QCL switching method, device and system

Abstract

By introducing an improved TCI / QCL framework and adding an additional field, the QCL switching operation can be lower in occurrence frequency, higher in predictability and higher in reliability, and integration between a ground network and a non-ground network can be better realized. In effect, after first beam activity cycle monitoring of at least one PDCCH message on a first link using a first QCL hypothesis type for a first duration, the UE may perform a QCL switching operation to second beam activity cycle monitoring of at least one PDCCH message on a second link using a second QCL hypothesis type. Beam activity period durations may be represented with cells referenced in the improved TCI / QCL framework. Similarly, a beam activity period QCL hypothesis type may also be represented with cells referenced in the improved TCI / QCL framework.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention generally relates to wireless communication, and in certain embodiments, to switching from using one quasi-colocation (QCL) assumption type to using another quasi-colocation assumption type for message monitoring. Background Technology

[0002] In traditional wireless cellular communication systems such as fourth-generation (4G) long-term evolution (LTE) or fifth-generation (5G) New Radio (NR), it is known that network elements can use so-called higher-layer signaling (e.g., radio resource control (RRC)) to configure the transmission configuration indicator (TCI) state at the user equipment (UE). It is also known that the network element can use so-called lower-layer signaling (e.g., using a media access control element (MAC CE)) to activate the TCI state at the UE. Furthermore, the network element can use dynamic signaling (e.g., downlink control indication (DCI)) to indicate the TCI state to be used for physical downlink scheduling channel (PDSCH) detection and decoding. It is known that the DCI format uses [missing information - likely a specific format or feature] in the TCI field. bits, of which Based on the number of active TCI states Select from the options. The TCI state includes a QCL information block. The QCL information block can indicate the source reference signal and the QCL assumption type, which is known to be any one of Type A, Type B, Type C, and Type D.

[0003] In 5G NR Rel-16, several improvements were made to unlock the potential of millimeter-wave (mmWave) communication. These improvements involve the duration of the QCL application. When the DCI format includes a TCI status indication, the corresponding QCL application duration is provided to the UE, allowing the UE to switch beams for PDSCH detection and decoding. The duration of this QCL application begins with the last orthogonal frequency division multiplexing (OFDM) symbol of the scheduling physical downlink control channel (PDCCH) and ends with the first OFDM symbol of the corresponding PDSCH. Typically, the duration of this QCL application is configured based on the UE's capabilities.

[0004] In 5G NR Rel-17, further improvements were made with the introduction of the unified TCI framework. The unified TCI framework expands the application of TCI state design beyond DL communication (e.g., it can also be applied to PDSCH detection and decoding). It also allows TCI state design to include physical cell identity (PCI) for inter-cell beam management. Beam application time was also introduced. Beam application time can be considered as providing the UE with the indication beam for applying the unified TCI state. Typically, beam application time is configured based on UE capabilities. Summary of the Invention

[0005] By implementing an improved TCI / QCL framework and adding additional fields, QCL handover operations can occur less frequently, are more predictable, and more reliable, and better integrate terrestrial and non-terrestrial networks. Specifically, after performing a first beam activity cycle monitoring on at least one PDCCH message on a first link using a first QCL assumption type for a first duration, the UE can perform a QCL handover operation to perform a second beam activity cycle monitoring on at least one PDCCH message on a second link using a second QCL assumption type. The beam activity cycle duration can be represented by the information element referenced in the improved TCI / QCL framework. Similarly, the beam activity cycle QCL assumption type can also be represented by the information element referenced in the improved TCI / QCL framework.

[0006] It is known that existing TCI / QCL frameworks rely on associating individual beams with source reference signals to perform detection and decoding of PDCCH / PDSCH messages. For example, the TCI / QCL framework defined in 5G defines TCI states such that the defined TCI states correspond to individual receiver beams. For example, different receiver beams at the UE may be shown to have specific azimuth / zenith angles of arrival. This specific angle of arrival may be shown to correspond to the direction in which the UE receives transmissions using transmitter beams at a non-terrestrial transmit and receive point (NT-TRP). The direction in which the UE receives the transmissions may be shown to have specific azimuth / zenith angles of departure. It is known that existing frameworks lead to unnecessary signaling overhead, especially in beam switching between terrestrial network (TN) nodes and non-terrestrial network (NTN) nodes.

[0007] It is known that existing types of joint TN / NTN scenarios are associated with relatively long propagation delays and other practical limitations common in NTN-only scenarios. In existing types of joint TN / NTN scenarios, the integration between terrestrial and non-terrestrial networks can be relatively loose or slow. Information exchange between TN and NTN nodes at this level of integration may occur at a relatively slow pace, for example, at frequencies of approximately tens, hundreds, or thousands of milliseconds. While tighter integration between terrestrial and non-terrestrial networks is highly likely, such tighter integration may prove to come at the cost of relatively higher protocol and equipment complexity.

[0008] It is known that wireless communication networks have blind spots. Depending on the deployment scenario and nature, buildings, tunnels, and even billboards can create blind spots. It is known that such coverage gaps provided by wireless communication networks can lead to connection interruptions, resulting in poor coverage perceived by the UE (User Equipment).

[0009] By implementing the TCI / QCL framework, which represents improvements in various aspects of this application, the frequency of beam switching from terrestrial radio links to non-terrestrial radio links and back to terrestrial radio links can be reduced. In practice, implementing the TCI / QCL framework, which represents improvements in various aspects of this application, may result in better integration of terrestrial and non-terrestrial networks and may lead to more reliable wireless signal coverage.

[0010] According to one aspect of the invention, a method is provided. The method includes: monitoring at least one physical downlink control channel (PDCCH) message on a first link using a first quasi-co-location assumption type, wherein the first link is one of a terrestrial network link and a non-terrestrial network link; and switching to monitoring at least one PDCCH message on a second link using a second QCL assumption type in response to the expiration of a predetermined duration associated with the first QCL assumption type, wherein the second link is another of a terrestrial network link and a non-terrestrial network link.

[0011] In one possible implementation of the above aspects, the method further includes: receiving a TN NTN transmission configuration indicator (TCI) status element (IE), wherein the TN NTN TCI status IE indicates, and a first IE indicates the duration.

[0012] In one possible implementation of the above aspects, the method further includes receiving downlink control information (DCI) signaling that indicates the duration.

[0013] In one possible implementation of the above aspects, the method further includes receiving radio resource control (RRC) signaling, the RRC signaling including an indication of the duration.

[0014] According to one aspect of the invention, an apparatus is provided. The apparatus includes at least one processor coupled to a memory storing computer-readable instructions, which, upon execution, cause the at least one processor to perform the following operations: monitor at least one PDCCH message on a first link using a first QCL hypothesis type, wherein the first link is one of a TN link and an NTN link; and, in response to the expiration of a duration associated with the first QCL hypothesis type, switch to monitoring at least one PDCCH message on a second link using a second QCL hypothesis type, wherein the second link is the other of the TN link and the NTN link.

[0015] According to one aspect of the invention, a non-transitory computer-readable medium storing instructions is provided. When executed by a processor, the instructions cause the processor to perform the following operations: monitor at least one PDCCH message on a first link using a first QCL hypothesis type, wherein the first link is one of a TN link and an NTN link; and, in response to the expiration of a duration associated with the first QCL hypothesis type, switch to monitoring at least one PDCCH message on a second link using a second QCL hypothesis type, wherein the second link is the other of the TN link and the NTN link.

[0016] According to one aspect of the invention, a method is provided. The method includes implementing a first beam activity cycle, wherein the first beam activity cycle includes monitoring at least one PDCCH message on a first link using a first QCL hypothesis type; and switching to implementing a second beam activity cycle in response to no PDCCH message being detected within a predetermined number of consecutive time slots, wherein the second beam activity cycle includes monitoring PDCCH messages on a second link using a second QCL hypothesis type.

[0017] According to one aspect of the invention, an apparatus is provided. The apparatus includes at least one processor coupled to a memory storing computer-readable instructions, which, upon execution, cause the at least one processor to perform the following operations: implement a first beam activity cycle, wherein the first beam activity cycle includes monitoring at least one PDCCH message on a first link using a first QCL hypothesis type; and switch to implementing a second beam activity cycle in response to no PDCCH message being detected within a predetermined number of consecutive time slots, wherein the second beam activity cycle includes monitoring at least one PDCCH message on a second link using a second QCL hypothesis type.

[0018] According to one aspect of the invention, a non-transitory computer-readable medium storing instructions is provided. When executed by a processor, the instructions cause the processor to perform the following operations: implement a first beam activity cycle, wherein the first beam activity cycle includes monitoring at least one PDCCH message on a first link using a first QCL hypothesis type; and switch to implement a second beam activity cycle in response to no PDCCH message being detected within a predetermined number of consecutive time slots, wherein the second beam activity cycle includes monitoring at least one PDCCH message on a second link using a second QCL hypothesis type.

[0019] According to one aspect of the present invention, a method is provided. The method includes implementing a first beam activity cycle, wherein the first beam activity cycle includes monitoring PDCCH messages on a first link using a first QCL assumption type; and switching to implementing a second beam activity cycle in response to the detection of a PDCCH message including a dynamic QCL switching indication, the dynamic QCL switching indication being a second QCL assumption type and a duration, wherein the second beam activity cycle includes monitoring PDCCH messages on a second link using the second QCL assumption type.

[0020] According to one aspect of the invention, an apparatus is provided. The apparatus includes at least one processor coupled to a memory storing computer-readable instructions, which, upon execution, cause the at least one processor to perform the following operations: implement a first beam activity cycle, wherein the first beam activity cycle includes monitoring at least one PDCCH message on a first link using a first QCL hypothesis type; and, upon detection of a PDCCH message including a dynamic QCL switching indication, the dynamic QCL switching indication including a second QCL hypothesis type and a duration, switch to implementing a second beam activity cycle, wherein the second beam activity cycle includes monitoring at least one PDCCH message on a second link using the second QCL hypothesis type.

[0021] According to one aspect of the invention, a non-transitory computer-readable medium storing instructions is provided. When executed by a processor, the instructions cause the processor to perform the following operations: implement a first beam activity cycle, wherein the first beam activity cycle includes monitoring at least one PDCCH message on a first link using a first QCL hypothesis type; and, upon detection of a PDCCH message including a dynamic QCL switching indication, the dynamic QCL switching indication including a second QCL hypothesis type and a duration, switch to implementing a second beam activity cycle, wherein the second beam activity cycle includes monitoring at least one PDCCH message on a second link using the second QCL hypothesis type.

[0022] According to one aspect of the present invention, a system is provided. The system includes a first device, a second device, and a third device. The first device is configured to transmit at least one PDCCH message on a first link, wherein the first link is one of a TN link and an NTN link. The second device is configured to transmit at least one PDCCH message on a second link, wherein the second link is the other of the TN link and the NTN link. The third device includes at least one processor coupled to a memory storing computer-readable instructions, which, upon execution, cause the at least one processor to perform the following operations: monitor the at least one PDCCH message on the first link using a first QCL hypothesis type; and, in response to the expiration of a duration associated with the first QCL hypothesis type, switch to monitoring the at least one PDCCH message on the second link using a second QCL hypothesis type.

[0023] In any of the above aspects or implementations, the first QCL assumption type is a TN-specific QCL assumption type, and the second QCL assumption type is an NTN-specific QCL assumption type. Alternatively, the first QCL assumption type is an NTN-specific QCL assumption type, and the second QCL assumption type is a TN-specific QCL assumption type.

[0024] In any of the above aspects or in one possible implementation of the implementation method, the first QCL assumption type includes at least one of spatial receiving filter or average time delay.

[0025] In any of the above aspects or a possible implementation of the implementation, the duration is represented by the following: millisecond; OFDM symbol; OFDM symbol group; microslot; microslot group; slot; slot group; second; microsecond; or nanosecond.

[0026] In any of the above aspects or a possible implementation of the implementation, the TN NTN TCI state IE indicates the first QCL assumption type, and the second IE indicates the second QCL assumption type. The TN NTN TCI state IE may be an indication of another IE, which includes an indication of the duration of an inactive timer, thereby providing the duration of the time interval during which the first QCL assumption type is not used to monitor PDCCH messages on the first link.

[0027] According to one aspect of the present invention, a computer program comprising instructions is provided. When executed by a processor, the instructions cause the processor to implement any of the above aspects or implementations of the method.

[0028] According to one aspect of the invention, a non-transitory computer-readable medium is provided that stores instructions which, when executed by a processor, enable the processor to implement any of the above aspects or implementations of the method. Attached Figure Description

[0029] To gain a more complete understanding of the embodiments of the present invention and their advantages, the following description, by way of example and in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, is provided, in which: Figure 1 A schematic diagram of a communication system in which embodiments of the present invention may occur is shown. The communication system includes a plurality of exemplary electronic devices and a plurality of exemplary transmission and receiving points, as well as various networks. Figure 2 It shows Figure 1 A block diagram of a communication system, which includes multiple exemplary electronic devices, exemplary ground transmission and reception points and exemplary non-ground transmission and reception points, and various networks; Figure 3 This application illustrates various aspects of the present application. Figure 2 Components of an exemplary electronic device Figure 2 Components of an exemplary ground transmission receiving point and Figure 2 A block diagram of the components of an exemplary non-terrestrial transmission receiving point; Figure 4 Block diagrams illustrating various modules that may be included in exemplary electronic devices, exemplary ground transmission receiving points, and exemplary non-ground transmission receiving points of this application are shown. Figure 5 A block diagram illustrating the perception management functions of various aspects of this application is shown; Figure 6 This illustrates user equipment in a blind spot of a terrestrial wireless communication network; Figure 7 This application illustrates aspects located in the same terrestrial wireless communication network blind zone. Figure 6 , of which Figure 7 The layout and Figure 6 The difference in the arrangement is that Figure 7 User equipment can maintain its connection to the wireless communication network through a connection to a non-terrestrial transmission and receiving point; Figure 8 Exemplary terrestrial network non-terrestrial network transmission configuration indicator (NT NTN TCI) statuses are shown for various aspects of this application; Figure 9 A timeline of the first embodiments of various aspects of this application is shown; Figure 10 Exemplary steps in the methods of various aspects of this application are shown; Figure 11A timeline of the second scheme for various aspects of this application is shown; Figure 12 Exemplary TN NTN TCI states IE for various aspects of this application are shown; Figure 13 Exemplary TN NTN TCI states IE for various aspects of this application are shown; Figure 14 Exemplary new downlink control information formats for various aspects of this application are shown. Detailed Implementation

[0030] For illustrative purposes, specific exemplary embodiments will now be explained in more detail with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0031] The embodiments described herein represent information sufficient to achieve the claimed subject matter and illustrate methods for achieving such subject matter. Upon reading the following description in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, those skilled in the art will understand the concepts of the claimed subject matter and recognize that the application of these concepts, not specifically mentioned herein, is valid. It should be understood that these concepts and applications are within the scope of this invention and the appended claims.

[0032] Furthermore, it should be understood that any module, component, or device disclosing the executable instructions herein may include or otherwise access one or more non-transitory computer / processor-readable storage media for storing information such as computer / processor-readable instructions, data structures, program modules, and / or other data. A non-exhaustive list of examples of non-transitory computer / processor-readable storage media includes magnetic tape cassettes, magnetic tape, disk storage or other magnetic storage devices, compact disc read-only memory (CD-ROM), digital video disc or digital versatile disc (DVD), Blu-ray Disc™ and other optical storage devices, volatile and non-volatile, removable and non-removable media implemented in any method or technology, random-access memory (RAM), read-only memory (ROM), electrically erasable programmable read-only memory (EEPROM), flash memory or other storage technologies. Any such non-transitory computer / processor-readable storage medium may be part of a device or apparatus, or may be accessed or connected to a device or apparatus. Computer / processor-readable / executable instructions used to implement the methods, applications, or modules described herein may be stored by such non-transitory computer / processor-readable storage media or otherwise preserved.

[0033] refer to Figure 1 As a non-limiting illustrative example, a simplified schematic diagram of a communication system is provided. Communication system 100 includes a radio access network 120. Radio access network 120 may be a next-generation (e.g., sixth-generation, 6G, or later) radio access network, or a traditional (e.g., 5G, 4G, 3G, or 2G) radio access network. One or more communication electronic devices (EDs) 110a, 110b, 110c, 110d, 110e, 110f, 110g, 110h, 110i, 110j (generally referred to as 110) may interconnect with each other and / or be connected to one or more network nodes (170a, 170b, generally referred to as 170) in radio access network 120. Core network 130 may be part of the communication system and may depend on or be independent of the radio access technology used in communication system 100. In addition, the communication system 100 includes a public switched telephone network (PSTN) 140, the Internet 150, and other networks 160.

[0034] Figure 2 An exemplary communication system 100 is illustrated. Typically, the communication system 100 enables multiple wireless or wired components to transmit information. The communication system 100 can be used to provide information such as voice, data, video, signaling, and / or text via broadcast, multicast, and unicast. The communication system 100 can operate by sharing resources such as carrier spectrum bandwidth among its constituent components. The communication system 100 may include terrestrial communication systems and / or non-terrestrial communication systems. The communication system 100 can provide a wide range of communication services and applications (e.g., earth monitoring, remote sensing, passive sensing and positioning, navigation and tracking, autonomous delivery and mobility, etc.). The communication system 100 can provide high availability and robustness through the joint operation of terrestrial and non-terrestrial communication systems. For example, integrating a non-terrestrial communication system (or components thereof) into a terrestrial communication system can create a heterogeneous network that can be viewed as comprising multiple layers. Compared to traditional communication networks, heterogeneous networks can achieve better overall performance through efficient multi-link joint operation between terrestrial and non-terrestrial networks, more flexible function sharing, and faster physical layer link switching.

[0035] Terrestrial communication systems and non-terrestrial communication systems can be considered subsystems of a communication system. Figure 2In the example shown, communication system 100 includes electronic devices (EDs) 110a, 110b, 110c, and 110d (generally referred to as ED 110), radio access networks (RANs) 120a and 120b, a non-terrestrial communication network 120c, a core network 130, a public switched telephone network (PSTN) 140, the Internet 150, and other networks 160. RANs 120a and 120b include corresponding base stations (BSs) 170a and 170b, which are generally referred to as terrestrial transmit and receive points (T-TRPs) 170a and 170b. The non-terrestrial communication network 120c includes access nodes 172, which are generally referred to as non-terrestrial transmit and receive points (NT-TRPs) 172. Based on the similarity of the reference figures, it can be inferred that the non-terrestrial communication network 120c can be considered as a radio access network with the same operational aspects as RANs 120a and 120b. The non-terrestrial communication network 120c may include at least one non-terrestrial network device and at least one corresponding terrestrial network device, wherein the at least one non-terrestrial network device functions as a transport layer device, and the at least one corresponding terrestrial network device functions as a radio access network node, communicating with the ED through the non-terrestrial network device.

[0036] Alternatively or additionally, any ED 110 can be used to connect, access, or communicate with any T-TRP 170a, 170b, and NT-TRP 172, the Internet 150, the core network 130, the PSTN 140, other networks 160, or any combination thereof. In some examples, ED 110a can communicate uplink and / or downlink with T-TRP 170a via terrestrial air interface 190a. In some examples, ED 110a, 110b, 110c, and 110d can also communicate directly with each other via one or more sidelink air interfaces 190b. In some examples, ED 110d can communicate uplink and / or downlink with NT-TRP 172 via non-terrestrial air interface 190c.

[0037] Air interfaces 190a and 190b can use similar communication technologies, such as any applicable wireless access technology. For example, communication system 100 can implement one or more channel access methods in air interfaces 190a and 190b, such as code division multiple access (CDMA), space division multiple access (SDMA), time division multiple access (TDMA), frequency division multiple access (FDMA), orthogonal FDMA (OFDMA), single-carrier FDMA (SC-FDMA), or direct Fourier transform spread OFDMA (DFT-OFDMA). Air interfaces 190a and 190b can utilize other high-dimensional signal spaces, which may involve combinations of orthogonal and / or non-orthogonal dimensions.

[0038] The non-terrestrial air interface 190c enables communication between the ED 110d and one or more NT-TRP 172s via a wireless link or a simple link. For some examples, the link is a dedicated connection for unicast transmission, a connection for broadcast transmission, or a connection for multicast transmission between a group of ED 110s and one or more NT-TRP 175s.

[0039] RANs 120a and 120b communicate with the core network 130 to provide various services, such as voice and data, to EDs 110a, 110b, and 110c. RANs 120a and 120b and / or the core network 130 can communicate directly or indirectly with one or more other RANs (not shown), which may or may not be directly served by the core network 130, and may or may not use the same radio access technologies as RANs 120a and / or RAN 120b. The core network 130 can also act as a gateway between (i) RANs 120a and 120b and / or EDs 110a, 110b, and 110c and (ii) other networks (e.g., PSTN 140, Internet 150, and other networks 160). Additionally, some or all of EDs 110a, 110b, and 110c may include the ability to communicate with different wireless networks via different radio links using different radio technologies and / or protocols. Instead of wireless communication (or other than wireless communication), ED 110a, 110b, and 110c can communicate with a service provider or exchange (not shown) and the Internet 150 via wired communication channels. PSTN 140 may include a circuit-switched telephone network for providing plain old telephone service (POTS). The Internet 150 may include a network of computers and / or subnets (internal networks) and incorporate protocols such as Internet Protocol (IP), Transmission Control Protocol (TCP), and User Datagram Protocol (UDP). ED 110a, 110b, and 110c may be multimode devices capable of operating under various wireless access technologies and incorporating multiple transceivers required to support these technologies.

[0040] Figure 3Another example of the ED 110 and base stations 170a, 170b, and / or 170c is shown. The ED 110 is used to connect people, objects, machines, etc. The ED 110 can be widely used in various scenarios, such as cellular communication, device-to-device (D2D), vehicle-to-everything (V2X), peer-to-peer (P2P), machine-to-machine (M2M), machine-type communication (MTC), Internet of Things (IoT), virtual reality (VR), augmented reality (AR), mixed reality (MR), metaverse, digital twins, industrial control, autonomous driving, telemedicine, smart grids, smart furniture, smart offices, smart wearable devices, smart transportation, smart cities, drones, robots, remote sensing, passive sensing, positioning, navigation and tracking, autonomous delivery and mobility, etc.

[0041] Each ED 110 represents any applicable end-user equipment used for wireless operation, which may include (or may be referred to as): user equipment / device (UE), wireless transmit / receive unit (WTRU), mobile station, fixed or mobile subscriber unit, cellular phone, station (STA), machine type communication (MTC) device, personal digital assistant (PDA), smartphone, laptop, computer, tablet, wireless sensor, consumer electronics, watch, head-mounted device, wearable device such as glasses, smart book, vehicle, automobile, truck, bus, train, or IoT device, industrial equipment, or devices within the aforementioned equipment (e.g., communication modules, modems, or chips). Future generations of ED 110 may be referred to using other terms. Base stations 170a and 170b are both T-TRPs and are referred to below as T-TRP170. Figure 3 The diagram also shows NT-TRP, which will be referred to below as NT-TRP 172. Each ED 110 connected to T-TRP 170 and / or NT-TRP 172 can be dynamically or semi-statically turned on (i.e., established, activated, or enabled), turned off (i.e., released, deactivated, or disabled), and / or configured in response to one or more of connectivity availability and connectivity necessity.

[0042] ED 110 includes a transmitter 201 and a receiver 203 coupled to one or more antennas 204. Only one antenna 204 is shown in the figure. One, some, or all of the antennas 204 may also be panels. The transmitter 201 and receiver 203 may, for example, be integrated as a transceiver. The transceiver is used to modulate data or other content for transmission through at least one antenna 204 or a network interface controller (NIC). The transceiver may also be used to demodulate data or other content received through at least one antenna 204. Each transceiver includes any suitable structures for generating signals for wireless or wired transmission and / or for processing signals received wirelessly or wiredly. Each antenna 204 includes any suitable structures for transmitting and / or receiving wireless or wired signals.

[0043] ED 110 may include at least one memory 208. Memory 208 stores instructions and / or data used, generated, or collected by ED 110. For example, memory 208 may store software instructions or modules for implementing some or all of the functions and / or embodiments described herein and executed by one or more processing units (e.g., processor 210). Each memory 208 includes any suitable volatile and / or non-volatile storage and retrieval device. Any suitable type of memory may be used, such as random access memory (RAM), read-only memory (ROM), hard disk, optical disk, subscriber identity module (SIM) card, memory stick, secure digital (SD) memory card, processor cache, etc.

[0044] ED 110 may also include one or more input / output devices (not shown) or interfaces (e.g., connected to...). Figure 1 (Wired interface of Internet 150 in the network). Input / output devices support interaction with users or other devices in the network. Each input / output device includes any suitable structure for providing or receiving information from the user, such as through operation (including network interface communication) via speakers, microphones, keypads, keyboards, displays, or touchscreens.

[0045] ED 110 includes a processor 210 for performing operations including transmission-related operations for preparing uplink transmissions to NT-TRP 172 and / or T-TRP 170, operations related to processing downlink transmissions received from NT-TRP 172 and / or T-TRP 170, and operations related to processing lateral link transmissions to and from another ED 110. Processing operations related to preparing uplink transmissions may include operations such as encoding, modulation, transmit beamforming, and generating symbols for transmission. Processing operations related to processing downlink transmissions may include operations such as receive beamforming, demodulation, and decoding of received symbols. According to an embodiment, receiver 203 may receive downlink transmissions, possibly using receive beamforming, and processor 210 may extract signaling from the downlink transmissions (e.g., by detecting and / or decoding signaling). For example, the signaling may be a reference signal transmitted by NT-TRP 172 and / or T-TRP 170. In some embodiments, processor 210 performs transmit beamforming and / or receive beamforming based on beam pointing indications (e.g., beam angle information (BAI)) received from T-TRP 170. In some embodiments, processor 210 may perform operations related to network access (e.g., initial access) and / or downlink synchronization, such as operations related to detecting synchronization sequences, decoding, and acquiring system information. In some embodiments, processor 210 may perform channel estimation, for example, using reference signals received from NT-TRP 172 and / or T-TRP 170.

[0046] Although not shown, processor 210 may form part of transmitter 201 and / or receiver 203. Although not shown, memory 208 may form part of processor 210.

[0047] Processor 210, the processing components of transmitter 201, and the processing components of receiver 203 can all be implemented by the same or different processors for executing instructions stored in memory (e.g., memory 208). Alternatively, some or all of processor 210, the processing components of transmitter 201, and the processing components of receiver 203 can be implemented using special-purpose circuits such as a field-programmable gate array (FPGA), a central processing unit (CPU), a graphics processing unit (GPU), or an application-specific integrated circuit (ASIC).

[0048] In some implementations, the T-TRP 170 may have other names, such as base station, basetransceiver station (BTS), wireless base station, network node, network device, network-side device, transmit / receive node, NodeB, evolved NodeB (eNodeB or eNB), home eNodeB, next-generation NodeB (gNB), transmission point (TP), site controller, access point (AP), wireless router, relay station, remote radio head, ground node, ground network device, ground base station, base band unit (BBU), remote radio unit (RRU), active antenna unit (AAU), remote radio head (RRH), central unit (CU), distributed unit (DU), positioning node, etc. The T-TRP 170 can be a macro BS, micro BS, relay node, host node, or a combination thereof. T-TRP 170 may refer to the aforementioned equipment or a device within the aforementioned equipment (e.g., a communication module, modem, or chip).

[0049] In some embodiments, the various parts of T-TRP 170 may be distributed. For example, some modules of T-TRP 170 may be located at a remote end of the device housing the antenna 256 of T-TRP 170, and may be coupled to the device housing the antenna 256 via a communication link (not shown), sometimes referred to as a fronthaul, such as a common public radio interface (CPRI). Therefore, in some embodiments, the term T-TRP 170 may also refer to modules on the network side that perform processing operations such as ED 110 location determination, resource allocation (scheduling), message generation, and encoding / decoding, which are not necessarily part of the device housing the antenna 256 of T-TRP 170. These modules may also be coupled to other T-TRPs. In some embodiments, T-TRP 170 may actually be multiple T-TRPs operating together to serve ED 110, for example, by using cooperative multicast.

[0050] like Figure 3As shown, T-TRP 170 includes at least one transmitter 252 and at least one receiver 254 coupled to one or more antennas 256. Only one antenna 256 is shown in the figure. One, some, or all of the antennas 256 may also be panels. The transmitter 252 and receiver 254 may be integrated as a transceiver. T-TRP 170 also includes a processor 260 for performing operations including operations related to: preparing a transmission for downlink transmission to ED 110; processing an uplink transmission received from ED 110; preparing a transmission for backhaul transmission to NT-TRP 172; and processing a transmission received from NT-TRP 172 via backhaul. Processing operations related to preparing a transmission for downlink or backhaul transmission may include operations such as encoding, modulation, precoding (e.g., multiple input multiple output (MIMO) precoding), transmit beamforming, and generating symbols for transmission. Processing operations related to uplink or backhaul transmissions may include receive beamforming, demodulating received symbols, and decoding received symbols. Processor 260 may also perform operations related to network access (e.g., initial access) and / or downlink synchronization, such as generating the contents of a synchronization signal block (SSB) and generating system information. In some embodiments, processor 260 also generates a beam pointing indicator, such as a BAI, which scheduler 253 may schedule for transmission. Processor 260 performs other network-side processing operations described herein, such as determining the location of ED 110 and the deployment location of NT-TRP 172. In some embodiments, processor 260 may generate signaling, such as for configuring one or more parameters of ED 110 and / or one or more parameters of NT-TRP 172. Any signaling generated by processor 260 is transmitted by transmitter 252. It should be noted that the term "signaling" as used herein may also be referred to as control signaling. Dynamic signaling can be transmitted in control channels such as the physical downlink control channel (PDCCH), while static or semi-static higher-layer signaling can be included in data packets transmitted in data channels such as the physical downlink shared channel (PDSCH).

[0051] Scheduler 253 may be coupled to processor 260. Scheduler 253 may be included in T-TRP 170 or operate separately. Scheduler 253 may schedule uplink, downlink, and / or backhaul transports, including issuing scheduling authorizations and / or configuring unscheduled (“configured authorization”) resources.

[0052] The T-TRP 170 also includes a memory 258 for storing information and data. The memory 258 stores instructions and data used, generated, or acquired by the T-TRP 170. For example, the memory 258 may store software instructions or modules used to implement some or all of the functions and / or embodiments described herein and executed by the processor 260.

[0053] Although not shown, processor 260 may form part of transmitter 252 and / or receiver 254. Furthermore, although not shown, processor 260 may implement scheduler 253. Although not shown, memory 258 may form part of processor 260.

[0054] The processing components of processor 260, scheduler 253, transmitter 252, and receiver 254 can all be implemented by the same or different processors for executing instructions stored in memory (e.g., memory 258). Alternatively, some or all of the processing components of processor 260, scheduler 253, transmitter 252, and receiver 254 can be implemented using dedicated circuitry such as FPGA, CPU, GPU, or ASIC.

[0055] It should be noted that the NT-TRP 172 is shown as an example of a drone only. The NT-TRP 172 can be implemented in any applicable non-terrestrial form, such as an aerial platform, a satellite, an aerial platform as an international mobile telecommunications base station, and an unmanned aerial vehicle, which will be discussed below. Furthermore, in some implementations, the NT-TRP 172 may have other names, such as a non-terrestrial node, a non-terrestrial network device, or a non-terrestrial base station. The NT-TRP 172 includes a transmitter 272 and a receiver 274 coupled to one or more antennas 280. Only one antenna 280 is shown in the figure. One, some, or all of the antennas may also be panels. The transmitter 272 and receiver 274 may be integrated as a transceiver. NT-TRP 172 also includes a processor 276 for performing operations, including operations related to: preparing a transmission for downlink transmission to ED 110; processing an uplink transmission received from ED 110; preparing a transmission for backhaul transmission to T-TRP 170; and processing a transmission received from T-TRP 170 via backhaul. Processing operations related to preparing a transmission for downlink or backhaul transmission may include operations such as encoding, modulation, precoding (e.g., MIMO precoding), transmit beamforming, and generating symbols for transmission. Processing operations related to processing transmissions received in the uplink or via backhaul may include operations such as receive beamforming, demodulating the received signal, and decoding the received symbols. In some embodiments, processor 276 performs transmit beamforming and / or receive beamforming based on beam pointing information (e.g., BAI) received from T-TRP 170. In some embodiments, processor 276 may generate signaling, for example, to configure one or more parameters of ED 110. In some embodiments, the NT-TRP 172 implements physical layer processing but not higher-level functions such as medium access control (MAC) or radio link control (RLC) layers. Since this is merely an example, more generally, the NT-TRP 172 may implement higher-level functions in addition to physical layer processing.

[0056] The NT-TRP 172 also includes a memory 278 for storing information and data. Although not shown, a processor 276 may form part of the transmitter 272 and / or the receiver 274. Although not shown, the memory 278 may form part of the processor 276.

[0057] The processing components of processor 276, transmitter 272, and receiver 274 can all be implemented by the same or different processors that execute instructions stored in memory (e.g., memory 278). Alternatively, some or all of the processing components of processor 276, transmitter 272, and receiver 274 can be implemented using dedicated circuitry such as a programmable FPGA, CPU, GPU, or ASIC. In some embodiments, NT-TRP 172 can actually be multiple NT-TRPs operating together to serve ED 110, for example, through cooperative multicast.

[0058] T-TRP 170, NT-TRP 172 and / or ED 110 may include other components, but these components have been omitted for clarity.

[0059] One or more steps of the methods provided in this embodiment can be derived from... Figure 4 The corresponding unit or module is executed. Figure 4 Units or modules in devices such as ED 110, T-TRP 170, or NT-TRP 172 are illustrated. For example, signals can be transmitted by a transmitting unit or transmitting module. Signals can be received by a receiving unit or receiving module. Signals can be processed by a processing unit or processing module. Other steps can be performed by an artificial intelligence (AI) module or a machine learning (ML) module. The corresponding units or modules can be implemented using hardware, one or more components or devices executing software, or combinations thereof. For example, one or more units or modules can be integrated circuits such as programmable FPGAs, CPUs, GPUs, or ASICs. It should be understood that if these modules are implemented, for example, using software executed by a processor, then these modules can be retrieved by the processor, wholly or partially, individually or collectively, for processing, or in one or more instances as needed. It should also be understood that these modules themselves may include instructions for further deployment and instantiation. Reference Figure 3 The transmitter mentioned could be a detailed implementation of the sending module. (See reference.) Figure 3 The mentioned receiver could be a detailed implementation of the receiving module. (See reference.) Figure 3 The processor mentioned can be a detailed implementation of the processing module.

[0060] Further details regarding ED 110, T-TRP 170, and NT-TRP 172 are known to those skilled in the art. Therefore, these details are omitted here.

[0061] An air interface typically includes numerous components and associated parameters that collectively specify how transmissions are sent and / or received between two or more communication devices via a wireless communication link. For example, an air interface may include one or more waveforms, one or more frame structures, one or more multiple access schemes, one or more protocols, one or more coding schemes, and / or one or more modulation schemes defining the transmission of information (e.g., data) via a wireless communication link. A wireless communication link may support a link between a radio access network and user equipment (e.g., a "Uu" link), and / or a link between devices, such as between two user equipment (e.g., a "sidelink"), and / or a link between a non-terrestrial (NT) communication network and user equipment (UE). Some examples of the aforementioned components are given below.

[0062] Waveform components can specify the shape and form of the transmitted signal. Waveform options can include orthogonal multiple access (OFDM) and non-orthogonal multiple access (NMO) waveforms. Non-limiting examples of such waveform options include Orthogonal Frequency Division Multiplexing (OFDM), Direct Fourier Transform Spread OFDM (DFT-OFDM), filtered OFDM (f-OFDM), time-domain windowed OFDM, Filter Bank Multicarrier (FBMC), Universal Filtered Multicarrier (UFMC), Generalized Frequency Division Multiplexing (GFDM), Wavelet Packet Modulation (WPM), Faster Than Nyquist (FTN) waveforms, and low Peak to Average Power Ratio (PAPR) waveforms (WF).

[0063] The frame structure component can specify the configuration of a single frame or a group of frames. The frame structure component can indicate one or more of the following parameters: time, frequency, pilot signature, code, subcarrier spacing, cyclic prefix length, or other parameters. More details about the frame structure are discussed below.

[0064] Multiple access scheme components can specify multiple access technology options, including technologies that define how communication devices share a common physical channel, such as: TDMA; FDMA; CDMA; SDMA; OFDMA; SC-FDMA; Low Density Signature Multicarrier CDMA (LDS-MC-CDMA); Non-Orthogonal Multiple Access (NOMA); Pattern Division Multiple Access (PDMA); Lattice Partition Multiple Access (LPMA); Resource Spread Multiple Access (RSMA); and Sparse Code Multiple Access (SCMA). Furthermore, multiple access technology options can include: scheduled access versus unscheduled access (the latter also known as unlicensed access); non-orthogonal multiple access versus orthogonal multiple access, for example, through dedicated channel resources (e.g., not shared between multiple communication devices); contention-based shared channel resources versus non-contention-based shared channel resources; and cognitive radio-based access.

[0065] The Hybrid Automatic Repeat Request (HARQ) protocol component can specify how transmission and / or retransmission are performed. Non-limiting examples of transmission and / or retransmission mechanism options include mechanisms for specifying the size of the scheduled data pipeline, signaling mechanisms for transmission and / or retransmission, and retransmission mechanisms.

[0066] Encoding and modulation components specify how the information being transmitted is encoded / decoded and modulated / demodulated for transmission / reception purposes. Encoding can refer to methods of error detection and forward error correction. Non-limiting examples of encoding options include turbo lattice codes, turbo product codes, fountain codes, low-density parity-check codes, and polar codes. Modulation can simply refer to a constellation (e.g., including modulation techniques and orders), or more specifically to various types of advanced modulation methods, such as layered modulation and low PAPR modulation.

[0067] In some embodiments, the air interface may be a "one-size-fits-all" concept. For example, once the air interface is defined, the components within it may not be able to be changed or adjusted. In some implementations, only a limited number of parameters or modes of the air interface can be configured, such as cyclic prefix (CP) length or MIMO mode. In some embodiments, the air interface design can provide a unified or flexible framework to support frequencies known below 6 GHz and frequencies above 6 GHz (e.g., mmWave bands) for licensed and unlicensed access. For example, the flexibility of a configurable air interface provided by scalable system parameters (numerology) and symbol duration can enable optimization of transmission parameters for different spectrum bands and different services / devices. As another example, a unified air interface can be self-contained in the frequency domain, and a frequency-domain self-contained design can support more flexible RAN slicing by sharing channel resources between different services in both frequency and time.

[0068] The frame structure is a feature of the physical layer of wireless communication, defining the time-domain signal transmission structure. For example, it is used to implement timing references and timing calibrations for basic time-domain transmission units. Wireless communication between devices can occur on time-frequency resources controlled by the frame structure. The frame structure is sometimes also referred to as the wireless frame structure.

[0069] Depending on the frame structure and / or the frame configuration within the frame structure, frequency division duplex (FDD) and / or time division duplex (TDD) and / or full duplex (FD) communication can be performed. FDD communication refers to transmissions in different directions (e.g., uplink and downlink) occurring on different frequency bands. TDD communication refers to transmissions in different directions (e.g., uplink and downlink) occurring for different durations. FD communication refers to transmission and reception occurring on the same time-frequency resources; that is, the device can simultaneously transmit and receive on the same frequency resources.

[0070] An example of a frame structure is a frame structure specified for a known long-term evolution (LTE) cellular system, which has the following specifications: each frame is 10 ms long; each frame has 10 subframes, each subframe is 1 ms long; each subframe includes two time slots, each time slot is 0.5 ms long; each time slot is used to transmit 7 OFDM symbols (assuming a normal CP); each OFDM symbol has a symbol duration and a specific bandwidth (or partial bandwidth or bandwidth portion) related to the number of subcarriers and the subcarrier spacing; the frame structure is based on OFDM waveform parameters, such as the subcarrier spacing and the CP length (where the CP has a fixed length or finite length option); the handover gap between uplink and downlink in TDD is specified as an integer time of the OFDM symbol duration.

[0071] Another example of a frame structure is the frame structure specified for known New Radio (NR) cellular systems, which has the following specifications: support for multiple subcarrier spacings, each corresponding to a specific system parameter; the frame structure depends on the system parameter, but in any case, the frame length is set to 10 ms, each frame consists of 10 subframes, and each subframe lasts for 1 ms; a time slot is defined as 14 OFDM symbols; the time slot length depends on the system parameter. For example, the NR frame structure for a normal CP with a 15 kHz subcarrier spacing (“System Parameter 1”) differs from the NR frame structure for a normal CP with a 30 kHz subcarrier spacing (“System Parameter 2”). For the 15 kHz subcarrier spacing, the time slot length is 1 ms; for the 30 kHz subcarrier spacing, the time slot length is 0.5 ms. The NR frame structure can be more flexible than the LTE frame structure.

[0072] Another example of a frame structure is for networks such as 6G or later. In a flexible frame structure, a symbol block can be defined as having a duration that is the shortest duration that can be scheduled within the flexible frame structure. A symbol block can be a transmission unit with optional redundant portions (e.g., CP portions) and information portions (e.g., data portions). An OFDM symbol is an example of a symbol block. A symbol block can also be referred to as a symbol. Implementations of flexible frame structures include various configurable parameters, such as frame length, subframe length, symbol block length, etc. In some implementations of flexible frame structures, a non-exhaustive list of possible configurable parameters includes: frame length; subframe duration; time slot configuration; subcarrier spacing (SCS); flexible transmission duration of the basic transmission unit; and flexible handover intervals.

[0073] The frame length is not limited to 10 ms; it can be configurable and vary over time. In some embodiments, each frame includes one or more downlink synchronization channels and / or one or more downlink broadcast channels, each of which can be transmitted in different directions using different beamforming techniques. The frame length can have more than one possible value and is configured according to the application scenario. For example, autonomous vehicles may require relatively fast initial access; in this case, the frame length for autonomous vehicle applications could be set to 5 ms. As another example, home smart meters may not require fast initial access; in this case, the frame length for smart meter applications could be set to 20 ms.

[0074] Subframes may or may not be defined within a flexible frame structure, depending on the implementation. For example, a frame may be defined to include time slots but not subframes. Within a frame that defines subframes, for example, for temporal alignment, the duration of the subframes can be configurable. For example, the subframe length can be configured to 0.1 ms, 0.2 ms, 0.5 ms, 1 ms, 2 ms, or 5 ms, etc. In some embodiments, if subframes are not needed in a particular scenario, the subframe length may be defined to be the same as the frame length, or it may not be defined at all.

[0075] Time slots may or may not be defined within a flexible frame structure, depending on the implementation. In a frame where time slots are defined, the definition of a time slot (e.g., in duration and / or number of symbol blocks) can be configurable. In one embodiment, the time slot configuration is common to all UEs 110 or a group of UEs 110. In this case, the time slot configuration information can be sent to the UEs 110 via a broadcast channel or one or more general (or group) control channels. In other embodiments, the time slot configuration can be UE-specific, in which case the time slot configuration information can be sent via a UE-specific control channel. In some embodiments, time slot configuration signaling can be sent together with frame configuration signaling and / or subframe configuration signaling. In other embodiments, time slot configuration can be sent independently of frame configuration signaling and / or subframe configuration signaling. Generally, time slot configuration can be system-wide, base station-wide, UE group-wide, or UE-specific.

[0076] The SCS ranges from 15 kHz to 480 kHz. The SCS can vary with the frequency of the spectrum and / or the maximum UE speed to minimize the effects of Doppler frequency offset and phase noise. In some examples, separate transmit and receive frames can exist, and the symbol SCS in the receive frame structure can be configured independently of the symbol SCS in the transmit frame structure. The SCS in the receive frame can differ from the SCS in the transmit frame. In some examples, the SCS of each transmit frame can be half the SCS of each receive frame. If the SCS differs between receive and transmit frames, the difference does not necessarily have to be scaled by a factor of two; for example, a more flexible symbol duration can be achieved by using the inverse discrete Fourier transform (IDFT) instead of the fast Fourier transform (FFT). Additional examples of frame structures can be used with different SCS.

[0077] The above configuration parameters can be transmitted via, but not limited to, radio resource control (RRC) layer signaling, media access control (MAC) layer signaling, physical layer signaling (e.g., downlink control information), or any combination thereof.

[0078] A basic transmission unit can be a symbol block (also called a symbol), which generally includes a redundant portion (called a CP) and an information (e.g., data) portion. In some embodiments, the CP can be omitted from the symbol block. The CP length can be flexible and configurable. The CP length can be fixed or flexible within a frame; the CP length may vary between frames, or between groups of frames, or between subframes, or between time slots, or may change dynamically between schedules. The information (e.g., data) portion can be flexible and configurable. Another possible parameter associated with a definable symbol block is the ratio of the CP duration to the information (e.g., data) duration. In some embodiments, the symbol block length can be adjusted based on channel conditions (e.g., multipath delay, Doppler); and / or delay requirements; and / or available duration. For example, the symbol block length can be adjusted to accommodate the available duration within a frame.

[0079] A frame may include both a downlink portion for downlink transmission from base station 170 and an uplink portion for uplink transmission from UE 110. Gaps may exist between the uplink and downlink portions; these gaps are called handover gaps. The length (duration) of the handover gap can be configurable. The handover gap duration can be fixed or flexible within a frame; it may vary between frames, groups of frames, subframes, or time slots, or dynamically between schedules.

[0080] Base station 170 and similar equipment can provide coverage for the cell. Wireless communication with the equipment can be conducted via one or more carrier frequencies. The carrier frequency will be referred to as a carrier. A carrier can also be called a component carrier (CC). A carrier can be characterized by its bandwidth and reference frequency, such as the center frequency of the carrier, the lowest frequency of the carrier, the highest frequency of the carrier, or a reference point and offset outside the carrier. A carrier can be on licensed spectrum or unlicensed spectrum. Wireless communication with the equipment can also occur, or conversely, on one or more bandwidth parts (BWPs). For example, a carrier can have one or more BWPs. More generally, wireless communication with the equipment can occur on a spectrum. A spectrum can include one or more carriers and / or one or more BWPs.

[0081] A cell may include one or more downlink resources, and optionally one or more uplink resources. A cell may include one or more uplink resources, and optionally one or more downlink resources. A cell may include both one or more downlink resources and one or more uplink resources. For example, a cell may include only one downlink carrier / BWP, or only one uplink carrier / BWP, or multiple downlink carriers / BWP, or multiple uplink carriers / BWP, or one downlink carrier / BWP and one uplink carrier / BWP, or one downlink carrier / BWP and multiple uplink carriers / BWP, or multiple downlink carriers / BWP and one uplink carrier / BWP, or multiple downlink carriers / BWP and multiple uplink carriers / BWP. In some embodiments, alternatively or additionally, a cell may include one or more sidelink resources, including sidelink transmit and receive resources.

[0082] A BWP is a set of continuous or discontinuous frequency subcarriers on a carrier, or a set of continuous or discontinuous frequency subcarriers on multiple carriers, or a set of discontinuous or continuous frequency subcarriers, which may be on one or more carriers.

[0083] In some embodiments, a carrier may have one or more BWPs. For example, a carrier may have a bandwidth of 20 MHz and consist of one BWP; a carrier may also have a bandwidth of 80 MHz and consist of two adjacent consecutive BWPs, etc. In other embodiments, a BWP may have one or more carriers. For example, a BWP may have a bandwidth of 40 MHz and consist of two adjacent consecutive carriers, each with a bandwidth of 20 MHz. In some embodiments, a BWP may include discontinuous spectrum resources consisting of a plurality of discontinuous carriers, wherein the first carrier of these discontinuous carriers may be in the millimeter-wave (mmW) band, the second carrier may be in a low-frequency band (e.g., the 2 GHz band), the third carrier (if present) may be in the THz band, and the fourth carrier (if present) may be in the visible light band. The resources belonging to a BWP within a carrier may be continuous or discontinuous. In some embodiments, a BWP has discontinuous spectrum resources on a carrier.

[0084] Wireless communication can occur over occupied bandwidth. Occupied bandwidth can be defined as the width of a frequency band such that the average transmitted power below the lower frequency limit and above the upper frequency limit is equal to a specified percentage β / 2 of the total average transmitted power, for example, β / 2 is 0.5%.

[0085] The carrier, BWP, or occupied bandwidth can be dynamically transmitted by network devices (e.g., by base station 170) in physical layer control signaling such as known downlink control information (DCI), semi-statically transmitted in radio resource control (RRC) signaling or in signaling at the medium access control (MAC) layer, or predefined according to the application scenario; or determined by UE 110 based on other parameters known to UE 110, or can be specified, for example, by standards.

[0086] In cellular communication networks, UE location information is typically used to improve various network performance metrics. These metrics may include, for example, capacity, flexibility, and efficiency. This improvement is achieved when network elements utilize the UE's location, behavior, mobility patterns, etc., within the context of prior information describing the radio environment in which the UE operates.

[0087] Sensing systems can be used to help collect UE pose information, including the UE's position in the global coordinate system, its velocity and direction of movement in the global coordinate system, orientation information, and information about the wireless environment. "Location" is also called "position," and these terms are used interchangeably in this document. Well-known examples of sensing systems include Radio Detection and Ranging (RADAR) and Light Detection and Ranging (LIDAR). While sensing systems are typically separate from communication systems, using integrated systems to collect information can reduce hardware (and cost) in the system, as well as the time, frequency, or spatial resources required to perform both functions. However, using communication system hardware to perform sensing of UE pose and environmental information is extremely challenging and remains an open problem. The difficulty of this problem is related to factors such as the limited resolution of communication systems, the dynamic nature of the environment, and the large number of objects whose electromagnetic properties and positions need to be estimated.

[0088] Therefore, sensor-communication integration (also known as communication-sensing integration) is an ideal feature in existing and future communication systems.

[0089] Any or all of ED 110 and BS 170 can be sensing nodes in system 100. A sensing node is a network entity that performs sensing by sending and receiving sensing signals. Some sensing nodes are communication devices that perform both communication and sensing. However, it is possible for some sensing nodes not to perform communication but to be dedicated solely to sensing. Figure 2 The sensing agent 174 in the example is a sensing node dedicated to sensing. Unlike ED 110 and BS 170, sensing agent 174 neither sends nor receives communication signals. However, sensing agent 174 can transmit configuration information, sensing information, signaling information, or other information within communication system 100. Sensing agent 174 can communicate with core network 130 to transmit information with the rest of communication system 100. For example, sensing agent 174 can determine the location of ED 110a and send that information to base station 170a via core network 130. Although Figure 2 Only one sensing agent 174 is shown, but any number of sensing agents can be implemented in the communication system 100. In some embodiments, one or more sensing agents can be implemented at one or more RANs 120.

[0090] Sensing nodes can combine sensing-based technologies with reference signal-based technologies to enhance UE pose determination. This type of sensing node can also be called a sensing management function (SMF). In some networks, the SMF can also be called a location management function (LMF). The SMF can be implemented as a physically independent entity located at the core network 130 connected to multiple BS 170s. In other aspects of this application, the SMF can be implemented as a logical entity co-located within the BS 170 through logic executed by the processor 260.

[0091] like Figure 5 As shown, when implemented as a physically independent entity, the SMF 176 includes at least one processor 290, at least one transmitter 282, at least one receiver 284, one or more antennas 286, and at least one memory 288. Transceivers (not shown) may be used instead of transmitters 282 and receivers 284. A scheduler 283 may be coupled to the processor 290. The scheduler 283 may be included within the SMF 176 or may operate separately from the SMF. The processor 290 implements various processing operations of the SMF 176, such as signal encoding, data processing, power control, input / output processing, or any other functions. The processor 290 may also be used to implement some or all of the functions and / or embodiments described in more detail above. Each processor 290 includes any suitable processing or computing device for performing one or more operations. For example, each processor 290 may include a microprocessor, microcontroller, digital signal processor, field-programmable gate array, or application-specific integrated circuit.

[0092] Pose determination techniques based on reference signals belong to the "active" pose estimation paradigm. In the active pose estimation paradigm, the querier of pose information (e.g., UE 110) participates in the process of determining the querier's pose. The querier can send or receive (or send and receive) signals specific to the pose determination process. Positioning techniques based on known Global Positioning System (GPS) and other Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS) are other examples of the active pose estimation paradigm.

[0093] In contrast, perception-based technologies, such as radar-based technologies, can be considered a "passive" pose determination paradigm. In passive pose determination, the target is completely unaware of the pose determination process.

[0094] By integrating sensing and communication into a single system, the system does not need to operate according to a single paradigm. Therefore, combining sensing-based techniques with reference signal-based techniques can achieve enhanced pose determination.

[0095] For example, enhanced pose determination can include acquiring UE channel subspace information, which is particularly useful for UE channel reconstruction at the sensing node, especially for beam-based operations and communications. The UE channel subspace is a subset of the entire algebraic space defined in the spatial domain, containing the entire channel from the TP to the UE. Therefore, the UE channel subspace can very accurately define the TP-to-UE channel. Signals transmitted in other subspaces contribute negligibly to the UE channel. Understanding the UE channel subspace helps reduce the workload required for UE-side channel measurement and network-side channel reconstruction. Therefore, combining sensing-based techniques with reference signal-based techniques can significantly reduce the overhead of UE channel reconstruction compared to traditional methods. Subspace information can also facilitate subspace-based sensing to reduce sensing complexity and improve sensing accuracy.

[0096] In some embodiments of integrated sensing and communication, sensing and communication use the same radioaccess technology (RAT). This avoids multiplexing two different RATs under a single carrier spectrum, or avoids providing two different carrier spectrums for two different RATs.

[0097] In an embodiment of integrated sensing and communication using a RAT, a first set of channels can be used to transmit sensing signals, while a second set of channels can be used to transmit communication signals. In some embodiments, each channel in the first set of channels and each channel in the second set of channels is a logical channel, a transport channel, or a physical channel.

[0098] At the physical layer, communication and sensing can be performed through different physical channels. For example, a first physical downlink shared channel (PDSCH-C) can be defined for data communication, while a second physical downlink shared channel (PDSCH-S) can be defined for sensing. Similarly, separate physical uplink shared channels (PUSCH) PUSCH-C and PUSCH-S can be defined for uplink communication and sensing.

[0099] In another example, the same PDSCH and PUSCH can be used for both communication and sensing, where separate logical layer channels and / or transport layer channels are defined for communication and sensing. It should also be noted that one or more control channels and one or more data channels used for sensing can have the same or different channel structures (formats), occupying the same or different frequency bands or portions of bandwidth.

[0100] In another example, a universal PDCCH and a universal PUCCH can be used to carry control information for both sensing and communication. Alternatively, different physical layer control channels can be used to carry different control information for communication and sensing. For example, PUCCH-S and PUCCH-C can be used for uplink control for sensing and communication, and PDCCH-S and PDCCH-C can be used for downlink control for sensing and communication, respectively.

[0101] Each of the physical, transport, and logical layers can use different combinations of shared and dedicated channels for sensing and communication.

[0102] The term "radar" originates from the phrase "radio detection and ranging"; however, expressions with different capitalizations (e.g., Radar and radar) are equally valid and are now more common. Radar is typically used to detect the presence and location of objects. A radar system radiates radio frequency energy and receives the echoes of energy reflected from one or more targets. The system determines the pose of a given target based on the echoes returning from that target. The radiated energy can be in the form of energy pulses or continuous waves, which can be represented or defined using specific waveforms. Examples of waveforms used in radar include frequency-modulated continuous wave (FMCW) and ultra-wideband (UWB) waveforms.

[0103] Radar systems can be monostatic, bistatic, or multistatic. In a monostatic radar system, the radar transmitter and receiver are located in the same location, for example, integrated into a single transceiver. In a bistatic radar system, the transmitter and receiver are spatially separated by a distance approximately equal to or greater than the expected target distance (often referred to as the range). In a multistatic radar system, two or more radar components are spatially distributed but share a common coverage area. Multistatic radar is also known as multisite or mesh radar.

[0104] Ground-based radar applications face challenges such as multipath propagation and shadow attenuation. Another challenge is identifiability, as ground targets share similar physical properties. Integrating sensing into communication systems will likely encounter similar, or even more, challenges.

[0105] Communication nodes can be either half-duplex or full-duplex. A half-duplex node cannot use the same physical resources (time, frequency, etc.) for both transmitting and receiving; conversely, a full-duplex node can use the same physical resources for both. Existing commercial wireless communication networks are all half-duplex networks. Even if full-duplex communication networks become a reality in the future, it is expected that at least some nodes in the network will still be half-duplex nodes because half-duplex devices are less complex, less expensive, and consume less power. Specifically, full-duplex implementations are more challenging at higher frequencies (e.g., in the millimeter-wave band) and are particularly challenging for small, low-cost devices (e.g., femtocell base stations and UEs).

[0106] Half-duplex nodes present limitations in communication networks, posing further challenges to integrating sensing and communication into devices and systems. For example, both half-duplex and full-duplex nodes can perform bistatic or multistatic sensing, but monostatic sensing typically requires full-duplex capability. Half-duplex nodes can perform monostatic sensing under certain constraints, such as in pulse radars with specific duty cycles and ranging capabilities.

[0107] The properties of a sensing signal, or a signal used for both sensing and communication, include the signal's waveform and frame structure. The frame structure defines the signal's time-domain boundaries. The waveform describes how the signal's shape changes over time and frequency. Examples of waveforms that can be used for sensing signals include ultra-wideband (UWB) pulses, frequency-modulated continuous waves (FMCW) or "chirps," OFDM, cyclic prefix (CP)-OFDM, and discrete fourier transform spread (DFT-S)-OFDM.

[0108] In this embodiment, the sensing signal has a bandwidth of And the duration is A linear frequency modulated (LFM) signal. This type of LFM signal is commonly known due to its use in FMCW radar systems. The LFM signal is generated by the frequency changing from an initial time... initial frequency By the final time final frequency The definition of frequency is added. ) and time ( The relationship between ) can be represented as a linear relationship. ,in Defined as the chirp slope. The bandwidth of a linear frequency modulated (LFM) signal can be defined as... The duration of a linear frequency modulated signal can be defined as follows: In baseband representation, this linear frequency modulated signal can be represented as... .

[0109] As used in this paper, precoding can refer to any coding operation or modulation that transforms an input signal into an output signal. Precoding can be performed in different domains, and typically transforms an input signal in a first domain into an output signal in a second domain. Precoding can include linear operations.

[0110] Terrestrial communication systems, also known as land-based or ground-based communication systems, can also be implemented on or under water. Non-terrestrial communication systems can extend cellular network coverage by using non-terrestrial nodes to fill coverage gaps in underserved areas, which is crucial for establishing seamless global coverage and providing mobile broadband service to unserved / underserved areas. Currently, it is virtually impossible to implement terrestrial access point / base station infrastructure in oceans, mountains, forests, or other remote areas.

[0111] Terrestrial communication systems can be wireless communication systems using 5G technology and / or next-generation wireless technologies (e.g., 6G or higher). In some examples, terrestrial communication systems may also accommodate some traditional wireless technologies (e.g., 3G or 4G). Non-terrestrial communication systems can be communication systems using satellite constellations, such as traditional geostationary orbit (GEO) satellites, which are used to broadcast public / popular content to local servers. Non-terrestrial communication systems can be communication systems using low earth orbit (LEO) satellites, which are known to achieve a better balance between large coverage areas and propagation path loss / latency. Non-terrestrial communication systems can be communication systems using very low earth orbit (VLEO) stabilized satellite technology, which significantly reduces the cost of launching satellites into lower orbits. Non-terrestrial communication systems can be communication systems using high altitude platforms (HAPs), which are known to provide low path loss air interfaces for users with limited power budgets. Non-terrestrial communication systems can be densely deployed communication systems using unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) (or unmanned aerial systems (UAS)). The coverage of these UAVs (or UAS) may be limited, thus suitable for localized areas; examples include airborne radios, balloons, quadcopters, and drones. In some examples, GEO satellites, LEO satellites, UAVs, HAPs, and VLEOs can be horizontal and two-dimensional. In some examples, UAVs, HAPs, and VLEOs can be coupled to integrate satellite communications into cellular networks. Emerging 3D vertical networks consist of numerous mobile access points (excluding geostationary satellites) and high-altitude access points (e.g., UAVs, HAPs, and VLEOs).

[0112] MIMO technology allows antenna arrays consisting of multiple antennas to transmit and receive signals to meet high transmission rate requirements. The ED 110, T-TRP 170, and / or NT-TRP can use MIMO for communication via radio resource blocks. MIMO utilizes multiple antennas on the transmitter side to transmit radio resource blocks via parallel radio signals. Therefore, multiple antennas can be used on the receiver side. MIMO can beamform the parallel radio signals for reliable multipath transmission of radio resource blocks. MIMO can also bond parallel radio signals carrying different data to increase the data rate of radio resource blocks.

[0113] In recent years, MIMO (Massive MIMO) wireless communication systems, particularly those using the T-TRP 170 and / or NT-TRP 172 with a large number of antennas, have received widespread attention from academia and industry. In massive MIMO systems, the T-TRP 170 and / or NT-TRP 172 typically have more than ten antenna elements (see [link to relevant documentation]). Figure 3 Antennas 256 and 280 in the T-TRP 170 and / or NT-TRP 172 are typically used to serve dozens (e.g., 40) of ED 110s. The large number of antenna elements in the T-TRP 170 and NT-TRP 172 significantly increases the spatial freedom of wireless communication, significantly improves transmission rate, spectral efficiency, and power efficiency, and greatly reduces inter-cell interference. The increased number of antennas allows for smaller size and lower cost per antenna element. Utilizing the spatial freedom provided by the massive antenna array, each cell's T-TRP 170 and NT-TRP 172 can simultaneously communicate with multiple ED 110s in the cell on the same time-frequency resources, thus significantly improving spectral efficiency. The large number of antenna elements in the T-TRP 170 and / or NT-TRP 172 also provides better spatial directivity for uplink and downlink transmissions for each user, allowing for lower transmit power and correspondingly higher power efficiency for both the T-TRP 170 and / or NT-TRP 172 and the ED 110. When the number of T-TRP 170 and / or NT-TRP 172 antennas is sufficient, the random channels between each ED 110 and T-TRP 170 and / or NT-TRP 172 can approach orthogonality, thereby reducing interference between cells and users and noise impact. These advantages make massive MIMO a promising application area.

[0114] A MIMO system may include a receiver connected to a receive (Rx) antenna, a transmitter connected to a transmit (Tx) antenna, and a signal processor connected to both the transmitter and receiver. Each of the Rx and Tx antennas may include multiple antennas. For example, an Rx antenna may be a uniform linear array (ULA) antenna, in which multiple antennas are arranged in rows at even intervals. When a radio frequency (RF) signal is transmitted through a Tx antenna, the Rx antenna can receive signals reflected and returned from a forward target.

[0115] A non-exhaustive list of possible units or possible configurable parameters or MIMO systems in some embodiments includes: panels; and beams.

[0116] The panel is a unit of the antenna group, antenna array, or antenna subarray, which can independently control the Tx beam or Rx beam.

[0117] Beamforming can be achieved by performing amplitude and / or phase weighting on data transmitted or received at at least one antenna port. Beamforming can also be achieved through other methods, such as adjusting relevant parameters of the antenna elements. Beams can include Tx beams and / or Rx beams. The transmit beam indicates the distribution of signal strength in different directions in space after the signal is transmitted through the antenna. The receive beam indicates the distribution of signal strength in different directions in space for the radio signal received from the antenna. Beam information can include beam identifiers, antenna port identifiers, channel state information reference signal (CSI-RS) resource identifiers, synchronization signal block (SSB) resource identifiers, sounding reference signal (SRS) resource identifiers, or other reference signal resource identifiers.

[0118] In a scenario where UE 110 has completed the initial access procedure with T-TRP 170, it can be understood that UE 110 communicates with all T-TRPs 170 as part of the RAN to which UE 110 is connected. However, due to the nature of the deployment, predictable and changing radio conditions, randomly changing radio conditions, obstacles in the environment, and other such factors, UE 110 may find itself in a "blind zone." A blind zone can be defined as an area where UE 110 is no longer able to communicate with the T-TRP. Figure 6 The diagram shows UE 110 in a wireless communication network blind spot. In fact, UE 110 is not in the first coverage area 602A provided by the first T-TRP 170A, the second coverage area 602B provided by the second T-TRP 170B, or the third coverage area 602C provided by the third T-TRP 170C.

[0119] As can be seen, after reaching the blind zone, UE 110 may no longer be able to decode the PDCCH sent by T-TRP 170. Therefore, UE 110 disconnects from the network to which it was previously connected.

[0120] T-TRP 170 can be considered to provide terrestrial coverage for UE 110. Conversely, NT-TRP 172 can be considered to provide non-terrestrial coverage for UE 110. Examples of NT-TRP 172 include satellites, high-altitude platform systems (HAPS), balloons, unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), and drones. It is known that NT-TRP 172 can provide a wider coverage area for UE 110 on the ground than T-TRP 170 typically provides. To achieve this wider coverage area, NT-TRP 172 utilizes its own altitude. However, it can be seen that the wider coverage area also brings some disadvantages, resulting in poorer received signal quality. This poorer received signal quality is understandable because its free-space path loss is greater than the free-space path loss associated with the received signal quality of T-TRP 170. It is also understandable that the poor received signal quality is due to other atmospheric losses, such as ionospheric scintillation loss, which are typically absent in signals received from the T-TRP 170. However, it can be seen that at the NT-TRP 172, these drawbacks can be overcome by applying appropriate link budgets and utilizing massive MIMO techniques.

[0121] Figure 7 It shows the locations in the same ground blind zone Figure 6 UE 110. Figure 7 The layout and Figure 6 The difference in this arrangement is that UE 110 is allowed to maintain its connection to the network via a connection to NT-TRP 172. In other words, it can be seen that after reaching a ground blind zone, UE 110 can switch from decoding the PDCCH sent by T-TRP 170 to decoding the PDCCH sent by NT-TRP 172. Therefore, UE 110 is allowed to maintain its connection to the network to which it is connected via T-TRP 170. Various aspects of this application relate to allowing a given UE 110 to connect to either T-TRP 170 or NT-TRP 172.

[0122] Some aspects of this application relate to loosely integrated terrestrial and non-terrestrial systems. In the context of this application, a terrestrial and non-terrestrial system is considered loosely integrated when it uses the same air interface (i.e., the same frame structure, time / frequency resource definitions, etc.) and the same medium access control (MAC) layer, but the amount of timing boundary misalignment of frames and / or time slots exceeds the cyclic prefix (CP) length, and the frequency of any message exchange between the MAC layers of the terrestrial and non-terrestrial systems is approximately tens of milliseconds or greater. Similarly, a terrestrial and non-terrestrial system is considered tightly integrated when it uses the same air interface (i.e., the same frame structure, time / frequency resource definitions, etc.) and the same MAC layer, and the amount of timing boundary misalignment of frames and / or time slots is less than the CP length, and the frequency of any message exchange between the MAC layers of the terrestrial and non-terrestrial systems is approximately 1 millisecond or less. More specifically, aspects of this application relate to methods for switching using a defined “beam activity period.” The beam activity period specifies a time interval during which a given UE 110 uses a first QCL assumption type (e.g., QCL type D, which defines a spatial Rx filter) when monitoring at least one PDCCH message on a first link (e.g., a TN or NTN link). Once the time interval has expired, the given UE 110 can perform a handover operation to switch to using a second QCL assumption type when monitoring at least one PDCCH message on a second link.

[0123] Figure 8 An example TN NTN TCI state 800 is shown. Figure 8 The exemplary TN NTN TCI state 800 shown includes TN NTN TCI state IE 801. TN NTN TCI state IE 801 includes two... QCL-Info Field, represented as qcl-Type1 Field 802-1 and qcl-Type2 Field 802-2, and two BeamActivityCycle-Config Field, represented as beamActivityCycle1 Field 804-1 and beamActivityCycle2 Field 804-2. For Figure 8 The example shown can be assumed to be qcl-Type1 Field 802-1 and beamActivityCycle1 Field 804-1 is associated. It can be understood that this association forms the QCL relationship for the NTN link. Similarly, it can be assumed that... qcl-Type2 Field 802-2 and beamActivityCycle2Field 804-2 is associated, and this association forms the QCL relationship for the TN link. Other association mechanisms between the QCL assumption and beam activity cycles can be implemented. In the first example: BeamActivityCycle-Config IE can include beamActivityCycleIdentity This field contains positive integer values. QCL-Info Fields can include beamActivityCycleIdentity Fields, qcl-Type1 Field 802-1 (correspondingly, qcl-Type2 Field 802-2) and BeamActivityCycle-Config Related to IE, that IE beamActivityCycleIdentity The field has the same qcl-Type1 Field 802-1 (correspondingly, qcl-Type2 In field 802-2) beamActivityCycleIdentity The same value for the field. In the second example: qcl-Type1 Field 802-1 (correspondingly, qcl-Type2 Field 802-2) may include BeamActivityCycle-Config IE, qcl-Type1 Field 802-1 (correspondingly, qcl-Type2 Field 802-2) and qcl-Type1 Field 802-1 (correspondingly, qcl-Type2 Field 802-2) includes BeamActivityCycle- Config Related to IE.

[0124] Figure 8 The exemplary TN NTN TCI status IE 801 shown includes beamActivityCycle1 Field 804-1 and beamActivityCycle2 Field 804-2 references BeamActivityCycle-Config IE 806. BeamActivityCycle-Config IE 806 contains the following representation: bac-onDurationTimer Field 808. In use, this can be understood as... bac-onDurationTimer Field 808 provides a time interval within which, based on qcl-Type1 The associated QCL assumption type determined by the value in field 802-1 will be active and will be used by UE 110 when monitoring at least one PDCCH message on the corresponding link (i.e., the NTN link). Figure 8 In the example shown, bac- onDurationTimerThe time interval values ​​in field 808 are in milliseconds. However, it should be clear that other units can also be considered. Examples of other units to consider include OFDM symbols, OFDM symbol groups, microslots, microslot groups, slots, slot groups, seconds, microseconds, and nanoseconds. Similarly, BeamActivityCycle-Config IE 806 can include values ​​represented as... bac-InactivityTimer Field 810. This is understandable. bac-InactivityTimer Field 810 provides a time interval, within which, based on qcl-Type1 The associated QCL assumption type determined by the value in field 802-1 is inactive and is not used by UE 110 to monitor at least one PDCCH message on the corresponding link (i.e., NTN link).

[0125] Throughout this application, it is assumed that a radio frame (or simply a "frame") has a given number of subframes (e.g., a given frame may have 10 subframes). Each subframe has a given number of time slots (e.g., a given subframe may have a single time slot). Each frame has a corresponding System Frame Number (SFN). The SFN of a given set of frames may be, for example, between 0 and 1023. Other exemplary configurations of radio frames, subframes, time slots, and system frame numbers have been envisioned.

[0126] In the preceding paragraphs, regarding Figure 8 The discussion of BeamActivityCycle-Config IE 806 includes... bac- onDurationTimer Field 808 and bac-InactivityTimer The discussion of field 810. Although not explicitly described, bac-onDurationTimer Field 808 and bac-InactivityTimer Field 810 relates to a beam activity periodic timer (not explicitly shown) and a beam inactivity periodic timer (not explicitly shown). The following paragraphs discuss exemplary embodiments of possible interpretations and implementations of the beam activity periodic timer and the beam inactivity periodic timer.

[0127] Applicable bac-onDurationTimer Field 808 enables the beam activity period timer to receive a signal with a bearer. bac-onDurationTimer Following the frame of a higher-level signaling message (e.g., an RRC signaling message) in field 808, operation begins from the first OFDM symbol of the first time slot of the first frame. bac-onDurationTimerThe value received in field 808 can be understood as the time interval or duration for which the QCL assumption for the corresponding link is applied. Taking a beam activity period duration of 10 milliseconds and a time slot duration of 1 millisecond as an example, starting from the first OFDM symbol of the first time slot where the beam activity period timer is applied, UE 110 starts the beam activity period timer, which runs for 10 milliseconds. During this period, UE 110 applies the corresponding link's QCL assumption to detect and decode any transmissions on the physical downlink channel (e.g., control and / or data), and detects and measures any corresponding reference signals (e.g., CSI-RS for beam management, CSI-RS for CSI feedback, DM-RS). After 10 milliseconds, the beam activity period timer is considered to have expired, and in response, UE 110 is expected to stop applying the corresponding link's QCL assumption, and therefore no longer detect or decode any transmissions on the physical downlink channel of the corresponding link. Similarly, UE 110 also no longer detects and measures any corresponding reference signals on the corresponding link.

[0128] For example, starting the beam activity period timer can be interpreted as setting the initial value of the beam activity period timer to the bac-onDurationTimer The value received in field 808. The beam activity periodic timer being running can be interpreted as decrementing the timer by one millisecond for each time slot that passes (assuming the time slot duration is one millisecond). The beam activity periodic timer expiring can be interpreted as the timer reaching its zero value. In another example, starting the beam activity periodic timer can be interpreted as setting its initial value to zero. The beam activity periodic timer being running can be interpreted as incrementing it by one millisecond for each time slot that passes (assuming the time slot duration is one millisecond). The beam activity periodic timer expiring can be interpreted as the timer reaching its zero value. bac-onDurationTimer The value received in field 808.

[0129] In other embodiments, the start time of the beam activity period timer can be explicitly configured to the UE 110 using higher-layer signaling parameters, expressed as, for example... bac-startingTime (Not shown). This higher-layer signaling parameter can indicate the location or index of a given time slot within a frame, if... bac-startingTime If the indicated time slot position has not yet passed, the beam activity period timer starts running in the current frame, or if bac-startingTime Once the indicated time slot position has passed, the beam activity period timer begins running in the next frame. bac-startingTime The field can be understood as the absolute start time, which is given relative to a reference time system such as Coordinated Universal Time (COUT), and is expressed in units such as hours, minutes, seconds, and milliseconds. bac-startingTimeThe field can be understood as the relative start time, which is given relative to the start of the frame, for example, in milliseconds.

[0130] The variant allows BeamActivityCycle-Config IE 806 to be extended to include additional fields, such as those for saving data. bac-onDurationTimer Field 808 is an indication of the startup time slot (not shown) and is used to store information related to... bac-InactivityTimer Field 810 is an indication field of the startup slot associated with it (not shown).

[0131] Applicable bac-InactivityTimer Field 810 makes bac-InactivityTimer From the beam activity period timer (whose value is determined by) bac-onDurationTimer (Field 808 setting) The first OFDM symbol of the first time slot after the expired time slot begins operation. bac-InactivityTimer The value set in field 810 can be understood as the time interval or duration during which the QCL assumption for the corresponding link is not applied. For example, if the duration of the beam inactivity period is 10 milliseconds and the time slot duration is 1 millisecond, the application... bac-InactivityTimer Beginning with the first OFDM symbol of the first time slot, UE 110 initiates a beam inactivity period timer that runs for 10 milliseconds. During this period, UE 110 does not apply the corresponding link's QCL assumptions to detect and decode any transmissions (e.g., control and / or data) on the physical downlink channel. Similarly, UE 110 does not apply the corresponding link's QCL assumptions to detect and measure any corresponding reference signals (e.g., CSI-RS for beam management, CSI-RS for CSI feedback, DM-RS).

[0132] For example, activating the beam inactivity periodic timer can be interpreted as setting the initial value of the beam inactivity periodic timer to a value that is... bac-InactivityTimer The value set in field 810. The beam inactivity periodic timer being active can be interpreted as decrementing the timer by one millisecond for each time slot that passes (assuming the time slot duration is one millisecond). The beam inactivity periodic timer expiring can be interpreted as the timer reaching its zero value. In another example, starting the beam inactivity periodic timer can be interpreted as setting its initial value to zero. The beam inactivity periodic timer being active can be interpreted as incrementing the timer by one millisecond for each time slot that passes (assuming the time slot duration is one millisecond). The beam inactivity periodic timer expiring can be interpreted as the timer reaching its zero value. bac-InactivityTimer The value set in field 810.

[0133] In other embodiments, the start time of the beam inactivity period timer can be explicitly configured to the UE 110 using higher-layer signaling parameters, expressed as, for example... bac-startingTime (Not shown). This higher-layer signaling parameter can indicate the location or index of a given time slot within a frame, if bac-startingTime If the indicated time slot position has not yet passed, the beam inactivity periodic timer begins running in the current frame, or if bac-startingTime Once the indicated time slot position has passed, the beam inactivity periodic timer begins running in the next frame.

[0134] In other embodiments, the start time of the beam inactivity period timer can be explicitly configured to the UE 110 using higher-layer signaling parameters, expressed as, for example... bac-startingTime (Not shown). This higher-layer signaling parameter can indicate the location or index of a given time slot within a frame, if bac-startingTime If the indicated time slot position has not yet passed, the beam inactivity periodic timer begins running in the current frame, or if bac-startingTime Once the indicated time slot position has passed, the beam activity period timer begins running in the next frame. bac-startingTime The field can be understood as an absolute start time (given relative to a reference time system such as Coordinated Universal Time, for example, in hours, minutes, seconds, milliseconds, etc.) or a relative start time (given relative to the start of a frame, for example, in milliseconds).

[0135] Figure 9 The timeline 900 of the first scheme is shown.

[0136] For the purposes of discussion, it can be assumed that UE 110 is configured with Figure 8 The TN NTN TCI state 800. Based on the TNNTN TCI state 800, in Figure 9 At the beginning of timeline 900, it can be understood that UE 110 is using the first QCL assumption type to monitor at least one PDCCH message on the first link. For example... Figure 9 As shown, the first link is an NTN link.

[0137] Understandable, Figure 9 At a time prior to the time shown in time diagram 900, UE 110 had connected to NT-TRP 172 via the NTN link. It can also be understood that UE 110 had used a technology based on... qcl-Type1 The value in field 802-1 determines the QCL hypothesis type for monitoring at least one PDCCH message on the NTN link. Specifically, qcl-Type1 Field 802-1 can be referenced, for example QCL-Info Information element (IE). QCL-Info IE (not shown) may include Qcl-TypeThis field references the QCL hypothesis type that specifies attributes such as the spatial Rx filter and / or average delay. As discussed earlier, known QCL hypothesis types include Type A, Type B, Type C, and Type D. The QCL-Info IE (not shown) may also include... referenceSignal This field specifies one of, for example, GNSS reference signal, SS / PBCH block, or non-zero-power (NZP) CSI-RS.

[0138] At moment 902, UE 110 may begin a new beam activity period. A new beam activity period can be defined as involving a QCL assumption type different from the QCL assumption type used by UE 110 to monitor at least one PDCCH message on the NTN link. Accordingly, UE 110 performs a QCL handover operation. It is understood that the start of a new beam activity period may not occur instantaneously. That is, the QCL handover operation can be understood as requiring a specific duration, which is within... Figure 9 This is marked as "QCL handover time". QCL handover time can be defined as a UE capability and can be provided in milliseconds. However, it should be clear that other units can also be considered. Examples of other units that can be considered include OFDM symbols, OFDM symbol groups, microslots, microslot groups, slots, slot groups, seconds, microseconds, and nanoseconds.

[0139] At the second time 904, that is, after the QCL handover time ends, UE 110 can begin using... qcl-Type1 The QCL assumption type configured in the QCL-Info IE (not shown) referenced in field 802-2 is used to monitor at least one PDCCH message on the second link. For example... Figure 9 As shown, the second link is a TN link. UE 110 can continue monitoring at least one PDCCH message on the TN link until the third time 906, at which time UE 110 can begin another new beam activity cycle. It can be understood that... Figure 9 Before the time shown in time diagram 900, UE 110 was connected to T-TRP 170 via a TN link.

[0140] It is understood that the new beam activity cycle starting at the first moment 902 has the characteristics of the exemplary TN NTN TCI state IE 801. beamActivityCycle2 The BeamActivityCycle-Config referenced in field 804-2 in IE 806 bac-onDurationTimer The value in field 808 specifies the duration. It's worth noting that... bac- onDurationTimerThe value in field 808 specifies the duration from the first time 902 to the third time 906, including the QCL handover time and the time during which UE 110 monitored at least one PDCCH message on the TN link.

[0141] It is understandable that another new beam activity cycle begins from a certain time slot, and the starting OFDM symbol of that time slot is in beamActivityCycle2 The BeamActivityCycle-Config referenced in field 804-2 in IE 806 bac- onDurationTimer After the end of the value in field 808. To begin another new beam activity cycle, UE 110 can perform a QCL handover operation, switching the QCL assumption type used for monitoring PCCDH messages on the TN to... qcl-Type1 The QCL assumption type configured in the QCL-Info IE (not shown) referenced in field 802-1.

[0142] Starting from the time slot after the QCL handover time ends, i.e., at time 4:908, UE 110 begins using the OFDM symbol. qcl-Type1 The QCL assumption type configured in the QCL-Info IE (not shown) referenced in field 802-1 is used to monitor at least one PDCCH message on the NTN link.

[0143] At time 910, UE 110 can determine that this is equivalent to... beamActivityCycle1 The duration of the value in field 808 of the bac-onDurationTimer in BeamActivityCycle-Config IE 806, referenced in field 804-1, has elapsed. UE 110 can then switch its QCL assumption type back to [the previous state]. qcl-Type2 The QCL assumption type configured in the QCL-Info IE (not shown) referenced in field 802-2.

[0144] After the fifth moment 910, it can be seen that this cycle repeats in the same manner until UE 110 enters sleep mode, UE 110 leaves connected mode, or UE 110 receives a new higher-layer configuration regarding the TCI state from NT-TRP 172. It can be seen that these aspects of this application allow UE 110 to periodically switch between different links without T-TRP 170 or NT-TRP 172 explicitly sending or instructing UE 110 to use a specific link at any given time. It can be seen that these aspects of this application are applicable to loosely coordinated TN / NTN system scenarios, where coordination between terrestrial and non-terrestrial network elements is slow (e.g., approximately tens or hundreds of milliseconds). It should be noted that in the context of this application, "loosely integrated TN / NTN system" is also referred to as "loosely coordinated TN / NTN system".

[0145] This application involves various aspects bac-InactivityTimer Scenarios where field 810 has a value. In the following example, bac-InactivityTimer The time interval values ​​provided in field 810 are expressed in milliseconds. However, it is worth noting that, as discussed earlier, other units can also be considered.

[0146] If UE 110 is configured with including beamActivityCycle1 Field 804-1 and beamActivityCycle2 Field 804-2 includes TN NTN TCI status and is included in each BeamActivityCycle-Config IE. bac- InactivityTimer The value in field 810 determines the behavior of UE 110. Figure 10 Exemplary steps in the method shown and Figure 11 The second scheme is shown in time diagram 1100.

[0147] Initially, at the first moment 1102, UE 110 can begin a new beam activity cycle. That is, UE 110 can use... qcl-Type1 The QCL assumption type configured in the QCL-Info IE (not shown) referenced in field 802-1 is used to begin monitoring (step 1002) at least one PDCCH message on the first link, the duration of which is determined by the QCL assumption type configured in the QCL-Info IE (not shown) referenced in field 802-1. beamActivityCycle1 The BeamActivityCycle-Config referenced in field 804-1 is configured in IE 806. bac-onDurationTimer The value in field 808 is given. For example... Figure 11 As shown, the first link is a TN link.

[0148] At the second time 1104, that is, at the determination (step 1004) by in beamActivityCycle1The BeamActivityCycle-Config referenced in field 804-1 is configured in IE 806. bac-onDurationTimer When the duration given in field 808 has elapsed, UE 110 may optionally execute a beam inactivity period during which UE 110 does not monitor PDCCH messages. The duration of the beam inactivity period can be based on... bac-InactivityTimer The value in field 810. UE 110 can determine (step 1006) the equivalent of starting from the second time 1104. bac-InactivityTimer Whether the time period of the value in field 810 has passed, this second time point corresponds to the first OFDM symbol of the first time slot after the time slot where the inter-beam activity period timer expires. Determined at the third time point 1106. bac-InactivityTimer The value in field 810 is past, and UE 110 can use it. qcl-Type2 The QCL assumption type configured in the QCL-Info IE (not shown) referenced in field 802-2 is used to begin monitoring (step 1008) at least one PDCCH message on the second link. Figure 11 Monitoring on the second link, shown in the diagram as an NTN link (step 1008), can begin at the fourth time 1108 and can be continuously performed by... beamActivityCycle2 The BeamActivityCycle-Config referenced in field 804-2 is configured in IE 806. bac-onDurationTimer The value in field 808 specifies the duration. It can be seen that step 1008 takes into account the QCL switching time.

[0149] At time 1110, it is determined (step 1010) by... beamActivityCycle2 The BeamActivityCycle-Config referenced in field 804-2 is configured in IE 806. bac-onDurationTimer When the duration given in field 808 has elapsed, UE 110 may optionally execute a beam inactivity period during which UE 110 does not monitor PDCCH messages. The duration of the beam inactivity period can be based on... bac-InactivityTimer The value in field 810. UE110 can stop monitoring (step 1008) the PDCCH messages on the second link starting from the fifth time 1110, which corresponds to the first OFDM symbol of the first time slot after the time slot where the inter-beam activity period timer expires.

[0150] Determined at time 1112 (step 1012) by [the following] beamActivityCycle2 The BeamActivityCycle-Config referenced in field 804-2 is configured in IE 806. bac-InactivityTimerWhen the duration given in field 810 has elapsed, UE 110 can return to the state used in... qcl-Type1 The QCL assumption type configured in QCL-InfoIE (not shown) referenced in field 802-1 is used to monitor (step 1002) at least one PDCCH message on the first link for a duration equivalent to... beamActivityCycle1 The configuration in BeamActivityCycle-ConfigIE 806 referenced in field 804-1 bac-InactivityTimer The value in field 810. Figure 11 In the middle, the return to monitoring (step 1002) is shown as occurring at the sixth time 1112, after the QCL switching time.

[0151] This application relates to a link activity solution for scenarios with loose coordination between terrestrial and non-terrestrial networks. It can be seen that this link activity solution allows UE 110 to reduce power consumption and performance by performing pre-QCL handover in a time-saving manner. The aspects of the link activity solution are based on a defined value of a "link activity timer," which involves counting the number of consecutive time slots during which UE 110 monitors the reception of PDCCH messages on a first link. PDCCH messages may be, for example, related to paging. PDCCH messages may also be, for example, related to system information. PDCCH messages may further be, for example, related to data reception. When no PDCCH message is detected during the duration defined by the link activity timer, UE 110 can perform a QCL handover operation to begin monitoring PDCCH messages on a second link.

[0152] Figure 12 An exemplary TN NTN TCI state IE1200 is shown. Figure 12 The exemplary TN NTN TCI state 1200 shown includes TN NTN TCI state IE 1201. TN NTN TCI state IE 1201 includes two... QCL-Info Field, represented as qcl-Type1 Field 1102-1 and qcl-Type2 Field 1202-2, and two BeamActivityCycle-Config Field, represented as beamActivityCycle1 Field 1204-1 and beamActivityCycle2 Field 1204-2. For Figure 12 The example shown can be assumed to be qcl-Type1 Field 1202-1 and beamActivityCycle1 Field 1204-1 is associated. It can be understood that this association forms the QCL relationship of the NTN link. Similarly, it can be assumed that... qcl-Type2 Field 1202-2 and beamActivityCycle2Field 1204-2 is associated, and this association forms the QCL relationship for the TN link.

[0153] Figure 12 The exemplary TN NTN TCI status IE 1201 shown includes beamActivityCycle1 Field 1204-1 and beamActivityCycle2 The BeamActivityCycle-Config IE 1206 referenced in field 1204-2. BeamActivityCycle-Config IE 1206 contains the following representation: bac-onDurationTimer Field 1208. As discussed earlier, in use, it can be understood that... bac-onDurationTimer Field 1208 provides a time interval within which, based on qcl-Type1 The associated QCL assumption type determined by the value in field 1202-1 will be active and will be used by UE 110 when monitoring at least one PDCCH message on the corresponding link (i.e., the NTN link). Figure 12 In the example shown, bac-onDurationTimer The time interval values ​​in field 1208 are in milliseconds. However, it should be clear that other units can also be considered. Examples of other units to consider include OFDM symbols, OFDM symbol groups, microslots, microslot groups, slots, slot groups, seconds, microseconds, and nanoseconds. Similarly, BeamActivityCycle-Config IE 1206 can include values ​​represented as... bac-InactivityTimer Field 1210. This is understandable. bac-InactivityTimer Field 1210 provides a time interval, within which, based on qcl-Type1 The associated QCL assumption type determined by the value in field 1202-1 is inactive and is not used by UE 110 to monitor at least one PDCCH message on the corresponding link (i.e., NTN link).

[0154] exist Figure 12 In the image, BeamActivityCycle-Config in IE 1206 is shown as including... linkInactivityCount Field 1212. linkInactivityCount Field 1212 can be used to configure the duration of the link activity timer. linkInactivityCount The value in field 1212 can be represented by the number of time slots. Link inactivity is defined as the number of consecutive time slots during which the UE failed to use the corresponding QCL assumption to detect and decode the PDCCH on the associated link.

[0155] If UE 110 is configured with Figure 12 Includes beamActivityCycle1Example TNNTN TCI state IE 1200 for field 1204-1, if BeamActivityCycle-Config IE includes bac-onDurationTimer The values ​​of the parameters in field 1208 and linkInactivityCount The value of the parameter in field 1212 can be used to predict that UE 110 will monitor at least one PDCCH message on the corresponding link (i.e., NTN link or TN link, depending on the QCL relationship), the duration of which is determined by... bac-onDurationTimer The value of the parameter in field 1208 is provided. If in conjunction with... bac-onDurationTimer While the timer associated with the value of the parameter in field 1208 is still running, UE 110 fails to respond within a time greater than [a certain value]. linkInactivityCount If a PDCCH message is detected within a certain number of time slots specified in field 1212, UE 110 can consider the link to have become inactive. In response, bac-onDurationTimer Within the remaining value of the parameter in field 1208, UE 110 can stop monitoring PDCCH messages.

[0156] As can be seen, using a link activity timer allows UE 110 to reduce power consumption by suspending monitoring of PDCCH messages on a given active link. It is noteworthy that, regarding PDCCH message monitoring, UE 110 is not limited to monitoring only PDCCH messages used to schedule future PDSCH transmissions carrying UE-specific data, such as DCI-formatted PDCCH transmissions scrambled with a CRC mask of the Cell Radio Network Temporary Identifier (C-RNTI). More broadly, the monitoring performed by UE 110 can include monitoring PDCCH messages in DCI format scrambled with a CRC mask of either the Paging RNTI (also known as P-RNTI) or the System Information RNTI (also known as SI-RNTI).

[0157] It is worth noting that when counting the number of received PDCCH messages for the purpose of link inactivity monitoring, other UE RNTIs can be considered. Other UE RNTIs may include, for example, group RNTI (G-RNTI), interruption RNTI (INT-RNTI), modulation coding scheme RNTI (MCS-RNTI), multicast / broadcast services control channel RNTI (MCCH-RNTI), paging early indication RNTI (PEI-RNTI), slot format indication RNTI (SFI-RNTI), etc.

[0158] In various aspects of this application, UE 110 can switch from the QCL assumption type on the first link to the QCL assumption type on another link in advance, instead of waiting until bac-onDurationTimer Switching only upon expiration. The following discussion considers three types of RNTI: P-RNTI; SI-RNTI; and C-RNTI. However, it should be clear that many more types of RNTI can be considered, including: G-RNTI; INT-RNTI; MCS-RNTI; MCCH-RNTI; PEI-RNTI; SFI-RNTI; and so on.

[0159] UE 110 can be configured with including beamActivityCycle1 TN NTN TCI status and including bac- onDurationTimer The values ​​in linkInactivityCount The value in field 1202 is BeamActivityCycle-Config IE.

[0160] In this case, UE 110 can be used in qcl-Type1 The QCL assumption type configured in the QCL-Info IE (not shown) referenced in field 802-1 is used to begin monitoring at least one PDCCH message on the first link, the duration of which is equivalent to... beamActivityCycle1 The BeamActivityCycle-Config IE (not shown) referenced in field 804-1 is configured in bac-onDurationTimer The value in field 808. Additionally, UE 110 can initialize the link inactivity counter to 0.

[0161] In response to UE 110 failing to detect a DCI-formatted PDCCH transmission scrambled with a CRC masked by an RNTI (for example, any one of P-RNTI, SI-RNTI, and C-RNTI) in the first time slot, UE 110 increments the link inactivity counter by 1.

[0162] For each consecutive time slot in which UE 110 fails to detect a PDCCH transmission in DCI format scrambled with a CRC masked by an RNTI (for example, any one of P-RNTI, SI-RNTI, and C-RNTI), UE 110 may increment the link inactivity counter by 1. Otherwise, UE 110 resets the link inactivity counter to 0 each time a PDCCH transmission is successfully detected.

[0163] In response to UE 110 having determined that the link inactivity counter has reached or exceeded the limit... linkInactivityCount The value configured in field 1202 allows UE 110 to perform a QCL assumption type switching operation, switching from the QCL assumption type used on a first link (e.g., an NTN link) to the QCL assumption type used on a second link (e.g., a TN link). The switching operation is expected to take a certain amount of time, known as the QCL switching time. After the QCL switching time has elapsed, UE 110 can begin using the corresponding QCL assumption type to monitor at least one PDCCH message on the second link.

[0164] So far, the aspects discussed in this application relate to link activity solutions applicable to scenarios with loose coordination between terrestrial and non-terrestrial networks. Other aspects of this application relate to solutions applicable to scenarios with tight coordination between terrestrial and non-terrestrial systems. It can be seen that these aspects are based on using higher-layer signaling to provide TN NTN TCI state configuration to the UE 110. It can also be seen that these aspects are based on using dynamic signaling (e.g., in DCI format) to provide QCL index and beam activity duration. That is, an exemplary DCI format may include fields for the QCL index and fields for the beam activity duration.

[0165] Figure 13 An example TN NTN TCI state IE 1300 is shown. Figure 13 The exemplary TN NTN TCI state 1300 shown includes TN NTN TCI state IE 1301. TN NTN TCI state IE 1301 includes two... QCL-Info Field, represented as qcl-Type1 Field 1302-1 and qcl-Type2 Field 1302-2, and two BeamActivityCycle-Config Field, represented asbeamActivityCycle1 Field 1304-1 and beamActivityCycle2 Field 1304-2. For Figure 13 The example shown can be assumed to be qcl-Type1 Field 1302-1 and beamActivityCycle1 Field 1304-1 is associated. It can be understood that this association forms the QCL relationship for the NTN link. Similarly, it can be assumed that... qcl-Type2 Field 1302-2 and beamActivityCycle2 Field 1304-2 is associated, and this association forms the QCL relationship for the TN link.

[0166] Figure 13 The exemplary TN NTN TCI status IE 1301 shown includes beamActivityCycle1 Field 1304-1 and beamActivityCycle2 The BeamActivityCycle-Config IE1306 is referenced in all fields 1304-2.

[0167] BeamActivityCycle-Config IE 1306 is shown as containing the following representation: bac-onDurationTimer Field 1308. As discussed earlier, in use, it can be understood that... bac-onDurationTimer Field 1308 provides a time interval within which, qcl-Type1 The associated QCL assumption type configured in the QCL-Info IE (not shown) referenced in field 1302-1 will be active and will be used by UE 110 when monitoring at least one PDCCH message on the corresponding link (i.e., the NTN link). Figure 13 In the example shown, bac-onDurationTimer The time interval values ​​in field 1308 are in milliseconds. However, it should be clear that other units can also be considered. Examples of other units to consider include OFDM symbols, OFDM symbol groups, microslots, microslot groups, time slots, time slot groups, seconds, microseconds, and nanoseconds.

[0168] Similarly, BeamActivityCycle-Config IE 1306 shows it as containing the representation shown. bac- InactivityTimer Field 1310. This is understandable. bac-InactivityTimer Field 1310 provides a time interval within which, qcl-Type1 The associated QCL assumption type configured in the QCL-Info IE (not shown) referenced in field 1302-1 is inactive and is not used by UE 110 to monitor at least one PDCCH message on the corresponding link (i.e., NTN link).

[0169] It should be noted that Figure 13 BeamActivityCycle-Config IE 1306 and Figure 12 The key difference between BeamActivityCycle-Config IE 1206 and BeamActivityCycle-Config IE 1206 is that... Figure 13 In BeamActivityCycle-Config IE 1306, bac-onDurationTimer Field 1308 and bac-InactivityTimer Field 1310 can be configured with multiple (for example, up to four) different values.

[0170] BeamActivityCycle-Config IE 1306 bac-onDurationTimer Field 1308 provides a time interval within which, qcl-Type1 The associated QCL assumption type configured in the QCL-Info IE (not shown) referenced in field 1302-1 is active and can be used by UE 110 to monitor at least one PDCCH message on the corresponding link (e.g., an NTN link). In this example, as bac-onDurationTimer The time interval provided by the value in field 1308 is expressed in milliseconds. However, other units may be considered (e.g., OFDM symbol, OFDM symbol group, microslot, microslot group, slot, slot group, second, microsecond, nanosecond).

[0171] Similarly, it can be understood that bac-InactivityTimer Field 1310 provides a time interval within which, qcl-Type1 The associated QCL assumption type configured in the QCL-Info IE (not shown) referenced in field 1302-1 is inactive and is not used by UE 110 to monitor at least one PDCCH message on the corresponding link (i.e., the NTN link). In this example, in bac-InactivityTimer No time interval value is provided in the field. Therefore, an inactive timer is not used in this example.

[0172] Regarding these aspects of this application, it should be understood that TN and NTN are closely coordinated. Therefore, it can be assumed that elements of TN and / or elements of NTN can dynamically indicate to UE 110 the specific QCL assumption type to be used for a given link and the duration during which the specific QCL assumption type can be used.

[0173] Figure 14An exemplary new DCI format 1400 is illustrated. The exemplary new DCI format 1400 is shown as including multiple known fields 1401, and two newly defined fields: a QCL field 1402; and a BAC field 1404. It can be shown that the two newly defined fields 1402 and 1404 can be used to dynamically indicate to the UE 110 the specific QCL assumption type to be used in the context of a given TN / NTN / TCI state, and the specific QCL assumption type to be used in the context of a given TN / NTN / TCI state. bac-onDurationTimer The specific value used among multiple values ​​in field 1308.

[0174] The TN NTN TCI state IE can have two BeamActivityCycle fields. See, for example... Figure 13 The exemplary TN NTN TCI state IE 1301 shown includes beamActivityCycle1 Field 1304-1 and beamActivityCycle2 Field 1304-2. In Figure 13 In the exemplary TN NTN TCI state IE 1301, BeamActivityCycle fields 1304-1 and 1304-2 both reference the same BeamActivityCycle-Config IE 1306. However, it is understood that each BeamActivityCycle field 1304-1 and 1304-2 may reference a different BeamActivityCycle-Config IE.

[0175] beamActivityCycle1 Field 1304-1 can be referenced, for example, in... bac-onDurationTimer The field contains two durations for the first BeamActivityCycle-Config IE (not shown). Please note that... beamActivityCycle1 Field 1304-1 can be used with... qcl-Type1 The QCL assumption type configured in the QCL-Info IE (not shown) referenced in field 1302-1 is associated with the type of assumption configured in the IE. beamActivityCycle2 Field 1304-2 can be referenced, for example, in... bac-onDurationTimer The field contains four durations for the second BeamActivityCycle-Config IE (not shown). Please note that... beamActivityCycle2 Field 1304-2 can be used with... qcl-Type2 The QCL assumption type configured in the QCL-Info IE (not shown) referenced in field 1302-2 is associated with the type of assumption.

[0176] In this example, the QCL field 1402 of DCI format 1400 can be implemented as a one-bit field, thereby allowing the specification of a specific QCL assumption type to be used among the two QCL assumption types.

[0177] In this example, the BAC field 1404 of DCI format 1400 can be implemented as a two-bit field, thereby enabling the specification of the first BeamActivityCycle-Config IE (not shown). bac-onDurationTimer One of the two durations in the field or the second BeamActivityCycle-Config IE (not shown). bac- onDurationTimer One of the four durations in the field.

[0178] UE 110 can interpret the received value "0" in QCL field 1402 as an indication of use in qcl-Type1 The instructions for the QCL hypothetical type configured in the QCL-Info IE (not shown) referenced in field 1302-1.

[0179] UE 110 can interpret the received value "00" in BAC field 1404 combined with "0" in QCL field 1402 as an indication to use the first BeamActivityCycle-Config IE (not shown). bac-onDurationTimer The instruction for the first of the two durations in the field.

[0180] UE 110 can interpret the received value "01" in BAC field 1404 combined with "0" in QCL field 1402 as an indication to use the first BeamActivityCycle-Config IE (not shown). bac-onDurationTimer The instruction for the second duration of the two durations in the field.

[0181] UE 110 can interpret the received value "1" in QCL field 1402 as an indication of use in qcl-Type2 The instructions for the QCL hypothetical type configured in the QCL-Info IE (not shown) referenced in field 1302-2.

[0182] UE 110 can interpret the received value "00" in BAC field 1404 combined with "1" in QCL field 1402 as an indication to use a second BeamActivityCycle-Config IE (not shown). bac-onDurationTimer The instruction for the first of the four durations in the field.

[0183] UE 110 can interpret the received value "01" in BAC field 1404 combined with "1" in QCL field 1402 as an indication to use a second BeamActivityCycle-Config IE (not shown).bac-onDurationTimer The instruction for the second duration out of the four durations in the field.

[0184] UE 110 can interpret the received value "10" in BAC field 1404 combined with "1" in QCL field 1402 as an indication to use a second BeamActivityCycle-Config IE (not shown). bac-onDurationTimer The instruction for the third duration out of the four durations in the field.

[0185] UE 110 can interpret the received value "11" in BAC field 1404 combined with "1" in QCL field 1402 as an indication to use a second BeamActivityCycle-Config IE (not shown). bac-onDurationTimer The instruction for the fourth duration out of the four durations in the field.

[0186] It can be assumed that UE 110 is configured with a TN NTN TCI state. Based on this TCI state, UE 110 can begin to operate under the influence of... beamActivityCycle1 The BeamActivityCycle-Config IE (not shown) referenced in the field bac- onDurationTimer The value in the field specifies the time interval during which at least one PDCCH message is monitored on the first link (which may be an NTN link). Subsequently, UE 110 can... beamActivityCycle2 The BeamActivityCycle-Config IE (not shown) referenced in the field bac-onDurationTimer The value in the field indicates the time interval during which at least one PDCCH message is monitored on the second link (which can be a TN link).

[0187] UE 110 first connects to NT-TRP 172 via the first (NTN) link and uses... qcl-Type1 The field references the QCL assumption type configured in the QCL-Info IE (not shown) to monitor at least one PDCCH message on the first link. The assumption QCL-Info IE (not shown) includes references to source reference signals (e.g., GNSS, SS / PBCH block, NZP CSI-RS) and references to QCL assumption types. It is understood that the reference to the QCL assumption type provides the UE 110 with an indication of the attributes of the QCL assumption (e.g., spatial Rx filter, average delay).

[0188] Because in beamActivityCycle1 The first BeamActivityCycle-Config IE (not shown) referenced in the field bac-onDurationTimerMultiple durations are configured in the field, so UE 110 may not be able to immediately determine which duration to use when performing the first beam activity cycle.

[0189] If UE 110 has not yet received a PDCCH message in DCI format carrying the QCL and BAC fields, as referred to above... Figure 14 Therefore, UE 110 can assume that the first beam activity cycle will be executed to reach the longest duration value, which is in beamActivityCycle1 The first BeamActivityCycle-Config IE (not shown) referenced in the field bac-onDurationTimer Configure it in the field.

[0190] While the first beam activity cycle for the first link is still ongoing, UE 110 can receive and detect PDCCH messages in DCI format carrying QCL and BAC fields. The value in the QCL field can be set to "1", and the value in the BAC field can be set to "00". In the context of all aspects of this application, a PDCCH message in DCI format carrying QCL and BAC fields can be considered a "dynamic QCL handover indication". The configured value can be interpreted as indicating that UE 110 will switch from the current QCL assumption type associated with the NTN link to the QCL assumption type associated with the TN link. This is expected in the TNNTN TCI state IE. qcl-Type2 The QCL-Info IE (not shown) referenced in the field provides the QCL assumption type associated with the TN link. In response to receiving a dynamic QCL handover indication, UE 110 can begin a second beam activity cycle, which includes using... qcl-Type2 The QCL assumption type provided in the field is used to monitor at least one PDCCH message on the TN link. UE 110 can perform a second beam activity cycle associated with the TN link for a duration of 40 ms based on the value received in the BAC field of the received DCI format.

[0191] It is expected that UE 110 will perform a QCL handover operation after the last OFDM symbol of the PDCCH message carrying the dynamic QCL handover indication ends.

[0192] UE 110 monitors at least one PDCCH message on the TN link based on the value received in the BAC field of the received DCI format for a duration of 40 ms. It can be assumed that no PDCCH message in DCI format carrying a dynamic QCL handover indication is received during this 40 ms duration. Upon the expiration of the second beam activity cycle duration (40 ms), UE 110 can perform another QCL handover operation, switching the QCL assumption type back to the QCL assumption type associated with the NTN link. More specifically, UE 110 can perform the QCL handover operation after the last time slot of the second beam activity cycle. Note that the QCL assumption type associated with the NTN link is... qcl-Type1 This is configured in the QCL-Info IE (not shown) referenced in the field. UE 110 can continue to implement the first beam activity cycle, the duration of which is equivalent to... beamActivityCycle1 The first BeamActivityCycle-Config IE (not shown) referenced in the field bac-onDurationTimer The maximum duration value configured in this field. Note that UE 110 will only begin monitoring PDCCH messages after the QCL handover time has expired.

[0193] In some embodiments, UE 110 expects to obtain a list consisting of one or more TNNTN TCI states via higher-layer signaling (i.e., RRC signaling). This list can be represented as higher-layer parameters. tnNtnTciStatesToAddModList IE can be configured in PDSCH (which can be represented as a high-level parameter). PDSCH-Config The list of TN NTN TCI states is provided in the BWP configuration file. Alternatively, the IE (which can be represented as a higher-level parameter of the BWP for downlink operation) can be configured in the BWP configuration file. BWP-DownlinkCommon or BWP-DownlinkDedicated and the BWP used for uplink operations. BWP-UplinkCommon or BWP- UplinkDedicated The list of TN NTN TCI states is provided in the ) file. Alternatively, the IE (which can be represented as a higher-layer parameter) can be configured in the serving cell. ServingCellConfig The list of TN and NTN TCI states is provided in the IE (Configuration IE) of the serving cell. Alternatively, the list of TN and NTN TCI states can be provided in an IE within the IE of the serving cell configuration.

[0194] In some embodiments, if UE 110 is in RRC connection mode, UE 110 may be configured with higher-layer parameters. tnNtnTciStatesToAddModList This high-level parameter is determined by at most a specific number of A list of TN NTN TCI state configurations is used to decode PDSCH transmissions based on detected PDCCH transmissions carrying the DCI format for UE 110 and its given serving cell. This specific number... It may depend on the UE's capabilities. maxNumberConfiguredTNNTNTCIStatesP erCC Among them, UE capabilities maxNumberConfiguredTNNTNTCIStatesPerCC Indicates the maximum number of TN NTN TCI states that can be configured for each carrier for UE 110.

[0195] In some embodiments, if UE 110 is in RRC connection mode and UE 110 receives a signal with more than one TN NTN TCI state... tnNtnTciStatesToAddModList Given the higher-level configuration, UE 110 may expect to receive an indication to... tnNtnTciStatesToAddModList The MAC-CE command is activated for one of the TN NTN TCI states in the configured TCI states, and the UE 110 can obtain the DM-RS for PDSCH and DM-RS for PDCCH and the QCL assumptions for the CSI-RS of the indicated TN NTN TCI state from the configured TN NTN TCI states.

[0196] In some embodiments, if UE 110 is in RRC connection mode, and UE 110 receives a message containing more than one TN NTN TCI state... tnNtnTciStatesToAddModList Given the higher-level configuration, UE 110 may expect to receive an indication to... tnNtnTciStatesToAddModList The MAC-CE command is activated for one of the TN NTN TCI states in the configured TCI states, and the UE 110 can obtain the DM-RS for the PDCCH and the QCL assumptions for the CSI-RS of the TN NTN TCI state indicated by the application from the configured TN NTN TCI states.

[0197] In some embodiments, if UE 110 is in RRC connection mode and UE 110 receives a signal with more than one TN NTN TCI state... tnNtnTciStatesToAddModList Given the higher-level configuration, UE 110 may expect to receive an indication to... tnNtnTciStatesToAddModList The MAC-CE command is activated for one of the TN NTN TCI states in the configured TCI states, and UE 110 may assume that the downlink receive spatial filter (i.e., downlink receive beam) of PDSCH, PDCCH and CSI-RS applied to the indicated TN NTN TCI state is the same as the downlink receive spatial filter (i.e., downlink receive beam) obtained from the indicated TN NTN TCI state.

[0198] In some embodiments, if UE 110 is in RRC connection mode and UE 110 receives a TNCTN TCI state with a single TNCTN TCI state... tnNtnTciStatesToAddModList In the high-level configuration, the single TN NTN TCI state can be used as the indicated TN NTN TCI state, then UE 110 can obtain the DM-RS for PDSCH and DM-RS for PDCCH and the QCL assumptions of applying the CSI-RS of the indicated TN NTN TCI state from the configured TN NTN TCI state.

[0199] In some embodiments, if UE 110 is in RRC connection mode and UE 110 receives a TNCTN TCI state with a single TNCTN TCI state... tnNtnTciStatesToAddModList In the high-level configuration, the single TN NTN TCI state can be used as the indicated TN NTN TCI state, then UE 110 can obtain the DM-RS for PDCCH and the QCL assumption of applying the CSI-RS of the indicated TN NTN TCI state from the configured TN NTN TCI state.

[0200] In some embodiments, if UE 110 is in RRC connection mode and UE 110 receives a TNCTN TCI state with a single TNCTN TCI state... tnNtnTciStatesToAddModList If the high-level configuration allows the single TN NTN TCI state to be used as the indicated TN NTN TCI state, then UE 110 may assume that the downlink receive spatial filter (i.e., downlink receive beam) of the PDSCH, PDCCH, and CSI-RS applying the indicated TN NTN TCI state is the same as the downlink receive spatial filter (i.e., downlink receive beam) obtained from the indicated TN NTN TCI state.

[0201] In some embodiments, if UE 110 is in RRC connection mode, then UE 110 should be configured with at least one TN NTN TCI state. tnNtnTciStatesToAddModList The higher-level configuration, and the at least one TN NTN TCI state should be usable as the indicated TN NTN TCI state. UE 110 will obtain the QCL assumptions for the DM-RS for PDSCH and PDCCH, and the CSI-RS applying the indicated TN NTN TCI state, from the configured TN NTN TCI states.

[0202] In some embodiments, if UE 110 is in RRC connection mode, then UE 110 should be configured with at least one TN NTN TCI state. tnNtnTciStatesToAddModList The higher-level configuration, and the at least one TN NTN TCI state should be usable as the indicated TN NTN TCI state. UE 110 will obtain the QCL assumptions for the DM-RS for PDSCH and PDCCH, and the CSI-RS applying the indicated TN NTN TCI state, from the configured TN NTN TCI states.

[0203] In some embodiments, quasi-co-location relationships can be established through higher-level parameters. qcl-Type1 For non-terrestrial links, configuration can also be done via higher-level parameters. qcl-Type2 Configure the terrestrial link (if it is already configured). In some alternative embodiments, the quasi-co-location relationship can be configured via higher-layer parameters. qcl-Type1 Surface link configuration can also be done via higher-level parameters. qcl-Type2 Configure for non-terrestrial links (if already configured).

[0204] In some embodiments, if UE 110 is in RRC connection mode and UE 110 receives a signal with one or more TN NTN TCI states... tnNtnTciStatesToAddModList Given the higher-level configuration, UE 110 may expect to receive a MAC-CE command (also referred to as a "MAC-CE activation command" or "activation command") activating at least one TN NTN TCI state. UE 110 can assume that... Quasi Co-location 'The field exists in the DCI format,' Quasi Co-location The field indicates the QCL index value. UE 110 can also assume ' Beam Activity Cycle 'The field exists in the DCI format,' Beam Activity Cycle This field indicates the beam activity period value. Quasi Co-location The field width can be 1 bit, where the first bit indicates the state of the indicated TN NTN TCI. qcl-Type1 or qcl-Type2 one of the.' Beam Activity Cycle The field width can be 1 bit, where the first bit indicates the higher-level parameters. bac-onDurationTimer One of at least two configured values. A bit value of '0' indicates the use of... bac-onDurationTimer The first configured value, with a bit value of '1', indicates the use of bac- onDurationTimer The second configured value.

[0205] In some embodiments, if UE 110 is in RRC connection mode and UE 110 receives a signal with one or more TN NTN TCI states... tnNtnTciStatesToAddModList Given the higher-level configuration, UE 110 may expect to receive a MAC-CE command (also referred to as a "MAC-CE activation command" or "activation command") activating at least one TN NTN TCI state. UE 110 can assume that... Quasi Co-location 'The field exists in the DCI format,' Quasi Co-location The field indicates the QCL index value. UE 110 can also assume ' Beam Activity Cycle 'The field exists in the DCI format,' Beam Activity Cycle This field indicates the beam activity period value. Quasi Co-location The field width can be 1 bit, where the first bit indicates the state of the indicated TN NTN TCI. qcl-Type1 or qcl-Type2 one of the.' Beam Activity Cycle The field width can be 2 bits, where these bits can indicate higher-level parameters. bac-onDurationTimer One of four configured values ​​within. These bits can take the value '00', indicating the use of bac-onDurationTimer The first configured value. These bits can take values ​​of '01', indicating the use of bac- onDurationTimer The second configured value. These bits can take the value '10', indicating the use of bac- onDurationTimer The third configured value. These bits can take the value '11', indicating the use of bac- onDurationTimer The fourth configured value.

[0206] In some embodiments, if UE 110 is in RRC connection mode and UE 110 receives a signal with one or more TN NTN TCI states... tnNtnTciStatesToAddModList Given the higher-level configuration, UE 110 may expect to receive a MAC-CE command (also referred to as a "MAC-CE activation command" or "activation command") activating at least one TN NTN TCI state. UE 110 can assume that... Quasi Co-location 'The field exists in the DCI format,' Quasi Co-location The field indicates the QCL index value. UE 110 can also assume ' Beam Activity Cycle 'The field exists in the DCI format,' Beam Activity Cycle The field indicates the beam activity period value. UE 110 can also assume ' Beam Inactivity Cycle This field indicates the beam inactivity period value. Quasi Co-location The field width can be 1 bit, where the first bit indicates the state of the indicated TN NTN TCI. qcl-Type1 or qcl-Type2 one of the.' Beam Activity Cycle The field width can be 1 bit, where the first bit indicates the higher-level parameters. bac- onDurationTimer One of at least two configured values. The bit can take the value '0', indicating the use of... bac-onDurationTimer The first configured value, the bit can be '1', indicating the use of bac- onDurationTimer The second configured value. Beam Inactivity Cycle The field's bit width can be 1 bit, where this bit indicates the higher-level parameters. bac-InactivityTimer One of at least two configured values. The bit can take the value '0', indicating the use of... bac-InactivityTimer The first configured value, the bit can be '1', indicating the use of bac-InactivityTimer The second configured value.

[0207] In some embodiments, if UE 110 is in RRC connection mode and UE 110 receives a signal with one or more TN NTN TCI states... tnNtnTciStatesToAddModList If the higher-level configuration is such that UE 110 expects to receive a MAC-CE command (also referred to as a "MAC-CE activation command" or "activation command") activating at least one TN NTN TCI state, UE 110 assumes the DCI field ' Quasi Co-location 'The field exists in the DCI format and the DCI field' Quasi Co-location 'Indicates the QCL index value; UE 110 also assumes a DCI field.' Beam Activity Cycle 'The field exists in the DCI format and the DCI field' Beam Activity Cycle 'Indicates beam activity period value; UE 110 also assumes a DCI field' Beam Inactivity Cycle 'Indicates beam inactivity period value. DCI field' Quasi Co-location The bit width of ' is 1 bit, where the first bit indicates the state of the indicated TN NTN TCI. qcl-Type1 or qcl-Type2 One of them. 'DCI field' Beam Activity Cycle The bit width of ' is 2 bits, where the first and second bits indicate higher-level parameters. bac-onDurationTimer One of four pre-configured values. The first and second bits are '00', indicating the use of... bac-onDurationTimer The first configured value, where the first and second bits are '01', indicates the use of bac-onDurationTimer The second configured value, where the first and second bits are both '10', indicates the use of bac-onDurationTimer The third configured value, where the first and second bits are both '11', indicates the use of bac-onDurationTimer The fourth configured value. DCI field' Beam Inactivity Cycle The bit width of ' is 2 bits, where the first and second bits indicate higher-level parameters. bac- InactivityTimer One of four pre-configured values. The first and second bits are '00', indicating the use of... bac-InactivityTimer The first configured value, where the first and second bits are '01', indicates the use of bac-InactivityTimer The second configured value, where the first and second bits are both '10', indicates the use of bac-InactivityTimer The third configured value, where the first and second bits are both '11', indicates the use of bac- InactivityTimer The fourth configured value.

[0208] In some embodiments, UE 110 may receive higher-level configurations for tnTciStatesToAddModList having one or more TN TCI states and ntnTciStatesToAddModList having one or more NTN TCI states. Each TN TCI state in tnTciStatesToAddModList may include an 'ntnTciStateId' field, which identifies the NTN TCI state in ntnTciStatesToAddModList. The presence of the 'ntnTciStateId' field establishes an association between the TN TCI state and the NTN TCI state identified in the 'ntnTciStateId' field. Other association mechanisms have been considered for creating TN and NTN TCI states, which establish associations between TN and NTN TCI states.

[0209] In some embodiments, UE 110 can receive data that does not contain... tnNtnTciStatesToAddModList High-level configurations are considered invalid.

[0210] In some embodiments, instead of the beam activity period defined in the aspects disclosed herein, UE 110 may use low-layer signaling such as MAC-CE commands or DCI commands to receive messages that initiate QCL handover between, for example, a terrestrial link and, for example, a non-terrestrial link. The low-layer signaling message may contain a dedicated field that serves as a trigger for initiating the QCL handover.

[0211] In some embodiments, instead of the beam activity period defined in the aspects disclosed herein, UE 110 may use higher-layer signaling such as RRC signaling messages to receive messages that initiate QCL handover, for example, between a terrestrial link and a non-terrestrial link. The higher-layer signaling message may contain a dedicated field that serves as a trigger for initiating the QCL handover.

[0212] In various aspects of this application, the TN NTN TCI state includes parameters for configuring quasi-co-location relationships between one or two downlink reference signals and the DM-RS ports of the PDSCH, DM-RS ports of the PDCCH, CSI-RS ports of CSI-RS resources, SS / PBCH block ports of SS / PBCH block resources, and / or GNSS-RS ports of GNSS-RS resources. The one or two downlink reference signals can be NZP CSI-RS resources, SS / PBCH blocks, or GNSS-RS resources. Quasi-co-location means that any channel properties applicable to the source reference signal (e.g., average delay, Doppler spread spectrum, propagation delay, spatial receive filter, spatial transmit filter, etc.) also apply to the target reference signal.

[0213] In various aspects of this application, some or all embodiments may be used together to generate other variations of the QCL hypothesis in the context of TN / NTN communication systems.

[0214] In summary, the aspects disclosed above relate to switching from monitoring at least one PDCCH message on a first link using a first QCL assumption type to monitoring at least one PDCCH message on a second link using a second QCL assumption type. The context of this switch is that the first link is either a TN link or an NTN link, and the second link is the other of a TN link and an NTN link. It is also envisioned that the first link could be a first TN link and the second link could be a second TN link. Furthermore, it is envisioned that the first link could be a first NTN link and the second link could be a second NTN link.

[0215] It should be understood that one or more steps of the method embodiments provided herein can be performed by corresponding units or modules. For example, data can be sent by a sending unit or sending module. Data can be received by a receiving unit or receiving module. Data can be processed by a processing unit or processing module. The corresponding units / modules can be hardware, software, or a combination thereof. For example, one or more of these units / modules can be integrated circuits, such as field-programmable gate arrays (FPGAs) or application-specific integrated circuits (ASICs). It should be understood that if these modules are software, they can be retrieved by the processor, in whole or in part, individually or collectively, for processing, or in single or multiple instances as needed, and these modules themselves can include instructions for further deployment and instantiation.

[0216] Although combinations of features are shown in the illustrated embodiments, not all features need to be combined to achieve the advantages of the various embodiments of the invention. In other words, a system or method designed according to embodiments of the invention does not necessarily include all features shown in any of the figures or all portions schematically illustrated in the figures. Furthermore, selected features of one exemplary embodiment may be combined with selected features of other exemplary embodiments.

[0217] Although the invention has been described with reference to illustrative embodiments, this specification should not be construed as limiting. Various modifications and combinations of the illustrative embodiments, as well as other embodiments of the invention, will be apparent to those skilled in the art upon reference to this specification. Therefore, the appended claims are intended to cover any such modifications or embodiments.

Claims

1. A method characterized by, comprises: monitoring, using a first quasi-colocation (QCL) assumption type, for at least one physical downlink control channel (PDCCH) message on a first link, wherein the first link is one of a terrestrial network (TN) link and a non-terrestrial network (NTN) link; in response to expiration of a duration associated with the first QCL assumption type, switching to monitoring, using a second QCL assumption type, for at least one PDCCH message on a second link, wherein the second link is the other of the TN link and the NTN link.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein, the first QCL assumption type is a TN-specific QCL assumption type and the second QCL assumption type is an NTN-specific QCL assumption type.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein, the first QCL assumption type is an NTN-specific QCL assumption type and the second QCL assumption type is a TN-specific QCL assumption type.

4. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that, the first QCL assumption type comprises a spatial receive filter.

5. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 4, characterized in that, the first QCL assumption type comprises an average delay.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein, further comprising: receiving a TN NTN Transmission Configuration Indicator (TCI) state information element (IE), wherein the TN NTN TCI state IE indicates a first IE indicates the duration.

7. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 6, characterized in that, the duration is expressed in: milliseconds; orthogonal frequency-division multiplexing (OFDM) symbols; a group of OFDM symbols; a mini-slot; a group of mini-slots; a slot; a group of slots; seconds; microseconds; or nanoseconds.

8. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 7, characterized in that, the TN NTN TCI state IE indicates a second IE indicates the first QCL assumption type.

9. The method of claim 6, wherein, the TN NTN TCI state IE includes an indication of another IE that includes an indication of a duration of an inactivity timer, thereby providing a duration of a time interval for which the first QCL assumption type is not used to monitor for PDCCH messages on the first link.

10. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 6, characterized in that, further comprising: receiving downlink control information (DCI) signaling, the DCI signaling indicating the duration.

11. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 6, characterized in that, further comprising: receiving radio resource control (RRC) signaling, the RRC signaling including an indication of the duration.

12. An apparatus, comprising: comprising: at least one processor coupled to a memory storing computer-readable instructions that, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the at least one processor to perform the following operations: monitor at least one physical downlink control channel (PDCCH) message on a first link using a first quasi-colocation (QCL) assumption type, wherein the first link is one of a terrestrial network (TN) link and a non-terrestrial network (NTN) link; in response to expiration of a duration associated with the first QCL assumption type, switch to monitoring at least one PDCCH message on a second link using a second QCL assumption type, wherein the second link is the other of the TN link and the NTN link.

13. A non-transitory computer readable medium storing instructions, the instructions comprising: the instructions, when executed by a processor, cause the processor to perform operations comprising: monitor at least one physical downlink control channel (PDCCH) message on a first link using a first quasi-colocation (QCL) assumption type, wherein the first link is one of a terrestrial network (TN) link and a non-terrestrial network (NTN) link; in response to expiration of a duration associated with the first QCL assumption type, switch to monitoring at least one PDCCH message on a second link using a second QCL assumption type, wherein the second link is the other of the TN link and the NTN link.

14. An apparatus, comprising: at least one processor coupled to a memory storing computer-readable instructions that, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the at least one processor to perform a method according to any of claims 1-11.

15. A non-transitory computer readable medium storing instructions, wherein the instructions, when executed by a processor, cause the processor to perform operations comprising: the instructions, when executed by a processor, cause the processor to perform a method according to any of claims 1-11.

16. A method characterized by, comprise: implement a first beam activity period, wherein the first beam activity period comprises monitoring at least one physical downlink control channel (PDCCH) message on a first link using a first quasi-colocation (QCL) assumption type; in response to not detecting a PDCCH message for a predetermined consecutive number of slots, switch to implementing a second beam activity period, wherein the second beam activity period comprises monitoring at least one PDCCH message on a second link using a second QCL assumption type.

17. An apparatus, comprising: comprise: at least one processor coupled to a memory storing computer-readable instructions, the at least one processor, upon execution of the computer-readable instructions, causes the at least one processor to perform operations comprising: implementing a first beam active period, wherein the first beam active period comprises monitoring for at least one physical downlink control channel (PDCCH) message on a first link using a first quasi-colocation (QCL) assumption type; in response to not detecting a PDCCH message within a predetermined consecutive number of time slots, switching to implement a second beam active period, wherein the second beam active period comprises monitoring for at least one PDCCH message on a second link using a second QCL assumption type.

18. A non-transitory computer readable medium storing instructions, wherein, the instructions, when executed by a processor, cause the processor to perform operations comprising: implementing a first beam active period, wherein the first beam active period comprises monitoring for at least one physical downlink control channel (PDCCH) message on a first link using a first quasi-colocation (QCL) assumption type; in response to not detecting a PDCCH message within a predetermined consecutive number of time slots, switching to implement a second beam active period, wherein the second beam active period comprises monitoring for at least one PDCCH message on a second link using a second QCL assumption type.

19. An apparatus, comprising: at least one processor coupled to a memory storing computer-readable instructions, the at least one processor, upon execution of the computer-readable instructions, causes the at least one processor to perform the method of claim 16.

20. A non-transitory computer-readable medium storing instructions, the instructions comprising: the instructions, when executed by a processor, cause the processor to perform the method of claim 16.

21. A method characterized by, comprising: implementing a first beam active period, wherein the first beam active period comprises monitoring for at least one physical downlink control channel (PDCCH) message on a first link using a first quasi-colocation (QCL) assumption type; in response to having detected a PDCCH message comprising a dynamic QCL switch indication comprising a second QCL assumption type and a duration, switching to implement a second beam active period, wherein the second beam active period comprises monitoring for at least one PDCCH message on a second link using the second QCL assumption type.

22. An apparatus comprising: comprising: at least one processor coupled to a memory storing computer-readable instructions, the at least one processor, upon execution of the computer-readable instructions, causes the at least one processor to perform operations comprising: implementing a first beam active period, wherein the first beam active period comprises monitoring at least one physical downlink control channel (PDCCH) message on a first link using a first quasi-colocation (QCL) assumption type; for having detected a PDCCH message comprising a dynamic QCL switching indication comprising a second QCL assumption type and a duration, switching to implementing a second beam active period, wherein the second beam active period comprises monitoring at least one PDCCH message on a second link using the second QCL assumption type.

23. A non-transitory computer readable medium storing instructions, wherein the instructions, when executed by a processor, cause the processor to perform operations comprising: the instructions, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to perform operations comprising: implementing a first beam active period, wherein the first beam active period comprises monitoring at least one physical downlink control channel (PDCCH) message on a first link using a first quasi-colocation (QCL) assumption type; for having detected a PDCCH message comprising a dynamic QCL switching indication comprising a second QCL assumption type and a duration, switching to implementing a second beam active period, wherein the second beam active period comprises monitoring at least one PDCCH message on a second link using the second QCL assumption type.

24. An apparatus comprising: at least one processor coupled to a memory storing computer-readable instructions that, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the at least one processor to perform the method of claim 21.

25. A non-transitory computer readable medium storing instructions, wherein, the instructions, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to perform the method of claim 21.

26. A system, comprising: comprising: a first apparatus capable of transmitting at least one physical downlink control channel (PDCCH) message on a first link, wherein the first link is one of a terrestrial network (TN) link and a non-terrestrial network (NTN) link; a second apparatus capable of transmitting at least one PDCCH message on a second link, wherein the second link is the other of the TN link and the NTN link; a third apparatus comprising at least one processor coupled to a memory storing computer-readable instructions that, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the at least one processor to perform operations comprising: monitoring the at least one PDCCH message on the first link using a first quasi-colocation (QCL) assumption type; in response to an expiration of a duration associated with the first QCL assumption type, switch to using a second QCL assumption type for monitoring the at least one PDCCH message on the second link.

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