5G NR FR2 beam management enhancements

Abstract

The invention relates to 5G NR FR2 beam management enhancements. Apparatuses, systems, and methods are disclosed for a user equipment (UE) to perform a fifth generation new radio (5G NR) frequency range 2 (FR2) based communication beam management method. The UE may configure a group ID for PUCCH resources within a group of PUCCHs via communications with a base station serving the UE, such as for FR2-based communications. The UE may receive an update to one or more PUCCH resources within the set of PUCCHs from the base station via a medium access control (MAC) control element (CE), which may include one of a resource ID indicating an update to a PUCCH resource or the set ID to update the set of PUCCH resources. The UE may update one or more PUCCH resources within the set of PUCCHs based on the MAC-CE.

Description

[0001] This application is a divisional application of the Chinese invention patent application with the application date of November 20, 2020, application number 202011306256.7, and name “5G NRFR2 Beam Management Enhancement”. Technical Field

[0002] The present application relates to wireless devices, and more particularly to apparatuses, systems, and methods for wireless devices to perform communication beam management methods based on fifth generation new radio (5G NR) frequency range two (FR2).

[0003] Related technical description

[0004] The use of wireless communication systems is growing rapidly. In recent years, wireless devices such as smart phones and tablet computers have become increasingly sophisticated. In addition to supporting phone calls, many mobile devices now also provide access to the Internet, email, text messaging, and navigation using the Global Positioning System (GPS), and are capable of operating sophisticated applications that utilize these functions.

[0005] Long Term Evolution (LTE) has become the technology of choice for most wireless network operators around the world to provide mobile broadband data and high-speed Internet access to their user base. LTE defines a number of downlink (DL) physical channels classified as transport or control channels to carry information blocks received from the medium access control (MAC) and higher layers. LTE also defines the number of physical layer channels for the uplink (UL).

[0006] For example, LTE defines a physical downlink shared channel (PDSCH) as a DL transport channel. PDSCH is the primary data bearing channel allocated to users on a dynamic and opportunistic basis. PDSCH carries data in a transport block (TB) corresponding to a MAC protocol data unit (PDU), which is passed from the MAC layer to the physical (PHY) layer once per transmission time interval (TTI). PDSCH is also used to transmit broadcast information such as system information blocks (SIBs) and paging messages.

[0007] As another example, LTE defines the physical downlink control channel (PDCCH) as a DL control channel that carries the resource allocation of the UE contained in the downlink control information (DCI) message. Multiple PDCCHs can be transmitted in the same subframe using control channel elements (CCEs), each of which is nine groups of four resource elements called resource element groups (REGs). PDCCH uses quadrature phase shift keying (QPSK) modulation, where four QPSK symbols are mapped to each REG. In addition, depending on the channel conditions, 1, 2, 4, or 8 CCEs can be used to ensure sufficient robustness.

[0008] In addition, LTE defines the physical uplink shared channel (PUSCH) as a UL channel shared by all devices (user equipment, UE) in a radio cell to transmit user data to the network. The scheduling of all UEs is under the control of the LTE base station (enhanced Node B or eNB). The eNB uses an uplink scheduling grant (DCI format 0) to inform the UE of the resource block (RB) allocation and the modulation and coding scheme to be used. PUSCH typically supports QPSK and orthogonal amplitude modulation (QAM). In addition to user data, PUSCH also carries any control information required to decode the information, such as a transport format indicator and multiple-input multiple-output (MIMO) parameters. The control data is multiplexed with the information data before the digital Fourier transform (DFT) is unfolded.

[0009] The next telecommunication standard proposed to go beyond the current International Mobile Telecommunications Advanced (IMT-Advanced) standard is called the 5th Generation Mobile Network or 5th Generation Wireless System, or 5G for short (also called 5G-NR for 5G New Radio, also referred to as NR for short). Compared to the current LTE standard, 5G-NR proposes higher capacity for a higher density of mobile broadband users, while supporting device-to-device ultra-reliable and massive machine communications, as well as lower latency and lower battery consumption. In addition, the 5G-NR standard may allow for less restrictive UE scheduling than the current LTE standard. Therefore, efforts are underway to take advantage of the higher throughput possible at higher frequencies in the ongoing development of 5G-NR. Summary of the invention

[0010] Embodiments relate to apparatus, systems, and methods for a UE to perform communication beam management based on fifth generation new radio (5G NR) frequency range two (FR2).

[0011] In some embodiments, a wireless device, such as a user equipment device (UE), may be configured to configure a group identifier (ID) for PUCCH resources within a set of physical uplink control channels (PUCCHs) via communication with a base station serving the UE, for example, for FR2-based communications. In some embodiments, configuring the group ID may include, for example, exchanging radio resource control (RRC) messages with the base station during the PUCCH configuration process. In addition, the UE may receive an update to one or more PUCCH resources within the set of PUCCHs from the base station via a medium access control (MAC) control element (CE). In some embodiments, the MACCE may include one of a resource ID indicating an update of the PUCCH resource or a group ID to update the set of PUCCH resources. In some embodiments, the UE may update one or more PUCCH resources within the set of PUCCHs based on the MAC-CE.

[0012] The techniques described herein may be implemented in and / or used with a number of different types of devices, including, but not limited to, any of cellular telephones, tablet computers, wearable computing devices, portable media players, and a variety of other computing devices.

[0013] The present invention is intended to provide a brief overview of some of the themes described in this document. Therefore, it should be understood that the above features are only examples and should not be interpreted as narrowing the scope or essence of the themes described in this invention in any way. Other features, aspects and advantages of the themes described herein will become apparent through the following detailed description, drawings and claims. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0014] A better understanding of the present subject matter may be obtained when the following detailed description of various embodiments is considered in conjunction with the following drawings, in which:

[0015] Figure 1A An exemplary wireless communication system is shown in accordance with some embodiments.

[0016] Figure 1B Examples of base stations (BSs) and access points in communication with user equipment (UE) devices are shown in accordance with some embodiments.

[0017] Figure 2 An exemplary simplified block diagram of a WLAN access point (AP) is shown in accordance with some embodiments.

[0018] Figure 3 An example block diagram of a UE according to some embodiments is shown.

[0019] Figure 4 An example block diagram of a BS according to some embodiments is shown.

[0020] Figure 5 An example block diagram of cellular communication circuitry is shown according to some embodiments.

[0021] Fig. 6A An example of the connection between the EPC network, LTE base stations (eNBs), and 5G NR base stations (gNBs) is shown.

[0022] Figure 6B An example of a protocol stack for eNB and gNB is shown.

[0023] Fig. 7A An example of a 5G network architecture according to some embodiments is shown, which combines 3GPP (e.g., cellular) and non-3GPP (e.g., non-cellular) access in the 5G CN.

[0024] Figure 7B An example of a 5G network architecture according to some embodiments is shown, which combines dual 3GPP (e.g., LTE and 5G NR) access and non-3GPP access in the 5G CN.

[0025] Figure 8 An example of a baseband processor architecture for a UE according to some embodiments is shown.

[0026] Fig. 9 Signaling between a base station and a UE to establish beams and associated logical antenna panel IDs is shown according to some embodiments.

[0027] Fig.10 Multiple antenna panel UE switching panel states are shown according to some embodiments.

[0028] Fig.11 A timeline for path loss measurement RS reconfiguration is shown according to some embodiments.

[0029] Figures 12 to 18 A block diagram illustrating an example of a method for communication beam management based on fifth generation new radio (5G NR) frequency range two (FR2) according to some embodiments.

[0030] Although the features described herein are susceptible to various modifications and alternative forms, specific embodiments thereof are shown by way of example in the drawings and described in detail herein. However, it should be understood that the drawings and detailed description thereof are not intended to limit this document to the specific forms disclosed, but on the contrary, their purpose is to cover all modifications, equivalents and alternatives that fall within the spirit and scope of the subject matter as defined by the appended claims. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0031] the term

[0032] The following is a glossary of terms used in this disclosure:

[0033] Memory medium - any of various types of non-transitory memory devices or storage devices. The term "memory medium" is intended to include installation media, such as CD-ROM, floppy disk or tape devices; computer system memory or random access memory such as DRAM, DDR RAM, SRAM, EDO RAM, Rambus RAM, etc.; non-volatile memory such as flash memory, magnetic media, for example, hard disk drive or optical storage device; registers or other similar types of memory elements, etc. The memory medium may also include other types of non-transitory memory or combinations thereof. In addition, the memory medium may be located in the first computer system executing the program, or may be located in a different second computer system connected to the first computer system via a network such as the Internet. In the latter case, the second computer system may provide program instructions to the first computer for execution. The term "memory medium" may include two or more memory media that may reside in different locations in different computer systems connected, for example, via a network. The memory medium may store program instructions (e.g., expressed as a computer program) that may be executed by one or more processors.

[0034] Carrier Medium—storage media as described above, and physical transmission media such as a bus, network, and / or other physical transmission media that transport signals such as electrical, electromagnetic or digital signals.

[0035] Programmable hardware element - includes various hardware devices that include multiple programmable function blocks connected via programmable interconnects. Examples include FPGA (field programmable gate array), PLD (programmable logic device), FPOA (field programmable object array), and CPLD (complex PLD). Programmable function blocks can vary from fine-grained (combinational logic unit or lookup table) to coarse-grained (arithmetic logic unit or processor core). Programmable hardware elements may also be referred to as "configurable logic units".

[0036] Computer System - Any of various types of computing or processing systems, including a personal computer system (PC), a mainframe computer system, a workstation, a network appliance, an Internet appliance, a personal digital assistant (PDA), a television system, a grid computing system, or other devices or combinations of devices. In general, the term "computer system" can be broadly defined to encompass any device (or combination of devices) having at least one processor that executes instructions from a memory medium.

[0037] User Equipment (UE) (or "UE device") - any of various types of computer system devices that are mobile or portable and that perform wireless communications. Examples of UE devices include mobile phones or smart phones (e.g., iPhone TM , based on Android TMphones), portable gaming devices (e.g., Nintendo DS TM , PlayStation Portable TM 、Gameboy Advance TM , iPhone TM ), laptop computers, wearable devices (e.g., smart watches, smart glasses), personal digital assistants, portable Internet devices, music players, data storage devices or other handheld devices, etc. In general, the term "UE" or "UE device" can be broadly defined to cover any electronic device, computing device and / or telecommunication device (or combination of devices) that is convenient for a user to carry and capable of wireless communication.

[0038] Base Station—The term “base station” has the full breadth of its ordinary meaning and includes at least a wireless communication station that is installed at a fixed location and used to communicate as part of a wireless telephone system or radio system.

[0039] Processing element - refers to various elements or combinations of elements that are capable of performing functions in a device such as user equipment or cellular network equipment. Processing elements may include, for example, processors and associated memory, portions or circuits of individual processor cores, entire processor cores, processor arrays, circuits such as ASICs (application specific integrated circuits), programmable hardware elements such as field programmable gate arrays (FPGAs), and any of the above combinations.

[0040] Channel - a medium used to transmit information from a sender (transmitter) to a receiver. It should be noted that since the characteristics of the term "channel" may vary according to different wireless protocols, the term "channel" used in the present invention may be considered to be used in a manner that conforms to the standards of the type of device to which the term is used. In some standards, the channel width may be variable (e.g., depending on device capabilities, frequency band conditions, etc.). For example, LTE may support scalable channel bandwidths of 1.4 MHz to 20 MHz. In contrast, a WLAN channel may be 22 MHz wide, while a Bluetooth channel may be 1 MHz wide. Other protocols and standards may include different definitions of channels. In addition, some standards may define and use multiple types of channels, such as different channels for uplink or downlink and / or different channels for different purposes such as data, control information, etc.

[0041] Frequency band—The term “frequency band” has the full breadth of its ordinary meaning and includes at least a segment of the spectrum (eg, radio frequency spectrum) in which channels are used or set aside for the same purpose.

[0042] Automatic—refers to an action or operation performed by a computer system (e.g., software executed by a computer system) or a device (e.g., a circuit, a programmable hardware element, an ASIC, etc.) without the need for user input to directly specify or perform the action or operation. Thus, the term "automatic" is in contrast to a user manually performing or specifying an action, where the user provides input to directly perform the action. An automatic process may be initiated by input provided by a user, but subsequent actions performed "automatically" are not specified by the user, i.e., are not performed "manually," where the user specifies each action to be performed. For example, a user filling out an electronic form by selecting each field and providing input specifying information (e.g., by typing in information, selecting checkboxes, radio selections, etc.) is manually filling out the form, even though the computer system must update the form in response to the user action. The form may be automatically filled out by a computer system, where the computer system (e.g., software executed on the computer system) analyzes the fields of the form and fills out the form without any user input specifying the answers to the fields. As indicated above, a user may invoke automatic filling out of a form, but not participate in the actual filling out of the form (e.g., the user does not manually specify the answers to the fields but rather they are automatically completed). This specification provides various examples of operations that are automatically performed in response to actions taken by a user.

[0043] Approximately - refers to a value that is close to a correct or exact value. For example, approximately can refer to a value that is within 1% to 10% of an exact (or desired) value. However, it should be noted that the actual threshold value (or tolerance) may depend on the application. For example, in some embodiments, "approximately" may mean within 0.1% of some specified or desired value, while in various other embodiments, the threshold value may be, for example, 2%, 3%, 5%, etc., depending on the expectations or requirements of a particular application.

[0044] Concurrency - refers to parallel execution or implementation, where tasks, processes, or programs are executed in an at least partially overlapping manner. For example, concurrency can be achieved using "strong" or strict parallelism, where tasks are executed (at least partially) in parallel on respective computing elements, or using "weak parallelism", where tasks are executed in an interleaved manner (e.g., by time multiplexing of execution threads).

[0045] Various components may be described as being "configured to" perform one or more tasks. In such environments, "configured to" is a broad statement that generally means "having a structure" that performs one or more tasks during operation. Thus, even when the component is not currently performing the task, the component can be configured to perform the task (for example, a set of electrical conductors can be configured to electrically connect a module to another module even when the two modules are not connected). In some environments, "configured to" can be a broad statement that generally means "having a circuit system that performs one or more tasks during operation." Thus, even when the component is not currently turned on, the component can be configured to perform the task. Typically, the circuits that form the structure corresponding to "configured to" may include hardware circuits.

[0046] For ease of description, various components may be described as performing one or more tasks. Such descriptions should be interpreted as including the phrase "configured to". The description of a component being configured to perform one or more tasks is expressly intended not to invoke 35 U.S.C. §112(f) interpretation of that component.

[0047] Figure 1A and Figure 1B -Communication system

[0048] Figure 1A A simplified exemplary wireless communication system according to some embodiments is shown. Note that the system of FIG. 1 is only one example of a possible system, and features of the present disclosure may be implemented in any of a variety of systems as desired.

[0049] As shown, the exemplary wireless communication system includes a base station 102A, which communicates with one or more user equipment 106A, user equipment 106B to user equipment 106N, etc. through a transmission medium. Each user equipment may be referred to as a "user equipment" (UE) in this article. Therefore, user equipment 106 is referred to as UE or UE device.

[0050] The base station (BS) 102A may be a base transceiver station (BTS) or a cell site ("cellular base station"), and may include hardware to enable wireless communications with the UEs 106A-106N.

[0051] The communication area (or coverage area) of a base station may be referred to as a "cell". The base station 102A and the UE 106 may be configured to communicate over a transmission medium using any of a variety of radio access technologies (RATs), which are also referred to as wireless communication technologies or telecommunication standards, such as GSM, UMTS (associated with, for example, WCDMA or TD-SCDMA air interfaces), LTE, Advanced LTE (LTE-A), 5G New Radio (5G NR), HSPA, 3GPP2CDMA2000 (e.g., 1xRTT, 1xEV-DO, HRPD, eHRPD), and the like. Note that if the base station 102A is implemented in the context of LTE, it may alternatively be referred to as an "eNodeB" or "eNB". Note that if the base station 102A is implemented in the context of 5G NR, it may alternatively be referred to as a "gNodeB" or "gNB".

[0052] As shown, base station 102A may also be configured to communicate with network 100 (e.g., a cellular service provider's core network, a telecommunications network such as a public switched telephone network (PSTN), and / or the Internet, among other possibilities). Thus, base station 102A may facilitate communications between user devices and / or between user devices and network 100. In particular, cellular base station 102A may provide UE 106 with various communication capabilities, such as voice, SMS, and / or data services.

[0053] Base station 102A and other similar base stations (such as base stations 102B...102N) operating according to the same or different cellular communication standards can therefore be provided as a network of cells that can provide continuous or nearly continuous overlapping service to UE 106A-N and similar devices over a geographic area via one or more cellular communication standards.

[0054] Thus, while base station 102A may act as a "serving cell" for UEs 106A-N as shown in FIG. 1 , each UE 106 may also be able to receive signals from (and possibly be within communication range of) one or more other cells (which may be provided by base stations 102B-N and / or any other base stations), which may be referred to as "neighboring cells." Such cells may also be able to facilitate communications between user devices and / or between user devices and network 100. Such cells may include "macro" cells, "micro" cells, "pico" cells, and / or cells of any various other granularity that provide service area sizes. For example, base stations 102A-B shown in FIG. 1 may be macro cells, while base station 102N may be a micro cell. Other configurations are also possible.

[0055] In some embodiments, base station 102A may be a next generation base station, e.g., a 5G New Radio (5G NR) base station or "gNB". In some embodiments, a gNB may be connected to a legacy Evolved Packet Core (EPC) network and / or to a New Radio Communications Core (NRC) network. In addition, a gNB cell may include one or more Transition and Reception Points (TRPs). In addition, a UE capable of operating in accordance with 5G NR may be connected to one or more TRPs within one or more gNBs.

[0056] It should be noted that the UE 106 is capable of communicating using multiple wireless communication standards. For example, in addition to at least one cellular communication protocol (e.g., GSM, UMTS (associated with, for example, WCDMA or TD-SCDMA air interface), LTE, LTE-A, 5G NR, HSPA, 3GPP2CDMA2000 (e.g., 1xRTT, 1xEV-DO, HRPD, eHRPD), etc.), the UE 106 can be configured to communicate using wireless networking (e.g., Wi-Fi) and / or peer-to-peer wireless communication protocols (e.g., Bluetooth, Wi-Fi peer-to-peer, etc.). If desired, the UE 106 can also or alternatively be configured to communicate using one or more global navigation satellite systems (GNSS, such as GPS or GLONASS), one or more mobile television broadcast standards (e.g., ATSC-M / H or DVB-H), and / or any other wireless communication protocols. Other combinations of wireless communication standards (including more than two wireless communication standards) are also possible.

[0057] Figure 1B A user equipment 106 (e.g., one of device 106A through device 106N) is shown in communication with a base station 102 and an access point 112 according to some embodiments. The UE 106 may be a device having cellular communication capabilities and non-cellular communication capabilities (e.g., Bluetooth, Wi-Fi, etc.), such as a mobile phone, a handheld device, a computer or tablet, or virtually any type of wireless device.

[0058] UE 106 may include a processor configured to execute program instructions stored in a memory. UE 106 may perform any of the method embodiments described herein by executing such stored instructions. Alternatively or in addition, UE 106 may include a programmable hardware element, such as a field programmable gate array (FPGA) configured to perform any of the method embodiments described herein or any portion of any of the method embodiments described herein.

[0059] UE 106 may include one or more antennas for communicating using one or more wireless communication protocols or technologies. In some embodiments, UE 106 may be configured to communicate using, for example, CDMA2000 (1xRTT / 1xEV-DO / HRPD / eHRPD), LTE / Advanced LTE, or 5G NR using a single shared radio component and / or GSM, LTE, Advanced LTE, or 5G Nr using a single shared radio component. The shared radio may be coupled to a single antenna, or may be coupled to multiple antennas (e.g., for MIMO) for performing wireless communications. Typically, the radio component may include any combination of a baseband processor, an analog radio frequency (RF) signal processing circuit (e.g., including filters, mixers, oscillators, amplifiers, etc.), or a digital processing circuit (e.g., for digital modulation and other digital processing). Similarly, the radio component may use the aforementioned hardware to implement one or more receive chains and transmit chains. For example, UE 106 may share one or more parts of a receive chain and / or transmit chain between multiple wireless communication technologies such as those discussed above.

[0060] In some embodiments, UE 106 may include a separate transmit chain and / or receive chain (e.g., including separate antennas and other radio components) for each wireless communication protocol configured to communicate with it. As another possibility, UE 106 may include one or more radio components shared between multiple wireless communication protocols, and one or more radio components used uniquely by a single wireless communication protocol. For example, UE 106 may include a shared radio component for communicating using either LTE or 5GNR (or LTE or 1xRTT, or LTE or GSM), and a separate radio component for communicating using each of Wi-Fi and Bluetooth. Other configurations are also possible.

[0061] Figure 2 —Access Point Block Diagram

[0062] Figure 2 An exemplary block diagram of an access point (AP) 112 is shown. Note that Figure 2 The block diagram of the AP 112 is only one example of a possible system. As shown, the AP 112 may include a processor 204 that may execute program instructions for the AP 112. The processor 204 may also be coupled (directly or indirectly) to a memory management unit (MMU) 240 or other circuit or device, which may be configured to receive addresses from the processor 204 and convert these addresses to locations in memory (e.g., memory 260 and read-only memory (ROM) 250).

[0063] AP 112 may include at least one network port 270. Network port 270 may be configured to couple to a wired network and provide access to the Internet to multiple devices such as UE 106. For example, network port 270 (or an additional network port) may be configured to couple to a local network, such as a home network or an enterprise network. For example, port 270 may be an Ethernet port. The local network may provide a connection to an additional network such as the Internet.

[0064] The AP 112 may include at least one antenna 234, which may be configured to function as a wireless transceiver and may be further configured to communicate with the UE 106 via the wireless communication circuit 230. The antenna 234 communicates with the wireless communication circuit 230 via a communication chain 232. The communication chain 232 may include one or more receive chains, one or more transmit chains, or both. The wireless communication circuit 230 may be configured to communicate via Wi-Fi or WLAN (e.g., 802.11). For example, when the AP is co-located with a base station in the case of a small cell, or in other cases where it may be desirable for the AP 112 to communicate via a variety of different wireless communication technologies, the wireless communication circuit 230 may also or alternatively be configured to communicate via various other wireless communication technologies, including, but not limited to, 5G NR, Long Term Evolution (LTE), Advanced LTE (LTE-A), Global System for Mobile (GSM), Wideband Code Division Multiple Access (WCDMA), CDMA2000, etc.

[0065] In some embodiments, as further described below, AP 112 may be configured to perform methods for 5G NR FR2-based communication beam management as further described herein.

[0066] Figure 3 —UE block diagram

[0067] Figure 3 An exemplary simplified block diagram of a communication device 106 according to some embodiments is shown. Note that Figure 3The block diagram of the communication device is only an example of a possible communication device. According to the embodiment, in addition to other devices, the communication device 106 can be a user equipment (UE) device, a mobile device or mobile station, a wireless device or wireless station, a desktop computer or computing device, a mobile computing device (such as a laptop, a notebook or a portable computing device), a tablet computer and / or a combination of devices. As shown in the figure, the communication device 106 may include a group of components 300 configured to perform core functions. For example, the group of components can be implemented as a system on a chip (SOC), which may include parts for various purposes. Alternatively, the group of components 300 can be implemented as a separate component or a group of components for various purposes. This group of components 300 can be (for example, communicatively; directly or indirectly) coupled to various other circuits of the communication device 106.

[0068] For example, the communication device 106 may include various types of memory (e.g., including NAND flash memory 310), input / output interfaces such as a connector I / F 320 (e.g., for connecting to a computer system; a docking station; a charging station; an input device such as a microphone, a camera, a keyboard; an output device such as a speaker; etc.), a display 360 that may be integrated with the communication device 106 or external to the communication device 106, and cellular communication circuits 330 such as for 5G NR, LTE, GSM, etc., and short-range to medium-range wireless communication circuits 329 (e.g., Bluetooth TM In some embodiments, the communication device 106 may include wired communication circuitry (not shown), such as, for example, a network interface card for Ethernet.

[0069] Cellular communication circuitry 330 may be (e.g., communicatively; directly or indirectly) coupled to one or more antennas, such as antennas 335 and 336 as shown. Short-range to medium-range wireless communication circuitry 329 may also be (e.g., communicatively; directly or indirectly) coupled to one or more antennas, such as antennas 337 and 338 as shown. Alternatively, short-range to medium-range wireless communication circuitry 329 may be (e.g., communicatively; directly or indirectly) coupled to antennas 335 and 336 in addition to or in lieu of being (e.g., communicatively; directly or indirectly) coupled to antennas 337 and 338. Short-range to medium-range wireless communication circuitry 329 and / or cellular communication circuitry 330 may include multiple receive chains and / or multiple transmit chains for receiving and / or transmitting multiple spatial streams, such as in a multiple-input-multiple-output (MIMO) configuration.

[0070] In some embodiments, as further described below, the cellular communication circuit 330 may include dedicated receive chains (including and / or coupled to (e.g., communicatively; directly or indirectly) dedicated processors and / or radio components) for multiple RATs (e.g., a first receive chain for LTE and a second receive chain for 5G NR). In addition, in some embodiments, the cellular communication circuit 330 may include a single transmit chain that can switch between radio components dedicated to specific RATs. For example, a first radio component may be dedicated to a first RAT, such as LTE, and may communicate with a dedicated receive chain and a transmit chain shared with an additional radio component, such as a second radio component that may be dedicated to a second RAT (e.g., 5G NR) and may communicate with the dedicated receive chain and the shared transmit chain.

[0071] The communication device 106 may also include and / or be configured for use with one or more user interface elements. The user interface elements may include various elements such as a display 360 (which may be a touch screen display), a keyboard (which may be a separate keyboard or may be implemented as part of a touch screen display), a mouse, a microphone and / or speakers, one or more cameras, one or more buttons, and / or any of a variety of other elements capable of providing information to a user and / or receiving or interpreting user input.

[0072] The communication device 106 may also include one or more smart cards 345 having SIM (Subscriber Identity Module) functionality, such as one or more UICC cards (one or more Universal Integrated Circuit Cards) 345 .

[0073] As shown, the SOC 300 may include a processor 302 that may execute program instructions for the communication device 106 and a display circuit 304 that may perform graphics processing and provide display signals to a display 360. The one or more processors 302 may also be coupled to a memory management unit (MMU) 340 (which may be configured to receive addresses from the one or more processors 302 and convert those addresses to locations in a memory (e.g., memory 306, read-only memory (ROM) 350, NAND flash memory 310)) and / or to other circuits or devices (such as display circuit 304, short-range to medium-range wireless communication circuit 329, cellular communication circuit 330, connector I / F 320, and / or display 360). The MMU 340 may be configured to perform memory protection and page table translation or setup. In some embodiments, the MMU 340 may be included as part of the processor 302.

[0074] As described above, the communication device 106 may be configured to communicate using wireless and / or wired communication circuits. The communication device 106 may be configured to perform a method for communication beam management based on 5G NR FR2 as further described herein.

[0075] As described herein, the communication device 106 may include hardware and software components for implementing the above-described features of the communication device 106 to send a scheduling profile for power saving to the network. The processor 302 of the communication device 106 may be configured to implement some or all of the features described in the present invention, for example, by executing program instructions stored on a memory medium (e.g., a non-transitory computer-readable memory medium). Alternatively (or in addition), the processor 302 may be configured as a programmable hardware element such as an FPGA (field programmable gate array), or as an ASIC (application-specific integrated circuit). Alternatively (or in addition), in combination with one or more of the other components 300, 304, 306, 310, 320, 329, 330, 340, 345, 350, 360, the processor 302 of the communication device 106 may be configured to implement some or all of the features described in the present invention.

[0076] In addition, as described in the present invention, processor 302 may include one or more processing elements. Therefore, processor 302 may include one or more integrated circuits (ICs) configured to perform the functions of processor 302. In addition, each integrated circuit may include circuits (e.g., first circuits, second circuits, etc.) configured to perform the functions of one or more processors 302.

[0077] Further, as described herein, the cellular communication circuit 330 and the short-range to medium-range wireless communication circuit 329 may each include one or more processing elements. In other words, one or more processing elements may be included in the cellular communication circuit 330, and similarly, one or more processing elements may be included in the short-range to medium-range wireless communication circuit 329. Thus, the cellular communication circuit 330 may include one or more integrated circuits (ICs) configured to perform the functions of the cellular communication circuit 330. Furthermore, each integrated circuit may include a circuit (e.g., a first circuit, a second circuit, etc.) configured to perform the functions of the cellular communication circuit 330. Similarly, the short-range to medium-range wireless communication circuit 329 may include one or more ICs configured to perform the functions of the short-range to medium-range wireless communication circuit 329. Furthermore, each integrated circuit may include a circuit (e.g., a first circuit, a second circuit, etc.) configured to perform the functions of the short-range to medium-range wireless communication circuit 329.

[0078] Figure 4 —Block diagram of a base station

[0079] Figure 4An exemplary block diagram of a base station 102 according to some embodiments is shown. Note that Figure 4 The base station of is only one example of a possible base station. As shown, the base station 102 may include a processor 404 that may execute program instructions for the base station 102. The processor 404 may also be coupled to a memory management unit (MMU) 440 or other circuit or device, which may be configured to receive addresses from the processor 404 and convert these addresses to locations in memory (e.g., memory 460 and read-only memory (ROM) 450).

[0080] Base station 102 may include at least one network port 470. Network port 470 may be configured to couple to a telephone network and provide access to the network as described above in FIG. Figure 2 Multiple devices of the telephone network described in, such as UE device 106.

[0081] The network port 470 (or an additional network port) may also or alternatively be configured to couple to a cellular network, such as a core network of a cellular service provider. The core network may provide mobility-related services and / or other services to multiple devices, such as the UE device 106. In some cases, the network port 470 may be coupled to a telephone network via the core network, and / or the core network may provide a telephone network (e.g., in other UE devices served by the cellular service provider).

[0082] In some embodiments, base station 102 may be a next generation base station, such as a 5G New Radio (5G NR) base station, or "gNB". In such embodiments, base station 102 may be connected to a legacy evolved packet core (EPC) network and / or to an NR core (NRC) network. Furthermore, base station 102 may be considered a 5G NR cell and may include one or more transition and reception points (TRPs). Furthermore, a UE capable of operating in accordance with 5G NR may be connected to one or more TRPs within one or more gNBs.

[0083] The base station 102 may include at least one antenna 434 and possibly multiple antennas. The at least one antenna 434 may be configured to function as a wireless transceiver and may be further configured to communicate with the UE device 106 via the radio component 430. The antenna 434 communicates with the radio component 430 via a communication chain 432. The communication chain 432 may be a receive chain, a transmit chain, or both. The radio component 430 may be configured to communicate via various wireless communication standards, including but not limited to 5GNR, LTE, LTE-A, GSM, UMTS, CDMA2000, Wi-Fi, etc.

[0084] Base station 102 may be configured to perform wireless communications using multiple wireless communication standards. In some cases, base station 102 may include multiple radios that enable base station 102 to communicate according to multiple wireless communication technologies. For example, as one possibility, base station 102 may include an LTE radio component for performing communications according to LTE and a 5G NR radio component for performing communications according to 5GNR. In this case, base station 102 may be able to operate as both an LTE base station and a 5G NR base station. As another possibility, base station 102 may include a multimode radio component capable of performing communications according to any one of multiple wireless communication technologies (e.g., 5GNR and Wi-Fi, LTE and Wi-Fi, LTE and UMTS, LTE and CDMA2000, UMTS and GSM, etc.).

[0085] As further described later in the present invention, the base station 102 may include hardware and software components for implementing or supporting the implementation of the features described in the present invention. The processor 404 of the base station 102 may be configured to implement or support a portion or all of the implementation of the method described in the present invention, for example, by executing program instructions stored on a memory medium (e.g., a non-transitory computer-readable memory medium). Alternatively, the processor 404 may be configured as a programmable hardware element such as an FPGA (field programmable gate array), or as an ASIC (application-specific integrated circuit) or a combination thereof. Alternatively (or in addition), in combination with one or more of the other components 430, 432, 434, 440, 450, 460, and 470, the processor 404 of the base station 102 may be configured to implement or support a portion or all of the implementation of the features described in the present invention.

[0086] In addition, as described herein, processor 404 may be composed of one or more processing elements. In other words, one or more processing elements may be included in processor 404. Therefore, processor 404 may include one or more integrated circuits (ICs) configured to perform the functions of processor 404. In addition, each integrated circuit may include circuits (e.g., first circuits, second circuits, etc.) configured to perform the functions of one or more processors 404.

[0087] Additionally, as described herein, radio 430 may be comprised of one or more processing elements. In other words, one or more processing elements may be included in radio 430. Thus, radio 430 may include one or more integrated circuits (ICs) configured to perform the functions of radio 430. Furthermore, each integrated circuit may include circuits (e.g., a first circuit, a second circuit, etc.) configured to perform the functions of radio 430.

[0088] Figure 5 : Block diagram of a cellular communication circuit

[0089] Figure 5 An exemplary simplified block diagram of a cellular communication circuit according to some embodiments is shown. Note that Figure 5 The block diagram of the cellular communication circuit of is only one example of one possible cellular communication circuit. According to an embodiment, the cellular communication circuit 330 may be included in a communication device such as the communication device 106 described above. As described above, the communication device 106 may be a user equipment (UE) device, a mobile device or mobile station, a wireless device or wireless station, a desktop computer or computing device, a mobile computing device (e.g., a laptop, notebook, or portable computing device), a tablet computer, and / or a combination of devices, among other devices.

[0090] Cellular communication circuitry 330 may be (eg, communicatively; directly or indirectly) coupled to one or more antennas, such as ( Figure 3 In some embodiments, the cellular communication circuit 330 may include dedicated receive chains (including and / or coupled to (e.g., communicatively; directly or indirectly) dedicated processors and / or radio components) for multiple RATs (e.g., a first receive chain for LTE and a second receive chain for 5G NR). For example, Figure 5 As shown, cellular communication circuitry 330 may include modem 510 and modem 520. Modem 510 may be configured for communication according to a first RAT, such as, for example, LTE or LTE-A, and modem 520 may be configured for communication according to a second RAT, such as, for example, 5G NR.

[0091] As shown, the modem 510 may include one or more processors 512 and a memory 516 in communication with the processor 512. The modem 510 may communicate with a radio frequency (RF) front end 530. The RF front end 530 may include circuits for transmitting and receiving radio signals. For example, the RF front end 530 may include a receiving circuit (RX) 532 and a transmitting circuit (TX) 534. In some embodiments, the receiving circuit 532 may communicate with a downlink (DL) front end 550, which may include circuits for receiving radio signals via an antenna 335a.

[0092] Similarly, the modem 520 may include one or more processors 522 and a memory 526 in communication with the processor 522. The modem 520 may communicate with the RF front end 540. The RF front end 540 may include circuits for transmitting and receiving radio signals. For example, the RF front end 540 may include a receiving circuit 542 and a transmitting circuit 544. In some embodiments, the receiving circuit 542 may communicate with the DL front end 560, which may include circuits for receiving radio signals via the antenna 335b.

[0093] In some embodiments, the switch 570 may couple the transmit circuit 534 to an uplink (UL) front end 572. In addition, the switch 570 may couple the transmit circuit 544 to the UL front end 572. The UL front end 572 may include circuitry for transmitting radio signals via the antenna 336. Thus, when the cellular communication circuit 330 receives an instruction to transmit according to a first RAT (e.g., via a transmit chain including the transmit circuit 534 and the UL front end 572) supported by the modem 510, the switch 570 may be switched to a first state that allows the modem 510 to transmit signals according to the first RAT (e.g., via a transmit chain including the transmit circuit 534 and the UL front end 572). Similarly, when the cellular communication circuit 330 receives an instruction to transmit according to a second RAT (e.g., via a transmit chain including the transmit circuit 544 and the UL front end 572) supported by the modem 520, the switch 570 may be switched to a second state that allows the modem 520 to transmit signals according to the second RAT (e.g., via a transmit chain including the transmit circuit 544 and the UL front end 572).

[0094] In some embodiments, the cellular communication circuit 330 may be configured to perform a method for 5G NR FR2-based communication beam management as further described herein.

[0095] As described herein, the modem 510 may include hardware and software components for implementing the above-described features or for time-division multiplexing UL data for NSA NR operations and various other techniques described herein. For example, by executing program instructions stored on a memory medium (e.g., a non-transitory computer-readable memory medium), the processor 512 may be configured to implement part or all of the feature parts described herein. Alternatively (or in addition), the processor 512 may be configured as a programmable hardware element such as an FPGA (field programmable gate array), or as an ASIC (application-specific integrated circuit). Alternatively (or in addition), in combination with one or more of the other components 530, 532, 534, 550, 570, 572, 335, and 336, the processor 512 may be configured to implement part or all of the feature parts described herein.

[0096] In addition, as described herein, processor 512 may include one or more processing elements. Thus, processor 512 may include one or more integrated circuits (ICs) configured to perform the functions of processor 512. In addition, each integrated circuit may include circuits (e.g., a first circuit, a second circuit, etc.) configured to perform the functions of processor 512.

[0097] As described herein, the modem 520 may include hardware and software components intended to implement the above-described features for transmitting a power-saving scheduling profile to a network, as well as various other techniques described herein. The processor 522 may be configured to implement part or all of the feature parts described herein, for example, by executing program instructions stored on a memory medium (e.g., a non-transitory computer-readable memory medium). Alternatively (or in addition), the processor 522 may be configured as a programmable hardware element such as an FPGA (field programmable gate array), or as an ASIC (application-specific integrated circuit). Alternatively (or additionally), in combination with one or more of the other components 540, 542, 544, 550, 570, 572, 335, and 336, the processor 522 may be configured to implement part or all of the feature parts described herein.

[0098] In addition, as described herein, processor 522 may include one or more processing elements. Thus, processor 522 may include one or more integrated circuits (ICs) configured to perform the functions of processor 522. In addition, each integrated circuit may include circuits (e.g., a first circuit, a second circuit, etc.) configured to perform the functions of processor 522.

[0099] 5G NR architecture with LTE

[0100] In some implementations, fifth generation (5G) wireless communications will initially be deployed concurrently with current wireless communications standards (e.g., LTE). For example, dual connectivity between LTE and 5G New Radio (5G NR or NR) has been specified as part of the initial deployment of NR. Figure 6A-6B As shown, the evolved packet core (EPC) network 600 may continue to communicate with the current LTE base station (e.g., eNB 602). In addition, the eNB 602 may communicate with the 5G NR base station (e.g., gNB 604), and data may be transferred between the EPC network 600 and the gNB 604. Thus, the EPC network 600 may be used (or reused), and the gNB 604 may serve as additional capacity for the user equipment, for example, to provide increased downlink throughput for the UE. In other words, LTE may be used for control plane signaling, and NR may be used for user plane signaling. Thus, LTE may be used to establish a connection with the network, and NR may be used for data services.

[0101] Figure 6B The proposed protocol stack for the eNB 602 and the gNB 604 is shown. As shown, the eNB 602 may include a medium access control (MAC) layer 632 that interfaces with the radio link control (RLC) layers 622a-622b. The RLC layer 622a may also interface with the packet data convergence protocol (PDCP) layer 612a, and the RLC layer 622b may interface with the PDCP layer 612b. Similar to the dual connectivity specified in LTE-Advanced Release 12, the PDCP layer 612a may interface with the EPC network 600 via a master cell group (MCG) bearer, while the PDCP layer 612b may interface with the EPC network 600 via a separate bearer.

[0102] In addition, as shown, the gNB 604 may include a MAC layer 634 that interfaces with the RLC layers 624a-624b. The RLC layer 624a may interface with the PDCP layer 612b of the eNB 602 via an X2 interface for information exchange and / or coordination (e.g., scheduling UEs) between the eNB 602 and the gNB 604. In addition, the RLC layer 624b may interface with the PDCP layer 614. Similar to the dual connectivity specified in Advanced LTE Release 12, the PDCP layer 614 may interface with the EPC network 600 via a secondary cell group (SCG) bearer. Therefore, the eNB 602 may be considered a master node (MeNB) and the gNB 604 may be considered a secondary node (SgNB). In some cases, the UE may be required to maintain a connection with both the MeNB and the SgNB. In such a scenario, the MeNB may be used to maintain a radio resource control (RRC) connection with the EPC, while the SgNB may be used for capacity (e.g., additional downlink and / or uplink throughput).

[0103] 5G Core Network Architecture—Interworking with Wi-Fi

[0104] In some embodiments, the 5G core network (CN) can be accessed via (or through) a cellular connection / interface (e.g., via a 3GPP communication architecture / protocol) and a non-cellular connection / interface (e.g., a non-3GPP access architecture / protocol such as a Wi-Fi connection). Fig. 7AAn example of a 5G network architecture according to some embodiments is shown, which combines 3GPP (e.g., cellular) and non-3GPP (e.g., non-cellular) access in 5G CN. As shown, a user equipment device (e.g., UE 106) can access 5G CN through both a radio access network (RAN, such as a gNB or base station 604) and an access point such as AP 112. AP 112 may include a connection to the Internet 700 and a connection to a non-3GPP interworking function (N3IWF) 702 network entity. N3IWF may include a connection to a core access and mobility management function (AMF) 704 of 5G CN. AMF 704 may include an instance of a 5G mobility management (5G MM) function associated with UE 106. In addition, RAN (e.g., gNB 604) may also have a connection to AMF 704. Therefore, 5G CN can support unified authentication on two connections and allow UE 106 access to be registered simultaneously via gNB 604 and AP 112. As shown, the AMF 704 may include one or more functional entities associated with the 5G CN (e.g., a network slice selection function (NSSF) 720, a short message service function (SMSF) 722, an application function (AF) 724, a unified data management (UDM) 726, a policy control function (PCF) 728, and / or an authentication server function (AUSF) 730). Note that these functional entities may also be supported by the session management function (SMF) 706a and SMF 706b of the 5G CN. The AMF 706 may be connected to (or communicate with) the SMF 706a. In addition, the gNB 604 may communicate with (or be connected to) a user plane function (UPF) 708a, which may also communicate with the SMF 706a. Similarly, the N3IWF 702 may communicate with the UPF 708b, which may also communicate with the SMF 706b. Both UPFs may communicate with data networks (eg, DNs 710a and 710b) and / or the Internet 700 and the IMS core network 710.

[0105] Figure 7BAn example of a 5G network architecture according to some embodiments is shown, which combines dual 3GPP (e.g., LTE and 5G NR) access and non-3GPP access in 5G CN. As shown, a user equipment device (e.g., UE 106) can access 5GCN through a radio access network (RAN, such as gNB or base station 604 or eNB or base station 602) and an access point such as AP 112. AP 112 may include a connection to the Internet 700 and a connection to the N3IWF 702 network entity. N3IWF may include a connection to the AMF 704 of the 5G CN. AMF 704 may include an instance of a 5G MM function associated with UE 106. In addition, the RAN (e.g., gNB 604) may also have a connection to AMF 704. Therefore, 5G CN can support unified authentication on two connections and allow UE 106 access to be registered simultaneously via gNB 604 and AP 112. In addition, 5G CN can support dual registration of UE on both traditional networks (e.g., LTE via base station 602) and 5G networks (e.g., via base station 604). As shown, base station 602 can have connections to mobility management entity (MME) 742 and service gateway (SGW) 744. MME 742 can have connections to both SGW 744 and AMF 704. In addition, SGW 744 can have connections to both SMF 706a and UPF 708a. As shown, AMF 704 can include one or more functional entities associated with 5G CN (e.g., NSSF 720, SMSF 722, AF 724, UDM 726, PCF 728 and / or AUSF 730). It should be noted that UDM 726 can also include home subscriber server (HSS) functions, and PCF can also include policy and charging rules functions (PCRF). It should also be noted that these functional entities can also be supported by SMF 706a and SMF 706b of 5G CN. AMF 706 can be connected to (or communicate with) SMF 706a. In addition, gNB 604 can communicate with (or be connected to) UPF 708a, which can also communicate with SMF 706a. Similarly, N3IWF702 can communicate with UPF 708b, which can also communicate with SMF 706b. Both UPFs can communicate with data networks (e.g., DN710a and 710b) and / or the Internet 700 and the IMS core network 710.

[0106] Note that in various embodiments, one or more of the above-mentioned network entities may be configured to perform methods for communication beam management based on 5G NR FR2, for example, as further described herein.

[0107] Figure 8 An example of a baseband processor architecture for a UE (e.g., UE 106) according to some embodiments is shown. As described above, Figure 8 The baseband processor architecture 800 described in the figure can be implemented on one or more radio components (e.g., the radio components 329 and / or 330 described above) or modems (e.g., modems 510 and / or 520) as described above. As shown in the figure, the non-access layer 810 may include a 5G NAS 820 and a traditional NAS 850. The traditional NAS 850 may include a communication connection with a traditional access layer (AS) 870. The 5G NAS 820 may include a communication connection with a 5G AS 840 and a non-3GPP AS 830 and a Wi-Fi AS 832. The 5G NAS 820 may include functional entities associated with two access layers. Therefore, the 5G NAS820 may include multiple 5G MM entities 826 and 828 and 5G session management (SM) entities 822 and 824. The traditional NAS 850 may include functional entities such as a short message service (SMS) entity 852, an evolved packet system (EPS) session management (ESM) entity 854, a session management (SM) entity 856, an EPS mobility management (EMM) entity 858, and a mobility management (MM) / GPRS mobility management (GMM) entity 860. In addition, the traditional AS 870 may include functional entities such as an LTE AS 872, a UMTS AS 874, and / or a GSM / GPRS 876.

[0108] Thus, the baseband processor architecture 800 allows for a common 5G-NAS for both 5G cellular and non-cellular (e.g., non-3GPP access). Note that, as shown, 5G MM can maintain a separate connection management and registration management state machine for each connection. In addition, a device (e.g., UE 106) can register to a single PLMN (e.g., 5G CN) using 5G cellular access as well as non-cellular access. In addition, a device can be in a connected state in one access and in an idle state in another access, or vice versa. Finally, there may be common 5G-MM procedures (e.g., registration, deregistration, identification, authentication, etc.) for both accesses.

[0109] It should be noted that in various embodiments, one or more of the above-mentioned functional entities of the 5G NAS and / or 5G AS may be configured to perform methods for communication beam management based on 5G NR FR2, for example, as further described herein.

[0110] 5G NR FR2 beam management

[0111] In the current implementation, the air interface defined by 3GPP for 5G NR is subdivided into two frequency ranges. Frequency Range 1 (FR1) includes frequencies below 6 GHz, and Frequency Range 2 (FR2) includes frequencies above 24 GHz (e.g., millimeter wave (mmW) spectrum). In 3GPP Release 15, the minimum channel bandwidth defined for FR2 is 50 MHz, and the maximum channel bandwidth defined for FR2 is 400 MHz. Due to the analog beamforming associated with FR2 communications, beam management is different compared to FR1 communications. In the current implementation of 3GPP Release 15, only basic beam management solutions are defined. For example, 3GPP Release 15 only supports a medium access control (MAC) control element (CE) for updating the quasi-co-location (QCL) (beam) information of one physical uplink control channel (PUCCH) per MAC CE. In addition, multi-panel support may be more important for FR2 communications than for FR1 communications (e.g., to ensure mmW coverage due to different device holding positions and / or nearby blocking objects), but has not yet been optimized for effective panel management. As another example, in current implementations, power control is linked to the SRI (Sounding Reference Signal (SRS) Resource Indicator) or other reference signals and configured via Radio Resource Control (RRC) signaling, which may not be optimized for changing conditions, which may have a much greater impact on FR2 communications than on FR1 communications.

[0112] Embodiments described herein provide systems, methods, and mechanisms for a user equipment device (UE) such as UE 106 to perform beam management for FR2-based communications. In some embodiments, one MAC CE may update a group of PUCCHs to reduce latency and / or signaling overhead. In some embodiments, the UE may use the MAC CE to update uplink (UL) power control parameters. In some embodiments, the UE may report a logical antenna panel identity to the network.

[0113] In some embodiments, a PUCCH group identifier (group ID) may be assigned to each PUCCH resource, for example, to allow a MAC CE to update the QCL of a group of PUCCHs. In some embodiments, the MAC CE may use a resource ID (e.g., to update a specific PUCCH) or a group ID (e.g., to update a group of PUCCHs). In some embodiments, the group ID of the PUCCH resource may be configured, for example, via an RRC message during PUCCH configuration. In some embodiments, the UE may signal the PUCCH resource ID using the PUCCH group ID. In some embodiments, the PUCCH group ID may replace the PUCCH resource ID within the MAC CE.

[0114] In some embodiments, in the case where the PUCCH resource ID is not valid (e.g., invalid) and / or is a reserved value, the MAC CE may be interpreted as an update to the PUCCH resources configured in the bandwidth part (BWP) (e.g., indicated by the BWP identifier (ID)). In some embodiments, the reserved value may be used to indicate all serving cells instead of the BWP (and / or to supplement the BWP). Thus, such a configuration may allow multi-cell updates to be performed using a single MAC CE. In some embodiments, in the case where the PUCCH resource ID is not valid (e.g., invalid) and / or is a reserved value, the MAC CE may be interpreted as an update to the PUCCH resources configured in the cell indicated by the serving cell identifier (ID) (e.g., included in the MAC CE).

[0115] In some embodiments, after a beam failure condition (BFR), the UE may use the beam identified during the candidate beam search period (e.g., before explicit reconfiguration of the PUCCH QCL via RRC signaling or MAC CE (by a base station such as gNB 604)). In some embodiments, a default PUCCH group ID may be defined and / or specified. In some embodiments, the PUCCH group with the smallest PUCCH group ID in the current BWP may be the default PUCCH group. In some embodiments, the default PUCCH group may include services that are least delay tolerant, for example, to minimize data interruptions due to beam failure. In some embodiments, when a beam failure recovery procedure is detected, the PUCCH resources in the default PUCCH group may have their QCL (beam) configuration updated with the newly discovered beam.

[0116] In some embodiments, a UE such as UE 106 may activate and / or deactivate an antenna panel for transmission, e.g., without input from the network. In some embodiments, the UE may report capabilities associated with QCL updates. For example, in some embodiments, the UE may report the number (e.g., the maximum number, in some embodiments) of transmission configuration indicator (TCI) states supported on component carriers (CCs) within a frequency band. In some embodiments, for PUCCH, the UE may report the number (e.g., the maximum number, in some embodiments) of PUCCH groups supported per BWP, within a cell, and / or on CCs within a frequency band. In some embodiments, active PUCCH resources that overlap in the time domain may be (e.g., automatically) grouped into (or associated with) a PUCCH group for intra-band frequencies. In some embodiments, active PUCCH resources that overlap in the time domain may be grouped into (or associated with) a PUCCH group for inter-band frequencies within a frequency band group.

[0117] In some embodiments, the PUCCH group may reduce the number of beams that the UE may need when preparing and / or tracking uplink (UL) transmissions. For example, in some embodiments, during a UE measurement reporting process, the UE may report a logical antenna panel ID for reception to the network. Note that the logical antenna panel ID may not be associated with the physical location of the antenna panel. In some embodiments, during a measurement reporting process, the UE may assign a logical antenna panel ID to a channel state information reference signal (CSI-RS) resource indicator (CSI, e.g., which may be used to indicate a preferred beam) and / or a synchronization signal / physical broadcast channel (SSB / PBCH) block resource indicator (SSBRI) (e.g., a resource index of a channel state information reference signal (CSIRS) or a synchronization signal block (SSB)). In some embodiments, during a sounding reference signal (SRS) transmission, the UE may report to the network a logical antenna panel ID for SRS transmission. In some embodiments, such reporting (or such reporting action) may be performed separately from the SRS transmission, e.g., by mapping the SRI to a logical antenna panel ID. In some embodiments, when a base station (e.g., such as gNB 604) configures a beam for a UE via a transmission control indication (TCI) (e.g., for downlink beam selection) or configures a beam for a UE via a sounding reference indication (SRI) (e.g., for uplink beam selection), a logical antenna panel ID may be established during a measurement reporting process. In other words, when a base station configures a beam for a UE via TCI or SRI, the base station may not implicitly indicate the logical antenna panel ID.

[0118] For example, Fig. 9 Signaling between a base station and a UE to establish a beam and an associated logical antenna panel ID according to some embodiments is shown. As shown, a gNB 904 (which may be a gNB 604) may send a CSI-RS / SSB 910 to a UE 906 (which may be a UE 106), for example, as part of a beam configuration process. The UE 906 may receive the CSI-RS / SSB 910 and perform beam measurements, including determining an antenna panel for communication with the gNB 604. The UE 906 may assign a logical antenna panel ID to the determined antenna panel and send a beam report 912 to the gNB 904. The beam report 912 may include the logical antenna panel ID. Upon receiving the beam report 912, the gNB 904 may configure the beam and send a beam indication 914 to the UE 906. The beam indication 914 may include a logical antenna panel ID for communication.

[0119] In some embodiments, the UE may perform power management functions in which the antenna panel may be switched to various power consumption modes, such as active and in use, active and unused, and / or inactive and unused. In some embodiments, the UE may balance power consumption with latency. For example, in some embodiments, switching to an unused active antenna panel may cause a switching delay (or latency) between 14 and 48 symbols. However, compared to a deactivated antenna panel, an active antenna panel (even if unused) may consume relatively high power. In addition, in some embodiments, switching to a deactivated panel may cause a switching delay (including activation of the antenna panel) between 224 and 336 symbols. Therefore, at least in some embodiments, the UE may have to balance the switching delay with power consumption. In some embodiments, a UE such as UE 106 may provide (and / or update) the switching time required for each antenna panel to the network (e.g., to a base station such as gNB 604). In some embodiments, updates to the network may be periodic and / or event-based (e.g., when the activation / usage state of the antenna panel changes). In some embodiments, such updates (or reports) may be sent via PUCCH, MAC-CE, and / or via RRC signaling.In some embodiments, each antenna panel may be assigned a logical antenna panel ID, and the UE may provide updates based on the corresponding antenna panel ID.

[0120] For example, Fig.10 Multiple antenna panel UE switching panel states according to some embodiments are shown. As shown, UE 1006 (which may be UE 106) may include antenna panels 1020, 1022, 1024, and 1026. At a first time (t1), antenna panel 1020 may be activated and used by UE 1006 and may have an associated switching delay (delay) of 14 symbols. In addition, UE 1006 may operate in a power state so that antenna panels 1022, 1024, and 1026 may be activated. In addition, antenna panels 1022, 1024, and 1026 may have an associated switching delay (or delay) of 28 symbols. However, at a second time (t2), although antenna panel 1020 may be kept activated and used by UE 1006 (and may have an associated switching delay (delay) of 14 symbols), UE 1006 may operate in a different power state than the first time. Thus, antenna panel 1022 may remain activated (with an associated switching latency (delay) of 28 symbols), whereas antenna panels 1024 and 1026 may be deactivated. Such deactivation may result in an increase in the associated switching latency (delay) of antenna panels 1024 and 1026 to 224 symbols (compared to 28 symbols when activated).

[0121] In some embodiments, when a base station (such as gNB 604) is unable to ensure the latency requirements requested by a UE (such as UE 106), the system may be configured to adapt in one or more ways. For example, in some embodiments, when a base station violates (and / or fails to ensure) the requirements for beam switching latency reported by the UE, the UE behavior depends on the specific implementation (e.g., the UE may determine which beam and / or antenna panel to use without network input). For another example, in some embodiments, when a base station violates (and / or fails to ensure) the requirements for beam switching latency reported by the UE, the UE behavior may be pre-specified (e.g., standardized) (e.g., the UE may select the beam with the lowest ID of the control resource set (CORESET) in the currently active antenna panel and / or the UE may select the last beam for reception and / or transmission in the currently active antenna panel). For another example, in some embodiments, when a base station violates (and / or fails to ensure) the requirements for beam switching latency reported by the UE, the base station may explicitly indicate the logical antenna panel ID (e.g., A-CSI-RS, A-SRS) for measurement purposes. In such instances, there may be a restriction such that at least one beam quality for the indicated antenna panel has been reported within the time window. For another example, in some embodiments, when the base station violates (and / or cannot ensure) the requirements for beam switching latency reported by the UE, the UE may select an antenna panel and report a logical antenna panel ID to the base station, for example, after a beam failure and before the UE reports the beam quality for the antenna panel.

[0122] In some embodiments, the path loss measurement reference signal (RS) for SRS / PUCCH / PUSCH may be updated via MACCE. In such embodiments, before a base station (e.g., such as gNB 604) reconfigures the path loss measurement RS, the base station may confirm that a UE (such as UE 106) may measure the path loss measurement RS at least once before transmitting a subsequent SRS / PUSCH / PUCCH. In some embodiments, if the UE is unable to measure the path loss measurement RS in a timely manner, the UE may continue to use the previous RS, e.g., at least until the measurement is completed. For example, Fig.11A timeline for RS reconfiguration for path loss measurement according to some embodiments is shown. As shown, a UE such as UE 106 may receive a reference signal (RS) 1120 for path loss measurement. The UE may then receive an RS reconfiguration indication 1122 (e.g., via a MAC CE). In addition, a new RS, namely RS1124, may be received by the UE for measurement, and after time t1, SRS1126 may be received by the UE. However, since t1 is less than the measurement time required for the UE to measure RS1124, the UE may continue to use RS1120. In addition, the UE may receive an RS reconfiguration indication 1128 (e.g., via a MAC CE), and a new RS, namely RS1128, may be received by the UE for measurement. In addition, after time t2, SRS1132 may be received by the UE, and since t2 is greater than the measurement time required for the UE to measure RS1130, the UE may complete the measurement of SRS1132 and begin using RS1130.

[0123] Fig.12 A block diagram illustrating an example of a method for managing communication beams based on fifth generation new radio (5G NR) frequency range two (FR2) according to some embodiments. Among other devices, Fig.12 The method shown in can also be used together with any one of the system, method or device shown in the figure. In various embodiments, some of the method elements shown can be performed concurrently in an order different from the order shown, or can be omitted. Additional method elements can also be performed as required. As shown in the figure, the method can be operated as follows.

[0124] At 1202, a UE, such as UE 106, may configure a group identification (ID) for a set of physical uplink control channels (PUCCH) resources within a PUCCH via communication with a base station serving the UE, such as base station 102 and / or gNB 604. In some embodiments, configuring the group ID may include, for example, exchanging radio resource control (RRC) messages with the base station during a PUCCH configuration procedure.

[0125] At 1204, the UE may receive an update of one or more PUCCH resources within the set of PUCCHs from a base station serving the UE via a medium access control (MAC) control element (CE). In some embodiments, the MAC CE may include one of a resource ID indicating an update of the PUCCH resources or a group ID to update the set of PUCCH resources. In some embodiments, one of the resource ID, group ID, bandwidth portion ID, and / or serving cell ID may indicate one of a reserved value or an invalid value. In some embodiments, when a reserved value or an invalid value is received, the UE may assume a single beam update of the resources, bandwidth portion, component carrier, and / or group associated with the UE. In some embodiments, the UE may interpret the MAC CE as an update of the PUCCH resources in the bandwidth portion configuration, an update of the PUCCH resources configured in the cell serving the UE, or an update of the PUCCH resources configured in the cell indicated by the serving cell identifier included in the MAC CE. In some embodiments, the bandwidth portion may be indicated via a bandwidth portion identifier.

[0126] At 1206, the UE may update one or more PUCCH resources within the set of PUCCH based on the MAC-CE.

[0127] In some embodiments, a default PUCCH group ID may be defined and / or specified. In some embodiments, the default PUCCH group may include at least one of a PUCCH group with a minimum PUCCH group ID in the current bandwidth portion or a PUCCH group that includes a service with the least delay tolerance.

[0128] In some embodiments, the UE may detect a beam failure condition and detect a new effective beam after detecting the beam failure condition. In some embodiments, the UE may switch to a new effective beam for uplink transmission before receiving an update indicating the new beam from a network (e.g., a base station). In some embodiments, switching to a new effective beam for uplink transmission may include switching to a new beam for one or more of a physical uplink control channel (PUCCH) transmission, a sounding reference signal (SRS) transmission, a physical uplink shared channel (PUSCH) transmission, and / or a physical random access channel (PRACH) transmission. In some embodiments, detecting a new effective beam may include the UE identifying a beam identified during a previous candidate beam search period. In some embodiments, the UE may use the new effective beam to update the quasi-co-location configuration of PUCCH resources in a default PUCCH group.

[0129] In some embodiments, the UE may activate or deactivate at least one antenna panel for transmission with the base station. In such embodiments, the UE may report capabilities associated with quasi-co-location (QCL) updates to the base station. The capabilities may include at least one, one or more, and / or both of the number of transmission configuration indicator (TCI) states supported on a component carrier (CC) within a frequency band (e.g., a maximum number, in some embodiments) or the number of PUCCH groups supported per BWP, within a cell, or on a CC within a frequency band for a PUCCH (e.g., a maximum number, in some embodiments). In some embodiments, active PUCCH resources from different component carriers overlapping in the time domain may be associated with a PUCCH group for intra-band carrier aggregation or inter-band carrier aggregation.

[0130] In some embodiments, the UE may assign a logical antenna panel ID to a channel state information reference signal (CSI-RS) resource indicator (CRC) or a synchronization signal / physical broadcast channel (SSB / PBCH) block resource indicator (SSBRI) during a measurement reporting process. In such embodiments, during the measurement reporting process, the UE may report the logical antenna panel ID for transmission to and / or reception from the base station. In some embodiments, the CRI / SSBRI may indicate a preferred beam. In some embodiments, the CRI / SSBRI may be a resource index of a channel state information reference signal (CSIRS) or a synchronization signal block (SSB). In some embodiments, the UE may report a logical antenna panel ID for sounding reference signal (SRS) transmission during SRS transmission.

[0131] In some embodiments, the UE may provide an indication of the antenna panel switching time to the base station via one of MAC-CE, radio resource control (RRC) signaling, or signaling via PUCCH. In some embodiments, the indication may be based on each antenna panel. In some embodiments, the antenna panel may be identified via a logical antenna panel identification (ID). In some embodiments, the indication may be provided to the base station periodically. In some embodiments, the indication may be provided to the base station periodically, for example, when the UE decides to change the panel power management state. In some embodiments, the indication may be provided to the base station based on the occurrence of an event. In such embodiments, the event may include activation of an antenna panel, deactivation of an antenna panel, and / or switching to or from an antenna panel for at least one of transmission / reception.

[0132] In some embodiments, the UE may report to the base station the minimum delay requirement for switching antenna panels. In some embodiments, in response to the base station violating the minimum delay requirement, the UE may determine the antenna panel to be used without input from the base station. In some embodiments, in response to the base station violating the minimum delay requirement, the UE may determine the antenna panel to be used based on a pre-specified configuration. In such embodiments, the pre-specified configuration may include the UE selecting the beam of the control resource set (CORESET) with the lowest ID in the currently active antenna panel and / or the UE selecting one of the last beams for reception and / or transmission in the currently active antenna panel. In some embodiments, in response to the base station violating the minimum delay requirement, the UE may receive an indication of the logical antenna panel ID for measurement from the base station. In some embodiments, the report may be provided via one of MAC-CE, radio resource control (RRC) signaling, or signaling via PUCCH.

[0133] In some embodiments, the UE may receive an update to a path loss measurement reference signal (RS) from a base station via a MAC CE. In some embodiments, when (if) the UE is unable to (reliably) measure the path loss measurement RS (e.g., at least once) before transmitting a subsequent sounding reference signal / physical uplink shared channel / PUCCH (SRS / PUSCH / PUCCH), the UE may continue to use the path loss estimate from the previous RS to determine the uplink open-loop transmit power until the path loss can be (reliably) measured from the new path loss measurement RS.

[0134] Fig.13 A block diagram of another example of a communication beam management method based on fifth generation new radio (5G NR) frequency range two (FR2) according to some embodiments is shown. Among other devices, Fig.13 The method shown in can also be used together with any one of the system, method or device shown in the figure. In various embodiments, some of the method elements shown can be performed concurrently in an order different from the order shown, or can be omitted. Additional method elements can also be performed as required. As shown in the figure, the method can be operated as follows.

[0135] At 1302, a UE such as UE 106 may activate and / or deactivate at least one antenna panel for communicating with a base station such as base station 102 and / or gNB 604 serving the UE.

[0136] At 1304, the UE may report capabilities associated with a quasi co-location (QCL) update to the base station. The capabilities may include at least one, one or more, and / or both of the number of transmission configuration indicator (TCI) states supported on component carriers (CCs) within a frequency band (e.g., a maximum number, in some embodiments) or the number of PUCCH groups supported per BWP, within a cell, or on CCs within a frequency band for a PUCCH (e.g., a maximum number, in some embodiments). In some embodiments, active PUCCH resources from different component carriers overlapping in the time domain may be associated with a PUCCH group for intra-band carrier aggregation or inter-band carrier aggregation.

[0137] In some embodiments, the UE may configure a group identifier (ID) for PUCCH resources within a set of physical uplink control channels (PUCCHs) via communication with a base station serving the UE. In some embodiments, configuring the group ID may include, for example, exchanging radio resource control (RRC) messages with the base station during the PUCCH configuration process. In addition, the UE may receive an update to one or more PUCCH resources within the set of PUCCHs from the base station serving the UE via a medium access control (MAC) control element (CE). In some embodiments, the MAC CE may include one of a resource ID indicating an update of the PUCCH resource or a group ID for updating the set of PUCCH resources. In some embodiments, one of the resource ID, group ID, bandwidth portion ID, and / or serving cell ID may indicate one of a reserved value or an invalid value. In some embodiments, when a reserved value or an invalid value is received, the UE may assume that a single beam updates the resources, bandwidth portion, component carrier, and / or group associated with the UE. In some embodiments, the UE may interpret the MAC CE as an update to the PUCCH resources in the bandwidth part configuration, an update to the PUCCH resources configured in the cell serving the UE, or an update to the PUCCH resources configured in the cell indicated by the serving cell identifier included in the MAC CE. In some embodiments, the bandwidth part may be indicated via the bandwidth part identifier. In some embodiments, the UE may update one or more PUCCH resources within the set of PUCCH based on the MAC-CE.

[0138] In some embodiments, a default PUCCH group ID may be defined and / or specified. In some embodiments, the default PUCCH group may include at least one of a PUCCH group with a minimum PUCCH group ID in the current bandwidth portion or a PUCCH group that includes a service with the least delay tolerance.

[0139] In some embodiments, the UE may detect a beam failure condition and detect a new effective beam after detecting the beam failure condition. In some embodiments, the UE may switch to a new effective beam for uplink transmission before receiving an update indicating the new beam from a network (e.g., a base station). In some embodiments, switching to a new effective beam for uplink transmission may include switching to a new beam for one or more of a physical uplink control channel (PUCCH) transmission, a sounding reference signal (SRS) transmission, a physical uplink shared channel (PUSCH) transmission, and / or a physical random access channel (PRACH) transmission. In some embodiments, detecting the new effective beam may include the UE identifying a beam identified during a previous candidate beam search period. In some embodiments, the UE may use the new effective beam to update the quasi-co-location configuration of PUCCH resources in a default PUCCH group. In some embodiments, the UE may use the new effective beam to update the quasi-co-location configuration of PUCCH resources in a default PUCCH group. In some implementations, the UE may use the new effective beam to update the quasi co-location configuration of PUCCH resources in the default PUCCH group.

[0140] In some embodiments, the UE may assign a logical antenna panel ID to a channel state information reference signal (CSI-RS) resource indicator (CRC) or a synchronization signal / physical broadcast channel (SSB / PBCH) block resource indicator (SSBRI) during a measurement reporting process. In such embodiments, during the measurement reporting process, the UE may report the logical antenna panel ID for transmission to and / or reception from the base station. In some embodiments, the CRI / SSBRI may indicate a preferred beam. In some embodiments, the CRI / SSBRI may be a resource index of a channel state information reference signal (CSIRS) or a synchronization signal block (SSB). In some embodiments, the UE may report a logical antenna panel ID for sounding reference signal (SRS) transmission during SRS transmission.

[0141] In some embodiments, the UE may provide an indication of the antenna panel switching time to the base station via one of MAC-CE, radio resource control (RRC) signaling, or signaling via PUCCH. In some embodiments, the indication may be based on each antenna panel. In some embodiments, the antenna panel may be identified via a logical antenna panel identification (ID). In some embodiments, the indication may be provided to the base station periodically. In some embodiments, the indication may be provided to the base station periodically, for example, when the UE decides to change the panel power management state. In some embodiments, the indication may be provided to the base station based on the occurrence of an event. In such embodiments, the event may include activation of an antenna panel, deactivation of an antenna panel, and / or switching to or from an antenna panel for at least one of transmission / reception.

[0142] In some embodiments, the UE may report to the base station the minimum delay requirement for switching antenna panels. In some embodiments, in response to the base station violating the minimum delay requirement, the UE may determine the antenna panel to be used without input from the base station. In some embodiments, in response to the base station violating the minimum delay requirement, the UE may determine the antenna panel to be used based on a pre-specified configuration. In such embodiments, the pre-specified configuration may include the UE selecting the beam of the control resource set (CORESET) with the lowest ID in the currently active antenna panel and / or the UE selecting one of the last beams for reception and / or transmission in the currently active antenna panel. In some embodiments, in response to the base station violating the minimum delay requirement, the UE may receive an indication of the logical antenna panel ID for measurement from the base station. In some embodiments, the report may be provided via one of MAC-CE, radio resource control (RRC) signaling, or signaling via PUCCH.

[0143] In some embodiments, the UE may receive an update to a path loss measurement reference signal (RS) from a base station via a MAC CE. In some embodiments, when (if) the UE is unable to (reliably) measure the path loss measurement RS (e.g., at least once) before transmitting a subsequent sounding reference signal / physical uplink shared channel / PUCCH (SRS / PUSCH / PUCCH), the UE may continue to use the path loss estimate from the previous RS to determine the uplink open-loop transmit power until the path loss can be (reliably) measured from the new path loss measurement RS.

[0144] Fig.14 A block diagram of another example of a communication beam management method based on fifth generation new radio (5G NR) frequency range two (FR2) according to some embodiments is shown. Among other devices, Fig.14The method shown in can also be used together with any one of the system, method or device shown in the figure. In various embodiments, some of the method elements shown can be performed concurrently in an order different from the order shown, or can be omitted. Additional method elements can also be performed as required. As shown in the figure, the method can be operated as follows.

[0145] At 1402, during a measurement reporting process, a UE such as UE 106 may utilize a base station serving the UE such as base station 102 and / or gNB 604 to assign a logical antenna panel ID to a channel state information reference signal (CSI-RS) resource indicator (CRI) or a synchronization signal / physical broadcast channel (SSB / PBCH) block resource indicator (SSBRI).

[0146] At 1404, during the measurement reporting procedure, the UE may report the logical antenna panel ID for transmission to and / or reception from the base station. In some embodiments, the CRI / SSBRI may indicate a preferred beam. In some embodiments, the CRI / SSBRI may be a resource index of a channel state information reference signal (CSIRS) or a synchronization signal block (SSB). In some embodiments, the UE may report the logical antenna panel ID for sounding reference signal (SRS) transmission during SRS transmission.

[0147] In some embodiments, the UE may configure a group identifier (ID) for PUCCH resources within a set of physical uplink control channels (PUCCHs) via communication with a base station serving the UE. In some embodiments, configuring the group ID may include, for example, exchanging radio resource control (RRC) messages with the base station during the PUCCH configuration process. In addition, the UE may receive an update to one or more PUCCH resources within the set of PUCCHs from the base station serving the UE via a medium access control (MAC) control element (CE). In some embodiments, the MAC CE may include one of a resource ID indicating an update of the PUCCH resource or a group ID for updating the set of PUCCH resources. In some embodiments, one of the resource ID, group ID, bandwidth portion ID, and / or serving cell ID may indicate one of a reserved value or an invalid value. In some embodiments, when a reserved value or an invalid value is received, the UE may assume that a single beam updates the resources, bandwidth portion, component carrier, and / or group associated with the UE. In some embodiments, the UE may interpret the MAC CE as an update to the PUCCH resources in the bandwidth part configuration, an update to the PUCCH resources configured in the cell serving the UE, or an update to the PUCCH resources configured in the cell indicated by the serving cell identifier included in the MAC CE. In some embodiments, the bandwidth part may be indicated via the bandwidth part identifier. In some embodiments, the UE may update one or more PUCCH resources within the set of PUCCH based on the MAC-CE.

[0148] In some embodiments, a default PUCCH group ID may be defined and / or specified. In some embodiments, the default PUCCH group may include at least one of a PUCCH group with a minimum PUCCH group ID in the current bandwidth portion or a PUCCH group that includes a service with the least delay tolerance.

[0149] In some embodiments, the UE may detect a beam failure condition and detect a new effective beam after detecting the beam failure condition. In some embodiments, the UE may switch to a new effective beam for uplink transmission before receiving an update indicating the new beam from a network (e.g., a base station). In some embodiments, switching to a new effective beam for uplink transmission may include switching to a new beam for one or more of a physical uplink control channel (PUCCH) transmission, a sounding reference signal (SRS) transmission, a physical uplink shared channel (PUSCH) transmission, and / or a physical random access channel (PRACH) transmission. In some embodiments, detecting a new effective beam may include the UE identifying a beam identified during a previous candidate beam search period. In some embodiments, the UE may use the new effective beam to update the quasi-co-location configuration of PUCCH resources in a default PUCCH group.

[0150] In some embodiments, the UE may activate or deactivate at least one antenna panel for transmission with the base station. In such embodiments, the UE may report capabilities associated with quasi-co-location (QCL) updates to the base station. The capabilities may include at least one, one or more, and / or both of the number of transmission configuration indicator (TCI) states supported on a component carrier (CC) within a frequency band (e.g., a maximum number, in some embodiments) or the number of PUCCH groups supported per BWP, within a cell, or on a CC within a frequency band for a PUCCH (e.g., a maximum number, in some embodiments). In some embodiments, active PUCCH resources from different component carriers overlapping in the time domain may be associated with a PUCCH group for intra-band carrier aggregation or inter-band carrier aggregation.

[0151] In some embodiments, the UE may provide an indication of the antenna panel switching time to the base station via one of MAC-CE, radio resource control (RRC) signaling, or signaling via PUCCH. In some embodiments, the indication may be based on each antenna panel. In some embodiments, the antenna panel may be identified via a logical antenna panel identification (ID). In some embodiments, the indication may be provided to the base station periodically. In some embodiments, the indication may be provided to the base station periodically, for example, when the UE decides to change the panel power management state. In some embodiments, the indication may be provided to the base station based on the occurrence of an event. In such embodiments, the event may include activation of an antenna panel, deactivation of an antenna panel, and / or switching to or from an antenna panel for at least one of transmission / reception.

[0152] In some embodiments, the UE may report to the base station the minimum delay requirement for switching antenna panels. In some embodiments, in response to the base station violating the minimum delay requirement, the UE may determine the antenna panel to be used without input from the base station. In some embodiments, in response to the base station violating the minimum delay requirement, the UE may determine the antenna panel to be used based on a pre-specified configuration. In such embodiments, the pre-specified configuration may include the UE selecting the beam of the control resource set (CORESET) with the lowest ID in the currently active antenna panel and / or the UE selecting one of the last beams for reception and / or transmission in the currently active antenna panel. In some embodiments, in response to the base station violating the minimum delay requirement, the UE may receive an indication of the logical antenna panel ID for measurement from the base station. In some embodiments, the report may be provided via one of MAC-CE, radio resource control (RRC) signaling, or signaling via PUCCH.

[0153] In some embodiments, the UE may receive an update to a path loss measurement reference signal (RS) from a base station via a MAC CE. In some embodiments, when (if) the UE is unable to (reliably) measure the path loss measurement RS (e.g., at least once) before transmitting a subsequent sounding reference signal / physical uplink shared channel / PUCCH (SRS / PUSCH / PUCCH), the UE may continue to use the path loss estimate from the previous RS to determine the uplink open-loop transmit power until the path loss can be (reliably) measured from the new path loss measurement RS.

[0154] Fig.15 A block diagram of another example of a communication beam management method based on fifth generation new radio (5G NR) frequency range two (FR2) according to some embodiments is shown. Among other devices, Fig.15 The method shown in can also be used together with any one of the system, method or device shown in the figure. In various embodiments, some of the method elements shown can be performed concurrently in an order different from the order shown, or can be omitted. Additional method elements can also be performed as required. As shown in the figure, the method can be operated as follows.

[0155] At 1502, a UE such as UE 106 may attach to a base station such as base station 102 and / or gNB 604. In some embodiments, the attachment may include an exchange of one or more configuration messages.

[0156] At 1504, the UE may provide an indication of the antenna panel switching time to the base station. In some implementations, the indication may be provided via one of MAC-CE, radio resource control (RRC) signaling, or signaling via PUCCH.

[0157] In some embodiments, the indication may be on a per antenna panel basis. In some embodiments, the antenna panel may be identified via a logical antenna panel identification (ID). In some embodiments, the indication may be provided to the base station periodically. In some embodiments, the indication may be provided to the base station based on the occurrence of an event. In such embodiments, the event may include activation of an antenna panel, deactivation of an antenna panel, and / or switching to or from an antenna panel for at least one of transmission / reception.

[0158] In some embodiments, the UE may configure a group identifier (ID) for PUCCH resources within a set of physical uplink control channels (PUCCHs) via communication with a base station serving the UE. In some embodiments, configuring the group ID may include, for example, exchanging radio resource control (RRC) messages with the base station during the PUCCH configuration process. In addition, the UE may receive an update to one or more PUCCH resources within the set of PUCCHs from the base station serving the UE via a medium access control (MAC) control element (CE). In some embodiments, the MAC CE may include one of a resource ID indicating an update of the PUCCH resource or a group ID for updating the set of PUCCH resources. In some embodiments, one of the resource ID, group ID, bandwidth portion ID, and / or serving cell ID may indicate one of a reserved value or an invalid value. In some embodiments, when a reserved value or an invalid value is received, the UE may assume that a single beam updates the resources, bandwidth portion, component carrier, and / or group associated with the UE. In some embodiments, the UE may interpret the MAC CE as an update to the PUCCH resources in the bandwidth part configuration, an update to the PUCCH resources configured in the cell serving the UE, or an update to the PUCCH resources configured in the cell indicated by the serving cell identifier included in the MAC CE. In some embodiments, the bandwidth part may be indicated via the bandwidth part identifier. In some embodiments, the UE may update one or more PUCCH resources within the set of PUCCH based on the MAC-CE.

[0159] In some embodiments, a default PUCCH group ID may be defined and / or specified. In some embodiments, the default PUCCH group may include at least one of a PUCCH group with a minimum PUCCH group ID in the current bandwidth portion or a PUCCH group that includes a service with the least delay tolerance.

[0160] In some embodiments, the UE may detect a beam failure condition and detect a new effective beam after detecting the beam failure condition. In some embodiments, the UE may switch to a new effective beam for uplink transmission before receiving an update indicating the new beam from a network (e.g., a base station). In some embodiments, switching to a new effective beam for uplink transmission may include switching to a new beam for one or more of a physical uplink control channel (PUCCH) transmission, a sounding reference signal (SRS) transmission, a physical uplink shared channel (PUSCH) transmission, and / or a physical random access channel (PRACH) transmission. In some embodiments, detecting a new effective beam may include the UE identifying a beam identified during a previous candidate beam search period. In some embodiments, the UE may use the new effective beam to update the quasi-co-location configuration of PUCCH resources in a default PUCCH group.

[0161] In some embodiments, the UE may activate or deactivate at least one antenna panel for transmission with the base station. In such embodiments, the UE may report capabilities associated with quasi-co-location (QCL) updates to the base station. The capabilities may include at least one, one or more, and / or both of the number of transmission configuration indicator (TCI) states supported on a component carrier (CC) within a frequency band (e.g., a maximum number, in some embodiments) or the number of PUCCH groups supported per BWP, within a cell, or on a CC within a frequency band for a PUCCH (e.g., a maximum number, in some embodiments). In some embodiments, active PUCCH resources from different component carriers overlapping in the time domain may be associated with a PUCCH group for intra-band carrier aggregation or inter-band carrier aggregation.

[0162] In some embodiments, the UE may assign a logical antenna panel ID to a channel state information reference signal (CSI-RS) resource indicator (CRC) or a synchronization signal / physical broadcast channel (SSB / PBCH) block resource indicator (SSBRI) during a measurement reporting process. In such embodiments, during the measurement reporting process, the UE may report the logical antenna panel ID for transmission to and / or reception from the base station. In some embodiments, the CRI / SSBRI may indicate a preferred beam. In some embodiments, the CRI / SSBRI may be a resource index of a channel state information reference signal (CSIRS) or a synchronization signal block (SSB). In some embodiments, the UE may report a logical antenna panel ID for sounding reference signal (SRS) transmission during SRS transmission.

[0163] In some embodiments, the UE may report to the base station the minimum delay requirement for switching antenna panels. In some embodiments, in response to the base station violating the minimum delay requirement, the UE may determine the antenna panel to be used without input from the base station. In some embodiments, in response to the base station violating the minimum delay requirement, the UE may determine the antenna panel to be used based on a pre-specified configuration. In such embodiments, the pre-specified configuration may include the UE selecting the beam of the control resource set (CORESET) with the lowest ID in the currently active antenna panel and / or the UE selecting one of the last beams for reception and / or transmission in the currently active antenna panel. In some embodiments, in response to the base station violating the minimum delay requirement, the UE may receive an indication of the logical antenna panel ID for measurement from the base station. In some embodiments, the report may be provided via one of MAC-CE, radio resource control (RRC) signaling, or signaling via PUCCH.

[0164] In some embodiments, the UE may receive an update to a path loss measurement reference signal (RS) from a base station via a MAC CE. In some embodiments, when (if) the UE is unable to (reliably) measure the path loss measurement RS (e.g., at least once) before transmitting a subsequent sounding reference signal / physical uplink shared channel / PUCCH (SRS / PUSCH / PUCCH), the UE may continue to use the path loss estimate from the previous RS to determine the uplink open-loop transmit power until the path loss can be (reliably) measured from the new path loss measurement RS.

[0165] Fig.16 A block diagram of another example of a communication beam management method based on fifth generation new radio (5G NR) frequency range two (FR2) according to some embodiments is shown. Among other devices, Fig.16 The method shown in can also be used together with any one of the system, method or device shown in the figure. In various embodiments, some of the method elements shown can be performed concurrently in an order different from the order shown, or can be omitted. Additional method elements can also be performed as required. As shown in the figure, the method can be operated as follows.

[0166] At 1602, a UE such as UE 106 may report a minimum latency requirement for switching antenna panels to a base station such as base station 102 and / or gNB 604 serving the UE.

[0167] At 1604, in response to the base station violating the minimum latency requirement, the UE may determine the antenna panel to use without input from the base station. In some embodiments, in response to the base station violating the minimum latency requirement, the UE may determine the antenna panel to use based on a pre-specified configuration. In such embodiments, the pre-specified configuration may include the UE selecting the beam of the control resource set (CORESET) with the lowest ID in the currently active antenna panel and / or one of the last beams selected by the UE for reception and / or transmission in the currently active antenna panel. In some embodiments, in response to the base station violating the minimum latency requirement, the UE may receive an indication of the logical antenna panel ID for measurement from the base station. In some embodiments, the report may be provided via one of MAC-CE, radio resource control (RRC) signaling, or signaling via PUCCH.

[0168] In some embodiments, the UE may configure a group identifier (ID) for PUCCH resources within a set of physical uplink control channels (PUCCHs) via communication with a base station serving the UE. In some embodiments, configuring the group ID may include, for example, exchanging radio resource control (RRC) messages with the base station during the PUCCH configuration process. In addition, the UE may receive an update to one or more PUCCH resources within the set of PUCCHs from the base station serving the UE via a medium access control (MAC) control element (CE). In some embodiments, the MAC CE may include one of a resource ID indicating an update of the PUCCH resource or a group ID for updating the set of PUCCH resources. In some embodiments, one of the resource ID, group ID, bandwidth portion ID, and / or serving cell ID may indicate one of a reserved value or an invalid value. In some embodiments, when a reserved value or an invalid value is received, the UE may assume that a single beam updates the resources, bandwidth portion, component carrier, and / or group associated with the UE. In some embodiments, the UE may interpret the MAC CE as an update to the PUCCH resources in the bandwidth part configuration, an update to the PUCCH resources configured in the cell serving the UE, or an update to the PUCCH resources configured in the cell indicated by the serving cell identifier included in the MAC CE. In some embodiments, the bandwidth part may be indicated via the bandwidth part identifier. In some embodiments, the UE may update one or more PUCCH resources within the set of PUCCH based on the MAC-CE.

[0169] In some embodiments, a default PUCCH group ID may be defined and / or specified. In some embodiments, the default PUCCH group may include at least one of a PUCCH group with a minimum PUCCH group ID in the current bandwidth portion or a PUCCH group that includes a service with the least delay tolerance.

[0170] In some embodiments, the UE may detect a beam failure condition and detect a new effective beam after detecting the beam failure condition. In some embodiments, the UE may switch to a new effective beam for uplink transmission before receiving an update indicating the new beam from a network (e.g., a base station). In some embodiments, switching to a new effective beam for uplink transmission may include switching to a new beam for one or more of a physical uplink control channel (PUCCH) transmission, a sounding reference signal (SRS) transmission, a physical uplink shared channel (PUSCH) transmission, and / or a physical random access channel (PRACH) transmission. In some embodiments, detecting a new effective beam may include the UE identifying a beam identified during a previous candidate beam search period. In some embodiments, the UE may use the new effective beam to update the quasi-co-location configuration of PUCCH resources in a default PUCCH group.

[0171] In some embodiments, the UE may activate or deactivate at least one antenna panel for transmission with the base station. In such embodiments, the UE may report capabilities associated with quasi-co-location (QCL) updates to the base station. The capabilities may include at least one, one or more, and / or both of the number of transmission configuration indicator (TCI) states supported on a component carrier (CC) within a frequency band (e.g., a maximum number, in some embodiments) or the number of PUCCH groups supported per BWP, within a cell, or on a CC within a frequency band for a PUCCH (e.g., a maximum number, in some embodiments). In some embodiments, active PUCCH resources from different component carriers overlapping in the time domain may be associated with a PUCCH group for intra-band carrier aggregation or inter-band carrier aggregation.

[0172] In some embodiments, the UE may assign a logical antenna panel ID to a channel state information reference signal (CSI-RS) resource indicator (CRC) or a synchronization signal / physical broadcast channel (SSB / PBCH) block resource indicator (SSBRI) during a measurement reporting process. In such embodiments, during the measurement reporting process, the UE may report the logical antenna panel ID for transmission to and / or reception from the base station. In some embodiments, the CRI / SSBRI may indicate a preferred beam. In some embodiments, the CRI / SSBRI may be a resource index of a channel state information reference signal (CSIRS) or a synchronization signal block (SSB). In some embodiments, the UE may report a logical antenna panel ID for sounding reference signal (SRS) transmission during SRS transmission.

[0173] In some embodiments, the UE may provide an indication of the antenna panel switching time to the base station via one of MAC-CE, radio resource control (RRC) signaling, or signaling via PUCCH. In some embodiments, the indication may be based on each antenna panel. In some embodiments, the antenna panel may be identified via a logical antenna panel identification (ID). In some embodiments, the indication may be provided to the base station periodically. In some embodiments, the indication may be provided to the base station periodically, for example, when the UE decides to change the panel power management state. In some embodiments, the indication may be provided to the base station based on the occurrence of an event. In such embodiments, the event may include activation of an antenna panel, deactivation of an antenna panel, and / or switching to or from an antenna panel for at least one of transmission / reception.

[0174] In some embodiments, the UE may receive an update to a path loss measurement reference signal (RS) from a base station via a MAC CE. In some embodiments, when (if) the UE is unable to (reliably) measure the path loss measurement RS (e.g., at least once) before transmitting a subsequent sounding reference signal / physical uplink shared channel / PUCCH (SRS / PUSCH / PUCCH), the UE may continue to use the path loss estimate from the previous RS to determine the uplink open-loop transmit power until the path loss can be (reliably) measured from the new path loss measurement RS.

[0175] Fig.17 A block diagram of another example of a communication beam management method based on fifth generation new radio (5G NR) frequency range two (FR2) according to some embodiments is shown. Among other devices, Fig.17 The method shown in can also be used together with any one of the system, method or device shown in the figure. In various embodiments, some of the method elements shown can be performed concurrently in an order different from the order shown, or can be omitted. Additional method elements can also be performed as required. As shown in the figure, the method can be operated as follows.

[0176] At 1702, a UE such as UE 106 may attach to a base station such as base station 102 and / or gNB 604. In some embodiments, the attachment may include an exchange of one or more configuration messages.

[0177] At 1704, the UE may receive an update to a path loss measurement reference signal (RS) from the base station via a MAC CE. In some embodiments, when (if) the UE is unable to (reliably) measure the path loss measurement RS (e.g., at least once) before transmitting a subsequent sounding reference signal / physical uplink shared channel / PUCCH (SRS / PUSCH / PUCCH), the UE may continue to use the path loss estimate from the previous RS to determine the uplink open-loop transmit power until the path loss can be (reliably) measured from the new path loss measurement RS.

[0178] In some embodiments, the UE may configure a group identifier (ID) for PUCCH resources within a set of physical uplink control channels (PUCCHs) via communication with a base station serving the UE. In some embodiments, configuring the group ID may include, for example, exchanging radio resource control (RRC) messages with the base station during the PUCCH configuration process. In addition, the UE may receive an update to one or more PUCCH resources within the set of PUCCHs from the base station serving the UE via a medium access control (MAC) control element (CE). In some embodiments, the MAC CE may include one of a resource ID indicating an update of the PUCCH resource or a group ID for updating the set of PUCCH resources. In some embodiments, one of the resource ID, group ID, bandwidth portion ID, and / or serving cell ID may indicate one of a reserved value or an invalid value. In some embodiments, when a reserved value or an invalid value is received, the UE may assume that a single beam updates the resources, bandwidth portion, component carrier, and / or group associated with the UE. In some embodiments, the UE may interpret the MAC CE as an update to the PUCCH resources in the bandwidth part configuration, an update to the PUCCH resources configured in the cell serving the UE, or an update to the PUCCH resources configured in the cell indicated by the serving cell identifier included in the MAC CE. In some embodiments, the bandwidth part may be indicated via the bandwidth part identifier. In some embodiments, the UE may update one or more PUCCH resources within the set of PUCCH based on the MAC-CE.

[0179] In some embodiments, a default PUCCH group ID may be defined and / or specified. In some embodiments, the default PUCCH group may include at least one of a PUCCH group with a minimum PUCCH group ID in the current bandwidth portion or a PUCCH group that includes a service with the least delay tolerance.

[0180] In some embodiments, the UE may detect a beam failure condition and detect a new effective beam after detecting the beam failure condition. In some embodiments, the UE may switch to a new effective beam for uplink transmission before receiving an update indicating the new beam from a network (e.g., a base station). In some embodiments, switching to a new effective beam for uplink transmission may include switching to a new beam for one or more of a physical uplink control channel (PUCCH) transmission, a sounding reference signal (SRS) transmission, a physical uplink shared channel (PUSCH) transmission, and / or a physical random access channel (PRACH) transmission. In some embodiments, detecting a new effective beam may include the UE identifying a beam identified during a previous candidate beam search period. In some embodiments, the UE may use the new effective beam to update the quasi-co-location configuration of PUCCH resources in a default PUCCH group.

[0181] In some embodiments, the UE may activate or deactivate at least one antenna panel for transmission with the base station. In such embodiments, the UE may report capabilities associated with quasi-co-location (QCL) updates to the base station. The capabilities may include at least one, one or more, and / or both of the number of transmission configuration indicator (TCI) states supported on a component carrier (CC) within a frequency band (e.g., a maximum number, in some embodiments) or the number of PUCCH groups supported per BWP, within a cell, or on a CC within a frequency band for a PUCCH (e.g., a maximum number, in some embodiments). In some embodiments, active PUCCH resources from different component carriers overlapping in the time domain may be associated with a PUCCH group for intra-band carrier aggregation or inter-band carrier aggregation.

[0182] In some embodiments, the UE may assign a logical antenna panel ID to a channel state information reference signal (CSI-RS) resource indicator (CRC) or a synchronization signal / physical broadcast channel (SSB / PBCH) block resource indicator (SSBRI) during a measurement reporting process. In such embodiments, during the measurement reporting process, the UE may report the logical antenna panel ID for transmission to and / or reception from the base station. In some embodiments, the CRI / SSBRI may indicate a preferred beam. In some embodiments, the CRI / SSBRI may be a resource index of a channel state information reference signal (CSIRS) or a synchronization signal block (SSB). In some embodiments, the UE may report a logical antenna panel ID for sounding reference signal (SRS) transmission during SRS transmission.

[0183] In some embodiments, the UE may provide an indication of the antenna panel switching time to the base station via one of MAC-CE, radio resource control (RRC) signaling, or signaling via PUCCH. In some embodiments, the indication may be based on each antenna panel. In some embodiments, the antenna panel may be identified via a logical antenna panel identification (ID). In some embodiments, the indication may be provided to the base station periodically. In some embodiments, the indication may be provided to the base station periodically, for example, when the UE decides to change the panel power management state. In some embodiments, the indication may be provided to the base station based on the occurrence of an event. In such embodiments, the event may include activation of an antenna panel, deactivation of an antenna panel, and / or switching to or from an antenna panel for at least one of transmission / reception.

[0184] In some embodiments, the UE may report to the base station the minimum delay requirement for switching antenna panels. In some embodiments, in response to the base station violating the minimum delay requirement, the UE may determine the antenna panel to be used without input from the base station. In some embodiments, in response to the base station violating the minimum delay requirement, the UE may determine the antenna panel to be used based on a pre-specified configuration. In such embodiments, the pre-specified configuration may include the UE selecting the beam of the control resource set (CORESET) with the lowest ID in the currently active antenna panel and / or the UE selecting one of the last beams for reception and / or transmission in the currently active antenna panel. In some embodiments, in response to the base station violating the minimum delay requirement, the UE may receive an indication of the logical antenna panel ID for measurement from the base station. In some embodiments, the report may be provided via one of MAC-CE, radio resource control (RRC) signaling, or signaling via PUCCH.

[0185] Fig.18 A block diagram of another example of a communication beam management method based on fifth generation new radio (5G NR) frequency range two (FR2) according to some embodiments is shown. Among other devices, Fig.18 The method shown in can also be used together with any one of the system, method or device shown in the figure. In various embodiments, some of the method elements shown can be performed concurrently in an order different from the order shown, or can be omitted. Additional method elements can also be performed as required. As shown in the figure, the method can be operated as follows.

[0186] At 1802, a UE such as UE 106 may detect a beam failure condition. In some embodiments, prior to detecting the beam failure condition, the UE may attach to a base station such as base station 102 and / or gNB 604. In some embodiments, the attachment may include an exchange of one or more configuration messages.

[0187] At 1804, the UE may detect a new effective beam in response to detecting a beam failure condition (and / or after detecting a beam failure condition). In some embodiments, detecting the new effective beam may include the UE identifying a beam identified during a previous candidate beam search period. In some embodiments, the UE may use the new effective beam to update the quasi co-location configuration of PUCCH resources in the default PUCCH group.

[0188] At 1806, prior to receiving an update from the network (e.g., a base station) indicating the new beam, the UE may switch to the new effective beam for uplink transmissions. In some embodiments, switching to the new effective beam for uplink transmissions may include switching to the new beam for one or more of a physical uplink control channel (PUCCH) transmission, a sounding reference signal (SRS) transmission, a physical uplink shared channel (PUSCH) transmission, and / or a physical random access channel (PRACH) transmission.

[0189] In some embodiments, the UE may configure a group identifier (ID) for PUCCH resources within a set of physical uplink control channels (PUCCHs) via communication with a base station serving the UE. In some embodiments, configuring the group ID may include, for example, exchanging radio resource control (RRC) messages with the base station during the PUCCH configuration process. In addition, the UE may receive an update to one or more PUCCH resources within the set of PUCCHs from the base station serving the UE via a medium access control (MAC) control element (CE). In some embodiments, the MAC CE may include one of a resource ID indicating an update of the PUCCH resource or a group ID for updating the set of PUCCH resources. In some embodiments, one of the resource ID, group ID, bandwidth portion ID, and / or serving cell ID may indicate one of a reserved value or an invalid value. In some embodiments, when a reserved value or an invalid value is received, the UE may assume that a single beam updates the resources, bandwidth portion, component carrier, and / or group associated with the UE. In some embodiments, the UE may interpret the MAC CE as an update to the PUCCH resources in the bandwidth part configuration, an update to the PUCCH resources configured in the cell serving the UE, or an update to the PUCCH resources configured in the cell indicated by the serving cell identifier included in the MAC CE. In some embodiments, the bandwidth part may be indicated via the bandwidth part identifier. In some embodiments, the UE may update one or more PUCCH resources within the set of PUCCH based on the MAC-CE.

[0190] In some embodiments, a default PUCCH group ID may be defined and / or specified. In some embodiments, the default PUCCH group may include at least one of a PUCCH group with a minimum PUCCH group ID in the current bandwidth portion or a PUCCH group that includes a service with the least delay tolerance.

[0191] In some embodiments, the UE may activate or deactivate at least one antenna panel for transmission with the base station. In such embodiments, the UE may report capabilities associated with quasi-co-location (QCL) updates to the base station. The capabilities may include at least one, one or more, and / or both of the number of transmission configuration indicator (TCI) states supported on a component carrier (CC) within a frequency band (e.g., a maximum number, in some embodiments) or the number of PUCCH groups supported per BWP, within a cell, or on a CC within a frequency band for a PUCCH (e.g., a maximum number, in some embodiments). In some embodiments, active PUCCH resources from different component carriers overlapping in the time domain may be associated with a PUCCH group for intra-band carrier aggregation or inter-band carrier aggregation.

[0192] In some embodiments, the UE may assign a logical antenna panel ID to a channel state information reference signal (CSI-RS) resource indicator (CRC) or a synchronization signal / physical broadcast channel (SSB / PBCH) block resource indicator (SSBRI) during a measurement reporting process. In such embodiments, during the measurement reporting process, the UE may report the logical antenna panel ID for transmission to and / or reception from the base station. In some embodiments, the CRI / SSBRI may indicate a preferred beam. In some embodiments, the CRI / SSBRI may be a resource index of a channel state information reference signal (CSIRS) or a synchronization signal block (SSB). In some embodiments, the UE may report a logical antenna panel ID for sounding reference signal (SRS) transmission during SRS transmission.

[0193] In some embodiments, the UE may provide an indication of the antenna panel switching time to the base station via one of MAC-CE, radio resource control (RRC) signaling, or signaling via PUCCH. In some embodiments, the indication may be based on each antenna panel. In some embodiments, the antenna panel may be identified via a logical antenna panel identification (ID). In some embodiments, the indication may be provided to the base station periodically. In some embodiments, the indication may be provided to the base station periodically, for example, when the UE decides to change the panel power management state. In some embodiments, the indication may be provided to the base station based on the occurrence of an event. In such embodiments, the event may include activation of an antenna panel, deactivation of an antenna panel, and / or switching to or from an antenna panel for at least one of transmission / reception.

[0194] In some embodiments, the UE may report to the base station the minimum delay requirement for switching antenna panels. In some embodiments, in response to the base station violating the minimum delay requirement, the UE may determine the antenna panel to be used without input from the base station. In some embodiments, in response to the base station violating the minimum delay requirement, the UE may determine the antenna panel to be used based on a pre-specified configuration. In such embodiments, the pre-specified configuration may include the UE selecting the beam of the control resource set (CORESET) with the lowest ID in the currently active antenna panel and / or the UE selecting one of the last beams for reception and / or transmission in the currently active antenna panel. In some embodiments, in response to the base station violating the minimum delay requirement, the UE may receive an indication of the logical antenna panel ID for measurement from the base station. In some embodiments, the report may be provided via one of MAC-CE, radio resource control (RRC) signaling, or signaling via PUCCH.

[0195] In some embodiments, the UE may receive an update to a path loss measurement reference signal (RS) from a base station via a MAC CE. In some embodiments, when (if) the UE is unable to (reliably) measure the path loss measurement RS (e.g., at least once) before transmitting a subsequent sounding reference signal / physical uplink shared channel / PUCCH (SRS / PUSCH / PUCCH), the UE may continue to use the path loss estimate from the previous RS to determine the uplink open-loop transmit power until the path loss can be (reliably) measured from the new path loss measurement RS.

[0196] It is understood that the use of personally identifiable information should be subject to privacy policies and practices that are generally recognized to meet or exceed industry or government requirements for maintaining user privacy. Specifically, personally identifiable information data should be managed and processed to minimize the risk of unintentional or unauthorized access or use, and the nature of the authorized use should be clearly stated to users.

[0197] The embodiments of the present disclosure may be implemented in any of a variety of forms. For example, some embodiments may be implemented as computer-implemented methods, computer-readable storage media, or computer systems. Other embodiments may be implemented using one or more custom-designed hardware devices such as ASICs. Other embodiments may be implemented using one or more programmable hardware elements such as FPGAs.

[0198] In some embodiments, a non-transitory computer-readable storage medium may be configured such that it stores program instructions and / or data, wherein if the program instructions are executed by a computer system, the computer system is caused to perform a method, such as any one of the method embodiments described herein, or any combination of the method embodiments described herein, or any subset of any of the method embodiments described herein or any combination of such subsets.

[0199] In some embodiments, a device (e.g., UE 106) may be configured to include a processor (or a group of processors) and a memory medium, wherein the memory medium stores program instructions, wherein the processor is configured to read and execute the program instructions from the memory medium, wherein the program instructions are executable to implement any of the various method implementations described herein (or any combination of the method implementations described herein, or any subset of any of the method implementations described herein, or any combination of such subsets). The device may be implemented in any of various forms.

[0200] Although the above embodiments have been described in considerable detail, numerous variations and modifications will become apparent to those skilled in the art once the above disclosure is fully appreciated. It is intended that the following claims be interpreted to encompass all such variations and modifications.

Claims

1. A user equipment device (UE), the user equipment device comprising: at least one antenna; at least one radio component, wherein the at least one radio component is configured to perform cellular communications using at least one radio access technology (RAT); one or more processors coupled to the at least one radio, wherein the one or more processors and the at least one radio are configured to perform voice and / or data communications; The one or more processors are configured to cause the UE to: configuring, via communication with a base station serving the UE, a group identity (ID) for a physical uplink control channel (PUCCH) resource within a set of PUCCHs; receiving an update to one or more PUCCH resources within the set of PUCCHs from the base station serving the UE via a medium access control (MAC) control element (CE), wherein the MAC CE includes one of a resource ID indicating an update to the PUCCH resources or the group ID for updating the set of PUCCH resources; as well as The one or more PUCCH resources within the set of PUCCHs are updated based on the MAC-CE.

2. The UE according to claim 1, Wherein configuring the group ID comprises exchanging radio resource control (RRC) messages during a PUCCH configuration procedure.

3. The UE according to claim 1, One of the resource ID, the group ID, the bandwidth part ID or the serving cell ID indicates one of a reserved value or an invalid value, wherein when the reserved value or the invalid value is received, the UE assumes a single beam to update the resources, bandwidth part, component carrier and / or group associated with the UE.

4. The UE according to claim 3, The one or more processors are further configured to cause the UE to perform the following operations: The MAC CE is interpreted as at least one of the following: updating of PUCCH resources configured in a bandwidth part, wherein the bandwidth part is indicated via a bandwidth part identification; updating of PUCCH resources configured in a cell serving the UE; An update of PUCCH resources configured in a cell indicated by a serving cell identifier included in the MAC CE.

5. The UE according to claim 1, A default PUCCH group ID is defined or specified, wherein the default PUCCH group includes at least one of the following: the PUCCH group with the smallest PUCCH group ID in the current bandwidth part; or The PUCCH group comprising the least delay tolerant service.

6. The UE according to claim 1, The one or more processors are further configured to cause the UE to perform the following operations: Detect beam fault conditions; After detecting the beam failure condition, detecting a new valid beam; and Prior to receiving an update from the network indicating a new beam, switching to the new effective beam for uplink transmission; wherein the switching to the new effective beam for uplink transmission comprises switching to the new beam for one or more of: Physical Uplink Control Channel (PUCCH) transmission; Sounding Reference Signal (SRS) transmission; Physical Uplink Shared Channel (PUSCH) transmissions; and / or Physical Random Access Channel (PRACH) transmission.

7. The UE according to claim 6, in, To detect the new effective beam, the one or more processors are further configured to cause the UE to: identifying a beam identified during a previous candidate beam search cycle; and The quasi co-location configuration of PUCCH resources in the default PUCCH group is updated using the new effective beam.

8. The UE according to claim 1, The one or more processors are further configured to cause the UE to: activating or deactivating at least one antenna panel for transmitting with the base station; and Capabilities associated with quasi co-location (QCL) updates are reported to the base station.

9. The UE according to claim 8, The capabilities include at least one of the following: the number of supported transmission configuration indicator (TCI) states on component carriers (CCs) within the frequency band; or The number of PUCCH groups supported per BWP, cell, or CC in the frequency band used for PUCCH.

10. The UE according to claim 8, The active PUCCH resources from different component carriers overlapping in the time domain are associated with a PUCCH group for intra-band carrier aggregation or inter-band carrier aggregation.

11. An apparatus comprising: Memory; and a processor in communication with the memory, wherein the processor is configured to: configuring, via communication with a serving base station, a group identity (ID) for a set of physical uplink control channels (PUCCH) resources within a PUCCH; receiving, from the serving base station, an update to one or more PUCCH resources within the set of PUCCHs, wherein the update comprises one of a resource ID indicating an update to the PUCCH resources or the group ID for updating the set of PUCCH resources; and The one or more PUCCH resources within the set of PUCCHs are updated.

12. The device according to claim 11, The processor is further configured to: During a measurement reporting procedure, assigning a logical antenna panel ID to a channel state information reference signal (CSI-RS) resource indicator (CRI) or a synchronization signal / physical broadcast channel (SSB / PBCH) block resource indicator (SSBRI), wherein the CRI / SSBRI indicates a preferred beam, and wherein the CRI / SSBRI is a resource index of a channel state information reference signal (CSIRS) or a synchronization signal block (SSB); and During the measurement reporting procedure, the logical antenna panel ID for transmission to and / or reception from the serving base station is reported.

13. The device according to claim 12, The processor is further configured to: During Sounding Reference Signal (SRS) transmission, the logical antenna panel ID used for SRS transmission is reported.

14. The device according to claim 11, The processor is further configured to: An indication of antenna panel switching time is provided to the serving base station via one of MAC-CE, radio resource control (RRC) signaling, or signaling via PUCCH.

15. The device according to claim 14, The indication is based on each antenna panel.

16. The device according to claim 14, The indication is provided to the serving base station periodically upon a change in panel power management state or based on the occurrence of an event, and wherein the event comprises activation of an antenna panel, deactivation of an antenna panel, or switching to or from an antenna panel for at least one of transmission / reception.

17. A non-transitory computer-readable memory medium storing program instructions executable by a processing circuit to cause a user equipment device (UE): configuring, via communication with a base station serving the UE, a group identity (ID) for a physical uplink control channel (PUCCH) resource within a set of PUCCHs; receiving an update to one or more PUCCH resources within the set of PUCCHs from the base station serving the UE via a medium access control (MAC) control element (CE); and The one or more PUCCH resources within the set of PUCCHs are updated based on the MAC-CE.

18. The non-transitory computer readable memory medium of claim 17, The program instructions can also be executed by the processing circuit to cause the UE to: reporting to the base station a minimum delay requirement for switching antenna panels; as well as In response to the base station violating the minimum delay requirement: determining an antenna panel to be used without input from the base station; Determining the antenna panel to be used based on a pre-specified configuration, wherein the pre-specified configuration includes one of the following: the UE selects a beam of a control resource set (CORESET) with a lowest ID in a currently active antenna panel, or the UE selects a last beam for reception and / or transmission in a currently active antenna panel; or An indication of a logical antenna panel ID for measurement is received from the base station.

19. The non-transitory computer readable memory medium of claim 18, The reporting is provided via one of MAC-CE, radio resource control (RRC) signaling, or signaling via PUCCH.

20. The non-transitory computer readable memory medium of claim 17, The program instructions can also be executed by the processing circuit to cause the UE to: An update to a path loss measurement reference signal (RS) is received via a MAC CE, wherein when the UE is unable to reliably measure the path loss measurement RS before transmitting a subsequent sounding reference signal / physical uplink shared channel / PUCCH (SRS / PUSCH / PUCCH), the UE continues to use the path loss estimate from the previous RS to determine the uplink open-loop transmit power until the path loss can be reliably measured from the path loss measurement RS.

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