Enhanced CSI report activation / deactivation operations

Abstract

Example embodiments of the present disclosure provide a solution for enhanced channel state information (CSI) activation / deactivation operations. In an example method, a terminal device receives a MAC CE including at least one field for a CSI reporting configuration, where the CSI reporting configuration includes a plurality of sub-configurations. The terminal device further determines activation or deactivation of at least one of the plurality of sub-configurations based at least on the at least one field in the MAC CE. In this manner, when multiple sub-configurations are included or multiple sub-configurations are associated with the same CSI reporting configuration, an operation of activating / deactivating CSI reporting for one or more sub-configurations is implemented.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The exemplary embodiments of this disclosure generally relate to the field of communications, and more specifically to terminal devices, network devices, methods, apparatuses, and computer-readable media for enhanced channel state information (CSI) activation / deactivation operations. Background Technology

[0002] Network energy efficiency is crucial for environmental sustainability, reducing environmental impact (greenhouse gas emissions), and saving operating costs. As the fifth-generation technology standard (5G), also known as broadband cellular networks, becomes prevalent across industries and geographic regions, networks are becoming denser, using more antennas, greater bandwidth, and more frequency bands to handle more advanced services and applications that require very high data rates. This translates to increased energy consumption.

[0003] Therefore, the environmental impact and operating costs of 5G need to be controlled, and further investigation and research are needed on solutions to improve 5G energy efficiency. Summary of the Invention

[0004] Generally, the example embodiments of this disclosure provide a solution for enhanced Channel State Information (CSI) activation / deactivation operations.

[0005] In a first aspect, a terminal device is provided. The terminal device includes at least one processor and at least one memory, the at least one memory storing instructions that, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the terminal device to at least: receive a Media Access Control (MAC) Control Element (MAC CE) including at least one field for Channel State Information (CSI) report configuration, wherein the CSI report configuration includes a plurality of sub-configurations; and determine, at least based on the at least one field in the MAC CE, the activation or deactivation of at least one of the plurality of sub-configurations.

[0006] In a second aspect, a network apparatus is provided. The network apparatus includes at least one processor and at least one memory, the at least one memory storing instructions that, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the network apparatus to at least: generate a Media Access Control (MAC) control element (MAC CE) including at least one field for the CSI report configuration based on the activation or deactivation of at least one of a plurality of sub-configurations of a Channel State Information (CSI) report configuration; and transmit the MAC CE to a terminal device.

[0007] In a third aspect, a method is provided. The method includes: receiving at a terminal device a Media Access Control (MAC) Control Element (MAC CE) including at least one field for Channel State Information (CSI) report configuration, wherein the CSI report configuration includes a plurality of sub-configurations; and determining, at least based on the at least one field in the MAC CE, the activation or deactivation of at least one of the plurality of sub-configurations.

[0008] In a fourth aspect, a method is provided. The method includes: generating a Media Access Control (MAC) control element (MAC CE) including at least one field for the CSI report configuration based on activation or deactivation of at least one of a plurality of sub-configurations of a Channel State Information (CSI) report configuration at a network device; and transmitting the MAC CE to a terminal device.

[0009] In a fifth aspect, an apparatus is provided. The apparatus includes: means for receiving at a terminal device a Media Access Control (MAC) Control Element (MAC CE) including at least one field for Channel State Information (CSI) Report Configuration, wherein the CSI Report Configuration includes a plurality of sub-configurations; and means for determining, at least based on the at least one field in the MAC CE, the activation or deactivation of at least one of the plurality of sub-configurations.

[0010] In a sixth aspect, an apparatus is provided. The apparatus includes: means for generating a Media Access Control (MAC) control element (MAC CE) including at least one field for the CSI report configuration based on activation or deactivation of at least one of a plurality of sub-configurations of a Channel State Information (CSI) report configuration at a network device; and means for transmitting the MAC CE to a terminal device.

[0011] In a seventh aspect, a non-transitory computer-readable storage medium is provided, comprising program instructions. When executed by a device, the program instructions cause the device to perform at least the following operations: receiving at a terminal device a Media Access Control (MAC) Control Element (MAC CE) including at least one field for Channel State Information (CSI) report configuration, wherein the CSI report configuration includes a plurality of sub-configurations; and determining, at least based on the at least one field in the MAC CE, the activation or deactivation of at least one of the plurality of sub-configurations.

[0012] In an eighth aspect, a non-transitory computer-readable storage medium is provided, comprising program instructions. When executed by a device, the program instructions cause the device to perform at least the following operations: generate a Media Access Control (MAC) control element (MAC CE) including at least one field for the CSI report configuration based on activation or deactivation of at least one of a plurality of sub-configurations of a Channel State Information (CSI) report configuration at a network device; and transmit the MAC CE to a terminal device.

[0013] In a ninth aspect, a computer program is provided, the computer program including instructions that, when executed by a device, cause the device to at least: receive at a terminal device a Media Access Control (MAC) Control Element (MAC CE) including at least one field for Channel State Information (CSI) Report Configuration, wherein the CSI Report Configuration includes a plurality of sub-configurations; and determine, at least based on the at least one field in the MAC CE, the activation or deactivation of at least one of the plurality of sub-configurations.

[0014] In a tenth aspect, a computer program is provided, the computer program including instructions that, when executed by a device, cause the device to at least: generate a Media Access Control (MAC) Control Element (MAC CE) including at least one field for the CSI report configuration based on activation or deactivation of at least one of a plurality of sub-configurations of a Channel State Information (CSI) report configuration at a network device; and transmit the MAC CE to a terminal device.

[0015] In an eleventh aspect, a terminal device is provided. The terminal device includes: a receiving circuitry system configured to: receive a Media Access Control (MAC) Control Element (MAC CE) including at least one field for Channel State Information (CSI) report configuration, wherein the CSI report configuration includes a plurality of sub-configurations; and determine, at least based on the at least one field in the MAC CE, the activation or deactivation of at least one of the plurality of sub-configurations.

[0016] In a twelfth aspect, a network apparatus is provided. The network apparatus includes: a transmission circuitry system configured to: generate a Media Access Control (MAC) control element (MAC CE) including at least one field for the CSI report configuration based on activation or deactivation of at least one of a plurality of sub-configurations of a Channel State Information (CSI) report configuration; and transmit the MAC CE to a terminal device.

[0017] It should be understood that the Summary of the Invention section is not intended to identify key or essential features of embodiments of this disclosure, nor is it intended to limit the scope of this disclosure. Other features of this disclosure will become readily apparent from the following description. Attached Figure Description

[0018] Some example implementations will now be described with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which: Figure 1 An example network environment in which an example implementation of this disclosure may be carried out is shown; Figure 2 Examples of process flows according to some example implementations of this disclosure are shown; Figure 3 An example process implemented at a terminal device according to an example embodiment of the present disclosure is shown; Figure 4A A first example MAC CE design for activating / deactivating semi-persistent CSI reports according to an example embodiment of this disclosure is shown; Figure 4B A second example MAC CE design for activating / deactivating semi-persistent CSI reports is shown according to an example implementation of this disclosure; Figure 4C A third example MAC CE design for activating / deactivating semi-persistent CSI reports is shown according to an example embodiment of this disclosure; Figure 4D A fourth example MAC CE design for activating / deactivating semi-persistent CSI reports is shown according to an example embodiment of this disclosure; Figure 5 An example flowchart of a method implemented at a terminal device according to an example embodiment of the present disclosure is shown; Figure 6 An example flowchart of a method implemented at a network device according to an example embodiment of the present disclosure is shown; Figure 7 A simplified block diagram of an example apparatus suitable for implementing embodiments of the present disclosure is shown; and Figure 8 Example block diagrams of example computer-readable media according to some embodiments of this disclosure are shown.

[0019] Throughout the accompanying drawings, the same or similar reference numerals denote the same or similar elements. Detailed Implementation

[0020] The principles of this disclosure will now be described with reference to some example embodiments. It will be understood that these embodiments are described for illustrative purposes only and to help those skilled in the art to understand and implement this disclosure, and not to imply any limitation on the scope of this disclosure. The disclosure described herein can be implemented in various ways other than those described below.

[0021] In the following description and claims, unless otherwise defined, all technical and scientific terms used herein have the same meaning as commonly understood by one of ordinary skill in the art to which this disclosure pertains.

[0022] In this disclosure, references to "an implementation," "implementation," "example implementation," etc., indicate that the described implementation may include a particular feature, structure, or characteristic, but not every implementation need to include that particular feature, structure, or characteristic. Furthermore, such wording does not necessarily refer to the same implementation. Moreover, when a particular feature, structure, or characteristic is described in connection with an implementation, it should be assumed that, whether explicitly described or not, such feature, structure, or characteristic is implemented in conjunction with other implementations and is within the knowledge of a person skilled in the art.

[0023] It should be understood that while the terms “first” and “second” may be used herein to describe various elements, these elements should not be limited to these terms. These terms are used only to distinguish one element from another. For example, without departing from the scope of the example embodiments, a first element may be referred to as a second element, and similarly, a second element may be referred to as a first element. As used herein, the term “and / or” includes any and all combinations of one or more items listed in the project.

[0024] The terminology used herein is for the purpose of describing particular embodiments only and is not intended to be limiting of example embodiments. As used herein, unless the context clearly indicates otherwise, the singular forms “a,” “an,” and “the” are intended to include the plural forms as well. It should also be understood that, when used herein, the terms “comprises,” “comprising,” “has,” “having,” “includes,” and / or “including” specify the presence of declared features, elements, and / or components, etc., but do not preclude the presence or addition of one or more other features, elements, components, and / or combinations thereof. As used herein, “at least one of the following: "and" "at least one of" and similar wording (where a list of two or more elements is connected by "and" or "or") means at least any one element, or at least any two or more elements, or at least all elements.

[0025] As used in this application, the term "circuit system" may refer to one or more or all of the following: (a) Hardware-only implementations (such as implementations using only analog and / or digital circuit systems), and (b) A combination of hardware circuitry and software, such as (if applicable): (i) A combination of analog and / or digital hardware circuitry with software / firmware, and (ii) Any part of a hardware processor, including software (including digital signal processors), software, and memory, that works together to enable devices such as mobile phones or servers to perform various functions, and (c) Hardware circuitry and / or processors, such as microprocessors or a portion thereof, which require software (e.g., firmware) to operate, but may be absent when operation is not required.

[0026] This definition of circuit system applies to all uses of the term in this application (including in any claim). As another example, as used in this application, the term circuit system also covers implementations of hardware circuitry or processors (or processors) alone, or a portion thereof, of hardware circuitry or processors and their accompanying software and / or firmware. The term circuit system also covers (for example, and where applicable to a particular claim element) baseband integrated circuits or processor integrated circuits in mobile devices, or similar integrated circuits in servers, cellular network devices, or other computing or networking devices.

[0027] As used herein, the terms "network," "communication network," or "data network" refer to a network that conforms to any suitable communication standard such as Long Term Evolution (LTE), LTE-A Advanced (LTE-A), Wideband Code Division Multiple Access (WCDMA), High-Speed ​​Packet Access (HSPA), Narrowband Internet of Things (NB-IoT), Wi-Fi, etc. Furthermore, communication between terminal devices and network devices / components in a communication network can be performed according to any suitable generation of communication protocols, including but not limited to fourth-generation (4G), 4.5G, future fifth-generation (5G), the IEEE 802.11 communication protocol, and / or any other currently known or future-developed protocols. Embodiments of this disclosure can be applied to a variety of communication systems. Given the rapid development of communications, there will naturally be future types of communication technologies and systems that embody the nature of this disclosure. This disclosure should not be construed as limiting its scope to the systems described above.

[0028] As used herein, the term "network device" refers to a node in a communication network through which a terminal device accesses the network and receives services. A network device may refer to a base station (BS), access point (AP), or transmit and receive point (TRP), such as a Node B (NodeB or NB), an evolved Node B (eNodeB or eNB), an NR NB (also known as a gNB), a remote radio unit (RRU), a radio headend (RH), a remote radio headend (RRH), a WiFi device, a repeater, a low-power node such as a femtonode, a piconode, etc., depending on the terminology and technology applied. In the following description, the terms "network device," "AP device," "AP," and "access point" are used interchangeably.

[0029] The term "terminal device" refers to any terminal device capable of wireless communication. By way of example and not limitation, a terminal device may also be referred to as a communication device, user equipment (UE), subscriber station (SS), portable subscriber station, mobile station (MS), site (STA), or site device or access terminal (AT). Terminal devices may include, but are not limited to, mobile phones, cellular phones, smartphones, Voice over IP (VoIP) phones, wireless local loop phones, tablet computers, wearable terminal devices, personal digital assistants (PDAs), portable computers, desktop computers, image capture terminal devices (such as digital cameras), gaming terminal devices, music storage and playback devices, in-vehicle wireless terminal devices, wireless endpoints, mobile stations, laptop embedded devices (LEEs), laptop installed devices (LMEs), USB dongles, smart devices, wireless customer premises equipment (CPEs), Internet of Things (IoT) devices, watches or other wearable devices, head-mounted displays (HMDs), vehicles, drones, medical devices and applications (e.g., remote surgery), industrial devices and applications (e.g., robots and / or other wireless devices operating in the context of industrial and / or automated processing chains), consumer electronic devices, devices operating on commercial and / or industrial wireless networks, etc. In the following description, the terms "site," "site device," "STA," "terminal device," "communication device," "terminal," "user equipment," and "UE" are used interchangeably.

[0030] The term "transceiver" can refer to any device that can be coupled to one or more antennas or antenna ports to wirelessly transmit and / or receive communication signals. Antennas or antenna ports can be of the same or different types. Antennas or antenna ports can be located in different locations within the device. One or more transceivers allow the device to communicate with other devices, which can be wired and / or wireless. One or more transceivers can include processors, controllers, radio devices, receptacles, plugs, buffers, or similar circuitry to form one or more communication channels to one or more radio frequency units. One or more transceivers can be integrated into a device or system, such as a cellular communication device or system, a WLAN system, or a short-range system, such as a Bluetooth system.

[0031] For semi-persistent reports based on the Physical Uplink Control Channel (PUCCH), activation / deactivation is performed via the Transport Medium Access Control (MAC) Control Element (MAC CE) message. After transmitting the Hybrid Automatic Repeat Request Acknowledgment (HARQ-ACK) corresponding to the Physical Uplink Shared Channel (PDSCH) of the Bearer Selection Command MACCE in time slot n, the UE should... Start performing semi-persistent CSI reporting on the PUCCH application.

[0032] Semi-persistent CSI reports on PUCCH support Type I CSI. Semi-persistent CSI reports on PUCCH format 2 support Type I CSI with wideband frequency granularity. Semi-persistent CSI reports on PUCCH format 3 or 4 support Type I CSI with wideband and subband frequency granularity, as well as Type II CSI Part 1.

[0033] The following is the existing MAC CE design (in TS 38.321) for activating / deactivating SP (semi-persistent) CSI reports on PUCCH.

[0034] The Rel-18 Work Item Description (WID) approves the necessary enhancements to CSI and beam management related processes, including measurement and reporting as well as signaling, to enable efficient adaptation of space elements (e.g., antenna ports, active transceiver chains) [RAN1, RAN2].

[0035] The following is one of the most recent RAN1 protocols.

[0036] As mentioned above, Rel-18 will specify enhancements to network power efficiency, including spatial pattern adaptation. RAN1 has reached the following agreement to support semi-persistent and non-periodic CSI reporting, wherein for a CSI reporting configuration comprising L configurations, N of these L CSIs (where N <= L) can be triggered in a single reporting instance.

[0037] In view of the above, some embodiments of this disclosure propose an efficient design and encoding / decoding of a MAC CE for activating or deactivating CSI report configuration to achieve the above operations.

[0038] For ease of explanation, the following will refer to... Figures 1 to 8The principles and exemplary embodiments of this disclosure are described. However, it should be noted that these embodiments are given to enable those skilled in the art to understand the inventive concept of this disclosure and implement the solutions presented herein, and not to limit the scope of this application in any way.

[0039] Figure 1 Examples of application scenarios 100 in which some exemplary implementations of this disclosure may be implemented are shown. Application scenario 100, as part of a communication network, includes terminal devices and network devices.

[0040] In the description of the exemplary embodiments of this disclosure, network environment 100 may also be referred to as communication system 100 (e.g., part of a communication network). For illustrative purposes only, aspects of the exemplary embodiments will be described in the context of one or more terminal devices and network devices communicating with each other. However, it should be understood that the description herein can be applied to other types of devices or other similar devices referred to using other terms.

[0041] like Figure 1 As shown, the communication network 100 may include a network device 110 (also referred to as a gNB or BS). The communication network 100 may further include a terminal device 120 (also referred to as a user equipment 120 or UE 120). Although Figure 1 Only one network device 110 and one terminal device 120 are shown, but the number of network devices and terminal devices is not limited. In other words, there can be one or more network devices 110 and one or more terminal devices 120 in the network.

[0042] Network device 110 can provide services to terminal device 120, and network device 110 and terminal device 120 can transmit data and control information to each other. In some embodiments, network device 110 and terminal device 120 can communicate via a direct link / channel.

[0043] In communication system 100, the link from network device 110 to terminal device 120 is referred to as the downlink (DL), and the link from terminal device 120 to network device 110 is referred to as the uplink (UL). In the downlink, network device 110 is a transmitting (TX) device (or transmitter), and terminal device 120 is a receiving (RX) device (or receiver). In the uplink, terminal device 120 is a transmitting (TX) device (or transmitter), and network device 110 is an RX device (or receiver). It should be understood that network device 110 can provide one or more serving cells. Figure 1As shown, network device 110 provides a serving cell 102, and terminal device 120 resides on serving cell 102. In some embodiments, network device 110 may provide multiple serving cells, and terminal device 120 may switch between serving cells from a source cell to a target cell during its movement. It should be understood that... Figure 1 The number of serving cells shown is for illustrative purposes only and does not imply any limitation.

[0044] Communication in network environment 100 can be implemented according to any suitable communication protocol, including but not limited to cellular communication protocols such as fourth-generation (4G) and fifth-generation (5G), wireless local area network communication protocols such as IEEE 802.11, and / or any other currently known or future-developed protocols such as Universal Mobile Telecommunications System (UMTS), Long Term Evolution (LTE), and LTE-Advanced. The communication uses any suitable communication technology, including, for example, multiple-input multiple-output (MIMO), orthogonal frequency division multiplexing (OFDM), time division multiplexing (TDM), frequency division multiplexing (FDM), code division multiplexing (CDM), Bluetooth, ZigBee, machine-type communication (MTC), enhanced mobile broadband (eMBB), massive machine-type communication (mMTC), ultra-reliable low-latency communication (URLLC), carrier aggregation (CA), dual connectivity (DC), and new radio unlicensed (NR-U) technologies.

[0045] In some embodiments of this disclosure, terminal device 120 may receive a MAC CE from network device 110 to activate or deactivate at least one CSI reporting configuration (e.g., pre-configured via Radio Resource Control (RRC) messages). The CSI reporting configuration may include or be associated with multiple sub-configurations. The MAC CE includes at least one field indicating the activation or deactivation status of a sub-configuration of the CSI reporting configuration. Upon receiving the MAC CE, terminal device 120 may decode the sub-configuration or determine its activation or deactivation. Subsequently, terminal device 120 may perform a CSI measurement on the activated sub-configuration and report the CSI measurement results to network device 120.

[0046] Figure 2 Examples of process flows according to some exemplary embodiments of this disclosure are shown. For ease of understanding, reference will be made to... Figure 1 To describe process flow 200. It should be understood that, although referenced... Figure 1 The communication network 100 describes the process flow 200, but this process flow 200 can also be applied to other similar communication scenarios.

[0047] like Figure 2 As shown, network device 110 generates (202) a MAC CE including at least one field for the CSI report configuration based on the activation or deactivation of at least one of a plurality of sub-configurations of the CSI report configuration. In some embodiments, network device 110 may pre-configure at least one CSI report configuration (e.g., four configurations) for terminal device 120, for example, via RRC signaling. The CSI report configuration may be used for semi-persistent CSI reporting on the physical PUCCH and may be activated or deactivated via the MAC CE.

[0048] In some implementations, one or more of the multiple CSI reporting configurations may include or be associated with multiple sub-configurations. Sub-configurations of the CSI reporting configuration may also be configured via RRC signaling. In some implementations, a sub-configuration among the multiple sub-configurations may correspond to, be associated with, or be replaced by one or more of the following: spatial mode; power level; energy level; CSI+ reference signal (RS) resource; CSI-RS resource set; resource setting; CSI reporting configuration; codebook configuration; or CSI trigger state. A spatial mode may refer to the spatial configuration of active / inactive antenna ports / elements at network device 120 and may be associated with a corresponding power consumption level.

[0049] In some implementations, network device 110 may encode the activation or deactivation status of a CSI report configuration and at least one associated sub-configuration into a MAC CE. The activation or deactivation status of the CSI report configuration may be encoded as a bitmap in at least one octet of the MAC CE, where one bit is used for a CSI report configuration. For example, a value "1" may indicate an activation status, and a value "0" may indicate a deactivation status. Furthermore, the activation or deactivation status of at least one sub-configuration is encoded in at least one additional field of the MAC CE. This field may, for example, indicate, in the form of code points or a bitmap, the number of sub-configurations of the CSI report configuration to be activated or deactivated at terminal device 120. For brevity, reference will be made to... Figure 3 Details are described from the perspective of the terminal device 120 in the decoding stage.

[0050] Then, network device 110 transmits (204) MAC CE (205) to terminal device 120. Terminal device 120 then receives (206) MAC CE. Upon receiving MAC CE (205), terminal device 120 determines the activation or deactivation of at least one of a plurality of sub-configurations based on at least one field in the MAC CE.

[0051] In some implementations, terminal device 120 may perform a decoding process to obtain the CSI report configuration encoded in the MAC CE and the activation or deactivation status of associated sub-configurations. In some implementations, activation of a sub-configuration or set of sub-configurations may indicate that the sub-configuration or set of sub-configurations is applicable, and deactivation of a sub-configuration or set of sub-configurations may indicate that the sub-configuration or set of sub-configurations is not applicable.

[0052] Subsequently, terminal device 120 can perform CSI measurements on the CSI resources associated with the activated sub-configuration and report the CSI to network device 110 in a reporting instance.

[0053] Figure 3 An example procedure 300 implemented at the UE side according to an example embodiment of this disclosure is shown. Procedure 300 may be... Figure 2 The example implementation of block 208 is shown below, and can be implemented by a UE as an example of terminal device 120. It should be understood that process 300 may include additional actions not shown and / or omit some of the actions shown. The scope of this disclosure is not limited in this respect.

[0054] As described above, the UE can be configured with CSI reporting configurations that include multiple sub-configurations or are associated with multiple sub-configurations. The following describes an example of encoding / decoding at least a portion of the MAC CE for a semi-persistent CSI report activating / deactivating one or more sub-configurations in the case of semi-persistent CSI reporting on the PUCCH.

[0055] If at least one bit in the MAC CE deactivates the semi-persistent CSI reporting configuration, for example, by bit value '0', then all sub-configurations belonging to or associated with this configuration are considered deactivated. The UE assumes that no reserved / existing bits or additional fields / octets / subfields are used / exist / provided with indications related to sub-configurations in the MAC CE.

[0056] If at least one bit in this MAC CE is activated, for example by bit value '1', for the semi-persistent CSI reporting configuration on the PUCCH, and this configuration includes or is associated with multiple sub-configurations, then one or more of the following options can be used to activate or deactivate at least one sub-configuration.

[0057] In Option 1, the UE considers at least one reserved / existing bit in the MAC CE to be available and uses it to indicate the activation or deactivation of at least one sub-configuration. The at least one reserved / existing bit may be in the same octet as the activation or deactivation status of multiple pre-configured CSI report configurations.

[0058] In Option 2, the UE considers that at least one field (e.g., at least one octet (8 bits)) and / or at least one subfield (consisting of at least one or two bits) may be present or not reserved in the MAC CE, and is used to indicate the activation or deactivation of at least one sub-configuration. The at least one field for the sub-configuration may include at least one bit in addition to the octet, which includes the activation or deactivation status of multiple pre-configured CSI report configurations. In some embodiments, the MAC CE may include at least one additional octet for the sub-configuration.

[0059] If the number of sub-configurations in the report configuration is less than or equal to the threshold, Option 1 can be assumed. If the number of configurations in the report configuration is greater than the threshold, Option 2 can be assumed. Furthermore, if a specific number of active CSI report configurations that include multiple sub-configurations is greater than or equal to a threshold such as 2, Option 2 can be assumed. Additionally, Options 1 and 2 can be combined.

[0060] By using one or more of Options 1 and 2, the MAC CE may include at least one field to indicate the activation or deactivation of a sub-configuration of the CSI reporting configuration. In some embodiments, this indication may be in the form of an index representing the sub-configuration to be activated or deactivated, or a code point representing a set of sub-configurations to be activated or deactivated. The set of sub-configurations may be included, or the set of sub-configurations may be associated with the CSI reporting configuration; that is, one or more sub-configurations may be grouped into sets (and several such sets may exist). Alternatively, this indication may be in the form of a bitmap, where bits in the bitmap may indicate the activation or deactivation of at least one sub-configuration (or set of sub-configurations). Alternatively, the number of sub-configurations to be activated or deactivated may be indicated, and the UE determines the sub-configurations to be activated or deactivated according to a defined order (based on specifications or configuration), such as by, for example, first considering the sub-configuration with the lowest / highest index or identifier.

[0061] In some implementations, the field / subfield / octet may be shared at least partially between at least two CSI report configurations, or alternatively, one field / subfield / octet is assumed per CSI report configuration.

[0062] In some implementations, the size of the fields / subfields / bitmaps that the CSI reporting configuration in MAC CE needs to consider / add may depend on the number of subconfigurations (or sets of subconfigurations) that belong to or correspond to this CSI reporting configuration.

[0063] In some implementations, the need for new octet / field / subfield may depend on whether existing / reserved bits are sufficient, for example, whether Option 1 is sufficient. It may also depend on whether at least one other CSI reporting configuration is activated, wherein this at least other configuration includes or is associated with a sub-configuration, and at least one of these sub-configurations is indicated to be activated / deactivated.

[0064] In some implementations, considering the CSI report configuration, the need for more than one octet / field / subfield may depend on whether the number of sub-configurations or sets of sub-configurations exceeds a threshold, such as 8. For example, if a bitmap is used and the CSI report configuration includes more than 8 sub-configurations, then the fields of the CSI report configuration will require more than 8 bits (1 octet).

[0065] In some implementations, the maximum number of sub-configurations or sets of sub-configurations belonging to / associated with the same CSI reporting configuration can be specified / configured to not be active at once. Therefore, for example, if this number is set to 1, then if one sub-configuration (or set of sub-configurations) is activated, this may mean that other sub-configurations (or sets of sub-configurations) are automatically deactivated. More generally, if this number is set to X, then if X sub-configurations (or sets of sub-configurations) are activated, this may mean that other sub-configurations (or sets of sub-configurations) are automatically deactivated.

[0066] In procedure 300, the UE decodes the activation or deactivation state in the MAC CE for each CSI report configuration. At block 301, for a given CSI report configuration, the UE checks whether the CSI report configuration has an activation state. If the CSI bit value indicates a deactivation state (e.g., "0"), the procedure proceeds to block 302, where the UE can determine the deactivation of all associated sub-configurations of the CSI report configuration, and then continues to block 306 to check the next CSI report configuration (if any).

[0067] If a CSI reporting configuration is active, process 300 proceeds to block 303. At block 303, the UE locates a field indicating the active / deactivated state of a sub-configuration of the CSI reporting configuration. In some implementations, the field's location may be based on the active or deactivated states of multiple CSI reporting configurations pre-configured at the UE. If a CSI reporting configuration is to be deactivated via the MAC CE, there may not be a corresponding field for its sub-configuration in the MAC CE. The location may further be based on an index or identifier of the CSI reporting configuration. For example, the fields of active CSI configurations may be sorted one by one in the MAC CE. Furthermore, the location may be based on the number of sub-configurations or sets of sub-configurations for each of at least one (active) CSI reporting configuration. That is, the location also depends on the size of the fields of the previous CSI reporting configurations. Alternatively, the field's location may be fixed in the MAC CE regardless of the active or deactivated states of the multiple CSI reporting configurations.

[0068] After locating the field in the MAC CE, the UE can obtain the value of the field and decode it at box 304. As described above, the field can be in the form of code points representing the index of a sub-configuration to be activated or deactivated, or representing a set of sub-configurations to be activated or deactivated. Alternatively, the field can be in the form of a bitmap, where bits in the bitmap can indicate the activation or deactivation of at least one sub-configuration or set of sub-configurations. For example, a bit value "1" indicates an active state, and a bit value "0" indicates the active state of the corresponding sub-configuration or set of sub-configurations.

[0069] In some implementations, the field size can be based on the number of sub-configurations or sub-configuration sets configured in the CSI report. For example, if the field includes a bitmap, the bit size of the bitmap is equal to the number of sub-configurations or sub-configuration sets. As another example, if the field includes code points, the bit size is equal to the number of binary bits used to represent the maximum / maximum index of the sub-configuration or sub-configuration set. By decoding the field, the UE knows which sub-configurations or sub-configuration sets to activate or deactivate. In some implementations, the UE can be configured or specified to have a maximum number of sub-configurations or sub-configuration sets that can be activated for the CSI report configuration. This maximum number may affect the field size. In some implementations, the UE can be configured with restrictions on which sub-configurations or sub-configuration sets can be activated or deactivated. This restriction may also affect the field size, as only sub-configurations or sub-configuration sets that are not subject to activation restrictions can be indicated in the field (via MAC CE).

[0070] Additionally, at box 305, the UE can check the maximum value of the allowed active sub-configurations or sets of configurations. A threshold indicating the maximum number of active sub-configurations or sets of configurations can be configured or specified for the UE. The UE can determine the activation or deactivation of a sub-configuration or set of sub-configurations based on the field and the threshold, such that the number of active sub-configurations or sets of sub-configurations is equal to or less than the threshold. For example, if this threshold is set to 1, then if one sub-configuration (or set of sub-configurations) is activated, this may mean that other sub-configurations (or sets of sub-configurations) will be automatically deactivated.

[0071] At box 306, the UE checks whether all CSI report configurations have been decoded. If not, procedure 300 returns to box 301 and repeats the actions in boxes 301 to 305 to perform the next CSI report configuration. If all CSI report configurations have been decoded, procedure 300 ends.

[0072] Figure 4A This illustrates a first example MAC CE design for activating / deactivating semi-persistent CSI reporting when multiple sub-configurations are associated with a CSI reporting configuration. These multiple sub-configurations may correspond to, for example, different spatial adaptation modes or even different power offsets (for PDSCH relative to CSI-RS).

[0073] exist Figure 4A In this example, byte 2 includes bits S0 through S3, each indicating the activation or deactivation status of a CSI reporting configuration. As an example, S0 (0 or 1) refers to a CSI reporting configuration. Assume S0 = 1, meaning the corresponding CSI reporting configuration is activated. This configuration includes or is associated with multiple sub-configurations (or sets of sub-configurations). Since S0 = 1, the existing / reserved bits (3 bits in this example) R0, R1, and R2 in byte 2 are used to indicate the activation / deactivation of at least one sub-configuration belonging to or corresponding to the CSI reporting configuration referred to by S0. In this example, up to one of eight sub-configurations (or sets of sub-configurations) can be activated / referenced.

[0074] Figure 4B A second example MAC CE design is shown for activating / deactivating semi-persistent CSI reporting when multiple sub-configurations are associated with a CSI reporting configuration. These multiple sub-configurations can correspond to, for example, different spatial adaptation modes.

[0075] exist Figure 4BIn the octet 2, bits S0 through S3 are included, each indicating the active or deactivated state of a CSI reporting configuration. As an example, S0 (0 or 1) refers to a CSI reporting configuration. Assume S0 = 1, meaning the corresponding CSI reporting configuration is active. This configuration includes (up to) 8 sub-configurations or is associated with (up to) 8 sub-configurations. Since S0 = 1, the existing / reserved bits (3 bits in this example) in octet 2 are R 00 R 01 and R 02 This is used to indicate the activation / deactivation of at least one sub-configuration belonging to or corresponding to the CSI reporting configuration referred to by S0. In this example, up to one of eight sub-configurations can be activated / referenced.

[0076] Additionally, S1 (0 or 1) refers to a CSI report configuration. Assuming S1 = 1, the corresponding CSI report configuration is active. This configuration includes, for example, (up to) 4 sub-configurations or is associated with, for example, (up to) 4 sub-configurations. Since S1 = 1, a new field / octet (octet 3) is added, where 2 bits are S... 11 S 10 The activation / deactivation is considered for at least one sub-configuration belonging to or corresponding to the CSI reporting configuration referred to in S1. In this example, one of up to four sub-configurations can be activated / referenced.

[0077] Figure 4C A third example MAC CE design is shown for activating / deactivating semi-persistent CSI reporting when multiple sub-configurations are associated with CSI reporting configurations. These multiple sub-configurations may correspond to, for example, different spatial adaptation modes.

[0078] exist Figure 4C In this example, octet 2 includes bits S0 through S3, each indicating the activation or deactivation status of a CSI reporting configuration. S0 (0 or 1): This refers to a CSI reporting configuration. Assuming S0 = 1, the corresponding CSI reporting configuration is activated. This configuration includes or is associated with 7 sub-configurations. Since S0 = 1, a new field / octet (octet 3) is added, where a bitmap of size 7 is considered for activation / deactivation of at least one sub-configuration belonging to or corresponding to the CSI reporting configuration referred to by S0. In this example, any combination of 1 to 7 sub-configurations can be activated / deactivated / referenced. If the bitmap size is greater than 8, the field may span multiple octets.

[0079] Additionally, S1 (0 or 1) refers to a CSI report configuration. Assuming S1 = 1, the corresponding CSI report configuration is activated. This configuration includes or is associated with four sub-configurations. Because S1 = 1, a new field / octet (octet 4) is added, where a bitmap of size 4 is considered for activation / deactivation of at least one sub-configuration belonging to or corresponding to the CSI report configuration referred to by S1. In this example, any combination of 1 to 4 sub-configurations can be activated / deactivated / referenced.

[0080] Figure 4D This illustrates a fourth example MAC CE design for activating / deactivating semi-persistent CSI reporting when multiple sub-configurations are associated with a CSI reporting configuration. These multiple sub-configurations can correspond to, for example, different spatial adaptation modes.

[0081] exist Figure 4D In this context, octet 2 includes bits S0 through S3, each indicating the active or deactivated state of a CSI reporting configuration. S0 (0 or 1) refers to a CSI reporting configuration. Assuming S0 = 1, the corresponding CSI reporting configuration is active. This configuration includes or is associated with four sub-configurations. Since S0 = 1, a new field / octet (octet 3) is added, containing a bitmap of size 4 (S... 00 S 01 S 02 and S 03 This is considered for activation / deactivation of at least one sub-configuration belonging to or corresponding to the CSI reporting configuration referred to by S0. In this example, any combination of 1 to 4 sub-configurations can be activated / deactivated / referenced.

[0082] Additionally, S1 (0 or 1) refers to a CSI report configuration. Assuming S1 = 1, the corresponding CSI report configuration is active. This configuration includes or is associated with four sub-configurations. Because S1 = 1, a new field / octet is added, containing a bitmap of size 4 (S...). 10 S 11 S 12 and S 13 This is considered for activation / deactivation of at least one sub-configuration belonging to or corresponding to the CSI report configuration referred to by S1. In this example, any combination of 1 to 4 sub-configurations can be activated / deactivated / referenced. It should be noted that the fields of CSI report configuration S1 are located in the same octet as S1, as there is sufficient space in octet 3.

[0083] It should be understood that Figures 4A to 4DThe examples of MAC CEs in this disclosure are for illustrative purposes only and not for limiting purposes. MAC CEs according to embodiments of this disclosure may have different designs, for example, having more or fewer CSI reporting configurations, more or fewer sub-configurations associated with CSI reporting configurations, or fields indicating the activation or deactivation of sub-configurations in a set.

[0084] In view of the above, some embodiments of this disclosure provide efficient design / coding for MAC CE to activate semi-persistent CSI reports, enabling the activation / deactivation of CSI for one or more sub-configurations when multiple sub-configurations (e.g., different spatial adaptation modes) or multiple sub-configurations are associated with the same CSI report configuration.

[0085] Figure 5 A flowchart of an example method 500 implemented at a terminal device according to some other embodiments of the present disclosure is shown. For ease of understanding, method 500 will be referenced. Figure 1 This is described from the perspective of terminal device 120.

[0086] At block 510, terminal device 120 receives a Media Access Control (MAC) Control Element (MAC CE) including at least one field for Channel State Information (CSI) report configuration, wherein the CSI report configuration includes multiple sub-configurations. At block 520, terminal device 120 determines the activation or deactivation of at least one of the multiple sub-configurations based at least on at least one field in the MAC CE.

[0087] In some implementations, at least one field may indicate an index to a set of sub-configurations or sub-configurations to be activated or deactivated among multiple sub-configurations.

[0088] Alternatively, at least one field may include a bitmap for multiple sub-configurations. Bits in the bitmap indicate the activation or deactivation status of a sub-configuration or set of sub-configurations.

[0089] Alternatively, at least one field may indicate the number of sub-configurations to be activated or deactivated among the plurality of sub-configurations. Terminal device 120 may determine the index of at least one sub-configuration to be activated or deactivated among the plurality of sub-configurations based on the indicated number and the defined order of the indices of the plurality of sub-configurations.

[0090] In some implementations, the size of at least one field may be based on the number of multiple sub-configurations or sets of sub-configurations in the CSI report configuration.

[0091] In some embodiments, the MAC CE may further include activation or deactivation states of multiple CSI report configurations configured at the terminal device. In some embodiments, the activation or deactivation states of the multiple CSI report configurations may be included in at least one octet. Alternatively, at least one field may include at least one reserved bit of at least one octet. Alternatively, at least one field may include at least one bit other than at least one octet. Alternatively, at least one field may include at least one additional octet in addition to at least one octet.

[0092] In some implementations, the terminal device 120 may determine the activation or deactivation of at least one of a plurality of sub-configurations by determining the deactivation of a plurality of sub-configurations of the CSI reporting configuration based on the determination that the CSI reporting configuration has a deactivation state.

[0093] In some implementations, terminal device 120 may determine the activation or deactivation of at least one of a plurality of sub-configurations by determining the activation or deactivation of at least one of the plurality of sub-configurations based on at least one field in MAC CE based on determining that the CSI report configuration has an activation status.

[0094] In some implementations, terminal device 120 may determine the activation or deactivation of at least one of a plurality of sub-configurations by locating at least one field in the MAC CE for CSI reporting configuration and determining the activation or deactivation of at least one of the plurality of sub-configurations based on the value of the at least one field.

[0095] In some implementations, the location of at least one field may be based on at least one of the following: the activation or deactivation status of multiple CSI reporting configurations; the number of multiple sub-configurations or sets of sub-configurations of each of at least one of the multiple CSI reporting configurations; or the index or identifier of the CSI reporting configuration.

[0096] In some implementations, at least one field may be shared between at least one CSI reporting configuration and another of multiple CSI reporting configurations.

[0097] In some implementations, the terminal device 120 may determine the activation or deactivation of at least one of a plurality of sub-configurations by determining the activation or deactivation of at least one sub-configuration or set of sub-configurations based on at least one field and a threshold, such that the number of activated sub-configurations or sets of sub-configurations is equal to or less than the threshold.

[0098] In some implementations, activation or deactivation of at least one of a plurality of sub-configurations may indicate whether at least one sub-configuration is applicable or not applicable.

[0099] In some implementations, a sub-configuration among multiple sub-configurations may correspond to or be associated with at least one of the following: spatial mode; power level; energy level; CSI reference signal (RS) resource; CSI-RS resource set; resource settings; CSI report configuration; codebook configuration; or CSI trigger state.

[0100] In some implementations, CSI reporting configuration can be used for semi-persistent CSI reporting on the Physical Uplink Control Channel (PUCCH).

[0101] Figure 6 Another flowchart illustrating an example method implemented at a network device according to some embodiments of the present disclosure is shown. For ease of understanding, method 600 will refer to Figure 1 This is described from the perspective of network device 110.

[0102] At block 610, network device 110 generates a Media Access Control (MAC) control element (MAC CE) including at least one field for the CSI report configuration based on the activation or deactivation of at least one of a plurality of sub-configurations of the Channel State Information (CSI) report configuration. At block 620, network device 110 transmits the MAC CE to the terminal device.

[0103] In some implementations, at least one field may indicate an index of a sub-configuration or set of sub-configurations to be activated or deactivated among a plurality of sub-configurations. Alternatively, at least one field may include a bitmap for the plurality of sub-configurations. Bits in the bitmap indicate the activation or deactivation status of a sub-configuration or set of sub-configurations among the plurality of sub-configurations. Alternatively, at least one field may indicate the number of sub-configurations to be activated or deactivated among the plurality of sub-configurations.

[0104] In some implementations, the size of at least one field may be based on the number of multiple sub-configurations or sets of sub-configurations in the CSI report configuration.

[0105] In some embodiments, the MAC CE may further include activation or deactivation states of multiple CSI report configurations configured at the terminal device. In some embodiments, the activation or deactivation states of the multiple CSI report configurations may be included in at least one octet. Alternatively, at least one field may include at least one reserved bit of at least one octet. Alternatively, at least one field may include at least one bit other than at least one octet. Alternatively, at least one field may include at least one additional octet in addition to at least one octet.

[0106] In some implementations, the location of at least one field may be based on at least one of the following: the activation or deactivation status of multiple CSI reporting configurations; the number of multiple sub-configurations or sets of sub-configurations for each of at least one of the multiple CSI reporting configurations; or the index or identifier of the CSI reporting configuration.

[0107] In some implementations, at least one field may be shared between at least one CSI reporting configuration and another of multiple CSI reporting configurations.

[0108] In some implementations, activation or deactivation of at least one of a plurality of sub-configurations may indicate whether at least one sub-configuration is applicable or not applicable.

[0109] In some implementations, a sub-configuration among multiple sub-configurations may correspond to or be associated with at least one of the following: spatial mode; power level; energy level; CSI reference signal (RS) resource; CSI-RS resource set; resource settings; CSI report configuration; codebook configuration; or CSI trigger state.

[0110] In some implementations, CSI reporting configuration can be used for semi-persistent CSI reporting on the Physical Uplink Control Channel (PUCCH).

[0111] In some embodiments, the device capable of performing method 500 (e.g., terminal device 120) may include components for performing the corresponding steps of method 500. These components may be implemented in any suitable form. For example, they may be implemented using a circuit system or a software module.

[0112] In some example embodiments, the device includes: a component for receiving at a terminal device a Media Access Control (MAC) Control Element (MAC CE) including at least one field for Channel State Information (CSI) Report Configuration, wherein the CSI Report Configuration includes a plurality of sub-configurations; and a component for determining the activation or deactivation of at least one of the plurality of sub-configurations based at least on at least one field in the MAC CE.

[0113] In some implementations, at least one field may indicate an index to a set of sub-configurations or sub-configurations to be activated or deactivated among multiple sub-configurations.

[0114] Alternatively, at least one field may include a bitmap for multiple sub-configurations. Bits in the bitmap indicate the activation or deactivation status of a sub-configuration or set of sub-configurations.

[0115] Alternatively, at least one field may indicate the number of sub-configurations to be activated or deactivated among the plurality of sub-configurations. The device may further include a component for determining the index of at least one sub-configuration to be activated or deactivated among the plurality of sub-configurations based on the indicated number and the defined order of the indices of the plurality of sub-configurations.

[0116] In some implementations, the size of at least one field may be based on the number of multiple sub-configurations or sets of sub-configurations in the CSI report configuration.

[0117] In some embodiments, the MAC CE may further include activation or deactivation states of multiple CSI report configurations configured at the terminal device. In some embodiments, the activation or deactivation states of the multiple CSI report configurations may be included in at least one octet. Alternatively, at least one field may include at least one reserved bit of at least one octet. Alternatively, at least one field may include at least one bit other than at least one octet. Alternatively, at least one field may include at least one additional octet in addition to at least one octet.

[0118] In some implementations, the component for determining the activation or deactivation of at least one of a plurality of sub-configurations may include a component for determining the deactivation of a plurality of sub-configurations of the CSI reporting configuration based on determining that the CSI reporting configuration has a deactivation state.

[0119] In some implementations, the component for determining the activation or deactivation of at least one of a plurality of sub-configurations may include a component for determining the activation or deactivation of at least one of the plurality of sub-configurations based on at least one field in the MAC CE based on determining that the CSI report configuration has an activation status.

[0120] In some implementations, the components for determining the activation or deactivation of at least one of a plurality of sub-configurations may include components for locating at least one field in the MAC CE for the CSI reporting configuration and components for determining the activation or deactivation of at least one of the plurality of sub-configurations based on the value of at least one field.

[0121] In some implementations, the location of at least one field may be based on at least one of the following: the activation or deactivation status of multiple CSI reporting configurations; the number of multiple sub-configurations or sets of sub-configurations of each of at least one of the multiple CSI reporting configurations; or the index or identifier of the CSI reporting configuration.

[0122] In some implementations, at least one field may be shared between at least one CSI reporting configuration and another of multiple CSI reporting configurations.

[0123] In some implementations, the component for locating at least one field for CSI reporting configuration in the MAC CE may include a component for determining the activation or deactivation of at least one subconfiguration or set of subconfigurations based on at least one field and a threshold, such that the number of activated subconfigurations or sets of subconfigurations is equal to or less than the threshold.

[0124] In some implementations, activation or deactivation of at least one of a plurality of sub-configurations may indicate whether at least one sub-configuration is applicable or not applicable.

[0125] In some implementations, a sub-configuration among multiple sub-configurations may correspond to or be associated with at least one of the following: spatial mode; power level; energy level; CSI reference signal (RS) resource; CSI-RS resource set; resource settings; CSI report configuration; codebook configuration; CSI trigger state.

[0126] In some implementations, CSI reporting configuration can be used for semi-persistent CSI reporting on the Physical Uplink Control Channel (PUCCH).

[0127] In some embodiments, the device further includes components for performing other steps of some embodiments of method 500. In some embodiments, the components include at least one processor and at least one memory, the at least one memory including computer program code, the at least one memory and the computer program code being configured to utilize the at least one processor to cause the performance of the device.

[0128] In some embodiments, a device capable of performing method 600 (e.g., network device 110) may include components for performing the corresponding steps of method 600. These components may be implemented in any suitable form. For example, they may be implemented using a circuit system or a software module.

[0129] In some example implementations, the device includes: a component for generating a Media Access Control (MAC) Control Element (MAC CE) including at least one field for the CSI report configuration based on activation or deactivation of at least one of a plurality of sub-configurations of a Channel State Information (CSI) report configuration at a network device; and a component for transmitting the MAC CE to a terminal device.

[0130] In some implementations, at least one field may indicate an index of a sub-configuration or set of sub-configurations to be activated or deactivated among a plurality of sub-configurations. Alternatively, at least one field may include a bitmap for the plurality of sub-configurations. Bits in the bitmap indicate the activation or deactivation status of a sub-configuration or set of sub-configurations among the plurality of sub-configurations. Alternatively, at least one field may indicate the number of sub-configurations to be activated or deactivated among the plurality of sub-configurations.

[0131] In some implementations, the size of at least one field may be based on the number of multiple sub-configurations or sets of sub-configurations in the CSI report configuration.

[0132] In some embodiments, the MAC CE may further include activation or deactivation states of multiple CSI report configurations configured at the terminal device. In some embodiments, the activation or deactivation states of the multiple CSI report configurations may be included in at least one octet. Alternatively, at least one field may include at least one reserved bit of at least one octet. Alternatively, at least one field may include at least one bit other than at least one octet. Alternatively, at least one field may include at least one additional octet in addition to at least one octet.

[0133] In some implementations, the location of at least one field may be based on at least one of the following: the activation or deactivation status of multiple CSI reporting configurations; the number of multiple sub-configurations or sets of sub-configurations for each of at least one of the multiple CSI reporting configurations; or the index or identifier of the CSI reporting configuration.

[0134] In some implementations, at least one field may be shared between at least one CSI reporting configuration and another of multiple CSI reporting configurations.

[0135] In some implementations, activation or deactivation of at least one of a plurality of sub-configurations may indicate whether at least one sub-configuration is applicable or not applicable.

[0136] In some implementations, a sub-configuration among multiple sub-configurations may correspond to or be associated with at least one of the following: spatial mode; power level; energy level; CSI reference signal (RS) resource; CSI-RS resource set; resource settings; CSI report configuration; codebook configuration; or CSI trigger state.

[0137] In some implementations, CSI reporting configuration can be used for semi-persistent CSI reporting on the Physical Uplink Control Channel (PUCCH).

[0138] In some embodiments, the device further includes components for performing other steps of some embodiments of method 600. In some embodiments, the components include at least one processor and at least one memory, the at least one memory including computer program code, the at least one memory and the computer program code being configured to utilize the at least one processor to cause the performance of the device.

[0139] Figure 7 A simplified block diagram of apparatus 700 suitable for implementing some example embodiments of the present disclosure is shown. Apparatus 700 can be provided to implement communication devices, such as… Figure 1 The network device 110 or terminal device 120 shown is illustrated. As shown, device 700 includes one or more processors 710, one or more memories 720 coupled to processor 710, and one or more communication modules 740 coupled to processor 710.

[0140] The communication module 740 is used for bidirectional communication. The communication module 740 has at least one antenna to facilitate communication. The communication interface can represent any interface necessary for communication with other network elements.

[0141] As a non-limiting example, processor 710 can be of any type suitable for a local area network and may include 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. Device 700 may have multiple processors, such as application-specific integrated circuit chips whose timing is controlled by a clock that synchronizes the main processor.

[0142] Memory 720 may include one or more non-volatile memories and one or more volatile memories. Examples of non-volatile memories include, but are not limited to, read-only memory (ROM) 724, electrically programmable read-only memory (EPROM), flash memory, hard disk, optical disc (CD), digital video disc (DVD), and other magnetic and / or optical storage devices. Examples of volatile memories include, but are not limited to, random access memory (RAM) 722 and other volatile memories that do not persist during power-off periods.

[0143] Computer program 730 includes computer-executable instructions that are executed by an associated processor 710. Program 730 may be stored in ROM 724. Processor 710 may perform any suitable actions and processes by loading program 730 into RAM 722.

[0144] The embodiments of this disclosure can be implemented by means of program 730, such that device 700 can perform as described in the reference. Figure 3 , Figure 5 and Figure 6Any process discussed in this disclosure. Embodiments of this disclosure may also be implemented in hardware or by a combination of software and hardware.

[0145] In some example embodiments, program 730 may be tangibly contained in a computer-readable medium (such as in memory 720) that may be included in device 700 or in other storage devices accessible by device 700. Device 700 may load program 730 from the computer-readable medium into RAM 722 for execution. The computer-readable medium may include any type of tangible non-volatile storage device, such as ROM, EPROM, flash memory, hard disk, CD, DVD, etc.

[0146] Figure 8 A block diagram of an example computer-readable medium 600 according to some example embodiments of the present disclosure is shown. A program 730 is stored on the computer-readable medium 600. It should be noted that, although... Figure 8 The computer-readable medium 800 is depicted in the form of a CD or DVD, but the computer-readable medium 800 may also be in any other form suitable for carrying or storing the program 730.

[0147] In general, various embodiments of this disclosure can be implemented using hardware or special-purpose circuitry, software, logic, or any combination thereof. Some aspects can be implemented using hardware, while others can be implemented using firmware or software executable by a controller, microprocessor, or other computing device. Although aspects of embodiments of this disclosure are illustrated and described as block diagrams, flowcharts, or represented using some other diagrammatic representation, it will be understood that the blocks, devices, systems, techniques, or methods described herein can be implemented as non-limiting examples using hardware, software, firmware, special-purpose circuitry or logic, general-purpose hardware or controllers or other computing devices, or any combination thereof.

[0148] This disclosure also provides at least one computer program product tangibly stored on a non-transitory computer-readable storage medium. The computer program product includes computer-executable instructions, such as computer-executable instructions included in a program module, which execute in a device on a target real or virtual processor to perform the above references. Figure 3 , Figure 5 or Figure 6The described process or method is 300, 500, or 600. Generally, a program module includes routines, programs, libraries, objects, classes, components, data structures, etc., that perform specific tasks or implement specific abstract data types. In various implementation schemes, the functionality of program modules can be combined or separated as needed. The machine-executable instructions used in a program module can be executed on a local device or a distributed device. In a distributed device, the program module can reside on both local storage media and remote storage media.

[0149] Program code for performing the methods of this disclosure may be written in any combination of one or more programming languages. This program code may be provided to a processor or controller of a general-purpose computer, special-purpose computer, or other programmable data processing apparatus, such that, when executed by said processor or controller, the program code causes the functions / operations specified in the flowcharts and / or block diagrams to be implemented. The program code may be executed entirely on a machine, partially on a machine, as a stand-alone software package, partially on a machine and partially on a remote machine, or entirely on a remote machine or server.

[0150] In the context of this disclosure, computer program code or related data can be carried on any suitable carrier to enable an apparatus, device, or processor to perform the various processes and operations described above. Examples of carriers include signals, computer-readable media, etc.

[0151] Computer-readable media can be computer-readable signal media or computer-readable storage media. Computer-readable media can include, but is not limited to, electronic, magnetic, optical, electromagnetic, infrared, or semiconductor systems, devices, or apparatuses, or any suitable combination of the foregoing. More specific examples of computer-readable storage media will include: electrical connections having one or more wires, portable computer disks, hard disks, random access memory (RAM), read-only memory (ROM), erasable programmable read-only memory (EPROM or flash memory), optical fiber, portable compact disc read-only memory (CD-ROM), optical storage devices, magnetic storage devices, or any suitable combination of the foregoing. As used herein, the term "non-transitory" refers to a limitation on the medium itself (i.e., tangible, not signaling), and not on the persistence of data storage (e.g., RAM versus ROM).

[0152] Furthermore, although operations are described in a specific order, this should not be construed as requiring such operations to be performed in the specific order shown or in a sequential order, or requiring all shown operations to achieve the desired result. In some cases, multitasking and parallel processing may be advantageous. Similarly, while several implementation details are included in the above discussion, these details should not be construed as limiting the scope of this disclosure, but rather as descriptions of features that may be specific to particular embodiments. Certain features described in the context of individual embodiments may also be implemented in combination in a single embodiment. Conversely, various features described in the context of a single embodiment may also be implemented individually or in any suitable sub-combination in multiple embodiments.

[0153] Although this disclosure has been described using language specific to structural features and / or methodological actions, it should be understood that the disclosure as defined in the appended claims is not necessarily limited to the specific features or actions described above. More precisely, the specific features and actions described above are disclosed as examples of implementing the claims.

Claims

1. A terminal device, comprising: At least one processor; as well as At least one memory, the at least one memory storing instructions, the instructions which, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the terminal device to at least: Receive a Media Access Control (MAC) Control Element (MAC CE) including at least one field for Channel State Information (CSI) report configuration, wherein the CSI report configuration includes multiple sub-configurations; as well as The activation or deactivation of at least one of the plurality of sub-configurations is determined based on at least one field in the MAC CE.

2. The terminal device of claim 1, wherein the at least one field indicates an index of the sub-configuration or set of sub-configurations to be activated or deactivated among the plurality of sub-configurations.

3. The terminal device of claim 1, wherein the at least one field includes a bitmap for the plurality of sub-configurations, and bits in the bitmap indicate the activation or deactivation state of a sub-configuration or set of sub-configurations among the plurality of sub-configurations.

4. The terminal device of claim 1, wherein the at least one field indicates the number of sub-configurations to be activated or deactivated among the plurality of sub-configurations, and wherein the terminal device is caused to determine the activation or deactivation of at least one of the plurality of sub-configurations by: The index of at least one sub-configuration to be activated or deactivated is determined based on the indicated quantity and the defined order of the indices of the plurality of sub-configurations.

5. The terminal device as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the size of the at least one field is based on the number of the plurality of sub-configurations or sets of sub-configurations configured in the CSI report.

6. The terminal device as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein the MAC CE further includes an activation or deactivation status configured in a plurality of CSI reports at the terminal device.

7. The terminal device of claim 6, wherein the activation or deactivation status configured in the plurality of CSI reports is included in at least one octet, wherein the at least one field includes at least one of the following: At least one reserved bit of the at least one octet; At least one bit other than the at least one octet; and At least one additional octet in addition to the aforementioned at least one octet.

8. The terminal device of claim 6 or 7, wherein the terminal device is caused to determine the activation or deactivation of at least one of the plurality of sub-configurations by: Based on the determination that the CSI report configuration has a deactivated state, the deactivation of the plurality of sub-configurations of the CSI report configuration is determined.

9. The terminal device of any one of claims 6 to 8, wherein the terminal device is caused to determine the activation or deactivation of at least one of the plurality of sub-configurations by: Based on determining that the CSI report configuration has an active state, the activation or deactivation of at least one of the plurality of sub-configurations is determined based on at least one field in the MAC CE.

10. The terminal device of any one of claims 6 to 9, wherein the terminal device is caused to determine the activation or deactivation of at least one of the plurality of sub-configurations by: Locate the at least one field in the MAC CE used for the CSI report configuration; and The activation or deactivation of at least one of the plurality of sub-configurations is determined based on the value of the at least one field.

11. The terminal device of claim 10, wherein the positioning of the at least one field is based on at least one of the following: The activation or deactivation status configured in the multiple CSI reports; The number of the plurality of sub-configurations or sets of sub-configurations for each of at least one of the plurality of CSI reporting configurations; or The index or identifier configured in the CSI report.

12. The terminal device of any one of claims 6 to 11, wherein the at least one field is shared at least between the CSI reporting configuration and another of the plurality of CSI reporting configurations.

13. The terminal device of any one of claims 1 to 12, wherein the terminal device is caused to determine the activation or deactivation of at least one of the plurality of sub-configurations by: The activation or deactivation of at least one sub-configuration or set of sub-configurations is determined based on the at least one field and the threshold, such that the number of activated sub-configurations or sets of sub-configurations is equal to or less than the threshold.

14. The terminal device according to any one of claims 1 to 13, wherein the activation or deactivation of at least one of the plurality of sub-configurations respectively indicates that the at least one sub-configuration is applicable or not applicable.

15. The terminal device according to any one of claims 1 to 14, wherein the sub-configuration of the plurality of sub-configurations corresponds to or is associated with at least one of the following: Spatial pattern; Power level; Energy level; CSI Reference Signal (RS) Resources; CSI-RS resource set; Resource settings; CSI report configuration; Codebook configuration; or CSI triggered state.

16. The terminal device of any one of claims 1 to 15, wherein the CSI report is configured for semi-persistent CSI reporting on the Physical Uplink Control Channel (PUCCH).

17. A network device, comprising: At least one processor; as well as At least one memory, the at least one memory storing instructions, the instructions causing the network device, when executed by the at least one processor, to at least: Based on the activation or deactivation of at least one of a plurality of sub-configurations of the Channel State Information (CSI) report configuration, a Media Access Control (MAC) control element (MAC CE) including at least one field for the CSI report configuration is generated; and The MAC CE is transmitted to the terminal device.

18. The network apparatus of claim 17, wherein the at least one field indicates an index of a sub-configuration or set of sub-configurations to be activated or deactivated among the plurality of sub-configurations.

19. The network apparatus of claim 17, wherein the at least one field includes a bitmap for the plurality of sub-configurations, and bits in the bitmap indicate an activation or deactivation state of a sub-configuration or set of sub-configurations among the plurality of sub-configurations.

20. The network apparatus of claim 17, wherein the at least one field indicates the number of sub-configurations to be activated or deactivated among the plurality of sub-configurations.

21. The network apparatus of any one of claims 17 to 20, wherein the size of the at least one field is based on the number of the plurality of sub-configurations or sets of sub-configurations configured in the CSI report.

22. The network apparatus of any one of claims 17 to 21, wherein the MAC CE further includes a plurality of CSI reports configured at the terminal device to indicate activation or deactivation status.

23. The network apparatus of any one of claims 17 to 22, wherein the activation or deactivation status configured in the plurality of CSI reports is included in at least one octet, wherein the at least one field includes at least one of the following: At least one reserved bit of the at least one octet; At least one bit other than the at least one octet; and At least one additional octet in addition to the aforementioned at least one octet.

24. The network apparatus of claim 23, wherein the position of the at least one field in the MAC CE is based on at least one of the following: The activation or deactivation status configured in the multiple CSI reports; The number of the plurality of sub-configurations or sets of sub-configurations for each of at least one of the plurality of CSI reporting configurations; or The index or identifier configured in the CSI report.

25. The device network of any one of claims 22 to 24, wherein the at least one field is shared at least between the CSI reporting configuration and another of the plurality of CSI reporting configurations.

26. The network apparatus of any one of claims 17 to 25, wherein the sub-configuration of the plurality of sub-configurations corresponds to or is associated with at least one of the following: Spatial pattern; Power level; Energy level; CSI Reference Signal (RS) Resources; CSI-RS resource set; Resource settings; CSI report configuration; Codebook configuration; or CSI triggered state.

27. The network apparatus of any one of claims 17 to 26, wherein the CSI report is configured for semi-persistent CSI reporting on the Physical Uplink Control Channel (PUCCH).

28. A method comprising: At the terminal device, a Media Access Control (MAC) Control Element (MAC CE) including at least one field for Channel State Information (CSI) report configuration is received, wherein the CSI report configuration includes multiple sub-configurations; as well as The activation or deactivation of at least one of the plurality of sub-configurations is determined based on at least one field in the MAC CE.

29. A method comprising: At the network device, activation or deactivation of at least one of a plurality of sub-configurations based on Channel State Information (CSI) report configuration generates a Media Access Control (MAC) control element (MAC CE) including at least one field for the CSI report configuration; and The MAC CE is transmitted to the terminal device.

30. An apparatus comprising: A component for receiving at a terminal device a Media Access Control (MAC) Control Element (MAC CE) including at least one field for Channel State Information (CSI) report configuration, wherein the CSI report configuration includes a plurality of sub-configurations; as well as A component used to determine the activation or deactivation of at least one of the plurality of sub-configurations based at least on at least one field in the MAC CE.

31. An apparatus comprising: A component for generating a Media Access Control (MAC) Control Element (MAC CE) including at least one field for the CSI report configuration by activating or deactivating at least one of a plurality of sub-configurations based on a Channel State Information (CSI) report configuration at a network device; as well as Components used to transmit the MAC CE to the terminal device.

32. A non-transitory computer-readable medium comprising program instructions that, when executed by a device, cause the device to perform at least the following: At the terminal device, a Media Access Control (MAC) control element (MAC CE) including at least one field for Channel State Information (CSI) report configuration is received, wherein the CSI report configuration includes multiple sub-configurations; and The activation or deactivation of at least one of the plurality of sub-configurations is determined based on at least one field in the MAC CE.

33. A non-transitory computer-readable medium comprising program instructions that, when executed by a device, cause the device to perform at least the following: At the network device, activation or deactivation of at least one of a plurality of sub-configurations based on Channel State Information (CSI) report configuration generates a Media Access Control (MAC) control element (MAC CE) including at least one field for the CSI report configuration; and The MAC CE is transmitted to the terminal device.

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