Operating single active radio frequency chain user equipment with uplink multiple transmit receive point time division multiplexing

Abstract

An apparatus, a method, and a computer program product are provided. According to an embodiment, a method is disclosed, comprising: transmitting an indication from a terminal device to a network device, the indication indicating a capability of the terminal device to support a combinatorial multiplexing scheme for two or more uplink transmissions to at least two or more Transmission Reception Points (TRPs); receiving, by the terminal device, configuration information from the network device, wherein the configuration information is related to at least two or more uplink transmissions; and transmitting, by the terminal device, two or more uplink transmissions to the two or more TRPs based on the configuration information and the combined multiplexing scheme. According to an embodiment, a method is disclosed, comprising: receiving, by a network device, an indication from a terminal device, the indication indicating a capability of the terminal device to support a combined multiplexing scheme for two or more uplink transmissions to at least two or more TRPs; and transmitting configuration information to the terminal device, wherein the configuration information is related to at least two or more uplink transmissions.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a method and apparatus for operating a single active RF frequency chain user equipment using multiple transmission reception points. Background Art

[0002] This section is intended to provide a background or context to the invention described in the claims. The description herein may include concepts that could be pursued, but not necessarily concepts that have been previously conceived or pursued. Therefore, unless otherwise indicated herein, the material described in this section is not prior art to the description and claims in this application and is not admitted to be prior art by inclusion in this section.

[0003] 5G-NR (Fifth Generation New Radio) is a new radio access technology that has been developed by the Third Generation Partnership Project (3GPP) for the fifth generation of mobile networks. 3GPP has specified that 5G-NR can coexist with 4G-LTE (Long Term Evolution) within the same spectrum. In a 5G system, a mobile communication device, which may also be referred to as a user equipment (UE), is able to operate with multiple transmission reception points (multi-TRP, mTRP) in both the uplink (UL) and downlink (DL). In the UL, when using a time division multiplexing (TDM) scheme, the UE multiplexes transmissions towards different TRPs in the time domain. If there is a large difference in the propagation delays between different UE-TRP links, there may be overlap in the UL transmissions.

[0004] A transmission reception point may be characterized by one of the coresetPoolIndex (eg, 0 or 1) or the reference signal index in the TCI (Transmission Configuration Indicator) state.

[0005] When a UE is equipped with (and is able to use) multiple Tx RF chains, it may be able to configure its panel / sub-panel such that each chain transmits towards each TRP with a certain timing advance (TA), provided there are no obstacles / blockages. Thus, in this case even large differences in the two propagation delays can be handled.

[0006] On the other hand, when the UE is equipped with only one active Tx RF chain (e.g., because it is equipped with a single panel, or because it is multi-panel but has only a single shared uplink (UL) digital baseband), as Figure 3 As shown in the example of , due to the different propagation delays of the two links TRP1-UE and TRP2-UE, the time domains of the UL signals with two different TAs may overlap. In this simple example, the time slot towards TRP2 ( Figure 3 ) should start "before" the end of the time slot towards TRP1 ( Figure 3). In this example, this happens because the timing advance command TAC for UL1 is smaller than the TAC for UL2, so there is an overlap in the transmission times for UL1 and UL2. In another alternative, the same overlap occurs if the reference signals used by the UE to determine the reference timing for UL1 and UL2 are different, for example, the RS for UL1 is received with a smaller delay than the RS for UL2. If the UE is equipped with a single Tx RF chain, or is equipped with multiple Tx RF chains but only uses one Tx RF chain for any reason (e.g., UE power saving, obstruction in front of some panel, etc.), then this time domain overlap may force the UE to choose to transmit UL1 or UL2 and cause one or more symbols in both time slots to be lost.

[0007] Therefore, when the time difference between the TAs used for two TRPs is larger than the length of the cyclic prefix (CP), a mechanism that allows a single active Tx RF chain UE to optimize the availability of UL timeslots for UL mTRP operation may be beneficial. Summary of the Invention

[0008] Some embodiments provide a method and apparatus for operating a single RF frequency chain user equipment with multiple transmission reception points.

[0009] Some embodiments are implemented in the context of a 5G communication system and provide a solution to improve or even guarantee the reliability (and latency) requirements of PUSCH in a multi-TRP context without increasing the complexity and DL control overhead on the UE side and without consuming / reserving time slots of transmission resources.

[0010] In this specification, some embodiments of a signaling solution will be described to enable a UE that is a single RF chain UE or a UE that is equipped with multiple RF chains but operates with only one RF chain to inform the network (NW) that the network is able to support multi-TRP continuous time division multiplexing (TDM) scheduling for the physical uplink shared channel (PUSCH), or more generally also support multi-TRP continuous time division multiplexing (TDM) scheduling for the UL when the transmission time difference towards two TRPs is larger than the CP length.

[0011] According to some embodiments, both the UE and the NW are provided to enable such features.

[0012] According to one embodiment, when the transmission time difference towards two TRPs is greater than the CP length, the UE indicates the capability to support mTRP TDM using a combined multiplexing scheme. This indication can be provided, for example, in the UE capability field.

[0013] According to one embodiment, the combined multiplexing scheme is a combined orthogonal frequency division multiplexing symbol scheme.

[0014] According to one embodiment, the UE is also able to indicate that it supports this feature only if there is no overlap in the frequency allocation of transmissions towards the two TRPs.

[0015] According to one embodiment, the UE can also indicate that it supports this feature only if the separation in frequency between two allocations is below a certain second threshold.

[0016] The second threshold may be expressed as the number of physical resource blocks (PRBs) or a frequency value and may depend on a frequency band used in communication or other factors.

[0017] According to one embodiment, the UE can also explicitly specify the maximum value of the difference and / or transmission time difference supported between two TAs.

[0018] According to one embodiment, the capability of the terminal device is supported when the transmission time difference towards two or more TRPs is greater than a first threshold for two or more uplink transmissions.

[0019] The first threshold can be, for example, equal to the cyclic prefix, or equal to the cyclic prefix with a margin value. The margin value may be positive or negative.

[0020] Capability indication that can be made by the UE via RRC messages, for example via UE capability indication or via UE assistance information UAI (which can be used, for example, by a UE with a single RF chain). In the case of UE capability indication, the information can be static and in the case of UAI, the UE can exchange information in a more dynamic manner. Additionally, the information can also be provided in a more dynamic manner via MAC-CE, for example, which can be used by a UE with multiple RF chains and can decide to switch between one chain and more than one chain, or vice versa.

[0021] According to one embodiment, the network NW configures a combined OFDM symbol scheme and provides an indication of the UE behavior in case of overlapping resources or partially overlapping resources in the frequency domain for two UL transmissions (i.e., one UL transmission to one TRP and the other UL transmission to another TRP). This scheme can be implemented and may be very relevant, for example, in scenarios where the network may decide to allocate overlapping resources to the two transmissions due to, for example, the load of the (multiple) cells.

[0022] According to one embodiment, the network may indicate to the UE which signal to puncture and to what extent the UE is allowed to send the two signals in overlapping resources.

[0023] According to one embodiment, the network may indicate the priority of the two messages to the UE, and the UE punctures the overlapping resources of the lower priority signal.

[0024] According to one embodiment, the network indication may be dynamic or semi-static. In the case of dynamic indication, it can be carried via DCI (e.g., DCI scheduling PUSCH). In the case of semi-static indication, for example, it can be carried via MAC-CE or RRC.

[0025] According to a first aspect, a terminal device is provided, comprising:

[0026] one or more transceivers; and

[0027] One or more processors, the one or more processors being communicatively coupled to the one or more transceivers, wherein the one or more processors are configured to cause the terminal device to:

[0028] sending an indication to a network device indicating a capability of the terminal device to support a combined multiplexing scheme for two or more uplink transmissions to at least two or more transmission reception points (TRPs);

[0029] receiving configuration information from a network device, wherein the configuration information is associated with at least two or more uplink transmissions; and

[0030] Based on the configuration information and the combined multiplexing scheme, two or more uplink transmissions are sent to two or more TRPs.

[0031] According to a second aspect, a network device is provided, comprising:

[0032] one or more transceivers; and

[0033] one or more processors communicatively coupled to the one or more transceivers, wherein the one or more processors are configured to cause the network device to:

[0034] receiving an indication from a terminal device, the indication indicating a capability of the terminal device to support a combined multiplexing scheme for two or more uplink transmissions to at least two or more TRPs; and

[0035] Configuration information is sent to a terminal device, wherein the configuration information is at least related to two or more uplink transmissions.

[0036] According to a third aspect, there is provided a method comprising:

[0037] sending, from a terminal device to a network device, an indication indicating a capability of the terminal device to support a combined multiplexing scheme for two or more uplink transmissions to at least two or more transmission reception points (TRPs);

[0038] Receiving, by a terminal device, configuration information from a network device, wherein the configuration information is at least related to two or more uplink transmissions; and

[0039] The terminal device sends two or more uplink transmissions to two or more TRPs based on the configuration information and the combined multiplexing scheme.

[0040] According to a fourth aspect, a terminal device is provided, including:

[0041] means for sending an indication to a network device indicating a capability of the terminal device to support a combined multiplexing scheme for two or more uplink transmissions to at least two or more transmission reception points (TRPs);

[0042] means for receiving configuration information from a network device, wherein the configuration information relates to at least two or more uplink transmissions; and

[0043] A component for sending two or more uplink transmissions to two or more TRPs based on the configuration information and a combined multiplexing scheme.

[0044] According to a fifth aspect, there is provided a method comprising:

[0045] receiving, by the network device, from the terminal device, an indication indicating a capability of the terminal device to support a combined multiplexing scheme for two or more uplink transmissions to at least two or more TRPs; and

[0046] Configuration information is sent to a terminal device, wherein the configuration information is at least related to two or more uplink transmissions.

[0047] According to a sixth aspect, there is provided a computer-readable storage medium comprising code for use by an apparatus, the code, when executed by a processor, causing the apparatus to:

[0048] sending an indication to a network device indicating a capability of the terminal device to support a combined multiplexing scheme for two or more uplink transmissions to at least two or more transmission reception points (TRPs);

[0049] receiving configuration information from a network device, wherein the configuration information is associated with at least two or more uplink transmissions; and

[0050] Based on the configuration information and the combined multiplexing scheme, two or more uplink transmissions are sent to two or more TRPs. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0051] For a more complete understanding of example embodiments of the present invention, reference is now made to the following description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which:

[0052] Figure 1 A block diagram illustrating one possible and non-limiting example in which the examples may be practiced;

[0053] Figure 2a shows a portion of a wireless network with several base stations and exemplary user equipment;

[0054] Figure 2b A simplified example of a multiple transmission reception point context is shown;

[0055] Figure 3 An example of uplink transmission overlap due to two TAs is shown;

[0056] Figure 4 A diagram illustrating operations between a user equipment and a network element in a multi-TRP context according to one embodiment;

[0057] Figure 5a Shows what the UE should transmit using two different TAs and can only transmit when operating with multiple RF chains;

[0058] Figure 5b A solution is shown for utilizing combined OFDM symbols with an elongated CP transmitted in a wider beam when a UE operates with one RF chain according to one embodiment.

[0059] Figure 5c shows an example of beams that a UE may use when communicating with two transmission reception points;

[0060] Figure 6a shows combined OFDM symbol generation with non-overlapping resources assigned to two transmissions;

[0061] Figure 6b shows combined OFDM symbol generation with overlapping resources assigned to two transmissions;

[0062] Figure 7 shows signal processing performed at the UE and TRP according to one embodiment;

[0063] Figure 8 A block diagram illustrating an apparatus according to at least some embodiments; and

[0064] Figure 9 A portion of an exemplary wireless communication access network is shown in accordance with at least some embodiments. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0065] The following embodiments are merely illustrative. Although this specification may refer to "an," "one," or "some" embodiments in several places, this does not necessarily mean that each such reference refers to the same embodiment(s) or that the feature applies to only a single embodiment. Individual features of different embodiments may also be combined to provide further embodiments.

[0066] It should be noted that in this specification, the term "base station" refers to a logical element that contains logical communication system layers (e.g., L1, L2, L3). Base stations of different RATs may be implemented in the same hardware or in separate hardware. It should also be noted that, although the expressions "each base station" and "each mobile station" or "each user equipment" may be used, these terms do not necessarily refer to each existing base station, mobile station, or user equipment, but rather to base stations, mobile stations, or user equipment in a certain area or set. For example, each base station may refer to all base stations in a certain geographical area, or all base stations of an operator of a wireless communication network, or a subset of the base stations of an operator of a wireless communication network.

[0067] Figure 1 A block diagram of one possible and non-limiting example in which the examples may be practiced is shown. A user equipment (UE) 110, a radio access network (RAN) node 170, and network element(s) 190 are shown. Figure 1In the example shown, user device 110 wirelessly communicates with wireless network 100. A user device is a wireless device capable of accessing wireless network 100. User device 110 includes one or more processors 120, one or more memories 125, and one or more transceivers 130, interconnected via one or more buses 127. Each of the one or more transceivers 130 includes a receiver (Rx) 132 and a transmitter (Tx) 133. The one or more buses 127 can be an address bus, a data bus, or a control bus and can include any interconnection mechanism, such as a series of wires on a motherboard or integrated circuit, optical fiber, or other optical communication device. The one or more transceivers 130 are connected to one or more antennas 128. The one or more memories 125 contain computer program code 123. User device 110 includes module 140, which can be implemented in a variety of ways. Module 140 can be implemented in hardware as module 140-1, such as as part of one or more processors 120. Module 140-1 can also be implemented as an integrated circuit or through other hardware, such as a programmable gate array. In another example, module 140 may be implemented as module 140-2, which is implemented as computer program code 123 and executed by one or more processors 120. For example, one or more memories 125 and computer program code 123 may be configured to, together with one or more processors 120, use user equipment 110 to perform one or more operations as described herein. User equipment 110 communicates with RAN node 170 via wireless link 111. Modules 140-1 and 140-2 may be configured to implement the functionality of the user equipment as described herein.

[0068] In this example, RAN node 170 is a base station that provides access to wireless network 100 by wireless devices, such as user equipment 110. Therefore, RAN node 170 (and base stations) may also be referred to as access points of a wireless communication network. RAN node 170 may be, for example, a base station for 5G (also known as New Radio (NR)). In 5G, RAN node 170 may be an NG-RAN node, defined as a gNB or ng-eNB. A gNB is a node that provides NR user plane and control plane protocol termination for UEs and is connected to the 5GC (such as, for example, network element(s) 190) via an NG interface. An ng-eNB is a node that provides E-UTRA user plane and control plane protocol termination for UEs and is connected to the 5GC via an NG interface. An NG-RAN node may include multiple gNBs, which may also include a central unit (CU) (gNB-CU) 196 and distributed unit(s) (gNB-DU), with DU 195 being shown. It should be noted that DU 195 may include, be coupled to, and control a radio unit (RU). The gNB-CU 196 is a logical node that hosts the radio resource control (RRC), SDAP, and PDCP protocols for a gNB, or the RRC and PDCP protocols for an en-gNB, controlling the operation of one or more gNB-DUs. The gNB-CU 196 terminates the F1 interface with the gNB-DU 195. The F1 interface is shown as reference numeral 198, although reference numeral 198 also illustrates the link between remote and centralized elements of the RAN node 170, such as between the gNB-CU 196 and the gNB-DU 195. The gNB-DU 195 is a logical node that hosts the RLC, MAC, and PHY layers of a gNB or en-gNB, and its operation is controlled in part by the gNB-CU 196. One gNB-CU 196 supports one or more cells. One cell is supported by one gNB-DU 195. The gNB-DU 195 terminates the F1 interface 198 with the gNB-CU 196. It should be noted that the DU 195 is considered to include the transceiver 160, e.g., as part of the RU, but in some examples, the transceiver 160 may be part of a separate RU, e.g., controlled by and connected to the DU 195. The RAN node 170 may also be an eNB (evolved NodeB) base station for LTE (Long Term Evolution), or any other suitable base station or node.

[0069] The RAN node 170 includes one or more processors 152, one or more memories 155, one or more network interfaces (N / WI / F) 161, and one or more transceivers 160, interconnected via one or more buses 157. Each of the one or more transceivers 160 includes a receiver Rx 162 and a transmitter Tx 163. The one or more transceivers 160 are connected to one or more antennas 158. The one or more memories 155 include computer program code 153. The CU 196 may include processor(s) 152, memory(s) 155, and network interface 161. It should be noted that the DU 195 may also include its own memory(s) and processor(s), and / or other hardware, but these are not shown.

[0070] RAN node 170 includes module 150, which includes one or both of portions 150-1 and / or 150-2, which can be implemented in a variety of ways. Module 150 can be implemented in hardware as module 150-1, such as as part of one or more processors 152. Module 150-1 can also be implemented as an integrated circuit or through other hardware (such as a programmable gate array). In another example, module 150 can be implemented as module 150-2, which is implemented as computer program code 153 and executed by one or more processors 152. For example, one or more memories 155 and computer program code 153 are configured to, together with one or more processors 152, cause RAN node 170 to perform one or more operations as described herein. It should be noted that the functionality of module 150 can be distributed, such as between DU 195 and CU 196, or implemented solely in DU 195. Modules 150-1 and 150-2 can be configured to implement the functionality of a base station as described herein. Such functions of the base station may include a location management function (LMF) implemented based on the LMF functions described herein. Such an LMF may also be implemented within the RAN node 170 as a location management component (LMC).

[0071] One or more network interfaces 161 communicate over a network, such as via links 176 and 131. Two or more gNBs 170 may communicate using, for example, link 176. Link 176 may be wired or wireless or both, and may implement, for example, an Xn interface for 5G, an X2 interface for LTE, or other suitable interfaces for other standards.

[0072] The one or more buses 157 may be an address bus, a data bus, or a control bus, and may include any interconnection mechanism, such as a series of wires on a motherboard or integrated circuit, optical fiber or other optical communication equipment, a wireless channel, etc. For example, the one or more transceivers 160 may be implemented as a remote radio head (RRH) 195 for LTE or a distributed unit (DU) 195 for a gNB implementation for 5G, where other elements of the RAN node 170 may be located in a physically different location from the RRH / DU 195, and the one or more buses 157 can be implemented in part, for example, as a fiber optic cable or other suitable network connection to connect the other elements of the RAN node 170 (e.g., central unit (CU), gNB-CU) to the RRH / DU 195. Reference numeral 198 also designates those suitable network link(s).

[0073] It should be noted that the description herein specifies that a "cell" performs functions, but it should be clear that the devices that form the cells can also perform these functions. A cell constitutes part of a base station. That is, each base station can have multiple cells. For example, there can be three cells for a single carrier frequency and associated bandwidth, each cell covering one-third of a 360-degree area, so that the coverage area of ​​a single base station covers an approximately elliptical or circular area. In addition, each cell can correspond to a single carrier, and a base station can use multiple carriers. Therefore, if there are three 120-degree cells per carrier and there are two carriers, the base station has a total of 6 cells.

[0074] The wireless network 100 may include one or more network elements 190, which may include core network functions and which provide connectivity to another network, such as a telephone network and / or a data communication network (e.g., the Internet), via one or more links 181. Such core network functions for 5G may include location management function(s) (LMFs) and / or access and mobility management function(s) (AMFs) and / or user plane functions (UPFs) and / or session management functions (SMFs). Such core network functions for LTE may include MME (Mobility Management Entity) / SGW (Serving Gateway) functions. These are merely example functions that may be supported by the network element(s) 190, and it should be noted that both 5G and LTE functions may be supported. The RAN node 170 is coupled to the network element 190 via a link 131. The link 131 may be implemented, for example, as an NG interface for 5G, or an S1 interface for LTE, or other suitable interfaces for other standards. The network element 190 includes one or more processors 175, one or more memories 171, and one or more network interfaces (N / WI / F) 180, which are interconnected via one or more buses 185. The one or more memories 171 include computer program code 173. The one or more memories 171 and the computer program code 173 are configured to, together with the one or more processors 175, cause the network element 190 to perform one or more operations, such as the functionality of the LMF as described herein. In some examples, a single LMF can serve a large area covered by hundreds of base stations.

[0075] The wireless network 100 can implement network virtualization, which is the process of combining hardware and software network resources and network functions into a single software-based management entity (i.e., a virtual network). Network virtualization involves platform virtualization, often combined with resource virtualization. Network virtualization is categorized as external virtualization, which combines multiple networks or portions of networks into virtual units, and internal virtualization, which provides network-like functionality to software containers on a single system. It should be noted that the virtualized entities resulting from network virtualization are still implemented using hardware (such as processor 152 or 175 and memory 155 and 171) to some extent, and these virtualized entities also produce technical effects.

[0076] Computer-readable memories 125, 155, and 171 may be of any type suitable for the local technical environment and may be implemented using any suitable data storage technology, such as semiconductor-based memory devices, flash memory, magnetic memory devices and systems, optical memory devices and systems, fixed memory, and removable memory. Computer-readable memories 125, 155, and 171 may be components for performing storage functions. Processors 120, 152, and 175 may be of any type suitable for the local technical environment and, by way of non-limiting example, may include one or more of a general-purpose computer, a special-purpose computer, a microprocessor, a digital signal processor (DSP), and a processor based on a multi-core processor architecture. Processors 120, 152, and 175 may be components for performing functions, such as controlling UE 110, RAN node 170, network element(s) 190, and other functions as described herein.

[0077] In general, various embodiments of user device 110 may include, but are not limited to, cellular phones (such as smartphones), tablet computers, personal digital assistants (PDAs) with wireless communication capabilities, portable computers with wireless communication capabilities, image capture devices (such as digital cameras with wireless communication capabilities), gaming devices with wireless communication capabilities, music storage and playback devices with wireless communication capabilities, Internet devices that allow wireless Internet access and browsing, tablet computers with wireless communication capabilities, and portable units or terminals that combine these functions.

[0078] Module 150-1 and / or module 150-2 may implement the functionality and signaling of a gNB or radio node as described herein. Computer program code 173 may implement the functionality and signaling of an AMF or network element as described herein.

[0079] Figure 2a A portion of a wireless network 100 is shown having multiple base stations 170 and an exemplary user device 110. Figure 2a In the example, it is assumed that the base station marked as S-BS is the serving base station when the user equipment is in the connected state, and is the base station where the user equipment resides when the user equipment is not in the connected state. Figure 2a In the example, some neighboring base stations are marked as N-BS. In real situations, the serving base station and the camped base station may change, for example, when the user equipment is moving, or when the signal strength from different base stations changes (for example, the signal from the neighboring base station N-BS becomes stronger than the signal from the current serving base station).

[0080] Figure 2b A simplified example of a multi-transmission reception point context is shown. In a multi-TRP context, the user equipment 110 can communicate with two or more transmission reception points. Figure 2b In FIG. 1 , two transmission reception points are shown: a first transmission reception point 170 a and a second transmission reception point 170 b. These transmission reception points 170 a, 170 b may be cells or access points of a wireless communication network. These transmission reception points 170 a, 170 b may also be able to communicate with each other, for example, via a backhaul connection 179.

[0081] In the following, some embodiments are presented, which mainly focus on how to allow a single active Tx RF chain UE to optimize the availability of UL timeslots for UL mTRP operation when the time difference between the TAs used for two TRPs is larger than the CP length.

[0082] exist Figure 2b 、 3 In the example of 5c, the user equipment has two serving TRPs, namely TRP-1 (e.g. Figure 2b The first TRP 170a) and TRP-2 (e.g. Figure 2b 170b), but the number of TRPs can also be different from, for example, 3, 4 or 8 TRPs.

[0083] Figure 4 Depicted are some operations between a user device and a network element in a multi-TRP context according to one embodiment.

[0084] Hereinafter, a combined orthogonal frequency division multiplexing symbol scheme (also referred to as a combined OFDM symbol scheme in this specification) is used as an example of a combined multiplexing scheme, but similar principles can also be applied to other combined multiplexing schemes.

[0085] exist Figure 4 In the example of FIG. 4 , the network configures 401 the UE to transmit using multiple transmission reception point time division multiplexing (mTRP TDM) in the physical uplink shared channel (PUSCH). In response, the UE indicates 402 a capability (e.g., in a UE capability field) to support mTRPTDM using a combined OFDM symbol scheme when the transmission time difference toward two TRPs is greater than the CP length. Some details of the combined OFDM symbol scheme will be provided later in this specification.

[0086] The UE is also able to indicate that it supports this feature only if there is no overlap in the frequency allocations for transmissions towards the two TRPs.

[0087] The UE can also indicate that it supports this feature only if the separation in frequency between two allocations is below some second threshold.

[0088] The UE can also explicitly specify the maximum value of the difference and / or transmission time difference supported between two TAs.

[0089] This ability indication can be implemented by the UE via RRC messages or in a more dynamic way via MAC-CE. For example, RRC messages can be used by a UE with a single RF chain, and MAC-CE can be used by a UE with multiple RF chains that can decide to switch between one-chain operation mode and more-than-one-chain operation mode (vice versa).

[0090] After configuration and ability response, uplink transmission from the UE can be initiated.

[0091] During operation, the network (TRP) estimates the timing advance 403, i.e., the timing advance TA1 related to the first transmission reception point TRP1 and the timing advance TA2 related to the second transmission reception point TRP2. These timing advances TA1, TA2 will be used by the UE. The first transmission reception point TRP1 notifies 404 the UE about the first timing advance TA1, and the second transmission reception point TRP1 notifies 405 the UE about the second timing advance TA2.

[0092] As an alternative TA acquisition method, the UE can calculate the timing advance value for one of the TRPs based on the estimation of the received RS timing difference with another TRP. In this case, as an option, the UE can report the calculated TA (e.g., TA2) to the network. As an alternative option, the UE can report |TA2 - TA1|, or send an indication to the network about whether |TA2 - TA1| < CP or |TA2 - TA1| >= CP.

[0093] In another alternative, the UE calculates the transmit time difference (TTD) between the first uplink UL1 and the second uplink UL2 considering TAC1, TAC2 and the difference in DL timing observed at the UE. This alternative may be useful when it is not certain whether the first TRP1 and the second TRP2 are fully synchronized. Also, in this alternative, the UE can then report 407 the estimated transmit time difference TTD, or an indication about whether TTD is greater or smaller than CP to the NW. The network NW can evaluate the actual TTD (step 408), and compare the obtained TTD value with the length of the cyclic prefix.

[0094] If TTD < CP length, the UE can operate using an appropriate solution (e.g., by using the sample discard scheme 409), in which some samples in one OFDM symbol are discarded. This is specified as PUSCH transmission 410 using sample discard and exploiting mTRP TDM in Figure 4

[0095] Steps 411 and 412 respectively illustrate that the first transmission reception point TRP1 sends a first timing advance value TA1 to the UE, and the second transmission reception point TRP2 sends a second timing advance TA2 to the UE.

[0096] In step 413, the UE may report the estimated transmission time difference TTD value to the network NW. For example, this may be performed such that the first transmission reception point TRP1 sends the estimated transmission time difference TTD to the network NW, or the second transmission reception point TRP2 sends the estimated transmission time difference TTD to the network NW.

[0097] The network NW may (again) evaluate the actual TTD (step 414) and compare the obtained TTD value with the length of the cyclic prefix.

[0098] On the other hand, if TTD>CP length, then the above-described “sample dropping” may cause performance loss, and a combined OFDM symbol scheme can be used instead (block 415).

[0099] Therefore, in step 416, the network specifies the UE behavior in case of (partial) overlap in the frequency domain resources used for two PUSCH transmissions. Figure 6b It is shown in the partially overlapping case and is very relevant in scenarios where the network may decide to have overlapping resources allocated to two transmissions due to, for example, the load of the cell(s).

[0100] According to one embodiment, the network NW may indicate to the UE which signal is to be punctured and to what extent the UE is allowed to transmit the two signals in overlapping resources.

[0101] According to one embodiment, the network NW may indicate the priorities of the two messages to the UE, and the UE punctures the overlapping resources of the signals with a lower priority.

[0102] According to one embodiment, the network indication may be dynamic or semi-static. In the case of dynamic indication, it can be carried via DCI (e.g., DCI scheduling PUSCH), and in the case of semi-static indication, it can be carried via MAC-CE or RRC.

[0103] In step 417, the UE creates a combined OFDM symbol, which also includes calculating the beamformer for the symbol and the power levels for the two signals in the symbol. It should be noted that if the UE does not have sufficient power headroom and / or the channel is very frequency selective, the two signals sent on the combined OFDM symbol may experience a different channel when compared to the signals sent on all other normal OFDM symbols of the two time slots.

[0104] In step 418, the UE can then begin transmitting using the combined OFDM symbol scheme.

[0105] In another embodiment, after the UE indicates the capability to support the combined OFDM symbol scheme, the network NW may configure the UE to use the sample discarding scheme in any manner, also when the transmission time difference TTD towards two TRPs is larger than the CP length.

[0106] In the following, some multi-DCI specific embodiments will be described.

[0107] In the case of multiple DCIs, there may be independent schedulers at the two TRPs that utilize two separate DCIs. In such a scenario, there may be a situation where one of the two TRPs does not support a combined OFDM solution for scheduled transmissions. In such a case, the UE cannot use (i.e., send) the combined OFDM symbol solution and may need to drop samples or even drop complete OFDM symbols. As an example, DCIs for different TRPs, or DCIs sent on different CORESET sets, may have independent indications of whether the UE is allowed to send combined OFDM symbols for scheduled UL transmissions. In the case where one of the DCIs indicates that combined OFDM symbols are not allowed for the current UL transmission, it may depend on the UE's implementation or may be configured which OFDM symbols to drop. In the following, some examples are provided:

[0108] - UL transmissions that started earlier (eg, PUSCH / PUCCH) are retained, and later UL transmissions are dropped.

[0109] - UL transmissions that started later are kept and earlier UL transmissions are discarded.

[0110] - The UL transmission scheduled by the first scheduled DCI is dropped.

[0111] - UL transmissions scheduled by DCIs other than the first scheduled one are dropped.

[0112] Nevertheless, in the case of multiple DCIs, although this framework can allow the UE to determine how to handle overlapping resources, if the DCIs are independent, the TRP may not know whether other TRPs have scheduled overlapping resources. In other words, the TRP does not know whether there is overlap in a certain time slot. Therefore, the UE's dynamic indication to the NW can also include the following information for the TRP: some of the scheduled PRBs are overlapping (i.e., they have been scheduled by other TRPs).

[0113] An example of the generation and transmission of a combined OFDM symbol with an elongated CP will now be described. The steps presented below relate to the operations performed on the UE side to implement this scheme using the combined OFDM symbol, see Figure 5a 、 5b and 5c.

[0114] Figure 5a FIG. 5 shows an example in which a UE communicates with two transmission reception points (ie, a first transmission reception point TRP1 and a second transmission reception point TRP2) by utilizing multiple RF chains. The UE uses a first beam 501 ( Figure 5c ) sends an OFDM symbol 500 to the first transmission reception point TRP1, and uses a second beam 503 to send an OFDM symbol 502 to the second transmission reception point TRP2. Figure 5a It can be seen that these transmissions partially overlap.

[0115] Figure 5b An example is shown in which a UE communicates with two transmission reception points (i.e., a first transmission reception point TRP1 and a second transmission reception point TRP2) by utilizing only one RF chain and a combined OFDM symbol scheme. The UE transmits an OFDM symbol 504 to the first transmission reception point TRP1 using a first beam 501 and transmits an OFDM symbol 505 to the second transmission reception point TRP2 using a second beam 503. In this example, a combined OFDM symbol 506 is transmitted after transmission to the first transmission reception point TRP1 and before transmission to the second transmission reception point TRP2. Figure 5a As can be seen, these transmissions partially overlap. A third beam 507 may be utilized when transmitting the combined OFDM symbol 506. For example, the third beam 507 is wider than the first beam 501 and the second beam 502, such that it is directed toward both the first transmission reception point TRP1 and the second transmission reception point TRP2.

[0116] The UE creates a combined OFDM symbol where the target is the last OFDM symbol of the end slot of TRP1 ( Figure 5a The index in is n) and the target is the first OFDM symbol of the starting time slot of TRP2 ( Figure 5a The index in is n+1) is merged.

[0117] The combined OFDM symbol includes all the signals sent in both OFDM symbols n and n+1. Thus, the combined OFDM symbol can be formed by "merging" these two OFDM symbols in the frequency domain, as Figure 6a and 6b As shown in .

[0118] When the UE's transmissions towards transmission reception points TRP1 and TRP2 use different PRBs, combining may be simple because both transmissions in OFDM symbols n and n+1 can be directly mapped to corresponding PRBs in the combined OFDM symbol {n, n+1}, e.g. Figure 6a As shown in .

[0119] When the UE's transmissions towards transmission reception points TRP1 and TRP2 use overlapping PRBs, network indications on what to do (e.g., on which signals to puncture) are used in the overlapping resources, as shown in the example Figure 6b As shown in .

[0120] According to one embodiment, the UE adds an extended CP to the combined OFDM symbol, whose duration depends on how large the difference between the two TAs is. In other words, the extended CP has a size that ensures that the transmission of the combined OFDM symbol starts at the beginning of symbol n and ends at the end of symbol n+1.

[0121] As described above, the UE may transmit the combined OFDM symbol with the elongated CP toward the two transmission reception points TRP1 and TRP2 using a wider beam.

[0122] Different beamformers should be used in the two time slots for transmission towards the two transmission reception points TRP1 and TRP2. To ensure that the signal can be correctly received at both TRPs, a device can be used that is capable of changing the beam on a per-OFDM symbol basis and utilizing a narrow beamformer (based on the UE-TRP1 link design) Figure 5c The beam 501 in the UE-TRP2 link transmits OFDM symbols n-13, n-12, ..., n-1, and uses a narrow beam former ( Figure 5c OFDM symbols n+2, n+3, ..., n+14 are transmitted using beam 503 in UE-TRP1 and a wider beamformer ( Figure 5c The beam 506 in transmits the combined OFDM symbol {n,n+1}.

[0123] Prior to the transmission of this combined OFDM symbol, the UL SRS transmission triggered for the wider beamformer can be used as a reference for scheduling this combined OFDM symbol, for example, for better estimating the path gains towards the two TRPs.

[0124] According to one embodiment, the UE may increase the transmission power to compensate for the loss of beamforming gain due to the UE using a wider beam 506, the loss of power spectral density due to sending more PRBs in the combined OFDM symbol, and the different path losses towards the two TRPs.

[0125] By knowing the radiation pattern of the wider beam and the pointing direction of the narrow beam, the loss of beamforming gain is known at the UE.

[0126] By knowing how many PRBs are occupied by the combined OFDM symbol (compared to other OFDM symbols), the loss of power spectral density is known at the UE.

[0127] In case of large differences in path losses towards the two TRPs, when only one power amplifier (PA) is available (due to the single RF chain assumption), the UE faces the problem of compensating the two signals differently. In this case, different solutions can be implemented, some examples are listed below:

[0128] - Different power levels are used for the two signals by digitally boosting the signal aimed at the weakest TRP.

[0129] - Set the transmit power to compensate for the strongest TRP path loss (but this power level will have the disadvantage of being too weak for the weakest TRP).

[0130] - Set the transmit power to compensate for the weakest TRP path loss (but this power level will have the disadvantage of being too strong for the strongest TRP).

[0131] - Set the transmit power to compensate for the path loss towards the two TRPs in the middle (but this power level will have the disadvantage of being slightly too strong for the strongest TRP and slightly too weak for the weakest TRP).

[0132] Next, refer to Figure 7 According to one embodiment, signal processing operations for combining OFDM symbols are described.

[0133] exist Figure 7 In Figure 1, the signal processing performed at the UE and the TRP is shown, explaining why the operation is transparent at the TRP without changing anything regarding CP removal and FFT size.

[0134] First, the UE creates a frequency domain signal D k , which contains the signal to be sent to TRP1 (diagonally shaded blocks) and the signal to be sent to TRP2 (cross-hatched blocks). For now, it can be considered that these two signals are exactly the same as the signals sent without this combined OFDM symbol scheme, although it will be explained later in this specification that a simple phase pre-compensation may be required for the TRP1 signal. The UE then calculates the time domain signal d by an IFFT of size N. n , add an elongated CP (vertical shadow block and horizontal shadow block) of length M, which is longer than the normal CP of length L. Figure 7, the normal length is shown using horizontally shaded blocks.

[0135] The generated signal is then sent and transmitted via two different channels h (1) and h (2) It should be noted that on the receiving side, each TRP needs to "extract" a signal of length N+L, remove the "assumed" normal CP by discarding the first L samples, and then apply FFT to the remaining N samples.

[0136] exist Figure 5a 、 5b In the scenario of 5c, due to two different TA commands, TRP2 processes the received signal Then, it discards the first L samples, applies FFT to the remaining N samples, and obtains the signal The signal On the PRB / subcarrier allocated to the UE for transmission towards TRP 2, it happens that TRP 2 is Figure 5a In the case of sending normal OFDM symbols, the signal will have been received.

[0137] On the other hand, TRP1 processes the received signal due to different TA commands Then, it discards the first L samples and gets the signal The signal can be achieved by having an "expected" signal (which will need to be processed TRP1 then applies FFT to the remaining N samples and obtains the signal in is the channel in the frequency domain between UE and TRP1.

[0138] It should be noted that e -i2πkm / N It is just a phase rotation known at the UE side, which is then used to transmit the D k can be precompensated when , i.e. UE sends D on the PRBs allocated for transmission towards TRP1 k e +i2πkm / N , not just D k .

[0139] The above-described combined OFDM symbol scheme may have some advantages.

[0140] Even if the propagation delay difference between the two TRPs is large and the UE even has only a single RF chain, the UE is able to utilize mTRPTDM for transmission in the UL.

[0141] When compared with the existing technology, the proposed scheme can achieve better performance since no packet loss occurs in the time domain.

[0142] Figure 8 An example of a block diagram of an apparatus 110 according to at least some embodiments of the present invention is shown. Apparatus 110 may, for example, be part of a resource manager. Apparatus 110 includes a processor 120, a memory 125, and a transceiver 130. The processor is operably connected to the transceiver for controlling the transceiver. The memory may be operably connected to the processor. It should be understood that the memory may be a separate memory or included in the processor and / or the transceiver. The memory 125 may be used to store information and computer code.

[0143] Figure 8 The operating units are also shown as computer code stored in memory, but they can also be implemented using hardware components or a mix of computer code and hardware components.

[0144] According to one embodiment, the processor is configured to control the transceiver and / or perform one or more functions described in accordance with the method of one embodiment.

[0145] Figure 9 An example of a simplified system architecture is shown showing only some elements and functional entities which are all logical units, the implementation of which may differ from what is shown. Figure 9 The connections shown in the figure are logical connections; the actual physical connections may be different. It will be apparent to those skilled in the art that the system will typically also include other components besides Figure 9 Other functions and structures than those shown in .

[0146] However, the embodiments are not limited to the systems given as examples, but a person skilled in the art may apply the solution to other communication systems provided with the necessary properties.

[0147] Figure 9 The example of FIG. 1 shows a portion of an exemplary radio access network.

[0148] Figure 9User equipment 110a and 110b are shown, which are configured to be in wireless connection with an access node (such as (e / g) NodeB) 195 providing the cell on one or more communication channels in the cell. The physical link from the user equipment to the (e / g) NodeB is called the uplink (UL) or reverse link, and the physical link from the (e / g) NodeB to the user equipment is called the downlink (DL) or forward link. It should be understood that the (e / g) NodeB or its functions can be implemented using any node, host, server or access point entity suitable for such purpose.

[0149] A communication system typically includes more than one (e / g)NodeB. In this case, the (e / g)NodeBs may also be configured to communicate with each other via wired or wireless links designed for this purpose. These links may be used for signaling purposes. A (e / g)NodeB is a computing device configured to control the radio resources of the communication system to which it is coupled. A NodeB may also be referred to as a base station, access point, or any other type of interface device, including a relay station capable of operating in a wireless environment. The (e / g)NodeB includes or is coupled to a transceiver. From the (e / g)NodeB's transceiver, a connection is provided to an antenna unit, which establishes a bidirectional radio link to a user equipment (UE). The antenna unit may include multiple antennas or antenna elements. The (e / g)NodeB is also connected to the core network 190 (CN or Next Generation Core NGC). Depending on the system, the corresponding device on the CN side may be a serving gateway (S-GW, which routes and forwards user data packets), a packet data network gateway (P-GW) (which provides user equipment (UE) connectivity to external packet data networks), or a mobility management entity (MME). The CN may include network entities or nodes, which may be referred to as management entities. Examples of network entities include at least an Access Management Function (AMF).

[0150] A user equipment (also referred to as a user device, user terminal, terminal device, wireless device, mobile station (MS), etc.) represents a type of device to which air interface resources are allocated and assigned. Therefore, any features described herein with respect to a user equipment can be implemented using corresponding network devices, such as relay nodes, eNBs, and gNBs. An example of such a relay node is a layer 3 relay (self-backhaul relay) toward a base station.

[0151] A user device generally refers to a portable computing device, including wireless mobile communication devices with or without a subscriber identity module (SIM), including but not limited to the following types of devices: mobile stations (mobile phones), smartphones, personal digital assistants (PDAs), handheld devices, devices using wireless modems (such as alarm or measurement devices), laptops and / or touchscreen computers, tablets, game consoles, notebook computers, and multimedia devices. It should be understood that a user device can also be a mostly uplink-only device, an example of which is a camera or video camera that uploads images or video clips to a network. A user device can also be a device capable of operating in an Internet of Things (IoT) network, a scenario in which objects are provided with the ability to transmit data over a network without human-to-human or human-to-computer interaction. User devices can also utilize the cloud. In some applications, a user device may comprise a small portable device with a radio (such as a watch, headphones, or glasses), with computation performed in the cloud. A user device (or, in some embodiments, a layer 3 relay node) is configured to perform one or more user device functions. A user device may also be called a subscriber unit, a mobile station, a remote terminal, an access terminal, a user terminal, or user equipment (UE), to name a few names or devices.

[0152] The various techniques described herein can also be applied to cyber-physical systems (CPS), a system of cooperating computing elements that control physical entities. CPS can enable the implementation and utilization of large numbers of interconnected ICT devices (sensors, actuators, processors, microcontrollers, etc.) embedded in physical objects at different locations. Mobile cyber-physical systems (where the physical system in question has inherent mobility) are a subcategory of cyber-physical systems. Examples of mobile physical systems include mobile robots and electronic devices transported by humans or animals.

[0153] Furthermore, although these devices have been described as a single entity, different units, processors and / or memory units ( Figure 9 not all shown in the figure) can be implemented.

[0154] 5G enables the use of multiple-input, multiple-output (MIMO) antennas, many more base stations or nodes than LTE (the so-called small cell concept), including macro base stations operating in conjunction with small base stations, and the adoption of various radio technologies depending on service requirements, use cases, and / or available spectrum. 5G mobile communications support a wide range of use cases and related applications, including video streaming, augmented reality, different data sharing methods, and various forms of machine-type applications (such as (massive) machine-type communications (mMTC)), including vehicle safety, different sensors, and real-time control. 5G is expected to have multiple radio interfaces, namely sub-6 GHz, centimeter wave, and millimeter wave, and will also be able to integrate with existing legacy radio access technologies (such as LTE). Integration with LTE, at least in the early stages, can be implemented as a system in which macro coverage is provided by LTE, while 5G radio interface access comes from small cells aggregated to LTE. In other words, 5G plans to support both inter-RAT operability (such as LTE-5G) and inter-RI operability (inter-radio interface operability, such as sub-6 GHz-centimeter wave, sub-6 GHz-centimeter wave-millimeter wave). One of the concepts being considered for use in 5G networks is network slicing, in which multiple independent and dedicated virtual subnetworks (network instances) can be created within the same infrastructure to run services with different requirements for latency, reliability, throughput, and mobility.

[0155] The current architecture in LTE networks is fully distributed in the radio and fully centralized in the core network. Low-latency applications and services in 5G require content to be close to the radio, giving rise to local breakthroughs and multi-access edge computing (MEC). 5G enables analytics and knowledge generation to occur at the data source. This approach leverages resources that may not be continuously connected to the network, such as laptops, smartphones, tablets, and sensors. MEC provides a distributed computing environment for hosting applications and services. It also has the ability to store and process content close to cellular subscribers for faster response times. Edge computing encompasses a wide range of technologies, such as wireless sensor networks, mobile data collection, mobile signature analysis, collaborative distributed peer-to-peer ad hoc networking and processing, and can also be categorized as local cloud / fog computing and grid / mesh computing, dew computing, mobile edge computing, micro-clouds, distributed data storage and retrieval, autonomous self-healing networks, remote cloud services, augmented and virtual reality, data caching, the Internet of Things (with massive connectivity and / or latency), and critical communications (for autonomous vehicles, traffic safety, real-time analytics, time-critical control, and healthcare applications).

[0156] The communication system may also be able to communicate with or utilize services provided by other networks, such as the public switched telephone network or the Internet 102. The communication network may also be able to support the use of cloud services, for example, at least part of the core network operations may be performed as a cloud service (this is in the Figure 9 (depicted by “cloud” 112 in FIG. 1 ). The communication system may also include a central control entity or the like, providing facilities for the networks of different operators to collaborate, for example in terms of spectrum sharing.

[0157] Edge cloud can be introduced into the radio access network (RAN) by leveraging network function virtualization (NFV) and software defined networking (SDN). Using edge cloud may mean that access node operations are at least partially performed in a server, host or node that is operatively coupled to a remote radio head or base station that includes wireless components. Node operations may also be distributed among multiple servers, nodes or hosts. The application of CloudRAN architecture enables RAN real-time functions to be performed on the RAN side (in the distributed unit DU 195) and non-real-time functions to be performed in a centralized manner (in the centralized unit CU 196).

[0158] It should also be understood that the division of labor between core network operations and base station operations may differ from LTE, or even not exist. Other technological advancements that may be utilized are big data and all-IP, which could change the way networks are built and managed. 5G (or New Radio NR) networks are being designed to support a multi-layered architecture, where MEC servers can be placed between the core network and base stations or Node Bs (gNBs). It should be understood that MEC can also be applied to 4G networks. gNBs are the next-generation Node Bs (or new Node Bs) that support 5G networks (i.e., NR).

[0159] 5G can also leverage satellite communications to enhance or supplement the coverage of 5G services, for example by providing backhaul. Possible use cases are providing service continuity for machine-to-machine (M2M) or Internet of Things (IoT) devices or onboard passengers, or ensuring service availability for critical communications and future rail / maritime / aeronautical communications. Satellite communications can leverage both geostationary (GEO) and low Earth orbit (LEO) satellite systems, particularly mega-constellations (systems in which hundreds of (nano)satellites are deployed). Each satellite 106 in a mega-constellation can cover several satellite-enabled network entities, which create terrestrial cells. Terrestrial cells can be created by ground relay nodes 195 or by gNBs located on the ground or in satellites.

[0160] It will be apparent to those skilled in the art that the system shown is merely an example of a portion of a radio access system, and that in practice the system may include multiple (e / g)NodeBs, user equipment may have access to multiple radio cells, and the system may also include other devices, such as physical layer relay nodes or other network elements. At least one (e / g)NodeB may be a home (e / g)NodeB. In addition, multiple different types of radio cells, as well as multiple radio cells, may be provided within the geographical area of ​​the radio communication system. A radio cell may be a macro cell (or umbrella cell), which is a large cell typically having a diameter of up to tens of kilometers, or a smaller cell, such as a micro cell, a femto cell, or a pico cell. Figure 9 An (e / g)NodeB can provide any type of these cells. A cellular radio system can be implemented as a multi-layer network comprising multiple types of cells. Typically, in a multi-layer network, one access node provides one or more types of cells, and therefore multiple (e / g)NodeBs are required to provide such a network structure.

[0161] In order to meet the needs of improving the deployment and performance of communication systems, the concept of "plug and play" (e / g) NodeB has been introduced. Generally, a network that can use "plug and play" (e / g) NodeB includes, in addition to the home (e / g) NodeB (H(e / g)nodeB), a home NodeB gateway or HNB-GW ( Figure 9 (not shown). An HNB gateway (HNB-GW), typically installed within an operator's network, can aggregate traffic from a large number of HNBs back to the core network.

[0162] The memory may be a computer-readable medium that may be non-transitory. The memory may be of any type suitable for the local technical environment and may be implemented using any suitable data storage technology, such as semiconductor-based memory devices, magnetic memory devices and systems, optical memory devices and systems, fixed memory, and removable memory. The data processor may be of any type suitable for the local technical environment and may include, by way of non-limiting example, one or more of the following: a general-purpose computer, a special-purpose computer, a microprocessor, a digital signal processor (DSP), and a processor based on a multi-core processor architecture.

[0163] Embodiments may be implemented in software, hardware, application logic, or a combination of software, hardware, and application logic. The software, application logic, and / or hardware may reside in memory or on any computer medium. In an example embodiment, the application logic, software, or instruction set is maintained on any of various conventional computer-readable media. In the context of this document, "memory" or "computer-readable medium" can be any medium or component that can contain, store, communicate, propagate, or transfer instructions for use by or in connection with an instruction execution system, apparatus, or device, such as a computer.

[0164] Where relevant, references to "computer-readable storage medium," "computer program product," "tangibly embodied computer program," etc., or "processor" or "processing circuitry," etc., should be understood to encompass not only computers having different architectures (such as single / multi-processor architectures and sequencer / parallel architectures), but also special-purpose circuits (such as field-programmable gate arrays (FPGAs), application-specific circuits (ASICs), signal processing devices, and other devices). References to computer-readable program code components, computer programs, computer instructions, computer code, etc., should be understood to mean software for programmable processor firmware, such as representing the programmable contents of a hardware device as instructions for a processor or as configuration settings for a fixed-function device, gate array, programmable logic device, etc.

[0165] While the above examples describe embodiments of the present invention operating within a wireless device or gNB, it should be understood that the present invention as described above may be implemented as part of an apparatus including circuitry in which RF signals are transmitted and / or received. Thus, for example, embodiments of the present invention may be implemented in a mobile phone including RF communication components (e.g., wireless local area network, cellular radio, etc.), in a base station, or in a computer (such as a desktop computer or tablet).

[0166] In general, various embodiments of the present invention may be implemented in hardware, dedicated circuits, or any combination thereof. Although various aspects of the present invention may be shown and described as block diagrams or using other graphical representations, it is understood that, as non-limiting examples, these blocks, devices, systems, techniques, or methods described herein may be implemented in hardware, software, firmware, dedicated circuits or logic circuits, general-purpose hardware or controllers or other computing devices, or some combination thereof.

[0167] Embodiments of the present invention can be practiced in various components, such as integrated circuit modules, field programmable gate arrays (FPGAs), application specific integrated circuits (ASICs), microcontrollers, microprocessors, and combinations of these modules. The design of integrated circuits is a highly automated process. Complex and powerful software tools are available to convert logic-level designs into semiconductor circuit designs ready to be etched and formed on semiconductor substrates.

[0168] Programs such as those offered by Synopsys, Inc. of Mountain View, Calif., and Cadence Design, Inc. of San Jose, Calif., automatically route and position components on a semiconductor chip using well-established design rules and a library of pre-existing design modules. Once a design for a semiconductor circuit has been completed, the final design can be sent in a standardized electronic format (e.g., Opus, GDSII, etc.) to a semiconductor fabrication plant or "fab" for fabrication.

[0169] As used in this application, the term "circuitry" may refer to one or more or all of the following:

[0170] (a) hardware circuit implementation only (e.g., implementation only in analog and / or digital circuitry); and

[0171] (b) a combination of hardware circuitry and software such as (where applicable):

[0172] (i) a combination of analog and / or digital hardware circuits and software / firmware; and

[0173] (ii) any portion of hardware processor(s) with software (including digital signal processor(s), software, and memory(s) that work together to enable a device (such as a mobile phone or server) to perform various functions and

[0174] (c) Hardware circuit(s) and / or processor(s), such as microprocessor(s) or portion(s) of microprocessor(s), that require software (e.g., firmware) to operate, but where the software is not required for operation, the software may not be present.

[0175] This definition of circuitry applies to all uses of this term in this application, including in any claims. As a further example, as used in this application, the term "circuitry" also covers an implementation consisting solely of a hardware circuit or processor (or multiple processors) or portion of a hardware circuit or processor and its (or their) accompanying software and / or firmware. The term "circuitry" also covers, for example, a baseband integrated circuit or processor integrated circuit for a mobile device, or a similar integrated circuit in a server, cellular network device, or other computing or networking device, if applicable to the particular claim element.

[0176] The foregoing description has provided a complete and informative description of exemplary embodiments of the present invention by way of exemplary and non-limiting examples. However, various modifications and adaptations may become apparent to those skilled in the relevant arts in view of the foregoing description when read in conjunction with the accompanying drawings and the appended claims. Nevertheless, all such and similar modifications of the teachings of this invention will still fall within the scope of this invention.

Claims

1. A terminal device, comprising: one or more transceivers; as well as One or more processors, the one or more processors being communicatively coupled to the one or more transceivers, wherein the one or more processors are configured to cause the terminal device to: sending an indication to a network device, the indication indicating a capability of the terminal device to support a combined multiplexing scheme for two or more uplink transmissions to at least two or more transmission reception points (TRPs); receiving configuration information from the network device, wherein the configuration information relates to at least the two or more uplink transmissions; as well as Based on the configuration information and the combined multiplexing scheme, the two or more uplink transmissions are sent to the two or more TRPs.

2. A terminal device according to claim 1, wherein the capability of the terminal device is supported when the transmission time difference towards the two or more TRPs is greater than a first threshold of the two or more uplink transmissions.

3. The terminal device according to any preceding claim, wherein the first threshold comprises at least one of the following: - cyclic prefix length; or - Cyclic prefix length with margin value.

4. A terminal device according to any preceding claim, wherein if there is no overlap in frequency resources for the two or more uplink transmissions to the two or more TRPs, the indication indicates that the capability of the terminal device is supported.

5. A terminal device according to any preceding claim, wherein if the spacing between the frequency resources is below a second threshold, the indication indicates that the capability of the terminal device is supported.

6. A terminal device according to any preceding claim, wherein the indication indicates a maximum value of the transmission time difference towards the two or more TRPs.

7. The terminal device according to any preceding claim, wherein the indication is sent to the network device via a Radio Resource Control (RRC) or a Medium Access Control (MAC) element (MAC-CE).

8. A terminal device according to any preceding claim, wherein the configuration information relates to the combined multiplexing scheme.

9. A terminal device according to any preceding claim, wherein the configuration information specifies an overlap in frequency resources used for the two or more uplink transmissions.

10. The terminal device of any preceding claim, wherein the configuration information specifies which of the two or more uplink transmissions is to be punctured.

11. The terminal device of any preceding claim, wherein the configuration information specifies at least one priority level for each of the two or more uplink transmissions.

12. A terminal device according to any preceding claim, wherein the terminal device is caused to puncture overlapping frequency resources of one of the two or more uplink transmissions having a lower priority.

13. The terminal device according to any preceding claim, wherein the configuration information is received via Downlink Control Information (DCI), MAC-CE or RRC.

14. A network device comprising: one or more transceivers; as well as one or more processors communicatively coupled to the one or more transceivers, wherein the one or more processors are configured to cause the network device to: receiving an indication from a terminal device, the indication indicating a capability of the terminal device to support a combined multiplexing scheme for two or more uplink transmissions to at least two or more TRPs; as well as Configuration information is sent to the terminal device, wherein the configuration information is related to at least the two or more uplink transmissions.

15. The network device of claim 14, wherein the capability of the terminal device is supported when a transmission time difference toward the two or more TRPs is greater than a first threshold of the two or more uplink transmissions.

16. The network device according to claim 15, wherein the first threshold comprises at least one of the following: - cyclic prefix length; or - Cyclic prefix length with margin value.

17. A network device according to any one of claims 14 to 16, wherein if there is no overlap in frequency resources for the two or more uplink transmissions to the two or more TRPs, the indication indicates that the capability of the terminal device is supported.

18. The network device according to any one of claims 14 to 17, wherein if the spacing between the frequency resources is below a second threshold, the indication indicates that the capability of the terminal device is supported.

19. The network device according to any one of claims 14 to 18, wherein the indication indicates a maximum value of the transmission time difference towards the two or more TRPs.

20. The network device according to any one of claims 14 to 19, wherein the indication is received from the terminal device via a Radio Resource Control (RRC) or a Medium Access Control (MAC-CE).

21. The network device according to any one of claims 14 to 20, wherein the configuration information is related to the combined multiplexing scheme.

22. The network device of any one of claims 14 to 21, wherein the configuration information specifies an overlap in frequency resources used for the two or more uplink transmissions.

23. The network device of any one of claims 14 to 22, wherein the configuration information specifies which of the two or more uplink transmissions is to be punctured.

24. The network device of any one of claims 14 to 23, wherein the configuration information specifies at least one priority level for each of the two or more uplink transmissions.

25. The network device according to any one of claims 14 to 24, wherein the configuration information is transmitted via downlink control information (DCI), MAC-CE, or RRC.

26. A method comprising: sending an indication from a terminal device to a network device, the indication indicating a capability of the terminal device to support a combined multiplexing scheme for two or more uplink transmissions to at least two or more transmission reception points (TRPs); receiving, by the terminal device, configuration information from the network device, wherein the configuration information is at least related to the two or more uplink transmissions; as well as The two or more uplink transmissions are sent by the terminal device to the two or more TRPs based on the configuration information and the combined multiplexing scheme.

27. The method of claim 26, wherein the capability of the terminal device is supported when a transmission time difference toward the two or more TRPs is greater than a first threshold of the two or more uplink transmissions.

28. The method according to claim 26 or 27, wherein the first threshold comprises at least one of the following: - cyclic prefix length; or - Cyclic prefix length with margin value.

29. A method according to any one of claims 26 to 28, wherein if there is no overlap in frequency resources for the two or more uplink transmissions to the two or more TRPs, the indication indicates that the capability of the terminal device is supported.

30. The method according to any one of claims 26 to 29, wherein if the spacing between the frequency resources is below a second threshold, the indication indicates that the capability of the terminal device is supported.

31. A method according to any one of claims 26 to 30, wherein the indication indicates a maximum value of the transmission time difference towards the two or more TRPs.

32. A method according to any one of claims 26 to 31, comprising: The indication is sent to the network device via a radio resource control (RRC) or a medium access control (MAC-CE).

33. The method according to any one of claims 26 to 32, wherein the configuration information is related to the combined multiplexing scheme.

34. The method of any one of claims 26 to 33, wherein the configuration information specifies an overlap in frequency resources used for the two or more uplink transmissions.

35. The method of any one of claims 26 to 34, wherein the configuration information specifies which of the two or more uplink transmissions is to be punctured.

36. The method of any one of claims 26 to 35, wherein the configuration information specifies at least one priority level for each of the two or more uplink transmissions.

37. A method according to any one of claims 26 to 36, comprising: The terminal device is caused to puncture overlapping frequency resources of an uplink transmission having a lower priority among the two or more uplink transmissions.

38. The method according to any one of claims 26 to 37, comprising: The terminal device receives the configuration information via downlink control information DCI, MAC-CE or RRC.

39. A terminal device comprising: means for sending an indication to a network device, the indication indicating a capability of the terminal device to support a combined multiplexing scheme for two or more uplink transmissions to at least two or more transmission reception points (TRPs); means for receiving configuration information from the network device, wherein the configuration information relates to at least the two or more uplink transmissions; as well as A component for sending the two or more uplink transmissions to the two or more TRPs based on the configuration information and the combined multiplexing scheme.

40. The terminal device according to claim 39, comprising: means for sending said indication to said network device via a radio resource control RRC or a medium access control MAC element MAC-CE.

41. The terminal device according to claim 39 or 40, comprising: Means for puncturing overlapping frequency resources of one of the two or more uplink transmissions having a lower priority.

42. The terminal device according to claim 39, 40 or 41, comprising: The device is configured to receive the configuration information via downlink control information DCI, MAC-CE or RRC.

43. A network device comprising: means for receiving an indication from a terminal device, the indication indicating a capability of the terminal device to support a combined multiplexing scheme for two or more uplink transmissions to at least two or more TRPs; as well as Means for sending configuration information to the terminal device, wherein the configuration information relates to at least the two or more uplink transmissions.

44. A network device according to claim 43, wherein if there is no overlap in frequency resources for the two or more uplink transmissions to the two or more TRPs, the indication indicates that the capability of the terminal device is supported.

45. The network device according to claim 43 or 44, comprising: means for receiving said indication from said terminal device via a Radio Resource Control, RRC, or a Medium Access Control, MAC, element, MAC-CE.

46. ​​The network device according to claim 43, 44 or 45, comprising: The device is configured to send the configuration information via downlink control information DCI, MAC-CE or RRC.

47. A method comprising: receiving, by a network device, from a terminal device, an indication indicating a capability of the terminal device to support a combined multiplexing scheme for two or more uplink transmissions to at least two or more transmission reception points (TRPs); as well as Configuration information is sent to the terminal device, wherein the configuration information is related to at least the two or more uplink transmissions.

48. A method according to claim 47, wherein the capability of the terminal device is supported when the transmission time difference towards the two or more TRPs is greater than a first threshold of the two or more uplink transmissions.

49. The method of claim 48, wherein the first threshold comprises at least one of: - cyclic prefix length; or - Cyclic prefix length with margin value.

50. The method according to any one of claims 47 to 49, comprising: The indication is received from the terminal device via a radio resource control RRC or a medium access control MAC control element MAC-CE.

51. A method according to any one of claims 47 to 50, comprising: The configuration information is sent via downlink control information DCI, MAC-CE or RRC.

52. A computer-readable storage medium comprising code for use by an apparatus, the code, when executed by a processor, causing the apparatus to: sending an indication to a network device, the indication indicating a capability of the terminal device to support a combined multiplexing scheme for two or more uplink transmissions to at least two or more transmission reception points (TRPs); receiving configuration information from the network device, wherein the configuration information relates to at least the two or more uplink transmissions; as well as Based on the configuration information and the combined multiplexing scheme, the two or more uplink transmissions are sent to the two or more TRPs.

53. A computer-readable storage medium comprising code for use by an apparatus, the code, when executed by a processor, causing the apparatus to: receiving an indication from a terminal device indicating a capability of the terminal device to support a combined multiplexing scheme for two or more uplink transmissions to at least two or more TRPs; and Configuration information is sent to the terminal device, wherein the configuration information is related to at least the two or more uplink transmissions.

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