Configuration for uplink reference signals

Abstract

The embodiment of the invention relates to equipment, a method, a device and a computer readable storage medium for timing advance configuration of uplink reference signals. A terminal device receives a configuration for an uplink reference signal from a first network device. The configuration includes timing advance information for the uplink reference signal. The timing advance information is associated with a time offset between reception at the first network device and transmission at the one or more second network devices. And the terminal equipment sends the uplink reference signal to the first network equipment based on the configuration. In this manner, the first network device may instruct the terminal device to adjust transmission of uplink reference signals. Thus, the uplink reference signal can be aligned with the transmission of the one or more second network devices.

Description

TECHNICAL FIELD

[0001] Various example embodiments of the present disclosure generally relate to the field of telecommunications, and more specifically to a method, device, apparatus, and computer-readable storage medium for configuration of uplink reference signals. BACKGROUND

[0002] In some communication systems, such as new radio (NR) systems, frequency division duplex (FDD) is supported for paired bands and time division duplex (TDD) is supported for unpaired bands. Allocating a limited duration for uplink in TDD will result in reduced coverage, increased latency, and reduced capacity. In TDD, time domain resources are split between downlink (DL) and uplink (UL). In fifth generation (5G) NR, a flexible TDD mode or also known as dynamic TDD (D-TDD) mode has been proposed. The D-TDD mode brings enhanced flexibility for link direction switching on a per-cell basis. For example, the link direction can be dynamically switched between UL and DL transmission directions. Enhancements to the D-TDD mode are needed. SUMMARY

[0003] In a first aspect of the present disclosure, an apparatus is provided. The apparatus includes at least one processor; and at least one memory storing instructions that, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the apparatus at least to receive, from a first network device, a configuration for an uplink reference signal, the configuration including timing advance information for the uplink reference signal, wherein the timing advance information is associated with a time offset between reception at the first network device and transmission at one or more second network devices; and transmit, to the first network device, the uplink reference signal based on the configuration.

[0004] In a second aspect of the present disclosure, an apparatus is provided. The apparatus includes at least one processor; and at least one memory storing instructions that, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the apparatus at least to determine timing advance information for an uplink reference signal based on a time offset between reception at the apparatus and transmission at one or more second network devices; transmit, to a terminal device, a configuration for the uplink reference signal, the configuration including the timing advance information; and receive, from the terminal device, the uplink reference signal based on the configuration.

[0005] In a third aspect of the present disclosure, a method is provided. The method includes receiving, at a terminal device from a first network device, a configuration for an uplink reference signal, the configuration including timing advance information for the uplink reference signal, wherein the timing advance information is associated with a time offset between reception at the first network device and transmission at one or more second network devices; and transmitting, to the first network device, the uplink reference signal based on the configuration.

[0006] In a fourth aspect of the disclosure, a method is provided. The method includes determining, at a first network device, timing advance information for an uplink reference signal based on a time offset between reception at the apparatus and transmission at one or more second network devices; transmitting, to a terminal device, a configuration for the uplink reference signal, the configuration including the timing advance information; and receiving, from the terminal device, the uplink reference signal based on the configuration.

[0007] In a fifth aspect of the disclosure, an apparatus is provided. The apparatus includes means for receiving, from a first network device, a configuration for an uplink reference signal, the configuration including timing advance information for the uplink reference signal, wherein the timing advance information is associated with a time offset between reception at the first network device and transmission at one or more second network devices; and means for transmitting, to the first network device, the uplink reference signal based on the configuration.

[0008] In a sixth aspect of the disclosure, an apparatus is provided. The apparatus includes means for determining timing advance information for an uplink reference signal based on a time offset between reception at the apparatus and transmission at one or more second network devices; means for transmitting, to a terminal device, a configuration for the uplink reference signal, the configuration including the timing advance information; and means for receiving, from the terminal device, the uplink reference signal based on the configuration.

[0009] In a seventh aspect of the disclosure, a computer readable medium is provided. The computer readable medium includes instructions stored thereon for causing an apparatus to perform at least the method according to the third or fourth aspect.

[0010] It should be understood that the Summary is not intended to identify key or essential features of embodiments of the disclosure, nor is it intended to limit the scope of the disclosure. Other features of the disclosure will be readily apparent from the following description. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS

[0011] Some example embodiments will now be described with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which: Figure 1 An example communication environment in which example embodiments of the disclosure can be implemented is shown; Figure 2 An example signaling flow of an UL reference signal transmission procedure according to some example embodiments of the disclosure is shown; Figure 3A and Figure 3B Examples of UL reference signal transmission using guard symbols according to some example embodiments of the disclosure are shown; Figure 4An example flow diagram illustrating an UL reference signal based interference measurement procedure performed by a first network device according to some example embodiments of the present disclosure is shown; Figure 5 A flow diagram illustrating a method implemented at a terminal device according to some example embodiments of the present disclosure is shown; Figure 6 A flow diagram illustrating a method implemented at a first network device according to some example embodiments of the present disclosure is shown; Figure 7 A simplified block diagram of a device suitable for implementing example embodiments of the present disclosure is shown; and Figure 8 A block diagram of an example computer readable medium according to some example embodiments of the present disclosure is shown.

[0012] Throughout the drawings, identical or similar reference numerals can designate identical or similar elements throughout the several views. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0013] The principles of the present disclosure will now be described with reference to some example embodiments. It should be understood that these embodiments are described for illustrative purposes only and help the skilled person to understand and implement the present disclosure, without implying any limitation to the scope of the present disclosure. The embodiments described herein can be implemented in various ways other than those described below.

[0014] 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 belongs.

[0015] Reference within this disclosure to “one embodiment”, “an embodiment”, “example embodiments” or the like means that a particular feature, structure, or characteristic described is included in at least one embodiment, but not necessarily all embodiments, of the disclosure. Moreover, these phrases are not necessarily referring to the same embodiment. Furthermore, when a particular feature, structure, or characteristic is described in connection with an embodiment, it is submitted that it is within the knowledge of one of ordinary skill in the art to affect such feature, structure, or characteristic in connection with other embodiments whether or not explicitly described.

[0016] It should be understood that although terms such as “first”, “second”, “third” etc. preceding a noun can be used in this text to describe various elements, these elements should not be limited by these terms. These terms are only used to distinguish one element from another and they do not limit the order of the nouns. For example, a first element can be referred to as a second element and similarly a second element can be referred to as a first element without departing from the scope of the example embodiments. As used herein, the term “and / or” includes any and all combinations of one or more of the associated terms.

[0017] As used herein, “at least one of the following: ” and “at least one of ” and similar wording, wherein a list of two or more elements combined with “and” or “or” means at least one of the elements, or at least any two or more of the elements, or at least all of the elements.

[0018] As used herein, unless explicitly stated otherwise, the execution step “in response to A” does not indicate that the step is executed immediately after “A” occurs, and may include one or more intermediate steps.

[0019] The terminology used herein is for the purpose of describing particular embodiments only and is not intended to limit the exemplary embodiments. As used herein, the singular forms “a,” “an,” and “the” are also intended to include the plural forms unless the context clearly indicates otherwise. It will be further understood that the terms “comprising,” “including,” “having,” “having,” “containing,” and / or “comprising” as used herein specify the presence of the stated features, elements, and / or components, etc., but do not exclude the presence or addition of one or more other features, elements, components, and / or combinations thereof.

[0020] As used in this application, the term "circuit system" may refer to one or more of the following: (a) Hardware circuit implementation only (such as implementation in analog and / or digital circuit systems only) and (b) A combination of hardware circuitry and software, such as (if applicable): (i) A combination of (multiple) analog and / or digital hardware circuits with software / firmware and (ii) Any part of a hardware processor (including a digital signal processor) with software, software, and memory (multiple), which work together to enable a device such as a mobile phone or server to perform various functions. (c) (Multiple) hardware circuits and / or (multiple) processors, such as (multiple) microprocessors or a portion thereof, which require software (e.g., firmware) for operation, but the software may not exist when it is not required for operation.

[0021] 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 only hardware circuitry or a processor (or processors) or a portion thereof and its accompanying software and / or firmware implementation. For example, and if applicable to a particular claim element, the term circuit system also covers baseband integrated circuits or processor integrated circuits for mobile devices or similar integrated circuits in servers, cellular network devices or other computing or networking devices.

[0022] As used herein, the term "communication network" refers to a network that conforms to any suitable communication standard, such as 6G, New Radio (NR), 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), etc. Furthermore, communication between terminal devices and network devices in the communication network can be performed according to any suitable generation of communication protocol, including but not limited to first-generation (1G), second-generation (2G), 2.5G, 2.75G, third-generation (3G), fourth-generation (4G), 4.5G, fifth-generation (5G), sixth-generation (6G) communication protocols 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 certainly be future types of communication technologies and systems that embody the future types of this disclosure. This disclosure should not be construed as limiting its scope to the aforementioned systems.

[0023] As used herein, the term "network device" refers to a node in a communications network through which terminal devices access the network and receive services. A network device can refer to a base station (BS) or access point (AP), such as a Node B (or NB), an evolved Node B (e Node B or eNB), an NR NB (also known as a gNB), a Remote Radio Unit (RRU), a Radio Header End (RH), a Remote Radio Header End (RRH), a relay, an Integrated Access and Backhaul (IAB) node, low-power nodes such as femtoseconds, picoseconds, non-terrestrial network (NTN) or non-terrestrial network equipment (such as satellite network equipment, low Earth orbit (LEO) satellites, and geostationary Earth orbit (GEO) satellites), aircraft network equipment, etc., depending on the terminology and technology applied. In some example embodiments, the Radio Access Network (RAN) split architecture includes a centralized unit (CU) and a distributed unit (DU) at the IAB donor node. An IAB node includes a mobile terminal (IAB-MT) portion that behaves similarly to a UE with respect to its parent node, and the DU portion of the IAB node behaves similarly to a base station with respect to the next-hop IAB node.

[0024] 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), or access terminal (AT). Terminal devices can include, but are not limited to, mobile phones, cellular phones, smartphones, Voice over IP (VoIP) phones, wireless local loop phones, tablets, 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-mounted 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. The terminal device may also correspond to the mobile terminal (MT) portion of an IAB node (e.g., a relay node). In the following description, the terms "terminal device," "communication device," "terminal," "user equipment," and "UE" are used interchangeably.

[0025] As used herein, the terms “resource,” “transmission resource,” “resource block,” “physical resource block” (PRB), “uplink resource,” or “downlink resource” can refer to any resource used to perform communication (e.g., communication between a terminal device and a network device), such as resources in the time domain, resources in the frequency domain, resources in the spatial domain, resources in the code domain, or any other combination of time-domain, frequency-domain, spatial-domain, and / or code-domain resources that enable communication. In the following, unless explicitly stated otherwise, resources in the frequency and time domains will be used as examples of transmission resources used to describe some exemplary embodiments of this disclosure. Note that the exemplary embodiments of this disclosure are equally applicable to other resources in other domains.

[0026] Figure 1 An example communication environment 100 in which exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure may be implemented is shown. In the communication environment 100, a plurality of communication devices, including terminal device 110-1, terminal device 110-2, network device 120, and terminal device 130-1, terminal device 130-2, and network device 140, can communicate with each other. As used herein, terminal device 110-1 and terminal device 110-2 may be collectively referred to as "terminal device 110" or individually referred to as "terminal device 110". Similarly, terminal device 130-1 and terminal device 130-2 may be collectively referred to as "terminal device 130" or individually referred to as "terminal device 130".

[0027] exist Figure 1 In the example, network device 120 can serve terminal device 110. The service area of ​​network device 120 can be referred to as a cell (not shown). Similarly, network device 140 can serve terminal device 130. It should be understood that if terminal device 130 is located within the service area or cell of network device 120, then terminal device 130 can be served by network device 120. If terminal device 110 is located within the service area or cell of network device 140, then terminal device 110 can be served by network device 140.

[0028] It should be understood that Figure 1 The number of devices and their connections shown are for illustrative purposes only and do not imply any limitation. Communication environment 100 may include any suitable number of devices configured to implement the exemplary embodiments of this disclosure. Although not shown, it should be understood that one or more additional devices may be located in a cell of network device 120 or network device 140, and one or more additional cells may be deployed in communication environment 100. Note that although illustrated as network devices, network devices 120 / 140 may be other than network devices. Although illustrated as terminal devices, terminal devices 110 / 130 may be other than terminal devices.

[0029] In some example embodiments, the link from network device 120 to terminal device 110 is referred to as DL, while the link from terminal device 110 to network device 120 is referred to as UL. In DL, network device 120 is a transmitting (TX) device (or transmitter), and terminal device 110 is a receiving (RX) device (or receiver). In UL, terminal device 110 is a TX device (or transmitter), and network device 120 is an RX device (or receiver). Similarly, the link from network device 140 to terminal device 130 is referred to as DL, while the link from terminal device 130 to network device 140 is referred to as UL. In DL, network device 140 is a TX device (or transmitter), and terminal device 130 is an RX device (or receiver). In UL, terminal device 130 is a TX device (or transmitter), and network device 140 is an RX device (or receiver).

[0030] In some example embodiments, terminal devices 110 and 130, and network devices 120 and 140, apply TDD modes, such as D-TDD mode. In TDD mode, interference such as cross-link interference (CLI) may occur. For example, if network device 120's cell is a UL heavy cell and network device 140's cell is a DL heavy cell, then interference 150 may affect network device 120. In such a scenario, network device 120 may be referred to as the "victim network device" or "first network device," and network device 140 may be referred to as the "attacker network device" or "second network device." This interference 150 may be referred to as "network device-to-network device interference," "network device-to-network device CLI," or "gNB-to-gNB CLI."

[0031] For example, if terminal device 110 performs UL transmission and terminal device 130 performs DL reception, then the DL reception of terminal device 130 may be interfered with by the UL transmission of terminal device 110. In this scenario, terminal device 110 can be referred to as the "attacking terminal device," and terminal device 130 can be referred to as the "victim terminal device." This interference 160 between terminal devices can be referred to as "terminal device-to-terminal device interference," "terminal device-to-terminal device CLI," or "UE-to-UE CLI." It should be understood that... Figure 1 The number of victim devices and attacker devices shown is for illustrative purposes only and does not imply any limitation. There may be multiple victim devices (such as victim network devices) and multiple attacker devices (such as attacker network devices).

[0032] As used herein, for illustrative purposes, interference or CLI refers to network device-to-network device interference or network device-to-network device CLI.

[0033] Communication in communication environment 100 can be implemented according to any suitable communication protocol(s), including but not limited to cellular communication protocols such as first-generation (1G), second-generation (2G), third-generation (3G), fourth-generation (4G), fifth-generation (5G), and sixth-generation (6G), wireless local area network communication protocols such as IEEE 802.11, and / or any other currently known or future-developed protocols. Furthermore, communication can utilize any suitable wireless communication technology, including but not limited to: Code Division Multiple Access (CDMA), Frequency Division Multiple Access (FDMA), Time Division Multiple Access (TDMA), Frequency Division Duplex (FDD), Time Division Duplex (TDD), Multiple-Input Multiple-Output (MIMO), Orthogonal Frequency Division Multiple Access (OFDM), Discrete Fourier Transform Extended OFDM (DFT-s-OFDM), and / or any other currently known or future-developed technologies.

[0034] D-TDD mode enables dynamic switching between uplink and downlink transmission directions. This flexibility provides enhanced adaptability based on available uplink and downlink traffic. However, as mentioned above, D-TDD mode also introduces undesirable cross-link interference to network devices. Topics related to CLI can include, but are not limited to, the type of DL reference signal used for CLI measurements, the types of supported measurement metrics and reporting types, and the information exchange between network devices and mechanisms used to mitigate network device-to-network device CLI. For example, for a measurement at a given gNB (also known as the measuring / victim gNB), the link direction of the time slot must be uplink, while the gNB(s) to be measured configure the time slot as downlink. As another example, UL silencing can be performed at the victim gNB to ensure that UL transmissions do not conflict with gNB-to-gNB CLI measurements.

[0035] In some mechanisms, CLI measurements are performed and the results are exchanged to mitigate network device-to-network device CLI. In such mechanisms, if the attacking network device sends a reference signal to the victim network device, the victim network device will measure the reference signal and report the measurement back. In one solution, for gNB-to-gNB co-channel CLI measurements, multiplexing existing (multiple) DL channels / (multiple) signals / (multiple) measurement resources can be considered as a baseline. Examples include Synchronization Signal Block (SSB), Non-Zero Power (NZP) / Zero Power (ZP) Channel State Information (CSI)-Reference Signal (RS), Demodulated RS (DMRS) for Physical Downlink Control Channel (PDCCH) / Physical Downlink Shared Channel (PDSCH), CSI Interference Measurement (IM), Received Signal Strength Indicator (RSSI) measurement resources, etc. In another solution, for gNB-to-gNB co-channel CLI measurements and / or channel measurements, at least periodic NZP CSI-RS / SSB can be multiplexed as a baseline. The exchange configured for NZP CSI-RS / SSB can be an enabler for gNB-to-gNB CLI measurements and / or channel measurements.

[0036] To measure the reference signal, the victim's network equipment must consider the timing difference between the attacker's and victim's network equipment. Otherwise, the accuracy of channel measurements will be severely affected. However, due to propagation delay, it is necessary to solve how to determine the timing difference.

[0037] In some mechanisms, in dynamic TDD environments, the levels of interference and cross-link interference will change dynamically based on the influence of UL and DL loads of neighboring cells, making uplink performance extremely unstable. The signal-to-interference-plus-noise ratio (SINR) of dynamic UL slots (which are flexible slots that dynamically transform into UL slots) will be very different from that of normal UL slots (where it is expected that all cells will also dedicate this slot to uplink transmission).

[0038] Therefore, the SINR of the same terminal device varies significantly in different UL time slots, requiring greater and faster dynamic changes in the modulation and coding scheme (MCS) and more flexible and faster frequency selection scheduling. It is necessary to consider how to quickly measure the SINR of dynamic TDD UL terminal devices in different time slots.

[0039] To address at least some of the aforementioned or other potential problems, a solution regarding the configuration of a UL reference signal is proposed. In this solution, a terminal device receives a configuration for an uplink reference signal (RS) from a first network device. This configuration includes timing advance (TA) information for the UL RS, and the timing advance information is associated with the time offset between reception at the first network device and transmission at one or more second network devices. The terminal device transmits the uplink reference signal to the first network device based on the configuration. Thus, the first network device can instruct the terminal device to adjust the timing of the uplink reference signal transmission. Consequently, the uplink reference signal can be aligned with the reception of interference signals from one or more second network devices.

[0040] In some example embodiments, the first network device can determine the measurement result based on a received uplink reference signal and interference signals from one or more second network devices. Using aligned uplink reference signals and interference signals allows for more accurate measurement results. Furthermore, based on more accurate measurement results, an appropriate TDD mode can be determined for the terminal device.

[0041] The principles and implementation of the present invention will be described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0042] Figure 2 An example signaling stream 200 of ULRS transmission according to some example embodiments of this disclosure is shown. Reference will be made to this example for discussion purposes. Figure 1 For example, signaling flow 200 can be discussed using terminal device 110 and network device 120. Regarding... Figure 2 In the description, network device 120 is assumed to be the "victim network device" or also referred to as the "first network device". Other network devices, such as network device 140, may be the "attacker network device" or the "second network device".

[0043] As shown, network device 120 determines (210) timing advance information for the UL reference signal (RS) based on the time offset between reception at network device 120 and transmission at one or more other network devices (such as network device 140). For example, the UL RS may be a probe reference signal (SRS) or any other suitable UL RS.

[0044] A time offset can indicate the propagation delay from one or more other network devices (such as attacking network devices, neighboring network devices, etc.) to network device 120. As used herein, the time offset can be referred to as "T1". The time offset T1 can indicate the difference between the time when network device 120 receives the DL RS from another network device and the time when the other network device sends the DL RS. For example, the DL RS can be a Channel State Information Reference Signal (CSI-RS), a System Synchronization Block (SSB), or any other suitable RS.

[0045] Timing advance information may include any suitable information used to determine the timing when the UL RS is transmitted. The timing advance information may be determined by network device 120 based on a time offset (i.e., T1) such that the UL RS reception at network device 120 overlaps in the time domain with interference from one or more other network devices at network device 120.

[0046] In some example embodiments, one or more other network devices may include multiple network devices or multiple neighboring cells. Network device 120 may receive DL RS from multiple network devices. Network device 120 may determine the time offset based on the DL RS.

[0047] In one example, the time offset can be determined based on the maximum interference of DL RS from multiple network devices. In another example, the time offset can be determined based on the minimum interference of DL RS from multiple network devices. In yet another example, the time offset can be determined based on the average interference of DL RS from multiple network devices. For example, in the case of multiple attacking network devices, the time offset can be calculated as the average, minimum, maximum, or maximum interference of the propagation delay of neighboring cells.

[0048] In some example embodiments, how the time offset is determined depends on the implementation of network device 120. In one example, network device 120 may receive DL RS from one or more other network devices during a Protection Period (GP). For example, network device 120 may use a GP symbol greater than a predefined time threshold to receive DL RS. Network device 120 may use the GP to switch from DL to UL.

[0049] Alternatively or additionally, in some example embodiments, network device 120 may instruct one or more other network devices to send DL RS. For example, network device 120 may send a trigger to one or more other network devices instructing them to send DL RS.

[0050] In some example embodiments, network device 120 may receive DL RS from one or more other network devices in an idle state. In some example embodiments, network device 120 may receive DL RS from one or more other network devices during cell establishment.

[0051] Since network device 120 and other network devices are static, the expected time offset is relatively constant. The determination of the time offset between network device 120 and other network devices can be relatively sporadic. The time offset determination described above is applicable to such sporadic time offset determinations.

[0052] Network device 120 sends (215) a configuration for UL RS to terminal device 110. This configuration includes timing advance information. Therefore, terminal device 110 receives (220) the configuration. Based on this configuration, terminal device 110 sends (225) UL RS to network device 120. Network device 120 receives (230) UL RS.

[0053] In some example embodiments, the configuration may include a TDD frame structure configuration. Network device 120 may transmit the TDD frame structure configuration via an information element (IE) in Radio Resource Control (RRC) signaling (such as in tdd-UL-DL-ConfigurationCommon). Alternatively or additionally, in some example embodiments, if the UL RS is an SRS, the configuration may include an RS configuration, such as an SRS configuration. The SRS configuration may include an SRS type (such as aperiodic or periodic), power control settings, and resource mapping. The SRS configuration may be transmitted via an RRC message such as SRS-ResourceSet.

[0054] As described above, the timing advance information can be determined by network device 120 based on the time offset, such that the reception of UL RS at network device 120 overlaps with interference from one or more other network devices in the time domain. For example, the RS configuration can indicate that UL RS resources (such as SRS resources) can be configured to at least partially overlap with GP symbols. In some examples, the RS configuration can configure UL RS, such as SRS transmissions, as aperiodic. In this case, it is suitable for network device 120 to trigger UL RS transmissions during GP symbols via downlink control information (DCI). Alternatively or additionally, the RS configuration can be a new configuration for UL RS. For example, a new configuration for SRS during GP symbols can be configured by network device 120 on top of a conventional SRS configuration.

[0055] TDD or D-TDD networks can only perform either sending or receiving, not both simultaneously. Therefore, the victim's network device needs to be in receive mode (i.e., UL) for measurement. Thus, determining which resource the victim's network device should use for CLI measurement is another issue that needs to be addressed.

[0056] Considering that in some example embodiments, the configuration indicates that UL RS is transmitted at least partially during a time period. In one example, the time period may include a protection period. In another example, the time period may include one or more flexible symbols.

[0057] Figure 3A Examples of UL RS transmission using GP symbols according to some exemplary embodiments of this disclosure are shown. Figure 3A As shown, timing 310 represents the timing of another network device (such as an attacking network device). Timing 320 represents the timing of a signal received by network device 110 from another network device. As shown, timing difference 325 (which represents time offset T1) occurs between timing 310 and timing 320. Timing 330 represents the timing of network device 120. Timing 340 represents the timing of a signal received by network device 120 from terminal device 110. Timing 350 represents the timing of terminal device 110.

[0058] As described above, terminal device 120 transmits (225) UL RS based on timing advance information. In the example embodiment, terminal device 110 transmits (225) UL RS starting from symbol 352. Symbol 352 is earlier than symbol 342 in the timing 340 received by network device 120. The difference 345 between symbol 352 and symbol 342 can be determined based on the timing advance information. For example, the difference 345 can be the timing advance value. In this way, network device 120 can instruct terminal device 110 to adjust the timing of the UL RS. By transmitting the UL RS in advance, network device 120 can receive the UL RS during GP. This UL RS reception can be aligned with the reception of interference from other network devices.

[0059] Depending on the time offset, the timing advance information may include any suitable information used to instruct the terminal device 110 to adjust the transmission timing of the UL RS. (Still refer to...) Figure 2 In some example embodiments, the time offset is an integer number of symbols. In this case, the timing advance information can indicate the symbol within the time period (referred to as the target symbol). Terminal device 110 can use the indicated symbol and reference timing advance to transmit UL RS. Therefore, network device 120 can use the indicated symbol to receive UL RS. The reference timing advance can be a timing advance for normal UL transmission (i.e., normal UL transmission herein can mean UL transmission other than uplink reference signal transmission such as SRS transmission), such as Physical Uplink Shared Channel (PUSCH) transmission. The reference timing advance can be referred to as conventional TA. For example, the reference timing advance can be received by terminal device 110 from the network (e.g., from network device 120).

[0060] For example, if the time offset is an integer number of symbols (such as Orthogonal Frequency Division Multiplexing (OFDM) symbols), then the UL RS transmission of terminal device 120 can be advanced in time: (1) in This indicates the timing of the target symbol from the perspective of terminal device 110. This indicates the reference timing advance or baseline time advance for the UL timeslot configuration used in terminal device 110. Indicates the number of symbols within the protection period. Indicates time offset. This indicates the number of overlapping symbols (i.e., symbols that overlap with UL RS and interference). As mentioned above, time offset... The timing of the target symbol can be determined or measured by network device 120. It should be earlier than or equal to the start time of the protection period. In an example embodiment, terminal device 110 receives parameters, such as from network device 120. , , and / or Therefore, in such an example, terminal device 110 can apply formula (1) to obtain the timing advance for UL RS transmission. Other methods for indicating the timing of the target symbol can be used alternatively, as described below.

[0061] In some example embodiments, network device 120 may determine a target symbol. Timing advance information may include an identifier (e.g., an index) of the target symbol. Alternatively or additionally, the timing advance information may indicate the number of overlapping symbols. or corresponding to The number of symbols. For example, corresponding to The number of symbols can be signaled to the terminal device 110 via RRC, DCI, or Media Access Control (MAC) control element (CE). Based on the corresponding... The terminal device 110 can determine which symbol to use based on the number of symbols. Therefore, the terminal device 110 can use the target symbol and reference timing advance to transmit (225) UL RS. For example, the terminal device 110 can use within the indicated symbol... Send (225) SRS.

[0062] Figure 3B Examples of UL RS transmission using GP symbols according to some exemplary embodiments of this disclosure are shown. Figure 3B The image shows a portion of timing 340 magnified. As shown, there are four symbols in the GP. The time offset 365 is determined by network device 120. In this example, the time offset 365 has three symbols. If the number of overlapping symbols is 1, it corresponds to... The symbol is 376. That is, UL RS receivers can be found in symbol 376. If... If it is 2, then And the corresponding target symbol used to transmit the UL RS is symbol 374. In this case, the UL RS received at network device 120 may overlap with one DL symbol from another network device. If If it is 3, then The corresponding target symbol used to transmit the UL RS is symbol 372. In this case, the UL RS received at network device 120 may overlap with two DL symbols from another network device.

[0063] An example where the time offset is an integer number of symbols has already been described. (Return to reference) Figure 2Alternatively, in some example embodiments, the amount of time offset is not an integer number of symbols. In this case, the timing advance information may indicate a timing adjustment to a reference timing advance and the symbols within a time period. Terminal device 110 may use the indicated symbols, timing adjustment, and reference TA to transmit UL RS. Similarly, network device 120 may use the indicated symbols and timing adjustment to receive UL RS.

[0064] For example, time offset ,in Not an integer number of symbols, Indicates the number of integers representing the symbols. express and The number of samples between. In this case, the UL RS transmission of terminal device 120 can be advanced in time: (2) in Indicates corresponding to The number of symbols. As mentioned above, time offset This can be determined or measured by network device 120. The timing of the target symbol can be earlier than or equal to the start time of the protection period. As used herein, This can be referred to as a reference TA. The timed adjustment, and It can indicate symbols within the protection period.

[0065] In this context, timing advance information can indicate timing adjustments to the reference timing advance and symbols within a time period. For example, timing adjustments can be indicated to terminal device 110 via MAC CE. Additionally, indication of the target symbol (also known as symbol position indication) can be sent via RRC, DCI, or MAC CE.

[0066] Terminal device 110 can transmit (225) ULRS using the indicated symbols, timing adjustments, and reference timing advance. For example, terminal device 110 can transmit (225) SRS within the indicated symbols and use... Decrease timing adjustment ( ).

[0067] Although the above example for timing advance information was described in GP, ​​the concept can also be applied to flexible symbols. UL RS can be transmitted in either GP or flexible symbols by transmitting UL RS based on timing advance information. Therefore, UL RS reception can be aligned with the reception of DL interference from neighboring cells.

[0068] In some example embodiments, if the time offset is less than a time threshold for network device 120 to switch from DL to UL, network device 120 may instruct one or more other network devices to transmit DL RS during that time period. This time period may be GP. For example, network device 110 may instruct an attacking network device or an attacking neighboring cell to transmit CSI-RS in a GP symbol. In this way, network device 120 can measure aligned CLI.

[0069] Alternatively or additionally, if the time offset is less than a time threshold, network device 120 may send an indication to terminal device 110 to increase the duration of the time period. In this way, network device 120 may decide to increase the duration of a time period such as GP to ensure that UL RS arrives in a timely manner.

[0070] Still referencing Figure 2 In some example embodiments, network device 120 may determine (235) whether a first timing for receiving UL RS is aligned with a second timing for receiving interference signals from one or more other network devices. In other words, network device 120 may determine whether the received UL RS at least partially overlaps with interference from other network devices. If the first timing is not aligned with the second timing, network device 120 may send (240) an indication to terminal device 110 to update the timing advance information. For example, if terminal device 110 moves, the previously received timing advance information (220) may need to be updated. The determination of the updated timing advance information or the time offset may be similar to the determinations described above and will not be repeated here.

[0071] Terminal device 110 can receive (245) instructions and can retransmit (250) UL RS to network device 120 based on updated timing advance information. Network device 120 can receive (255) UL RS from terminal device 110.

[0072] By updating the timing advance information, the received UL RS can be aligned with the received interference. This dynamic timing advance information determination and dynamic UL RS transmission are applicable to TDD mode, especially dynamic TDD mode.

[0073] Otherwise, if the first timing is aligned with the second timing, the network device 120 can determine (260) the measurement result based on the received UL RS and interference signals. For example, the measurement result may include the measured SINR or UL-SINR, the measured reference signal received power (RSRP) (such as SRS-RSRP), the received signal strength indicator (RSSI) (such as SRS-RSSI), or any other suitable measurement result.

[0074] Network device 120 can determine (265) the TDD mode for terminal device 110 based on measurement results. For example, network device 120 can determine whether D-TDD mode can be enabled for terminal device 110. In other words, based on the measurement results, network device 120 can determine whether the transmission of terminal device 110 can tolerate CLI of network device 120 in D-TDD mode. Then, network device 120 can schedule (270) UL transmissions from terminal device 110 based on the determined TDD mode.

[0075] If terminal device 110's transmission is considered "at risk" (i.e., subject to harmful interference) due to CLI, terminal device 110 can be served during time slots with aligned directions between adjacent cells. For example, network device 120 can determine whether terminal device 110's transmission is considered "at risk" (i.e., subject to harmful interference) due to CLI based on measurement results. If terminal device 110's transmission is considered "at risk" due to CLI, a dynamic TDD mode may not be determined for terminal device 110, and a static TDD mode may be determined for terminal device 110. Otherwise, if terminal device 110's transmission is not considered "at risk," a D-TDD mode may be determined for terminal device 110.

[0076] For illustrative purposes, a measured SINR is used as an example of a measurement result. If the measured SINR exceeds a cell-specific threshold, a dynamic TDD mode can be determined for terminal device 110, which may mean that terminal device 110 is not at risk. As another example, if the measured SINR exceeds a device-specific threshold, a dynamic TDD mode can be determined for terminal device 110. The configured device-specific threshold can depend on service priority and / or quality of service (QoS) and any other suitable factors. For yet another example, if the difference between the measured SINR and the reference SINR is below a threshold, a dynamic TDD mode can be determined for terminal device 110. In this way, if the transmission of terminal device 110 is considered "at risk," a dynamic TDD mode can be determined for terminal device 110.

[0077] It should be understood that TDD model determination can use other measurements besides SINR and other determination rules. These measurements and rules can be used individually or in combination. The scope of this disclosure is not limited in this respect.

[0078] In this way, the measurement results can be used as an indication of whether a given terminal device can be scheduled in the UL during a dynamic TDD time slot, where CLI is expected to dominate UL reception performance.

[0079] In some example embodiments, if a D-TDD mode is determined for terminal device 110, network device 110 can determine additional configurations for UL transmissions from terminal device 110 in D-TDD mode based on measurement results. For example, based on the measurement results, network device 120 can accordingly select appropriate MCS, FSS, allocation, and / or transmit power for dynamic timeslots of terminal device 110. For example, information about the expected CLI can also be used as input during scheduling and resource allocation in the UL. Network device 120 can decide to select a more conservative MCS than recommended by link adaptation to address the expected CLI level.

[0080] Network device 110 can send additional configuration to terminal device 110. This additional configuration can be sent via DCI, RRC, MAC CE, or other suitable signaling. Terminal device 110 can receive the additional configuration and can perform UL transmission based on the additional configuration.

[0081] It should be understood that although one terminal device 110 is shown in signaling stream 200, network device 120 can send configurations including timing advance information to multiple terminal devices 110. To perform this early cross-link interference measurement, network device 120 can instruct one or more terminal devices 110 to individually adjust the TA of their SRS transmissions to align them with the reception of DL interference from neighboring cells. Due to the proposed TA adjustment, the measurement depends on the SRS transmissions (and receptions) during the guard symbol period of the TDD frame configuration. In this way, the victim network device can predict the expected CLI of D-TDD before D-TDD is effectively adopted and adjust the scheduling of terminal devices within the cell accordingly.

[0082] Multiple terminal devices can execute static TDD mode, dynamic TDD mode, or a combination of TDD modes. In other words, CLI can be observed in either dynamic or static TDD scenarios.

[0083] By using current UL RS transmissions based on timing advance information, dynamic UL slot signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) can be measured more accurately before D-TDD is effectively adopted.

[0084] In Dynamic TDD, the victim network device can have early estimates of network device-to-network device CLI. Therefore, the victim network device can proactively make D-TDD time slot scheduling decisions, such as independent MCS, FSS, UE power, or maintain TDD mode. This allows for more flexible entry and exit from D-TDD mode without compromising TDD performance.

[0085] Furthermore, the measurement is performed during the GP symbol, thus saving air interface resources used for the measurement without losing allocated DL and UL resources.

[0086] Figure 4 An example flowchart of a process 400 for interference measurement based on a UL reference signal according to some example embodiments of this disclosure is shown. Process 400 can be implemented at the victim network device or a first network device. For illustrative purposes, it can be seen from... Figure 1 The process of describing the network device 120 from the perspective of 400.

[0087] At box 410, network device 120 may initiate dynamic TDD mode. Alternatively, in some example embodiments, network device 120 may initiate static TDD mode or any other suitable mode.

[0088] At box 420, network device 120 measures the attacker's cell or attacker's network device (such as...) Figure 1 The propagation delay of network device 140 in the network is used to determine the time offset. The propagation delay can be determined or measured based on SSB or CSI-RS.

[0089] At box 430, network device 120 can send a configuration such as SRS configuration or dynamic TDD SRS configuration to terminal device 110. This configuration can be used by terminal device 110 to transmit UL RS, such as SRS. For example, the configuration such as SRS configuration can include timing advance information for SRS. For example, the timing advance information can be determined based on the time offset between reception at network device 120 and transmission at one or more other network devices. (Already mentioned...) Figure 2 The configuration details have been described and will not be repeated here.

[0090] At box 440, network device 120 can perform SRS measurements based on SRS configuration. For example, network device 120 can receive SRS from end device 110 based on SRS configuration during GP. Network device 120 can perform SRS measurements based on the SRS received during GP.

[0091] At block 450, network device 120 determines whether the SRS receive timing is aligned with DL interference signals from other network devices(s). If not aligned, process 400 proceeds to block 460. At block 460, network device 120 can adjust the SRS timing advance information of terminal device 110. For example, network device 120 can send an updated SRS configuration including the updated timing advance information to terminal device 110. At block 440, network device 120 can perform SRS measurements based on the updated SRS configuration. In this way, dynamic SRS transmission / reception can be achieved. Therefore, dynamic measurements in GP can be implemented.

[0092] If the SRS reception timing is aligned with the DL interference signal, process 600 proceeds to block 470. At block 470, network device 120 can determine whether the measurement result is greater than a predetermined threshold. For example, network device 120 can determine whether the measured UL-SINR is greater than a cell-specific threshold or a device-specific threshold.

[0093] If the measurement result is not greater than a predetermined threshold, process 400 proceeds to box 480. At box 480, network device 120 can schedule terminal device 110 using a TDD mode (such as static TDD mode).

[0094] If the measurement result exceeds a predetermined threshold, D-TDD mode can be enabled for terminal device 110, and process 400 proceeds to block 490. At block 490, network device 120 can schedule terminal device 110 using a dedicated MCS, FSS, or power mode in D-TDD mode.

[0095] It should be understood that procedure 400 is for illustrative purposes only. Several boxes in procedure 400 may be omitted or modified. It should be understood that at box 430, network device 120 may send SRS configuration including timing advance information to multiple terminal devices 110. For example, in order to perform the early cross-link interference measurement at box 440, network device 120 may instruct one or more terminal devices 110 to individually adjust the TA of the SRS transmission to align it with the reception of DL interference from neighboring cells.

[0096] Due to the proposed TA adjustment, measurements rely on SRS transmission (and reception) during the protection symbol period of the TDD frame configuration. This allows victim network equipment to predict the expected CLI of D-TDD before D-TDD is effectively adopted and adjust the scheduling of terminal equipment within the cell accordingly.

[0097] By using current UL RS transmissions based on timing advance information, dynamic UL slot signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) can be measured more accurately before D-TDD is effectively adopted.

[0098] In Dynamic TDD, the victim network device can have early estimates of network device-to-network device CLI. Therefore, the victim network device can proactively make D-TDD time slot scheduling decisions, such as independent MCS, FSS, UE power, or maintain TDD mode. This allows for more flexible entry and exit from D-TDD mode without compromising TDD performance.

[0099] Furthermore, the measurement is performed during the GP symbol, thus saving air interface resources used for the measurement without losing allocated DL and UL resources.

[0100] Figure 5 A flowchart of an example method 500 implemented at a terminal device according to some example embodiments of the present disclosure is shown. For discussion purposes, [the following will be discussed]. Figure 1 The angle description method of the terminal device 110 in the 500.

[0101] In block 510, terminal device 110 receives a configuration for an uplink reference signal from a first network device (such as network device 120). This configuration includes timing advance information for the uplink reference signal. The timing advance information is associated with the time offset between reception at the first network device and transmission at one or more second network devices.

[0102] Step 520: Terminal device 110 sends an uplink reference signal to the first network device based on its configuration.

[0103] In some example embodiments, the configuration indicates that an uplink reference signal is transmitted at least partially during a time period. This time period may include at least one of the following: a protection period of the device, or one or more flexible symbols of the terminal device 110.

[0104] In some example embodiments, the time offset is an integer number of symbols. The timing advance information indicates the symbols within a time period. In this case, terminal device 110 can use the indicated symbols and reference timing advance to transmit an uplink reference signal.

[0105] In some example embodiments, the time offset is not an integer number of symbols. The timing advance information indicates the timing adjustment to the reference timing advance and the symbols within the time period. In this case, the terminal device can use the indicated symbols, timing adjustment, and reference timing advance to transmit an uplink reference signal.

[0106] In some example embodiments, the amount of time offset is less than the time threshold for the first network device to switch from downlink transmission to uplink reception. In this case, the terminal device 110 can receive an indication from the first network device of the duration of the increased time period.

[0107] In some exemplary embodiments, terminal device 110 may receive an instruction to update timing advance information from a first network device. Terminal device 110 may retransmit the reference signal to the network device based on the updated timing advance information.

[0108] In some example embodiments, terminal device 110 may receive from a first network device another configuration for uplink transmission from terminal device 110 in dynamic time-division duplex mode. This other configuration is determined by the first network device based on measurements associated with an uplink reference signal.

[0109] Figure 6 A flowchart illustrating an example method 600 implemented at a first network device or a victim network device according to some example embodiments of the present disclosure is shown. For discussion purposes, [the following will be discussed]. Figure 1 The angular description method of network device 120 in 600.

[0110] In box 610, network device 120 determines timing advance information for uplink reference signals based on the time offset between reception at network device 120 and transmission at one or more second network devices (such as attacker network devices).

[0111] At box 620, network device 120 sends a configuration for uplink reference signals to an end device (such as end device 110). This configuration includes timing advance information.

[0112] In box 630, network device 120 receives uplink reference signals from terminal devices based on this configuration.

[0113] In some example embodiments, the configuration instructs that an uplink reference signal be transmitted at least partially during a time period. This time period includes at least one of the following: a guard period, or one or more flexible symbols.

[0114] In some example embodiments, the time offset is an integer number of symbols. The timing advance information indicates the symbols within a time period. In such cases, network device 120 can use the indicated symbols to receive the uplink reference signal.

[0115] In some example embodiments, the amount of time offset is not an integer number of symbols. Timing advance information indicates the timing adjustment to the reference timing advance and the number of symbols within that time period. In such cases, network device 120 can use the indicated symbols (timing adjustment) to receive the uplink reference signal.

[0116] In some example embodiments, the time offset is less than a time threshold for the network device 120 to switch from downlink transmission to uplink reception. The network device 120 may instruct one or more second network devices to transmit a downlink reference signal during this time period. Alternatively, the network device 120 may send an instruction to the terminal device to increase the duration of this time period.

[0117] In some example embodiments, network device 120 may determine whether a first timing for receiving an uplink reference signal is aligned with a second timing for receiving interference signals from one or more second network devices. If the first timing is aligned with the second timing, network device 120 may determine a measurement result based on the received uplink reference signal and the interference signal. Network device 120 may determine the TDD mode of the terminal device based on the measurement result. Network device 120 may schedule uplink transmissions from the terminal device based on the determined TDD mode.

[0118] In some example embodiments, if the first timing is not aligned with the second timing, the network device 120 may send an instruction to the terminal device to update the timing advance information. The network device 120 may then receive a reference signal from the terminal device based on the updated timing advance information.

[0119] In some exemplary embodiments, network device 120 may determine another configuration for uplink transmission from terminal device in dynamic TDD mode based on measurement results. Network device 120 may send the other configuration to terminal device.

[0120] In some example embodiments, the measurement result includes the measured SINR. A dynamic TDD mode is determined for the terminal device if at least one of the following is satisfied: the measured SINR exceeds a cell-specific threshold, the measured SINR exceeds a device-specific threshold, or the difference between the measured SINR and a reference SINR is less than a threshold.

[0121] In some example embodiments, one or more second network devices include multiple network devices. The time offset can be determined based on at least one of the following: the maximum interference of downlink reference signals from the multiple network devices, the minimum interference of downlink reference signals from the multiple network devices, or the average interference of downlink reference signals from the multiple network devices.

[0122] In some example embodiments, the time offset can be determined by at least one of the following: receiving a downlink reference signal from one or more second network devices during a protection period, instructing one or more second network devices to send a downlink reference signal, receiving a downlink reference signal from one or more second network devices in an idle state, or receiving a downlink reference signal from one or more second network devices during cell establishment.

[0123] In some example embodiments, any one of method 500 can be performed (e.g., Figure 1 The means of the terminal device 110 in the process may include components for performing the corresponding operations of method 500. These components may be implemented in any suitable form. For example, the components may be implemented in a circuit system or a software module. The means may be implemented as or included in... Figure 1 In terminal device 110.

[0124] In some example embodiments, the apparatus includes components for receiving a configuration for an uplink reference signal from a first network device, such as network device 120. This configuration includes timing advance information for the uplink reference signal. The timing advance information is associated with a time offset between reception at the first network device and transmission at one or more second network devices. The apparatus also includes components for transmitting the uplink reference signal to the first network device based on this configuration.

[0125] In some example embodiments, the configuration indicates that an uplink reference signal is transmitted at least partially during a time period. The time period may include at least one of the following: a protection period of the device, or one or more flexible symbols of the device.

[0126] In some example embodiments, the time offset is an integer number of symbols. Timing advance information indicates the symbols within a time period. In this case, the components for transmitting the uplink reference signal may include components for transmitting the uplink reference signal using the indicated symbols and reference timing advance.

[0127] In some example embodiments, the amount of time offset is not an integer number of symbols. Timing advance information indicates the timing adjustment to the reference timing advance and the number of symbols within that time period. In such cases, the components for transmitting the uplink reference signal may include components for transmitting the uplink reference signal using the indicated symbols, timing adjustment, and reference timing advance.

[0128] In some example embodiments, the amount of time offset is less than a time threshold for the first network device to switch from downlink transmission to uplink reception. In such cases, the apparatus may include components for receiving from the first network device an indication of increasing the duration of that time period.

[0129] In some example embodiments, the apparatus may include components for receiving an indication of updated timing advance information from a first network device. The apparatus may also include components for retransmitting a reference signal to the network device based on the updated timing advance information.

[0130] In some example embodiments, the apparatus may include components for receiving from a first network device another configuration for uplink transmission from the first apparatus in a dynamic time-division duplex mode. This other configuration is determined by the first network device based on measurements associated with an uplink reference signal.

[0131] In some example embodiments, the apparatus also includes components for performing other operations in some example embodiments of method 500 or terminal device 110. In some example embodiments, the components include: at least one processor; and at least one memory storing instructions that, when executed by the at least one processor, cause execution of the apparatus.

[0132] In some example embodiments, any method 600 can be executed (e.g., Figure 1 The means of the network device 120 in the method 600 may include components for performing the corresponding operations of the method. These components may be implemented in any suitable form. For example, the components may be implemented in a circuit system or a software module. The means may be implemented as or included in... Figure 1 Among the network devices in 120.

[0133] In some example embodiments, the apparatus includes components for determining timing advance information for an uplink reference signal based on the time offset between reception at the apparatus and transmission at one or more second network devices (such as attacker network devices). The apparatus also includes components for transmitting a configuration for the uplink reference signal to a terminal device (such as terminal device 110). This configuration includes the timing advance information. The apparatus further includes components for receiving the uplink reference signal from the terminal device based on this configuration.

[0134] In some example embodiments, the configuration instructs that an uplink reference signal be transmitted at least partially during a time period. This time period includes at least one of the following: a guard period, or one or more flexible symbols.

[0135] In some example embodiments, the time offset is an integer number of symbols. Timing advance information indicates the symbols within a time period. In this case, the components for receiving the uplink reference signal may include components for receiving the uplink reference signal using the indicated symbols.

[0136] In some example embodiments, the amount of time offset is not an integer number of symbols. Timing advance information indicates the timing adjustment to the reference timing advance and the number of symbols within that time period. In this case, the components for receiving the uplink reference signal may include components for receiving the uplink reference signal using the indicated symbols and timing adjustments.

[0137] In some example embodiments, the time offset is less than a time threshold for the device to switch from downlink transmission to uplink reception. The device may also include components for instructing one or more second network devices to transmit a downlink reference signal during the time period. Alternatively, the device may further include components for sending an indication to a terminal device of the duration of an increased time period.

[0138] In some example embodiments, the apparatus may further include components for determining whether a first timing for receiving an uplink reference signal is aligned with a second timing for receiving interference signals from one or more second network devices. The apparatus may also include: components for determining a measurement result based on the received uplink reference signal and interference signals based on determining that the first and second timings are aligned; components for determining a time-division duplex (TDD) mode for the terminal device based on the measurement result; and components for scheduling uplink transmissions from the terminal device based on the determined TDD mode.

[0139] In some example embodiments, the apparatus may further include components for sending an instruction to a terminal device to update timing advance information based on determining that the first timing is not aligned with the second timing; and components for receiving a reference signal from the terminal device based on the updated timing advance information.

[0140] In some example embodiments, the apparatus may further include: components for determining, based on measurement results, another configuration for uplink transmission from the terminal device in dynamic TDD mode; and components for transmitting the other configuration to the terminal device.

[0141] In some example embodiments, the measurement result includes the measured SINR. A dynamic TDD mode is determined for the terminal device if at least one of the following is satisfied: the measured SINR exceeds a cell-specific threshold, the measured SINR exceeds a device-specific threshold, or the difference between the measured SINR and a reference SINR is less than a threshold.

[0142] In some example embodiments, one or more second network devices include multiple network devices. The apparatus may also include components for determining the time offset based on at least one of the following: maximum interference from downlink reference signals from the multiple network devices, minimum interference from downlink reference signals from the multiple network devices, or average interference from downlink reference signals from the multiple network devices.

[0143] In some example embodiments, the component for determining the time offset may include at least one of the following: a component for receiving a downlink reference signal from one or more second network devices during a protection period; a component for instructing one or more second network devices to send a downlink reference signal; a component for receiving a downlink reference signal from one or more second network devices in an idle state; or a component for receiving a downlink reference signal from one or more second network devices during cell establishment.

[0144] In some example embodiments, the apparatus also includes components for performing other operations in some example embodiments of method 600 or network device 120. In some example embodiments, the components include: at least one processor; and at least one memory storing instructions that, when executed by the at least one processor, cause execution of the apparatus.

[0145] Figure 7 This is a simplified block diagram of a device 700 suitable for implementing exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure. Device 700 can be used to implement a communication device, such as... Figure 1 The terminal device 110, network device 120, terminal device 130, or network device 140 are shown. 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.

[0146] Communication module 740 is used for bidirectional communication. Communication module 740 has one or more communication interfaces to support communication with one or more other modules or devices. The communication interface can represent any interface necessary for communication with other network elements. In some example embodiments, communication module 740 may include at least one antenna.

[0147] As a non-limiting example, processor 710 can be any type suitable for a local technology network and can include one or more of the following: general-purpose computer, special-purpose computer, microprocessor, digital signal processor (DSP), and processor based on a multi-core processor architecture. Device 700 can have multiple processors, such as application-specific integrated circuit chips that are time-dependent on a clock of a synchronous main processor.

[0148] 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), optical disc, laser disc, and other magnetic and / or optical storage. Examples of volatile memories include, but are not limited to, random access memory (RAM) 722 and other volatile memories that will not persist for extended periods of power-off duration.

[0149] Computer program 730 includes computer-executable instructions that are executed by an associated processor 710. The instructions of program 730 may include instructions for performing operations / actions of some example embodiments of this disclosure. Program 730 may be stored in memory, such as ROM 724. Processor 710 can perform any suitable actions and processes by loading program 730 into RAM 722.

[0150] Example embodiments of this disclosure can be implemented using program 730, enabling device 700 to perform as described in the reference. Figures 2 to 6 Any process discussed in this disclosure. Exemplary embodiments of this disclosure may also be implemented in hardware or a combination of software and hardware.

[0151] In some example embodiments, program 730 may be tangibly contained in a computer-readable medium, which may be included in device 700 (such as in memory 720) or other storage devices accessible to device 700. Device 700 may load program 730 from the computer-readable medium into RAM 722 for execution. In some example embodiments, the computer-readable medium may include any type of non-transitory storage medium, such as ROM, EPROM, flash memory, hard disk, CD, DVD, etc. As used herein, the term "non-transitory" refers to a limitation on the medium itself (i.e., tangible, not tactile), rather than a limitation on the persistence of data storage (e.g., RAM versus ROM).

[0152] Figure 8 An example of a computer-readable medium 800, which may be in the form of a CD, DVD, or other optical storage disc, is shown. A program 730 is stored on the computer-readable medium 800.

[0153] Generally, the various embodiments of this disclosure can be implemented in hardware or dedicated circuitry, software, logic, or any combination thereof. Some aspects may be implemented in hardware, while others may be implemented in firmware or software executable by a controller, microprocessor, or other computing device. Although various aspects of the embodiments of this disclosure are shown and described as block diagrams, flowcharts, or using some other graphical representation, it should be understood that, as non-limiting examples, the blocks, apparatuses, systems, techniques, or methods described herein may be implemented in hardware, software, firmware, dedicated circuitry or logic, general-purpose hardware or controllers or other computing devices, or some combination thereof.

[0154] Some exemplary embodiments of this disclosure also provide at least one computer program product tangibly stored on a computer-readable medium, such as a non-transitory computer-readable medium. The computer program product includes computer-executable instructions, such as those included in a program module that executes in a device on a target physical or virtual processor, to perform any of the methods described above. Typically, a program module includes routines, programs, libraries, objects, classes, components, data structures, etc., that perform a particular task or implement a particular abstract data type. In various embodiments, the functionality of a program module can be combined or split among program modules as needed. The machine-executable instructions for a program module can execute within a local or distributed device. In a distributed device, the program module can reside on both local and remote storage media.

[0155] The program code used to perform the methods of this disclosure may be written in any combination of one or more programming languages. The 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 the processor or controller, the program code enables 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.

[0156] In the context of this disclosure, computer program code or related data may be carried by any suitable carrier to enable a device, apparatus, or processor to perform the various processes and operations described above. Examples of carriers include signals, computer-readable media, etc.

[0157] 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, apparatuses, or devices, or any suitable combination thereof. 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 fibers, portable optical disc read-only memory (CD-ROM), optical storage devices, magnetic storage devices, or any suitable combination thereof.

[0158] Furthermore, although operations are described in a specific order, this should not be construed as requiring that such operations be performed in the specific order shown or sequentially, or that all shown operations be performed to achieve the desired result. In some cases, multitasking and parallel processing may be advantageous. Similarly, while several specific implementation details are included in the above discussion, these should not be construed as limiting the scope of this disclosure, but rather as descriptions of features that may be specific to particular embodiments. Unless explicitly stated otherwise, certain features described in the context of a single embodiment may also be implemented in combination in a single embodiment. Conversely, unless explicitly stated otherwise, various features described in the context of a single embodiment may also be implemented individually or in any suitable sub-combination in multiple embodiments.

[0159] Although this disclosure has been described in 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. Rather, the specific features and actions described above are disclosed as exemplary forms for implementing the claims.

Claims

1. An apparatus comprising: At least one processor; as well as At least one memory storing instructions that, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the device to at least: Receive configuration for an uplink reference signal from a first network device, the configuration including timing advance information for the uplink reference signal, wherein the timing advance information is associated with a time offset between reception at the first network device and transmission at one or more second network devices; as well as Based on the configuration, the uplink reference signal is sent to the first network device.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the configuration indicates transmitting the uplink reference signal at least partially during a time period, wherein the time period includes at least one of the following: The protection period of the device, or One or more flexible symbols of the device.

3. The apparatus of claim 2, wherein the amount of the time offset is an integer number of symbols, and the timing advance information indicates the symbols within the time period, and The indicated symbol and reference timing are used by the device to transmit the uplink reference signal in advance.

4. The apparatus of claim 2, wherein the amount of the time offset is not an integer number of symbols, and the timing advance information indicates a timing adjustment to the reference timing advance and the symbols within the time period, and The indicated symbol, the timing adjustment, and the reference timing advance are used by the device to transmit the uplink reference signal.

5. The apparatus of claim 2, wherein the amount of the time offset is less than a time threshold for the first network device to switch from downlink transmission to uplink reception, and the at least one memory stores instructions that, when executed by the at least one processor, also cause the apparatus to perform the following operations: Receive an instruction from the first network device to increase the duration of the time period.

6. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the at least one memory stores instructions that, when executed by the at least one processor, also cause the apparatus to perform the following operations: Receive an instruction from the first network device to update the timing advance information; and The reference signal is retransmitted to the network device based on the updated timing advance information.

7. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the at least one memory stores instructions that, when executed by the at least one processor, also cause the apparatus to perform the following operations: The device receives another configuration from the first network device for uplink transmission in dynamic time-division duplex mode, wherein the other configuration is determined by the first network device based on measurements associated with the uplink reference signal.

8. An apparatus comprising: At least one processor; as well as At least one memory storing instructions that, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the device to at least: Timing advance information for the uplink reference signal is determined based on the time offset between reception at the device and transmission at one or more second network devices; Send a configuration for the uplink reference signal to the terminal device, the configuration including the timing advance information; as well as Based on the configuration, the uplink reference signal is received from the terminal device.

9. The apparatus of claim 8, wherein the configuration indicates transmitting the uplink reference signal at least in part during a time period, wherein the time period includes at least one of: a guard period, or one or more flexible symbols.

10. The apparatus of claim 9, wherein the amount of the time offset is an integer number of symbols, and the timing advance information indicates the symbols within the time period, and The indicated symbol is used by the device to receive the uplink reference signal.

11. The apparatus of claim 9, wherein the amount of the time offset is not an integer number of symbols, and the timing advance information indicates a timing adjustment to the reference timing advance and the number of symbols within the time period, and The indicated symbol and the timing adjustment are used by the device to receive the uplink reference signal.

12. The apparatus of claim 9, wherein the amount of time offset is less than a time threshold for the apparatus to switch from downlink transmission to uplink reception, and the at least one memory stores instructions that, when executed by the at least one processor, also cause the apparatus to execute at least one of the following: Instructing the one or more second network devices to send a downlink reference signal during the time period, or Send an instruction to the terminal device to increase the duration of the time period.

13. The apparatus of claim 8, wherein the at least one memory stores instructions that, when executed by the at least one processor, also cause the apparatus to perform the following operations: Determine whether a first timing for receiving the uplink reference signal is aligned with a second timing for receiving interference signals from the one or more second network devices; The measurement result is determined based on the received uplink reference signal and the interference signal, after the first timing is aligned with the second timing. Based on the measurement results, a Time Division Duplex (TDD) mode is determined for the terminal device; as well as Uplink transmissions from the terminal device are scheduled based on the determined TDD mode.

14. The apparatus of claim 13, wherein the at least one memory stores instructions that, when executed by the at least one processor, also cause the apparatus to perform the following operations: Based on the determination that the first timing is not aligned with the second timing, an instruction to update the timing advance information is sent to the terminal device; and The reference signal is received from the terminal device based on the updated timing advance information.

15. The apparatus of claim 14, wherein the at least one memory stores instructions that, when executed by the at least one processor, also cause the apparatus to perform the following operations: Based on the measurement results, another configuration for uplink transmission from the terminal device in dynamic TDD mode is determined; Send the other configuration to the terminal device.

16. The apparatus of claim 15, wherein the measurement result includes the measured signal-to-interference-plus-noise ratio (SINR), and the dynamic TDD mode is determined for the terminal device if at least one of the following is satisfied: The measured SINR exceeds a cell-specific threshold. The measured SINR exceeds a specific threshold of the device, or The difference between the measured SINR and the reference SINR is below a threshold.

17. The apparatus of claim 8, wherein the one or more second network devices comprise a plurality of network devices, and the time offset is determined based on at least one of the following: Maximum interference from the downlink reference signal from the aforementioned network devices Minimal interference from the downlink reference signal from the plurality of network devices, or Average interference from the downlink reference signal from the plurality of network devices.

18. The apparatus of claim 8, wherein the time offset is determined by at least one of the following: During the protection period, a downlink reference signal is received from the one or more second network devices. Instruct the one or more second network devices to send the downlink reference signal. In idle state, receive the downlink reference signal from the one or more second network devices, or During cell establishment, the downlink reference signal is received from the one or more second network devices.

19. A method comprising: At the terminal device, a configuration for receiving an uplink reference signal from a first network device is provided, the configuration including timing advance information for the uplink reference signal, wherein the timing advance information is associated with a time offset between reception at the first network device and transmission at one or more second network devices. as well as Based on the configuration, the uplink reference signal is sent to the first network device.

20. A method comprising: At the first network device, timing advance information for the uplink reference signal is determined based on the time offset between reception at the device and transmission at one or more second network devices; Send a configuration for the uplink reference signal to the terminal device, the configuration including the timing advance information; as well as Based on the configuration, the uplink reference signal is received from the terminal device.

21. An apparatus comprising: Components for receiving configuration for an uplink reference signal from a first network device, the configuration including timing advance information for the uplink reference signal, wherein the timing advance information is associated with a time offset between reception at the first network device and transmission at one or more second network devices. as well as A component for sending the uplink reference signal to the first network device based on the configuration.

22. An apparatus comprising: A component for determining timing advance information for uplink reference signals based on the time offset between reception at the device and transmission at one or more second network devices; A component for sending a configuration for the uplink reference signal to a terminal device, the configuration including the timing advance information; as well as A component for receiving the uplink reference signal from the terminal device based on the configuration.

23. A computer-readable medium comprising instructions stored thereon for causing a device to perform at least the method of claim 19 or 20.

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