Unified transmit configuration indicator (TCI) handover delay

Abstract

A user equipment (UE) receives a medium access control (MAC) control element (CE) (MAC CE) carrying an active downlink (or uplink) transmit configuration indicator (TCI) state list update. The active downlink (or uplink) TCI state list update includes a set of two or more new target TCI states associated with a set of two or more cells having different physical cell IDs (PCIs). The UE may receive or transmit according to at least one new target TCI state in the active downlink (or uplink) TCI state list update after a delay. The delay includes a measurement delay that depends on a frequency range in which the measurement is performed, and a periodic overlap condition for two or more synchronization signal blocks (SSBs) or pathloss reference signals (PL-RSs). The overlap condition is selected from a set of two or more overlap conditions.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present application generally relates to wireless communication systems, including methods and apparatuses for specifying or managing a unified TCI handover latency after receiving an active downlink (DL) TCI state list update or an active uplink (UL) TCI state list update. Background Art

[0002] Wireless mobile communication technologies use various standards and protocols to send data between network devices (e.g., base stations, radio heads, etc.) and wireless communication devices. Wireless communication system standards and protocols can include, for example, the 3rd Generation Partnership Project (3GPP) Long Term Evolution (LTE) (e.g., 4G), 3GPP New Radio (NR) (e.g., 5G), and the IEEE 802.11 standard for wireless local area networks (WLAN) (commonly referred to within the industry as ).

[0003] As envisioned by 3GPP, different wireless communication system standards and protocols can use various radio access networks (RANs) to communicate between network devices of the RAN (which can sometimes also be referred to as RAN nodes, network nodes, or simply nodes) and wireless communication devices called user equipment (UE). 3GPP RAN can include, for example, Global System for Mobile Communications (GSM), Enhanced Data Rate for GSM Evolution (EDGE) RAN (GERAN), Universal Terrestrial Radio Access Network (UTRAN), Evolved Universal Terrestrial Radio Access Network (E-UTRAN), and / or Next Generation Radio Access Network (NG-RAN).

[0004] Each RAN can use one or more radio access technologies (RATs) to communicate between network devices and UEs. For example, GERAN implements GSM and / or EDGE RAT, UTRAN implements Universal Mobile Telecommunications System (UMTS) RAT or other 3GPP RAT, E-UTRAN implements LTE RAT (which is sometimes simply referred to as LTE), and NG-RAN implements NR RAT (which is sometimes referred to herein as 5G RAT, 5G NR RAT, or simply NR). In some deployments, E-UTRAN can also implement NR RAT. In some deployments, NG-RAN can also implement LTE RAT.

[0005] The network devices used by the RAN can correspond to that RAN. An example of an E-UTRAN network device is an Evolved Universal Terrestrial Radio Access Network (E-UTRAN) Node B (commonly also denoted as Evolved Node B, Enhanced Node B, eNodeB, or eNB). An example of an NG-RAN network device is a Next Generation Node B (sometimes also referred to as gNodeB or gNB).

[0006] RAN provides communication services with external entities through its connection to the core network (CN). For example, E-UTRAN can utilize the evolved packet core (EPC), while NG-RAN can utilize the 5G core network (5GC). BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0007] To easily identify the discussion of any particular element or action, one or more of the most significant digits in the reference numerals refer to the drawing number in which the element was first introduced.

[0008] Figure 1 An example wireless communication system according to the embodiments described herein is shown.

[0009] Figure 2 An example method of wireless communication performed by a UE according to the embodiments described herein is shown.

[0010] Figures 3 to 5 Different example receptions of synchronization signal blocks (SSBs) performed by a UE over time are shown.

[0011] Figure 6 Another example method of wireless communication performed by a UE according to the embodiments described herein is shown.

[0012] Figures 7 to 9 Different example receptions of path loss reference signals (PL-RSs) performed by a UE over time are shown.

[0013] Figure 10 An example architecture of a wireless communication system according to the embodiments described herein is illustrated.

[0014] Figure 11 An example system for performing signaling between a wireless device and a network device according to the embodiments described herein is illustrated. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0015] Various embodiments are described with respect to a UE. However, the reference to the UE is provided for illustrative purposes only. Example embodiments may be used with any electronic component that can establish a connection to a network and is configured with hardware, software, and / or firmware for information and data exchange with the network. Thus, the UE described herein is used to represent any suitable electronic device.

[0016] Figure 1FIG. 0 shows an example wireless communication system 100. The wireless communication system includes a UE 102 wirelessly connected to a network (e.g., a 3GPP network). The UE 102 can communicate with the network on one or more ULs and one or more DLs, and more specifically, can communicate with one or more network devices 104 (e.g., one or more base stations, remote radio heads, etc.) of the RAN on one or more ULs and DLs. Depending on the capabilities of the UE 102 and the configuration of the UE by the network, the UE 102 can communicate with one or more network devices 104 simultaneously and contemporaneously (e.g., in a multiple-input multiple-output (MIMO) mode) or sequentially (e.g., when handing over).

[0017] 3GPP Technical Specification (TS) 38.133 defines the radio resource management (RRM) requirements for the unified TCI framework. Specifically, Section 8.15 defines the active DL TCI state transition delay for the unified TCI, and Section 8.16 defines the active UL TCI state transition delay for the unified TCI. For both the active DL TCI state transition delay and the active UL TCI state transition delay, there can be a handover delay based on a media access control (MAC) control element (CE) (MAC CE), a handover delay based on downlink control information (DCI), or an active TCI state list update delay. These delays can apply to a new target TCI state associated with the serving cell of the UE, and / or to a new target TCI state associated with a cell having a physical cell ID (PCI) different from the PCI of the serving cell.

[0018] This document describes improvements to the specification and management of the active downlink TCI state transition delay and the active uplink TCI state transition delay defined in 3GPP TS 38.133. Figures 2 to 5 Improvements to the active DL TCI state transition delay are described, and Figures 6 to 9 Improvements to the active UL TCI state transition delay are described.

[0019] Figure 2 FIG. 14 shows an example method 200 of wireless communication performed by a UE. In some cases, the UE can be one of the UEs referred to Figure 1 to or other UEs described herein. Method 200 can be performed using a processor, a transceiver, or other components of the UE.

[0020] At 202, method 200 may include receiving, from a network, a MAC CE carrying an active DL TCI state list update. The MAC CE may be received in time slot n. In some embodiments, the active DL TCI state list update may include a set of two or more new target TCI states associated with a set of two or more cells having different PCIs. For example, the active DL TCI state list update may include a first new target TCI state associated with the serving cell of the UE and a second new target TCI state associated with a cell having a different PCI (i.e., a PCI different from the PCI of the serving cell). In some embodiments, the active DL TCI state list update may further include one or more additional new target TCI states, and each additional new target TCI state may be associated with an additional cell having a different new target TCI state. The active DL TCI state list update may also indicate or activate other TCI states (or fewer TCI states).

[0021] At 204, method 200 may include: measuring a set of two or more SSBs associated with a set of two or more cells having different PCIs. For example, when the set of two or more cells having different PCIs includes two cells (e.g., the serving cell of the UE and a cell having a PCI different from the PCI of the serving cell), method 200 may include: measuring the SSB associated with the serving cell and the SSB associated with the cell having a different PCI. The set of two or more SSBs may be associated with a set of two or more periodicities. For example, when the set of two or more cells having different PCIs includes two cells (e.g., the serving cell of the UE and a cell having a PCI different from the PCI of the serving cell), the SSB associated with the serving cell may have a first periodicity, and the SSB associated with the cell having a different PCI may have a second periodicity. The first periodicity and the second periodicity may be the same or different, and may be aligned or misaligned. When the first periodicity and the second periodicity are the same and aligned, the timing on which the UE receives the SSB is the same for the serving cell and the cell having a different PCI (e.g., in the symbols in which the SSB can be received, the UE receives the SSB associated with the serving cell and the SSB associated with the cell having a different PCI). When the first periodicity and the second periodicity are different and aligned, then in the timing on which the UE can receive the SSB, the UE may 1) receive the SSB associated with the serving cell and the SSB associated with the cell having a different PCI, or 2) receive the SSB according to the higher periodicity (e.g., between the first periodicity and the second periodicity), but not according to the lower periodicity. When the first periodicity and the second periodicity are the same or different but misaligned, the timing on which the UE can receive the SSB is different for the serving cell and the cell having a different PCI.

[0022] At 206, method 200 may include receiving and / or monitoring a Physical Downlink Control Channel (PDCCH) or a Physical Downlink Shared Channel (PDSCH) according to at least one new target TCI state in an active DL TCI state list update. At 202, the PDCCH or PDSCH may be received and / or monitored after a delay from receipt of the MAC CE. The delay may include an SSB measurement delay associated with measurement of a set of two or more SSBs. The SSB measurement delay may depend on the frequency range in which the set of two or more SSBs is measured (or whether the UE is capable of receiving the set of two or more SSBs omnidirectionally on a single beam or on multiple beams simultaneously or contemporaneously in a particular frequency range) and / or an overlap condition for a set of two or more periodicities (e.g., the SSB measurement delay may be determined in different ways depending on the frequency range and / or the overlap condition). In some embodiments, the frequency range may be the frequency range of the SSBs in the set of two or more SSBs that are measured simultaneously (such as in FR1), or the frequency range of the SSBs in the set of two or more SSBs that are measured using a set of two or more beams formed at two or more different times (such as in FR2). The overlap condition may be selected from a set of two or more overlap conditions. In some embodiments, the overlap condition may be a full overlap condition in which the set of two or more periodicities is the same and the SSB occasions of different cells are aligned. In some embodiments, the overlap condition may be a partial overlap condition in which the set of two or more periodicities is different and the SSB occasions of the cell associated with the lower periodicity and some of the SSB occasions of the cell associated with the higher periodicity are aligned. In some embodiments, the overlap condition may be a non - overlap condition in which 1) the two or more periodicities are different and no SSB occasions are aligned, or 2) the two or more periodicities are the same but no SSB occasions are aligned.

[0023] Method 200 may be embodied, extended, or modified in various ways as described in the following paragraphs and elsewhere in this specification. Additionally, although the embodiments described herein are sometimes described in terms of an active DL TCI state list update that includes a first new target TCI state associated with the serving cell of the UE and a second new target TCI state associated with a cell having a PCI different from the PCI of the serving cell, the described embodiments are merely examples, and it is contemplated that the techniques described herein may be extended to active DL TCI state list updates that include more than two new target TCI states and / or new target TCI states associated with more than two cells.

[0024] In some embodiments of method 200, the following formula can be used to determine the SSB measurement delay:

[0025] TO*(T first-SSB_List +T SSB-proc ) / NR slot length

[0026] where TO is "1" if the target TCI state is not in the active TCI state list, otherwise "0"; T first-SSB_List is the time after receiving the MAC CE when the UE needs to receive measurable SSBs from each of two or more cells with different PCIs; T SSB-proc is the time required to complete and process the SSB measurement after T first-SSB_List (e.g., the time for updating the time and frequency tracking loops); and the NR slot length is the length of the slot in which the MAC CE is received.

[0027] In some embodiments of method 200, at 206, the total delay that the UE may need to incur before receiving and / or monitoring the PDCCH or PDSCH using any desired TCI state in the new target TCI state can be determined using the following formula:

[0028]

[0029] where n is the slot number; T HARQ is the hybrid automatic repeat request (HARQ) reporting delay (e.g., the timing between DL data transmission and acknowledgement as specified in 3GPP TS38.213); and is the slot-related delay.

[0030] In some embodiments of method 200, the frequency range may be the frequency range of the SSBs in a set of two or more SSBs that can be measured simultaneously or contemporaneously (e.g., FR1 for a UE capable of omnidirectional reception, or FR2 for a UE capable of reception on two or more beams), and the overlapping condition may be a partial overlapping condition in which each of two or more cells with different PCIs has a different time to the first SSB after receiving the MAC CE. Alternatively, the frequency range may be the frequency range of the SSBs in a set of two or more SSBs that are measured using a set of two or more beams formed at two or more different times (e.g., FR2 for a UE capable of reception on only one beam), and the overlapping condition may be a partial overlapping condition in which each of two or more cells with different PCIs has a different time to the first SSB after receiving the MAC CE. In these embodiments, the SSB measurement delay may be based on the maximum time to the first SSB selected from the different times to the first SSB after receiving the MAC CE. This SSB measurement delay allows the UE to measure the SSBs associated with each of two or more cells with different PCIs. Refer to Figure 3 Examples illustrating these embodiments.

[0031] Figure 3 An example reception of SSBs by a UE over time is shown. The SSBs are associated with a first cell 300 and a second cell 302 and are received during a plurality of occasions 304 for receiving SSBs. By way of example, the first cell 300 is the serving cell of the UE, and the second cell 302 is a cell having a PCI different from that of the serving cell 300. The SSB 306 associated with the first cell 300 has a first periodicity, and the first periodicity is higher than the second periodicity of the SSB 308 associated with the second cell 302. Alternatively, the first and second periodicities may be swapped, or the SSBs 306, 308 associated with the first cell 300 and the second cell 302 may be associated with other periodicities.

[0032] The UE may receive a MAC CE carrying an active DL TCI state list update at time t0. For the first cell 300, the time to the first SSB after receiving the MAC CE is identified as T first-SSB_SC , and for the second cell 302, the time to the first SSB after receiving the MAC CE is identified as T first-SSB_CDP . In this example, the maximum time to the first SSB is T first-SSB_CDP . In this example, T first-SSB_List in the above SSB measurement delay may be determined as:

[0033] T first-ssB_List = max(T first-ssB_sC , T first-ssB_CDP )

[0034] More generally, and for any number of cells with different PCIs, T first-SSB_List can be determined as:

[0035] T first-ssB_List = max(T first-ssB_SC , T first-SsB_CDP,1 , T first-sSB_CDP,2 , … T first-SSB_CDP,Nmax ) for Nmax cells with different PCIs.

[0036] In some embodiments of method 200, the frequency range can be the frequency range of the SSBs in a set in which two or more SSBs can be measured simultaneously or contemporaneously (e.g., FR1 for a UE capable of omnidirectional reception, or FR2 for a UE capable of reception on two or more beams), and the overlapping condition can be a partial overlapping condition in which each of two or more cells with different PCIs has the same time to the first SSB after receiving the MAC CE. In these embodiments, the SSB measurement delay can be based on the same time to the SSB, since the UE can measure the SSBs associated with two or more cells simultaneously or contemporaneously. This SSB measurement delay allows the UE to measure the SSBs associated with each of two or more cells with different PCIs. Refer to Figure 4 examples that illustrate these embodiments.

[0037] Figure 4 shows an example reception of SSBs by a UE over time. The SSBs are associated with a first cell 400 and a second cell 402, and are received during a plurality of occasions 404 for receiving SSBs. By way of example, the first cell 400 is the serving cell of the UE, and the second cell 402 is a cell having a PCI different from that of the serving cell 400. The SSB 406 associated with the first cell 400 has a first periodicity, and the first periodicity is higher than the second periodicity of the SSB 408 associated with the second cell 402. Alternatively, the first periodicity and the second periodicity can be swapped, or the SSBs 406, 408 associated with the first cell 400 and the second cell 402 can be associated with other periodicities.

[0038] The UE can receive a MAC CE carrying an active DL TCI state list update at time t0. For the first cell 400, the time from receiving the MAC CE to the first SSB is identified as T first-SSB_SC, and for the second cell 402, the time from receiving the MAC CE to the first SSB is also equal to T first-SSB_SC . If the SSBs in a set of two or more SSBs can be measured simultaneously or concurrently (e.g., in FR1), then:

[0039] T first-SSB_List = T first-ssB_sC

[0040] regardless of whether the SSBs are measured for two cells with different PCIs or for more than two cells with different PCIs.

[0041] In some embodiments of method 200, the frequency range may be a frequency range in which the SSBs in a set of two or more SSBs are measured using a set of two or more beams formed at two or more different times (e.g., FR2 for a UE capable of receiving on only one beam), and the overlap condition may be a partial overlap condition in which each of two or more cells with different PCIs has the same time from receiving the MAC CE to the first SSB. In these embodiments, the SSB measurement delay may be based on the same time to the SSB plus the shortest period in a set of two or more periods, since the UE cannot measure the SSBs associated with two or more cells simultaneously or concurrently. This SSB measurement delay allows the UE to measure the SSBs associated with each of two or more cells with different PCIs. Also refer to Figure 4 examples illustrating these embodiments.

[0042] In Figure 4 , for the first cell 400 and the second cell 402, the time from receiving the MAC CE to the first SSB is identified as T first-SSB_SC . If the UE measures the SSB for the cell associated with the lowest periodicity (i.e., the longest period) after T first-SSB_SC (i.e., at the first occasion 404 for receiving the SSB), then the UE may measure the SSB for the cell associated with the highest periodicity (i.e., the shortest period) at the next occasion 404 for receiving the SSB. If the SSB 406 associated with the first cell 400 has a first periodicity T SSB_SC , and the SSB 408 associated with the second cell 402 has a second periodicity T SSB_CDP , then T first-SSB_List can be determined as:

[0043] T first-ssB_List = T first-SSB_SC + min(T sSB_SC , T ssB_CDP )

[0044] For any number of cells with different PCIs, a specific combination of overlapping and non - overlapping SSBs at different occasions for receiving SSBs needs to be considered to determine the minimum required value of T first-SSB_List of T.

[0045] In some embodiments of method 200, the frequency range may be the frequency range of SSBs in a set where two or more SSBs can be measured simultaneously or contemporaneously (e.g., FR1 for a UE capable of omnidirectional reception, or FR2 for a UE capable of receiving on two or more beams), and the overlapping condition may be a non - overlapping condition in which each of two or more cells with different PCIs has a different time to the first SSB after receiving the MAC CE. Alternatively, the frequency range may be the frequency range of SSBs in a set where two or more SSBs are measured using a set of two or more beams formed at two or more different times (e.g., FR2 for a UE capable of receiving on only one beam), and the overlapping condition may be a non - overlapping condition in which each of two or more cells with different PCIs has a different time to the first SSB after receiving the MAC CE. In these embodiments, the SSB measurement delay may be based on the maximum time to the first SSB selected from the different times to the first SSB after receiving the MAC CE. This SSB measurement delay allows the UE to measure the SSBs associated with each of two or more cells with different PCIs. Refer to Figure 5 examples that illustrate these embodiments.

[0046] Figure 5 An example reception of SSBs by a UE over time is shown. The SSBs are associated with a first cell 500 and a second cell 502 and are received during a plurality of occasions 504 for receiving SSBs. By way of example, the first cell 500 is the serving cell of the UE, and the second cell 502 is a cell having a PCI different from that of the serving cell 500. The SSB 506 associated with the first cell 500 has a first periodicity, and the first periodicity is higher than the second periodicity of the SSB 508 associated with the second cell 502. Alternatively, the first and second periodicities may be swapped, or the SSBs 506, 508 associated with the first cell 500 and the second cell 502 may be associated with other periodicities.

[0047] The UE may receive a MAC CE carrying an active DL TCI state list update at time t0. For the first cell 500, the time to the first SSB after receiving the MAC CE is identified as T first-SSB_SC, and for the second cell 502, the time from receiving the MAC CE to the first SSB is identified as T first-SSB_CDP . In this example, the maximum time to the first SSB is T first-SSB_CDP . In this example, the T in the above SSB measurement delay first-SSB_List can be determined as:

[0048] T first-ssB_List = max(T first-ssB_sC , T first-ssB_CDP )

[0049] More generally, and for any number of cells with different PCIs, T first-SSB_List can be determined as:

[0050] T first-ssB_List = max(T first-ssB_sC , T first-ssB_CDP,1 , T first-ssB_CDP,2 , … T first-sSB_CDP,Nmax )

[0051] For Nmax cells with different PCIs.

[0052] Figure 6 Illustrates an example method 600 of wireless communication performed by a UE. In some cases, the UE can be one of the UEs described with reference to Figure 1 the described UE or other UEs described herein. Method 600 can be performed using a processor, transceiver, or other components of the UE.

[0053] At 602, method 600 can include receiving, from the network, a MAC CE carrying an active UL TCI state list update. The MAC CE can be received in time slot n. In some embodiments, the active UL TCI state list update can include a set of two or more new target TCI states associated with a set of two or more cells having different PCIs. For example, the active UL TCI state list update can include a first new target TCI state associated with the serving cell of the UE and a second new target TCI state associated with a cell having a different PCI (i.e., a PCI different from the PCI of the serving cell). In some embodiments, the active UL TCI state list update can further include one or more additional new target TCI states, and each additional new target TCI state can be associated with an additional cell having a different new target TCI state. The active UL TCI state list update can also indicate or activate other TCI states (or fewer TCI states).

[0054] At 604, method 600 may include: measuring a set of two or more PL-RSs associated with a set of two or more cells having different PCIs. For example, when the set of two or more cells having different PCIs includes two cells (e.g., the serving cell of the UE and a cell having a PCI different from the PCI of the serving cell), method 600 may include: measuring the PL-RS associated with the serving cell and the PL-RS associated with the cell having a different PCI. The set of two or more PL-RSs may be associated with a set of two or more periodicities. For example, when the set of two or more cells having different PCIs includes two cells (e.g., the serving cell of the UE and a cell having a PCI different from the PCI of the serving cell), the PL-RS associated with the serving cell may have a first periodicity, and the PL-RS associated with the cell having a different PCI may have a second periodicity. The first periodicity and the second periodicity may be the same or different, and may be aligned or misaligned. When the first periodicity and the second periodicity are the same and aligned, the timing on which the UE may receive the PL-RS is the same for the serving cell and the cell having a different PCI (e.g., in the symbols in which the PL-RS may be received, the UE receives the PL-RS associated with the serving cell and the PL-RS associated with the cell having a different PCI). When the first periodicity and the second periodicity are different and aligned, then in terms of the timing on which the UE may receive the PL-RS, the UE may 1) receive the PL-RS associated with the serving cell and the PL-RS associated with the cell having a different PCI, or 2) receive the PL-RS according to the higher periodicity (e.g., between the first periodicity and the second periodicity), but not according to the lower periodicity. When the first periodicity and the second periodicity are the same or different but misaligned, the timing on which the UE may receive the PL-RS is different for the serving cell and the cell having a different PCI.

[0055] At 606, method 600 may include transmitting a Physical Uplink Control Channel (PUCCH) or a Physical Uplink Shared Channel (PUSCH) according to at least one new target TCI state in an active UL TCI state list update. At 602, the PUCCH or PUSCH may be transmitted after a delay from receipt of the MAC CE. The delay may include a PL-RS measurement delay associated with measurement of a set of two or more PL-RSs. The PL-RS measurement delay may depend on the frequency range in which the set of two or more PL-RSs is measured (or whether the UE is capable of receiving two or more PL-RSs simultaneously or contemporaneously omnidirectionally on a single beam or on multiple beams in a particular frequency range) and / or an overlap condition for a set of two or more periodicities (e.g., the PL-RS measurement delay may be determined in different ways depending on the frequency range and / or the overlap condition). In some embodiments, the frequency range may be the frequency range of the PL-RSs in the set of two or more PL-RSs that are measured simultaneously or contemporaneously (such as in FR1), or the frequency range of the PL-RSs in the set of two or more PL-RSs that are measured using a set of two or more beams formed at two or more different times (such as in FR2). The overlap condition may be selected from a set of two or more overlap conditions. In some embodiments, the overlap condition may be a full overlap condition in which the set of two or more periodicities is the same and the PL-RS occasions of different cells are aligned. In some embodiments, the overlap condition may be a partial overlap condition in which the set of two or more periodicities is different and the PL-RS occasions of the cell associated with the lower periodicity and some of the PL-RS occasions of the cell associated with the higher periodicity are aligned. In some embodiments, the overlap condition may be a non-overlap condition in which 1) the set of two or more periodicities is different and no PL-RS occasions are aligned, or 2) the set of two or more periodicities is the same but no PL-RS occasions are aligned.

[0056] Method 600 may be embodied, extended, or modified in various ways as described in the following paragraphs and elsewhere in this specification. Additionally, although the embodiments described herein are sometimes described in terms of an active UL TCI state list update that includes a first new target TCI state associated with the serving cell of the UE and a second new target TCI state associated with a cell having a PCI different from the PCI of the serving cell, the described embodiments are merely examples, and it is contemplated that the techniques described herein may be extended to active UL TCI state list updates that include more than two new target TCI states and / or new target TCI states associated with more than two cells.

[0057] In some embodiments of method 600, the following formula may be used to determine the PL-RS measurement delay:

[0058] NM* T first_target-PL-RS_List +4*T target-PL-RS_List +2ms) / NR slot length

[0059] where NM has a value of "1" when the UE does not maintain the PL-RS, and NM has a value of "0" when the UE maintains all the PL-RSs required for updating the active UL TCI state list (where "not maintaining" means that the target PL-RS required for updating the active UL TCI state list (i.e., the PL-RS that needs to be measured) is not in the active UL TCI state list, or if the number of PL-RSs in the active UL TCI state list exceeds four (4)); T first_target-PL-RS_List is the time when the UE needs to receive the first measurable PL-RS from each of two or more cells with different PCIs after receiving the MAC CE; T target_PL-RS_List is the time required to receive the next measurable PL-RS from each of two or more cells with different PCIs; and the NR slot length is the length of the slot in which the MAC CE is received.

[0060] In some embodiments of method 600, at 606, the total delay that the UE may need to incur before transmitting the PUCCH or PUSCH using any desired TCI state in the new target TCI state may be determined using the following formula:

[0061]

[0062] where n is the slot number; T HARQ is the hybrid automatic repeat request (HARQ) reporting delay (e.g., the timing between DL data transmission and acknowledgment as specified in 3GPP TS38.213); and is the slot-related delay.

[0063] In some embodiments of method 600, the frequency range can be the frequency range of the PL-RS in a set of two or more PL-RSs that can be measured simultaneously or contemporaneously (e.g., FR1 for a UE capable of omnidirectional reception, or FR2 for a UE capable of receiving on two or more beams), and the overlapping condition can be a partial overlapping condition in which each of two or more cells with different PCIs has a different time to the first PL-RS after receiving the MAC CE. Alternatively, the frequency range can be the frequency range of the PL-RS in a set of two or more PL-RSs that are measured using a set of two or more beams formed at two or more different times (e.g., FR2 for a UE capable of receiving on only one beam), and the overlapping condition can be a partial overlapping condition in which each of two or more cells with different PCIs has a different time to the first PL-RS after receiving the MAC CE. In these embodiments, the PL-RS measurement delay can be based on 1) the maximum time to the first PL-RS selected from the different times to the first PL-RS after receiving the MAC CE, and 2) the maximum period among two or more periods. This PL-RS measurement delay allows the UE to measure the PL-RS associated with each of two or more cells with different PCIs. Refer to Figure 7 Examples illustrating these embodiments.

[0064] Figure 7 An example reception of PL-RS by the UE over time is shown. The PL-RS is associated with a first cell 700 and a second cell 702 and is received during a plurality of occasions 704 for receiving the PL-RS. By way of example, the first cell 700 is the serving cell of the UE, and the second cell 702 is a cell having a PCI different from the PCI of the serving cell 700. The PL-RS 706 associated with the first cell 700 has a first periodicity, and the first periodicity is higher than the second periodicity of the PL-RS 708 associated with the second cell 702. Alternatively, the first and second periodicities can be swapped, or the PL-RS 706, 708 associated with the first cell 700 and the second cell 702 can be associated with other periodicities.

[0065] The UE can receive a MAC CE carrying an active UL TCI state list update at time t0. For the first cell 700, the time to the first PL-RS after receiving the MAC CE is identified as T first-PL-RS_SC and for the second cell 702, the time to the first PL-RS after receiving the MAC CE is identified as T first-PL-RS_CDP. In this example, the maximum time to the first PL-RS is T first-PL-RS_CDP . In this example, T in the above PL-RS measurement delay first_target-PL-RS_List can be determined as:

[0066] T first_target-PL-RS_List = max(T first-PL-RS_SC , T first-PL-RS_CDP )

[0067] More generally, and for any number of cells with different PCI, T first_target-PL-RS_List can be determined as:

[0068] T first_target-PL-RS_List

[0069] = max(T first-PL-RS_SC , T first-PL-RS_CDP,1 , T first-PL-RS_CDP,2 , … T first-PL-RS_CDP,Nmax ) for Nmax cells with different PCI.

[0070] In Figure 7 , the maximum period in two or more periodic sets is T PL-RS,SC , and can be determined as:

[0071] T target-PL-RS_List = max(T PL-RS_sC , T PL-RS_CDP )

[0072] More generally, and for any number of cells with different PCI, T target-PL-RS_List can be determined as:

[0073] T target-PL-Rs_List = max(T PL-Rs_sC , T PL-Rs_CDP,1 , T PL-Rs_CDP,2 , … T PL-Rs_CDP,Nmax )

[0074] In some embodiments of method 600, the frequency range can be the frequency range of SSB in a set where two or more PL-RSs can be measured simultaneously or contemporaneously (e.g., FR1 for a UE capable of omnidirectional reception, or FR2 for a UE capable of reception on two or more beams), and the overlap condition can be a partial overlap condition in which each of two or more cells with different PCIs has the same time to the first PL-RS after receiving the MAC CE. In these embodiments, the PL-RS measurement delay can be based on 1) the same time to the PL-RS because the UE can measure the SSBs associated with two or more cells simultaneously or contemporaneously, and 2) the maximum period among two or more periods. This PL-RS measurement delay allows the UE to measure the PL-RSs associated with each of two or more cells with different PCIs. Refer to Figure 8 Examples illustrating these embodiments.

[0075] Figure 8 An example reception of PL-RS by a UE over time is shown. The PL-RS is associated with a first cell 800 and a second cell 802 and is received during a plurality of occasions 804 for receiving the PL-RS. By way of example, the first cell 800 is the serving cell of the UE, and the second cell 802 is a cell having a PCI different from that of the serving cell 800. The PL-RS 806 associated with the first cell 800 has a first periodicity, and the first periodicity is higher than the second periodicity of the PL-RS 808 associated with the second cell 802. Alternatively, the first periodicity and the second periodicity can be swapped, or the PL-RSs 806, 808 associated with the first cell 800 and the second cell 802 can be associated with other periodicities.

[0076] The UE can receive a MAC CE carrying an active UL TCI state list update at time t0. For the first cell 800, the time from receiving the MAC CE to the first PL-RS is identified as T first-PL-RS_SC and for the second cell 802, the time from receiving the MAC CE to the first PL-RS is also equal to T first-PL-RS_SC . If the PL-RSs in a set where two or more PL-RSs can be measured simultaneously or contemporaneously (e.g., in FR1) can be measured, then:

[0077] T first_target-PL-RS_List = T first-PL-Rs_sC

[0078] Whether measuring the PL-RSs for two cells with different PCIs or for more than two cells with different PCIs.

[0079] can be determined as described in the reference Figure 7 the maximum period among two or more periodic sets in Figure 8 .

[0080] In some embodiments of method 600, the frequency range can be a frequency range in which the PL-RS in a set of two or more PL-RSs is measured using a set of two or more beams formed at two or more different times (e.g., for FR2 of a UE capable of receiving on only one beam), and the overlap condition can be a partial overlap condition in which each cell in two or more cells with different PCIs has the same time to the first PL-RS after receiving the MAC CE. In these embodiments, the PL-RS measurement delay can be based on 1) the same time to the PL-RS plus the shortest period among two or more periodic sets, since the UE cannot measure the PL-RS associated with two or more cells simultaneously or contemporaneously, and 2) the maximum period among two or more periodicities. This PL-RS measurement delay allows the UE to measure the PL-RS associated with each cell in two or more cells with different PCIs. Also refer to Figure 8 the examples illustrating these embodiments.

[0081] In Figure 8 , for the first cell 800 and the second cell 802, the time from receiving the MAC CE to the first PL-RS is identified as T first-PL-RS_SC . If the UE measures the PL-RS for the cell associated with the lowest periodicity (i.e., the longest period) after T first-PL-RS_SC (i.e., at the first timing 804 for receiving the PL-RS), the UE can measure the PL-RS for the cell associated with the highest periodicity (i.e., the shortest period) at the next timing 804 for receiving the PL-RS. If the PL-RS 806 associated with the first cell 800 has a first periodicity T PL-RS_SC , and the SSB 808 associated with the second cell 802 has a second periodicity T PL-RS_CDP , then T first_targer-PL-Rs_List can be determined as:

[0082] T first_target-PL-Rs_List = T first-PL-Rs_sC + min(T PL-Rs_sC , T PL-Rs_CDP )

[0083] For any number of cells with different PCIs, the specific combination of overlapping and non-overlapping PL-RSs at different timings for receiving the PL-RS needs to be considered to determine the minimum required value of T first_target-PL-RS_List .

[0084] can be determined as described in the reference Figure 7 as described Figure 8 the maximum period in two or more periodic sets in.

[0085] In some embodiments of method 600, the frequency range can be the frequency range of the PL-RS in a set of two or more PL-RSs that can be measured simultaneously or concurrently (e.g., FR1 for a UE capable of omnidirectional reception, or FR2 for a UE capable of receiving on two or more beams), and the overlapping condition can be a non-overlapping condition in which each of two or more cells with different PCIs has a different time to the first PL-RS after receiving the MAC CE. Alternatively, the frequency range can be the frequency range of the PL-RS in a set of two or more PL-RSs that are measured using a set of two or more beams formed at two or more different times, and the overlapping condition can be a non-overlapping condition in which each of two or more cells with different PCIs has a different time to the first PL-RS after receiving the MAC CE. In these embodiments, the PL-RS measurement delay can be based on 1) the maximum time to the first PL-RS selected from the different times to the first PL-RS after receiving the MAC CE, and 2) the maximum period in two or more periodic sets. This PL-RS measurement delay allows the UE to measure the PL-RS associated with each of two or more cells with different PCIs. Reference Figure 9 illustrates examples of these embodiments.

[0086] Figure 9 Shows an example reception of PL-RS by the UE over time. The PL-RS is associated with the first cell 900 and the second cell 902 and is received during a plurality of occasions 904 for receiving the PL-RS. By way of example, the first cell 900 is the serving cell of the UE, and the second cell 902 is a cell having a PCI different from that of the serving cell 900. The PL-RS 906 associated with the first cell 900 has a first periodicity, and the first periodicity is higher than the second periodicity of the PL-RS 908 associated with the second cell 902. Alternatively, the first and second periodicities can be swapped, or the PL-RSs 906, 908 associated with the first cell 900 and the second cell 902 can be associated with other periodicities.

[0087] The UE can receive a MAC CE carrying an active UL TCI state list update at time t0. For the first cell 900, the time to the first PL-RS after receiving the MAC CE is identified as Tfirst-PL-RS_SC and for the second cell 902, the time from receiving the MAC CE to the first PL-RS is identified as T first-PL-RS_CDP . In this example, the maximum time to the first PL-RS is T first-PL-RS_CDP . In this example, the T in the PL-RS measurement delay above first_target-PL-RS_List can be determined as:

[0088] T first_target-PL-Rs_List = max(T first-PL-Rs_sC , T first-PL-RS_CDP )

[0089] More generally, and for any number of cells with different PCIs, T first_target-PL-RS_List can be determined as:

[0090] T first_target-PL-RS_List

[0091] = max(T first-PL-Rs_sC , T first-PL-Rs_CDP,1 , T first-PL-Rs_CDP,2 , … T first-PL-RS_CDP,Nmax ) for Nmax cells with different PCIs.

[0092] can be determined as described in reference Figure 7 to be the maximum period in two or more periodic sets Figure 8 as described therein.

[0093] Embodiments contemplated herein include one or more non-transitory computer-readable media that store instructions that, when executed by one or more processors of an electronic device, cause the electronic device to perform one or more elements of method 200 or 600. In the context of method 200, the non-transitory computer-readable media can be, for example, the memory of the UE (such as the memory 1106 of the wireless device 1102 of the UE, as described herein). In the context of method 600, the non-transitory computer-readable media can be, for example, the memory of the network device (such as the memory 1124 of the network device 1120, as described herein).

[0094] Embodiments contemplated herein include an apparatus that has logic components, modules, or circuits for performing one or more elements of method 200 or 600. In the context of method 200, the apparatus can be, for example, the apparatus of the UE (such as the wireless device 1102 of the UE, as described herein). In the context of method 600, the apparatus can be, for example, the apparatus of the network device (such as the network device 1120, as described herein).

[0095] Embodiments contemplated herein include an apparatus having one or more processors and one or more computer-readable media that use or store instructions which, when executed by the one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to perform one or more elements of method 200 or 600. In the context of method 200, the apparatus can be, for example, an apparatus of a UE (such as the wireless device 1102 being a UE, as described herein). In the context of method 600, the apparatus can be, for example, an apparatus of a network device (such as the network device 1120, as described herein).

[0096] Embodiments contemplated herein include a signal as described in or related to one or more elements of method 200 or 600.

[0097] Embodiments contemplated herein include a computer program or computer program product having instructions, where execution of the program by a processor causes the processor to perform one or more elements of method 200 or 600. In the context of method 200, the processor can be a processor of a UE (such as the processor 1104 of the wireless device 1102 being a UE, as described herein), and the instructions can be, for example, located in the processor and / or in the memory of the UE (such as the memory 1106 of the wireless device 1102 being a UE, as described herein). In the context of method 600, the processor can be a processor of a network device (such as the processor 1122 of the network device 1120, as described herein), and the instructions can be, for example, located in the processor and / or in the memory of the network device (such as the memory 1124 of the network device 1120, as described herein).

[0098] Figure 10 An example architecture of a wireless communication system in accordance with embodiments described herein is illustrated. The following description is for an example wireless communication system 1000 operating in conjunction with the LTE system standards or specifications and / or 5G or NR system standards or specifications provided in 3GPP technical specifications.

[0099] As Figure 10 shown, the wireless communication system 1000 includes UEs 1002 and 1004 (although any number of UEs can be used). In this example, UEs 1002 and 1004 are illustrated as smartphones (e.g., handheld touchscreen mobile computing devices capable of connecting to one or more cellular networks), but can also include any mobile or non-mobile computing device configured for wireless communication.

[0100] UE 1002 and UE 1004 may be configured to be communicatively coupled to RAN 1006. In an embodiment, RAN 1006 may be an NG-RAN, an E-UTRAN, etc. UE 1002 and UE 1004 utilize connections (or channels) to RAN 1006 (shown as connection 1008 and connection 1010, respectively), where each connection (or channel) includes a physical communication interface. RAN 1006 may include one or more network devices (such as base station 1012 and base station 1014) that implement connection 1008 and connection 1010.

[0101] In this example, connection 1008 and connection 1010 are air interfaces that implement such communicative coupling and may conform to the RAT used by RAN 1006, such as, for example, LTE and / or NR.

[0102] In some embodiments, UE 1002 and UE 1004 may also directly exchange communication data via sidelink interface 1016. UE 1004 is shown as being configured to access an access point (shown as AP 1018) via connection 1020. By way of example, connection 1020 may include a local wireless connection, such as a connection conforming to any IEEE 802.11 protocol, where AP 1018 may include a router. In this example, AP 1018 may not be connected to another network (e.g., the Internet) via CN 1024.

[0103] In an embodiment, UE 1002 and UE 1004 may be configured to communicate with each other or with base station 1012 and / or base station 1014 over a multi-carrier communication channel using orthogonal frequency division multiplexing (OFDM) communication signals according to various communication technologies, such as, but not limited to, orthogonal frequency division multiple access (OFDMA) communication technology (e.g., for downlink communication) or single-carrier frequency division multiple access (SC-FDMA) communication technology (e.g., for uplink and ProSe or sidelink communication), although the scope of the embodiments is not limited in this regard. The OFDM signal may include a plurality of orthogonal subcarriers.

[0104] In some embodiments, all or part of base station 1012 or base station 1014 may be implemented as one or more software entities operating on a server computer as part of a virtual network. Additionally, or in other embodiments, base station 1012 or base station 1014 may be configured to communicate with each other via interface 1022. In an embodiment where wireless communication system 1000 is an LTE system (e.g., when CN 1024 is an EPC), interface 1022 may be an X2 interface. The X2 interface may be defined between two or more network devices (e.g., two or more eNBs, etc.) of the RAN connected to the EPC and / or between two eNBs connected to the EPC. In an embodiment where wireless communication system 1000 is an NR system (e.g., when CN 1024 is a 5GC), interface 1022 may be an Xn interface. The Xn interface is defined between two or more network devices (e.g., two or more gNBs, etc.) of the RAN connected to the 5GC, between base station 1012 (e.g., gNB) and eNB connected to the 5GC, and / or between two eNBs connected to the 5GC (e.g., CN 1024).

[0105] RAN 1006 is shown communicatively coupled to CN 1024. CN 1024 may include one or more network elements 1026 configured to provide various data and telecommunications services to customers / subscribers (e.g., users of UE 1002 and UE 1004) connected to CN 1024 via RAN 1006. The components of CN 1024 may be implemented in one physical device or separate physical devices including components for reading and executing instructions from a machine-readable or computer-readable medium (e.g., a non-transitory machine-readable storage medium).

[0106] In an embodiment, CN 1024 may be an EPC, and RAN 1006 may be connected to CN 1024 via S1 interface 1028. In an embodiment, S1 interface 1028 may be divided into two parts: an S1 user plane (S1-U) interface that bears traffic data between base station 1012 or base station 1014 and a serving gateway (S-GW); and an S1-MME interface that is a signaling interface between base station 1012 or base station 1014 and a mobility management entity (MME).

[0107] In an embodiment, CN 1024 may be 5GC, and RAN 1006 may be connected to CN 1024 via NG interface 1028. In an embodiment, NG interface 1028 may be divided into two parts: the NG user plane (NG-U) interface, which carries traffic data between base station 1012 or base station 1014 and the user plane function (UPF); and the S1 control plane (NG-C) interface, which is a signaling interface between base station 1012 or base station 1014 and the access and mobility management function (AMF).

[0108] Generally, application server 1030 may be an element that provides an application that uses Internet Protocol (IP) bearer resources together with CN 1024 (e.g., packet-switched data services). Application server 1030 may also be configured to support one or more communication services (e.g., VoIP sessions, group communication sessions, etc.) for UE 1002 and UE 1004 via CN 1024. Application server 1030 may communicate with CN 1024 through IP communication interface 1032.

[0109] Figure 11 An example system 1100 for performing signaling 1138 between wireless device 1102 and network device 1120 in accordance with the embodiments described herein is illustrated. System 1100 may be part of a wireless communication system as described herein. Wireless device 1102 may be, for example, a UE of a wireless communication system. Network device 1120 may be, for example, a base station (e.g., eNB or gNB) or a radio headend of a wireless communication system.

[0110] Wireless device 1102 may include one or more processors 1104. Processor 1104 may execute instructions to cause various operations of wireless device 1102 to be performed as described herein. Processor 1104 may include one or more baseband processors implemented using, for example, a central processing unit (CPU), a digital signal processor (DSP), an application specific integrated circuit (ASIC), a controller, a field programmable gate array (FPGA) device, another hardware device, a firmware device, or any combination thereof for performing the operations described herein.

[0111] Wireless device 1102 may include a memory 1106. Memory 1106 may be a non-transitory computer-readable storage medium storing instructions 1108 (which may include, for example, instructions executed by processor 1104). Instructions 1108 may also be referred to as program code or a computer program. Memory 1106 may also store data used by processor 1104 and results computed by the processor.

[0112] The wireless device 1102 may include one or more transceivers 1110 (collectively also referred to as transceivers 1110), and the one or more transceivers may include radio frequency (RF) transmitter and / or receiver circuitry that uses the antenna 1112 of the wireless device 1102 to facilitate signaling (e.g., signaling 1138) to and / or from other devices (e.g., network device 1120) according to a corresponding RAT.

[0113] The wireless device 1102 may include one or more antennas 1112 (e.g., one, two, four, eight, or more). For embodiments having multiple antennas 1112, the wireless device 1102 may take advantage of the spatial diversity of these multiple antennas 1112 to transmit and / or receive multiple different data streams on the same time-frequency resource. This behavior may be referred to as, for example, MIMO behavior (referring to the multiple antennas used at each of the transmitting device and the receiving device to achieve this aspect). The MIMO transmission performed by the wireless device 1102 may be implemented according to precoding (or digital beamforming) applied to the wireless device 1102, which multiplexes data streams between the antennas 1112 based on known or assumed channel characteristics such that each data stream is received with an appropriate signal strength relative to other streams and at a desired location in the spatial domain (e.g., the location of the receiver associated with the data stream). Some embodiments may use single-user MIMO (SU-MIMO) methods (where the data streams are all directed to a single receiver) and / or multi-user MIMO (MU-MIMO) methods (where individual data streams may be directed to separate (different) receivers at different locations in the spatial domain).

[0114] In some embodiments having multiple antennas, the wireless device 1102 may implement analog beamforming techniques, whereby the phases of the signals transmitted by the antennas 1112 are relatively adjusted such that the (joint) transmission of the antennas 1112 can be directional (which is sometimes referred to as beam steering).

[0115] The wireless device 1102 may include one or more interfaces 1114. The interfaces 1114 may be used to provide input to the wireless device 1102 or output from the wireless device. For example, the wireless device 1102 as a UE may include interfaces 1114 such as a microphone, a speaker, a touch screen, buttons, etc., to allow a user of the UE to provide input to and / or output from the UE. Other interfaces of such a UE may consist of transmitters, receivers, and other circuitry (e.g., in addition to the transceivers 1110 / antennas 1112 already described) that allow communication between the UE and other devices and may operate according to known protocols (e.g., etc.).

[0116] The wireless device 1102 may include a TCI management module 1116. The TCI management module 1116 may be implemented via hardware, software, or a combination thereof. For example, the TCI management module 1116 may be implemented as a processor, circuitry, and / or instructions 1108 stored in a memory 1106 and executed by a processor 1104. In some examples, the TCI management module 1116 may be integrated within the processor 1104 and / or transceiver 1110. For example, the TCI management module 1116 may be implemented by a combination of software components (e.g., executed by a DSP or a general-purpose processor) and hardware components (e.g., logic gates and circuitry) within the processor 1104 or transceiver 1110.

[0117] From the perspective of the wireless device or UE, the TCI management module 1116 may be used in various aspects of the present disclosure, e.g., Figures 1 to 9 aspects. The TCI management module 1116 may be configured to, for example, parse and apply an active DL TCI state list update or an active UL TCI state list update received by the wireless device 1102 from the network device 1120.

[0118] The network device 1120 may include one or more processors 1122. The processors 1122 may execute instructions to cause various operations of the network device 1120 to be performed as described herein. The processors 1122 may include one or more baseband processors that are implemented using, for example, a CPU, a DSP, an ASIC, a controller, an FPGA device, another hardware device, a firmware device, or any combination thereof that is configured to perform the operations described herein.

[0119] The network device 1120 may include a memory 1124. The memory 1124 may be a non-transitory computer-readable storage medium that stores instructions 1126 (which may include, for example, instructions executed by the processors 1122). The instructions 1126 may also be referred to as program code or a computer program. The memory 1124 may also store data used by the processors 1122 and results computed by the processors.

[0120] The network device 1120 may include one or more transceivers 1128 (collectively also referred to as transceiver 1128), which may include RF transmitter and / or receiver circuitry that uses an antenna 1130 of the network device 1120 to facilitate signaling (e.g., signaling 1138) to and / or from other devices (e.g., the wireless device 1102) according to a corresponding RAT.

[0121] The network device 1120 may include one or more antennas 1130 (e.g., one, two, four, or more). In embodiments with multiple antennas 1130, the network device 1120 may perform MIMO, digital beamforming, analog beamforming, beam control, etc., as already described.

[0122] The network device 1120 may include one or more interfaces 1132. The interface 1132 may be used to provide input to or output from the network device 1120. For example, the network device 1120 of the RAN (e.g., a base station, a radio headend, etc.) may include interfaces 1132 composed of a transmitter, a receiver, and other circuits (e.g., in addition to the transceiver 1128 / antenna 1130 already described), which enable the network device 1120 to communicate with other equipment in the network and / or enable the network device 1120 to communicate with an external network, a computer, a database, etc., for the purpose of operating, managing, and maintaining the network device 1120 or other equipment operably connected to the network device.

[0123] The network device 1120 may include one or more TCI configuration modules 1134. The TCI configuration module 1134 may be implemented via hardware, software, or a combination thereof. For example, the TCI configuration module 1134 may be implemented as a processor, a circuit, and / or instructions 1126 stored in the memory 1124 and executed by the processor 1122. In some examples, the TCI configuration module 1134 may be integrated within the processor 1122 and / or the transceiver 1128. For example, the TCI configuration module 1134 may be implemented by a combination of software components (e.g., executed by a DSP or a general-purpose processor) and hardware components (e.g., logic gates and circuits) within the processor 1122 or the transceiver 1128.

[0124] From the perspective of the network device, the TCI configuration module 1134 may be used in various aspects of the present disclosure, for example, Figures 1 to 9 aspects. The TCI configuration module 1134 may be configured to, for example, configure an active DL TCI status list update or an active UL TCI status list update for the wireless device 1102.

[0125] For one or more embodiments, at least one of the components recited in one or more of the foregoing figures may be configured to perform one or more operations, techniques, processes, and / or methods as described herein. For example, a baseband processor (or processor) as described herein in connection with one or more of the foregoing figures may be configured to operate in accordance with one or more of the examples recited herein. As another example, circuitry associated with a UE, network device, network element, etc. as 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 recited herein.

[0126] Unless otherwise explicitly stated, any of the foregoing embodiments may be combined with any other embodiment (or combination of embodiments). 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 embodiments to the precise forms described. Modifications and variations are possible in light of the above teachings, or may be acquired from practice of various embodiments.

[0127] Embodiments and specific implementations of the systems and methods described herein may include various operations, which may be embodied in machine-executable instructions to be executed by a computer system. The computer system may include one or more general-purpose or special-purpose computers (or other electronic devices). The computer system may include hardware components that include specific logic components for performing the operations; or may include a combination of hardware, software, and / or firmware.

[0128] The systems described herein relate to specific embodiments, but are provided by way of example. These embodiments may be combined into a single system, partially combined into other systems, divided into multiple systems, or otherwise partitioned or combined. Additionally, it is contemplated that parameters, attributes, aspects, etc. of one embodiment may be used in another embodiment. For clarity, these parameters, attributes, aspects, etc. are described in only one or more embodiments, and it should be recognized that, unless explicitly stated herein, these parameters, attributes, aspects, etc. may be combined with or substituted for parameters, attributes, aspects, etc. of another embodiment.

[0129] It is well known that the use of personally identifiable information should follow privacy policies and practices that are generally recognized as meeting or exceeding 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.

[0130] Although the foregoing has been described in considerable detail for the purposes of clarity, it will be apparent that changes and modifications may be made without departing from the principles of the invention. It should be noted that there are many alternative ways of implementing both the processes and apparatus described herein. Accordingly, the embodiments of the invention should be regarded as illustrative rather than restrictive, and the specification is not limited to the details given herein but may be modified within the scope of the appended claims and equivalents thereof.

Claims

1. A user equipment (UE), the UE comprising: A transceiver; And A processor configured to: Receive, via the transceiver, a media access control (MAC) control element (CE) (MAC CE) carrying an active downlink transmission configuration indicator (TCI) state list update from a network, the active downlink TCI state list update including a set of two or more new target TCI states associated with a set of two or more cells having different physical cell identifiers (PCIs); Measure a set of two or more synchronization signal blocks (SSBs) associated with the set of two or more cells having different PCIs, the set of two or more SSBs being associated with a set of two or more periodicities; And Receive a physical downlink control channel (PDCCH) or a physical downlink shared channel (PDSCH) according to at least one new target TCI state in the active downlink TCI state list update, the PDCCH or the PDSCH being received after a delay, the delay including an SSB measurement delay related to the measurement of the set of two or more SSBs, the SSB measurement delay depending on: The frequency range in which the set of two or more SSBs is measured; And An overlap condition for the set of two or more periodicities, the overlap condition being selected from a set of two or more overlap conditions.

2. The UE according to claim 1, wherein: The frequency range is the frequency range in which the processor simultaneously or periodically measures the SSBs in the set of two or more SSBs; The overlap condition is a partial overlap condition, in which each of the two or more cells having different PCIs has a different time to the first SSB after receiving the MAC CE; And The SSB measurement delay is based on the maximum time to the first SSB selected from the different times to the first SSB after receiving the MAC CE.

3. The UE according to claim 1, wherein: The frequency range is the frequency range in which the processor measures the SSBs in the set of two or more SSBs using a set of two or more beams formed at two or more different times; The overlap condition is a partial overlap condition, in which each of the two or more cells having different PCIs has a different time to the first SSB after receiving the MAC CE; And The SSB measurement delay is based on the maximum time to the first SSB selected from the different times to the first SSB after receiving the MAC CE.

4. The UE according to claim 1, wherein: The frequency range is the frequency range in which the processor simultaneously or periodically measures the SSBs in the set of two or more SSBs; The overlapping condition is a partial overlapping condition, in which each of the two or more cells with different PCIs has the same time to the first SSB after receiving the MAC CE; And The SSB measurement delay is based on the same time to the first SSB.

5. The UE according to claim 1, wherein: The frequency range is the frequency range in which the processor measures the SSBs in the set of two or more SSBs using a set of two or more beams formed at two or more different times; The overlapping condition is a partial overlapping condition, in which each of the two or more cells with different PCIs has the same time to the first SSB after receiving the MAC CE; And The SSB measurement delay is based on the same time to the first SSB plus the shortest period in the set of two or more periods.

6. The UE according to claim 1, wherein: The frequency range is the frequency range in which the processor measures the SSBs in the set of two or more SSBs simultaneously or synchronously; The overlapping condition is a non-overlapping condition, in which each of the two or more cells with different PCIs has a different time to the first SSB after receiving the MAC CE; And The SSB measurement delay is based on the maximum time to the first SSB selected from the different times to the first SSB after receiving the MAC CE.

7. The UE according to claim 1, wherein: The frequency range is the frequency range in which the processor measures the SSBs in the set of two or more SSBs using a set of two or more beams formed at two or more different times; The overlapping condition is a non-overlapping condition, in which each of the two or more cells with different PCIs has a different time to the first SSB after receiving the MAC CE; And The SSB measurement delay is based on the maximum time to the first SSB selected from the different times to the first SSB after receiving the MAC CE.

8. The set of two or more SSBs associated with the set of two or more cells with different PCIs according to claim 1 includes: The serving cell of the UE; And A cell having a PCI different from the PCI of the serving cell.

9. The delay according to claim 1 includes at least the sum of the following: The SSB measurement delay; Hybrid automatic repeat request (HARQ) reporting delay; and Slot-related delay.

10. A user equipment (UE), the user equipment (UE) includes: A transceiver; And A processor, the processor is configured to: Receiving, via the transceiver, a media access control (MAC) control element (CE) (MAC CE) carrying an active uplink transmission configuration indicator (TCI) state list update from a network, the active uplink TCI state list update including a set of two or more new target TCI states associated with a set of two or more cells having different physical cell identifiers (PCIs); Measuring a set of two or more path loss reference signals (PL-RSs) associated with the set of two or more cells having different PCIs, the set of two or more PL-RSs being associated with a set of two or more periodicities; Transmitting a physical uplink control channel (PUCCH) or a physical uplink shared channel (PUSCH) according to at least one new target TCI state in the active uplink TCI state list update, the PUCCH or the PUSCH being transmitted after a delay including a PL-RS measurement delay associated with the measurement of the set of two or more PL-RSs, the PL-RS measurement delay depending on: A frequency range in which the set of two or more PL-RSs is measured; And An overlap condition for the set of two or more periodicities, the overlap condition being selected from a set of two or more overlap conditions.

11. The UE according to claim 10, wherein: The frequency range is a frequency range of the PL-RSs in the set of two or more PL-RSs measured by the processor simultaneously or concurrently; The overlap condition is a partial overlap condition in which each of the two or more cells having different PCIs has a different time to the first PL-RS after receiving the MAC CE; And The PL-RS measurement delay is based on: The maximum time to the first PL-RS selected from the different times to the first PL-RS after receiving the MAC CE; and The maximum period in the set of two or more periodicities.

12. The UE according to claim 10, wherein: The frequency range is a frequency range of the PL-RSs in the set of two or more PL-RSs measured by the processor using a set of two or more beams formed at two or more different times; The overlap condition is a partial overlap condition in which each of the two or more cells having different PCIs has a different time to the first PL-RS after receiving the MAC CE; And The PL-RS measurement delay is based on: The maximum time to the first PL-RS selected from the different times to the first PL-RS after receiving the MAC CE; and The maximum period in the set of two or more periodicities.

13. The UE according to claim 10, wherein: The frequency range is the frequency range in which the processor measures the PL-RSs in the set of two or more PL-RSs simultaneously or contemporaneously; The overlapping condition is a partial overlapping condition, in which each of the two or more cells with different PCIs has the same time to the first PL-RS after receiving the MAC CE; and The PL-RS measurement delay is based on: The same time to the first PL-RS; and The maximum period in the set of two or more periods.

14. The UE according to claim 10, wherein: The frequency range is the frequency range in which the processor measures the PL-RSs in the set of two or more PL-RSs using a set of two or more beams formed at two or more different times; The overlapping condition is a partial overlapping condition, in which each of the two or more cells with different PCIs has the same time to the first PL-RS after receiving the MAC CE; and The PL-RS measurement delay is based on: The same time to the first PL-RS plus the shortest period in the set of two or more periods; and The maximum period in the set of two or more periods.

15. The UE according to claim 10, wherein: The frequency range is the frequency range in which the processor measures the PL-RSs in the set of two or more PL-RSs simultaneously or contemporaneously; The overlapping condition is a non-overlapping condition, in which each of the two or more cells with different PCIs has a different time to the first PL-RS after receiving the MAC CE; and The PL-RS measurement delay is based on: The maximum time to the first PL-RS selected from the different times to the first PL-RS after receiving the MAC CE; and The maximum period in the set of two or more periods.

16. The UE according to claim 10, wherein: The frequency range is the frequency range in which the processor measures the PL-RSs in the set of two or more PL-RSs using a set of two or more beams formed at two or more different times; The overlapping condition is a non-overlapping condition, in which each of the two or more cells with different PCIs has a different time to the first PL-RS after receiving the MAC CE; and The PL-RS measurement delay is based on: The maximum time to the first PL-RS selected from the different times to the first PL-RS after receiving the MAC CE; and The maximum period in the set of two or more periods.

17. The UE according to claim 10, wherein the set of two or more PL-RSs associated with the set of two or more cells with different PCIs includes: the serving cell of the UE; and a cell having a PCI different from that of the serving cell.

18. The UE according to claim 10, wherein the delay comprises at least the sum of: the PL-RS measurement delay; the hybrid automatic repeat request (HARQ) reporting delay; and the slot-related delay.

19. The UE according to claim 10, wherein: the processor is configured to: determine that a target PL-RS required for updating the active uplink TCI state list is not maintained; and measure the set of two or more PL-RSs at least in part in response to the determination that the target PL-RS required for updating the active uplink TCI state list is not maintained; wherein, the target PL-RS required for updating the active uplink TCI state list is determined not to be maintained in the following cases: the target PL-RS is not in the active UL TCI state list; or the number of PL-RSs in the active UL TCI state list exceeds four.

20. A method for wireless communication by a user equipment (UE), the method comprising: receiving from a network a media access control (MAC) control element (CE) (MAC CE) carrying an active downlink transmission configuration indicator (TCI) state list update, the active downlink TCI state list update including a set of two or more new target TCI states associated with a set of two or more cells having different physical cell identifiers (PCIs); measuring a set of two or more synchronization signal blocks (SSBs) associated with the set of two or more cells having different PCIs, the set of two or more SSBs being associated with a set of two or more periodicities; and receiving a physical downlink control channel (PDCCH) or a physical downlink shared channel (PDSCH) according to at least one new target TCI state in the active downlink TCI state list update, the PDCCH or the PDSCH being received after a delay, the delay including an SSB measurement delay associated with the measurement of the set of two or more SSBs, the SSB measurement delay depending on: the frequency range in which the set of two or more SSBs is measured; and an overlap condition for the set of two or more periodicities, the overlap condition being selected from a set of two or more overlap conditions.

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