SRS configuration and precoding indication for simultaneous multi-panel uplink transmission

Abstract

A method includes receiving a signal configuring a UE to simultaneously perform a first PUSCH transmission with a first TRP and a second PUSCH transmission with a second TRP. The method comprises: determining a first SRS resource set and a second SRS resource set for the first PUSCH transmission and the second PUSCH transmission, respectively; the method includes determining a first maximum number of layers associated with the first set of SRS resources, a second maximum number of layers associated with the second set of SRS resources, and a third maximum number of layers to be used when the UE switches to a single TRP PUSCH transmission with only one of the first TRP or the second TRP. The method includes performing the first PUSCH transmission and the second PUSCH transmission using a first maximum number of the layers and a second maximum number of the layers, respectively. The method includes switching to the single TRP PUSCH transmission, and transmitting the single TRP PUSCH transmission using a third maximum number of layers.

Description

[0001] Priority Claim

[0002] This application claims priority to U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 63 / 422,876, filed on Nov. 4, 2022, entitled "SRS CONFIGURATION AND PRECODING INDICATION FOR SIMULTANEOUS MULTI-PANEL UPLINK TRANSMISSION", the entire disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference. BACKGROUND OF THE DISCLOSURE

[0003] Wireless communication networks provide integrated communication platforms and telecommunication services to wireless user equipment. Example telecommunication services include telephony, data (e.g., voice, audio, and / or video data), messaging, and / or other services. Wireless communication networks have wireless access nodes that exchange wireless signals with wireless user equipment using wireless network protocols (such as those described in various telecommunication standards promulgated by the 3rd Generation Partnership Project (3GPP)). Example wireless communication networks include Time Division Multiple Access (TDMA) networks, Frequency Division Multiple Access (FDMA) networks, Orthogonal Frequency Division Multiple Access (OFDMA) networks, Long Term Evolution (LTE), and 5th Generation New Radio (5G NR). Wireless communication networks use technologies such as Orthogonal Frequency Division Multiplexing (OFDM), Multiple-Input Multiple-Output (MIMO), advanced channel decoding, massive MIMO, beamforming, and / or other features to facilitate mobile broadband services. SUMMARY OF THE DISCLOSURE

[0004] In accordance with an aspect of the present disclosure, one or more processors have circuitry that executes instructions to cause a UE to perform operations. The operations include: receiving, from a base station, a signal that configures the UE to simultaneously perform a first PUSCH transmission with a first TRP using a first antenna panel and a second PUSCH transmission with a second TRP using a second antenna panel. The operations include: determining, based on the signal, a first sounding reference signal (SRS) resource set for the first PUSCH transmission and a second SRS resource set for the second PUSCH transmission. The operations include: determining, based on the signal, (i) a first maximum number of layers associated with the first SRS resource set and (ii) a second maximum number of layers associated with the second SRS resource set. The operations include: transmitting the first PUSCH transmission using the first maximum number of layers and transmitting the second PUSCH transmission using the second maximum number of layers.

[0005] In some specific implementations, these operations further include: determining, based on the signal, (iii) a third maximum number of layers to be used when the UE switches to single-TRP PUSCH transmission with only one of the first TRP or the second TRP. These operations further include: receiving downlink control information (DCI) from the base station, where the DCI includes an indication. These operations further include: in response to the indication, switching to the single-TRP PUSCH transmission and using the third maximum number of layers to transmit the single-TRP PUSCH transmission.

[0006] In some specific implementations, these operations further include: sending a UE capability report to the base station, where the UE capability report includes the relationship among the first maximum number of layers, the second maximum number of layers, and the third maximum number of layers.

[0007] In some specific implementations, these operations further include: determining, based on a higher layer parameter, that the UE is configured with non-codebook-based precoding; determining, from the signal, a first number of SRS resources in the first SRS resource set; and determining, from the signal, a second number of SRS resources in the second SRS resource set.

[0008] In some specific implementations, these operations further include: determining that the first number of SRS resources is different from the second number of SRS resources.

[0009] In some specific implementations, the first maximum number of layers is equal to 1, the second maximum number of layers is equal to 1, and the third maximum number of layers is equal to 2, 3, or 4. The combination of (the first number of SRS resources, the second number of SRS resources) is neither (2, 4) nor (4, 2).

[0010] In some specific implementations, the first maximum number of layers is equal to 1, 2, 3, or 4, the second maximum number of layers is equal to 1, and the third maximum number of layers is equal to 2, 3, or 4. The combination of (the first number of SRS resources, the second number of SRS resources) is not (1, 2), not (1, 3), nor (1, 4).

[0011] In some specific implementations, the first maximum number of layers is equal to 1, the second maximum number of layers is equal to 1, 2, 3, or 4, and the third maximum number of layers is equal to 2, 3, or 4. The combination of (the first number of SRS resources, the second number of SRS resources) is not (2, 1), not (3, 1), nor (4, 1).

[0012] In some specific implementations, these operations further include: determining a first quantity of bits of a sounding reference signal (SRS) resource indicator (SRI) sent for the first PUSCH; determining a second quantity of bits of an SRI sent for the second PUSCH; and determining a third quantity of bits of an SRI to be used when the UE switches to PUSCH transmission with only one of the first TRP or the second TRP.

[0013] In some specific implementations, the first quantity of bits is determined based on the first maximum quantity of layers and the first quantity of SRS resources, and the second quantity of bits is determined based on the second maximum quantity of layers and the second quantity of SRS resources.

[0014] In some specific implementations, the third quantity of bits is determined based on the third maximum quantity of layers and further based on the third quantity of SRS resources to be used when the UE switches to PUSCH transmission with only one of the first TRP or the second TRP.

[0015] In some specific implementations, the UE uses a spatial division multiplexing (SDM) scheme to perform the first PUSCH transmission and the second PUSCH transmission.

[0016] According to one aspect of the present disclosure, a base station communicating with a UE has one or more processors coupled to a transceiver. The one or more processors are configured to: determine one or more parameters that configure the UE to simultaneously perform a first PUSCH transmission with a first TRP using a first antenna panel and a second PUSCH transmission with a second TRP using a second antenna, the one or more parameters indicating a first set of SRS resources for the first PUSCH transmission and a second set of SRS resources for the second PUSCH transmission. The transceiver is configured to send a signal with the one or more parameters to the UE, where the signal includes information for the UE to determine (i) a first maximum quantity of layers associated with the first set of SRS resources and (ii) a second maximum quantity of layers associated with the second set of SRS resources.

[0017] In some specific implementations, the signal further includes information for the UE to determine (iii) a third maximum quantity of layers to be used when the UE switches to single-TRP PUSCH transmission with only one of the first TRP or the second TRP. The one or more processors are configured to determine an indication instructing the UE to switch to the single-TRP PUSCH transmission, and the transceiver is configured to send the indication to the UE in a downlink control information (DCI).

[0018] In some specific implementations, the transceiver is configured to receive a UE capability report from the UE, and the one or more processors are configured to determine, from the UE capability report, the relationship among the first maximum number of layers, the second maximum number of layers, and the third maximum number of layers.

[0019] According to one aspect of the present disclosure, a method includes: receiving a signal from a base station, the signal configuring a UE to simultaneously perform a first PUSCH transmission with a first TRP using a first antenna panel and a second PUSCH transmission with a second TRP using a second antenna panel. The method includes: determining, based on the signal, a first SRS resource set for the first PUSCH transmission and a second SRS resource set for the second PUSCH transmission. The method includes: determining, based on the signal, (i) a first maximum number of layers associated with the first SRS resource set and (ii) a second maximum number of layers associated with the second SRS resource set. The method includes: transmitting the first PUSCH transmission using the first maximum number of layers and transmitting the second PUSCH transmission using the second maximum number of layers.

[0020] In some specific implementations, the method includes: determining, based on the signal, (iii) a third maximum number of layers to be used when the UE switches to a single-TRP PUSCH transmission with only one of the first TRP or the second TRP from which the UE receives DCI. The method includes receiving DCI from the base station, where the DCI includes an indication. The method includes: switching to the single-TRP PUSCH transmission in response to the indication. The method includes: transmitting the single-TRP PUSCH transmission using the third maximum number of layers.

[0021] In some specific implementations, the method includes: determining, based on a higher layer parameter, that the UE is configured with non-codebook-based precoding; determining, from the signal, a first number of SRS resources in the first SRS resource set; and determining, from the signal, a second number of SRS resources in the second SRS resource set.

[0022] In some specific implementations, the method includes: determining a first number of bits of an SRS resource indicator (SRI) for the first PUSCH transmission; determining a second number of bits of the SRI for the second PUSCH transmission; and determining a third number of bits of the SRI to be used when the UE switches to a PUSCH transmission with only one of the first TRP or the second TRP.

[0023] In some specific implementations, the first PUSCH transmission and the second PUSCH transmission use a SDM scheme.

[0024] Details of one or more specific implementations of these systems and methods are set forth in the accompanying drawings and the following description. Other features, objects, and advantages of these systems and methods will be apparent from the specification, drawings, and claims. Description of the Drawings

[0025] Figure 1 Illustrates an example wireless network according to some specific implementations.

[0026] Figure 2 Illustrates an example procedure in which a base station configures a UE for PUSCH transmission according to some specific implementations.

[0027] Figure 3 Illustrates two tables of UE references for determining the number of bits for one or more SRIs according to some specific implementations.

[0028] Figures 4A to 4H Each illustrates a table of UE references for determining the number of bits for one or more TPMIs according to some specific implementations.

[0029] Figure 5A Illustrates a flowchart of an example method according to some specific implementations.

[0030] Figure 5B Illustrates a flowchart of another example method according to some specific implementations.

[0031] Figure 6 Illustrates a UE according to some specific implementations.

[0032] Figure 7 Illustrates an access node according to some specific implementations. Detailed Description

[0033] Some wireless communication networks support multi-transmit / receive point (TRP) (multi-TRP or m-TRP) operation. In these networks, one or more base stations may act as or otherwise utilize multiple TRPs to communicate with user equipment (UE). To facilitate multi-TRP operation, the TRP and the UE may each include multiple antenna panels. A UE that includes multiple antenna panels is referred to as a multi-panel UE. The UE may utilize its antenna panels to transmit uplink signals in a channel such as the physical uplink shared channel (PUSCH). Before transmitting data in the PUSCH, the UE may precode the data by multiplying the data by a precoding matrix. The precoding matrix may be determined with or without a codebook. Whether the UE performs codebook-based precoding or non-codebook-based precoding may be configured according to a higher layer parameter such as txConfig.

[0034] To prepare for PUSCH transmission, a UE typically uses configured SRS resources to send one or more SRSs to the base station. The base station configures SRS resources in one or more SRS resource sets, e.g., configures one set for each panel of the UE. The number of SRS resources in each SRS resource set may be the same or different, and may vary between codebook-based precoding and non-codebook-based precoding. Additionally, the number of antenna ports corresponding to each SRS resource (SRS port) may be the same or different, and may vary between codebook-based precoding and non-codebook-based precoding. For example, a UE configured to perform codebook-based precoding may obtain the number of SRS ports from a higher layer parameter (e.g., nrofSRS-Ports) for each SRS source, while a UE configured to perform non-codebook-based precoding may have only one SRS port for each SRS source. The base station may send the parameter nrofSRS-Ports to the UE together with the configuration of the SRS resources.

[0035] Upon receiving an SRS from the UE, the base station selects one or more SRS resources and sends an SRI corresponding to each configured resource set to the UE to notify the UE of the selected resources for PUSCH transmission. Additionally, the base station may determine various settings related to uplink precoding and may indicate the precoding settings to the UE. These precoding indications may vary between codebook-based precoding and non-codebook-based precoding. For example, a UE configured to perform codebook-based precoding may obtain the precoding matrix and / or a parameter indicating the number of transmission layers from a transmission precoding matrix indicator (TPMI) for each configured resource set. The base station sends the SRI and TPMI to the UE via DCI.

[0036] Some UEs support simultaneous PUSCH transmission to multiple TRPs using multiple panels. For example, a UE may be configured, e.g., via a DCI signal, to simultaneously send uplink signals to two TRPs via two panels in an SDM scheme. In some specific implementations with this feature, a UE may be configured with two SRS resource sets, one SRS resource set for each panel, as indicated by the base station (e.g., two TRPs) in two SRIs. To reduce the uncertainty and possible conflicts caused by inconsistent and / or incompatible configurations implemented by different manufacturers, it is desirable for both the UE and the base station to adopt a method when performing SRS configuration and related operations to prepare for precoding in an m-TRP context. Additionally, some UEs support dynamically switching from m-TRP operation to single-TRP operation (e.g., PUSCH transmission to a single TRP using one or more panels of the UE). Therefore, it is also desirable for the base station and the UE to support the dynamic switching of the UE from m-TRP operation to single-TRP operation when performing SRS resource configuration and related operations.

[0037] The present disclosure describes systems and methods that provide solutions to the described deficiencies in existing systems. As described in detail below, specific implementations of the present disclosure provide a method that can be employed by both a UE and a base station to indicate SRS resource configuration and precoding settings, while supporting dynamic switching from m-TRP operation to single-TPR operation. For both codebook-based precoding and non-codebook-based precoding, these specific implementations include features applicable to scenarios where multiple SRS resource sets have different numbers of SRS resources. For codebook-based precoding, these specific implementations include features applicable when SRS resources in multiple SRS resource sets have different numbers of SRS ports nrofSRS-Ports. In addition, these specific implementations include features related to configuring and indicating the maximum rank (number of transmit layers) for each panel and for all panels when the UE performs m-TRP operation or switches from m-TRP to single-TRP operation. Further, since the SRI and TPMI are sent via DCI, these specific implementations are specifically designed to reduce DCI overhead. According to some features, the UE can accurately locate the SRI bits and TPMI bits in the DCI and process these parameters for both m-TRP operation and single-TRP operation.

[0038] Among other benefits, specific implementations of the present disclosure can improve the reliability, flexibility, and efficiency of communication between a UE and a base station, particularly when the UE uses multiple panels to perform simultaneous PUSCH transmissions with multiple TRPs. In the following description, it is assumed that the UE communicates with two TRPs using two panels. However, other numbers of panels and TRPs are possible and are contemplated herein.

[0039] Figure 1 Wireless network 100 is illustrated according to some specific implementations. Wireless network 100 includes a UE 102 and a base station 104 connected via one or more channels 106A, 106B over an air interface 108. The UE 102 and the base station 104 communicate using a system that supports control for managing the UE 102's access to the network via the base station 104.

[0040] In some specific implementations, the wireless network 100 can be a non-standalone (NSA) network that combines long-term evolution (LTE) and fifth-generation (5G) new radio (NR) communication standards as defined by the technical specifications of the 3rd Generation Partnership Project (3GPP). For example, the wireless network 100 can be an E-UTRA (Evolved Universal Terrestrial Radio Access)-NR dual-connectivity (EN-DC) network or an NR-EUTRA dual-connectivity (NE-DC) network. In some other specific implementations, the wireless network 100 can be a standalone (SA) network that only combines 5G NR. Additionally, other types of communication standards are possible, including future 3GPP systems (e.g., sixth-generation (6G)), Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) 802.11 technologies (e.g., IEEE 802.11a; IEEE 802.11b; IEEE 802.11g; IEEE 802.11-2007; IEEE 802.11n; IEEE 802.11-2012; IEEE 802.11ac; or other currently or future-developed IEEE 802.11 technologies), IEEE 802.16 protocols (e.g., WMAN, WiMAX, etc.), and the like. Although terms commonly associated with 5G NR may be used herein to describe aspects, aspects of the present disclosure can be applied to other systems, such as 3G, 4G, and / or systems after 5G (e.g., 6G).

[0041] In the wireless network 100, the UE 102 and any other UE in the system can be any one of, for example, a laptop computer, a smart phone, a tablet computer, a machine-type device (such as a smart meter or a dedicated device for healthcare), a smart transportation system, or any other wireless device. In the network 100, the base station 104 provides the UE 102 with a network connection to a wider network (not shown). This UE 102 connection is provided via the air interface 108 within the base station service area provided by the base station 104. In some specific implementations, such a wider network can be a wide area network operated by a cellular network provider or can be the Internet. Each base station service area associated with the base station 104 is supported by one or more antennas integrated with the base station 104. The service area can be divided into several sectors associated with one or more specific antennas. Such sectors can be physically associated with one or more fixed antennas or can be assigned to a physical area with one or more tunable antennas or antenna settings that can be adjusted during the beamforming process for directing signals to a specific sector.

[0042] UE 102 includes control circuitry 110 coupled to a transmit circuitry 112 and a receive circuitry 114. The transmit circuitry 112 and the receive circuitry 114 may each be coupled to one or more antennas. The control circuitry 110 may include various combinations of dedicated circuitry and baseband circuitry. The transmit circuitry 112 and the receive circuitry 114 may be respectively adapted to transmit and receive data, and may include radio frequency (RF) circuitry or front-end module (FEM) circuitry.

[0043] In various embodiments, aspects of the transmit circuitry 112, the receive circuitry 114, and the control circuitry 110 may be integrated in various ways to implement the operations described herein. The control circuitry 110 may be adapted or configured to perform various operations, such as operations related to the UE described elsewhere in this disclosure. For example, the control circuitry 110 may control the transmit circuitry 112 and the receive circuitry 114 to receive higher layer signals, transmit SRS signals, and receive DCI. The control circuitry 110 may also pre-code data for PUSCH transmission.

[0044] Additionally, the transmit circuitry 112 may transmit multiple multiplexed uplink physical channels. The multiple uplink physical channels may be multiplexed according to time division multiplexing (TDM) or frequency division multiplexing (FDM) and carrier aggregation. The transmit circuitry 112 may be configured to receive block data from the control circuitry 110 for transmission across the air interface 108.

[0045] Additionally, the receive circuitry 114 may receive multiple multiplexed downlink physical channels from the air interface 108 and relay the physical channels to the control circuitry 110. The multiple downlink physical channels may be multiplexed according to TDM or FDM and carrier aggregation. The transmit circuitry 112 and the receive circuitry 114 may transmit and receive both control data and content data (e.g., messages, images, videos, etc.) structured within data blocks carried by the physical channels.

[0046] Figure 1 A base station 104 is also illustrated. In some embodiments, the base station 104 may be a 5G radio access network (RAN) or next generation RAN, E-UTRAN, non-terrestrial cell, or a legacy RAN (such as UTRAN). As used herein, terms such as “5G RAN” etc. may refer to the base station 104 operating in an NR or 5G wireless network 100, and terms such as “E-UTRAN” etc. may refer to the base station 104 operating in an LTE or 4G wireless network 100. The UE 102 utilizes connections (or channels) 106A, 106B, each connection including a physical communication interface or layer.

[0047] The base station 104 circuitry may include a control circuit 116 coupled to a transmit circuit 118 and a receive circuit 120. The transmit circuit 118 and the receive circuit 120 may each be coupled to one or more antennas that may be used to effect communication via an air interface 108. The transmit circuit 118 and the receive circuit 120 may be adapted to transmit and receive data, respectively, to and from any UE connected to the base station 104. The receive circuitry 120 may receive a plurality of uplink physical channels from one or more UEs including the UE 102.

[0048] In Figure 1 one or more channels 106A, 106B are illustrated as air interfaces that effect communication coupling and may conform to a cellular communication protocol such as the UMTS protocol, 3GPP LTE protocol, Long Term Evolution-Advanced (LTE-A) protocol, LTE-based Unlicensed Spectrum Access (LTE-U), 5G protocol, NR protocol, NR-based Unlicensed Spectrum Access (NR-U) protocol, and / or any other communication protocol. In a particular implementation, the UE 102 may directly exchange communication data via the ProSe interface. The ProSe interface may alternatively be referred to as a sidelink (SL) interface and may include one or more logical channels including, but not limited to, a Physical Sidelink Control Channel (PSCCH), a Physical Sidelink Discovery Channel (PSDCH), and a Physical Sidelink Broadcast Channel (PSBCH).

[0049] Figure 2 An example procedure 200 is illustrated in which the base station 204 configures the UE 202 for PUSCH transmission according to some particular implementations. The procedure 200 may occur, for example, in the wireless network 100, and the UE 202 and the base station 204 may be similar to the UE102 and the base station 104, respectively. In some particular implementations, the UE 202 is configured to perform PUSCH transmission using an SDM scheme.

[0050] At 212, the base station 204 transmits configuration parameters, such as txConfig, SRS-ResourceSet, ul-FullPowerTransmission, and codebookSubset, to the UE 202. The configuration parameters configure the UE 202 for an upcoming PUSCH transmission. In some particular implementations, the configuration parameters are transmitted in one or more higher layer signals.

[0051] At 214, the UE 202 configures SRS resources based on one or more of the configuration parameters. For example, the UE 202 can determine from txConfig whether the PUSCH precoding is codebook-based or non-codebook-based. Depending on the settings of txConfig and FullPowerTransmission, the UE 202 can configure one or more SRS resource sets based on the indication in the SRS-ResourceSet, where each SRS resource set has one or more SRS resources. Specifically, in the m-TRP operation where the UE 202 simultaneously performs two PUSCH transmissions to two TRPs using two antenna panels, the base station 204 can indicate two SRS resource sets in two instances of the SRS-ResourceSet. Thus, the UE 202 can configure two SRS resource sets, with one SRS resource set for each panel. Depending on the "usage" field of the SRS-ResourceSet set by the base station 204, the two SRS resource sets can each have the same number or different numbers of SRS resources, denoted as N 1,SRS and N 2,SRS .

[0052] In some specific implementations, when the base station 204 sets the "usage" field to "nonCodebook", the UE 202 supports SRS resource configurations where the two SRS resource sets have the same or different numbers of SRS resources. That is, when the base station 204 sets the "usage" field to "nonCodebook", the UE 202 supports configuring N 1,SRS and N 2,SRS to be the same (e.g., both equal to 2) or different (e.g., equal to 4 and 2 respectively). Based on the number of configured transmission layers, the support for N 1,SRS different from N 2,SRS may have certain exceptions, as described later.

[0053] In some specific implementations, when the base station 204 sets the "usage" field to "Codebook", the UE 202 only supports SRS resource configurations where the two SRS resource sets have the same number of SRS resources. That is, when the base station 204 sets the "usage" field to "Codebook", the UE 202 only supports configuring N 1,SRS and N 2,SRSConfigured to be the same (both 2). In some alternative embodiments, when the base station 204 sets the "usage" field to "Codebook", the UE 202 supports an SRS resource configuration in which two SRS resource sets have the same (e.g., both 2) or different (e.g., 4 and 2) numbers of SRS resources. In these alternative embodiments, when the base station 204 sets the "usage" field to "Codebook", the UE 202 may also support an SRS port configuration in which two SRS resource sets are associated with the same (e.g., 2) or different (e.g., 4 and 2 respectively) numbers of SRS ports nrofSRS - Ports for the resources within each set. For example, when nrofSRS - Ports is equal to 2 for two SRS resource sets, all SRS resources in the first SRS resource set are configured with 2 SRS ports, and all SRS resources in the second SRS resource set are also configured with 2 SRS ports. Additionally, when nrofSRS - Ports is equal to 2 for the first SRS resource set and equal to 4 for the second SRS resource set, all SRS resources in the first SRS resource set are configured with 2 SRS ports, and all SRS resources in the second SRS resource set are also configured with 4 SRS ports. The UE 202 can use the two numbers of nrofSRS - Ports (whether the same or different) to determine two TPMI bit fields associated with the two SRS resource sets for m - TRP operation, and can determine the TPMI bit field associated with the SRS resource set in the case of dynamically switching to single - TRP operation. As explained below with reference to Figures 4A to 4H As explained, the features of these alternative embodiments can reduce DCI overhead because the size of the TPMI bit field for single - TRP is not greater than the sum of the sizes of the TPMI bit fields for m - TRP.

[0054] In addition to configuring SRS resources, the base station 204 may also configure the maximum number of layers maxRank used by the UE 202 for PUSCH transmission. To support m - TRP operation and dynamic switching from m - TRP to single - TRP, the base station 204 may indicate one or more parameters to account for multiple PUSCH transmissions. These one or more parameters may be sent via higher - layer signaling such as one or more higher - layer signals at 212.

[0055] In some embodiments, the base station 204 indicates a combination of three numbers as the maxRank indication: (L Smax ,L 1,Mmax ,L 2,Mmax ). L Smax represents the maximum number of layers when indicating that the UE 202 switches from m - TRP to single - TRP operation. L 1,Mmax and L2,Mmax Indicates the maximum number of layers associated with two SRS source sets respectively when instructing the UE 202 to perform simultaneous m-TRP operations. For example, when the base station 204 instructs the UE 202 with (4, 2, 2), the UE 202 can configure at most 2 layers for each SRS resource set to perform simultaneous m-TRP PUSCH transmission, and can configure at most 4 layers for the SRS resource when switching to perform single-TRP PUSCH transmission. Before or after the indication of (L Smax , L 1,Mmax , L 2,Mmax ), the UE 202 can notify the base station 204 of the UE 202's ability to support the maxRank configuration. For example, the UE 202 can notify that it can only support the following combinations: (a) L Smax ≥L 1,Mmax +L 2,Mmax , (b) L Smax ≥L 1,Mmax and L Smax ≥L 2,Mmax or (c) L Smax <L 1,Mmax +L 2,Mmax . Therefore, if the UE 202 can only be used for (a), but the base station 204 configures the combination of maxRank (3, 2, 2), the UE 202 finds that this combination is invalid. The UE 202 can discard the invalid combination and request another maxRank configuration.

[0056] In some specific implementations, the base station 204 indicates a combination of four numbers as the maxRank indication: (L 1,Smax , L 2,Smax , L 1,Mmax , L 2,Mmax ). Different from the three-number combination, even for a single-TRP operation, each panel is indicated with its own maximum number of layers.

[0057] In some specific implementations, the base station 204 indicates a single number L Smax for both m-TRP and single-TRP operations. Although this format of the maxRank indication is simpler than the formats with three-number combinations and four-number combinations, the UE 202 may need DCI to provide more fields in order to understand the selection made by the base station 204 at 218. In other words, this single-number format of the maxRank indication may require a higher DCI overhead.

[0058] As previously stated, when the base station 204 sets the "usage" field to "nonCodebook", the UE 202 supports the case where N 1,SRS and N 2,SRSSame or different SRS resource configurations, with some exceptions based on the number of transmission layers. In some specific implementations where maxRank indication is formatted to have a three-digit combination (L Smax ,L 1,Mmax ,L 2,Mmax ), the exceptions can include three example cases.

[0059] As a first case of exception, when both L 1,Mmax and L 2,Mmax are equal to 1, and L Smax is equal to 2, 3, or 4, the following combinations of (N 1,SRS ,N 2,SRS ) are excluded from the SRS resource configurations supported by UE 202: (2,4) and (4,2).

[0060] As a second case of exception, when L 1,Mmax is equal to 1, L 2,Mmax is equal to 1, 2, 3, or 4, and L Smax is equal to 2, 3, or 4, the following combinations of (N 1,SRS ,N 2,SRS ) are excluded from the SRS resource configurations supported by UE 202: (1,2), (1,3), and (1,4).

[0061] As a third case of exception, when L 2,Mmax is equal to 1, L 1,Mmax is equal to 1, 2, 3, or 4, and L Smax is equal to 2, 3, or 4, the following combinations of (N 1,SRS ,N 2,SRS ) are excluded from the SRS resource configurations supported by UE 202: (2,1), (3,1), and (4,1).

[0062] In the case where (N 1,SRS ,N 2,SRS ) and (L Smax ,L 1,Mmax ,L 2,Mmax ) are configured, UE 202 can use the combinations of (L 1,Mmax ,N 1,SRS ) and (L 2,Mmax ,N 2,SRS ) to determine two SRI bit fields associated with two SRS resource sets for m-TRP operation, and can determine the SRI bit field associated with the SRS resource set in the case of dynamically switching to single-TRP operation. As explained with reference to Figure 3 , the features described herein can reduce DCI overhead because the size of the SRI bit field for single-TRP is not greater than the sum of the sizes of the SRI bit fields for m-TRP.

[0063] Continue Figure 2 At 216, the UE 202 uses the configured SRS resources to send one or more SRSs to the base station 204. In m-TRP operation, the UE 202 uses the SRS resources in the corresponding SRS resource set to send an SRS set to each TRP. Based on the received SRS, the base station 204 may select an SRS resource that is most suitable for PUSCH transmission to each TRP (e.g., having the best quality).

[0064] At 218, the base station 204 sends DCI to the UE 202. In the DCI, the base station 204 may indicate which (which) SRS resource set(s) the UE 202 should use for PUSCH transmission. If two SRS resource sets are indicated, the UE 202 should use the two indicated SRS resource sets to perform m-TRP operation. Conversely, if the DCI indicates only one SRS resource set, the UE 202 should switch from m-TRP operation to single-TRP operation. Additionally, the base station 204 may include an SRI in the DCI to indicate to the UE 202 the selected SRS resource for each TRP. For non-codebook-based precoding, the base station 204 may also include a TPMI in the DCI, which indicates the precoding information and / or the number of layers conveyed through the SRS ports associated with the configured SRS resources in each set.

[0065] At 220, the UE 202 precodes the PUSCH data according to the configuration and indication from the base station 204. For example, the UE 202 may determine the resources selected by the base station 204 for PUSCH transmission to each TRP by decoding the SRI, and determine the precoding matrix for precoding the PUSCH data to be sent to each TRP by decoding the TPMI. Additionally, in the case where the UE 202 detects only one SRS resource set in the DCI, the UE 202 understands that it is configured to dynamically switch to single-TRP operation. To perform the switch, the UE 202 decodes the TPMI and looks for the bit field corresponding to single-TRP precoding.

[0066] Figure 3 Illustrates a UE according to some specific implementations (e.g., Figure 1 UE 102 or Figure 2The UE 202) refers to two tables for determining the number of bits for one or more SRIs, where the "usage" field of the SRS-ResourceSet is set to "nonCodebook". The two tables numbered 7.3.1.1.2-28 and 7.3.1.1.2-29 may be the same as those with similar numbers in Release 16 of 3GPP TS 38.212 (e.g., TS 38.212 V16.10.0 (TS 38.212)), which is incorporated herein by reference. (L Smax ,L 1,Mmax ,L 2,Mmax ) An example combination of (2,1,1) is used to illustrate the determination of the number of SRI bits. For combinations where any of the three numbers is different from 1 and 2, the tables 7.3.1.1.2-30 and 7.3.1.1.2-31 in TS 38.212 may be referred to similarly. The examples described below include the number N SRS of SRS resources of the indicated SRS resource set equal to 1, 2, 3, and 4 respectively for a single TRP scenario, and also include the number N SRS,1 or N SRS,2 of SRS resources of one SRS resource set in the indicated SRS resource set equal to 1, 2, 3, and 4 respectively for an m-TRP scenario.

[0067] For single TRP operation, since L Smax is equal to 2, Table 7.3.1.1.2-29 is used. For the scenario where N SRS = 2, the left two columns provide 4 rows, each row mapping the bit field to an index. Two binary bits are needed to cover four bit fields. Therefore, when N SRS = 2, the number of SRI bits required for s-TRP is two. Similarly, for the scenario where N SRS = 3, the middle two columns provide 8 rows, each row mapping the bit field to an index. Three binary bits are needed to cover eight bit fields. Therefore, when N SRS = 2, the number of SRI bits required for s-TRP is three. Similarly, for the scenario where N SRS = 3, the right two columns indicate that 4 bits are needed to cover 16 bit fields. Therefore, when N SRS = 3, the number of SRI bits required for s-TRP is 4. Since the table does not provide a column for N SRS = 1, the corresponding number of SRI bits required can be considered 0. Therefore, for the scenarios where N SRS is equal to 1, 2, 3, and 4 respectively, the number of SRI bits required for s-TRP is 0, 2, 3, and 4 respectively.

[0068] For m-TRP operation, since L 1,Mmax and L2,Mmax Both are equal to 2, so Table 7.3.1.1.2-30 is used. Therefore, for the case where N SRS,1 (or N SRS,2 ) is equal to 2, 3, and 4 respectively, the corresponding number of SRI bits can be determined to be 1, 2, and 2. Since this table does not provide a column for N SRS = 1, the corresponding number of required SRI bits can be regarded as 0. For the cases where N SRS,1 and N SRS,2 are both equal to 1, 2, 3, and 4, the SRI bits for the two SRS resource sets are added together, and the total number of SRI bits across the two SRS resource sets for the m-TRP operation is 0, 2, 4, and 4 respectively. It can be seen that for each scenario, the total number of SRI bits for the m-TRP operation is always greater than or equal to the number of SRI bits for the s-TRP operation. Therefore, when instructing the UE 202 to dynamically switch from m-TRP to single TRP, the base station 204 does not need to provide additional DCI bits for SRI. This can simplify the DCI structure and avoid a significant increase in DCI overhead.

[0069] Figures 4A to 4H Each exemplifies a table for a UE (e.g., Figure 1 's UE 102 or Figure 2 's UE202) according to some specific implementations for reference to determine the number of bits for one or more TPMI in various scenarios. These tables can be the same as those with similar numbers in TS 38.212. The UE reference is based on higher layer configurations such as the setting of codebookSubset, the maxRank indication (L Smax , L 1,Mmax , L 2,Mmax ) and the SRS port numbers N 1,ant and N 2,ant corresponding to the SRS resource sets. Other tables in TS38.212 can be used for scenarios with other settings.

[0070] The first example scenario assumes that the parameter codebookSubset is set to the value "fullyAndPartialAndNonCoherent", ul-FullPowerTransmission is not configured, (L Smax , L 1,Mmax , L 2,Mmax ) = (4, 2, 2), and (N 1,ant , N 2,ant ) = (4, 2). For the m-TRP operation, since the first SRS resource set has L 1,Mmax = 2 maximum transmission layers and N 1,ant = 4 SRS ports, therefore Figure 4ATable 7.3.1.1.2-2 in 2,Mmax = 2 maximum transmission layers and N 2,ant = 2 SRS ports, so Figure 4B Table 7.3.1.1.2-4 in

[0071] Continuing with the first example scenario, for single-TRP operation, since the SRS resource set has L Smax = 4 maximum transmission layers, so Figure 4A Table 7.3.1.1.2-2 in Figure 4A , the UE can determine that in single-TRP operation, 6 DCI bits are required for the TPMI. Consistent with this determination, when the base station instructs the UE to switch from m-TRP to single-TRP operation, the UE and the base station can agree to use the first 6 bits out of the 10 TPMI bits as the TPMI.

[0072] The second example scenario assumes that the parameter codebookSubset is set to the value "fullyAndPartialAndNonCoherent", ul-FullPowerTransmission is not configured, (L Smax , L 1,Mmax , L 2,Mmax ) = (4, 2, 1), and (N 1,ant , N 2,ant ) = (4, 2). For m-TRP operation, since the first SRS resource set has L 1,Mmax = 2 maximum transmission layers and N 1,ant = 4 SRS ports, so Figure 4A Table 7.3.1.1.2-2 in 2,Mmax = 1 maximum transmission layer and N 2,ant = 2 SRS ports, so Figure 4CTable 7.3.1.1.2-5 in [ ] applies. From the left two columns, the UE can determine that 3 bits in the DCI are used to indicate the TPMI corresponding to the second SRS resource set. Therefore, for m-TRP operation, the total number of bits for the TPMI is 9 bits.

[0073] Continuing with the second example scenario, for single-TRP operation, since the SRS resource set has L Smax = 4 maximum transmission layers, therefore Figure 4A Table 7.3.1.1.2-2 in [ ] applies again. From this table, the UE can determine that for single-TRP operation, the TPMI requires 6 DCI bits. Consistent with this determination, when the base station instructs the UE to switch from m-TRP to single-TRP operation, the UE and the base station can agree to use the first 6 bits out of the 9 TPMI bits as the TPMI.

[0074] The third example scenario assumes that the parameter codebookSubset is set to the value "nonCoherent", ul-FullPowerTransmission is not configured, (L Smax , L 1,Mmax , L 2,Mmax ) = (2 or 3 or 4, 1, 1), and (N 1,ant , N 2,ant ) = (4, 2). This scenario corresponds to the first case of the exception described above from the SRS resource configuration. The reason for excluding this scenario can be understood through the following discussion.

[0075] Following a method similar to the first and second example scenarios, for m-TRP operation, since the first SRS resource set has L 1,Mmax = 1 maximum transmission layer and N 1,ant = 4 SRS ports, therefore Figure 4D Table 7.3.1.1.2-3 in [ ] applies. From the right two columns of the table, the UE can determine that 2 bits in the DCI are used to indicate the TPMI corresponding to the first SRS resource set. Similarly, since the second SRS resource set has L 2,Mmax = 1 maximum transmission layer and N 2,ant = 2 SRS ports, therefore Figure 4C Table 7.3.1.1.2-5 in [ ] applies. From the right two columns of the table, the UE can determine that 1 bit in the DCI is used to indicate the TPMI corresponding to the second SRS resource set. For m-TRP operation, the total number is 3 bits of the DCI for the TPMI.

[0076] For single-TRP operation, since the SRS resource set has L Smax = 2, 3 or 4 maximum transmission layers, therefore Figure 4ATable 7.3.1.1.2-2 in [ ] applies again. From the right two columns of the table, the UE can determine that for single-TRP operation, the TPMI now requires 4 DCI bits, which is more than the 3 bits for m-TRP operation. If the UE and the base station do not exclude this scenario from the SRS resource configuration, then when the base station instructs the UE to switch from m-TRP to single-TRP operation via DCI, the base station will have to add another TPMI bit to account for the increase from 3 bits to 4 bits caused by the switch. This increase requires an increase in DCI overhead. To avoid the increase in overhead, some embodiments contemplate excluding the third example scenario from the allowed SRS resource configurations.

[0077] The fourth example scenario assumes that the parameter codebookSubset is set to the value "PartialAndNonCoherent", ul-FullPowerTransmission is set to the value "fullppowerMode1", (L Smax ,L 1,Mmax ,L 2,Mmax ) = (4, 2, 2), and (N 1,ant ,N 2,ant ) = (4, 2). For m-TRP operation, since the first SRS resource set has L 1,Mmax = 2 maximum transmission layers and N 1,ant = 4 SRS ports, thus Figure 4E Table 7.3.1.1.2-2A in [ ] applies. From the left two columns of the table, the UE can determine that 5 bits in the DCI are used to indicate the TPMI corresponding to the first SRS resource set. Since the second SRS resource set has L 2,Mmax = 2 maximum transmission layers and N 2,ant = 2 SRS ports, thus Figure 4F Table 7.3.1.1.2-4A in [ ] applies. From this table, the UE can determine that 2 bits in the DCI are used to indicate the TPMI corresponding to the second SRS resource set. Therefore, for m-TRP operation, the total number of bits for the TPMI is 7 bits.

[0078] Continuing with the fourth example scenario, for single-TRP operation, since the SRS resource set has L Smax = 4 maximum transmission layers, thus Figure 4G Table 7.3.1.1.2-2B in [ ] applies. From the left two columns of the table, the UE can determine that for single-TRP operation, the TPMI requires 6 DCI bits. Consistent with this determination, when the base station instructs the UE to switch from m-TRP to single-TRP operation, the UE and the base station can agree to use the first 6 bits out of the 7 TPMI bits as the TPMI.

[0079] The fifth example scenario assumes that the parameter codebookSubset is set to the value "PartialAndNonCoherent", ul-FullPowerTransmission is set to the value "fullppowerMode1", (L Smax ,L 1,Mmax ,L 2,Mmax ) = (3, 1, 2), and (N 1,ant ,N 2,ant ) = (4, 2). For m-TRP operation, since the first SRS resource set has L 1,Mmax = 1 maximum transmission layer and N 1,ant = 4 SRS ports, thus Figure 4H Table 7.3.1.1.2-3A in 2,Mmax = 2 maximum transmission layers and N 2,ant = 2 SRS ports, thus Figure 4F Table 7.3.1.1.2-4A in

[0080] Continuing with the fifth example scenario, for single-TRP operation, since the SRS resource set has L Smax = 3 maximum transmission layers, thus Figure 4G Table 7.3.1.1.2-2B in

[0081] From the above discussion, it can be seen that in some scenarios excluded, when instructing the UE to switch from m-TRP to single-TRP operation, the base station does not need to introduce additional DCI bits for the TPMI. Therefore, the specific implementation described above can advantageously support the switch between operations with a minimum increase in DCI overhead.

[0082] Figure 5A Illustrates a flowchart of an example method 500A according to some specific implementations. For clarity of presentation, the following description generally describes method 500A in the context of the other figures in this specification. For example, method 500A can be performed by Figure 1 UE 102 of Figure 2to be performed by the UE 202. It should be understood that the method 500A may be performed by any suitable system, environment, software, hardware, or a combination of system, environment, software, and hardware, as the case may be. In some specific implementations, the various steps of the method 500A may be run in parallel, combined, looped, or run in any order.

[0083] At 502, the method 500A involves: receiving a signal from a base station that configures the UE to simultaneously perform a first PUSCH transmission with a first TRP using a first antenna panel and a second PUSCH transmission with a second TRP using a second antenna panel. The base station may be similar to Figure 1 the base station 104 or Figure 2 the base station 204. The signal may include one or more configuration parameters transmitted at Figure 2 212.

[0084] At 504, the method 500A involves determining a first SRS resource set for the first PUSCH transmission and a second SRS resource set for the second PUSCH transmission based on the signal. The determination may be similar to at least a part of the SRS resource configuration performed by the UE 202 at Figure 2 214.

[0085] At 506, the method 500A involves: determining based on the signal (i) a first maximum number of layers associated with the first SRS resource set, (ii) a second maximum number of layers associated with the second SRS resource set, (iii) a third maximum number of layers to be used when the UE switches to single-TRP PUSCH transmission with only one of the first TRP or the second TRP, or any combination of the above. The first maximum number of layers, the second maximum number of layers, and the third maximum number of layers may be similar to, for example, L 1,Mmax 、L 2,Mmax and L Smax .

[0086] At 508, the method 500A involves: transmitting the first PUSCH transmission using the first maximum number of layers, transmitting the second PUSCH transmission using the second maximum number of layers, or any combination of the above.

[0087] At 510, the method 500A may optionally involve: switching to single-TRP PUSCH transmission upon receiving an indication. The indication may be included in the DCI sent to the UE, similar to Figure 2 218.

[0088] At 512, the method 500A may optionally involve: transmitting the single-TRP PUSCH transmission using the third maximum number of layers.

[0089] Figure 5B FIG. 500B is a flowchart of an exemplary method according to some specific implementations. For clarity of illustration, the following description generally describes method 500B in the context of the other figures in this specification. For example, method 500B may be performed by the UE 102 of Figure 1 or the UE 202 of Figure 2 . It should be understood that method 500B may be performed, as appropriate, by any suitable system, environment, software, hardware, or combination of systems, environments, software, and hardware. In some specific implementations, the various steps of method 500B may be run in parallel, combined, looped, or run in any order.

[0090] At 532, method 500B involves: receiving a signal from a base station that configures the UE to simultaneously perform a first PUSCH transmission with a first TRP using a first antenna panel and a second PUSCH transmission with a second TRP using a second antenna panel. The base station may be similar to the base station 104 of Figure 1 or the base station 204 of Figure 2 . The signal may include one or more configuration parameters transmitted at 212 of Figure 2 .

[0091] Figure 2 At 534, method 500B involves: determining, based on higher layer parameters, that the UE is configured with non-codebook-based precoding. In some specific implementations, the higher layer parameters are txConfig transmitted at 212 of Figure 2 .

[0092] At 536, method 500B involves: determining, based on the signal, a first SRS resource set for the first PUSCH transmission, a second SRS resource set for the second PUSCH transmission, or any combination thereof. The determination may be similar to at least a part of the SRS resource configuration performed by the UE 202 at 214 of Figure 2 .

[0093] At 538, method 500B involves: determining, based on the signal, (i) a first number of SRS resources in the first SRS resource set, (ii) a second number of SRS resources in the second SRS resource set, or any combination thereof. The determination may also be similar to at least a part of the SRS resource configuration performed by the UE 202 at 214 of Figure 2 .

[0094] At 540, method 500B involves: transmitting one or more first SRSs to the first TRP, transmitting one or more second SRSs to the second TRP, or any combination thereof. The transmission may be similar to the SRS transmission in 216 of Figure 2 .

[0095] Figure 6 Illustrates a UE 600 according to some specific implementations. The UE 600 may be similar to Figure 1 the UE 102 or Figure 2 the UE 202, and may be substantially interchangeable therewith.

[0096] The UE 600 can be any mobile or non-mobile computing device, such as, for example, a mobile phone, a computer, a tablet, an industrial wireless sensor (e.g., a microphone, a pressure sensor, a thermometer, a motion sensor, an accelerometer, an inventory sensor, a voltage / current meter, etc.), a video device (e.g., a camera, a video camera, etc.), a wearable device (e.g., a smartwatch), a loose IoT device.

[0097] The UE 600 may include a processor 602, an RF interface circuit 604, a memory / storage 606, a user interface 608, sensors 610, a driver circuit 612, a power management integrated circuit (PMIC) 614, one or more antennas 616, and a battery 618. The components of the UE 600 may be implemented as integrated circuits (ICs), parts of integrated circuits, discrete electronic devices, or other modules, logic components, hardware, software, firmware, or combinations thereof. Figure 6 The block diagram of

[0098] is intended to show a high-level view of some of the components of the UE 600. However, some of the components shown may be omitted, additional components may be present, and different arrangements of the shown components may occur in other specific implementations.

[0099] The processor 602 may include processor circuitry, such as a baseband processor circuit (BB) 622A, a central processing unit circuit (CPU) 622B, and a graphics processing unit circuit (GPU) 622C. The processor 602 may include any type of circuit or processor circuitry that executes or otherwise operates computer-executable instructions (such as program code, software modules, or functional procedures from the memory / storage 606) to cause the UE 600 to perform operations as described herein (such as those of method 500A or 500B).

[0100] In some specific implementations, the baseband processor circuit 622A may access the communication protocol stack 624 in the memory / storage device 606 to communicate via a 3GPP-compliant network. Generally speaking, the baseband processor circuit 622A may access the communication protocol stack to perform user plane functions at the physical (PHY) layer, media access control (MAC) layer, radio link control (RLC) layer, packet data convergence protocol (PDCP) layer, service data adaptation protocol (SDAP) layer, and PDU layer; and perform control plane functions at the PHY layer, MAC layer, RLC layer, PDCP layer, RRC layer, and non-access stratum. In some specific implementations, the PHY layer operations may additionally / alternatively be performed by components of the RF interface circuit 604. The baseband processor circuit 622A may generate or process baseband signals or waveforms carrying information in a 3GPP-compliant network. In some specific implementations, the waveforms for NR may be based on cyclic prefix orthogonal frequency division multiplexing (OFDM) "CP-OFDM" in the uplink or downlink, and discrete Fourier transform spread OFDM "DFT-S-OFDM" in the uplink.

[0101] The memory / storage device 606 may include one or more non-transitory computer-readable media, which include instructions (such as the communication protocol stack 624), and these instructions may be executed by one or more processors in the processor 602 to enable the UE 600 to perform various operations described herein. The memory / storage device 606 includes any type of volatile or non-volatile memory that may be distributed throughout the UE 600. In some specific implementations, some of the memory / storage device 606 may be located on the processor 602 itself (such as L1 cache and L2 cache), while other memory / storage device 606 is located outside the processor 602 but can be accessed via the memory interface. The memory / storage device 606 may include any suitable volatile or non-volatile memory, such as but not limited to dynamic random access memory (DRAM), static random access memory (SRAM), erasable programmable read-only memory (EPROM), electrically erasable programmable read-only memory (EEPROM), flash memory, solid-state memory, or any other type of memory device technology.

[0102] The RF interface circuit 604 may include transceiver circuitry and a radio frequency front-end module (RFEM), which allows the UE 600 to communicate with other devices via a radio access network. The RF interface circuit 604 may include various elements arranged in the transmit path or receive path. These elements may include, for example, switches, mixers, amplifiers, filters, synthesizer circuits, control circuits, etc.

[0103] In the receive path, the RFEM can receive a radiated signal from the air interface via antenna 616 and continue to filter and amplify the signal (using a low-noise amplifier). The signal can be provided to the receiver of the transceiver, which down-converts the RF signal into a baseband signal provided to the baseband processor of the processor 602.

[0104] In the transmit path, the transmitter of the transceiver up-converts the baseband signal received from the baseband processor and provides the RF signal to the RFEM. The RFEM can amplify the RF signal through a power amplifier before the signal is radiated across the air interface via antenna 616. In various embodiments, the RF interface circuit 604 can be configured to transmit / receive signals in a manner compatible with the NR access technology.

[0105] Antenna 616 can include one or more antenna elements to convert an electrical signal into radio waves to travel through the air and convert the received radio waves into electrical signals. These antenna elements can be arranged into one or more antenna panels. Antenna 616 can have antenna panels with omnidirectional, directional, or a combination thereof to enable beamforming and multiple-input / multiple-output communication. Antenna 616 can include microstrip antennas, printed antennas made on the surface of one or more printed circuit boards, patch antennas, phased array antennas, etc. Antenna 616 can have one or more panels designed for a specific frequency band including bands in FR1 or FR2.

[0106] The user interface 608 includes various input / output (I / O) devices that are designed to enable a user to interact with the UE 600. The user interface 608 includes input device circuitry and output device circuitry. The input device circuitry includes any physical or virtual components for accepting input, particularly including one or more physical or virtual buttons (e.g., reset buttons), physical keyboards, keypads, mice, touchpads, touchscreens, microphones, scanners, or headsets, etc. The output device circuitry includes any physical or virtual components for displaying information or otherwise conveying information (such as sensor readings, actuator positions, or other similar information). The output device circuitry can include any number or combination of audio or visual displays, particularly including one or more simple visual outputs / indicators (e.g., binary state indicators such as light-emitting diodes (LEDs)) and multi-character visual outputs, or more complex outputs such as display devices or touchscreens (e.g., liquid crystal displays "LCDs", LED displays, quantum dot displays, projectors, etc.), where the output of characters, graphics, multimedia objects, etc. is generated or produced by the operation of the UE 600.

[0107] The sensor 610 may include a device, module, or subsystem aimed at detecting an event or change in its environment and transmitting information (sensor data) about the detected event to some other device, module, subsystem, etc. Examples of such sensors particularly include: inertial measurement units including accelerometers, gyroscopes, or magnetometers; microelectromechanical systems or nanoelectromechanical systems including three-axis accelerometers, three-axis gyroscopes, or magnetometers; liquid level sensors; temperature sensors (e.g., thermistors); pressure sensors; image capture devices (e.g., cameras or lensless apertures); light detection and ranging sensors; proximity sensors (e.g., infrared radiation detectors, etc.); depth sensors; ambient light sensors; ultrasonic transceivers; microphones or other similar audio capture devices; and so on.

[0108] The drive circuit 612 may include software elements and hardware elements operable to control a particular device embedded in, attached to, or otherwise communicatively coupled to the UE 600. The drive circuit 612 may include individual drivers, thereby allowing other components to interact with or control various input / output (I / O) devices that may be present within or connected to the UE 600. For example, the drive circuit 612 may include: a display driver for controlling and allowing access to a display device, a touchscreen driver for controlling and allowing access to a touchscreen interface, a sensor driver for obtaining sensor readings from the sensor 610 and controlling and allowing access to the sensor 610, a driver for obtaining actuator positioning of electromechanical components or controlling and allowing access to electromechanical components, a camera driver for controlling and allowing access to an embedded image capture device, an audio driver for controlling and allowing access to one or more audio devices.

[0109] The PMIC 614 may manage the power supplied to various components of the UE 600. Specifically, with respect to the processor 602, the PMIC 614 may control power selection, voltage scaling, battery charging, or DC-to-DC conversion.

[0110] In some specific implementations, the PMIC 614 may control or otherwise be part of various power-saving mechanisms of the UE 600. The battery 618 may power the UE 600, but in some examples, the UE 600 may be installed or deployed in a fixed location and may have a power source coupled to the power grid. The battery 618 may be a lithium-ion battery, a metal-air battery such as a zinc-air battery, an aluminum-air battery, a lithium-air battery, etc. In some specific implementations, such as in vehicle-based applications, the battery 618 may be a typical lead-acid automotive battery.

[0111] Figure 7An access node 700 (e.g., a base station or gNB) according to some implementations is illustrated. Access node 700 may be similar to base station 104 and substantially interchangeable therewith. Access node 700 may include a processor 702, RF interface circuitry 704, core network (CN) interface circuitry 706, memory / storage circuitry 708, and antenna structures 710.

[0112] The components of access node 700 may be coupled to various other components via one or more interconnects 712. Processor 702, RF interface circuitry 704, memory / storage circuitry 708 (including communication protocol stack 714), antenna 710, and interconnects 712 may be similar to those of reference 700. Figure 6 Like-named elements are shown and described. For example, the processor 702 may include processor circuits such as, for example, a baseband processor circuit (BB) 716A, a central processor unit circuit (CPU) 716B, and a graphics processor unit circuit (GPU) 716C. The processor 702 may be configured to perform the operations described herein, such as determining UE configuration parameters and controlling the transmission of DCI to the UE.

[0113] The CN interface circuit 706 may provide connectivity to a core network (e.g., a 5GC using a 5th Generation Core Network (5GC) compatible network interface protocol such as a Carrier Ethernet protocol or some other suitable protocol). Network connectivity may be provided to / from the access node 700 via optical fiber or wireless backhaul. The CN interface circuit 706 may include one or more dedicated processors or FPGAs for communicating using one or more of the aforementioned protocols. In some implementations, the CN interface circuit 706 may include multiple controllers for providing connectivity to other networks using the same or different protocols.

[0114] As used herein, the terms "access node", "access point", etc. may be described as equipment that provides radio baseband functionality for data and / or voice connections between a network and one or more users. These access nodes may be referred to as BS, gNB, RAN node, eNB, NodeB, RSU, TRxP or TRP, etc., and may include ground stations (e.g., terrestrial access points) or satellite stations that provide coverage within a geographic area (e.g., a cell). As used herein, the terms "NG RAN node", etc. may refer to an access node 700 (e.g., a gNB) operating in an NR or 5G system, and the terms "E-UTRAN node", etc. may refer to an access node 700 (e.g., an eNB) operating in an LTE or 4G system. According to various specific implementations, the access node 700 may be implemented as one or more of a dedicated physical device such as a macrocell base station and / or a low power (LP) base station for providing a femtocell, picocell or other similar cell with a smaller coverage area, smaller user capacity or higher bandwidth than a macrocell.

[0115] In some specific implementations, all or part of the access node 700 may be implemented as one or more software entities running on a server computer and as part of a virtual network that may be referred to as a Cloud Radio Access Network (CRAN) and / or a virtual baseband unit pool (vBBUP). In a V2X scenario, the access node 700 may be or act as a "road side unit". The term "road side unit" or "RSU" may refer to any traffic infrastructure entity for V2X communication. The RSU may be implemented in or by a suitable Radio Access Network (RAN) node or a stationary (or relatively stationary) User Equipment (UE), where the RSU implemented in or by the UE may be referred to as a "UE-type RSU", the RSU implemented in or by an evolved Node B (eNB) may be referred to as an "eNB-type RSU", the RSU implemented in or by a gNode B (gNB) may be referred to as a "gNB-type RSU", and so on.

[0116] 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". A component described as configured to perform one or more tasks is expressly intended not to be interpreted under 35 U.S.C. § 112(f).

[0117] For one or more embodiments, at least one of the components shown in one or more of the foregoing figures may be configured to perform one or more of the operations, techniques, processes, or methods described in the example section below. For example, the baseband circuitry described above in connection with one or more of the foregoing figures may be configured to operate in accordance with one or more of the examples set forth below. As another example, the circuitry associated with a UE, base station, network element, etc., described above in connection with one or more of the foregoing figures may be configured to operate in accordance with one or more of the examples set forth in the example section below.

[0118] Embodiment

[0119] In the following sections, additional exemplary embodiments are provided.

[0120] Embodiment 1 includes one or more processors, the one or more processors including circuitry that executes instructions to cause a user equipment (UE) to perform operations, the operations including: receiving a signal from a base station, the signal configuring the UE to simultaneously perform a first physical uplink shared channel (PUSCH) transmission with a first transmission / reception point (TRP) using a first antenna panel and a second PUSCH transmission with a second TRP using a second antenna panel; based on the signal, determining a first sounding reference signal (SRS) resource set for the first PUSCH transmission and a second SRS resource set for the second PUSCH transmission; based on the signal, determining (i) a first maximum number of layers associated with the first SRS resource set and (ii) a second maximum number of layers associated with the second SRS resource set; and transmitting the first PUSCH transmission using the first maximum number of layers and transmitting the second PUSCH transmission using the second maximum number of layers.

[0121] Embodiment 2 includes the one or more processors according to Embodiment 1, the operations further including: based on the signal, determining (iii) a third maximum number of layers to be used when the UE switches to a single-TRP PUSCH transmission with only one of the first TRP or the second TRP; receiving downlink control information (DCI) from the base station, where the DCI includes an indication; in response to the indication, switching to the single-TRP PUSCH transmission; and transmitting the single-TRP PUSCH transmission using the third maximum number of layers.

[0122] Embodiment 3 includes the one or more processors according to Embodiment 2, the operations further including: sending a UE capability report to the base station, where the UE capability report includes a relationship between the first maximum number of layers, the second maximum number of layers, and the third maximum number of layers.

[0123] Embodiment 4 includes the one or more processors according to any one of Embodiments 1 to 3, the operations further including: determining, based on a higher layer parameter, that the UE is configured with non-codebook-based precoding; determining a first number of SRS resources in the first SRS resource set from the signal; and determining a second number of SRS resources in the second SRS resource set from the signal.

[0124] Embodiment 5 includes the one or more processors according to Embodiment 4, the operations further including: determining that the first number of SRS resources and the second number of SRS resources are different.

[0125] Example 6 includes one or more processors according to Example 5, wherein the first maximum number of layers is equal to 1, the second maximum number of layers is equal to 1, and the third maximum number of layers is equal to 2, 3, or 4, and wherein the combination of (the first quantity of SRS resources, the second quantity of SRS resources) is neither (2, 4) nor (4, 2).

[0126] Example 7 includes one or more processors according to Example 5 or 6, wherein the first maximum number of layers is equal to 1, 2, 3, or 4, wherein the second maximum number of layers is equal to 1, wherein the third maximum number of layers is equal to 2, 3, or 4, and wherein the combination of (the first quantity of SRS resources, the second quantity of SRS resources) is not (1, 2), not (1, 3), nor (1, 4).

[0127] Example 8 includes one or more processors according to any one of Examples 5 to 7, wherein the first maximum number of layers is equal to 1, wherein the second maximum number of layers is equal to 1, 2, 3, or 4, wherein the third maximum number of layers is equal to 2, 3, or 4, and wherein the combination of (the first quantity of SRS resources, the second quantity of SRS resources) is not (2, 1), not (3, 1), nor (4, 1).

[0128] Example 9 includes one or more processors according to any one of Examples 4 to 8, and the operation further includes: determining a first quantity of bits of an SRS resource indicator (SRI) sent for the first PUSCH; determining a second quantity of bits of the SRI sent for the second PUSCH; and determining a third quantity of bits of the SRI to be used when the UE switches to PUSCH transmission with only one of the first TRP or the second TRP.

[0129] Example 10 includes one or more processors according to Example 9, wherein the first quantity of bits is determined based on the first maximum number of layers and the first quantity of SRS resources, and wherein the second quantity of bits is determined based on the second maximum number of layers and the second quantity of SRS resources.

[0130] Example 11 includes one or more processors according to Example 9 or 10, wherein the third quantity of bits is determined based on the third maximum number of layers and further based on a third quantity of SRS resources to be used when the UE switches to PUSCH transmission with only one of the first TRP or the second TRP.

[0131] Embodiment 12 includes one or more processors according to any one of Embodiments 1 to 11, wherein the UE uses a spatial division multiplexing (SDM) scheme to perform the first PUSCH transmission and the second PUSCH transmission.

[0132] Embodiment 13 includes a base station for communicating with a user equipment (UE), the base station including one or more processors coupled to a transceiver, wherein: the one or more processors are configured to determine one or more parameters that configure the UE to simultaneously perform a first physical uplink shared channel (PUSCH) transmission with a first transmission / reception point (TRP) using a first antenna panel and a second PUSCH transmission with a second TRP using a second antenna, the one or more parameters indicating a first sounding reference signal (SRS) resource set for the first PUSCH transmission and a second SRS resource set for the second PUSCH transmission, and the transceiver is configured to send a signal with the one or more parameters to the UE, wherein the signal includes information for the UE to determine (i) a first maximum number of layers associated with the first SRS resource set and (ii) a second maximum number of layers associated with the second SRS resource set.

[0133] Embodiment 14 includes the base station according to Embodiment 13, wherein: the signal further includes information for the UE to determine (iii) a third maximum number of layers to be used when the UE switches to a single-TRP PUSCH transmission with only one of the first TRP or the second TRP, the one or more processors are configured to determine an indication instructing the UE to switch to the single-TRP PUSCH transmission, and the transceiver is configured to send the indication to the UE in downlink control information (DCI).

[0134] Embodiment 15 includes the base station according to Embodiment 14, wherein: the transceiver is configured to receive a UE capability report from the UE, and the one or more processors are configured to determine a relationship among the first maximum number of layers, the second maximum number of layers, and the third maximum number of layers from the UE capability report.

[0135] Embodiment 16 includes a method that includes: receiving a signal from a base station, the signal configuring a user equipment (UE) to simultaneously perform a first physical uplink shared channel (PUSCH) transmission with a first transmission / reception point (TRP) using a first antenna panel and a second PUSCH transmission with a second TRP using a second antenna panel; based on the signal, determining a first sounding reference signal (SRS) resource set for the first PUSCH transmission and a second SRS resource set for the second PUSCH transmission; based on the signal, determining (i) a first maximum number of layers associated with the first SRS resource set and (ii) a second maximum number of layers associated with the second SRS resource set; and transmitting the first PUSCH transmission using the first maximum number of layers and transmitting the second PUSCH transmission using the second maximum number of layers.

[0136] Embodiment 17 includes the base station according to Embodiment 16, the base station further including: based on the signal, determining (iii) a third maximum number of layers to be used when the UE switches to a PUSCH transmission with only one of the first TRP or the second TRP; receiving downlink control information (DCI) from the base station, where the DCI includes an indication; in response to the indication, switching to the single-TRP PUSCH transmission; and transmitting the single-TRP PUSCH transmission using the third maximum number of layers.

[0137] Embodiment 18 includes the method according to Embodiment 16 or 17, the method further including: determining that the UE is configured with non-codebook-based precoding based on a higher layer parameter; determining a first number of SRS resources in the first SRS resource set from the signal; and determining a second number of SRS resources in the second SRS resource set from the signal.

[0138] Embodiment 19 includes the base station according to Embodiment 18, the base station further including: determining a first number of bits of a sounding reference signal indicator (SRI) for the first PUSCH transmission; determining a second number of bits of an SRI for the second PUSCH transmission; and determining a third number of bits of an SRI to be used when the UE switches to a PUSCH transmission with only one of the first TRP or the second TRP.

[0139] Embodiment 20 includes the method according to any one of Embodiments 16 to 19, where the first PUSCH transmission and the second PUSCH transmission use a spatial division multiplexing (SDM) scheme.

[0140] Example 21 may include one or more non-transitory computer-readable media including instructions that, when executed by one or more processors of an electronic device, cause the electronic device to perform one or more elements of the method according to any one of Examples 1 to 20 or related thereto or any other method or process described herein.

[0141] Example 22 may include an apparatus including logic, modules, or circuits for performing one or more elements of the method according to any one of Examples 1 to 20 or related thereto or any other method or process described herein.

[0142] Example 23 may include a method, technique, or process according to any one of Examples 1 to 20 or related thereto, or a part or component thereof.

[0143] Example 24 may include an apparatus including: one or more processors and one or more computer-readable media including instructions that, when executed by the one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to perform a method, technique, or process according to any one of Examples 1 to 20 or related thereto or a part thereof.

[0144] Example 25 may include a signal according to any one of Examples 1 to 20 or related thereto, or a part or component thereof.

[0145] Example 26 may include a datagram, information element, packet, frame, segment, PDU, or message according to any one of Examples 1 to 20 or related thereto, or a part or component thereof, or otherwise described in the present disclosure.

[0146] Example 27 may include a signal encoded with data according to any one of Examples 1 to 20 or related thereto, or a part or component thereof, or otherwise described in the present disclosure.

[0147] Example 28 may include a signal encoded with a datagram, IE, packet, frame, segment, PDU, or message according to any one of Examples 1 to 20 or related thereto, or a part or component thereof, or otherwise described in the present disclosure.

[0148] Example 29 may include an electromagnetic signal carrying computer-readable instructions, wherein execution of the computer-readable instructions by one or more processors will cause the one or more processors to perform a method, technique, or process according to any one of Examples 1 to 20 or related thereto, or a part thereof.

[0149] Example 30 may include a computer program that includes instructions, where execution of the program by a processing element will cause the processing element to perform a method, technique, or process, or a portion thereof, as described in or related to any one of Examples 1 to 20. The operations or actions performed by these instructions executed by the processing element may include the method according to any one of Examples 1 to 20.

[0150] Example 31 may include a signal in a wireless network as shown and described herein.

[0151] Example 32 may include a method of communicating in a wireless network as shown and described herein.

[0152] Example 33 may include a system for providing wireless communication as shown and described herein. The operations or actions performed by the system may include the method according to any one of Examples 1 to 20.

[0153] Example 34 may include a device for providing wireless communication as shown and described herein. The operations or actions performed by the device may include the method according to any one of Examples 1 to 20.

[0154] The previously described Examples 1 to 20 can be implemented using computer-implemented methods; non-transitory computer-readable media that store computer-readable instructions to perform the computer-implemented methods; and computer systems that include computer memory operatively coupled to a hardware processor, the hardware processor being configured to perform the computer-implemented methods or the instructions stored on the non-transitory computer-readable media.

[0155] A system (e.g., a base station, a device including one or more baseband processors, etc.) may be configured to perform a particular operation or the action by virtue of software, firmware, hardware, or a combination thereof installed on the system that causes the system to perform the action in operation. The operation or the action performed by the system may include the method according to any one of Examples 1 to 20.

[0156] Unless otherwise expressly stated, any one of the above-described examples may be combined with any other example (or combination of examples). The foregoing description of one or more specific implementations provides illustration and description, but is not intended to be exhaustive or to limit the scope of the specific implementations to the precise forms disclosed. Modifications and variations are possible in light of the above teachings, or may be acquired from practice of various specific implementations.

[0157] While the foregoing has been described in considerable detail, many variations and modifications will become apparent to those skilled in the art once the above disclosure is fully understood. It is intended that the following claims be interpreted to cover all such variations and modifications.

[0158] It is well known that the use of personally identifiable information should follow 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 inadvertent or unauthorized access or use, and the nature of authorized use should be clearly explained to users.

Claims

1. One or more processors, the one or more processors including circuitry that executes instructions to cause a user equipment (UE) to perform operations, the operations including: Receiving a signal from a base station, the signal configuring the UE to simultaneously perform a first physical uplink shared channel (PUSCH) transmission with a first transmission / reception point (TRP) using a first antenna panel and a second PUSCH transmission with a second TRP using a second antenna panel; Based on the signal, determining a first sounding reference signal (SRS) resource set for the first PUSCH transmission and a second SRS resource set for the second PUSCH transmission; Based on the signal, determining (i) a first maximum number of layers associated with the first SRS resource set and (ii) a second maximum number of layers associated with the second SRS resource set; and Transmitting the first PUSCH transmission using the first maximum number of layers and transmitting the second PUSCH transmission using the second maximum number of layers.

2. The one or more processors according to claim 1, the operations further including: Based on the signal, determining (iii) a third maximum number of layers to be used when the UE switches to a single-TRP PUSCH transmission with only one of the first TRP or the second TRP; Receiving downlink control information (DCI) from the base station, where the DCI includes an indication; In response to the indication, switching to the single-TRP PUSCH transmission; and Transmitting the single-TRP PUSCH transmission using the third maximum number of layers.

3. The one or more processors according to claim 2, the operations further including: Sending a UE capability report to the base station, where the UE capability report includes the relationship between the first maximum number of layers, the second maximum number of layers, and the third maximum number of layers.

4. The one or more processors according to claim 1, the operations further including: Determining, based on a higher layer parameter, that the UE is configured with non-codebook-based precoding; Determining a first number of SRS resources in the first SRS resource set from the signal; and Determining a second number of SRS resources in the second SRS resource set from the signal.

5. The one or more processors according to claim 4, the operations further including: Determining that the first number of SRS resources and the second number of SRS resources are different.

6. The one or more processors according to claim 5, wherein the first maximum number of layers is equal to 1, the second maximum number of layers is equal to 1, and the third maximum number of layers is equal to 2, 3, or 4, and where the combination of (the first number of SRS resources, the second number of SRS resources) is not (2, 4) nor (4, 2).

7. The one or more processors according to claim 5, wherein the first maximum number of layers is equal to 1, 2, 3, or 4, wherein the second maximum number of layers is equal to 1, where the third maximum number of layers is equal to 2, 3, or 4, and where the combination of (the first number of SRS resources, the second number of SRS resources) is not (1, 2), not (1, 3), nor (1, 4).

8. The one or more processors according to claim 5, where the first maximum number of layers is equal to 1, where the second maximum number of layers is equal to 1, 2, 3, or 4, where the third maximum number of layers is equal to 2, 3, or 4, and where the combination of (the first number of SRS resources, the second number of SRS resources) is not (2, 1), not (3, 1), nor (4, 1).

9. The one or more processors according to claim 4, the operation further comprises: determining a first number of bits of a sounding reference signal (SRS) indicator (SRI) for the first PUSCH transmission; determining a second number of bits of the SRI for the second PUSCH transmission; and determining a third number of bits of the SRI to be used when the UE switches to PUSCH transmission with only one of the first TRP or the second TRP.

10. The one or more processors according to claim 9, where the first number of bits is determined based on the first maximum number of layers and the first number of SRS resources, and where the second number of bits is determined based on the second maximum number of layers and the second number of SRS resources.

11. The one or more processors according to claim 9, where the third number of bits is determined based on the third maximum number of layers and further based on a third number of SRS resources to be used when the UE switches to PUSCH transmission with only one of the first TRP or the second TRP.

12. The one or more processors according to claim 1, wherein the UE uses a spatial division multiplexing (SDM) scheme to perform the first PUSCH transmission and the second PUSCH transmission.

13. A base station communicating with a user equipment (UE), the base station comprising one or more processors coupled to a transceiver, wherein: the one or more processors are configured to determine one or more parameters that configure the UE to simultaneously perform a first physical uplink shared channel (PUSCH) transmission with a first transmission / reception point (TRP) using a first antenna panel and a second PUSCH transmission with a second TRP using a second antenna, the one or more parameters indicating a first sounding reference signal (SRS) resource set for the first PUSCH transmission and a second SRS resource set for the second PUSCH transmission, and the transceiver is configured to send a signal with the one or more parameters to the UE, wherein the signal includes information for the UE to determine (i) a first maximum number of layers associated with the first SRS resource set and (ii) a second maximum number of layers associated with the second SRS resource set.

14. The base station according to claim 13, wherein: the signal further includes information for the UE to determine (iii) the third maximum number of layers to be used when the UE switches to single-TRP PUSCH transmission with only one of the first TRP or the second TRP, the one or more processors are configured to determine an indication instructing the UE to switch to the single-TRP PUSCH transmission, and the transceiver is configured to send the indication to the UE in downlink control information (DCI).

15. The base station according to claim 14, wherein: the transceiver is configured to receive a UE capability report from the UE, and the one or more processors are configured to determine the relationship among the first maximum number of layers, the second maximum number of layers, and the third maximum number of layers from the UE capability report.

16. A method, the method comprises: receiving a signal from a base station, the signal configuring a user equipment (UE) to simultaneously perform a first physical uplink shared channel (PUSCH) transmission with a first transmission / reception point (TRP) using a first antenna panel and a second PUSCH transmission with a second TRP using a second antenna panel; based on the signal, determining a first sounding reference signal (SRS) resource set for the first PUSCH transmission and a second SRS resource set for the second PUSCH transmission; based on the signal, determining (i) a first maximum number of layers associated with the first SRS resource set and (ii) a second maximum number of layers associated with the second SRS resource set; and using the first maximum number of layers to perform the first PUSCH transmission, and using the second maximum number of layers to perform the second PUSCH transmission.

17. The method according to claim 16, the method further comprises: based on the signal, determining (iii) a third maximum number of layers to be used when the UE switches to PUSCH transmission with only one of the first TRP or the second TRP; receiving downlink control information (DCI) from the base station, wherein the DCI includes an indication; in response to the indication, switching to the single-TRP PUSCH transmission; and using the third maximum number of layers to perform the single-TRP PUSCH transmission.

18. The method according to claim 16, the method further comprises: determining, based on a higher layer parameter, that the UE is configured with non-codebook-based precoding; determining a first number of SRS resources in the first SRS resource set from the signal; and determining a second number of SRS resources in the second SRS resource set from the signal.

19. The method according to claim 18, the method further comprises: determining a first number of bits of a sounding reference signal indicator (SRI) for the first PUSCH transmission; determining a second number of bits of the SRI for the second PUSCH transmission; and Determine a third quantity of bits of the SRI to be used when the UE switches to PUSCH transmission with only one of the first TRP or the second TRP.

20. The method according to claim 16, wherein the first PUSCH transmission and the second PUSCH transmission use a spatial division multiplexing (SDM) scheme.

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