Channel quality reporting in communication system

Abstract

Embodiments of the invention relate to channel quality reporting in a communication system (500). The first communication device (100) determines a time sequence of channel quality magnitudes based on a measurement reference signal from the second communication device (300). The first communication device (100) quantizes the time sequence of channel quality magnitudes based on a quantization codebook selected by the first communication device (100). The first communication device (100) sends the quantized time sequence of channel quality magnitude values (520) and an indication of the selected quantized codebook (520) to the second communication device (300). Based on the indication (520) of the selected quantization codebook, the second communication device (300) may reconstruct the time sequence of channel quality magnitudes from the quantized time sequence of channel quality magnitudes (520). The invention further relates to a corresponding method and to a computer program.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to channel quality reporting between a first communication device and a second communication device. Furthermore, this invention also relates to corresponding methods and computer programs. Background Technology

[0002] Artificial intelligence (AI), and more precisely, machine learning (ML) methods, have proven their value across multiple fields, covering diverse problems including classification, regression, and interaction with dynamic environments. Given that some ML models can understand patterns and dependencies in data that are typically impossible to capture using traditional signal processing techniques, exploring the potential of these models in the air interface of wireless communication networks can yield significant performance gains.

[0003] Against this backdrop, 3GPP identified a research topic in Rel-18 – “Artificial Intelligence (AI) / Machine Learning (ML) Research for NR Air Interface” – to investigate the potential enhancements, performance improvements, general framework and standardization impacts of ML methods on the air interface in several important use cases, including beam management, channel state information (CSI) reporting and positioning performance enhancement.

[0004] For ML-based CSI augmentation, CSI compression and CSI prediction will be discussed. To achieve CSI compression with lower overhead and improve reconstruction accuracy, autoencoders can be considered. An AI / ML-based autoencoder model is a two-way model for AI / ML-based CSI feedback augmentation that can achieve higher compression ratios, thus reducing the payload while achieving the same or higher pre-encoder accuracy on the network side.

[0005] Furthermore, CSI enhancement schemes for ultra-reliable and low latency communication (URLLC) are discussed. In Rel-17, among other things, the work item “Support for NR in Enhanced Internet of Things (IoT) and Ultra-reliable and Low Latency Communication (URLLC)” also investigates physical layer feedback enhancements required to meet URLLC requirements, including user equipment (UE) feedback enhancements for hybrid automatic repeat request acknowledgment (HARQ-ACK) and CSI feedback enhancements to enable more accurate modulation and coding scheme (MCS) selection. Summary of the Invention

[0006] The purpose of this invention is to provide a solution that mitigates or solves the shortcomings and problems of traditional solutions.

[0007] Another objective of this invention is to provide a channel quality reporting scheme that reduces overhead.

[0008] The foregoing and other objectives are achieved through the subject matter of the independent claims. Further embodiments of the invention can be found in the dependent claims.

[0009] According to a first aspect of the invention, the above and other objectives are achieved by a first communication device for a communication system, the first communication device being used for:

[0010] Measure the reference signal received from the second communication device;

[0011] Determine the time series of channel quality values ​​based on the measured reference signal;

[0012] Quantization codebook selection based on channel quality value time series;

[0013] Based on the selected quantization codebook, the time series of channel quality values ​​is quantized;

[0014] Send a quantized time series of channel quality values ​​and an indication of the selected quantization codebook to the second communication device.

[0015] The advantage of the first communication device according to the first aspect is that it can report multiple values ​​of one or more channel quality parameters with reduced quantization errors and reporting overhead. The first communication device can report time series of measured or predicted channel quality parameters. Ultimately, this will shorten the timeline for acquiring relevant channel quality parameters. Considering different key performance indicators such as reliability, latency, and throughput, this can improve link adaptation.

[0016] In one implementation of the first communication device according to the first aspect, the first communication device is used for:

[0017] Receive measurement configuration from the second communication device, the measurement configuration indicating the channel quality quantity value to be determined and / or one or more quantization codebooks for channel quality time series quantization.

[0018] The advantage of this implementation is that the proposed method can be supported by limited updates to the CSI reporting configuration. Different channel quality time-series quantization codebooks can be configured as formats or other information elements in the CSI reporting configuration or other radio resource measurement configurations.

[0019] In one implementation of the first communication device according to the first aspect, the measurement configuration is the channel state information configuration in the radio resource control signal.

[0020] The advantage of this implementation is that the proposed method can be supported with limited impact on the standard.

[0021] In one implementation of the first communication device according to the first aspect, the channel quality value time series is a predicted channel quality value time series.

[0022] The advantage of this implementation is that it shortens the timeline for obtaining channel quality values ​​that are crucial for link adaptation. Ultimately, this can be used to perform more accurate MCS selection and adaptation by taking into account both predictions and other physical layer feedback (e.g., HARQ-ACK).

[0023] In one implementation of the first communication device according to the first aspect, the channel quality value time series is one or more of the following: a channel quality indication time series, a modulation and coding scheme time series, and a signal-to-interference-plus-noise ratio (SINR) time series.

[0024] The advantage of this implementation is that it can support different values ​​of the channel and interference conditions that can be captured, which affect latency, reliability and throughput.

[0025] In one implementation of the first communication device according to the first aspect, the selected quantization codebook includes a reference channel quality coefficient and a plurality of differential quantization coefficients, each differential quantization coefficient corresponding to a subband within a prediction time step or a prediction time step and a reporting bandwidth.

[0026] The advantage of this implementation is that it can simultaneously support both wideband and frequency-selective metrics, such as wideband and frequency-selective channel quality indicators (CQIs). Furthermore, using differential quantization relative to reference coefficients can reduce the overall overhead required to report time series of channel quality metrics.

[0027] In one implementation of the first communication device according to the first aspect, the first communication device is used for:

[0028] Select a quantization codebook from multiple quantization codebooks.

[0029] The advantage of this implementation is that the first communication device can select a quantization codebook capable of achieving the most accurate time-series quantization. Depending on the characteristics of the predicted or measured channel quality time series, the optimal quantization codebook for quantization in terms of accuracy will vary. By selecting an appropriate quantization codebook, the first communication device can reduce quantization errors, thereby providing accurate channel quality reporting.

[0030] In one implementation of the first communication device according to the first aspect, each of the plurality of quantization codebooks represents a different quantization level of channel quality value and / or a different prediction time step sampling rate.

[0031] The advantage of this implementation is that it can support different interference and channel conditions. The proposed quantization codebook design can accurately quantize time series of channel quality values ​​with different characteristics (dynamic range, periodicity, etc.).

[0032] In one implementation of the first communication device according to the first aspect, the first communication device is used for:

[0033] For each of the multiple quantization codebooks, a quantization codebook is selected from the multiple quantization codebooks based on one or more of the following: the time-domain characteristics of the channel quality value time series, the dynamic range of the channel quality value time series, and / or the precision of the quantized channel quality value time series.

[0034] The advantage of this implementation is that it considers the different characteristics of the channel quality value time series, such as dynamic range, periodicity, and temporal correlation, during the selection of an appropriate quantization codebook. By designing each quantization codebook for specific time series characteristics, the quantization codebook selection of the first communication device can minimize quantization error.

[0035] In one implementation of the first communication device according to the first aspect, the indication of the quantization codebook is a quantization codebook index.

[0036] The advantage of this implementation is that, since the second communication device can derive the quantization codebook used by the first communication device, the reported channel quality value time series can be decoded unambiguously.

[0037] In one implementation of the first communication device according to the first aspect, the quantization codebook index is in bit format. The quantization codebook index may be in bitmap or combined indicator format.

[0038] The advantage of this implementation is that it requires minimal overhead to indicate the quantization codebook.

[0039] In one implementation of the first communication device according to the first aspect, the first communication device is used for:

[0040] The first control signal transmits a quantized time series of channel quality values ​​and an indication of the quantization codebook; or

[0041] The quantized channel quality time series and the indication of the quantization codebook are transmitted in the first control signal and the second control signal, respectively.

[0042] The advantage of this implementation is that it can support different uplink reporting resources. Furthermore, one or two parts of uplink control information can be used during reporting. This provides flexibility in defining reporting resources, thereby reducing the likelihood of reports being dropped.

[0043] In one implementation of the first communication device according to the first aspect, the first control signal and the second control signal are uplink control information or media access control control units.

[0044] The advantage of this implementation is that it can use uplink control information on the physical uplink shared channel (PUSCH) or the physical uplink control channel (PUCCH). Furthermore, it can use the uplink media access control unit to reduce restrictions on multiplexing within the UE.

[0045] According to a second aspect of the invention, the above and other objectives are achieved by a second communication device for a communication system, the second communication device being used for:

[0046] Send a reference signal to the first communication device;

[0047] The first communication device receives a quantized channel quality time series and an indication of a quantization codebook. The quantized channel quality time series includes a channel quality time series quantized based on the indicated quantization codebook, which represents the channel quality value of a reference signal.

[0048] The advantage of the second communication device according to the second aspect is that it can acquire channel quality values ​​with limited overhead within a reasonable timeframe. The acquired channel quality values ​​can be a time series of measured or predicted channel quality values. Ultimately, this shortens the timeframe for acquiring relevant channel quality values. Considering different key performance indicators such as reliability, latency, and throughput, this can improve link adaptation.

[0049] In one implementation of the second communication device according to the second aspect, the second communication device is used for:

[0050] The channel quality time series is reconstructed based on the quantized channel quality time series and the indicated quantization codebook.

[0051] The advantage of this implementation is that the second communication device can use the appropriate quantization codebook unambiguously during report decoding.

[0052] In one implementation of the second communication device according to the second aspect, the second communication device is used for:

[0053] Channel quality time series are reconstructed based on interpolation and / or extrapolation of quantized channel quality time series.

[0054] The advantage of this implementation is that the second communication device can use the reported time series as input to interpolation and / or extrapolation algorithms, thereby enabling the approximation of the channel quality value at each time step during scheduling.

[0055] In one implementation of the second communication device according to the second aspect, the second communication device is used for:

[0056] Send a measurement configuration to the first communication device, the measurement configuration indicating the channel quality value to be determined and / or one or more quantization codebooks for channel quality time series quantization.

[0057] The advantage of this implementation is that the proposed method can be supported by limited updates or modifications to the CSI reporting configuration. Different channel quality time-series quantization codebooks can be configured as formats or other information elements in the CSI reporting configuration or other radio resource measurement configurations.

[0058] In one implementation of the second communication device according to the second aspect, the measurement configuration is the channel state information configuration in the radio resource control signal.

[0059] The advantage of this implementation is that the proposed method can be supported with limited impact on the standard.

[0060] In one implementation of the second communication device according to the second aspect, the channel quality value time series is a predicted channel quality value time series.

[0061] The advantage of this implementation is that it shortens the timeline for obtaining channel quality values ​​that are crucial for link adaptation. Ultimately, this can be used to perform more accurate MCS selection and adaptation by taking into account both predictions and other physical layer feedback (e.g., HARQ-ACK).

[0062] In one implementation of the second communication device according to the second aspect, the channel quality time series is one or more of the following: a channel quality indication time series, a modulation and coding scheme time series, and a signal-to-interference-plus-noise ratio (SINR) time series.

[0063] The advantage of this implementation is that it can support different values ​​of the channel and interference conditions that can be captured, which affect latency, reliability and throughput.

[0064] In one implementation of the second communication device according to the second aspect, the indicated quantization codebook includes a reference channel quality coefficient and a plurality of differential quantization coefficients, each differential quantization coefficient corresponding to a subband within a prediction time step or a prediction time step and a reporting bandwidth.

[0065] The advantage of this implementation is that it can simultaneously support both wideband and frequency-selective metrics, such as wideband and frequency-selective CQI. Furthermore, utilizing differential quantization relative to the reference coefficients reduces the overall overhead required for reporting channel quality time series values.

[0066] In one implementation of the second communication device according to the second aspect, the indication of the quantization codebook is a quantization codebook index.

[0067] The advantage of this implementation is that, since the second communication device can derive the quantization codebook used by the first communication device, the reported channel quality value time series can be decoded unambiguously.

[0068] In one implementation of the second communication device according to the second aspect, the quantization codebook index is in bit format. The quantization codebook index may be in bitmap or combined indicator format.

[0069] The advantage of this implementation is that it requires minimal overhead to indicate the quantization codebook.

[0070] In one implementation of the second communication device according to the second aspect, the second communication device is used for:

[0071] The first control signal receives a quantized time series of channel quality values ​​and an indication of the quantization codebook; or

[0072] The quantized channel quality time series and the indication of the quantization codebook are received in the first control signal and the second control signal, respectively.

[0073] The advantage of this implementation is that it can support different uplink reporting resources. Furthermore, one or two parts of uplink control information can be used during reporting. This provides flexibility in defining reporting resources, thereby reducing the likelihood of reports being dropped.

[0074] In one implementation of the second communication device according to the second aspect, the first control signal and the second control signal are uplink control information or media access control control units.

[0075] The advantage of this implementation is that it can use uplink control information on the PUSCH or PUCCH. Furthermore, it can use the uplink media access control unit to reduce restrictions on multiplexing within the UE.

[0076] According to a third aspect of the invention, the above and other objectives are achieved by a method for a first communication device, the method comprising:

[0077] Measure the reference signal received from the second communication device;

[0078] Determine the time series of channel quality values ​​based on the measured reference signal;

[0079] Quantization codebook selection based on channel quality value time series;

[0080] Based on the selected quantization codebook, the time series of channel quality values ​​is quantized;

[0081] Send a quantized time series of channel quality values ​​and an indication of the selected quantization codebook to the second communication device.

[0082] The method according to the third aspect can be extended to an implementation corresponding to the implementation of the first communication device according to the first aspect. Therefore, the implementation of the method includes one or more features of the corresponding implementation of the first communication device.

[0083] The advantages of the method according to the third aspect are the same as the advantages of the corresponding implementation of the first communication device according to the first aspect.

[0084] According to a fourth aspect of the invention, the above and other objectives are achieved by a method for a second communication device, the method comprising:

[0085] Send a reference signal to the first communication device;

[0086] The first communication device receives a quantized channel quality time series and an indication of a quantization codebook. The quantized channel quality time series includes a channel quality time series quantized based on the indicated quantization codebook, which represents the channel quality value of a reference signal.

[0087] The method according to the fourth aspect can be extended to an implementation corresponding to the implementation of the second communication device according to the second aspect. Therefore, the implementation of the method includes one or more features of the corresponding implementation of the second communication device.

[0088] The advantages of the method according to the fourth aspect are the same as the advantages of the corresponding implementation of the second communication device according to the second aspect.

[0089] This invention also relates to a computer program, characterized by including program code, which, when run by at least one processor, causes the at least one processor to perform any method according to embodiments of the invention. Furthermore, this invention also relates to a computer program product comprising a computer-readable medium and a computer program, the computer program being contained in the computer-readable medium and potentially including one or more of the following: read-only memory (ROM), programmable ROM (PROM), erasable PROM (EPROM), flash memory, electrically erasable PROM (EEPROM), hard disk drive, etc.

[0090] Other applications and advantages of the embodiments of the present invention will become apparent from the following detailed description. Attached Figure Description

[0091] The accompanying drawings are intended to illustrate and explain different embodiments of the invention, in which:

[0092] Figure 1 A first communication device according to an embodiment of the present invention is shown;

[0093] Figure 2 A flowchart of a method for a first communication device according to an embodiment of the present invention is shown;

[0094] Figure 3 A second communication device according to an embodiment of the present invention is shown;

[0095] Figure 4 A flowchart of a method for a second communication device according to an embodiment of the present invention is shown;

[0096] Figure 5 A communication system according to an embodiment of the present invention is shown;

[0097] Figure 6 Signaling for channel quality reporting according to an embodiment of the present invention is shown;

[0098] Figure 7 Signaling for channel quality reporting in a 3GPP context is illustrated according to an embodiment of the present invention. Detailed Implementation

[0099] CSI prediction has been proposed as a solution to enhance link adaptation, suitable for service scenarios with strict reliability and latency requirements. By predicting CSIs such as Channel Quality Indicator (CQI) and Modulation Coding Scheme (MCS), the problems caused by CSI timing can be at least partially solved. However, to date, the industry generally uses self-contained CSI reporting, without a clear time-domain prediction, and there is still no consensus on the specific feedback format or method for reporting predicted CSIs.

[0100] Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT) services are a type of service with stringent latency and reliability requirements. In IIoT scenarios, movement patterns are often predictable, especially in factory settings. For example, robots and machinery used in manufacturing typically follow predefined movement paths, such as moving products / materials from one location in the manufacturing chain to another. In 3GPP Rel-17's work item "Enhanced Industrial Internet of Things (IoT) and URLLC," CSI (Content Streaming Injection) enhancement schemes for IIoT scenarios have been discussed, and outer loop link adaptation (OLLA) and MCS (Multi-Site Selection) enhancement schemes have been proposed. Furthermore, CSI timing enhancement has also been highlighted as an important aspect of addressing low-latency traffic patterns.

[0101] One method to achieve enhanced MCS selection while reducing the latency of CQI acquisition on the network side is to perform CQI / MCS prediction at the UE and report the predicted CQI / MCS coefficients.

[0102] Therefore, according to embodiments of the present invention, a channel quality reporting scheme is provided, which can be used to measure and report predicted channel quality values ​​while maintaining reasonable reporting overhead and accuracy.

[0103] Figure 1 A first communication device 100 according to an embodiment of the present invention is shown, the first communication device 100 being a client device. Figure 1 In the illustrated embodiment, the first communication device 100 includes a processor 102, a transceiver 104, and a memory 106. The processor 102 is coupled to the transceiver 104 and the memory 106 via a communication device 108 known in the art. The first communication device 100 also includes an antenna or antenna array 110 coupled to the transceiver 104, indicating that the first communication device 100 is configured for wireless communication in a communication system.

[0104] Processor 102 may be referred to as one or more general-purpose central processing units (CPUs), one or more digital signal processors (DSPs), one or more application-specific integrated circuits (ASICs), one or more field-programmable gate arrays (FPGAs), one or more programmable logic devices, one or more discrete gates, one or more transistor logic devices, one or more discrete hardware components, or one or more chipsets. Memory 106 may be read-only memory, random access memory (RAM), or non-volatile RAM (NVRAM). Transceiver 104 may be transceiver circuitry, a power controller, or an interface providing the ability to communicate with other communication modules or communication devices (e.g., network nodes and network servers). Transceiver 104, memory 106, and / or processor 102 may be implemented in separate chipsets or in a common chipset.

[0105] The first communication device 100 is used to perform certain actions. In this invention, the first communication device 100 includes suitable means for performing these actions, such as, for example, a processor 102 and a transceiver 104.

[0106] According to an embodiment of the present invention, a first communication device 100 is configured to measure a reference signal 510 received from a second communication device 300, and determine a channel quality quantity time series based on the measured reference signal. The first communication device 100 is further configured to select a quantization codebook based on the channel quality quantity time series, and quantize the channel quality quantity time series based on the selected quantization codebook. Furthermore, the first communication device 100 is configured to transmit the quantized channel quality quantity time series 520 and an indication 520' of the selected quantization codebook to the second communication device 300.

[0107] Furthermore, in one embodiment of the present invention, a first communication device 100 for a communication system 500 includes: a transceiver configured to: measure a reference signal 510 received from a second communication device 300; a processor configured to: determine a channel quality quantity time series based on the measured reference signal; select a quantization codebook based on the channel quality quantity time series; and quantize the channel quality quantity time series based on the selected quantization codebook; and a transceiver configured to: transmit the quantized channel quality quantity time series 520 and an indication 520' of the selected quantization codebook to the second communication device 300.

[0108] Furthermore, in another embodiment of the invention, a first communication 100 for a communication system 500 includes a processor and a memory having computer-readable instructions stored thereon, which, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to: measure a reference signal 510 received from a second communication device 300; determine a channel quality quantity time series based on the measured reference signal; select a quantization codebook based on the channel quality quantity time series; quantize the channel quality quantity time series based on the selected quantization codebook; and transmit the quantized channel quality quantity time series 520 and an indication 520' of the selected quantization codebook to the second communication device 300.

[0109] Figure 2 This illustrates that communication can be performed in the first communication device 100 (e.g., Figure 1 The flowchart shows the corresponding method 200 performed in the first communication device 100. Method 200 includes: measuring (202) a reference signal 510 received from the second communication device 300; determining (204) a channel quality value time series based on the measured reference signal; selecting (206) a quantization codebook based on the channel quality value time series; quantizing (208) the channel quality value time series based on the selected quantization codebook; and sending (210) the quantized channel quality value time series 520 and an indication 520' of the selected quantization codebook to the second communication device 300.

[0110] Figure 3A second communication device 300 according to an embodiment of the present invention is shown, which is a network access node. However, the second communication device 300 is not limited thereto; in the embodiment, it may also be a client device, for example, Figure 1 The client devices shown, etc. In Figure 3 In the illustrated embodiment, the second communication device 300 includes a processor 302, a transceiver 304, and a memory 306. The processor 302 is coupled to the transceiver 304 and the memory 306 via a communication device 308 known in the art. The second communication device 300 can be used for wireless and / or wired communication in a communication system. Wireless communication capability can be provided using an antenna or antenna array 310 coupled to the transceiver 304, while wired communication capability can be provided, for example, using a wired communication interface 312 coupled to the transceiver 304.

[0111] Processor 302 may be referred to as one or more general-purpose CPUs, one or more DSPs, one or more ASICs, one or more FPGAs, one or more programmable logic devices, one or more discrete gates, one or more transistor logic devices, one or more discrete hardware components, or one or more chipsets. Memory 306 may be read-only memory, RAM, or NVRAM. Transceiver 304 may be transceiver circuitry, a power controller, or an interface providing the ability to communicate with other communication modules or communication devices. Transceiver 304, memory 306, and / or processor 302 may be implemented in separate chipsets or in a common chipset.

[0112] The second communication device 300 is used to perform certain actions. In this invention, the second communication device 300 includes suitable means for performing these actions, such as, for example, a processor 302 and a transceiver 304.

[0113] According to an embodiment of the present invention, the second communication device 300 is configured to transmit a reference signal 510 to the first communication device 100; and receive from the first communication device 100 a quantized channel quality value time sequence 520 and an indication 520' of a quantization codebook, wherein the quantized channel quality value time sequence 520 includes a channel quality value time sequence quantized based on the indicated quantization codebook, and the channel quality value time sequence represents the channel quality value of the reference signal 510.

[0114] Furthermore, in one embodiment of the present invention, a second communication device 300 for a communication system 500 includes: a transceiver configured to: transmit a reference signal 510 to a first communication device 100; and receive from the first communication device 100 a quantized channel quality value time sequence 520 and an indication 520' of a quantization codebook, the quantized channel quality value time sequence 520 including a channel quality value time sequence quantized based on the indicated quantization codebook, the channel quality value time sequence representing the channel quality value of the reference signal 510.

[0115] Furthermore, in yet another embodiment of the invention, a second communication device 300 for the communication system 500 includes a processor and a memory having computer-readable instructions stored thereon, which, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to: transmit a reference signal 510 to the first communication device 100; and receive from the first communication device 100 a quantized channel quality value time sequence 520 and an indication 520' of a quantization codebook, the quantized channel quality value time sequence 520 including a channel quality value time sequence quantized based on the indicated quantization codebook, the channel quality value time sequence representing the channel quality value of the reference signal 510.

[0116] Figure 4 This illustrates that a second communication device 300 (e.g., Figure 3 The flowchart shows the corresponding method 400 executed in the second communication device 300 shown. Method 400 includes: sending (402) a reference signal 510 to the first communication device 100; receiving (404) a quantized channel quality value time series 520 and an indication 520' of a quantization codebook from the first communication device 100, the quantized channel quality value time series 520 including a channel quality value time series quantized based on the indicated quantization codebook, the channel quality value time series representing the channel quality value of the reference signal 510.

[0117] Figure 5A communication system 500 according to an embodiment of the present invention is illustrated. The communication system 500 in the disclosed embodiment includes a first communication device 100 and a second communication device 300 for communication and operation within the communication system 500. In the illustrated embodiment, the first communication device 100 is configured as a client device, and the second communication device 300 is configured as a network access node. However, in this embodiment, the second communication device 300 may be configured as a client device. The second communication device 300, acting as a network access node, can be connected to a network (NW), such as, for example, a core network, via a communication interface. The communication system 500 may be a communication system according to 3GPP standards, such as, for example, a 5G system, in which case the client device may be a UE, and the network access node may be a next-generation base station (gNB), but the invention is not limited thereto.

[0118] The first communication device 100 and the second communication device 300 communicate with each other via wireless channels. Depending on whether the first communication device 100 and the second communication device 300 are client devices and / or network access nodes, these wireless channels can be used for one or more of uplink, downlink, and sidelink communication. In the case of a 5G system, uplink / downlink communication can be performed via the Uu interface, while sidelink communication is performed via the PC5 interface.

[0119] This embodiment of the invention enables a first communication device 100 to determine a time series of channel quality parameters and, based on quantization, to efficiently report this time series of channel quality parameters to a second communication device 300. (See reference...) Figure 5 The first communication device 100 determines a channel quality value time series based on measurements of a reference signal 510 received from the second communication device 300. The first communication device 100 quantizes the channel quality value time series based on a selected quantization codebook and sends the quantized channel quality value time series 520 and an indication 520' of the selected quantization codebook to the second communication device 300. The indication 520' of the selected quantization codebook enables the second communication device 300 to reconstruct the channel quality value time series from the received quantized channel quality value time series 520.

[0120] Figure 6 Signaling for channel quality reporting between a first communication device 100 and a second communication device 300 according to an embodiment of the present invention is shown.

[0121] exist Figure 6In step I, the second communication device 300 sends a measurement configuration 530 to the first communication device 100. The measurement configuration 530 indicates the channel quality quantity value to be determined and / or one or more quantization codebooks for channel quality time series quantization. The first communication device 100 receives the measurement configuration 530 from the second communication device 300 and thus acquires the channel quality quantity value to be determined and / or one or more quantization codebooks for channel quality time series quantization indicated in the measurement configuration 530. The first communication device 100 can... Figure 6 This information is used in steps III through V.

[0122] In an embodiment, measurement configuration 530 may be a CSI configuration in a radio resource control (RRC) signal. For example, measurement configuration 530 may be a CSI configuration according to a 3GPP standard, which is extended to further indicate the channel quality quantity value to be determined and / or one or more quantization codebooks for channel quality time-series quantization.

[0123] Figure 6 Step I is optional, and in the embodiments, information related to the channel quality value and / or quantization codebook to be used can be pre-configured in the first communication device 100 or obtained from another communication device / node.

[0124] exist Figure 6 In step II, the second communication device 300 sends a reference signal 510 to the first communication device 100. For example, the reference signal 510 may be a channel state information reference signal (CSI-RS), a synchronization signal block (SSB), etc.

[0125] exist Figure 6 In step III, the first communication device 100 measures a reference signal 510 received from the second communication device 300. The first communication device 100 may measure the reference signal 510 based on a measurement configuration 530, for example, to determine a channel quality value indicated in the measurement configuration 530.

[0126] exist Figure 6In step IV, the first communication device 100 determines a channel quality quantity time series based on the measured reference signal. This channel quality quantity time series can be one or more of the following: a CQI time series, an MCS time series, and a signal-to-interference-noise ratio (SINR) series. In an embodiment, the channel quality quantity time series is a predicted channel quality quantity time series. For example, the channel quality quantity time series can be determined based on a channel quality prediction model (e.g., a CQI prediction model with the measured reference signal as input). For channel quality quantity time series prediction, the first communication device 100 can use multiple measurements of the reference signal 510 as input to a prediction algorithm (e.g., a regression model based on long short-term memory (LSTM)) and obtain multiple future predicted CQI, MCS, and / or SINR values ​​as output.

[0127] exist Figure 6 In step V, the first communication device 100 selects a quantization codebook based on the channel quality quantity value time series. The first communication device 100 can select a quantization codebook suitable for quantizing the channel quality quantity value time series, for example, one that can provide the best representation of the predicted values ​​of the channel quality quantity value time series. The selected quantization codebook may include reference channel quality quantity value coefficients and multiple differential quantization coefficients, each differential quantization coefficient corresponding to a prediction time step or a sub-band within the prediction time step and the reporting bandwidth. The time step can be uniformly distributed within the prediction range or indicated by a bitmap. Table 1 below shows examples of different combinations of coefficients in the quantization codebook.

[0128] In one embodiment, the first communication device 100 selects a quantization codebook from a plurality of quantization codebooks. Each of the plurality of quantization codebooks may represent a different quantization level for a channel quality value and / or a different prediction time step sampling rate. The plurality of quantization codebooks may be received from a second communication device 300, for example, indicated in a measurement configuration 530 and / or pre-configured in the first communication device 100.

[0129] The first communication device 100 can select a quantization codebook from the plurality of quantization codebooks based on one or more of the following: the time-domain characteristics of the channel quality quantity time series, the dynamic range of the channel quality quantity time series, and / or the precision of the quantized channel quality quantity time series. The time-domain characteristics can be based on the autocorrelation of the channel quality quantity time series, and the dynamic range can be based on the difference between the maximum and minimum values ​​of the channel quality quantity time series. The precision of the quantized channel quality quantity time series can be based on error values, such as, for example, mean square error (MSE) or mean absolute error (MAE). Each quantization codebook produces an error value when used to quantize a given channel quality quantity time series. The quantization codebook with the lowest error value will be the one that most accurately represents the channel quality quantity time series and can be selected by the first communication device 100.

[0130] exist Figure 6 In step VI, the first communication device 100 quantizes the channel quality value time series based on the selected quantization codebook; that is, the first communication device 100 determines the quantized channel quality value time series. This quantization may include deriving reference channel quality value coefficients and multiple differential quantization coefficients from the quantization codebook. For example, the maximum, minimum, standard deviation, or mean of the predicted or measured channel quality value can be used as reference channel quality value coefficients. Then, differential quantization coefficients can be obtained using differential quantization relative to these reference channel quality value coefficients. In this way, the quantized channel quality value time series can be determined, thereby enabling reporting with reduced overhead.

[0131] exist Figure 6 In step VII, the first communication device 100 sends a quantized channel quality value time series 520 and an indication 520' of the selected quantization codebook to the second communication device 300. The indication 520' of the quantization codebook can be a quantization codebook index. The quantization codebook index can be in a bit format, such as a bitmap format or a combined indication format. Table 1 shows examples of bitmap formats that can be used for quantization codebook indexes.

[0132] Table 1

[0133]

[0134] In the examples shown in Table 1, all quantization codebooks are based on CQI coefficients used as reference coefficients, with 4 bits allocated for the reference CQI coefficients. Quantization codebook index 00 indicates that the quantization codebook includes 16 differential quantization coefficients, each represented by 1 bit. Quantization codebook index 01 indicates that the quantization codebook includes 8 differential quantization coefficients, each represented by 2 bits. Quantization codebook index 11 indicates that the quantization codebook includes 4 differential quantization coefficients, each represented by 4 bits.

[0135] The first communication device 100 can transmit a quantized channel quality time series 520 and an indication 520' of the quantized codebook in the same or different control signals. Therefore, the first communication device 100 can transmit the quantized channel quality time series 520 and the indication 520' of the quantized codebook in a first control signal, or the first communication device 100 can transmit the quantized channel quality time series 520 in a first control signal and transmit the indication 520' of the quantized codebook in a second control signal. The first control signal and the second control signal can be uplink control information (UCI) or a medium access control element (MAC-CE).

[0136] In an embodiment, the first communication device 100 may send an indication 520' of the quantization codebook only when the selected quantization codebook changes. For example, as long as the same quantization codebook is used to quantize the channel quality value time series, the first communication device 100 may send multiple quantized channel quality value time series 520 without an indication 520' of the quantization codebook.

[0137] The second communication device 300 receives from the first communication device 100 a quantized channel quality value time sequence 520 and an indication 520' of the quantization codebook. The quantized channel quality value time sequence 520 includes a channel quality value time sequence quantized based on the indicated quantization codebook, which represents the channel quality value of the reference signal 510.

[0138] The second communication device 300 may receive a quantized channel quality value time series 520 and an indication 520' of the quantization codebook in either the first control signal or the second control signal respectively. The first control signal and the second control signal may be UCI or MAC-CE.

[0139] As mentioned earlier, the indication 520' of the quantization codebook can be a quantization codebook index, for example, in bit format, and the indicated quantization codebook can include reference channel quality coefficients and multiple differential quantization coefficients, each differential quantization coefficient corresponding to a subband within the prediction time step or the prediction time step and the reporting bandwidth.

[0140] Furthermore, the channel quality measurement time series can be a predicted channel quality measurement time series, i.e., the channel quality measurement time series predicted by the first communication device 100. The channel quality measurement time series can also be one or more of the following: CQI time series, MCS time series, and SINR time series.

[0141] Based on the quantized channel quality value time series 520 and the indicated quantization codebook, the second communication device 300 can... Figure 6 In step VIII, the channel quality value time series is reconstructed. The second communication device 300 obtains information about which quantization codebook the first communication device 100 has used for quantization from the instruction 520' of the quantization codebook. Using the information from the indicated quantization codebook, such as reference channel quality value coefficients and / or multiple differential quantization coefficients, the second communication device 300 can reconstruct the channel quality value time series from the received quantized channel quality value time series 520.

[0142] In an embodiment, the second communication device 300 can also reconstruct the channel quality time series based on interpolation and / or extrapolation of the quantized channel quality time series 520. Different interpolation and extrapolation methods can be used, such as spline interpolation or polynomial interpolation. The second communication device 300 can use the reported channel quality value time series as input to the interpolation and / or extrapolation methods, which provide channel quality values ​​for any considered time instance within the time span covered by the time series.

[0143] Figure 7 Further details relating to embodiments of the invention within a 3GPP context are shown. In this embodiment, the first communication device 100 is a UE, and the second communication device 300 is a network access node, such as a gNB for communication within a 3GPP system. However, it should be noted that embodiments of the invention are not limited thereto.

[0144] exist Figure 7 In step I, the first communication device 100 and the second communication device 300 perform capability transfer and RRC configuration in a conventional manner. According to an embodiment of the invention, the RRC configuration process may further include the second communication device 300 sending a measurement configuration 530 to the first communication device 100, the measurement configuration 530 indicating a channel quality quantity value to be determined and / or one or more quantization codebooks for channel quality time-series quantization.

[0145] exist Figure 7 In step II, the second communication device 300 triggers the first communication device 100 to report a CSI. Figure 7 In step III, based on the trigger, the first communication device 100 measures the downlink reference signal received from the second communication device 300, calculates one or more CQI / MCS / SINR reports, and prepares a time series of channel quality values.

[0146] exist Figure 7 In step IV, the first communication device 100 selects a quantization codebook based on the channel quality value time series and quantizes the channel quality value time series based on the selected quantization codebook. The selection and quantization can be performed according to any of the embodiments described herein.

[0147] exist Figure 7 In step V, the first communication device 100 sends a quantized channel quality value time series 520 and an indication 520' of the selected quantization codebook to the second communication device 300, for example, in the UCI on the physical uplink shared channel (PUSCH) and / or physical uplink control channel (PUCCH). The indication 520' of the selected quantization codebook may be sent along with each quantized channel quality value time series 520, or only when the quantization codebook selected by the first communication device 100 for quantization changes (e.g., due to a change in channel conditions).

[0148] exist Figure 7 In step VI, the second communication device 300 receives a quantized channel quality value time series 520 and an indication 520' of the selected quantization codebook, and thus can determine the quantization codebook used by the first communication device 100.

[0149] exist Figure 7 In step VII, the second communication device 300 decodes the remainder of the UCI and derives the channel quality value time series based on the indicated quantization codebook.

[0150] The first communication device here can also be referred to as a client device. The second communication device here can also be referred to as a network access node or a client device.

[0151] In this document, a client device can refer to user equipment (UE / user device), a mobile station, an Internet of Things (IoT) device, a sensor device, a wireless terminal, and / or a mobile terminal capable of wireless communication within a wireless communication system (sometimes also called a cellular wireless system). A UE can also be referred to as a wirelessly capable mobile phone, cellular phone, computer tablet, or laptop. In this context, a UE can be a portable, pocket-sized, handheld, computer-configurable, or vehicle-mounted mobile device capable of communicating voice and / or data with other communication entities (e.g., other receivers or servers) via a radio access network (RAN). A UE can also be a site, which is any device containing IEEE 802.11 compliant MAC and PHY interfaces to Wi-Fi. A UE can be used for communication in 3GPP-related LTE, enhanced LTE, 5G wireless systems (e.g., NR) and their evolutions, as well as in IEEE-related Wi-Fi, WiMAX, and their evolutions.

[0152] The network access node in this article can also be referred to as a wireless network access node, access network access node, access point (AP), or base station (BS), such as a radio base station (RBS). In some networks, it may be called a transmitter, "gNB," "gNodeB," "eNB," "eNodeB," "NodeB," or "Bnode," depending on the standards, technologies, and terminology used. Depending on transmission power and cell size, wireless network access nodes can have different categories or types, such as macro eNodeB, home eNodeB, or pico base station. A wireless network access node can also be a site, which is any device containing IEEE 802.11-compliant media access control (MAC) and physical layer (PHY) interfaces to the wireless medium (WM). Wireless network access nodes can be used to communicate in 3GPP-related long term evolution (LTE), enhanced LTE, fifth generation (5G) wireless systems (e.g., new radio (NR)) and their evolution, as well as in IEEE-related Wi-Fi, worldwide interoperability for microwave access (WiMAX) and their evolution.

[0153] Furthermore, any method provided in the embodiments of the present invention can be implemented in a computer program having code means, which, when run by a processing means, causes the processing means to perform the steps of the method. The computer program is included in a computer-readable medium of the computer program product. The computer-readable medium can substantially include any memory, such as the ROM, PROM, EPROM, flash memory, EEPROM, or hard disk drive described above.

[0154] Furthermore, it should be recognized that the first and second communication devices include the necessary communication capabilities in the form of functions, devices, units, elements, etc., for performing or implementing embodiments of the present invention. Examples of other such devices, units, elements, and functions include: processors, memories, buffers, control logic, encoders, decoders, rate matchers, de-rate matchers, mapping units, multipliers, decision units, selection units, switches, interleavers, deinterleavers, modulators, demodulators, input terminals, output terminals, antennas, amplifiers, receiving units, transmitting units, DSPs, TCM encoders, TCM decoders, power supply units, power feeders, communication interfaces, communication protocols, etc., which are suitably arranged together to perform the technical solution.

[0155] Therefore, one or more processors in the first and second communication devices may include, for example, a CPU, processing unit, processing circuit, processor, ASIC, microprocessor, or other processing logic capable of interpreting and executing instructions. Thus, the term "processor" can refer to a processing line comprising multiple processing circuits, such as any, some, or all of the processing circuits listed above. This processing line can also perform data processing functions for inputting, outputting, and processing data, including data buffering and device control functions such as call processing control, user interface control, etc.

[0156] Finally, it should be understood that the present invention is not limited to the embodiments described above, but also relates to and incorporates all embodiments within the scope of the appended independent claims.

Claims

1. A first communication device (100) for a communication system (500), the first communication device (100) being used for: Measure the reference signal (510) received from the second communication device (300); Determine the time series of channel quality values ​​based on the measured reference signal; Select a quantization codebook based on the time series of the channel quality values; Based on the selected quantization codebook, the time series of the channel quality values ​​is quantized; Send to the second communication device (300) a quantized channel quality value time series (520) and an indication (520') of the selected quantization codebook.

2. The first communication device (100) according to claim 1, used for: The measurement configuration (530) is received from the second communication device (300), the measurement configuration (530) indicating the channel quality quantity value to be determined and / or one or more quantization codebooks for channel quality time series quantization.

3. The first communication device (100) according to claim 2, wherein, The measurement configuration (530) is the channel state information configuration in the radio resource control signal.

4. The first communication device (100) according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein, The channel quality time series is a predicted channel quality time series.

5. The first communication device (100) according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein, The channel quality time series is one or more of the following: channel quality indication time series, modulation and coding scheme time series, and signal-to-interference-plus-noise ratio (SINR) time series.

6. The first communication device (100) according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein, The selected quantization codebook includes reference channel quality coefficients and multiple differential quantization coefficients, each of which corresponds to a subband within the prediction time step or the prediction time step and the reporting bandwidth.

7. The first communication device (100) according to any one of the preceding claims, used for: Select the quantization codebook from a plurality of quantization codebooks.

8. The first communication device (100) according to claim 7, wherein, Each of the plurality of quantization codebooks represents a different quantization level for the channel quality value and / or a different prediction time step sampling rate.

9. The first communication device (100) according to claim 7 or 8, used for: The quantization codebook is selected from the plurality of quantization codebooks based on one or more of the following: the time-domain characteristics of the channel quality value time series, the dynamic range of the channel quality value time series, and / or the precision of the quantized channel quality value time series.

10. The first communication device (100) according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein, The indication (520') to the quantization codebook is the quantization codebook index.

11. The first communication device (100) according to claim 10, wherein, The quantization codebook index uses a bit format.

12. The first communication device (100) according to any one of the preceding claims, used for: The first control signal transmits a quantized channel quality value time series (520) and the indication (520') to the quantized codebook; or The quantized channel quality value time series (520) and the indication (520') to the quantized codebook are transmitted in the first control signal and the second control signal, respectively.

13. The first communication device (100) according to claim 12, wherein, The first control signal and the second control signal are uplink control information or media access control control units.

14. A second communication device (300) for a communication system (500), the second communication device (300) being used for: Send a reference signal (510) to the first communication device (100); The first communication device (100) receives a quantized channel quality value time sequence (520) and an indication (520') of a quantization codebook, the quantized channel quality value time sequence (520) comprising a channel quality value time sequence quantized based on the indicated quantization codebook, the channel quality value time sequence representing the channel quality value of the reference signal (510).

15. The second communication device (300) according to claim 14, used for: The channel quality value time series (520) is reconstructed based on the quantized channel quality value time series (520) and the indicated quantization codebook.

16. The second communication device (300) according to claim 15, used for: The channel quality time series (520) is reconstructed based on interpolation and / or extrapolation of the quantized channel quality time series (520).

17. The second communication device (300) according to any one of claims 14 to 16, for: A measurement configuration (530) is sent to the first communication device (100), the measurement configuration (530) indicating the channel quality quantity value to be determined and / or one or more quantization codebooks for channel quality time series quantization.

18. The second communication device (300) according to claim 17, wherein, The measurement configuration (530) is the channel state information configuration in the radio resource control signal.

19. The second communication device (300) according to any one of claims 14 to 18, wherein, The channel quality time series is a predicted channel quality time series.

20. The second communication device (300) according to any one of claims 14 to 19, wherein, The channel quality time series is one or more of the following: channel quality indication time series, modulation and coding scheme time series, and signal-to-interference-plus-noise ratio (SINR) time series.

21. The second communication device (300) according to any one of claims 14 to 20, wherein, The indicated quantization codebook includes reference channel quality coefficients and multiple differential quantization coefficients, each of which corresponds to a subband within the prediction time step or the prediction time step and the reporting bandwidth.

22. The second communication device (300) according to any one of claims 14 to 21, wherein, The indication (520') to the quantization codebook is the quantization codebook index.

23. The second communication device (300) according to claim 22, wherein, The quantization codebook index uses a bit format.

24. The second communication device (300) according to any one of claims 14 to 23, for: The quantized channel quality value time series (520) and the indication (520') to the quantization codebook are received in the first control signal; or The quantized channel quality value time series (520) and the indication (520') to the quantized codebook are received in the first control signal and the second control signal, respectively.

25. The second communication device (300) according to claim 24, wherein, The first control signal and the second control signal are uplink control information or media access control control units.

26. A method (200) for a first communication device (100), the method (200) comprising: The reference signal (510) received from the second communication device (300) is measured (202); The time series of channel quality values ​​(204) is determined based on the measured reference signal; Based on the time series of the channel quality values, a (206) quantization codebook is selected; Based on the selected quantization codebook, the time series of the channel quality values ​​is quantized (208). Send (210) a quantized channel quality value time series (520) and an indication (520') of the selected quantization codebook to the second communication device (300).

27. A method (400) for a second communication device (300), the method (400) comprising: Send (402) reference signal (510) to the first communication device (100); The first communication device (100) receives (404) a quantized channel quality value time sequence (520) and an indication (520') of a quantization codebook, the quantized channel quality value time sequence (520) comprising a channel quality value time sequence quantized based on the indicated quantization codebook, the channel quality value time sequence representing the channel quality value of the reference signal (510).

28. A computer program having program code, which, when run on a computer, performs the method according to claim 26 or 27.

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