NR PHR Design for Millimeter Wave Deployment

Abstract

This disclosure relates to an NR PHR design for millimeter-wave deployment. The power control process for mmWave may include periodic PHR reporting that varies by beam and event-triggered PHR reporting that varies by user equipment (UE). Periodic PHR reporting may provide a single PHR including power clearance information for each serving beam, or the UE may be configured to measure and report PHRs for different beams in different time slots. When reporting a single PHR with power clearance information for multiple serving beams, the beam index may be included in the reserved bits of the PHR. For event-triggered PHRs, the PHR reported based on a detected event trigger may provide power clearance information only for the current serving beam or for all serving beams.

Description

[0001] This application is a divisional application of patent application No. 202310004139.2, filed on January 3, 2023, entitled "NR PHR Design for Millimeter Wave Deployment". The aforementioned patent application is a divisional application of patent application No. PCT / CN2017 / 084143, filed on May 12, 2017, entitled "NR PHR Design for Millimeter Wave Deployment", and filed in China with application No. 201780090535.4. Background Technology Technical Field

[0002] The various aspects of this disclosure generally relate to wireless communication systems, and more particularly to the design of new radio (NR) power clearance reports (PHRs) for millimeter-wave (mmWave) deployments.

[0003]

[0004] Wireless communication networks are widely deployed to provide various communication services, such as voice, video, packet data, message sending and receiving, and broadcasting. These wireless networks can be multiple access networks capable of supporting multiple users by sharing available network resources. Such networks, typically multiple access networks, support communication for multiple users by sharing available network resources. An example of such a network is the Universal Terrestrial Radio Access Network (UTRAN). UTRAN is a radio access network (RAN) defined as part of the Universal Mobile Telecommunications System (UMTS), a third-generation (3G) mobile phone technology supported by the 3rd Generation Partnership Project (3GPP). Examples of multiple access network formats include Code Division Multiple Access (CDMA) networks, Time Division Multiple Access (TDMA) networks, Frequency Division Multiple Access (FDMA) networks, Orthogonal FDMA (OFDMA) networks, and Single Carrier FDMA (SC-FDMA) networks.

[0005] A wireless communication network may include several base stations or B-nodes capable of supporting communication between several user equipments (UEs). UEs may communicate with base stations via downlinks and uplinks. A downlink (or forward link) refers to the communication link from the base station to the UE, while an uplink (or reverse link) refers to the communication link from the UE to the base station.

[0006] The base station can transmit data and control information to the UE on the downlink and / or receive data and control information from the UE on the uplink. On the downlink, transmissions from the base station may encounter interference from neighboring base stations or other radio frequency (RF) transmitters. On the uplink, transmissions from the UE may encounter interference from uplink transmissions from other UEs communicating with neighboring base stations or from other RF transmitters. This interference may degrade performance on both the downlink and uplink.

[0007] As the demand for mobile broadband access continues to grow, and more user devices (UEs) are accessing long-range wireless communication networks and more short-range wireless systems are being deployed in communities, the likelihood of network interference and congestion is increasing. Research and development are continuously advancing wireless technologies to not only meet the growing demand for mobile broadband access but also to enhance and improve the user experience of mobile communications.

[0008] Overview

[0009] In one aspect of this disclosure, a wireless communication method includes: determining a beam-dependent periodic power clearance report (PHR) by a UE in response to the expiration of a first report timer, wherein the UE receives communication from a serving base station on one or more serving beams beam-shaped by the serving base station; transmitting the beam-dependent periodic PHR to the serving base station by the UE; detecting a report triggering event by the UE; determining a UE-dependent triggering PHR by the UE in response to the report triggering event and the expiration of a second report timer; and transmitting the UE-dependent triggering PHR to the serving base station by the UE.

[0010] In an additional aspect of this disclosure, a wireless communication method includes: receiving an identification signal from a serving base station at a UE, wherein the identification signal identifies one or more reference signals for path loss measurement; measuring path loss on the one or more reference signals identified by the identification signal by the UE; comparing the path loss with a threshold trigger value by the UE; and activating a power headroom report by the UE in response to the path loss exceeding the threshold trigger value.

[0011] In an additional aspect of this disclosure, a wireless communication method includes: a UE determining a time period since the last beam change of one or more serving beams received at the UE from a serving base station; the UE measuring a path loss of a beam-dependent Layer 3 reference signal on the current serving beam in response to the time period exceeding a minimum time threshold; and the UE measuring a path loss of a beam-dependent Layer 1 reference signal on the current serving beam in response to the time period falling below the minimum time threshold.

[0012] In an additional aspect of this disclosure, an apparatus configured for wireless communication includes: means for a UE to determine a beam-dependent periodic PHR in response to the expiration of a first report timer, wherein the UE receives communication from a serving base station on one or more serving beams beam-shaped by the serving base station; means for the UE to transmit the beam-dependent periodic PHR to the serving base station; means for the UE to detect a report triggering event; means for the UE to determine a UE-dependent triggering PHR in response to the report triggering event and the expiration of a second report timer; and means for the UE to transmit the UE-dependent triggering PHR to the serving base station.

[0013] In an additional aspect of this disclosure, an apparatus configured for wireless communication includes: means for receiving an identification signal from a serving base station at a UE, wherein the identification signal identifies one or more reference signals for path loss measurement; means for measuring path loss on the one or more reference signals identified by the identification signal by the UE; means for comparing the path loss with a threshold trigger value by the UE; and means for activating a power clearance report by the UE in response to the path loss exceeding the threshold trigger value.

[0014] In an additional aspect of this disclosure, an apparatus configured for wireless communication includes: means for a UE to determine a time period since the last beam change of one or more serving beams received at the UE from a serving base station; means for the UE to measure the path loss of a beam-dependent Layer 3 reference signal on the current serving beam in response to the time period exceeding a minimum time threshold; and means for the UE to measure the path loss of a beam-dependent Layer 1 reference signal on the current serving beam in response to the time period falling below a minimum time threshold.

[0015] In an additional aspect of this disclosure, a non-transient computer-readable medium having program code recorded thereon is disclosed. The program code further includes: code for determining a beam-dependent periodic PHR by the UE in response to the expiration of a first report timer, wherein the UE receives communication from a serving base station on one or more serving beams beam-shaped by the serving base station; code for transmitting the beam-dependent periodic PHR to the serving base station by the UE; code for detecting a report triggering event by the UE; code for determining a UE-dependent triggering PHR by the UE in response to the report triggering event and the expiration of a second report timer; and code for transmitting the UE-dependent triggering PHR to the serving base station by the UE.

[0016] In an additional aspect of this disclosure, a non-transient computer-readable medium having program code recorded thereon is disclosed. The program code further includes: code for receiving an identification signal from a serving base station at a UE, wherein the identification signal identifies one or more reference signals for path loss measurement; code for measuring the path loss on the one or more reference signals identified by the identification signal by the UE; code for comparing the path loss with a threshold trigger value by the UE; and code for activating a power clearance report by the UE in response to the path loss exceeding the threshold trigger value.

[0017] In an additional aspect of this disclosure, a non-transient computer-readable medium having program code recorded thereon is disclosed. The program code further includes: code for the UE to determine a time period since the last beam change of one or more serving beams received at the UE from the serving base station; code for the UE to measure the path loss of beam-dependent Layer 3 reference signals on the current serving beam in response to the time period exceeding a minimum time threshold; and code for the UE to measure the path loss of beam-dependent Layer 1 reference signals on the current serving beam in response to the time period falling below a minimum time threshold.

[0018] In an additional aspect of this disclosure, an apparatus configured for wireless communication is disclosed. The apparatus includes at least one processor and a memory coupled to the processor. The processor is configured to: determine a beam-dependent periodic PHR by a UE in response to the expiration of a first report timer, wherein the UE receives communication from a serving base station on one or more serving beams beam-shaped by the serving base station; transmit the beam-dependent periodic PHR to the serving base station by the UE; detect a report triggering event by the UE; determine a UE-dependent triggering PHR by the UE in response to the report triggering event and the expiration of a second report timer; and transmit the UE-dependent triggering PHR to the serving base station by the UE.

[0019] In an additional aspect of this disclosure, an apparatus configured for wireless communication is disclosed. The apparatus includes at least one processor and a memory coupled to the processor. The processor is configured to: receive, at a UE, an identification signal from a serving base station, wherein the identification signal identifies one or more reference signals for path loss measurement; measure, by the UE, path loss on the one or more reference signals identified by the identification signal; compare, by the UE, the path loss with a threshold trigger value; and activate a power clearance report by the UE in response to the path loss exceeding the threshold trigger value.

[0020] In an additional aspect of this disclosure, an apparatus configured for wireless communication is disclosed. The apparatus includes at least one processor and a memory coupled to the processor. The processor is configured to: determine, by a UE, a time period since the last beam change of one or more serving beams received at the UE from a serving base station; measure, by the UE, a beam-dependent path loss of a Layer 3 reference signal on the current serving beam in response to the time period exceeding a minimum time threshold; and measure, by the UE, a beam-dependent path loss of a Layer 1 reference signal on the current serving beam in response to the time period falling below the minimum time threshold.

[0021] The foregoing has broadly outlined the features and technical advantages of the examples according to this disclosure in an effort to facilitate a better understanding of the following detailed description. Additional features and advantages will be described thereafter. The disclosed concepts and specific examples can be readily used as the basis for modifying or designing other structures for implementing the same purposes as this disclosure. Such equivalent constructions do not depart from the scope of the appended claims. The characteristics of the concepts disclosed herein, in both their organization and manner of operation, and their associated advantages, will be better understood by considering the following description in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. Each drawing is provided for illustrative and descriptive purposes and does not define any limitation on the claims. Brief description of the attached diagram

[0022] A further understanding of the nature and advantages of this disclosure can be obtained by referring to the following accompanying drawings. In the drawings, similar components or features may have the same reference numerals. Furthermore, components of the same type may be distinguished by a dash following the reference numeral and a second reference numeral used to differentiate between similar components. If only the first reference numeral is used in the description, the description may be applied to any of the similar components having the same first reference numeral regardless of the second reference numeral.

[0023] Figure 1 It is a block diagram that explains the details of a wireless communication system.

[0024] Figure 2 This is a block diagram illustrating the design of a base station and a UE configured according to one aspect of this disclosure.

[0025] Figure 3 This is a block diagram illustrating a wireless communication system that includes a base station using directional wireless beams.

[0026] Figure 4 This is a block diagram illustrating example frames implemented to achieve one aspect of this disclosure.

[0027] Figure 5 This is a block diagram illustrating how a base station uses mmWave beamforming to communicate with a UE, wherein the base station and the UE are configured according to various aspects of this disclosure.

[0028] Figures 6A-6C This is a block diagram illustrating the base station and UE configured according to various aspects of this disclosure.

[0029] Figure 7 This is a block diagram illustrating example frames implemented to achieve one aspect of this disclosure.

[0030] Figure 8 This is a block diagram illustrating example frames implemented to achieve one aspect of this disclosure.

[0031] Figure 9 This is a block diagram illustrating a UE configured according to one aspect of this disclosure.

[0032] Figure 10 It is a schematic diagram in PHR format.

[0033] Figure 11 This is a schematic diagram illustrating the analysis of beamforming differences.

[0034] Figure 12 This is a schematic diagram in 2+6 PHR format.

[0035] The appendix provides further details regarding various embodiments of this disclosure, and the subject matter therein forms part of the specification of this application. Detailed description

[0036] The detailed description set forth below in conjunction with the accompanying drawings and appendices is intended as a description of various configurations and is not intended to limit the scope of this disclosure. Rather, this detailed description includes specific details in order to provide a thorough understanding of the main body of the invention. It will be apparent to those skilled in the art that these specific details are not required in every situation, and in some instances, well-known structures and components are shown in block diagram form for clarity of expression.

[0037] This disclosure generally relates to providing or participating in licensed shared access between two or more wireless communication systems (also referred to as wireless communication networks). In various embodiments, technologies and apparatus may be used in wireless communication networks such as Code Division Multiple Access (CDMA) networks, Time Division Multiple Access (TDMA) networks, Frequency Division Multiple Access (FDMA) networks, Orthogonal FDMA (OFDMA) networks, Single Carrier FDMA (SC-FDMA) networks, LTE networks, GSM networks, 5G or New Radio (NR) networks, and other communication networks. As described herein, the terms "network" and "system" may be used interchangeably.

[0038] OFDMA networks can implement radio technologies such as Evolved UTRA (E-UTRA), IEEE 802.11, IEEE 802.16, IEEE 802.20, flash-OFDM, and the like. UTRA, E-UTRA, and GSM are part of the Universal Mobile Telecommunications System (UMTS). Specifically, Long Term Evolution (LTE) is a UMTS version using E-UTRA. UTRA, E-UTRA, GSM, UMTS, and LTE are described in documents from an organization called the 3rd Generation Partnership Project (3GPP), while cdma2000 is described in documents from an organization called 3rd Generation Partnership Project 2 (3GPP2). These various radio technologies and standards are known or under development. For example, the 3rd Generation Partnership Project (3GPP) is a collaboration between various telecommunications association groups that aims to define globally applicable third-generation (3G) mobile phone specifications. 3GPP Long Term Evolution (LTE) is a 3GPP project aimed at improving the Universal Mobile Telecommunications System (UMTS) mobile phone standard. 3GPP defines specifications for next-generation mobile networks, mobile systems, and mobile devices. This disclosure focuses on the evolution of wireless technologies from LTE, 4G, 5G, NR, and beyond, which features shared access to the radio spectrum between networks using new and different sets of radio access technologies or radio air interfaces.

[0039] Specifically, 5G networks envision a variety of deployments, spectrums, services, and devices that can be implemented using a unified OFDM-based air interface. To achieve these goals, in addition to developing new radio technologies for 5G NR networks, further enhancements to LTE and LTE-A are considered. 5G NR will be able to scale to provide coverage for: (1) ultra-high density (e.g., ~1M nodes / km) 2 (1) A massive Internet of Things (IoT) with ultra-low complexity (e.g., ~10 s bits / second), ultra-low energy (e.g., ~10+ years of battery life), and deep coverage capable of reaching challenging locations; (2) A massive Internet of Things (IoT) with robust security (to protect sensitive personal, financial, or classified information), ultra-high reliability (e.g., ~99.9999% reliability), ultra-low latency (e.g., ~1 ms), and mission-critical control for users with a wide range of mobility or lack thereof; and (3) Enhanced mobile broadband, including extremely high capacity (e.g., ~10 Tbps / km). 2 Extreme data rates (e.g., multi-Gbps rates, 100+ Mbps user experience rates), and deep insights with advanced discovery and optimization.

[0040] 5G NR can achieve: optimized OFDM-based waveforms with scalable parameter sets and transmission time intervals (TTIs); a shared, flexible framework for efficiently multiplexing services and features using dynamic, low-latency Time Division Duplex (TDD) / Frequency Division Duplex (FDD) designs; and advanced wireless technologies such as massive MIMO, robust millimeter-wave (mmWave) transmission, advanced channel coding, and device-centric mobility. The scalability of the parameter set in 5G NR (and the scaling of subcarrier spacing) can efficiently address the operation of various services across diverse spectrums and deployments. For example, in various outdoor and macro coverage deployments implemented with FDD / TDD below 3 GHz, subcarrier spacing can occur at 15 kHz, for example, over bandwidths of 1, 5, 10, and 20 MHz. For other various outdoor and small-cell coverage deployments with TDD above 3 GHz, subcarrier spacing can occur at 30 kHz over a bandwidth of 80 / 100 MHz. For various other indoor broadband implementations, the subcarrier spacing can occur at 60 kHz over a 160 MHz bandwidth by using TDD on the unlicensed portion of the 5 GHz band. Finally, for various deployments using mmWave components for transmission at 28 GHz TDD, the subcarrier spacing can occur at 120 kHz over a 500 MHz bandwidth.

[0041] 5G NR's scalable parameter set facilitates scalable Time Intervals (TTIs) to meet various latency and Quality of Service (QoS) requirements. For example, shorter TTIs can be used for low latency and high reliability, while longer TTIs can be used for higher spectral efficiency. Efficient multiplexing of long and short TTIs allows transmissions to begin at symbol boundaries. 5G NR also envisions self-contained integrated subframe designs that incorporate uplink / downlink scheduling information, data, and acknowledgments within the same subframe. These self-contained integrated subframes support communication in unlicensed or contention-based shared spectrum and enable adaptive uplink / downlink configuration that can be flexibly configured on a per-cell basis to dynamically switch between uplink and downlink to meet current traffic needs.

[0042] Various other aspects and features of this disclosure are further described below. It should be apparent that the teachings herein can be embodied in a variety of forms, and any specific structure, function, or both disclosed herein are merely representative and non-limiting. Based on the teachings herein, those skilled in the art will appreciate that the aspects disclosed herein can be implemented independently of any other aspects, and two or more of these aspects can be combined in various ways. For example, any number of aspects set forth herein can be used to implement an apparatus or practice a method. Furthermore, such an apparatus or practice can be implemented using other structures, functions, or structures and functions that complement or differ from one or more aspects set forth herein. For example, a method can be implemented as part of a system, device, apparatus, and / or as instructions stored on a computer-readable medium for execution on a processor or computer. Moreover, an aspect may include at least one element of the claims.

[0043] Figure 1 This is a block diagram illustrating a 5G network 100 comprising various base stations and UEs configured according to various aspects of this disclosure. The 5G network 100 includes several base stations 105 and other network entities. Base stations can be stations that communicate with UEs and may also be referred to as evolved B-nodes (eNBs), next-generation eNBs (gNBs), access points, etc. Each base station 105 can provide communication coverage for a specific geographic area. In 3GPP, the term "cell" can refer to such a specific geographic coverage area of ​​a base station and / or a base station subsystem serving that coverage area, depending on the context in which the term is used.

[0044] Base stations can provide communication coverage for macrocells or small cells (such as picocells or femtocells), and / or other types of cells. Macrocells typically cover a relatively large geographic area (e.g., a radius of several kilometers) and allow unrestricted access by UEs with service subscriptions to a network provider. Small cells (such as picocells) typically cover a relatively small geographic area and allow unrestricted access by UEs with service subscriptions to a network provider. Small cells (such as femtocells) also typically cover a relatively small geographic area (e.g., a residential area) and, in addition to unrestricted access, provide restricted access for UEs associated with that femtocell (e.g., UEs in a closed subscriber group (CSG), UEs of users in that residence, etc.). A base station for a macrocell may be referred to as a macro base station. A base station for a small cell may be referred to as a small cell base station, pico base station, femtocell, or home base station. Figure 1In the example shown, base stations 105d and 105e are conventional macro base stations, while base stations 105a-105c are macro base stations enabled with one of 3D, full-dimensional (FD), or massive MIMO enabled. Base stations 105a-105c utilize their higher-dimensional MIMO capabilities to increase coverage and capacity using 3D beamforming in both elevation and azimuth beamforming. Base station 105f is a small cell base station, which can be a home node or a portable access point. A base station can support one or more (e.g., two, three, four, etc.) cells.

[0045] 5G networks can support synchronous or asynchronous operation. For synchronous operation, each base station can have similar frame timing, and transmissions from different base stations can be roughly aligned in time. For asynchronous operation, each base station can have different frame timing, and transmissions from different base stations can be out of sync in time.

[0046] UE 115 is distributed throughout wireless network 100, and each UE can be stationary or mobile. UE can also be referred to as a terminal, mobile station, subscriber unit, station, etc. UE can be a cellular phone, personal digital assistant (PDA), wireless modem, wireless communication device, handheld device, tablet computer, laptop computer, cordless phone, wireless local loop (WLL) station, etc. In one aspect, UE can be a device including a Universal Integrated Circuit Card (UICC). In another aspect, UE can be a device without a UICC. In some aspects, UEs without a UICC can also be referred to as Internet of Things (IoE) devices. UE 115a-115d are examples of mobile smartphone-type devices accessing 5G network 100. UE can also be a machine specifically configured for connected communications, including Machine Type Communication (MTC), Enhanced MTC (eMTC), Narrowband IoT (NB-IoT), etc. UE 115e-115k are examples of various machines configured for accessing communications on 5G network 100. The UE can communicate with any type of base station, whether it is a macro base station, a small cell, or the like. Figure 1 In this context, a lightning bolt (e.g., a communication link) indicates a radio transmission between the UE and a serving base station, or a desired transmission between base stations, and a backhaul transmission between base stations designated to serve the UE on the downlink and / or uplink.

[0047] In the operation of the 5G network 100, base stations 105a-105c use 3D beamforming and coordinated spatial technologies (such as Coordinated Multipoint (CoMP) or multi-connectivity) to serve UEs 115a and 115b. Macro base station 105d performs backhaul communication with base stations 105a-105c and small cell base station 105f. Macro base station 105d also transmits multicast services subscribed to and received by UEs 115c and 115d. Such multicast services may include mobile TV or streaming video, or may include other services for providing community information (such as weather emergencies or alerts, such as Amber Alerts or Grey Alerts).

[0048] The 5G network 100 also supports mission-critical communication with ultra-reliable and redundant links for mission-critical devices such as UE 115e, which is a drone. Redundant communication links with UE 115e include those from macro base stations 105d and 105e, and small cell base station 105f. Other machine-type devices such as UE 115f (thermometer), UE 115g (smart meter), and UE 115h (wearable device) can communicate directly with base stations (such as small cell base station 105f and macro base station 105e) via the 5G network 100, or in a multi-hop configuration by communicating with another user equipment relaying its information to the network (e.g., UE 115f relays temperature measurement information to smart meter UE 115g, which is then reported to the network via small cell base station 105f). The 5G network 100 can also provide additional network efficiency through dynamic, low-latency TDD / FDD communication, such as in vehicle-to-vehicle (V2V) mesh networks between UEs 115i-115k communicating with macro base station 105e.

[0049] Figure 2 A block diagram of the design of base station 105 and UE 115 is shown, which can be Figure 1One of the base stations and one of the UEs in the system. At base station 105, transmit processor 220 can receive data from data source 212 and control information from controller / processor 240. Control information can be used for PBCH, PCFICH, PHICH, PDCCH, EPDCCH, MPDCCH, etc. Data can be used for PDSCH, etc. Transmit processor 220 can process (e.g., encode and symbol mapping) data and control information to obtain data symbols and control symbols respectively. Transmit processor 220 can also generate reference symbols (e.g., reference symbols for primary synchronization signal (PSS), secondary synchronization signal (SSS), and reference signals that vary depending on the cell). Transmit (TX) multiple-input multiple-output (MIMO) processor 230 can perform spatial processing (e.g., precoding) on ​​data symbols, control symbols, and / or reference symbols where applicable, and can provide output symbol streams to modulators (MODs) 232a to 232t. Each modulator 232 can process its own output symbol stream (e.g., for OFDM, etc.) to obtain an output sample stream. Each modulator 232 may further process (e.g., convert to analog, amplify, filter, and upconvert) the output sample stream to obtain a downlink signal. The downlink signals from modulators 232a to 232t may be transmitted via antennas 234a to 234t, respectively.

[0050] At UE 115, antennas 252a to 252r can receive downlink signals from base station 105 and can respectively provide the received signals to demodulators (DEMODs) 254a to 254r. Each demodulator 254 can condition (e.g., filter, amplify, downconvert, and digitize) its respective received signal to obtain an input sample. Each demodulator 254 can further process the input sample (e.g., for OFDM, etc.) to obtain received symbols. MIMO detector 256 can obtain the received symbols from all demodulators 254a to 254r, perform MIMO detection on these received symbols where applicable, and provide detected symbols. Receiver processor 258 can process (e.g., demodulate, deinterleave, and decode) these detected symbols, provide the decoded data to UE 115 to data sink 260, and provide the decoded control information to controller / processor 280.

[0051] On the uplink, at UE 115, transmit processor 264 can receive and process data from data source 262 (e.g., for PUSCH) and control information from controller / processor 280 (e.g., for PUCCH). Transmit processor 264 can also generate reference symbols for a reference signal. Symbols from transmit processor 264 can be pre-encoded by TX MIMO processor 266, where applicable, further processed by modulators 254a to 254r (e.g., for SC-FDM, etc.), and transmitted to base station 105. At base station 105, uplink signals from UE 115 can be received by antenna 234, processed by demodulator 232, detected by MIMO detector 236, where applicable, and further processed by receive processor 238 to obtain decoded data and control information transmitted by UE 115. Processor 238 can provide the decoded data to data sink 239 and the decoded control information to controller / processor 240.

[0052] Controllers / processors 240 and 280 can respectively direct operations at base station 105 and UE 115. Controllers / processors 240 and / or other processors and modules at base station 105 can perform or direct the execution of various processes used in the techniques described herein. Controllers / processors 280 and / or other processors and modules at UE 115 can also perform or direct... Figure 4 , 7 The execution of the functional blocks explained in section 8, and / or other processes used in the techniques described herein. Memory 242 and 282 may store data and program code for base station 105 and UE 115, respectively. Scheduler 244 may schedule the UE for data transmission on downlink and / or uplink.

[0053] Wireless communication systems operated by different network operating entities (e.g., network operators) can share spectrum. In some instances, a network operating entity can be configured to use the entire designated shared spectrum for at least a period of time before another network operating entity uses the entire designated shared spectrum in a different time period. Therefore, in order to allow network operating entities to use the entire designated shared spectrum and to mitigate interfering communication between different network operating entities, specific resources (e.g., time) can be allocated and distributed to different network operating entities for specific types of communication.

[0054] For example, specific time resources can be allocated to a network operating entity for exclusive communication using the entire shared spectrum by that network operating entity. Other time resources can also be allocated to a network operating entity, whereby that entity has priority over other network operating entities in using the shared spectrum for communication. These time resources preferentially allocated to a network operating entity can be utilized by other network operating entities on a wait-and-see basis if the prioritized network operating entity does not utilize these resources. Additional time resources can be allocated to any network operator for use on a wait-and-see basis.

[0055] Arbitration of access to shared spectrum and time resources between different network operating entities can be centrally controlled by a single entity, autonomously determined by a predefined arbitration scheme, or dynamically determined based on the interaction between wireless nodes of the network operator.

[0056] In some scenarios, UE 115 and base station 105 may operate in a shared radio spectrum band, which may include licensed or unlicensed (e.g., contention-based) spectrum. In the unlicensed frequency portion of the shared radio spectrum band, UE 115 or base station 105 may conventionally perform media sensing procedures to contend for access to the spectrum. For example, UE 115 or base station 105 may perform a Listen-Before-Speak (LBT) procedure (such as Open Channel Assessment (CCA)) before communication to determine if a shared channel is available. CCA may include energy detection procedures to determine the presence of any other active transmissions. For example, the device may infer that a change in the Received Signal Strength Indicator (RSSI) of the power meter indicates that the channel is occupied. Specifically, signal power concentrated in a bandwidth and exceeding a predetermined noise floor may indicate another wireless transmitter. CCA may also include the detection of a specific sequence indicating channel usage. For example, another device may transmit a specific preamble before transmitting a data sequence. In some cases, LBT procedures may include a wireless node acting as a collision proxy to adjust its own backoff window based on the amount of energy detected on the channel and / or ACK / NACK feedback for its transmitted packets.

[0057] Using media sensing procedures to contend for access to unlicensed shared spectrum can lead to communication inefficiencies. This can be particularly evident when multiple network operating entities (e.g., network operators) attempt to access shared resources. In the 5G network 100, base station 105 and UE 115 may be operated by the same or different network operating entities. In some examples, an individual base station 105 or UE 115 may be operated by more than one network operating entity. In other examples, each base station 105 and UE 115 may be operated by a single network operating entity. Requiring each base station 105 and UE 115 of different network operating entities to contend for shared resources can result in increased signaling overhead and communication latency.

[0058] Figure 3 This is a block diagram illustrating a wireless communication system 300 that includes a base station using directional wireless beams. The wireless communication system 300 can be referenced... Figure 1 An example of a wireless communication system 100 is discussed. Wireless communication system 300 includes a serving base station 305 and a target base station 310. Coverage areas 315 and 320 can be defined for their respective base stations 305 and 310. The serving base station 305 and the target base station 310 can be referenced... Figure 1 An example of base station 105 is described. Thus, the characteristics of base stations 305 and 310 can be similar to those of base station 105.

[0059] Serving base station 305 and target base station 310 can communicate via backhaul link 325. Backhaul link 325 can be a wired backhaul link or a wireless backhaul link. Backhaul link 325 can be configured to transmit data and other information between serving base station 305 and target base station 310. Backhaul link 325 can be a reference... Figure 1 Example of backhaul link 134 described.

[0060] The serving base station 305 can establish a communication link 330 with the UE 115. The communication link 330 can be a reference... Figure 1 An example of a described communication link 125. A characteristic of the UE 115 in the wireless communication system 300 is that the UE 115 can be mobile. Because the UE 115 can change its geographical location within the wireless communication system 300 to maintain connectivity, the UE 115 may wish to terminate its connection with the serving base station 305 and establish a new connection with the target base station 310. For example, as the UE 115 moves, it may approach the limits of the coverage area 315 of the serving base station 305. However, simultaneously, the UE 115 may have entered the coverage area 320 of the target base station 310. In some examples, the UE 115 can determine its mobility parameters 335. The mobility parameters 335 may indicate that the UE 115 is at a particular location, moving in a particular direction, moving at a particular speed, other information related to the mobility of the UE 115, or any combination thereof. When UE 115 approaches the limit of the coverage area 315 of the serving base station 305, it can initiate a handover procedure between the serving base station 305 and the target base station 310.

[0061] In some examples of New Radio (NR), a target base station 310 may communicate with a UE 115 via a directional wireless communication link 340 (sometimes referred to as a directional wireless beam or directional beam). The directional wireless communication link 340 may be pointed in a specific direction and provide a high-bandwidth link between the target base station 310 and each UE 115. Signal processing techniques such as beamforming may be used to coherently combine energy, thereby forming the directional wireless communication link 340. Wireless communication links achieved through beamforming can be associated with highly directional narrow beams (e.g., “pencil beams”), minimize inter-link interference, and provide a high-bandwidth link between wireless nodes (e.g., base stations, access nodes, UEs, etc.). In some examples, the target base station 310 may operate in the millimeter-wave (mmWave) frequency range (e.g., 28 GHz, 40 GHz, 60 GHz, etc.). In some examples, frequencies greater than 6 GHz are used to transmit the directional wireless communication link 340. Wireless communication at these frequencies can be associated with increased signal attenuation (e.g., path loss), which can be affected by various factors such as temperature, air pressure, diffraction, etc. Dynamic beam steering and beam search capabilities can further support functions such as discovery, link establishment, and beam refinement in the presence of dynamic masking and Rayleigh fading. Furthermore, communication in such mmWave systems can be time-division multiplexed, where, due to the directionality of the transmitted signal, a transmission can only be directed to one wireless device at a time.

[0062] Each directional wireless communication link 340 may have a beamwidth 345. The beamwidth 345 of each directional wireless communication link 340 may be different (e.g., comparing the beamwidth 345-a of directional wireless communication link 340-a with the beamwidth 345-c of directional wireless communication link 340-c). The beamwidth 345 may be related to the size of the phased array antenna used to generate the directional wireless communication link 340. Different beamwidths 345 may be used by the target base station 210 in different scenarios. For example, a first message may be transmitted / received using a directional wireless beam with a first beamwidth, while a second message may be transmitted / received using a directional wireless beam with a second beamwidth different from the first beamwidth. The target base station 310 may generate any number of directional wireless communication links 340 (e.g., directional wireless communication links 340-N). The directional wireless communication links 340 generated by the target base station 310 may point to any geographical location.

[0063] As UE 115 moves within wireless communication system 300, UE 115 may move out of the effective range of a specific directional wireless communication link (e.g., see directional wireless communication link 340-a). Due to the narrow beamwidth 345 of directional wireless communication link 340, directional wireless communication link 340 can provide coverage to a small geographic area. In contrast, omnidirectional wireless communication links radiate energy in all directions and cover a wide geographic area.

[0064] When the target base station 310 uses the directional wireless communication link 340 to establish a communication link with the UE 115, it can further complicate the handover procedure. In some examples, the handover procedure discussed herein is a contention-free handover procedure. Control messages exchanged during the handover procedure may have latency between transmission and reception. Thus, there may be a time delay between when the target base station 310 assigns resources to the UE 115 and when the UE 115 can use those assigned resources to perform operations. In some examples, the handover procedure may have latency spanning tens to hundreds of milliseconds. The channel characteristics of the directional wireless communication link 340 may change over time due to UE mobility, rotation, or signal obstruction. Specifically, the channel characteristics of the assigned directional wireless communication link 340 may change during the handover procedure's latency period. If a single resource (e.g., a single directional wireless communication link 340) is assigned during the handover procedure, the handover procedure may fail due to insufficient signal later in the process. Accordingly, the handover procedure can be adjusted to take into account multiple directional radio beams that can be used to establish a communication link between the target base station 310 and the UE 115 during the handover procedure.

[0065] In LTE, the UE Power Headroom Report (PHR) control element can be used to report the available power headroom in the UE to the serving eNB. The power headroom of any given UE can be given by the following equation: P CMAX = P MAX – MPR – AMPR (1) Where P CMAX P corresponds to the total maximum UE transmit power. MAX Corresponding to the nominal UE maximum transmit power, MPR corresponds to the maximum power reduction (MPR) value, and AMPR corresponds to the additional MPR. Generally, Equation (1) identifies the difference between the nominal UE maximum transmit power and the estimated power for PUSCH transmissions for each active serving cell. The eNB can then use this information for efficient link adaptation and scheduling.

[0066] The current PHR format includes an 8-bit octet, where the power headroom is encoded in 6 bits with a reporting range from -23 dB to +40 dB in 1 dB steps, while reserving the remaining 2 bits. The PHR can be transmitted at the subframe when the UE has uplink resources allocated for a new transmission. This PHR can be estimated on a single subframe with a 0 ms reporting delay, resulting in the estimation and transmission of power headroom information within the same subframe. The network can use this reporting value to estimate how much uplink bandwidth the UE can use for a given subframe. Generally, the more resource blocks a UE is using, the higher its transmission power. However, the UE's transmission power should not exceed its maximum transmission power. Therefore, if a given UE does not have sufficient power headroom, it will not be able to use a large number of resource blocks (bandwidth) for uplink transmission.

[0067] A PHR can be configured for periodic reporting or event threshold reporting, such as when downlink path loss has changed by a specific threshold amount. For periodic reporting, a report is triggered when a periodic PHR timer expires; this timer can be configured with various values ​​(e.g., between 10 ms and infinity). For threshold reporting, a PHR is triggered when path loss changes by a predefined threshold amount (1, 3, 6, or infinite dB) if a second, configurable threshold reporting timer has also expired. The threshold reporting timer can start when a PHR has been transmitted and can have various time values ​​(e.g., between 0 and 1000 ms). The threshold reporting timer also prevents resource waste caused by sending multiple PHRs when the UE is experiencing rapidly changing path loss conditions.

[0068] As the periodic PHR timer shortens, power headroom can be more accurate. However, a shorter periodic timer also causes the UE to send PHRs more frequently, thus consuming more transmission power. To address this trade-off, PHR reporting based on a varying path loss threshold can be configured. In NR, both periodic reporting and event threshold-based reporting can serve as baselines for PHR triggering events.

[0069] Path loss at UE ( PL Path loss is typically measured as the difference between the RSRP measurement and the transmission power information signaled by the base station (i.e., the transmission power of the reference signal (CRS) that varies from cell to cell). In older LTE systems using omnidirectional transmission, it can be assumed that path loss varies relatively smoothly. However, in beamforming-based transmissions, due to the narrower bandwidth and directional characteristics of the beam, the measured path loss can fluctuate abruptly with more frequent obstructions and changes in the serving beam.

[0070] Compared to older omnidirectional LTE transmissions, obstructions (NLOS - No Line of Sight) can be far more significant in NR beamforming-based transmissions. The Line of Sight (LOS) component accounts for a substantial percentage of the received power and is therefore a large part of reliable beamforming-based transmissions. LOS obstructions caused by objects such as buildings, bricks, and even people can lead to increased signal interruptions.

[0071] To handle obstructions in beamforming-based transmissions, the network can trigger a serving beam change based on UE feedback of measured beam quality. The serving beam change can involve a sudden drop or rise in the received reference signal power (RSRP), reflecting changes in path loss and beamforming gain. The serving beam change can be based on beam measurement events configured by the base station or on beam measurement reports from the UE. For beam measurement events, the quality of another beam can be at least a threshold amount better than the serving beam. When the RSRP of the target beam is higher than that of the serving beam, the UE can change the serving beam. In the beam measurement reporting method, the base station determines the serving beam based on the measurement report and identifies the change in the serving beam to the UE. Before the beam change to the target beam occurs, the UE estimates the path loss of the previous beam, and after the beam change, the UE measures the path loss on the new serving beam.

[0072] In NR mmWave deployments, specific issues may arise when applying legacy power control protocols. For example, beam quality can fluctuate more rapidly, increasing the uncertainty of the available power at the UE side. Therefore, during power adjustments, the serving beam pair may be rapidly changed due to beam blocking. Current standards recommend beam-specific power control, even though legacy systems provide UE-based power control. The proposed beam-specific power control defines the possibility of beam-specific open-loop and closed-loop parameters. If the UE can be configured for both waveforms, a given base station can know the power headroom differences for the different waveforms.

[0073] In older LTE systems, the measured path loss ( PL The value is determined according to the following equation: PL = Reference signal power – L3 filtered RSRP (2) In this layer 3 filtered RSRP, the reference signal power is based on the CRS, and the reference signal power is provided by a higher layer via system information broadcast (e.g., SIB2). Several special issues may arise in NR deployments. For example, NR deployments may not typically transmit L3 CRS at a sufficiently frequent rate (fast enough to provide RSRP to account for rapid beam changes). More frequent reference signals in NR deployments include the NR synchronization signal (NR-SS) and the Channel State Information (CSI) reference signal (CSI-RS). NR-SS has been proposed for use in 5G NR networks as a synchronization signal similar to PSS / SSS / PBCH in LTE networks. As currently considered, NR-SS can be a normally-on periodic signal. Therefore, path loss measurements in NR deployments can rely on NR-SS or CSI-RS to perform beam-dependent RSRP measurements, rather than CRS. NR-SS and CSI-RS can have different beamforming gains, and CSI-RS may not be, or even normally-on. Therefore, in beam-dependent power control operations, problems arise regarding the use of the quality of the L3 filtered beam RSRP relative to the L1 filtered beam.

[0074] Furthermore, in NR deployments, downlink beamforming gain can differ significantly from uplink beamforming gain. This may occur because downlink and uplink transmissions may use different antenna panels. Additionally, different beam patterns can be used to accommodate different interference environments for downlink and uplink transmissions, and situations where the downlink associated with a base station may differ from the uplink associated with a base station (which can also be a problem in some LTE networks).

[0075] As mentioned above, legacy PHR reporting in LTE is generally UE-specific. However, standards for NR network deployments have recommended beam-specific power control. For example, during power adjustments, beam pairs can be changed due to beam blocking (beam change). UE-specific approaches may not lead to accurate operation because, when a beam change occurs, the base station may not be certain which beam's PHR the UE is reporting. Furthermore, it has been observed that in beamforming deployments (such as NR mmWave operations), beam energy variations of up to 15 dB can occur between the best and second-best beams in the serving beam set. Therefore, relying on the wrong beam's PHR in scheduling and link adaptation can lead to a degraded communication experience. Moreover, considering such large differences in beam energy, since PHR event triggering in legacy LTE systems is also not beam-specific, PHR reporting and event triggering become coupled issues. Accordingly, various aspects of this disclosure relate to a power control procedure with beam-specific periodic PHR reporting plus UE-specific event threshold PHR reporting.

[0076] Figure 4 This is a block diagram illustrating example boxes executed to implement one aspect of this disclosure. These example boxes will also be targeted at, for example... Figure 9 This is described using UE 115 as an example. Figure 9 This is a block diagram illustrating a UE 115 configured according to one aspect of this disclosure. UE 115 includes, as described above... Figure 2 The structure, hardware, and components described in UE 115. For example, UE 115 includes a controller / processor 280, which operates to execute logical or computer instructions stored in memory 282, and various components that control UE 115 and provide the features and functionality of UE 115. Under the control of controller / processor 280, UE 115 transmits and receives signals via wireless radio 900a-r and antenna 252a-r. Wireless radio 900a-r includes various components and hardware, such as... Figure 2 The description of eNB 105 includes demodulator / modulator 254a-r, MIMO detector 256, receiver processor 258, transmitter processor 264, and TX MIMO processor 266.

[0077] In block 400, the UE determines a beam-dependent periodic PHR in response to the expiration of a first reporting timer. For example, UE 115 executes a periodic timer 903 stored in memory 282 under the control of controller / processor 280. Periodic timer 903 counts the time between when UE 115 sends a beam-dependent PHR to the serving base station. Upon expiration of periodic timer 903, UE 115 executes power clearance logic 901 stored in memory 282. The execution environment of the power clearance logic measures the power clearance associated with one or more currently serving beams. UE 115 then executes PHR generator 902 to generate a periodic PHR. In block 401, the UE transmits the beam-dependent PHR to the serving base station. Using periodic reporting, when the periodic timer expires, UE 115 reports the beam-dependent periodic PHR via radio 900a-r and antenna 252a-r. This can be done in several ways. For example, UE 115 can determine the power headroom for each serving beam and transmit an aggregated PHR that includes the power headroom for all beams. Alternatively, the base station can schedule UE 115 to measure and report the PHR for each serving beam in different time slots or at different times.

[0078] In block 402, the UE detects a report trigger event. Under the control of controller / processor 280, UE 115 accesses event trigger 905 stored in memory 282. UE 115 can determine which events will trigger an event trigger PHR. Report trigger events may include detecting a predetermined change in the path loss of the current serving beam. For example, UE 115 will execute measurement logic 906 stored in memory 282 to measure and maintain the path loss of the serving beam. Additionally, report trigger events can be defined for beam changes. Therefore, the UE will execute beam change logic 907 stored in memory 282 to track any beam changes that may occur at UE 115. In block 403, the UE determines a UE-specific trigger PHR in response to the report trigger event and the expiration of a second timer, and in block 404, transmits the UE-specific trigger PHR to the serving base station. If measurement logic 906 detects a path loss change exceeding a predetermined amount, such as that stored at event trigger 905, or if a beam change occurs (as tracked by the execution environment of beam change logic 907), UE 115 accesses a threshold report timer 904 stored in memory 282 to determine if the threshold report timer 904 has expired. If the event is detected and the threshold report timer 904 has expired, UE 115 determines a UE-specific PHR by executing PHR generator 902. The UE-specific PHR may be used only for the current serving beam or may be used for all serving beams. UE 115 then transmits the UE-specific PHR via radio 900a-r and antenna 252a-r.

[0079] Figure 5 This is a block diagram illustrating how base station 105 uses mmWave beamforming to communicate with UE 115, wherein base station 105 and UE 115 are configured according to various aspects of this disclosure. UE 115 moves within the coverage area 500 of base station 105. In serving UE 115, base station 105 beamforms a set of serving beams 501. Although each serving beam 501 is a serving beam, at any given time, only one of the serving beams 501-a–501-d may actually serve UE 115. As UE 115 moves across coverage area 500, the quality of the current serving beam may change, or the current serving beam may be blocked, causing UE 115 beam to change to the best beam in the set of serving beams 501. As mentioned, due to the beamforming of base station 105, there may be a beam energy variation of up to 15 dB between the best beam and the second-best beam in the set of serving beams 501. In one operational example, after the periodic PHR timer expires, UE 115 can determine the power headroom and transmit the PHR to base station 105.

[0080] In one possible scenario, UE 115 can reuse legacy LTE PHR reports by reporting only one periodic PHR for the currently serving beam. For example, if UE 115 is currently served by serving beam 501-b when the periodic PHR timer expires, UE 115 will calculate the power headroom of serving beam 501-b and transmit it to base station 105 in the PHR. Base station 105 will then base the PHR on the same nominal UE maximum transmit power (P). MAX The PHR of other beams is estimated based on the beamforming gain difference in UE 115. However, in such a possible scenario, the serving beam may change with a periodic PHR timer. Therefore, base station 105 may not have a timely PHR for the replacement beam.

[0081] Figure 6A This is a block diagram illustrating a base station 105 and a UE 115 configured according to one aspect of this disclosure. When the UE 115 transmits periodic PHRs to the base station 105 ( Figure 5 When transmitting a periodic PHR, it may transmit power clearance information for all serving beams. A typical PHR is formatted as an octet with 6 bits for power clearance and two reserved bits. When transmitting a periodic PHR containing power clearance information for all serving beams, an aggregated PHR 600 is generated. UE 115 aggregates the 6-bit power clearance information 601 for beam #1 and the 6-bit power clearance information 602 for beam #2 into the aggregated PHR 600. The two reserved bits can be further used by UE 115 to identify which of these beams the PHR corresponds to. Therefore, beam index 603 identifies beam #1, and beam index 604 identifies beam #2. Base station 105 will then be able to identify which beam the PHR information belongs to.

[0082] Figure 6B This is a block diagram illustrating a base station 105 and a UE 115 configured according to another aspect of this disclosure. Figure 6B The PHR reporting aspect explained herein reuses legacy LTE. However, base station 105 configures UE 115 to measure and report the PHR of different beams in the serving beam set at different time periods and / or offsets. UE 115 is configured to report PHR 605 in time slot 1, which includes power clearance information 607 for beam #1, and in time slot N The base station is configured to report PHR 606, which includes power clearance information 608 for beam #2. Therefore, during the transmission process of UE 115, base station 105 will receive the PHR for each beam in the serving beam set.

[0083] It should be noted that such aspects may only apply to periodic reference signals, such as CSI-RS and NR-SS. Furthermore, new periodic PHR triggering can be configured for a set of beams, where each configuration includes the period and / or offset for determining and reporting the PHR of each serving beam in different reporting or time slots.

[0084] Refer back Figure 5 , which can be determined by Figure 5 Additional aspects explained include event-triggered PHR reporting. For example, an event trigger might be a change in the path loss of the serving beam exceeding a predetermined threshold. In the example described below, the legacy LTE procedure is reused by UE 115 to report a PHR when the measured path loss of the current serving beam exceeds a predetermined threshold and the threshold reporting timer expires. As mentioned, the threshold reporting timer prevents UE 115 from reporting PHRs too frequently when UE 115 is experiencing rapid changes in path loss. Therefore, when UE 115 calculates a change in the path loss of the current serving beam (beam 501-a) exceeding a threshold level, UE 115 checks the threshold reporting timer to determine if it has expired. If the timer has expired, UE 115 calculates the power headroom and generates a PHR to report to base station 105. Otherwise, if the threshold reporting timer has not expired, UE 115 does not generate a PHR but continues operation. If the threshold report timer expires and the measured path loss change still exceeds the threshold level at the time of expiration, UE 115 will generate and transmit a PHR for base station 105.

[0085] In the example described herein, the path loss threshold and threshold reporting timer can be applied across serving beam set 501. Therefore, in the aspect described herein, the path loss threshold and threshold reporting timer will be shared for all serving beams for UE 115. For example, if UE 115 experiences NLOS blocking of serving beam 501-a and determines to change beams to serving beam 501-b, the threshold reporting timer will continue without resetting, except that the same path loss threshold and any other protocol variables are the same for serving beam 501-b.

[0086] Using the event-triggered PHR procedure, UE 115 can report a single PHR to base station 105 as in the legacy LTE procedure. A single PHR implies that the event-triggered PHR calculated by UE 115 and transmitted to base station 105 is beam-insensitive. Conversely, beam-dependent PHRs will be reported by UE 115 during periodic PHR reporting. There are two sub-solutions for PHR reporting. Alternative-1-a: Report only one PHR (same as LTE). This implies prohibiting beam-insensitive PHRs (assuming beam-dependent PHRs are reported in periodic PHRs).

[0087] In an alternative to the aspect described above, UE 115 may report a single PHR to base station 105, which includes power clearance information for all serving beams. For example, refer back to Figure 6A In the aspects currently described, the aggregated PHR 600 corresponds to an event-triggered PHR, which has power clearance information 601 for beam #1 and power clearance information 602 for beam #2. (This is consistent with previous descriptions of...) Figure 6A Similar to the described periodic PHR procedure, the event-triggered version of the aggregated PHR 600 includes beam indices 603 and 604 in the 2-bit positions reserved in the PHR octet, which identify to the base station 105 which beam the power clearance information 601 and 602 apply to.

[0088] As mentioned, legacy LTE event-triggered PHR reporting procedures include path loss variation thresholds ranging from 1, 3, and 6 dB. However, aspects of this disclosure operating in 5G mmWave deployments may not be appropriately triggered based on path loss variations (e.g., approximately 15 dB) observable using mmWave beamforming. To accommodate larger potential path loss variations in mmWave beamforming deployments, aspects of this disclosure may modify the legacy path loss thresholds to at least 15 dB. Therefore, refer back to Figure 5 If UE 115 detects a path loss that meets the 15 dB path loss threshold on the serving beam 501-a, then UE 115 will trigger the calculation and transmission of the event-triggered PHR for base station 105.

[0089] Additional aspects of this disclosure allow for the addition of new triggering events to the event-triggered PHR reporting procedure. In one such example, a service beam change could be identified as an event trigger for UE 115. (Refer to back) Figure 5 In an additional aspect described herein, UE 115 experiences NLOS blocking of the currently serving beam 501-a and selects a beam change to beam 501-b. Upon selecting the beam change, UE 115 checks the threshold report timer to determine if it has expired. If so, UE 115 calculates the power clearance on beam 501-b and uses this power clearance information to generate an event-triggered PHR for base station 105.

[0090] Figure 6C This is a block diagram illustrating a base station 105 and a UE 115 configured according to another aspect of this disclosure. When the UE 115 selects to change the beam to the serving beam 501-b ( Figure 5When a beam change occurs, it calculates the power clearance information 610 for the serving beam 501-b and includes it in the event-triggered PHR 609. To notify the base station 105 which beam the power clearance information 610 corresponds to, a 2-bit reserve in the PHR octet may include a beam index 611, which identifies the serving beam 501-b. Since beam changes are configured to be event-triggered, the threshold reporting timer and protocol variables should be reset upon detection of such an event. Therefore, the timers and protocol variables in the example aspects described herein are maintained per beam, not per UE.

[0091] It should be noted that in the example described herein, the path loss threshold does not need to be extended to potentially higher path loss variations that may be experienced during mmWave beamforming. Such high levels of potential path loss are generally associated with different beams within the serving beam set. Therefore, when beam change is already an event-triggered condition, the path loss threshold does not need to reflect larger values ​​for mmWave beamforming. In this respect, base station 105 and UE 115 will be unambiguous regarding the serving beam because beam switching is robust.

[0092] It should be noted that additional or replacement aspects can provide beam-specific event-triggered PHRs from UE 115, where base station 110 configures UE 115 to monitor PHRs for multiple serving beams in different time slots. In such aspects, base station 105 will receive event-triggered PHRs for additional serving beams in different configured time slots. This multi-serving-beam PHR protocol can operate efficiently using periodic CSI-RS or NR-SS. Such aspects will include new event-triggered PHR configurations for a set of beams, where each configuration includes a different period and / or offset. Separate timers and protocol variables can be maintained for each beam without extending the path loss threshold range to the higher levels observed in mmWave beamforming.

[0093] Various aspects of this disclosure provide power control procedures for mmWave beamforming deployments, including periodic PHR reporting and event-triggered PHR reporting. Path loss estimation is performed to determine certain triggering events. However, as previously indicated, the nature of mmWave beamforming potentially creates problems in extending legacy LTE PHR reporting procedures because omnidirectional CRS may be insufficient to efficiently measure or estimate path loss in rapidly changing directional beams.

[0094] Additional aspects of this disclosure can provide a reference signal that can address issues in mmWave beamforming. In one example implementation, the CSI-RS is configured as a baseline reference signal for path loss estimation in mmWave beamforming. The CSI-RS can provide a more accurate path loss estimate because the UE will be in connected mode, and therefore the calculations on the CSI-RS will include the downlink beamforming gain from the path loss estimation.

[0095] A further aspect of this disclosure may additionally provide NR-SS as a reference signal for path loss estimation. If NR-SS is available in addition to CSI-RS, the serving base station may use dedicated signaling to indicate which of these reference signals should be used for path loss estimation.

[0096] Figure 7 This is a block diagram illustrating example boxes executed to implement one aspect of this disclosure. These example boxes will also be referenced... Figure 9 The details of UE 115 are described below. In box 700, the UE receives an identification signal from the serving base station that identifies one or more reference signals used for path loss measurement. The identification signal received by UE 115 may be included in power control configuration information received via antenna 252a-r and radio 900a-r, and indicates to UE 115 whether CSI-RS or NR-SS will be used for path loss estimation. Such power control configuration information may be signaled at least semi-statically (e.g., by Radio Resource Control (RRC) or Media Access Control (MAC) control element (MAC-CE)). Due to the potentially large beamforming gain differences between different beams, the identification signal may also indicate to the UE which subset of CSI-RS should be measured for path loss estimation.

[0097] It should be noted that the indicated CSI-RS can be periodic, semi-periodic, or aperiodic.

[0098] In block 701, the UE measures the path loss on one or more reference signals identified by an identification signal. For example, UE 115 executes measurement logic 906 to measure the path loss of the identified reference signals (NR-SS, CSI-RS, or a specified subset of CSI-RS). In block 702, the UE compares the measured path loss with a threshold trigger value. Under the control of controller / processor 280, UE 115 compares the measured path loss with a threshold trigger value stored at event trigger 905. If the measured path loss exceeds the threshold trigger value, a power headroom report is activated in block 703. Therefore, if the measured path loss exceeds the event trigger, UE 115 executes power headroom logic 901 and PHR generator 902 to measure the power headroom and send the PHR to the serving base station. According to the aspects described herein, dedicated signaling is used by the base station to signal to UE 115 which reference signals are to be used for path loss estimation in mmWave beamforming deployment.

[0099] While dedicated signaling can be used to identify the appropriate reference signal for path loss estimation, problems may arise due to mismatches between uplink and downlink beamforming gains. As indicated above, such mismatches can occur because downlink and uplink transmissions use different antenna panels. Different beam patterns can also be used to accommodate different interference environments for downlink and uplink transmissions, and scenarios where the base station associated with the downlink may differ from that associated with the uplink.

[0100] To address the mismatch, in one example, the UE can reuse legacy LTE path loss estimation, where beam mismatch can be compensated for by the base station through implementation. While this compensation improves the mismatch, if UE receiver beamforming is applied, the base station may have difficulty estimating the UE receive beamforming gain.

[0101] In an additional aspect of this disclosure, to address the mismatch issue, a beam-dependent path loss offset can be added to the dedicated signaling from the base station to the UE. The beam-dependent path loss offset corresponds to the downlink beamforming gain minus the uplink beamforming gain. If UE receiver beamforming is applied, the UE can add an offset attributable to the UE receive beamforming gain.

[0102] It should be noted that, in order to address the mismatch between uplink and downlink beamforming gains, the UE can reuse legacy LTE path loss estimation, where the UE compensates for beam mismatch through implementation. Although no specification changes are required in such options, the UE may find it difficult to estimate the difference in beamforming gains between the uplink and downlink without more detailed signaling exchange with the serving base station.

[0103] Figure 8 This is a block diagram illustrating example boxes executed to implement one aspect of this disclosure. These example boxes will also be referenced... Figure 9 The details of UE 115 are described below. In block 800, the UE determines the time period since the last beam change of one or more serving beams received at the UE from the serving base station. For example, UE 115 executes beam change logic 907 to determine the time period since the last beam change. In block 801, the UE measures the path loss of the beam-dependent Layer 3 reference signal on the current serving beam in response to the time period exceeding a minimum time threshold. When beam changes occur less frequently, it may be sufficient for UE 115 to use the beam-dependent Layer 3 reference signal for path loss estimation. Under the control of controller / processor 280, UE 115 executes measurement logic 906 to determine the path loss estimate. In block 802, the UE measures the path loss of the beam-dependent Layer 1 reference signal on the current serving beam in response to the time period falling below a minimum time threshold. When beam changes occur more rapidly, Layer 3 signaling may not occur frequently enough to provide UE 115 with sufficient signal for path loss estimation. Layer 1 signaling will be preferred to address the more frequent and beam-dependent aspects of mmWave transmissions.

[0104] Those skilled in the art will understand that information and signals can be represented using any of a variety of different techniques and skills. For example, data, instructions, commands, information, signals, bits, symbols, and chips that may be referred to throughout the above description can be represented by voltage, current, electromagnetic waves, magnetic fields or magnetic particles, light fields or light particles, or any combination thereof.

[0105] This disclosure includes a first aspect, such as a non-transient computer-readable medium having program code recorded thereon, the program code comprising: The program code that can be executed by a computer to cause the computer to determine a periodic power clearance report (PHR) that varies by beam in response to the expiration of a first report timer, wherein the UE receives communication from the serving base station on one or more serving beams beamformed by the serving base station; Program code that can be executed by a computer to transmit periodic PHRs that vary with beam size from the UE to the serving base station; Program code that can be executed by a computer to trigger an event from a UE detection report; Program code that can be executed by a computer to cause the computer to respond to a report triggering event and the expiration of a second report timer, and the UE to determine the trigger PHR, which varies from UE to UE; It can be executed by a computer to transmit program code that triggers PHR, which varies from UE to UE, from the UE to the serving base station.

[0106] Based on the first aspect and the second aspect, non-transient computer-readable media The program code that can be executed by a computer to determine the periodic PHR that varies with the beam includes: Program code executable by a computer to enable the computer to measure the power clearance of each of one or more serving beams; and Program code that can be executed by a computer to generate a clustered PHR that includes the power headroom for each beam; The program code that can be executed by a computer to enable the computer to transmit periodic PHRs that vary with the beam includes program code that can be executed by a computer to enable the computer to transmit clustered PHRs.

[0107] Based on the second and third aspects, the non-transient computer-readable medium, wherein program code executable by a computer to generate computer-generated code further includes: Program code that can be executed by a computer to cause the computer to add a beam identifier to the aggregated PHR, wherein the beam identifier indicates the associated beam in one or more service beams that corresponds to the power headroom of the aggregated PHR.

[0108] Based on the first aspect, the non-transient computer-readable medium of the fourth aspect further includes: The program code executable by a computer enables the computer to receive beam reporting configurations from the serving base station at the UE, wherein the beam reporting configuration configures the UE to report beam-dependent periodic PHRs for each of one or more serving beams at different reporting times. The program code executable by a computer to enable the computer to determine beam-specific periodic PHRs includes program code executable by a computer to enable the computer to determine beam-specific periodic PHRs of the currently scheduled beams in one or more serving beams, and The program code that can be executed by a computer to enable the computer to transmit a beam-dependent periodic PHR includes program code that can be executed by a computer to enable the computer to transmit a beam-dependent periodic PHR of the currently scheduled beam at the currently scheduled reporting time.

[0109] Based on the fourth and fifth aspects, the non-transient computer-readable medium, wherein the beam reporting configuration includes one of the following: Different periods of the first report timer for each of one or more serving beams; or Different offsets of the first report timer for each of one or more service beams.

[0110] Based on the first aspect, the sixth aspect refers to non-transient computer-readable media. The program code that can be executed by a computer to enable the computer to determine the trigger PHR that varies from UE includes program code that can be executed by a computer to enable the computer to measure the power clearance of the current serving beam in one or more serving beams. The trigger PHR, which varies from UE to UE, includes the power headroom of the current serving beam.

[0111] Based on the first aspect and the seventh aspect, the non-transient computer-readable medium The program code that can be executed by the computer to determine the PHR trigger that varies from UE to UE includes: Program code executable by a computer to enable the computer to measure the power headroom of each of one or more serving beams; and The program code that can be executed by a computer to generate a convergence-triggered PHR that includes the power headroom for each beam; The program code that can be executed by a computer to enable the computer to transmit PHR triggering code that varies from UE to UE includes program code that can be executed by a computer to enable the computer to transmit aggregated PHR triggering code.

[0112] Based on the first aspect, the eighth aspect's non-transient computer-readable medium, wherein the second reporting timer and the threshold trigger value of the reporting trigger event are shared by the UE and across one or more serving beams, such that changes in the serving beam do not trigger a restart of the second reporting timer.

[0113] Based on the first aspect, the ninth aspect's non-transient computer-readable medium, wherein the reported triggering event includes one or more of the following: The path loss measured on the current serving beam in one or more serving beams; and Service beam changes at the UE.

[0114] The non-transient computer-readable medium based on the ninth and tenth aspects further includes: Program code that can be executed by a computer to reset the second report timer in response to changes in the service beam at the UE.

[0115] Based on the first aspect, the eleventh aspect, a non-transient computer-readable medium, wherein the reported triggering event includes path loss measured on the current serving beam in one or more serving beams, wherein the threshold triggering value for path loss is at least 15 dB.

[0116] The twelfth aspect is a non-transient computer-readable medium for any combination of the first to eleventh aspects.

[0117] This disclosure includes a thirteenth aspect, such as a non-transient computer-readable medium having program code recorded thereon, the program code comprising: Program code that can be executed by a computer to enable the computer to receive an identification signal from the serving base station at the user equipment (UE), wherein the identification signal identifies one or more reference signals used for path loss measurement; Program code that can be executed by a computer to enable the computer to measure the path loss on one or more reference signals identified by the identification signal by the UE; Program code that can be executed by a computer to enable the computer to compare path loss and threshold trigger values ​​by the UE; and Program code that can be executed by a computer to cause the computer to activate a power clearance report by the UE in response to the path loss exceeding a threshold trigger value.

[0118] Based on the thirteenth and fourteenth aspects of the non-transient computer-readable medium, wherein one or more reference signals identified by the identification signal include one of the following: New Radio (NR) Synchronization Signal (NR-SS); or Channel State Information (CSI) Reference Signal (CSI-RS).

[0119] Based on the thirteenth and fifteenth aspects, the non-transient computer-readable medium wherein one or more reference signals identified by the identification signal include a subset of channel state information (CSI) reference signals (CSI-RS).

[0120] Based on the fifteenth and sixteenth aspects, the non-transient computer-readable medium, wherein each CSI-RS in this subset includes one of the following: Beamforming gain exceeding the threshold gain value; Downlink beamforming gain within a predetermined range of uplink beamforming gain.

[0121] Based on the thirteenth and seventeenth aspects, the non-transient computer-readable medium, wherein the identification signal further includes a path loss offset, wherein the path loss offset corresponds to the downlink beamforming gain minus the uplink beamforming gain.

[0122] Based on the seventeenth and eighteenth aspects, the non-transient computer-readable medium, wherein the path loss offset corresponds to the sum of the downlink beamforming gain and the UE receive beamforming gain minus the uplink beamforming gain.

[0123] The nineteenth aspect of the non-transient computer-readable medium as described in any combination of aspects thirteen through eighteen.

[0124] This disclosure includes a twentieth aspect, such as a non-transitory computer-readable medium having program code recorded thereon, the program code comprising: Program code that can be executed by a computer to enable the computer to determine, from the user equipment (UE), the time period since the last beam change of one or more serving beams received at the UE from the serving base station; Program code executable by a computer to cause the computer to respond to a time period exceeding a minimum time threshold by measuring the beam-dependent path loss of the Layer 3 reference signal on the current serving beam by the UE; and The program code that can be executed by a computer to make the computer respond to the path loss of the layer 1 reference signal on the current serving beam that varies from beam to beam when the time period is below a minimum time threshold.

[0125] This disclosure includes a twenty-first aspect, such as a device configured for wireless communication, the device comprising: At least one processor; and Memory coupled to the at least one processor, The at least one processor is configured to: In response to the expiration of the first report timer, the user equipment (UE) determines a periodic power clearance report (PHR) that varies by beam, wherein the UE receives communication from the serving base station on one or more serving beams beamformed by the serving base station; The UE transmits periodic PHRs, which vary depending on the beam, to the serving base station; Events triggered by UE detection reports; The trigger PHR is determined by the UE in response to a report triggering event and the expiration of the second report timer; The UE transmits the trigger PHR, which varies from UE to UE, to the serving base station.

[0126] Based on aspect twenty-one, the device of aspect twenty-two, The configuration of at least one processor for determining the beam-dependent periodic PHR includes the configuration of at least one processor for the following operations: Measure the power headroom of each of the one or more serving beams; and Generate a focused PHR that includes the power headroom for each beam; The configuration of at least one processor for transmitting periodic PHRs that vary with beam includes a configuration for transmitting aggregated PHRs.

[0127] Based on the twenty-second and twenty-third aspects of the apparatus, the configuration for generating by at least one processor further includes adding a beam identifier to the configuration of the aggregated PHR, wherein the beam identifier indicates an associated beam in the one or more service beams corresponding to the power headroom of the aggregated PHR.

[0128] Based on the twenty-first aspect, the apparatus of the twenty-fourth aspect further includes a configuration of at least one processor for receiving beam report configurations at the UE from a serving base station, wherein the beam report configuration configures the UE to report beam-dependent periodic PHRs for each of one or more serving beams at different reporting times. The configuration of at least one processor for determining beam-dependent periodic PHRs includes determining the configuration of beam-dependent periodic PHRs for the currently scheduled beams in one or more serving beams, and The configuration of at least one processor for transmitting beam-dependent periodic PHRs includes transmitting the beam-dependent periodic PHRs of the currently scheduled beam at the currently scheduled reporting time.

[0129] Based on aspect 24, the apparatus of aspect 25, wherein the beam reporting configuration includes one of the following: Different periods of the first report timer for each of one or more serving beams; or Different offsets of the first report timer for each of one or more service beams.

[0130] Based on aspect twenty-one, the apparatus of aspect twenty-six, The configuration of at least one processor for determining the trigger PHR, which varies from UE to UE, includes a configuration for measuring the power headroom of the current serving beam in one or more serving beams. The trigger PHR, which varies from UE to UE, includes the power headroom of the current serving beam.

[0131] Based on aspect twenty-one, the apparatus of aspect twenty-seven, The configuration of at least one processor for determining the trigger PHR, which varies from UE to UE, includes the configuration of at least one processor for the following operations: Measure the power headroom of each of the one or more serving beams; and Generate a convergence-triggered PHR that includes the power headroom for each beam; At least one of the processors' configurations for transmitting UE-specific trigger PHRs includes a configuration for transmitting aggregated trigger PHRs.

[0132] Based on the twenty-first aspect, the twenty-eighth aspect of the apparatus, wherein the second reporting timer and the threshold trigger value of the reporting trigger event are shared by the UE and shared across one or more serving beams, such that changes in the serving beam do not trigger a restart of the second reporting timer.

[0133] Based on aspect twenty-one, the device of aspect twenty-nine, wherein the reported triggering event includes one of the following: The path loss measured on the current serving beam in one or more serving beams; and Service beam changes at the UE.

[0134] The apparatus based on the twenty-ninth and thirtyth aspects further includes at least one processor resetting the configuration of a second reporting timer in response to a change in the service beam at the UE.

[0135] Based on the twenty-first and thirty-first aspects, the apparatus wherein the reported triggering event includes path loss measured on the current serving beam in one or more serving beams, wherein the threshold triggering value for path loss is at least 15 dB.

[0136] The thirty-second aspect of non-transient computer-readable media, any combination of aspects 21 to 31.

[0137] This disclosure includes a thirty-third aspect, such as a device configured for wireless communication, the device comprising: At least one processor; and Memory coupled to the at least one processor, The at least one processor is configured to: The user equipment (UE) receives an identification signal from the serving base station, wherein the identification signal identifies one or more reference signals used for path loss measurement; The path loss on one or more reference signals identified by the identification signal is measured by the UE; The UE compares the path loss with the threshold trigger value; and The power clearance report is activated by the UE in response to path loss exceeding a threshold trigger value.

[0138] The apparatus based on aspects 33 and 34, wherein one or more reference signals identified by the identification signal include one of the following: New Radio (NR) Synchronization Signal (NR-SS); or Channel State Information (CSI) Reference Signal (CSI-RS).

[0139] The apparatus based on aspects 33 and 35, wherein one or more reference signals identified by the identification signal include a subset of channel state information (CSI) reference signals (CSI-RS).

[0140] The apparatus based on aspects thirty-five and thirty-six, wherein each CSI-RS in the subset includes one of the following: Beamforming gain exceeding the threshold gain value; Downlink beamforming gain within the predetermined uplink beamforming gain range.

[0141] Based on the apparatus of the 33rd and 37th aspects, the identification signal further includes a path loss offset, wherein the path loss offset corresponds to the downlink beamforming gain minus the uplink beamforming gain.

[0142] Based on the apparatus of the 37th and 38th aspects, the path loss offset corresponds to the sum of the downlink beamforming gain and the UE receive beamforming gain minus the uplink beamforming gain.

[0143] The thirty-ninth aspect of non-transient computer-readable media, any combination of aspects thirty-three to thirty-eight.

[0144] This disclosure includes a fortieth aspect, such as a means configured for wireless communication, the means comprising: At least one processor; and Memory coupled to the at least one processor, The at least one processor is configured to: The user equipment (UE) determines the time period since the last beam change of one or more serving beams received at the UE from the serving base station; The path loss of the beam-dependent Layer 3 reference signal on the current serving beam is measured by the UE in response to a time period exceeding a minimum time threshold; and The path loss of the Layer 1 reference signal on the current serving beam is measured by the UE in response to a time period below the minimum time threshold.

[0145] Figure 4 , 7 The functional blocks and modules in 8 may include processors, electronic devices, hardware devices, electronic components, logic circuits, memory, software code, firmware code, etc., or any combination thereof.

[0146] Those skilled in the art will further appreciate that the various illustrative logic blocks, modules, circuits, and algorithmic steps described in this disclosure can be implemented as electronic hardware, computer software, or a combination of both. To clearly illustrate this interchangeability between hardware and software, the various illustrative components, blocks, modules, circuits, and steps described above are generalized in their functional form. Whether such functionality is implemented as hardware or software depends on the specific application and the design constraints imposed on the overall system. Those skilled in the art may implement the described functionality in different ways for each specific application, but such implementation decisions should not be construed as departing from the scope of the invention. Those skilled in the art will also readily recognize that the order or combination of components, methods, or interactions described herein are merely illustrative and that components, methods, or interactions of various aspects of this disclosure may be combined or performed in ways other than those explained and described herein.

[0147] The various illustrative logic blocks, modules, and circuits described herein can be implemented or executed using a general-purpose processor, digital signal processor (DSP), application-specific integrated circuit (ASIC), field-programmable gate array (FPGA) or other programmable logic device, discrete gate or transistor logic, discrete hardware components, or any combination thereof, designed to perform the functions described herein. The general-purpose processor may be a microprocessor, but in alternatives, the processor may be any conventional processor, controller, microcontroller, or state machine. The processor may also be implemented as a combination of computing devices, such as a combination of a DSP and a microprocessor, multiple microprocessors, one or more microprocessors cooperating with a DSP core, or any other such configuration.

[0148] The steps of the methods or algorithms described herein can be implemented directly in hardware, in a software module executed by a processor, or in a combination of both. The software module may reside in RAM memory, flash memory, ROM memory, EPROM memory, EEPROM memory, registers, hard disk, removable disk, CD-ROM, or any other form of storage medium known in the art. An exemplary storage medium is coupled to a processor so that the processor can read and write information from / to the storage medium. Alternatively, the storage medium may be integrated into the processor. The processor and storage medium may reside in an ASIC. The ASIC may reside in a user terminal. In an alternative, the processor and storage medium may reside as discrete components in the user terminal.

[0149] In one or more exemplary designs, the described functionality may be implemented in hardware, software, firmware, or any combination thereof. If implemented in software, the functionality may be stored or transmitted as one or more instructions or code on or through a computer-readable medium. A computer-readable medium includes both computer storage media and communication media, including any medium that facilitates the transfer of a computer program from one location to another. A computer-readable storage medium may be any available medium accessible to a general-purpose or special-purpose computer. By way of example and not limitation, such a computer-readable medium may include RAM, ROM, EEPROM, CD-ROM or other optical disk storage, disk storage or other magnetic storage devices, or any other medium that can be used to carry or store desired program code in the form of instructions or data structures and is accessible to a general-purpose or special-purpose computer, or a general-purpose or special-purpose processor. A connection may also be legitimately referred to as a computer-readable medium. For example, if the software is transmitted from a website, server, or other remote source using coaxial cable, fiber optic cable, twisted pair, or digital subscriber line (DSL), then that coaxial cable, fiber optic cable, twisted pair, or DSL is included in the definition of a medium. As used in this article, disk and disc include compact discs (CDs), laser discs, optical discs, digital multifunction discs (DVDs), floppy disks, and Blu-ray discs. Disks typically reproduce data magnetically, while discs reproduce data optically using lasers. Combinations of these should also be included within the scope of computer-readable media.

[0150] As used herein (including in the claims), the term “and / or” in a list of two or more items means that any one of the listed items may be used alone, or any combination of two or more listed items may be used. For example, if a composition is described as containing components A, B, and / or C, then the composition may contain only A; only B; only C; a combination of A and B; a combination of A and C; a combination of B and C; or a combination of A, B, and C. Additionally, as used herein (including in the claims), the word “or” in a list of items followed by “at least one of” indicates a disjunctive list, such that a list such as “at least one of A, B, or C” represents A or B or C or AB or AC or BC or ABC (i.e., A and B and C) or any combination thereof.

[0151] The prior description of this disclosure is provided to enable any person skilled in the art to make or use this disclosure. Various modifications to this disclosure will be readily apparent to those skilled in the art, and the general principles defined herein can be applied to other variations without departing from the spirit or scope of this disclosure. Therefore, this disclosure is not intended to be limited to the examples and designs described herein, but should be accorded the widest scope consistent with the principles and novel features disclosed herein.

[0152] NR PHR Design for mmW Deployment

[0153] IDF 174313WO1

[0154] appendix

[0155] PHR in LTE

[0156] background The Power Headroom Reporting (PHR) procedure is used to provide information to the serving eNB about the following: - The difference between the nominal maximum transmit power of the UE and the estimated power of PUSCH transmission per active serving cell. - PCMAX = PMAX - MPR - AMPR - The difference between the nominal maximum power of the UE and the estimated power of PUSCH and PUCCH transmissions on the PCell. - The eNB can use this information for efficient link adaptation and scheduling. The PHR is triggered if any of the following events occur: - Prohibit the PHR timer from expiring or having already expired, and for at least one active serving cell, the path loss has changed by more than dl path loss change dB. - Periodic PHR timer expires - During the configuration or reconfiguration of PHR functionality - Activation of SCell with configured uplink PHR in LTE For details RRC parameters in 36.331 - Periodic PHR timer - sf10, sf20, sf50, sf100, sf200, sf500, sf1000, infinity - PHR can be turned off - Disable PHR timer - sf0, sf10, sf20, sf50, sf100, sf200, sf500, sf1000 - dl path loss variation - dB1, dB3, dB6, infinity - Extended PHR-r10 enumerated {settings} - If more than one serving cell with an uplink is configured, the E-UTRAN always configures the value setting. The E-UTRAN only configures the extended PHR if phr-Config is configured. If phr-Config is released, the UE will release the extended PHR.

[0157] Two principles of PHR

[0158] - When the UE has UL resources allocated for new transmissions, the PHR is transmitted at the SF.

[0159] - The PHR was estimated to be over 1 SF and the reported latency was 0 ms (PH was estimated and transmitted at the same SF). The format of PHR is as follows: Figure 10 As shown - PH is 6 bits - R represents reserved bits PHR for NR Background of the discussion Special problems when applying power control to mmW - Beam quality fluctuates more rapidly, which may increase the uncertainty of knowing the available power on the UE side. - During power adjustment, the beam pair may change due to beam blocking. Beam-specific power control has been proposed for future implementations. - consider: - For beam-dependent power control, NR defines beam-dependent open-loop and closed-loop parameters.

[0160] - If the UE can be configured for both waveforms, the gNB is aware of the power headroom differences between the two waveforms.

[0161] PHR for NR

[0162] New problems in PL estimation (RRM related) In LTE, the measured path loss (PL) can be obtained: - PL = Reference signal power - L3 filtered RSRP (based on CRS) - The reference signal power can be provided by a higher layer in SIB2. Three special issues in NR 1. In NR, we can only rely on NR-SS and CSI-RS for RSRP measurements. Typically, NR-SS and CSI-RS have different beamforming gains. - CSI-RS may not be frequently operational. 2. In beam-dependent power control, the RSRP of the filtered L3 beam relative to the filtered L1 beam quality. 3. Downlink beamforming gain may differ significantly from uplink gain. - Different antenna panels can be used for DL ​​and UL. Different beam patterns can be used to adapt to different interference environments of DL and UL. - The gNB associated with DL may be different from the gNB associated with UL (the same issue in LTE). Analysis of beamforming differences, such as Figure 11 As shown observe In order to use the second optimal beam to receive uplink signals, it can be obtained from... 1,2 The CDF curves showed a beam energy variation of up to 15 dB.

[0163] Solution to the PL estimation problem

[0164] Reference signal and filtering Reference signal - Since the UE is in connected mode and its DL beam gain is included in the PL estimate, the CSI-RS should be the baseline. - NR-SS can also be used for PL estimation. - If NR-SS is available, the gNB can instruct the UE via dedicated signaling which RS should be used for PL estimation; otherwise, this would cause ambiguity. - Due to the potentially large differences in beamforming gain between different beams, the gNB can use dedicated signaling to instruct the UE which CSI-RS (subset) to measure for PL estimation. - The indicated CSI-RS can be periodic / semi-periodic or aperiodic. Filtering - The filtering used for PL estimation can be based on beam-based RSRP, rather than cell-based RSRP. - The RSRP of the L3 filtered beam relative to the L1 filtered beam quality - The former is preferred, but the problem with L3 filtered beam RSRP is that the beam may change rapidly. Solution to the PL estimation problem Beam mismatch between downlink and uplink Solution - Alternative Solution 1: Reuse LTE PL estimation, and the UE compensates for beam mismatch through implementation. - No changes to the standards Without gNB signaling exchange, the UE may have difficulty estimating the difference in beamforming gain between the DL and UL. - Alternative Option 2: Reuse LTE PL estimation, and the gNB compensates for beam mismatch through implementation. - If UE RX beamforming is applied, the gNB may have difficulty estimating the UE RX beamforming gain. - Alternative Solution 3: The gNB notifies the beam-dependent PL offset via UE-specific signaling. - The beam-dependent PL offset, which CSI-RS to use for PL measurement, can be included in the signaling. - If NR-SS can be used to estimate PL, it can be included in the signaling to indicate the RS type. - The beam-dependent PL offset corresponds to the DL beamforming gain - UL beamforming gain. If UE beamforming is applied, the UE can add an additional offset to the UE RX beamforming gain. Semi-static signaling is sufficient (e.g., RRC or MAC-CE). PHR for NR PHR Reports and Event Triggers motivation - The old PHR report was UE-specific, not beam-specific. However, beam-specific power control is considered the baseline in NR. - During power adjustment, the beam pair can change due to beam blocking (beam switching). - The gNB may misunderstand which beam's PHR the UE is reporting. - If the second-best beam is used, a beam energy variation of up to 15 dB can be observed. - PHR reporting and event triggering are a coupling issue. - PHR event triggering is not dependent on beamwidth. - Periodic PHR reporting and prohibition of PHR reporting need to be discussed separately. - If PHR reporting / triggering remains UE-specific, the dl path loss variation (1 / 3 / 6 dB) may be outside the range because it includes beamforming gain and potential serving beam variations. PHR Reporting and Event Triggers in NR Periodic PHR Report / Trigger Solution - Alternative Option 1: Reuse legacy LTE, i.e., report one periodic PHR of the current serving beam. - Note that the gNB can estimate the PHR of other beams (PMAX is the same) based on the estimation of beamforming gain differences in the UE. - Question: The service beam can change with a periodic PHR timer. - gNB may not have timely PHR for replacement beams. - Alternative Option 2: Reuse legacy LTE, but configure gNBs with different periods and / or offsets for different beams. That is, the UE is configured to report multiple PHRs for different beams in different time slots. - Effective against periodic CSI-RS and NR-SS - Introduce a new periodic PHR triggering configuration for a set of beams, each of which includes a period and an offset. - Alternative Option 3: A periodic PHR report including PHR information for all service beams. - Including both PHR and associated beam index - Question: How to extend the 2+6 PHR format (e.g.) Figure 12 (As shown) to include beam index PHR Reporting and Event Triggers in NR prohibit PHR Report / Trigger Solution - Alternative Option 1: Reuse legacy LTE, i.e., if the PL of the current time slot (serving beam) is greater than the PL+dl path loss change of the previous PHR disable timer, then report 1 PHR. - Note that the previously mentioned PL that disables the PHR timer can function in different service beams. Therefore, shared timers and protocol variables are maintained on a per-UE basis, not per-beam basis. - Two sub-solutions for PHR reports - Alternative Option 1-a: Report only one PHR (same as LTE) - This implies a prohibition on PHRs that do not distinguish between beams (assuming that beam-specific PHRs are reported in periodic PHRs). - Alternative Option 2-a: Report the PHR for all serving beams Similar to the discussion of alternative option 3 for periodic PHRs, the 2+6 PHR reporting needs to be expanded. - Frequently Asked Questions: The DL path variation range (1 / 3 / 6 dB) is insufficient because it includes beamforming gain. - Based on simulation results, it should be extended to at least 15 dB. PHR Reporting and Event Triggers in NR Disable PHR reporting / trigger (continue) - Alternative Solution 2: Beam-dependent PHR triggering events That is, the UE is configured to monitor the PHR of multiple beams in different time slots. - Effective against periodic CSI-RS and NR-SS - Introduce new PHR trigger-disable configurations for a group of beams, where each configuration includes period and offset. - Separate timers and protocol variables are maintained for each beam. - It is not necessary to extend the range of dl path loss variation. - Alternative Solution 3: New Triggering Event: Service Beam Change — That is, if the service beam is changed / switched, a separate triggering event is introduced. - The PHR report will include the PHR of the current service beam. - The first two reserved bits can be used to indicate changes in the service beam. - If such an event is triggered, the timer and protocol variables are reset. - It is not necessary to extend the range of dl path loss variation. - This implies that there is no ambiguity between the gNB and the UE in the serving beam, meaning that beam switching is robust.

Claims

1. A wireless communication method, comprising: The time period determined by the user equipment (UE) from the moment the last beam change of one or more serving beams is received from the serving network entity at the UE; The UE measures the first path loss of the current serving beam in response to the time period exceeding a minimum time threshold. The first path loss is based on the received power of the layer 3 filtered beam reference signal. as well as The second path loss of the current serving beam is measured by the UE in response to the time period being lower than the minimum time threshold, the second path loss being based on the layer 1 filtered beam quality.

2. A device configured for wireless communication, comprising: A means for determining, by a user equipment (UE), a time period from the last beam change of one or more serving beams received at the UE from a serving network entity; A means for measuring the first path loss of the current serving beam in response to the UE exceeding a minimum time threshold during the time period, the first path loss being based on the received power of the layer 3 filtered beam reference signal; as well as A means for measuring the second path loss of the current serving beam in response to the UE when the time period is below the minimum time threshold, the second path loss being based on the layer 1 filtered beam quality.

3. A user equipment (UE), comprising: Memory that stores processor-readable code; as well as At least one processor coupled to the memory, the at least one processor being configured to execute processor-readable code such that the at least one processor performs operations including: Determine the time period from the moment the UE receives the last beam change of one or more serving beams from the serving network entity; In response to the time period exceeding a minimum time threshold, a first path loss of the currently serving beam is measured, the first path loss being based on the received power of the layer 3 filtered beam reference signal. as well as In response to the time period being lower than the minimum time threshold, the second path loss of the currently serving beam is measured, the second path loss being based on the layer 1 filtered beam quality.

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