Wireless communication apparatus and method

Abstract

A wireless communication method of a user equipment (UE) includes receiving a configuration of one or more transmission control indication (TCI) states from a base station, and transmitting a first message to the base station, where the first message indicates at least one of the one or more TCI states for uplink / downlink communication with the base station.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This disclosure relates to the field of communication systems, and more specifically, to an apparatus and method for wireless communication. Background Technology

[0002] A drawback of current beam indication / update methods is that the base station can control beam switching and updates even when it cannot obtain high-precision beam quality information. This can present various challenges; for example, beam indication operations may result in significant signaling overhead and long latency. As another example, the system may switch to the wrong beam due to a lack of up-to-date beam quality information.

[0003] Therefore, devices and methods for wireless communication are needed. Summary of the Invention

[0004] The purpose of this disclosure is to provide a wireless communication apparatus and method that can solve these and other problems in the prior art, enable the system to switch to the optimal beam for downlink and / or uplink transmission with low latency and low signaling overhead, and / or improve system performance.

[0005] In a first aspect of this disclosure, a wireless communication method for user equipment (UE) is provided. The method includes: receiving configuration of one or more transmission control indication (TCI) states from a base station, and sending a first message to the base station. The first message indicates at least one of one or more TCI states for uplink / downlink communication with the base station.

[0006] In a second aspect of this disclosure, a UE is provided, comprising a receiver and a transmitter. The receiver is configured to receive one or more TCI states from a base station. The transmitter is configured to send a first message to the base station. The first message indicates at least one of one or more TCI states for uplink / downlink communication with the base station.

[0007] In a third aspect of this disclosure, a UE is provided, the UE including a memory, a transceiver, and a processor coupled to the memory and the transceiver. The UE is configured to perform the methods described above.

[0008] In a fourth aspect of this disclosure, a wireless communication method for a base station is provided. The method includes: sending a configuration of one or more TCI states to a UE, and receiving a first message from the UE. The first message indicates at least one of one or more TCI states based on one or more quality factors for uplink / downlink communication with the UE.

[0009] In a fifth aspect of this disclosure, a base station is provided, comprising a transmitter and a receiver. The transmitter is configured to transmit a configuration of one or more TCI states to a UE. The receiver is configured to receive a first message from the UE. The first message indicates at least one of one or more TCI states based on one or more quality factors for uplink / downlink communication with the UE.

[0010] In a sixth aspect of this disclosure, a base station is provided, comprising a memory, a transceiver, and a processor coupled to the memory and the transceiver. The base station is configured to provide the methods described above.

[0011] In a seventh aspect of this disclosure, a non-transitory machine-readable storage medium is provided. This non-transitory machine-readable storage medium stores instructions that, when executed by a computer, cause the computer to perform the methods described above.

[0012] In an eighth aspect of this disclosure, a chip is provided that includes a processor. The processor is used to invoke and execute a computer program stored in a memory, so that a device equipped with the chip performs the methods described above.

[0013] In a ninth aspect of this disclosure, a computer-readable storage medium is provided that stores a computer program that causes a computer to perform the methods described above.

[0014] In a tenth aspect of this disclosure, a computer program product is provided, comprising a computer program that causes a computer to perform the methods described above.

[0015] In the eleventh aspect of this disclosure, a computer program is provided that causes a computer to perform the above-described methods. Attached Figure Description

[0016] To more clearly illustrate the embodiments or related technologies of this disclosure, the accompanying drawings involved in the embodiments are briefly described below. Obviously, these drawings are merely some embodiments of this disclosure, and those skilled in the art can obtain other drawings based on these drawings without any creative effort.

[0017] Figure 1 This is a block diagram of one or more UEs and a base station communicating in a communication network system according to embodiments of the present disclosure.

[0018] Figure 2 This is a block diagram of a UE according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0019] Figure 3 This is a block diagram of a UE according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0020] Figure 4 This is a flowchart illustrating a wireless communication method performed by a UE according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0021] Figure 5 This is a block diagram of a base station according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0022] Figure 6 This is a block diagram of a base station according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0023] Figure 7 This is a flowchart illustrating a wireless communication method performed by a base station according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0024] Figure 8 The process of UE-driven TCI state switching according to some methods presented in some embodiments of this disclosure is illustrated.

[0025] Figure 9 This is a block diagram of an example computing device according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0026] Figure 10 This is a block diagram of a communication system according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. Detailed Implementation

[0027] The technical content, structural features, objectives, and effects of the embodiments of this disclosure will be described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings. Specifically, the terminology used in the embodiments of this disclosure is only used to describe the purpose of a particular embodiment and is not intended to limit this disclosure.

[0028] The technical solutions of this disclosure can be applied to various communication systems, such as: Global System for Mobile Communication (GSM), Code Division Multiple Access (CDMA) system, Wideband Code Division Multiple Access (WCDMA) system, General Packet Radio Service (GPRS), Long Term Evolution (LTE) system, LTE Frequency Division Duplex (FDD) system, LTE Time Division Duplex (TDD) system, Advanced Long Term Evolution (LTE-A) system, New Radio (NR) system, evolution of NR system, LTE-based access to unlicensed spectrum (LTE-U) system, NR-based access to unlicensed spectrum (NR-U) system, Universal Mobile Telecommunications System (UMTS), and Global Interoperability for Microwave. WiMAX communication systems, wireless local area networks (WLANs), wireless fidelity (Wi-Fi), future 5th generation (5G) wireless communication systems (also known as New Radio (NR) systems), or other communication systems.

[0029] Optionally, the base station mentioned in this application embodiment can provide communication coverage for a specific geographical area and can communicate with UEs located within that coverage area. Optionally, the base station can be a gNB, or a base transceiver station (BTS) in a GSM or CDMA system, or a Node B (NB) in a WCDMA system, or an evolved Node B (eNB or eNodeB) in an LTE system, or a radio controller in a cloud radio access network (CRAN).

[0030] UE can refer to an access terminal, user unit, user station, mobile station, remote station, remote terminal, mobile device, user terminal, terminal, wireless communication equipment, user agent, or user equipment. An access terminal can be a cellular wireless phone, cordless phone, session initiation protocol (SIP) phone, wireless local loop (WLL) station, personal digital assistant (PDA), handheld device with wireless communication capabilities, computing device, other processing devices coupled to a wireless modem, vehicle-mounted equipment, wearable device, terminal equipment in future 5G networks, or terminal equipment in future evolved public land mobile networks (PLMNs), etc.

[0031] Optionally, the communication system in this embodiment can be applied to unlicensed spectrum, which can also be considered as shared spectrum. Alternatively, the communication system in this embodiment can also be applied to licensed spectrum, which can also be considered as non-shared spectrum.

[0032] NR / 5G systems support Frequency Range 2 (FR2) operation. NR / 5G systems in FR2 are typically multi-beam systems, where base stations such as gNBs have multiple downlink transmit (Tx) beams available for downlink transmission, and UEs can have multiple receive (Rx) beams available for downlink transmission reception. For uplink transmission, the UE can have multiple Tx beams available for transmission, and the gNB has multiple uplink Rx beams available for uplink reception. To support proper communication, the gNB and UE can find the optimal beam pair of gNB Tx beams and UE Rx beams. In NR / 5G systems, beam measurement and reporting within the Channel State Information (CSI) framework are introduced to support the selection of optimal Tx and Rx beams. NR / 5G systems can also support beam indication functions for downlink reception and uplink transmission. The gNB can instruct the UE on the Tx beam information of the physical downlink control channel (PDCCH) and physical downlink shared channel (PDSCH) to assist the UE's downlink reception. The gNB can also instruct the UE on the Tx beam information of the physical uplink shared channel (PUSCH), physical uplink control channel (PUCCH), and sounding reference signal (SRS) to instruct the UE on how to transmit PUSCH, PUCCH, and SRS.

[0033] NR / 5G systems can implement beam indication functionality through Transmission Control Indication (TCI) status signaling. The UE can be initially provided with a joint TCI status list, or a downlink (DL) TCI status list and an uplink (UL) TCI status list. Each joint TCI status provides configuration information for quasi-co-location (QCL) type D (which provides spatial Rx parameters for downlink reception) and reference information for the UL Tx spatial filter for uplink transmission. Each joint TCI status can be associated with a set of uplink power control parameters, including the reference signal (P0), α, the closed-loop power control index, and the path loss reference signal (RS). Each DL TCI status provides configuration information for QCL type D for downlink reception. Each UL TCI status provides reference information for the UL Tx spatial filter for uplink transmission, and each UL TCI status can also be associated with a set of uplink power control parameters, including P0, α, the closed-loop index, and the path loss RS.

[0034] The gNB can indicate a joint TCI state or a pair of DL TCI and UL TCI states to the UE via downlink control information (DCI) signaling. When the UE receives the DCI signaling for the TCI state indication, the UE sends an acknowledgment (ACK) to the gNB. Then, one or more indicated TCI states can be applied starting from a first timeslot, which is at least beamAppTime symbols after the last symbol of the PUCCH or PUSCH carrying the ACK. The UE can derive the Rx beam for receiving PDCCH and PDSCH based on the QCL type D information in the indicated TCI state. The UE can derive the Tx beam for transmitting PUSCH, PUCCH, and / or SRS based on the UL Tx spatial filter information in the indicated TCI state. The UE can derive the uplink power control parameters and path loss RS based on the indicated TCI state, and then calculate the uplink transmit power for PUSCH, PUCCH, and / or SRS transmissions.

[0035] NR / 5G systems also support multi-component carrier (multi-CC) TCI state update functionality to reduce the latency and signaling overhead of TCI state indication. The gNB can indicate a joint TCI state or a pair of DL TCI and UL TCI states to the UE via DCI signaling. Furthermore, the indicated TCI state is applied to receiving PDCCH and PDSCH and / or transmitting PUSCH, PUCCH, and / or SRS in multiple CCs.

[0036] A drawback of current beam pointing / update methods is that the base station can control beam switching and updates even if it may not have accurate beam quality information. This can present various challenges; for example, beam pointing operations can result in significant signaling overhead and long latency. As another example, the system may switch to the wrong beam due to a lack of up-to-date beam quality information.

[0037] Figure 1 In some embodiments, one or more UEs 10 and a base station (e.g., a gNB or eNB) 20 communicating in a communication network system 30 (e.g., an NR system) according to embodiments of the present disclosure are illustrated. The communication network system 30 includes one or more UEs 10 and a base station 20. One or more UEs 10 may include a memory 12, a transceiver 13, and a processor 11 coupled to the memory 12 and the transceiver 13. The base station 20 may include a memory 22, a transceiver 23, and a processor 21 coupled to the memory 22 and the transceiver 23. The processor 11 or processor 21 may be configured to implement the functions, processes, and / or methods proposed herein. Various layers of the wireless interface protocol may be implemented in the processor 11 or processor 21. The memory 12 or memory 22 is operatively coupled to the processor 11 or processor 21 and stores various information to operate the processor 11 or processor 21. Transceiver 13 or transceiver 23 is operatively coupled to processor 11 or processor 21, and transceiver 13 or transceiver 23 transmits and / or receives radio signals.

[0038] Processor 11 or processor 21 may include application-specific integrated circuits (ASICs), other chipsets, logic circuits, and / or data processing devices. Memory 12 or memory 22 may include read-only memory (ROM), random access memory (RAM), flash memory, memory cards, storage media, and / or other storage devices. Transceiver 13 or transceiver 23 may include baseband circuitry for processing radio frequency signals. When embodiments are implemented in software, the techniques described herein can be implemented by modules (e.g., processes, functions, etc.) that perform the functions described herein. Modules may be stored in memory 12 or memory 22 and executed by processor 11 or processor 21. Memory 12 or memory 22 may be implemented internally to processor 11 or processor 21 or externally to processor 11 or processor 21; in the latter case, the memory may be communicatively coupled to processor 11 or processor 21 via various means known in the art.

[0039] In some embodiments, transceiver 13 is configured to: receive configurations of one or more TCI states from base station 20, and send a first message to base station 20, wherein the first message indicates at least one of one or more TCI states for uplink / downlink communication with base station 20. This addresses problems in the prior art and other issues, enabling the system to switch to optimal beamforming for downlink and / or uplink transmissions with low latency and low signaling overhead, and / or improving system performance.

[0040] In some embodiments, transceiver 23 is configured to: send configuration of one or more TCI states to UE 10, and receive a first message from UE 10, wherein the first message indicates at least one of one or more TCI states based on one or more quality factors for uplink / downlink communication with UE 10. This addresses problems in the prior art and other issues, enabling the system to switch to optimal beamforming for downlink and / or uplink transmissions with low latency and low signaling overhead, and / or improving system performance.

[0041] Figure 2An example of a UE 200 according to an embodiment of the present disclosure is shown. The UE 200 is configured to implement some embodiments of the present disclosure. Some embodiments of the present disclosure can be implemented in the UE 200 using any adapted hardware and / or software. The UE 200 includes a receiver 201 and a transmitter 202. The receiver 201 is configured to receive configurations of one or more TCI states from a base station, and the transmitter 202 is configured to send a first message to the base station, wherein the first message indicates at least one of one or more TCI states for uplink / downlink communication with the base station. This addresses problems in the prior art and other issues, enabling the system to switch to optimal beams for downlink and / or uplink transmissions with low latency and low signaling overhead, and / or improving system performance.

[0042] Figure 3 An example of a UE 300 according to an embodiment of the present disclosure is shown. The UE 300 is configured to implement some embodiments of the present disclosure. Some embodiments of the present disclosure can be implemented in the UE 300 using any adapted hardware and / or software. The UE 300 may include a memory 301, a transceiver 302, and a processor 303 coupled to the memory 301 and the transceiver 302. The processor 303 may be configured to implement the functions, processes, and / or methods described herein. Various layers of a wireless interface protocol may be implemented in the processor 303. The memory 301 is operatively coupled to the processor 303 and stores various information to operate the processor 303. The transceiver 302 is operatively coupled to the processor 303 and transmits and / or receives radio signals. The processor 303 may include an ASIC, other chipsets, logic circuitry, and / or data processing devices. The memory 301 may include ROM, RAM, flash memory, a memory card, a storage medium, and / or other storage devices. Transceiver 302 may include baseband circuitry for processing radio frequency signals. When embodiments are implemented in software, the techniques described herein can be implemented by modules (e.g., processes, functions, etc.) that perform the functions described herein. Modules may be stored in memory 301 and executed by processor 303. Memory 301 may be implemented internally to processor 303 or externally to processor 303; in the latter case, the memory may be communicatively coupled to processor 303 via various means known in the art.

[0043] In some embodiments, transceiver 302 is configured to receive configurations of one or more TCI states from a base station, and transceiver 302 is further configured to send a first message to the base station, wherein the first message indicates at least one of one or more TCI states for uplink / downlink communication with the base station. This addresses problems in the prior art and other issues, enabling the system to switch to optimal beamforming for downlink and / or uplink transmissions with low latency and low signaling overhead, and / or improving system performance.

[0044] Figure 4 This is an example of a wireless communication method 400 performed by a UE according to embodiments of the present disclosure. The wireless communication method 400 performed by the UE is configured to implement some embodiments of the present disclosure. Some embodiments of the present disclosure can be implemented in the wireless communication method 400 performed by the UE using any adapted hardware and / or software. In some embodiments, the wireless communication method 400 performed by the UE includes: operation 402, receiving configuration of one or more TCI states from a base station; and operation 404, sending a first message to the base station, wherein the first message indicates at least one of one or more TCI states for uplink / downlink communication with the base station. This can solve problems in the prior art and other issues, enabling the system to switch to optimal beams for downlink and / or uplink transmissions with low latency and low signaling overhead, and / or improving system performance.

[0045] In some embodiments, the method further includes: monitoring one or more quality factors associated with one or more TCI states; and identifying at least one TCI state among one or more TCI states for uplink / downlink communication with a base station based on the one or more quality factors. In some embodiments, the method further includes: receiving a second message from a base station, wherein the second message indicates acknowledgment of at least one TCI state among one or more TCI states for uplink / downlink communication with the base station. In some embodiments, the second message includes an acknowledgment message for a PUSCH carrying a first message, or the second message includes DCI signaling. In some embodiments, the method further includes: performing uplink / downlink communication with the base station based on at least one TCI state among one or more TCI states indicated in the first message. In some embodiments, the first message indicates a start time associated with at least one TCI state among one or more TCI states for uplink / downlink communication with the base station. In some embodiments, the first message includes a media access control (MAC) control element (CE) message or an uplink control information (UCI) message.

[0046] In some embodiments, the first message includes one or more of the following information fields: an identifier of the serving cell of the MACCE application; a downlink BWP identifier (ID) indicating the downlink bandwidth part (BWP) of the MACCE application; an uplink BWP ID indicating the uplink BWP of the MACCE application; a field indicating a TCI state ID, wherein the TCI state ID is used to identify the joint TCI state of the base station and the UE application; a field indicating a downlink TCI state ID, wherein the downlink TCI state ID is used to identify the downlink TCI state of the base station and the UE application; and a field indicating an uplink TCI state ID, wherein the uplink TCI state ID is used to identify the uplink TCI state. In some embodiments, the method further includes receiving configuration of one or more CCs from the base station. In some embodiments, the method further includes switching at least one of the one or more TCI states used for uplink / downlink communication with the base station for the one or more CCs.

[0047] Figure 5 An example of a base station 500 according to an embodiment of the present disclosure is shown. The base station 500 is configured to implement some embodiments of the present disclosure. Some embodiments of the present disclosure can be implemented in the base station 500 using any adapted hardware and / or software. The base station 500 includes a transmitter 501 and a receiver 502. The transmitter 501 is configured to send configurations of one or more TCI states to the UE, and the receiver 502 is configured to receive a first message from the UE, wherein the first message indicates at least one of one or more TCI states based on one or more quality factors for uplink / downlink communication with the UE. This addresses problems in the prior art and other issues, enabling the system to switch to optimal beams for downlink and / or uplink transmissions with low latency and low signaling overhead, and / or improving system performance.

[0048] Figure 6An example of a base station 600 according to an embodiment of the present disclosure is shown. The base station 600 is configured to implement some embodiments of the present disclosure. Some embodiments of the present disclosure can be implemented in the base station 600 using any adapted hardware and / or software. The base station 600 may include a memory 601, a transceiver 602, and a processor 603 coupled to the memory 601 and the transceiver 602. The processor 603 may be configured to implement the functions, processes, and / or methods described herein. Various layers of a wireless interface protocol may be implemented in the processor 603. The memory 601 is operatively coupled to the processor 603 and stores various information to operate the processor 603. The transceiver 602 is operatively coupled to the processor 603 and transmits and / or receives radio signals. The processor 603 may include an ASIC, other chipsets, logic circuitry, and / or data processing devices. The memory 601 may include ROM, RAM, flash memory, a memory card, a storage medium, and / or other storage devices. The transceiver 602 may include baseband circuitry for processing radio frequency signals. When the embodiments are implemented in software, the techniques described herein can be implemented by modules (e.g., processes, functions, etc.) that perform the functions described herein. Modules can be stored in memory 601 and executed by processor 603. Memory 601 can be implemented internally to processor 603 or externally to processor 603; in the latter case, the memory can be communicatively coupled to processor 603 via various means known in the art.

[0049] In some embodiments, transceiver 602 is configured to: send configuration of one or more TCI states to the UE, and receive a first message from the UE, wherein the first message indicates at least one of one or more TCI states based on one or more quality factors for uplink / downlink communication with the UE. This addresses problems in the prior art and other issues, enabling the system to switch to optimal beams for downlink and / or uplink transmissions with low latency and low signaling overhead, and / or improving system performance.

[0050] Figure 7This is an example of a wireless communication method 700 performed by a base station according to embodiments of the present disclosure. The wireless communication method 700 performed by the base station is configured to implement some embodiments of the present disclosure. Some embodiments of the present disclosure can be implemented in the wireless communication method 700 performed by the base station using any adapted hardware and / or software. In some embodiments, the wireless communication method 700 performed by the base station includes: operation 702, sending a configuration of one or more TCI states to the UE; and operation 704, receiving a first message from the UE, wherein the first message indicates at least one TCI state among one or more TCI states based on one or more quality factors for uplink / downlink communication with the UE. This can solve problems in the prior art and other issues, enabling the system to switch to optimal beams for downlink and / or uplink transmissions with low latency and low signaling overhead, and / or improving system performance.

[0051] In some embodiments, the method further includes: generating a second message, wherein the second message indicates an acknowledgment of at least one of one or more TCI states for uplink / downlink communication with the UE. In some embodiments, the second message includes an acknowledgment message for a PUSCH carrying the first message, or the second message includes DCI signaling. In some embodiments, the method further includes: performing uplink / downlink communication with the UE based on at least one of one or more TCI states indicated in the first message. In some embodiments, performing uplink / downlink communication with the UE based on at least one of one or more TCI states indicated in the first message includes: initiating uplink / downlink communication with the UE at a start time indicated in the first message based on at least one of one or more TCI states. In some embodiments, the first message indicates a start time associated with at least one of one or more TCI states for uplink / downlink communication with the UE. In some embodiments, the first message includes a MAC CE message or a UCI message.

[0052] In some embodiments, the first message includes one or more of the following information fields: an identifier of the serving cell of the MACCE application; a downlink BWP identifier (ID) indicating the downlink bandwidth part (BWP) of the MACCE application; an uplink BWP ID indicating the uplink BWP of the MACCE application; a field indicating a TCI state ID, wherein the TCI state ID is used to identify the joint TCI state of the base station and the UE application; a field indicating a downlink TCI state ID, wherein the downlink TCI state ID is used to identify the downlink TCI state of the base station and the UE application; and a field indicating an uplink TCI state ID, wherein the uplink TCI state ID is used to identify the uplink TCI state. In some embodiments, the method further includes sending configurations for one or more CCs to the UE. In some embodiments, the method further includes requesting the UE to switch at least one of one or more TCI states used for uplink / downlink communication with the UE for the one or more CCs.

[0053] Exemplary technical solutions In some embodiments, the UE may be requested to indicate to the base station the Tx beams for downlink transmission and the Tx beams for uplink transmission, and the base station / UE may switch the Tx beams to the Tx beams indicated by the UE starting at a certain time. The base station may configure one or more TCI states for the UE. The TCI states may provide the UE with a QCL type D configuration, which the UE can use to derive the Rx beams for downlink reception. The TCI states may provide configuration information that provides a reference for determining the UL Tx spatial filter for uplink transmission. The TCI states may be joint TCI states that provide a QCL type D configuration and a reference for determining the UL Tx spatial filter for uplink transmission. The TCI states may be DL TCI states that provide a QCL type D configuration to the UE. The TCI states may be UL TCI states that provide a reference for determining the UL Tx spatial filter for uplink transmission. The joint TCI states may be associated with a set of uplink power control parameters and path loss RS. The UL TCI states may be associated with a set of uplink power control parameters and path loss RS. The UE can be requested to monitor the quality of some downlink RS.

[0054] In some embodiments, when the UE finds that a certain Tx beam is good for downlink and / or uplink transmission (e.g., meets one or more criteria), the UE can indicate the information of that Tx beam to the base station. The UE can indicate a joint TCI state to the base station and indicate to the base station that downlink and uplink transmissions can be switched to the indicated joint TCI state. When the base station receives the indication message from the UE, the base station can send an acknowledgment message to the UE. Then, starting from a certain point in time, the base station and the UE apply the indicated joint TCI state to downlink and uplink transmissions. The UE can indicate a pair of DL TCI states and UL TCI states to the base station, and the UE can indicate to the base station that downlink and uplink transmissions can be switched to the indicated DL TCI state and UL TCI state. When the base station receives the indication message from the UE, the base station can send an acknowledgment message to the UE. Then, starting from a certain point in time, the base station and the UE apply the indicated DL TCI state to downlink transmissions and the indicated UL TCI state to uplink transmissions.

[0055] In one example, the base station can activate one or more joint TCI states. The UE can indicate one of these activated joint TCI states to the base station, indicating that the base station and the UE will switch to the indicated joint TCI state starting at a certain point in time. In one example, the base station can activate one or more pairs of DL TCI states and UL TCI states, and the UE can report a pair of activated DL TCI states and UL TCI states to the base station, indicating to the base station and the UE. In one example, the UE can report joint TCI states for multiple CCs. The UE reports a joint TCI state to the base station, indicating that the base station and the UE should apply the indicated joint TCI state on downlink and uplink transmissions in multiple CCs. A list of CCs can be provided to the UE via RRC configuration. The UE can be requested to execute a procedure to determine if the current TCI state is bad and to determine a good TCI state. In one example, the UE can monitor the quality of the RS corresponding to the current TCI state and a first TCI state. If the quality of the RS corresponding to the first TCI state is better than the quality of the RS corresponding to the current TCI state for a given duration, the UE can determine that the first TCI state is a good candidate for switching.

[0056] Figure 8 The process of UE-driven TCI state switching according to some methods presented in some embodiments of this disclosure is illustrated. Figure 8In some embodiments, the process may include: operation 802, where the base station provides the UE with a configuration of one or more TCI states; operation 804, where the UE reports a TCI state to the base station via a first message, wherein the UE may indicate to the base station that the base station and the UE may switch to the indicated TCI state for downlink and / or uplink transmissions from a certain point in time; operation 806, where the base station sends an acknowledgment message to the UE in response to the first message; and operation 808, where the UE receives the acknowledgment message from the base station, wherein the base station and the UE begin applying the indicated TCI state in downlink transmissions (e.g., PDCCH or PDSCH) and / or uplink transmissions (e.g., PUSCH or PUCCH) starting from a point in time. This addresses problems in the prior art and other issues, enabling the system to switch to optimal beams for downlink and / or uplink transmissions with low latency and low signaling overhead, and / or improving system performance.

[0057] In some embodiments, in the first method, the base station may provide the UE with a list including N joint TCI states. The UE may be requested to report an indicator of a first joint TCI state to the base station via a MAC CE message. This MAC CE may be referred to as a TCI state handover MAC CE. The MAC CE message may include one or more of the following information fields: the identifier of the serving cell for the MAC CE application, the DL BWP ID indicating the MAC CE application, the UL BWP ID indicating the MAC CE application, and a field indicating a TCI state ID, which can identify a joint TCI state applied by the base station and the UE.

[0058] In some embodiments, when a base station receives a MAC CE message, it may send an acknowledgment message for the MAC CE message to the UE. In one example, the acknowledgment message may be an acknowledgment message for a PUSCH carrying the MAC CE message. In another example, the acknowledgment message may be DCI signaling. The reported joint TCI state may be applied on the PDCCH, PDSCH, PUSCH, and / or PUCCH starting from a first timeslot, which is at least K symbols following the last symbol of the acknowledgment message. In another example, the base station may provide the UE with a list including N1 DL TCI states and a list including N2 ULTCI states. The UE may be requested to report indicators of the DL TCI state and ULTCI state to the base station via a MAC CE message. This MAC CE may be referred to as a TCI state switching MAC CE. The MAC CE message may include one or more of the following information fields: the identifier of the serving cell of the MAC CE application, the DLBWP ID indicating the DL BWP of the MAC CE application, the UL BWP ID indicating the UL BWP of the MAC CE application, a field indicating the DL TCI status ID (which can identify the DL TCI status of the base station and UE application), and a field indicating the UL TCI status ID (which can identify the UL TCI status).

[0059] In some embodiments, the reported DL TCI status can be applied on the PDCCH and PDSCH starting from a first time slot, which is at least K symbols following the last symbol of the acknowledgment message. The reported UL TCI status can also be applied on the PUSCH and PUCCH starting from a first time slot, which is at least K symbols following the last symbol of the acknowledgment message.

[0060] In one example, a UE can be configured with zero or one scheduling request (SR) configurations. PUCCH resources for SRs can be configured for TCI state transition reports. When a UE has a MAC CE to send for a TCI state transition, the UE can send the SR in the PUCCH resources configured for that event.

[0061] In some embodiments, in the second method, the base station may provide the UE with a list including N joint TCI states. The UE may be requested to report an indicator of a first joint TCI state to the base station via a UCI message. This UCI message may be sent in PUCCH resources. The reported joint TCI states may be applied on the PDCCH, PDSCH, PUSCH, and PUCCH starting from a first timeslot, which is at least K1 symbols after the last symbol of the PUCCH transmission. In another example, the base station may provide the UE with a list including N1 DL TCI states and a list including N2 UL TCI states. The UE may be requested to report indicators of the DL TCI states and UL TCI states to the base station via a UCI message, which may be sent in PUCCH transmission. The reported DL TCI status can be applied on the PDCCH and PDSCH starting from the first time slot, which is at least K1 symbols after the last symbol of the PUCCH transmission carrying the TCI status report UCI. The reported UL TCI status can also be applied on the PUSCH and PUCCH starting from the first time slot, which is at least K1 symbols after the last symbol of the PUCCH transmission carrying the TCI status report UCI.

[0062] In one example, a UE can report TCI status using a two-part UCI, comprising a first part and a second part of the UCI. The first part of the UCI can indicate the presence of the second part of the UCI in a PUCCH transmission. The second part of the UCI can report a combined TCI status or a pair of DL TCI and UL TCI statuses. For example, a UE can be configured with two PUCCH resources: a first PUCCH resource and a second PUCCH resource for reporting TCI status. In the first PUCCH resource, the UE reports the first part of the UCI for the TCI status report. If the first part of the UCI indicates the presence of the second part of the UCI, the UE can report a combined TCI status ID, or a DL TCI status ID and a UL TCI status ID, in the second part of the UCI.

[0063] In some embodiments, in the third method, the UE can be configured to report TCI states to switch TCI states for multiple CCs. A first list of CCs can be provided to the UE. The base station can provide the UE with a list including N joint TCI states. According to the first method, the UE can be requested to report an indicator of a first joint TCI state to the base station in a MAC CE message. The reported joint TCI states can be applied to the PDCCH, PDSCH, PUSCH, and PUCCH of all CCs included in the first list, starting from a first timeslot, which is at least K symbols after the last symbol of the acknowledgment message of the MAC CE message. In another example, the base station can provide the UE with a list including N1 DL TCI states and a list including N2 UL TCI states. The UE can be requested to report indicators of the DL TCI states and UL TCI states to the base station via a MAC CE message. The reported DL TCI status can be applied to the PDCCH and PDSCH of all CCs included in the first list, starting from the first time slot, which is at least K symbols after the last symbol of the MAC CE message acknowledgment message. The reported UL TCI status can also be applied to the PUSCH and PUCCH of all CCs included in the first list, starting from the first time slot, which is at least K symbols after the last symbol of the MAC CE message acknowledgment message.

[0064] In another example, the base station can provide the UE with a list including N joint TCI states. According to the second method, the UE can be requested to report an indicator of a first joint TCI state to the base station in a UCI message. The reported joint TCI states can be applied to the PDCCH, PDSCH, PUSCH, and PUCCH of all CCs included in the first list, starting from a first timeslot at least K symbols after the last symbol of the UCI message. In another example, the base station can provide the UE with a list including N1 DL TCI states and a list including N2 UL TCI states. The UE can be requested to report indicators of the DL TCI states and UL TCI states to the base station via a UCI message. The reported DL TCI status can be applied to the PDCCH and PDSCH of all CCs included in the first list, starting from the first time slot, which is at least K symbols after the last symbol of the UCI message. The reported UL TCI status can also be applied to the PUSCH and PUCCH of all CCs included in the first list, starting from the first time slot, which is at least K symbols after the last symbol of the UCI message.

[0065] In summary, some embodiments of this disclosure can provide a solution for user-driven TCI updates and handover. A list of TCI states can be provided to the UE. When a certain condition is met, the UE can indicate a TCI state to the gNB (e.g., a MAC CE sent via PUCCH). If the gNB sends an ACK for the report, the TCI state can be applied to downlink reception and / or uplink transmission at a certain point in time. The UE can report a TCI state that applies to downlink reception and / or uplink transmission in multiple CCs. In some embodiments, the proposed method can support the system to switch to the optimal beam for downlink and uplink transmission with low latency and low signaling overhead, thus improving the performance of the NR system.

[0066] Some embodiments offer the following commercial benefits: 1. Solve problems and other issues in the prior art. 2. Support the system in switching to the optimal beam for downlink and / or uplink transmission with low latency and low signaling overhead. 3. Improve system performance. 4. Provide good communication performance. 5. Provide high reliability. Some embodiments of this disclosure can be used in many applications. Some embodiments of this disclosure can be used by chipset suppliers, video system development suppliers, automotive manufacturers (including cars, trains, trucks, buses, bicycles, motorcycles, helmets, etc., drones (unmanned aerial vehicles)), smartphone manufacturers, communication equipment for public safety, and augmented reality (AR) / virtual reality (VR) / mixed reality (MR) device manufacturers for purposes such as gaming, conferences / seminars, and education. Some embodiments of this disclosure are combinations of "technologies / processes" that can be adopted in video standards to create the final product. Some embodiments of this disclosure propose technical mechanisms. At least one scheme, method, system, and apparatus proposed in some embodiments of this disclosure can be used in current and / or new / future standards concerning communication systems (e.g., UEs, base stations, and / or communication systems). Compatible products will follow at least one scheme, method, system, and apparatus proposed in some embodiments of this disclosure. The proposed schemes, methods, systems, and apparatus are widely used in UEs, base stations, and / or communication systems. By implementing at least one scheme, method, system, and apparatus proposed in some embodiments of this disclosure, at least one modification to the wireless communication methods and apparatus can be considered for standardization.

[0067] Figure 9 An example of a computing device 1100 according to an embodiment of the present disclosure is shown. Any suitable computing device can be used to perform the operations described herein. For example, Figure 9 An example of a computing device 1100 is depicted, which can be implemented using any suitable hardware and / or software. Figures 1 to 8 Some embodiments are described below. In some embodiments, computing device 1100 may include processor 1112, which is communicatively coupled to memory 1114 and executes computer-executable program code stored in memory 1114 and / or access information stored in memory. Processor 1112 may include a microprocessor, ASIC, state machine, or other processing device. Processor 1112 may include any of a plurality of processing devices, and may include a single processing device. Such a processor may include a computer-readable medium storing instructions or be able to communicate with a computer-readable medium storing instructions that, when executed by processor 1112, cause the processor to perform the operations described herein.

[0068] Memory 1114 may include any suitable non-transitory computer-readable medium. Computer-readable medium may include any electronic, optical, magnetic, or other storage device capable of providing computer-readable instructions or other program code to a processor. Non-limiting examples of computer-readable media include disks, memory chips, ROM, RAM, ASICs, configured processors, optical storage, magnetic tape or other magnetic storage, or any other medium from which a computer processor may read instructions. Instructions may include processor-specific instructions generated by a compiler and / or interpreter from code written in any suitable computer programming language, including, for example, C, C++, C#, Visual Basic, Java, Python, Perl, JavaScript, and ActionScript.

[0069] The computing device 1100 may also include a bus 1116. The bus 1116 may be communicatively coupled to one or more components of the computing device 1100. The computing device 1100 may also include multiple external or internal devices, such as input or output devices. For example, a computing device 1100 is shown with an input / output (I / O) interface 1118 that can receive input from one or more input devices 1120 or provide output to one or more output devices 1122. One or more input devices 1120 and one or more output devices 1122 may be communicatively coupled to the I / O interface 1118. The communicative coupling can be implemented in any suitable manner (e.g., via a printed circuit board connection, via a cable connection, via wireless communication, etc.). Non-limiting examples of input devices 1120 include touchscreens (e.g., one or more cameras for imaging a touch area or one or more pressure sensors for detecting pressure changes caused by a touch), mice, keyboards, or any other device that can be used to generate input events in response to physical actions of a user of the computing device. Non-limiting examples of output device 1122 include a liquid crystal display (LCD) screen, an external monitor, a speaker, or any other device that can be used to display or otherwise present the output generated by the computing device.

[0070] The computing device 1100 can execute program code that configures the processor 1112 to execute the above-mentioned reference. Figures 1 to 8 The embodiments describe one or more operations. The program code may reside in memory 1114 or any suitable computer-readable medium and may be executed by processor 1112 or any other suitable processor.

[0071] The computing device 1100 may also include at least one network interface device 1124. The network interface device 1124 may include any device or group of devices adapted to establish wired or wireless data connections to one or more data networks 1128. Non-limiting examples of the network interface device 1124 include Ethernet network adapters, modems, etc. The computing device 1100 may transmit messages as electronic or optical signals via the network interface device 1124.

[0072] Figure 10 This is a block diagram of an example communication system 1200 according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. The embodiments described herein can be implemented in the communication system 1200 using any adapted hardware and / or software. Figure 10The communication system 1200 is shown, including at least radio frequency (RF) circuit 1210, baseband circuit 1220, application circuit 1230, memory / storage device 1240, display 1250, camera 1260, sensor 1270 and I / O interface 1280, which are coupled to each other as shown.

[0073] Application circuitry 1230 may include circuitry such as, but not limited to, one or more single-core or multi-core processors. The processor may include any combination of general-purpose processors and special-purpose processors (e.g., graphics processors, application processors). The processor may be coupled to a memory / storage device and configured to execute instructions stored in the memory / storage device to enable various applications and / or operating systems to run on the system. Communication system 1200 may execute program code that configures application circuitry 1230 to perform the above-described... Figures 1 to 8 Some embodiments describe one or more operations. The program code may reside in application circuit 1230 or any suitable computer-readable medium and may be executed by application circuit 1230 or any other suitable processor.

[0074] The baseband circuit 1220 may include circuitry such as, but not limited to, one or more single-core or multi-core processors. The processor may include a baseband processor. The baseband circuitry can handle various wireless control functions that enable communication with one or more wireless networks via RF circuitry. Wireless control functions may include, but are not limited to, signal modulation, encoding, decoding, and radio frequency shifting. In some embodiments, the baseband circuitry can provide communication compatible with one or more wireless technologies. For example, in some embodiments, the baseband circuitry may support communication with an evolved universal terrestrial radio access network (EUTRAN) and / or other wireless metropolitan area networks (WMAN), WLANs, and wireless personal area networks (WPANs). Embodiments in which the baseband circuitry is configured to support wireless communication with more than one wireless protocol may be referred to as multi-mode baseband circuitry.

[0075] In various embodiments, baseband circuit 1220 may include circuitry that operates using signals not strictly considered to be at baseband frequencies. For example, in some embodiments, the baseband circuitry may include circuitry that operates using an intermediate frequency (IF) signal located between the baseband frequency and a radio frequency. RF circuit 1210 may use modulated electromagnetic radiation through a non-solid-state medium to achieve communication with a wireless network. In various embodiments, RF circuitry may include switches, filters, amplifiers, etc., to facilitate communication with a wireless network. In various embodiments, RF circuitry 1210 may include circuitry that operates using signals not strictly considered to be at radio frequencies. For example, in some embodiments, RF circuitry may include circuitry that operates using an intermediate frequency (IF) signal located between the baseband frequency and a radio frequency.

[0076] In various embodiments, the above references Figures 1 to 8 The transmitting, control, or receiving circuits discussed in some embodiments may be wholly or partially embodied in one or more circuits within RF circuitry, baseband circuitry, and / or application circuitry. As used herein, “circuit” may refer to, or be a part thereof, or include: an ASIC, electronic circuitry, processor (shared processor, dedicated processor, or processor group) and / or memory (shared memory, dedicated memory, or memory group), combinational logic circuitry, and / or other suitable hardware components that provide the described functionality, executing one or more software or firmware programs. In some embodiments, electronic device circuitry may be implemented in one or more software or firmware modules, or the functionality associated with the circuitry may be implemented by one or more software or firmware modules. In some embodiments, some or all of the components of the baseband circuitry, application circuitry, and / or memory / storage device may be implemented together on a system-on-a-chip (SOC). Memory / storage device 1240 may be used to load and store, for example, data and / or instructions for the system. Memory / storage device for one embodiment may include any combination of suitable volatile memory (e.g., dynamic random access memory (DRAM)) and / or non-volatile memory such as flash memory.

[0077] In various embodiments, I / O interface 1280 may include one or more user interfaces designed to enable a user to interact with the system and / or peripheral component interfaces designed to enable peripheral components to interact with the system. User interfaces may include, but are not limited to, a physical keyboard or keypad, touchpad, speaker, microphone, etc. Peripheral component interfaces may include, but are not limited to, non-volatile memory ports, universal serial bus (USB) ports, audio jacks, and power interfaces. In various embodiments, sensor 1270 may include one or more sensing devices to determine environmental conditions and / or location information related to the system. In some embodiments, sensors may include, but are not limited to, gyroscope sensors, accelerometers, proximity sensors, ambient light sensors, and positioning units. Positioning units may also be part of or interact with baseband and / or RF circuitry to communicate with components of a positioning network (e.g., global positioning system (GPS) satellites).

[0078] In various embodiments, display 1250 may include displays such as liquid crystal displays and touchscreen displays. In various embodiments, communication system 1200 may be a mobile computing device, such as, but not limited to, laptops, tablets, netbooks, ultrabooks, smartphones, AR / VR glasses, etc. In various embodiments, the system may have more or fewer components and / or different architectures. Where appropriate, the methods described herein may be implemented as computer programs. Computer programs may be stored on storage media such as non-transitory storage media.

[0079] Those skilled in the art will understand that each unit, algorithm, and step described and disclosed in the embodiments of this disclosure can be implemented using electronic hardware or a combination of computer software and electronic hardware. Whether a function operates in hardware or software depends on the application conditions and design requirements of the technical solution. Those skilled in the art can implement the above functions in different ways for each specific application, and such implementation should not be considered beyond the scope of this disclosure. Those skilled in the art will understand that since the working processes of the above systems, devices, and units are substantially the same, they can refer to the working processes of the systems, devices, and units in the above embodiments. For ease of description and brevity, these working processes will not be described in detail again.

[0080] It should be understood that the systems, devices, and methods disclosed in the embodiments of this disclosure can be implemented in other ways. The above embodiments are merely exemplary. The division of units is based solely on logical function, and other division methods may be used in implementation. Multiple units or components may be combined or integrated into another system. Some features may also be omitted or skipped. On the other hand, the coupling, direct coupling, or communication coupling shown or discussed between each other can be indirect coupling or communication connection through some ports, devices, or units, and can be electrical, mechanical, or other forms.

[0081] The units described as separate components may or may not be physically separate. The units used for display may or may not be physical units; that is, these units may be located in one place or distributed across multiple network units. Some or all of these units may be used depending on the purpose of the embodiment. Furthermore, the various functional units in the various embodiments may be integrated into one processing unit, or each unit may exist physically separately, or two or more units may be integrated into one processing unit.

[0082] If the functions described herein are implemented as software functional units and used and sold as products, they can be stored in a readable storage medium within a computer. Based on this understanding, the technical solutions proposed in this disclosure, or a portion thereof, can be implemented in the form of a software product. Alternatively, the parts of the technical solution that contribute to conventional technology can be implemented in the form of a software product. Software products in a computer can be stored in a storage medium and include several instructions to cause a computing device (such as a personal computer, server, or network device) to execute all or part of the steps disclosed in the embodiments of this disclosure. Storage media include USB flash drives, portable hard drives, ROM, RAM, floppy disks, or other types of media capable of storing program code.

[0083] While this disclosure has been described in conjunction with what are considered to be the most practical and preferred embodiments, it should be understood that this disclosure is not limited to the disclosed embodiments, but is intended to cover various arrangements made without departing from the broadest interpretation of the appended claims.

Claims

1. A wireless communication method for a user equipment (UE), comprising: Receive configurations for one or more Transmission Control Indicators (TCIs) from the base station; as well as Send a first message to the base station, wherein the first message indicates at least one of the one or more TCI states for uplink / downlink communication with the base station.

2. The method according to claim 1, further comprising: Monitor one or more quality factors associated with the one or more TCI states; as well as Based on the one or more quality factors, at least one TCI state from the one or more TCI states used for uplink / downlink communication with the base station is identified.

3. The method according to claim 1, further comprising: A second message is received from the base station, wherein the second message indicates confirmation of at least one of the one or more TCI states used for uplink / downlink communication with the base station.

4. The method according to claim 3, wherein, The second message may include an acknowledgment message for the Physical Uplink Shared Channel (PUSCH) carrying the first message, or the second message may include Downlink Control Information (DCI) signaling.

5. The method according to claim 1, further comprising: Uplink / downlink communication is performed with the base station based on at least one of the one or more TCI states indicated in the first message.

6. The method according to claim 1, wherein, The first message indicates the start time associated with at least one of the one or more TCI states used for uplink / downlink communication with the base station.

7. The method according to claim 1, wherein, The first message includes a Media Access Control (MAC) Control Unit (CE) message or an Uplink Control Information (UCI) message.

8. The method according to claim 1, wherein, The first message includes one or more of the following information fields: The identifier of the serving cell for MAC CE applications; Downlink BWP identifier ID used to indicate the downlink bandwidth portion (BWP) of the MAC CE application; Uplink BWP ID used to indicate the uplink BWP of the MAC CE application; A field used to indicate the TCI status ID, wherein the TCI status ID is used to identify the joint TCI status of the base station and the UE application; A field used to indicate the downlink TCI status ID, wherein the downlink TCI status ID is used to identify the downlink TCI status of the base station and the UE application; and A field used to indicate the uplink TCI status ID, wherein the uplink TCI status ID is used to identify the uplink TCI status.

9. The method of claim 1, further comprising configuring the reception of one or more component carriers (CCs) from the base station.

10. The method according to claim 9, further comprising: For the one or more CCs, switch at least one of the one or more TCI states used for uplink / downlink communication with the base station.

11. A wireless communication method for a base station, comprising: Send one or more Transmission Control Indicator (TCI) status configurations to the User Equipment (UE); as well as The UE receives a first message, wherein the first message indicates at least one of the one or more TCI states based on one or more quality factors for uplink / downlink communication with the UE.

12. The method according to claim 11, further comprising: A second message is generated, wherein the second message indicates confirmation of at least one of the one or more TCI states used for uplink / downlink communication with the UE.

13. The method according to claim 12, wherein, The second message may include an acknowledgment message for the Physical Uplink Shared Channel (PUSCH) carrying the first message, or the second message may include Downlink Control Information (DCI) signaling.

14. The method according to claim 11, further comprising: Uplink / downlink communication is performed with the UE based on at least one of the one or more TCI states indicated in the first message.

15. The method according to claim 14, wherein, Based on at least one of the one or more TCI states indicated in the first message, uplink / downlink communication with the UE includes: Based on at least one of the one or more TCI states, uplink / downlink communication with the UE is initiated at the start time indicated in the first message.

16. The method according to claim 11, wherein, The first message indicates the start time associated with at least one of the one or more TCI states used for uplink / downlink communication with the UE.

17. The method according to claim 11, wherein, The first message includes a Media Access Control (MAC) Control Unit (CE) message or an Uplink Control Information (UCI) message.

18. The method according to claim 11, wherein, The first message includes one or more of the following information fields: The identifier of the serving cell for MAC CE applications; Downlink BWP identifier ID used to indicate the downlink bandwidth portion (BWP) of the MAC CE application; Uplink BWP ID used to indicate the uplink BWP of the MAC CE application; A field used to indicate the TCI status ID, wherein the TCI status ID is used to identify the joint TCI status of the base station and the UE application; A field used to indicate the downlink TCI status ID, wherein the downlink TCI status ID is used to identify the downlink TCI status of the base station and the UE application; and A field used to indicate the uplink TCI status ID, wherein the uplink TCI status ID is used to identify the uplink TCI status.

19. The method of claim 11, further comprising sending a configuration of one or more component carriers (CCs) to the UE.

20. The method according to claim 19, further comprising: The UE is requested to switch at least one of the one or more TCI states used for uplink / downlink communication with the UE for the one or more CCs.

21. A user equipment (UE), comprising: The receiver is configured to receive one or more Transmission Control Indicator (TCI) states from the base station; as well as The transmitter is configured to send a first message to the base station, wherein the first message indicates at least one of the one or more TCI states for uplink / downlink communication with the base station.

22. A base station, comprising: The transmitter is configured to send one or more Transmission Control Indicator (TCI) states to the User Equipment (UE). as well as A receiver is configured to receive a first message from the UE, wherein the first message indicates at least one of one or more TCI states based on one or more quality factors for uplink / downlink communication with the UE.

23. A user equipment (UE), comprising: Memory; transceiver; as well as A processor, the processor being coupled to the memory and the transceiver; The UE is configured to perform the method according to any one of claims 1 to 10.

24. A base station, comprising: Memory; transceiver; as well as A processor, the processor being coupled to the memory and the transceiver; The base station is configured to perform the method according to any one of claims 11 to 20.

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