Energy efficient network antenna port adjustment

Abstract

A user equipment (UE) (30) receives a plurality of channel state information reference signal (CSI-RS) resource configurations from a network node (20), the CSI-RS resource configurations overlapping on at least one time / frequency resource and using the same code division multiplexing (CDM) type. Each CSI-RS resource configuration corresponds to a respective antenna port. The UE (30) receives, from the network node (20), a request to perform CSI-RS measurements on one or more of the antenna ports. The UE (30) measures each of the one or more antenna ports according to the corresponding CSI-RS resource configuration. The UE (30) sends one or more measurement reports comprising the one or more measurement results to the network node (20).

Description

Technical Field

[0001] Embodiments of the present disclosure relate generally to wireless communication networks, and more particularly to adjusting network antenna configurations, for example, to balance performance and power consumption concerns. Background Art

[0002] NW energy savings in NR are generally considered crucial not only for reducing operator operating expenses but also for environmental sustainability, reducing environmental impact. A major portion of the energy consumed in NR is associated with the increased number of TX / RX antenna ports, particularly at higher frequencies. This also leads to a higher number of reference signal transmissions (e.g., CSI-RS) for efficient beam management, which in turn consumes significant energy due to the excessive number of radio wake-ups. The energy costs associated with the RF components (e.g., power amplifiers, low-noise amplifiers), digital processing (e.g., digital front-end, beamforming), and baseband processing associated with such arrays are significant. In some scenarios (e.g., with fewer users, low load, or reduced user throughput or latency requirements), maintaining adequate user and system performance may not require the full gNB antenna array. The gNB can then deactivate or mute portions of the antenna panel and transmit using a subset of antenna elements and transmit ports. The specific portion of the array that is muted depends on different deployment, load, and UE coverage scenarios, so the gNB can dynamically adjust the muting pattern. There is also a trade-off between energy savings and UE performance losses. Summary of the Invention

[0003] The present disclosure generally relates to adjusting antenna utilization in a manner that balances performance and power consumption concerns.

[0004] A specific embodiment includes a method implemented by a UE. The method includes receiving multiple CSI-RS resource configurations from a network node, the multiple CSI-RS resource configurations overlapping on at least one time / frequency resource and using the same CDM type. Each CSI-RS resource configuration corresponds to a corresponding antenna port. The method also includes receiving a request from the network node to perform CSI-RS measurements on one or more of the antenna ports. The method also includes measuring each of the one or more antenna ports based on the corresponding CSI-RS resource configuration. The method also includes sending one or more measurement reports including one or more measurement results to the network node.

[0005] In some embodiments, receiving a plurality of CSI-RS resource configurations includes receiving an information element (IE) describing a first CSI-RS resource configuration.

[0006] In some embodiments, receiving multiple CSI-RS resource configurations includes receiving an IE describing a second CSI-RS resource configuration.

[0007] In some embodiments, receiving multiple CSI-RS resource configurations includes receiving a multi-port CSI-RS configuration including multiple CSI-RS resource configurations. In some such embodiments, the multi-port CSI-RS configuration also includes port number remapping information. In some such embodiments, the port number remapping information includes a codebook or a codebook index. Additionally or alternatively, the multi-port CSI-RS configuration may further include one or more offset values ​​between the CSI-RS and a physical downlink shared channel (PDSCH).

[0008] In some embodiments, the request to perform CSI-RS measurements is included in layer 2 signaling.In some such embodiments, the request to perform CSI-RS measurements is included in a medium access control (MAC) control element (CE) of the layer 2 signaling.

[0009] In some embodiments, the request to perform CSI-RS measurements is included in layer 1 signaling. In some such embodiments, the request to perform CSI-RS measurements is included in downlink control information (DCI) of the layer 1 signaling.

[0010] In some embodiments, the request to perform CSI-RS measurements includes a CDM group to be measured. In some other embodiments, the request to perform CSI-RS measurements includes a reference to one or more of the CSI-RS resource configurations.

[0011] In some embodiments, the request to perform CSI-RS measurements includes a bit field indicating one or more antenna ports to be measured.

[0012] In some embodiments, the method further comprises receiving a transmission configuration indicator (TCI) state change from the network node in response to sending the one or more measurement reports.

[0013] Other embodiments include a UE. The UE includes an interface circuit and a processing circuit communicatively connected to the interface circuit. The processing circuit is configured to receive, from a network node and via the interface circuit, a plurality of CSI-RS resource configurations, the plurality of CSI-RS resource configurations overlapping on at least one time / frequency resource and using the same CDM type. Each CSI-RS resource configuration corresponds to a corresponding antenna port. The processing circuit is further configured to receive, from the network node, a request to perform CSI-RS measurements on one or more of the antenna ports. The processing circuit is further configured to measure each of the one or more antenna ports according to the corresponding CSI-RS resource configuration. The processing circuit is further configured to send, to the network node and via the interface circuit, one or more measurement reports including one or more measurement results.

[0014] In some embodiments, the processing circuit is further configured to perform any of the above methods.

[0015] Other embodiments include a computer program comprising instructions that, when executed on a processing circuit of a UE, cause the UE to perform any of the methods described above.

[0016] Some other embodiments include a carrier containing the computer program, wherein the carrier is one of an electric signal, an optical signal, a radio signal or a computer storage medium.

[0017] Other embodiments include a method implemented by a network node. The method includes providing a plurality of CSI-RS resource configurations to a UE, the plurality of CSI-RS resource configurations overlapping on at least one time / frequency resource and using the same CDM type. Each CSI-RS resource configuration corresponds to a respective antenna port. The method also includes sending a request to the UE to perform CSI-RS measurements on one or more of the antenna ports. The method also includes receiving one or more measurement reports for the one or more antenna ports from the UE, each antenna port being measured according to the corresponding CSI-RS resource configuration. The method also includes switching one or more antennas of the network node between muting and unmuting based on the one or more reports.

[0018] In some embodiments, providing multiple CSI-RS resource configurations includes sending an IE describing a first CSI-RS resource configuration.

[0019] In some embodiments, providing multiple CSI-RS resource configurations includes sending an IE describing a second CSI-RS resource configuration.

[0020] In some embodiments, providing the multiple CSI-RS resource configurations includes sending a multi-port CSI-RS configuration including the multiple CSI-RS resource configurations.

[0021] In some embodiments, the multi-port CSI-RS configuration further includes port number remapping information. In some such embodiments, the port number remapping information includes a codebook or a codebook index. Additionally or alternatively, the multi-port CSI-RS configuration may further include one or more offset values ​​between the CSI-RS and the PDSCH.

[0022] In some embodiments, the method further comprises adjusting the transmission power based on the one or more reports.

[0023] In some embodiments, switching one or more antennas between muting and unmuting is further based on quality of service requirements. In some such embodiments, the quality of service requirements are included in an SLA. In some other embodiments, the quality of service requirements are included in a QoS agreement.

[0024] In some embodiments, the request to perform CSI-RS measurements is included in layer 2 signaling. In some such embodiments, the request to perform CSI-RS measurements is included in a MAC CE of layer 2 signaling.

[0025] In some embodiments, the request to perform CSI-RS measurements is included in layer 1 signaling. In some such embodiments, the request to perform CSI-RS measurements is included in a DCI of layer 1 signaling.

[0026] In some embodiments, the request to perform CSI-RS measurements includes the CDM groups to be measured.

[0027] In some embodiments, the request to perform CSI-RS measurements includes a reference to one or more of the CSI-RS resource configurations.

[0028] In some embodiments, the request to perform CSI-RS measurements includes a bit field indicating one or more antenna ports to be measured.

[0029] In some embodiments, switching one or more antennas of the network node between muting and unmuting is further based on at least one additional report from another UE.

[0030] In some embodiments, switching one or more antennas of the network node between muting and unmuting is also based on the type of transmission to be performed.

[0031] In some embodiments, switching one or more antennas of the network node between muting and unmuting includes switching at least one antenna port between muting and unmuting.

[0032] In some embodiments, the method further includes notifying the UE of a TCI state change in response to switching one or more antennas between muting and unmuting.

[0033] Other embodiments include a network node. The network node includes an interface circuit and a processing circuit communicatively connected to the interface circuit. The processing circuit is configured to provide a plurality of CSI-RS resource configurations to a UE via the interface circuit, the plurality of CSI-RS resource configurations overlapping on at least one time / frequency resource and using the same CDM type. Each CSI-RS resource configuration corresponds to a respective antenna port. The processing circuit is further configured to send a request to the UE via the interface circuit to perform CSI-RS measurements on one or more of the antenna ports. The processing circuit is further configured to receive one or more measurement reports for the one or more antenna ports from the UE via the interface circuit, each antenna port being measured according to the corresponding CSI-RS resource configuration. The processing circuit is further configured to switch one or more antennas of the network node between muting and unmuting based on the one or more reports.

[0034] In some embodiments, the processing circuit is further configured to perform any of the above-mentioned network node methods.

[0035] Other embodiments include a computer program comprising instructions that, when executed on processing circuitry of a network node, cause the network node to perform any of the network node methods described above.

[0036] Some other embodiments include a carrier containing the computer program, wherein the carrier is one of an electric signal, an optical signal, a radio signal or a computer-readable storage medium. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0037] The various aspects of the present disclosure are illustrated by way of example and not limitation in the accompanying drawings, in which like reference numerals indicate like elements. All abbreviations used in this disclosure (including abbreviations used in the drawings) can be found in the subsection entitled "Abbreviations" at the end of the detailed description.

[0038] Figures 1A to 1D is a diagram illustrating different examples of CSI-RS resource allocation within a time-frequency resource grid according to various embodiments of the present disclosure.

[0039] Figure 2 is a table describing example triggering / activation characteristics of CSI reporting for different CSI-RS configurations according to one or more embodiments of the present disclosure.

[0040] Figures 3A to 3D is a diagram illustrating different examples of antenna utilization when different antenna ports are active according to one or more embodiments of the present disclosure.

[0041] Figure 4 is a schematic diagram illustrating an example wireless communication network according to one or more embodiments of the present disclosure.

[0042] Figure 5 is a flow chart illustrating an example method implemented by a network node according to one or more embodiments of the present disclosure.

[0043] Figure 6 is a flow chart illustrating an example method implemented by a UE according to one or more embodiments of the present disclosure.

[0044] Figure 7 is a flow chart illustrating another example method implemented by a network node according to one or more embodiments of the present disclosure.

[0045] Figure 8 is a diagram illustrating an example of a CDM group of CSI-RS resources according to one or more embodiments of the present disclosure.

[0046] Figure 9 is a diagram illustrating an example of CSI-RSs of separate CDM groups according to one or more embodiments of the present disclosure.

[0047] Figure 10 is a table showing example values ​​for separating CSI-RS using CDM according to one or more embodiments of the present disclosure.

[0048] Figure 11 is a table illustrating example values ​​for identifying a CSI-RS position within a slot based on various factors according to one or more embodiments of the present disclosure.

[0049] Figure 12 is a schematic block diagram illustrating examples of different antenna arrangements according to one or more embodiments of the present disclosure.

[0050] Figure 13 is a flowchart illustrating another example method implemented by a UE according to one or more embodiments of the present disclosure.

[0051] Figure 14 is a schematic block diagram illustrating an example UE according to one or more embodiments of the present disclosure.

[0052] Figure 15 is a schematic block diagram illustrating an example RAN node according to one or more embodiments of the present disclosure.

[0053] Figure 16 is a schematic block diagram illustrating an example of a communication system according to some embodiments.

[0054] Figure 17 is a schematic block diagram illustrating an example host according to one or more embodiments of the present disclosure.

[0055] Figure 18 is a schematic block diagram illustrating an example network according to one or more embodiments of the present disclosure. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0056] NR's NW power consumption is reportedly lower compared to LTE due to its relatively streamlined design. However, in current implementations, due to higher bandwidth and even the introduction of additional components (e.g., 64 TX / RX ports and associated digital RF chains), NR can consume more power than LTE in many cases. Because the NW is expected to support the UE at its maximum capabilities (e.g., throughput, coverage, etc.), the NW may need to use a full configuration even if the UE rarely requires maximum NW support.

[0057] Furthermore, the increase in the number of TX / RX ports also results in an increase in the number of reference signals (e.g., CSI-RS) that traditionally need to be transmitted by the NW (and measured by the UE) for proper signal detection. Therefore, the additional TX / RX ports can lead to additional power consumption in another way, namely by transmitting a large number of CSI-RS to the UE. Furthermore, it should be noted that the large number of CSI-RS transmissions can also consume valuable NW resources and increase interference to neighboring cells.

[0058] The CSI-RS resource can span 1, 2, or 4 OFDM symbols. One symbol is used for 1, 2, 4, 8, or 12 ports, e.g. Figure 1A Two symbols are used for 4, 8, 12 or 16 ports, for example, Figure 1B Four symbols are used for 24 or 32 ports, for example, Figure 1C The time-frequency resource grid is shown as follows (which shows contiguous allocations) or as Figure 1D The time-frequency resource grid is shown (which shows pairwise adjacent allocations).

[0059] exist Figures 1A to 1D In the time-frequency resource grid, time (in symbols) is on the x-axis and frequency is on the y-axis. Figures 1A to 1D Resources with similar shading in the figure indicate resources belonging to the same CDM group. CDM can be used to separate different CSI-RSs carried within the same CDM group. Each CDM group can support multiple antenna ports.

[0060] The CSI-RS resource may start at any symbol within the slot (e.g., any symbol 0 to 13 for a slot with a normal cyclic prefix, such as Figures 1A to 1D ), defined by a single starting symbol (for 1-symbol CSI-RS, 2-symbol CSI-RS, and 4-symbol with an OCC span of 4), or by two starting symbol indices (in 4-symbol CSI-RS 2+2 with an OCC span of 2). Components can be mapped to frequency at a granularity of 1, 2, or 4 subcarriers, based on the component size. All symbols in a resource use the same subcarriers.

[0061] In NR, three types of CSI-RS transmission are traditionally supported: aperiodic, periodic, and semi-persistent. Aperiodic CSI-RS transmission is a one-time CSI-RS transmission that can be triggered by the gNB via DCI in any time slot. The term "one-time" in this context means that CSI-RS transmission occurs only once per trigger within a time slot. The CSI-RS resources (i.e., resource element locations consisting of subcarrier positions and OFDM symbol positions) used for aperiodic CSI-RS are preconfigured to the UE via higher-layer signaling. Aperiodic CSI-RS transmission is triggered via DCI.

[0062] Figure 2 This table describes the triggering / activation characteristics of CSI reporting for different CSI-RS configurations. Figure 2 As shown in the table, aperiodic CSI-RS can be used for aperiodic CSI reporting.

[0063] Periodic CSI-RS transmission is preconfigured by higher layer signaling, and the preconfiguration includes parameters such as period and slot offset. Traditionally, periodic CSI-RS is controlled only by higher layer signaling. Traditionally, periodic CSI-RS transmission starts according to the configured parameters and RRC configuration. Figure 2 As shown, periodic CSI-RS can be used for periodic CSI reporting, semi-persistent CSI reporting, and aperiodic CSI reporting.

[0064] Semi-persistent CSI-RS transmission is similar to periodic CSI-RS in some aspects. The resources used for semi-persistent CSI-RS transmission are pre-configured via high-layer signaling with parameters such as periodicity and slot offset. However, unlike periodic CSI-RS, dynamic allocation activation signaling via MAC CE is required to start transmitting semi-persistent CSI-RS on the pre-configured resources. In addition, semi-persistent CSI-RS is transmitted for a limited duration until the activated semi-persistent CSI-RS is deactivated by deactivation signaling via MAC CE. Figure 2 As shown, the semi-persistent CSI-RS can be used for semi-persistent CSI reporting and aperiodic CSI reporting.

[0065] Typically, there's a trade-off between energy savings and UE performance losses. In traditional solutions, the gNB cannot predict in advance the impact of a decision to change the number of active antenna ports. When switching down (e.g., to reduce energy consumption), there's a risk that the impact on UE performance will be unacceptable. When switching up (e.g., to improve UE performance and / or cell capacity), there's a risk that the only impact will be increased network energy consumption, with minimal improvement in UE performance. The decision to change the antenna configuration from, for example, 64 active antenna elements to 32, 16, or 8 active antenna elements is typically made through trial and error.

[0066] Similarly, when switching up the gNB antenna configuration from a lower configuration (e.g., with 32, 16, or 8 active antennas) to a higher configuration (e.g., with 64 active antennas), there is currently a risk that the result will simply be an increase in network energy consumption without a corresponding increase in UE throughput.

[0067] Traditionally, only after the antenna configuration has been switched can the gNB observe what happened and evaluate whether the decision was good or bad. Unfortunately, if it was a bad decision (e.g., the UE performance impact was unacceptable), damage has already been done without a sufficient improvement in the performance-energy tradeoff. This can lead to repeated reconfigurations (e.g., the antenna adjustment algorithm may try to change the configuration too frequently) or missed energy-saving opportunities (e.g., the antenna adjustment algorithm may be too strict).

[0068] To avoid repeated reconfigurations and excessive UE performance loss caused by transceiver muting, it would be beneficial for the gNB to have information about what performance will result from different muting patterns before the actual transceiver muting decision is made. This may be enabled, for example, if the UE reports CSI not only for the current transceiver configuration (e.g., 64 chains), but also for other candidate configurations (e.g., 32, 16, or 8).

[0069] For CSI-RS transmission, regardless of the number of physical antenna subarrays, 3GPP defines up to 32 CSI-RS antenna ports, where each port maps to a set of physical subarrays. According to the current specification, a UE can be configured with multiple CSI-RS set configurations corresponding to different transceiver muting arrangements and required to report CSI for each configuration. For example, in addition to configuring a 32-port CSI-RS resource transmitted from a full panel containing all transceiver chains, the gNB can also configure a UE with 16-port CSI-RS resources transmitted from half of the panel. The gNB can then obtain CSI feedback for both the 32-port (full panel) and the 16-port (half panel) configurations and derive the impact on UE performance when disabling half of the panel, as well as the appropriateness of doing so.

[0070] The problem with configuring multiple CSI-RS resources for a UE (with different numbers of ports) is that it will incur considerable overhead in terms of gNB energy consumption due to additional transmissions and resource waste due to additional time / frequency resource occupation. In addition, the UE CSI-RS measurement workload increases for each of these configurations. Note that the above examples only involve full panel vs. half panel configurations, and in practice other port constellations / layouts / subsets can exist (e.g., Figures 3A to 3D These port constellations / layouts / subsets are also interesting and will facilitate even more CSI-RS configurations and may exceed UE capabilities. Figures 3A to 3D In each of , the darker X represents antenna ports that are included in the configuration, while the lighter X represents antenna ports that are excluded from the configuration.

[0071] RRC reconfigurations are currently possible if the configuration is restricted to one CSI-RS resource set at a time, however, they incur significant signaling overhead and are very slow for both the network and the UE.

[0072] One potential solution involves defining multiple port subset hypotheses and linking them to the currently active CSI-RS resources. Each hypothesis determines the selection of the configured CSI-RS port subset to be measured (how many and which) and at what rate. These hypotheses can be configured via RRC or other higher-layer signaling, and a hypothesis subset can be selected from the full set using MAC CE or DCI. However, this solution does not account for the overhead caused by potentially non-overlapping resources and focuses primarily on finding an ideal reduced configuration, without facilitating the identification of possible extended configurations compared to the currently reduced active port subset.

[0073] Another potential solution involves a UE configured with multiple CSI-RS ports for measurement and reporting, further configured with one or more port muting patterns. During operation, the UE may receive signaling (e.g., DCI or MAC CE) indicating whether and which port muting pattern is in effect. The UE may then omit measuring / processing the CSI-RS resources corresponding to the muted ports. This may include omitting sampling CSI-RS symbols carrying only muted ports and omitting the associated estimation processing in the baseband. However, this solution does not provide a means for the gNB to receive reports from the UE regarding various muting patterns at once.

[0074] In light of the foregoing, embodiments of the present disclosure include novel techniques to ensure optimal use of time / frequency resources for transmission of various antenna muting pattern configurations by RAN nodes and reception by UEs for antenna muting / unmuting purposes. While the following examples will be described from the perspective of nodes within an NG-RAN (e.g., a gNB), it should be understood that the examples described below can be applied in substantially the same manner to other RAN technologies (e.g., future technologies derived from 3GPP 5G, or legacy technologies such as LTE).

[0075] The various techniques described herein can be advantageously used to prepare for changes in antenna muting configuration by determining a specific set of ports to be muted or unmuted, while improving performance during the changed state. Preferred embodiments achieve this with a minimal number of resources transmitted by the gNB and received by the UE.

[0076] According to many embodiments described herein, a network node 20 (e.g., a gNB) provides a cell 80 (or beam) to a UE 30, e.g., Figure 4 1. Although many of the examples provided herein will specifically refer to gNBs, it should be understood that this is merely an example of a network node that may be used depending on the embodiment. Other network nodes 20 that may be used in substantially similar embodiments may include other types of RAN nodes, eNBs, base stations, and other types of nodes derived from 3GPP RAN technology. It should also be understood that the network 10 may include other network nodes and / or UEs, for clarity. Figure 4 These network nodes and / or UEs are not shown in FIG.

[0077] According to at least some embodiments disclosed herein, an example general method for achieving improved antenna muting state switching includes a gNB providing one or more configurations for measuring and providing feedback on multiple partitions (i.e., antenna port patterns or arrangements) to a UE 30. When evaluating a switch from a larger number of active antenna ports to a smaller number of active antenna ports, the configurations may include measurements on all available antenna ports, and at least one configuration may include measurements on a subset of available antenna ports. When evaluating a switch from a smaller number of active antenna ports to a larger number of antenna ports, the gNB may activate additional antenna-related hardware (e.g., power amplifiers) for the purpose of transmitting additional CSI-RS ports, thereby enabling configuration of measurement results for the UE 30 that include more antenna ports than the UE 30 is currently using.

[0078] Specific embodiments include a method 300 implemented by a network node 20 (e.g., a gNB providing a cell 80 for a UE 30), such as Figure 5As shown. Method 300 includes providing a plurality of CSI-RS resource configurations to UE 30, the plurality of CSI-RS resource configurations overlapping on at least one time / frequency resource and using the same CDM type, each CSI-RS resource configuration corresponding to a respective antenna port (block 310). Method 300 also includes sending a request to UE 30 to perform CSI-RS measurements on one or more of the antenna ports (block 320). Method 300 also includes receiving one or more measurement reports from UE 30 for one or more antenna ports, each antenna port being measured according to a corresponding CSI-RS resource configuration (block 330). Method 300 also includes switching one or more antennas of network node 20 between muting and unmuting based on the one or more reports (step 340).

[0079] Depending on the embodiment, the CSI-RS resource configuration can be defined in various ways. For example, in some embodiments, the CSI-RS resource configuration can be described hierarchically, for example, based on a multi-port CSI-RS resource configuration and associated configurations of one or more partitions related to the multi-port CSI-RS resource configuration. For example, the multi-port CSI-RS resource configuration can be described by the CSI-MeasConfig IE, and the associated configuration can be described by its substructures (e.g., CSI-ReportConfig, TriggerState, etc.).

[0080] Alternatively, the resource configuration may be described in a non-hierarchical manner, where each CSI-RS resource configuration includes an indication of the time / frequency resources used for the CSI-RS, and at least one time / frequency resource is common between different CSI-RS configurations. In such an embodiment, each CSI-RS resource configuration may be described by an appropriate IE (e.g., CSI-MeasConfig, CSI-ReportConfig, TriggerState, etc.).

[0081] In some embodiments, the measurement request sent to UE 30 may be included in an L2 MAC CE or L1 DCI. In some embodiments, the request may explicitly specify one or more antenna ports for which measurements are requested in the L1 or L2 signaling itself. Alternatively, the indication may refer to one or more CSI-RS configurations previously provided to UE 30 (e.g., in a previous CSI-MeasConfig or its substructure).

[0082] In some embodiments, one or more bits are used to signal the one or more antenna ports to be measured and reported. Each bit can mean one or more antenna ports or CDM port groups. In some embodiments, the meaning of each bit can be configurable.

[0083] In some embodiments, method 300 also includes transmitting CSI-RS according to the CSI-RS resource configuration for each antenna port for which UE 30 is requested to measure (e.g., including overlapping such time / frequency resources). CDM can be used to separate overlapping reference signals. Thus, UE 30 can receive the reference signals transmitted by the gNB and perform measurements according to the provided configuration or configurations. After performing the measurements, UE 30 can report the measurement results to the gNB.

[0084] Other embodiments include the method 200 implemented by the UE 30, for example, as Figure 6 As shown. Method 200 includes receiving a plurality of CSI-RS resource configurations from a network node 20, the plurality of CSI-RS resource configurations overlapping on at least one time / frequency resource and using the same CDM type, each CSI-RS resource configuration corresponding to a respective antenna port (block 210). Method 200 also includes receiving a request from the network node 20 to perform CSI-RS measurements on one or more of the antenna ports (block 220). Method 200 also includes measuring each of the one or more antenna ports according to the corresponding CSI-RS resource configuration (block 230). Method 200 also includes sending one or more measurement reports including one or more measurement results to the network node 20 (block 240).

[0085] Consistent with one or more aspects of at least some of the above embodiments, Figure 7 Another method 400 is shown that is implemented by the network node 20. The method 400 includes configuring CSI-RS resource configurations for the UE 30 that at least partially overlap in time / frequency and share the same CDM type (block 410).

[0086] In at least some such embodiments, network node 20 configures UE 30 with a first multi-port CSI-RS resource configuration and associated configurations (e.g., in CSI-MeasConfig or its substructures (e.g., CSI-ReportConfig, TriggerState, etc.) that target or specify one or more partitions (antenna port arrangements) of the multi-port CSI-RS configuration for UE measurement and reporting. In one embodiment, the partition configuration may specify port number remapping information, such as a codebook or codebook index, to be used for evaluating different precoding options for a given port combination. Optionally, UE 30 may be configured with additional assumptions in addition to the multiple ports, such as multiple offset values ​​between the CSI-RS and the PDSCH.

[0087] Method 400 also includes determining a set of antenna / port configurations to be measured by UE 30 (block 420). In some such embodiments, the gNB, based on internal or external inputs, determines whether UE 30 could potentially operate with sufficiently good or better quality (e.g., in terms of radio link, data throughput, etc.) with some other antenna configuration other than the current configuration. For example, for a gNB operating with many antenna ports, fewer active gNB antennas may be used to provide an adequate user experience for UE 30 (e.g., based on SLA agreements, QoS, etc.). For the gNB, using fewer gNB antennas for transmission / reception may be beneficial in terms of energy consumption. The gNB may determine this based on, for example, CSI reports from UE 30. Alternatively, the gNB may determine, based on similar considerations, that a larger number of antennas and corresponding ports is suitable for supporting sufficiently high data transmission KPIs in a reduced antenna operation mode. Furthermore, in some embodiments, the gNB may adjust other parameters (e.g., transmit power) to achieve energy savings.

[0088] Method 400 also includes sending an indication to UE 30 regarding which antenna ports to measure (block 430). For example, network node 20 may be evaluating or verifying which of a set of antenna / port configurations or multiple active antenna port options is preferred, and may send an indication to UE 30 (directly or indirectly) informing it which antenna port pattern(s) to measure and report in one or more upcoming transmissions. As described above, each transmission includes reference signals with at least partially overlapping resources. The indication may be an L2 MAC CE or L1 DCI, where a direct indication of the one or more groups of ports (one or more CDM groups) to measure and report is provided in the L1 / L2 indication itself. If an indirect indication is used instead, the L1 / L2 indication points to one or more previously provided (step 100) first associated configurations (e.g., in CSI-MeasConfig or its substructures (e.g., CSI-ReportConfig, TriggerState, etc.), which in turn identify one or more partitions of the multi-port CSI-RS. When using L1-based mechanisms, this indication can be performed using a bit field in existing DCI (e.g., DCI formats 0-1, 1-1, 0-2, 2-2) or group-common DCI, or a new UE-specific or group-common DCI. The bit field, as well as its position and size, can be configured explicitly or implicitly from higher layers. The indication can optionally include additional elements, such as measurement of multiple power offset values ​​(e.g., power offset values ​​between CSI-RS and PDSCH).

[0089] The indication may specify multiple antenna arrangement configurations for evaluation by the UE 30, where each arrangement may be represented using a bit field or a bitmap. In one aspect, one or more bits are used to indicate the ports or port combinations included in a given antenna arrangement. The bit position, value, and meaning of each bit may be configurable and may correspond to one or more individual ports, multiple ports, or one or more CDM port groups. For example, by configuration or by specification, 1 bit (e.g., if the MSB of the bit mask is set to 1) may represent a CDM group, where the CDM group includes a certain number of ports, such as Figure 8 As shown in the example (where the CDM group includes 8 ports). Figure 8 In , each bit of the bit vector K represents two subcarriers.

[0090] The ports of a CDM group are stacked on top of each other and can be Figure 9 Shown using Figure 10 CDM separation was performed using the table in . Figure 10 The table includes the Wf and Wt values ​​used for separation. Based on Wf according to the table, in the time domain, for the next symbol, the sequence is multiplied by Wt(n) for that symbol. The first subcarrier is Wf(0). The next subcarrier is Wf(1). If Wt(n) is -1, Wf is inverted for that symbol. Figure 11 The CSI-RS positions within a time slot are shown. In this example, row 18 corresponds to Figure 9 and Figure 10 Example shown.

[0091] In another example, 1 bit may have a smaller granularity and indicate multiple CDM groups. Figure 9 In the example, if each bit addresses two CDM groups, the MSB being set may mean that the first 16 consecutive ports (3000-3015) are addressed.

[0092] In some embodiments, the gNB may provide different bit configurations (different granularity) for each antenna arrangement configuration. For example, the gNB may request measurements for 4 different antenna arrangements (e.g. Figure 12 ), where the bits have a different granularity for each arrangement depending on the associated configuration.

[0093] Continue to refer Figure 7 The method 400 further includes sending a reference signal using at least one overlapping time / frequency resource in one transmission (block 440). The method 400 further includes receiving one or more reports from the UE 30 indicating antenna ports to be measured (block 450).

[0094] NZP CSI resources can be configured in various ways depending on the embodiment. In a first example, the UE 30 is configured with a list of NZP CSI-RS sets, and each set includes an index (e.g., NZP-CSI-RS-ResourceSetId). Within each set, different NZP CSI-RS resources (indexed by NZP-CSI-RS-ResourceId) are configured with the same port value, and possibly the same cdm_Type and frequencyDomainAllocation.

[0095] Alternatively, in a second example, the UE 30 is configured with a list of NZP CSI-RS sets, and each set includes an NZP-CSI-RS-ResourceSetId. Within each set, different NZP CSI-RS resources (indexed by NZP-CSI-RS-ResourceId) are configured with different assumptions about the number of ports, and possibly the same cdm_Type and frequencyDomainAllocation.

[0096] Alternatively, in a third example, the existing NZP-RS resource configuration is extended to include configuration regarding CDM group hypotheses. This can be achieved in two different ways. For one NZP CSI-RS resource, more than one CDM group hypothesis can be given, and when the UE 30 receives the CSI-RS resource transmission, the UE 30 needs to use one or more CDM group hypotheses to measure it. Note that CDM group hypotheses can also be referred to as "port number hypotheses." Each of these hypotheses can have its own index, or they can be referenced from elsewhere by their position in the list (e.g., first CDM group hypothesis, second CDM group hypothesis, etc.). In this way, if the network needs to indicate a specific CDM group hypothesis, these hypotheses can be referenced in the DL MAC CE or DCI. In addition, the assumption may need to be indicated in the CSI report of the UE 30. Alternatively, the CSI reports can be sorted based on the CDM group hypothesis to which they correspond. Another alternative way to implement the CDM group hypothesis is to make it an additional parameter or an NZP CSI-RS resource, so that each NZP CSI-RS resource index uniquely identifies the NZP CSI-RS and the CDM group hypothesis associated with it. In this way, existing reporting and activation mechanisms can be used. A possible disadvantage is that when a transmission instance is referenced by one or more NZP CSI-RS indices, it may be considered to consume the NZP CSI-RS index space.

[0097] For the first example, a threshold is configured for the UE 30 in CSI-ReportConfig. This threshold can be, but is not limited to, one of RSRP, RSRQ, SINR, or MCS (CQI). Based on this threshold, the UE reports only on NZP CSI-RS sets that exceed the threshold. For these sets, the UE reports when configured in CSI-ReportConfig or elsewhere. Alternatively, the UE 30 reports the index of the NZP CSI-RS set that exceeds the threshold (similar to the CRI identifying individual resources). These indexes can be sorted so that the highest value measured in the metric for that threshold is first. To achieve this, in cases where only the index / indication of the NZP CSI-RS set is reported back without the metrics describing the RSRP / RSRQ / SINR / CQI for that set, another indication may need to be included in the report. This report can be accompanied by the CRI, which is the index of the NZP-CSI-RS resource within that set.

[0098] For the second option, a threshold is configured for the UE 30 in the CSI-ReportConfig. This threshold can be, but is not limited to, one of RSRP, RSRQ, SINR, or MCS (CQI). Based on this threshold, the UE 30 reports the CRI for each NZP CSI-RS set based on the pre-configured threshold. Alternatively, the UE 30 can report only those CRIs for NZP CSI-RS resources whose measurement results exceed the threshold. In this case, the CRI is reported along with the index of the NZP CSI-RS set.

[0099] For the third option, the UE 30 can report based on all configured assumptions, or a MAC CE or DCI can require the UE 30 to provide input regarding a specific assumption. A MAC CE has an NZP CSI-RS resource index followed by a CDM group assumption. To this end, a new MAC CE can be defined. In one example, the MAC CE has a serving cell index, a BWP index, and an NZP CSI-RS resource index followed by a CDM group assumption. The size of the MAC CE can be variable and include one or more pairs of these NZP CSI-RS resource indices followed by a CDM group assumption.

[0100] Yet another option is that the UE 30 reports a certain fixed report size, where the UE 30 is required to report, for example, the X best CSIs out of the Y measured CSIs, where X is configured / indicated by the gNB.

[0101] Method 400 also includes adjusting the number of antenna ports used by the network node for transmission (block 460). For example, the gNB may choose to adjust (i.e., mute or unmute) antenna ports based on UE reports. In some embodiments, aggregated reports from multiple UEs may be considered to assess the impact of the configuration change on the system. Antenna port adjustments may differ for different types of transmission. For example, in one aspect, the gNB may choose to maintain the number of ports used for transmitting reference signals (e.g., CSI-RS) and broadcast / multicast, and only adjust the number of ports used for unicast data transmission (e.g., unicast PDSCH). In another aspect, the gNB may adjust the number of ports used for all types of transmission and / or reception. In one aspect, the gNB may have different numbers of ports for transmission (e.g., PDCCH / PDSCH) and reception (e.g., PUCCH / PUSCH). Optionally, the gNB may choose to adjust other transmission parameters, such as transmit power or MCS, and the UE should report considering these multiple assumptions (e.g., CSI-RS to PDSCH).

[0102] In some embodiments, method 400 further includes notifying UE 30 of a TCI state change (block 470). For example, once adjusted, the gNB may choose to notify UE 30 of the TCI state change, enabling UE 30 to decode PDCCH and / or PDSCH according to the QCL (e.g., when PDCCH / PDSCH decoding cannot assume the QCL from the previously active configuration due to muting). In one such embodiment, UE 30 may use explicit L1 or L2 indications (e.g., in the case of semi-persistent resource transmissions) to notify UE 30 that a port has been reconfigured for certain transmissions. This can be accomplished in various ways. In one such example, the UE 30 is notified of the reconfigured port by extending the semi-persistent CSI-RS / CSI-IM resource set activation / deactivation MAC CE. In another example, the TCI state indication may be extended to a UE-specific PDCCH MAC CE. In yet another example, the TCI state activation / deactivation may be extended to a UE-specific PDSCH MAC CE.

[0103] In one embodiment, in the PDSCH-Config IE, a second TCI state list is added in addition to the existing first list tci-StatesToAddModList. In the second list, alternative TCI states are configured for the UE 30. The UE 30 can be specified to apply only the TCI states in one list at a time. Here, the same TCI-StateId can be used. In this way, if the UE 30 is required to consider the second list instead of the first list, the UE 30 can effectively change all TCI state configurations, for example in coresetconfig, thereby changing the QCL assumption used by the DCI or MAC CE. There may be a guard period, after which the time after which it can be assumed that the UE 30 has made a switch. For example, the MAC CE or DCI may require the UE 30 to make a switch.

[0104] In an alternative embodiment, the maxNrofTCI-States value used in the existing first list tci-StatesToAddModList is extended. The disadvantage of this option is that all existing MAC CEs need to be redefined, or the size of the new MAC CE defined as an existing MAC CE is a maxNrofTCI-States value of 128.

[0105] In one embodiment, assuming that each NZP CSI-RS resource has more than one CDM group hypothesis, the UE also applies the CDM group hypothesis in the TCI state after having indicated to the UE which CDM group hypothesis is applicable.

[0106] Other embodiments include another method 500 implemented by the UE 30, such as Figure 13 As shown. Method 500 includes receiving a plurality of CSI-RS resource configurations from network node 20, the plurality of CSI-RS resource configurations at least partially overlapping in time / frequency and sharing the same CDM type (block 510). Method 500 also includes receiving an indication from network node 20 of which antenna ports are to be measured (block 520). Blocks 510 and 520 correspond mutatis mutandis to blocks 410 and 430 discussed above with respect to the network node.

[0107] Method 500 also includes receiving a reference signal using at least one overlapping time / frequency resource in a transmission (block 530). For example, for the reference signal, UE 30 may perform measurements on the antenna ports or associated partitions (e.g., CDM groups) of potential other antenna port candidates based on the provided configuration. The measurement process may include hypothesis testing, where codebook and active port subset combinations for different candidate antenna configurations may be disjoint or partially overlapping. For example, all or part of the hypothesis set for a smaller (e.g., first) port combination may be a subset of the hypothesis set for a larger (e.g., second) port combination. In one embodiment, UE 30 may store intermediate or final evaluation results during the first port combination evaluation and reuse them during the second evaluation without performing repeated computations. UE 30 may apply hypothesis space reduction techniques to avoid explicitly evaluating all codebook entries. In one embodiment, UE 30 may use the evaluation results of one port combination (e.g., the first port combination) as auxiliary information for space reduction for another port combination (e.g., the second port combination).

[0108] The method 500 further includes sending one or more reports indicating the antenna ports to be measured (block 540). The reporting is performed according to the configuration (eg, according to one or more of the methods described above).

[0109] In some embodiments, method 500 further includes receiving an indication of a TCI state (eg, current state, state change). In some such embodiments, the indication of the TCI state is associated with an antenna, port, power, and / or MCS configuration of one or more cells.

[0110] For example, the UE 30 may receive TCI state information for a changed active antenna port configuration. The UE 30 may then use the CSI-RS reception information from the evaluation process to optimize PDCCH / PDSCH reception based on the QCL assumption. If no TCI state update information is received, in one embodiment, the UE 30 may continue to operate under the previous TCI state assumption. In another embodiment, the UE may use the fact that this indication has been received as a trigger to perform dedicated PDCCH / PDSCH reception optimization, taking into account the possibility that the relationship between the QCL and the previous TCI state no longer holds. Optimization of PDSCH reception may be performed, for example, based on PDCCH reception, estimating, for example, preferred spatial combining weights to maximize, for example, the SINR.

[0111] It will be appreciated that many features of methods 300 and 400 implemented by network node 20 as described above are compatible. Thus, one or more features of one method can be incorporated into one or more features of the other method. Similarly, many features of methods 200 and 500 implemented by UE 30 as described above are compatible, such that one or more features of one method can be incorporated into one or more features of the other method.

[0112] UE 30 can, for example, Figure 14 The example schematically illustrates the way to achieve this. Figure 14 UE 30 includes processing circuitry 610, memory circuitry 620, and interface circuitry 630. Processing circuitry 610 is communicatively coupled to memory circuitry 620 and interface circuitry 630, for example, via bus 604. Processing circuitry 610 may include one or more microprocessors, microcontrollers, hardware circuits, discrete logic circuits, hardware registers, digital signal processors (DSPs), field programmable gate arrays (FPGAs), application-specific integrated circuits (ASICs), or combinations thereof. For example, processing circuitry 610 may be programmable hardware capable of executing software instructions stored in memory circuitry 620 (e.g., as a machine-readable computer program 640). The memory circuit 620 of various embodiments may include any non-transitory machine-readable medium known in the art or that can be developed, whether volatile or non-volatile, including but not limited to all or any combination of the following: solid-state media (e.g., SRAM, DRAM, DDRAM, ROM, PROM, EPROM, flash memory, solid-state drives, etc.), removable storage devices (e.g., Secure Digital (SD) cards, mini SD cards, micro SD cards, memory sticks, thumb drives, USB flash drives, ROM tapes, universal media optical disks), fixed drives (e.g., magnetic hard drives), etc.

[0113] The interface circuit 630 may be a controller hub configured to control the input and output (I / O) data paths of the UE 30. Such I / O data paths may include data paths for exchanging signals over a network. The interface circuit 630 may be implemented as a single physical component, or as multiple physical components arranged serially or separately, any of which may be communicatively coupled to any other component, or may communicate with any other component via the processing circuit 610. For example, the interface circuit 630 may include a transmitter 632 configured to transmit wireless communication signals, and a receiver 634 configured to receive wireless communication signals.

[0114] The UE 30 may be configured to perform the above-described method 200 and / or method 400. In one example, the processing circuit 610 may be configured to receive multiple CSI-RS resource configurations from the network node 20, the multiple CSI-RS resource configurations overlapping on at least one time / frequency resource and using the same CDM type, each CSI-RS resource configuration corresponding to a corresponding antenna port. The processing circuit 610 may also be configured to receive a request from the network node 20 to perform CSI-RS measurements on one or more of the antenna ports. The processing circuit 610 may also be configured to measure each of the one or more antenna ports according to the corresponding CSI-RS resource configuration. The processing circuit 610 may also be configured to send one or more measurement reports including one or more measurement results to the network node 20.

[0115] Still other embodiments include a control program 640 that includes instructions that, when executed on the processing circuit 610 of the UE 30 , cause the UE 30 to perform the method 200 and / or the method 400 described above.

[0116] Still other embodiments include a carrier embodying the control program 640. The carrier is one of an electric signal, an optical signal, a radio signal, or a computer storage medium.

[0117] Similarly, the network node 20 (e.g., gNB) may Figure 15 The example schematically illustrates the way to achieve this. Figure 15 The network node 20 includes processing circuitry 710, memory circuitry 720, and interface circuitry 730. Processing circuitry 710 is communicatively coupled to memory circuitry 720 and interface circuitry 730, for example, via bus 704. Processing circuitry 710 may include one or more microprocessors, microcontrollers, hardware circuits, discrete logic circuits, hardware registers, digital signal processors (DSPs), field programmable gate arrays (FPGAs), application-specific integrated circuits (ASICs), or combinations thereof. For example, processing circuitry 710 may be programmable hardware capable of executing software instructions stored in memory circuitry 720 (e.g., as a machine-readable computer program 740). The memory circuit 720 of various embodiments may include any non-transitory machine-readable medium known or that can be developed in the art, whether volatile or non-volatile, including but not limited to all or any combination of the following: solid-state media (e.g., SRAM, DRAM, DDRAM, ROM, PROM, EPROM, flash memory, solid-state drives, etc.), removable storage devices (e.g., Secure Digital (SD) cards, mini SD cards, micro SD cards, memory sticks, thumb drives, USB flash drives, ROM tapes, universal media optical disks), fixed drives (e.g., magnetic hard drives), etc.

[0118] Interface circuitry 730 may be a controller hub configured to control the input and output (I / O) data paths of network node 20. Such I / O data paths may include data paths for exchanging signals across a network. Interface circuitry 730 may be implemented as a single physical component, or as multiple physical components arranged serially or separately, any of which may be communicatively coupled to any other component, or may communicate with any other component via processing circuitry 710. For example, interface circuitry 730 may include a transmitter 732 configured to transmit wireless communication signals, and a receiver 734 configured to receive wireless communication signals.

[0119] The network node 20 may be configured to perform the above-described method 300 and / or method 400. In one example, the processing circuit 710 may be configured to provide a plurality of CSI-RS resource configurations to the UE 30, the plurality of CSI-RS resource configurations overlapping on at least one time / frequency resource and using the same CDM type, each CSI-RS resource configuration corresponding to a corresponding antenna port. The processing circuit 710 may also be configured to send a request to the UE 30 to perform CSI-RS measurements on one or more of the antenna ports. The processing circuit 710 may also be configured to receive one or more measurement reports for one or more antenna ports from the UE 30, each antenna port being measured according to the corresponding CSI-RS resource configuration. The processing circuit 710 may also be configured to switch one or more antennas of the network node 20 between muting and unmuting based on the one or more reports.

[0120] Still other embodiments include a control program 740 that includes instructions that, when executed on the processing circuit 710 of the network node 20, cause the network node 20 to perform the method 300 and / or the method 400 described above.

[0121] Still other embodiments include a carrier containing the control program 740. The carrier is one of an electric signal, an optical signal, a radio signal, or a computer-readable storage medium.

[0122] Although the computing devices described herein (e.g., UE 30, network node 20) may include a combination of the hardware components shown, other embodiments may include computing devices with different combinations of components. It should be understood that these computing devices may include any suitable combination of hardware and / or software required to perform the tasks, features, functions, and methods disclosed herein. The determinations, calculations, acquisitions, or similar operations described herein may be performed by processing circuitry that processes information by, for example, converting the obtained information into other information, comparing the obtained information or the converted information with information stored in the network node, and / or performing one or more actions based on the obtained information or the converted information, and making determinations based on the results of the processing. In addition, although components are depicted as a single box within a larger box or nested within multiple boxes, in reality, the devices described herein may include multiple different physical components that make up the single illustrated component, and functionality may be divided between separate components.

[0123] Additional embodiments will now be described.For illustrative purposes, at least some of these embodiments may be described as applicable to certain contexts and / or wireless network types, but these embodiments are similarly applicable to other contexts and / or wireless network types not explicitly described.

[0124] Figure 16 An example of a communication system 1100 is shown in accordance with some embodiments.

[0125] In this example, a communications system 1100 includes a telecommunications network 1102, including an access network 1104, such as a radio access network (RAN), and a core network 1106, including one or more core network nodes 1108. Access network 1104 includes one or more access network nodes, such as network nodes 1110a and 1110b (one or more of which may be generally referred to as network nodes 1110), or any other similar Third Generation Partnership Project (3GPP) access nodes or non-3GPP access points. Network nodes 1110 facilitate direct or indirect connectivity of user equipment (UE), such as connecting UEs 1112a, 1112b, 1112c, and 1112d (one or more of which may be generally referred to as UEs 1112) to core network 1106 via one or more wireless connections.

[0126] Example wireless communications over wireless connections include sending and / or receiving wireless signals using electromagnetic waves, radio waves, infrared waves, and / or other types of signals suitable for sending information without the use of wiring, cables, or other material conductors. Additionally, in various embodiments, the communication system 1100 may include any number of wired or wireless networks, network nodes, UEs, and / or any other components or systems that may facilitate or participate in the communication of data and / or signals (whether via a wired or wireless connection). The communication system 1100 may include any type of communication, telecommunication, data, cellular, radio network, and / or other similar type of system, and / or interface with any type of communication, telecommunication, data, cellular, radio network, and / or other similar type of system.

[0127] The UE 1112 may be any of a variety of communication devices, including wireless devices that are arranged, configured, and / or operable to wirelessly communicate with the network node 1110 and other communication devices. Similarly, the network node 1110 is arranged, capable, configured, and / or operable to communicate directly or indirectly with the UE 1112 and / or with other network nodes or devices in the telecommunications network 1102 to enable and / or provide network access (e.g., wireless network access) and / or to perform other functions (e.g., management) in the telecommunications network 1102.

[0128] In the depicted example, core network 1106 connects network node 1110 to one or more hosts, such as host 1116. These connections can be direct or indirect via one or more intermediate networks or devices. In other examples, the network node can be directly coupled to the host. Core network 1106 includes one or more core network nodes (e.g., core network node 1108) comprised of hardware and software components. The features of these components can be substantially similar to those described with respect to the UE, network node, and / or host, such that the descriptions thereof can generally apply to the corresponding components of core network node 1108. Example core network nodes include functionality of one or more of an MSC, MME, HSS, AMF, SMF, AUSF, SIDF, UDM, SEPP, NEF, and / or UPF.

[0129] The host 1116 may be owned or controlled by a service provider other than the operator or provider of the access network 1104 and / or the telecommunications network 1102 and may be operated by or on behalf of the service provider. The host 1116 may host a variety of applications to provide one or more services. Examples of such applications include real-time and pre-recorded audio / video content, data collection services (e.g., retrieving and compiling data about various environmental conditions detected by multiple UEs), analytics functions, social media, functions for controlling or otherwise interacting with remote devices, functions for an alarm and monitoring center, or any other such functions performed by a server.

[0130] As a whole, Figure 16 The communication system 1100 enables connections between UEs, network nodes, and hosts. In this sense, the communication system can be configured to operate according to predefined rules or procedures such as a specific standard, including but not limited to: Global System for Mobile Communications (GSM); Universal Mobile Telecommunications System (UMTS); Long Term Evolution (LTE) and / or other suitable 2G, 3G, 4G, 5G standards, or any applicable future generation standards (e.g., 6G); Wireless Local Area Network (WLAN) standards such as the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) 802.11 standard (WiFi); and / or any other suitable wireless communication standards such as Worldwide Interoperability for Microwave Access (WiMax), Bluetooth, Z-Wave, Near Field Communication (NFC) ZigBee, LiFi, and / or any Low Power Wide Area Network (LPWAN) standards such as LoRa and Sigfox.

[0131] In some examples, telecommunication network 1102 is a cellular network that implements 3GPP standardized features. Thus, telecommunication network 1102 can support network slicing to provide different logical networks to different devices connected to telecommunication network 1102. For example, telecommunication network 1102 can provide ultra-reliable low-latency communication (URLLC) services to some UEs while providing enhanced mobile broadband (eMBB) services to other UEs, and / or provide mMTC / massive IoT services to yet other UEs.

[0132] In some examples, the UE 1112 is configured to send and / or receive information without direct human interaction. For example, the UE can be designed to send information to the access network 1104 according to a predetermined schedule when triggered by an internal or external event or in response to a request from the access network 1104. In addition, the UE can be configured to operate in a single RAT mode, a multi-RAT mode, or a multi-standard mode. For example, the UE can operate using any one or a combination of Wi-Fi, NR (New Radio), and LTE, i.e., be configured for multi-radio dual connectivity (MR-DC), such as E-UTRAN (Evolved UMTS Terrestrial Radio Access Network) New Radio-Dual Connectivity (EN-DC).

[0133] In this example, hub 1114 communicates with access network 1104 to facilitate indirect communication between one or more UEs (e.g., UE 1112c and / or UE 1112d) and a network node (e.g., network node 1110b). In some examples, hub 1114 can be a controller, a router, a content source and analyzer, or any other communication device described herein with respect to a UE. For example, hub 1114 can be a broadband router that enables a UE to access core network 1106. As another example, hub 1114 can be a controller that sends commands or instructions to one or more actuators of the UE. The commands or instructions can be received from the UE, network node 1110, or through executable code, scripts, processes, or other instructions in hub 1114. As another example, hub 1114 can be a data collector that acts as a temporary storage device for UE data and, in some embodiments, can perform analysis or other processing of the data. As another example, hub 1114 can be a content source. For example, for a UE that is a VR headset, display, speaker, or other media delivery device, the hub 1114 can retrieve VR assets, video, audio, or other media or data related to sensory information via a network node, and then the hub 1114 provides it directly to the UE after performing local processing and / or adding additional local content. In yet another example, the hub 1114 acts as a proxy server or orchestrator for the UE, especially if one or more of the UEs are low-energy IoT devices.

[0134] Hub 1114 may have a continuous / persistent or intermittent connection to network node 1110b. Hub 1114 may also allow different communication schemes and / or scheduling between hub 1114 and UEs (e.g., UE 1112c and / or 1112d) and between hub 1114 and core network 1106. In other examples, hub 1114 is connected to core network 1106 and / or one or more UEs via a wired connection. In addition, hub 1114 may be configured to connect to an M2M service provider through access network 1104 and / or to another UE via a direct connection. In some scenarios, a UE may establish a wireless connection with network node 1110 while still being connected through hub 1114 via a wired or wireless connection. In some embodiments, hub 1114 may be a dedicated hub—i.e., a hub whose primary function is to route communications from network node 1110b to / from a UE to network node 1110b. In other embodiments, hub 1114 may be a non-dedicated hub—ie, a device operable to route communications between UEs and network node 1110b but additionally capable of operating as a communications origin and / or endpoint for certain data channels.

[0135] Figure 17 is a block diagram of a host 1400 according to various aspects described herein, which may be Figure 16 As used herein, host 1400 may be or include various combinations of hardware and / or software, including standalone servers, blade servers, cloud-enabled servers, distributed servers, virtual machines, containers, or processing resources in a server farm. Host 1400 may provide one or more services to one or more UEs.

[0136] Host 1400 includes processing circuitry 1402 operatively coupled to input / output interface 1406, network interface 1408, power supply 1410, and memory 1412 via bus 1404. Other components may be included in other embodiments. The features of these components may be substantially similar to those described with respect to the devices of the previous figures, so that their descriptions are generally applicable to the corresponding components of host 1400.

[0137] Memory 1412 may include one or more computer programs, including data 1416, which may include user data, such as data generated by a UE for host 1400, or data generated by host 1400 for a UE, and one or more host applications 1414. Embodiments of host 1400 may utilize only a subset or all of the components shown. Host applications 1414 may be implemented in a container-based architecture and may provide support for video codecs (e.g., Versatile Video Coding (VVC), High Efficiency Video Coding (HEVC), Advanced Video Coding (AVC), MPEG, VP9) and audio codecs (e.g., FLAC, Advanced Audio Coding (AAC), MPEG, G.711), including transcoding for a variety of different classes, types, or implementations of UEs (e.g., mobile phones, desktop computers, wearable display systems, heads-up display systems). Host applications 1414 may also provide user authentication and permission checks and may periodically report health, routing, and content availability to a central node (e.g., a device in the core network or at the edge of the core network). Thus, the host 1400 can select and / or instruct the UE on a different host for over-the-top services. The host application 1414 can support various protocols, such as HTTP Live Streaming (HLS), Real-Time Messaging Protocol (RTMP), Real-Time Streaming Protocol (RTSP), Dynamic Adaptive Streaming over HTTP (MPEG-DASH), etc.

[0138] Figure 18 A communication diagram is shown in which a host 1602 communicates with a UE 1606 via a network node 1604 over a partially wireless connection according to some embodiments. Figure 18 Describe the UE discussed in the previous paragraphs (e.g. Figure 16 UE1112a in), network node (e.g., Figure 16 110a) and hosts (e.g., Figure 16 An example implementation of the host 1116 in accordance with various embodiments.

[0139] Similar to host 1400, embodiments of host 1602 include hardware, such as a communication interface, processing circuitry, and memory. Host 1602 also includes software, which is stored in or accessible by host 1602 and executed by the processing circuitry. This software includes a host application that is operable to provide services to a remote user, such as a UE 1606 connected via an over-the-top (OTT) connection 1650 extending between UE 1606 and host 1602. When providing services to the remote user, the host application can provide user data sent using OTT connection 1650.

[0140] The network node 1604 includes hardware that enables it to communicate with the host 1602 and the UE 1606. The connection 1660 can be a direct connection or through a core network (such as Figure 16 The core network 1106 of the network and / or one or more other intermediate networks (eg, one or more public, private, or managed networks). For example, the intermediate network may be a backbone network or the Internet.

[0141] UE 1606 includes hardware and software, the software being stored in or accessible by UE 1606 and executed by the UE's processing circuitry. This software includes a client application (e.g., a web browser or operator-specific "app") operable to provide services to a human or non-human user via UE 1606, with support from host 1602. Within host 1602, an executing host application can communicate with an executing client application via an OTT connection 1650, which terminates between UE 1606 and host 1602. When providing services to a user, the UE's client application can receive request data from the host application and provide user data in response to the request data. The OTT connection 1650 can transmit both the request data and the user data. The UE's client application can interact with the user to generate user data that is provided to the host application via the OTT connection 1650.

[0142] The OTT connection 1650 may extend via a connection 1660 between the host 1602 and the network node 1604 and via a wireless connection 1670 between the network node 1604 and the UE 1606 to provide connectivity between the host 1602 and the UE 1606. The connection 1660 and the wireless connection 1670 over which the OTT connection 1650 may be provided have been drawn abstractly to illustrate communication between the host 1602 and the UE 1606 via the network node 1604, without explicitly involving any intermediary devices and the precise routing of messages via those devices.

[0143] As an example of transmitting data via OTT connection 1650, in step 1608, host 1602 provides user data, which may be performed by executing a host application. In some embodiments, the user data is associated with a specific human user who interacts with UE 1606. In other embodiments, the user data is associated with UE 1606, which shares data with host 1602 without explicit human interaction. In step 1610, host 1602 initiates a transmission to UE 1606, carrying the user data. Host 1602 may initiate the transmission in response to a request sent by UE 1606. The request may be caused by human interaction with UE 1606 or by operation of a client application executing on UE 1606. In accordance with the teachings of embodiments described throughout this disclosure, the transmission may be transmitted via network node 1604. Therefore, in step 1612, network node 1604 transmits the user data carried in the transmission initiated by host 1602 to UE 1606, in accordance with the teachings of embodiments described throughout this disclosure. In step 1614 , UE 1606 receives the user data carried in the transmission, which may be performed by a client application executing on UE 1606 that is associated with a host application executed by host 1602 .

[0144] In some examples, UE 1606 executes a client application that provides user data to host 1602. The user data may be provided as a reaction or response to data received from host 1602. Thus, in step 1616, UE 1606 may provide the user data, which may be performed by executing the client application. When providing the user data, the client application may also consider user input received from the user via the input / output interface of UE 1606. Regardless of the specific manner in which the user data is provided, in step 1618, UE 1606 initiates a transmission of the user data to host 1602 via network node 1604. In step 1620, network node 1604 receives the user data from UE 1606 and initiates transmission of the received user data to host 1602 in accordance with the teachings of the embodiments described throughout this disclosure. In step 1622, host 1602 receives the user data carried in the transmission initiated by UE 1606.

[0145] One or more of the various embodiments improve the performance of over-the-top (OTT) services provided to a UE 1606 using an OTT connection 1650, with a wireless connection 1670 forming the final component. More specifically, the teachings of these embodiments may enable OTT services to be delivered reliably, without excessive power consumption, and with adequate quality of service. In an example scenario, the host 1602 may collect and analyze plant status information. As another example, the host 1602 may process audio and video data that may have been retrieved from the UE to create a map. As another example, the host 1602 may collect and analyze real-time data to help control vehicle congestion (e.g., controlling traffic lights). As another example, the host 1602 may store surveillance video uploaded by the UE. As another example, the host 1602 may store or control access to media content such as video, audio, VR, or AR, which may be broadcast, multicast, or unicast to the UE. As other examples, host 1602 can be used for energy pricing, remote control of non-time-critical electrical loads to balance power generation demand, location services, presentation services (e.g., compiling charts based on data collected from remote devices, etc.), or any other function that collects, retrieves, stores, analyzes and / or transmits data.

[0146] In some examples, a measurement process may be provided for monitoring data rate, latency, and other factors targeted for improvement in one or more embodiments. Optional network functionality may also be present for reconfiguring the OTT connection 1650 between the host 1602 and the UE 1606 in response to changes in measurement results. The measurement process and / or network functionality for reconfiguring the OTT connection may be implemented in software and hardware on the host 1602 and / or the UE 1606. In some embodiments, sensors (not shown) may be deployed in or associated with other devices through which the OTT connection 1650 passes. The sensors may participate in the measurement process by providing values ​​for the monitored quantities listed above or other physical quantities from which the software can calculate or estimate the monitored quantities. Reconfiguration of the OTT connection 1650 may include message formats, retransmission settings, preferred routing, and the like; reconfiguration does not require direct changes to the operation of the network node 1604. Such processes and functionality may be known and practiced in the art. In some embodiments, the measurements may involve proprietary UE signaling that facilitates the host 1602's measurement of throughput, propagation time, latency, and the like. Measurements can be made by software using the OTT connection 1650 to send messages (particularly empty or "dummy" messages) while monitoring propagation times, errors, etc.

[0147] abbreviation

[0148] 3GPP Third Generation Partnership Project

[0149] 2G second generation

[0150] 3G third generation

[0151] 4G fourth generation

[0152] 5G fifth generation

[0153] 6G sixth generation

[0154] AMF access and mobility management function

[0155] AR augmented reality

[0156] AUSF authentication server function

[0157] BWP bandwidth part

[0158] CDM code division multiplexing

[0159] CQI channel quality indicator

[0160] CRICSI-RS Resource Indicator

[0161] CSI channel state information

[0162] CSI-IM channel state information interference measurement

[0163] CSI-RS channel state information reference signal

[0164] DC Dual Connection

[0165] DCI downlink control information

[0166] DL downlink

[0167] eNB (EUTRAN) base station

[0168] E-UTRAN Evolved Universal Terrestrial Radio Access Network

[0169] gNBgNodeB

[0170] HSS Home Subscriber Server

[0171] IE cell

[0172] IoT

[0173] KPI key performance indicators

[0174] L1 Layer 1

[0175] L2 Layer 2

[0176] LTE Long Term Evolution

[0177] M2M Machine to Machine

[0178] MAC Media Access Control

[0179] MAC CEMAC control element

[0180] MCS modulation and coding scheme

[0181] MME mobility management entity

[0182] mMTC massive machine type communications

[0183] MN master node

[0184] MR-DC Multi-Radio Dual Connectivity

[0185] MSB most significant bit

[0186] MSC Mobile Switching Center

[0187] MTC Machine Type Communication

[0188] NEF network exposure function

[0189] NG-RAN Next Generation Radio Access Network

[0190] NR New Radio

[0191] NW Network

[0192] NZP non-zero power

[0193] OCC orthogonal cover code

[0194] PDCCH Physical Downlink Control Channel

[0195] PDSCH Physical Downlink Shared Channel

[0196] PUCCH Physical uplink control channel

[0197] PUSCH Physical uplink shared channel

[0198] Quasi-co-sited QCLs

[0199] QoS Quality of Service

[0200] RAN Radio Access Network

[0201] RAT radio access technology

[0202] RF

[0203] RRC Radio Resource Control

[0204] RSRP reference signal received power

[0205] RSRQ Reference Signal Received Quality

[0206] RX

[0207] SEPP Security Edge Protection Agent

[0208] SIDF Subscriber Identifier Unhiding Function

[0209] SINR signal to interference plus noise ratio

[0210] SLA Service Level Agreement

[0211] SMF session management function

[0212] TCI transmission configuration indication

[0213] TX

[0214] UDM unified data management

[0215] UE (User Equipment)

[0216] UPF user plane function

[0217] URLLC ultra-reliable low-latency communication

[0218] USB Universal Serial Bus

[0219] VR virtual reality.

Claims

1. A method (200) implemented by a user equipment "UE" (30), the method comprising: receiving (210) a plurality of channel state information reference signal (CSI-RS) resource configurations from a network node (20), the plurality of CSI-RS resource configurations overlapping on at least one time / frequency resource and using the same code division multiplexing (CDM) type, each CSI-RS resource configuration corresponding to a respective antenna port; receiving (220) a request from the network node (20) to perform CSI-RS measurements on one or more of the antenna ports; measuring (230) each of the one or more antenna ports according to a corresponding CSI-RS resource configuration; as well as One or more measurement reports comprising one or more results of the measurements are sent (240) to the network node (20).

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein Receiving the multiple CSI-RS resource configurations includes receiving an information element (IE) describing a first CSI-RS resource configuration.

3. A method according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein Receiving the multiple CSI-RS resource configurations includes receiving an IE describing a second CSI-RS resource configuration.

4. A method according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein Receiving the multiple CSI-RS resource configurations includes receiving a multi-port CSI-RS configuration including the multiple CSI-RS resource configurations.

5. The method according to claim 4, wherein The multi-port CSI-RS configuration further includes port number remapping information.

6. The method according to claim 5, wherein: The port number remapping information includes a codebook or a codebook index.

7. The method according to any one of claims 4 to 6, wherein The multi-port CSI-RS configuration further includes one or more offset values ​​between the CSI-RS and a physical downlink shared channel PDSCH.

8. A method according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein The request to perform the CSI-RS measurement is included in layer 2 signaling.

9. The method according to claim 8, wherein The request to perform said CSI-RS measurement is included in a Medium Access Control "MAC" Control Element "CE" of Layer 2 signaling.

10. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 7, wherein The request to perform the CSI-RS measurement is included in layer 1 signaling.

11. The method according to claim 10, wherein: The request to perform the CSI-RS measurement is included in the downlink control information "DCI" of the layer 1 signaling.

12. A method according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein The request to perform the CSI-RS measurement includes the CDM group to be measured.

13. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 11, wherein The request to perform the CSI-RS measurement includes a reference to one or more of the CSI-RS resource configurations.

14. A method according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein The request to perform the CSI-RS measurement includes a bit field indicating the one or more of the antenna ports to be measured.

15. The method according to any one of the preceding claims, further comprising: In response to sending the one or more measurement reports, a transmission configuration indicator (TCI) state change is received from the network node (20).

16. A user equipment "UE" (30), comprising: An interface circuit (630) and a processing circuit (610) communicatively connected to the interface circuit (630), wherein the processing circuit (610) is configured to: receiving, from the network node (20) and via the interface circuit (630), a plurality of channel state information reference signal (CSI-RS) resource configurations, the plurality of CSI-RS resource configurations overlapping on at least one time / frequency resource and using the same code division multiplexing (CDM) type, each CSI-RS resource configuration corresponding to a respective antenna port; receiving, from the network node (20) and via the interface circuit (630), a request to perform CSI-RS measurements on one or more of the antenna ports; measuring each of the one or more antenna ports according to a corresponding CSI-RS resource configuration; and One or more measurement reports including one or more results of the measurements are sent to the network node (20) via the interface circuit (630).

17. UE according to the preceding claim, wherein The processing circuit (610) is further configured to perform the method according to any one of claims 2 to 15.

18. A computer program (640) comprising instructions which, when executed on a processing circuit of a User Equipment (UE) (30), cause the UE (30) to perform the method according to any one of claims 1 to 18.

19. A carrier comprising the computer program (640) of the preceding claim, wherein The carrier is one of an electric signal, an optical signal, a radio signal or a computer-readable storage medium.

20. A method (300) implemented by a network node (20), the method comprising: providing (310) a plurality of channel state indicator reference signal (CSI-RS) resource configurations to a user equipment (UE) (30), the plurality of CSI-RS resource configurations overlapping on at least one time / frequency resource and using the same code division multiplexing (CDM) type, each CSI-RS resource configuration corresponding to a respective antenna port; sending (320) a request to the UE (30) to perform CSI-RS measurements on one or more of the antenna ports; receiving (330) one or more measurement reports for the one or more antenna ports from the UE (30), measuring each antenna port according to a corresponding CSI-RS resource configuration; as well as Based on the one or more reports, one or more antennas of the network node (20) are switched (30) between muting and unmuting.

21. The method according to claim 20, wherein Providing the multiple CSI-RS resource configurations includes sending an information element (IE) describing a first CSI-RS resource configuration.

22. The method according to any one of claims 20 to 21, wherein Providing the multiple CSI-RS resource configurations includes sending an IE describing a second CSI-RS resource configuration.

23. The method according to any one of claims 20 to 22, wherein Providing the multiple CSI-RS resource configurations includes sending a multi-port CSI-RS configuration including the multiple CSI-RS resource configurations.

24. The method according to claim 23, wherein The multi-port CSI-RS configuration further includes port number remapping information.

25. The method according to claim 24, wherein The port number remapping information includes a codebook or a codebook index.

26. The method according to any one of claims 23 to 25, wherein The multi-port CSI-RS configuration further includes one or more offset values ​​between the CSI-RS and a physical downlink shared channel PDSCH.

27. The method of any one of claims 20 to 26, further comprising adjusting transmit power based on the one or more reports.

28. The method according to any one of claims 20 to 27, wherein Switching the one or more antennas between muting and unmuting is also based on quality of service requirements.

29. The method according to claim 28, wherein The quality of service requirements are included in a service level agreement "SLA".

30. The method of claim 28, wherein The quality of service requirements are included in the Quality of Service "QoS" protocol.

31. The method according to any one of claims 20 to 30, wherein The request to perform the CSI-RS measurement is included in layer 2 signaling.

32. The method according to claim 31, wherein The request to perform said CSI-RS measurement is included in a Medium Access Control "MAC" Control Element "CE" of Layer 2 signaling.

33. The method according to any one of claims 20 to 32, wherein The request to perform the CSI-RS measurement is included in layer 1 signaling.

34. The method according to claim 33, wherein The request to perform the CSI-RS measurement is included in the downlink control information "DCI" of layer 1 signaling.

35. The method according to any one of claims 20 to 34, wherein The request to perform the CSI-RS measurement includes the CDM group to be measured.

36. The method according to any one of claims 20 to 34, wherein The request to perform the CSI-RS measurement includes a reference to one or more of the CSI-RS resource configurations.

37. The method according to any one of claims 20 to 36, wherein The request to perform the CSI-RS measurement includes a bit field indicating the one or more of the antenna ports to be measured.

38. The method according to any one of claims 20 to 37, wherein Switching the one or more antennas of the network node (20) between muting and unmuting is also based on at least one further report from another UE.

39. The method according to any one of claims 20 to 38, wherein Switching the one or more antennas of the network node (20) between muting and unmuting is also based on the type of transmission to be performed.

40. The method according to any one of claims 20 to 39, wherein Switching the one or more antennas of the network node (20) between muting and unmuting comprises switching at least one antenna port between muting and unmuting.

41. The method according to any one of claims 20 to 40, further comprising: In response to switching the one or more antennas between muting and unmuting, the UE (30) is informed of a transmission configuration indicator (TCI) state change.

42. A network node (20), comprising: An interface circuit (730) and a processing circuit (710) communicatively connected to the interface circuit (730), wherein the processing circuit (710) is configured to: providing a plurality of channel state indicator reference signal (CSI-RS) resource configurations to a user equipment (UE) (30) via the interface circuit (730), the plurality of CSI-RS resource configurations overlapping on at least one time / frequency resource and using the same code division multiplexing (CDM) type, each CSI-RS resource configuration corresponding to a respective antenna port; sending a request to the UE (30) via the interface circuit (730) to perform CSI-RS measurements on one or more of the antenna ports; receiving one or more measurement reports for the one or more antenna ports from the UE (30) via the interface circuit (730), measuring each antenna port according to a corresponding CSI-RS resource configuration; and Based on the one or more reports, one or more antennas of the network node (20) are switched between muting and unmuting.

43. The network node according to the preceding claim, wherein The processing circuit (710) is further configured to perform the method according to any one of claims 21 to 41.

44. A computer program (740) comprising instructions which, when executed on a processing circuit (710) of a network node (20), cause the network node (20) to perform the method according to any one of claims 20 to 41.

45. A carrier comprising the computer program (740) of the preceding claim, wherein The carrier is one of an electric signal, an optical signal, a radio signal or a computer-readable storage medium.

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