Flexible adjustment of reference signal design

Abstract

Example embodiments of the present disclosure provide solutions for flexible adjustment of reference signal (RS) design. The proposed method includes receiving, at a terminal device, a downlink control information (DCI) from a network device, the downlink control information including at least one field for indicating a reconfiguration of a reference signal (RS) transmission scheme. The method further includes performing an uplink transmission or a downlink reception based on the reconfiguration of the transmission scheme.

Description

Cross-reference to related applications

[0001] This application claims priority and benefit to U.S. Provisional Application No. 63 / 737134, filed December 20, 2024, the entire contents of which are incorporated herein by reference. Technical Field

[0002] The exemplary embodiments disclosed herein generally relate to the field of communications, and more particularly to terminal devices, network devices, methods, apparatuses, and computer-readable media for flexible adaptation of reference signal (RS) design. Background Technology

[0003] A communication network can be viewed as a facility that enables communication between two or more communication devices, or provides communication devices with access to a data network. Mobile or wireless communication networks are an example of communication networks.

[0004] These communication networks operate according to standards, such as those issued by 3GPP (3rd Generation Partnership Project) or ETSI (European Telecommunications Standards Institute). Examples of these standards include the so-called 5G (fifth generation) standard or other standards issued by 3GPP. Summary of the Invention

[0005] Generally speaking, the exemplary embodiments of this disclosure provide a solution for flexible adjustments to reference signal design.

[0006] In a first aspect, a terminal device is provided. The terminal device includes at least one processor and at least one memory, the at least one memory storing instructions that, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the terminal device to at least: receive downlink control information (DCI) from a network device, the DCI including at least one field for indicating reconfiguration of a reference signal (RS) transmission scheme; and, based on the reconfiguration of the transmission scheme, perform uplink transmission or downlink reception.

[0007] In a second aspect, a network device is provided. The network device includes: at least one processor and at least one memory, the at least one memory storing instructions that, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the network device to at least: send downlink control information (DCI) to an end device, the DCI including at least one field for indicating reconfiguration of a reference signal (RS) transmission scheme; and perform uplink reception or downlink transmission based on the reconfiguration of the RS transmission scheme.

[0008] In a third aspect, a method is provided. The method includes: receiving downlink control information (DCI) from a network device, the DCI including at least one field for indicating reconfiguration of a reference signal (RS) transmission scheme; and performing uplink transmission or downlink reception based on the reconfiguration of the transmission scheme.

[0009] In a fourth aspect, a method is provided. The method includes: sending downlink control information (DCI) to a terminal device, the DCI including at least one field for indicating reconfiguration of a reference signal (RS) transmission scheme; and performing uplink reception or downlink transmission based on the reconfiguration of the RS transmission scheme.

[0010] In a fifth aspect, an apparatus is provided. The apparatus includes: components for receiving downlink control information (DCI) from a network device, the DCI including at least one field for indicating a reconfiguration of a reference signal (RS) transmission scheme; and components for performing uplink transmission or downlink reception based on the reconfiguration of the transmission scheme.

[0011] In a sixth aspect, an apparatus is provided. The apparatus includes: components for transmitting downlink control information (DCI) to a terminal device, the DCI including at least one field for indicating a reconfiguration of a reference signal (RS) transmission scheme; and components for performing uplink reception or downlink transmission based on the reconfiguration of the RS transmission scheme.

[0012] In a seventh aspect, a computer-readable storage medium is provided, including program instructions. When executed by the apparatus, the program instructions cause the apparatus to perform at least the following: receiving downlink control information (DCI) from a network device, the DCI including at least one field for indicating reconfiguration of a reference signal (RS) transmission scheme; and performing uplink transmission or downlink reception based on the reconfiguration of the transmission scheme.

[0013] In an eighth aspect, a computer-readable storage medium is provided, including program instructions. When executed by the apparatus, the program instructions cause the apparatus to perform at least the following: send downlink control information (DCI) to a terminal device, the DCI including at least one field for indicating reconfiguration of a reference signal (RS) transmission scheme; and perform uplink reception or downlink transmission based on the reconfiguration of the RS transmission scheme.

[0014] In a ninth aspect, a computer program is provided, including instructions that, when executed by a device, cause the device to at least: receive downlink control information (DCI) from a network device, the DCI including at least one field for indicating reconfiguration of a reference signal (RS) transmission scheme; and, based on the reconfiguration of the transmission scheme, perform uplink transmission or downlink reception.

[0015] In a tenth aspect, a computer program is provided, including instructions that, when executed by a device, cause the device to at least: send downlink control information (DCI) to a terminal device, the DCI including at least one field for indicating reconfiguration of a reference signal (RS) transmission scheme; and perform uplink reception or downlink transmission based on the reconfiguration of the RS transmission scheme.

[0016] In an eleventh aspect, a terminal device is provided. The terminal device includes: a receiving circuitry system configured to receive downlink control information (DCI) from a network device, the DCI including at least one field for indicating reconfiguration of a reference signal (RS) transmission scheme; and a transmitting / receiving circuitry system configured to perform uplink transmission or downlink reception based on the reconfiguration of the transmission scheme.

[0017] In a twelfth aspect, a network device is provided. The network device includes: a transmitting circuitry configured to transmit downlink control information (DCI) to a terminal device, the DCI including at least one field for indicating reconfiguration of a reference signal (RS) transmission scheme; and a transmitting / receiving circuitry configured to perform uplink reception or downlink transmission based on the reconfiguration of the RS transmission scheme.

[0018] It should be understood that the summary section is not intended to identify key or essential features of the embodiments of this disclosure, nor is it intended to be used to limit the scope of this disclosure. Other features of this disclosure will become apparent from the following description. Attached Figure Description

[0019] Some exemplary embodiments will now be described with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:

[0020] Figure 1 An example communication network in which example embodiments of this disclosure may be implemented is shown;

[0021] Figure 2 Examples of reference signal transmission schemes according to some exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure are shown;

[0022] Figure 3Examples of a process flow for flexible adjustment of a reference signal design are shown according to some exemplary embodiments of this disclosure;

[0023] Figure 4 Examples of procedures for uplink scheduling and transmission according to some exemplary embodiments of this disclosure are shown;

[0024] Figure 5 Examples of a Hybrid Automatic Repeat Request (HARQ) process according to some exemplary embodiments of this disclosure are shown;

[0025] Figure 6 Examples of a process for designing a flexible adjustment of a reference signal using a predefined scene mapping, according to some example embodiments of this disclosure, are shown;

[0026] Figure 7 Examples of processes for downlink scheduling and transmission according to some exemplary embodiments of this disclosure are shown;

[0027] Figure 8 A flowchart is shown showing an example method implemented at a terminal device according to some example embodiments of the present disclosure;

[0028] Figure 9 A flowchart is shown illustrating example methods implemented at a network device according to some embodiments of the present disclosure;

[0029] Figure 10 A simplified block diagram of a device suitable for implementing some example embodiments of this disclosure is shown; and

[0030] Figure 11 A block diagram illustrating an example of a computer-readable medium according to some exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure is shown.

[0031] In all the accompanying drawings, the same or similar reference numerals denote the same or similar elements. Detailed Implementation

[0032] The principles of this disclosure will now be described with reference to some exemplary embodiments. It should be understood that these embodiments are described for illustrative purposes only and to assist those skilled in the art in understanding and implementing this disclosure, and do not imply any limitation on the scope of this disclosure. This disclosure described herein can be implemented in various ways other than those described below.

[0033] In the following description and claims, unless otherwise defined, all technical and scientific terms used herein have the same meaning as commonly understood by one of ordinary skill in the art to which this disclosure pertains.

[0034] References to "an embodiment," "embodiment," "example embodiment," etc., in this disclosure indicate that the described embodiment may include a particular feature, structure, or characteristic, but not every embodiment includes that particular feature, structure, or characteristic. Furthermore, such phrases do not necessarily refer to the same embodiment. Moreover, when a particular feature, structure, or characteristic is described in conjunction with an embodiment, it should be understood that, whether explicitly described or not, it is within the knowledge of those skilled in the art to affect such a feature, structure, or characteristic in conjunction with other embodiments.

[0035] It should be understood that although the terms “first,” “second,” etc., may be used herein to describe various elements, these elements should not be limited by these terms. These terms are used only to distinguish one element from another. For example, without departing from the scope of the exemplary embodiments, a first element may also be referred to as a second element, and similarly, a second element may also be referred to as a first element. As used herein, the term “and / or” includes any and all combinations of one or more of the listed terms.

[0036] The terminology used herein is for the purpose of describing particular embodiments only and is not intended to limit the exemplary embodiments. As used herein, the singular forms “a,” “an,” and “the” are also intended to include the plural forms unless the context clearly indicates otherwise. It should also be understood that, when used herein, the terms “comprising,” “including,” “having,” “having,” “including,” and / or “containing” specify the presence of the stated features, elements, and / or components, but do not exclude the presence or addition of one or more other features, elements, components, and / or combinations thereof. 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 element, or at least any two or more elements, or at least all elements.

[0037] As used in this application, the term "circuit system" may refer to one or more of the following: (a) Hardware circuit implementation only (such as implementation only in analog and / or digital circuit systems) and (b) A combination of hardware circuitry and software, such as (if applicable): (i) A combination of (multiple) analog and / or digital hardware circuits and software / firmware, and (ii) Any part of a hardware processor (including (multiple) digital signal processors), software, and (multiple) memories, which work together to enable a device (such as a mobile phone or server) to perform various functions and (c) (Multiple) hardware circuits and / or (multiple) processors (such as (multiple) microprocessors or a portion of (multiple) microprocessors) that require software (e.g., firmware) to operate, but may not exist when operation does not require software.

[0038] This definition of "circuit system" applies to all uses of the term in this application, including in any claim. As another example, as used in this application, the term "circuit system" also covers only hardware circuitry or a processor (or multiple processors) or portions of hardware circuitry or a processor and its accompanying software and / or firmware. For example, if applicable to a particular claim element, the term "circuit system" also covers baseband integrated circuits or processor integrated circuits for mobile devices or similar integrated circuits in servers, cellular network devices, or other computing or networking devices.

[0039] As used herein, the terms “network,” “communication network,” or “data network” refer to a network that conforms to any suitable communication standard, such as Long Term Evolution (LTE), LTE-A Advanced (LTE-A), Wideband Code Division Multiple Access (WCDMA), High-Speed ​​Packet Access (HSPA), Narrowband Internet of Things (NB-IoT), Wi-Fi, and so on. Furthermore, communication between terminal devices and network devices / components in a communication network can be performed according to any suitable generation of communication protocols, including but not limited to fourth-generation (4G), 4.5G, fifth-generation (5G), 5.5G (also known as advanced 5G), the IEEE 802.11 communication protocol, and / or any other protocols currently known or to be developed in the future. Embodiments of this disclosure can be applied to a variety of communication systems. Given the rapid development of communications, there will certainly be future types of communication technologies and systems that this disclosure can utilize. This should not be construed as limiting the scope of this disclosure to the systems described above.

[0040] As used herein, the term "network device" refers to a node in a communication network through which terminal devices access the network and receive services. Depending on the terminology and technology applied, a network device can refer to a base station (BS), access point (AP), or transmit and receive point (TRP), such as a Node B (NodeB or NB), an evolved Node B (eNodeB or eNB), an NRNB (also known as a gNB), a remote radio unit (RRU), a radio head (RH), a remote radio head (RRH), a WiFi device, a repeater, a low-power node (such as a femtosecond, picosecond), and so on. In the following description, the terms "network device," "AP device," "AP," and "access point" may be used interchangeably.

[0041] 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), station (STA) or station equipment, or access terminal (AT). Terminal devices may include, but are not limited to, mobile phones, cellular phones, smartphones, 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 playback devices, in-vehicle wireless terminal devices, wireless endpoints, mobile stations, laptop embedded devices (LEEs), laptop-mounted devices (LMEs), USB dongles, smart devices, wireless client devices (CPEs), Internet of Things (IoT) devices, watches or other wearables, 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. In the following description, the terms “station,” “station equipment,” “STA,” “terminal equipment,” “communication equipment,” “terminal,” “user equipment,” and “UE” may be used interchangeably.

[0042] The term "transceiver" can refer to any device that can be coupled to one or more antennas or antenna ports to wirelessly transmit and / or receive communication signals. The antennas or antenna ports can be of the same type or different types. The antennas or antenna ports can be located in different locations within the device. One or more transceivers allow the device to communicate with other devices, which can be wired and / or wireless. The one or more transceivers can include processors, controllers, radios, receptacles, plugs, buffers, or similar circuitry to form one or more communication channels to one or more radio frequency units. The one or more transceivers can be integrated into a device or system, such as a cellular communication device or system, a satellite communication device or system, a WLAN system, or a short-range system (e.g., a Bluetooth system).

[0043] For illustrative purposes, the principles and exemplary embodiments of this disclosure will be referenced below. Figures 1 to 11 The embodiments described herein are provided to enable those skilled in the art to understand the inventive concept of this disclosure and to implement the solutions presented herein, and are not intended to limit the scope of this application in any way.

[0044] Figure 1Examples of application scenarios 100 in which some exemplary embodiments of this disclosure may be implemented are shown. Application scenario 100, which is part of a communication network, includes terminal devices and network devices.

[0045] In the description of the exemplary embodiments of this disclosure, network environment 100 may also be referred to as communication system 100 (e.g., part of a communication network). Communication system 100 may be a non-terrestrial system or a terrestrial system.

[0046] For illustrative purposes only, the aspects of the exemplary embodiments will be described in the context of one or more terminal devices and network devices communicating with each other. However, it should be understood that the description herein may be applicable to other types of devices or other similar devices referred to using other terms.

[0047] like Figure 1 As shown, the communication network 100 may include a network device 110 (which may also be referred to as an eNB, gNB, or BS). The communication network 100 may also include a terminal device 120 (which may also be referred to as a user equipment 120 or UE 120). Although only one network device 110 and one terminal device 120 are present... Figure 1 The network is shown, but the number of network devices and terminal devices is not limited. In other words, there can be one or more network devices 110 and one or more terminal devices 120 in the network.

[0048] Network device 110 can provide services to terminal device 120, and network device 110 and terminal device 120 can exchange data and control information. In some embodiments, network device 110 and terminal device 120 can communicate via a direct link / channel.

[0049] In communication system 100, the link from network device 110 to terminal device 120 is called the downlink (DL), and the link from terminal device 120 to network device 110 is called the uplink (UL). In the downlink, network device 110 is a transmitting (TX) device (or transmitter), and terminal device 120 is a receiving (RX) device (or receiver). In the uplink, terminal device 120 is a transmitting (TX) device (or transmitter), and network device 110 is an RX device (or receiver). It should be understood that network device 110 can provide one or more serving cells. Figure 1 As shown, network device 110 provides a serving cell 102, and terminal device 120 resides on that serving cell 102. In some embodiments, network device 110 is capable of providing multiple serving cells, and terminal device 120 can switch from a source cell to a target cell among these serving cells during its movement. It should be understood that... Figure 1The number of serving cells shown is for illustrative purposes only and does not imply any limitation. Serving cells may include a primary cell (PCell), a primary secondary cell (PSCell), or a SCell.

[0050] Communication in network environment 100 can be implemented according to any suitable communication protocol(s), including but not limited to cellular communication protocols such as fourth-generation (4G), fifth-generation (5G), and sixth-generation (6G), and wireless local area network communication protocols such as IEEE 802.11, and / or any other currently known or to be developed in the future, such as Universal Mobile Telecommunications System (UMTS), Long Term Evolution (LTE), LTE-Advanced (LTE-A), fifth-generation (5G), New Radio (NR), sixth-generation (6G), Wi-Fi, and global micro-network communication protocols. WiMAX interoperability standard, and any suitable communication technology, including multiple-input multiple-output (MIMO), orthogonal frequency division multiplexing (OFDM), time division multiplexing (TDM), frequency division multiplexing (FDM), code division multiplexing (CDM), Bluetooth, ZigBee, narrowband Internet of Things (NB-IoT), enhanced machine-type communication (eMTC), enhanced mobile broadband (eMBB), massive machine-type communication (mMTC), ultra-reliable low-latency communication (URLLC), carrier aggregation (CA), dual connectivity (DC), and new radio unlicensed (NR-U) technology.

[0051] It should be understood that Figure 1 The number of devices, their connections, and types shown are for illustrative purposes only and do not imply any limitation. Communication system 100 may include any suitable number of devices suitable for implementing embodiments of this disclosure.

[0052] In 3GPP discussions, various features for enhancing the physical layer design in 6G were proposed. Among these features, the following were considered: - Waveforms and modulation, including new waveforms that may result in higher spectral efficiency or lower PAPR (peak-to-average power ratio). - Transmitter design utilizing AI / ML (Artificial Intelligence / Machine Learning), AI / ML-enhanced transmission, etc.

[0053] Multiple ML models have significant potential to serve as key components in 6G uplink (UL) receiver blocks. The full functionality of such ML models may vary across different vendor implementations and use cases. However, core components of the model should include channel estimation and demapping capabilities. Channel estimation is performed based on reference signals received during UL transmission from the user equipment (UE) and data symbols. The design of these reference signals may vary depending on the intended use case and may include: - Traditional demodulation reference signals (DMRS) known from 5G and LTE; - Sparse DMRS sequences (transmitted at a lower frequency in the frequency domain than conventional schemes); - Superimposed Pilot (SIP) – A reference signal transmitted using the same resources as the data symbols, whose pilot power to data power ratio is defined as pow(pilot) / pow(data). - No reference signal at all (in this case, all resources are used for user data transmission).

[0054] Figure 2 Examples of reference signal transmission schemes according to some exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure are shown. Figure 2 In the diagram, the resource mapping of resource units in resource blocks for three transmission schemes (including pilot-based transmission, pilot-overlay transmission, and pilotless transmission) is shown.

[0055] Choosing the right reference signal design is not easy and depends heavily on channel and interference conditions. When similar model functionality is deployed at the UE side (DL chain), the sensitivity to channel estimation errors of different ML model designs becomes an additional factor. The optimization objective is to select the scheme that provides the lowest overhead while still being sufficient for the ML algorithm to decode the signal under given propagation conditions.

[0056] Current 5G systems only support traditional DMRS. The number of DMRS is configurable and can vary between 1 and 4. This configuration is performed as part of a Radio Resource Control (RRC) reconfiguration message, which is not sent frequently and causes an interruption to ongoing data transmission.

[0057] The general rule is to increase the number of DMRSs as the channel becomes more time-selective (changing more rapidly in the time domain). This is because more frequent DMRSs are needed to better estimate the channel in the time domain. Typically, the higher the UE speed, the higher the number of DMRSs. Since UE speed changes relatively slowly (in seconds, not time slots or radio frames), using RRC reconfiguration messages makes sense. Meanwhile, typical schedulers address this by providing sufficient hysteresis, reducing the number of DMRSs only when absolutely necessary, such as when data transmission requires more resource elements (REs).

[0058] However, a robust 5G framework may not be sufficient for 6G systems and use cases. The anticipated increase in network load will necessitate the use of ML-based receivers to improve spectral efficiency through better channel estimation and decoding, or to achieve performance comparable to traditional algorithms while reducing the overhead of reference signals.

[0059] New proposals for reference signal design, including but not limited to SIP, sparse DMRS, pilotless, and others, require new solutions for selecting the appropriate scheme. Even within the same scheme, there may be many different configuration options (pilot to data power ratio, DMRS density in the frequency domain, etc.). Choosing the right configuration is not easy; it depends not only on the slowly changing speed but also on near-real-time channel effects such as noise levels and interference. The cost of an incorrect choice (e.g., too low a pilot to data power ratio) will be an increased number of Cyclic Redundancy Check (CRC) failures.

[0060] In this scenario, the traditional Hybrid Automatic Repeat Request (HARQ) procedure is employed. While proven highly effective, retransmissions can only correct a limited number of CRC failures due to the combination of factors and potentially more reliable channel estimations when a lower modulation and coding scheme (MCS) is used for additional transmissions. Furthermore, HARQ's capabilities become very limited if the received SINR is very weak. In other words, if the reference signal is incorrectly selected, the combination may not provide sufficient benefit and could cause the HARQ procedure to fail, triggering ARQ retransmissions at the Radio Link Control (RLC) level. Ultimately, network key performance indicators (KPIs) will drop to a level sufficient to guarantee the transmission of RRC reconfiguration messages and the upgrading of the reference signal to a different scheme.

[0061] The proposed solution enables more frequent adjustments to the reference signal design (i.e., the reference signal transmission scheme) during the HARQ process. This solution limits the number of CRC failures in retransmissions, HARQ process failures, and RLC retransmissions. This results in an overall reduction in unwanted traffic and increased reliability, which is crucial in the context of high Quality of Service (QoS) traffic. While the primary target of the improvement is the HARQ process, initial transmission reliability can also be improved for the same reasons described above.

[0062] Embodiments of this disclosure describe necessary signaling procedures that allow dynamic switching between reference signal designs supporting both initial transmission and HARQ procedures to improve the reliability of ML-based receivers. Note that Figure 2 The example of the reference signal transmission scheme is provided for illustrative purposes; it should be understood that other schemes are also applicable. Although these solutions are proposed using the assumption of an ML-based receiver, the use of ML is not mandatory in principle, and similar schemes can be used to analyze receivers and others.

[0063] Figure 3 An example of a process flow 300 for flexible adjustment of a reference signal design according to some exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure is shown. For ease of understanding, process flow 300 will refer to... Figure 1Described. It should be understood that although process flow 300 has been referenced Figure 1 The communication network 100 is described, but the process flow 300 can also be applied to other similar communication scenarios.

[0064] At block 301, network device 110 sends downlink control information (DCI) 303 to terminal device 120. DCI 303 includes at least one field indicating a reconfiguration of the RS transmission scheme. Accordingly, terminal device 120 receives DCI 303 from network device 110. For UL transmissions (e.g., PUSCH), DCI 303 may be a UL scheduling grant (e.g., DCI format 0_1, 0_1, etc.). For DL ​​transmissions (e.g., PDSCH), DCI 303 may be a DL scheduling grant (DCI format 1_1, 1_1, etc.).

[0065] At least one field in DCI 303 may be used to indicate the RS transmission scheme and / or multiple detailed parameters of the RS transmission scheme intended for use in subsequent communications. Each field may include one or more bits to indicate such information. In some embodiments, the RS transmission scheme may be one of a variety of schemes selected, such as pilot-based transmission, superimposed pilot (SIP) transmission, pilot-free transmission, etc. The multiple detailed parameters may be the density for pilot-based transmission (such as sparse DMRS), the pilot to data power ratio for SIP transmission, etc. The meaning of the indicated parameters may depend on which scheme is selected.

[0066] In some embodiments, the RS transmission scheme and detailed parameters(s) can be indicated separately using more than one field, or alternatively, can be indicated jointly using a single field. In some embodiments, network device 110 can indicate the parameters(s) of the active RS transmission scheme using only DCI303, and if a fundamental change is required, a change in the scheme can be indicated using an RRC message.

[0067] At least one field may be a new bit added to an existing DCI. In some embodiments, the new field(s) are not mandatory and may be optionally included in the DCI only if a reconfiguration of a higher-level scheme is anticipated or triggered.

[0068] At 304, terminal device 120 performs uplink transmission or downlink reception based on the reconfiguration of the transmission scheme. Terminal device 120 sends PUSCH 306 to network device 110, or receives PDSCH 306 from network device 110. Correspondingly, at 305, network device 110 performs uplink reception or downlink transmission based on the reconfiguration of the transmission scheme.

[0069] Figure 4 An example of a process 400 for uplink scheduling and transmission according to some exemplary embodiments of this disclosure is shown. This embodiment assumes reuse of a common flow of a 5G system having scheduling request (SR) and UL scheduling authorization message flows as depicted. In this embodiment, the ML-based receiver can be implemented as a UL receiver at the NW.

[0070] At step 402, terminal device 120 sends a scheduling request (SR) to network device 110, requesting resources for UL transmission.

[0071] At step 404, in response to the SR, network device 110 sends a scheduling grant (e.g., DCI 0_0, 0_1) indicating resources for UL transmission. The scheduling grant may include one or more fields indicating reconfiguration of the RS transmission scheme.

[0072] At step 406, terminal device 120 sends PUSCH to network device 110.

[0073] Figure 5 An example of a Hybrid Automatic Repeat Request (HARQ) procedure 500 according to some example embodiments of the present disclosure is shown. Procedure 500 relates to a UL transmission with HARQ operation.

[0074] Steps 502, 504, and 506 Figure 4 Steps 402, 404, and 406 are similar. At step 508, network device 110 determines whether a CRC failure has occurred, and if so, can send a scheduling authorization message (e.g., DCI 0_0, 0_1) to the terminal device 120 requesting retransmission. The scheduling authorization message may include one or more fields indicating a reconfiguration of the RS transmission scheme. For example, the DCI may increase the density of the reference signal because the network device cannot correctly decode the data.

[0075] In step 512, terminal device 120 responds to the scheduling authorization message and performs PUSCH retransmission.

[0076] In some embodiments, network device 110 may determine the reconfiguration of the RS transmission scheme based on events other than CRC failures. For example, if the performance of the ML model used for channel estimation degrades, network device 110 may send a DCI with new bits to indicate the reconfiguration of the RS transmission scheme. Alternatively or additionally, if network device 110 consistently decodes packets correctly and based on certain internal ML KPIs, it may indicate to terminal device 120 that a lighter RS ​​scheme can be used for subsequent transmissions. Furthermore, if a model switch occurs, network device 110 may indicate the reconfiguration of the RS scheme to terminal device 120.

[0077] Typically, the exact content of a DCI message includes the high-level choice of the scheme, as well as options on how detailed parameters can be configured. Some possible implementations are described below as Option AC.

[0078] Option A: This assumes that the entire function of reference signal reselection is moved to the DCI and therefore no longer exists as part of the RRC reconfiguration message. Table 1 below provides an example of this option. Note that the number of bits may vary depending on the complete set of possible configurations for the RS design. Table 1

[0079] Detailed reference signal configurations may vary between schemes. As an example, it can be viewed as shown in Table 2 below: Table 2

[0080] Option B: This option assumes that high-level reference signal reselection still exists in the RRC reconfiguration message; however, detailed reference signal configuration is now added as a new field to the DCI. Its advantage over Option A is that fewer extra bits are added. Table 3 provides an example of this option. Table 3

[0081] Option C: This option assumes that high-level reference signal reselection is retained in the RRC reconfiguration message. Detailed reference signal configuration information is only added as a new field to some DCI formats. When no change in reference signal design is required, the DCI format without additional fields can be used, and the UE should assume that the reference signal design has not changed. If a change is requested, the DCI format with additional bits should be used, as in Option B. The advantage of Option C over Option B is that the overhead only increases when a change in the scheme is required.

[0082] Figure 6An example of a process 600 for flexible adjustment of a reference signal design using a predefined scene mapping, according to some exemplary embodiments of this disclosure, is shown. This embodiment assumes that additional bits are added to the DCI format. However, the meaning of these bits may differ from that of options A and B. They can be used to select a predefined scenario from multiple scenarios pre-agreed between terminal device 120 and network device 110. Each scenario is associated with an RS transmission scheme and one or more parameters. In other words, the high-level scheme and (multiple) detailed parameters can be jointly indicated by a single field in the DCI. Its advantage can be the reduction in the number of extra bits compared to options A and B, because fewer predefined scenarios are needed than options A and B, which require covering all possible combinations of configurations. It should be noted that... Figure 6 The focus is on UL transmission, and similar solutions can also be applied to DL transmission and DCI format. .

[0083] At step 601, network device 110 sends a bit sequence to terminal device 120 to a predefined scenario mapping of the RS design. This scenario mapping can be sent in the System Information Block (SIB) when terminal device 120 is attached to the network, or in RRC signaling. Steps 602, 604, 606, 608, 610, and 612 are related to... Figure 5 Steps 502, 504, 506, 508, 510, and 512 are similar.

[0084] DCI 602 or 610, as a scheduling authorization, may include a bit sequence that indicates a reconfiguration of the RS design. Table 4 provides potential implementations of the following additional DCI fields, where the code points of the fields are mapped to predefined RS scenarios that include the selected scheme and parameter values. Table 4

[0085] Figure 7 Examples of processes for downlink scheduling and transmission according to some exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure are shown. In this embodiment, the ML-based receiver can be implemented as a DL receiver on the terminal device 120.

[0086] Terminal device 120 can implement proprietary monitoring schemes to evaluate the quality of its ML model inference. Based on such monitoring, terminal device 120 can detect situations where changes to the reference signal design are needed (aggressive or minor adjustments). Situations requiring changes to the reference signal design may include CRC failures, performance degradation of the ML model used for channel estimation, determination that a lighter RS ​​transmission scheme is expected to be used, or changes to the ML model.

[0087] Terminal device 120 can report a proposal for reference signal redesign back to network device 110. This report can be submitted via an RRC reconfiguration request (RRC reconfiguration request). ULdmrsReques This can be indicated by a preferred configuration index or by the direction of change, or by being captured via a Channel Quality Indicator (CQI): Alternatively, the report can be captured in other types of messages, such as scheduling requests, acknowledgments, etc.

[0088] High-level message flow Figure 7 The process is presented in the middle. At step 702, terminal device 120 sends a message requesting a change to the active RS transmission scheme. This message may include a suggested RS configuration or a direction for the change. For example, terminal device 120 may request more RS resources to improve detection, or notify network device 110 that the pilot density can be reduced because the detection is very good.

[0089] At step 704, in response to receiving the request, network device 110 sends a scheduling authorization (e.g., DCI 1_0, 1_1) to terminal device 120, which may use the suggested configuration or a suggested direction for change. Options A, B, and C as described can be applied to indicate a reconfiguration of the RS design.

[0090] At step 706, network device 110 sends PDSCH to terminal device 120 based on RS design reconfiguration.

[0091] The proposed solutions aim to enhance signaling in 5G / 6G systems to enable more dynamic reconfiguration of reference signals, including support for new configurations such as superimposed pilots with variable pilot-to-data-power per RE. The main advantage of dynamic reconfiguration lies in its ability to better adapt to the propagation channel, resulting in reduced CRC failures and redundant retransmissions. This is particularly important for high-bandwidth or QoS-sensitive applications. Additionally, this approach helps reduce the number of problems reported by mobile network operators (MNOs) due to the limited troubleshooting capabilities of ML models.

[0092] Figure 8 A flowchart of an example method 800 implemented at a terminal device according to some other embodiments of the present disclosure is shown. For ease of understanding, method 800 will be referred to Figure 1 It is described from the perspective of terminal device 120.

[0093] At block 810, terminal device 120 receives downlink control information (DCI) from network device. The DCI includes at least one field indicating a reconfiguration of the reference signal (RS) transmission scheme. At block 820, based on the reconfiguration of the transmission scheme, terminal device 120 performs uplink transmission or downlink reception.

[0094] In some embodiments, at least one field includes a first field that indicates at least one parameter of the RS transmission scheme.

[0095] In some embodiments, the RS transmission scheme includes one of the following: pilot-based transmission; pilot-superimposed transmission; or pilotless transmission.

[0096] In some embodiments, at least one field further includes a second field indicating an RS scheme from a plurality of RS transmission schemes.

[0097] In some embodiments, the at least one field is not mandatory and may be optionally included in the DCI when a reconfiguration of the RS transmission scheme is triggered.

[0098] In some embodiments, the terminal device 120 may also receive a Radio Resource Configuration (RRC) reconfiguration message from a network device, the RRC reconfiguration message indicating an RS transmission scheme.

[0099] In some embodiments, the DCI includes: a DCI format for scheduling the Physical Uplink Shared Channel (PUSCH) or a DCI format for scheduling the Physical Downlink Shared Channel (PDSCH).

[0100] In some embodiments, at least one field includes a third field indicating an RS scenario associated with an RS transmission scheme and at least one parameter of the RS transmission scheme.

[0101] In some embodiments, the terminal device 120 may also receive a predefined mapping between the code points of the third field and the RS scene set from the network device.

[0102] In some embodiments, the terminal device may also send a message to the network device requesting a change in the active RS transmission scheme.

[0103] In some embodiments, the message indicates at least one of a suggested RS configuration or a direction for change.

[0104] In some embodiments, the message is sent in response to at least one of the following: Cyclic Redundancy Check (CRC) failure; performance degradation of the machine learning model used for channel estimation; determination that a lighter RS ​​transmission scheme is expected to be used; or a change in the ML model.

[0105] Figure 9 Another flowchart of an example method 900 implemented at a network device according to some embodiments of the present disclosure is shown. For ease of understanding, method 900 will be referenced. Figure 1 It is described from the perspective of network device 110.

[0106] At block 910, network device 110 sends downlink control information (DCI) to the terminal device. This DCI includes at least one field indicating a reconfiguration of the reference signal (RS) transmission scheme. At block 920, network device 110 performs uplink reception or downlink transmission based on the reconfiguration of the RS transmission scheme.

[0107] In some embodiments, at least one field includes a first field that indicates at least one parameter of the RS transmission scheme.

[0108] In some embodiments, the RS transmission scheme includes one of the following: pilot-based transmission; pilot-superimposed transmission; or pilotless transmission.

[0109] In some embodiments, at least one field further includes a second field indicating an RS scheme from a plurality of RS transmission schemes.

[0110] In some embodiments, the at least one field is not mandatory and may be optionally included in the DCI when a reconfiguration of the RS transmission scheme is triggered.

[0111] In some embodiments, network device 110 may also send a Radio Resource Configuration (RRC) reconfiguration message to a terminal device, the RRC reconfiguration message indicating the RS transmission scheme.

[0112] In some embodiments, the DCI includes: a DCI format for scheduling the Physical Uplink Shared Channel (PUSCH) or a DCI format for scheduling the Physical Downlink Shared Channel (PDSCH).

[0113] In some embodiments, at least one field includes a third field indicating an RS scenario associated with an RS transmission scheme and at least one parameter of the RS transmission scheme.

[0114] In some embodiments, the network device may also send a predefined mapping between the code points of the third field and the RS scene set to the terminal device.

[0115] In some embodiments, network device 110 may also receive a message from terminal device requesting a change in the active RS transmission scheme.

[0116] In some embodiments, the message indicates at least one of a suggested RS configuration or a direction for change.

[0117] In some embodiments, the DCI is sent in response to at least one of the following: Cyclic Redundancy Check (CRC) failure; performance degradation of the machine learning model used for channel estimation; determination that a lighter RS ​​transmission scheme is expected to be used; change of the ML model; or receipt of a message requesting a change in the active RS transmission scheme.

[0118] In some embodiments, the apparatus capable of performing method 800 (e.g., terminal device 120) may include components for performing the corresponding steps of method 800. These components may be implemented in any suitable form. For example, the components may be implemented in a circuit system or a software module.

[0119] In some example embodiments, the apparatus may include: a component for receiving downlink control information (DCI) from a network device, the DCI including at least one field indicating a reconfiguration of a reference signal (RS) transmission scheme; and a component for performing uplink transmission or downlink reception based on the reconfiguration of the transmission scheme.

[0120] In some embodiments, at least one field includes a first field that indicates at least one parameter of the RS transmission scheme.

[0121] In some embodiments, the RS transmission scheme includes one of the following: pilot-based transmission; pilot-superimposed transmission; or pilotless transmission.

[0122] In some embodiments, at least one field further includes a second field indicating an RS scheme from a plurality of RS transmission schemes.

[0123] In some embodiments, the at least one field is not mandatory and may be optionally included in the DCI when a reconfiguration of the RS transmission scheme is triggered.

[0124] In some embodiments, the apparatus may further include a component for receiving a Radio Resource Configuration (RRC) reconfiguration message from a network device, the RRC reconfiguration message indicating an RS transmission scheme.

[0125] In some embodiments, the DCI includes: a DCI format for scheduling the Physical Uplink Shared Channel (PUSCH) or a DCI format for scheduling the Physical Downlink Shared Channel (PDSCH).

[0126] In some embodiments, at least one field includes a third field indicating an RS scenario associated with an RS transmission scheme and at least one parameter of the RS transmission scheme.

[0127] In some embodiments, the apparatus may further include a component for receiving a predefined mapping between code points of a third field and a set of RS scenarios from a network device.

[0128] In some embodiments, the apparatus may further include a component for sending a message to the network device requesting a change in the active RS transmission scheme.

[0129] In some embodiments, the message indicates at least one of a suggested RS configuration or a direction for change.

[0130] In some embodiments, the message is sent in response to at least one of the following: Cyclic Redundancy Check (CRC) failure; performance degradation of the machine learning model used for channel estimation; determination that a lighter RS ​​transmission scheme is expected to be used; or a change in the ML model.

[0131] In some embodiments, the apparatus further includes components for performing other steps in some embodiments of method 800. In some embodiments, the components include at least one processor and at least one memory, the at least one memory including computer program code, the at least one memory and the computer program code being configured together with the at least one processor to cause execution of the apparatus.

[0132] In some embodiments, the apparatus capable of performing method 900 (e.g., network device 110) may include components for performing the corresponding steps of method 900. These components may be implemented in any suitable form. For example, the components may be implemented in a circuit system or a software module.

[0133] In some embodiments, the apparatus may include: components for sending downlink control information (DCI) to a terminal device, the DCI including at least one field for indicating a reconfiguration of a reference signal (RS) transmission scheme; and components for performing uplink reception or downlink transmission based on the reconfiguration of the RS transmission scheme.

[0134] In some embodiments, at least one field includes a first field that indicates at least one parameter of the RS transmission scheme.

[0135] In some embodiments, the RS transmission scheme includes one of the following: pilot-based transmission; pilot-superimposed transmission; or pilotless transmission.

[0136] In some embodiments, at least one field further includes a second field indicating an RS scheme from a plurality of RS transmission schemes.

[0137] In some embodiments, the at least one field is not mandatory and may be optionally included in the DCI when a reconfiguration of the RS transmission scheme is triggered.

[0138] In some embodiments, the apparatus may include components for sending a Radio Resource Configuration (RRC) reconfiguration message to a terminal device, the RRC reconfiguration message indicating an RS transmission scheme.

[0139] In some embodiments, the DCI includes: a DCI format for scheduling the Physical Uplink Shared Channel (PUSCH) or a DCI format for scheduling the Physical Downlink Shared Channel (PDSCH).

[0140] In some embodiments, at least one third field indicates an RS scenario associated with an RS transmission scheme and at least one parameter of the RS transmission scheme.

[0141] In some embodiments, the apparatus may include a component for sending a predefined mapping between code points of a third field and an RS scene set to a terminal device.

[0142] In some embodiments, the apparatus may include a component for receiving a message from a terminal device requesting a change in the active RS transmission scheme.

[0143] In some embodiments, the message indicates at least one of a suggested RS configuration or a direction for change.

[0144] In some embodiments, the DCI is sent in response to at least one of the following: Cyclic Redundancy Check (CRC) failure; performance degradation of the machine learning model used for channel estimation; determination that a lighter RS ​​transmission scheme is expected to be used; change of the ML model; or receipt of a message requesting a change in the active RS transmission scheme.

[0145] In some embodiments, the apparatus further includes components for performing other steps in some embodiments of method 900. In some embodiments, the components include at least one processor and at least one memory, the at least one memory including computer program code, the at least one memory and the computer program code being configured together with the at least one processor to cause execution of the apparatus.

[0146] Figure 10 A simplified block diagram of a device 1000 suitable for implementing some example embodiments of the present disclosure is shown. The device 1000 may be provided to implement as... Figure 1The devices shown are, for example, network device 110 or terminal device 120. As shown, device 1000 includes one or more processors 1010, one or more memories 1020 coupled to processor 1010, and one or more communication modules 1040 coupled to processor 1010.

[0147] The communication module 1040 is used for bidirectional communication. The communication module 1040 has at least one antenna to facilitate communication. The communication interface can represent any interface required for communication with other network elements.

[0148] Processor 1010 can be of any type suitable for a local technology network, and by way of non-limiting example, can include one or more of the following: general-purpose computer, special-purpose computer, microprocessor, digital signal processor (DSP), and processor based on a multi-core processor architecture. Device 1000 can have multiple processors, such as application-specific integrated circuit chips that are time-dependent on a clock synchronized with the main processor.

[0149] Memory 1020 may include one or more non-volatile memories and one or more volatile memories. Examples of non-volatile memories include, but are not limited to, read-only memory (ROM) 1024, electrically programmable read-only memory (EPROM), flash memory, hard disk, optical disc (CD), digital video disc (DVD), and other magnetic and / or optical storage. Examples of volatile memories include, but are not limited to, random access memory (RAM) 1022 and other volatile memories that will not persist during power outages.

[0150] Computer program 1030 includes computer-executable instructions that are executed by the associated processor 1010. Program 1030 may be stored in ROM 1024. Processor 1010 may perform any suitable actions and processes by loading program 1030 into RAM 1022.

[0151] Embodiments of this disclosure can be implemented via program 1030, enabling device 1000 to execute any process of this disclosure, as referenced. Figures 3 to 9 The embodiments of this disclosure can also be implemented in hardware or by a combination of software and hardware.

[0152] In some example embodiments, program 1030 may be tangibly contained in a computer-readable medium, which may be included in device 1000 (e.g., in memory 1020) or in other storage devices accessible by device 1000. Device 1000 may load program 1030 from the computer-readable medium into RAM 1022 for execution. The computer-readable medium may include any type of tangible non-volatile memory, such as ROM, EPROM, flash memory, hard disk, CD, DVD, etc.

[0153] Figure 11 A block diagram of an example of a computer-readable medium 1100 according to some exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure is shown. A program 1030 is stored on the computer-readable medium 1100. It should be noted that, although in Figure 11 The computer-readable medium 1100 is depicted in the form of a CD or DVD, but the computer-readable medium 1100 may also be any other form suitable for carrying or storing the program 1030.

[0154] Generally, the various embodiments of this disclosure can be implemented in hardware or dedicated circuitry, software, logic, or any combination thereof. Some aspects may be implemented in hardware, while others may be implemented in firmware or software, which may be executed by a controller, microprocessor, or other computing device. Although various aspects of the embodiments of this disclosure are shown and described as block diagrams, flowcharts, or using some other graphical representation, it should be understood that, as non-limiting examples, the blocks, apparatuses, systems, techniques, or methods described herein may be implemented in hardware, software, firmware, dedicated circuitry or logic, general-purpose hardware or controllers or other computing devices, or some combination thereof.

[0155] This disclosure also provides at least one computer program product tangibly stored on a non-transitory computer-readable storage medium. The computer program product includes computer-executable instructions (such as those included in program modules) that are executed in a device on a target real or virtual processor to perform actions as described in the reference. Figures 3 to 9 Any process discussed in this disclosure. Generally, a program module includes routines, programs, libraries, objects, classes, components, data structures, etc., that perform a specific task or implement a specific abstract data type. The functionality of a program module can be combined or split among program modules as needed in various embodiments. The machine-executable instructions for a program module can be executed on a local or distributed device. In a distributed device, a program module can reside on both local and remote storage media.

[0156] Program code used to perform the methods of this disclosure may be written in any combination of one or more programming languages. This program code may be provided to a processor or controller of a general-purpose computer, special-purpose computer, or other programmable data processing apparatus, such that, when executed by the processor or controller, the program code causes the functions / operations specified in the flowcharts and / or block diagrams to be implemented. The program code may be executed entirely on a machine, partially on a machine, as a stand-alone software package, partially on a machine and partially on a remote machine, or entirely on a remote machine or server.

[0157] In the context of this disclosure, computer program code or related data may be carried by any suitable carrier to enable a device, apparatus, or processor to perform the various processes and operations described above. Examples of carriers include signals, computer-readable media, etc.

[0158] Computer-readable media can be computer-readable signal media or computer-readable storage media. Computer-readable media can include, but is not limited to, electrical, magnetic, optical, electromagnetic, infrared, or semiconductor systems, apparatuses, or devices, or any suitable combination thereof. More specific examples of computer-readable storage media include electrical connections having one or more lines, portable computer disks, hard disks, random access memory (RAM), read-only memory (ROM), erasable programmable read-only memory (EPROM or flash memory), optical fiber, portable optical disc read-only memory (CD-ROM), optical storage devices, magnetic storage devices, or any suitable combination thereof. As used herein, the term "non-transient" refers to limitations inherent in the medium itself (i.e., tangible rather than signaling), rather than limitations on the persistence of data storage (e.g., RAM and ROM).

[0159] Furthermore, although the operations are described in a specific order, this should not be construed as requiring that these operations must be performed in the specific order or sequence shown, or that all of the operations shown must be performed to achieve the desired result. In some cases, multitasking and parallel processing may be more advantageous. Similarly, although several specific implementation details are included in the foregoing discussion, these implementation details should not be considered as limiting the scope of this disclosure, but rather as a description of features that may be specific to a particular embodiment. Certain features described in the context of separate embodiments may also be implemented in combination in a single embodiment. Conversely, various features described in the context of a single embodiment may also be implemented separately or in any suitable sub-combination in multiple embodiments.

[0160] Although this disclosure has been described in language specific to structural features and / or methodological actions, it should be understood that this disclosure as defined in the appended claims is not necessarily limited to the specific features or actions described above. Rather, the specific features and actions described above are disclosed as examples of implementing the claims.

Claims

1. A terminal device for communication, 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 downlink control information (DCI) from network equipment, the DCI including at least one field indicating a reconfiguration of the reference signal (RS) transmission scheme; and Based on the reconfiguration of the transmission scheme, uplink transmission or downlink reception is performed.

2. The terminal device according to claim 1, wherein the at least one field includes a first field, the first field indicating at least one parameter of the RS transmission scheme.

3. The terminal device according to claim 2, wherein the RS transmission scheme includes one of the following: Pilot-based transmission; Superimposed pilot transmission; or Pilotless transmission.

4. The terminal device according to claim 2, wherein the at least one field further includes a second field, the second field indicating the RS scheme from a plurality of RS transmission schemes.

5. The terminal device according to claim 2, wherein the terminal device is further configured to: The network device receives a Radio Resource Configuration (RRC) reconfiguration message, which indicates the RS transmission scheme.

6. The terminal device according to claim 2, wherein the DCI comprises: The DCI format used for scheduling the Physical Uplink Shared Channel (PUSCH) or the DCI format used for scheduling the Physical Downlink Shared Channel (PDSCH).

7. The terminal device of claim 1, wherein the at least one field is not mandatory and is optionally included in the DCI when the reconfiguration of the RS transmission scheme is triggered.

8. The terminal device according to claim 1, wherein the at least one field includes a third field, the third field indicating an RS scenario, the RS scenario being associated with an RS transmission scheme and at least one parameter of the RS transmission scheme.

9. The terminal device according to claim 8, wherein the terminal device is further configured to: The network device receives a predefined mapping between the code points of the third field and the RS scene set.

10. The terminal device according to any one of claims 1 to 9, wherein the terminal device is further configured to: Send a message to the network device requesting a change to the active RS transmission scheme.

11. The terminal device of claim 10, wherein the message indicates at least one of a suggested RS configuration or a direction for changing.

12. The terminal device of claim 10, wherein the message response is sent in at least one of the following: Cyclic Redundancy Check (CRC) failed; The performance of machine learning models used for channel estimation degrades; A lighter RS ​​transmission scheme is expected to be used; or The changes to the ML model.

13. A method for communication, comprising: Receive downlink control information (DCI) from network devices, the DCI including at least one field for indicating reconfiguration of the reference signal (RS) transmission scheme; as well as Based on the reconfiguration of the transmission scheme, uplink transmission or downlink reception is performed.

Images