User equipment initiated beam indication

Abstract

This application relates to devices and assemblies, including apparatuses, systems, and methods for a user equipment (UE) to report its preferred transmission configuration indicator (TCI) states.

Description

Cross-references to other applications

[0001] This application claims priority to U.S. Provisional Application No. 63 / 605,140, ​​filed December 1, 2023, entitled “USER EQUIPMENT INITIATED BEAMINDICATION,” the entire contents of which are incorporated herein by reference for all purposes. Technical Field

[0002] This application relates generally to communication networks, and more specifically to techniques for beam indication initiated by user equipment (UE). Background Technology

[0003] The 3rd Generation Partnership Project (3GPP) Technical Specifications (TS) provide details of radio interface protocols to facilitate communication over wireless networks. These TSs define the Transmit Configuration Indicator (TCI), a signaling framework for beam management. The beam used for a target channel or target signal (e.g., a control channel or reference signal) can be indicated by the TCI status. This can improve coverage, reliability, or data rate. Further improvements to the TCI framework are expected. Attached Figure Description

[0004] Figure 1 Examples of network environments based on some implementation schemes are provided.

[0005] Figure 2 Examples of network environments based on some implementation schemes are provided.

[0006] Figure 3 Examples of the timeline of processes based on some implementation schemes are shown.

[0007] Figure 4 Examples of network environments based on some implementation schemes are provided.

[0008] Figure 5 Examples of network environments based on some implementation schemes are provided.

[0009] Figure 6 Examples of network environments based on some implementation schemes are provided.

[0010] Figure 7 The operational flow / algorithm structure according to some implementation schemes is illustrated.

[0011] Figure 8 The operational flow / algorithm structure according to some implementation schemes is illustrated.

[0012] Figure 9 Examples of user equipment based on some implementation schemes are shown.

[0013] Figure 10 Examples of network nodes according to some implementation schemes are shown. Detailed Implementation

[0014] The following detailed description refers to the accompanying drawings. The same reference numerals may be used to identify the same or similar elements in different drawings. In the following description, specific details, such as particular structures, architectures, interfaces, and / or techniques, are set forth for illustrative and non-limiting purposes to provide a thorough understanding of various aspects of some embodiments. However, it will be apparent to those skilled in the art that various aspects may be practiced in other examples departing from these specific details. In some instances, descriptions of well-known devices, circuits, and methods have been omitted so as not to obscure the description of various aspects with unnecessary detail. For the purposes of this document, the phrase “A or B” means (A), (B), or (A and B), and the phrase “based on A” means “at least partially based on A,” for example, it can be “based solely on A” or it can be “partially based on A.”

[0015] The following is a glossary of terms that may be used in this disclosure.

[0016] As used herein, the term "circuit" means, is part of, or includes the following: hardware components such as electronic circuits, logic circuits, processors (shared, dedicated, or grouped) or memories (shared, dedicated, or grouped), application-specific integrated circuits (ASICs), field-programmable devices (FPDs) (e.g., field-programmable gate arrays (FPGAs), programmable logic devices (PLDs), complex PLDs (CPLDs), high-capacity PLDs (HCPLDs), structured ASICs, or programmable system-on-chips (SoCs)), and / or digital signal processors (DSPs) configured to provide the described functionality. In some aspects, a circuit may execute one or more software or firmware programs to provide at least some of the described functionality. The term "circuit" may also refer to a combination of one or more hardware elements (or a combination of circuits used in an electrical or electronic system) and program code for executing the functionality of that program code. In these aspects, the combination of hardware elements and program code may be referred to as a particular type of circuit.

[0017] As used herein, the term "processor circuit" means, is part of, or includes the following: circuitry capable of sequentially and automatically performing a series of arithmetic or logical operations; or recording, storing, or transmitting digital data. The term "processor circuitry" may also refer to an application processor; a baseband processor; a central processing unit (CPU); a graphics processing unit; a single-core processor; a dual-core processor; a triple-core processor; a quad-core processor; or any other device capable of executing or otherwise operating computer-executable instructions (such as program code); a software module; or a functional process.

[0018] As used herein, the term "interface circuit" refers to, is part of, or includes a circuit that enables the exchange of information between two or more components or devices. The term "interface circuit" can refer to one or more hardware interfaces; for example, a bus, I / O interface, peripheral component interface, or network interface card.

[0019] As used herein, the term "user equipment" or "UE" refers to equipment of a remote user that has radio communication capabilities and can describe network resources in a communication network. The terms "user equipment" or "UE" may be considered synonymous and may refer to a client, mobile phone, mobile device, mobile terminal, user terminal, mobile unit, mobile station, mobile user, subscriber, user, remote station, access agent, user agent, receiver, radio equipment, reconfigurable radio equipment, reconfigurable mobile device, etc. Furthermore, the term "user equipment" or "UE" can include any type of wireless / wired equipment or any computing device that includes a wireless communication interface.

[0020] As used herein, the term "computer system" means any type of interconnected electronic device, computer device, or component thereof. Additionally, the term "computer system" or "system" may refer to various components of a computer that are communicatively coupled to each other. Furthermore, the term "computer system" or "system" may refer to multiple computer devices or multiple computing systems that are communicatively coupled to each other and configured to share computing resources or network resources.

[0021] As used herein, the term "resource" refers to physical or virtual devices, physical or virtual components within a computing environment, or physical or virtual components within a specific device, such as computer equipment, mechanical equipment, memory space, processor / CPU time, processor / CPU utilization, processor and accelerator load, hardware time or utilization, power supply, input / output operations, port or network sockets, channel / link allocation, throughput, memory utilization, storage, network, databases and applications, units of workload, etc. "Hardware resource" can refer to computer, storage, or network resources provided by physical hardware components. "Virtualized resource" can refer to computer, storage, or network resources provided by virtualization infrastructure to applications, devices, systems, etc. The terms "network resource" or "communication resource" can refer to resources that computer equipment / systems can access via a communication network. The term "system resource" can refer to any kind of shared entity providing services and can include computing or network resources. System resources can be considered as a coherent set of functions, network data objects, or services that can be accessed through a server, wherein such system resources reside on a single host or multiple hosts and can be clearly identified.

[0022] As used herein, the term "channel" refers to any tangible or intangible transmission medium used to transmit data or data streams. The term "channel" may be synonymous or equivalent with "communication channel," "data communication channel," "transmission channel," "data transmission channel," "access channel," "data access channel," "link," "data link," "carrier," "radio frequency carrier," or any other similar term indicating a means or medium through which data is transmitted. Additionally, as used herein, the term "link" refers to a connection between two devices for the purpose of transmitting and receiving information.

[0023] As used in this article, the terms "instantiate" and "instantiate" refer to the creation of an instance. "Instance" also refers to the concrete occurrence of an object, which may occur, for example, during the execution of program code.

[0024] The term "connection" can refer to an established signaling relationship between two or more elements at a common communication protocol layer through a communication channel, link, interface, or reference point.

[0025] As used herein, the term "network element" refers to physical or virtualized equipment or infrastructure used to provide wired or wireless communication network services. The term "network element" may be considered synonymous with or referred to as networked computers, network hardware, network equipment, network nodes, virtualized network functions, etc.

[0026] The term "information element" refers to a structural element that contains one or more fields. The term "field" refers to a single piece of content within an information element or a data element that contains content. An information element may include one or more additional information elements.

[0027] 3GPP TS describes operations that rely on Transmit Configuration Indicator (TCI) states to facilitate communication. TCI states define the quasi-co-location (QCL) relationship between a source and a target. The source and target can be reference signals, such as, for example, a Synchronization Signal Block (SSB), a Channel State Information-Reference Signal (CSI-RS) (used for beam management or Channel Quality Indicator (CQI) measurements), or a Demodulation Reference Signal (DMRS). Channel properties determined for the source (e.g., spatial, temporal, or frequency domain properties) can be inferred relative to the target. Different QCL type indications infer different channel properties. For example, QCL type A corresponds to Doppler drift, Doppler spread, average delay, and delay spread; QCL type B corresponds to Doppler drift and Doppler spread; QCL type C corresponds to Doppler drift and average delay; and QCL type D corresponds to the spatial Rx parameter.

[0028] 3GPP Releases 15 (R15) and 16 (R16) introduced the legacy TCI framework. Beam indication for downlink (DL) channels or DL ​​signals can use TCI states, and beam indication for uplink (UL) channels or UL signals can use spatial relationships. Beam indication for different channels or signals (e.g., control channels, shared channels, or different reference signals) can use different mechanisms, such as Radio Resource Control (RRC) signaling, Medium Access Control (MAC) control elements (CE), or Downlink Control Information (DCI).

[0029] 3GPP Releases 17 (R17) and 18 (R18) introduced a unified TCI framework. A unified TCI state can refer to a TCI state applied to multiple downlink channels or uplink channels. For example, a unified downlink (DL) TCI state can be applied to both downlink data channels (e.g., Physical Downlink Shared Channel (PDSCH)) and downlink control channels (e.g., Physical Downlink Control Channel (PDCCH)), while a unified uplink (UL) TCI state can be applied to both uplink data channels (e.g., PUSCH) and uplink control channels (e.g., PUCCH). The R17 and R18 unified TCI states support two modes. In the first mode, the joint unified TCI state applies to both uplink and downlink channels. In the second mode, the DL TCI state is used for the downlink channel, and a separate UL TCI state is used for the uplink channel.

[0030] To support both R17 and R18 modes, RRC signaling can be used to configure the UE with a unified TCI state pool by sending a signal to one or two lists. If only one list is used to configure the pool, that list will be a DL or Joint-TCIStateList containing TCI states that will be used as the joint unified TCI state. If two lists are used to configure the pool, the first list (dl-OrJoint-TCIStateList) will provide the unified DL TCI state, and the second list (ul-TCI-StateList) will provide the unified UL TCI state.

[0031] For example, in the R17 unified TCI framework, up to 128 TCI states can be configured in the dl-OrJointTCI-StateList for the joint TCI mode, and up to 128 TCI states can be configured in the dl-OrJointTCI-StateList for the independent TCI mode, and up to 64 UL TCI states can be configured in the ul-TCI-StateList.

[0032] In the R17 and R18 unified TCI framework, the TCI state of a configured pool can be indicated / activated in one of two ways. In the first way, the MAC control element (CE) is used to indicate either the joint unified TCI state of the configured pool, or a unified DL TCI state and a unified DL TCI state. In the second way, the MAC CE can activate multiple joint unified TCI states or multiple sets of unified UL / DL TCI states. Subsequently, the DCI can be used to indicate one of the activated TCI / TCI sets to be used.

[0033] Two schemes for TCI status indication are supported. In Scheme 1, the common TCI indication can be configured for the TCI status of multiple channels or signals. For example, the common TCI can be applied to dedicated channels, such as PDCCH, PDSCH, PUCCH, or PUSCH. The common TCI can be applied to signals, such as the aperiodic Channel State Information (CSI) reference signal (RS) for beam management (BM), or the sounding reference signal (SRS) for codebook pre-decoding (CB), non-codebook pre-decoding (NCB), antenna switching (AS), or beam management (BM). The network can configure the channels and signals associated with the common TCI status for the UE.

[0034] In Scheme 2, a dedicated TCI indicator can be used for a channel or reference signal (RS). For example, a dedicated TCI indicator can be used for periodic CSI-RS, semi-persistent CSI-RS, aperiodic CSI-RS for tracking, common PDCCH, or common PDSCH. The TCI state of some channels or signals can be configured using both Scheme 1 and Scheme 2, while the TCI state of some channels or signals can be configured using only Scheme 1 or Scheme 2.

[0035] Figure 1 A network environment 100 according to some implementation schemes is illustrated. Network environment 100 may include user equipment (UE) 104 communicatively coupled to a base station 108 of a radio access network (RAN). In some implementations, base station 108 is a next-generation node B (gNB) providing one or more 3GPP New Radio (NR) cells. In other implementations, base station 108 is an evolved Node B (eNB) providing one or more Long Term Evolution (LTE) cells. The air interface through which UE 104 and base station 108 communicate may be compatible with 3GPP Technical Specifications (TS), such as those defining fifth-generation (5G) NR or later system standards (e.g., sixth-generation (6G) standards). Base station 108 may provide user plane and control plane protocol termination to UE 104.

[0036] Base station 108 can configure UE 104 via transmission configuration 130. Configuration 130 can be Layer 1 (L1) signaling (e.g., physical layer messages), Layer 2 (L2) signaling (e.g., MAC-CE), or Layer 3 (L3) signaling (e.g., RRC signaling). Configuration 130 allows the UE to be configured with TCI states to be monitored, measured, or reported.

[0037] Configuration 130 can configure reference signal (RS) 110. For example, configuration 130 can include time and frequency resources for transmitting reference signal 110 thereon, whether reference signal 110 is periodic, semi-persistent, or aperiodic, and an indication of the root sequence of the allocated reference signal. UE 104 can use reference signal 110 to perform measurements associated with TCI state.

[0038] Configuration 130 can configure UE 104 to report measurements associated with reference signal 110 using report message 120. For example, configuration 130 may include resources allocated for sending report 120.

[0039] In conventional systems, base station 108 can configure, activate, or indicate TCI for DL ​​or UL channels or signals. Embodiments of this disclosure describe aspects of UE 104 providing its preferred TCI state to base station 108.

[0040] In some implementations, UE 104 may use L1 messages (e.g., CSI report or Physical Random Access Channel (PRACH)) to indicate the TCI status to base station 108. In other implementations, UE 104 may use L2 (MAC layer) messages (i.e., MAC-CE) to indicate the TCI status to base station 108. In other implementations, UE 104 may use L3 (RRC layer) messages (i.e., RRC UE Assistance Information (UAI)) to indicate the TCI status to base station 108.

[0041] In some implementations, UE 104 may generate its preferred TCI state or report it to base station 108 only when certain conditions are met.

[0042] One condition could be that the quality of the currently active TCI state is less than a threshold. The quality of the TCI state can be based on a reference signal received power (RSRP) measurement, a signal-to-interference plus noise ratio (SINR) measurement, a block error rate (BLER) or bit error rate (BER) measurement, or a data rate associated with the TCI state.

[0043] Another condition could be when the difference between the quality of the activated TCI state and the preferred TCI state exceeds a threshold.

[0044] The threshold can be configured by base station 108, or the threshold can be defined by 3GPP specifications. For example, base station 108 can configure the threshold using RRC signaling.

[0045] UE 104 can be configured with a disable timer to avoid frequent preferred TCI state reports. UE 104 can start the disable timer after reporting its preferred TCI state. UE 104 may not report another preferred TCI state unless the disable timer has expired. Base station 108 can configure the disable timer, or the 3GPP specification can specify the timer's duration.

[0046] In one implementation, the preferred TCI state of the UE may be a single unified TCI state. In another implementation, the preferred TCI state of the UE may be a pair of single DL TCI states and a single UL-independent TCI state. In yet another implementation, the preferred TCI state may be a single DL-independent TCI state or a single UL-independent TCI state. In yet another implementation, the preferred TCI report may include more than one unified TCI state.

[0047] In one embodiment, report 120 may include an indication of a preferred TCI state and a corresponding measurement (e.g., an RSRP or SINR measurement associated with the preferred TCI state). In another embodiment, report 120 may include an indication of a preferred TCI state.

[0048] In one implementation, base station 108 may support non-group-based operation. UE 104 may report TCI states that can be used for DL ​​or UL operation. When UE 104 reports multiple preferred TCI states, base station 108 may not use multiple TCI states for simultaneous operation in DL or UL.

[0049] In another implementation, base station 108 may support group-based operation. UE 104 may report a pair of TCI states for DL ​​operation or UL operation, and base station 108 may use the pair of TCIs for both DL and UL operation simultaneously.

[0050] In one implementation, the UE can report TCI states for simultaneous transmission across two panels (STx2P). In some instances, the UE can report a pair of TCI states, and the base station 108 can use this pair of TCI states simultaneously for both DL (Deep Transmission) and UL (Ultimate Transmission) operations. In some instances, the UE can report independent pairs of TCI states. The base station 108 can use one reported pair of TCI states simultaneously for DL ​​operations. The base station 108 can use another reported pair of TCI states simultaneously for UL operations.

[0051] In one implementation, the UE can report its preferred TCI state for multiple transmit / receive point (TRP) operation for DL ​​or UL. The UE can report different TCI states for different TRPs.

[0052] When UE 104 is configured with carrier aggregation or dual connectivity, UE 104 can use the same radio frequency (RF) components, such as phase shifters, for the configured component carriers. Therefore, the UE can use the same TCI state across multiple component carriers sharing the same RF components. Similarly, base station 108 can use the same TCI state across multiple component carriers sharing the same RF components.

[0053] In one implementation, the UE may report a list of component carriers that share the same TCI state or spatial relationship. In some instances, the UE 104 may report the list of component carriers as a UE capability report, for example, via RRC signaling. In some instances, the UE 104 may report the list of component carriers using UE auxiliary information via RRC signaling. The UE 104 may use MAC-CE or L1 to report the list of component carriers.

[0054] Figure 2 A network environment 200 according to some implementation schemes is illustrated. Configuration 130 enables UE 104 to be configured with CSI-RS 210 and CSI reports 220. Configuration 130 enables UE 104 to be configured with multiple CSI-RS, each reference signal associated with one or more TCI states. Configuration 130 enables UE 104 to be configured with multiple CSI-RS reports, all CSI-RS reports being represented by CSI reports 220.

[0055] In one implementation, UE 104 may use CSI report 220 to report its preferred TCI state. The UE may transmit CSI report 220 carrying the preferred TCI state via PUCCH or PUSCH. For example, UE 104 may generate and transmit periodic CSI reports and semi-persistent CSI reports activated by MAC-CE on PUCCH. UE 104 may generate and transmit non-periodic CSI reports and semi-persistent CSI reports activated by DCI on PUSCH. In some instances, CSI report 220 carrying the preferred TCI state may be transmitted via PUCCH.

[0056] Configuration 130 enables UE 104 to be configured with resources for reporting TCI status. For example, configuration 130 can configure interference measurement resources (IMR) or channel measurement resources (CMR) for carrying the preferred TCI status of the UE. Base station 108 can explicitly configure resources. For example, configuration 130 can include a list of TCI statuses for the UE to report in the CSI reporting configuration.

[0057] Base station 108 may implicitly configure CMR, for example, by not using CSI report configuration. Base station 108 may rely on other configurations to notify UE 104 of the TCI state list. In some instances, configuration 130 may be an RRC configuration signal that may include a list of TCI states. For example, the dl-OrJointTCI-StateList or ul-TCI-StateList RRC information element (IE) can be used to configure TCI states for joint TCI or standalone TCI modes.

[0058] In some instances, base station 108 may provide a list of TCI states in the MAC-CE. The MAC-CE may provide a list of active TCI states, and the UE may select its preferred TCI state from the list of active TCI states in the MAC-CE.

[0059] The TCI-CSI report represents a CSI report carrying the UE's preferred TCI state. The scheduling of TCI-CSI report transmission may conflict with the scheduling of normal CSI reports (e.g., CSI reports carrying Reference Signal Received Power (RSRP) or Signal-to-Interference-plus-Noise Ratio (SINR) information). UE 104 can command the transmission of CSI reports. UE 104 can select either a TCI-CSI report or a normal CSI report to be transmitted. For example, UE 104 can use the corresponding priorities associated with TCI-CSI reports and normal CSI reports to determine which one can be transmitted.

[0060] In one instance, TCI-CSI and regular CSI reports can have the same priority. TCI-CSI and regular CSI reports can also have different priorities. For example, a TCI-CSI report can have a higher priority than a regular CSI report, or a TCI-CSI report can have a lower priority than a regular CSI report.

[0061] In one instance, CSI reports can be linked to priority values. Related. Specifically, for non-periodic CSI reports to be carried on the push, y=0 For semi-persistent CSI reports to be carried on the push, y=1 For semi-persistent CSI reports to be carried on PUCCH, y=2 And for the periodic CSI reports to be carried on PUCCH, y=3 For CSI reports carrying L1-RSRP or L1-SINR, k=0 And for CSI reports that do not carry L1-RSRP or L1-SINR, such as CSI reports carrying TCI status indication, k=1 ; cIt is a serving cell index, and N 小区 This is the value of a higher-layer parameter associated with the maximum number of serving cells; s is the report configuration identifier (ID), and M s It is the value of a higher-level parameter associated with the maximum number of CSI reports configured.

[0062] UE 104 can indicate the number of simultaneous CSI calculations supported. For example, UE capabilities can indicate the maximum number of simultaneous CSI calculations supported. N The UE that performs the CSI calculation simultaneously is considered to have the capability to process CSI reports. N Each CSI processing unit can be associated with a serving cell or shared among all configured cells. UE 104 can be configured to occupy... L Each CSI processing unit is used to calculate a CSI report carrying a TCI status indication. L The value of L can be configured by the UE capability, by the base station 108 for example via RRC signaling, or defined by the 3GPP specification. When the UE capability is configured with the value of L, the UE 104 can report the value to the base station 108 via RRC signaling. For example, the UE 104 can use 0 or 1 CSI processing units to calculate a CSI report carrying the TCI status.

[0063] Figure 3 An aspect of the process timeline 300 according to some implementation schemes is illustrated. The process timeline can define the time between the following events: the UE receiving DCI (for non-periodic CSI reporting), performing measurements on allocated measurement resources, and generating or sending a CSI report.

[0064] In the case of periodic or semi-persistent CSI reporting, it is assumed that measurement resources are scheduled at time T1. Reports can be generated or scheduled for transmission at time T1+T2.

[0065] In one example, when a single CSI-RS or Synchronization Signal Block (SSB) resource is configured for channel measurements, T2 is greater than or equal to 4.2. u The minimum value in milliseconds. Where u is the downlink subcarrier spacing (SCS), for example, u=0 for SCS=15kHz, u=1 for SCS=30kHz, u=2 for SCS=60kHz, ..., and u=2 for SCS=15.2. k kHz, u=k. For example, for u=0, T2=4ms.

[0066] In one example, when multiple CSI-RS or SSB resources are configured for channel measurements, T2 is greater than or equal to 5.2.u The minimum value of ms. For example, for u=0, T2=5ms.

[0067] Periodic CSI reports or semi-persistent CSI reports carrying TCI status can follow the above process timeline, for example, a 4ms or 5ms process timeline.

[0068] In the case of non-periodic CSI, the network (e.g., a base station) may request a non-periodic CSI report. For example, the network may transmit a DCI requesting a non-periodic CSI report. Tables 310 and 320 are examples of definable process timelines. A UE may be configured to follow a short CSI processing timeline. When a UE follows a short CSI processing timeline, it may follow the information associated with Z1 [symbol]. When a UE follows a medium CSI processing timeline, it may follow the information associated with Z2 [symbol], and when a UE follows a long CSI processing timeline, it may use Z3 [symbol]. Table 310 may be associated with conventional UEs supporting SCS indices u=0, 1, 2, and 3, and Table 320 may be associated with UEs supporting SCS indices u=0, 1, ..., 6.

[0069] For example, UEs using short CSI processing timelines can use the Z1 [symbol] column, such as the Z1 column and the Z'1 column. The Z1 column indicates the minimum time (in symbols) between the time when the UE receives the DCI requesting an aperiodic CSI report and the time when the network schedules the UE to generate or send the report. The Z2 column indicates the minimum time (in symbols) between the time when measurement resources are scheduled and the time when the CSI report is scheduled.

[0070] For example, consider a UE supporting SCS indices u=0, 1, ... 6, with an SCS of 15 kHz (e.g., u=0), and following a short CSI processing timeline, for example, using the Z1 [symbols] column in Table 320, where Z1=22 symbols and Z'1=16 symbols. Z1=22 indicates that at least 22 symbols may exist between the time the DCI requests aperiodic CSI and the time the UE is scheduled to send or generate a CSI report. The UE may not expect to be scheduled for sending a CSI report within less than 22 symbols after receiving a DCI requesting aperiodic CSI reports. Z'1=16 indicates that at least 16 symbols may exist between the symbols in which measurement resources are scheduled and the symbols in which the generation or transmission of aperiodic CSI reports is scheduled.

[0071] Figure 4 A network environment 400 according to some implementation schemes is illustrated. Configuration 130 can configure UE 104 to use Physical Random Access Channel (PRACH) 420 to generate and report its preferred TCI state.

[0072] Configuration 130 can configure UE 104 to associate a TCI state or a set of TCI states with a PRACH or an attribute of a PRACH. The PRACH attribute may include PRACH timing, such as time-domain resources allocated to the PRACH, PRACH frequency-domain allocation resources, PRACH root sequence index, or cyclic shift, or PRACH preamble format, such as the number of repetitions or cyclic prefix duration. For example, configuration 130 may include PRACH configuration 440 to associate TCI state 1 with PRACH 1, TCI state 2 with PRACH 2, TCI state 3 with PRACH 3, or TCI state 4 with PRACH 4. PRACH 1 through PRACH 4 can be attributes of a PRACH. This association can be used with both DL unified TCI states and UL unified TCI states, or only with either DL unified TCI states or UL unified TCI states.

[0073] The UE can use contention-free random access (CFRA) or contention-based random access (CBRA) to report its preferred TCI state. For example, configuration 130 can configure CFRA PRACH or CBRA PRACH for reporting the preferred TCI state. The PRACH procedure can be a single PRACH preamble transmission, a four-step PRACH procedure, or a two-step PRACH procedure.

[0074] In one implementation, as described above, the TCI state can be associated with PRACH or PRACH attributes. PRACH transmission is associated with TCI, and the UE can report its preferred TCI state to the network. For example, a root sequence index can be associated with the TCI state. By using a root sequence in PRACH transmission, the UE can indicate the associated TCI state to the network.

[0075] In another implementation, the TCI state (e.g., an indication of the TCI state, such as an index) may be included in the PRACH message. For example, message 3 (MSG3) in a four-step PRACH operation may carry the UE's preferred TCI state, and may include, for example, an index associated with the TCI state. In another instance, message A (MSGA) in a two-step PRACH operation may carry the UE's preferred TCI state, and may include, for example, an index associated with the TCI state.

[0076] Figure 5 A network environment 500 according to some implementation schemes is illustrated. Configuration 130 can configure UE 104 to use MAC-CE 540 to generate and report its preferred TCI status.

[0077] Base station 108 can transmit UL grant 550 to UE 104. UL grant 550 can be scheduled for UL transmission carrying MAC-CE. UE can include an indication of its preferred TCI state in the scheduled MAC-CE.

[0078] In some instances, the UE may have a preferred TCI state to report to base station 108, but may not have UL grant sent for MAC-CE. The UE may transmit a scheduling request (SR) 520 to request UL grant for MAC-CE. In some instances, the UE may include an indication of its preferred TCI state in the scheduling request 520. In some instances, the UE may receive UL grant 550 in response to scheduling request 520, and the UE may include an indication of its preferred TCI state in the MAC-CE scheduled by UL grant 550.

[0079] The scheduling of SRs used to report TCI status may conflict with the scheduling of SRs used to report Link Recovery Request (LLR) scheduling requests. SRs used to report TCI status may have the same or different priorities as LLR SRs. For example, SRs used to report TCI status may have a lower priority than LLR SRs. Configuration 130 configures the priorities associated with LLR SRs or SRs used to report TCI status. In some instances, the priorities of LLR SRs or SRs used to report TCI status may be defined by 3GPP specifications.

[0080] Figure 6 A network environment 600 according to some implementation schemes is illustrated. Configuration 130 can configure UE 104 to generate and report its preferred TCI state using RRC signaling 620. For example, UE 104 can use UE Assist Information (UAI) RRC signaling to report its preferred TCI state to base station 108.

[0081] Figure 7 An operational flow / algorithm structure 700 according to some implementation schemes is illustrated. The operational flow / algorithm structure 700 is an example of a UE reporting its preferred TCI state to a base station. The operational flow / algorithm structure 700 may be implemented by a UE (e.g., UE 104 or UE 900) or a component therein (e.g., processing circuitry 904).

[0082] The operation flow / algorithm structure 700 may include: at 710, determining a preferred TCI state. The UE may perform a measurement and determine the preferred TCI state based on the measurement. For example, the UE may determine the preferred TCI state when the difference between the quality of the currently activated TCI state and the preferred TCI state exceeds a threshold.

[0083] The operation flow / algorithm structure 700 may include, at 720, generating a report that includes an indication of a preferred TCI state. The indication of the preferred TCI state may be an index associated with that TCI state. The report may be a CSI-RS report, a PRACH message or preamble, RRC signaling, or MAC-CE.

[0084] When a condition is detected, the UE can generate a report. The UE can generate a report once the condition is detected. The condition can be detected when the quality measurement result of the activated TCI state is less than a first threshold. In another example, the condition can be detected when the difference between the quality measurement result of the activated TCI state and the quality measurement result of the TCI state is greater than a second threshold.

[0085] Figure 8 An operational flow / algorithm structure 800 according to some implementation schemes is illustrated. The operational flow / algorithm structure 800 is an example of the operation of base station 108. The operational flow / algorithm structure 800 may be implemented by a network node (e.g., network node 1000) or a component therein (e.g., processor 1004).

[0086] The operation flow / algorithm structure 800 may include, at 810, receiving a report including an indication of the preferred TCI state of the UE. This report may be included in an L1 message (e.g., a CSI-RS report, a PRACH message, or a preamble), an L2 message (e.g., a MAC-CE), or an L3 message (e.g., a UAI RRC signaling).

[0087] The base station can transmit a configuration message to the UE. This configuration message can configure the set of TCI states to be monitored, measured, or reported by the UE. The configuration message can include the association between TCI states and PRACH or PRACH attributes.

[0088] The operation process / algorithm structure 800 may include: at 820, determining the TCI state.

[0089] The operation flow / algorithm structure 800 may include: at 830, sending an indication associated with the determined TCI state to the UE.

[0090] Figure 8 An example of a UE 800 according to some implementation schemes is shown. UE 800 may be similar to... Figure 1 It is compatible with UE 104 and is essentially interchangeable with it.

[0091] UE 800 can be any mobile or non-mobile computing device, such as, for example, a mobile phone, computer, tablet, XR device, glasses, industrial wireless sensors (e.g., microphone, carbon dioxide sensor, pressure sensor, humidity sensor, thermometer, motion sensor, accelerometer, laser scanner, fluid level sensor, inventory sensor, voltmeter / ammeter, or actuator), video surveillance / monitoring device (e.g., camera or camcorder), wearable device (e.g., smartwatch), or Internet of Things device.

[0092] UE 900 may include a processor 904, RF interface circuitry 908, memory / storage device 912, user interface 916, sensor 920, drive circuitry 922, power management integrated circuit (PMIC) 924, antenna structure 926, and battery 928. The components of UE 900 may be implemented as integrated circuits (ICs), portions of integrated circuits, discrete electronic devices or other modules, logic components, hardware, software, firmware, or combinations thereof. Figure 9 The block diagram is intended to show a high-level view of some of the components in the UE 900. However, some of the components shown may be omitted, additional components may be present, and different arrangements of the components shown may occur in other specific implementations.

[0093] The components of UE 900 can be coupled to a variety of other components via one or more interconnects 932, which can represent any type of interface circuitry (e.g., processor interface or memory interface), input / output, bus (local, system, or extension), transmit line, trace, or optical connection, allowing various circuit components (on common or different chips or chipsets) to interact with each other.

[0094] Processor 904 may include processor circuitry, such as, for example, baseband processor circuitry (BB) 904A, central processing unit circuitry (CPU) 904B, and graphics processing unit circuitry (GPU) 904C. Processor 904 may include any type of circuitry or processor circuitry that executes or otherwise operates computer-executable instructions (such as program code, software modules, or functional processes from memory / storage device 912) to cause UE 900 to perform the operations described herein.

[0095] In some implementations, the baseband processor circuitry 904A can access the communication protocol stack 936 in the memory / storage device 912 to communicate over a 3GPP-compliant network. Generally, the baseband processor circuitry 904A can access the communication protocol stack 936 to: perform user plane functions at the PHY layer, MAC layer, RLC sublayer, PDCP sublayer, SDAP sublayer, and upper layers; and perform control plane functions at the PHY layer, MAC layer, RLC sublayer, PDCP sublayer, RRC layer, and NAS layer. In some implementations, PHY layer operations may additionally / optionally be performed by components of the RF interface circuitry 908.

[0096] The baseband processor circuit 904A can generate or process baseband signals or waveforms carrying information in a 3GPP-compliant network. In some implementations, the waveforms used for NR can be based on cyclic prefix OFDM (CP-OFDM) in the uplink or downlink, and Discrete Fourier Transform Extended OFDM (DFT-S-OFDM) in the uplink.

[0097] Memory / storage device 912 may include one or more non-transitory computer-readable media, including instructions (e.g., communication protocol stack 936) that can be executed by one or more processors in processor 904 to cause UE 900 to perform the various operations described herein. Memory / storage device 912 includes any type of volatile or non-volatile memory that can be distributed throughout UE 900. In some embodiments, some memory / storage devices 912 may be located on processor 904 itself (e.g., L1 cache and L2 cache), while other memory / storage devices 912 may be located external to processor 904 but accessible via a memory interface. Memory / storage device 912 may include any suitable volatile or non-volatile memory, such as, but not limited to, dynamic random access memory (DRAM), static random access memory (SRAM), erasable programmable read-only memory (EPROM), electrically erasable programmable read-only memory (EEPROM), flash memory, solid-state memory, or any other type of memory device technology.

[0098] RF interface circuitry 908 may include transceiver circuitry and a radio frequency front-end module (RFEM) that allows UE 900 to communicate with other devices via a radio access network. RF interface circuitry 908 may include various components arranged in the transmit or receive path. These components may include, for example, switches, mixers, amplifiers, filters, synthesizer circuitry, and control circuitry.

[0099] In the receiving path, the RFEM can receive the radiated signal from the air interface via antenna structure 926, and continue to filter and amplify the signal (using a low-noise amplifier). This signal can be provided to the receiver of the transceiver, which down-converts the RF signal into a baseband signal, which is then provided to the baseband processor of processor 904.

[0100] In the transmission path, the transceiver's transmitter up-converts the baseband signal received from the baseband processor and provides the RF signal to the RFEM. The RFEM can then amplify the RF signal using a power amplifier before it is radiated across the air interface via antenna 926.

[0101] In various implementations, the RF interface circuit 908 can be configured to transmit / receive signals in a manner compatible with NR access technologies.

[0102] Antenna 926 may include antenna elements to convert electrical signals into radio waves for propagation through the air, and to convert received radio waves back into electrical signals. These antenna elements may be arranged in one or more antenna panels. Antenna 926 may have antenna panels that are omnidirectional, directional, or a combination thereof to enable beamforming and multiple-input multiple-output (MIMO) communication. Antenna 926 may include a microstrip antenna, patch antenna, phased array antenna, or a printed antenna fabricated on the surface of one or more printed circuit boards. Antenna 926 may have one or more panels designed for a specific frequency band, including bands in FR1 or FR2.

[0103] User interface circuitry 916 includes various input / output (I / O) devices designed to enable a user to interact with UE 900. User interface 916 includes input device circuitry and output device circuitry. Input device circuitry includes any physical or virtual components for accepting input, particularly one or more physical or virtual buttons (e.g., a reset button), a physical keyboard, a keypad, a mouse, a touchpad, a touchscreen, a microphone, a scanner, a head-mounted device, etc. Output device circuitry includes any physical or virtual components for displaying information or otherwise conveying information, such as sensor readings, actuator positions, or other similar information. Output device circuitry may include any number or combination of audio or visual displays, particularly one or more simple visual outputs / indicators (e.g., binary status indicators, such as light-emitting diodes (LEDs), and multi-character visual outputs) or more complex outputs, such as display devices or touchscreens (e.g., liquid crystal displays (LCDs), LED displays, quantum dot displays, and projectors), wherein the output of characters, graphics, multimedia objects, etc., is generated or produced through the operation of UE 900.

[0104] Sensor 920 may include devices, modules, or subsystems designed to detect events or changes in their environment and transmit information about the detected events (sensor data) to other devices, modules, or subsystems. Examples of such sensors include: inertial measurement units including accelerometers, gyroscopes, or magnetometers; microelectromechanical systems (MEMS) or nanoelectromechanical systems (NEMS) including 3-axis accelerometers, 3-axis gyroscopes, or magnetometers; level sensors; flow sensors; temperature sensors (e.g., thermistors); pressure sensors; barometric pressure sensors; gravimeters; altimeters; image capture devices (e.g., cameras or lensless aperture sensors); light detection and ranging sensors; proximity sensors (e.g., infrared radiation detectors); depth sensors; ambient light sensors; ultrasonic transceivers; and microphones or other similar audio capture devices.

[0105] The driving circuitry 922 may include software and hardware elements that operate to control a specific device embedded in, attached to, or otherwise communicatively coupled to the UE 900. The driving circuitry 922 may include individual drivers that allow other components to interact with or control various I / O devices that may exist within or be connected to the UE 900. For example, the driving circuitry 922 may include circuitry for facilitating the coupling of a Universal Integrated Circuit Card (UICC) or a Universal Subscriber Identity Module (USIM) to the UE 900. As an additional example, the driving circuitry 922 may include: a display driver for controlling and allowing access to a display device; a touchscreen driver for controlling and allowing access to a touchscreen interface; a sensor driver for obtaining sensor readings from sensor circuitry 920 and controlling and allowing access to sensor circuitry 920; a driver for obtaining actuator positions of electromechanical components or controlling and allowing access to electromechanical components; a camera driver for controlling and allowing access to an embedded image capture device; and an audio driver for controlling and allowing access to one or more audio devices.

[0106] The PMIC 924 manages the power supplied to various components of the UE 900. Specifically, relative to the processor 904, the PMIC 924 controls power selection, voltage scaling, battery charging, or DC-DC conversion.

[0107] In some implementations, the PMIC 924 may control or otherwise become part of various power-saving mechanisms (including DRX) of the UE 900, as discussed herein.

[0108] Battery 928 can power UE 900, but in some examples, UE 900 may be installed and deployed in a fixed location and may have a power source coupled to the power grid. Battery 928 may be a lithium-ion battery, a metal-air battery (such as zinc-air batteries, aluminum-air batteries, lithium-air batteries, etc.). In some specific implementations, such as in vehicle-based applications, battery 928 may be a typical lead-acid automotive battery.

[0109] Figure 10 A network node 1000 is illustrated according to some implementation schemes. The network node 1000 may be similar to or interchangeable with a base station 108, a device that implements a network hop in a network hop, an integrated access and backhaul (IAB) node, a network control repeater, or a server in a core network or external data network.

[0110] Network node 1000 may include processor 1004, RF interface circuitry 1008 (if implemented as an access node), core node (CN) interface circuitry 1012, memory / storage device circuitry 1016, and antenna structure 1026.

[0111] The components of network node 1000 can be coupled to various other components through one or more interconnects 1032.

[0112] The processor 1004, RF interface circuit 1008, memory / storage device circuit 1016 (including communication protocol stack 1010), antenna structure 1026, and interconnect 1032 can be similar to those relative to... Figure 9 Similar-named elements are shown and described.

[0113] The CN interface circuit 1012 can provide connectivity to a core network (e.g., a 5GC using a fifth-generation core network (5GC) compatible network interface protocol, such as Carrier Ethernet or some other suitable protocol). Network connectivity can be provided to / from network node 1000 via fiber optic or wireless backhaul. The CN interface circuit 1012 may include one or more dedicated processors or FPGAs for communicating using one or more of the aforementioned protocols. In some implementations, the CN interface circuit 1012 may include multiple controllers for providing connectivity to other networks using the same or different protocols.

[0114] In some implementations, network node 1000 may be coupled to transmit-receive point (TRP) using antenna structure 1026, CN interface circuitry or other interface circuitry.

[0115] As is widely recognized, the use of personally identifiable information should comply with privacy policies and practices that are generally accepted to meet or exceed industry or governmental requirements for protecting user privacy. Specifically, personally identifiable information data should be managed and disposed of to minimize the risk of unintentional or unauthorized access or use, and users should be clearly informed of the nature of authorized use.

[0116] For one or more aspects, at least one of the components shown in one or more of the foregoing figures may be configured to perform one or more operations, techniques, processes, or methods as described in the Embodiments section below. For example, the baseband circuitry described above in conjunction with one or more of the foregoing figures may be configured to operate according to one or more of the embodiments described below. Similarly, circuitry associated with the UE, base station, network element, etc., described above in conjunction with one or more of the foregoing figures may be configured to operate according to one or more of the embodiments described below in the Embodiments section.

[0117] Example Further exemplary aspects are provided in the following sections.

[0118] Example 1 includes a method implemented by a component of a user equipment (UE), the method comprising: determining a transmission configuration indicator (TCI) state as a preferred TCI state; and generating a report indicating that the TCI state is the preferred TCI state, the report being sent to a base station.

[0119] Example 2 includes the method according to Example 1 or other embodiments herein, wherein determining the TCI state as the preferred TCI state includes: performing a measurement associated with the TCI state; and determining the TCI state as the preferred TCI state based on the measurement.

[0120] Example 3 includes the method according to Example 1 or 2 or other embodiments herein, wherein the report is a Layer 1 (L1) message, a Layer 2 (L2) message, or a Layer 3 (L3) message. Example 4 includes the method according to any one of Examples 1 to 3 or other embodiments herein, wherein the report is a Channel State Information (CSI) report.

[0121] Example 5 includes the method according to any one of Examples 1 to 4 or other embodiments herein, wherein the CSI report is associated with a periodic CSI report, a non-periodic CSI report or a semi-persistent CSI report.

[0122] Example 6 includes the method according to any one of Examples 1 to 5 or other embodiments herein, wherein the measurement is based on a received reference signal associated with a channel measurement resource (CMR).

[0123] Example 7 includes the method according to any one of Examples 1 to 6 or other embodiments herein, the method further comprising: processing a configuration message to obtain an indication associated with the TCI state.

[0124] Example 8 includes the method according to any one of Examples 1 to 7 or other embodiments herein, wherein the configuration message is a CSI report configuration, a Radio Resource Control (RRC) information element, or a Media Access Control (MAC) control element (CE); and the indication includes a list of TCI states to be measured or reported.

[0125] Example 9 includes the method according to any one of Examples 1 to 8 or other embodiments herein, wherein the report is a first report and the second report is associated with a CSI report associated with Reference Signal Received Power (RSRP) or Signal-to-Interference-plus-Noise Ratio (SINR), and the method further includes: determining a first priority associated with the first report; determining a second priority associated with the second report; and ordering the transmission of the first report and the second report based on the first priority and the second priority.

[0126] Example 10 includes the method according to any one of Examples 1 to 9 or other embodiments herein, the method further comprising: determining a CSI process unit occupancy associated with the report; and processing one or more CSI reports based on the CSI process unit occupancy.

[0127] Example 11 includes the method according to any one of Examples 1 to 10 or other embodiments herein, the method further comprising: generating a UE capability report including the CSI process unit's usage for transmission to the base station.

[0128] Example 12 includes the method according to any one of Examples 1 to 11 or other embodiments herein, wherein the report is to be transmitted using a Physical Random Access Channel (PRACH).

[0129] Example 13 includes the method according to any one of Examples 1 to 12 or other embodiments herein, wherein the TCI state is associated with the properties of the PRACH.

[0130] Example 14 includes the method according to any one of Examples 1 to 13 or other embodiments herein, wherein the attributes of the PRACH include time-domain resources allocated to the PRACH, frequency-domain resources allocated to the PRACH, root sequence index, cyclic shift, or PRACH preamble format.

[0131] Example 15 includes the method according to any one of Examples 1 to 14 or other embodiments herein, wherein the PRACH is based on contention-free random access or contention-based random access.

[0132] Example 16 includes the method according to any one of Examples 1 to 15 or other embodiments herein, wherein the report includes a Media Access Control (MAC) control element (CE).

[0133] Example 17 includes the method according to any one of Examples 1 to 16 or other embodiments herein, wherein the report includes a Radio Resource Control (RRC) Information Element (IE).

[0134] Example 18 includes the method according to any one of Examples 1 to 17 or other embodiments herein, wherein the RRC IE is UE assistance information.

[0135] Example 19 includes the method according to any one of Examples 1 to 18 or other embodiments herein, the method further comprising: detecting conditions; and generating the report based on the detection of the conditions.

[0136] Example 20 includes the method according to any one of Examples 1 to 19 or other embodiments herein, wherein the UE is configured with an activated TCI state, and detecting the condition includes: determining that the quality measurement result of the activated TCI state is less than a first threshold; or determining that the difference between the quality measurement result of the activated TCI state and the quality measurement result of the TCI state is greater than a second threshold.

[0137] Example 21 includes the method according to any one of Examples 1 to 20 or other embodiments herein, wherein the quality measurement result of the activated TCI state or the quality measurement result of the TCI state is based on the reference signal received power (RSRP) measurement result, the signal-to-interference-plus-noise ratio (SINR) measurement result, the block error rate (BLER) measurement result, or the data rate measurement result.

[0138] Example 22 includes the method according to any one of Examples 1 to 21 or other embodiments herein, wherein the first threshold or the second threshold is configured using Radio Resource Control (RRC) signaling.

[0139] Example 23 includes the method according to any one of Examples 1 to 22 or other embodiments herein, wherein detecting the condition includes: determining a timer timeout associated with the report.

[0140] Example 24 includes the method according to any one of Examples 1 to 23 or other embodiments herein, wherein the TCI state is a joint TCI state, a pair of TCI states including a downlink TCI state and an uplink TCI state, a downlink TCI state or an uplink TCI state.

[0141] Example 25 includes the method according to any one of Examples 1 to 24 or other embodiments herein, wherein the report includes: TCI status; or the TCI status and the measurement associated with TCI.

[0142] Example 26 includes the method according to any one of Examples 1 to 25 or other embodiments herein, wherein the TCI state is associated with a Transmit / Receive Point (TRP).

[0143] Example 27 includes the method according to any one of Examples 1 to 26 or other embodiments herein, wherein the TRP is a first TRP, the TCI state is a first TCI state associated with the first TRP, and the report includes the first TCI state and a second TCI state associated with a second TRP different from the first TRP.

[0144] Example 28 includes the method according to any one of Examples 1 to 27 or other embodiments herein, the method further comprising: using the TCI state to generate a message including a list of component carriers, the message to be sent to the base station.

[0145] Example 29 includes the method according to any one of Examples 1 to 28 or other embodiments herein, wherein the message is: a UE capability report to be transmitted via Radio Resource Control (RRC) signaling; a UE assistance information message to be transmitted via Radio Resource Control (RRC) signaling; or a Media Access Control (MAC) control element (CE).

[0146] Example 30 includes a method implemented by a component of a base station (BS), the method comprising: receiving from a user equipment (UE) an indication preferably to transmit a report of a configuration indicator (TCI) status; determining the TCI status; and sending to the UE an indication associated with the TCI status.

[0147] Example 31 includes the method according to Example 30 or other embodiments herein, the method further comprising: transmitting a configuration to the UE, the configuration including a list of TCI states to be monitored and reported by the UE.

[0148] Example 32 includes the method according to Example 30 or 31 or other embodiments herein, the method further comprising: transmitting to the UE a configuration of a random access channel to associate the attributes of the random access channel with the preferred TCI state.

[0149] Another embodiment may include an apparatus comprising one or more elements for performing the methods described or associated with any one of Embodiments 1 to 32 or any other methods or processes described herein.

[0150] Another embodiment may include the methods, techniques or processes described or associated with any one of embodiments 1 to 32 or any part or component thereof.

[0151] Another embodiment may include an apparatus comprising: one or more processors; and one or more computer-readable media including instructions that, when executed by the one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to perform a method, technique, or process described or associated with any one or more of embodiments 1 to 32.

[0152] Another embodiment includes signals described or associated with any one of embodiments 1 to 32, or a portion or component thereof.

[0153] Another embodiment may include datagrams, information elements, packets, frames, segments, PDUs, or messages as described or associated with any one of embodiments 1 to 32 or any part or component thereof, or otherwise described in this disclosure.

[0154] Another embodiment may include a signal encoded with data as described or associated with any one of embodiments 1 to 32 or a portion or component thereof, or otherwise described in this disclosure.

[0155] Another embodiment may include an apparatus comprising: processing circuitry for performing one or more elements of the methods described or associated with any of Embodiments 1 to 32 or any other methods or processes described herein; and interface circuitry coupled to the processing circuitry, the interface circuitry communicatively coupling the processing circuitry to one or more components of a computing platform.

[0156] Another embodiment may include a computer program comprising instructions, wherein execution of the program by a processing element will cause the processing element to perform a method, technique, or process described or associated with any one or a portion thereof according to Embodiments 1 to 32.

[0157] Another embodiment may include signals encoded as datagrams, IEs, packets, frames, segments, PDUs, or messages as described or associated with any one of embodiments 1 to 32 or any part or component thereof, or otherwise described in this disclosure.

[0158] Another embodiment may include an electromagnetic signal carrying computer-readable instructions, wherein execution of the computer-readable instructions by one or more processors will cause the one or more processors to perform a method, technique, or process described or associated with any one or a portion thereof according to Embodiments 1 to 32.

[0159] Another embodiment may include signals in a wireless network as shown and described herein.

[0160] Another embodiment may include a method for communicating in a wireless network as shown and described herein.

[0161] Another embodiment may include a system for providing wireless communication as shown and described herein.

[0162] Another embodiment may include a device for providing wireless communication as shown and described herein.

[0163] Unless otherwise expressly stated, any of the above embodiments may be combined with any other embodiment (or combination of embodiments). The foregoing description of one or more specific embodiments provides illustration and description, but is not intended to be exhaustive or to limit the scope of the various aspects to the precise forms disclosed. In view of the teachings above, modifications and variations are possible, or modifications and variations may be obtained from practice in various aspects.

[0164] Although the foregoing aspects have been described in considerable detail, many variations and modifications will become apparent to those skilled in the art once the foregoing disclosure is fully understood. It is intended that the following claims be construed as encompassing all such variations and modifications.

Claims

1. A method, the method comprising: The Send Configuration Indicator (TCI) state is determined to be the preferred TCI state; as well as A report indicating that the TCI state is the preferred TCI state is generated, and the report is to be sent to the base station.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein determining the TCI state as the preferred TCI state comprises: Perform measurements associated with the TCI state; as well as Based on the measurement, the TCI state is determined as the preferred TCI state.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the measurement is based on a received reference signal associated with a channel measurement resource (CMR).

4. The method of claim 2, wherein the report comprises: The TCI status; or The TCI status and the measurements associated with the TCI.

5. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the report is a Layer 1 (L1) message.

6. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the report is a Channel State Information (CSI) report.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the CSI report is associated with a periodic CSI report, a non-periodic CSI report, or a semi-persistent CSI report.

8. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 7, further comprising: Process the configuration message to obtain an indication associated with the TCI status.

9. The method according to claim 8, wherein: The configuration message is a CSI report configuration received in a Radio Resource Control (RRC) Information Element or a Media Access Control (MAC) Control Element (CE); and The instructions include a list of TCI states to be measured or reported.

10. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 9, further comprising: Testing conditions; as well as The report is generated based on the detected conditions.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein detecting the condition comprises: Determine the timer timeout associated with the report.

12. The method according to claim 10, further comprising: Indicates the activated TCI status; and The conditions for detection include: The quality measurement result of the activated TCI state is determined to be less than a first threshold. or The difference between the quality measurement result of the activated TCI state and the quality measurement result of the TCI state is determined to be greater than a second threshold.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein the quality measurement result of the activated TCI state or the quality measurement result of the TCI state is based on the reference signal received power (RSRP) measurement result, the signal-to-interference-plus-noise ratio (SINR) measurement result, the block error rate (BLER) measurement result, or the data rate measurement result.

14. The method of claim 12, wherein the first threshold or the second threshold is configured using Radio Resource Control (RRC) signaling.

15. An apparatus comprising a processing circuit, the processing circuit being configured to: Determine the Send Configuration Indicator (TCI) state as the preferred TCI state; and A report is generated to be sent to the base station to indicate that the TCI state is the preferred TCI state.

16. The apparatus of claim 15, wherein the processing circuitry is further configured to: Perform measurements associated with the TCI state; and Based on the measurement, the TCI state is determined as the preferred TCI state.

17. The apparatus according to any one of claims 15 or 16, wherein the report is a Layer 1 (L1) message.

18. The apparatus according to any one of claims 15 to 17, wherein the report is a channel state information (CSI) report.

19. One or more computer-readable media, the one or more computer-readable media having instructions that, when executed, cause processing circuitry to: Process reports received from user equipment (UE) to indicate the preferred transmission configuration indicator (TCI) status; Determine the TCI status; and Generate an indication associated with the TCI state to be sent to the UE.

20. The one or more computer-readable media of claim 19, wherein the instructions, when executed, further cause the processing circuitry to: Generate a configuration to be sent to the UE, the configuration including a list of TCI states to be monitored and reported by the UE.

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