System and method for beam alignment through dual polarized antenna

Abstract

Aspects of the present disclosure may leverage the use of dual polarized antennas at a base station and a UE to reduce latency during beam-based initial access and / or reduce resource overhead due to beam scanning. In some embodiments, a mapping relationship between a synchronization signal and a polarization direction of a polarized antenna at a base station or a polarization direction relative to a reference plane may be established. Examples of synchronization signals include a primary synchronization signal (PSS), a secondary synchronization signal (SSS), a physical broadcast channel (PBCH), and a demodulation reference signal (DM-RS) for the PBCH. When the dual-polarized antenna at the base station sends distinguishable synchronization signals under the same base station beam, the UE can use the dual-polarized antenna to measure two different receiving beams at the same time in combination with the mapping relation, so that the time delay of initial access can be reduced.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present disclosure relates generally to wireless communications and, in particular embodiments, to beam alignment by dual-polarized antennas in wireless communication systems. Background Art

[0002] In the fifth generation (5G) new radio (NR), the synchronization signal-physical broadcast channel (SS-PBCH) block (SSB) is sent with one antenna port, that is, antenna port p = 4000 is used to send the primary synchronization signal (PSS), secondary synchronization signal (SSS), physical broadcast channel (PBCH) and demodulation reference signal (DM-RS) of PBCH. Antenna port is a virtual concept and is not necessarily equivalent to the transmission on a given antenna. For example, a base station (BS) can use two antennas to send one antenna port. User equipment (UE) may not know the antenna architecture at the base station, nor how to send such a single-port SSB through one or more antennas at the base station.

[0003] Dual-polarized antennas are widely used in base stations and UEs at frequencies in the millimeter wave (mmWave) range (e.g., 26 GHz, 38 GHz, 39 GHz, 73 GHz) and mid-band range (e.g., 3.5 GHz, 3.7 GHz, 4.7 GHz, 4.9 GHz). For dual-polarized antennas, two linearly polarized antennas are usually superimposed at the same position, but are separated by about 90 degrees in the polarization direction (e.g., vertical polarization direction and horizontal polarization direction or ±45 degree tilted polarization direction). For dual-polarized antennas, independent signals can be sent from antennas with different polarization directions. There can be multiple antennas corresponding to the same polarization direction, for example, the first group of antennas and the second group of antennas are vertical polarization direction and horizontal polarization direction or ±45 degree tilted polarization direction, respectively. In this case, the antenna in the vertical polarization direction or -45 degree tilted polarization direction can be superimposed with the antenna in the horizontal polarization direction or +45 degree tilted polarization direction. The first group of antennas and the second group of antennas in the vertical polarization direction and the horizontal polarization direction or the ±45 degree tilted polarization direction may also be located at different positions, for example, the first group of antennas is located at one position and the second group of antennas is located at another position. In these cases, the number of antennas in the first group of antennas and the second group of antennas may be the same or different.

[0004] For single-port SSB and dual-polarized antennas, the base station usually sends the same SSB signal through dual-polarized antennas, and the UE also uses dual-polarized antennas for measurement. In 5G NR, the expected measurement result should not be less than the result when the dual-polarized antenna at the UE or the polarized antenna at the UE is measured in either polarization direction separately. The measured signals from the dual-polarized antennas at the UE can be compared or combined, and the exact processing method (e.g., maximum power, average power) is determined by the UE. Since the same SSB signal is sent through dual-polarized antennas at the base station, the UE may not be able to distinguish which polarized antenna of the base station or from which polarization direction the received signal comes from. The base station can select one or more antennas in one polarization direction to send SSB, but this selection is unknown to the UE.

[0005] Figure 1AA portion of a network 10 including a base station 5 and a UE 20 is shown. The base station 5 is shown to have three beams 7a, 7b, and 7c pointing to different directions in space. Each of the three beams 7a, 7b, and 7c is actually two beams that a dual-polarized antenna transmits or receives in the same direction. For example, a first group of polarized antennas in the vertical polarization direction is used to generate a beam, and a second group of polarized antennas in the horizontal polarization direction is used to generate another beam pointing in the same direction but in the horizontal polarization direction. The symbol "+" shown on the three beams actually indicates that the beam in the vertical polarization direction (represented by the "|" symbol) and the beam in the horizontal polarization direction (represented by the "-" symbol) overlap. The UE 20 is shown to have two beams 22a and 22b pointing to different directions in space. Each of the two beams 22a and 22b includes two beams that a dual-polarized antenna transmits or receives in the same direction. For example, a first set of polarized antennas in the vertical polarization direction is used to generate a beam, and a second set of polarized antennas in the horizontal polarization direction is used to generate another beam pointing in the same direction but in the horizontal polarization direction. The base station 5 and the UE 20 perform beam alignment and ultimately select the base station beam 7b and the UE beam 22a as the preferred beam pair for transmission or communication.

[0006] At mmWave frequencies, both base stations and UEs typically use analog beamforming to extend signal coverage. There is a large resource overhead when beam scanning is performed on the base station side. For example, the base station sends 64 SSBs in each SSB period (e.g., 10ms). Without knowing the polarization direction of the base station, the UE applies the same analog beam on the UE dual-polarized antenna, as described above. In addition, beam scanning on the UE side can result in a large delay in initial access. For example, the UE may need to measure all possible combinations of base station beams and UE beams before initiating the initial access process. The associated delay will be equal to the SSB periodicity multiplied by N, where N is equal to the number of UE beams used for beam scanning.

[0007] Figure 1B A base station 5 is shown, wherein four beams 8a, 8b, 8c and 8d are shown. Each of the beams 8a, 8b, 8c, 8d is used to transmit a separate SSB. Figure 1B , it is shown that the first beam 8a is used to transmit SSB0, the second beam 8b is used to transmit SSB1, the third beam 8c is used to transmit SSB2, and the fourth beam 8d is used to transmit SSB3. These four beams 8a, 8b, 8c and 8d and the corresponding SSBs are only considered as part of the beam scanning SSB transmission in the entire SSB period 30. More or fewer beams can be used in actual implementation, but Figure 1B Four beams are shown as an example in FIG.

[0008] Figure 1BAlso shown are portions of two SSB cycles in a time and frequency resource plane 35, with time on the horizontal axis and frequency on the vertical axis. Only four SSBs in each SSB cycle 30 are shown. Each SSB of SSB0, SSB1, SSB2, SSB3 is transmitted on a different time and frequency resource 39a, 39b, 39c, and 39d, respectively. It can be seen that the amount of time and frequency resources consumed by the beam scanning SSB transmission will increase linearly as the number of SSBs increases.

[0009] Figure 1C The figure shows multiple SSB periods in which the base station transmits each SSB in time and frequency resources, where time is indicated on the horizontal axis and frequency is indicated on the vertical axis. For the first two SSB periods, the dual-polarized antenna at the UE indicated by the "+" sign is also shown. From the perspective of the UE, the dual-polarized antenna receives multiple SSBs from the same direction in space within one SSB period.

[0010] In 5G NR, for non-terrestrial network (NTN) scenarios, that is, some of the base stations are mobile base stations such as drones or satellites, a per-cell indication method of polarization type in left-handed circular polarization (LHCP), right-handed circular polarization (RHCP) or linear polarization (LP) is supported. The SSB in a cell is sent using any of LHCP, RHCP or LP. For the serving cell, the type of polarization indication can be provided through system information block (SIB) signaling. For the target cell during the handover process, this polarization type indication can be provided in the handover command. For neighboring cells and / or non-serving cells during radio resource management (RRM) measurements, this polarization type indication can be provided in the RRM configuration. The use of a method for indicating the polarization type of a base station can help reduce the measurement complexity at the UE, that is, reduce the complexity of blind detection of the base station polarization type.

[0011] Furthermore, for 5G NR NTN, a method involving per-SSB / beam polarization type indication is proposed. It is also proposed to send time division multiplexed (TDMed) even or odd indexed SSBs using LHCP or RHCP, respectively. In both cases, it is proposed to assign a polarization type to each SSB that is indicated to or known to the UE. This is proposed to enable polarization-based multiplexing of transmissions from multiple base stations to multiple UEs. These two proposals were not incorporated into the wireless communication standards due to the fact that satellites generally cannot dynamically switch between LHCP or RHCP or send LHCP and RHCP simultaneously.

[0012] The above method recommended for 5G NTN (i.e., per-cell / SSB / beam polarization type indication) is not feasible for scenarios with dual-polarized antennas. For the above method, in the case of the same SSB signal sent from the dual-polarized antenna and only through one antenna port, the UE cannot distinguish the signals sent simultaneously from the dual-polarized antennas at the base station, that is, the UE cannot identify in which polarization direction the received signal is sent from the base station antenna. In addition, even if the above method is used, there will be problems such as large resource overhead for base station beam scanning or large latency for initial access of UE beam scanning. Summary of the invention

[0013] Aspects of the present disclosure provide solutions to overcome the above-mentioned shortcomings, as well as specific methods for beam alignment through dual-polarized antennas, aiming to achieve faster beam-based initial access and lower beam scanning overhead. Aspects of the present disclosure provide solutions to reduce the large delays and large resource overheads that would otherwise occur as part of the initial access process in a multi-beam system.

[0014] In some aspects of the present disclosure, a method is provided, including: sending a synchronization signal (SS) / physical broadcast channel (PBCH) block (SSB) on two antenna ports on at least one beam, wherein the sending uses a pattern in which a first antenna port and a second antenna port of the SSB are associated with a polarization direction of the antenna or a polarization direction relative to a reference plane, wherein each of the two antenna ports is transmitted through one or more antennas in one polarization direction.

[0015] In some embodiments, the SSB includes one or more of the following: one or more primary synchronization signals (PSS); one or more secondary synchronization signals (SSS); a physical broadcast channel (PBCH); and one or more demodulation reference signals (DM-RS) for PBCH.

[0016] In some embodiments, the pattern includes sending the same PSS, PBCH-DMRS and PBCH on the two antenna ports, and the SSS sequences are grouped into pairs, wherein, for each pair of SSS sequences, a first SSS sequence is sent through the first antenna port and a second SSS sequence is sent through the second antenna port.

[0017] In some embodiments, the pattern includes: sending the same PSS, SSS and PBCH on the two antenna ports, and generating two orthogonal PBCH-DMRS using time domain and / or frequency domain orthogonal cover codes (OCC), wherein the two orthogonal PBCH-DMRS are sent on the two antenna ports, wherein a first PBCH-DMRS is sent through the first antenna port and a second PBCH-DMRS is sent through the second antenna port.

[0018] In some embodiments, the pattern includes sending the same SSS, PBCH-DMRS and PBCH on the two antenna ports, and the PSS sequences are grouped into pairs, wherein, for each pair of PSS sequences, a first PSS sequence is sent through the first antenna port and a second PSS sequence is sent through the second antenna port.

[0019] In some embodiments, sending the SSB on two antenna ports includes: sending the first antenna port of the SSB on a first beam; sending the second antenna port of the SSB on a second beam, wherein the first beam and the second beam are sent in different directions.

[0020] In some embodiments, the method further comprises sending configuration information indicating the mode.

[0021] In some aspects of the present disclosure, a device is provided, including: a processor and a computer-readable storage medium. The computer-readable storage medium stores computer-executable instructions, and when the computer-executable instructions are executed by the processor, the method described above or in detail below is performed.

[0022] In some embodiments, the device is a base station.

[0023] In some aspects of the present disclosure, a method is provided, including: receiving a synchronization signal (SS) / physical broadcast channel (PBCH) block (SSB) at a receiver on at least one beam, wherein the SSB is transmitted on two antenna ports using a pattern in which a first antenna port and a second antenna port of the SSB are associated with a polarization direction of the antenna or a polarization direction relative to a reference plane, wherein each of the two antenna ports is transmitted through one or more antennas in one polarization direction.

[0024] In some embodiments, the SSB includes one or more of the following: one or more primary synchronization signals (PSS); one or more secondary synchronization signals (SSS); a physical broadcast channel (PBCH); and one or more demodulation reference signals (DM-RS) for PBCH.

[0025] In some embodiments, the pattern includes sending the same PSS, PBCH-DMRS and PBCH on the two antenna ports, and the SSS sequences are grouped into pairs, wherein, for each pair of SSS sequences, a first SSS sequence is sent through the first antenna port and a second SSS sequence is sent through the second antenna port.

[0026] In some embodiments, the pattern includes: sending the same PSS, SSS and PBCH on the two antenna ports, and generating two orthogonal PBCH-DMRS using time domain and / or frequency domain orthogonal cover code (OCC) or code division multiplexing (CDM), wherein the two orthogonal PBCH-DMRS are sent on the two antenna ports, wherein a first PBCH-DMRS is sent through the first antenna port and a second PBCH-DMRS is sent through the second antenna port.

[0027] In some embodiments, the pattern includes sending the same SSS, PBCH-DMRS and PBCH on the two antenna ports, and the PSS sequences are grouped into pairs, wherein, for each pair of PSS sequences, a first PSS sequence is sent through the first antenna port and a second PSS sequence is sent through the second antenna port.

[0028] In some embodiments, receiving the SSB transmitted on two antenna ports includes a first antenna port receiving the SSB transmitted on a first beam and a second antenna port receiving the SSB transmitted on a second beam, wherein the first beam and the second beam are transmitted in different directions.

[0029] In some embodiments, the method further comprises receiving configuration information indicating an SSB mode.

[0030] In some embodiments, the receiving at the receiver includes receiving the SSB on two different receive beams, wherein each receive beam corresponds to a polarization direction.

[0031] In some embodiments, the method further comprises measuring a signal strength of a signal received on at least one receive beam corresponding to one polarization direction; and initiating an initial access procedure after the measured signal strength exceeds a threshold.

[0032] In some aspects of the present disclosure, a device is provided, including: a processor and a computer-readable storage medium. The computer-readable storage medium stores computer-executable instructions, and when the computer-executable instructions are executed by the processor, the method described above or in detail below is performed.

[0033] In some embodiments, the device is a user device. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0034] In order to more fully understand the present embodiment and its advantages, reference is now made to the following description given in conjunction with the accompanying drawings by way of example, in which:

[0035] Figure 1A is a schematic diagram showing single-port SSB transmission and reception through a dual-polarized antenna.

[0036] Figure 1B is a schematic diagram showing the transmission behavior and resource overhead for sending multiple SSBs on corresponding base station beams.

[0037] Figure 1C is a schematic diagram showing the delay occurring from UE beam scanning for beam-based initial access.

[0038] Figure 2A is a schematic diagram of a communication system in which embodiments of the present disclosure may occur.

[0039] Figure 2B is another schematic diagram of a communication system in which embodiments of the present disclosure may occur.

[0040] Figure 3 is a block diagram illustrating units or modules in a device where embodiments of the present disclosure may occur.

[0041] Figure 4 is a block diagram illustrating units or modules in a device where embodiments of the present disclosure may occur.

[0042] Figure 5A is a schematic diagram illustrating an example of a dual-port SSB mode according to some embodiments of the present disclosure.

[0043] Figure 5B is a schematic diagram illustrating another example of a dual-port SSB mode according to some embodiments of the present disclosure.

[0044] Figure 5C is a schematic diagram illustrating another example of a dual-port SSB mode according to some embodiments of the present disclosure.

[0045] Figure 6 is a schematic diagram showing mapping between an SSB port and a polarized antenna at a base station or a polarization direction in space according to aspects of the present disclosure.

[0046] Figure 7 is a schematic diagram illustrating two concurrent UE beams measuring dual-port SSB according to aspects of the present disclosure.

[0047] Figure 8 An example of latency reduction that can be used for dual-port SSB based UE beam scanning according to aspects of the present disclosure is shown.

[0048] Fig. 9 An example of transmission behavior and resource overhead for dual-port SSB with two concurrent base station beams according to an embodiment of the present disclosure is shown.

[0049] Fig.10 is an example of a signaling flow chart of signaling between a base station and a UE according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0050] For illustrative purposes, specific exemplary embodiments are explained in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0051] The embodiments set forth herein represent information sufficient to practice the claimed subject matter and illustrate methods of practicing such subject matter. After reading the following description in light of the accompanying drawings, those skilled in the art will understand the concepts of the claimed subject matter and will recognize that the application of these concepts is not specifically mentioned herein. It should be understood that these concepts and applications are within the scope of this disclosure and the appended claims.

[0052] In addition, it is understood that any module, component, or device for executing instructions disclosed herein may include or otherwise access one or more non-transitory computer / processor readable storage media to store information, such as computer / processor readable instructions, data structures, program modules, and / or other data. A non-exhaustive list of examples of non-transitory computer / processor readable storage media includes magnetic cassettes, magnetic tapes, disk storage or other magnetic storage devices, compact disc read-only memory (CD-ROM), digital video discs or digital versatile discs (i.e., DVDs), Blu-ray Discs, and other media. TM (Blu-ray Disc) and other optical storage, volatile and non-volatile, removable and non-removable media implemented in any method or technology, random-access memory (RAM), read-only memory (ROM), electrically erasable programmable read-only memory (EEPROM), flash memory or other storage technology. Any of these non-transitory computer / processor storage media can be part of the device, accessible by the device or connected to the device. Computer / processor readable / executable instructions that implement the applications or modules described in this article can be stored or otherwise saved by such non-transitory computer / processor readable storage media.

[0053] Various aspects of the present disclosure can utilize the use of dual-polarized antennas at the base station and the UE to reduce the delay during beam-based initial access and / or reduce the resource overhead caused by beam scanning. In some embodiments, this can be achieved by establishing a mapping relationship between a synchronization signal and the polarization direction of the dual-polarized antenna at the base station or the polarization direction relative to a reference plane. In some embodiments, the reference plane can be the surface of the earth. Examples of synchronization signals include primary synchronization signal (PSS), secondary synchronization signal (SSS), physical broadcast channel (PBCH), and demodulation reference signal (DM-RS) for PBCH. When the dual-polarized antenna at the base station sends distinguishable synchronization signals under the same base station beam, combined with the above mapping relationship, the UE can use the dual-polarized antenna to measure two different receive beams simultaneously, which can reduce the delay of initial access. Although the phrase "initial access" is used above and below, the phrase "initial access" can be replaced with "contention-based random access" or "contention-free random access". In some embodiments, by enabling a base station to use a dual-polarized antenna to simultaneously transmit two beams, where each beam corresponds to a polarization direction and a synchronization signal, the resource overhead of base station beam scanning for transmitting synchronization signals in a multi-beam system can be reduced.

[0054] The following Figure 2A , Figure 2B and Figure 3 A context is provided for a network and devices that may be in the network and that may implement various aspects of the disclosure.

[0055] refer to Figure 2A, a simplified schematic diagram of a communication system is provided as an illustrative example, but not limiting. The communication system 100 includes a radio access network 120. The radio access network 120 may be a next generation (e.g., sixth generation (6G) or higher) radio access network or a traditional (e.g., 5G, 4G, 3G or 2G) radio access network. One or more communication electronic devices (electric devices, ED) 110a to 120j (generally referred to as 110) may be interconnected with each other and may be additionally or alternatively connected to one or more network nodes (170a, 170b, generally referred to as 170) in the radio access network 120. The core network 130 may be part of the communication system and may be dependent on or independent of the radio access technology used in the communication system 100. In addition, the communication system 100 includes a public switched telephone network (PSTN) 140, the Internet 150 and other networks 160.

[0056] Figure 2B An exemplary communication system 100 is shown in which embodiments of the present disclosure may be implemented. In general, the system 100 enables multiple wireless or wired elements to transmit data and other content. The purpose of the system 100 may be to provide content (voice, data, video, text) via broadcast, narrowcast, user device to user device, etc. The system 100 may operate efficiently by sharing resources such as bandwidth.

[0057] In this example, the communication system 100 includes electronic devices (ED) 110a to 110c, radio access networks (RAN) 120a to 120b, a core network 130, a public switched telephone network (PSTN) 140, the Internet 150, and other networks 160. Figure 2B A certain number of these components or elements are shown, but any reasonable number of these components or elements may be included in system 100 .

[0058] EDs 110a to 110c are used to operate, communicate, or both in the system 100. For example, EDs 110a to 110c are used to transmit, receive, or both through a wireless communication channel. Each ED 110a to 110c represents any suitable end-user device for wireless operation, and may include (or may be referred to as): user equipment (UE), wireless transmit / receive unit (WTRU), mobile station, mobile user unit, cellular phone, station (STA), machine type communication (MTC) device, personal digital assistant (PDA), smart phone, laptop, computer, touch pad, wireless sensor, or consumer electronic device.

[0059] Figure 2B An exemplary communication system 100 is shown in which embodiments of the present disclosure may be implemented. In general, the communication system 100 enables multiple wireless or wired elements to transmit data and other content. The purpose of the communication system 100 may be to provide content (voice, data, video, text) via broadcast, multicast, unicast, user device to user device, etc. The communication system 100 may operate by sharing resources such as bandwidth.

[0060] In this example, the communication system 100 includes electronic devices (ED) 110a to 110d, radio access networks (RAN) 120a to 120c, a core network 130, a public switched telephone network (PSTN) 140, the Internet 150, and other networks 160. Figure 2B A certain number of these components or elements are shown, but any reasonable number of these components or elements may be included in the communication system 100 .

[0061] EDs 110a to 110d are used to operate, communicate, or both in the communication system 100. For example, EDs 110a to 110d are used to transmit, receive, or both through a wireless communication channel or a wired communication channel. Each ED 110a to 110d represents any suitable end-user device for wireless operation, and may include (or may be referred to as): user equipment (UE), wireless transmit / receive unit (WTRU), mobile station, fixed or mobile user unit, cellular phone, station (STA), machine type communication (MTC) device, personal digital assistant (PDA), smart phone, laptop, computer, tablet computer, wireless sensor, or consumer electronic device.

[0062] exist Figure 2B In the embodiment, RAN 120a to 120b include base stations 170a to 170b, respectively. Each base station 170a to 170b is used to wirelessly connect to one or more EDs in ED 110a to 110c so as to access any other base stations 170a to 170b, core network 130, PSTN 140, Internet 150 and / or other networks 160. For example, base stations 170a to 170b may include (or may be) one or more of several well-known devices, such as a base transceiver station (BTS), Node-B (NodeB), evolved NodeB (eNodeB), Home eNodeB, gNodeB, transmission and receive point (TRP), site controller, access point (AP) or wireless router.

[0063] In some examples, one or more of the base stations 170a to 170b may be a ground base station connected to the ground. For example, the ground base station may be installed on a building or a tower. Alternatively, one or more of the base stations 172 may be a non-ground base station or a non-terrestrial TRP (NT-TRP) that is not connected to the ground. A flying base station is an example of a non-ground base station. A flying base station may be implemented using a communication device supported or carried by a flying device. Non-limiting examples of flying devices include airborne platforms (e.g., blimps or spaceships, etc.), balloons, quadcopters, and other aircraft. In some implementations, a flying base station may be supported or carried by an unmanned aerial system (UAS) or an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) (e.g., a drone or a quadcopter). A flying base station may be a movable or mobile base station that can be flexibly deployed in different locations to meet network requirements. A satellite base station is another example of a non-ground base station. A satellite base station may be implemented using a communication device supported or carried by a satellite. A satellite base station may also be referred to as an orbital base station.

[0064] Any ED 110a - 110d may alternatively or additionally be used to connect, access or communicate with any other base station 170a - 170b , the Internet 150 , the core network 130 , the PSTN 140 , other networks 160 , or any combination of the foregoing.

[0065] EDs 110a to 110d and base stations 170a to 170b, 172 are examples of communication devices that may be used to implement some or all of the operations and / or embodiments described herein. Figure 2BIn the illustrated embodiment, the base station 170a forms part of the RAN 120a, which may include other base stations, base station controllers (BSC), radio network controllers (RNC), relay nodes, elements and / or devices. Any base station 170a, 170b may be a single element as shown, or multiple elements distributed in the corresponding RAN, and so on. Moreover, the base station 170b forms part of the RAN 120b, which may include other base stations, elements and / or devices. Each base station 170a to 170b sends and / or receives wireless signals in a specific geographical area or region sometimes referred to as a "cell" or "coverage area". The cell can be further divided into cell sectors, and the base stations 170a to 170b can, for example, use multiple transceivers to provide services to multiple sectors. In some embodiments, there may be established micro cells or femto cells supported by wireless access technology. In some embodiments, multiple transceivers can be used for each cell, for example, using multiple-input multiple-output (MIMO) technology. The number of RANs 120a-120b shown is exemplary only. Any number of RANs is contemplated when designing the communication system 100.

[0066] The base stations 170a to 170b, 172 communicate with one or more of the EDs 110a to 110c through one or more air interfaces 190a, 190c using wireless communication links such as radio frequency (RF), microwave, infrared (IR), etc. The air interfaces 190a, 190c can use any suitable wireless access technology. For example, the communication system 100 can implement one or more orthogonal or non-orthogonal channel access methods in the air interfaces 190a, 190c, such as code division multiple access (CDMA), time division multiple access (TDMA), frequency division multiple access (FDMA), orthogonal FDMA (OFDMA) or single-carrier FDMA (SC-FDMA).

[0067] The base stations 170a to 170b, 172 may implement universal mobile telecommunication system (UMTS) terrestrial radio access (UMTS terrestrial radio access, UTRA) to establish an air interface 190a, 190c using wideband CDMA (WCDMA). In this way, the base stations 170a to 170b, 172 may implement protocols such as high speed packet access (HSPA), evolved HPSA (evolved HPSA, HSPA+), etc., HSPA+ optionally including high speed downlink packet access (HSDPA), high speed uplink packet access (HSPUA), or both. Alternatively, the base stations 170a to 170b, 172 may establish an air interface 190a, 190c using LTE, LTE-A and / or LTE-B with evolved UTMS terrestrial radio access (E-UTRA). It is contemplated that the communication system 100 may use multi-channel access operations, including those described above. Other wireless technologies used to implement the air interface include IEEE 802.11, 802.15, 802.16, CDMA2000, CDMA2000 1X, CDMA2000 EV-DO, IS-2000, IS-95, IS-856, GSM, EDGE, and GERAN. Of course, other multiple access schemes and wireless protocols may also be used.

[0068] The RANs 120a to 120b communicate with the core network 130 to provide various services, such as voice, data, and other services to the EDs 110a to 110c. The RANs 120a to 120b and / or the core network 130 may communicate directly or indirectly with one or more other RANs (not shown), which may or may not be directly served by the core network 130 and may or may not employ the same radio access technology as the RANs 120, RANs 120b, or both. The core network 130 may also serve as a gateway access between (i) the RANs 120a to 120b or the EDs 110a to 110c, or both, and (ii) other networks (e.g., the PSTN 140, the Internet 150, and other networks 160).

[0069] EDs 110a to 110d communicate with each other through one or more sidelink (SL) air interfaces 190b and 190d using wireless communication links such as radio frequency (RF), microwave, infrared (IR), etc. SL air interfaces 190b and 190d can use any suitable wireless access technology and can be substantially similar to the air interfaces 190a and 190c where EDs 110a to 110c communicate with one or more base stations in base stations 170a to 170b, or the two air interfaces can be substantially different. For example, the communication system 100 can implement one or more channel access methods in the SL air interfaces 190b and 190d, such as code division multiple access (CDMA), time division multiple access (TDMA), frequency division multiple access (FDMA), orthogonal FDMA (OFDMA) or single-carrier FDMA (SC-FDMA). In some embodiments, the SL air interface 180 may be implemented at least in part on an unlicensed spectrum.

[0070] In addition, some or all of the EDs 110a to 110d may include operations for communicating with different wireless networks over different wireless links using different wireless technologies and / or protocols. The EDs may communicate with a service provider or switch (not shown) and the Internet 150 over a wired communication channel, rather than (or in addition to) wireless communications. The PSTN 140 may include a circuit-switched telephone network for providing plain old telephone service (POTS). The Internet 150 may include a computer network and a subnet (intranet) or both, and include protocols such as the Internet Protocol (IP), the Transmission Control Protocol (TCP), the User Datagram Protocol (UDP), and the like. The EDs 110a to 110d may be multi-mode devices capable of operating according to a variety of wireless access technologies, and include a plurality of transceivers required to support a variety of wireless access technologies.

[0071] In some embodiments, a signal is sent from a terrestrial BS to a UE, or from a UE directly to a terrestrial BS, in both cases the signal is not reflected by a RIS. However, the signal may be reflected by obstacles and reflectors such as buildings, walls, and furniture. In some embodiments, the signal is transmitted between a UE and a non-terrestrial BS (e.g., a satellite, a drone, and an aerial platform). In some embodiments, the signal is transmitted between a relay node and a UE or between a relay node and a BS or between two relay nodes. In some embodiments, the signal is sent between two UEs. In some embodiments, one or more RIS are used to reflect signals from a transmitter and a receiver, wherein any one of the transmitter and the receiver includes a UE, a terrestrial or non-terrestrial BS, and a relay node.

[0072] Figure 3 Another example of ED 110 and network devices is shown, including base stations 170a, 170b (at 170) and NT-TRP 172. ED 110 is used to connect people, objects, machines, etc. ED 110 can be widely used in various scenarios, such as cellular communication, device-to-device (D2D), vehicle to everything (V2X), peer-to-peer (P2P), machine-to-machine (M2M), machine-type communication (MTC), Internet of Things (IOT), virtual reality (VR), augmented reality (AR), industrial control, autonomous driving, telemedicine, smart grid, smart furniture, smart office, smart wearable devices, smart transportation, smart city, drones, robots, remote sensing, passive sensing, positioning, navigation and tracking, autonomous delivery and mobility, etc.

[0073] Each ED 110 represents any end-user device suitable for wireless operation, and may include (or may be referred to as): user equipment / device (UE), wireless transmit / receive unit (WTRU), mobile station, fixed or mobile user unit, cellular phone, station (STA), machine type communication (MTC) device, personal digital assistant (PDA), smartphone, laptop, computer, tablet, wireless sensor, consumer electronic device, smartbook, vehicle, car, truck, bus, train or IoT device, industrial equipment or devices in the aforementioned devices (e.g., communication module, modem or chip), etc. The next generation ED 110 may be referred to using other terms. Base stations 170a and 170b are T-TRPs and are referred to as T-TRP170 hereinafter. In addition, as Figure 3 As shown, the NT-TRP will be referred to hereinafter as NT-TRP 172. Each ED 110 connected to T-TRP 170 and / or NT-TRP 172 may be dynamically or semi-statically started (i.e., established, activated, or enabled), shut down (i.e., released, deactivated, or disabled), and / or configured in response to one or more of connection availability and connection necessity.

[0074] ED 110 includes a transmitter 201 and a receiver 203 coupled to one or more antennas 204. Only one antenna 204 is shown. Alternatively, one, some or all of the antennas may be panels. Transmitter 201 and receiver 203 may be integrated into, for example, a transceiver. The transceiver is used to modulate data or other content for transmission via at least one antenna 204 or a network interface controller (NIC). The transceiver is also used to demodulate data or other content received by at least one antenna 204. Each transceiver includes: any suitable structure for generating signals for wireless or wired transmission and / or for processing signals received by wireless or wired means. Each antenna 204 includes: any suitable structure for sending and / or receiving wireless signals or wired signals.

[0075] ED 110 includes at least one memory 208. Memory 208 stores instructions and data used, generated, or collected by ED 110. For example, memory 208 may store software instructions or modules executed by processing unit 210, which are used to implement some or all of the functions and / or embodiments described herein. Each memory 208 includes any suitable volatile and / or non-volatile storage and retrieval device. Any suitable type of memory may be used, such as random access memory (RAM), read only memory (ROM), hard disk, optical disk, subscriber identity module (SIM) card, memory stick, secure digital (SD) memory card, processor cache, etc.

[0076] ED 110 may also include one or more input / output devices (not shown) or interfaces (e.g., Figure 2A The input / output devices support interaction with users or other devices in the network. Each input / output device includes any suitable structure for providing information to or receiving information from a user, such as a speaker, microphone, keypad, keyboard, display, or touch screen, including network interface communications.

[0077] ED 110 also includes a processor 210 for performing operations, including operations related to preparing uplink transmissions sent to NT-TRP 172 and / or T-TRP 170, processing downlink transmissions received from NT-TRP 172 and / or T-TRP 170, and processing sidelink transmissions with another ED 110. Processing operations related to preparing to send uplink transmissions may include operations such as encoding, modulation, transmit beamforming, and generating symbols for transmission. Processing operations related to processing downlink transmissions may include operations such as receive beamforming, demodulation, and decoding received symbols. According to an embodiment, the downlink transmission may be received by receiver 203 using receive beamforming, and processor 210 may extract signaling from the downlink transmission (e.g., by detecting and / or decoding the signaling). An example of signaling may be a reference signal sent by NT-TRP 172 and / or T-TRP 170. In some embodiments, the processor 210 implements transmit beamforming and / or receive beamforming according to a beam direction indication (e.g., beam angle information (BAI)) received from the T-TRP 170. In some embodiments, the processor 210 may perform operations related to network access (e.g., initial access) and / or downlink synchronization, such as operations related to detecting a synchronization sequence, decoding, and obtaining system information. In some embodiments, the processor 210 may perform channel estimation, for example, using a reference signal received from the NT-TRP 172 and / or the T-TRP 170.

[0078] Although not shown, the processor 210 may form a part of the transmitter 201 and / or the receiver 203. Although not shown, the memory 208 may form a part of the processor 210.

[0079] The processor 210 and the processing components of the transmitter 201 and the receiver 203 may each be implemented by the same or different one or more processors, which are used to execute instructions stored in a memory (e.g., the memory 208). Alternatively, the processor 210 and some or all of the processing components of the transmitter 201 and the receiver 203 may be implemented using a dedicated circuit such as a programmed field-programmable gate array (FPGA), a graphical processing unit (GPU), or an application-specific integrated circuit (ASIC).

[0080] The T-TRP 170 may be known by other names in some implementations, such as a base station, a base transceiver station (BTS), a wireless base station, a network node, a network device, a network-side device, a transmitting / receiving node, a NodeB, an evolved NodeB (eNodeB or eNB), a Home eNodeB, a next generation NodeB (gNB), a transmission point (TP), a site controller, an access point (AP) or a wireless router, a relay station, a remote radio head, a ground node, a ground network device, or a ground base station, a base band unit (BBU), a remote radio unit (RRU), an active antenna unit (AAU), a remote radio head (RRH), a central unit (CU), a distributed unit (DU), a positioning node, etc. The T-TRP 170 may be a macro BS, a micro BS, a relay node, a host node, etc., or a combination thereof. T-TRP 170 may refer to the above-mentioned device, or to a device in the above-mentioned device (e.g., a communication module, a modem, or a chip). Although the accompanying descriptions of the drawings and examples and embodiments of the present disclosure generally use the terms AP, BS, and AP or BS, it should be understood that such a device may be any of the above-mentioned types.

[0081] In some embodiments, various parts of T-TRP 170 may be distributed. For example, some modules of T-TRP 170 may be located away from the device that houses the antenna of T-TRP 170, and may be coupled to the device that houses the antenna through a communication link (not shown) sometimes referred to as a fronthaul, such as a common public radio interface (CPRI). Therefore, in some embodiments, the term T-TRP 170 may also refer to modules on the network side that perform processing operations such as determining the location of ED 110, resource allocation (scheduling), message generation, and encoding / decoding, and are not necessarily part of the device that houses the antenna of T-TRP 170. These modules may also be coupled to other T-TRPs. In some embodiments, T-TRP 170 may actually be multiple T-TRPs that operate together to serve ED 110, for example, through coordinated multi-point transmission.

[0082] The T-TRP 170 includes at least one transmitter 252 and at least one receiver 254 coupled to one or more antennas 256. Only one antenna 256 is shown. Alternatively, one, some or all of the antennas may be panels. The transmitter 252 and the receiver 254 may be integrated into a transceiver. The T-TRP 170 also includes a processor 260 for performing operations related to preparing downlink transmissions sent to the ED 110, processing uplink transmissions received from the ED 110, preparing backhaul transmissions sent to the NT-TRP 172, and processing transmissions received from the NT-TRP 172 via the backhaul. Processing operations related to preparing to send downlink transmissions or backhaul transmissions may include operations such as encoding, modulation, precoding (e.g., multiple-input multiple-output (MIMO) precoding), transmit beamforming, and generating symbols for transmission. Processing operations related to processing received transmissions in the uplink or on the backhaul may include operations such as receive beamforming, demodulation, and decoding received symbols. The processor 260 may also perform operations related to network access (e.g., initial access) and / or downlink synchronization, such as generating the content of a synchronization signal block (SSB), generating system information, etc. In some embodiments, the processor 260 also generates a beam direction indication, such as a BAI, that the scheduler 253 may schedule for transmission. The processor 260 may perform other network-side processing operations described herein, such as determining the location of the ED 110, determining the location of the deployed NT-TRP 172, etc. In some embodiments, the processor 260 may generate signaling, such as configuring one or more parameters of the ED 110 and / or one or more parameters of the NT-TRP 172, etc. Any signaling generated by the processor 260 is sent by the transmitter 252. Note that the "signaling" used herein may alternatively be referred to as control signaling. Dynamic signaling may be sent in a control channel such as a physical downlink control channel (PDCCH), while static or semi-static higher layer signaling may be included in a data packet sent in a data channel such as a physical downlink shared channel (PDSCH).

[0083] The scheduler 253 may be coupled to the processor 260. The scheduler 253 may be included within or operate separately from the T-TRP 170, which may schedule uplink transmissions, downlink transmissions, and / or backhaul transmissions, including issuing scheduling grants and / or configuring scheduling-free (“configuration grants”) resources. The T-TRP 170 also includes a memory 258 for storing information and data. The memory 258 stores instructions and data used, generated, or collected by the T-TRP 170. For example, the memory 258 may store software instructions or modules for implementing some or all of the functionality and / or embodiments described herein and executed by the processor 260.

[0084] Although not shown, the processor 260 may form a part of the transmitter 252 and / or the receiver 254. In addition, although not shown, the processor 260 may implement the scheduler 253. Although not shown, the memory 258 may form a part of the processor 260.

[0085] The processor 260, the scheduler 253, and the processing components of the transmitter 252 and the receiver 254 may be implemented by the same or different one or more processors, respectively, which are used to execute instructions stored in a memory (e.g., the memory 258). Alternatively, some or all of the processing components of the processor 260, the scheduler 253, and the transmitter 252 and the receiver 254 may be implemented using a dedicated circuit such as an FPGA, a GPU, or an ASIC.

[0086] Although the NT-TRP 172 is shown as a drone by way of example only, the NT-TRP 172 may be implemented in any suitable non-ground form. In addition, in some implementations, the NT-TRP 172 may be known by other names, such as a non-ground node, a non-ground network device, or a non-ground base station. The NT-TRP 172 includes a transmitter 272 and a receiver 274 coupled to one or more antennas 280. Only one antenna 280 is shown. Alternatively, one, some, or all of the antennas may be panels. The transmitter 272 and the receiver 274 may be integrated into a transceiver. The NT-TRP 172 also includes a processor 276 for performing operations related to preparing downlink transmissions sent to the ED 110, processing uplink transmissions received from the ED 110, preparing backhaul transmissions sent to the T-TRP 170, and processing transmissions received from the T-TRP 170 via backhaul. Processing operations related to preparing to transmit a downlink transmission or a backhaul transmission may include operations such as encoding, modulation, precoding (e.g., MIMO precoding), transmit beamforming, and generating symbols for transmission. Processing operations related to processing received transmissions in the uplink or on the backhaul may include operations such as receive beamforming, demodulation, and decoding received symbols. In some embodiments, the processor 276 implements transmit beamforming and / or receive beamforming based on beam direction information (e.g., BAI) received from the T-TRP 170. In some embodiments, the processor 276 may generate signaling to, for example, configure one or more parameters of the ED 110. In some embodiments, the NT-TRP 172 implements physical layer processing but does not implement higher-level functions, such as functions of the medium access control (MAC) layer or the radio link control (RLC) layer. Since this is just an example, more generally, the NT-TRP 172 may implement higher-level functions in addition to physical layer processing.

[0087] The NT-TRP 172 also includes a memory 278 for storing information and data. Although not shown, the processor 276 may form part of the transmitter 272 and / or the receiver 274. Although not shown, the memory 278 may form part of the processor 276.

[0088] Processor 276 and the processing components of transmitter 272 and receiver 274 may be implemented by the same or different one or more processors, respectively, that execute instructions stored in a memory (e.g., memory 278). Alternatively, processor 276 and some or all of the processing components of transmitter 272 and receiver 274 may be implemented using dedicated circuits such as a programmed FPGA, GPU, or ASIC. In some embodiments, NT-TRP 172 may actually be multiple NT-TRPs that operate together to serve ED 110, for example, via coordinated multi-point transmission.

[0089] The T-TRP 170, NT-TRP 172, and / or ED 110 may include other components, but these components have been omitted for clarity.

[0090] according to Figure 3 , one or more steps of the embodiment method provided in this article can be performed by corresponding units or modules. Figure 3 Units or modules in a device, such as ED 110, T-TRP 170, or NT-TRP 172 are shown. For example, a signal can be sent by a sending unit or a sending module. A signal can be received by a receiving unit or a receiving module. A signal can be processed by a processing unit or a processing module. Other steps can be performed by an artificial intelligence (AI) module or a machine learning (ML) module. The corresponding units or modules can be implemented using hardware, one or more components or devices that execute software, or a combination thereof. For example, one or more units or modules can be integrated circuits such as programmed FPGAs, GPUs, or ASICs. It should be understood that if these modules are implemented, for example, using software executed by a processor, these modules can be retrieved by the processor in whole or in part as needed, retrieved individually or collectively for processing, retrieved in one or more instances, and these modules themselves may include instructions for further deployment and instantiation.

[0091] Additional details regarding ED 110, T-TRP 170, and NT-TRP 172 are known to those skilled in the art. Therefore, these details are omitted here.

[0092] according to Figure 4 , one or more steps in the embodiment method provided in this article can be performed by corresponding units or modules. Figure 4Units or modules in a device, such as ED 110, T-TRP 170, or NT-TRP 172 are shown. For example, a signal can be sent by a sending unit or a sending module. A signal can be received by a receiving unit or a receiving module. A signal can be processed by a processing unit or a processing module. Other steps can be performed by an artificial intelligence (AI) module or a machine learning (ML) module. The corresponding units or modules can be implemented using hardware, one or more components or devices that execute software, or a combination thereof. For example, one or more units or modules can be integrated circuits such as programmed FPGAs, GPUs, or ASICs. It should be understood that if these modules are implemented, for example, using software executed by a processor, these modules can be retrieved by the processor in whole or in part as needed, retrieved individually or collectively for processing, retrieved in one or more instances, and these modules themselves may include instructions for further deployment and instantiation.

[0093] Additional details regarding ED 110, T-TRP 170, and NT-TRP 172 are known to those skilled in the art. Therefore, these details are omitted here.

[0094] For future wireless networks, many new devices may grow exponentially and have diverse functions. In addition, many new applications and new use cases in future wireless networks may emerge with more diverse service quality requirements than those currently available in 5G. This will bring new key performance indicators (KPIs) to future wireless networks (such as 6G networks), which will be extremely challenging, so sensing technology and AI technology, especially deep learning (ML) technology, are introduced into the telecommunications field to improve the performance and efficiency of the system.

[0095] The communication applied by AI / ML technology includes AI / ML communication at the physical layer and AI / ML communication at the media access control (MAC) layer. For the physical layer, AI / ML communication can be used to optimize component design and improve algorithm performance, such as channel coding, channel modeling, channel estimation, channel decoding, modulation, demodulation, MIMO, waveform, multiple access, PHY unit parameter optimization and update, beamforming and tracking, sensing and positioning. For the MAC layer, AI / ML communication can use AI / ML capabilities to learn, predict and make decisions to solve complex optimization problems with better strategies and optimal solutions, such as optimizing functions in MAC, such as intelligent TRP management, intelligent beam management, intelligent channel resource allocation, intelligent power control, intelligent spectrum utilization, intelligent modulation and coding scheme (MCS), intelligent hybrid automatic repeat request (HARQ) strategy, intelligent transmit / receive (Tx / Rx) mode adaptation, and so on.

[0096] AI / ML architectures typically include multiple nodes, which can be organized in two modes: centralized mode and distributed mode, both of which can be deployed in access networks, core networks, edge computing systems, or third-party networks. Centralized training and computing architectures are limited by large communication overheads and strict user data privacy. Distributed training and computing architectures include several frameworks, such as distributed machine learning and federated learning. AI / ML architectures include intelligent controllers that can execute as a single agent or multiple agents based on joint optimization or individual optimization. New protocols and signaling mechanisms are required so that the corresponding interface links can be personalized with customized parameters to meet specific requirements, while minimizing signaling overhead and maximizing overall system spectrum efficiency through personalized AI technology.

[0097] In addition, terrestrial and non-terrestrial networks can enable a range of new services and applications such as earth monitoring, remote sensing, passive sensing and positioning, navigation, tracking, autonomous delivery and mobility. Terrestrial network-based sensing and non-terrestrial network-based sensing can provide intelligent, context-aware networks to enhance the UE experience. For example, terrestrial network-based sensing and non-terrestrial network-based sensing can provide opportunities for positioning and sensing applications based on a set of new functions and service capabilities. Applications such as THz imaging and spectroscopy have the potential to provide continuous real-time physiological information for future digital health technologies through dynamic, non-invasive, and contactless measurements. Simultaneous localization and mapping (SLAM) methods can not only enable advanced cross reality (XR) applications, but also enhance the navigation of autonomous objects such as vehicles and drones. In addition, in terrestrial and non-terrestrial networks, measured channel data as well as sensing and positioning data can be obtained through large bandwidths, new spectrums, dense networks, and more light-of-sight (LOS) links. Based on this data, a wireless environment map can be drawn through AI / ML methods, where channel information is linked with its corresponding positioning or environmental information to provide an enhanced physical layer design based on the map.

[0098] Sensing coordinators are nodes in the network that can assist in sensing operations. These nodes can be standalone nodes dedicated to sensing operations only, or other nodes (e.g., TRP 170, ED 110, or core network nodes) that perform sensing operations in parallel with communication transmissions. New protocols and signaling mechanisms are needed so that the corresponding interface links can be executed with customized parameters to meet specific needs while minimizing signaling overhead and maximizing overall system spectrum efficiency.

[0099] AI / ML and sensing methods are data-intensive. In order to incorporate AI / ML and sensing into wireless communications, more and more data needs to be collected, stored, and exchanged. The characteristics of wireless data have expanded considerably in multiple dimensions, for example, from sub-6 GHz, millimeter to terahertz carrier frequencies, from space, outdoor to indoor scenarios, and from text, voice to video. These data collection, processing, and usage operations are all performed in a unified framework or in different frameworks.

[0100] In some embodiments, a dual-port SSB mode is provided. Each SSB is transmitted using two antenna ports. SSB includes one or more of PSS, SSS, PBCH-DMRS, and PBCH. In some embodiments, each antenna port is transmitted through one or more BS antennas in one polarization direction. For example, the first port can be transmitted through one or more vertically polarized antennas, and the second port can be transmitted through one or more horizontally polarized antennas. In another example, the first port can be transmitted through one or more -45 degree tilted polarized antennas, and the second port can be transmitted through one or more +45 degree tilted polarized antennas. Three different examples of possible sequence generation and mapping schemes are provided below.

[0101] In the first example, the same PSS, PBCH-DMRS and PBCH are sent on two antenna ports, as described above, each antenna port corresponds to one or more antennas in one polarization direction. However, the SSS sequences are grouped into sequence pairs. For each SSS pair, the first SSS sequence of the pair is sent through the first antenna port corresponding to one or more antennas in the first polarization direction, and the second SSS sequence of the pair is sent through the second antenna port corresponding to one or more antennas in the second polarization direction. For example, SSS#0 is sent through antenna port 0 and SSS#1 is sent through antenna port 1. In some embodiments, this can achieve early detection of the polarization direction of the base station during SSS detection. This may be because once the UE detects the first SSS sequence or the second SSS sequence in a given SSS pair, the UE has detected a signal sent from a vertically polarized antenna or a horizontally polarized antenna of the base station, or a -45 degree tilted polarized antenna or a +45 degree tilted polarized antenna of the base station. In this case, a physical cell identifier (ID) that can be used for subsequent detection can be derived from the PSS and one SSS in each SSS pair, namely the first SSS or the second SSS. For example, the physical cell ID can be obtained from the PSS and the first SSS in each SSS pair. In this case, even if the UE detects the second SSS in the SSS pair, the UE can determine the physical cell ID from the first SSS in the SSS pair. An SSS pair can be formed by selecting the second SSS that produces the lowest cross-correlation with a given first SSS from all SSS sequences. As an alternative implementation of this example, the PSS, PBCH-DMRS and PBCH can alternatively be transmitted only through one of the two antenna ports used to transmit the SSS pair, wherein the one antenna port can be transmitted through antennas in two polarization directions.

[0102] Figure 5A5 shows a representation of time and frequency resources 500 including PSS 505, PBCH 510, SSS 515a, 515b and PBCH DM-RS 520. The horizontal axis represents time and the vertical axis represents frequency. The two SSS sequences 515a and 515b in the SSS pair are transmitted on the same time and frequency resources, as shown by Figure 5A 515a, 515b in the SSS pair. Although the two SSS sequences 515a and 515b in the SSS pair are sent on the same time and frequency resources, the two SSS sequences are sent through antennas with different polarization directions. In order to reduce cross-polarization interference during SSS detection, in some embodiments, the two SSS sequences 515a and 515b can be sent on different time and / or frequency resources.

[0103] In the second example, the same PSS, SSS and PBCH are sent on two antenna ports, as described above, each antenna port corresponds to one or more antennas in one polarization direction. Two orthogonal PBCH-DMRS generated by time domain and / or frequency domain orthogonal cover code (OCC) or code division multiplexing (CDM) are sent on two antenna ports corresponding to two polarization directions. The first PBCH-DMRS is sent through the first antenna port corresponding to one or more antennas in the first polarization direction, and the second PBCH-DMRS is sent through the second antenna port corresponding to one or more antennas in the second polarization direction. In this case, once the UE detects the first PBCH-DMRS or the second PBCH-DMRS, the UE knows that the UE has detected a signal sent from a vertically polarized antenna or a horizontally polarized antenna of the base station, or a -45 degree tilted polarized antenna or a +45 degree tilted polarized antenna of the base station. In this embodiment, there is usually no effect on the synchronization signal (SS). As an alternative implementation of this example, the PSS, SSS and PBCH may alternatively be transmitted via only one of the two antenna ports used to transmit two orthogonal PBCH-DMRS, wherein the one antenna port may be transmitted via antennas in two polarization directions.

[0104] Figure 5B A representation of a time and frequency resource 550 including a PSS 505, a PBCH 510, a SSS 516 and a PBCH DMRS 521a, 521b is shown. The two PBCH DMRS 521a and 521b are transmitted on the same time and frequency resources, as indicated by Figure 5BThe overlapping sequences 521a and 521b in FIG. 5 are indicated. When two PBCH DM-RS 521a and 521b are sent on the same time and frequency resources, the two PBCH DMRS 521a and 521b are sent on antennas with different polarization directions. In some embodiments, in order to further reduce the detection complexity at the UE, two orthogonal PBCH-DMRS can be generated by time domain or frequency domain multiplexing, that is, mapped on different time or frequency resources. Figure 5B In some embodiments, when two orthogonal PBCH-DMRS are carried using two resource units, the OCC or orthogonal sequence may be any two of {[+1,+1,+1,+1],[+1,-1,+1,-1],[+1,+1,-1,-1],[+1,-1,-1,+1]}. In some embodiments, when two resource units are used to carry two orthogonal PBCH-DMRS, the OCC or orthogonal sequence may be {[+1,+1],[+1,-1]}.

[0105] In the third example, the same SSS, PBCH-DMRS and PBCH are sent on two antenna ports, as described above, each antenna port corresponds to one or more antennas in one polarization direction. The PSS sequences are grouped into pairs. For each PSS sequence pair, the first PSS sequence is sent through the first antenna port corresponding to one or more antennas in the first polarization direction, and the second PSS sequence is sent through the second antenna port corresponding to one or more antennas in the second polarization direction. For example, PSS#0 is sent through the first antenna port and PSS#1 is sent through the second antenna port. Embodiments such as this can achieve earlier detection of the polarization direction of the base station, that is, during PSS detection. This may be because once the UE detects the first PSS sequence or the second PSS sequence in a PSS pair, the UE has detected a signal sent from a vertically polarized antenna or a horizontally polarized antenna of the base station, or a -45 degree tilted polarized antenna or a +45 degree tilted polarized antenna of the base station. In this case, a physical cell ID that can be used for subsequent detection can be derived from the SSS and one PSS in each PSS pair, that is, the first PSS or the second PSS. For example, the physical cell ID can be obtained from the SSS and the first PSS in each PSS pair. Even if the UE detects the second PSS in the PSS pair, the UE can determine the physical cell ID from the first PSS in the PSS pair. As an alternative implementation of this example, the SSS, PBCH-DMRS and PBCH can alternatively be sent only through one of the two antenna ports used to send the PSS pair, where the one antenna port can be sent through antennas in two polarization directions.

[0106] Figure 5C506a, 506b, PBCH 510, SSS 517, and PBCH DMRS 522. The horizontal axis represents time and the vertical axis represents frequency. The two PSS sequences 506a and 506b in a PSS pair are transmitted on the same time and frequency resources, as indicated by Figure 5C , 506a, 506b in the PSS pair. Although the two PSS sequences 506a and 506b in the PSS pair are sent on the same time and frequency resources, the two PSS sequences are sent through antennas with different polarization directions. In some embodiments, in order to reduce cross-polarization interference during PSS detection, the two PSS sequences 506a and 506b can be sent on different time and / or frequency resources. A PSS pair can be formed by selecting a second PSS from all PSS sequences that produces the lowest cross-correlation with a given first PSS.

[0107] Although the dual-polarized antenna with 2 polarization directions and dual-port SSB is Figures 5A to 5C The invention is described in the example and in various embodiments described above and below, but it should be understood that the various aspects described herein can be extended to a multi-polarized antenna with M polarization directions and M-port SSB, where M is greater than 2.

[0108] exist Figure 6 , a base station 600 is shown having three beams 607a, 607b, and 607c, each of which is transmitted by a dual-polarized antenna at the base station. For each beam direction, one or more vertically polarized antennas are used to transmit SSB port 0, while one or more horizontally polarized antennas are used to transmit SSB port 1. In some embodiments, one or more vertically polarized antennas are used to transmit SSB port 1, while one or more horizontally polarized antennas are used to transmit SSB port 0. For any of the three examples of the above sequence generation and mapping schemes, once the UE detects one antenna port from a dual-port SSB, the UE is able to identify from which polarization direction the receive signal is transmitted (e.g., from a vertically polarized antenna or a horizontally polarized antenna at the base station).

[0109] In the above example of sequence generation and mapping scheme, the base station uses two antenna ports in one SSB to represent two polarization directions and / or base station antennas in two polarization directions. When an antenna port is detected at the UE, the UE knows that the antenna port is transmitted from a specific polarization direction and / or from a base station antenna in a specific polarization direction.

[0110] In some embodiments, two polarization directions and / or base station antennas in two polarization directions may be associated with two SSBs transmitted through two antenna ports at the same or different time and / or frequency resources. For example, a first SSB is transmitted through a first antenna port corresponding to a first polarization direction and / or a base station antenna in the first polarization direction, while a second SSB is transmitted through a second polarization direction and / or a base station antenna in the second polarization direction. Once an SSB is detected at a UE, the UE knows that the received signal comes from a specific polarization direction and / or a base station antenna in a specific polarization direction.

[0111] In some embodiments, during the initial access process, the UE is able to identify that the received signal is from a given polarization direction and / or a polarized antenna of a base station in one polarization direction. In some embodiments, the UE is able to estimate the polarization change introduced by the channel between the base station and the UE, and the detection complexity at the UE can be reduced.

[0112] In some embodiments, new UE measurement behaviors are provided for a dual-port SSB mode with a single base station transmit beam. For example, the UE searches for the SSB for initial downlink (DL) beam alignment and DL timing and frequency synchronization. When the base station is transmitting a dual-port SSB using one base station transmit beam, and one antenna port of this dual-port SSB corresponds to one polarization direction or a base station antenna in one polarization direction, the UE can decouple the dual-polarization antennas and measure two UE receive beams simultaneously. For example, the UE can apply a first receive beamforming weight on one or more antennas in a first polarization direction and a second receive beamforming weight on one or more antennas in a second polarization direction. In the case where the UE orientation may change, the first polarization direction and the second polarization direction in this document are described from the perspective of the UE and may be the same or different from the polarization directions discussed in the previous embodiments (i.e., a vertical polarization direction and a horizontal polarization direction or a ±45 degree tilted polarization direction relative to the earth's surface).

[0113] Figure 7A portion of a network 700 including a base station 705 and a UE 710 is shown. Three base station transmit beams 707a, 707b, and 707c are shown. Each of the base station transmit beams 707a, 707b, and 707c is shown to include two polarization directions, indicated by overlapping horizontal and vertical lines, represented by a "+" symbol. The UE 710 is shown to have two concurrent receive beams in two polarization directions. The first beam 712a is shown to be in the vertical polarization direction (|) and the second beam 712b is shown to be in the horizontal polarization direction (-). The two polarization directions may shift as the UE changes its orientation or switches the receive panel or antenna. The two concurrent UE receive beams 712a and 712b can help reduce the latency of UE side beam scanning during the initial access process.

[0114] Two examples of UE measurement behaviors are described below according to aspects of the present disclosure.

[0115] In the first example, on each UE receive beam corresponding to one polarization direction, the UE detects two antenna ports in one SSB. Once the quality of one SSB port measured by one UE receive beam in a specific polarization direction exceeds a certain threshold, the UE may initiate an initial access procedure. In this example, the UE is responsible for more computational work, but the probability of UE false detection may be reduced.

[0116] In a second example, on a UE receive beam with an X polarization direction, the UE detects only the SSB ports corresponding to the X polarization direction, where X = vertical or horizontal or X = -45° or +45° tilt. This example may be applicable to scenarios where the polarization change introduced by the propagation channel is limited to a predefined maximum value, and the UE is able to align the polarization direction of the UE antenna with the polarization direction of the base station antenna, taking into account the UE orientation and antenna placement. Being able to align the polarization direction of the UE antenna with the base station may involve switching the receive antenna or performing a projection onto a specific polarization plane or direction, or combining the signals received from the dual polarization antennas with specific weights. Performing this type of measurement may help reduce the measurement complexity at the UE.

[0117] In some embodiments, in each SSB period, the UE uses two UE beams for measurements, one for each polarization. This should make beam-based initial access two times faster on average, i.e., the maximum latency of beam-based initial access is reduced to SSB periodicity × N / 2, where N is the number of UE beams.

[0118] Figure 8 Similar to Figure 1C The multiple SSB cycle arrangement shown in Figure 1CInstead of having a single UE receive beam for the dual polarized antenna at the UE in each SSB period as shown in FIG, there are two concurrent UE beams 910, 920, each in a corresponding polarization direction. Figure 1C In comparison, since there are two beams at the UE for each SSB period, the associated overall delay is reduced by half.

[0119] In some embodiments, the UE may be able to perform faster UE-side beam training, thereby performing faster beam-based initial access, especially at mmWave frequencies.

[0120] In some embodiments, a dual-port SSB mode is provided in which each antenna port of the SSB is transmitted via one or more base station antennas and a base station transmit beam in one polarization direction. In this case, there are two concurrent base station transmit beams transmitting two antenna ports of the dual-port SSB. The two antenna ports in the dual-port SSB can be identified or distinguished by the above-mentioned sequence generation and mapping scheme.

[0121] Fig. 9 A base station 905 is shown, where four beams 907a, 907b, 907c, and 907d are shown. These four beams 907a, 907b, 907c, and 907d are only considered as part of the entire SSB period 910 in the time and frequency resource plane 935, where time is on the horizontal axis and frequency is on the vertical axis. In actual implementations, more or fewer beams may be used, but Fig. 9 Four beams are shown as an example. Beam pairs (the first pair is 907a, 907b, and the second pair is 907c, 907d) are used to transmit each dual-port SSB, wherein the first beam 907a, 907c of each pair is used for a first polarization direction, such as vertical polarization (V-pol), and the second beam 907b, 907d of each pair is used for a second polarization direction, such as horizontal polarization (H-pol). Fig. 9 , a first beam 907a is shown as being used to transmit SSB0-Port 0, which is transmitted by one or more antennas having a vertical polarization direction. A second beam 907b is shown as being used to transmit SSB0-Port 1, which is transmitted by one or more antennas having a horizontal polarization direction. A third beam 907c is shown as being used to transmit SSB1-Port 0, which is transmitted by one or more antennas having a vertical polarization direction. A fourth beam 907d is shown as being used to transmit SSB1-Port 1, which is transmitted by one or more antennas having a horizontal polarization direction.

[0122] Fig. 9Also shown are portions of two SSB cycles in the time and frequency resource plane 935, where only two dual-port SSBs in each SSB cycle are shown as an example. Since the two antenna ports of each SSB are transmitted on the same time and frequency resources 912a, 912b, the resource overhead of covering the same angle / spatial area by beam scanning is reduced by half. In some embodiments, the overhead of a multi-polarized antenna with M polarization directions and M-port SSBs can be further reduced, where M is greater than 2.

[0123] Two examples of UE measurement behavior for dual-port SSB mode with two concurrent base station beams according to aspects of the present disclosure are described below.

[0124] In the first example, the UE applies the same beamforming weights on the UE dual-polarized antennas to measure or search for the two antenna ports of the dual-port SSB. In this way, the UE measures two base station transmit beams at one SSB opportunity. This example can provide robustness against polarization changes that may be introduced by UE movement and / or rotation and propagation channels.

[0125] In a second example, the UE applies two different receive beamforming weights to the UE antennas in two different polarization directions, and at each receive beamforming weight, the UE detects the SSB antenna port corresponding to the same or similar polarization direction (e.g., vertical polarization direction or horizontal polarization direction or -45° or +45° tilted polarization direction). This example may be applicable to the following scenarios: the polarization change introduced by the propagation channel is limited to a predefined maximum value, and the UE is able to align the polarization direction of the UE antenna with the polarization direction of the antenna at the base station taking into account the UE orientation and antenna placement. Being able to align the polarization direction of the UE antenna with the base station may involve switching the receive antenna or performing a projection onto a specific polarization plane or direction, or combining the signals received from the dual-polarized antennas with specific weights. This scheme may help reduce the measurement complexity at the UE.

[0126] In some embodiments, the dual-port SSB mode described above is applicable to a first frequency range (e.g., mid-band frequencies, such as 3.5 GHz, millimeter wave frequencies, such as 28 GHz, 39 GHz, 73 GHz), while the existing single-port SSB mode is applicable to a second frequency range (e.g., low-band frequencies, such as 700 MHz, 900 MHz). A UE operating in one frequency range should attempt to detect the corresponding SSB mode, so the number of antenna ports in the SSB can be predetermined and adapted to the number of distinguishable polarization directions in a given frequency range, and signaling exchange regarding the applicable SSB mode may not be required between the base station and the UE.

[0127] In some embodiments, for a non-standalone deployment in which a UE is already connected to a network or base station via a first carrier (e.g., a carrier in a mid-band frequency such as 3.5 GHz), the number of antenna ports in an SSB in a second carrier (e.g., a carrier in a millimeter wave frequency such as 28 GHz, 39 GHz, 73 GHz) may be indicated to the UE via radio resource control (RRC), medium access control (MAC) control element (CE), or downlink control information (DCI) signaling on the first carrier. This information may help reduce the UE complexity of detecting the number of antenna ports in an SSB on the second carrier. In some embodiments, for a non-standalone deployment in which a UE is already connected to a network or base station via a first carrier (e.g., a carrier in a mid-band frequency such as 3.5 GHz), if there is no indication of the number of antenna ports in an SSB in a second carrier (e.g., a carrier at a millimeter wave frequency such as 28 GHz, 39 GHz, 73 GHz), the UE may assume that the SSB on the second carrier has one or two antenna ports.

[0128] Fig.10 1 is a signal flow diagram 1000 illustrating signal transmission and reception between a base station (BS) 1001 and a UE 1002 according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. In some embodiments, for example, for a non-standalone deployment in which the UE 1002 is connected to a network or the base station 1001 via a first carrier (e.g., carrier #1), the number of antenna ports in the SSB in the second carrier (e.g., carrier #2) may be provided to the UE 1002 via configuration information signaling in a first signaling 1010. In other embodiments, for example, for a standalone deployment in which the UE 1002 detects a dual-port SSB mode as a default function, the first signaling 1010 may be skipped.

[0129] At step 1020, base station 1001 sends a dual-port SSB to UE 1002 on the second carrier. In some embodiments, dual-port SSB may be used in the mode described above, for example, Figure 5A , 5B or any of the 5Cs or as to Fig. 9 The mode described is sent.

[0130] In some embodiments, at step 1030, the base station sends remaining minimum system information (RMSI) including system information block #1 (SIB #1) and / or other system information (OSI) on the second carrier, where SIB #1 is required for the RACH process. In some embodiments, the RMSI can be sent as part of the configuration information in the first signaling 1010. In some embodiments, the UE measurement can be performed in a manner consistent with a single UE receive beam direction in two polarization directions or consistent with two concurrent UE receive beam directions in two polarization directions, for example, as Figure 7 as shown in .

[0131] The UE 1002 measures 1035 the signal strength of one or both antenna ports of the dual-port SSB. Measuring one or both antenna ports of the dual-port SSB may include any of: one or more primary synchronization signals (PSS); one or more secondary synchronization signals (SSS); a physical broadcast channel (PBCH); and one or more demodulation reference signals (DM-RS) for the PBCH.

[0132] At step 1040, UE 1002 sends a random access channel (RACH) on the second carrier to base station 1001. In some embodiments, as part of initiating an initial access procedure, the RACH may be sent after the measured signal strength of a signal received on at least one UE receive beam corresponding to one polarization direction exceeds a threshold.

[0133] In some embodiments, the resource overhead of base station beam scanning for sending synchronization signals can be reduced, and the delay of initial access of UE beam scanning can also be reduced.

[0134] It should be understood that one or more steps of the embodiment method provided herein can be performed by corresponding units or modules. For example, a signal can be sent by a sending unit or a sending module. A signal can be received by a receiving unit or a receiving module. A signal can be processed by a processing unit or a processing module. The corresponding unit / module can be hardware, software, or a combination thereof. For example, one or more units / modules can be integrated circuits, such as field programmable gate arrays (FPGA) or application-specific integrated circuits (ASIC). It should be understood that if these modules are software, these modules can be retrieved in whole or in part by a processor as needed, retrieved individually or collectively for processing, retrieved in one or more instances as needed, and these modules themselves can include instructions for further deployment and instantiation.

[0135] Although combinations of features are shown in the illustrated embodiments, not all features need to be combined to achieve the advantages of the various embodiments of the present disclosure. In other words, a system or method designed according to an embodiment of the present disclosure does not necessarily include all features shown in any of the figures or all parts schematically shown in the figures. In addition, the selected features of an exemplary embodiment can be combined with the selected features of other exemplary embodiments.

[0136] Although the present disclosure has been described with reference to illustrative embodiments, this description is not to be interpreted in a limiting sense. Various modifications and combinations of the illustrative embodiments and other embodiments of the present disclosure will be apparent to those skilled in the art with reference to this description. Therefore, the appended claims are intended to cover any such modifications or embodiments.

Claims

1. A method, characterized in that include: On at least one beam, a synchronization signal (SS) / physical broadcast channel (PBCH) block (SSB) is transmitted on two antenna ports, wherein the transmission uses a pattern in which a first antenna port and a second antenna port of the SSB are associated with a polarization direction of an antenna or a polarization direction relative to a reference plane, wherein each of the two antenna ports transmits through one or more antennas in one polarization direction.

2. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that The SSB includes one or more of the following: one or more primary synchronization signals (PSS); one or more secondary synchronization signals (SSS); Physical Broadcast Channel (PBCH); One or more Demodulation Reference Signals (DM-RS) for PBCH.

3. The method according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that: The pattern includes sending the same PSS, PBCH-DMRS and PBCH on the two antenna ports, and the SSS sequences are grouped into pairs, wherein, for each pair of SSS sequences, a first SSS sequence is sent through the first antenna port and a second SSS sequence is sent through the second antenna port.

4. The method according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that: The pattern includes: sending the same PSS, SSS and PBCH on the two antenna ports, and generating two orthogonal PBCH-DMRS using time domain and / or frequency domain orthogonal cover codes (OCC) or code division multiplexing (CDM), wherein the two orthogonal PBCH-DMRS are sent on the two antenna ports, wherein a first PBCH-DMRS is sent through the first antenna port and a second PBCH-DMRS is sent through the second antenna port.

5. The method according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that: The pattern includes sending the same SSS, PBCH-DMRS and PBCH on the two antenna ports, and the PSS sequences are grouped into pairs, wherein, for each pair of PSS sequences, a first PSS sequence is sent through the first antenna port and a second PSS sequence is sent through the second antenna port.

6. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that Sending the SSB on two antenna ports includes: sending the first antenna port of the SSB on a first beam; sending the second antenna port of the SSB on a second beam, wherein the first beam and the second beam are sent in different directions.

7. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 7, characterized in that Also includes: Configuration information indicating the mode is sent.

8. A device, characterized in that include: processor; A computer-readable storage medium having computer-executable instructions stored thereon, which, when executed by the processor, execute the method according to any one of claims 1 to 7.

9. The device according to claim 8, characterized in that The device is a base station.

10. A method, characterized in that include: A synchronization signal (SS) / physical broadcast channel (PBCH) block (SSB) is received at a receiver on at least one beam, wherein the SSB is transmitted on two antenna ports using a pattern in which a first antenna port and a second antenna port of the SSB are associated with a polarization direction of the antenna or a polarization direction relative to a reference plane, wherein each of the two antenna ports is transmitted through one or more antennas in one polarization direction.

11. The method according to claim 10, characterized in that The SSB includes one or more of the following: one or more primary synchronization signals (PSS); one or more secondary synchronization signals (SSS); Physical Broadcast Channel (PBCH); One or more Demodulation Reference Signals (DM-RS) for PBCH.

12. The method according to claim 10 or 11, characterized in that: The pattern includes sending the same PSS, PBCH-DMRS and PBCH on the two antenna ports, and the SSS sequences are grouped into pairs, wherein, for each pair of SSS sequences, a first SSS sequence is sent through the first antenna port and a second SSS sequence is sent through the second antenna port.

13. The method according to claim 10 or 11, characterized in that: The pattern includes: sending the same PSS, SSS and PBCH on the two antenna ports, and generating two orthogonal PBCH-DMRS using time domain and / or frequency domain orthogonal cover codes (OCC), wherein the two orthogonal PBCH-DMRS are sent on the two antenna ports, wherein a first PBCH-DMRS is sent through the first antenna port and a second PBCH-DMRS is sent through the second antenna port.

14. The method according to claim 10 or 11, characterized in that: The pattern includes sending the same SSS, PBCH-DMRS and PBCH on the two antenna ports, and the PSS sequences are grouped into pairs, wherein, for each pair of PSS sequences, a first PSS sequence is sent through the first antenna port and a second PSS sequence is sent through the second antenna port.

15. The method according to claim 10, characterized in that Receiving the SSB sent on two antenna ports includes: a first antenna port receiving the SSB sent on a first beam and a second antenna port receiving the SSB sent on a second beam, wherein the first beam and the second beam are sent in different directions.

16. The method according to any one of claims 10 to 15, characterized in that Also includes: Configuration information indicating SSB mode is received.

17. The method according to claim 10, characterized in that The receiving at the receiver comprises: The SSB is received on two different receive beams, wherein each receive beam corresponds to a polarization direction.

18. The method according to claim 10, characterized in that Also includes: measuring a signal strength of a signal received on at least one receive beam corresponding to a polarization direction; After the measured signal strength exceeds a threshold, an initial access procedure is initiated.

19. A device, characterized in that processor; A computer-readable storage medium having computer-executable instructions stored thereon, which, when executed by the processor, perform the method according to any one of claims 10 to 18.

20. The device according to claim 19, characterized in that The device is a user equipment.

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