QCL indication by UE beam-based marking

Abstract

The UE may receive an indication of a beam-to-link (BPL), wherein the BPL includes a base station (BS) transmit beam and a corresponding UE receive beam. The UE may mark the BPL based on the UE receive beam. The UE may take one or more actions associated with the marked BPL.

Description

[0001] This application is a divisional application of a patent application with an international application date of June 15, 2018, an international application number of PCT / US2018 / 037819, a Chinese national application date of June 15, 2018, an application number of 201880039279.0, and an invention name of “QCL ​​indication through UE beam-based marking”.

[0002] CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

[0003] This application claims priority to U.S. Application No. 16 / 009,034, filed on June 14, 2018, which claims the benefit of and priority to U.S. Provisional Application SN 62 / 521,308, filed on June 16, 2017, both of which are expressly incorporated herein by reference in their entirety.

[0004] introduction

[0005] Various aspects of the present disclosure relate to wireless communications, and more particularly, to quasi co-location (QLC) indication based on UE beam marking.

[0006] Wireless communication systems are widely deployed to provide various telecommunication services such as telephony, video, data, messaging, and broadcast. Typical wireless communication systems may employ multiple access technologies capable of supporting communication with multiple users by sharing available system resources (e.g., bandwidth, transmit power). Examples of such multiple access technologies include code division multiple access (CDMA) systems, time division multiple access (TDMA) systems, frequency division multiple access (FDMA) systems, orthogonal frequency division multiple access (OFDMA) systems, single carrier frequency division multiple access (SC-FDMA) systems, and time division synchronous code division multiple access (TD-SCDMA) systems.

[0007] In some examples, a wireless multiple access communication system may include several base stations, each base station supporting communication of multiple communication devices (also referred to as user equipment (UE)) simultaneously. In a long term evolution (LTE) or advanced LTE (LTE-A) network, a set of one or more base stations may define an evolved B node (eNB). In other examples (e.g., in a next generation or 5G network), a wireless multiple access communication system may include several distributed units (DU) (e.g., edge units (EU), edge nodes (EN), radio heads (RH), smart radio heads (SRH), transmission reception points (TRP), etc.) in communication with several central units (CU) (e.g., central nodes (CN), access node controllers (ANC), etc.), wherein a set of one or more distributed units in communication with a central unit may define an access node (e.g., new radio base station (NR BS), new radio B node (NR NB), network node, 5G NB, gNB, gNodeB, etc.). A base station or DU may communicate with a group of UEs on downlink channels (eg, for transmissions from the base station to the UEs) and uplink channels (eg, for transmissions from the UEs to the base station or distributed unit).

[0008] These multiple access technologies have been adopted in various telecommunication standards to provide a common protocol that enables different wireless devices to communicate at a city, country, region, and even global level. An example of an emerging telecommunication standard is New Radio (NR), for example, 5G radio access. NR is a set of enhancements to the LTE mobile standard promulgated by the Third Generation Partnership Project (3GPP). It is designed to better support mobile broadband Internet access by improving spectrum efficiency, reducing costs, improving services, utilizing new spectrum, and better integrating with other open standards using OFDMA with cyclic prefix (CP) on downlink (DL) and uplink (UL), as well as supporting beamforming, multiple-input multiple-output (MIMO) antenna technology, and carrier aggregation.

[0009] However, as the demand for mobile broadband access continues to grow, there is a need for further improvements in NR technology. Preferably, these improvements should be applicable to other multiple access technologies and the telecommunication standards that employ these technologies.

[0010] Overview

[0011] As described herein, certain wireless systems may employ directional beams for transmission and reception.

[0012] Certain aspects of the present disclosure provide a method for wireless communication that may be performed, for example, by a UE. The method includes receiving an indication of a beam pair link (BPL), wherein the BPL includes a base station (BS) transmit beam and a corresponding UE receive beam, marking the BPL based on the UE receive beam, and taking one or more actions associated with the marked BPL.

[0013] Certain aspects of the present disclosure provide a method for wireless communication that may be performed, for example, by a BS. The method includes transmitting an indication of a beam pair link (BPL), wherein the BPL includes a BS transmit beam and a corresponding user equipment (UE) receive beam, receiving an indication of a tag assigned to the BPL based on the UE receive beam, and taking one or more actions associated with the tagged BPL.

[0014] Certain aspects of the present disclosure provide an apparatus for wireless communication that can be performed, for example, by a UE. The apparatus includes: a device for receiving an indication of a beam pair link (BPL), wherein the BPL includes a base station (BS) transmit beam and a corresponding UE receive beam, a device for marking the BPL based on the UE receive beam, and a device for taking one or more actions associated with the marked BPL.

[0015] Certain aspects of the present disclosure provide an apparatus for wireless communication that may be performed, for example, by a BS. The apparatus includes: means for transmitting an indication of a beam pair link (BPL), wherein the BPL includes a BS transmit beam and a corresponding user equipment (UE) receive beam, means for receiving an indication of a tag assigned to the BPL based on the UE receive beam, and means for taking one or more actions associated with the tagged BPL.

[0016] Certain aspects of the present disclosure provide an apparatus for wireless communication that can be performed, for example, by a UE. The apparatus includes at least one processor and a memory coupled to the at least one processor. The at least one processor is configured to: receive an indication of a beam-pair link (BPL), wherein the BPL includes a base station (BS) transmit beam and a corresponding UE receive beam, mark the BPL based on the UE receive beam, and take one or more actions associated with the marked BPL.

[0017] Certain aspects of the present disclosure provide an apparatus for wireless communication that can be performed, for example, by a BS. The apparatus includes at least one processor and a memory coupled to the at least one processor. The at least one processor is configured to: transmit an indication of a beam pair link (BPL), wherein the BPL includes a BS transmit beam and a corresponding user equipment (UE) receive beam, receive an indication of a tag assigned to the BPL based on the UE receive beam, and take one or more actions associated with the marked BPL.

[0018] Certain aspects of the present disclosure provide a computer-readable medium having computer-executable instructions stored thereon, which enable a UE to: receive an indication of a beam-pair link (BPL), wherein the BPL includes a base station (BS) transmit beam and a corresponding UE receive beam, mark the BPL based on the UE receive beam, and take one or more actions associated with the marked BPL.

[0019] Certain aspects of the present disclosure provide a computer-readable medium having computer-executable instructions stored thereon that cause a BS to: transmit an indication of a beam-pair link (BPL), wherein the BPL includes a BS transmit beam and a corresponding user equipment (UE) receive beam, receive an indication of a tag assigned to the BPL based on the UE receive beam, and take one or more actions associated with the tagged BPL.

[0020] Aspects generally include methods, apparatus (devices), systems, computer-readable media, and processing systems substantially as described herein with reference to and as illustrated by the accompanying figures.

[0021] After studying the description of the specific exemplary embodiments of the present invention below in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, other aspects, features and embodiments of the present invention will be apparent to those of ordinary skill in the art. Although features of the present invention may be discussed below with respect to certain embodiments and accompanying drawings, all embodiments of the present invention may include one or more advantageous features discussed herein. In other words, although one or more embodiments may be discussed to have certain advantageous features, one or more such features may also be used according to the various embodiments of the present invention discussed herein. In a similar manner, although exemplary embodiments may be discussed below as device, system or method embodiments, it should be appreciated that such exemplary embodiments may be implemented in various devices, systems, and methods. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0023] Figure 1 is a block diagram conceptually illustrating an example telecommunications system in accordance with certain aspects of the present disclosure.

[0024] Figure 2is a block diagram illustrating an example logical architecture of a distributed RAN in accordance with certain aspects of the present disclosure.

[0025] Figure 3 is a diagram illustrating an example physical architecture of a distributed RAN in accordance with certain aspects of the present disclosure.

[0026] Figure 4 is a block diagram conceptually illustrating designs of an example BS and UE in accordance with certain aspects of the present disclosure.

[0027] Figure 5 is a diagram illustrating an example for implementing a communication protocol stack in accordance with certain aspects of the present disclosure.

[0028] Figure 6 An example of a frame format for a New Radio (NR) system is illustrated in accordance with certain aspects of the present disclosure.

[0029] Figure 7 Examples of P1, P2, and P3 procedures are explained.

[0030] Figure 8 An example of an updated BPL tag after discovery and deletion in accordance with certain aspects of the present disclosure is illustrated.

[0031] Fig. 9 An example of a BPL tag after P2 is illustrated in accordance with certain aspects of the present disclosure.

[0032] Fig.10 An example of an updated BPL tag after P3 is illustrated in accordance with certain aspects of the present disclosure.

[0033] Fig.11 Example operations performed by a UE in accordance with aspects of the present disclosure are illustrated.

[0034] Fig.12 Example operations performed by a BS according to aspects of the present disclosure are illustrated.

[0035] Fig.13 Communications devices that may include various components configured to perform operations of the techniques disclosed herein are illustrated in accordance with aspects of the present disclosure.

[0036] Fig.14 Communications devices that may include various components configured to perform operations of the techniques disclosed herein are illustrated in accordance with aspects of the present disclosure.

[0037] To facilitate understanding, identical reference numerals have been used, where possible, to designate identical elements that are common to the figures. It is contemplated that elements disclosed in one aspect may be beneficially utilized in other aspects without specific recitation. Detailed Description

[0039] Aspects of the present disclosure provide apparatus, methods, processing systems, and computer-readable media for New Radio (NR) (new radio access technology or 5G technology).

[0040] NR can support various wireless communication services, such as enhanced mobile broadband (eMBB) targeting wide bandwidth (e.g., more than 80 MHz), millimeter wave (mmW) targeting high carrier frequency (e.g., 60 GHz), massive MTC (mMTC) targeting non-backward compatible MTC technology, and / or mission critical services targeting ultra-reliable low latency communication (URLLC). These services may include latency and reliability requirements. These services may also have different transmission time intervals (TTIs) to meet corresponding quality of service (QoS) requirements. In addition, these services can coexist in the same subframe.

[0041] mmW communications bring gigabit speeds to cellular networks due to the availability of massive bandwidth. The unique challenges of severe path loss faced by mmWave systems require new technologies such as hybrid beamforming (analog and digital) that were not present in 3G and 4G systems. Hybrid beamforming can enhance the link budget / signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) available during RACH.

[0042] Spectral bands in high frequencies (e.g., 28 GHz, which may be referred to as mmW (or millimeter wave)) offer large bandwidths capable of delivering multi-Gbps data rates and extremely dense spatial reuse that can increase capacity. Traditionally, these higher frequencies have not been robust enough for indoor / outdoor mobile broadband applications due to high propagation losses and susceptibility to obstruction (e.g., from buildings, humans, etc.).

[0043] Despite these challenges, at the higher frequencies of mmW operation, the small wavelengths enable a large number of antenna elements in a relatively small form factor. Unlike microwave links, which can project a very wide pattern, thereby reducing the amount of achievable reuse of the same spectrum in a geographic area, mmW links project very narrow beams (e.g., the beams may have narrow angles). This property of mmW can be exploited to form directional beams that can send and receive more energy to overcome the challenges of propagation and path loss.

[0044] These narrow directional beams can also be used for spatial reuse. This is one of the key enablers for using mmW for mobile broadband services. In addition, non-line-of-sight (NLOS) paths (e.g., reflections from nearby buildings) can have very large energy, providing an alternative path when the line-of-sight (LOS) path is blocked.

[0045] It becomes increasingly important to transmit signals in appropriate directions using more antenna elements and narrow beams in an effort to maximize the received signal energy at the UE.

[0046] The following description provides examples rather than limiting the scope, applicability or examples set forth in the claims. Changes may be made to the functions and arrangements of the elements discussed without departing from the scope of the present disclosure. Various examples may appropriately omit, replace, or add various procedures or components. For example, the described method may be performed in an order different from that described, and various steps may be added, omitted, or combined. In addition, the features described with reference to some examples may be combined in some other examples. For example, any number of aspects set forth herein may be used to implement a device or practice method. In addition, the scope of the present disclosure is intended to cover such devices or methods practiced using other structures, functionality, or structures and functionality as supplements to the various aspects of the present disclosure set forth herein or in addition. It should be understood that any aspect of the present disclosure disclosed herein may be implemented by one or more elements of the claims. The wording "exemplary" is used herein to mean used as "example, instance, or explanation". Any aspect described as "exemplary" herein is not necessarily to be interpreted as being superior to or superior to other aspects.

[0047] The technology described herein can be used for various wireless communication networks, such as LTE, CDMA, TDMA, FDMA, OFDMA, SC-FDMA and other networks. The terms "network" and "system" are often used interchangeably. CDMA networks can implement radio technologies such as Universal Terrestrial Radio Access (UTRA), cdma2000, etc. UTRA includes Wideband CDMA (WCDMA) and other CDMA variants. Cdma2000 covers IS-2000, IS-95 and IS-856 standards. TDMA networks can implement radio technologies such as Global System for Mobile Communications (GSM). OFDMA networks can implement radio technologies such as NR (e.g., 5G RA), Evolved UTRA (E-UTRA), Ultra Mobile Broadband (UMB), IEEE 802.11 (Wi-Fi), IEEE 802.16 (WiMAX), IEEE 802.20, Flash-OFDMA, etc. UTRA and E-UTRA are parts of Universal Mobile Telecommunications System (UMTS). NR is an emerging wireless communication technology being developed in collaboration with the 5G Technology Forum (5GTF). 3GPP Long Term Evolution (LTE) and Advanced LTE (LTE-A) are versions of UMTS that use E-UTRA. UTRA, E-UTRA, UMTS, LTE, LTE-A, and GSM are described in documents from an organization called the "3rd Generation Partnership Project" (3GPP). Cdma2000 and UMB are described in documents from an organization called the "3rd Generation Partnership Project 2" (3GPP2). The techniques described herein may be used for the wireless networks and radio technologies mentioned above as well as other wireless networks and radio technologies. For clarity, although various aspects may be described herein using terms commonly associated with 3G and / or 4G wireless technologies, various aspects of the present disclosure may be applied in communication systems based on other generations, such as 5G and later generations, including NR technologies.

[0048] Example Wireless Communication System

[0049] Figure 1 An example wireless network 100 is illustrated in which aspects of the present disclosure may be performed. According to an example, the wireless network may be an NR or 5G network that may support mmW communications. mmW communications depend on beamforming to meet link margins. mmW communications may use directional beamforming, so the transmission of signaling is directional. Accordingly, the transmitter may focus the transmission energy in a narrower direction (e.g., the beam may have a narrower angle), such as Figure 7 The receiving entity may use receiver beamforming to receive the transmitted signaling.

[0050] The UE 120 may be configured to perform the operations 1100 and the methods described herein for UE beam-based tagging. The BS 110 may include a transmission reception point (TRP), a B node (NB), a 5G NB, an access point (AP), a new radio (NR) BS, a master BS, a master BS, etc. The NR network 100 may include a central unit. The UE 120 may be configured to perform the operations 1200 and the methods described herein for UE beam-based tagging.

[0051] like Figure 1 As illustrated in , the wireless network 100 may include several base stations (BS) 110 and other network entities. A BS may be a station that communicates with a user equipment (UE). Each BS 110 may provide communication coverage for a specific geographic area. In 3GPP, the term "cell" may refer to the coverage area of ​​a B node (NB) and / or a B node subsystem serving the coverage area, depending on the context in which the term is used. In the NR system, the term "cell" and the next generation B node (gNB), new radio base station (NR BS), 5G NB, access point (AP), or transmission reception point (TRP) may be interchangeable. In some examples, the cell may not necessarily be stationary, and the geographical area of ​​the cell may move according to the location of the mobile BS. In some examples, the base station may be interconnected to each other and / or to one or more other base stations or network nodes (not shown) in the wireless communication network 100 through various types of backhaul interfaces (such as direct physical connections, wireless connections, virtual networks, or analogs using any suitable transmission networks).

[0052] In general, any number of wireless networks may be deployed in a given geographic area. Each wireless network may support a specific radio access technology (RAT) and may operate on one or more frequencies. RAT may also be referred to as radio technology, air interface, etc. Frequency may also be referred to as carrier, subcarrier, frequency channel, frequency modulation, subband, etc. Each frequency may support a single RAT in a given geographic area to avoid interference between wireless networks of different RATs. In some cases, NR or 5G RAT networks may be deployed.

[0053] A base station (BS) may provide communication coverage for macro cells, pico cells, femto cells, and / or other types of cells. A macro cell may cover a relatively large geographic area (e.g., several kilometers in radius) and may allow unrestricted access by UEs with service subscriptions. A pico cell may cover a relatively small geographic area and may allow unrestricted access by UEs with service subscriptions. A femto cell may cover a relatively small geographic area (e.g., a residence) and may allow restricted access by UEs associated with the femto cell (e.g., UEs in a closed subscriber group (CSG), UEs of users in a residence, etc.). A BS for a macro cell may be referred to as a macro BS. A BS for a pico cell may be referred to as a pico BS. A BS for a femto cell may be referred to as a femto BS or a home BS. In Figure 1 In the example shown in FIG. 1 , BSs 110a, 110b, and 110c may be macro BSs for macro cells 102a, 102b, and 102c, respectively. BS 110x may be a pico BS for pico cell 102x. BSs 110y and 110z may be femto BSs for femto cells 102y and 102z, respectively. A BS may support one or more (e.g., three) cells.

[0054] The wireless communication network 100 may also include a relay station. A relay station is a station that receives transmissions of data and / or other information from an upstream station (e.g., a BS or a UE) and sends transmissions of the data and / or other information to a downstream station (e.g., a UE or a BS). A relay station may also be a UE that relays transmissions for other UEs. Figure 1 In the example shown in , a relay station 110r may communicate with a BS 110a and a UE 120r to facilitate communication between the BS 110a and the UE 120r. A relay station may also be referred to as a relay BS, a relay, or the like.

[0055] The wireless network 100 may be a heterogeneous network including different types of BSs (e.g., macro BSs, pico BSs, femto BSs, relays, etc.). These different types of BSs may have different transmit power levels, different coverage areas, and different effects on interference in the wireless network 100. For example, a macro BS may have a high transmit power level (e.g., 20 watts), while a pico BS, a femto BS, and a relay may have a lower transmit power level (e.g., 1 watt).

[0056] The wireless communication network 100 may support synchronous or asynchronous operation. For synchronous operation, each BS may have similar frame timing, and transmissions from different BSs may be roughly aligned in time. For asynchronous operation, each BS may have different frame timing, and transmissions from different BSs may not be aligned in time. The techniques described herein may be used for both synchronous and asynchronous operation.

[0057] A network controller 130 may couple to a set of BSs and provide coordination and control for these BSs. Network controller 130 may communicate with BSs 110 via a backhaul. BSs 110 may also communicate with each other (eg, directly or indirectly) via a wireless or wired backhaul.

[0058] UE 120 (e.g., 120x, 120y, etc.) may be dispersed throughout the wireless network 100, and each UE may be stationary or mobile. UE may also be referred to as a mobile station, terminal, access terminal, subscriber unit, station, customer premises equipment (CPE), cellular phone, smart phone, personal digital assistant (PDA), wireless modem, wireless communication device, handheld device, laptop computer, cordless phone, wireless local loop (WLL) station, tablet device, camera, gaming device, netbook, smartbook, ultrabook, medical device or medical equipment, biometric sensor / device, wearable device (such as smart watch, smart clothing, smart glasses, smart wristband, smart jewelry (e.g., smart ring, smart necklace, etc.)), entertainment device (e.g., music device, video device, satellite radio, etc.), vehicle component or sensor, smart meter / sensor, industrial manufacturing equipment, global positioning system device, or any other suitable device configured to communicate via wireless or wired medium. Some UEs may be considered machine type communication (MTC) devices or evolved MTC (eMTC) devices. MTC and eMTC UEs include, for example, robots, drones, remote devices, sensors, meters, monitors, location tags, etc., which can communicate with a BS, another device (e.g., a remote device), or some other entity. A wireless node can provide connectivity for or to a network (e.g., a wide area network such as the Internet or a cellular network), for example, via a wired or wireless communication link. Some UEs may be considered to be Internet of Things (IoT) devices, which may be narrowband IoT (NB-IoT) devices.

[0059] Some wireless networks (e.g., LTE) utilize orthogonal frequency division multiplexing (OFDM) on the downlink and single carrier frequency division multiplexing (SC-FDM) on the uplink. OFDM and SC-FDM divide the system bandwidth into multiple (K) orthogonal subcarriers, which are also often referred to as frequency modulation, frequency bins, etc. Each subcarrier can be modulated with data. In general, modulation symbols are sent in the frequency domain under OFDM and in the time domain under SC-FDM. The spacing between adjacent subcarriers can be fixed, and the total number of subcarriers (K) can depend on the system bandwidth. For example, the spacing of subcarriers can be 15kHz, and the minimum resource allocation (called a "resource block" (RB)) can be 12 subcarriers (or 180kHz). Therefore, for system bandwidths of 1.25, 2.5, 5, 10, or 20 megahertz (MHz), the nominal fast Fourier transform (FFT) size can be equal to 128, 256, 512, 1024, or 2048, respectively. The system bandwidth may also be partitioned into subbands. For example, a subband may cover 1.08 MHz (ie, 6 resource blocks), and there may be 1, 2, 4, 8, or 16 subbands for system bandwidths of 1.25, 2.5, 5, 10, or 20 MHz, respectively.

[0060] Although aspects of the examples described herein may be associated with LTE technology, aspects of the present disclosure may be applicable to other wireless communication systems, such as NR. NR may utilize OFDM with CP on the uplink and downlink and include support for half-duplex operation using TDD. Beamforming may be supported and the beam direction may be dynamically configured. MIMO transmission with precoding may also be supported. MIMO configurations in the DL may support up to 8 transmit antennas (multi-layer DL transmission with up to 8 streams) and up to 2 streams per UE. Multi-layer transmission of up to 2 streams per UE may be supported. Aggregation of multiple cells may be supported using up to 8 serving cells.

[0061] In some examples, access to the air interface may be scheduled, wherein a scheduling entity (e.g., a base station) allocates resources for communication between some or all devices and equipment within its service area or cell. The scheduling entity may be responsible for scheduling, assigning, reconfiguring, and releasing resources for one or more subordinate entities. That is, for scheduled communications, the subordinate entity utilizes the resources allocated by the scheduling entity. The base station is not the only entity that can be used as a scheduling entity. In some examples, a UE may be used as a scheduling entity, and resources for one or more subordinate entities (e.g., one or more other UEs) may be scheduled, and other UEs may use the resources scheduled by the UE for wireless communication. In some examples, a UE may act as a scheduling entity in a peer-to-peer (P2P) network and / or in a mesh network. In a mesh network example, UEs may communicate directly with each other in addition to communicating with a scheduling entity.

[0062] exist Figure 1 In FIG. 1 , a solid line with double arrows indicates desired transmissions between a UE and a serving BS, which is a BS designated to serve the UE on a downlink and / or uplink. A thin dashed line with double arrows indicates interfering transmissions between a UE and a BS.

[0063] Figure 2 An example logical architecture of a distributed radio access network (RAN) 200 is illustrated, which may be Figure 1 200. The 5G access node 206 may include an access node controller (ANC) 202. The ANC 202 may be a central unit (CU) of the distributed RAN 200. The backhaul interface to the next generation core network (NG-CN) 204 may be terminated at the ANC 202. The backhaul interface to the adjacent next generation access node (NG-AN) 210 may be terminated at the ANC 202. The ANC 202 may include one or more transmit reception points (TRPs) 208 (e.g., cellular cells, BSs, gNBs, etc.).

[0064] The TRP 208 may be a distributed unit (DU). The TRP 208 may be connected to a single ANC (e.g., ANC 202) or more than one ANC (not illustrated). For example, for RAN sharing, Radio as a Service (RaaS), and service-specific AND deployments, the TRP 208 may be connected to more than one ANC. Each TRP 208 may each include one or more antenna ports. The TRP 208 may be configured to serve traffic to the UE individually (e.g., dynamically selected) or jointly (e.g., jointly transmitted).

[0065] The logical architecture of the distributed RAN 200 may support fronthaul solutions across different deployment types. For example, the logical architecture may be based on transport network capabilities (eg, bandwidth, latency, and / or jitter).

[0066] The logical architecture of the distributed RAN 200 may share features and / or components with LTE. For example, the next generation access node (NG-AN) 210 may support dual connectivity with NR and may share a common fronthaul for LTE and NR.

[0067] The logical architecture of the distributed RAN 200 may enable collaboration between TRPs 208, for example, within and / or across TRPs via the ANC 202. An inter-TRP interface may not be used.

[0068] Logical functions may be dynamically distributed in the logical architecture of the distributed RAN 200. Figure 5Described in more detail, a radio resource control (RRC) layer, a packet data convergence protocol (PDCP) layer, a radio link control (RLC) layer, a medium access control (MAC) layer, and a physical (PHY) layer may be adaptively placed at a DU (e.g., TRP 208) or a CU (e.g., ANC 202).

[0069] Figure 3 An example physical architecture of a distributed radio access network (RAN) 300 is illustrated in accordance with aspects of the present disclosure. A centralized core network unit (C-CU) 302 may host core network functions. The C-CU 302 may be centrally deployed. C-CU 302 functionality may be offloaded (e.g., to advanced wireless services (AWS)) in an effort to handle peak capacity.

[0070] A centralized RAN unit (C-RU) 304 may host one or more ANC functions. Optionally, the C-RU 304 may host core network functions locally. The C-RU 304 may have a distributed deployment. The C-RU 304 may be close to the edge of the network.

[0071] The DU 306 may host one or more TRPs (edge ​​node (EN), edge unit (EU), radio head (RH), smart radio head (SRH), etc.) The DU may be located at the edge of the network with radio frequency (RF) functionality.

[0072] Figure 4 Explained Figure 1 1 and 2, which may be used to implement various aspects of the present disclosure. The BS may include a TRP or a gNB.

[0073] According to an example, the antenna 452, DEMOD / MOD 454, processors 466, 458, 464, and / or controller / processor 480 of UE 120 may be used to perform the operations described herein and with reference to Figure 7-12 According to an example, antenna 434, DEMOD / MOD 432, processors 430, 420, 438, and / or controller / processor 440 of BS 110 may be used to perform the operations described herein and with reference to Figure 11-12 Explanation of the operation.

[0074] As an example, one or more of the antenna 452, DEMOD / MOD 454, processors 466, 458, 464, and / or controller / processor 480 of UE 120 may be configured to perform the operations described herein for UE beam-based marking. Similarly, one or more of the antenna 434, DEMOD / MOD 432, processors 430, 420, 438, and / or controller / processor 440 of BS 110 may be configured to perform the operations described herein.

[0075] At BS 110, a transmit processor 420 may receive data from a data source 412 and control information from a controller / processor 440. The control information may be for a physical broadcast channel (PBCH), a physical control format indicator channel (PCFICH), a physical hybrid ARQ indicator channel (PHICH), a physical downlink control channel (PDCCH), a group common PDCCH (GC PDCCH), etc. The data may be for a physical downlink shared channel (PDSCH), etc. The processor 420 may process (e.g., encode and symbol map) the data and the control information to obtain data symbols and control symbols, respectively. The processor 420 may also generate reference symbols (e.g., for a primary synchronization signal (PSS), a secondary synchronization signal (SSS), and a cell-specific reference signal (CRS)). A transmit (TX) multiple-input multiple-output (MIMO) processor 430 may perform spatial processing (e.g., precoding) on ​​data symbols, control symbols, and / or reference symbols, where applicable, and may provide output symbol streams to modulators (MODs) 432a to 432t. Each modulator 432 may process a respective output symbol stream (e.g., for OFDM, etc.) to obtain an output sample stream. Each modulator may further process (e.g., convert to analog, amplify, filter, and upconvert) the output sample stream to obtain a downlink signal. The downlink signals from modulators 432a through 432t may be transmitted via antennas 434a through 434t, respectively.

[0076] At the UE 120, antennas 452a to 452r may receive downlink signals from the base station 110 and may provide received signals to demodulators (DEMODs) in transceivers 454a to 454r, respectively. Each demodulator 454 may condition (e.g., filter, amplify, downconvert, and digitize) a respective received signal to obtain input samples. Each demodulator may further process the input samples (e.g., for OFDM, etc.) to obtain received symbols. A MIMO detector 456 may obtain received symbols from all demodulators 454a to 454r, perform MIMO detection on the received symbols where applicable, and provide detected symbols. A receive processor 458 may process (e.g., demodulate, deinterleave, and decode) the detected symbols, provide decoded data for the UE 120 to a data sink 460, and provide decoded control information to a controller / processor 480.

[0077] On the uplink, at the UE 120, the transmit processor 464 may receive and process data from a data source 462 (e.g., data for a physical uplink shared channel (PUSCH)) and control information from a controller / processor 480 (e.g., control information for a physical uplink control channel (PUCCH)). The transmit processor 464 may also generate reference symbols for reference signals (e.g., for a sounding reference signal (SRS)). The symbols from the transmit processor 464 may be precoded by a TX MIMO processor 466, if applicable, further processed by a demodulator in the transceiver 454a to 454r (e.g., for SC-FDM, etc.), and transmitted to the base station 110. At the BS 110, the uplink signal from the UE 120 may be received by the antenna 434, processed by the modulator 432, detected by the MIMO detector 436, if applicable, and further processed by the receive processor 438 to obtain decoded data and control information sent by the UE 120. Receive processor 438 may provide decoded data to data sink 439 and decoded control information to controller / processor 440 .

[0078] Controllers / processors 440 and 480 may direct the operation at base station 110 and UE 120, respectively. Processor 440 and / or other processors and modules at BS 110 may perform or direct the execution of processes for the techniques described herein. Memories 442 and 482 may store data and program codes for BS 110 and UE 120, respectively. Scheduler 444 may schedule UEs for data transmission on the downlink and / or uplink.

[0079] Figure 5A diagram 500 showing an example for implementing a communication protocol stack according to various aspects of the present disclosure is illustrated. The illustrated communication protocol stack may be implemented by a device operating in a wireless communication system (such as a 5G system, for example, a system supporting uplink-based mobility). Diagram 500 illustrates a communication protocol stack including a radio resource control (RRC) layer 510, a packet data convergence protocol (PDCP) layer 515, a radio link control (RLC) layer 520, a media access control (MAC) layer 525, and a physical (PHY) layer 530. In various examples, these layers of the protocol stack may be implemented as separate software modules, parts of a processor or ASIC, parts of non-co-located devices connected by a communication link, or various combinations thereof. Co-located and non-co-located implementations may be used, for example, in a protocol stack for a network access device (e.g., AN, CU, and / or DU) or a UE.

[0080] The first option 505-a illustrates a split implementation of the protocol stack, where the implementation of the protocol stack is performed on a centralized network access device (e.g., Figure 2 ANC 202 in the system) and distributed network access equipment (e.g., Figure 2 In the first option 505-a, the RRC layer 510 and the PDCP layer 515 may be implemented by a central unit, while the RLC layer 520, the MAC layer 525, and the PHY layer 530 may be implemented by the DU. In various examples, the CU and the DU may be co-located or non-co-located. The first option 505-a may be useful in a macro cell, a micro cell, or a pico cell deployment.

[0081] The second option 505-b shows a unified implementation of the protocol stack, where the protocol stack is implemented in a single network access device. In the second option, the RRC layer 510, the PDCP layer 515, the RLC layer 520, the MAC layer 525, and the PHY layer 530 can each be implemented by an AN. The second option 505-b can be useful in, for example, a femtocell deployment.

[0082] Regardless of whether the network access device implements part or all of the protocol stack, the UE can implement the entire protocol stack (e.g., RRC layer 510, PDCP layer 515, RLC layer 520, MAC layer 525, and PHY layer 530) as shown in 505-c.

[0083] In LTE, the basic transmission time interval (TTI) or packet duration is a 1ms subframe. In NR, a subframe is still 1ms, but the basic TTI is called a slot. A subframe contains a variable number of slots (e.g., 1, 2, 4, 8, 16, ... slots), depending on the subcarrier spacing. NR RBs are 12 consecutive frequency subcarriers. NR can support a base subcarrier spacing of 15KHz, and other subcarrier spacings can be defined relative to the base subcarrier spacing, such as 30kHz, 60kHz, 120kHz, 240kHz, etc. The symbol and slot lengths scale with the subcarrier spacing. The CP length also depends on the subcarrier spacing.

[0084] Figure 6 6 is a diagram showing an example of a frame format 600 for NR. The transmission timeline of each of the downlink and uplink may be divided into units of radio frames. Each radio frame may have a predetermined duration (e.g., 10 ms) and may be divided into 10 subframes with indices 0 to 9, each subframe being 1 ms. Each subframe may include a variable number of slots, depending on the subcarrier spacing. Each slot may include a variable number of symbol periods (e.g., 7 or 14 symbols), depending on the subcarrier spacing. An index may be assigned to the symbol period in each slot. A mini slot is a subslot structure (e.g., 2, 3, or 4 symbols). A mini slot, which may be referred to as a subslot structure, refers to a transmission time interval having a duration (e.g., 2, 3, or 4 symbols) that is less than a slot.

[0085] Each symbol in a slot may indicate a link direction (e.g., DL, UL, or flexible) for data transmission, and the link direction for each subframe may be switched dynamically. The link direction may be based on the slot format. Each slot may include DL / UL data and DL / UL control information.

[0086] In NR, a synchronization signal (SS) block is transmitted. The SS block includes PSS, SSS, and two-symbol PBCH. The SS block can be in a fixed time slot position (such as Figure 6 The PSS and SSS can be used by the UE for cell search and acquisition. The PSS can provide half-frame timing, and the SS can provide CP length and frame timing. The PSS and SSS can provide cell identity. The PBCH carries some basic system information, such as downlink system bandwidth, timing information within a radio frame, SS burst set periodicity, system frame number, etc. SS blocks can be organized into SS bursts to support beam sweeping. Further system information (such as remaining minimum system information (RMSI), system information block (SIB), other system information (OSI)) can be transmitted on the physical downlink shared channel (PDSCH) in certain subframes.

[0087] In some environments, two or more subordinate entities (e.g., UEs) may communicate with each other using sidelink signals. Real-world applications of such sidelink communications may include public safety, proximity services, UE-to-network relay, vehicle-to-vehicle (V2V) communications, Internet of Everything (IoE) communications, IoT communications, mission-critical mesh networks, and / or various other suitable applications. Generally, a sidelink signal may refer to a signal that is communicated from one subordinate entity (e.g., UE1) to another subordinate entity (e.g., UE2) without relaying the communication through a scheduling entity (e.g., UE or BS), even if the scheduling entity may be used for scheduling and / or control purposes. In some examples, the sidelink signal may be communicated using a licensed spectrum (unlike wireless local area networks, which typically use an unlicensed spectrum).

[0088] The UE may operate in various radio resource configurations, including a configuration associated with transmitting a pilot using a dedicated resource set (e.g., a radio resource control (RRC) dedicated state, etc.), or a configuration associated with transmitting a pilot using a shared resource set (e.g., an RRC shared state, etc.). When operating in the RRC dedicated state, the UE may select a dedicated resource set for transmitting a pilot signal to the network. When operating in the RRC shared state, the UE may select a shared resource set for transmitting a pilot signal to the network. In either case, the pilot signal transmitted by the UE may be received by one or more network access devices (such as an AN, or a DU, or parts thereof). Each receiving network access device may be configured to receive and measure a pilot signal transmitted on a shared resource set, and also receive and measure a pilot signal transmitted on a dedicated resource set allocated to the UE, wherein the network access device is a member of a monitoring network access device set for the UE. One or more receiving network access devices or a CU to which (s) receiving network access devices transmit pilot signal measurements may use these measurements to identify a serving cell of the UE or initiate a change in a serving cell for one or more UEs.

[0089] Example Beam Procedures

[0090] As mentioned above, in millimeter wave (mmW) cellular systems, beamforming may be required to overcome high path loss. As described herein, beamforming may refer to establishing a link between a BS and a UE, where the two devices form beams corresponding to each other. Both the BS and the UE find at least one appropriate beam to form a communication link. The BS beam and the UE beam form a so-called beam pair link (BPL). As an example, on the DL, the BS may use a transmit beam, and the UE may receive a transmission using a receive beam corresponding to the BS transmit beam. The combination of a transmit beam and a corresponding receive beam may be a BPL.

[0091] As part of beam management, the beams used by the BS and UE must be refined from time to time due to changing channel conditions, such as due to movement of the UE or other objects. In addition, the performance of the BPL may suffer from fading due to Doppler spread. Due to the changing channel conditions over time, the BPL may be periodically updated or refined. Accordingly, it may be beneficial for the BS and UE to monitor the beams and new BPLs.

[0092] At least one BPL must be established for network access. As mentioned above, new BPLs may need to be discovered later for different purposes. The network may decide to use a different BPL for a different channel, to communicate with a different BS (TRP), or as a fallback in the event that an existing BPL fails.

[0093] The UE usually monitors the quality of the BPL, and the network may improve the BPL from time to time.

[0094] Figure 7 An example 700 for BPL discovery and completion is illustrated. In 5G-NR, P1, P2, and P3 procedures are used for BPL discovery and completion. The network uses the P1 procedure to enable discovery of new BPLs. In the P1 procedure, Figure 7 As explained in , TRP transmits different symbols of a reference signal, and each beam is formed in a different spatial direction so as to reach several (most, all) relevant places of the cell. In other words, TRP transmits beams using different transmit beams in different directions over time.

[0095] In order to successfully receive at least the symbols of this "P1 signal", the UE must find a suitable receive beam. The UE searches by using its available receive beams and applying a different UE beam during each occurrence of the periodic P1 signal.

[0096] Once the UE has successfully received the symbols of the P1 signal, the UE has discovered the BPL. The UE may not want to wait until it finds the best UE receive beam, as this may delay further action. The UE may measure the reference signal received power (RSRP) and report the symbol index together with the RSRP to the BS. Such reports typically contain one or more findings of the BPL.

[0097] In one example, the UE may determine a received signal with a high RSRP. The UE may not know which beam the BS uses to transmit; however, the UE may report to the TRP the time it observes a signal with a high RSRP. The TRP may receive the report and may determine which TRP beam it used at that given time.

[0098] The TRP can then provide P2 and P3 procedures to refine the individual BPLs. The P2 procedure refines the TRP beam of the BPL. The TRP can transmit several symbols of the reference signal using different TRP beams that are spatially close to the TRP beam of the BPL (the TRP uses neighboring beams around the selected beam to perform the sweep). In P2, the UE keeps its receive beam constant. Thus, even though the UE uses the same beam as in the BPL (e.g., Figure 7 The TRP beams used for P2 may be different from those used in P1 in that they may be spaced closer together or they may be more focused. The UE may measure the RSRP of each TRP beam and indicate the best TRP beam to the TRP.

[0099] The P3 procedure completes the UE beam for BPL (see Figure 7 3.2.2.2 UE uses the RSRP of the UE to measure the RSRP of each beam and identify the best UE beam. After that, the UE can use the best UE beam for BPL and report the RSRP to the TRP.

[0100] Over time, the TRP and the UE establish several BPLs. When the TRP transmits a channel or signal, the TRP lets the UE know which BPL will be involved so that the UE can tune in the direction of the correct UE receive beam before the signal starts. In this way, each sample of the signal or channel can be received by the UE using the correct receive beam. In one example, the TRP may indicate which BPL is involved for a scheduled signal (SR, CSI-RS) or channel (PDSCH, PDCCH, PUSCH, PUCCH). In NR, this information is called a QCL indication.

[0101] Two antenna ports are QCL if the properties of the channel over which symbols on one antenna port are communicated can be inferred from the channel over which symbols on the other antenna port are transmitted. QCL supports at least beam management functionality, frequency / timing offset estimation functionality, and RRM management functionality.

[0102] The TRP may use the BPL that the UE has used to receive signals in the past. The transmit beam for the signal to be transmitted and the previously received signal both point in the same direction or are QCLs. The UE may need a QCL indication (before the signal is received) so that the UE can use the correct corresponding receive beam for each signal or channel. Some QCL indications may be needed from time to time when the BPL of a signal or channel changes, while some QCL indications are needed for each scheduled instance. The QCL indication may be transmitted in downlink control information (DCI) that may be part of a PDCCH channel. Because DCI is required to control information, it may be appropriate that the number of bits required to indicate the QCL is not too large. The QCL may be transmitted in a media access control control element (MAC-CE) or a radio resource control (RRC) message.

[0103] According to an example, whenever a UE reports a BS beam that it has received with sufficient RSRP and the BS decides to use that BPL in the future, the BS assigns it a BPL tag. Accordingly, two BPLs with different BS beams may be associated with different BPL tags. BPLs based on the same BS beam may be associated with the same BPL tag. Thus, according to this example, the tag is a function of the BS beam of the BPL.

[0104] Example marking based on UE beam

[0105] According to various aspects of the present disclosure, a QCL indication or label as a function of a UE beam of a BPL is used. Thus, two BPLs with different BS beams but the same UE beam may be labeled by the same label. The BS may maintain a table containing a set of all BS beams mapped to the same BPL label (e.g., mapped to the same UE beam). Advantageously, these BS beams provide flexibility for the BS. For example, for downlink transmissions, the BS may switch between BS beams associated with the same label without signaling a message to the UE. This allows the BS to perform very fast switching, which may be advantageous, for example, in scenarios of sudden beam failures. In addition, for downlink communications, the BS may use BS beams associated with the same label for MIMO transmissions with transmit diversity. According to an example, the BS may simultaneously transmit signals on multiple beams mapped to the same label to achieve transmit diversity gain.

[0106] Figure 8-10(which illustrates Tables 1-3) describes an example of using UE beam-based tagging. The UE is configured to transmit reports on BS beam measurements for reference signals used for P1 procedures. The UE only reports BS beams that it receives with satisfactory RSRP (e.g., RSRP>threshold, or configurable beam number associated with the highest RSRP). Each reported entry constitutes a BPL.

[0107] Although in principle all reported BS beams and corresponding UE beams can be candidates for BPLs, the BS can further determine which beams to pursue. The BS signals to the UE whether and which reported items are new BPLs (e.g., 1 bit per new BPL). The BS can also signal the labels of the BPLs it no longer wants to use. The UE can receive the report and determine whether each BPL has the same or different UE beam and the BPL identified in the active pool. If the BPLs have the same UE beam, the UE can use the same label with these BPLs. BPLs with different UE beams can use different labels.

[0108] Thereafter, and as will be referred to Figure 8-10 Described in more detail, the UE signals the BS with a label for the newly identified BPL. If two or more BPLs are best received by the same UE beam, they may be tagged with the same label. In this way, if a new BPL and an established BPL are associated with the same UE beams, the new BPL is assigned the same label of the established BPL.

[0109] Figure 8 An example 800 of BPL labels after discovery and deletion according to various aspects of the present disclosure is illustrated. As shown in row 1, after discovery, the UE knows that it used UE beam 2 to receive signals. The UE may not be aware that the BS used BS beam 1. The UE may report receiving signals using UE beam 2 at a specific time. Assuming that the BS wants to consider the BPL, the UE may assign the BPL as label 0. Next, as shown in row 2, at the time of discovery, the UE knows that it used beam 4 to receive signals at a specific time. The UE may not be aware that the BS used beam 3. If the BS wants to consider the BPL, the UE may assign the BPL as label 1. Because the UE beams in row 2 are different than the UE beams in row 1, the labels are different.

[0110] Next, as shown in row 3, the UE may use beam 2 to receive the signal. The UE may transmit this information to the BS. Because UE beam 2 is also used to receive BS beam 1 in row 1, the BS will label BPL (5, 2) in row 3 with label 0, similar to row 1 where UE beam 2 is also used. In this way, two BPLs with the same UE beam are assigned the same label.

[0111] At a later time, the BS may decide that it no longer wants to pursue BPL(3,4), as shown in row 4. The BS may transmit a message to the UE to delete the tag. Accordingly, BPL(3,4) may not be associated with Tag1. Assuming Tag1 is not associated with another BPL, the tag may be reused with another BPL based on the UE beam. Accordingly, Tag1 may be used for BPL(8,3), as shown in row 5.

[0112] According to various aspects, it is possible to reduce the amount of signaling by instructing the UE to send a message only if the new BPL shares the same UE beam with another new BPL or an established BPL. This may be possible because in all other cases, each new BPL will be assigned a new tag. Both the BS and the UE know which tags are used to tag the BPLs. There is a pool of unused tags, and the air link specification may outline the order in which tags from the pool of unused tags are assigned to new BPLs. The BS can predict which tags the UE may assign to the new BPL, and therefore does not require the UE to signal this information.

[0113] Fig. 9 An example 900 of a BPL label after a P2 procedure according to various aspects of the present disclosure is illustrated. The DCI of the P2 procedure may include a label of the BPL for which the BS beam will be refined. After the P2 sweep, the UE indicates the best BS beam and the associated RSRP. The procedure updates the BS beam of the BPL, while the UE beam remains unchanged. The label associated with the (updated) BPL remains unchanged. Table 2 illustrates an example. As shown in row 4, after P2 on BPL (3,4), the UE may determine that the codeword transmitted via BS beam 6 is better than the codeword transmitted via BS beam 3. The new improved BPL will be (6,4). It is worth noting that the same UE beam is used for this BPL, so the label (label 1) remains unchanged regardless of the change in the BS beam.

[0114] As shown in row 5, after P2 on BPL(1,2), the BS beam may be updated from 1 to 7. The BS may receive an indication that symbols transmitted via BS beam 7 are better than symbols transmitted via BS beam 1. The BS may update the BS beam associated with tag 0 to BS beam 7.

[0115] Fig.10 An example 1000 of BPL labeling following a P3 procedure is illustrated. The DCI for the P3 procedure will contain the label of the BPL for which the UE beam will be refined. During the P3 sweep, the UE evaluates the performance of different UE beams, while the BS beam remains unchanged. If the current UE beam is still the best, nothing changes. The UE does not need to signal any information to the BS.

[0116] However, if another UE beam is shown to be better than the current UE beam, two cases can be distinguished. In the first case, the UE associates a label with only one BS beam. In this case, the label of the updated BPL can remain the same. The updated BPL consists of the new UE beam and the current BS beam. The UE may not need to signal anything to the BS, except perhaps the RSRP for the updated BPL.

[0117] In the second scenario, the UE associates a tag with more than one BS beam. In this scenario, the updated BPL consists of the new UE beam and the BS beam used for the P3 procedure. The BPL needs to be tagged with a new tag because it is now different from the other BPLs consisting of the old UE beam and one of the remaining BS beams. The UE will report the new tag to the BS.

[0118] Obviously, the UE cannot know whether the BS associates more than one BS beam with the same BPL label. Therefore, the "new label request bit" can be included in the DCI of the P3 procedure. In the case where the UE beam needs to be updated, the "new label request bit" conveys to the UE whether a new label needs to be issued. Table 3 illustrates an example.

[0119] As shown in row 4, the BS may enable P3 procedure on BPL(3,4). The BS keeps beam 3 constant, while the UE uses different beams around UE beam 4. The UE determines that beam 5 is better than beam 4. The label of the new BPL(3,5) may still be the same, because label 1 was previously associated with the single BS beam 3. Accordingly, the new label request may be set to 0.

[0120] As shown in row 5, the BS may enable the P3 procedure on BPL(1,2). The UE may determine that UE beam 3 is better than UE beam 2. Accordingly, BPL(1,2) may be replaced by BPL(1,3). In response to the updated UE beam, a new tag request may be set to 1. This is because BPL(1,2) and BPL(5,2) were previously associated with tag 0. In other words, the new tag request is set to 1 because tag 0 is associated with two different BS beams. Due to P3, BPL(1,2) is updated to BPL(1,3). New tags are required so that each BPL tag is associated with the same UE beam. Accordingly, the updated BPL(1,3) may be associated with tag 2.

[0121] Fig.11 Example operations 1100 that may be performed by a UE in accordance with aspects of the present disclosure are illustrated. At 1102, the UE may receive an indication of a beam pair link (BPL), wherein the BPL includes a base station (BS) transmit beam and a corresponding UE receive beam. At 1104, the UE may mark the BPL based on the UE receive beam. At 1106, the UE may take one or more actions associated with the marked BPL.

[0122] According to various aspects, taking the one or more actions includes transmitting an indication of the marked BPL to the BS. Additionally or alternatively, according to various aspects, taking the one or more actions includes receiving signaling based on the BPL.

[0123] Additionally or alternatively, taking the one or more actions includes: receiving a downlink transmission indicating beam refinement of a BS transmit beam of a marked BPL (e.g., during a P2 procedure). During the refinement, the UE may receive signaling transmitted from one or more adjacent beams of the BS transmit beam using a single UE receive beam, the UE may determine a signal quality associated with transmissions from one or more adjacent beams of the BS transmit beam, and indicate a recommended BS transmit beam to the BS based at least in part on the determined signal quality, the recommended BS transmit beam corresponding to the UE receive beam of the marked BPL.

[0124] Additionally or alternatively, taking the one or more actions includes: receiving a downlink transmission indicating (such as during a P3 procedure) a beam improvement for a UE receive beam marked with a BPL. During the improvement, the UE may receive signaling from the BS transmit beam via one or more receive beams adjacent to the corresponding UE receive beam of the BPL, may determine a signal quality associated with one or more adjacent beams of the UE receive beam, and update the UE receive beam at least in part based on the determined signal quality, the UE receive beam corresponding to the BS transmit beam marked with the BPL. According to various aspects, the UE may determine whether a different label is required in response to the updated UE receive beam. If a different label is required, the UE may calculate the different label, indicate the different label to the BS, and assign the different label to the updated UE receive beam and BS transmit beam. According to various aspects, the different label includes one of a new label or a currently used label.

[0125] According to various aspects, taking one or more actions associated with the tagged BPL includes: transmitting an indication of the tagged BPL to the BS in response to at least one of: a new BPL or an established BPL that shares the same UE receive beam as the new BPL. Additionally or alternatively, taking one or more actions associated with the tagged BPL includes: receiving a message from the BS to remove a tag and its current association with one or more BPLs, and in response to the message, making the removed tag available for assignment to one or more new BPLs.

[0126] Fig.12 Example operations 1200 that may be performed by a BS in accordance with aspects of the present disclosure are illustrated. At 1202, the BS may transmit an indication of a beam pair link (BPL), wherein the BPL includes a BS transmit beam and a corresponding user equipment (UE) receive beam. At 1204, the BS receives an indication of a tag assigned to the BPL based on the UE receive beam. At 1206, the BS takes one or more actions associated with the tagged BPL.

[0127] According to aspects, the BS receives an indication of a tagged BPL from the UE. According to aspects, taking the one or more actions includes transmitting signaling according to the BPL. According to aspects, the tag includes a beam indication.

[0128] According to various aspects, taking the one or more actions includes: transmitting a downlink assignment indicating a beam refinement (such as a P2 procedure) for a BS transmit beam marked with a BPL. During the refinement, the BS may use one or more neighboring beams of the BS transmit beam to transmit signaling, and the BS may receive a recommendation for an updated BS transmit beam, the updated BS transmit beam corresponding to the UE receive beam marked with the BPL, wherein the updated BS transmit beam and the corresponding UE receive beam are assigned the tag.

[0129] According to various aspects, taking the one or more actions includes: transmitting a downlink assignment indicating beam refinement (such as a P3 procedure) for a UE receive beam marked with a BPL. During the refinement, the BS may use the BS transmit beam to transmit signaling and may receive an updated label, which may be a new label or an old label corresponding to the BS transmit beam marked with a BPL. The updated UE receive beam and the corresponding BS transmit beam are assigned one of the label or the updated label. According to various aspects, the BS may transmit an indication for the updated label in response to the updated UE receive beam, and may receive an updated label assigned to the updated UE receive beam and the BS transmit beam.

[0130] According to various aspects, taking one or more actions associated with the marked BPL includes: receiving an indication of the marked BPL in response to at least one of the following: a new BPL or an established BPL that shares the same UE receive beam as the new BPL. According to various aspects, taking one or more actions associated with the marked BPL includes: signaling to the UE to remove the tag and its current association with one or more BPLs, wherein the removed tag can be used for future assignment to one or more new BPLs.

[0131] Fig.13 Depicted are operations that may include being configured to perform the various techniques disclosed herein (such as Fig.11 1300 includes various components (e.g., corresponding to means-plus-function components) of the communication device 1300 and the operations illustrated in the figure. The communication device 1300 includes a processing system 1302 coupled to a transceiver 1310. The transceiver 1310 is configured to transmit and receive signals (such as the various signals described herein) for the communication device 1300 via an antenna 1312. The processing system 1302 can be configured to perform processing functions for the communication device 1300, including processing signals received and / or to be transmitted by the communication device 1300.

[0132] The processing system 1302 includes a processor 1304 coupled to a computer readable medium / memory 1306 via a bus 1308. In some aspects, the computer readable medium / memory 1306 is configured to store data that, when executed by the processor 1304, causes the processor 1304 to execute Fig.11 The operations illustrated in the description or computer-executable instructions for performing other operations of the various techniques discussed herein.

[0133] In some aspects, the processing system 1302 further includes a Fig.11 1304. In some aspects, the processing system 1302 includes one or more of the following: a determination component, an indication component, an update component, a component that makes the removed tag unavailable, and / or other components configured to perform the operations described herein. Components 1314 and 1316 (and other unexplained components) can be coupled to the processor 1304 via bus 1306. In some aspects, components 1314 and 1316 (and other unexplained components) can be hardware circuits. In some aspects, components 1314 and 1316 (and other unexplained components) can be software components that execute and run on the processor 1304.

[0134] Fig.14 Depicted are operations that may include being configured to perform the various techniques disclosed herein (such as Fig.12 1400 includes a communication device 1400 that includes various components (e.g., corresponding to means-plus-function components) of the operations illustrated in 1400. The communication device 1400 includes a processing system 1402 coupled to a transceiver 1410. The transceiver 1410 is configured to transmit and receive signals (such as the various signals described herein) for the communication device 1400 via an antenna 1412. The processing system 1402 can be configured to perform processing functions for the communication device 1400, including processing signals received and / or to be transmitted by the communication device 1400.

[0135] The processing system 1402 includes a processor 1404 coupled to a computer readable medium / memory 1406 via a bus 1408. In some aspects, the computer readable medium / memory 1406 is configured to store programs that, when executed by the processor 1404, cause the processor 1404 to execute Fig.12 The operations illustrated in the description or computer-executable instructions for performing other operations of the various techniques discussed herein.

[0136] In some aspects, the processing system 1402 further includes a Fig.121402. In some aspects, the processing system 1402 includes one or more other components (not illustrated components) configured to perform the operations described herein. The component 1414 (and other unillustrated components) can be coupled to the processor 1404 via the bus 1408. In some aspects, the component 1414 (and other unillustrated components) can be a hardware circuit. In some aspects, the component 1414 (and other unillustrated components) can be a software component that is executed and runs on the processor 1304.

[0137] The methods disclosed herein include one or more steps or actions for implementing the described methods. These method steps and / or actions may be interchangeable with each other without departing from the scope of the claims. In other words, unless a specific order of steps or actions is specified, the order and / or use of specific steps and / or actions may be changed without departing from the scope of the claims.

[0138] As used herein, a phrase referring to "at least one of" a list of items refers to any combination of those items, including single members. As an example, "at least one of a, b, or c" is intended to cover: a, b, c, ab, ac, bc, and abc, as well as any combination with multiple of the same elements (e.g., aa, aaa, aab, aac, abb, acc, bb, bbb, bbc, cc, and ccc, or any other ordering of a, b, and c).

[0139] As used herein, the term "determining" encompasses a wide variety of actions. For example, "determining" may include calculating, computing, processing, deriving, investigating, looking up (e.g., looking up in a table, a database, or another data structure), ascertaining, and the like. Also, "determining" may include receiving (e.g., receiving information), accessing (e.g., accessing data in a memory), and the like. "Determining" may also include resolving, selecting, choosing, establishing, and the like.

[0140] The previous description is provided to enable any person skilled in the art to practice the various aspects described herein. Various modifications to these aspects will be easily understood by those skilled in the art, and the universal principles defined herein can be applied to other aspects. Thus, the claims are not intended to be limited to the various aspects shown herein, but should be granted the full scope consistent with the language of the claims, wherein the singular reference to the element is not intended to mean "there is and only one" (unless specifically stated) but "one or more". Unless otherwise specifically stated, the term "some" refers to one or more. The elements of the various aspects described throughout this disclosure are all structural and functional equivalents currently or hereafter known to those of ordinary skill in the art and are expressly incorporated herein by reference, and are intended to be covered by the claims. In addition, nothing disclosed herein is intended to be contributed to the public, regardless of whether such disclosure is explicitly stated in the claims. Any element of the claim should not be interpreted under the provisions of the sixth paragraph of 35 U.S.C. § 112, unless the element is explicitly stated using the wording "device for..." or in the case of a method claim, the element is stated using the wording "step for...".

[0141] The various operations of the methods described above may be performed by any suitable device capable of performing the corresponding functions. These devices may include various hardware and / or software components and / or modules, including but not limited to circuits, application specific integrated circuits (ASICs), or processors. Generally, where there are operations illustrated in the accompanying drawings, these operations may have corresponding paired device-plus-function components with similar numbers.

[0142] The various illustrative logical blocks, modules, and circuits described in conjunction with the present disclosure may be implemented or executed with a general purpose processor, a digital signal processor (DSP), an application specific integrated circuit (ASIC), a field programmable gate array (FPGA) or other programmable logic device (PLD), discrete gate or transistor logic, discrete hardware components, or any combination thereof designed to perform the functions described herein. A general purpose processor may be a microprocessor, but in the alternative, the processor may be any commercially available processor, controller, microcontroller, or state machine. The processor may also be implemented as a combination of computing devices, for example, a combination of a DSP and a microprocessor, a plurality of microprocessors, one or more microprocessors in conjunction with a DSP core, or any other such configuration.

[0143] If implemented in hardware, an example hardware configuration may include a processing system in a wireless node. The processing system may be implemented using a bus architecture. Depending on the specific application of the processing system and the overall design constraints, the bus may include any number of interconnecting buses and bridges. The bus may link together various circuits including a processor, a machine-readable medium, and a bus interface. The bus interface may be used to connect a network adapter, etc., to the processing system via the bus. The network adapter may be used to implement the signal processing functions of the PHY layer. In the user terminal 120 (see Figure 1 ), a user interface (e.g., a keypad, display, mouse, joystick, etc.) may also be connected to the bus. The bus may also link various other circuits, such as timing sources, peripherals, voltage regulators, power management circuits, and the like, which are well known in the art and will not be described further. The processor may be implemented with one or more general and / or special purpose processors. Examples include microprocessors, microcontrollers, DSP processors, and other circuit systems capable of executing software. Those skilled in the art will recognize how to best implement the functionality described with respect to the processing system, depending on the specific application and the overall design constraints imposed on the overall system.

[0144] If implemented in software, each function may be stored on or transmitted by a computer-readable medium as one or more instructions or codes. Software should be broadly interpreted to mean instructions, data, or any combination thereof, whether referred to as software, firmware, middleware, microcode, hardware description language, or other. Computer-readable media include both computer storage media and communication media, which include any media that facilitate the transfer of computer programs from one place to another. The processor may be responsible for managing the bus and general processing, including executing software modules stored on a machine-readable storage medium. A computer-readable storage medium may be coupled to a processor so that the processor can read and write information from / to the storage medium. Alternatively, a storage medium may be integrated into a processor. As an example, a machine-readable medium may include a transmission line, a carrier modulated by data, and / or a computer-readable storage medium having instructions stored thereon that is separated from a wireless node, all of which may be accessed by a processor through a bus interface. Alternatively or in addition, a machine-readable medium or any part thereof may be integrated into a processor, such as a cache and / or a general register file, which may be the case. As an example, examples of machine-readable storage media may include RAM (random access memory), flash memory, ROM (read only memory), PROM (programmable read only memory), EPROM (erasable programmable read only memory), EEPROM (electrically erasable programmable read only memory), registers, magnetic disks, optical disks, hard drives, or any other suitable storage media, or any combination thereof. Machine-readable media may be implemented in a computer program product.

[0145] A software module may include a single instruction, or many instructions, and may be distributed over several different code segments, between different programs, and across multiple storage media. A computer-readable medium may include several software modules. These software modules include instructions that cause a processing system to perform various functions when executed by a device (such as a processor). These software modules may include a transmission module and a receiving module. Each software module may reside in a single storage device or may be distributed across multiple storage devices. As an example, when a triggering event occurs, a software module may be loaded into a RAM from a hard drive. During the execution of the software module, the processor may load some instructions into a cache to increase access speed. One or more cache lines may then be loaded into a general register file for execution by the processor. When describing the functionality of a software module as described below, it will be understood that such functionality is implemented by the processor when the processor executes instructions from the software module.

[0146] Any connection is also properly referred to as a computer-readable medium. For example, if the software is transmitted from a website, server, or other remote source using a coaxial cable, fiber optic cable, twisted pair, digital subscriber line (DSL), or wireless technology (such as infrared (IR), radio, and microwave), then the coaxial cable, fiber optic cable, twisted pair, DSL, or wireless technology (such as infrared, radio, and microwave) is included in the definition of medium. Disk and disc, as used herein, include compact disc (CD), laser disc, optical disc, digital versatile disc (DVD), floppy disk, and Disks, where disks often reproduce data magnetically, and discs reproduce data optically with lasers. Thus, in some aspects, computer-readable media may include non-transitory computer-readable media (e.g., tangible media). Additionally, for other aspects, computer-readable media may include transient computer-readable media (e.g., signals). The above combinations should also be included within the scope of computer-readable media.

[0147] Thus, certain aspects may include a computer program product for performing the operations presented herein. For example, such a computer program product may include a computer-readable medium having stored (and / or encoded) thereon instructions that can be executed by one or more processors to perform the operations described herein. For example, instructions for performing the operations described herein and in the accompanying drawings.

[0148] In addition, it should be appreciated that modules and / or other appropriate means for performing the methods and techniques described herein may be downloaded and / or otherwise obtained by a user terminal and / or base station where applicable. For example, such a device can be coupled to a server to facilitate the transfer of means for performing the methods described herein. Alternatively, the various methods described herein can be provided via a storage device (e.g., RAM, ROM, a physical storage medium such as a compact disc (CD) or a floppy disk, etc.) so that once the storage device is coupled to or provided to a user terminal and / or base station, the device can obtain the various methods. In addition, any other suitable technology suitable for providing the methods and techniques described herein to a device may be utilized.

[0149] It will be understood that the claims are not limited to the precise configuration and components illustrated above. Various changes, substitutions and variations may be made in the arrangement, operation and details of the methods and apparatus described above without departing from the scope of the claims.

Claims

1. A method for wireless communication by a user equipment UE, comprising: Receiving an indication of a beam pair link (BPL), wherein the BPL includes a base station (BS) transmit beam and a corresponding UE receive beam; Assigning a tag to the BPL, wherein the tag assigned to the BPL is a function of the UE receive beam; as well as One or more actions associated with the marked BPL are taken.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein taking the one or more actions comprises: An indication of the marked BPL is transmitted to the BS.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein taking the one or more actions comprises: Signaling is received according to the BPL.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein taking the one or more actions comprises: receiving a downlink transmission indicating beam refinement of said BS transmit beam for said marked BPL; During the refinement, using the UE receive beam to receive signaling transmitted from one or more adjacent beams of the BS transmit beam; determining a signal quality associated with transmissions from one or more neighboring beams of the BS transmit beam; as well as A recommended BS transmit beam corresponding to the UE receive beam of the marked BPL is indicated to the BS based at least in part on the determined signal quality.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein taking the one or more actions comprises: receiving a downlink transmission indicating beam refinement for the UE receive beam marked with the BPL; receiving signaling from the BS transmit beam via one or more receive beams adjacent to the corresponding UE receive beam of the BPL during the refinement; determining a signal quality associated with one or more neighboring beams of a receive beam of the UE; as well as The UE receive beam corresponding to the BS transmit beam of the marked BPL is updated based at least in part on the determined signal quality.

6. The method of claim 5, further comprising: determining, in response to the updated UE receive beam, whether a different tag is needed; In response to determining that a different label is needed, calculating the different label; indicating the different labels to the BS; as well as The different labels are assigned to the updated UE receive beam and BS transmit beam. The method of claim 6 , wherein the different label comprises one of a new label or a currently used label.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein taking one or more actions associated with the marked BPL comprises: An indication of the marked BPL is transmitted to the BS in response to at least one of: a new BPL, or an established BPL that shares the same UE receive beam as the new BPL.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein taking one or more actions associated with the marked BPL comprises: receiving a message from the BS to remove a tag and its current association with one or more BPLs; as well as In response to the message, the removed tags are made available for assignment to one or more new BPLs.

10. A method for wireless communication by a base station BS, comprising: transmitting an indication of a beam pair link (BPL), wherein the BPL comprises a BS transmit beam and a corresponding user equipment (UE) receive beam; receiving an indication of a tag assigned to the BPL, wherein the tag assigned to the BPL is a function of the UE receive beam; as well as One or more actions associated with the marked BPL are taken.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein receiving the indication of the tag comprises: An indication of the marked BPL is received from the UE.

12. The method of claim 10, wherein taking the one or more actions comprises: Signaling is transmitted according to the BPL. The method of claim 12 , wherein the tag comprises a beam pointer.

14. The method of claim 10, wherein taking the one or more actions comprises: transmitting a downlink assignment indicating beam refinement of the BS transmit beam for the marked BPL; During the refinement period, signaling is transmitted using one or more adjacent beams of the BS transmit beam; as well as A recommendation for an updated BS transmit beam corresponding to the UE receive beam of the tagged BPL is received, wherein the updated BS transmit beam and the corresponding UE receive beam are assigned the label.

15. The method of claim 10, wherein taking the one or more actions comprises: transmitting a downlink assignment indicating beam refinement for the UE receive beam for the marked BPL; During the refinement period, transmitting signaling using the BS transmit beam; as well as An updated label is received, which can be a new label or an old label corresponding to the BS transmit beam of the marked BPL, wherein the updated UE receive beam and the corresponding BS transmit beam are assigned one of the label or the updated label.

16. The method of claim 15, further comprising: transmitting, in response to the updated UE receive beam, an indication of the updated tag; as well as The updated tags assigned to the updated UE receive beam and BS transmit beam are received.

17. The method of claim 10, wherein taking one or more actions associated with the marked BPL comprises: An indication of the marked BPL is received in response to at least one of: a new BPL, or an established BPL that shares a same UE receive beam as the new BPL.

18. The method of claim 10, wherein taking the one or more actions associated with the marked BPL comprises: The UE is signaled to remove the tag and its current association with one or more BPLs, wherein the removed tag is available for future assignment to one or more new BPLs.

19. A device for wireless communication by a user equipment UE, comprising: Means for receiving an indication of a beam pair link (BPL), wherein the BPL comprises a base station (BS) transmit beam and a corresponding UE receive beam; means for assigning a tag to the BPL, wherein the tag assigned to the BPL is a function of the UE receive beam; as well as Means for taking one or more actions associated with the marked BPL.

20. The apparatus of claim 19, wherein the means for taking the one or more actions comprises: Means for transmitting an indication of the marked BPL to the BS.

21. The apparatus of claim 19, wherein the means for taking the one or more actions comprises: Means for receiving signaling according to the BPL.

22. The apparatus of claim 19, wherein the means for taking the one or more actions comprises: means for receiving a downlink transmission indicating beam refinement of said BS transmit beam for said marked BPL; means for receiving, during said refinement, signaling transmitted from one or more neighboring beams of said BS transmit beam using said UE receive beam; means for determining signal quality associated with transmissions from one or more adjacent beams of said BS transmit beam; as well as Means for indicating to the BS a recommended BS transmit beam corresponding to the UE receive beam of the marked BPL based at least in part on the determined signal quality.

23. The apparatus of claim 22, wherein the means for taking the one or more actions comprises: means for receiving a downlink transmission indicating beam perfecting of said UE receive beam for said marked BPL; means for receiving signaling from the BS transmit beam via one or more receive beams adjacent to the corresponding UE receive beam of the BPL during the perfecting; means for determining signal quality associated with one or more neighboring beams of the UE receive beam; as well as Means for updating the UE receive beam corresponding to the BS transmit beam of the marked BPL based at least in part on the determined signal quality.

24. The apparatus of claim 23, further comprising: means for determining, in response to an updated UE receive beam, whether a different tag is needed; means for calculating the different label in response to determining that a different label is required; means for indicating the different labels to the BS; as well as Means for assigning the different labels to the updated UE receive beam and BS transmit beam.

25. The apparatus of claim 24, wherein the different label comprises one of a new label or a currently used label.

26. A device for wireless communication by a base station BS, comprising: means for transmitting an indication of a beam pair link (BPL), wherein the BPL comprises a BS transmit beam and a corresponding user equipment (UE) receive beam; means for receiving an indication of a tag assigned to the BPL, wherein the tag assigned to the BPL is a function of the UE receive beam; as well as Means for taking one or more actions associated with the marked BPL.

27. The apparatus of claim 26, wherein the means for taking the one or more actions comprises: means for transmitting a downlink assignment indicating beam refinement of said BS transmit beam for said marked BPL; means for transmitting signaling during said refinement period using one or more adjacent beams of said BS transmit beam; as well as Means for receiving a recommendation for an updated BS transmit beam corresponding to the UE receive beam of the tagged BPL, wherein the updated BS transmit beam and the corresponding UE receive beam are assigned the label.

28. The apparatus of claim 26, wherein the means for taking the one or more actions comprises: means for transmitting a downlink assignment indicating beam perfecting of said UE receive beam for said marked BPL; means for transmitting signaling using said BS transmit beam during said refinement period; as well as Means for receiving an updated label, which can be a new label or an old label corresponding to the BS transmit beam of the marked BPL, wherein the updated UE receive beam and the corresponding BS transmit beam are assigned one of the label or the updated label.

29. The apparatus of claim 28, further comprising: means for transmitting an indication for the updated tag in response to the updated UE receive beam; as well as Means for receiving the updated tags assigned to the updated UE receive beams and BS transmit beams.

30. The apparatus of claim 26, wherein the means for taking the one or more actions associated with the marked BPL comprises: Means for signaling to the UE to remove a tag and its current association with one or more BPLs, wherein the removed tag is available for future assignment to one or more new BPLs.

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