Devices, methods, apparatuses, and computer-readable media for transmission configuration indicator state activation

Abstract

Devices, methods, apparatuses, and computer-readable media for early TCI state activation are disclosed. An example apparatus for a terminal device may include at least one processor and at least one memory. The at least one memory may store instructions that, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the terminal device to at least: receive from a network device a configuration of a cell set for a mobility LTM candidate cell triggered at Layer 1 or Layer 2, the configuration including a set of TCI state states for the respective LTM candidate cell in the cell set; and, for at least one LTM candidate cell in the cell set, perform direct TCI state activation for at least one TCI state in the TCI state set.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] Various example embodiments relate to devices, methods, apparatuses, and computer-readable media for transmitting configuration indicator (TCI) status activation. Background Technology

[0002] Layer 1 (L1) or Layer 2 (L2) triggered mobility (LTM) is a cell handover process in which the network sends an LTM cell handover command to the user equipment (UE) to switch the UE's serving cell, such as the primary cell (PCell) or primary-secondary cell (PSCell). Prior to the cell handover process, the network may optionally activate the TCI state of one or more LTM candidate cells. Activation of the TCI state of LTM candidate cells before cell handover is referred to as "early TCI state activation." If TCI state activation is not performed before cell handover, the LTM cell handover command will activate and indicate the target TCI state. When activating the TCI state for an LTM candidate cell, the UE is expected to perform fine-grained time / frequency tracking and track the timing of the activated TCI state. Currently, a dedicated Media Access Control (MAC) element (MAC-CE) from the network is necessary for the UE to perform early TCI state activation. In the most common scenario, the network will first need to receive an L1 measurement report from the UE and then send the TCI state activation MAC-CE to the UE. Then, before the network sends the Physical Downlink Control Channel (PDCCH) command for Early Timing Advance (TA) acquisition or the LTM cell handover command, the network can wait for the UE to actually activate the TCI state, i.e., after the specified TCI state activation delay. After the TCI state has been activated, in most cases, the network can assume that the UE can perform the Random Access Channel (RACH) or LTM cell handover with a shorter delay and / or interruption. Summary of the Invention

[0003] The following provides a brief overview of exemplary embodiments to provide a basic understanding of some aspects of the various embodiments. It should be noted that the content of this invention is not intended to identify key features of essential elements or define the scope of the embodiments, and its sole purpose is to introduce some concepts in a simplified form as a prelude to the more detailed description provided below.

[0004] In a first aspect, an apparatus for a terminal device is disclosed. The apparatus may include at least one processor and at least one memory. The at least one memory may store instructions that, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the terminal device to at least: receive from a network device a configuration of a cell set for a mobility LTM candidate cell triggered at Layer 1 or Layer 2, the configuration including a set of TCI state states for the respective LTM candidate cell in the cell set; and, for at least one LTM candidate cell in the cell set, perform direct TCI state activation for at least one TCI state in the TCI state set.

[0005] In a second aspect, an apparatus for a network device is disclosed. The apparatus may include at least one processor and at least one memory. The at least one memory may store instructions that, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the network device to at least: transmit to a terminal device a configuration of a cell set for a mobility LTM candidate cell triggered at Layer 1 or Layer 2, the configuration including a set of Transmission Configuration Indicator (TCI) states for the corresponding LTM candidate cells in the cell set, so that the terminal device performs direct TCI state activation for at least one LTM candidate cell in the cell set, respectively, for at least one TCI state in the TCI state set.

[0006] In a third aspect, a method performed by means for a terminal device is disclosed. The method may include: receiving from a network device a configuration of a cell set for a mobility LTM candidate cell triggered at layer 1 or layer 2, the configuration including a set of TCI state states for the respective LTM candidate cell in the cell set; and for at least one LTM candidate cell in the cell set, performing direct TCI state activation for at least one TCI state in the TCI state set.

[0007] In one embodiment, the method includes receiving configuration for a set of LTM candidate cells in a configuration message for a terminal device.

[0008] In an embodiment, the method includes: transmitting to a network device a capability indication indicating whether direct TCI state activation can be supported, wherein if direct TCI state activation can be supported, the capability indication includes at least one of the following: the maximum number of TCI states for direct TCI state activation per candidate cell; or the maximum number of TCI states for direct TCI state activation across candidate cells.

[0009] In an embodiment, the method includes receiving from a network device at least one of the following: a first indication indicating whether an LTM candidate cell in a cell set is configured with direct TCI state activation; or a second indication indicating whether a TCI state in a TCI state set is allowed for direct TCI state activation.

[0010] In an embodiment, the method includes: for LTM candidate cells in the cell set, performing direct TCI state activation for the TCI state in the TCI state set respectively.

[0011] In an embodiment, the method includes: performing a Layer 1 measurement on LTM candidate cells configured with direct TCI state activation in a cell set or on LTM candidate cells configured with direct TCI state activation in a cell subset of a cell set; selecting one or more LTM candidate cells for direct TCI state activation based on the performed Layer 1 measurement; and performing direct TCI state activation for at least one TCI state in the TCI state set for the selected one or more LTM candidate cells.

[0012] In one embodiment, the method includes transmitting to a network device a report of at least one Layer 1 measurement for one or more selected LTM candidate cells.

[0013] In an embodiment, the method includes: for LTM candidate cells in a cell set, selecting one or more TCI states from a TCI state set for direct TCI state activation; performing direct TCI state activation for the selected one or more TCI states; and transmitting a third indication to a network device indicating the selected one or more TCI states.

[0014] In an embodiment, the method includes: performing layer 3 measurements on the serving cell associated with the network device and one or more neighboring cells of the serving cell; and transmitting a report of the layer 3 measurements to the network device for the network device to configure a set of cells for LTM candidate cells.

[0015] In an embodiment, the configuration of the cell set for LTM candidate cells includes conditions for deactivating TCI states in the TCI state set, and the method includes: deactivating the TCI state if the conditions for deactivating the TCI state are met.

[0016] In this embodiment, direct TCI state activation is TCI state activation that does not require a TCI state activation command from the network device.

[0017] In a fourth aspect, a method performed by means for a network device is disclosed. The method may include: transmitting to a terminal device a configuration of a cell set for a mobility LTM candidate cell triggered at layer 1 or layer 2, the configuration including a set of Transmission Configuration Indicator (TCI) states for the respective LTM candidate cells in the cell set, for the terminal device to perform direct TCI state activation for at least one LTM candidate cell in the cell set, respectively, for at least one TCI state in the TCI state set.

[0018] In one embodiment, the method includes transmitting a configuration for a set of LTM candidate cells in a configuration message for a terminal device.

[0019] In an embodiment, the method includes: receiving from a terminal device a capability indication indicating whether direct TCI state activation can be supported, and if direct TCI state activation can be supported, the capability indication includes at least one of the following: the maximum number of TCI states for direct TCI state activation for each candidate cell; or the maximum number of TCI states for direct TCI state activation across candidate cells.

[0020] In an embodiment, the method includes transmitting to a terminal device at least one of the following: a first indication indicating whether an LTM candidate cell in a cell set is configured for direct TCI state activation; or a second indication indicating whether a TCI state in a TCI state set is allowed for direct TCI state activation.

[0021] In an embodiment, the method includes: receiving from a terminal device a report of Layer 1 measurements performed by the terminal device at least for one or more LTM candidate cells configured with direct TCI state activation; and determining that the terminal device has activated the TCI state corresponding to one or more LTM candidate cells in the report.

[0022] In one embodiment, the method includes: receiving from a terminal device a third indication indicating one or more TCI states selected for direct TCI state activation.

[0023] In an embodiment, the method includes: receiving from a terminal device a report of Layer 3 measurements performed on a serving cell associated with a network device and one or more neighboring cells of the serving cell; and configuring direct TCI state activation for at least one LTM candidate cell in an LTM candidate cell set based on the Layer 3 measurement report.

[0024] In an embodiment, the configuration of the cell set for LTM candidate cells includes conditions for deactivating TCI states in the TCI state set.

[0025] In a fifth aspect, an apparatus for a terminal device is disclosed. The apparatus for the terminal device may include: components for receiving from a network device a configuration of a cell set of mobility LTM candidate cells triggered at Layer 1 or Layer 2, the configuration including a TCI state set of Transmission Configuration Indicator (TCI) states for the respective LTM candidate cells in the cell set; and components for performing direct TCI state activation for at least one TCI state in the TCI state set for at least one LTM candidate cell in the cell set.

[0026] In a sixth aspect, an apparatus for a network device is disclosed. The apparatus for the network device may include: components for transmitting to a terminal device a configuration of a cell set for a mobility LTM candidate cell triggered at layer 1 or layer 2, the configuration including a set of Transmission Configuration Indicator (TCI) states for corresponding LTM candidate cells in the cell set, for the terminal device to perform direct TCI state activation for at least one LTM candidate cell in the cell set for at least one TCI state in the TCI state set.

[0027] In a seventh aspect, a computer-readable medium is disclosed. This computer-readable medium may include program instructions that, when executed by an apparatus for a terminal device, cause the terminal device to at least: receive from a network device a configuration of a cell set for a mobility LTM candidate cell triggered at Layer 1 or Layer 2, the configuration including a set of TCI state states for the respective LTM candidate cell in the cell set's Transmission Configuration Indicator (TCI) states; and, for at least one LTM candidate cell in the cell set, perform direct TCI state activation for at least one TCI state in the TCI state set's TCI state state.

[0028] In an eighth aspect, a computer-readable medium is disclosed. The computer-readable medium may include program instructions that, when executed by an apparatus for a network device, cause the network device to at least: transmit to a terminal device a configuration of a cell set for a mobility LTM candidate cell triggered at Layer 1 or Layer 2, the configuration including a set of Transmission Configuration Indicator (TCI) states for the respective LTM candidate cells in the cell set, so that the terminal device performs direct TCI state activation for at least one LTM candidate cell in the cell set, respectively, for at least one TCI state in the TCI state set.

[0029] Other features and advantages of exemplary embodiments of this disclosure will also become apparent when read in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, which illustrate the principles of exemplary embodiments of this disclosure by way of example. Attached Figure Description

[0030] Some exemplary embodiments will now be described by way of non-limiting example with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0031] Figure 1 An example sequence diagram of early TCI state activation according to an example embodiment of the present disclosure is shown.

[0032] Figure 2 A flowchart illustrating an example method 200 for early TCI state activation according to an example embodiment of the present disclosure is shown.

[0033] Figure 3 A flowchart illustrating an example method 300 for early TCI state activation according to an example embodiment of the present disclosure is shown.

[0034] Figure 4 A block diagram illustrating an example device 400 for early TCI state activation according to an example embodiment of the present disclosure is shown.

[0035] Figure 5 A block diagram illustrating an example device 500 for early TCI state activation according to an example embodiment of the present disclosure is shown.

[0036] Figure 6 A block diagram illustrating an example apparatus 600 for early TCI state activation according to an example embodiment of the present disclosure is shown.

[0037] Figure 7 A block diagram illustrating an example apparatus 700 for early TCI state activation according to an example embodiment of the present disclosure is shown.

[0038] In all the accompanying drawings, the same or similar reference numerals denote the same or similar elements. Repeated descriptions of the same elements will be omitted. Detailed Implementation

[0039] In the following description, some exemplary embodiments are described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. Specific details are included to provide a thorough understanding of the various concepts. However, it will be apparent to those skilled in the art that these concepts can be implemented without these specific details. In some instances, well-known circuits, technologies, and components are shown in block diagram form to avoid obscuring the described concepts and features.

[0040] This disclosure provides an example embodiment of a solution for early TCI state activation. According to this example embodiment, MAC-CE for early TCI state activation can be skipped, thereby optimizing the LTM cell handover process.

[0041] Figure 1 An example sequence diagram of early TCI state activation according to an exemplary embodiment of this disclosure is shown. Reference Figure 1 UE 110 can represent any terminal device in the radio network. Network device 150 can represent the network side serving UE 110 in the radio network and can be used as a base station (BS), such as an evolved Node B (eNB), a next-generation Node B (gNB), etc. Assume that UE 110 is initially in a Radio Resource Control (RRC) connection mode with network device 150.

[0042] In operation 112, UE 110 may perform Layer 3 (L3) measurements on the serving cell (e.g., a PCell or PSCell associated with network device 150) and one or more neighboring cells of the serving cell. UE 110 may then transmit an L3 measurement report 114, also known as an L3 measurement report 114, to network device 150.

[0043] Upon receiving L3 measurement report 114, in operation 152, network device 150 configures direct TCI state activation for UE 110 for at least one LTM candidate cell based on L3 measurement report 114. The term "direct TCI state activation" can refer to the ability of the UE to autonomously perform early TCI state activation in some situations without requiring an early TCI state activation MAC-CE from the network device. More generally, direct TCI state activation can refer to the UE autonomously triggering early TCI state activation without requiring a TCI state activation command from the network device. In some embodiments, if the reference signal (RS) resource of the received L3 measurement report 114 exceeds a threshold, network device 150 can select a TCI state with a quasi-co-located (QCL) relationship with the RS for direct TCI state activation. The RS can be, for example, a synchronization signal block (SSB), channel state information (CSI), etc. SSB also refers to a synchronization signal and physical broadcast channel (PBCH) block.

[0044] Network device 150 can configure direct TCI state activation in the operation of configuring a cell set of LTM candidate cells for UE 110 (also known as LTM candidate cell configuration 154). LTM candidate cell configuration 154 may include a set of TCI states for the corresponding LTM candidate cells in the cell set. Alternatively, network device 150 can configure direct TCI state activation separately from other operations and transmit an independent direct TCI state configuration to UE 110.

[0045] exist Figure 1The document lists four LTM candidate cells 1-4 as examples of LTM candidate cells in a cell set, and those skilled in the art will understand that the example embodiments of this disclosure can be applied to scenarios with more or fewer LTM candidate cells. Four TCI state sets 1-4 are configured for each of the LTM candidate cells 1-4. TCI state sets 1-4 may include the same or different TCI states.

[0046] Alternatively or additionally, in some embodiments, UE 110 may transmit a capability indication 116 to network device 150 indicating whether it can support direct TCI state activation. UE 110 may transmit the capability indication 116 before, after, or together with the L3 measurement report 114. Upon receiving the capability indication 116, in operation 152, network device 150 may also configure direct TCI state activation based on the capability indication 116. For example, if the capability indication 116 indicates that UE 110 can support direct TCI state activation, then in operation 152, network device 150 can configure direct TCI state activation for UE 110. If the capability indication 116 indicates that UE 110 cannot support direct TCI state activation, then network device 150 may avoid performing operation 152.

[0047] In some embodiments, if UE 110 can support direct TCI state activation, capability indication 116 may include at least one of the following: the maximum number of TCI states for direct TCI state activation per candidate cell; or the maximum number of TCI states for direct TCI state activation across candidate cells. In some embodiments, capability indication 116 may indicate the maximum number of LTM candidate cells for direct TCI state activation. In operation 152, network device 150 may configure direct TCI state activation with reference to the maximum number of TCI states / LTM candidate cells supported by UE 110 for direct TCI state activation.

[0048] In some embodiments, in the LTM candidate cell configuration 154, network device 150 may indicate one or more “default” TCI states that can be directly activated for early TCI state activation without MAC-CE. At least one TCI state that is not enabled for direct activation may exist in the LTM candidate cell configuration 154. For example, four TCI state sets 1-4 of LTM candidate cells 1-4 may be listed in the LTM candidate cell configuration 154, wherein TCI state X in TCI state set 1 and TCI state Y in TCI state set 2 are indicated as default TCI states. Other TCI states (if any) may be indicated as non-default TCI states and thus excluded from direct activation. Network device 150 has the flexibility to select default TCI states such that different LTM candidate cells and / or different UEs can be configured with different (number) default TCI states.

[0049] Network device 150 may transmit LTM candidate cell configuration 154 to UE 110, so that UE 110 may perform direct TCI state activation for at least one TCI state in TCI state sets 1-4 for at least one LTM candidate cell from LTM candidate cells 1-4. In some embodiments, network device 150 may transmit LTM candidate cell configuration 154 in a configuration message for UE 110 (e.g., an RRC reconfiguration message for UE 110).

[0050] In some embodiments, network device 150 may transmit a first indication 158 to UE 110 indicating whether LTM candidate cells in the cell set are configured for direct TCI state activation. For example, among LTM candidate cells 1-4, the first indication 158 may indicate, for example, that direct TCI state activation is configured / enabled for LTM candidate cells 1 and 3 and is not configured / enabled for LTM candidate cells 2 and 4. In this case, UE 110 will not perform direct TCI state activation for LTM candidate cells 2 and 4.

[0051] Alternatively or additionally, in some embodiments, network device 150 may transmit a second indication 160 to UE 110 indicating whether a TCI state in the TCI state set is permitted for direct TCI state activation. For example, the second indication 160 may indicate in TCI state set 3 corresponding to LTM candidate cell 3 that TCI state X is permitted for direct TCI state activation and TCI state Y is not permitted for direct TCI state activation. In this case, for LTM candidate cell 3, UE 110 will not perform direct TCI state activation for TCI state Y.

[0052] Network device 150 may transmit the first indication 158 and the second indication 160 individually or as an indication. In some embodiments, network device 150 may transmit the first indication 158 and / or the second indication 160 in LTM candidate cell configuration 154.

[0053] If LTM candidate cell configuration 154 is received in the RRC reconfiguration message, UE 110 can transmit an RRC reconfiguration completion message to network device 150 after completing the RRC reconfiguration.

[0054] Upon receiving LTM candidate cell configuration 154, for at least one LTM candidate cell in the cell set, UE 110 can perform direct TCI state activation for at least one TCI state in the TCI state set according to the following solution.

[0055] Option 1 In some embodiments, during operation 118, for LTM candidate cells in the cell set, UE 110 may perform direct TCI state activation for each TCI state in the TCI state set. For example, if not disabled or prohibited by the first indication 158 or the second indication 160, UE 110 may perform direct TCI state activation for the TCI states in TCI state sets 1-4.

[0056] In some embodiments, during operation 118, UE 110 may add the TCI state in LTM candidate cell configuration 154 to the LTM candidate cell active TCI state list. For example, UE 110 may add the TCI states in TCI state sets 1-4 to the LTM candidate cell active TCI state list and perform direct TCI state activation for the TCI states for LTM candidate cells 1-4.

[0057] In some embodiments, if TCI state X in TCI state set 1 and TCI state Y in TCI state set 2 are indicated as default TCI states by network device 150 in LTM candidate cell configuration 154, then in operation 118, UE 110 can add TCI state X in TCI state set 1 and TCI state Y in TCI state set 2 to the active TCI state list of LTM candidate cells, and perform direct TCI state activation for TCI state X of LTM candidate cell 1 and TCI state Y of LTM candidate cell 2.

[0058] In some embodiments, during operation 118, UE 110 may determine whether to add a TCI state to the LTM candidate cell active TCI state list based on the L3 measurement performed in operation 112. For example, UE 110 may determine to add a TCI state to the LTM candidate cell active TCI state list if the serving cell quality is below a threshold and / or if the quality of neighboring cells is above a threshold. For example, UE 110 may compare the quality of multiple average samples measured over a recent specific duration and select the best LTM candidate cell based on its internal UE quality ranking for LTM candidate cells used for direct TCI state activation.

[0059] According to Scheme 1, network device 150 can now perform LTM cell handover for UE 110 without receiving L1 measurement reports from UE 110.

[0060] In some embodiments, network device 150 may calculate activation delay based on direct TCI state configuration (e.g., in RRC reconfiguration message) starting from the transmission of direct TCI state configuration (e.g., in RRC reconfiguration message).

[0061] Option 2 In some embodiments, during operation 120, UE 110 may perform L1 measurements on LTM candidate cells configured with direct TCI state activation in a cell set or a subset of cells in a cell set. For example, assuming LTM candidate cell 1-2 is configured with direct TCI state activation among LTM candidate cells 1-4, UE 110 may perform L1 measurements on LTM candidate cell 1-2 during operation 120. Alternatively, in some embodiments, even if LTM candidate cells 1-4 are configured with direct TCI state activation, UE 110 may still choose to perform L1 measurements on LTM candidate cell 1-2 during operation 120.

[0062] Then, in operation 122, UE 110 can select / determine one or more LTM candidate cells for direct TCI state activation based on the performed L1 measurement. In some embodiments, if UE 110 performs L1 measurement on LTM candidate cells 1-2 in operation 120, then in operation 122, UE 110 can add the TCI states in TCI state set 1-2 to the LTM candidate cell active TCI state list. In another embodiment, if the determined conditions apply to the measurement, the UE selects one or more LTM candidate cells for direct TCI state activation. For example, if the UE detects the determined conditions in the measurement, the UE can select one or more LTM candidate cells for direct TCI state activation.

[0063] In some embodiments, during operation 122, if the quality of the RS measurement for the LTM candidate cell (e.g., Reference Signal Received Power (RSRP)) is higher than a given quality (e.g., higher than a configured or predefined threshold), the UE 110 may select the LTM candidate cell for direct TCI state activation. In another embodiment, as a result of such determination, the UE 110 may perform direct TCI state activation for the determined LTM candidate cell.

[0064] In some embodiments, if LTM candidate cells 1-4 are configured with direct TCI state activation in LTM candidate cell configuration 154, then in operation 120, UE 110 may perform L1 measurements on LTM candidate cells 1-4, and in operation 122, UE 110 may determine the activation of up to M TCI states based on the performed L1 measurements. For example, M=1, 2, and the value of M may be determined based on UE capabilities and / or network configuration. UE 110 may determine the activation of M TCI states, for example, corresponding to the LTM candidate cell with the highest quality (e.g., RSRP) of the performed L1 measurement.

[0065] Then, in operation 124, for the selected one or more LTM candidate cells, UE 110 can perform direct TCI state activation for at least one TCI state in the TCI state set. In some embodiments, if a TCI state has already been activated based on L1 measurements, the TCI state remains activated until deactivated.

[0066] Before, after, or in parallel with operation 124, UE 110 may transmit a report 126, also known as an L1 measurement report 126, to network device 150 for at least one or more LTM candidate cells selected in operation 122. If RSRP is measured in operation 120, the L1 measurement report 126 may be referred to as an L1-RSRP report.

[0067] In some embodiments, network device 150 may assume that UE 110 has activated a TCI state corresponding to one or more LTM candidate cells in the L1 measurement report 126. For example, in some embodiments, UE 110 may indicate to network device 150 that the TCI state is activated by including the corresponding downlink (DL) RS in the L1 measurement report 126. For example, the L1 measurement report 126 may include indications of the DL RS and / or measurements associated with the DL RS. If UE 110 reports a DL RS corresponding to a TCI state used for direct TCI state activation, the network device may assume that the TCI state is activated. Alternatively or additionally, the L1 measurement report 126 may include indications that TCI state X is active and / or that the TCI state associated with the DL RS is active. Upon receiving the L1 measurement report 126, network device 150 knows that the TCI state is activated.

[0068] In some embodiments, if the DL RS corresponding to the TCI state used for direct TCI state activation is included in the L1 measurement report 126, the network device 150 can calculate the activation delay starting from the first report instance, for example, by receiving the L1 measurement report 126. Alternatively, in some embodiments, similar to embodiment 1, the network device 150 can calculate the activation delay based on the direct TCI state configuration, for example, in an RRC reconfiguration message, starting from the transmission of the direct TCI state configuration (e.g., an RRC reconfiguration message).

[0069] Option 3 In some embodiments, during operation 128, for LTM candidate cells in the cell set, UE 110 may select one or more TCI states from the TCI state set for direct TCI state activation. For example, UE 110 may perform the selection based on, for example, L1 measurements, L3 measurements, and / or the round-trip time (RTD) experienced by the UE between the serving cell and the LTM candidate cell. For example, UE 110 may add TCI state X of LTM candidate cell 1 to the list of active TCI states for LTM candidate cells.

[0070] Similar to scheme 2, in some embodiments, if LTM candidate cells 1-4 are configured with direct TCI state activation in LTM candidate cell configuration 154, UE 110 can perform L1 measurements on LTM candidate cells 1-4, and in operation 128, UE 110 can determine the activation of up to M TCI states based on the performed L1 measurements. For example, M=1, 2, and the value of M can be determined based on UE capabilities and / or network configuration. UE 110 can determine the activation of, for example, the M TCI states corresponding to the LTM candidate cell with the highest quality (e.g., RSRP) of the performed L1 measurements.

[0071] In operation 130, UE 110 may perform direct TCI state activation for one or more selected TCI states. Before, after, or in parallel with operation 130, UE 110 may transmit a third indication 132 to network device 150 indicating the selected one or more TCI states. UE 110 may transmit the third indication 132 in, for example, an L1 measurement report, an L3 measurement report, or a separate message.

[0072] Similar to scheme 2, in some embodiments, UE 110 can indicate to network device 150 that the TCI state is activated by including the corresponding DLRS in the L1-RSRP report. If UE 110 reports a DLRS corresponding to the TCI state used for direct TCI state activation, the network device can determine that the TCI state is activated.

[0073] In some embodiments, similar to scheme 2, network device 150 may calculate the activation delay starting from a first report instance (e.g., upon receiving a third indication 132). Alternatively, similar to scheme 2, in some embodiments, if the DL RS corresponding to the TCI state used for direct TCI state activation is included in the L1-RSRP report, network device 150 may calculate the activation delay starting from a first report instance, for example, upon receiving an L1-RSRP report. Alternatively, in some embodiments, similar to scheme 1, network device 150 may calculate the activation delay based on the direct TCI state configuration, for example, in an RRC reconfiguration message, for example, starting from the transmission of the direct TCI state configuration (e.g., an RRC reconfiguration message).

[0074] After calculating the TCI state activation delay, network device 150 can determine that UE 110 can perform RACH or LTM cell handover of the PDCCH command with a shorter delay than if the TCI state were inactive during the PDCCH command or LTM cell handover. For example, if the TCI state is active, the RACH delay or cell handover delay of the PDCCH command may not include the component used for fine time / frequency tracking.

[0075] Early TCI state activation MAC-CE can be applied to schemes 2 and 3 above. For example, if early TCI state activation MAC-CE activates more than one TCI state, UE 110 can perform a downward selection from the more than one TCI state activated by early TCI state activation MAC-CE, and actually activate the selected subset of TCI states. Furthermore, those skilled in the art will understand that embodiments under schemes 1 to 3 can be combined if they do not contradict each other.

[0076] After UE 110 performs direct TCI state activation on at least one of the TCI states in the TCI state set according to scheme 1, scheme 2 and / or scheme 3, network device 150 may transmit an LTM cell handover command to UE 110, wherein the target TCI state is one of the activated TCI states.

[0077] In some embodiments, the LTM candidate cell configuration 154 or the independent direct TCI state configuration may include a condition 156 for deactivating TCI states in the TCI state set, and in operation 134, if the condition 156 for deactivating TCI states is met, the UE 110 may deactivate the TCI states. In this case, an explicit MAC-CE for deactivating TCI states is not required.

[0078] For example, condition 156 may include a deactivation time. If the TCI state remains active but no action occurs during the deactivation time, then when the deactivation time arrives, condition 156 is satisfied and UE 110 can deactivate the TCI state. The deactivation time may begin with a first report instance, such as transmitting L1 measurement report 126 or a third indication 132.

[0079] Alternatively or additionally, for example, condition 156 may include a configured or specified threshold and / or a number N, such that if the measurement for the configured RS is below the configured or specified threshold and / or the measurement is not reported for a number N times, then condition 156 is satisfied and UE 110 can deactivate the associated TCI state. In this example, network device 150 can derive deactivation through reports (e.g., L1-RSRP reports), therefore UE 110 does not need to transmit an explicit indication for deactivation.

[0080] UE 110 can perform operation 134 within operation 124, within operation 130, or as a separate operation from other operations. UE 110 can activate some TCI states and deactivate others based on, for example, a threshold or UE capability. If UE 110 can maintain a number x active TCI states, then UE 110 can deactivate other active TCI states besides the most recent x active TCI states.

[0081] In some embodiments, UE 110 may indicate direct TCI deactivation to network device 150 in L1 measurement report 126 or third indication 132. For example, UE 110 may indicate deactivation of the TCI state by reporting an associated DL RS with an invalid RSRP value. Alternatively, for example, L1 measurement report 126 or third indication 132 may include an active TCI state but not a deactivated TCI state.

[0082] The exemplary embodiments of this disclosure provide the following: - Regarding the UE's assumptions about the active TCI states used for LTM after receiving the cell handover command, other than the indicated TCI state, -If configured Retain all active TCI states used for LTM (for candidate and target cells). -otherwise, • Deactivate all TCI states used for LTM (for candidate and target cells). Figure 2 A flowchart illustrating an example method 200 for early TCI state activation according to an example embodiment of the present disclosure is shown. Example method 200 can be performed, for example, by means of a terminal device (such as UE 110 described above).

[0083] refer to Figure 2 Example method 200 may include: operation 210, receiving from a network device a configuration of a cell set for a mobility LTM candidate cell triggered at layer 1 or layer 2, the configuration including a set of TCI state for the Transmission Configuration Indicator (TCI) state of the corresponding LTM candidate cell in the cell set; and operation 220, performing direct TCI state activation for at least one TCI state in the TCI state set for at least one LTM candidate cell in the cell set.

[0084] The details of operation 210 have already been described above in at least the description of LTM candidate cell configuration 154, and will not be repeated here.

[0085] The details of operation 220 have already been described above in at least the descriptions of schemes 1, 2 and 3, and will not be repeated here.

[0086] In some embodiments, example method 200 may include receiving configuration for a set of LTM candidate cells in a configuration message for a terminal device. Further details have already been described above, at least regarding the LTM candidate cell configuration 154, and are omitted here as a repetition.

[0087] In some embodiments, example method 200 may include: transmitting to a network device a capability indication indicating whether direct TCI state activation can be supported, wherein if direct TCI state activation can be supported, the capability indication includes at least one of the following: the maximum number of TCI states for direct TCI state activation per candidate cell; or the maximum number of TCI states for direct TCI state activation across candidate cells. Further details have already been described above at least in the description of capability indication 116, and are omitted here for brevity.

[0088] In some embodiments, example method 200 may include receiving from a network device at least one of the following: a first indication indicating whether an LTM candidate cell in a cell set is configured for direct TCI state activation; or a second indication indicating whether a TCI state in a TCI state set is permitted for direct TCI state activation. Further details have already been described above with respect to at least the first indication 158 and the second indication 160, and are omitted here for brevity.

[0089] In some embodiments, example method 200 may include: for LTM candidate cells in the cell set, performing direct TCI state activation for each TCI state in the TCI state set. Further details have already been described above, at least in the description of operation 118, and are omitted here for brevity.

[0090] In some embodiments, example method 200 may include: performing an L1 measurement on LTM candidate cells configured with direct TCI state activation in a cell set or a subset of cells in a cell set; selecting one or more LTM candidate cells for direct TCI state activation based on the performed L1 measurement; and performing direct TCI state activation on at least one TCI state in the TCI state set for each of the selected one or more LTM candidate cells. Further details have already been described above with respect to at least operations 120, 122, and 124, and are omitted here as a repetition.

[0091] In some embodiments, example method 200 may include transmitting to a network device a report of L1 measurements for at least one or more selected LTM candidate cells. Further details have already been described above at least in relation to the L1 measurement report 126, and are omitted here for brevity.

[0092] In some embodiments, example method 200 may include: selecting one or more TCI states from a TCI state set for direct TCI state activation for an LTM candidate cell in a cell set; performing direct TCI state activation for the selected one or more TCI states; and transmitting a third indication to a network device indicating the selected one or more TCI states. Further details have been described above with respect to at least operations 128 and 130 and the third indication 132, and are omitted here for brevity.

[0093] In some embodiments, example method 200 may include: performing L3 measurements on the serving cell associated with the network device and one or more neighboring cells of the serving cell; and transmitting a report of the L3 measurements to the network device for the network device to configure a set of cells for LTM candidate cells. Further details have already been described above, at least regarding operation 112 and L3 measurement report 114, and are omitted here as a repetition.

[0094] In some embodiments, the configuration of the cell set of LTM candidate cells includes conditions for deactivating TCI states in the TCI state set, and example method 200 may include: deactivating the TCI state if the conditions for deactivating the TCI state are met. Further details have already been described above at least with respect to deactivation condition 156 and operation 134, and are omitted here for brevity.

[0095] In some embodiments, direct TCI state activation is TCI state activation that does not require a TCI state activation command from the network device.

[0096] Figure 3 A flowchart illustrating an example method 300 for early TCI state activation according to an example embodiment of the present disclosure is shown. Example method 300 can be performed, for example, by means of a network device (such as network device 150 described above).

[0097] refer to Figure 3 Example method 300 may include: operation 310: transmitting to a terminal device a configuration of a cell set of LTM candidate cells, the configuration including a set of TCI states for the corresponding LTM candidate cells in the cell set, so that the terminal device can perform direct TCI state activation for at least one LTM candidate cell in the cell set for at least one TCI state in the TCI state set.

[0098] The details of operation 310 have already been described above in at least the descriptions of LTM candidate cell configuration 154 and schemes 1, 2 and 3, and their repeated descriptions are omitted here.

[0099] In some embodiments, example method 300 may include transmitting a configuration of the cell set of LTM candidate cells in a configuration message for the terminal device. Further details have already been described above, at least in the description of the LTM candidate cell configuration 154, and will not be repeated here.

[0100] In some embodiments, example method 300 may include: receiving from a terminal device a capability indication indicating whether direct TCI state activation can be supported, wherein if direct TCI state activation can be supported, the capability indication includes at least one of the following: the maximum number of TCI states for direct TCI state activation per candidate cell; or the maximum number of TCI states for direct TCI state activation across candidate cells. Further details have already been described above with respect to at least capability indication 116, and their repetition is omitted here.

[0101] In some embodiments, example method 300 may include transmitting to a terminal device at least one of the following: a first indication indicating whether an LTM candidate cell in a cell set is configured for direct TCI state activation; or a second indication indicating whether a TCI state in a TCI state set is permitted for direct TCI state activation. Further details have been described above with respect to at least the first indication 158 and the second indication 160, and their repetition is omitted here.

[0102] In some embodiments, example method 300 may include: receiving from a terminal device a report of L1 measurements performed by the terminal device at least for one or more LTM candidate cells configured with direct TCI state activation; and assuming the terminal device has activated the TCI state corresponding to one or more LTM candidate cells in the report. Further details have already been described above, at least in the description of L1 measurement report 126, and are omitted here as a repetition.

[0103] In some embodiments, example method 300 may include receiving from a terminal device a third indication indicating that one or more TCI states are selected for direct TCI state activation. Further details have already been described above, at least in relation to the third indication 132, and will not be repeated here.

[0104] In some embodiments, example method 300 may include: receiving from a terminal device a report of L3 measurements performed on a serving cell associated with a network device and one or more neighboring cells of the serving cell; and configuring direct TCI state activation for at least one LTM candidate cell in an LTM candidate cell set based on the L3 measurement report. Further details have already been described above, at least in the description of L3 measurement report 114 and operation 152, and are omitted here as a repetition.

[0105] In some embodiments, the configuration of the cell set of LTM candidate cells includes conditions for deactivating TCI states in the TCI state set. Further details have already been described above, at least in relation to deactivation condition 156, and are omitted here for brevity.

[0106] Figure 4 A block diagram illustrating an example device 400 for early TCI state activation according to an example embodiment of the present disclosure is shown. For example, the device may be at least a portion of a means for a terminal device (such as UE 110 in the example above).

[0107] like Figure 4 As shown, the example device 400 may include at least one processor 410 and at least one memory 420 capable of storing instructions 430. When executed by the at least one processor 410, the instructions 430 may cause the device 400 to perform at least the example method 200 described above.

[0108] In various example embodiments, at least one processor 410 in example device 400 may include, but is not limited to, at least one hardware processor, including at least one microprocessor such as a central processing unit (CPU), a portion of at least one hardware processor, and any other suitable special-purpose processor such as one developed based on, for example, field-programmable gate arrays (FPGAs) and application-specific integrated circuits (ASICs). Furthermore, at least one processor 410 may also include... Figure 4 At least one other circuit or element not shown in the diagram.

[0109] In various example embodiments, at least one memory 420 in example device 400 may include at least one storage medium of various forms, such as transient and / or non-transient memory. Transient memory may include, but is not limited to, for example, random access memory (RAM), cache, etc. Non-transient memory may include, but is not limited to, for example, read-only memory (ROM), hard disk, flash memory, etc. As used herein, the term "non-transient" is a limitation on the medium itself (i.e., tangible, not tactile), rather than a limitation on the persistence of data storage (e.g., RAM and ROM). Furthermore, at least memory 420 may include, but is not limited to, electrical, magnetic, optical, electromagnetic, infrared, or semiconductor systems, devices, or equipment, or any combination thereof.

[0110] In addition, in various example embodiments, example device 400 may also include at least one other circuit, element, and interface, such as at least one I / O interface, at least one antenna element, etc.

[0111] In various example embodiments, the circuits, components, elements, and interfaces (including at least one processor 410 and at least one memory 420) in example device 400 can be coupled together in any suitable manner (e.g., electrical, magnetic, optical, electromagnetic, etc.) via any suitable connection (including but not limited to bus, cross switch, wiring, and / or wireless line).

[0112] It should be understood that the structure of the device on the UE 110 side is not limited to the example device 400 described above.

[0113] Figure 5 A block diagram illustrating an example device 500 for early TCI state activation according to an example embodiment of the present disclosure is shown. For example, the device may be at least a portion of an apparatus for a network device (such as network device 150 in the example above).

[0114] like Figure 5 As shown, the example device 500 may include at least one processor 510 and at least one memory 520 capable of storing instructions 530. When executed by the at least one processor 510, the instructions 530 may cause the device 500 to perform at least the example method 300 described above.

[0115] In various example embodiments, at least one processor 510 in example device 500 may include, but is not limited to, at least one hardware processor, including at least one microprocessor such as a central processing unit (CPU), a portion of at least one hardware processor, and any other suitable special-purpose processor such as one developed based on, for example, field-programmable gate arrays (FPGAs) and application-specific integrated circuits (ASICs). Furthermore, at least one processor 510 may also include... Figure 5 At least one other circuit or element not shown in the diagram.

[0116] In various example embodiments, at least one memory 520 in example device 500 may include at least one storage medium of various forms, such as transient and / or non-transient memory. Transient memory may include, but is not limited to, for example, random access memory (RAM), cache, etc. Non-transient memory may include, but is not limited to, for example, read-only memory (ROM), hard disk, flash memory, etc. As used herein, the term "non-transient" is a limitation on the medium itself (i.e., tangible, not tactile), rather than a limitation on the persistence of data storage (e.g., RAM and ROM). Furthermore, at least memory 520 may include, but is not limited to, electrical, magnetic, optical, electromagnetic, infrared, or semiconductor systems, devices, or apparatuses, or any combination thereof.

[0117] In addition, in various example embodiments, example device 500 may also include at least one other circuit, element, and interface, such as at least one I / O interface, at least one antenna element, etc.

[0118] In various example embodiments, the circuits, components, elements, and interfaces (including at least one processor 510 and at least one memory 520) in example device 500 can be coupled together in any suitable manner (e.g., electrical, magnetic, optical, electromagnetic, etc.) via any suitable connection (including but not limited to bus, cross switch, wiring, and / or wireless line).

[0119] It should be understood that the structure of the devices on the network device 150 side is not limited to the example device 500 described above.

[0120] Figure 6 A block diagram illustrating an example apparatus 600 for early TCI state activation according to an example embodiment of the present disclosure is shown. For example, the apparatus may be at least a part of a terminal device (such as UE 110 in the example above).

[0121] like Figure 6 As shown, the example apparatus 600 may include: a component 610 for receiving from a network device a configuration for a set of LTM candidate cells, the configuration including a set of TCI states for the TCI states of the respective LTM candidate cells in the set of cells; and a component 620 for performing direct TCI state activation for at least one TCI state in the TCI state set for at least one LTM candidate cell in the set of cells.

[0122] In some embodiments, the apparatus 600 may include components for receiving a configuration of a set of LTM candidate cells in a configuration message for a terminal device.

[0123] In some embodiments, the apparatus 600 may include a component for transmitting to a network device a capability indication indicating whether direct TCI state activation can be supported, wherein if direct TCI state activation can be supported, the capability indication includes at least one of the following: the maximum number of TCI states for direct TCI state activation per candidate cell; or the maximum number of TCI states for direct TCI state activation across candidate cells.

[0124] In some embodiments, the apparatus 600 may include a component for receiving from a network device at least one of the following: a first indication indicating whether an LTM candidate cell in a cell set is configured for direct TCI state activation; or a second indication indicating whether a TCI state in a TCI state set is permitted for direct TCI state activation.

[0125] In some embodiments, the apparatus 600 may include components for performing direct TCI state activation on the TCI states of the TCI state set for each LTM candidate cell in the cell set.

[0126] In some embodiments, the apparatus 600 may include: components for performing L1 measurements on LTM candidate cells configured with direct TCI state activation in a cell set or LTM candidate cells configured with direct TCI state activation in a cell subset of a cell set; components for selecting one or more LTM candidate cells for direct TCI state activation based on the performed L1 measurements; and components for performing direct TCI state activation on at least one TCI state in the TCI state set for the selected one or more LTM candidate cells.

[0127] In some embodiments, the apparatus 600 may include components for transmitting to a network device a report of at least L1 measurements for one or more selected LTM candidate cells.

[0128] In some embodiments, the apparatus 600 may include components for selecting one or more TCI states from a TCI state set for LTM candidate cells in a cell set for direct TCI state activation; components for performing direct TCI state activation for the selected one or more TCI states; and components for transmitting a third indication to a network device indicating the selected one or more TCI states.

[0129] In some embodiments, the apparatus 600 may include components for performing L3 measurements on the serving cell associated with the network device and one or more neighboring cells of the serving cell; and components for transmitting a report of the L3 measurements to the network device so that the network device can configure a set of cells for LTM candidate cells.

[0130] In some embodiments, the configuration of the cell set for LTM candidate cells includes conditions for deactivating TCI states in the TCI state set, and the apparatus 600 may include components for deactivating TCI states when the conditions for deactivating TCI states are met.

[0131] In some embodiments, direct TCI state activation is TCI state activation that does not require a TCI state activation command from the network device.

[0132] In some example embodiments, examples of components in example device 600 may include circuitry. For example, an example of component 610 may include circuitry configured to perform operation 210 of example method 200, and an example of component 620 may include circuitry configured to perform operation 220 of example method 200.

[0133] Example device 600 may also include components containing circuitry configured to perform example method 200. In some example embodiments, the device may also include software modules and any other suitable functional entities.

[0134] Figure 7 A block diagram illustrating an example apparatus 700 for early TCI state activation according to an example embodiment of the present disclosure is shown. For example, the apparatus may be at least a portion of a network device (such as network device 150 in the example above).

[0135] like Figure 7 As shown, the example apparatus 700 may include: a component 710 for transmitting a configuration of a cell set of LTM candidate cells to a terminal device, the configuration including a set of TCI states for the corresponding LTM candidate cells in the cell set, so that the terminal device can perform direct TCI state activation for at least one LTM candidate cell in the cell set for at least one TCI state in the TCI state set.

[0136] In some embodiments, the apparatus 700 may include components for transmitting a configuration of a set of LTM candidate cells in a configuration message for a terminal device.

[0137] In some embodiments, the apparatus 700 may include a component for receiving a capability indication from a terminal device indicating whether direct TCI state activation can be supported, wherein if direct TCI state activation can be supported, the capability indication includes at least one of the following: the maximum number of TCI states for direct TCI state activation per candidate cell; or the maximum number of TCI states for direct TCI state activation across candidate cells.

[0138] In some embodiments, the apparatus 700 may include components for transmitting to a terminal device at least one of the following: a first indication indicating whether an LTM candidate cell in a cell set is configured for direct TCI state activation; or a second indication indicating whether a TCI state in a TCI state set is permitted for direct TCI state activation.

[0139] In some embodiments, the apparatus 700 may include components for receiving from the terminal device a report of L1 measurements performed by the terminal device at least for one or more LTM candidate cells configured with direct TCI state activation; and components for assuming that the terminal device has activated the TCI state corresponding to one or more LTM candidate cells in the report.

[0140] In some embodiments, the apparatus 700 may include a component for receiving from a terminal device a third indication indicating that one or more TCI states are selected for direct TCI state activation.

[0141] In some embodiments, the apparatus 700 may include components for receiving from a terminal device a report of L3 measurements performed on the serving cell associated with the network device and one or more neighboring cells of the serving cell; and components for configuring direct TCI state activation for at least one LTM candidate cell in an LTM candidate cell set based on the L3 measurement report.

[0142] In some embodiments, the configuration of the cell set of LTM candidate cells includes conditions for deactivating TCI states in the TCI state set.

[0143] In some example embodiments, examples of the apparatus in example device 700 may include circuitry. For example, an example of component 710 may include circuitry configured to perform operation 310 of example method 300.

[0144] The example apparatus 700 may also include components containing circuitry configured to perform the example method 300. In some example embodiments, the apparatus may also include software modules and any other suitable functional entities.

[0145] Example embodiments of this disclosure also provide a computer-readable medium including program instructions that, when executed by an apparatus for a terminal device (such as UE 110 in the example above), enable the terminal device to at least: receive from a network device a configuration for a set of LTM candidate cells, the configuration including a set of TCI states for the respective LTM candidate cells in the set of cells; and, for at least one LTM candidate cell in the set of cells, perform direct TCI state activation for at least one TCI state in the TCI state set of the TCI state set.

[0146] In some embodiments, the computer-readable medium may include instructions that, when executed by the apparatus, enable the terminal device to: receive a configuration of a set of LTM candidate cells in a configuration message for the terminal device.

[0147] In some embodiments, the computer-readable medium may include instructions that, when executed by the apparatus, may cause the terminal device to: transmit to the network device a capability indication indicating whether direct TCI state activation can be supported, wherein if direct TCI state activation can be supported, the capability indication includes at least one of the following: the maximum number of TCI states for direct TCI state activation per candidate cell; or the maximum number of TCI states for direct TCI state activation across candidate cells.

[0148] In some embodiments, the computer-readable medium may include instructions that, when executed by the apparatus, may cause the terminal device to: receive from the network device at least one of the following: a first indication indicating whether an LTM candidate cell in the cell set is configured with direct TCI state activation; or a second indication indicating whether a TCI state in the TCI state set is permitted for direct TCI state activation.

[0149] In some embodiments, the computer-readable medium may include instructions that, when executed by the device, enable the terminal device to: perform direct TCI state activation on the TCI states of the TCI state set for each LTM candidate cell in the cell set.

[0150] In some embodiments, the computer-readable medium may include instructions that, when executed by the apparatus, cause the terminal device to: perform an L1 measurement on LTM candidate cells configured with direct TCI state activation in a cell set or a cell subset of a cell set; select one or more LTM candidate cells for direct TCI state activation based on the performed L1 measurement; and, for the selected one or more LTM candidate cells, perform direct TCI state activation on at least one TCI state in the TCI state set, respectively.

[0151] In some embodiments, the computer-readable medium may include instructions that, when executed by the apparatus, may cause the terminal device to: transmit to the network device a report of at least one L1 measurement for one or more selected LTM candidate cells.

[0152] In some embodiments, the computer-readable medium may include instructions that, when executed by the apparatus, enable the terminal device to: select one or more TCI states from a set of TCI states for direct TCI state activation for an LTM candidate cell in a cell set; perform direct TCI state activation for the selected one or more TCI states; and transmit a third indication to the network device indicating the selected one or more TCI states.

[0153] In some embodiments, the computer-readable medium may include instructions that, when executed by the apparatus, enable the terminal device to: perform L3 measurements on the serving cell associated with the network device and one or more neighboring cells of the serving cell; and transmit a report of the L3 measurements to the network device for the network device to configure a set of cells for LTM candidate cells.

[0154] In some embodiments, the configuration of the cell set for LTM candidate cells includes conditions for deactivating TCI states in the TCI state set, and the computer-readable medium may include instructions that, when executed by the device, may cause the terminal device to: deactivate the TCI state if the conditions for deactivating the TCI state are met.

[0155] In some embodiments, direct TCI state activation is TCI state activation that does not require a TCI state activation command from the network device.

[0156] Example embodiments of this disclosure also provide a computer-readable medium including program instructions that, when executed by an apparatus for a network device (such as network device 150 in the example above), enable the network device to at least: transmit to a terminal device a configuration for a set of LTM candidate cells, the configuration including a set of TCI states for the corresponding LTM candidate cells in the cell set, so that the terminal device can perform direct TCI state activation for at least one TCI state in the TCI state set for at least one LTM candidate cell in the cell set.

[0157] In some embodiments, the computer-readable medium may include instructions that, when executed by the apparatus, enable the network device to: transmit a configuration of the cell set of LTM candidate cells in a configuration message for the terminal device.

[0158] In some embodiments, the computer-readable medium may include instructions that, when executed by the apparatus, may cause the network device to: receive from the terminal device a capability indication indicating whether direct TCI state activation can be supported, wherein if direct TCI state activation can be supported, the capability indication includes at least one of the following: the maximum number of TCI states for direct TCI state activation per candidate cell; or the maximum number of TCI states for direct TCI state activation across candidate cells.

[0159] In some embodiments, the computer-readable medium may include instructions that, when executed by the apparatus, may cause the network device to: transmit to the terminal device at least one of the following: a first indication indicating whether an LTM candidate cell in the cell set is configured for direct TCI state activation; or a second indication indicating whether a TCI state in the TCI state set is permitted for direct TCI state activation.

[0160] In some embodiments, the computer-readable medium may include instructions that, when executed by the apparatus, enable the network device to: receive from the terminal device a report of L1 measurements performed by the terminal device at least for one or more LTM candidate cells configured with direct TCI state activation; and assume that the terminal device has activated the TCI state corresponding to one or more LTM candidate cells in the report.

[0161] In some embodiments, the computer-readable medium may include instructions that, when executed by the apparatus, may cause the network device to: receive from the terminal device a third indication indicating that one or more TCI states are selected for direct TCI state activation.

[0162] In some embodiments, the computer-readable medium may include instructions that, when executed by an apparatus, enable the network device to: receive from a terminal device a report of L3 measurements performed on a serving cell associated with the network device and one or more neighboring cells of the serving cell; and configure direct TCI state activation for at least one LTM candidate cell in an LTM candidate cell set based on the L3 measurement report.

[0163] In some embodiments, the configuration of the cell set of LTM candidate cells includes conditions for deactivating TCI states in the TCI state set.

[0164] As used herein, “at least one of the following: ” and “at least one of ” and similar wording (where the list of two or more elements is connected by “and” or “or”) means at least any one of the elements, or at least any two or more of the elements, or at least all of the elements.

[0165] The term "terminal device" refers to any terminal device capable of wireless communication. By way of example and not limitation, a terminal device may also be referred to as a communication device, user equipment (UE), subscriber station (SS), portable subscriber station, mobile station (MS), or access terminal (AT). Terminal devices may include, but are not limited to, mobile phones, cellular phones, smartphones, Voice over IP (VoIP) phones, wireless local loop phones, tablets, wearable terminal devices, personal digital assistants (PDAs), portable computers, desktop computers, image capture terminal devices such as digital cameras, gaming terminal devices, music storage and recycle bins, in-vehicle wireless terminal devices, wireless endpoints, mobile stations, laptop embedded devices (LEEs), laptop mounted devices (LMEs), USB dongles, smart devices, wireless customer premises equipment (CPEs), Internet of Things (IoT) devices, watches or other wearable devices, head-mounted displays (HMDs), vehicles, drones, medical devices and applications (e.g., remote surgery), industrial devices and applications (e.g., robots and / or other wireless devices operating in the context of industrial and / or automated processing chains), consumer electronics devices, devices operating on commercial and / or industrial wireless networks, etc. The terminal equipment may also correspond to the mobile termination (MT) portion of an IAB node (e.g., a relay node). In the above description, the terms "terminal equipment," "communication equipment," "terminal," "user equipment," and "UE" are used interchangeably.

[0166] Throughout this disclosure, the term "circuit" may refer to one or more of the following: (a) a hardware circuit implementation only (such as an implementation only in analog and / or digital circuits); (b) a combination of hardware circuitry and software, such as (where applicable) (i) a combination of analog and / or digital hardware circuitry and software / firmware, and (ii) any portion of a hardware processor having software (including a digital signal processor), software, and (a plurality of) memories, which work together to enable a device such as a mobile phone or a server to perform various functions; and (c) hardware circuitry and / or a processor, such as a microprocessor or a portion thereof, which requires software (e.g., firmware) to operate, but may be absent when operation is not required. This definition of circuitry applies to all or all of the use of the term in this disclosure (including in any claim). As another example, as used in this disclosure, the term circuitry also covers implementations of hardware circuitry or processors (or processors) only, or portions thereof, and their accompanying software and / or firmware. The term "circuit" also covers, for example and if applicable to elements of the claims, baseband integrated circuits or processor integrated circuits for mobile devices or similar integrated circuits in servers, cellular network devices or other computing or network devices.

[0167] Another example embodiment may involve computer program code or instructions that enable a device to perform at least the corresponding methods described above. Another example embodiment may involve a computer-readable medium on which such computer program code or instructions are stored. In some embodiments, such a computer-readable medium may include at least one storage medium of various forms, such as volatile memory and / or non-volatile memory. Volatile memory may include, but is not limited to, for example, RAM, cache, etc. Non-volatile memory may include, but is not limited to, ROM, hard disk, flash memory, etc. Non-volatile memory may also include, but is not limited to, electrical, magnetic, optical, electromagnetic, infrared, or semiconductor systems, devices, or equipment, or any combination thereof.

[0168] Unless the context explicitly requires otherwise, throughout the specification and claims, the terms “comprising,” “including,” etc., shall be interpreted in an inclusive sense, rather than an exclusive or exhaustive sense; that is, in the sense of “including but not limited to.” As is generally used herein, the term “coupled” refers to two or more elements that can be directly connected or connected through one or more intermediate elements. Similarly, as is generally used herein, the term “connected” refers to two or more elements that can be directly connected or connected through one or more intermediate elements. Furthermore, when used in this application, the terms “this,” “above,” “below,” and similar terms shall refer to the application as a whole, and not to any particular part of the application. Where the context permits, singular or plural terms used in the specification may also include the plural or singular, respectively. The term “or” relating to a list of two or more items, the term encompasses all of the following interpretations: any item in the list, all items in the list, and any combination of items in the list.

[0169] Furthermore, unless otherwise specifically stated or otherwise understood in the context in which they are used, the conditional language used herein, such as “may,” “possibly,” “capable,” “possibly,” “e.g.,” “such as,” etc., is generally intended to convey that certain embodiments include certain features, elements, and / or states that are not included in other embodiments. Therefore, such conditional language is not generally intended to imply that one or more embodiments require features, elements, and / or states in any way, or that one or more embodiments must include logic for determining, with or without author input or prompting, whether such features, elements, and / or states are included in or will be performed in any particular embodiment.

[0170] As used herein, the term "determine / determine" (and its grammatical variations) can include at least: calculation, operation, processing, derivation, measurement, investigation, lookup (e.g., searching in a table, database, or other data structure), ascertainment, etc. Furthermore, "determine" can include receiving (e.g., receiving information), accessing (e.g., accessing data in memory), obtaining, etc. Additionally, "determine" can include parsing, selecting, picking, building, etc.

[0171] While some embodiments have been described, these embodiments have been presented by way of example and are not intended to limit the scope of this disclosure. In fact, the apparatuses, methods, and systems described herein can be embodied in a variety of other forms; furthermore, various omissions, substitutions, and changes can be made to the form of the methods and systems described herein without departing from the spirit of this disclosure. For example, although blocks are presented in a given arrangement, alternative embodiments may utilize different components and / or circuit topologies to perform similar functions, and some blocks may be deleted, moved, added, subdivided, combined, and / or modified. At least one of these blocks can be implemented in a variety of different ways. The order of these blocks can also be changed. Any suitable combination of elements and actions of some of the embodiments described above can be combined to provide other embodiments. The appended claims and their equivalents are intended to cover these forms or modifications that fall within the scope and spirit of this disclosure.

[0172] The abbreviations used in the specification and / or figures are defined as follows: BS base station CSI Channel Status Information DL downlink eNB Evolution Node B gNB Next Generation Node B L1 Floor 1 L2 Floor 2 L3 floor 3 LTM L1 or L2 triggered mobility MAC Media Access Control MAC-CEMAC control element PBCH Physical Broadcast Channel PCell main cell PDCCH Physical Downlink Control Channel PSCell Primary and Secondary Communities QCL Quasi-co-addressable RACH Random Access Channel RRC Radio Resource Control RS reference signal RSRP reference signal received power RTD round-trip delay SSB Synchronization Signal Block Synchronization signals and PBCH blocks TA scheduled in advance TCI Transport Configuration Indicator UE User Equipment

Claims

1. An apparatus for a terminal device, comprising: At least one processor; as well as At least one memory storing instructions that, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the terminal device to at least: Receive configuration from network device for a set of cell groups for a mobility LTM candidate cell triggered at layer 1 or layer 2, the configuration including a set of TCI states for the Transmission Configuration Indicator (TCI) states of the corresponding LTM candidate cells in the cell group; as well as For at least one LTM candidate cell in the LTM candidate cell set, direct TCI state activation is performed for at least one TCI state in the TCI state set.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the apparatus is configured to: The configuration for the set of LTM candidate cells is received in the configuration message for the terminal device.

3. The apparatus according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the apparatus is configured to: Transmit to the network device an indication of whether it can support the direct TCI state activation capability, and If the direct TCI state activation can be supported, then the capability indication includes at least one of the following: The maximum number of TCI states activated for the direct TCI state for each candidate cell; or The maximum number of TCI states activated across the candidate cells for the direct TCI state.

4. The apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the apparatus is configured to: Receive at least one of the following from the network device: Indicates whether the LTM candidate cells in the cell set are configured with the first indication of direct TCI state activation; or A second indication indicating whether a TCI state in the TCI state set is allowed for activation of the direct TCI state.

5. The apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the apparatus is configured to: For the LTM candidate cells in the cell set, direct TCI state activation is performed for the TCI state in the TCI state set.

6. The apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the apparatus is configured to: Layer 1 measurement is performed on the LTM candidate cells that are directly TCI state activated in the cell set or on the LTM candidate cells that are directly TCI state activated in a cell subset of the cell set. One or more LTM candidate cells for the direct TCI state activation are selected based on the performed Layer 1 measurement. as well as For the selected one or more LTM candidate cells, the direct TCI state activation is performed for at least one TCI state in the TCI state set.

7. The apparatus of claim 6, wherein the apparatus is configured to: The network device transmits a report of at least the Layer 1 measurements for the selected one or more LTM candidate cells.

8. The apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the apparatus is configured to: For LTM candidate cells in the cell set, one or more TCI states are selected from the TCI state set for direct TCI state activation; Perform the direct TCI state activation for the selected one or more TCI states; and A third indication is transmitted to the network device, indicating the selected one or more TCI states.

9. The apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 7, wherein the apparatus is configured to: Perform Layer 3 measurements on the serving cell associated with the network device and one or more neighboring cells of the serving cell; and The network device transmits a report of the Layer 3 measurement to the network device so that the network device can configure the configuration for the set of LTM candidate cells.

10. The apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 8, wherein the configuration for the cell set of LTM candidate cells includes conditions for deactivating TCI states in the TCI state set, and the apparatus is configured to: If the condition for deactivating the TCI state is met, then the TCI state is deactivated.

11. The apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 10, wherein the direct TCI state activation is a TCI state activation that does not require a TCI state activation command from the network device.

12. An apparatus for a network device, comprising: At least one processor; as well as At least one memory storing instructions that, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the network device to at least: The terminal device transmits a configuration of a cell set for a mobility LTM candidate cell triggered at layer 1 or layer 2, the configuration including a set of Transmission Configuration Indicator (TCI) states for the corresponding LTM candidate cells in the cell set, so that the terminal device can perform direct TCI state activation for at least one LTM candidate cell in the cell set for at least one TCI state in the TCI state set.

13. The apparatus of claim 12, wherein the apparatus is configured to: The configuration for the set of LTM candidate cells is transmitted in the configuration message for the terminal device.

14. The apparatus according to claim 12 or 13, wherein the apparatus is configured to: Receive from the terminal device an indication of whether the capability to support the direct TCI state activation is supported, and If the direct TCI state activation can be supported, then the capability indication includes at least one of the following: The maximum number of TCI states activated for the direct TCI state for each candidate cell; or The maximum number of TCI states activated across the candidate cells for the direct TCI state.

15. The apparatus according to any one of claims 12 to 14, wherein the apparatus is configured to: Transmit at least one of the following to the terminal device: A first indication indicating whether the LTM candidate cells in the cell set are configured for the direct TCI state activation; or A second indication indicating whether a TCI state in the TCI state set is allowed for activation of the direct TCI state.

16. The apparatus according to any one of claims 12 to 15, wherein the apparatus is configured to: Receive from the terminal device a report of Layer 1 measurements performed by the terminal device at least for one or more LTM candidate cells configured with the Direct TCI State Activation; and The terminal device is deemed to have activated the TCI state corresponding to one or more LTM candidate cells in the report.

17. The apparatus according to any one of claims 12 to 15, wherein the apparatus is configured to: The terminal device receives a third indication that activates one or more TCI states selected for the direct TCI state.

18. The apparatus according to any one of claims 12 to 17, wherein, The device is configured to: The terminal device receives a report of the Layer 3 measurements performed on the serving cell associated with the network device and one or more neighboring cells of the serving cell; as well as The direct TCI state activation is configured for at least one LTM candidate cell in the LTM candidate cell set based on the report of the Layer 3 measurement.

19. The apparatus of any one of claims 12 to 18, wherein the configuration for the set of cells of LTM candidate cells includes conditions for deactivating TCI states in the TCI state set.

20. A method performed by means for a terminal device, comprising: Receive configuration from network device for a set of cell groups for a mobility LTM candidate cell triggered at layer 1 or layer 2, the configuration including a set of TCI states for the Transmission Configuration Indicator (TCI) states of the corresponding LTM candidate cells in the cell group; as well as For at least one LTM candidate cell in the LTM candidate cell set, direct TCI state activation is performed for at least one TCI state in the TCI state set.

21. A method performed by means for a network device, comprising: The terminal device transmits a configuration of a cell set for a mobility LTM candidate cell triggered at layer 1 or layer 2, the configuration including a set of Transmission Configuration Indicator (TCI) states for the corresponding LTM candidate cells in the cell set, so that the terminal device can perform direct TCI state activation for at least one TCI state in the TCI state set for at least one LTM candidate cell in the cell set.

22. An apparatus comprising components for performing the method according to claim 20 or 21.

23. A computer-readable medium comprising program instructions that, when executed by a device, cause the device to perform at least the method according to claim 20 or 21.

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