Parameter estimation based on virtual beamforming

Abstract

According to one aspect, an apparatus is provided for performing the following. When the apparatus is moving along the path, a plurality of radio measurements of the reference signal are performed at a plurality of respective time instances. The apparatus determines at least one time domain channel attribute based at least on a linear combination of results of the plurality of radio measurements. The at least one time domain channel attribute includes an indication of at least one of a Doppler frequency, an angle of arrival associated with the Doppler frequency, a physical distance between successive radio measurements, or a speed of the device. The apparatus transmits one or more time domain channel attributes. The one or more time domain channel attributes include at least one time domain channel attribute.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The various example embodiments involve wireless communication. Background Technology

[0002] The primary purpose of Time-Domain Channel Attributes (TDCP) is to support access nodes in determining optimal configurations for, for example, Channel State Information Reference Signals (CSI RS), Sounding Reference Signals (SRS), Demodulation Reference Signals (DM-RS), and / or Tracking Reference Signals (TRS). This configuration should be the best fit for the current wireless channel conditions of a given terminal device. Estimates of the Doppler spectrum or time-domain coherence time at the terminal device side have been proposed. Based on this information, the maximum and / or strongest Doppler frequencies can be reported to the access node, as such Doppler information is generally a good indicator of channel variations. However, such Doppler information typically does not provide any information about the actual speed of the terminal device itself. This is due to several different factors. First, it is impossible to distinguish between changes in observed Doppler frequencies caused by movement of the terminal device and changes in observed Doppler frequencies caused by reflections from other moving objects in the environment of the terminal device. Second, the maximum Doppler frequency observed at the terminal device depends on the direction of movement of the terminal device relative to the access node's location. Third, there is a frequency offset between the local oscillator of the terminal device and the access node. Therefore, an improved Doppler-based solution is needed for estimating time-domain channel properties. Summary of the Invention

[0003] According to one aspect, the subject matter of the independent claim is provided. Embodiments are defined in the dependent claims.

[0004] One or more examples of the implementation are illustrated in more detail in the following figures and description. Other features will be apparent from the description and figures, as well as the claims. Attached Figure Description

[0005] Figure 1 A system to which some embodiments can be applied is shown;

[0006] Figure 2A and 2B The process according to some embodiments is shown;

[0007] Figure 3 The basic concept of virtual beamforming for a mobile terminal device assuming the existence of two reflection multipath components is illustrated.

[0008] Figure 4 Two different mobile terminal devices forming a virtual beamforming array and their associated parameters are shown;

[0009] Figure 5 Exemplary simulated beam steering patterns according to some embodiments are shown;

[0010] Figure 6 This illustrates the concept of destructive superposition (or interference) of reference signals received by a mobile terminal device when the beamformer steering angle exceeds 90°;

[0011] Figure 7 and 8 The process according to some embodiments is shown;

[0012] Figure 9 Signaling between a terminal device, an access node, and a computing device or system, according to some embodiments, is illustrated; and

[0013] Figure 10 An apparatus according to some embodiments is shown. Detailed Implementation

[0014] The following embodiments are presented as examples only. Although the specification refers to "a," "an," or "some" embodiments and / or examples in several places herein, this does not necessarily mean that every reference refers to the same embodiment or example, or that a particular feature applies only to a single embodiment and / or example. Individual features of different embodiments and / or examples may also be combined to provide other embodiments and / or examples.

[0015] As used herein, “at least one of the following: and ” and similar wording, where the list of two or more elements is connected by “and” or “or”, indicates at least any one element, or at least any two or more elements, or at least all elements.

[0016] In the following description, different exemplary embodiments will be illustrated using radio access architectures based on Long Term Evolution Advanced (LTE-A) or New Radio (NR 5G) as examples of access architectures that can be applied to the embodiments; however, the embodiments are not intended to be limited to such architectures. It will be apparent to those skilled in the art that, by appropriately adapting parameters and processes, the embodiments can also be applied to other types of communication networks with suitable components. Some examples of other options for suitable systems are Universal Mobile Telecommunications System (UMTS) radio access networks (UTRAN or E-UTRAN), Long Term Evolution (LTE, the same as E-UTRAN), wireless local area networks (WLAN or WiFi), Global Microwave Access Interoperability (WiMAX), Bluetooth®, Personal Communication Services (PCS), ZigBee®, Wideband Code Division Multiple Access (WCDMA), systems using Ultra Wideband (UWB) technology, sensor networks, Mobile Ad Hoc Networks (MANET), and Internet Protocol Multimedia Subsystem (LMS), or any combination thereof.

[0017] Figure 1 An example of a simplified system architecture is described, showing only some components and functional entities (all of which are logical units), and its implementation may differ from that shown. Figure 1 The connections shown are logical connections; the actual physical connections may be different. It will be apparent to those skilled in the art that the system typically also includes, in addition to... Figure 1 Other functions and structures besides those shown.

[0018] However, the embodiments are not limited to the system given as an example, but those skilled in the art can apply the solution to other communication systems that are provided with the necessary attributes.

[0019] Figure 1 The example illustrates a portion of an exemplary wireless access network.

[0020] A communication system typically includes more than one (e / g)NodeB. In this case, the (e / g)NodeBs can also be configured to communicate with each other via wired or wireless links designed for this purpose. These links can be used for signaling purposes. An (e / g)NodeB is a computing device configured to control the radio resources of the communication system to which it is coupled. A NodeB can also be referred to as a base station, access point, or any other type of interface device that includes a relay station capable of operating in a wireless environment. An (e / g)NodeB includes or is coupled to a transceiver. From the transceiver of the (e / g)NodeB, a connection is provided to an antenna element that establishes a bidirectional radio link to the user equipment. The antenna element can include multiple antennas or antenna elements. The (e / g)NodeB is also connected to the core network 110 (CN or Next Generation Core NGC). Depending on the system, the counterpart on the CN side can be a Serving Gateway (S-GW, which routes and forwards user data packets), a Packet Data Network Gateway (P-GW) for providing connectivity to user equipment (UE) to external packet data networks, or a Mobility Management Entity (MME), etc.

[0021] User equipment (also referred to as UE, user equipment, user terminal, terminal equipment, etc.) illustrates a type of device to which resources on the air interface are allocated and assigned, and therefore any features of the user equipment described herein can be implemented by a corresponding device such as a relay node. An example of such a relay node is a Layer 3 relay (self-backhaul relay) toward a base station.

[0022] User equipment (UE) generally refers to portable computing devices, including wireless mobile communication devices operating 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), cell phones, devices using wireless modems (such as alarm or measuring devices), laptops and / or touchscreen computers, tablets, game consoles, notebooks, and multimedia devices. It should be understood that UE can also be a virtually exclusively uplink-only device, an example of which is a camera or video camera that loads images or video clips onto a network. UE 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 requiring human-to-human or human-to-computer interaction. UE (or, in some embodiments, a Layer 3 relay node) is configured to perform one or more UE functions. UE can also be referred to as a subscriber unit, mobile station, remote terminal, access terminal, user terminal, or user equipment (UE). Only a few names or devices are mentioned.

[0023] The various techniques described in this article can also be applied to cyber-physical systems (CPS) (systems that control collaborative computing elements of physical entities). CPS enables the implementation and utilization of a large number of interconnected ICT devices (sensors, actuators, processors, microcontrollers, etc.) embedded in physical objects in different locations. Mobile cyber-physical systems are a subcategory of cyber-physical systems in which the physical systems under discussion have inherent mobility. Examples of mobile physical systems include mobile robots and electronic devices transported by humans or animals.

[0024] It should be understood that, in Figure 1 For clarity, the user equipment is described as having two antennas. The number of receive and / or transmit antennas can naturally vary depending on the current implementation.

[0025] Furthermore, although the device is described as a single entity, it comprises different units, processors, and / or memory units ( Figure 1 (Not all of them are shown in the text) can be implemented.

[0026] 5G enables the use of multiple-input multiple-output (MIMO) antennas, far more base stations or nodes than LTE (the so-called small cell concept), including operation in cooperation with small cells and the use 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 modes of data sharing, and various forms of machine-type applications, including vehicle safety, different sensors, and real-time control. 5G is expected to have multiple radio interfaces, namely sub-6GHz, cmWave, and mmWave, and can also integrate with existing legacy radio access technologies such as LTE. Integration with LTE can be implemented, at least initially, as a single system where macro coverage is provided by LTE, and 5G radio interface access comes from small cells aggregated to LTE. In other words, 5G is planned to support inter-RAT operability (such as LTE-5G) and inter-RI operability (inter-radio interface operability, such as sub-6GHz-cmWave and sub-6GHz-cmWave-mmWave). One of the concepts believed to be used in 5G networks is network slicing, in which multiple independent and dedicated virtual subnetworks (network instances) can be created within the system's infrastructure to run services with different requirements for latency, reliability, throughput, and mobility.

[0027] The current architecture in LTE networks is entirely distributed across radio waves and entirely centralized in the core network. Low-latency applications and services in 5G require bringing content closer to the radio, leading to local breakthroughs and multi-access edge computing (MEC). 5G enables analytics and knowledge generation to occur at the data source. This approach requires leveraging resources that may not be discontinuously 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 near cellular users for faster response times. Edge computing encompasses a wide range of technologies, such as wireless sensor networks, mobile data acquisition, mobile signature analytics, collaborative distributed peer-to-peer self-organizing networks and processing, and can also be categorized as local cloud / fog computing and grid / grid computing, dew computing, mobile edge computing, small clouds, distributed data storage and retrieval, autonomous and self-healing networks, remote cloud services, augmented and virtual reality, data caching, the Internet of Things (massive connectivity and / or latency critical), and critical communications (autonomous vehicles, traffic safety, real-time analytics, time-critical control, healthcare applications).

[0028] The communication system can also communicate with other networks such as the public switched telephone network or the Internet, or utilize services provided by them. The communication network can also support the use of cloud services; for example, at least a portion of the core network operations can be performed as a cloud service (this is in...). Figure 1 (Described by “Cloud” 114). Communication systems may also include a central control entity, providing facilities for different operators’ networks to collaborate, for example, in spectrum sharing.

[0029] Edge cloud can be introduced into the RAN by leveraging Network Functions Virtualization (NVF) and Software-Defined Networking (SDN). Using edge cloud can mean performing access node operations, at least partially, in servers, hosts, or nodes operatively coupled to remote radio heads or units (RUs) or base stations including radio portions. Node operations may also be distributed across multiple servers, nodes, or hosts. The application of a cloud RAN architecture enables real-time RAN functions to be performed on the RAN side (in distributed unit DU 104) and non-real-time functions to be performed in a centralized manner (in central or centralized unit CU 108). Therefore, in general, the RAN may include at least one distributed access node comprising a central unit, one or more distributed units communicatively connected to the central unit, and one or more (remote) radio heads or units, each communicatively connected to at least one of the one or more distributed units.

[0030] It should also be understood that the division of labor between core network operations and base station operations may differ from, or even not exist in, LTE. Some other technological advancements that may be used are big data and all-IP, which could change how networks are constructed and managed. 5G (or New Radio, NR) networks are designed to support multiple hierarchical structures, where MEC servers can be placed between the core and base stations or NodeBs (gNBs). It should be understood that MEC can also be applied to 4G networks.

[0031] 5G can also leverage satellite communications to enhance or compensate for 5G service coverage, for example, by providing backhaul. Possible use cases include providing service continuity for machine-to-machine (M2M) or Internet of Things (IoT) devices or vehicular passengers, or ensuring service availability for critical communications, as well as future rail / sea / airborne communications. Satellite communications can utilize geostationary Earth orbit (GEO) satellite systems, but can also utilize 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 that create a terrestrial cell. Terrestrial cells can be created via ground relay nodes 104 or via gNBs located on the ground or in satellites.

[0032] It will be apparent to those skilled in the art that the described system is merely an example of a portion of a wireless access system, and in practice, the system may include multiple (e / g) NodeBs, user equipment may have access to multiple wireless cells, and the system may also include other devices such as physical layer relay nodes or other network elements. At least one of the (e / g) NodeBs or a home (e / g) NodeB may be included. Furthermore, multiple different types of wireless cells and multiple wireless cells may be provided within the geographical area of ​​the radio communication system. A wireless cell may be a macrocell (or umbrella cell), which is typically an area with a diameter of up to tens of kilometers, or a smaller cell, such as a micro, femtocell, or picocell. Figure 1 The (e / g) NodeB can provide any type of these cells. Cellular radio systems can be implemented as multi-layered networks comprising several types of cells. Typically, in a multi-layered network, one access node provides one type of cell or cell, and therefore multiple (e / g) NodeBs are required to provide this network structure.

[0033] To meet the needs of improving the deployment and performance of communication systems, the concept of "plug and play" (e / g) NodeB was introduced. Typically, networks capable of using "plug and play" (e / g) NodeBs include, in addition to the home (e / g) NodeB (H(e / g) NodeB), the home NodeB gateway or HNB-GW (HNDB-GW). Figure 1 (Not shown in the image). HNB gateways (HNB-GWs), typically installed within a carrier's network, can aggregate traffic from a large number of HNBs back to the core network.

[0034] The 6G architecture is designed to enable easy integration of everything, such as networks of networks, joint communications and sensing, non-terrestrial networks, and terrestrial communications. 6G systems are envisioned to include machine learning algorithms as well as local and distributed computing capabilities, where virtualized network functions can be distributed across core and edge computing resources. Far-edge computing, pushing computing resources to the very edge of the network, will be part of a distributed computing environment, for example, in “zero-latency” scenarios. 5G systems can also employ this capability. More generally, actual (radio)communication systems are envisioned as being contained within one or more computer programs executing within a programmable infrastructure such as general-purpose computing entities (servers, processors, etc.).

[0035] As mentioned above, time-domain channel properties serve the primary purpose of supporting access nodes in determining the optimal configuration for various reference signals, such as CSIRS, SRS, DMRS, and / or TRS. This configuration should be an optimal fit for the current wireless channel conditions of a given terminal device. For example, the configuration should correspond to the correct repetition rate, correct spatial density, frequency, and / or time. Estimates of the Doppler spectrum or time-domain coherence time at the terminal device side have been proposed. Based on this information, for example, the maximum Doppler frequency and / or the strongest Doppler frequency (i.e., the strongest Doppler component) can be reported to the access node, as such Doppler information is generally a good indicator of channel variance. In other words, the channel variance of the wireless channel can be estimated based on the strongest Doppler frequency. However, such Doppler information typically does not provide any information about the actual speed of the terminal device itself. This is due to several different factors.

[0036] First, it is impossible to distinguish between the observed Doppler frequency changes caused by the movement of the terminal device and the observed Doppler frequency changes caused by reflections from other moving objects in the environment from the terminal device.

[0037] Secondly, the maximum Doppler frequency observed at the terminal device depends on the direction of movement of the terminal device relative to the access node's location. If the terminal device is in a line-of-sight (LOS) scenario and moves directly toward or away from the access node along a line intersecting the access node's location, the angle of arrival (AoA) is 0°, and therefore the Doppler frequency will be maximized and can be directly used as a measurement of the terminal device's speed. On the other hand, if the terminal device moves along a line not touching the access node's location, the observed Doppler frequency depends on the angle of arrival. If AoA equals 90°, the terminal device will observe no Doppler frequency shift under ideal conditions (i.e., the Doppler frequency is zero) and it will be independent of the terminal device's speed. The associated TDCP report will significantly underestimate the UE speed. If AoA is between 0° and 90°, the terminal device will observe a Doppler frequency that falls between these two extremes and depends at least to some extent on the terminal device's speed.

[0038] Third, there is a frequency offset between the local oscillator of the terminal device and the access node. This frequency offset is directly added to the Doppler frequency observed at the terminal device.

[0039] For network entities (e.g., access nodes or other network nodes) configuring reference signal resources (e.g., CSI RS, SRS, or DMRS resources), Doppler frequencies can be a good initial indicator for the wireless channel. One drawback of relying on Doppler frequencies is that they can change rapidly with changes in the speed and / or direction of the terminal device. For example, a terminal device moving rapidly on a rectangular track with low observed Doppler frequencies can change its direction so that, over a relatively short period, the terminal device can experience much higher Doppler frequencies. Furthermore, accurate estimation of the terminal device's speed is useful for many other applications, such as for optimized radio resource management (RRM) algorithms, for example, in combination with digital twins of wireless communication networks. With an environmental building data map and knowing the terminal device's location and speed, it is easy to predict, for example, the optimal handover point for switching from one wireless cell to another.

[0040] Compared to applications of 6G and, for example, the combined communication and sensing or placement of terminal devices in digital twins used to enhance positioning systems, precise AoA information for specific Doppler components would also be interesting.

[0041] The embodiments discussed in detail below provide methods, apparatus (e.g., terminal devices, access nodes, and computing devices or systems such as cloud-based computing systems), and software (for independently and accurately estimating the speed of the terminal device and the associated Doppler frequency). In particular, at least some embodiments enable inference of which portion of a given Doppler frequency is due to movement of the terminal device and which portion is due to other moving objects in the terminal device's environment. Furthermore, at least some embodiments provide AoA estimation of the relevant Doppler components relative to the direction of movement of the terminal device.

[0042] Figure 2A A process for TDCP estimation based on virtual beamforming according to an embodiment is shown. Figure 2A The process shown can be performed by a device, which may be a terminal device or a part thereof. The terminal device may be... Figure 1 One of the terminal devices 100 and 102. In the following text, the entity performing the process is simply referred to as a device without loss of generality.

[0043] Referring to Figure 2, in block 201, as the device moves along the path, it performs multiple radio measurements of the reference signal at multiple corresponding time instances. These multiple radio measurements (performed at different locations due to the device's movement) effectively correspond to the radio measurements of the virtual array. The reference signal may be transmitted by the same access node. Performing multiple radio measurements in block 201 may include determining the (frequency-domain sampled) channel transfer function.

[0044] The path of the terminal device can be a (substantially) linear path. In other words, it can be assumed that the terminal device moves (substantially) along a straight line. Alternatively, the radio measurements can be (substantially) periodic radio measurements. In other words, the transmission rate of the reference signal can be constant. and cycle (Also known as sampling time) can be followed by the following equation Alternatively, it can be assumed that the speed of the terminal equipment is substantially constant. Therefore, multiple radio measurements can form a basic, regular linear array of reference signal estimation points in space.

[0045] The reference signal measured in block 201 can be of the same type. The type can be, for example, CSI RS or TRS.

[0046] The device can perform multiple radio measurements using a single antenna element and an antenna array (also referred to as a beamforming array) in block 201. The antenna array can be tunable or non-tunable, i.e., in most embodiments, tunability of the antenna array is not required (and therefore tunability of the antenna receiving beam direction or shape is not required).

[0047] Spatially (and temporally) separated radio measurements performed by a mobile device effectively simulate radio measurements performed by a fixed (regular linear) antenna array. Therefore, multiple radio measurements can be used for virtual beamforming, i.e., for implementing a virtual beamformer or a virtual (tunable) array. The measurements performed in block 201 can be referred to as virtual array-based (or virtual beamforming-based) radio measurements. A virtual beamformer is characterized by a virtual beamforming vector. ,in It is Euler number, i It is the imaginary unit, T is the transpose operator, It is a virtual beam steering angle, and It is the number of virtual antenna elements in the virtual array, which is equal to the number of multiple radio measurements (or equal to the number of measurement time instances or the number of measurement locations).

[0048] To perform the virtual beamforming, the terminal device can store the results of multiple radio measurements (e.g., frequency-domain sampled channel transfer functions) in memory. The results can be stored, for example, in a channel matrix maintained in memory. Among them f It is an index for frequency. t It is time, F It is the number of frequencies measured, and It is an index for virtual elements of a virtual array. As long as a sufficient number exist... N Once the time (or space) estimate is available, the device can proceed to the next step 202.

[0049] In block 202, the device determines at least one time-domain channel attribute based on at least a linear combination of the results of multiple radio measurements. The at least one time-domain channel attribute includes at least one of the following (or an indication of at least one of the following): Doppler frequency, angle of arrival associated with the Doppler frequency (or the Doppler component associated with the matched Doppler frequency), physical distance between consecutive radio measurements, or device velocity. The linear combination of the multiple radio measurements may correspond to different beamforming configurations of the virtual array. The at least one time-domain channel attribute can be equivalently referred to as at least one time-domain channel attribute based on a virtual array or virtual beamforming, as it can be derived using the concept of virtual beamforming, such as by combining... Figure 2B The subject of discussion.

[0050] In some embodiments, in block 202, the device may at least determine the speed of the device (or at least one derivative parameter based on the speed of the device).

[0051] In block 203, the device may transmit (or report) one or more time-domain channel attributes. These one or more time-domain channel attributes may include at least the at least one time-domain channel attribute determined in block 202. The one or more time-domain channel attributes may be transmitted to the access node in block 203. The one or more time-domain attributes may be transmitted to the access node directly or via one or more other nodes or devices.

[0052] In some embodiments, the one or more time-domain channel properties may include at least the speed of the device or at least one parameter derived from the speed of the device (e.g., Doppler frequency).

[0053] In some embodiments, one or more virtual array-based time-domain channel attributes may be transmitted as uplink control information (UPC) in block 203.

[0054] Figure 2B Another process for TDCP estimation based on virtual beamforming according to an embodiment is shown. Figure 2B The process shown can be performed by a device, which may be a terminal device or a part thereof. The terminal device may be... Figure 1 One of the terminal devices 100 and 102. In the following text, the entity performing the process is simply referred to as a device without loss of generality.

[0055] Figure 2B The process largely corresponds to Figure 2B The process. Therefore, combined with Figure 2A Any definitions and characteristics described herein may be modified as necessary to apply them here.

[0056] refer to Figure 2B In box 211, as the device moves along the path, it performs multiple radio measurements of the reference signal at multiple corresponding intermediate instances. Box 211 may correspond entirely to Figure 2A Box 201.

[0057] Boxes 212 to 213 provide Figure 2AA more detailed implementation of block 202. First, in block 212, the device derives (or generates) a beam steering pattern (a beam steering power or amplitude pattern) for a virtual array based on multiple radio measurements of a reference signal. Here, when using a virtual array for virtual beamforming, the beam steering pattern of the virtual array can be defined as relating the received power or amplitude (e.g., average or maximum received power or amplitude) to the beam steering angle of the virtual array. In other words, the device can perform virtual beamforming based on the results of multiple radio measurements of a reference signal to form multiple beamforming patterns corresponding to multiple different beam steering angles, and then combine these multiple beamforming patterns to form a beam steering pattern. The beam steering pattern is a received beam steering pattern. Typically, the received beam steering pattern defines the (total) received power (or electric field amplitude) relative to the beam steering angle. The beam steering angle refers to the direction in which the main lobe of the antenna pattern (here, the virtual array) is controlled.

[0058] In box 213, the device determines at least one temporal channel attribute based on the beam steering pattern of the virtual array. Similar to... Figure 2A The at least one time-domain channel attribute includes at least one of the following (or an indication of at least one of the following): Doppler frequency, angle of arrival associated with the Doppler frequency, physical distance between consecutive radio measurements (equal to the spacing between virtual antenna elements of the virtual array), or speed of the device.

[0059] In some embodiments, the at least one time-domain channel attribute includes at least the speed of the device (i.e., the speed of the terminal device). The speed is determined based on the principle that, generally, smaller spacing between antenna elements of an antenna array results in a wider main lobe of the beam steering pattern (i.e., a larger angular spacing between the main ramps of the beam steering pattern). This also applies to virtual arrays and virtual beamforming. Thus, in the case of a virtual array, the spacing of the virtual antenna elements of the virtual array is determined by the speed of the device, and it is possible to determine the speed of the device by examining the (main) ramps of the beam steering pattern. Therefore, in block 213, the determination of the device speed can be based at least on the values ​​of the beam steering angles corresponding to the two main ramps of the beam steering pattern, or the difference thereof.

[0060] In some embodiments, in block 213, the determination of the speed of the device can also (i.e., in addition to the beamguide pattern or the beamguide pattern or beamguide angle corresponding to the two main ramps of the beamguide pattern or their difference) be based on the wavelength of the reference signal ( ) or radio frequency ( ) and multiple radio measurement cycles ( ).

[0061] This device can be used for different virtual beam steering angles. Virtual beamformer Applied to channel matrix The received signal, that is, the device can apply different virtual beam steering angles. To calculate beam steering (power) pattern Because the beam steering pattern power is in The steep slope on the top will allow us to identify the steep slope and its (angular) distance, i.e., ,in, and It refers to the beam steering angle (or particularly in its main or dominant lobe) where rising and falling ramps appear in the beam steering pattern. Parameter , and The example shown below is for use in the discussion that will follow. Figure 5 An example beam steering pattern. Parameters According to Define two adjacent (or equivalently continuous) radio measurements The physical distance between them is directly related. Here, It is the wavelength of the reference signal, and it is assumed that... Given in degrees. Known distance. The speed of the device It can be calculated as Note that this calculation is now independent of any Doppler frequency. It should be noted that, due to... A rather steep ascent and A sudden drop, or even a small multipath component reflection, is enough to identify a slope in a beamforming pattern.

[0062] In some alternative embodiments, the device can determine its speed by comparing a beam steering pattern with a plurality of predefined reference beam steering patterns associated with a plurality of corresponding known reference velocities. For example, the device can select a speed equal to a reference speed corresponding to one of a plurality of reference beam steering patterns that most closely matches the beam steering pattern. Alternatively, the device can perform interpolation between two or more reference velocities corresponding to two or more reference beam steering patterns that most closely match the beam steering pattern to obtain the device's speed. The plurality of predefined beam steering patterns can be stored in the device's memory or in external memory accessible to the device (e.g., via a wireless communication network). The plurality of predefined beam steering patterns associated with the respective plurality of known velocities can have been pre-computed (offline) by a computing device or system and subsequently transmitted to a terminal device. The plurality of predefined beam steering patterns and associated velocities can have been computed using the methods for determining the device's beam steering pattern and speed described above in conjunction with blocks 212, 213. Each or at least some of the multiple reference beam steering patterns may be specific to a specific wavelength or radio frequency of the reference signal, a specific physical distance between adjacent radio measurements of the multiple radio measurements, and / or a specific period of the multiple radio measurements.

[0063] In an embodiment, at least one time-domain channel attribute determined in block 212 includes continuous radio measurements. The physical distance between them can be expressed as an equation. It is determined based on the beam steering pattern (as described above).

[0064] It should be noted that the speed of the device (or any other receiver) is related to the Doppler frequency via a well-known equation. Related: ,in, It is the speed of light in a medium (usually air) and It is the transmission (radio) frequency of the reference signal. Therefore, the device can calculate the Doppler frequency caused by the movement of the device (or terminal equipment) based on the speed of the device (or terminal equipment).

[0065] In an embodiment, at least one time-domain channel attribute determined in block 212 includes a Doppler frequency and / or an angle of arrival associated with said Doppler frequency, which may be based on a ramp in a beam steering pattern. & The beam steering angle is determined by the beam steering angle of the slope and the (Doppler) peak of the beam steering pattern. For example, if the beam steering angles for the slope and peak are consistent (e.g., Figure 5As shown), the angle of arrival is ±180°. Since there is a fixed relationship between the Doppler frequency and the angle of arrival for a specific speed of the device (or terminal equipment), it is possible to identify the deviation of the Doppler frequency based on the angle of arrival. For this purpose, the device can form a virtual beam with a beam steering angle that matches the direction of the estimated angle of arrival, and estimate the Doppler frequency associated with the angle of arrival based on the associated time-domain signal. If a difference exists, the device can determine if the Doppler frequency is affected by moving reflectors (i.e., moving objects) in the device's environment.

[0066] In some embodiments, in block 213, the apparatus may determine at least one time-domain channel attribute based on the results of multiple radio measurements and / or beam steering patterns, the at least one time-domain channel attribute including at least one of the following (or an indication of at least one of the following): - The strongest Doppler frequency (i.e., the Doppler frequency associated with the Doppler component with the highest amplitude or power). - Angle of arrival of the strongest Doppler frequency (i.e., the angle of arrival of the Doppler component with the highest amplitude or power). - One or more secondary Doppler frequencies, - One or more angles of arrival for one or more secondary Doppler frequencies. - One or more Doppler frequencies associated with one or more moving objects in the environment of the device, or - One or more angles of arrival associated with one or more moving objects in the environment of the device. Here, the secondary Doppler frequency can be any Doppler frequency other than the strongest Doppler frequency. In some embodiments, the at least one time-domain channel attribute determined based on the results of multiple radio measurements and / or beam steering patterns may include the frequency offset of the device's local oscillator (see Combined). Figure 9 (See boxes 910-911 for discussion). In some embodiments, the at least one time-domain channel property determined based on the results of multiple radio measurements and / or beam steering patterns may include a list of moving objects in the vicinity of the device.

[0067] In box 214, the device sends (or reports) one or more time-domain channel attributes (e.g., to the access node). Box 214 may correspond to Figure 2A Box 203.

[0068] In some embodiments, one or more time-domain channel attributes transmitted in block 214 may also include at least one additional time-domain channel attribute parameter or a subset thereof as defined above.

[0069] Figure 3The basic concept of virtual beamforming for a non-line-of-sight (NLOS) channel between access node 301 and mobile terminal device 302 is shown. Figure 3 Two multipath components reflected from obstacles 303 and 304 are shown. Figure 3 In the example, the terminal device is at positions 1, 2, ... L Perform radio measurements of the reference signal. This is done by applying beamforming vectors. ,in This generates a virtual receiver beamformer. Here, the parameters... θ It is the virtual beam steering angle. Figure 3 In the middle, beam angle Defined as The beam steering angle θ Given in degrees.

[0070] Figure 4 The operation of a virtual beamformer (i.e., a virtual array used for beamforming) is shown. Figure 4 The top and bottom show two different speeds. and Two moving terminal devices, where the upper terminal device moves at approximately half the speed of the lower terminal device (i.e., ). Figure 4 The measurement positions of the two terminal devices are shown in an elliptical shape. Correspondingly, and at the same time between the two radio measurements... (i.e., the same reference signal rate) Under the assumption that the distance between two measurement points is... The distance for the faster (bottom) terminal device will be approximately twice that of the slower (top) terminal device. Virtual beamforming vector. Defined virtual beam steering angle ,in Defined as ,in, It is the wavelength of the reference signal. One challenge here is the beam reception angle. (i.e., beam steering angle) and the distance the terminal device moves between two measurement points. Between (i.e., the receiving angle and moving speed at the strongest Doppler frequency) There is ambiguity between them. Therefore, it is not possible to directly map from known frequencies, for example, to the strongest Doppler frequency component. Inferring distance And then infer the speed of the terminal device. It is impossible

[0071] The embodiments overcome the problems described in the preceding paragraphs by utilizing the specific shape and properties of the beam steering (power) pattern, as previously mentioned. Figure 1 As described. That is, the beam steering pattern of the known measured virtual beamformer at the (center) angle. Each side has a sharp edge (i.e., a steep slope). Figure 5 An exemplary simulated beam steering power pattern and the beamwidth characterized by the steep edges / slopes of the beam steering pattern are shown. . Figure 5 The vertical axis corresponds to (normalized) power in dB. In the example shown, the beamwidth... equal The beam steering pattern is symmetrical to make... as well as .

[0072] Based on Figure 6 Understanding beam steering patterns (such as) Figure 5 The reason for the sharp edges / steep slopes in the beamguide pattern. Figure 6 It shows that A terminal device that moves at a speed and takes a reference signal at a location indicated by an elliptical shape, similar to... Figure 4 At the bottom. However, in Figure 6 In this process, the beam reception angle has been increased to 90° to improve the range. Greater than the distance between two adjacent measurement points In this case, the elements of the virtual precoder become This results in an increase in the relative phase offset of the virtual antenna elements used in the virtual beamformer, and, on average, a destructive superposition of signal components.

[0073] Since in most cases only the shape of the beamguide pattern and the location of the (main) ramp / edge are of interest for the embodiments, in some embodiments, the beamguide pattern can be optimized by focusing on the area near the edge / ramp (i.e., close to the beamguide angle) compared to other parts of the beamguide pattern. and Beamguide patterns are oversampled to reduce processing complexity. In other words, in Figure 2B In the context of the virtual array in box 212, the derivation of the beam steering pattern may include oversampling of the (main) ramp of the beam steering pattern relative to other parts of the beam steering pattern.

[0074] Figure 7 A process according to an embodiment is shown for using the time-domain channel attribute estimation results (based on a virtual array) according to an embodiment. Figure 7The process illustrated can be performed by a device, which can be an access node (e.g., a distributed or non-distributed access node) or a portion thereof. The access node can be... Figure 1 Access node 104. Figure 7 The process corresponds to execution on the terminal device side. Figure 2A This is a process executed on the access node side after the 2B process. In the following text, the entity executing the process is simply referred to as a device without loss of generality.

[0075] refer to Figure 7 In block 701, the apparatus receives one or more (virtual array-based) time-domain channel attributes (TDCP) of a terminal device. One or more time-domain channel attributes can be received from the terminal device itself. The one or more time-domain channel attributes include at least one of the following (or an indication of at least one of the following): Doppler frequency, angle of arrival associated with the Doppler frequency, physical distance between consecutive radio measurements performed by the terminal device, or speed of the terminal device. In some embodiments, the one or more time-domain channel attributes may include at least the speed of the terminal device or at least one parameter derived from the speed of the terminal device. The transmission received in block 701 may correspond to... Figure 2A box 203 or Figure 2B The transmission of frame 204, and therefore a combination can be applied here. Figure 2A and / or 2B (and / or Figures 3 to 6 Any relevant features and definitions provided by any of the above. For example, in some embodiments, one or more time-domain channel attributes may be received as uplink control information (UPC) in block 701, similar to those discussed above.

[0076] Prior to reception in block 701, the device and some other access nodes may have periodically transmitted a reference signal, which may have been measured by the terminal equipment. One or more time-domain channel properties received in block 701 may have been determined based on these radio measurements, for example, in combination with... Figure 2A , 2B And those discussed in sections 3 to 5.

[0077] In block 702, the device updates one or more radio resource management (RRM) algorithms based on one or more time-domain channel attributes.

[0078] In some embodiments, updating one or more RRM algorithms in block 702 may include configuring at least one of CSI-RS, TRS, SRS or DM-RS based on one or more time-domain channel attributes (e.g., at least based on the speed of the terminal device or at least one speed-related parameter).

[0079] In some embodiments, updating one or more RRM algorithms in block 702 may include defining (or preparing) a primary (default) pattern and a secondary (or backup) pattern for CSI-RS based on one or more time-domain channel attributes (or at least some of them). Here, the definition of the primary and secondary patterns may be based at least on the strongest Doppler frequency (or one or more strongest Doppler frequencies), which is determined based on the beam steering pattern and / or the speed of the terminal device and / or the maximum terminal device mobility (i.e., the maximum feasible speed value). Here, the primary and secondary patterns may be optimized (by means of means) for the currently strongest Doppler frequency (i.e., the Doppler frequency associated with the highest amplitude / power) and for a predefined Doppler frequency corresponding to the highest feasible terminal device mobility. Thus, the secondary pattern may correspond to the worst-case scenario of terminal device mobility, i.e., the highest possible Doppler frequency for a given highest speed of a terminal device in a typical communication scenario. Here, the highest Doppler frequency of the terminal device may not be the most likely absolute highest Doppler frequency, but rather a Doppler frequency that is assumed to be rarely exceeded (i.e., it has a predefined non-zero probability of occurrence). As part of the execution of one or more RRM algorithms, access may initially configure the terminal device to use the primary CSI-RS pattern. The access node may then, as part of the execution of one or more RRM algorithms, configure the terminal device to use the secondary CSI-RS pattern in response to certain predefined conditions being met. For example, the predefined conditions may correspond to detecting that the terminal device has changed its (moving) direction or has been affected by (multiple) new reflections that could lead to the highest feasible Doppler frequency. This embodiment enables the combination of low CSI-RS overhead with high reliability.

[0080] In box 703, the device sends (or reports) one or more (virtual array-based) time-domain channel attributes (or at least some of them, such as at least the speed of the terminal device) to a computing system or device included in or connected to the core network. The computing system may be a cloud-based computing system.

[0081] In some embodiments, box 703 may be omitted.

[0082] In some embodiments, the apparatus may utilize multiple terminal devices to perform actions related to blocks 701 to 702, and simultaneously report one or more (virtual array-based) time-domain channel attributes of the multiple terminal devices to a computing device or system.

[0083] Figure 8 A process according to an embodiment is shown for using the time-domain channel attribute estimation results (based on a virtual array) according to an embodiment. Figure 8The process shown can be performed by a device, which may be a computing device or system or part thereof. The computing device or system may be included in or communicatively connected to the core network. The computing device or system may be... Figure 1 Service node 112. This computing device or system can be a cloud-based system. Figure 8 The process corresponds to the execution by the access node. Figure 7 The process is then performed by a computing device or system. In the following text, the entity performing the process is simply referred to as a device without loss of generality.

[0084] refer to Figure 8 In block 801, the apparatus receives one or more time-domain channel attributes from one or more terminal devices. These one or more time-domain channel attributes can be received from the access node. For each terminal device, the one or more time-domain channel attributes include at least one of the following (or an indication of at least one of the following): Doppler frequency, angle of arrival associated with the Doppler frequency, physical distance between consecutive radio measurements performed by the terminal device, or speed of the terminal device. Typically, one or more (virtual array-based) time-domain channel attributes can be combined as follows... Figure 2A Or as defined in 2B.

[0085] In block 802, the device updates the digital twin of a wireless communication network (or wireless access network) including one or more terminal devices based on one or more time-domain channel attributes of one or more terminal devices.

[0086] Typically, a digital twin in wireless communications can be defined as a virtual copy or representation of a physical wireless communication system or network. A digital twin can be a digital model that simulates the behavior, characteristics, and performance of a real-world wireless system. Digital twins in wireless communications can be used, for example, to gain insights, optimize the performance of wireless communication networks, and / or make more informed decisions about the operation and / or configuration of wireless communication networks.

[0087] In embodiments, a digital twin may include, for example, a data map of the physical environment of a wireless communication network, information about the current state of a terminal device in wireless communication (e.g., the movement of the terminal device, the speed of the terminal device), and information about stationary and / or moving objects in the environment of the terminal device.

[0088] In some embodiments, a digital twin can form a portion of a meta-vector.

[0089] In block 803, the apparatus uses a digital twin to perform one or more RRM algorithms. For example, the execution of one or more RRM algorithms may involve predicting the optimal handover point for switching a terminal device from one radio cell to another. Alternatively or additionally, in block 803, the execution of one or more RRM algorithms may include applying load balancing and / or multi-user (MU) scheduling in time based on the terminal device-to-cell connections expected in the near future (i.e., within a predefined time period). Channel estimation and prediction may benefit from known terminal device channel conditions at a specific digital twin location.

[0090] Thanks to the additional information provided by one or more time-domain channel attributes based on virtual arrays from one or more terminal devices, the prediction can be performed in a more accurate manner compared to previous solutions.

[0091] Figure 9 This illustrates the signaling between the terminal device, access node, and computing device / system (e.g., a cloud-based system). The terminal device may correspond to... Figure 1 The access node can correspond to either terminal device 100 or 102. Figure 1 The access node 104 and / or computing device / system can correspond to Figure 1 Server 112.

[0092] Figure 9 The process shown largely corresponds to the previous combination. Figure 2A , 2B The process of discussing points 7 and 8. Here, we can also apply the combination of... Figure 2A , 2B and any of the features and definitions provided in any of items 3 to 8. The following are... Figure 9 The discussion focused on previously unconnected Figure 2A , 2B The features discussed in sections 3 to 8.

[0093] refer to Figure 9 The computing device / system initially sends a request in message 901 to the access node for one or more (virtual array-based) time-domain channel attributes of one or more terminal devices. Here, the one or more terminal devices may include at least... Figure 9 The terminal device shown. Message 901 itself may not define one or more time-domain channel attributes, but only indicate the virtual array-based time-domain channel attributes of the requested one or more terminal devices. Figure 9 In this context, the time-domain channel attribute is referred to as Virtual Beamforming Time-Domain Channel Attribute (VB TDCP).

[0094] In box 902, the access node receives a request. Also in box 902, in response to receiving the request, the receiving node verifies the capabilities of the terminal device (or typically, one or more terminal devices) to support virtual array-based time-domain channel attributes (or typically, the VB TDCP method). In other words, in box 902, the access node typically verifies at least whether the terminal device supports the acquisition of virtual array-based (or virtual beamforming-based) time-domain channel attributes (e.g., Figure 2A (or 2B process). The verification in box 902 can be based on terminal device capability information about one or more terminal devices served by the access node, which is maintained in the memory of the access node.

[0095] In response to successful authentication for at least the indicated terminal devices, the access node sends a (positive) acknowledgment back to the computing system or device in message 903. In response to unsuccessful authentication for all terminal devices served by the access node, the access node may send a negative acknowledgment back to the computing system or device. Figure 9 (Not shown in the image). In some alternative embodiments, no confirmation can be sent by the access node.

[0096] In box 904, a positive acknowledgment is received by the computing device or system. Thereafter, the computing device / system sends information in message 905 defining one or more (virtual array-based) time-domain channel attributes to be adopted. Here, the one or more time-domain channel attributes may include, for example, at least one of the following (or an indication of at least one of the following): - Terminal device speed - The strongest Doppler frequency (i.e., the Doppler frequency associated with the Doppler component with the highest amplitude or power). - Angle of arrival of the strongest Doppler frequency (i.e., the angle of arrival of the Doppler component with the highest amplitude or power). - One or more secondary Doppler frequencies, - One or more angles of arrival for one or more secondary Doppler frequencies. - One or more Doppler frequencies associated with one or more moving objects in the environment of the terminal device, or - One or more angles of arrival associated with one or more moving objects in the environment of the terminal device. - Frequency offset of the local oscillator of the terminal device or - A list of moving objects near the terminal device. In some embodiments, one or more time-domain channel attributes may include at least the speed of the terminal device (or parameters derived directly from it).

[0097] In box 906, the access node receives information defining one or more time-domain channel attributes to be adopted.

[0098] In some embodiments, messages 901 and 905 may be combined into a single message.

[0099] In message 907, the access node sends a message to configure the terminal device to measure (or determine) and report one or more time-domain channel attributes (defined in message 905). In 908, the terminal device receives the request and configures itself according to the request, which is also in box 908.

[0100] The access node sends multiple reference signals (e.g., CSI-RS) to the terminal device in message 909. The transmissions in message 909 are performed periodically. The transmissions can be defined, for example, in combination with... Figure 2A The box 201 describes this.

[0101] In box 910, similar to Figure 2A In box 201, as the terminal device moves along the (linear) path, the terminal device measures multiple reference signals at multiple corresponding time instances.

[0102] In block 911, the terminal device determines the frequency offset (relative to the frequency of the access node) of the device's local oscillator. To provide a non-limiting example of a typical frequency offset value, the frequency offset could be, for example, 16 Hz. Then, in block 912, the terminal device applies a phase correction term to the virtual antenna elements of the virtual array in multiple radio measurements to correct for the frequency offset. That is, because the frequency offset causes phase drift over time, different radio measurements occurring at different time instances are affected by different degrees of phase drift, which can significantly reduce the accuracy of the radio measurement results. In a beam steering pattern, this frequency offset / phase drift can be observed as an asymmetric shape of the beam steering pattern. Figure 5 The symbol, which can mean With symmetric cases (such as) Figure 5 (as shown) To create a contrast.

[0103] In some embodiments, the determination of the frequency offset (block 911) can be performed earlier, for example, before the reference signal is measured in block 910.

[0104] In box 913, the terminal device determines one or more time-domain channel attributes (based on virtual beamforming) based on multiple calibrated radio measurements. This box may correspond to... Figure 2A box 202 or Figure 2B Boxes 212 to 213 (although there is frequency offset correction).

[0105] Figure 9 The following steps described in the text can also be combined as follows: Figure 2A , 2B The actions described in 7 and 8 are executed, and therefore will not be repeated here for the sake of brevity. That is, element 914 can correspond to Figure 2A box 203 or Figure 2B Box 214 and elements 916 to 917 can correspond to Figure 8 Boxes 701 to 703 and elements 918 to 920 can be used to address this. Figure 8 Boxes 801 to 803.

[0106] In some embodiments, the frequency offset determined in block 911 may be included in one or more time-domain channel attributes, which are reported back to the access node in message 914 (and back to the computing system or device in message 917).

[0107] Although Figure 9 Only a single terminal device and a single access node are shown, but in reality, it can be executed against multiple access nodes. Figure 9 In this process, each access node serves multiple terminal devices.

[0108] It should be noted that the actions associated with boxes 903, 911, and 912 can be considered optional. Therefore, in some embodiments, boxes 903 and / or boxes 911 and 912 can be omitted. In some embodiments, the configuration functions described in conjunction with elements 901 to 908 can be omitted.

[0109] At least some embodiments provide the following technical advantages (or at least some of them): - Accurate estimation of the speed of the terminal device, independent of the terminal device's trajectory relative to the access node. - Accurate estimation of the AoA of the strongest Doppler frequency. By combining the AoA of the Doppler components with the known velocity of the terminal device and a direct estimate of the strongest Doppler frequency in the time domain, it is possible to distinguish the Doppler domain components caused by the movement of the terminal device itself from those caused by other moving objects in the environment. When used in RRM configurations, virtual beamforming can be applied relatively infrequently (e.g., per second or per minute) and based on cell-specific CSI RS (or other reference signals) so that the overall overhead can be modest. Even a tracking reference signal (TRS) can be used or included for estimating the power shape of the virtual beamformer. - Typically, main processing can be performed on the terminal device side to make reporting on the uplink control information (UCI) channel very efficient. For example, only the terminal device's speed, the AoA of the strongest and / or specific Doppler frequencies, and the AoA of some moving objects in the environment (if applicable) can be transmitted to the access node.

[0110] The above has been approved. Figure 2A , 2B The boxes, related functions, and information exchanges described in ways 3 through 9 are not in an absolute temporal order, and some of them may be executed simultaneously or in a different order than given. Other functions may also be executed between or within them, and other information may be sent, and / or other rules may be applied. Some boxes or parts of boxes, or one or more pieces of information, may also be omitted or replaced by corresponding boxes or parts of boxes, or one or more pieces of information.

[0111] Figure 10 An apparatus 1001 is provided according to some embodiments. Specifically, the apparatus 1001 may be a terminal device or a part thereof, or an access node or a part thereof, or a computing device or system or a part thereof.

[0112] Device 1001 may include one or more communication control circuitry systems 1020, such as at least one processor, and at least one memory 1040, including one or more algorithms 1031 (instructions), such as computer program code (software), wherein the at least one memory and the computer program code (software) are configured, together with the at least one processor, to cause the device to perform any of the exemplary functions of the aforementioned terminal device, access node, or computing device or system. The at least one memory 1040 may also include at least one database 1032.

[0113] When one or more communication control circuitry systems 1020 include more than one processor, device 1001 can be a distributed device, wherein task processing occurs in more than one physical unit. Each of the at least one processor may include one or more processor cores. Processing cores may include, for example, a Cortex-A10 processing core manufactured by ARM Holdings or a Zen processing core designed by Advanced Micro Devices. One or more control circuitry systems 1020 may include at least one Qualcomm Snapdragon and / or Intel Atom processor. One or more control circuitry systems 1020 may include at least one application-specific integrated circuit (ASIC). One or more control circuitry systems 1020 may include at least one field-programmable gate array (FPGA).

[0114] refer to Figure 10One or more communication control circuit systems 1020 of device 1001 are configured to perform the above through one or more separate circuit systems. Figure 2A , 2B The functions described in 3 to 9. It is feasible to implement the functions according to different embodiments using application-specific integrated circuits (such as ASICs) or other components and devices.

[0115] refer to Figure 10 The device 1001 may also include different interfaces 1010, such as one or more communication interfaces including hardware and / or software for implementing communication connections according to one or more communication protocols. Specifically, when the device 1001 is a terminal device, one or more communication interfaces 1010 may include, for example, communication interfaces that provide at least a connection to one or more access nodes. Specifically, when the device 1001 is an access node, one or more communication interfaces 1010 may include, for example, communication interfaces that provide a connection to one or more terminal devices and / or to one or more core network nodes and / or to a computing device or system. Specifically, when the device 1001 is a computing device or system, one or more communication interfaces 1010 may include, for example, communication interfaces that provide a connection to one or more access nodes. One or more communication interfaces 1010 may include standard well-known components controlled by a corresponding control unit, such as amplifiers, filters, frequency converters, (de)modulators, and encoder / decoder circuit systems, as well as one or more antennas. The device 1001 may also include one or more user interfaces.

[0116] refer to Figure 10 The memory 1040 can be implemented using any suitable data storage technology, such as semiconductor-based memory devices, flash memory, magnetic storage devices and systems, optical storage devices and systems, fixed memory and removable memory.

[0117] As used in this application, the term "circuit system" may refer to one or more or all of the following: (a) a hardware circuit implementation only, such as an implementation in an analog and / or digital circuit system only; and (b) a combination of hardware circuitry and software (and / or firmware), such as (if applicable): (i) a combination of (multiple) analog and / or digital hardware circuitry and software / firmware; and (ii) (multiple) hardware processors and any part of software, including digital (multiple) signal processors, software, and (multiple) memories, which work together to enable a device such as a terminal device or access node to perform various functions; and (c) (multiple) hardware circuitry and (multiple) processors, such as (multiple) microprocessors or a portion thereof, which require software (e.g., firmware) to operate, but may be absent when the software is not required to operate. This definition of "circuit system" applies to all uses of the term in this application, including any claim. As another example, as used in this application, the term "circuit system" also covers the implementation of only hardware circuitry or processors (or processors) or a portion thereof and their accompanying software and / or firmware.

[0118] In one embodiment, combined Figure 2A , 2B At least some of the processes described in 3 to 9 can be performed by means including corresponding components for performing at least some of the methods. Some example components for performing the process may include at least one of the following: a detector, a processor (including dual-core and multi-core processors), a digital signal processor, a controller, a receiver, a transmitter, an encoder, a decoder, a memory, RAM, ROM, software, firmware, a display, a user interface, a display circuit system, a user interface circuit system, a user interface software, display software, a circuit, a filter (low-pass, high-pass, band-pass, and / or band-stop), a sensor, a circuit system, an inverter, a capacitor, an inductor, a resistor, an operational amplifier, a diode, and a transistor. In one embodiment, at least one processor, memory, and computer program code form a processing component or include one or more portions of computer program code for performing according to Figures 3 to 7 Any one of the embodiments or one or more operations thereof. In some embodiments, at least some of the processes may be implemented using discrete components.

[0119] According to one embodiment, an apparatus (e.g., a terminal device or part thereof) is provided, including components for performing the following: As the device moves along the path, multiple radio measurements of the reference signal are performed at multiple corresponding time instances; At least one time-domain channel attribute is determined based on a linear combination of the results of at least a plurality of radio measurements, wherein the at least one time-domain channel attribute includes an indication of at least one of the following: Doppler frequency, angle of arrival associated with the Doppler frequency, physical distance between consecutive radio measurements, or speed of the device; and Send one or more time-domain channel attributes, wherein the one or more time-domain channel attributes include at least one time-domain channel attribute.

[0120] According to one embodiment, an apparatus (e.g., an access node or a portion thereof) is provided that includes components for performing the following: The receiving terminal device receives one or more time-domain channel attributes, wherein the one or more time-domain channel attributes include an indication of at least one of the following: Doppler frequency, angle of arrival associated with the Doppler frequency, physical distance between consecutive radio measurements performed by the terminal device while in motion, or speed of the terminal device; and One or more radio resource management algorithms are updated based on one or more time-domain channel attributes.

[0121] According to one embodiment, an apparatus (e.g., a computing device or system or part thereof) is provided, including components for performing the following: Receive one or more time-domain channel attributes of one or more terminal devices, wherein for each terminal device, the one or more time-domain channel attributes include an indication of at least one of the following: Doppler frequency, angle of arrival associated with the Doppler frequency, physical distance between consecutive radio measurements performed by the terminal device while in motion, or speed of the terminal device; Updating a digital twin of a wireless communication network comprising one or more terminal devices based on one or more time-domain channel attributes; and Use digital twins to execute one or more wireless resource management algorithms.

[0122] The described embodiments can also be performed wholly or at least partially in the form of a computer process defined by a computer program or a portion thereof. Figure 2A , 2BEmbodiments of the methods described in 3 to 9 can be performed by executing at least a portion of a computer program including the corresponding instructions. The computer program can be provided as a computer-readable medium including program instructions stored thereon, or as a non-transitory computer-readable medium including program instructions stored thereon. The computer program can be in source code form, object code form, or some intermediate form, and it can be stored in some kind of carrier, which can be any entity or device capable of carrying the program. For example, the computer program can be stored on a computer or processor-readable computer program distribution medium. The computer program medium can be, for example, but not limited to, recording media, computer memory, read-only memory, electrical carrier signals, telecommunication signals, and software distribution packages. The computer program medium can be a non-transitory medium. The coding of the software used to perform the illustrated and described embodiments is entirely within the scope of those skilled in the art.

[0123] The term “non-transient,” as used herein, refers to a limitation on the medium itself (i.e., tangibly, not a signal), rather than a limitation on the persistence of data storage (e.g., RAM vs. ROM).

[0124] According to one embodiment, a non-transitory computer-readable medium is provided having instructions stored thereon that, when executed by a computing device for a network device, cause the computing device to perform: As the device moves along the path, multiple radio measurements of the reference signal are performed at multiple corresponding time instances; At least one time-domain channel attribute is determined based on a linear combination of the results of at least a plurality of radio measurements, wherein the at least one time-domain channel attribute includes an indication of at least one of the following: Doppler frequency, angle of arrival associated with the Doppler frequency, physical distance between consecutive radio measurements, or speed of the device; and Send one or more time-domain channel attributes, wherein the one or more time-domain channel attributes include at least one time-domain channel attribute.

[0125] According to one embodiment, a non-transitory computer-readable medium is provided having instructions stored thereon that, when executed by a computing device, cause the computing device to perform: The receiving terminal device receives one or more time-domain channel attributes, wherein the one or more time-domain channel attributes include an indication of at least one of the following: Doppler frequency, angle of arrival associated with the Doppler frequency, physical distance between consecutive radio measurements performed by the terminal device while in motion, or speed of the terminal device; and One or more radio resource management algorithms are updated based on one or more time-domain channel attributes.

[0126] According to one embodiment, a non-transitory computer-readable medium is provided having instructions stored thereon that, when executed by a computing device, cause the computing device to perform: Receive one or more time-domain channel attributes of one or more terminal devices, wherein for each terminal device, the one or more time-domain channel attributes include an indication of at least one of the following: Doppler frequency, angle of arrival associated with the Doppler frequency, physical distance between consecutive radio measurements performed by the terminal device while in motion, or speed of the terminal device; Updating a digital twin of a wireless communication network comprising one or more terminal devices based on one or more time-domain channel attributes; and Use digital twins to execute one or more wireless resource management algorithms.

[0127] References to an embodiment or an embodiment in this application mean that a particular feature, structure, or characteristic described in connection with the embodiment is included in at least one embodiment of the solution. Therefore, the phrases "in one embodiment" or "in an embodiment" appearing in various places throughout this application do not necessarily all refer to the same embodiment.

[0128] As used herein, for convenience, multiple terms, structural elements, constituent elements, and / or materials may be listed in a common table. However, these lists should be interpreted as each member of the list being individually identified as a separate and unique member. Therefore, a single member of such a list should not be construed as an actual equivalent of any other member of the same list, solely based on its presence in a common group without any indication to the contrary. Furthermore, various embodiments and examples of this solution may be referenced herein together with alternatives for their various components. It should be understood that such embodiments, examples, and alternatives are not to be construed as actual equivalents of each other, but are considered as separate and independent representations of this solution.

[0129] While embodiments have been described above with reference to examples in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, it is apparent that the embodiments are not limited thereto but may be modified in several ways within the scope of the appended claims. Therefore, all words and expressions should be interpreted broadly and are intended to explain rather than limit the embodiments. It will be apparent to those skilled in the art that the concepts of the invention can be implemented in various ways as technology advances. Furthermore, it will be apparent to those skilled in the art that the embodiments can, but are not required to be, combined with other embodiments in various ways. Industrial applicability

[0130] At least some of these embodiments have found industrial applications in wireless communication.

Claims

1. An apparatus comprising: At least one processor; as well as At least one memory stores instructions that, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the device to perform at least the following: As the device moves along the path, multiple radio measurements of the reference signal are performed at multiple corresponding time instances; At least one time-domain channel attribute is determined based on a linear combination of the results of the plurality of radio measurements, wherein the at least one time-domain channel attribute includes an indication of at least one of the following: Doppler frequency, angle of arrival associated with the Doppler frequency, physical distance between consecutive radio measurements, or speed of the device; as well as Send one or more time-domain channel attributes, wherein the one or more time-domain channel attributes include the at least one time-domain channel attribute.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the at least one memory and the instructions are configured together with the at least one processor to cause the apparatus to: send the one or more time-domain channel attributes to the access node.

3. The apparatus of claim 1 or 2, wherein the path is substantially linear and the plurality of radio measurements are substantially periodic radio measurements.

4. The apparatus according to any preceding claim, wherein the plurality of radio measurements correspond to radio measurements of a virtual array, and the determination of the at least one time-domain channel attribute comprises: The beam steering pattern of the virtual array is derived from the plurality of radio measurements of the reference signal, wherein the beam steering pattern of the virtual array is associated with the received power or amplitude when the virtual array is used to perform virtual beamforming and the beam steering angle of the virtual array. as well as The at least one time-domain channel attribute is determined based at least on the beam steering pattern of the virtual array.

5. The apparatus of claim 4, wherein the at least one memory and the instructions are configured together with the at least one processor such that the apparatus: determines the at least one time-domain channel attribute based on the angular distance between the two ramps of the beam steering pattern.

6. The apparatus of claim 5, wherein the at least one memory and the instructions are configured together with the at least one processor such that the apparatus: Additionally, the distance between the consecutive radio measurements is determined based on the wavelength or radio frequency of the reference signal; and / or The speed of the device is determined based on the wavelength or radio frequency of the reference signal and the period of the plurality of radio measurements.

7. The apparatus according to any one of claims 4 to 6, wherein the derivation of the beam steering pattern of the virtual array comprises: The slope of the beamguide pattern is oversampled relative to other parts of the beamguide pattern.

8. The apparatus according to any one of claims 4 to 7, wherein the at least one memory and the instructions are configured, together with the at least one processor, to cause the apparatus to perform: Determine the frequency offset of the local oscillator of the device; as well as Prior to the derivation of the beam steering pattern, in the plurality of radio measurements, a phase correction term is applied to the virtual antenna elements of the virtual array to correct the frequency offset that causes phase drift over time; and / or The frequency offset is included in one or more time-domain channel attributes.

9. The apparatus according to any preceding claim, wherein the at least one time-domain channel attribute includes an indication of at least one of the following: The strongest Doppler frequency, Angle of arrival associated with the strongest Doppler frequency, One or more secondary Doppler frequencies, One or more angles of arrival associated with the one or more secondary Doppler frequencies. One or more Doppler frequencies associated with one or more moving objects in the environment of the device. One or more angles of arrival associated with one or more moving objects in the environment of the device.

10. The apparatus according to any of the preceding claims, wherein the reference signal is the same signal of one of the following types: channel state information reference signal, and / or tracking reference signal.

11. The apparatus according to any of the preceding claims, wherein the at least one memory and the instructions are configured together with the at least one processor to cause the apparatus to: transmit the one or more time-domain channel attributes as uplink control information.

12. An apparatus comprising: At least one processor; as well as At least one memory stores instructions that, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the device to perform at least the following: Receiving one or more time-domain channel attributes of a receiving terminal device, wherein the one or more time-domain channel attributes include an indication of at least one of the following: Doppler frequency, angle of arrival associated with the Doppler frequency, physical distance between consecutive radio measurements performed by the terminal device while in motion, or speed of the terminal device; and One or more radio resource management algorithms are updated based on the one or more time-domain channel attributes.

13. The apparatus of claim 12, wherein the at least one memory and the instructions are configured, together with the at least one processor, to cause the apparatus to perform: Send one or more time-domain channel attributes.

14. The apparatus of claim 13, wherein the at least one memory and the instructions are configured together with the at least one processor such that the apparatus: Receive one or more time-domain channel attributes from the terminal device, and / or Send one or more time-domain channel attributes to computing systems or devices included in or connected to the core network.

15. The apparatus according to any one of claims 12 to 14, wherein the update of the one or more wireless resource management algorithms comprises: Configure at least one of the following based on one or more time-domain channel attributes: channel state information reference signal, tracking reference signal, probe reference signal, or demodulation reference signal.

16. The apparatus according to any one of claims 12 to 15, wherein the update of the one or more wireless resource management algorithms comprises: The main pattern and the auxiliary pattern of the channel state information reference signal are defined based on one or more time-domain channel attributes. The main pattern and the auxiliary pattern are optimized for the current strongest Doppler frequency and a predefined Doppler frequency corresponding to the highest feasible terminal device mobility, respectively.

17. The apparatus according to any one of claims 12 to 16, wherein the at least one memory and the instructions are configured together with the at least one processor to cause the apparatus to: receive the one or more time-domain channel attributes as uplink control information.

18. An apparatus comprising: At least one processor; as well as At least one memory stores instructions that, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the device to perform at least the following: Receive one or more time-domain channel attributes of one or more terminal devices, wherein for each terminal device, the one or more time-domain channel attributes include an indication of at least one of the following: Doppler frequency, angle of arrival associated with the Doppler frequency, physical distance between consecutive radio measurements performed by the terminal device while in motion, or speed of the terminal device; Update the digital twin of the wireless communication network including the one or more terminal devices based on the one or more time-domain channel attributes; as well as The digital twin is used to execute one or more wireless resource management algorithms.

19. The apparatus of claim 18, wherein the at least one memory and the instructions are configured together with the at least one processor to cause the apparatus to: receive the one or more time-domain channel attributes from the access node.

20. A method comprising: As the device moves along the path, multiple radio measurements of the reference signal are performed at multiple corresponding time instances; At least one time-domain channel attribute is determined based on a linear combination of the results of the plurality of radio measurements, wherein the at least one time-domain channel attribute includes an indication of at least one of the following: Doppler frequency, angle of arrival associated with the Doppler frequency, physical distance between consecutive radio measurements, or speed of the device; as well as Send one or more time-domain channel attributes, wherein the one or more time-domain channel attributes include the at least one time-domain channel attribute.

21. A method comprising: Receiving one or more time-domain channel attributes of a receiving terminal device, wherein the one or more time-domain channel attributes include an indication of at least one of the following: Doppler frequency, angle of arrival associated with the Doppler frequency, physical distance between consecutive radio measurements performed by the terminal device while in motion, or speed of the terminal device; and One or more radio resource management algorithms are updated based on the one or more time-domain channel attributes.

22. A method comprising: Receive one or more time-domain channel attributes of one or more terminal devices, wherein for each terminal device, the one or more time-domain channel attributes include an indication of at least one of the following: Doppler frequency, angle of arrival associated with the Doppler frequency, physical distance between consecutive radio measurements performed by the terminal device while in motion, or speed of the terminal device; Update the digital twin of the wireless communication network including the one or more terminal devices based on the one or more time-domain channel attributes; as well as The digital twin is used to execute one or more wireless resource management algorithms.

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