Communication device and base station

Abstract

Provided herein are a communication device and a base station for wireless communication, a method for a communication device and a method for a base station. The communication device includes circuitry to determine a time distance at which a time window including a tracking reference signal (TRS) begins before a paging occasion of the communication device, and wherein the TRS is available within the time window.

Description

[0001] This application is a divisional application of the invention whose applicant is Panasonic Intellectual Property Corporation (USA), the application date is February 12, 2021, the application number is 202180027234.3, and the name is “Communication device and base station”. Technical Field

[0002] The present disclosure relates to the transmission and reception of signals in a communication system. In particular, the present disclosure relates to methods and apparatus for such transmission and reception. Background Art

[0003] The 3rd Generation Partnership Project (3GPP) is working on the technical specifications for the next generation of cellular technology, also known as fifth generation (5G), which includes "New Radio" (NR) radio access technology (RAT) operating in the frequency range up to 100 GHz. NR is a follower of technologies represented by Long Term Evolution (LTE) and LTE Advanced (LTE-A).

[0004] For systems like LTE, LTE-A and NR, further modifications and options may facilitate efficient operation of the communication system and specific equipment associated with the system. Summary of the invention

[0005] One non-limiting and exemplary embodiment facilitates efficient management of reference signals.

[0006] In one embodiment, the technical features disclosed herein are: a communication device for wireless communication includes: a transceiver, which receives system information indicating a reference signal RS configuration; and a circuit, which determines the RS configuration based on the received system information, and the transceiver assumes that the RS is available according to the determined RS configuration.

[0007] It should be noted that the general or specific embodiments may be implemented as a system, a method, an integrated circuit, a computer program, a storage medium, or any selective combination thereof.

[0008] Additional benefits and advantages of the disclosed embodiments will be apparent from the specification and drawings. These benefits and / or advantages can be obtained by various embodiments and features of the specification and drawings, respectively, which do not need to be provided in full in order to obtain one or more such benefits and / or advantages. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0009] Hereinafter, exemplary embodiments will be described in more detail with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0010] Figure 1 An exemplary architecture of a 3GPP NR system is shown;

[0011] Figure 2 is a schematic diagram showing the functional division between NG-RAN and 5GC;

[0012] Figure 3 It is a sequence diagram of the RRC connection establishment / reconfiguration process;

[0013] Figure 4 is a schematic diagram showing usage scenarios of enhanced mobile broadband (eMBB), massive machine type communications (mMTC) and ultra-reliable low latency communications (URLLC);

[0014] Figure 5 is a block diagram illustrating an exemplary 5G system architecture for a non-roaming scenario;

[0015] Figure 6 is a graph showing an exemplary relationship of DRX cycle period, SSB period and paging occasion to the wake-up behavior of an idle UE;

[0016] Figure 7 is a graph showing an exemplary relationship of DRX cycle period, SSB period and paging occasion to the wake-up behavior of an idle UE;

[0017] Figure 8 is a graph showing an exemplary relationship between SSB and paging occasions in multi-beam operation;

[0018] Fig. 9 is a block diagram showing a base station and a communication device;

[0019] Fig.10 is a block diagram showing a circuit of a communication device;

[0020] Fig.11 is a block diagram showing a base station circuit;

[0021] Fig.12 is a flow chart illustrating a method for a communication device;

[0022] Fig.13 is a flow chart illustrating a method for a base station;

[0023] Fig.14 is a flow chart illustrating a method for a communication device; and

[0024] Fig.15 is a flow chart illustrating a method for a communication device. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0025] 5G NR system architecture and protocol stack

[0026] 3GPP has been working on the next version of the 5th generation cellular technology, referred to as 5G, including the development of a new radio access technology (NR) operating in the frequency range up to 100 GHz. The first version of the 5G standard was completed at the end of 2017, allowing trials and commercial deployment of smartphones compliant with the 5G NR standard.

[0027] The overall system architecture adopts, among other things, NG-RAN (Next Generation Radio Access Network) including gNB (gNodeB), which provides NG-Radio Access user plane (SDAP / PDCP / RLC / MAC / PHY) and control plane (RRC, Radio Resource Control) protocol termination towards the UE. The gNBs are connected to each other through the Xn interface. The gNBs are also connected to the NGC (Next Generation Core) through the Next Generation (NG) interface, more specifically, to the AMF (Access and Mobility Management Function) (e.g., a specific core entity that executes the AMF) through the NG-C interface, and to the UPF (User Plane Function) (e.g., a specific core entity that executes the UPF) through the NG-U interface. Figure 1 The NG-RAN architecture is shown in (see, for example, 3GPP TS 38.300 v15.6.0 section 4).

[0028] The user plane protocol stack for NR (see e.g. 3GPP TS 38.300 Section 4.4.1) consists of the PDCP (Packet Data Convergence Protocol, see Section 6.4 of TS 38.300), RLC (Radio Link Control, see Section 6.3 of TS 38.300) and MAC (Medium Access Control, see Section 6.2 of TS 38.300) sublayers, which terminate in the gNB on the network side. In addition, a new access stratum (AS) sublayer (SDAP, Service Data Adaptation Protocol) is introduced on top of PDCP (see e.g. subclause 6.5 of 3GPP TS 38.300). A control plane protocol stack is also defined for NR (see e.g. TS 38.300 Section 4.4.2). An overview of the Layer 2 functionality is given in subclause 6 of TS 38.300. The functionality of the PDCP, RLC and MAC sublayers is listed in Sections 6.4, 6.3 and 6.2 of TS 38.300, respectively. The functions of the RRC layer are listed in subclause 7 of TS 38.300.

[0029] For example, medium access control handles logical channel multiplexing, as well as scheduling and scheduling-related functions, including the handling of different numerologies.

[0030] The physical layer (PHY) is responsible for, for example, coding, PHY HARQ processing, modulation, multi-antenna processing, and mapping of signals to appropriate physical time-frequency resources. It also handles the mapping of transport channels to physical channels. The physical layer provides services to the MAC layer in the form of transport channels. A physical channel corresponds to a set of time-frequency resources used for transmission of a specific transport channel, and each transport channel is mapped to a corresponding physical channel. For example, the physical channels are PRACH (Physical Random Access Channel), PUSCH (Physical Uplink Shared Channel) and PUCCH (Physical Uplink Control Channel) for uplink and PDSCH (Physical Downlink Shared Channel), PDCCH (Physical Downlink Control Channel) and PBCH (Physical Broadcast Channel) for downlink.

[0031] NR use cases / deployment scenarios may include enhanced mobile broadband (eMBB), ultra-reliable low latency communications (URLLC), massive machine type communications (mMTC), which have different requirements in terms of data rate, latency and coverage. For example, eMBB is expected to support peak data rates (20 Gbps downlink and 10 Gbps uplink) and user experience data rates that are orders of magnitude three times higher than those provided by IMT-Advanced. On the other hand, in the case of URLLC, there are requirements for ultra-low latency (0.5 ms user plane latency for UL and DL respectively) and high reliability (1-10 times the latency within 1 ms). -5 ) puts forward more stringent requirements. Finally, mMTC may preferably require high connection density (1,000,000 devices / km in urban environments) 2 ), large coverage in harsh environments, and extremely long battery life (15 years) for low-cost devices.

[0032] Therefore, a set of OFDM parameters (e.g., subcarrier spacing, OFDM symbol duration, cyclic prefix (CP) duration, number of symbols per scheduling interval) that is suitable for one use case may not be suitable for another use case. For example, low-latency services may preferably require shorter symbol duration (and therefore larger subcarrier spacing) and / or fewer symbols per scheduling interval (also called TTI) compared to mMTC services. Furthermore, deployment scenarios with large channel delay spread may preferably require longer CP duration compared to scenarios with short delay spread. The subcarrier spacing should be optimized accordingly to retain similar CP overhead. NR can support more than one subcarrier spacing value. Accordingly, subcarrier spacings of 15 kHz, 30 kHz, 60kHz, ... are currently under consideration. Symbol duration T u and the subcarrier spacing Δf by the formula Δf = 1 / T uIn a similar manner as in the LTE system, the term "resource element" may be used to denote a minimum resource unit consisting of one subcarrier of the length of one OFDM / SC-FDMA symbol.

[0033] In the new radio system 5G-NR, for each numerology set and carrier, a resource grid of subcarriers and OFDM symbols is defined for uplink and downlink respectively. Each element in the resource grid is called a resource element and is identified based on a frequency index in the frequency domain and a symbol position in the time domain (see 3GPP TS 38.211 v15.6.0).

[0034] 5G NR Function Division between NG-RAN and 5GC

[0035] Figure 2 The functional division between NG-RAN and 5GC is shown. The NG-RAN logical node is gNB or ng-eNB (next generation eNB). 5GC has logical nodes AMF, UPF and SMF.

[0036] Specifically, gNB and ng-eNB host the following main functions:

[0037] - Functions for radio resource management, such as radio bearer control, radio admission control, connection mobility control, dynamic allocation of resources to UEs in uplink and downlink (scheduling);

[0038] -IP header compression, encryption and integrity protection of data;

[0039] - Selecting the AMF at UE attach when the route to the AMF cannot be determined from the information provided by the UE;

[0040] - Routing user plane data towards (multiple) UPFs;

[0041] - Routing control plane information towards the AMF;

[0042] -Connection establishment and release;

[0043] - Scheduling and transmission of paging messages;

[0044] - Scheduling and transmission of system broadcast information (originating from AMF or OAM);

[0045] - Measurements and measurement reporting configuration for mobility and scheduling;

[0046] - Transport layer packet marking in uplink;

[0047] -Session management;

[0048] -Support network slicing;

[0049] -QoS flow management and mapping to data radio bearers;

[0050] -Support UE in RRC_INACTIVE state;

[0051] -NAS message distribution function;

[0052] - Radio access network sharing;

[0053] -Dual connection;

[0054] - Tight interworking between NR and E-UTRA.

[0055] The Access and Mobility Management Function (AMF) is responsible for the following main functions:

[0056] - Non-access stratum NAS signaling termination;

[0057] -NAS signaling security;

[0058] -Access layer AS security control;

[0059] -Inter-core CN node signalling for mobility between 3GPP access networks;

[0060] - Idle mode UE reachability (including control and execution of paging retransmissions);

[0061] -Registration area management;

[0062] -Support intra-system and inter-system mobility;

[0063] -Access authentication;

[0064] - Access authorization, including checking roaming permissions;

[0065] -Mobility management control (subscription and policy);

[0066] -Support network slicing;

[0067] -Session management function SMF selection.

[0068] In addition, the user plane function UPF is responsible for the following main functions:

[0069] - Anchor point for intra-RAT / inter-RAT mobility (when applicable);

[0070] - External PDU session points for interconnection with data networks;

[0071] -Packet routing & forwarding;

[0072] - User plane part of packet inspection and policy rule enforcement;

[0073] -Business usage reports;

[0074] - Uplink classifier that supports routing of traffic flows to the data network;

[0075] -Support branch points for multi-homed PDU sessions;

[0076] - QoS processing in the user plane, e.g. packet filtering, gating, UL / DL rate enforcement;

[0077] - Uplink service verification (SDF to QoS flow mapping);

[0078] - Downlink packet buffering and downlink data notification triggering.

[0079] Finally, the session management function SMF is responsible for the following main functions:

[0080] -Session management;

[0081] -UE IP address allocation and management;

[0082] -Selection and control of UP function;

[0083] -Configure traffic steering at the user plane function UPF to route the traffic to the correct destination;

[0084] - The control part of policy implementation and QoS;

[0085] - Downlink data notification.

[0086] RRC connection establishment and reconfiguration process

[0087] Figure 3 Some interactions between the UE, gNB and AMF (5GC entity) are shown for the NAS part in the context of the UE transitioning from RRC_IDLE to RRC_CONNECTED (see TS 38.300 v15.6.0).

[0088] RRC is a high-layer signaling (protocol) used for UE and gNB configuration. Specifically, the transition involves the AMF preparing UE context data (including, for example, PDU session context, security keys, UE radio capabilities and UE security capabilities, etc.) and transmitting it to the gNB along with the INITIAL CONTEXT SETUP REQUEST. The gNB then activates AS security with the UE, which is performed by the gNB sending a SecurityModeCommand message to the UE and by the UE responding to the gNB with a SecurityModeComplete message. Afterwards, the gNB performs reconfiguration to establish a Signaling Radio Bearer 2 (SRB 2) and (multiple) Data Radio Bearers DRBs by sending an RRCReconfiguration message to the UE and, in response, receiving an RRCReconfigurationComplete from the UE by the gNB. For a signaling-only connection, the steps related to RRCReconfiguration are skipped, as SRB2 and DRBs are not established. Finally, the gNB notifies the AMF that the setup procedure is completed with an INITIAL CONTEXT SETUP RESPONSE.

[0089] Therefore, in the present disclosure, an entity (e.g., AMF, SMF, etc.) of a 5th generation core (5GC) is provided, which includes a control circuit for establishing a next generation (NG) connection with a gNodeB, and a transmitter for sending an initial context setup message to the gNodeB via the NG connection so that a signaling radio bearer between the gNodeB and a user equipment (UE) is established. Specifically, the gNodeB sends a radio resource control (RRC) signaling including a resource allocation configuration information element to the UE via the signaling radio bearer. Then, the UE performs uplink transmission or downlink reception based on the resource allocation configuration.

[0090] IMT usage scenarios in 2020 and beyond

[0091] Figure 4 Some use cases for 5G NR are shown. In the 3rd Generation Partnership Project New Radio (3GPP NR), three use cases are being considered that have been envisioned to support a wide variety of services and applications by IMT-2020. The specifications for enhanced mobile broadband (eMBB) Phase 1 have been agreed. In addition to further extending eMBB support, current and future work will involve standardization of ultra-reliable low latency communications (URLLC) and massive machine type communications. Figure 4 Some examples of envisaged usage scenarios for IMT for 2020 and beyond are shown (see for example ITU-R M.2083 Figure 2 ).

[0092] URLLC use cases have stringent requirements on capabilities such as throughput, latency, and availability, and are envisioned as one of the enablers for future vertical applications such as wireless control of industrial manufacturing or production processes, telemedicine surgery, distribution automation in smart grids, transportation safety, etc. Ultra-reliability of URLLC is to be supported by confirming technologies that meet the requirements set by TR 38.913. For NR URLLC in Release 15, the key requirements include a target user plane latency of 0.5 ms for UL (uplink) and a target user plane latency of 0.5 ms for DL ​​(downlink). For a packet size of 32 bytes and a user plane latency of 1 ms, the general URLLC requirement for one transmission of a packet is a BLER (block error rate) of 1E-5.

[0093] From a physical layer perspective, reliability can be improved in a number of possible ways. The current scope for improving reliability involves defining a separate CQI table for URLLC, a more compact DCI (Downlink Control Information) format, repetition of PDCCH, etc. However, as NR becomes more stable and developed (for NR URLLC key requirements), the scope for achieving ultra-reliability may expand. Specific use cases for NR URLLC in Release 15 include augmented reality / virtual reality (AR / VR), e-health, e-safety, and mission-critical applications.

[0094] In addition, the technical enhancements targeted by NR URLLC are aimed at latency improvement and reliability improvement. Technical enhancements for latency improvement include configurable parameter sets, non-slot-based scheduling with flexible mapping, ungranted (configured grant) uplink, slot-level repetition of data channels, and downlink pre-emption. Preemption means that the transmission for which resources have been allocated is stopped, and the allocated resources are used for another transmission that is requested later but has lower latency / higher priority requirements. Therefore, the already authorized transmission is preempted by the later transmission. Preemption is applicable independently of the specific service type. For example, a transmission of service type A (URLLC) may be preempted by a transmission of service type B (such as eMBB). Technical enhancements for reliability improvement include a dedicated CQI / MCS table with a target BLER of 1E-5.

[0095] The nature of the mMTC (massive machine type communications) use case is that a very large number of connected devices typically send relatively small amounts of non-latency sensitive data. The devices need to be low cost and have very long battery life. From the NR perspective, utilizing very narrow bandwidth portions is a possible solution to save power from the UE perspective and achieve long battery life.

[0096] As mentioned above, the range of reliability in NR is expected to become wider. A key requirement in all cases, especially necessary for URLLC and mMTC, is high reliability or ultra-reliability. Several mechanisms can be considered to improve reliability from a radio perspective and a network perspective. In general, there are several key potential areas that can help improve reliability. These areas include compact control channel information, data / control channel repetition, and diversity with respect to frequency, time and / or spatial domains. These areas apply to general reliability regardless of the specific communication scenario.

[0097] For NR URLLC, further use cases with more stringent requirements have been identified, such as factory automation, transportation industry and power distribution. The more stringent requirements are higher reliability (up to 10 -6 The technology features include: high-speed LTE (high-speed), higher availability, packet sizes up to 256 bytes, time synchronization down to a few μs (where this value can be 1 μs or a few μs, depending on the frequency range), and short latency on the order of 0.5 to 1 ms (specifically a target user plane latency of 0.5 ms, depending on the use case).

[0098] In addition, for NR URLLC, several technical enhancements from the physical layer point of view have been confirmed. Among them are PDCCH (Physical Downlink Control Channel) enhancements related to compact DCI, PDCCH repetition, and increased PDCCH monitoring. In addition, UCI (Uplink Control Information) enhancements are related to enhanced HARQ (Hybrid Automatic Repeat Request) and CSI feedback enhancements. PUSCH enhancements related to mini-slot level hopping and retransmission / repetition enhancements have also been confirmed. The term "mini-slot" refers to a transmission time interval (TTI) that includes a smaller number of symbols than a slot (a slot including 14 symbols).

[0099] In slot-based scheduling or dispatch, the slot corresponds to the time granularity of the scheduling dispatch (TTI – Transmission Time Interval). In general, the TTI determines the time granularity of the scheduling dispatch. One TTI is the time interval for mapping a given signal to the physical layer. For example, in general, the TTI length can vary from 14 symbols (slot-based scheduling) to 2 symbols (non-slot-based scheduling). It is specified that downlink (DL) and uplink (UL) transmissions are organized into frames (10 ms duration) consisting of 10 subframes (1 ms duration). In slot-based transmission, the subframes are further divided into slots, the number of slots being defined by the parameter set / subcarrier spacing. Specific values ​​range between 10 slots per frame (1 slot per subframe) for a subcarrier spacing of 15 kHz to 80 slots per frame (8 slots per subframe) for a subcarrier spacing of 120 kHz. The number of OFDM symbols per slot is 14 for a normal cyclic prefix and 12 for an extended cyclic prefix (see Section 4.1 (General frame structure), Section 4.2 (Parameter sets), Section 4.3.1 (Frames and subframes), and Section 4.3.2 (Slots) of 3GPP TS38.211 V15.3.0, Physical Channels and Modulation (2018-09)). However, the allocation of time resources for transmission may also be non-slot based. Specifically, a TTI in a non-slot based allocation may correspond to a mini-slot instead of a slot. That is, one or more mini-slots may be allocated to the requested transmission of data / control signaling. In a non-slot based allocation, the minimum length of a TTI may be, for example, 1 or 2 OFDM symbols.

[0100] QoS Control

[0101] The 5G QoS (Quality of Service) model is based on QoS flows and supports QoS flows that require guaranteed flow bit rate (GBR QoS flows) and QoS flows that do not require guaranteed flow bit rate (non-GBR QoS flows). At the NAS level, QoS flows are therefore the finest granularity of QoS differentiation in a PDU session. QoS flows are identified within a PDU session by a QoS Flow ID (QFI) carried in the encapsulation header on the NG-U interface.

[0102] For each UE, the 5GC establishes one or more PDU Sessions. For each UE, the NG-RAN establishes at least one Data Radio Bearer (DRB) together with the PDU Session, and may subsequently configure (multiple) additional DRBs for (multiple) QoS flows of that PDU Session (when to do so is up to the NG-RAN), e.g. as referenced above Figure 3As shown in Figure 1. NG-RAN maps packets belonging to different PDU sessions to different DRBs. NAS-level packet filters in UE and 5GC associate UL and DL packets with QoS flows, while AS-level mapping rules in UE and NG-RAN associate UL and DL QoS flows with DRBs.

[0103] Figure 5 The 5G NR non-roaming reference architecture is shown (see TS 23.501 v16.0.0 section 4.23). Figure 4 The application function (AF) (e.g., an external application server hosting 5G services) described in the example interacts with the 3GPP core network to provide services, such as supporting application impact on service routing, accessing the network exposure function (NEF), or interacting with the policy framework (see policy control function PCF) for policy control, such as QoS control. Based on operator deployment, application functions that are considered to be trusted by the operator may be allowed to interact directly with related network functions. Application functions that operators do not allow direct access to network functions interact with related network functions using an external exposure framework via NEF.

[0104] Figure 5 Further functional units of the 5G architecture are shown, namely, Network Slice Selection Function (NSSF), Network Repository Function (NRF), Unified Data Management (UDM), Authentication Server Function (AUSF), Access and Mobility Management Function (AMF), Session Management Function (SMF) and Data Network (DN), such as operator services, Internet access or third-party services. All or part of the core network functions and application services can be deployed and run in a cloud computing environment.

[0105] Therefore, in the present disclosure, an application server (e.g., AF of 5G architecture) including a transmitter and a control circuit is provided, wherein the transmitter sends a request including QoS requirements of at least one of URLLC, eMMB and mMTC services to at least one function of 5GC (e.g., NEF, AMF, SMF, PCF, UPF, etc.) to establish a PDU session including a radio bearer between a gNodeB and a UE according to the QoS requirements; and the control circuit performs the service using the established PDU session.

[0106] The terminal is called user equipment (UE) in LTE and NR. This can be a mobile device or communication device, such as a wireless phone, a smartphone, a tablet, or a USB (Universal Serial Bus) stick with the functionality of a user device. However, the term "mobile device" is not limited to this, and in general, a relay device can also have the functionality of such a mobile device, and a mobile device can also work as a relay device.

[0107] A base station is a network node or a scheduling node, for example, forming a part of a network providing services to terminals. A base station is a network node that provides wireless access to terminals.

[0108] RRC Status

[0109] In wireless communication systems including NR, a device or communication apparatus (e.g., UE) can be in different states depending on the traffic activity. In NR, a device can be in one of three RRC states: RRC_IDLE, RRC_CONNECTED, and RRC_INACTIVE. The first two RRC states, RRC_IDLE and RRC_CONNECTED, are similar to the corresponding states in LTE, while RRC_INACTIVE is a new state introduced in NR and did not exist in the original LTE design. There are also core network states CN_IDLE and CN_CONNECTED depending on whether the device has established a connection with the core network.

[0110] In RRC_IDLE, there is no RRC context in the radio access network, i.e., the parameters required for communication between the device and the network, nor does the device belong to a specific cell. From the core network's perspective, the device is in CN_IDLE state. Since the device is dormant most of the time, no data transfer may occur, reducing battery consumption. In the downlink, a device in idle state wakes up periodically to receive paging messages from the network (if any). Mobility is handled by the device through cell reselection. Uplink synchronization is not maintained, so the only uplink transmission activity that may occur is random access, for example, transitioning to the connected state. As part of the transition to the connected state, an RRC context is established in both the device and the network.

[0111] In RRC_CONNECTED, the RRC context is established and all parameters required for communication between the device and the radio access network are known to both entities. From the core network perspective, the device is in the CN_CONNECTED state. The cell to which the device belongs is known and the identity of the device for signaling purposes between the device and the network, i.e., the cell radio network temporary identifier (C-RNTI), has been configured. The purpose of the connected state is to transfer data to / from the device, but discontinuous reception (DRX) may be configured to reduce device power consumption. Since the RRC context is established in the gNB in ​​the connected state, leaving DRX and starting to receive / send data is relatively fast as no connection with signaling associated therewith needs to be established. Mobility is managed by the radio access network, that is, the device provides neighbor cell measurements to the network, which commands the device to perform a handover when relevant. Uplink time alignment may or may not be present, but it needs to be established and maintained using random access for data transmission to occur.

[0112] In LTE, only the idle and connected states are supported. A common practice is to use the idle state as the primary sleep state to reduce device power consumption. However, since frequent transmission of small packets is common for many smartphone applications, the result is a large number of transitions from idle to active in the core network. These transitions come at a cost in terms of signaling load and associated latency. Therefore, in order to reduce the signaling load and reduce latency in general, a third state is defined in NR, namely, the RRC_INACTIVE state.

[0113] In RRC_INACTIVE, the RRC context is saved in both the device and the gNB. The core network connection is also maintained, that is, from the core network's perspective, the device is in CN_CONNECTED. Therefore, the transition to the connected state for data transfer is fast. No core network signaling is required. The RRC context is already in the network, and the idle-to-active transition can be handled in the radio access network. At the same time, the device is allowed to sleep in a manner similar to that in the idle state, and mobility is handled by cell reselection, that is, without involving the network. Therefore, the mobility of the communication device or equipment is device-controlled rather than network-controlled, and the communication device is able to contact the network through random access. Therefore, RRC_INACTIVE can be seen as a hybrid of the idle and connected states (for more details, see E. Dahlman et al., 5GNR: The NextGeneration Wireless Access Technology, Release 1, Sections 6.5.1 to 6.5.3).

[0114] In some wireless communication systems including NR or NR-like systems (such as NR Release 15 / 16), one or more resources (e.g., in the time and frequency domains) for tracking reference signals (TRS) and / or CSI-RS (channel state information reference signals) may be configured for each UE with RRC parameters for sequence generation, resource mapping, and / or transmission timing (which may include location and / or density in the time domain). With such RRC configuration for each UE, RS may be sent to the configured UE (or group of configured UEs) on demand, unlike systems including some LTE systems, in which CSI-RS is sent according to fixed parameters independent of the current demand of the UE.

[0115] In some systems such as NR (e.g., Rel. 15 / 16), TRS / CSI resources are configured for UEs to be used by UEs in RRC_CONNECTED mode for measurements, such as channel state estimation, time tracking, frequency tracking, and / or beam tracking. For UEs in other modes RRC_IDLE and RRC_INACTIVE, such measurements rely on synchronization signal blocks (SSBs).

[0116] In addition, some systems such as NR Rel. 16 and later may relax radio resource management (RRM) measurements to help UE save power. For example, the UE may be allowed to provide RRM reports less frequently.

[0117] On one hand, power saving considerations for NR and similar systems (e.g., NR Release 17) may address power saving of UEs in idle and inactive modes (RRC_IDLE and RRC_INACTIVE), taking into account system performance.

[0118] Specifically, paging modification(s) may be studied and specified to reduce unnecessary monitoring and / or receiving of paging. Such modification may avoid impact on legacy UEs.

[0119] Furthermore, with regard to power saving issues in idle and inactive states, potential TRS / CSI opportunities available in connected mode can be made available to idle / inactive mode UEs while minimizing the system overhead impact.

[0120] On the other hand, power saving considerations may also address power saving techniques for connected mode UEs subject to minimizing the impact on system performance.

[0121] This may include studying and specifying extensions to power saving adaptation, possibly including adaptation techniques from NR Release 16, including reduced PDCCH monitoring when DRX (discontinuous reception) (C-DRX) is configured for connected UEs. It is important to note that for power saving in NR Release 17, power saving solutions available from Releases 15 and 16 should be supported through UE evaluation and appropriate utilization.

[0122] Research into connected mode power saving may further address the impact of relaxing the measurements made by the UE for radio link monitoring (RLM) and / or beam failure detection (BFD), for example, for low mobility UEs with short DRX cycles or DRX cycles.

[0123] As described above, power saving techniques for idle and inactive modes may include reducing unnecessary paging reception, where paging reception means including PDCCH monitoring (e.g., for paging DCI) and possible PDSCH reception (e.g., to obtain paging messages), all of which contribute to the power consumption of the UE. For example, the period of paging reception (e.g., the interval between paging occasions corresponding to the idle mode or inactive mode DRX cycle period) may be made longer. From the UE's point of view, a longer paging reception period means a longer sleep time, thereby saving power. However, a longer sleep time may bring challenges to time-frequency synchronization tracking (or "time / frequency tracking") and beam tracking.

[0124] As mentioned above, in some system designs such as NR Release 15 / 16, for time and frequency tracking, UEs in IDLE / INACTIVE mode rely on SSB. However, when the DRX cycle is long in idle mode and inactive mode, the UE may need to wake up according to the SSB transmission timing to maintain time and frequency synchronization. For example, when the SSB and paging occasions are not close, the UE may choose to wake up at a longer time interval, such as Figure 6 As shown, to cover both. This may result in increased power consumption. However, the UE can also wake up for SSB, then sleep again, and then wake up again for paging reception, as shown Figure 7 This results in additional power ramping which may also be associated with more power consumption.

[0125] In addition, for beam scanning operation, assuming that the UE is in beam #K, the distance between the SSB with index K and the Kth PDCCH (or paging occasion or paging search space with TCI (transmission configuration) indicator #K) may be large, such as Figure 8 This may degrade the paging reception performance as shown in FIG. 1. For example, the paging reception performance may be degraded due to weak channel correlation between SSB and paging due to a long interval between SSB and paging, UE mobility, or frequency selective fading.

[0126] The technology provided by the present disclosure includes a modified configuration of TRS / CSI-RS, which can facilitate time / frequency domain tracking and reduce power consumption caused by time / frequency domain tracking and / or paging monitoring.

[0127] Provided is a communication device 960 for wireless communication, such as Fig. 9 The communication device 960 includes a transceiver 970 and a circuit 980, such as a processing circuit.

[0128] In some exemplary embodiments, the transceiver 970 of the communication device (or simply "UE transceiver") receives system information indicating a reference signal RS configuration. The circuit 980 of the communication device (or "UE circuit") determines the RS configuration based on the received system information. The UE transceiver 970 assumes that the RS is available according to the determined RS configuration.

[0129] For example, the communication device 960 is a user terminal or user equipment (UE) in a wireless or cellular communication system (such as 3GPP NR), which communicates with the base station 910 and other UEs via a wireless channel. The communication device is referred to as a "UE" in this disclosure, but the disclosure is not limited to any particular wireless communication system.

[0130] For example, the UE circuit 980 includes an RS configuration determination circuit 985. According to the present disclosure, an exemplary RS configuration determination circuit (such as Fig.10 ) may include at least one of an SI (system information) processing circuit 1086 and an RS timing determination circuit 1087.

[0131] In addition, it provides and is also Fig. 9 Shown in FIG. 9 is a base station 910 that includes a transceiver 920 and circuitry 930 (eg, processing circuitry).

[0132] In some exemplary embodiments, circuitry 930 (or "base station circuitry") of a base station determines an RS configuration and generates system information including the RS configuration. Transceiver 920 (or "base station transceiver") of base station 910 transmits the system information. Base station transceiver 920 transmits the RS according to the determined RS configuration.

[0133] The base station 910 communicates with one or more UEs through a wireless channel in a wireless or cellular communication system (e.g., 3GPP NR). For example, the base station is a network node or a scheduling node or device, such as a gNodeB (gNB). For example, the base station serves a cell in a wireless or cellular network.

[0134] For example, the base station circuit 930 includes RS configuration circuit 935. The exemplary SI generation circuit 935 includes RS configuration determination circuit or RS configuration generation circuit 1137 and system information (SI) generation circuit 1136.

[0135] Corresponding to the above communication device, a wireless communication method to be performed by a communication device such as a user equipment is provided, such as Fig.12 As shown. The method includes receiving (step S1210) system information indicating RS configuration. For example, SI is received from base station 910. The method also includes determining (step S1220) RS configuration based on the received SI, and assuming (step S1230) that RS is available according to the determined RS configuration.

[0136] In addition, corresponding to the above-mentioned base station 910, the present disclosure provides Fig.13 The wireless communication method of the base station shown in . The method includes step S1310 of determining or generating an RS configuration, and step S1320 of generating system information including or indicating the RS configuration. The method also includes sending (step S1330) system information. For example, SI is sent to the communication device to be received in step S1210 of the corresponding method of the communication device. The method of the base station also includes step S1340 of sending a reference signal according to the determined RS configuration.

[0137] Any embodiments and examples of the present disclosure should be understood as reference and applicable to each of the communication device 960, the base station 910, and the corresponding methods of the communication device and the base station.

[0138] For example, the system information including or indicating the RS configuration is a system information block (SIB) or a master information block (MIB).

[0139] For example, the reference signal configured by RS configuration includes at least one of a tracking reference signal (TRS) and a channel state information reference signal (CSI-RS).

[0140] For example, RS configuration includes at least one of sequence generation (e.g., configuration of one or more parameters to generate a sequence of RS values, or a row index of a table defining all possible RS values), resource mapping (e.g., mapping RS to resources in the frequency domain, such as physical resource blocks (PRBs) or bandwidth parts, and to resources in the time domain, such as frames, subframes, time slots (or TTIs), and symbols), and transmit timing.

[0141] According to some exemplary embodiments, it is desirable for UE 960 to receive RS configurations, such as TRS / CSI-RS configurations, transmitted or broadcasted by base station 910 in SIBs. Fig.14 It is shown in Fig.14 Given Fig.12An example of the UE method shown, as step S1410 (corresponding to Fig.12 , or step S1210 in the flowchart.

[0142] If the UE 960 receives the SIB and in step S1415 no TRS / CSI configuration is detected in the received SIB, the UE will not assume that the TRS / CSI RS is available and will not consider the TRS / CSI RS in the processing of the received signal ( Fig.14 450 in step S1450).

[0143] However, in step 1415, if the UE detects a TRS / CSI configuration in the SIB, the UE will assume that the TRS and / or CSI-RS are available according to the configuration indicated by the SIB (step 1430 corresponding to S1230). For example, as will be described in more detail, the UE may assume that the RS is available before the paging occasion or before the SIB.

[0144] When it is assumed that the RS is available according to the configuration, the UE may receive the RS according to the configuration.

[0145] For example, the UE may receive data multiplexed in physical (eg, time and frequency) resources and perform rate matching of the received data according to the determined RS configuration.

[0146] For example, the communication system may be NR, and the UE 960 may be a UE belonging to Rel. 17 or any subsequent release. In this example, the base station 910 includes a configuration for UEs of Rel. 17 and above in the SIB (or MIB). The UE 960 may perform rate matching for all potential PDSCHs received by all UEs of Rel. 17 and above. For example, any UE of Rel. 17 and above may perform rate matching for any received PDSCH according to the configuration, taking into account the presence of RS.

[0147] In addition, according to the configured RS configuration, the UE 960 can perform tracking or synchronization tracking including at least one of time tracking, frequency tracking and beam tracking.

[0148] For example, the UE 960 receives a synchronization source block (SSB) and performs at least one of time tracking, frequency tracking, and beam tracking based on the received SSB and the received RS.

[0149] For example, Fig.14As shown in step S1440, the UE 960 may perform time, frequency and / or beam tracking by receiving the SSB and the configured TRS / CSI / RS, and / or perform rate matching of the received data around the configured TRS / CSI RS, for example, by considering the resource mapping and / or transmission timing indicated by the RS configuration.

[0150] For example, if the configuration includes a configuration of a transmit configuration indicator (TCI) state, or a configuration with a TCI state, the UE 960 may perform beam tracking by receiving the configured TRS / CSI-RS in a wireless system implementing a multi-beam operation.

[0151] In some embodiments, the control resource set (CORESET) and RS for paging are quasi-co-located (QCL). For example, if the TCI state is configured for the CORESET for paging (or "paging CORESET"), the UE 960 (or UE circuit 980) assumes that the TRS / CSI-RS and the paging CORESET are quasi-co-located. The paging CORESET is a set of resources that includes the paging DCI. For example, the paging CORESET can be sent in different OFDM symbols within a time slot or TTI. The quasi-co-location of the two signals means that the UE will assume that the transmission parameters of the two signals are similar, including, for example, Doppler shift, Doppler spread, average delay, and delay spread.

[0152] The present disclosure may facilitate time / frequency tracking and beam tracking by allowing time / frequency tracking and beam tracking based on RS configuration and possibly SSB rather than relying on SSB alone, for example, if additional TRS / CSI-RS is provided after a long sleep time (e.g., UE in IDLE or INACTIVE mode) or if there is a large gap between SSB bursts. In addition, depending on the timing and the resources to which the RS is mapped, tracking may be performed with higher accuracy if RS is used rather than SSB alone.

[0153] In the above disclosure, an embodiment of configuring RS according to system information has been described. However, the present disclosure also provides an embodiment of configuring the timing for RS transmission to be associated with the timing of other signals. For example, it can be expected that the UE receives TRS / CSI-RS in a timing associated with (e.g., having a time relationship) a paging occasion (PO) and / or a paging frame (PF) of the UE. PO is a set of paging PDCCH monitoring opportunities (timings that should be monitored for paging DCI of paging PDCCH), where each opportunity corresponds to a transmit beam in multi-beam operation.

[0154] This configuration of the RS transmission timing can be performed in combination with the above-mentioned embodiment of providing RS configuration in system information. However, the present disclosure is not limited to this, and the transmission timing can also be a capability reported by the UE, configured in other ways, for example, according to RRC parameters. Alternatively, the transmission timing can be a fixed or default value (for example, defined in the standard).

[0155] In some embodiments, the UE circuitry 980 determines a time distance at which a time window including a reference signal begins before a paging occasion, paging frame or SIB of the communications device, and the UE transceiver 970 assumes that the RS is available within the time window.

[0156] For example, the RS configuration of the transmission timing includes a time distance, and the time window including the RS starts at the time distance before the paging occasion, paging frame or system information block of the communication device.

[0157] Therefore, although the starting position or starting boundary of the RS time window can be configured through system information, this is not necessary because it can also be configured as an RRC parameter (eg, reported by the UE) or be fixed. Fig.10 The dashed line and Fig.15 This shows that Fig.15 Steps S1520 and S1530 corresponding to steps S1220 and S1230 are shown, but any step corresponding to step S1210 is not shown.

[0158] For example, the TRS / CSI-RS time domain position is a time window starting from X frames, subframes, time slots / TTIs, or symbols before the PO / PF. For example, X can be the number of TTLs (time slots), the number of symbols, or any combination of frames, subframes, TTLs / time slots, and symbols. However, the TRS / CSI-RS time domain position can also be a time window starting from X TTIs / time slots or symbols before the SIB.

[0159] The UE may then assume that the TRS / CSI-RS is available in a time window before the SIB or before the paging frame / opportunity and perform time / frequency tracking by receiving the TRS / CSI-RS and optionally the SSB, and / or perform rate matching for the PDCCH as described above, assuming that the RS is to be multiplexed with the data for the PDCCH.

[0160] In addition, as described above, the UE can perform beam tracking by receiving the configured TRS / CSI-RS, for example, if the configuration includes a configuration of a TCI state and is a configuration with a TCI state. If the TCI state is configured for the paging CORESET, the UE can assume that the TRS / CSI-RS and the paging are quasi-co-located.

[0161] By configuring and sending RS in a time window prior to a paging occasion, the UE may facilitate synchronization tracking, particularly with respect to tracking that relies on SSBs, and may further facilitate performing paging, e.g., securely sending and receiving paging DCI and / or messages in a reliable and robust manner, e.g., in idle or inactive mode.

[0162] For example, the transmission timing is determined based on at least one of the following parameters (for example, at least one of the time domain position and RS density such as the above-mentioned time window):

[0163] • a discontinuous reception (DRX) cycle T of the communication device;

[0164] • the number of N paging frames in the DRX cycle (e.g., the total number of paging frames in the DRX cycle);

[0165] • The number of Ns paging occasions in the paging frame (e.g., the total number of paging occasions in the paging frame or the number of paging occasions per beam);

[0166] • An offset used to determine the paging frame (eg, parameter PF_offset); and

[0167] • A UE identifier corresponding to a temporary network subscriber identity of the communication device (eg, temporary network subscriber identity abbreviation 5G-S-TMSI). For example, the timing of the RS may be determined based on the value of 5G-S-TMSI mod 1024.

[0168] The TRS / CSI-RS time domain position and / or density may be calculated by the UE circuit 980 and the base station circuit 930 based on at least one of the above listed parameters. For example, the calculation function used for this calculation may be a linear function.

[0169] From the perspective of a single UE, the required RS density, for example, the density of TRS / CSI-RS required to perform channel state measurement or synchronization based on RS may depend on the mobility state of the UE, channel conditions, and traffic arrival rate (e.g., data packet arrival rate from the application layer and driven by the service). In addition, UE types with reduced UE capabilities may also be considered to have different requirements for TRS / CSI-RS density.

[0170] In some embodiments, the UE circuit 980 determines an RS density for transmitting RS in a cell based on the received RS configuration, and determines or decides whether to perform at least one of camping on the cell, monitoring paging (e.g., monitoring paging occasions), or accessing the cell based on the determined RS density and at least one of the UE's capabilities, mobility status, channel conditions, and traffic arrival rate.

[0171] Here, "camping" on or to a cell includes starting monitoring paging, reading SIBs from the cell, and performing measurements using RSs from the cell. "Accessing a cell" refers to the step of initiating a random access (which may be further performed in addition to camping) for some reason. For example, such reasons may include detected paging for the UE, data to be sent from the uppermost layer / upper layer, and / or updating the tracking area.

[0172] The UE may be expected to receive broadcast information (e.g., system information) from the gNB or base station supported by the network, base station, or cell serving the cell, which includes the minimum requirements for TRS / CSI-RS configuration and / or TRS / CSI-RS density. The UE may then decide or determine whether the UE is allowed or able to access the cell, for example, by comparing the required or network-supported RS density with the UE capabilities, or with the RS density corresponding to the UE capabilities or other parameters such as mobility status, channel conditions, or traffic arrival rate.

[0173] RS density refers to how often the RS-carrying REs (resource elements) appear in the time-frequency domain resource grid in the RS pattern. For example, TRS / CSI-RS is configured with resources of every 2 OFDM symbols in one TTI (e.g., time slot) or every 2 subsequent TTIs of every 5 TTIs, and / or every 3 (or, for example, 2, 4 or some larger number) subcarriers in each PRB. Alternatively, within a TTI, the number of symbols between symbols with RS may be different.

[0174] By providing an embodiment in which a UE decides whether it should connect to a cell or receive paging for a cell, the present disclosure facilitates efficient operation within a cell by excluding unsuitable UEs from performing communications in the cell and by preventing UEs from experiencing problems with poor synchronization, reception of paging and other signals, channel estimation, or other operations due to RS density requirements that they cannot meet.

[0175] The present disclosure is applicable to UEs operating in each mode among idle mode, inactive mode and connected mode. For example, by providing the above RS configuration in system information, it can be used for UEs in idle mode or inactive mode. In addition, by specifying the timing or time window for receiving RS depending on the paging occasion, paging frame, or SIB that may be close to or adjacent to the paging frame / occasion or system information, idle or inactive UEs can save power by reducing the wake-up time or by avoiding additional power ramp caused by additional wake-up / entering sleep due to RS reception.

[0176] In addition, according to the present disclosure, the UE can report its UE capabilities in RRC_CONNECTED mode, or provide auxiliary information about TRS / CSI-RS density, and / or support of QCL of RS with SSB index and / or TCI state. The UE can also report, for example, QCL source and SSB index (or beam index) in terms of TCI state.

[0177] In some embodiments, the UE 960 sends a report on at least one of the UE's capabilities and the required or recommended RS density. For example, the required or recommended RS density is determined based on at least one of the UE type, UE capabilities, mobility status, and traffic conditions (e.g., the above-mentioned traffic arrival rate). For example, the report is sent in a MAC CE (control element) or an RRC message.

[0178] For example, the UE 960 may report a required TRS / CSI-RS density as a capability, or report an indication of the UE's capability, and the base station may then determine the required density of the UE based on this. The capability or required density may be associated with a UE type, for example, a UE type with reduced capabilities, such as an industrial wireless sensor, surveillance camera, or wearable device that may be used in one or more of the usage scenarios eMBB, mMTC, and URLLC.

[0179] However, the UE 960 may also report auxiliary information including, for example, a suggestion on TRS / CSI-RS density or a suggested RS density. For example, the suggested value may depend on the UE implementation and may depend on and take into account, for example, one or more of the UE's traffic conditions, the UE's mobility status, capabilities, and hardware performance such as the accuracy of the UE clock.

[0180] Based on the capability or value of the required / recommended density reported by the UE, the gNB or base station 910 can decide the RS configuration, for example, by an implementation, such as reporting the configuration of the TRS / CSI-RS of the UE.

[0181] The present disclosure may be implemented by software, hardware, or software in cooperation with hardware. Each functional block used in the description of each of the above embodiments may be partially or entirely implemented by an LSI (large scale integration) such as an integrated circuit (IC), and each process described in each embodiment may be partially or entirely controlled by the same LSI or a combination of LSIs. The LSI may be formed as a chip alone, or may be formed as a chip so as to include some or all of the functional blocks. The LSI may include data inputs and outputs coupled thereto. Depending on the degree of integration, the LSI here may be referred to as an IC, a system LSI, a super LSI, or an ultra LSI. However, the technology for implementing the integrated circuit is not limited to the LSI, and may be implemented by using a dedicated circuit, a general-purpose processor, or a dedicated processor. In addition, an FPGA (field programmable gate array) that can be programmed after manufacturing the LSI or a reconfigurable processor in which the connections and settings of the circuit units arranged inside the LSI can be reconfigured may be used. The present disclosure may be implemented as digital processing or analog processing. If future integrated circuit technology replaces the LSI due to advances in semiconductor technology or other derivative technologies, future integrated circuit technology may be used to integrate the functional blocks. Biotechnology may also be applied.

[0182] The present disclosure may be implemented by any kind of device, apparatus or system having a communication function, which is referred to as a communication device.

[0183] The communication device may include a transceiver and a processing / control circuit. The transceiver may include and / or act as a receiver and a transmitter. As a transmitter and a receiver, the transceiver may include an RF (radio frequency) module, which includes an amplifier, an RF modulator / demodulator, etc., and one or more antennas.

[0184] Some non-limiting examples of such communication devices include phones (e.g., cellular (mobile) phones, smart phones), tablets, personal computers (PCs) (e.g., laptops, desktops, netbooks), cameras (e.g., digital still / video cameras), digital players (digital audio / video players), wearable devices (e.g., wearable cameras, smart watches, tracking devices), game consoles, digital book readers, telehealth / telemedicine (remote health and medical) devices, and vehicles providing communication capabilities (e.g., cars, airplanes, ships), and various combinations thereof.

[0185] The communication devices are not limited to being portable or movable, and may also include any type of device, equipment, or system that is not portable or stationary, such as smart home devices (e.g., appliances, lighting, smart meters, control panels), vending machines, and any other “things” in an “Internet of Things (IoT)” network.

[0186] Communications may include exchanging data through, for example, cellular systems, wireless LAN systems, satellite systems, etc., and various combinations thereof.

[0187] The communication device may include a device such as a controller or a sensor that is coupled to a communication device that performs the communication functions described in the present disclosure. For example, the communication device may include a controller or a sensor that generates a control signal or a data signal used by the communication device that performs the communication functions of the communication device.

[0188] The communication device may also include infrastructure such as base stations, access points, and any other device, equipment, or system that communicates with or controls devices such as the above non-limiting examples.

[0189] Provided herein is a communication device for wireless communication, comprising: a transceiver receiving system information indicating reference signal (RS) configuration; and a circuit determining the RS configuration based on the received system information, wherein the transceiver assumes that the RS is available according to the determined RS configuration.

[0190] In some embodiments, the transceiver receives data in a physical resource multiplexed with the RS, and the circuit performs rate matching of the received data based on the determined RS configuration.

[0191] For example, the circuit performs at least one of time tracking, frequency tracking, and beam tracking based on the received RS.

[0192] For example, the transceiver receives a synchronization signal block SSB, and the circuit performs at least one of time tracking, frequency tracking, and beam tracking based on the received SSB and based on the received RS.

[0193] In some embodiments, the circuit determines an RS density transmitting RSs in a cell based on RS configuration, and determines whether to perform at least one of camping on the cell, monitoring paging, or accessing the cell based on the RS density and a capability of the communication device.

[0194] In some embodiments, the transceiver sends a report on at least one of the capabilities of the communication device and the required or recommended RS density.

[0195] For example, the required or recommended RS density is determined based on at least one of the type of the communication device, the capability of the communication device, the mobility state of the communication device, and the traffic conditions.

[0196] For example, the RS configuration includes at least one of RS sequence generation, resources for mapping the RS, and transmission timing of the RS.

[0197] For example, the transmission timing includes a time distance, and the time window including the RS starts at the time distance before a paging occasion, a paging frame, or a system information block of the communication device.

[0198] For example, the transmission timing of the RS is determined based on at least one of a discontinuous reception (DRX) cycle of the communication device, the number of paging frames in the DRX cycle, the number of paging occasions of the paging frame, an offset for determining the paging frame, and a temporary network subscriber identity of the communication device.

[0199] In some embodiments, the RS includes at least one of a tracking reference signal TRS and a channel state information reference signal CSI-RS.

[0200] Further provided is a communication device for wireless communication, comprising: a circuit that determines a time distance, including a time window of a reference signal RS starting at the time distance before a paging occasion, paging frame or system information block of the communication device; and a transceiver that assumes that the RS is available within the time window.

[0201] In some embodiments, the transceiver receives data in a physical resource multiplexed with an RS, and the circuitry performs rate matching of the received data according to the RS assumed to be available within the time window.

[0202] For example, the circuit performs at least one of time tracking, frequency tracking, and beam tracking based on the received RS.

[0203] For example, the transceiver receives a synchronization signal block SSB, and the circuit performs at least one of time tracking, frequency tracking, and beam tracking based on the received SSB and based on the received RS.

[0204] In some embodiments, the circuit determines RS density within a time window in which RS is transmitted in a cell based on RS configuration, and determines whether to perform at least one of camping on the cell, monitoring paging, or accessing the cell based on RS density and capabilities of the communication device.

[0205] In some embodiments, the transceiver sends a report on at least one of the capabilities of the communication device and the required or recommended RS density.

[0206] For example, the required or recommended RS density is determined based on at least one of the type of the communication device, the capability of the communication device, the mobility state of the communication device, and the traffic conditions.

[0207] For example, the RS configuration includes at least one of RS sequence generation, resources for mapping the RS, and transmission timing of the RS.

[0208] For example, the transmission timing of the RS is determined based on at least one of a discontinuous reception (DRX) cycle of the communication device, the number of paging frames in the DRX cycle, the number of paging occasions of the paging frame, an offset for determining the paging frame, and a temporary network subscriber identity of the communication device.

[0209] In some embodiments, the RS includes at least one of a tracking reference signal TRS and a channel state information reference signal CSI-RS.

[0210] Further provided is a base station for wireless communication, comprising: a circuit that determines a reference signal RS configuration and generates system information including the RS configuration; and a transceiver that sends the system information and sends the RS according to the determined RS configuration.

[0211] In some embodiments, the circuitry performs rate matching of the data according to the determined RS configuration, and the transceiver transmits the rate matched data in a physical resource multiplexed with the RS.

[0212] For example, the transceiver transmits the RS to the communication device, and the communication device will perform at least one of time tracking, frequency tracking, and beam tracking based on the RS received from the base station.

[0213] For example, the transceiver sends a synchronization resource block SSB to the communication device, and the communication device will perform at least one of time tracking, frequency tracking and beam tracking based on the received SSB and based on the RS received from the base station.

[0214] In some embodiments, the transceiver receives a report on at least one of a capability of a communication device sending the report and a required or recommended RS density, and the circuit determines the RS configuration based on the report.

[0215] For example, the required or recommended RS density is determined based on at least one of the type of the communication device, the capability of the communication device, the mobility state of the communication device, and the traffic conditions.

[0216] For example, the RS configuration includes at least one of RS sequence generation, resources for mapping the RS, and transmission timing of the RS.

[0217] For example, the transmission timing includes a time distance, and the time window including the RS starts at the time distance before a paging occasion, a paging frame, or a system information block of the communication device.

[0218] For example, the transmission timing of the RS is determined based on at least one of a discontinuous reception (DRX) cycle of the communication device, the number of paging frames in the DRX cycle, the number of paging occasions of the paging frame, an offset for determining the paging frame, and a temporary network subscriber identity of the communication device.

[0219] In some embodiments, the RS includes at least one of a tracking reference signal TRS and a channel state information reference signal CSI-RS.

[0220] Further provided is a base station for wireless communication, comprising: a circuit that determines a time distance, a time window including a reference signal RS starting at the time distance before a paging occasion, a paging frame or a system information block; and a transceiver that sends the RS within the time window.

[0221] In some embodiments, the circuitry performs rate matching of the data according to the determined RS configuration, and the transceiver transmits the rate matched data in a physical resource multiplexed with the RS according to the RS configuration within a time window.

[0222] For example, the transceiver transmits the RS to the communication device, and the communication device will perform at least one of time tracking, frequency tracking, and beam tracking based on the RS received from the base station.

[0223] For example, the transceiver sends a synchronization resource block SSB to the communication device, and the communication device will perform at least one of time tracking, frequency tracking and beam tracking based on the received SSB and based on the RS received from the base station.

[0224] In some embodiments, the transceiver receives a report on at least one of capabilities of a communication device and a required or recommended RS density of a communication device sending the report, and the circuit determines the RS configuration based on the report.

[0225] For example, the required or recommended RS density is determined based on at least one of the type of the communication device, the capability of the communication device, the mobility state of the communication device, and the traffic conditions.

[0226] For example, the RS configuration includes at least one of RS sequence generation, resources for mapping the RS, and transmission timing of the RS.

[0227] For example, the transmission timing of the RS is determined based on at least one of a discontinuous reception (DRX) cycle of the communication device, the number of paging frames in the DRX cycle, the number of paging occasions of the paging frame, an offset for determining the paging frame, and a temporary network subscriber identity of the communication device.

[0228] In some embodiments, the RS includes at least one of a tracking reference signal TRS and a channel state information reference signal CSI-RS.

[0229] Further provided is a method for wireless communication, comprising the following steps to be performed by a communication device: receiving system information indicating a reference signal (RS) configuration; determining the RS configuration according to the received system information; and assuming that the RS is available according to the determined RS configuration.

[0230] In some embodiments, the method includes receiving data in a physical resource multiplexed with the RS, and performing rate matching of the received data according to the determined RS configuration.

[0231] For example, the method includes performing at least one of time tracking, frequency tracking, and beam tracking based on the received RS.

[0232] For example, the method includes receiving a synchronization signal block SSB, and performing at least one of time tracking, frequency tracking, and beam tracking based on the received SSB and based on the received RS.

[0233] In some embodiments, the method includes determining an RS density for transmitting RSs in a cell based on RS configuration, and determining whether to perform at least one of camping on the cell, monitoring paging, or accessing the cell based on the RS density and a capability of the communication device.

[0234] In some embodiments, the method includes sending a report on at least one of capabilities of the communication device and a required or recommended RS density.

[0235] For example, the required or recommended RS density is determined based on at least one of the type of the communication device, the capability of the communication device, the mobility state of the communication device, and the traffic conditions.

[0236] For example, the RS configuration includes at least one of RS sequence generation, resources for mapping the RS, and transmission timing of the RS.

[0237] For example, the transmission timing includes a time distance, and the time window including the RS starts at the time distance before a paging occasion, a paging frame, or a system information block of the communication device.

[0238] For example, the transmission timing of the RS is determined based on at least one of a discontinuous reception (DRX) cycle of the communication device, the number of paging frames in the DRX cycle, the number of paging occasions of the paging frame, an offset for determining the paging frame, and a temporary network subscriber identity of the communication device.

[0239] In some embodiments, the RS includes at least one of a tracking reference signal TRS and a channel state information reference signal CSI-RS.

[0240] Further provided is a method for wireless communication, comprising the following steps to be performed by a communication device: determining a time distance, including a time window of a reference signal RS starting at the time distance before a paging occasion, paging frame or system information block of the communication device; and assuming that the RS is available within the time window.

[0241] In some embodiments, the method includes receiving data in a physical resource multiplexed with an RS, and performing rate matching of the received data according to the RS assumed to be available within the time window.

[0242] For example, the method includes performing at least one of time tracking, frequency tracking, and beam tracking according to the received RS.

[0243] For example, the method includes receiving a synchronization signal block SSB, and performing at least one of time tracking, frequency tracking, and beam tracking based on the received SSB and based on the received RS.

[0244] In some embodiments, the method includes determining RS density within a time window for transmitting RS in a cell based on RS configuration, and determining whether to perform at least one of camping on the cell, monitoring paging, or accessing the cell based on RS density and capabilities of the communication device.

[0245] In some embodiments, the method includes sending a report on at least one of capabilities of the communication device and a required or recommended RS density.

[0246] For example, the required or recommended RS density is determined based on at least one of the type of the communication device, the capability of the communication device, the mobility state of the communication device, and the traffic conditions.

[0247] For example, the RS configuration includes at least one of RS sequence generation, resources for mapping the RS, and transmission timing of the RS.

[0248] For example, the transmission timing of the RS is determined based on at least one of a discontinuous reception (DRX) cycle of the communication device, the number of paging frames in the DRX cycle, the number of paging occasions of the paging frame, an offset for determining the paging frame, and a temporary network subscriber identity of the communication device.

[0249] In some embodiments, the RS includes at least one of a tracking reference signal TRS and a channel state information reference signal CSI-RS.

[0250] Further provided is a method for wireless communication, comprising the following steps to be performed by a base station: determining a reference signal RS configuration, generating system information including the RS configuration, sending the system information, and sending the RS according to the determined RS configuration.

[0251] In some embodiments, the method includes performing rate matching of the data according to the determined RS configuration, and transmitting the rate matched data in a physical resource multiplexed with the RS.

[0252] For example, the method includes transmitting an RS to a communication device, and the communication device will perform at least one of time tracking, frequency tracking, and beam tracking based on the RS received from the base station.

[0253] For example, the method includes sending a synchronization resource block SSB to a communication device, and the communication device will perform at least one of time tracking, frequency tracking and beam tracking based on the received SSB and based on the RS received from the base station.

[0254] In some embodiments, the method includes receiving a report on at least one of capabilities of a communication device and a required or recommended RS density for a communication device sending the report, and determining the RS configuration based on the report.

[0255] For example, the required or recommended RS density is determined based on at least one of the type of the communication device, the capability of the communication device, the mobility state of the communication device, and the traffic conditions.

[0256] For example, the RS configuration includes at least one of RS sequence generation, resources for mapping the RS, and transmission timing of the RS.

[0257] For example, the transmission timing includes a time distance, and the time window including the RS starts at the time distance before a paging occasion, a paging frame, or a system information block of the communication device.

[0258] For example, the transmission timing of the RS is determined based on at least one of a discontinuous reception (DRX) cycle of the communication device, the number of paging frames in the DRX cycle, the number of paging occasions of the paging frame, an offset for determining the paging frame, and a temporary network subscriber identity of the communication device.

[0259] In some embodiments, the RS includes at least one of a tracking reference signal TRS and a channel state information reference signal CSI-RS.

[0260] Further provided is a method for wireless communication comprising the following steps to be performed by a base station: determining a time distance, a time window including a reference signal RS starting at the time distance before a paging occasion, a paging frame or a system information block, and sending the RS within the time window.

[0261] In some embodiments, the method includes performing rate matching of data according to the determined RS configuration, and sending the rate matched data in a physical resource multiplexed with the RS according to the RS configuration within a time window.

[0262] For example, the method includes transmitting an RS to a communication device, and the communication device will perform at least one of time tracking, frequency tracking, and beam tracking based on the RS received from the base station.

[0263] For example, the method includes sending a synchronization resource block SSB to a communication device, and the communication device will perform at least one of time tracking, frequency tracking and beam tracking based on the received SSB and based on the RS received from the base station.

[0264] In some embodiments, the method includes receiving a report on at least one of capabilities of a communication device and a required or recommended RS density for a communication device sending the report, and determining the RS configuration based on the report.

[0265] For example, the required or recommended RS density is determined based on at least one of the type of the communication device, the capability of the communication device, the mobility state of the communication device, and the traffic conditions.

[0266] For example, the RS configuration includes at least one of RS sequence generation, resources for mapping the RS, and transmission timing of the RS.

[0267] For example, the transmission timing of the RS is determined based on at least one of a discontinuous reception (DRX) cycle of the communication device, the number of paging frames in the DRX cycle, the number of paging occasions of the paging frame, an offset for determining the paging frame, and a temporary network subscriber identity of the communication device.

[0268] In some embodiments, the RS includes at least one of a tracking reference signal TRS and a channel state information reference signal CSI-RS.

[0269] Further provided is an integrated circuit that controls a communication device for wireless communication to perform: receiving system information indicating a reference signal RS configuration, determining the RS configuration based on the received system information, and assuming that the RS is available according to the determined RS configuration.

[0270] In some embodiments, the integrated circuit controls the communication device to receive data in a physical resource multiplexed with the RS, and to perform rate matching of the received data according to the determined RS configuration.

[0271] For example, the integrated circuit controls the communication device to perform at least one of time tracking, frequency tracking, and beam tracking based on the received RS.

[0272] For example, the integrated circuit controls the communication device to receive a synchronization signal block SSB, and performs at least one of time tracking, frequency tracking, and beam tracking based on the received SSB and based on the received RS.

[0273] For example, the integrated circuit controls the communication device to determine RS density for transmitting RS in a cell based on RS configuration, and determines whether to perform at least one of camping on the cell, monitoring paging, or accessing the cell based on the RS density and the capability of the communication device.

[0274] In some embodiments, the integrated circuit controls the communication device to send a report on at least one of a capability of the communication device and a required or recommended RS density.

[0275] For example, the required or recommended RS density is determined based on at least one of the type of the communication device, the capability of the communication device, the mobility state of the communication device, and the traffic conditions.

[0276] For example, the RS configuration includes at least one of RS sequence generation, resources for mapping the RS, and transmission timing of the RS.

[0277] For example, the transmission timing includes a time distance, and the time window including the RS starts at the time distance before a paging occasion, a paging frame, or a system information block of the communication device.

[0278] For example, the transmission timing of the RS is determined based on at least one of a discontinuous reception (DRX) cycle of the communication device, the number of paging frames in the DRX cycle, the number of paging occasions of the paging frame, an offset for determining the paging frame, and a temporary network subscriber identity of the communication device.

[0279] In some embodiments, the RS includes at least one of a tracking reference signal TRS and a channel state information reference signal CSI-RS.

[0280] Further provided is an integrated circuit that controls a communication device for wireless communication to perform: determining a time distance, a time window including a reference signal RS starting at the time distance before a paging occasion, paging frame or system information block of the communication device, and assuming that the RS is available within the time window.

[0281] In some embodiments, the integrated circuit controls the communication device to receive data in a physical resource multiplexed with the RS, and to perform rate matching of the received data according to the RS assumed to be available within the time window.

[0282] For example, the integrated circuit controls the communication device to perform at least one of time tracking, frequency tracking, and beam tracking based on the received RS.

[0283] For example, the integrated circuit controls the communication device to perform at least one of time tracking, frequency tracking, and beam tracking based on the received SSB and based on the received RS.

[0284] In some embodiments, the integrated circuit controls the communication device to determine RS density within a time window for transmitting RS in a cell based on RS configuration, and determines whether to perform at least one of camping on the cell, monitoring paging, or accessing the cell based on RS density and capabilities of the communication device.

[0285] In some embodiments, the integrated circuit controls the communication device to send a report on at least one of a capability of the communication device and a required or recommended RS density.

[0286] For example, the required or recommended RS density is determined based on at least one of the type of the communication device, the capability of the communication device, the mobility state of the communication device, and the traffic conditions.

[0287] For example, the RS configuration includes at least one of RS sequence generation, resources for mapping the RS, and transmission timing of the RS.

[0288] For example, the transmission timing of the RS is determined based on at least one of a discontinuous reception (DRX) cycle of the communication device, the number of paging frames in the DRX cycle, the number of paging occasions of the paging frame, an offset for determining the paging frame, and a temporary network subscriber identity of the communication device.

[0289] In some embodiments, the RS includes at least one of a tracking reference signal TRS and a channel state information reference signal CSI-RS.

[0290] Further provided is an integrated circuit that controls a base station for wireless communication to perform: determining a reference signal RS configuration; generating system information including the RS configuration; sending the system information; and sending the RS according to the determined RS configuration.

[0291] In some embodiments, the integrated circuit controls the base station to perform rate matching of data according to the determined RS configuration, and transmits the rate matched data in a physical resource multiplexed with the RS.

[0292] For example, the integrated circuit controls the base station to transmit the RS to the communication device, and the communication device will perform at least one of time tracking, frequency tracking, and beam tracking based on the RS received from the base station.

[0293] For example, the integrated circuit controls the base station to send a synchronization resource block SSB to the communication device, and the communication device will perform at least one of time tracking, frequency tracking and beam tracking based on the received SSB and based on the RS received from the base station.

[0294] In some embodiments, the integrated circuit controls the base station to receive a report on at least one of a capability of a communication device and a required or recommended RS density of a communication device sending a report, and to determine the RS configuration based on the report.

[0295] For example, the required or recommended RS density is determined based on at least one of the type of the communication device, the capability of the communication device, the mobility state of the communication device, and the traffic conditions.

[0296] For example, the RS configuration includes at least one of RS sequence generation, resources for mapping the RS, and transmission timing of the RS.

[0297] For example, the transmission timing includes a time distance, and the time window including the RS starts at the time distance before a paging occasion, a paging frame, or a system information block of the communication device.

[0298] For example, the transmission timing of the RS is determined based on at least one of a discontinuous reception (DRX) cycle of the communication device, the number of paging frames in the DRX cycle, the number of paging occasions of the paging frame, an offset for determining the paging frame, and a temporary network subscriber identity of the communication device.

[0299] In some embodiments, the RS includes at least one of a tracking reference signal TRS and a channel state information reference signal CSI-RS.

[0300] Further provided is an integrated circuit that controls a base station for wireless communication to perform: determining a time distance, a time window including a reference signal RS starting at the time distance before a paging occasion, a paging frame or a system information block; and sending the RS within the time window.

[0301] In some embodiments, the integrated circuit controls the base station to perform rate matching of data according to the determined RS configuration, and transmits the rate matched data in a physical resource multiplexed with the RS according to the RS configuration within a time window.

[0302] For example, the integrated circuit controls the base station to transmit the RS to the communication device, and the communication device will perform at least one of time tracking, frequency tracking, and beam tracking based on the RS received from the base station.

[0303] For example, the integrated circuit controls the base station to send a synchronization resource block SSB to the communication device, and the communication device will perform at least one of time tracking, frequency tracking and beam tracking based on the received SSB and based on the RS received from the base station.

[0304] In some embodiments, the integrated circuit controls the base station to receive a report on at least one of a capability of a communication device and a required or recommended RS density of a communication device sending a report, and to determine the RS configuration based on the report.

[0305] For example, the required or recommended RS density is determined based on at least one of the type of the communication device, the capability of the communication device, the mobility state of the communication device, and the traffic conditions.

[0306] For example, the RS configuration includes at least one of RS sequence generation, resources for mapping the RS, and transmission timing of the RS.

[0307] For example, the transmission timing of the RS is determined based on at least one of a discontinuous reception (DRX) cycle of the communication device, the number of paging frames in the DRX cycle, the number of paging occasions of the paging frame, an offset for determining the paging frame, and a temporary network subscriber identity of the communication device.

[0308] In some embodiments, the RS includes at least one of a tracking reference signal TRS and a channel state information reference signal CSI-RS.

[0309] Further provided is a process of an integrated circuit controlling a communication device, the process comprising:

[0310] receiving system information indicating reference signal RS configuration;

[0311] determining the RS configuration based on the received system information; and

[0312] The RS is assumed to be available according to the determined RS configuration.

[0313] Further provided is an integrated circuit for controlling a base station process, the process comprising:

[0314] Determine reference signal RS configuration;

[0315] Generate system information including RS configuration;

[0316] Send system information; and

[0317] The RS is sent according to the determined RS configuration.

[0318] In summary, the present invention provides a communication device and a base station for wireless communication, a method for a communication device and a method for a base station. The communication device includes a communication device for wireless communication, including: a transceiver, receiving system information indicating a reference signal RS configuration; and a circuit, based on the received system information, determining the RS configuration, the transceiver assuming that the RS is available according to the determined RS configuration.

Claims

1. A communication device for wireless communication, comprising: circuitry that determines a time distance, including a time window for tracking a reference signal TRS starting at the time distance before a paging occasion of the communication device; as well as The TRS is available within the time window.

2. The communication device according to claim 1, wherein: The communication device also includes: a transceiver that receives system information indicating a TRS configuration, the TRS configuration including the time distance; and The circuit determines the TRS configuration based on the received system information, The transceiver assumes that the TRS is available based on the determined TRS configuration.

3. The communication device according to claim 2, The transceiver receives data in a physical resource multiplexed with the TRS, and the circuitry performs rate matching on the received data according to the determined TRS configuration.

4. The communication device according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the circuit performs at least one of time tracking, frequency tracking, and beam tracking based on the received TRS.

5. The communication device according to claim 4, the transceiver receives a synchronization signal block SSB, and the circuit performs at least one of time tracking, frequency tracking and beam tracking based on the received SSB and based on the received TRS.

6. The communication device according to claim 2 or 3, The circuit determines a TRS density for transmitting TRSs in a cell based on the TRS configuration, and determines whether to perform at least one of camping on the cell, monitoring paging, or accessing the cell based on the TRS density and a capability of the communication device.

7. The communication device of any one of claims 2 to 3, the transceiver transmitting a report on at least one of capabilities of the communication device and a required or recommended TRS density.

8. The communication device of claim 7, wherein the required or recommended TRS density is determined based on at least one of a type of the communication device, a capability of the communication device, a mobility state of the communication device, and a traffic condition.

9. The communication device according to claim 2 or 3, wherein the TRS configuration includes at least one of TRS sequence generation, resources for mapping the TRS, and transmission timing of the TRS, and the transmission timing of the TRS includes the time distance.

10. The communication device according to claim 9, wherein the transmission timing of the TRS is determined based on at least one of the following: • a discontinuous reception (DRX) cycle of the communication device; • the number of paging frames in the DRX cycle; • The number of paging occasions in the paging frame; • Used to determine the offset of the paging frame; as well as • A temporary network subscriber identity of the communication device.

11. The communication device according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the time window comprises a channel state information reference signal (CSI-RS).

12. A method for wireless communication, comprising the following steps to be performed by a communication device: determining a time distance, including starting a time window for tracking a reference signal TRS at said time distance before a paging occasion of said communication device; and in, The TRS is available within the time window.

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