Method for triggering beam measurement report and user equipment

Abstract

The invention provides a method executed by user equipment (UE) for triggering a beam measurement report and the UE. The method comprises the following steps: detecting triggering events of a triggering beam measurement report (BMR), and counting the occurrence times of the same triggering events; and triggering the BMR when the occurrence frequency of the same trigger event within a given time period is not less than a frequency threshold.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to the field of wireless communication technology, and more particularly to a method for triggering beam measurement reports performed by a user equipment, as well as the user equipment itself. Background Technology

[0002] With the rapid growth of mobile communications and tremendous technological advancements, the world is moving towards a fully interconnected network society, where anyone or anything can access information and share data anytime, anywhere. In 2020, the number of connected devices reached 50 billion, of which only about 10 billion were likely mobile phones and tablets; the rest were not machines for human interaction, but rather machines for interacting with each other. Therefore, how to design systems to better support the Internet of Things is a topic requiring in-depth research.

[0003] To this end, at the 3GPP RAN#64 plenary meeting held in March 2016, a research project on new 5G radio access technology was proposed (see non-patent literature: RP-160671 New SID Proposal: Study on New Radio Access Technology). The project description stated that the operating frequency band of the new communication standard would be expandable to 100GHz, while simultaneously meeting at least the needs of enhanced mobile broadband services, the communication requirements of massive IoT UEs, and the service requirements of high reliability. The research work on this project concluded in 2018.

[0004] This research project plans to use beamforming for information transmission. Specifically, when using high-frequency communication, a thinner beam will be used to address the rapid fading of high-frequency channels. However, using a thinner beam for information transmission is susceptible to external changes, such as the rotation of the phone or obstruction from other objects.

[0005] In beamforming transmission scenarios, to promptly report the serving cell's beam signal quality and changes to the network, the UE can proactively send beam signal quality information, referred to as a beam measurement report. To allow the UE to determine when to send a beam measurement report, a series of beam measurement report trigger events are defined. When at least one trigger event occurs, the UE can initiate or initiate a beam measurement report. However, if such beam measurement reports are transmitted to the network too frequently, it can cause uplink congestion and waste uplink resources. To avoid this, a predetermined time period can be defined whereby the UE is only allowed to trigger or initiate the beam measurement report process if the number of times it detects a certain event reaches or exceeds a predetermined number. How to implement such a beam measurement report triggering mechanism is a problem that needs to be solved. Summary of the Invention

[0006] To address the aforementioned problems, this invention provides a method for triggering beam measurement reports executed by a user equipment and a user equipment thereof.

[0007] According to one aspect of the present invention, a method for triggering a beam measurement report (BMR) performed by a user equipment (UE) is provided, comprising: detecting a trigger event of a BMR and counting the number of times the same trigger event occurs; and triggering the BMR when the number of times the same trigger event occurs within a given time period is not less than a count threshold.

[0008] Optionally, when the number of occurrences of the same triggering event within a given time period is not less than a threshold, triggering the BMR may include any of the following: when the triggering event is detected, determining whether the number of occurrences of the same triggering event within a first time window, with the time point at which the triggering event is detected as the end time point, is not less than a threshold; if the number of occurrences of the same triggering event within the first time window is not less than the threshold, triggering the BMR; when the triggering event is detected, determining whether the number of occurrences of the same triggering event within a second time window defined by a time window timer is not less than a threshold; if the number of occurrences of the same triggering event within the second time window is not less than the threshold, triggering the BMR, wherein the time window timer is started when the triggering event is first detected and is reset when it is determined that the number of occurrences of the same triggering event is not less than the threshold; triggering the BMR when the number of occurrences of the same triggering event detected continuously at time intervals shorter than a given time length is not less than the threshold.

[0009] Optionally, at least one of the following may be set or executed individually for each candidate beam: the first time window; the second time window and the time window timer; the given time length; the count threshold and the count of the number of times the same triggering event occurs.

[0010] Optionally, when the triggering event is detected, if the interval between the time point when the triggering event is detected this time and the time point when the same triggering event was detected previously is less than the indicated interval, then the triggering event detected this time will not be counted.

[0011] Optionally, the given time length can be an integer multiple of the indicated interval.

[0012] Optionally, the indication interval can be set in any of the following ways: the indication interval is an integer multiple of the period of the reference signal of the corresponding candidate beam; the indication interval is the maximum value between an integer multiple of the period of the reference signal of the corresponding candidate beam and a first fixed value.

[0013] Optionally, the first time window and / or the second time window can be set according to a reference period, which is the period of the reference signal corresponding to the corresponding beam.

[0014] Optionally, the reference period can be determined by any of the following methods: when the first time window and / or the second time window are set for each candidate beam that is the object of measurement, the reference period is the period of the reference signal of the candidate beam corresponding to the first time window or the second time window; when the first time window and / or the second time window are set together for all candidate beams that are the object of measurement, the reference period is the maximum period among the periods of the reference signals of each of the candidate beams, or the maximum period among the periods of the reference signals of each of the candidate beams and the period of the reference signal of the currently operating beam.

[0015] Optionally, the first time window and / or the second time window can be determined by one of the following methods: the first time window and / or the second time window is a given integer multiple of the reference period; the first time window and / or the second time window is the maximum value among a given integer multiple of the reference period and a second fixed value; the first time window and / or the second time window is a given integer multiple of the reference period, wherein the given integer multiple is the sum of the number threshold and the offset value, and the value of the given integer multiple is not less than the number threshold.

[0016] Furthermore, according to another aspect of the present invention, a user equipment is provided, comprising: a processor; and a memory storing instructions that, when executed by the processor, cause the user equipment to perform the method described above.

[0017] Invention Effects

[0018] According to the present invention, it is possible to avoid transmitting to the network too frequently, thereby avoiding uplink congestion and waste of uplink resources. Attached Figure Description

[0019] The above and other features of the present invention will become more apparent from the following detailed description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, wherein:

[0020] Figure 1 This is a flowchart illustrating a method for triggering beam measurement reports performed by a user equipment (UE) according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0021] Figure 2 This is a flowchart illustrating a method for triggering beam measurement reports performed by a user equipment (UE) according to Embodiment 1 of the present invention.

[0022] Figure 3 This is a flowchart illustrating a method for triggering beam measurement reports performed by a user equipment (UE) according to Embodiment 2 of the present invention.

[0023] Figure 4 This is a flowchart illustrating a method for triggering beam measurement reports performed by a user equipment (UE) according to Embodiment 3 of the present invention.

[0024] Figure 5 This is a schematic block diagram illustrating the user equipment involved in the present invention. Detailed Implementation

[0025] The present invention will now be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings and specific embodiments. It should be noted that the present invention should not be limited to the specific embodiments described below. Furthermore, for the sake of simplicity, detailed descriptions of well-known technologies not directly related to the present invention have been omitted to prevent confusion in understanding the present invention.

[0026] Before proceeding with the detailed description, the following explanation is provided for several terms mentioned in this invention. Unless otherwise specified, the terms used in this invention shall have the meanings described below.

[0027] UE User Equipment

[0028] RLF Radio Link Failure

[0029] NR New Radio: Next-Generation Wireless Technology

[0030] LTE Long Term Evolution technology

[0031] eLTE Enhanced Long Term Evolution (LTE)

[0032] MAC Medium Access Control (layer)

[0033] MAC CE MAC Control Element

[0034] PHY physical layer

[0035] PDCCH (Physical Downlink Control Channel)

[0036] RRC Radio Resource Control (layer)

[0037] MAC Medium Access Control (layer)

[0038] PHY physical layer

[0039] PDCCH (Physical Downlink Control Channel)

[0040] PUSCH (Physical Uplink Shared Channel)

[0041] PDSCH (Physical Downlink Shared Channel)

[0042] RA Random Access

[0043] PRACH Physical Random Access Channel

[0044] SSB Synchhronization Signal Block

[0045] CSI-RS Channel State Information Reference signal

[0046] TCI Transmission Configuration Indicator

[0047] RSRP Reference Signal Received Power

[0048] Serving Cell: aPCell, aPSCell, or an SCell; the serving cell can be a PCell, PSCell, or SCell.

[0049] SpCell: Special Cell, which can be either PCell or PSCell.

[0050] PCell: Primary Cell

[0051] PSCell: Primary SCG Cell

[0052] SCell: Secondary Cell

[0053] SCG: Secondary Cell Group

[0054] C-RNTI: Cell RNTI, Cell RNTI

[0055] RNTI: Radio Network Temporary Identifier

[0056] HARQ: Hybrid Automatic Repeat Request.

[0057] SINR: Signal to Noise and Interference Ratio.

[0058] TRP: Transmit / Receive Point (Send / Receive Port)

[0059] UL-CCCH: Uplink Common Control Channel

[0060] UCI: Uplink Control Information

[0061] MCG: Master Cell Group

[0062] SCG: Secondary Cell Group

[0063] SR: Scheduling Request

[0064] PHR: Power Heardroom Report

[0065] BSR: Buffer Status Report

[0066] ACTIVE time (active period / activity period)

[0067] Non-active time (inactive period / active period)

[0068] DCI: Downlink Control Information

[0069] The following description uses the NR mobile communication system and its subsequent evolutions as an example application environment, taking NR-supporting base stations and UE devices as examples, to specifically describe several embodiments according to the present invention. However, it should be noted that the present invention is not limited to the following embodiments, but is applicable to many other wireless communication systems, such as eLTE communication systems, and can be applied to other base stations and UE devices, such as eLTE-supporting base stations and UE devices.

[0070] Since a serving cell can include a primary cell and a secondary cell, the serving cell mentioned below can be either a primary cell or a secondary cell unless otherwise specified.

[0071] Beamforming can be used in conjunction with carrier aggregation (CA) technology. The base station can configure multiple carriers for the UE, with different carriers corresponding to different serving cells. Among the multiple cells configured for the UE, there is at least one primary cell (Pcell) and one or more secondary cells (Scells). Both the primary and secondary cells can employ beamforming technology. Accordingly, by measuring the configured beams of each serving cell, the UE can report the beam quality of each cell.

[0072] A UE operating in Dual Connection (DC) mode is configured with MCG and SCG. The primary cell of the MCG is called Pcell, and the primary cell of the SCG is called PScell. SPcell is usually used to refer to Pcell and PScell.

[0073] Beam measurement and triggering of beam measurement reports

[0074] A UE can be configured with one or more serving cells. Each serving cell can be configured with at least one SSB or CSI-RS. According to instructions from the network side or base station side, when the serving cell configured for the UE provides service (e.g., the serving cell is a Spcell or an active Scell), at least one beam corresponding to an SSB or CSI-RS can be considered the serving beam or currently active beam of that serving cell. Other non-serving or non-active beams can be considered candidate beams of the serving cell. Both serving beams and candidate beams are the objects of UE measurement; essentially, it involves measuring the SSB or CSI-RS corresponding to these beams.

[0075] The UE measures the configured SSB or CSI-RS and uses the measured L1-RSRP (Layer one-RSRP) value as the measurement quantity for the corresponding beam. Alternatively, it can use the measured L1-SINR as the measurement quantity. Both L1-RSRP and L1-SINR can be considered beam measurement results. Based on these results, the UE can determine whether one or more of the following events have occurred. If the UE determines that one or more of the following events have occurred, it can trigger or initiate a process or procedure to send a beam measurement report to the network side or base station. Therefore, the following events can be considered trigger events for sending a beam measurement report.

[0076] Event 1: The quality of the current serving beam is below a preset threshold. The beam quality can be characterized by beam measurements or measurement results. The current beam can refer to the beam currently used for transmission, also called the working beam. Event 1 is considered to have occurred when the measurement result of the current beam is below the preset threshold. The number of current serving beams is not limited to one. If there is only one serving beam, the measurement result of that serving beam is used to characterize the measurement result, which is compared with the preset threshold to determine whether Event 1 has occurred. If there are more than one current serving beam, a measurement result can be obtained based on the measurement results of these serving beams and compared with the preset threshold. This can be achieved by averaging or weighted averaging the measurement results of multiple serving beams, or by using a specific algorithm for filtering; there are no restrictions on this.

[0077] Event 2: At least one new beam exists whose measured value, such as L1-RSRP, is higher than the measured value of the currently operating beam by an offset value, and this offset value is not lower than a pre-set threshold. Here, a new beam refers to a beam different from the currently used operating beam and can be considered one of the candidate beams. Event 2 is considered to have occurred when at least one new beam meets the aforementioned conditions.

[0078] Event 3: At least one new beam has a measurement value that is higher than a pre-set threshold. Event 3 can be considered to have occurred at this time.

[0079] Event 4: The quality of the current beam is lower than the preset threshold 1 and at least one new beam has a quality higher than the preset threshold 2. Event 4 can be considered to have occurred at this time.

[0080] In addition to the four events mentioned above, other triggering events may exist, which are not defined here. That is, any event that may cause the UE to trigger the BMR transmission process can be called a BMR triggering event.

[0081] Considering the potential for signal quality variations, once the aforementioned events occur, the UE immediately initiates or triggers the beam measurement reporting process, leading to frequent reporting. Furthermore, these events may only occur once and then not recur, rendering such beam measurement reports of limited value to the network side. Therefore, it is necessary to manage beam measurement reports and minimize meaningless reporting.

[0082] When a UE detects an event, it can be considered that the UE has detected an instance of that event. Taking event 2 as an example, when the UE detects or determines that a new beam has a measurement value, such as L1-RSRP, that is higher than the measurement value of the currently operating beam by an offset value, and that offset value is not lower than a pre-set threshold, then the UE can be considered to have detected an instance of event 2. A predetermined time period can be defined; if the UE detects that the number of instances of a certain event reaches or exceeds a predetermined number, then the UE triggers or initiates the beam measurement reporting process.

[0083] The preset thresholds for the above events can be different and used to determine the corresponding events.

[0084] In the above event, the current beam can refer to the beam currently used for transmission, also called the working beam or the serving beam.

[0085] Beam Measurement Report (BMR) Process

[0086] Upon confirmation of any triggering event, the UE can send information containing beam measurement results to the network or base station. Depending on the UE's configuration, the UE can use either Mode A or Mode B to perform the beam measurement reporting process.

[0087] Mode A includes at least the following three steps:

[0088] Step A.1 Send resource request information / signal to the base station on the pre-configured PUCCH channel. The requested resource is used to transmit BMR.

[0089] Step A.2 Listen to the downlink PDCCH and receive scheduling information from the base station or network side. Such scheduling information can be included in the DCI. Specifically, the scheduling information can be related information indicating the PUSCH / PUCCH resources used for BMR transmission. The base station can schedule a PUSCH / PUCCH resource in the DCI for BMR transmission.

[0090] Step A.3 Send a beam measurement report on the resources obtained in step A.2.

[0091] Mode B includes at least the following two steps:

[0092] Step B.1 Send indication information to the base station on the pre-configured PUCCH channel to indicate / notify the UE to prepare for BMR transmission to the base station or network side. This can be simply referred to as indicating or notifying the transmission of BMR.

[0093] Step B.2 Send a beam measurement report on a pre-configured uplink resource, which can be a pre-configured PUSCH or PUCCH.

[0094] Based on the indication or notification information in step B.1, the base station can receive the beam measurement report on the resources in step B.2.

[0095] It can be seen that when any triggering event is determined to have occurred, the UE can execute at least step A.1 of mode A or step B.1 of mode B.

[0096] The transmitted BMR can be sent as part of an uplink control message (UCI) or as part of a MACCE.

[0097] For the sake of simplicity, in this article, "a triggering event occurs" can be used interchangeably with "triggering a BMR", "a triggering event occurs" can also be used interchangeably with "initiating a process to send beam measurement results to the network side or base station", "triggering a BMR" can be used interchangeably with "initiating a beam measurement report process".

[0098] Depending on the purpose or application of beam measurement, the UE can perform different types of beam measurements:

[0099] If the purpose of beam measurement is to perform beam switching or beam change, such as selecting a potential beam as the serving beam from the candidate beams of the serving cell, selecting the beam with the best or most suitable signal quality, and switching the serving beam to the candidate beam in a timely manner when the service quality of the current serving beam level deteriorates, beam measurement performed to achieve this purpose can be called serving cell beam measurement.

[0100] If the purpose of beam measurement is to perform handover or switch of the serving cell, for example, by measuring the beams of one or more candidate cells (hereinafter referred to as candidate cells) belonging to the target cell of the handover, if the serving beam quality of the current serving cell deteriorates and there is no suitable candidate beam belonging to the current serving cell for handover, then a suitable candidate cell can be selected from the candidate cells to perform the handover; or, for example, in order to perform uplink synchronization as early as possible on the candidate cell, obtain the timing advance value, and shorten the handover completion time, it is necessary to send a PRACH signal in the appropriate beam direction of the candidate cell, then it is necessary to measure the beams of these candidate cells. Beam measurement performed to achieve this purpose can be called candidate cell beam measurement.

[0101] Furthermore, beam measurements can be classified according to the type of beam measured by the UE. If the beam being measured is a candidate beam of the serving cell, then such a beam measurement can be called a serving cell beam measurement; if the beam being measured is a candidate cell beam, where the candidate cell is a cell different from the serving cell, then such a beam measurement can be called a candidate cell beam measurement.

[0102] The UE can determine whether a beam is a candidate beam of the serving cell or a beam of a candidate cell by receiving configuration information. For a serving cell that requires beam measurement, its corresponding cell configuration information may include the configuration information of the SSB or CSI-RS corresponding to these candidate beams. After receiving such cell configuration information, the UE can determine and perform beam measurement of the serving cell. If the configuration information of a candidate cell contains SSBs or CSI-RS corresponding to one or more beams, then these beams are candidate cell beams, and the measurements performed on these beams are candidate cell beam measurements.

[0103] This article uses beam measurement of the serving cell as an example to illustrate the scheme, but the scheme described here can also be applied to beam measurement of candidate cells. In beam measurement of the serving cell, a new beam refers to a configured candidate beam, different from the serving cell's current serving beam. In beam measurement of a candidate cell, a new beam refers to the beam of the candidate cell. A candidate cell can be configured with one or more beams, which, relative to the serving cell's working beam, can also be referred to as candidate beams. A new beam can also mean a beam that is different from previously reported candidate beams.

[0104] This article uses event 2 as an example to explain in detail how to determine the trigger or start of a beam measurement report. However, the method described in this article can also be applied to other trigger events.

[0105] The following is a reference first. Figure 1 This section outlines the method for triggering beam measurement reports according to the present invention.

[0106] Figure 1 This is a flowchart illustrating a method for triggering beam measurement reports performed by a user equipment (UE) according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0107] like Figure 1As shown, in S101, the user equipment detects a trigger event for the beam measurement report (BMR) and counts the number of times the same trigger event occurs. This counting of the same trigger event can be achieved using counters corresponding to each event. For example, if event 2 is detected, the counter corresponding to event 2 is incremented; if event 3 is detected, the counter corresponding to event 3 is incremented.

[0108] In S103, it is determined whether the number of times the same triggering event occurs within a given time period is not less than a threshold. Here, the given time period can be the first time window or the second time window described later. Furthermore, in Embodiment 3 described later, the period during which "the same triggering event is detected M times consecutively at time intervals shorter than a given time length" can also be regarded as the given time period here.

[0109] When the result of the judgment in S103 is yes, BMR is triggered in S105.

[0110] Therefore, since BMR is not triggered every time a triggering event is detected, but only when the number of occurrences of the same triggering event within a given time period is not less than the number threshold, frequent triggering of BMR can be avoided.

[0111] Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0112] Example 1

[0113] Figure 2 This is a flowchart illustrating a method for triggering beam measurement reports performed by a user equipment (UE) according to Embodiment 1 of the present invention.

[0114] like Figure 2 As shown, in S201, a trigger event is detected.

[0115] When the triggering event is detected, in S203, it is determined whether the number of occurrences of the same triggering event within a first time window ending at the time the triggering event was detected is not less than a number threshold. For example, if event 2 is detected, it is determined whether the number of occurrences of event 2 within a past first time window ending at the time event 2 was detected is not less than a number threshold.

[0116] When it is determined that the number of occurrences of the same triggering event within the first time window is not less than the number threshold, BMR is triggered in S205.

[0117] The following provides a more detailed explanation.

[0118] Taking event 2 as an example, when the UE detects or determines that there is a new beam (e.g., beam X, which is not the currently operating beam), and its measurement value, such as L1-RSRP, is higher than the measurement value of the currently operating beam by an offset value, and the offset value is not lower than a preset threshold, then it can be considered that the UE has detected an instance of event 2, or the UE has determined that an instance of event 2 has occurred.

[0119] In one scenario, the UE detects or determines the occurrence of the instance at the physical layer, and the UE evaluates the number of times / instances of the same instance occur within a certain period. Preferably, "same instance" here refers to instances for the same event (i.e., all instances of event 2) and the same beam (i.e., all instances of beam X). The duration of the evaluated period is T_time_window. The UE can start evaluating from the time of detecting or determining the current instance within the previous period of duration T_time_window. Alternatively, the UE can use the time of detecting or determining the current instance as the end time and evaluate over a past period of duration T_time_window (When an instance for Event2 for new beam X is reported / detected, the UE evaluates over the last T_time_window period).

[0120] - When the UE determines that the number of times / items of the same instance occur within this period of time is equal to or greater than the pre-configured number / item value, then the UE can determine to trigger or start the beam measurement reporting process;

[0121] - If the UE determines that the number of times / items of the same occurrences occur within this period is less than (or does not exceed) the pre-configured number / item value, then the UE will not trigger or start the beam measurement reporting process.

[0122] Here, "pre-configured number / value" can be configured by the base station or network side through RRC reconfiguration messages. It is preferred to use an integer value, which can be 1, 2 or other values.

[0123] Example 2

[0124] Example 2 provides another implementation method.

[0125] Figure 3 This is a flowchart illustrating a method for triggering beam measurement reports performed by a user equipment (UE) according to Embodiment 2 of the present invention.

[0126] like Figure 3As shown, in S301, a trigger event is detected.

[0127] When a triggering event is detected, in step S303, it is determined whether the time window timer (hereinafter referred to as the Timer_window timer) for the detected triggering event is running. The time window timer is set for each type of event. If the corresponding time window timer is not running, then in step S305, the time window timer is started. That is, the time window timer is started when a certain triggering event is detected for the first time. For example, when event 2 is detected, if the time window timer for event 2 is not running, then event 2 detected this time is the first event 2 detected, and the time window timer needs to be started; if the time window timer for event 2 is running, then event 2 detected this time is not the first event 2 detected.

[0128] If the time window timer is running, or if the time window timer was started in S305, then in S307, the detected trigger events are counted, and it is determined whether the number of occurrences of the same trigger event within the second time window specified by the time window timer is not less than the count threshold. The operation of S307 can also be executed before S305, or it can be executed in parallel with S305.

[0129] When the judgment result in S307 is yes, BMR is triggered in S309.

[0130] In addition, in S311, the time window timer is reset. S311 can be executed before S309 or in parallel with S309.

[0131] The following is a more detailed explanation.

[0132] The UE detects or determines the occurrence of the instance at the physical layer and indicates the occurrence or occurrence of the instance to an upper layer, such as the MAC layer. Accordingly, when the MAC layer receives the instance indication, the UE can perform the following operations:

[0133] - If the Timer_window is not running, the UE can start the Timer_window;

[0134] - The UE sets the corresponding counter COUNT to increase by 1. For example, if COUNT was originally 0, then after receiving the instruction in the aforementioned example, the value of COUNT is set to 0+1, that is, the value of COUNT has changed and the value after the change is 1.

[0135] - The UE determines whether the value of COUNT is equal to or greater than the pre-configured number of times / values:

[0136] When the UE determines that the value of COUNT is equal to or greater than the pre-configured number of times / values, the UE can determine to trigger or start the beam measurement reporting process. Optionally, the UE can stop running the Timer_window or reset the Timer_window.

[0137] If the UE determines that the value of COUNT is less than (or does not exceed) the pre-configured number of times / values, then the UE will not trigger or start the beam measurement reporting process.

[0138] In addition to the above operations, when the Timer_window times out, or after the BMR containing the beam-related information is sent, the UE can also reset the COUNT value to an initial value, such as zero.

[0139] Preferably, the Timer_window is associated with the detected beam, or is managed based on the beam. For example, if the new beam detected by the UE in an instance is X, then Timer_window-1 associated with beam X is started. If the new beam detected by the UE in an instance is Y, even though Timer_window-1 is running, the UE still considers that the Timer_window associated with beam Y is not running, and instead starts Timer_window-2 associated with beam Y.

[0140] Similarly, the counter COUNT is also associated with the detected beam, or rather, managed based on the beam. It can be considered that for beam X and beam Y, there are corresponding or associated counters, for example, COUNT-1 is associated with beam X, and COUNT-2 is associated with beam Y. If the detected beam is beam X, only the change or reset of the value of counter COUNT-1 associated with beam X will be affected, but the change or reset of the value of counter COUNT-2 associated with beam Y will not be affected.

[0141] Example 3

[0142] Example 3 provides yet another implementation method.

[0143] In Example 3, BMR is triggered when the number of occurrences of the same triggering event detected continuously at time intervals shorter than a given time length is not less than a threshold number. Here, if the threshold number is set to M, the period of "detecting the same triggering event M times continuously at time intervals shorter than a given time length" can also be regarded as the given time period mentioned above.

[0144] Figure 4This is a flowchart illustrating a method for triggering beam measurement reports performed by a user equipment (UE) according to Embodiment 3 of the present invention.

[0145] S401, detect the triggered event.

[0146] When a trigger event is detected, in S403, the detection interval timer (Timer_detection, described later) for that trigger event is started or restarted. Then, in S405, the counter for the corresponding trigger event is incremented. For example, when event 2 is detected, if the detection interval timer for event 2 is not running, then the detection interval timer is started, and the counter for event 2 is incremented. When event 2 is detected, if the detection interval timer for event 2 is running, then it is restarted, and the counter for event 2 is incremented.

[0147] After incrementing the counter, in S407, it is determined whether the value of the corresponding counter is not less than the count threshold. If the result of the determination in S407 is yes, then BMR is triggered in S409.

[0148] Furthermore, after starting the detection interval timer, in S411, it is determined whether the detection interval timer has timed out. When the detection interval timer times out, in S413, the counter corresponding to the detection interval timer is reset. For example, if the timer Timer_detection corresponding to event 2 times out, the counter corresponding to event 2 is reset.

[0149] In this embodiment, a timer `Timer_detection` is used to monitor the time interval between the currently detected trigger event and the previous detection of the same trigger event. If no next identical event is detected within the period from when `Timer_detection` is started until its timeout, the corresponding counter is reset. That is, if the time interval between two identical trigger events is less than the given time length specified by `Timer_detection`, the two identical trigger events are considered to have occurred consecutively; if the time interval is not less than the given time length specified by `Timer_detection`, the two identical trigger events are considered not to have occurred consecutively.

[0150] The following is a more detailed explanation.

[0151] The UE detects or determines the occurrence of the instance at the physical layer and indicates the occurrence or occurrence of the instance to an upper layer, such as the MAC layer. Accordingly, when the MAC layer receives the instance indication, the UE can perform the following operations:

[0152] - Start or restart the Timer_detection timer;

[0153] - The UE sets the corresponding counter COUNT to increase by 1. For example, if COUNT was originally 0, then after receiving the instruction in the aforementioned example, the value of COUNT is set to 0+1, that is, the value of COUNT has changed and the value after the change is 1.

[0154] - The UE determines whether the value of COUNT is equal to or greater than the pre-configured number of times / values:

[0155] When the UE determines that the value of COUNT is equal to or greater than the pre-configured number of times / values, the UE can determine whether to trigger or start the beam measurement reporting process.

[0156] If the UE determines that the value of COUNT is less than (or does not exceed) the pre-configured number of times / values, then the UE will not trigger or start the beam measurement reporting process.

[0157] In addition to the above operations, when the Timer_detection times out, or after the BMR containing the beam-related information is sent, the UE can also reset the COUNT value to an initial value, such as zero.

[0158] Preferably, the timer_detection is associated with the detected beam, or is managed based on the beam. For example, if the new beam detected by the UE is X, then timer_detection-1 associated with beam X is started. If the new beam detected by the UE is Y, even though imer_detection-1 is running, the UE still considers that imer_detection associated with beam Y is not running, and instead starts the associated timer_detection-2 for beam Y.

[0159] Similarly, the counter COUNT is also associated with the detected beam, or rather, managed based on the beam. It can be considered that for beam X and beam Y, there are corresponding or associated counters, for example, COUNT-1 is associated with beam X, and COUNT-2 is associated with beam Y. If the detected beam is beam X, only the change or reset of the value of counter COUNT-1 associated with beam X will be affected, but the change or reset of the value of counter COUNT-2 associated with beam Y will not be affected.

[0160] In the aforementioned scheme, the duration of T_time_window can be determined based on the period of the reference signal (e.g., SSB or CSI-RS) corresponding to beam X. For example, if the period of the reference signal corresponding to beam X is T_period, then the duration of T_time_window can be set to a multiple of T_period, such as T_time_window = N × T_period, preferably, N is an integer. Furthermore, when the pre-configured number of times / values ​​equals M, N is greater than or equal to M, or N is not less than M, or N is at least M. This ensures that M instances can be detected within the duration of T_time_window. Alternatively, the duration of T_time_window can be equal to N × T_period and a fixed value, such as the larger of 10ms or 20ms, i.e., T_time_window = max{20ms, N × T_period}. This takes into account the UE's evaluation capability, meaning the UE needs at least 20ms to perform one evaluation. When configuring the reference signal corresponding to the beam for the UE, the base station can configure the period of the reference signal, so that the UE can determine the value of T_period. As for the value of N, one way is that when the base station configures M for the UE, the UE can calculate N by the formula N = M + offset, where offset can be a default value, such as always equal to 1, or it can also be implemented through configuration; another possible implementation is to directly indicate the value of N in the configuration information.

[0161] In the aforementioned scheme, the runtime of the timer_window can be determined based on the period of the reference signal corresponding to beam X. Specifically, the aforementioned scheme for determining the duration of T_time_window can be adopted.

[0162] In the aforementioned scheme, the runtime of the timer_detection can be determined based on the period of the reference signal corresponding to beam X. For example, the indication interval between two instances can be defined as T_interval, where the duration of T_interval can be at least a multiple of T_period, for example, T_interval = P × T_period. Alternatively, the minimum duration of T_interval can be the maximum value between N × T_period and a fixed value (e.g., 10ms), for example, T_interval = max{10ms, P × T_period}. In practical applications, the duration of T_interval can be greater than or equal to the aforementioned minimum duration of T_interval. Therefore, the runtime of Timer_detection can be equal to a multiple of T_interval, for example, the runtime of Timer_detection can be equal to 1 times T_interval (1*T_interval), or 2 times T_interval (2*T_interval), and so on.

[0163] In the aforementioned scheme, T_time_window, Timer_window, and Timer_detection can be associated with a specific beam. Therefore, when calculating their durations based on the reference signal of the beam, the beam used is the specific beam to which they are associated. Consequently, the calculated durations will differ for beams with different reference signal periods.

[0164] Another feasible implementation is to use a common duration for T_time_window, Timer_window, and Timer_detection. That is, the duration of T_time_window, Timer_window, or Timer_detection is the same regardless of whether it corresponds to beam X or beam Y.

[0165] Such a common duration can be determined based on the beam with the largest reference signal period among all candidate beams to be measured in the serving cell configured for the UE. For example, if the candidate beams to be measured by the UE are beams X, Y, and Z, where beam Z has the largest reference signal period of 10ms, while the reference signal periods for beams X and Y are both 5ms, then the durations of T_time_window, Timer_window, and Timer_detection can be determined based on beam Z using the aforementioned method.

[0166] Alternatively, the period of the reference signal of the currently operating beam can be considered. That is, the duration is determined based on the beam with the largest corresponding reference signal period among all candidate beams to be measured in the serving cell configured for the UE and the currently operating beam. For example, if the candidate beams the UE needs to measure are beams X, Y, Z, and the UE's current operating beam W, where beam W has the largest reference signal period (10ms), while beams X, Y, and Z all have reference signal periods of 5ms, then the durations of T_time_window, Timer_window, and Timer_detection can be determined based on beam W using the aforementioned method. Similarly, if beam X has the largest reference signal period among beams X, Y, Z, and W, then the durations of T_time_window, Timer_window, and Timer_detection can be determined based on beam W using the aforementioned method.

[0167] Based on the aforementioned implementation scheme, when the UE can determine whether to trigger or initiate the beam measurement reporting process, one or more of the following operations are performed:

[0168] The UE's MAC entity or MAC layer can instruct the physical layer to send a scheduling request on a pre-configured resource, and then cancel the triggered scheduling request. Preferably, this pre-configured resource is a PUCCH resource. And preferably, the triggered scheduling request is canceled after the instruction to send the scheduling request is completed.

[0169] - The UE's physical layer can instruct an upper layer (e.g., the MAC layer above the physical layer) to trigger a scheduling request. If the physical layer only instructs the MAC layer to send a scheduling request upon determining that any triggering event has occurred, the MAC layer can determine, based on this instruction, that the reason for triggering the scheduling request is to perform a beam measurement report. Preferably, the physical layer can also indicate the reason for triggering the scheduling request at the same time as instructing the MAC layer to do so. If the reason is to perform a beam measurement report, the MAC layer can perform the aforementioned operation.

[0170] -Based on the configured BMR transmission mode, the UE can perform the following operations:

[0171] If it is determined that the UE is configured with mode A transmission, in this case, the UE's MAC entity or MAC layer can instruct the physical layer to send a scheduling request on a pre-configured resource, start the timer sr-ProhibitTimer, and update the value of the counter SR_COUNTER, for example, by incrementing the value of the counter SR_COUNTER by 1. Preferably, this pre-configured resource is a PUCCH resource; when the physical layer or MAC layer receives the DCI containing scheduling or indication of BMR transmission information as described in step A.2 of mode A, the triggered scheduling request is canceled, and preferably, the running timer sr-ProhibitTimer is stopped, and optionally, the value of the counter SR COUNTER is reset to its initial value, such as zero;

[0172] If it is determined that the UE is configured with mode B transmission, the UE can send a scheduling request on a pre-configured resource and then cancel the triggered scheduling request. Preferably, this pre-configured resource is a PUCCH resource. Furthermore, preferably, after instructing the UE to send the scheduling request, the UE does not need to start a timer or update the counter value, but directly cancels the triggered scheduling request.

[0173] [Variation Example]

[0174] Figure 5 This is a schematic block diagram illustrating the user equipment involved in the present invention.

[0175] like Figure 5 As shown, the user equipment 500 includes at least a processor 501 and a memory 502. The processor 501 may include, for example, a microprocessor, a microcontroller, an embedded processor, etc. The memory 502 may include, for example, volatile memory (such as random access memory, RAM), a hard disk drive (HDD), non-volatile memory (such as flash memory), or other memory systems. Program instructions are stored on the memory 502. When executed by the processor 501, these instructions can perform one or more steps of the processing method of the UE disclosed herein.

[0176] The program running on the device according to the invention can be a program that enables the computer to perform the functions of embodiments of the invention by controlling the central processing unit (CPU). The program or the information processed by the program can be temporarily stored in volatile memory (such as random access memory RAM), hard disk drive (HDD), non-volatile memory (such as flash memory), or other memory systems.

[0177] Programs used to implement the functions of the various embodiments of the present invention can be recorded on a computer-readable recording medium. The corresponding functions can be implemented by causing a computer system to read and execute the programs recorded on the recording medium. The term "computer system" here can refer to a computer system embedded in the device, and may include an operating system or hardware (such as peripheral devices). "Computer-readable recording medium" can be a semiconductor recording medium, an optical recording medium, a magnetic recording medium, a short-time dynamic storage program recording medium, or any other computer-readable recording medium.

[0178] Various features or functional modules of the devices used in the above embodiments can be implemented or executed by circuits (e.g., monolithic or multi-chip integrated circuits). Circuits designed to perform the functions described in this specification may include general-purpose processors, digital signal processors (DSPs), application-specific integrated circuits (ASICs), field-programmable gate arrays (FPGAs), or other programmable logic devices, discrete gate or transistor logic, discrete hardware components, or any combination of the above devices. A general-purpose processor may be a microprocessor, or any existing processor, controller, microcontroller, or state machine. The above circuits may be digital circuits or analog circuits. In cases where advancements in semiconductor technology have led to new integrated circuit technologies that replace existing integrated circuits, one or more embodiments of the present invention may also be implemented using these new integrated circuit technologies.

[0179] Furthermore, the present invention is not limited to the embodiments described above. Although various examples of the embodiments have been described, the present invention is not limited thereto. Fixed or non-mobile electronic devices installed indoors or outdoors can be used as UE devices or communication devices, such as AV devices, kitchen equipment, cleaning equipment, air conditioners, office equipment, vending machines, and other household appliances.

[0180] As described above, embodiments of the present invention have been described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. However, the specific structure is not limited to the above embodiments, and the present invention also includes any design modifications that do not depart from the spirit of the invention. Furthermore, various modifications can be made to the present invention within the scope of the claims, and embodiments obtained by appropriately combining the technical means disclosed in different embodiments are also included within the technical scope of the present invention. In addition, components with the same effects described in the above embodiments can be substituted for each other.

Claims

1. A method for triggering beam measurement reporting performed by a user equipment (UE), comprising: Detect trigger events for the Beam Measurement Report (BMR) and count the number of times the same trigger event occurs; as well as The BMR is triggered when the number of occurrences of the same triggering event within a given time period is not less than a threshold number.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein, When the number of occurrences of the same triggering event within a given time period is not less than a threshold, triggering the BMR includes any of the following: When the triggering event is detected, it is determined whether the number of occurrences of the same triggering event is not less than a number threshold within a first time window with the time point at which the triggering event is detected as the end time point. If the number of occurrences of the same triggering event is not less than the number threshold within the first time window, the BMR is triggered. When the triggering event is detected, it is determined whether the number of occurrences of the same triggering event within the second time window specified by the time window timer is not less than the number threshold. When the number of occurrences of the same triggering event within the second time window is not less than the number threshold, the BMR is triggered. The time window timer is started when the triggering event is detected for the first time and is reset when it is determined that the number of occurrences of the same triggering event is not less than the number threshold. The BMR is triggered when the number of occurrences of the same triggering event, which is detected continuously at time intervals shorter than a given time length, is not less than a threshold number.

3. The method according to claim 2, wherein, At least one of the following is set or executed individually for each candidate beam: First time window; The second time window and the time window timer; The given time length; The number threshold and the count of the number of times the same triggering event occurs.

4. The method according to claim 2, further comprising: When the triggering event is detected, if the interval between the time point when the triggering event is detected this time and the time point when the same triggering event was detected previously is less than the indicated interval, then the triggering event detected this time will not be counted.

5. The method according to claim 4, wherein, The given time length is an integer multiple of the indicated interval.

6. The method according to claim 4 or 5, wherein, The indication interval is set by any of the following methods: The indication interval is an integer multiple of the period of the reference signal for the corresponding candidate beam; The indication interval is the maximum value between an integer multiple of the period of the reference signal of the corresponding candidate beam and a first fixed value.

7. The method according to claim 2, wherein, The first time window and / or the second time window are set according to a reference period, which is the period of the reference signal corresponding to the corresponding beam.

8. The method according to claim 7, wherein, The reference period is determined by any of the following methods: When the first time window and / or the second time window are set for each candidate beam that is the object of measurement, the reference period is the period of the reference signal of the candidate beam corresponding to the first time window or the second time window; When the first time window and / or the second time window are set together for all candidate beams that are to be measured, the reference period is the maximum period among the periods of the reference signals of each of the candidate beams, or the maximum period among the periods of the reference signals of each of the candidate beams and the period of the reference signal of the currently operating beam.

9. The method according to claim 7 or 8, wherein, The first time window and / or the second time window are determined by one of the following methods: The first time window and / or the second time window are given integer multiples of the reference period; The first time window and / or the second time window is the maximum value among a given integer multiple of the reference period and a second fixed value; The first time window and / or the second time window is a given integer multiple of the reference period, where the given integer multiple is the sum of the number threshold and the offset value. Wherein, the value of the given integer multiple is not less than the number threshold.

10. A user equipment, comprising: processor; as well as Memory, which stores instructions The instructions, when executed by the processor, perform the method of any one of claims 1 to 9.

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