. Each modem 254 may use a demodulator component to further process the input samples (e.g., for OFDM) to obtain received symbols. A MIMO detector 256 may obtain received symbols from the modem 254, may perform MIMO detection on the received symbols where applicable, and may provide detected symbols. The receive processor 258 may process (e.g., demodulate and decode) the detected symbols, may provide decoded data for the UE 120 to the data sink 260, and may provide decoded control information and system information to the controller / processor 280. The term "controller / processor" may refer to one or more controllers, one or more processors, or a combination thereof. The channel processor may determine a reference signal received power (RSRP) parameter, a received signal strength indicator (RSSI) parameter, a reference signal received quality (RSRQ) parameter, and / or a CQI parameter, among other things. In some examples, one or more components of the UE 120 may be included in the housing 284.

[0044] The network controller 130 may include a communication unit 294, a controller / processor 290, and a memory 292. The network controller 130 may include, for example, one or more devices in a core network. The network controller 130 may communicate with the network node 110 via the communication unit 294.

[0045] One or more antennas (e.g., antennas 234a to 234t and / or antennas 252a to 252r) may include or be included within one or more antenna panels, one or more antenna groups, one or more sets of antenna elements, and / or one or more antenna arrays, etc. Antenna panels, antenna groups, sets of antenna elements, and / or antenna arrays may include one or more antenna elements (within a single housing or multiple housings), sets of coplanar antenna elements, sets of non-coplanar antenna elements, and / or coupled to one or more transmit and / or receive components (such as, Figure 2 One or more antenna elements of one or more components in.

[0046] On the uplink, at the UE 120, the transmit processor 264 may receive and process data from the data source 262 and control information from the controller / processor 280 (e.g., for reports including RSRP, RSSI, RSRQ, and / or CQI). The transmit processor 264 may generate reference symbols for one or more reference signals. The symbols from the transmit processor 264 may be pre-decoded by the TX MIMO processor 266, where applicable, further processed by the modem 254 (e.g., for DFT-s-OFDM or CP-OFDM), and sent to the network node 110. In some examples, the modem 254 of the UE 120 may include a modulator and a demodulator. In some examples, the UE 120 includes a transceiver. The transceiver may include any combination of an antenna 252, a modem 254, a MIMO detector 256, a receive processor 258, a transmit processor 264, and / or a TX MIMO processor 266. The transceiver may be used by a processor (eg, controller / processor 280) and memory 282 to perform the functions described herein (eg, reference FIG. 5A to FIG. 5C , Figure 6 and / or Figure 7 ) or any aspects of any of the methods described herein.

[0047] At the network node 110, uplink signals from the UE 120 and / or other UEs may be received by the antenna 234, processed by the modem 232 (e.g., a demodulator component of the modem 232 shown as DEMOD), detected by the MIMO detector 236 (where applicable), and further processed by the receive processor 238 to obtain decoded data and control information transmitted by the UE 120. The receive processor 238 may provide the decoded data to the data sink 239 and the decoded control information to the controller / processor 240. The network node 110 may include a communication unit 244 and may communicate with the network controller 130 via the communication unit 244. The network node 110 may include a scheduler 246 to schedule one or more UEs 120 for downlink and / or uplink communications. In some examples, the modem 232 of the network node 110 may include a modulator and a demodulator. In some examples, the network node 110 includes a transceiver. The transceiver may include any combination of antenna 234, modem 232, MIMO detector 236, receive processor 238, transmit processor 220, and / or TX MIMO processor 230. The transceiver may be used by a processor (e.g., controller / processor 240) and memory 242 to perform operations described herein (e.g., with reference to FIG. 5A to FIG. 5C , Figure 6 and / or Figure 7) or any aspects of any of the methods described herein.

[0048] The controller / processor 240 of the network node 110, the controller / processor 280 of the UE 120, and / or Figure 2 Any other components of the controller / processor 240 of the network node 110, the controller / processor 280 of the UE 120, and / or Figure 2 Any other component of the Figure 6 600 and / or other processes as described herein. Memory 242 and memory 282 may store data and program codes for network node 110 and UE 120, respectively. In some examples, memory 242 and / or memory 282 may include a non-transitory computer-readable medium that stores one or more instructions (e.g., code and / or program code) for wireless communication. For example, the one or more instructions, when executed by one or more processors of network node 110 and / or UE 120 (e.g., directly, or after compilation, conversion, and / or interpretation), may cause the one or more processors, UE 120, and / or network node 110 to perform or direct, for example, Figure 6 The process 600 and / or operations of other processes as described herein. In some examples, executing instructions may include running instructions, converting instructions, compiling instructions, and / or interpreting instructions, among others.

[0049] In some aspects, the UE 120 includes: means for determining a target mode of operation of an L-shaped antenna module, the L-shaped antenna module including a first antenna subarray on a first side of the L-shaped antenna module and a second antenna subarray on a second side of the L-shaped antenna module; and / or means for configuring the L-shaped antenna module to operate in the target mode. Means for the UE 120 to perform operations described herein may include, for example, one or more of the communication manager 140, the antenna 252, the modem 254, the MIMO detector 256, the receive processor 258, the transmit processor 264, the TX MIMO processor 266, the controller / processor 280, or the memory 282.

[0050] Although Figure 2 The blocks in the 2000 and 2010 are illustrated as distinct components, but the functionality described above for these blocks may be implemented in a single hardware, software, or combined component or in various combinations of components. For example, the functionality described for the transmit processor 264, the receive processor 258, and / or the TX MIMO processor 266 may be performed by or under the control of the controller / processor 280.

[0051] As indicated above, Figure 2 Other examples can be found in the Figure 2 Different than described.

[0052] The deployment of a communication system (such as a 5G NR system) can be arranged with various components or components in a variety of ways. In a 5G NR system or network, a network node, a network entity, a mobility element of a network, a RAN node, a core network node, a network element, a base station or network equipment can be implemented in an aggregated or decomposed architecture. For example, a base station (such as a node B (NB), an evolved NB (eNB), an NR BS, a 5G NB, an access point (AP), a TRP or a cell, etc.) or one or more units (or one or more components) that perform base station functionality can be implemented as an aggregated base station (also called an independent base station or a monolithic base station) or a decomposed base station. A "network entity" or a "network node" may refer to a decomposed base station or one or more units of a decomposed base station (such as one or more CUs, one or more DUs, one or more RUs, or a combination thereof).

[0053] An aggregated base station (e.g., an aggregated network node) can be configured to utilize a radio protocol stack that is physically or logically integrated within a single RAN node (e.g., within a single device or unit). A decomposed base station (e.g., a decomposed network node) can be configured to utilize a protocol stack that is physically or logically distributed between two or more units (such as one or more CUs, one or more DUs, or one or more RUs). In some examples, the CU can be implemented within a network node, and one or more DUs can be co-located with the CU, or alternatively, can be geographically or virtually distributed across one or more other network nodes. The DU can be implemented to communicate with one or more RUs. Each of the CU, DU, and RU can also be implemented as a virtual unit, such as a virtual central unit (VCU), a virtual distributed unit (VDU), or a virtual radio unit (VRU), etc.

[0054] Base station type operations or network designs may take into account the aggregated nature of base station functionality. For example, a decomposed base station may be utilized in an IAB network, an open radio access network (O-RAN (such as a network configuration initiated by the O-RAN Alliance)), or a virtualized radio access network (vRAN, also known as a cloud radio access network (C-RAN)) to facilitate the scaling of a communication system by separating base station functionality into one or more units that can be deployed separately. A decomposed base station may include functionality implemented across two or more units at various physical locations, as well as functionality implemented virtually for at least one unit, which may enable flexibility in network design. Individual units of a decomposed base station may be configured for wired or wireless communication with at least one other unit of the decomposed base station.

[0055] Figure 3 is a diagram illustrating an example beamforming architecture 300 that supports beamforming for millimeter wave (mmW) communications in accordance with the present disclosure. In some aspects, the architecture 300 can implement aspects of the wireless network 100. In some aspects, the architecture 300 can be implemented in a transmitting device (e.g., a first wireless node such as a UE, a base station, a TRP, an integrated access and backhaul (IAB) node, a CU, a DU, a RU, a network node, or another suitable wireless communication device) and / or a receiving device (e.g., a second wireless node such as a UE, a base station, a TRP, an IAB node, a CU, a DU, a RU, a network node, or another suitable wireless communication device), as described herein.

[0056] Broadly, Figure 3 300 is a diagram illustrating example hardware components of a wireless node according to certain aspects of the present disclosure. The components shown may include those components that can be used for antenna element selection, for operating frequency selection, and / or for beamforming to send and / or receive wireless signals. There are numerous architectures for antenna element selection and implementing phase shifting, only one example of which is illustrated here. Architecture 300 includes a modem (modulator / demodulator) 302, a digital-to-analog converter (DAC) 304, a first mixer 306, a second mixer 308, and a separator 310. Architecture 300 also includes a plurality of first amplifiers 312, a plurality of phase shifters 314, a plurality of second amplifiers 316, and an antenna array 318 including a plurality of antenna elements 320.

[0057] Transmit lines or other waveguides, wires, and / or traces connecting the various components are shown to illustrate how signals to be transmitted travel between the components. Reference numerals 322, 324, 326, and 328 indicate areas in the architecture 300 where different types of signals travel or are processed. Specifically, reference numeral 322 indicates an area where digital baseband signals travel or are processed, reference numeral 324 indicates an area where analog baseband signals travel or are processed, reference numeral 326 indicates an area where analog intermediate frequency (IF) signals travel or are processed, and reference numeral 328 indicates an area where analog radio frequency (RF) signals travel or are processed. The architecture also includes a local oscillator A 330, a local oscillator B 332, and a controller / processor 334. In some aspects, the controller / processor 334 corresponds to the above in conjunction with Figure 2 The controller / processor 240 of the base station 110 and / or the above Figure 2 The controller / processor 280 of the UE 120.

[0058] Each antenna element 320 may include one or more sub-elements for radiating or receiving RF signals. For example, a single antenna element 320 may include a first sub-element that is cross-polarized with a second sub-element, which may be used to independently transmit a cross-polarized signal. The antenna element 320 may include a patch antenna, a dipole antenna, or other types of antennas arranged in a linear (e.g., one-dimensional) pattern, a planar (e.g., two-dimensional) pattern, or another suitable pattern in one or more dimensions (e.g., a circular design, an elliptical design, or an L-shaped design, etc.). The spacing (d) between the antenna elements 320 may allow signals with a desired wavelength transmitted individually by the antenna elements 320 to interact or constructively interfere (e.g., to form a desired beam), and the spacing may be referred to herein as the spacing between antenna elements. For example, given a desired wavelength or frequency range, the spacing may provide a quarter wavelength (0.25λ), a half wavelength (0.5λ), or another fraction of a wavelength (n*λ) of the spacing between adjacent antenna elements 320 to allow interaction or constructive interference of signals transmitted by individual antenna elements 320 within the desired range. In some aspects, the spacing between antenna elements 320 can be uniform or non-uniform in one or more dimensions (eg, uniform or non-uniform in the azimuth dimension, the elevation dimension, and / or the azimuth and elevation dimensions).

[0059] The modem 302 processes and generates a digital baseband signal, and may also control the operation of the DAC 304, the first mixer 306 and the second mixer 308, the separator 310, the first amplifier 312, the phase shifter 314 and / or the second amplifier 316 to transmit the signal via one or more or all of the antenna elements 320. The modem 302 may process the signal and control the operation according to a communication standard (such as the wireless standard discussed herein). The DAC 304 may convert the digital baseband signal received from the modem 302 (and to be transmitted) into an analog baseband signal. The first mixer 306 uses the local oscillator A 330 to up-convert the analog baseband signal into an analog IF signal within the IF. For example, the first mixer 306 may mix the signal with an oscillating signal generated by the local oscillator A 330 to "move" the baseband analog signal to the IF. In some cases, some processing or filtering (not shown) may occur at the IF. The second mixer 308 uses local oscillator B 332 to up-convert the analog IF signal to an analog RF signal. Similar to the first mixer, the second mixer 308 can mix the signal with an oscillating signal generated by local oscillator B 332 to "move" the IF analog signal to the RF or frequency at which the signal will be transmitted or received. The modem 302 and / or the controller / processor 334 can adjust the frequency of local oscillator A 330 and / or local oscillator B 332 so that the desired IF and / or RF frequencies are generated and used to facilitate signal processing and transmission within the desired bandwidth.

[0060] In the illustrated architecture 300, the signal up-converted by the second mixer 308 is separated or copied into multiple signals by the separator 310. The separator 310 in the architecture 300 separates the RF signal into multiple identical or nearly identical RF signals. In other examples, separation can occur for any type of signal, including baseband signals, baseband analog or IF analog signals. Each of these signals may correspond to an antenna element 320, and the signal travels through amplifiers 312, 316, phase shifters 314 and / or other elements corresponding to the corresponding antenna elements 320 and is processed by these components to provide to the corresponding antenna element 320 of the antenna array 318 and be sent by the corresponding antenna element. In one example, the separator 310 can be an active separator connected to a power supply and provides some gain so that the RF signal leaving the separator 310 is at a power level equal to or greater than the signal entering the separator 310. In another example, the splitter 310 is a passive splitter that is not connected to a power source, and the RF signal exiting the splitter 310 may be at a lower power level than the RF signal entering the splitter 310 .

[0061] After being separated by separator 310, the resulting RF signal may enter an amplifier, such as first amplifier 312, or phase shifter 314 corresponding to antenna element 320. First amplifier 312 and second amplifier 316 are illustrated with dashed lines because in some aspects, one or both of them may not be necessary. In some aspects, both first amplifier 312 and second amplifier 316 exist. In some aspects, both first amplifier 312 and second amplifier 316 do not exist. In some aspects, one of the two amplifiers 312, 316 exists, but the other does not exist. By way of example, if separator 310 is an active separator, first amplifier 312 may not be used. By way of another example, if phase shifter 314 is an active phase shifter that can provide gain, second amplifier 316 may not be used.

[0062] The amplifiers 312, 316 can provide a desired level of positive or negative gain. Positive gain (positive decibels (dB)) can be used to increase the amplitude of a signal radiated by a particular antenna element 320. Negative gain (negative dB) can be used to reduce the amplitude of a signal and / or suppress the radiation of a signal by a particular antenna element. Each of the amplifiers 312, 316 can be independently controlled (e.g., by the modem 302 or the controller / processor 334) to provide independent control of the gain of each antenna element 320. For example, the modem 302 and / or the controller / processor 334 may have at least one control line connected to each of the splitter 310, the first amplifier 312, the phase shifter 314, and / or the second amplifier 316, which can be used to configure the gain so as to provide a desired amount of gain for each component and therefore each antenna element 320.

[0063] The phase shifter 314 can provide a configurable phase shift or phase offset to the corresponding RF signal to be sent. The phase shifter 314 can be a passive phase shifter that is not directly connected to the power supply. The passive phase shifter may introduce some insertion loss. The second amplifier 316 can enhance the signal to compensate for the insertion loss. The phase shifter 314 can be an active phase shifter connected to the power supply so that the active phase shifter provides a certain amount of gain or prevents insertion loss. The setting of each phase shifter in the phase shifter 314 is independent, meaning that each phase shifter can be independently set to provide a desired phase shift amount or the same phase shift amount or some other configuration. The modem 302 and / or the controller / processor 334 may have at least one control line connected to each phase shifter in the phase shifter 314, and the at least one control line can be used to configure the phase shifter 314 to provide the desired phase shift amount or phase offset amount between the antenna elements 320.

[0064] In the illustrated architecture 300, the RF signal received by the antenna element 320 is provided to one or more first amplifiers 356 to enhance the signal strength. The first amplifier 356 can be connected to the same antenna array 318 (for example, for time division duplex (TDD) operation). The first amplifier 356 can be connected to different antenna arrays 318. The enhanced RF signal is input to one or more phase shifters 354 to provide a configurable phase shift or phase offset for the corresponding received RF signal to achieve reception via one or more receive (Rx) beams. The phase shifter 354 can be an active phase shifter or a passive phase shifter. The setting of the phase shifter 354 is independent, meaning that each phase shifter can be independently set to provide a desired phase shift amount or the same phase shift amount or some other configuration. The modem 302 and / or the controller / processor 334 may have at least one control line connected to each of the phase shifters 354, and the at least one control line may be used to configure the phase shifters 354 to provide a desired amount of phase shift or phase offset between the antenna elements 320 to enable reception via one or more Rx beams.

[0065] The output of phase shifter 354 can be input to one or more second amplifiers 352 for signal amplification of the received RF signal of phase shift. Second amplifier 352 can be configured individually to provide a configured gain amount. Second amplifier 352 can be configured individually to provide a certain gain amount to ensure that the signals input to combiner 350 have the same amplitude. Amplifier 352 and / or 356 are illustrated with dotted lines because they may not be necessary in some aspects. In some aspects, both amplifier 352 and amplifier 356 exist. On the other hand, both amplifier 352 and amplifier 356 do not exist. In other aspects, one of amplifiers 352 and 356 exists, but the other does not exist.

[0066] In the illustrated architecture 300, the signals output by the phase shifter 354 (via the amplifier 352 (when present)) are combined in the combiner 350. The combiner 350 in the architecture 300 combines the RF signals into one signal. The combiner 350 can be a passive combiner (e.g., not connected to a power source), which may result in some insertion loss. The combiner 350 can be an active combiner (e.g., connected to a power source), which may result in some signal gain. When the combiner 350 is an active combiner, it can provide a different (e.g., configurable) amount of gain for each input signal so that the input signals have the same amplitude when combined. When the combiner 350 is an active combiner, the combiner 350 may not need a second amplifier 352 because the active combiner can provide signal amplification.

[0067] The output of combiner 350 is input to mixers 348 and 346. Mixers 348 and 346 typically down-convert the received RF signal using inputs from local oscillators 372 and 370, respectively, to produce intermediate or baseband signals carrying the encoded and modulated information. The output of mixers 348 and 346 is input to analog-to-digital converter (ADC) 344 for conversion to digital signals. The digital signal output from ADC 344 is input to modem 302 for baseband processing, such as decoding, deinterleaving, or similar operations.

[0068] The architecture 300 is given by way of example only to illustrate the architecture for sending and / or receiving signals. In some cases, the architecture 300 and / or each part of the architecture 300 may be repeated multiple times within the architecture to accommodate or provide any number of RF chains, antenna elements, antenna panels and / or antenna modules. In addition, numerous replacement architectures are possible and contemplated. For example, although only a single antenna array 318 is shown, two, three or more antenna arrays may be included, each with one or more of its own corresponding amplifier, phase shifter, separator, mixer, DAC, ADC and / or modem. For example, a single wireless node may include two, four or more antenna arrays for sending or receiving signals at different physical locations on the wireless node or in different directions.

[0069] In addition, mixers, splitters, amplifiers, phase shifters, and other components may be located in different signal type areas (e.g., represented by different reference numerals in reference numerals 322, 324, 326, 328) in different architectures of implementation. For example, in different examples, the separation of the signal to be transmitted into multiple signals may occur at analog RF, analog IF, analog baseband, or digital baseband frequencies. Similarly, amplification and / or phase shifting may also occur at different frequencies. For example, in some aspects, one or more of separator 310, amplifier 312, 316, or phase shifter 314 may be located between DAC 304 and first mixer 306 or between first mixer 306 and second mixer 308. In one example, the functions of one or more components may be combined into one component. For example, phase shifter 314 may perform amplification to include or replace first amplifier 312 and / or second amplifier 316. By another example, phase shifting may be implemented by second mixer 308 to eliminate the need for separate phase shifter 314. This technique is sometimes referred to as local oscillator (LO) phase shifting. In some aspects of this configuration, there may be multiple IF to RF mixers within the second mixer 308 (e.g., for each antenna element chain), and local oscillator B 332 may supply a different local oscillator signal (with a different phase offset) to each IF to RF mixer.

[0070] The modem 302 and / or the controller / processor 334 may control one or more of the other components 304 to 372 to select one or more antenna elements 320 and / or form a beam for transmitting one or more signals. For example, antenna elements 320 may be individually selected or deselected to transmit a signal (or multiple signals) by controlling the amplitude of one or more corresponding amplifiers (such as the first amplifier 312 and / or the second amplifier 316). Beamforming includes generating a beam using multiple signals on different antenna elements, wherein one or more or all of the multiple signals are shifted in phase with each other. The formed beam may carry a physical or higher layer reference signal or information. Since each of the multiple signals is radiated from a corresponding antenna element 320, the radiated signals interact, interfere (constructively and destructively) and amplify with each other to form the resulting beam. The shape (such as amplitude, width, and / or presence of side lobes) and direction (such as the angle of the beam relative to the surface of the antenna array 318) can be dynamically controlled by modifying the phase shift or phase offset applied by the phase shifter 314 and the amplitudes applied by the amplifiers 312, 316 of the multiple signals relative to each other. The controller / processor 334 can be partially or fully located within one or more other components of the architecture 300. For example, in some aspects, the controller / processor 334 can be located within the modem 302.

[0071] As indicated above, Figure 3 Other examples can be found in the Figure 3 Different than described.

[0072] Figure 4 are diagrams illustrating examples 400 , 410 of antenna module designs supporting beamforming for mmW communications according to the present disclosure.

[0073] As described herein, UE 120 and network node 110 may use beamforming to improve performance associated with downlink and / or uplink communications performed over mmW channels. For example, mmW channels (e.g., in FR2 and / or FR4) may suffer from high propagation losses because mmW signals have higher frequencies and shorter wavelengths than various other radio waves used for communication (e.g., communications below 6 GHz in FR1). Therefore, mmW signals typically have shorter propagation distances, may suffer from atmospheric attenuation, and / or may be more easily blocked and / or have penetration losses through objects or other obstacles, etc. For example, mmW signals may be reflected by lamp posts, vehicles, glass / windows, and / or metal objects, may be diffracted by the edges or corners of buildings and / or walls, and / or may be scattered via irregular objects such as walls and / or human bodies (e.g., hands blocking antenna modules when the device is operating in gaming mode). Therefore, beamforming may be used at both UE 120 and network node 110 to counteract propagation losses in mmW channels and thereby improve the performance of mmW communications. For example, to achieve beamforming gain on the downlink, network node 110 may generate a downlink transmit beam steered in a particular direction, and UE 120 may generate a corresponding downlink receive beam. Similarly, to achieve beamforming gain on the uplink, UE 120 may generate an uplink transmit beam steered in a particular direction, and network node 110 may generate a corresponding uplink receive beam.

[0074] In this way, beamforming from multiple antennas can provide gain to bridge the link budget on the mmW channel. Figure 3 As further described in detail, multiple antenna modules and / or antenna panels may each have a set of antenna elements that may be co-phased to achieve beamforming on mmW channels. Thus, using multiple antenna modules and / or antenna panels to achieve beamforming may provide the ability to meet spherical coverage requirements with or without obstruction (e.g., by a user's hand or body, or by obstacles in the surrounding environment), regardless of the direction in which the signal is propagating. Additionally, using multiple antenna modules and / or antenna panels may provide robustness against changes in wireless propagation patterns by enabling beam switching across multiple antenna modules and / or antenna panels.

[0075] For example, refer to Figure 4 , example 400 depicts an antenna module design commonly used to implement beamforming in UE 120 in the advanced or high-order UE category. Figure 4As shown, the antenna module design includes a plurality of antenna modules 405, each of which includes one or more antenna arrays, which can be designed to cover an operating bandwidth associated with a frequency range (e.g., from 24-48 GHz in FR2 and / or 57-71 GHz in FR4, etc.). Figure 4 , UE 120 has three antenna modules (shown as antenna modules 405-1, 405-2, and 405-3) on three sides (e.g., two long sides and one short side or top side) of UE 120, each antenna module including an antenna array (e.g., a 4×1 or 5×1 dual-polarized antenna array) to support wireless communications in the operating bandwidth. For example, UE 120 may include different antenna modules 405 and related hardware (e.g., RF integrated circuits (RFICs)) to cover different frequency ranges (e.g., FR1 between 410 MHz and 7.125 GHz, FR2 between 24.25 GHz and 52.6 GHz, FR3 between 7.125 GHz and 24.25 GHz, FR4 between 52.6 GHz and 114.25 GHz, and / or FR5 including frequencies above 114.25 GHz, etc.). Additionally or alternatively, one or more antenna modules 405 may include a staggered antenna array in which some antenna elements cover a first bandwidth portion and some antenna elements cover a second bandwidth portion. For example, in a staggered antenna array 530 covering an operating bandwidth within FR2 (e.g., an operating bandwidth from 24-48 GHz), one or more antenna elements may cover a bandwidth portion from 28-39 GHz, and one or more antenna elements may cover a bandwidth portion from 39-48 GHz.

[0076] However, as mmW communication systems continue to develop and evolve, there are new trends driving greater diversity in antenna module designs. For example, advances in technology allow for more antenna elements to be designed within an antenna module controlled by a single radio frequency integrated circuit (RFIC), and original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) are pursuing antenna designs with fewer antenna modules and / or antenna panels to reduce cost, reduce complexity, and improve the manufacturing process (e.g., reduce the number of stock keeping units (SKUs)) in order to make it easier for low-end or reduced complexity devices to perform mmW communications. In general, how the antenna module is placed within the form factor of the UE 120 is an OEM optimization or design choice, which can result in different beamforming capabilities and / or performance tradeoffs. For example, referring to Figure 4 , example 410 depicts a UE 120 equipped with an L-shaped antenna module 415, which is an emerging antenna design in which the L-shaped antenna module 415 is mounted on one side (e.g., Figure 4410, but it should be understood that the L-shaped antenna module 415 can be mounted on a short side such as a top side). For example, the L-shaped antenna module 415 may generally include a first antenna subarray and a second antenna subarray, each subarray including N antenna elements on a first side and a second side of the L-shaped antenna module 415, wherein the N antenna elements included in each antenna subarray may be arranged in an N×1 uniform linear array (ULA) or another suitable configuration. It should be noted that the above are merely illustrative examples, wherein each side of the L-shaped module may also accommodate a planar array depending on the operating frequency. It should also be noted that the two sides of the L-shaped antenna module are generally orthogonal to each other, or are designed so that the separation angle between the two sides exceeds a properly configured angle threshold. In this way, the UE 120 can be equipped with a single L-shaped antenna module 415 to reduce costs, and the multiple antenna subarrays included in the L-shaped antenna module 415 can provide better coverage than an antenna module including a single antenna array. For example, a 90 degree bend / bend in the L-shaped antenna module 415 may provide coverage in two different directions such that a single RFIC is sufficient to control the entire L-shaped antenna module 415. However, one unique challenge created by the L-shaped antenna module 415 having two sides is the possibility of combining antenna elements across both sides of the L-shaped antenna module 415 or selecting antenna elements across only one side of the L-shaped antenna module 415.

[0077] As indicated above, Figure 4 Other examples can be found in the Figure 4 Different than described.

[0078] FIG. 5A to FIG. 5C is a diagram illustrating an example 500 associated with antenna side combination or antenna side selection in an L-shaped antenna module according to the present disclosure. FIG. 5A to FIG. 5C As shown, example 500 includes communication between a network node and a UE equipped with an L-shaped antenna module. In some aspects, the network node and the UE may communicate over a mmW channel in a wireless network such as wireless network 100 using beamforming. The network node and the UE may communicate via a wireless access link (which may include an uplink and a downlink).

[0079] In some aspects, such as Figure 5A As shown, the L-shaped antenna module generally includes a first antenna subarray and a second antenna subarray, wherein each antenna subarray includes a plurality of antenna elements, and the antenna elements on each side of the L are dual-polarized. For example, in some aspects, each antenna subarray may include N antenna elements in an N×1 array (e.g., a 4×1 array). However, it should be understood that other possible configurations (e.g., an 8×2 array, etc.) may be used. As described herein, the two antenna subarrays may operate in a side combining mode or a side selecting mode, each of which is associated with advantages and tradeoffs. For example, in Figure 5A , reference numeral 510 depicts a first configuration in which the L-shaped antenna module operates in a side combining mode, in which all or some antenna elements on both sides of the L-shaped antenna module are simultaneously active. Figure 5A As further shown, reference numeral 520 depicts a second configuration in which the L-shaped antenna module operates in a side select mode in which antenna elements on a first side of the L-shaped antenna module are active and antenna elements on a second side of the L-shaped antenna module are inactive. In general, the side combining mode may provide better array gain relative to the side select mode, but may also consume more power and / or carry a greater thermal overhead (e.g., generate more heat) than the side select mode. Similarly, the side select mode may provide reduced power consumption and / or thermal overhead relative to the side combining mode, but may provide lower array gain and may not be suitable for applications or use cases with high data rate requirements.

[0080] like Figure 5B As shown, a UE equipped with an L-shaped antenna module can be configured to operate the L-shaped antenna module in a side combining mode by combining antenna elements across both sides to achieve increased array gain at the expense of increased power consumption and increased thermal overhead (e.g., because the side combining mode uses a larger number of antenna elements relative to the side selection mode). In addition, because the antenna elements on each side of the L-shaped antenna module are dual-polarized, different configurations can be used to combine the antenna elements on both sides of the L-shaped antenna module. For example, referring to Figure 5B , reference numeral 530 depicts an H+H and V+V configuration for a side combining mode, wherein each side of the L-shaped antenna module (shown as side 1 and side 2) includes antenna elements with horizontal (H) polarization and vertical (V) polarization connected to phase shifters (shown as circles with arrows passing therethrough). In the H+H and V+V configurations shown by reference numeral 530, the UE may be configured to connect the antenna elements with horizontal polarization on both sides to a first layer (layer 0), and to connect the antenna elements with vertical polarization on both sides to a second layer (layer 1). Alternatively, in an H+V and V+H configuration (not shown), the UE may connect the antenna elements with horizontal polarization on the first side and the antenna elements with vertical polarization on the second side to the first layer (layer 0), and may connect the antenna elements with vertical polarization on the first side and the antenna elements with horizontal polarization on the second side to the second layer (layer 1). Alternatively, in a side selection mode in which the UE selects the best side of the two sides of the L-shaped antenna module (e.g., based on characteristics, power and / or thermal constraints), the horizontally polarized antenna elements on the selected side may be connected to the first layer and the vertically polarized antenna elements on the selected side may be connected to the second layer (or vice versa).

[0081] In some aspects, when operating the L-shaped antenna module in the side combining mode, the UE may select between the H+H and V+V configuration (e.g., as shown by reference numeral 530) and the H+V and V+H configuration to optimize one or more parameters. For example, which of the H+H and V+V configurations and the H+V and V+H configurations is more suitable for a specific use case may depend on polarization-specific performance, the angle of interest corresponding to the angular spread of the dominant cluster in the channel, the number of antenna elements used in the corresponding antenna subarray, and / or the design of the UE (e.g., the housing design or the placement of the L-shaped antenna module within the housing may affect performance, power consumption, and / or thermal overhead). In addition, different configurations may be associated with RSRP differences, power differences, and / or thermal differences across layers, which may require intervention by the network node in the form of power and / or rate control. Therefore, as shown below with reference Figure 5C As described, the UE and the network node may exchange signaling related to the target mode (e.g., side combination mode or side selection mode) in which the UE causes the L-shaped antenna module to operate, so that the network node may appropriately schedule multi-layer (e.g., 2 layers or 4 layers) transmission and / or reception and / or turn on power control operations across polarization layers. In addition, in the case where the UE is causing the L-shaped antenna module to operate in the side combination mode, the UE and the network node may exchange signaling related to the polarization configuration (e.g., H+H and V+V configurations, or H+V and V+H configurations) used in the side combination mode, as this may also affect transmissions from the network node.

[0082] In some aspects, when operating the L-shaped antenna module in a side combining mode, the UE may perform side combining (e.g., combining energy from all antenna elements on both sides of the L-shaped antenna module) at RF (e.g., the frequency at which signals are transmitted and / or received), IF (e.g., the frequency to which a carrier is shifted as an intermediate step in transmission or reception in a superheterodyne receiver architecture), or baseband (e.g., the frequency range occupied by signals that have not yet been modulated to a higher frequency). For example, in some aspects, whether side combining is performed at RF, IF, or baseband may depend on several factors, such as the number of antenna elements in antenna subarrays on either or both sides of the L-shaped antenna module, the number of RFICs used to control the antenna elements included in the L-shaped antenna module, etc. For example, referring to Figure 5B, reference numeral 540 depicts an example configuration of an L-shaped antenna module, wherein each side of the L-shaped antenna module includes a 4×1 antenna subarray to support 28 GHz communications. In this case, all antenna elements (e.g., including a 4×1 antenna subarray on a first side of the L-shaped antenna module and a 4×1 antenna subarray on a second side of the L-shaped antenna module) can be controlled by a single RFIC, which allows side combining to be performed in the RF or IF band. However, at higher frequencies (e.g., 60 GHz), the same antenna aperture can accommodate a larger number of antenna elements, which may require additional RFICs to control the individual antenna subarrays. For example, reference Figure 5B , reference numeral 550 depicts an example configuration of an L-shaped antenna module where the aperture of a 4×1 antenna subarray at 28 GHz can accommodate an 8×2 antenna subarray to support 60 GHz communications. Therefore, because one RFIC typically / optimally controls only 16 antenna feeds on two polarizations (e.g., horizontal and vertical), a total of four RFICs are required to control the 8×2 antenna subarrays on both sides of the L-shaped antenna module, which means that side combining must be performed at the IF or baseband bands (e.g., combining across RFICs can be performed at the IF or baseband bands).

[0083] In some aspects, such as Figure 5C In and as shown by reference numeral 560, the UE may be configured to select a target mode of operation of the L-shaped antenna module, wherein the selected target mode may be a side combining mode that combines antenna elements across both sides of the L-shaped antenna module, or a side selection mode that uses only antenna elements on the best side of the L-shaped antenna module. For example, in some aspects, the UE may select a target mode (side combining mode or side selection mode) based on performance requirements (e.g., required array gain or data rate associated with one or more use cases), power constraints, and / or thermal overhead. For example, in a use case where high array gain or data rate is required and / or the UE has a high battery power or a high thermal budget, the UE may select the side combining mode to improve performance at the expense of higher power consumption and / or thermal overhead. In another example, in a use case where high array gain or data rate is not required and / or the UE has a low battery power or a low thermal budget, the UE may select the side selection mode to reduce power consumption and / or thermal overhead.

[0084] like Figure 5CIn and as further shown by reference numeral 570, the UE and the network node may exchange signaling related to a target mode of operation of the L-shaped antenna module. For example, in some aspects, the UE may select a target mode based on performance, power, thermal, or other parameters, and may send signaling to the network node to indicate the target mode selected by the UE to the network node. Alternatively, in some aspects, the UE may send information related to one or more parameters to the network node, and the network node may select the target mode based on the information sent by the UE. For example, in some aspects, the UE may send information to the network node to indicate an array gain associated with a side combination mode and / or a side selection mode, power consumption associated with a side combination mode and / or a side selection mode, thermal overhead associated with a side combination mode and / or a side selection mode, etc. In this case, the network node may select an appropriate target mode for the UE based on the parameters indicated by the UE, and may send signaling to the UE to indicate the target mode in which the UE wants the L-shaped antenna module to operate. In addition, in the case where the UE and / or the network node selects the side combination mode as the target mode of the L-shaped antenna module, there may be an RSRP difference, a power difference, a thermal difference, and / or another difference based on the polarization used across the two layers. Therefore, in some aspects, the UE may send signaling to the network node to indicate the RSRP difference, power difference, thermal difference, and / or other difference across the two layers in the side combination mode. In this way, as shown in reference numeral 580, the network node may perform appropriate control operations (e.g., power and / or rate control operations) based on the RSRP difference, power difference, thermal difference, and / or other differences across the two layers in the side combination mode. For example, in the current antenna design where the antenna module does not include antenna elements with different beam steering angles, the multiple layers used are mostly symmetrical, so that there is no need to indicate the difference in RSRP, power, heat, and / or other parameters. However, when antenna elements with different steering angles are combined in an L-shaped antenna module, the layers may be asymmetric, whereby the network node may need to perform power and / or rate control operations to handle the RSRP difference, power difference, and / or thermal difference across the layers.

[0085] Additionally or alternatively, in some aspects, the UE and the network node may exchange signaling to coordinate the transmission configuration indicator (TCI) state based on the target mode of the L-shaped antenna module. For example, in some aspects, the TCI state that provides the best performance of the side combination mode may be different from the TCI state that provides the best performance of the side selection mode. Therefore, in the case where the UE selects a target mode for the L-shaped antenna module, the UE may send a request to the network node to activate the TCI state that provides the best performance for the target mode selected by the UE, and the network node may send a response including information for activating the TCI state associated with the target mode. Alternatively, in the case where the network node selects the target mode based on parameters indicated by the UE, the network node may send information to the UE to activate the appropriate TCI state associated with the target mode selected by the network node.

[0086] As indicated above, FIG. 5A to FIG. 5C Provided as an example. Other examples may vary from FIG. 5A to FIG. 5C The example described.

[0087] Figure 6 is a diagram illustrating an example process 600 performed, for example, by a UE according to the present disclosure. Example process 600 is an example in which a UE (eg, UE 120) performs operations associated with antenna-side combining or antenna-side selection in an L-shaped antenna module.

[0088] like Figure 6 As shown, in some aspects, process 600 may include determining a target mode of operation of an L-shaped antenna module that includes a first antenna subarray on a first side of the L-shaped antenna module and a second antenna subarray on a second side of the L-shaped antenna module (block 610). For example, a UE (e.g., using Figure 7 The communication manager 140 and / or antenna configuration component 708 depicted in FIG. 1 may determine a target mode of operation of an L-shaped antenna module that includes a first antenna subarray on a first side of the L-shaped antenna module and a second antenna subarray on a second side of the L-shaped antenna module, as described above.

[0089] like Figure 6 As further shown, in some aspects, process 600 may include configuring the L-shaped antenna module to operate in a target mode (block 620). Figure 7 The communication manager 140 and / or antenna configuration component 708 depicted in FIG. 1 may configure the L-shaped antenna module to operate in a target mode, as described above.

[0090] Process 600 may include additional aspects, such as any single aspect or any combination of aspects described below and / or in conjunction with one or more other processes described elsewhere herein.

[0091] In a first aspect, a first antenna subarray includes a first set of dual-polarized antenna elements and a second antenna subarray includes a second set of dual-polarized antenna elements.

[0092] In a second aspect, alone or in combination with the first aspect, the target mode is a side combining mode in which active antenna elements included in the first antenna subarray are combined with active antenna elements included in the second antenna subarray.

[0093] In a third aspect, alone or in combination with one or more of the first and second aspects, configuring the L-shaped antenna module to operate in a side combination mode includes: connecting active antenna elements with horizontal polarization included in the first antenna subarray and the second antenna subarray to the first layer, and connecting active antenna elements with vertical polarization included in the first antenna subarray and the second antenna subarray to the second layer.

[0094] In a fourth aspect, alone or in combination with one or more of the first to third aspects, configuring the L-shaped antenna module to operate in a side combination mode includes: connecting the active antenna elements with horizontal polarization included in the first antenna subarray and the active antenna elements with vertical polarization included in the second antenna subarray to the first layer, and connecting the active antenna elements with vertical polarization included in the first antenna subarray and the active antenna elements with horizontal polarization included in the second antenna subarray to the second layer.

[0095] In a fifth aspect, alone or in combination with one or more of the first to fourth aspects, process 600 includes sending information to a network node indicating one or more of a power difference or an RSRP difference across a first layer and a second layer in a side combining mode.

[0096] In a sixth aspect, alone or in combination with one or more of the first to fifth aspects, active antenna elements included in the first antenna subarray are combined with active antenna elements included in the second antenna subarray at RF, IF or baseband.

[0097] In a seventh aspect, either alone or in combination with one or more of the first to sixth aspects, the target mode is a side selection mode in which antenna elements in a first antenna subarray or a second antenna subarray are active and antenna elements in the other antenna subarray are inactive.

[0098] In an eighth aspect, alone or in combination with one or more of aspects one to seven, configuring the L-shaped antenna module to operate in a side selection mode includes: connecting an active antenna element with horizontal polarization included in a first antenna subarray or a second antenna subarray to a first layer, and connecting an active antenna element with vertical polarization included in the first antenna subarray or the second antenna subarray to a second layer.

[0099] In a ninth aspect, alone or in combination with one or more of the first to eighth aspects, a target mode is determined based at least in part on performance requirements, power constraints, and / or thermal overhead.

[0100] In a tenth aspect, alone or in combination with one or more of aspects 1 to 9, process 600 includes: sending one or more parameters associated with a side combination mode and one or more parameters associated with a side selection mode to a network node; and receiving information from the network node indicating whether to use the side combination mode or the side selection mode as a target mode based at least in part on one or more parameters associated with the side combination mode and one or more parameters associated with the side selection mode.

[0101] In the eleventh aspect, alone or in combination with one or more of the first to tenth aspects, process 600 includes: sending a request to a network node for communicating using a TCI state associated with a target mode, and receiving information from the network node to activate the TCI state associated with the target mode.

[0102] although Figure 6 An example block diagram of process 600 is shown, but in some aspects, process 600 may include Figure 6 In some embodiments, the process 600 may include additional blocks, fewer blocks, different blocks, or blocks arranged in a different manner than those depicted in the process 600. Additionally or alternatively, two or more blocks of the blocks of process 600 may be performed in parallel.

[0103] Figure 7 is a diagram of an example apparatus 700 for wireless communication according to the present disclosure. Apparatus 700 may be a UE, or a UE may include apparatus 700. In some aspects, apparatus 700 includes a receiving component 702 and a transmitting component 704 that may communicate with each other (e.g., via one or more buses and / or one or more other components). As shown, apparatus 700 may communicate with another apparatus 706 (such as a UE, a base station, or another wireless communication device) using receiving component 702 and transmitting component 704. As further shown, apparatus 700 may include a communication manager 140. Communication manager 140 may include an antenna configuration component 708, among other things.

[0104] In some aspects, the apparatus 700 may be configured to perform FIG. 5A to FIG. 5CAdditionally or alternatively, the apparatus 700 may be configured to perform one or more processes described herein, such as Figure 6 In some aspects, the apparatus 700 and / or Figure 7 One or more of the components shown in the figure may include a combination of Figure 2 Additionally or alternatively, Figure 7 One or more of the components shown in the figure may be combined with Figure 2 Additionally or alternatively, one or more components in the set of components may be implemented at least in part as software stored in a memory. For example, a component (or a portion of a component) may be implemented as an instruction or code that is stored in a non-transitory computer-readable medium and can be executed by a controller or processor to perform the function or operation of the component.

[0105] The receiving component 702 may receive communications from the device 706, such as reference signals, control information, data communications, or combinations thereof. The receiving component 702 may provide the received communications to one or more other components of the device 700. In some aspects, the receiving component 702 may perform signal processing (such as filtering, amplification, demodulation, analog-to-digital conversion, demultiplexing, deinterleaving, demapping, equalization, interference cancellation, or decoding, etc.) on the received communications and may provide the processed signals to one or more other components of the device 700. In some aspects, the receiving component 702 may include combining Figure 2 One or more antennas, modems, demodulators, MIMO detectors, receive processors, controllers / processors, memories, or combinations thereof of the described UE.

[0106] The transmitting component 704 may transmit communications, such as reference signals, control information, data communications, or combinations thereof, to the device 706. In some aspects, one or more other components of the device 700 may generate communications and may provide the generated communications to the transmitting component 704 for transmission to the device 706. In some aspects, the transmitting component 704 may perform signal processing (such as filtering, amplification, modulation, digital-to-analog conversion, multiplexing, interleaving, mapping, or encoding, etc.) on the generated communications and may transmit the processed signals to the device 706. In some aspects, the transmitting component 704 may include combining Figure 2 One or more antennas, modems, modulators, transmit MIMO processors, transmit processors, controllers / processors, memories, or combinations thereof of the described UE. In some aspects, the transmit component 704 can be co-located with the receive component 702 in a transceiver.

[0107] The antenna configuration component 708 can determine a target mode of operation of an L-shaped antenna module including a first antenna subarray on a first side of the L-shaped antenna module and a second antenna subarray on a second side of the L-shaped antenna module. The antenna configuration component 708 can configure the L-shaped antenna module to operate in the target mode.

[0108] The antenna configuration component 708 can configure the L-shaped antenna module to operate in a side combining mode by connecting the active antenna elements with horizontal polarization included in the first antenna subarray and the second antenna subarray to the first layer, and connecting the active antenna elements with vertical polarization included in the first antenna subarray and the second antenna subarray to the second layer.

[0109] The antenna configuration component 708 can configure the L-shaped antenna module to operate in a side combining mode by connecting the active antenna elements with horizontal polarization included in the first antenna subarray and the active antenna elements with vertical polarization included in the second antenna subarray to the first layer, and connecting the active antenna elements with vertical polarization included in the first antenna subarray and the active antenna elements with horizontal polarization included in the second antenna subarray to the second layer.

[0110] Transmitting component 704 can transmit information indicating one or more of a power difference or an RSRP difference across the first layer and the second layer in the side combining mode to the network node.

[0111] The antenna configuration component 708 can configure the L-shaped antenna module to operate in a side selection mode by connecting an active antenna element with horizontal polarization included in the first antenna subarray or the second antenna subarray to the first layer, and connecting an active antenna element with vertical polarization included in the first antenna subarray or the second antenna subarray to the second layer.

[0112] The sending component 704 can send one or more parameters associated with the side combination mode and one or more parameters associated with the side selection mode to the network node. The receiving component 702 can receive information from the network node indicating whether to use the side combination mode or the side selection mode as the target mode based at least in part on the one or more parameters associated with the side combination mode and the one or more parameters associated with the side selection mode.

[0113] The sending component 704 can send a request to the network node to communicate using the TCI state associated with the target mode. The receiving component 702 can receive information from the network node to activate the TCI state associated with the target mode.

[0114] Figure 7 The number and arrangement of components shown in the figure are provided as examples. In practice, there may be Figure 7Additional components, fewer components, different components, or components arranged in a different manner than those shown in FIG. Figure 7 Two or more components shown in may be implemented in a single component, or Figure 7 The single component shown in may be implemented as multiple distributed components. Additionally or alternatively, Figure 7 The assembly of (one or more) components shown in the executable is described as being composed of Figure 7 Another collection of components shown in the figure performs one or more functions.

[0115] The following provides an overview of some aspects of the disclosure:

[0116] Aspect 1: A method of wireless communication performed by a UE, the method comprising: determining a target mode of operation of an L-shaped antenna module, the L-shaped antenna module comprising a first antenna subarray on a first side of the L-shaped antenna module and a second antenna subarray on a second side of the L-shaped antenna module; and configuring the L-shaped antenna module to operate in the target mode.

[0117] Aspect 2: The method according to aspect 1, wherein the first antenna subarray includes a first set of dual-polarized antenna elements, and the second antenna subarray includes a second set of dual-polarized antenna elements.

[0118] Aspect 3: A method according to any one of Aspects 1 to 2, wherein the target mode is a side combining mode, in which the active antenna elements included in the first antenna subarray are combined with the active antenna elements included in the second antenna subarray.

[0119] Aspect 4: A method according to Aspect 3, wherein configuring the L-shaped antenna module to operate in the side combination mode includes: connecting the active antenna elements with horizontal polarization included in the first antenna subarray and the second antenna subarray to the first layer; and connecting the active antenna elements with vertical polarization included in the first antenna subarray and the second antenna subarray to the second layer.

[0120] Aspect 5: A method according to Aspect 3, wherein configuring the L-shaped antenna module to operate in the side combination mode includes: connecting the active antenna elements with horizontal polarization included in the first antenna subarray and the active antenna elements with vertical polarization included in the second antenna subarray to the first layer; and connecting the active antenna elements with vertical polarization included in the first antenna subarray and the active antenna elements with horizontal polarization included in the second antenna subarray to the second layer.

[0121] Aspect 6: The method according to any one of aspects 3 to 5 further comprises: sending information indicating one or more of a power difference or an RSRP difference across the first layer and the second layer in the side combining mode to a network node.

[0122] Aspect 7: The method according to any one of aspects 3 to 6, wherein the active antenna elements included in the first antenna subarray are combined with the active antenna elements included in the second antenna subarray at RF, IF or baseband.

[0123] Aspect 8: A method according to any one of Aspects 1 to 2, wherein the target mode is a side selection mode, in which the antenna elements in the first antenna subarray or the second antenna subarray are active and the antenna elements in the other antenna subarray are inactive.

[0124] Aspect 9: A method according to Aspect 8, wherein configuring the L-shaped antenna module to operate in the side selection mode includes: connecting an active antenna element with horizontal polarization included in the first antenna subarray or the second antenna subarray to a first layer; and connecting an active antenna element with vertical polarization included in the first antenna subarray or the second antenna subarray to a second layer.

[0125] Aspect 10: The method according to any one of aspects 1 to 9, wherein the target mode is determined based at least in part on performance requirements, power constraints and / or thermal overhead.

[0126] Aspect 11: The method according to any one of Aspects 1 to 10 further includes: sending one or more parameters associated with the side combination mode and one or more parameters associated with the side selection mode to a network node; and receiving information from the network node indicating whether to use the side combination mode or the side selection mode as the target mode based at least in part on the one or more parameters associated with the side combination mode and the one or more parameters associated with the side selection mode.

[0127] Aspect 12: The method according to any one of Aspects 1 to 11 further includes: sending a request to a network node for communicating using a TCI state associated with the target mode; and receiving information from the network node to activate the TCI state associated with the target mode.

[0128] Aspect 13: An apparatus for performing wireless communications at a device, comprising: a processor; a memory coupled to the processor; and instructions stored in the memory and executable by the processor to cause the apparatus to perform one or more of the methods described in Aspects 1 to 12.

[0129] Aspect 14: A device for wireless communication, comprising: a memory; and one or more processors coupled to the memory, the one or more processors being configured to execute the method according to one or more of aspects 1 to 12.

[0130] Aspect 15: An apparatus for wireless communication, comprising at least one means for performing the method according to one or more of aspects 1 to 12.

[0131] Aspect 16: A non-transitory computer-readable medium storing code for wireless communication, the code comprising instructions executable by a processor to perform the method according to one or more of aspects 1 to 12.

[0132] Aspect 17: A non-transitory computer-readable medium storing an instruction set for wireless communication, the instruction set comprising one or more instructions, which, when executed by one or more processors of a device, causes the device to perform one or more of the methods described in aspects 1 to 12.

[0133] While the foregoing disclosure provides illustration and description, it is not intended to be exhaustive or to limit the aspects to the precise forms disclosed. Modifications and variations are possible in light of the above disclosure or may be acquired from practice of these aspects.

[0134] As used herein, the term "component" is intended to be broadly interpreted as hardware, and / or a combination of hardware and software. Whether referred to as software, firmware, middleware, microcode, hardware description language or other names, "software" should be broadly interpreted as meaning instructions, instruction sets, codes, code segments, program codes, programs, subroutines, software modules, applications, software applications, software packages, routines, subroutines, objects, executable files, threads of execution, procedures and / or functions, etc. As used herein, a "processor" is implemented in a combination of hardware and / or hardware and software. It will be clear that the system and / or method described herein can be implemented by a combination of hardware and / or hardware and software in different forms. The actual dedicated control hardware or software code used to implement these systems and / or methods does not limit various aspects. Therefore, there is no reference to a specific software code to describe the operation and behavior of the system and / or method herein, because those skilled in the art will understand that software and hardware can be designed to implement the system and / or method based at least in part on the description herein.

[0135] As used herein, "satisfying a threshold" may refer to a value being greater than a threshold, greater than or equal to a threshold, less than a threshold, less than or equal to a threshold, equal to a threshold, not equal to a threshold, etc., depending on the context.

[0136] Although the specific combination of features is set forth in the claims and / or disclosed in the specification, these combinations are not intended to limit the disclosure of various aspects. Many of these features can be combined in a manner that is not specifically described in the claims and / or is not disclosed in the specification. The disclosure of various aspects includes each dependent claim combined with each other claim in the claim set. As used herein, the phrase "at least one of" the list of items refers to any combination of these items (it includes a single member). As an example, "at least one of a, b or c" is intended to cover a, b, c, a+b, a+c, b+c and a+b+c, and any combination with multiple identical elements (for example, a+a, a+a+a, a+a+b, a+a+c, a+b+b, a+c+c, b+b, b+b+b, b+b+c, c+c and c+c+c, or any other ordering of a, b and c).

[0137] Any element, action or instruction used herein should not be interpreted as key or necessary, unless otherwise clearly stated. In addition, as used herein, the articles "one" and "a kind of" are intended to include one or more items, and can be used interchangeably with "one or more". In addition, as used herein, the article "said" is intended to include one or more items connected to the article "said", and can be used interchangeably with "one or more". In addition, as used herein, the terms "set" and "group" are intended to include one or more items, and can be used interchangeably with "one or more". If only one item is intended to be referred to, the phrase "only one" or similar terms are used. In addition, as used herein, the terms "have", "have", "have" etc. are intended to be open terms, which do not limit the elements they modify (for example, "an element with" A can also have B). In addition, the phrase "based on" is intended to represent "based at least in part on", unless otherwise explicitly stated. Furthermore, as used herein, the term "or" when used in a series is intended to be open-ended and may be used interchangeably with "and / or" unless expressly stated otherwise (eg, if used in conjunction with "either" or "only one of").

Claims

1. A method of wireless communication performed by a user equipment (UE), the method comprising: determining a target mode of operation of an L-shaped antenna module, the L-shaped antenna module comprising a first antenna subarray on a first side of the L-shaped antenna module and a second antenna subarray on a second side of the L-shaped antenna module; as well as The L-shaped antenna module is configured to operate in the target mode. 2 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the first antenna subarray comprises a first set of dual-polarized antenna elements and the second antenna subarray comprises a second set of dual-polarized antenna elements. 3 . The method according to claim 1 , wherein the target mode is a side combining mode in which active antenna elements included in the first antenna subarray are combined with active antenna elements included in the second antenna subarray.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein configuring the L-shaped antenna module to operate in the side combining mode comprises: connecting active antenna elements having horizontal polarization included in the first antenna subarray and the second antenna subarray to the first layer; as well as Active antenna elements having vertical polarization included in the first antenna subarray and the second antenna subarray are connected to the second layer.

5. The method of claim 3, wherein configuring the L-shaped antenna module to operate in the side combining mode comprises: connecting an active antenna element having horizontal polarization included in the first antenna subarray and an active antenna element having vertical polarization included in the second antenna subarray to a first layer; as well as An active antenna element having vertical polarization included in the first antenna subarray and an active antenna element having horizontal polarization included in the second antenna subarray are connected to a second layer.

6. The method according to claim 3, further comprising: Information indicating one or more of a power difference or a reference signal received power (RSRP) difference across the first layer and the second layer in the side combining mode is sent to the network node.

7. The method of claim 3, wherein the active antenna elements included in the first antenna subarray are combined with the active antenna elements included in the second antenna subarray at a radio frequency (RF), an intermediate frequency (IF), or a baseband.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the target mode is a side selection mode in which antenna elements in the first antenna subarray or the second antenna subarray are active and antenna elements in the other antenna subarray are inactive.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein configuring the L-shaped antenna module to operate in the side select mode comprises: connecting an active antenna element having horizontal polarization included in the first antenna subarray or the second antenna subarray to the first layer; as well as An active antenna element having vertical polarization included in the first antenna subarray or the second antenna subarray is connected to a second layer.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the target mode is determined based at least in part on performance requirements, power constraints, and / or thermal overhead.

11. The method according to claim 1, further comprising: sending one or more parameters associated with the side combining mode and one or more parameters associated with the side selecting mode to a network node; as well as Information indicating whether to use the side combining mode or the side selection mode as the target mode based at least in part on the one or more parameters associated with the side combining mode and the one or more parameters associated with the side selection mode is received from the network node.

12. The method according to claim 1, further comprising: sending a request to a network node to communicate using a transmit configuration indicator (TCI) state associated with the target mode; as well as Information is received from the network node to activate the TCI state associated with the target mode.

13. A user equipment (UE) for wireless communication, comprising: Memory; and one or more processors coupled to the memory and configured to: determining a target mode of operation of an L-shaped antenna module, the L-shaped antenna module comprising a first antenna subarray on a first side of the L-shaped antenna module and a second antenna subarray on a second side of the L-shaped antenna module; as well as The L-shaped antenna module is configured to operate in the target mode.

14. The UE of claim 13, wherein the first antenna subarray comprises a first set of dual-polarized antenna elements and the second antenna subarray comprises a second set of dual-polarized antenna elements. 15 . The UE of claim 13 , wherein the target mode is a side combining mode in which active antenna elements included in the first antenna subarray are combined with active antenna elements included in the second antenna subarray.

16. The UE of claim 15, wherein to configure the L-shaped antenna module to operate in the side combining mode, the one or more processors are configured to: connecting active antenna elements having horizontal polarization included in the first antenna subarray and the second antenna subarray to the first layer; and Active antenna elements having vertical polarization included in the first antenna subarray and the second antenna subarray are connected to the second layer.

17. The UE of claim 15, wherein to configure the L-shaped antenna module to operate in the side combining mode, the one or more processors are configured to: connecting an active antenna element having horizontal polarization included in the first antenna subarray and an active antenna element having vertical polarization included in the second antenna subarray to a first layer; and An active antenna element having vertical polarization included in the first antenna subarray and an active antenna element having horizontal polarization included in the second antenna subarray are connected to a second layer.

18. The UE of claim 15, wherein the one or more processors are further configured to: Information indicating one or more of a power difference or a reference signal received power (RSRP) difference across the first layer and the second layer in the side combining mode is sent to the network node.

19. The UE of claim 15, wherein the active antenna elements included in the first antenna subarray are combined with the active antenna elements included in the second antenna subarray at a radio frequency (RF), an intermediate frequency (IF), or a baseband.

20. The UE of claim 13, wherein the target mode is a side selection mode in which antenna elements in the first antenna subarray or the second antenna subarray are active and antenna elements in the other antenna subarray are inactive.

21. The UE of claim 20, wherein to configure the L-shaped antenna module to operate in the side selection mode, the one or more processors are configured to: connecting an active antenna element having horizontal polarization included in the first antenna subarray or the second antenna subarray to a first layer; and An active antenna element having vertical polarization included in the first antenna subarray or the second antenna subarray is connected to a second layer.

22. The UE of claim 13, wherein the target mode is determined based at least in part on performance requirements, power constraints, and / or thermal overhead.

23. The UE of claim 13, wherein the one or more processors are further configured to: sending one or more parameters associated with the side combining mode and one or more parameters associated with the side selecting mode to a network node; and Information indicating whether to use the side combining mode or the side selection mode as the target mode based at least in part on the one or more parameters associated with the side combining mode and the one or more parameters associated with the side selection mode is received from the network node.

24. The UE of claim 13, wherein the one or more processors are further configured to: sending a request to a network node to communicate using a transmit configuration indicator (TCI) state associated with the target mode; and Information is received from the network node to activate the TCI state associated with the target mode.

25. A non-transitory computer readable medium storing a set of instructions for wireless communication, the set of instructions comprising: One or more instructions that, when executed by one or more processors of a user equipment (UE), cause the UE to: determining a target mode of operation of an L-shaped antenna module, the L-shaped antenna module comprising a first antenna subarray on a first side of the L-shaped antenna module and a second antenna subarray on a second side of the L-shaped antenna module; as well as The L-shaped antenna module is configured to operate in the target mode.

26. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 25, wherein the target mode is a side combining mode in which active antenna elements included in the first antenna subarray are combined with active antenna elements included in the second antenna subarray.

27. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 25, wherein the target mode is a side selection mode in which antenna elements in the first antenna subarray or the second antenna subarray are active and antenna elements in the other antenna subarray are inactive.

28. An apparatus for wireless communication, the apparatus comprising: means for determining a target mode of operation of an L-shaped antenna module, the L-shaped antenna module comprising a first antenna subarray on a first side of the L-shaped antenna module and a second antenna subarray on a second side of the L-shaped antenna module; and Means for configuring the L-shaped antenna module to operate in the target mode.

29. The apparatus of claim 28, wherein the target mode is a side combining mode in which active antenna elements included in the first antenna subarray are combined with active antenna elements included in the second antenna subarray.

30. The apparatus of claim 28, wherein the target mode is a side selection mode in which antenna elements in the first antenna subarray or the second antenna subarray are active and antenna elements in the other antenna subarray are inactive.

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