Ue feedback of downlink frequency difference between TRP

Abstract

Systems and methods for user equipment (UE) feedback regarding downlink frequency differences between transmission and reception points (TRPs) are disclosed. In one embodiment, a method performed by a UE for providing feedback to a network node on a frequency difference between each of a plurality of TRP and a reference TRP includes receiving a configuration of a channel state information (CSI) report for frequency difference feedback, determining a frequency difference between each of the plurality of TRP and the reference TRP, and determining a quantized frequency difference value indicating the determined frequency difference between each of the plurality of TRPs and the reference TRP according to one or more parameters related to the quantization of the determined frequency difference. The method further includes transmitting, to the network node, the quantized frequency difference for each of the plurality of TRPs.

Description

Related applications

[0001] This application claims the benefit of provisional patent application serial number 63 / 516,159, filed on July 28, 2023, the disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety. Technical Field

[0002] This disclosure relates to multiple transmit and receive point (TRP) operation in cellular communication networks, and more specifically, to compensating for frequency differences between TRPs (e.g., TRPs used for coherent joint transmission (CJT)). Background Technology NR frame structure

[0003] The 3GPP New Radio (NR) uses Orthogonal Frequency Division Multiplexing (OFDM) in the downlink (i.e., from the network node, next-generation node B (gNB), or base station to the user equipment (UE)). In the uplink (i.e., from the UE to the gNB), both OFDM and Discrete Fourier Transform (DFT) Extended OFDM (DFT-S-OFDM) (also known as Single-Carrier Frequency Division Multiple Access (SC-FDMA) in LTE) will be supported. Therefore, basic NR physical resources can be viewed as follows: Figure 1 The time-frequency grid shown illustrates a resource block (RB) in a 14-symbol slot. Each resource block corresponds to twelve (12) consecutive subcarriers in the frequency domain. Resource blocks are numbered in the frequency domain, starting at 0 from one end of the system bandwidth. During one OFDM symbol interval, each resource element corresponds to one OFDM subcarrier.

[0004] Different subcarrier spacing values ​​are supported in NR. The supported subcarrier spacing values ​​(also referred to as different parameter sets) are determined by... The kilohertz (kHz) is given, where It is a non-negative integer and can be one of {0, 1, 2, 3, 4}. (For example, ) is the basic (or reference) subcarrier spacing also used in LTE. Also known as the parameter set.

[0005] In the time domain, downlink and uplink transmissions in NR are organized into subframes of equal size, each lasting 1 millisecond (ms), similar to LTE. Subframes are further divided into multiple time slots of equal duration. The time slot length depends on the subcarrier spacing or parameter set and is determined by... The value is given in milliseconds. For a normal cyclic prefix (CP), each slot includes 14 OFDM symbols.

[0006] It will be understood that data scheduling in NR can be based on time slots. Figure 2An example of a 14-symbol time slot is shown, where the first two symbols contain the control channel (i.e., the Physical Downlink Control Channel (PDCCH)) and the remaining symbols contain the data channel (i.e., the Physical Downlink Shared Channel (PDSCH)). For convenience, all of these will be referred to as subframes in the following description.

[0007] Downlink transmissions can be dynamically scheduled; that is, in each time slot, the gNB sends downlink control information (DCI) about which UE the data will be sent to and on which resource blocks within the current downlink time slot. This control signaling is typically sent in the first one or two OFDM symbols of each time slot in the NR. The control information is carried on the PDCCH, and the data is carried on the PDSCH. The UE first detects and decodes the PDCCH, and if the PDCCH is successfully decoded, the UE then decodes the corresponding PDSCH based on the decoded control information in the PDCCH.

[0008] The PDCCH can also be used to dynamically schedule uplink data transmission. Similar to the downlink, the UE first decodes the uplink grant in the PDCCH, and then transmits data on the Physical Uplink Shared Channel (PUSCH) based on the decoded control information (such as modulation order, coding rate, uplink resource allocation, etc.) in the uplink grant. Coherent joint PDSCH transmission from multiple TRPs

[0009] In NR Release 18, coherent joint PDSCH transmission from up to four Transport and Receive Points (TRPs) was introduced, where each data layer of the PDSCH is transmitted from multiple TRPs. Figure 3 An example is shown where PDSCH data The r layers are jointly transmitted from the two TRPs after being precoded by the precoding matrix (W1 at TRP1 and W2 at TRP2). The precoding aims to achieve coherent signal combination at the UE for each data layer. CSI framework in NR

[0010] In NR, a UE can be configured with multiple Channel State Information (CSI) reporting configurations and multiple CSI resource configurations. For each CSI reporting configuration, the UE will submit a CSI report when requested.

[0011] Each CSI report configuration should include at least the following information: CSI resources for channel measurements Temporal behavior, i.e., periodic, semi-persistent, or aperiodic reporting. The CSI parameters to be reported include the rank indicator (RI), precoding matrix indicator (PMI), and channel quality indicator (CQI). Summary of the Invention

[0012] A system and method for user equipment (UE) feedback regarding downlink frequency differences between transport and receive points (TRPs) are disclosed. In one embodiment, a method performed by the UE to provide feedback to a network node regarding the frequency difference between each of a plurality of TRPs and a reference TRP includes: receiving a configuration for a channel state information (CSI) report for frequency difference feedback; determining the frequency difference between each of the plurality of TRPs and the reference TRP; and determining a quantized frequency difference value indicative of the determined frequency difference between each of the plurality of TRPs and the reference TRP based on one or more parameters related to the quantization of the determined frequency difference, wherein the values ​​of the one or more parameters related to the quantization of the determined frequency difference are configured by the network node. The method further includes: transmitting the quantized frequency difference value for each of the plurality of TRPs to the network node. Using the one or more parameters, the feedback overhead can be optimized based on the deployment scenario.

[0013] In one embodiment, the value of one or more parameters relating to the quantization of the determined frequency difference that provides the quantized frequency difference is a function of any one or more of the following: the carrier frequency on which the plurality of TRPs operate, the CSI reporting period, the base station type, and the maximum frequency error of the plurality of TRPs.

[0014] In one embodiment, the one or more parameters related to the quantization of the determined frequency difference that provide the quantization frequency difference value include any one or more of the following: the frequency step size for quantization of the determined frequency difference, the frequency range for quantization of the determined frequency difference, the number of bits N for quantization of the determined frequency difference, and the maximum frequency quantization error.

[0015] In one embodiment, the one or more parameters related to the quantization of the determined frequency difference that provide the quantized frequency difference value include a frequency step size for the quantization of the determined frequency difference. In one embodiment, the frequency step size for the quantization of the determined frequency difference is a function of the Coherent Joint Transmission (CJT) Channel State Information (CSI) reporting period. In one embodiment, the frequency step size for the quantization of the determined frequency difference is configured to the UE from the network node.

[0016] In one embodiment, the one or more parameters relating to the quantization of the determined frequency difference that provide the quantization frequency difference value further include the number of bits N for quantization of the determined frequency difference.

[0017] In one embodiment, the quantization is uniform quantization in which quantization levels are evenly spaced within the frequency range of quantization used for the determined frequency difference.

[0018] In one embodiment, the number of bits N used for quantizing the determined frequency difference is configured to the UE from the network node.

[0019] In one embodiment, the frequency range used for quantizing the determined frequency difference is configured to the UE from the network node.

[0020] In one embodiment, the frequency range and the number of bits N used for quantizing the determined frequency difference are configured to the UE from the network node.

[0021] In one embodiment, the one or more parameters relating to the quantization of the determined frequency difference that provide the quantization frequency difference also include the maximum frequency quantization error.

[0022] In one embodiment, the one or more parameters relating to the quantization of the determined frequency difference that provide the quantization frequency difference include the number of bits N for quantizing the determined frequency difference and the maximum frequency quantization error.

[0023] In one embodiment, the one or more parameters relating to the quantization of the determined frequency difference that provide the quantization frequency difference include the frequency step size for quantization of the determined frequency difference and the frequency range of a series of values ​​for quantization of the determined frequency difference.

[0024] In one embodiment, the value of at least one of the one or more parameters that provide the quantization frequency difference related to the quantization of the determined frequency difference is predefined.

[0025] In one embodiment, the values ​​of one or more parameters that provide the quantization frequency difference and are related to the quantization of the determined frequency difference are predefined.

[0026] In one embodiment, the method further includes receiving from the network node information that explicitly or implicitly indicates the value of at least one of the one or more parameters related to the quantization of the determined frequency difference, providing the quantization frequency difference.

[0027] In one embodiment, the method further includes receiving from the network node information that explicitly or implicitly indicates the values ​​of one or more parameters related to the quantization of the determined frequency difference. In one embodiment, the one or more parameters related to the quantization of the determined frequency difference that provide the quantization frequency difference include two or more parameters configured respectively via the information received from the network node. In one embodiment, the one or more parameters related to the quantization of the determined frequency difference that provide the quantization frequency difference include two or more parameters jointly configured via the information received from the network node.

[0028] In one embodiment, the CSI report configuration received from the network node further includes information on a plurality of reference signals, wherein each of the plurality of reference signals is transmitted from a reference TRP or from one of the plurality of TRPs. In one embodiment, determining the frequency difference between each of the plurality of TRPs and the reference TRP includes measuring the frequency difference based on the corresponding reference signal. In one embodiment, sending the quantized frequency difference value to the network node is based on the CSI report configuration.

[0029] In one embodiment, the information received from the network node includes serving cell configuration.

[0030] In one embodiment, one or more of the plurality of TRPs and the reference TRP are TRPs used for coherent joint transmission to the UE.

[0031] A corresponding embodiment of the UE is also disclosed. In one embodiment, a UE for providing feedback to a network node regarding the frequency difference between each of a plurality of TRPs and a reference TRP is adapted to: receive a Channel State Information (CSI) report for frequency difference feedback; determine the frequency difference between each of the plurality of TRPs and the reference TRP; and determine a quantized frequency difference value indicating the determined frequency difference between each of the plurality of TRPs and the reference TRP based on one or more parameters related to the quantization of the determined frequency difference, wherein the values ​​of the one or more parameters related to the quantization of the determined frequency difference value are configured by the network node. The UE is further adapted to: send the quantized frequency difference value for each of the plurality of TRPs to the network node.

[0032] An embodiment of a method performed by a network node is also disclosed. In one embodiment, a method performed by a network node for compensating for frequency differences between a plurality of TRPs and a reference TRP based on feedback from a UE includes: sending a configuration for a CSI report for frequency difference feedback to the UE; and receiving from the UE a quantized frequency difference value indicating the frequency difference between each of the plurality of TRPs and the reference TRP, wherein the values ​​of one or more parameters associated with the quantization of the frequency difference are configured by the network node or determined by the UE. The method further includes: performing one or more actions based on the quantized frequency difference value.

[0033] A corresponding embodiment of the network node is also disclosed. In one embodiment, a network node for compensating for frequency differences between a plurality of TRPs and a reference TRP based on feedback from a UE is adapted to: send a CSI report for frequency difference feedback to the UE; and receive from the UE a quantized frequency difference value indicating the frequency difference between each of the plurality of TRPs and the reference TRP, wherein the values ​​of one or more parameters related to the quantization of the frequency difference are configured by the network node or determined by the UE. The network node is further adapted to: perform one or more actions based on the quantized frequency difference value. Attached Figure Description

[0034] Various aspects of this disclosure are illustrated in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, which are incorporated in and form a part of this specification, and together with the description, serve to explain the principles of this disclosure.

[0035] Figure 1 The NR physical resources are shown;

[0036] Figure 2 The NR time-domain structure with a 15kHz subcarrier spacing is shown;

[0037] Figure 3 An example of coherent joint PDSCH transmission over two TRPs is shown;

[0038] Figure 4 It is a reproduction of Table 6.5.1.2-1 of 3GPP Technical Specification (TS) 38.104 (see, for example, V18.2.0);

[0039] Figure 5 An example is shown that N values ​​are associated or configured for different carrier frequencies;

[0040] Figure 6 An example of residual phase variation during each CJT CSI reporting cycle is shown;

[0041] Figure 7 The separate configurations of N and Examples;

[0042] Figure 8 The joint configuration N and Examples;

[0043] Figure 9 Examples of different frequency difference reporting tables predefined in the 3GPP specification are shown;

[0044] Figure 10 Operation of user equipment (UE) and network nodes according to at least some embodiments described herein is illustrated;

[0045] Figure 11 Examples of communication systems according to some embodiments of this disclosure are shown;

[0046] Figure 12 A UE according to some embodiments of this disclosure is shown;

[0047] Figure 13 Network nodes according to some embodiments of this disclosure are shown;

[0048] Figure 14 This is a block diagram of a host according to various aspects of the present disclosure described herein, the host may be Figure 11 An example of a host computer;

[0049] Figure 15 This is a block diagram illustrating a virtualized environment in which the functionality implemented by some embodiments of the present disclosure can be virtualized; and

[0050] Figure 16 A communication diagram is shown illustrating a host communicating with a UE via a network node through a partial wireless connection, according to some embodiments of the present disclosure. Detailed Implementation

[0051] The embodiments described below illustrate information that enables those skilled in the art to practice the embodiments and demonstrate the best mode for practicing the embodiments. By reading the following description in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, those skilled in the art will understand the concepts of this disclosure and will recognize the application of these concepts not specifically mentioned herein. It should be understood that these concepts and applications fall within the scope of this disclosure.

[0052] Some embodiments conceived herein will now be described more fully with reference to the accompanying drawings. These embodiments are provided by way of example to convey the scope of the subject matter to those skilled in the art.

[0053] Although the term “base station” is used in this document, it is not restrictive and the term “base station” may be used interchangeably with terms such as gNodeB (gNB), eNodeB (eNB), or equivalent terms relating to network nodes used in sixth generation (6G) and later versions.

[0054] There are specific challenges. Although the same nominal transmit frequency can be used at different transmit and receive points (TRPs), a transmit frequency difference will exist between TRPs due to the different local oscillators used in the TRPs. In the 3GPP New Radio (NR) specification, Table 6.5.1.2-1 of 3GPP Technical Specification (TS) 38.104 (see, for example, V18.2.0) (which is reproduced herein as...) Figure 4 The maximum transmit frequency error is specified for a base station (e.g., a next-generation NodeB (gNB)). For the most stringent + / - 0.05 parts per million (ppm) requirement, some residual frequency error will exist. These frequency errors mean that the relative phase of signals received from different TRPs will change over time. Therefore, in multi-TRP coherent joint transmission (CJT), how to reduce and mitigate the impact of transmit frequency differences between TRPs is an unresolved issue.

[0055] One possible solution is user equipment (UE)-assisted feedback on the frequency difference between TRPs, where the UE measures the frequency difference between each TRP and a reference TRP based on a reference signal transmitted from the TRP. With the feedback information, the gNB can pre-compensate for the frequency difference between TRPs before data transmission.

[0056] When providing feedback on the frequency difference between TRPs, one issue is determining the feedback frequency resolution (e.g., 1 Hz or 5 Hz) and frequency range. A finer frequency resolution allows for better frequency compensation or correction. On the other hand, a finer frequency resolution also means greater feedback overhead.

[0057] Specific aspects and embodiments thereof in this disclosure can provide solutions to these or other challenges. Embodiments of systems and methods for UE feedback of downlink frequency differences between TRPs are disclosed, wherein the frequency step size and range (i.e., the number of bits used in quantization) are configurable and can be optimized or adapted based on one or more factors. In some embodiments, the one or more factors include any one or more of the following: carrier frequency, Channel State Information (CSI) reporting cycle, Base station type (e.g., wide area base station, medium area base station, or local area base station). Maximum frequency error for each TRP.

[0058] In some embodiments, a configurable frequency step size and / or quantization bit width are used to provide feedback on the downlink frequency difference between the UE and the TRP of the network node (e.g., gNB). The step size and / or quantization bit width can be adapted based on one or more factors, which in some embodiments include any one or more of the following: carrier frequency, CSI reporting cycle Base station type (e.g., wide area base station, medium area base station, or local area base station). Maximum frequency error for each TRP.

[0059] In some embodiments, the step size and / or quantization bit width are configured to the UE by a network node (e.g., a gNB). The step size and quantization bit width are configured jointly in one embodiment (e.g., using a configuration index), or separately in another embodiment.

[0060] Specific embodiments can provide one or more of the following technical advantages. With configurable frequency step sizes and / or quantization bit widths, feedback overhead and CJT performance can be optimized based on the deployment scenario. At lower carrier frequencies, feedback overhead can be reduced for CSI reporting with shorter CSI reporting periods and for base stations with more stringent frequency stability specifications.

[0061] For a given frequency stability specification (e.g., 0.1 parts per million (ppm)), the maximum frequency error of a wireless base station depends on the operating carrier frequency. For example, for 0.1 ppm, the maximum frequency error is + / - 100 Hz for a 1 GHz carrier frequency, and + / - 1000 Hz for a 10 GHz carrier frequency. The same applies to Doppler frequencies; that is, for a given UE movement speed, the Doppler frequency associated with a higher carrier frequency is greater than the Doppler frequency associated with a lower carrier frequency.

[0062] Therefore, in one embodiment, the frequency resolution and range for feedback of the frequency difference between TRPs can be optimized for different carrier frequencies.

[0063] Assume N is the frequency difference used to report the two TRPs. (Step size is) The number of digits is determined by the index value. Report frequency difference ,in N can be optimized for different carrier frequencies. The optimized N can be signaled to the UE or can be predetermined (e.g., predefined in the 3GPP specification) so that both the gNB and the UE know the value of N to be used in the report.

[0064] For example, The unit digit can be used in systems with a 1 GHz carrier frequency, while The unit digit can be used in systems with a 10 GHz carrier frequency. This is in Figure 5 As shown in the example. In this example, it is used in two cases. .

[0065] Frequency resolution or step size Determine the residual frequency difference between the two TRPs. The residual frequency difference between the two TRPs will result in a linear time-varying phase between them, i.e., ,like Figure 6 As shown in the diagram. It is assumed that the phase difference between the two TRPs at each CSI reporting instance is reported by the UE to the gNB. Therefore, the phase difference between the two TRPs can be corrected / compensated by the gNB. The uncompensated phase difference is due to the residual frequency difference between the two TRPs. The longer the CJT CSI reporting period, the greater the residual phase difference between the two TRPs will grow, and therefore the greater the performance degradation of coherent joint transmission. Therefore, when a longer CSI reporting period is configured, a smaller frequency resolution is required. .

[0066] Therefore, in another embodiment... This can be configured by gNB based on the CJT CSI reporting period. For example, when the CSI reporting period is 10ms, it can be used... When the CSI reporting period is 5ms, it can be used This will keep the maximum residual phase difference within each CSI cycle constant in both cases. For the same frequency range, fewer bits (i.e., a smaller N value) are needed for CSI reporting with a smaller reporting cycle (e.g., 5 ms in this example), and therefore the feedback overhead is reduced.

[0067] Generally, frequency stability requirements may differ for different types of base stations. For example, a base station covering a small area may require + / - 0.1 ppm, while one covering a wide area may require + / - 0.05 ppm. Therefore, the maximum frequency difference between two TRPs may differ for different types of base stations. Thus, configurable N and .

[0068] In one embodiment, N and These are configured separately as part of the CSI reporting configuration for reporting frequency differences between TRPs. Figure 7 An example is shown in the figure.

[0069] In another embodiment, N and It can be configured in combination. Figure 8 An example is shown in the figure.

[0070] When you know the step size When the sum is N digits (as in the example above), it can be based on To calculate the maximum correctable frequency error In some cases, gNB can be configured alternatively. and or N and Instead of configuration And N. For the former alternative, the UE can be based on and To determine the number of bits N; while for the latter, the UE can be based on N and Determine . It can be configured as part of a carrier frequency or a reference frequency. It can also be performed separately or jointly. and or N and Configuration.

[0071] In one embodiment, N and The value can be configured as part of the serving cell configuration (e.g., as part of the ServingCellConfig information element defined in 3GPP TS 38.331 V17.5.0). This means that any CSI reporting configuration used to configure reporting of one or more frequency differences within the serving cell uses N and N that are configured as part of the corresponding serving cell configuration. The value of .

[0072] In another embodiment, and The value can be configured as part of the serving cell configuration (e.g., as part of the ServingCellConfig information element defined in 3GPP TS 38.331 V17.5.0). This means that any CSI reporting configuration used to configure reporting of one or more frequency differences within the serving cell uses the value configured as part of the corresponding serving cell configuration. and The value of .

[0073] In yet another embodiment, N and The value can be configured as part of the serving cell configuration (e.g., as part of the ServingCellConfig information element defined in 3GPP TS 38.331 V17.5.0). This means that any CSI reporting configuration used to configure reporting of one or more frequency differences within the serving cell uses N and N that are configured as part of the corresponding serving cell configuration. The value of .

[0074] In another embodiment, different tables can be predefined in the 3GPP specification. These different tables can correspond to different frequency resolutions and / or different frequency ranges for feedback on frequency differences between TRPs. Figure 9 An example is shown below. In this embodiment, the step size... The number of bits N (used to report frequency differences) and the maximum frequency difference The table selected for reporting frequency differences between TRPs is implicitly given. One of the predefined tables can be configured to the UE by the gNB. Which table is configured can be part of the CSI reporting configuration or the serving cell configuration.

[0075] Feedback on the frequency difference between each TRP and the reference TRP is performed as an independent CSI report configured by the CSI report configuration. In one embodiment, N and It is configured as part of the CSI reporting configuration. Therefore, N and N can be configured in different CSI reporting configurations. Different values.

[0076] Note that although the example above uses uniform quantization under a linear scale to simplify the demonstration of the solution, the same approach can be applied to other quantization methods, such as uniform quantization under a logarithmic scale.

[0077] Figure 10The operation of a UE 1000 and a network node 1002 (e.g., a base station such as a gNB) according to at least some embodiments described above is illustrated. Optional steps are indicated by dashed lines / boxes. As shown, the network node 1002 optionally (i.e., in some embodiments) determines and sends to the UE 1000 information (step 1004) that explicitly or implicitly indicates the value of one or more parameters (or at least one of the parameters) related to the quantization of the determined frequency difference between the TRP and the quantized frequency difference. As described above, in some embodiments, the values ​​for two or more parameters can be configured jointly or separately. In one example embodiment, the information in step 1004 is included in the CSI reporting configuration. In another embodiment, the information in step 1004 is included in the serving cell configuration. In one embodiment, the network node 1002 determines the value of one or more parameters based on the carrier frequencies on which the first TRP and the second TRP transmit. The value of one or more parameters (or at least one of them) can also be determined based on the reporting period of the frequency difference fed back by the UE and / or the maximum frequency error of each TRP in the first TRP and the second TRP.

[0078] UE 1000 determines the frequency difference between the transmission frequency of the first TRP and the transmission frequency of the second TRP (e.g., based on measurements of reference signals received from the first TRP and the second TRP) (step 1006), and sends a quantized frequency difference value to network node 1002, the quantized frequency difference value indicating the determined frequency difference (i.e., a quantized version of the determined frequency difference) (step 1008). According to embodiments of this disclosure, the values ​​of one or more parameters related to the quantization of the determined frequency difference that provide the quantized frequency difference value are configured by network node 1002 (e.g., in step 1004) or determined by UE 1000, and are functions of: (a) the carrier frequencies on which the first TRP and the second TRP transmit, (b) the CSI reporting period configured for the associated Channel State Information (CSI) report, (c) the base station type of the associated base station, or (d) any two or more combinations of (a)-(c). Figure 10 In the example embodiments shown, the values ​​of one or more parameters are functions of the carrier frequency. In one embodiment, the values ​​of one or more parameters (or at least one of them) are also functions of the base station type and / or CSI reporting period. In some embodiments, the value of at least one (and possibly all) of the one or more parameters used for quantization is explicitly or implicitly indicated by information received from network node 1002 in step 1004. In some embodiments, the value of at least one (and possibly all) of the one or more parameters used for quantization is predefined (e.g., by 3GPP specifications).

[0079] As described above, one or more parameters related to the quantization of the determined frequency difference that provide the quantization frequency difference include any one or more of the following: The frequency step size used for quantization of the determined frequency difference. The frequency range of a series of values ​​used for quantization of the determined frequency difference. The number of bits N used for quantization of the determined frequency difference. Maximum correctable frequency error.

[0080] However, note that additional or alternative parameters can be used.

[0081] In one example embodiment, providing one or more parameters related to the quantization of the determined frequency difference includes a frequency step size for quantizing the determined frequency difference and a frequency range of values ​​for quantizing the determined frequency difference. In another example embodiment, providing one or more parameters related to the quantization of the determined frequency difference includes a frequency step size for quantizing the determined frequency difference and a frequency range of values ​​for quantizing the determined frequency difference. In another example embodiment, providing one or more parameters related to the quantization of the determined frequency difference includes the number of bits N for quantizing the determined frequency difference. In another example embodiment, providing one or more parameters related to the quantization of the determined frequency difference includes a frequency step size for quantizing the determined frequency difference. In another example embodiment, providing one or more parameters related to the quantization of the determined frequency difference includes the number of bits N for quantizing the determined frequency difference and a frequency step size for quantizing the determined frequency difference. In another example embodiment, providing one or more parameters related to the quantization of the determined frequency difference includes a frequency step size for quantizing the determined frequency difference and a maximum correctable frequency error. In another example embodiment, one or more parameters related to the quantization of the determined frequency difference, which provide the quantization frequency difference value, include the number of bits N for the quantization of the determined frequency difference and the maximum correctable frequency error.

[0082] In one example embodiment, the first TRP and the second TRP for determining the frequency difference are TRPs used to send to the CJT of the UE 1000.

[0083] Network node 1002 performs one or more actions (step 1010) based on the quantized frequency difference received from UE 1000. In one embodiment, the one or more actions include one or more actions related to, for example, when performing a CJT transmission to UE 1000, compensating for the frequency difference between the first TRP and the second TRP by pre-compensating for the signal transmitted by the first TRP and / or by pre-compensating for the signal transmitted by the second TRP.

[0084] Figure 11 An example of a communication system 1100 according to some embodiments is shown.

[0085] In this example, communication system 1100 includes telecommunications network 1102, which includes access network 1104 (e.g., radio access network (RAN)) and core network 1106 (which includes one or more core network nodes 1108). Access network 1104 includes one or more access network nodes, such as network nodes 1110A and 1110B (one or more of which may generally be referred to as network node 1110), or any other similar 3GPP access node or non-3GPP access point (AP). Furthermore, as those skilled in the art will understand, network nodes are not necessarily limited to implementations in which the radio and baseband portions are provided and integrated by a single vendor. Therefore, it will be understood that network nodes include decomposed implementations or portions thereof. For example, in some embodiments, telecommunications network 1102 includes one or more Open RAN (ORAN) network nodes. An ORAN network node is a node in telecommunications network 1102 that supports ORAN specifications (such as those published by the O-RAN Alliance or any similar organization) and can operate alone or together with other nodes to perform one or more functions of any node in telecommunications network 1102 (including one or more network nodes 1110 and / or core network node 1108).

[0086] Examples of ORAN network nodes include Open Radio Units (O-RUs), Open Distributed Units (O-DUs), Open Central Units (O-CUs) (including O-CU control planes (O-CU-CPs) or O-CU user planes (O-CU-UPs)), RAN Intelligent Controllers (near real-time or non-real-time) with managed software or software plugins (e.g., near real-time control applications (e.g., xApps) or non-real-time control applications (e.g., rApps)), or any combination thereof (the adjective "open" specifies support for the ORAN specification). Network nodes can support the specification by, for example, supporting interfaces defined by the ORAN specification, such as A1, F1, W1, E1, E2, X2, Xn interfaces, Open Fronthaul User Plane interfaces, or Open Fronthaul Management Plane interfaces. Furthermore, ORAN access nodes can be logical nodes within physical nodes. Additionally, ORAN network nodes can be implemented in a virtualized environment (further described below) where one or more network functions are virtualized. For example, the virtualized environment can include an O-Cloud computing platform orchestrated by a service management and orchestration framework via the O-2 interface or similar technologies defined by the O-RAN Consortium. Network node 1110 facilitates direct or indirect connections of user equipment (UE), such as connecting UE 1112A, 1112B, 1112C and 1112D (one or more of which may generally be referred to as UE 1112) to core network 1106 via one or more wireless connections.

[0087] Examples of wireless communication via a wireless connection include sending and / or receiving wireless signals using electromagnetic waves, radio waves, infrared waves, and / or other types of signals suitable for transmitting information without the use of wires, cables, or other conductors. Furthermore, in various embodiments, the communication system 1100 may include any number of wired or wireless networks, network nodes, UEs, and / or any other components or systems that can facilitate or participate in the communication of data and / or signals (whether via a wired or wireless connection). The communication system 1100 may include or interface with any type of communication, telecommunications, data, cellular, radio network, and / or other similar type of system.

[0088] UE 1112 can be any of a variety of communication devices, including wireless devices that are deployed, configured, and / or operable to communicate wirelessly with network node 1110 and other communication devices. Similarly, network node 1110 is deployed, capable, configured, and / or operable to communicate directly or indirectly with UE 1112 and / or other network nodes or devices in telecommunication network 1102 to enable and / or provide network access (e.g., wireless network access) and / or perform other functions (e.g., management) in telecommunication network 1102.

[0089] In the depicted example, core network 1106 connects network node 1110 to one or more hosts, such as host 1116. These connections can be direct or indirect, via one or more intermediate networks or devices. In other examples, network nodes may be directly coupled to hosts. Core network 1106 includes one or more core network nodes (e.g., core network node 1108) comprised of hardware and software components. The characteristics of these components may be substantially similar to those described for UEs, network nodes, and / or hosts, such that the description generally applies to the corresponding components of core network node 1108. Example core network nodes include one or more of the following functions: Mobile Switching Center (MSC), Mobility Management Entity (MME), Home Subscriber Server (HSS), Access and Mobility Management Function (AMF), Session Management Function (SMF), Authentication Server Function (AUSF), Subscription Identifier Dehiding Function (SIDF), Unified Data Management (UDM), Security Edge Protection Agent (SEPP), Network Open Function (NEF), and / or User Plane Function (UPF).

[0090] Host 1116 may be under the ownership or control of a service provider other than the operator or provider of access network 1104 and / or telecommunications network 1102, and may be operated by or on behalf of the service provider. Host 1116 may host various applications to provide one or more services. Examples of such applications include real-time and pre-recorded audio / video content, data collection services (e.g., acquiring and editing data on various environmental conditions detected by multiple UEs), analytics functions, social media, functions for controlling or otherwise interacting with remote devices, functions for alarm and monitoring centers, or any other such functions performed by the server.

[0091] Overall, Figure 11The communication system 1100 enables connectivity between the UE, network nodes, and hosts. In this sense, the communication system 1100 can be configured to operate according to predefined rules or procedures, such as specific standards, including but not limited to: Global System for Mobile Communications (GSM); Universal Mobile Telecommunications System (UMTS); Long Term Evolution (LTE), and / or other suitable second-, third-, fourth-, or fifth-generation (2G, 3G, 4G, or 5G) standards, or any applicable future-generation standard (e.g., sixth-generation (6G)); Wireless Local Area Network (WLAN) standards, such as the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) 802.11 standard (WiFi); and / or any other suitable wireless communication standards, such as Global Microwave Access Interoperability (WiMax), Bluetooth, Z-Wave, Near Field Communication (NFC), ZigBee, LiFi, and / or any Low Power Wide Area Network (LPWAN) standards, such as LoRa and Sigfox.

[0092] In some examples, telecommunications network 1102 is a cellular network implementing 3GPP standardized features. Therefore, telecommunications network 1102 can support network slicing to provide different logical networks to different devices connected to it. For example, telecommunications network 1102 can provide ultra-reliable low-latency communication (URLLC) services to some UEs while providing enhanced mobile broadband (eMBB) services to other UEs, and / or massive machine-type communication (mMTC) / massive IoT services to other UEs.

[0093] In some examples, UE 1112 is configured to send and / or receive information without direct human interaction. For example, the UE may be designed to send information to access network 1104 according to a predetermined schedule when triggered by an internal or external event or in response to a request from access network 1104. Additionally, the UE may be configured to operate in a single radio access technology (RAT) or multiple RAT or multiple standards mode. For example, the UE may operate using any one or a combination of Wi-Fi, New Radio (NR), and LTE, i.e., configured for multiple radio dual connectivity (MR-DC), such as Evolved UMTS Terrestrial RAN (E-UTRAN) NR-Dual Connectivity (EN-DC).

[0094] In this example, hub 1114 communicates with access network 1104 to facilitate indirect communication between one or more UEs (e.g., UE 1112C and / or 1112D) and network nodes (e.g., network node 1110B). In some examples, hub 1114 may be a controller, router, content source and analytics, or any other communication device described herein relating to the UE. For example, hub 1114 may be a broadband router that enables the UE to access core network 1106. As another example, hub 1114 may be a controller that sends commands or instructions to one or more actuators in the UE. Commands or instructions may be received from the UE, network node 1110, or via executable code, scripts, procedures, or other instructions in hub 1114. As another example, hub 1114 may be a data collector that acts as a temporary storage device for UE data, and in some embodiments, may perform data analytics or other processing. As another example, hub 1114 may be a content source. For example, for a UE acting as a virtual reality (VR) headset, display, speaker, or other media delivery device, hub 1114 can acquire VR assets, video, audio, or other media or data related to sensing information via a network node, and then provide them to the UE directly, after performing local processing, and / or after adding additional local content. In yet another example, hub 1114 acts as a proxy server or orchestrator for the UE, particularly when one or more UEs are low-power IoT devices.

[0095] Hub 1114 may have a constant / persistent or intermittent connection to network node 1110B. Hub 1114 may also allow different communication schemes and / or scheduling between hub 1114 and UEs (e.g., UEs 1112C and / or 1112D) and between hub 1114 and core network 1106. In other examples, hub 1114 is connected to core network 1106 and / or one or more UEs via a wired connection. Furthermore, hub 1114 may be configured to connect to a machine-to-machine (M2M) service provider via access network 1104 and / or to another UE via a direct connection. In some scenarios, a UE may establish a wireless connection with network node 1110 while still being connected via hub 1114 via a wired or wireless connection. In some embodiments, hub 1114 may be a dedicated hub, that is, a hub whose primary function is to route communication from network node 1110B to UE / from UE to network node 1110B. In other embodiments, hub 1114 may be a non-dedicated hub, that is, a device capable of operating to route communication between the UE and network node 1110B, but also capable of operating as a communication start and / or end point for a specific data channel.

[0096] Figure 12 A UE 1200 according to some embodiments is illustrated. As used herein, a UE refers to a device capable of, configured, positioned, and / or operable to wirelessly communicate with network nodes and / or other UEs. Examples of UEs include, but are not limited to, smartphones, mobile phones, cellular phones, Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) phones, wireless local loop phones, desktop computers, personal digital assistants (PDAs), wireless cameras, game consoles or devices, music storage devices, playback devices, wearable terminal devices, wireless endpoints, mobile stations, tablet computers, laptops, laptop built-in devices (LEEs), laptop-equipped devices (LMEs), smart devices, wireless client devices (CPEs), vehicles, in-vehicle or in-vehicle embedded / integrated wireless devices, etc. Other examples include any UE identified by 3GPP, including narrowband Internet of Things (NB-IoT) UEs, machine-type communication (MTC) UEs, and / or enhanced MTC (eMTC) UEs.

[0097] The UE may support device-to-device (D2D) communication, for example, by implementing 3GPP standards for secondary link communication, dedicated short-range communication (DSRC), vehicle-to-vehicle (V2V), vehicle-to-infrastructure (V2I), or vehicle-to-everything (V2X). In other examples, the UE may not necessarily have a user in the sense of a human user who owns and / or operates the associated equipment. Instead, the UE may represent a device intended for sale to or operated by a human user but which may not, or initially may not, be associated with a particular human user (e.g., a smart sprinkler controller). Alternatively, the UE may represent a device not intended for sale to or operated by an end user but which may be associated with or operated for the benefit of a user (e.g., a smart power meter).

[0098] UE 1200 includes processing circuitry 1202, which is operatively coupled via bus 1204 to input / output interface 1206, power supply 1208, memory 1210, communication interface 1212, and / or any other component or any combination thereof. A particular UE may utilize... Figure 12 All components or subsets of components are shown. The level of integration between components can vary from UE to UE. Furthermore, a particular UE may contain multiple instances of a component, such as multiple processors, memories, transceivers, transmitters, receivers, etc.

[0099] Processing circuitry 1202 is configured to process instructions and data and can be configured to implement any sequential state machine operable to execute instructions of a machine-readable computer program stored in memory 1210. Processing circuitry 1202 can be implemented as one or more hardware-implemented state machines (e.g., using discrete logic, field-programmable gate arrays (FPGAs), application-specific integrated circuits (ASICs), etc.); programmable logic and appropriate firmware; one or more stored computer programs, general-purpose processors (e.g., microprocessors or digital signal processors (DSPs)) and appropriate software; or any combination thereof. For example, processing circuitry 1202 may include multiple central processing units (CPUs).

[0100] In this example, the input / output interface 1206 can be configured to provide one or more interfaces to input devices, output devices, or one or more input and / or output devices. Examples of output devices include speakers, sound cards, video cards, displays, monitors, printers, actuators, transmitters, smart cards, another output device, or any combination thereof. Input devices can allow users to capture information into the UE 1200. Examples of input devices include touch-sensitive or presence-sensitive displays, cameras (e.g., digital cameras, digital video cameras, webcams, etc.), microphones, sensors, mice, trackballs, steering wheels, scroll wheels, smart cards, etc. Presence-sensitive displays may include capacitive or resistive touch sensors to sense input from the user. Sensors may be, for example, accelerometers, gyroscopes, tilt sensors, force sensors, magnetometers, optical sensors, proximity sensors, biometric sensors, etc., or any combination thereof. Output devices can use the same type of interface port as input devices. For example, a Universal Serial Bus (USB) port can be used to provide both input and output devices.

[0101] In some embodiments, power supply 1208 is configured as a battery or battery pack. Other types of power sources may be used, such as external power sources (e.g., power outlets), photovoltaic devices, or batteries. Power supply 1208 may also include power circuitry for delivering power from power supply 1208 itself and / or external power sources to various parts of UE 1200 via input circuitry or interfaces (e.g., power cords). The power delivery may be used, for example, to charge power supply 1208. The power circuitry may perform any formatting, conversion, or other modifications to the power from power supply 1208 to suit the appropriate components of UE 1200 to which power is supplied.

[0102] Memory 1210 may be, or may be configured to include, memory such as random access memory (RAM), read-only memory (ROM), programmable ROM (PROM), erasable ROM (EPROM), electrically EPROM (EEPROM), disk, optical disk, hard disk, removable magnetic tape, flash drive, etc. In one example, memory 1210 includes one or more applications 1214 (e.g., operating system, web browser application, widget, utility engine, or other application) and corresponding data 1216. Memory 1210 may store any one or a combination of various operating systems for use by UE 1200.

[0103] The memory 1210 can be configured to include multiple physical drive units, such as a redundant array of independent disks (RAID), flash memory, a USB flash drive, an external hard drive, a thumb drive, a pen drive, a key drive, a high-density digital versatile optical disc (HD-DVD) drive, an internal hard drive, a Blu-ray disc drive, a holographic digital data storage (HDDS) disc drive, an external mini dual in-line memory module (DIMM), synchronous dynamic RAM (SDRAM), external micro DIMM SDRAM, a smart card memory (e.g., a tamper-proof module in the form of a universal integrated circuit card (UICC), including one or more subscriber identification modules (SIMs), such as a universal SIM (USIM) and / or an Internet Protocol Multimedia Service Identifier (ISIM)), other memory, or any combination thereof. The UICC can be, for example, an embedded UICC (eUICC), an integrated UICC (iUICC), or a removable UICC, commonly referred to as a "SIM card." The memory 1210 can allow the UE 1200 to access instructions, applications, etc., stored on transient or non-transient storage media to offload or upload data. Articles manufactured using communication systems may be tangibly embodied in or contained in memory 1210, which may be or include a device-readable storage medium.

[0104] Processing circuitry 1202 can be configured to communicate with an access network or other network using communication interface 1212. Communication interface 1212 may include one or more communication subsystems and may include or be communicatively coupled to antenna 1222. Communication interface 1212 may include one or more transceivers for communication (e.g., via one or more remote transceivers capable of wireless communication with another device (e.g., another UE or a network node in the access network). Each transceiver may include a transmitter 1218 and / or a receiver 1220 adapted to provide network communication (e.g., optical, electrical, frequency allocation, etc.). Furthermore, transmitter 1218 and receiver 1220 may be coupled to one or more antennas (e.g., antenna 1222) and may share circuit components, software, or firmware, or alternatively be implemented separately.

[0105] In the illustrated embodiment, the communication functions of the communication interface 1212 may include cellular communication, Wi-Fi communication, LPWAN communication, data communication, voice communication, multimedia communication, short-range communication such as Bluetooth, NFC, location-based communication such as using a Global Positioning System (GPS) to determine location, another similar communication function, or any combination thereof. Communication may be implemented according to one or more communication protocols and / or standards, such as IEEE 802.11, Code Division Multiple Access (CDMA), Wideband CDMA (WCDMA), GSM, LTE, NR, UMTS, WiMax, Ethernet, Transmission Control Protocol / Internet Protocol (TCP / IP), Synchronous Optical Network (SONET), Asynchronous Transfer Mode (ATM), Fast User Datagram Protocol Internet Connection (QUIC), Hypertext Transfer Protocol (HTTP), etc.

[0106] Regardless of the sensor type, the UE can provide the output of data captured by its sensors via its communication interface 1212 through a wireless connection with a network node. Data captured by the UE's sensors can be transmitted via another UE through the wireless connection with the network node. The output can be periodic (e.g., every 15 minutes if it reports the sensed temperature), random (e.g., to balance the reporting load from multiple sensors), responsive to a triggered event (e.g., sending an alarm when humidity is detected), responsive to a request (e.g., a user-initiated request), or a continuous stream (e.g., real-time video feed of a patient).

[0107] As another example, the UE includes an actuator, motor, or switch associated with a communication interface configured to receive wireless input from a network node via a wireless connection. The state of the actuator, motor, or switch can change in response to the received wireless input. For example, the UE may include a motor that adjusts the control surfaces or rotors of a flying drone based on the received input, or control a robotic arm performing a medical procedure based on the received input.

[0108] When taking the form of an IoT device, the UE can be a device for one or more application areas, including but not limited to urban wearable technology, extended industry applications, and healthcare. Non-limiting examples of such IoT devices include devices that are or are embedded in: connected refrigerators or freezers, televisions, connected lighting devices, electricity meters, robotic vacuum cleaners, voice-controlled smart speakers, home security cameras, motion detectors, thermostats, smoke detectors, door / window sensors, flood / humidity sensors, electric door locks, connected doorbells, air conditioning systems such as heat pumps, autonomous vehicles, surveillance systems, weather monitoring devices, vehicle parking monitoring devices, electric vehicle charging stations, smartwatches, fitness trackers, head-mounted displays for augmented reality (AR) or VR, wearable devices for haptic or sensory enhancement, sprinklers, animal or object tracking devices, sensors for monitoring plants or animals, industrial robots, unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), and any kind of medical device such as heart rate monitors or remote-controlled surgical robots. The UE in the form of an IoT device includes the circuitry and / or software associated with the intended application of the IoT device and for... Figure 12 Other components described in UE 1200 shown.

[0109] As another specific example, in IoT scenarios, a UE can represent a machine or other device that performs monitoring and / or measurement and sends the results of such monitoring and / or measurement to another UE and / or network node. In this case, the UE can be an M2M device, which can be referred to as an MTC device in the 3GPP context. As a specific example, a UE can implement the 3GPP NB-IoT standard. In other scenarios, a UE can represent a vehicle (e.g., a car, bus, truck), ship, aircraft, or other device capable of monitoring and / or reporting its operational status or other functions associated with its operation.

[0110] In practice, any number of UEs can be used together for a single use case. For example, the first UE may be or be integrated into the drone and provide the drone's speed information (obtained via a speed sensor) to a second UE, which acts as a remote controller for operating the drone. When the user makes changes from the remote controller, the first UE can adjust the throttle on the drone (e.g., by controlling the actuators) to increase or decrease the drone's speed. The first UE and / or the second UE may also include multiple functions described above. For example, the UE may include sensors and actuators and handle data communication between both the speed sensor and the actuators.

[0111] Figure 13 A network node 1300 according to some embodiments is illustrated. As used herein, a network node refers to a device that is capable of, configured, arranged, and / or operable to communicate directly or indirectly with a UE and / or other network nodes or devices in a telecommunications network. Examples of network nodes include, but are not limited to, APs (e.g., radio APs), base stations (BSs) (e.g., radio BSs, Node Bs, evolved Node Bs (eNBs), NR Node Bs (gNBs)), and O-RAN nodes or components of O-RAN nodes (e.g., O-RUs, O-DUs, O-CUs).

[0112] Base stations can be classified based on the coverage they provide (or in other words, their transmit power level), and therefore, depending on the coverage provided, they can be called femtocells, picocells, microcells, or macrocells. A base station can be a relay node or a relay donor node controlling a relay. A network node can also include one or more (or all) portions of a distributed radio base station (e.g., centralized digital units, distributed units (e.g., in O-RAN access nodes), and / or remote radio units (RRUs) (sometimes referred to as remote radio heads (RRHs)). Such RRUs may or may not be integrated with an antenna as antenna-integrated radios. A portion of a distributed radio base station can also be referred to as a node in a distributed antenna system (DAS).

[0113] Other examples of network nodes include multi-transmission point (multi-TRP) 5G access nodes, multi-standard radio (MSR) equipment (such as MSR BS), network controllers such as radio network controllers (RNC) or BS controllers (BSC), base transceiver stations (BTS), transmission points, transmission nodes, multi-cell / multicast coordination entities (MCE), operations and maintenance (O&M) nodes, operations support system (OSS) nodes, self-organizing network (SON) nodes, location nodes (e.g., evolved serving mobile location center (E-SMLC)), and / or minimized drive test (MDT).

[0114] Network node 1300 includes processing circuitry 1302, memory 1304, communication interface 1306, and power supply 1308. Network node 1300 may include multiple physically separate components (e.g., node B components and RNC components, or BTS components and BSC components, etc.), each component may have its own corresponding components. In a specific scenario where network node 1300 includes multiple separate components (e.g., BTS and BSC components), one or more separate components may be shared among multiple network nodes. For example, a single RNC can control multiple node Bs. In such scenarios, under certain circumstances, each unique node B and RNC pair may be considered a single, separate network node. In some embodiments, network node 1300 may be configured to support multiple RATs. In such embodiments, some components may be duplicated (e.g., separate memory 1304 for different RATs), while some components may be reused (e.g., the same antenna 1310 may be shared by different RATs). Network node 1300 may also include multiple sets of various example components for integrating different wireless technologies (such as GSM, WCDMA, LTE, NR, Wi-Fi, Zigbee, Z-wave, LoRaWAN, RFID, or Bluetooth wireless technologies) into network node 1300. These wireless technologies may be integrated into the same or different chips or chipsets and other components within network node 1300.

[0115] Processing circuitry 1302 may include one or more of the following, operable to provide network node 1300 functionality individually or in combination with other network node 1300 components (e.g., memory 1304): microprocessor, controller, microcontroller, CPU, DSP, ASIC, FPGA, or any other suitable computing device, resource, or combination of hardware, software and / or coding logic.

[0116] In some embodiments, the processing circuitry 1302 includes a system-on-a-chip (SOC). In some embodiments, the processing circuitry 1302 includes one or more of a radio frequency (RF) transceiver circuitry 1312 and a baseband processing circuitry 1314. In some embodiments, the RF transceiver circuitry 1312 and the baseband processing circuitry 1314 may be on separate chips (or chipsets), boards, or units (e.g., radio units and digital units). In alternative embodiments, some or all of the RF transceiver circuitry 1312 and the baseband processing circuitry 1314 may be on the same chip or chipset, board, or unit.

[0117] Memory 1304 may include any form of volatile or non-volatile computer-readable memory, including but not limited to permanent storage devices, solid-state memory, remotely mounted memory, magnetic media, optical media, RAM, ROM, mass storage media (e.g., hard disk), removable storage media (e.g., flash drives, optical discs (CDs), or digital video discs (DVDs)), and / or any other volatile or non-volatile, non-transitory device-readable and / or computer-executable storage device that stores information, data, and / or instructions that can be used by processing circuitry 1302. Memory 1304 may store any suitable instructions, data, or information, including computer programs, software, applications (including one or more of logic, rules, codes, tables, etc.), and / or other instructions that can be executed by processing circuitry 1302 and utilized by network node 1300. Memory 1304 may be used to store any calculations performed by processing circuitry 1302 and / or any data received via communication interface 1306. In some embodiments, processing circuitry 1302 and memory 1304 are integrated.

[0118] Communication interface 1306 is used in wired or wireless communication of signaling and / or data between network nodes, access networks, and / or UEs. As shown, communication interface 1306 includes a port / terminal 1316 for sending and receiving data to and from a network, for example, via a wired connection. Communication interface 1306 also includes radio front-end circuitry 1318 that can be coupled to antenna 1310 or, in a particular embodiment, is part of antenna 1310. Radio front-end circuitry 1318 includes a filter 1320 and an amplifier 1322. Radio front-end circuitry 1318 can be connected to antenna 1310 and processing circuitry 1302. Radio front-end circuitry 1318 can be configured to modulate the signal transmitted between antenna 1310 and processing circuitry 1302. Radio front-end circuitry 1318 can receive digital data that will be transmitted to other network nodes or UEs via a wireless connection. Radio front-end circuitry 1318 can use a combination of filter 1320 and / or amplifier 1322 to convert the digital data into radio signals with appropriate channel and bandwidth parameters. The radio signals can then be transmitted via antenna 1310. Similarly, when receiving data, antenna 1310 can collect radio signals, which are then converted into digital data by radio front-end circuitry 1318. The digital data can then be passed to processing circuitry 1302. In other embodiments, communication interface 1306 may include different components and / or different combinations of components.

[0119] In certain alternative embodiments, network node 1300 does not include a separate radio front-end circuitry 1318; instead, processing circuitry 1302 includes radio front-end circuitry and is connected to antenna 1310. Similarly, in some embodiments, all or part of RF transceiver circuitry 1312 is part of communication interface 1306. In other embodiments, communication interface 1306 includes one or more ports or terminals 1316, radio front-end circuitry 1318, and RF transceiver circuitry 1312 as part of a radio unit (not shown), and communication interface 1306 communicates with baseband processing circuitry 1314, which is part of a digital unit (not shown).

[0120] Antenna 1310 may include one or more antennas or antenna arrays configured to transmit and / or receive wireless signals. Antenna 1310 may be coupled to radio front-end circuitry 1318 and may be any type of antenna capable of wirelessly transmitting and receiving data and / or signals. In a particular embodiment, antenna 1310 is decoupled from network node 1300 and may be connected to network node 1300 via an interface or port.

[0121] Antenna 1310, communication interface 1306, and / or processing circuitry 1302 can be configured to perform any receive operation and / or specific acquisition operation described herein as being performed by network node 1300. Any information, data, and / or signals can be received from the UE, another network node, and / or any other network device. Similarly, antenna 1310, communication interface 1306, and / or processing circuitry 1302 can be configured to perform any transmit operation described herein as being performed by network node 1300. Any information, data, and / or signals can be transmitted to the UE, another network node, and / or any other network device.

[0122] Power supply 1308 provides power to the various components of network node 1300 in a form suitable for the respective components (e.g., at the voltage and current levels required by each respective component). Power supply 1308 may also include or be coupled to power management circuitry to provide power to the components of network node 1300 for performing the functions described herein. For example, network node 1300 may be connected to an external power source (e.g., the mains or a power outlet) via input circuitry or an interface (e.g., a cable), whereby the external power source provides power to the power circuitry of power supply 1308. As yet another example, power supply 1308 may include a power source in the form of a battery or battery pack connected to or integrated into the power circuitry. The battery can provide backup power if the external power source fails.

[0123] Embodiments of network node 1300 may include Figure 13Additional components beyond those shown may be used to provide specific aspects of the functionality of the network node, including any functionality described herein and / or any functionality necessary to support the topics described herein. For example, network node 1300 may include a user interface device to allow information to be input into and output from network node 1300. This can allow users to perform diagnostic, maintenance, repair, and other management functions on network node 1300.

[0124] Figure 14 Based on the block diagram of host 1400 described in this document, host 1400 can be... Figure 11 The embodiment of host 1116. As used herein, host 1400 can be or include various combinations of hardware and / or software, including standalone servers, blade servers, cloud-implemented servers, distributed servers, virtual machines, containers, or processing resources in a server farm. Host 1400 can provide one or more services to one or more UEs.

[0125] Host 1400 includes processing circuitry 1402, which is operatively coupled via bus 1404 to input / output interface 1406, network interface 1408, power supply 1410, and memory 1412. Other components may be included in other embodiments. These components may be characterized substantially similarly to those shown in the previous figures (e.g., Figure 12 and 13 The device description features are designed to make the description generally applicable to the corresponding components of host 1400.

[0126] Memory 1412 may include one or more computer programs, including one or more host applications 1414 and data 1416. Data 1416 may include user data, such as data generated by the UE for the host 1400 or data generated by the host 1400 for the UE. Embodiments of the host 1400 may utilize some or all of the components shown. The host application 1414 may be implemented in a container-based architecture and may provide support for video codecs (e.g., Multifunction Video Coding (VVC), High Efficiency Video Coding (HEVC), Advanced Video Coding (AVC), Moving Picture Experts Group (MPEG), VP9) and audio codecs (e.g., Free-to-Use Lossless Audio Codec (FLAC), Advanced Audio Coding (AAC), MPEG, G.711), including transcoding of multiple different classes, types, or implementations of the UE (e.g., mobile phone, desktop computer, wearable display system, head-up display system). The host application 1414 may also provide user authentication and authorization checks and may periodically report health status, routing, and content availability to a central node (e.g., a device in the core network or at the edge). Therefore, host 1400 can select and / or indicate different hosts for over-the-top (OTT) services for the UE. Host application 1414 can support various protocols, such as HTTP Real-Time Streaming (HLS), Real-Time Messaging Protocol (RTMP), Real-Time Streaming Protocol (RTSP), HTTP Dynamic Adaptive Streaming (DASH or MPEG-DASH), etc.

[0127] Figure 15 This is a block diagram illustrating a virtualized environment 1500 in which functionality implemented by some embodiments can be virtualized. In the current context, virtualization means creating virtual versions of devices or equipment, which may include virtualized hardware platforms, storage devices, and networking resources. As used herein, virtualization can be applied to any device or component thereof described herein and relates to an implementation in which at least a portion of the functionality is implemented as one or more virtual components. Some or all of the functionality described herein can be implemented as virtual components executed by one or more virtual machines (VMs) in one or more virtual environments 1500 hosted by one or more hardware nodes, such as hardware computing devices operating as network nodes, UEs, core network nodes, or hosts. Furthermore, in embodiments in which virtual nodes do not require radio connectivity (e.g., core network nodes or hosts), the nodes can be fully virtualized. In some embodiments, the virtualized environment 1500 includes components defined by the O-RAN Alliance, such as an O-Cloud environment orchestrated by a service management and orchestration framework via an O-2 interface.

[0128] Application 1502 (which may alternatively be referred to as a software instance, virtual device, network function, virtual node, virtual network function, etc.) runs in virtualization environment 1500 to implement certain features, functions, and / or benefits of some embodiments disclosed herein.

[0129] Hardware 1504 includes processing circuitry, memory storing software and / or instructions executable by the hardware processing circuitry, and / or other hardware devices as described herein, such as network interfaces, input / output interfaces, etc. Software may be executed by the processing circuitry to instantiate one or more virtualization layers 1506 (also referred to as a hypervisor or virtual machine monitor (VMM)), provide virtual machines 1508A and 1508B (one or more of which may generally be referred to as virtual machine 1508), and / or perform any functionality, features, and / or benefits described for some embodiments described herein. Virtualization layer 1506 may present a virtual operating platform to virtual machine 1508 that appears to be networked hardware.

[0130] Virtual machine 1508 includes virtual processing, virtual memory, virtual networking or interfaces, and virtual storage devices, and can be run by a corresponding virtualization layer 1506. Different embodiments of instances of virtual device 1502 can be implemented on one or more virtual machines 1508, and can be implemented in different ways. In some contexts, hardware virtualization is referred to as Network Functions Virtualization (NFV). NFV can be used to consolidate many types of network devices onto industry-standard, high-capacity server hardware, physical switches, and physical storage devices that can reside in data centers and client devices.

[0131] In the context of NFV, virtual machine 1508 can be a software implementation of a physical machine, which runs programs as if they were executed on a physical, non-virtualized machine. Each virtual machine 1508, along with the portion of hardware 1504 that executes that virtual machine (hardware dedicated to that virtual machine and / or hardware shared by that virtual machine with other virtual machines 1508), forms a separate virtual network unit. Still within the context of NFV, the virtual network function is responsible for handling specific network functions running on one or more virtual machines 1508 above hardware 1504, and corresponds to application 1502.

[0132] Hardware 1504 can be implemented in a standalone network node with general or specific components. Hardware 1504 may implement some functions via virtualization. Alternatively, hardware 1504 may be part of a larger hardware cluster (e.g., such as in a data center or CPE) where many hardware nodes work together and are managed via management and orchestration 1510, which, among other things, oversees the lifecycle management of application 1502. In some embodiments, hardware 1504 is coupled to one or more radio units, each including one or more transmitters and one or more receivers that can be coupled to one or more antennas. The radio units may communicate directly with other hardware nodes via one or more suitable network interfaces and may be used in combination with virtual components to provide a radio-capable virtual node, such as a RAN or base station. In some embodiments, a control system 1512 may be used to provide signaling, which may alternatively be used for communication between the hardware nodes and the radio units.

[0133] Figure 16 A communication diagram is shown illustrating how host 1602 communicates with UE 1606 via network node 1604 through a partial wireless connection, according to some embodiments. Reference will now be made to... Figure 16 To describe the UE discussed in the preceding paragraphs according to various embodiments (e.g. Figure 11 UE 1112A and / or Figure 12 UE 1200), network nodes (e.g.) Figure 11 Network node 1110A and / or Figure 13 Network node 1300) and host (e.g. Figure 11 Host 1116 and / or Figure 14 Example implementation of host 1400.

[0134] Similar to host 1400, embodiments of host 1602 include hardware such as a communication interface, processing circuitry, and memory. Host 1602 also includes software stored in or accessible by host 1602 and executable by the processing circuitry. The software includes a host application operable to provide services to remote users, such as a UE 1606 connected via an OTT connection 1650 extending between UE 1606 and host 1602. In providing services to remote users, the host application can provide user data transmitted using the OTT connection 1650.

[0135] Network node 1604 includes hardware that enables it to communicate with host 1602 and UE 1606. Connection 1660 can be direct or via a core network (such as...). Figure 11The core network (1106) and / or one or more other intermediate networks, such as one or more public, private, or hosted networks. For example, an intermediate network could be a backbone network or the Internet.

[0136] UE 1606 includes hardware and software, the software being stored in or accessible by UE 1606 and executable by the UE's processing circuitry. This software includes client applications, such as web browsers or carrier-specific "applications," operable to provide services to human or non-human users via UE 1606 with the support of host 1602. In host 1602, the executing host application can communicate with the executing client application via OTT connection 1650, which terminates between UE 1606 and host 1602. When providing services to a user, the UE's client application can receive request data from the host application of the host and provide user data in response to that request data. OTT connection 1650 can transmit both request data and user data. The UE's client application can interact with the user to generate the user data it provides to the host application via OTT connection 1650.

[0137] OTT connection 1650 can be extended via connection 1660 between host 1602 and network node 1604 and via wireless connection 1670 between network node 1604 and UE 1606 to provide connectivity between host 1602 and UE 1606. Connection 1660 and wireless connection 1670, which can provide OTT connection 1650, have been abstractly drawn to illustrate communication between host 1602 and UE 1606 via network node 1604, without explicitly referencing any intermediate devices or the precise routing of messages via these devices.

[0138] As an example of sending data via OTT connection 1650, in step 1608, host 1602 provides user data, which can be done by executing a host application. In some embodiments, the user data is associated with a specific human user interacting with UE 1606. In other embodiments, the user data is associated with UE 1606, which shares data with host 1602 without explicit human interaction. In step 1610, host 1602 initiates a transmission carrying user data toward UE 1606. Host 1602 may initiate the transmission in response to a request sent by UE 1606. This request may be caused by human interaction with UE 1606 or by the operation of a client application executed on UE 1606. According to the teachings of the embodiments described throughout this disclosure, the transmission may be carried out via network node 1604. Therefore, in step 1612, according to the teachings of the embodiments described throughout this disclosure, network node 1604 sends the user data carried in the transmission initiated by host 1602 to UE 1606. In step 1614, UE 1606 receives user data carried in the transmission, which can be performed by a client application running on UE 1606, which is associated with a host application running by host 1602.

[0139] In some examples, UE 1606 executes a client application that provides user data to host 1602. User data can be provided in response to data received from host 1602. Therefore, in step 1616, UE 1606 can provide user data, which can be done by executing a client application. When providing user data, the client application may further consider user input received from a user via the input / output interface of UE 1606. Regardless of the specific manner in which user data is provided, UE 1606 initiates a transmission of user data to host 1602 via network node 1604 in step 1618. In step 1620, in accordance with the teachings of the embodiments described throughout this disclosure, network node 1604 receives user data from UE 1606 and initiates a transmission of the received user data to host 1602. In step 1622, host 1602 receives the user data carried in the transmission initiated by UE 1606.

[0140] One or more of the various embodiments improve the performance of the OTT service provided to the UE 1606 using OTT connection 1650 (where wireless connection 1670 forms the final segment).

[0141] In the example scenario, host 1602 can collect and analyze plant status information. As another example, host 1602 can process audio and video data that may have been obtained from the UE for map creation. As another example, host 1602 can collect and analyze real-time data to assist in controlling traffic congestion (e.g., controlling traffic lights). As another example, host 1602 can store surveillance video uploaded by the UE. As another example, host 1602 can store or control access to media content such as video, audio, VR, or AR, which host 1602 can broadcast, multicast, or unicast to the UE. As other examples, host 1602 can be used for energy pricing, remote control of non-time-critical power loads to balance generation demand, location services, presentation services (e.g., editing maps based on data collected from remote devices), or any other function that collects, acquires, stores, analyzes, and / or transmits data.

[0142] In some examples, a measurement process may be provided for the purpose of monitoring data rates, latency, and other factors improved thereon in one or more embodiments. Optional network functions may also be available for reconfiguring the OTT connection 1650 between host 1602 and UE 1606 in response to changes in measurement results. The measurement process and / or network functions for reconfiguring the OTT connection 1650 may be implemented in the software and hardware of host 1602 and / or UE 1606. In some embodiments, sensors (not shown) may be deployed in or associated with other devices through which the OTT connection 1650 passes; the sensors may participate in the measurement process by providing values ​​of the monitored quantities as exemplified above or by providing values ​​of other physical quantities from which the software can calculate or estimate the monitored quantities. Reconfiguration of the OTT connection 1650 may include message formats, retransmission settings, preferred routing, etc.; reconfiguration does not require a direct change in the operation of network node 1604. Such processes and functions may be known and practiced in the art. In certain embodiments, the measurement may involve proprietary UE signaling, which facilitates host 1602's measurement of throughput, propagation time, latency, etc. Measurements can be made because the software uses an OTT connection 1650 to send messages, especially empty or "dummy" messages, during its monitoring of propagation time, errors, etc.

[0143] While the computing devices described herein (e.g., UE, network node, host) may include combinations of the hardware components shown, other embodiments may include computing devices with different combinations of components. It will be understood that these computing devices may include any suitable combination of hardware and / or software required to perform the tasks, features, functions, and methods disclosed herein. The determination, calculation, acquisition, or similar operations described herein may be performed by processing circuitry, which may process information, for example, by: converting acquired information into other information, comparing the acquired or converted information with information stored in a network node, and / or performing one or more operations based on the acquired or converted information, and making a determination as a result of said processing. Furthermore, although components are depicted as single boxes located within larger boxes or nested within multiple boxes, in practice, a computing device may include multiple different physical components constituting a single illustrated component, and functionality may be partitioned between individual components. For example, a communication interface may be configured to include any of the components described herein, and / or the functionality of a component may be partitioned between processing circuitry and the communication interface. In another example, non-computationally intensive functions of any such component may be implemented in software or firmware, while computationally intensive functions may be implemented in hardware.

[0144] In certain embodiments, some or all of the functions described herein may be provided by processing circuitry executing instructions stored in memory, which may be a computer program product in the form of a non-transitory computer-readable storage medium. In alternative embodiments, some or all of the functions may be provided by processing circuitry without requiring, for example, hard-wired execution of instructions stored on separate or separate device-readable storage media. In any of these particular embodiments, processing circuitry may be configured to perform the described functions regardless of whether instructions stored on a non-transitory computer-readable storage medium are executed. The benefits provided by such functions are not limited to the processing circuitry or other components of the computing device, but are enjoyed by the computing device as a whole and / or generally by the end user and wireless network.

[0145] Some example embodiments of this disclosure are as follows: Group A Examples

[0146] Example 1: A method performed by a user equipment (UE) for providing feedback to a network node regarding a frequency difference between a transmission and reception point (TRP), the method comprising any one or more of the following: determining (1006) a frequency difference between a transmission frequency of a first TRP and a transmission frequency of a second TRP; sending (1008) to the network node a quantized frequency difference value indicating the determined frequency difference between the transmission frequencies of the first TRP and the second TRP; wherein the values ​​of one or more parameters relating to the quantization of the determined frequency difference that provide the quantized frequency difference value are configured by the network node or determined by the UE as a function of the carrier frequencies on which the first TRP and the second TRP transmit.

[0147] Example 2: According to the method of Example 1, wherein one or more parameters related to the quantization of the determined frequency difference, which provide the quantization frequency difference, include any one or more of the following: The frequency step size used for quantization of the determined frequency difference. The frequency range of a series of values ​​used for quantization of the determined frequency difference. The number of bits N used for quantization of the determined frequency difference. Maximum correctable frequency error.

[0148] Example 3: According to the method of Example 1, wherein one or more parameters related to the quantization of the determined frequency difference, which provide the quantization frequency difference value, include the frequency step size for quantization of the determined frequency difference and the frequency range of a series of values ​​for quantization of the determined frequency difference.

[0149] Example 4: According to the method of Example 1, wherein one or more parameters related to the quantization of the determined frequency difference, which provide the quantization frequency difference value, include the frequency step size for quantization of the determined frequency difference and the frequency range of a series of values ​​for quantization of the determined frequency difference.

[0150] Example 5: According to the method of Example 1, wherein one or more parameters related to the quantization of the determined frequency difference, which provide the quantization frequency difference value, include the number of bits N for the quantization of the determined frequency difference.

[0151] Example 6: According to the method of Example 1, wherein one or more parameters related to the quantization of the determined frequency difference, which provide the quantization frequency difference value, include the frequency step size for quantizing the determined frequency difference.

[0152] Example 7: According to the method of Example 1, wherein one or more parameters related to the quantization of the determined frequency difference, which provide the quantization frequency difference value, include the number of bits N for quantization of the determined frequency difference and the frequency step size for quantization of the determined frequency difference.

[0153] Example 8: According to the method of Example 1, wherein one or more parameters related to the quantization of the determined frequency difference, which provide the quantization frequency difference value, include the frequency step size for quantization of the determined frequency difference and the maximum correctable frequency error.

[0154] Example 9: According to the method of Example 1, wherein one or more parameters related to the quantization of the determined frequency difference, which provide the quantization frequency difference value, include the number of bits N for quantization of the determined frequency difference and the maximum correctable frequency error.

[0155] Example 10: The method according to any one of Examples 1 to 9, wherein the value of at least one of one or more parameters related to the quantization of the determined frequency difference is predefined.

[0156] Example 11: The method according to any one of Examples 1 to 9, wherein the values ​​of one or more parameters related to the quantization of the determined frequency difference are predefined.

[0157] Example 12: The method according to any one of Examples 1 to 9 further includes: receiving from a network node (1004) information that explicitly or implicitly indicates the value of at least one of one or more parameters related to the quantization of the determined frequency difference, providing the quantization frequency difference.

[0158] Example 13: The method according to any one of Examples 1 to 9 further includes: receiving from a network node (1004) information that explicitly or implicitly indicates the values ​​of one or more parameters related to the quantization of the determined frequency difference, providing the quantization frequency difference.

[0159] Example 14: The method according to Example 12 or 13, wherein one or more parameters related to the quantization of the determined frequency difference that provide the quantization frequency difference include two or more parameters configured respectively via information received from the network node.

[0160] Example 15: The method according to Example 12 or 13, wherein one or more parameters related to the quantization of the determined frequency difference that provide the quantization frequency difference include two or more parameters jointly configured via information received from the network node.

[0161] Example 16: The method according to any one of Examples 12 to 15, wherein the information received from the network node includes CSI report configuration, which includes information of a first reference signal sent from a first TRP and a second reference signal sent from a second TRP.

[0162] Example 17: According to the method described in Example 16, determining the frequency difference between the transmission frequency of the first TRP and the transmission frequency of the second TRP (1006) includes: measuring the frequency difference based on the first reference signal and the second reference signal.

[0163] Example 18: The method according to Example 16 or 17, wherein sending (1008) quantization frequency difference to the network node is configured according to the CSI report.

[0164] Example 19: The method according to any one of Examples 12 to 15, wherein the information received from the network node includes serving cell configuration.

[0165] Example 20: The method according to any one of Examples 1 to 19, wherein the first TRP and the second TRP are TRPs for coherent joint transmission to the UE.

[0166] Example 21: The method according to any one of the foregoing embodiments further includes: providing user data; and forwarding the user data to the host via transmission to a network node. Group B Implementation Examples

[0167] Example 22: A method executed by a network node for compensating a frequency difference between a transmitting and receiving point (TRP) based on feedback from a user equipment (UE), the method comprising: receiving (1008) from the UE a quantized frequency difference value indicating a frequency difference between a transmission frequency of a first TRP and a transmission frequency of a second TRP, wherein the values ​​of one or more parameters associated with the quantization of the frequency difference are configured by the network node or determined by the UE as a function of the carrier frequencies on which the first TRP and the second TRP transmit; and performing (1010) one or more actions based on the quantized frequency difference value.

[0168] Example 23: The method according to Example 22 further includes: determining and setting the values ​​of one or more parameters related to the quantization of the frequency difference in the UE configuration (1004).

[0169] Example 24: The method according to Example 23, wherein the determination is based on one or more of the following: the carrier frequencies on which the first TRP and the second TRP transmit, the reporting period of the frequency difference fed back by the UE, and the maximum frequency error of each of the first TRP and the second TRP.

[0170] Example 25: According to the method of Example 22, wherein one or more parameters related to the quantization of the determined frequency difference, which provide the quantization frequency difference, include any one or more of the following: The frequency step size used for quantization of the determined frequency difference. The frequency range of a series of values ​​used for quantization of the determined frequency difference. The number of bits N used for quantization of the determined frequency difference. Maximum correctable frequency error.

[0171] Example 26: According to the method of Example 22, wherein one or more parameters related to the quantization of the determined frequency difference, which provide the quantization frequency difference value, include a frequency step size for quantizing the determined frequency difference and a frequency range of a series of values ​​for quantizing the determined frequency difference.

[0172] Example 27: According to the method of Example 22, wherein one or more parameters related to the quantization of the determined frequency difference, which provide the quantization frequency difference value, include the frequency step size for quantizing the determined frequency difference and the frequency range of a series of values ​​for quantizing the determined frequency difference.

[0173] Example 28: According to the method of Example 22, wherein one or more parameters related to the quantization of the determined frequency difference, which provide the quantization frequency difference value, include the number of bits N for the quantization of the determined frequency difference.

[0174] Example 29: According to the method of Example 22, wherein one or more parameters related to the quantization of the determined frequency difference, which provide the quantization frequency difference value, include the frequency step size for quantizing the determined frequency difference.

[0175] Example 30: According to the method of Example 22, wherein one or more parameters related to the quantization of the determined frequency difference, which provide the quantization frequency difference value, include the number of bits N for quantization of the determined frequency difference and the frequency step size for quantization of the determined frequency difference.

[0176] Example 31: According to the method of Example 22, wherein one or more parameters related to the quantization of the determined frequency difference, which provide the quantization frequency difference value, include the frequency step size for quantization of the determined frequency difference and the maximum correctable frequency error.

[0177] Example 32: According to the method of Example 22, wherein one or more parameters related to the quantization of the determined frequency difference, which provide the quantization frequency difference value, include the number of bits N for quantization of the determined frequency difference and the maximum correctable frequency error.

[0178] Example 33: The method according to any one of Examples 22 to 32, wherein the value of at least one of one or more parameters related to the quantization of the determined frequency difference is predefined.

[0179] Example 34: The method according to any one of Examples 22 to 32, wherein the values ​​of one or more parameters related to the quantization of the determined frequency difference are predefined.

[0180] Example 35: The method according to any one of Examples 22 to 32 further includes: sending to the UE (1004) information that explicitly or implicitly indicates the value of at least one of one or more parameters related to the quantization of the determined frequency difference.

[0181] Example 36: The method according to any one of Examples 22 to 32 further includes: sending to the UE (1004) information that explicitly or implicitly indicates the value of one or more parameters related to the quantization of the determined frequency difference.

[0182] Example 37: The method according to Example 35 or 36, wherein one or more parameters related to the quantization of the determined frequency difference that provide the quantized frequency difference include two or more parameters configured respectively via information sent to the UE.

[0183] Example 38: The method according to Example 35 or 36, wherein one or more parameters related to the quantization of the determined frequency difference that provide the quantized frequency difference include two or more parameters jointly configured via information sent to the UE.

[0184] Example 39: The method according to any one of Examples 35 to 38, wherein the information sent to the UE includes CSI report configuration, which includes information of a first reference signal sent from a first TRP and a second reference signal sent from a second TRP.

[0185] Example 40: The method described in Examples 20 and 39, wherein the received quantization frequency difference is configured according to the CSI report.

[0186] Example 41: The method according to any one of Examples 35 to 40, wherein the information sent to the UE includes serving cell configuration.

[0187] Example 42: The method according to any one of Examples 22 to 41, wherein the first TRP and the second TRP are TRPs for coherent joint transmission to the UE.

[0188] Example 43: The method according to any one of the foregoing embodiments further includes: obtaining user data; and forwarding the user data to a host or user equipment. Group C Implementation Examples

[0189] Example 44: A user equipment includes: processing circuitry configured to perform any step of any of the Group A examples; and power supply circuitry configured to provide power to the processing circuitry.

[0190] Example 45: A network node comprising: processing circuitry configured to perform any step of any of the Group B examples; and power supply circuitry configured to provide power to the processing circuitry.

[0191] Example 46: A user equipment (UE) includes: an antenna configured to transmit and receive radio signals; a radio front-end circuit connected to the antenna and processing circuitry and configured to modulate signals transmitted between the antenna and processing circuitry; processing circuitry configured to perform any step of any of the Group A embodiments; an input interface connected to the processing circuitry and configured to allow information to be input into the UE for processing by the processing circuitry; an output interface connected to the processing circuitry and configured to output information processed by the processing circuitry from the UE; and a battery connected to the processing circuitry and configured to provide power to the UE.

[0192] Example 47: A host configured to operate in a communication system to provide over-the-top (OTT) services, the host comprising: processing circuitry configured to provide user data; and a network interface configured to initiate the transmission of user data to a network node in a cellular network for transmission to a user equipment (UE), the network node having a communication interface and processing circuitry, the processing circuitry of the network node being configured to perform any operation of any of the Group B examples to send user data from the host to the UE.

[0193] Example 48: A host according to a previous example, wherein: the host's processing circuitry is configured to execute a host application that provides user data; and the UE includes processing circuitry configured to execute a client application associated with the host application to receive transmissions of user data from the host.

[0194] Example 49: A method implemented in a host, the host being configured to operate in a communication system including a network node and a user equipment (UE), the method comprising: providing user data to the UE; and initiating a transmission carrying the user data to the UE via a cellular network including the network node, wherein the network node performs any operation of any of the Group B examples to send the user data from the host to the UE.

[0195] Example 50: The method according to the previous example further includes: at the network node, transmitting user data provided by the host to the UE.

[0196] Example 51: The method according to any one of the preceding two examples, wherein user data is provided at the host by executing a host application, the host application interacts with a client application executed on the UE, and the client application is associated with the host application.

[0197] Example 52: A communication system configured to provide over-the-top (OTT) services, the communication system comprising: a host including: processing circuitry configured to provide user data to a user equipment (UE), the user data being associated with the over-the-top service; and a network interface configured to initiate the transmission of user data to a cellular network node for transmission to the UE, the network node having the communication interface and the processing circuitry, the processing circuitry of the network node being configured to perform any operation of any of the Group B embodiments to send user data from the host to the UE.

[0198] Example 53: The communication system according to the previous example further includes: a network node; and / or a UE.

[0199] Example 54: A host configured to operate in a communication system to provide over-the-top (OTT) services, the host comprising: processing circuitry configured to initiate the reception of user data; and a network interface configured to receive user data from a network node in a cellular network, the network node having a communication interface and processing circuitry, the processing circuitry of the network node being configured to perform any operation of any of the Group B examples to receive user data from a user equipment (UE) for the host.

[0200] Example 55: The host according to the previous example, wherein: the host's processing circuitry is configured to execute a host application for receiving user data; and the host application is configured to interact with a client application executed on the UE, the client application being associated with the host application.

[0201] Example 56: The host according to any one of the preceding two examples, wherein initiating the reception of user data includes: requesting user data.

[0202] Example 57: A method implemented by a host, the host being configured to operate in a communication system including a network node and a user equipment (UE), the method comprising: at the host, initiating the reception of user data from the UE, the user data originating from a transmission already received from the UE by the network node, wherein the network node performs any step of any of the Group B examples to receive the user data from the UE for the host.

[0203] Example 58: The method according to the previous example further includes: sending the received user data to the host at the network node.

[0204] Example 59: A host configured to operate in a communication system to provide over-the-top (OTT) services, the host comprising: processing circuitry configured to provide user data; and a network interface configured to initiate the transmission of user data to a cellular network for transmission to a user equipment (UE), wherein the UE includes a communication interface and processing circuitry, the communication interface and processing circuitry of the UE being configured to perform any operation of any of the Group A embodiments to receive user data from the host.

[0205] Example 60: The host according to the previous example, wherein the cellular network further includes a network node configured to communicate with the UE to send user data from the host to the UE.

[0206] Example 61: The host according to the first two examples, wherein: the host's processing circuitry is configured to execute a host application to provide user data; and the host application is configured to interact with a client application executed on the UE, the client application being associated with the host application.

[0207] Example 62: A method implemented by a host operating in a communication system including a network node and a user equipment (UE), the method comprising: providing user data to the UE; and initiating a transmission carrying the user data to the UE via a cellular network including the network node, wherein the UE performs any operation of any of the Group A examples to receive the user data from the host.

[0208] Example 63: The method according to the previous example further includes: at the host, executing a host application associated with a client application executed on the UE to receive user data from the host application.

[0209] Example 64: The method according to the previous example further includes: at the host, sending input data to a client application executed on the UE, the input data being provided by executing the host application, wherein user data is provided by the client application in response to input data from the host application.

[0210] Example 65: A host configured to operate in a communication system to provide over-the-top (OTT) services, the host comprising: processing circuitry configured to provide user data; and a network interface configured to initiate the transmission of user data to a cellular network for transmission to a user equipment (UE), wherein the UE includes a communication interface and processing circuitry, the communication interface and processing circuitry of the UE being configured to perform any step of any of the Group A examples to send user data to the host.

[0211] Example 66: The host according to the previous example, wherein the cellular network further includes a network node configured to communicate with the UE to send user data from the UE to the host.

[0212] Example 67: The host according to the first two examples, wherein: the host's processing circuitry is configured to execute a host application to provide user data; and the host application is configured to interact with a client application executed on the UE, the client application being associated with the host application.

[0213] Example 68: A method implemented by a host, the host being configured to operate in a communication system including a network node and a user equipment (UE), the method comprising: at the host, receiving user data sent by the UE to the host via the network node, wherein the UE performs any step of any of the Group A examples to send the user data to the host.

[0214] Example 69: The method according to the previous example further includes: at the host, executing a host application associated with a client application executed on the UE to receive user data from the UE.

[0215] Example 70: The method according to the preceding two examples further includes: at the host, sending input data to a client application executed on the UE, the input data being provided by executing the host application, wherein user data is provided by the client application in response to input data from the host application.

[0216] Those skilled in the art will recognize improvements and modifications to the embodiments of this disclosure. All such improvements and modifications are considered to be within the scope of the concepts disclosed herein.

Claims

1. A method performed by a user equipment (UE) for providing feedback to a network node regarding the frequency difference between each of a plurality of transmit and receive points (TRPs) and a reference TRP, the method comprising: Configuration for receiving Channel State Information (CSI) reports for frequency difference feedback; Determine (1006) the frequency difference between each of the plurality of TRPs and the reference TRP; Based on one or more parameters related to the quantization of the determined frequency difference, a quantized frequency difference value is determined (1008) indicating the determined frequency difference between each of the plurality of TRPs and the reference TRP, wherein the values ​​of the one or more parameters related to the quantization of the determined frequency difference that provide the quantized frequency difference value are configured by the network node; as well as Send (1008) the quantization frequency difference for each of the plurality of TRPs to the network node.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein, The value of the one or more parameters relating to the quantization of the determined frequency difference that provide the quantization frequency difference is a function of any one or more of the following: The carrier frequencies on which the plurality of TRPs operate, Channel Status Information (CSI) reporting cycle Base station type, The maximum frequency error of the multiple TRPs.

3. The method according to claim 1, wherein, The one or more parameters that provide the quantization frequency difference and are related to the quantization of the determined frequency difference include any one or more of the following: The frequency step size used for quantization of the determined frequency difference. The frequency range used for quantization of the determined frequency difference. The number of bits N used for quantization of the determined frequency difference. Maximum frequency quantization error.

4. The method according to claim 1, wherein, The one or more parameters that provide the quantization frequency difference and are related to the quantization of the determined frequency difference include the frequency step size for quantization of the determined frequency difference.

5. The method according to claim 4, wherein, The frequency step size used for quantizing the determined frequency difference is a function of the Coherent Joint Transmission (CJT) Channel State Information (CSI) reporting period.

6. The method according to claim 4, wherein, The frequency step size used for quantizing the determined frequency difference is configured to the UE from the network node.

7. The method according to any one of claims 4 to 6, wherein, The one or more parameters that provide the quantization frequency difference and are related to the quantization of the determined frequency difference also include the number of bits N used for the quantization of the determined frequency difference.

8. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 7, wherein, The quantization is uniform quantization in which quantization levels are evenly spaced within the frequency range for quantization of the determined frequency difference.

9. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 7, wherein, The number of bits N used for quantization of the determined frequency difference is configured to the UE from the network node.

10. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 7, wherein, The frequency range used for quantizing the determined frequency difference is configured to the UE from the network node.

11. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 7, wherein, The frequency range and the number of bits N used for quantizing the determined frequency difference are configured to the UE from the network node.

12. The method according to any one of claims 4 to 6, wherein, The one or more parameters that provide the quantization frequency difference and are related to the quantization of the determined frequency difference also include the maximum frequency quantization error.

13. The method according to claim 1, wherein, The one or more parameters that provide the quantization frequency difference value in relation to the quantization of the determined frequency difference include the number of bits N for quantization of the determined frequency difference and the maximum frequency quantization error.

14. The method according to claim 1, wherein, The one or more parameters relating to the quantization of the determined frequency difference that provide the quantization frequency difference include the frequency step size for quantization of the determined frequency difference and the frequency range of a series of values ​​for quantization of the determined frequency difference.

15. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 14, wherein, The value of at least one of the one or more parameters that provide the quantization frequency difference related to the quantization of the determined frequency difference is predefined.

16. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 14, wherein, The values ​​of one or more parameters that provide the quantization frequency difference and are related to the quantization of the determined frequency difference are predefined.

17. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 14, further comprising: Receive (1004) from the network node information that explicitly or implicitly indicates the value of at least one of the one or more parameters related to the quantization of the determined frequency difference, providing the quantization frequency difference.

18. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 14, further comprising: Receive (1004) from the network node information that explicitly or implicitly indicates the value of one or more parameters related to the quantization of the determined frequency difference, providing the quantization frequency difference.

19. The method according to claim 17 or 18, wherein, The one or more parameters that provide the quantization frequency difference and are related to the quantization of the determined frequency difference include two or more parameters that are configured respectively via the information received from the network node.

20. The method according to claim 17 or 18, wherein, The one or more parameters that provide the quantization frequency difference and are related to the quantization of the determined frequency difference include two or more parameters that are jointly configured via the information received from the network node.

21. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 20, wherein, The CSI report configuration received from the network node also includes information on a plurality of reference signals, wherein each of the plurality of reference signals is sent from the reference TRP or from one of the plurality of TRPs.

22. The method according to claim 21, wherein, Determining (1006) the frequency difference between each of the plurality of TRPs and the reference TRP includes: measuring the frequency difference based on the corresponding reference signal.

23. The method according to claim 21 or 22, wherein, Sending (1008) the quantized frequency difference to the network node is configured according to the CSI report.

24. The method according to any one of claims 17 to 20, wherein, The information received from the network node includes the serving cell configuration.

25. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 24, wherein, One or more of the plurality of TRPs and the reference TRP are TRPs used for coherent joint transmission to the UE.

26. A user equipment (UE) for providing feedback to a network node regarding the frequency difference between each of a plurality of transmission and reception points (TRPs) and a reference TRP, the UE being adapted to: Configuration for receiving Channel State Information (CSI) reports for frequency difference feedback; Determine (1006) the frequency difference between each of the plurality of TRPs and the reference TRP; Based on one or more parameters related to the quantization of the determined frequency difference, a quantized frequency difference value indicating the determined frequency difference between each of the plurality of TRPs and the reference TRP is determined (1008), wherein, The values ​​of one or more parameters related to the quantization of the determined frequency difference, which provide the quantization frequency difference, are configured by the network node; as well as Send (1008) the quantization frequency difference for each of the plurality of TRPs to the network node.

27. The UE according to claim 26 is also suitable for performing the method according to any one of claims 2 to 25.

28. A user equipment (UE) (1200) for providing feedback to a network node regarding the frequency difference between a transmitting and receiving point (TRP), the UE (1200) comprising: The communication interface (1212) includes a transmitter (1218) and a receiver (1220). as well as A processing circuit (1202) associated with the communication interface (1212) is configured to cause the UE (1200) to: Configuration for receiving Channel State Information (CSI) reports for frequency difference feedback; Determine (1006) the frequency difference between each of the plurality of TRPs and the reference TRP; Based on one or more parameters related to the quantization of the determined frequency difference, a quantized frequency difference value is determined (1008) indicating the determined frequency difference between each of the plurality of TRPs and the reference TRP, wherein the values ​​of the one or more parameters related to the quantization of the determined frequency difference that provide the quantized frequency difference value are configured by the network node; as well as Send (1008) the quantization frequency difference for each of the plurality of TRPs to the network node.

29. The UE (1200) according to claim 28 is also suitable for performing the method according to any one of claims 2 to 25.

30. A method performed by a network node for compensating for frequency differences between multiple transmission and reception points (TRPs) and a reference TRP based on feedback from a user equipment (UE), the method comprising: Configuration for sending Channel State Information (CSI) reports to the UE for frequency difference feedback; The UE receives (1008) a quantized frequency difference value indicating the frequency difference between each of the plurality of TRPs and a reference TRP, wherein the values ​​of one or more parameters related to the quantization of the frequency difference are configured by the network node or determined by the UE; as well as Based on the quantized frequency difference, perform one or more (1010) actions.

31. The method according to claim 30, wherein, The value of the one or more parameters relating to the quantization of the determined frequency difference that provide the quantization frequency difference is a function of any one or more of the following: The carrier frequencies on which the plurality of TRPs operate, Channel Status Information (CSI) reporting cycle Base station type, The maximum frequency error of the multiple TRPs.

32. The method of claim 30, further comprising: Determine and assign values ​​to one or more parameters related to the quantization of the frequency difference in the UE configuration (1004).

33. The method according to claim 32, wherein, The determination is based on one or more of the following: the carrier frequencies on which the plurality of TRPs operate, the reporting period of the frequency difference fed back by the UE, and the maximum frequency error of each of the plurality of TRPs.

34. The method according to claim 30, wherein, The one or more parameters that provide the quantization frequency difference and are related to the quantization of the determined frequency difference include any one or more of the following: The frequency step size used for quantization of the determined frequency difference. The frequency range used for quantization of the determined frequency difference. The number of bits N used for quantization of the determined frequency difference. Maximum frequency quantization error.

35. The method according to claim 30, wherein, The one or more parameters that provide the quantization frequency difference and are related to the quantization of the determined frequency difference include the frequency step size for quantization of the determined frequency difference.

36. The method according to claim 35, wherein, The frequency step size used for quantizing the determined frequency difference is a function of the Coherent Joint Transmission (CJT) Channel State Information (CSI) reporting period.

37. The method of claim 35, wherein, The frequency step size used for quantizing the determined frequency difference is configured from the network node to the UE based on the Coherent Joint Transmission (CJT) Channel State Information (CSI) reporting period.

38. The method according to any one of claims 35 to 37, wherein, The one or more parameters that provide the quantization frequency difference and are related to the quantization of the determined frequency difference also include the number of bits N used for the quantization of the determined frequency difference.

39. The method according to any one of claims 30 to 38, wherein, The quantization is uniform quantization in which quantization levels are evenly spaced within the frequency range for quantization of the determined frequency difference.

40. The method according to any one of claims 30 to 38, wherein, The number of bits N used for quantization of the determined frequency difference is configured to the UE from the network node.

41. The method according to any one of claims 30 to 38, wherein, The frequency range used for quantizing the determined frequency difference is configured to the UE from the network node.

42. The method according to any one of claims 30 to 38, wherein, The frequency range and the number of bits N used for quantizing the determined frequency difference are configured to the UE from the network node.

43. The method according to any one of claims 35 to 37, wherein, The one or more parameters that provide the quantization frequency difference and are related to the quantization of the determined frequency difference also include the maximum frequency quantization error.

44. The method of claim 30, wherein, The one or more parameters that provide the quantization frequency difference value in relation to the quantization of the determined frequency difference include the number of bits N for quantization of the determined frequency difference and the maximum frequency quantization error.

45. The method according to any one of claims 30 to 44, wherein, The value of at least one of the one or more parameters that provide the quantization frequency difference related to the quantization of the determined frequency difference is predefined.

46. ​​The method according to any one of claims 30 to 44, wherein, The values ​​of one or more parameters that provide the quantization frequency difference and are related to the quantization of the determined frequency difference are predefined.

47. The method according to any one of claims 30 to 44, further comprising: Send to the UE (1004) information that explicitly or implicitly indicates the value of at least one of the one or more parameters related to the quantization of the determined frequency difference.

48. The method according to any one of claims 30 to 44, further comprising: Send to the UE (1004) an explicit or implicit instruction to provide information on the values ​​of one or more parameters related to the quantization of the determined frequency difference.

49. The method according to claim 47 or 48, wherein, The one or more parameters that provide the quantized frequency difference and are related to the quantization of the determined frequency difference include two or more parameters that are configured respectively via the information sent to the UE.

50. The method according to claim 47 or 48, wherein, The one or more parameters that provide the quantized frequency difference value and are related to the quantization of the determined frequency difference include two or more parameters that are jointly configured via the information sent to the UE.

51. The method according to any one of claims 47 to 50, wherein, The CSI report configuration also includes information on a plurality of reference signals, wherein each of the plurality of reference signals is transmitted from the reference TRP or from one of the plurality of TRPs.

52. The method according to claim 51, wherein, The quantization frequency difference is received according to the CSI report configuration.

53. The method according to any one of claims 47 to 52, wherein, The information sent to the UE includes the serving cell configuration.

54. The method according to any one of claims 30 to 53, wherein, One or more of the plurality of TRPs and the reference TRP are TRPs used for coherent joint transmission to the UE.

55. A network node for compensating for frequency differences between multiple transmission and reception points (TRPs) and a reference TRP based on feedback from a user equipment (UE), said network node being adapted to: Configuration for sending Channel State Information (CSI) reports to the UE for frequency difference feedback; The UE receives (1008) a quantized frequency difference value indicating the frequency difference between each of the plurality of TRPs and a reference TRP, wherein... The values ​​of one or more parameters related to the quantization of the frequency difference are configured by the network node or determined by the UE; as well as Based on the quantized frequency difference, perform one or more (1010) actions.

56. The network node according to claim 55 is also suitable for performing the method according to any one of claims 31 to 54.

57. A network node for compensating frequency differences between multiple transmit and receive points (TRPs) and a reference TRP based on feedback from a user equipment (UE), the network node including processing circuitry configured to cause the network node to: Configuration for sending Channel State Information (CSI) reports to the UE for frequency difference feedback; The UE receives (1008) a quantized frequency difference value indicating the frequency difference between each of the plurality of TRPs and a reference TRP, wherein... The values ​​of one or more parameters related to the quantization of the frequency difference are configured by the network node or determined by the UE; as well as Based on the quantized frequency difference, perform one or more (1010) actions.

58. The network node according to claim 57, wherein, The processing circuitry is further configured to cause the network node to perform the method according to any one of claims 31 to 54.

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