Techniques for over-the-air calibration of multi-transmission reception point operations

Abstract

This application relates to devices and assemblies, including apparatuses, systems, and methods for over-the-air calibration of multi-transmit receive point (mTRP) operations of wireless networks.

Description

Cross-references to other applications

[0001] This application claims priority to U.S. Provisional Application No. 63 / 605,538, filed December 3, 2023, entitled “TECHNOLOGIES FOR OVER-THE-AIRCALIBRATION OF MULTIPLE TRANSMIT-RECEIVE POINT OPERATION,” 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 operating multiple transmit / receive points (mTRP) for over-the-air calibration wireless networks. Background Technology

[0003] The 3GPP (3rd Generation Partnership Project) Technical Specifications (TS) provide details of radio interface protocols to facilitate communication over wireless networks. These TSs define mTRP operation, in which the serving cell uses two or more Transmit-Receive Points (TRPs) to communicate with the User Equipment (UE). This can improve coverage, reliability, or data rate. Further improvements to mTRP operation 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 data structures for radio resource control information elements according to some implementation schemes are shown.

[0007] Figure 4 Examples of data structures for radio resource control information elements according to some implementation schemes are shown.

[0008] Figure 5 The sequence diagrams are illustrated according to some implementation schemes.

[0009] Figure 6 The sequence diagrams are illustrated according to some implementation schemes.

[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 the 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 for transmitting 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 sending 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 Release 15 (R15) specifies the requirements for supporting and implementing a transparent operating mode for multiple TRPs.

[0028] 3GPP Release 16 (R16) defines: Multiple Downlink Control Information (DCI) mTRP, where DCIs from two different TRPs are independently scheduled for PDSCH / PUSCH for their respective TRPs; and Single DCI mTRP relative to PDSCH. A single DCI will use Spatial Division Multiplexing (SDM), Frequency Division Multiplexing (FDM) (Scheme A / B), or Time Division Multiplexing (TDM) (Scheme A / B (Inter-slot)) to schedule PDSCHs from different TRPs. The Single DCI mTRP operation in R16 is a Non-Coherent Joint Transmission (NCJT) scheme.

[0029] In incoherent joint transmission, multiple TRPs transmit signals to the UE. However, signals from different TRPs are not phase-aligned. When signals are not phase-aligned, they may be received at the UE as having different phases and may not be coherently combined. In incoherent joint transmission, each TRP can schedule its transmission independently without exchanging channel state information or scheduling information with other TRPs.

[0030] 3GPP Release 17 (R17) introduced mTRP for PDCCH transmission. Some of these aspects include PDCCH duplication via search space links and Single Frequency Network (SFN)-PDCCH (Scheme A / B). R17 also introduced mTRP for PDSCH transmission utilizing SFN-PDSCH (Scheme A / B). Furthermore, R17 introduced mTRP for PUSCH / PUCCH. Some of these aspects include PUSCH TDM duplication and PUCCH TDM duplication.

[0031] To support mTRP operation, Release 17 introduced enhancements to channel state information (CSI) measurement and reporting. Release 17 also introduced a Type I codebook for the single-DCI mTRP NCJT SDM scheme.

[0032] 3GPP Release 18 (R18) introduced support for coherent joint transmission (CJT), such as single DCImTRP CJT on PDSCH. R18 also introduced simultaneous transmission across multiple panels (STxMP) on PUSCH, such as single DCI SFN, single DCISDM, and multi-DCI schemes. Furthermore, R18 introduced a single DCI SFN STxMP scheme for PUCCH.

[0033] Multiple TRPs can transmit signals to the UE in the CJT. Signals from different TRPs are phase-aligned; therefore, they are coherent. When signals are phase-aligned, they can be received at the UE as having the same phase, and therefore these signals can be coherently combined with each other. In incoherent joint transmission, each TRP can schedule its transmission independently without exchanging channel state information or scheduling information with other TRPs.

[0034] R18 introduced CSI enhancements to the Type II codebook to support coherent joint transmission of the single DCI mTRP CJT scheme.

[0035] The embodiments disclosed herein describe an extension of the R18 CSI enhancement to enable mTRP CJT operation. The CSI enhancement enables over-the-air (OTA) calibration of the TRP. The CSI enhancement may include the measurement and reporting of frequency and time offsets between TRPs.

[0036] Figure 1 A network environment 100 according to some implementation schemes is illustrated. Network environment 100 may include a UE 104 and a base station 108. Base station 108 may be coupled to a plurality of TRPs 112 to provide one or more radio access cells through which the UE 104 can communicate. As shown, base station 108 may be coupled to two TRPs 112 (e.g., TRP 1 and TRP 2). Base station 108 may use TRPs 112 to provide geographically distributed transmit / receive points to increase cell coverage and spatial diversity. Each TRP may include a single TRP or a group of TRPs typically controlled as a single TRP.

[0037] Although Figure 1 An example is shown of a base station 108 directly coupled to two TRPs; however, in other embodiments, more than one base station may be coupled to two TRPs, and the base stations may communicate with each other via backhaul links to coordinate communication with the UE 104. Base station 108 and TRP 112 may be collectively referred to as access node 116.

[0038] Access node 116 can provide an air interface compatible with 3GPP technical specifications, such as those defining fifth-generation (5G) New Radio (NR) or higher system standards. Depending on the technology, base station 108 may be referred to as eNB, gNB, ng-NB, etc. Access node 116 can provide UE 104 with access to other networks, such as core networks, data networks, etc.

[0039] Access node 116 can control uplink and downlink operations through the physical (PHY) layer and media access control (MAC) layer. Configuration information can be provided to UE 104 through the RRC layer.

[0040] Each TRP (e.g., TRP 1 or TRP 2) may transmit a reference signal (RS) to UE 104. For example, TRP 1 may transmit RS 1 to UE 104, and TRP 2 may transmit RS 2 to the UE. UE 104 may use the received reference signals to measure the frequency offset or timing difference between the two reference signals.

[0041] UE 104 can generate a report based on the measured frequency offset or timing difference between signals from TRP 1 and TRP 2. UE 104 can transmit this report to access node 116. Access node 116 can use this report to calibrate transmission parameters of one or both TRPs, such as timing advance, phase, or frequency. For example, access node 116 can calibrate the transmission parameters of TRP 1 or TRP 2 based on coherent joint transmissions from TRP 1 and TRP 2 to UE 104.

[0042] Reports from UE 104 can be processed at base station 108. Base station 108 can send commands to TRP 1 or TRP 2 to initiate calibration of transmission parameters at the TRP. In some instances, reports can be processed at the TRP, and each TRP can calibrate its transmission parameters accordingly.

[0043] The embodiments disclosed herein describe aspects of providing resources for measuring and reporting frequency offsets and timing differences at the UE.

[0044] Figure 2 A network environment 200 according to some implementation schemes is illustrated. Network environment 200 includes two TRPs: TRP 1 and TRP 2. TRP 1 sends a Tracking Reference Signal (TRS) 1 to UE 104, and TRP 2 sends TRS 2 to the UE. To facilitate mTRP operation, especially CJT operation, UE 104 can measure the frequency offset between TRPs (e.g., TRP 1 and TRP 2), or the downlink (DL) receive timing difference between different TRPs (e.g., TRP 1 and TRP 2). UE 104 can generate a report based on the measured frequency offset or DL ​​receive timing difference and transmit the report to an access node (e.g., a base station).

[0045] The base station can configure UE 104 to use Channel Measurement Resources (CMR) to measure or report frequency offsets or timing differences. For example, TRS resources or sets of TRS resources can be configured for CMR. For example, a TRS resource set can be a set of Non-Zero Power (NZP) Channel State Information (CSI) Reference Signals (RS) resources configured through a higher layer. In one instance, the TRS resource set can be an NZP-CSI-RS resource set configured by the trs-info information element (IE) of RRC signaling.

[0046] The base station can configure resources for measurements and reporting associated with reference signals to UE 104. For example, the base station can configure the UE to use CSI-RS to perform measurements and report the results to the network. The base station can configure the UE using CSI report configuration messages. For example, the base station can configure the UE using the CSI-ReportConfig IE of RRC signaling.

[0047] UE 104 can measure Channel Quality Indicator (CQI), Pre-decoded Matrix Indicator (PMI), Rank Indicator (RI), Time Domain Channel Attribute (tdcp), Layer Indicator (LI), Layer 1 (L1) Reference Signal Received Power (RSRP) or L1 Signal-to-Interference and Noise Ratio (SINR) or other quantities.

[0048] Base stations can use CSI report configuration to configure TRS resources or TRS resource sets for CMR. CSI report configuration can include and configure more than one TRS resource or TRS resource set as CMR. Each TRS resource or TRS resource set can be associated with a TRP or TRP group. For example, a first TRS resource set can be associated with a first TRP or a first TRP group, and a second TRS resource set can be associated with a second TRP or a second TRP group. A TRP group can be a set of TRPs with similar time or frequency offsets.

[0049] The configured TRS resource set can be a periodic TRS resource set or an aperiodic TRS resource set. The base station can configure a periodic TRS resource set and may include resources periodically allocated to the UE for measuring and reporting channel parameters (e.g., frequency offset or timing difference). The base station may trigger aperiodic measurements and reports. For example, the base station may transmit a DCI that triggers measurements and reports at the UE. This DCI may include the resource set required for the measurements and reports.

[0050] CSI reporting configurations may include configurations for multiple resource sets. In one implementation, it is expected that all configured TRS resource sets will have the same time-domain behavior. For example, a CSI reporting configuration may include only periodic TRS resource sets. Alternatively, a CSI reporting configuration may include only aperiodic TRS resource sets. In other implementations, the configured resource sets may have different time-domain behaviors. For example, a CSI reporting configuration may include both periodic and aperiodic resource sets.

[0051] UE 104 can be configured with multiple TRS resource sets for CMR within the same CSI reporting configuration. One or more TRS resource sets can be NZP-CSI-RS resource sets. The same CSI resource configuration can include one or more NZP-CSI-RS resource sets. For example, a CSI resource configuration can include one or more periodic NZP-CSI-RS resource sets.

[0052] The temporal behavior of CSI-RS resources within a CSI resource setting (e.g., CSI report configuration) can be indicated by higher-level parameters (e.g., resource type) and can be set to aperiodic, periodic, or semi-persistent. For periodic and semi-persistent CSI resource settings (e.g., CSI resource configuration), the number of configured CSI resource sets can be defined by 3GPP specifications or configured by the network.

[0053] CSI reporting configurations for time or frequency offset reporting may include interference measurement resource (IMR) configurations. In another example, CSI reporting configurations for time or frequency offset reporting may not include IMR configurations.

[0054] Reports carrying timing differences or frequency offsets between different TRPs can be submitted on the PUSCH. In one example, the report may include a non-periodic CSI report on the PUSCH or a semi-persistent CSI report on the PUSCH activated by DCI. In one example, only a non-periodic CSI report on the PUSCH is supported. In another example, only a semi-persistent CSI report on the PUSCH activated by DCI is supported.

[0055] In another example, CSI reporting on the PUCCH is supported. For example, periodic CSI reporting on the PUCCH or semi-persistent CSI reporting activated by MAC-CE is supported. In other examples, CSI reporting on the PUCCH may be restricted to periodic CSI reporting or semi-persistent CSI reporting activated by MAC-CE.

[0056] In some instances, the sending of CSI reports (periodic, nonperiodic, or semi-persistent) on PUSCH and PUCCH is supported.

[0057] CSI reports can be standalone reports. Standalone reports may only carry timing differences or frequency offsets. In other instances, CSI reports can be non-standalone reports. CSI report configurations can simultaneously configure reporting of timing differences, frequency offsets, or other quantities such as L1 RSRP, L1 SINR, CRI, CQI, RI, LI, tdcp, or PMI.

[0058] Scheduling for CSI reports carrying timing differences or frequency offsets may conflict with scheduling for CSI reports carrying CSI (e.g., tdcp, L1 RSRP, L1 SINR, CRI, CQI, RI, LI, or PMI). The priority of CSI reports carrying timing differences or frequency offsets may be the same as that of CSI reports excluding L1 RSRP or L1 SINR. In some instances, the priority of CSI reports carrying timing differences or frequency offsets may be lower than that of CSI reports excluding L1 RSRP or L1 SINR. The network can configure the priority associated with CSI reports carrying timing differences or frequency offsets between TRPs for the UE.

[0059] The UE can use differential coding to compress or encode timing differences or frequency offsets between different TRPs. The network can identify a TRP as a reference TRP. Alternatively or additionally, the UE can determine a TRP as a reference TRP and notify the network. For example, the UE can transmit the index of the reference TRP to the base station. The reference TRP can be defined by 3GPP specifications. For example, the reference TRP can be defined as the first TRP, such as the first TRS resource set configured as CMR or the TRS resource set with the minimum NSP-CSI-RS resource set ID. The UE may not report the frequency offset or timing offset of the reference TRP.

[0060] For a TRP other than the reference TRP, the UE may report both the sign and absolute value of the frequency offset or timing difference. Alternatively, for a TRP other than the reference TRP, the UE may report only the absolute value of the frequency offset or timing difference.

[0061] The UE can calculate the frequency offset or timing difference of other TRPs relative to a reference TRP. The frequency offset is differentially encoded using the difference between the frequency offset of the TRP and the reference TRP. Similarly, the timing offset is differentially encoded using the difference between the timing offset of the TRP and the reference TRP.

[0062] The UE can use linear equidistant quantization to quantize and encode the absolute value of frequency offset or timing difference. For example, if N bits are used to quantize 0 and F... max The range between Hz, where F max If the maximum reportable frequency offset is F, then the distance between different quantization points is F. max / (2 N -1). The maximum quantization point can be preserved (e.g., the 2nd quantization point). N -1 point) to indicate out of range. In one example, F max It can be a function of the carrier frequency.

[0063] Similarly, if M bits are used to quantize 0 and T maxThe range between microseconds, where T max If this is the maximum reportable time offset, then the distance between different quantization points is T. max / (2 M -1). The maximum quantization point can be preserved (e.g., the 2nd quantization point). M -1 point) to indicate out of range. In one example, T max It can be a function of the duration of the loop prefix.

[0064] In another example, when timing differences are measured in phase (e.g., radians), a K-bit quantization range from 0 to 2π can be used. Here, k = ceiling(log2(O3N3)). N3 is the number of frequency domain subbands, and N3 can be a function of the number of physical resource blocks in the DLBWP, where O3 is an oversampling factor, e.g., {1, 2, 4}. The distance between different quantization points is 2π / O3 / N3. A quantization point (e.g., the maximum quantization point) can be reserved to indicate out-of-range conditions.

[0065] Timing differences can be measured in units of time (e.g., microseconds) or in phase (e.g., radians).

[0066] Figure 3 An example of a Radio Resource Control Information Element Data Structure 300 according to some implementation schemes is illustrated. To support the UE in measuring and reporting time or frequency offsets between different TRPs, a TRS resource set can be configured for CMR in the same CSI reporting settings (e.g., the same CSI reporting configuration).

[0067] The UE uses the CSI reporting configuration to measure CSI parameters and report them to the base station. The base station can use RRC signaling to set the CSI reporting configuration at the UE.

[0068] For example, CSI report configuration can be an RRC information element. CSI-ReportConfig 300. CSI reporting configuration can include identifiers. For example, CSI-ReportConfig 300 CSI-ReportConfigId This configuration can be identified. More than one UE can be configured. CSI-ReportConfig Each report configuration can be accessed through its associated... CSI-ReportConfigId To identify and distinguish.

[0069] CSI-ReportConfig 300 may include indications for identifying channel measurement resources. For example, CSI- Report Config 300 may include resourcesForChannelMeasurement-r19 310. When in the same CSI- ReportConfig The configuration has more than one CSI-ResourceConfigId of resourcesForChannelMeasurement-r19 At that time, expectations and CSI-ResourceConfigId All associated CSI resources are configured with the same Bandwidth Part (BWP) Identifier (ID).

[0070] In one example, the network can be configured only. resourcesForChannelMeasurement and resourcesForChannelMeasurement-r19 One of 310.

[0071] Network can be used CSI-ReportConfig Configure periodic TRS resource sets.

[0072] Figure 4 An example of a Radio Resource Control Information Element Data Structure 400 according to some implementation schemes is illustrated. To support the UE in measuring and reporting time or frequency offsets between different TRPs, a TRS resource set can be configured for CMR in the same CSI reporting settings (e.g., the same CSI reporting configuration).

[0073] Resources used for channel measurements can be configured in the RRC signaling information element. For example, these resources can be configured in... CSI- AssociatedReportConfigInfo Configuration in 400. CSI-AssociatedReportConfigInfo 400 can be associated with non-periodic resources used for CSI reporting.

[0074] CSI-AssociatedReportConfigInfo 400 can be associated with CSI reporting configurations. For example, CSI- AssociatedReportConfigInfo 400 may include CSI-ReportConfig of CSI-ReportConfigId .

[0075] CSI-AssociatedReportConfigInfo 400 may include parameters for allocating measurement or reporting resources. Resources may include NZP-CSI-RS resource sets and Transmit Configuration Indicator (TCI) status. For example, resourcesForChannel- r19 The 410 field can be configured to be associated with one or more TRS resource sets. resourcesForChannel-r19 410 can be configured with NZP-CSI-RS resources. (By...) resourcesForChannel-r19 In TCI-StateId A defined TCI state can be applied to by resourcesForChannel-r19 410 Configure all NZP-CSI-RS resources.

[0076] 3GPP TS describes operations that rely on Transmit Configuration Indicator (TCI) states to facilitate communication. TCI states define the quasi-co-address (QCL) relationship between the source and destination.

[0077] Network configurable resourceForChannel and resourceForChannel-r19 One or both of them.

[0078] Figure 5 A timing diagram 500 is illustrated according to some implementation schemes. The UE may be configured with a periodic TRS 1 associated with one TRP and a periodic TRS 2 associated with another TRP.

[0079] At time T1, TRS 1 is transmitted from the first TRP (or received at the UE). The first TRP transmits TRS 1 again at T3. The time difference P1 between T1 and T3 can be the period of the periodic TRS 1.

[0080] At time T2, TRS 2 is sent from the second TRP (or received at the UE). The second TRP sends TRS 2 again at T4. The time difference P2 between T2 and T4 can be the period of the periodic TRS 2.

[0081] In some instances, TRS 1 and TRS 2 have the same periodicity. The periods of TRS 1 and TRS 2 can be the same, for example, P1 = P2. In some instances, the periods of TRS 1 and TRS 2 can be different, for example, P1 > P2 or P2 > P1. When the periods of TRS 1 and TRS 2 are different, the period of TRS 1 can be an integer multiple of the period of TRS 2, for example, P1 = k∙P2, where k = 1, 2, 3, 4, ...

[0082] The relative slot offset between TRS 1 and TRS 2 can be the time between the transmissions of TRS 1 and TRS 2, for example, T2-T1. The relative slot offset can be calculated by referring to the earliest set of TRS resources. The slot offset between TRSs can be less than a threshold, or it can take a predefined value. For example, the relative slot offset between TRSs can be less than 0, 1, 2, or 3 slots. In another example, the relative slot offset between TRSs can be taken from a set of {0, 1, 2, 3} slots. The network can be configured with a predefined value or a threshold for the relative slot offset between TRSs.

[0083] Figure 6 A timing diagram 600 according to some implementation schemes is illustrated. The UE may be configured with an aperiodic TRS 1 associated with one TRP and a periodic TRS 2 associated with another TRP.

[0084] At time S1, the UE may receive a trigger signal 610 for measuring and reporting the timing or frequency offset between two TRPs. For example, trigger signal 610 may be a DCI. The DCI for a non-periodic TRS may include an offset. The offset determines the time the UE may expect to receive a TRS after receiving trigger signal 610. For example, trigger signal 610 may trigger both TRS 1 and TRS 2 at S1, and it may include an offset 1 associated with TRS 1 and an offset 2 associated with TRS 2. TRP 1 may transmit TRS 1 at S2 = S1 + offset 1, and TRP 2 may transmit TRS 2 at S3 = S1 + offset 2. The time difference between the transmission of TRS 2 and the transmission of TRS 1 (e.g., S3 - S1) is the relative offset difference between TRS 1 and TRS 2. The relative offset difference between TRSs may be calculated by referring to the earliest TRS resource set.

[0085] The relative offset difference between TRSs can be less than a threshold or can take a predefined value. For example, the relative offset difference between TRSs can be less than 0, 1, 2, or 3 slots. In another example, the relative offset difference between TRSs can take values ​​from a set of {0, 1, 2, 3} slots. The network can be configured with a predefined value or a threshold for the relative offset difference between TRSs.

[0086] 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 measuring and reporting timing differences or frequency offsets between multiple TRPs. 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).

[0087] The operation flow / algorithm structure 700 may include: at 710, performing a measurement of the frequency offset or timing difference between two TRPs. The UE can measure the TRS associated with each TRP. The UE can receive from the base station a configuration for configuring multiple TRP resources or TRP resource sets. The TRP resource set can be a periodic, aperiodic, or semi-persistent resource set. The TRS resource set can be an NZP-CSI-RS resource set.

[0088] The operation flow / algorithm structure 700 may include: at 720, generating a report based on the measurement. This report may be a standalone report, carrying only an indication associated with the measured frequency offset or timing difference. The report may also be a non-standalone report, including both frequency offset or timing difference information and CSI quantities such as L1 RSRP, L1 SINR, CQI, PMI, RI, LI, or tdcp.

[0089] Figure 8An 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).

[0090] The operation flow / algorithm structure 800 may include, at 810, receiving from the UE a report including frequency offsets or timing differences between two or more TRPs. This report may be a CSI report.

[0091] The operation procedure / algorithm structure 800 may include: at 820, calibrating one or two TRPs. The network can transmit commands to trigger calibration, or it can directly calibrate the transmission parameters of the TRPs.

[0092] Figure 9 An example of a UE 900 according to some implementation schemes is shown. UE 900 may be similar to... Figure 1 It is compatible with UE 104 and is essentially interchangeable with it.

[0093] UE 900 can be any mobile or non-mobile computing device, such as, for example, mobile phones, computers, tablets, XR devices, glasses, industrial wireless sensors (e.g., microphones, carbon dioxide sensors, pressure sensors, humidity sensors, thermometers, motion sensors, accelerometers, laser scanners, fluid level sensors, inventory sensors, voltmeters / ammeters, or actuators), video surveillance / monitoring devices (e.g., cameras or camcorders), wearable devices (e.g., smartwatches), or Internet of Things (IoT) devices.

[0094] 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.

[0095] 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.

[0096] 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.

[0097] 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.

[0098] 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.

[0099] 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.

[0100] 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.

[0101] 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.

[0102] 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.

[0103] In various implementations, the RF interface circuit 908 can be configured to transmit / receive signals in a manner compatible with NR access technologies.

[0104] 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.

[0105] 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.

[0106] 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.

[0107] 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.

[0108] 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 source selection, voltage scaling, battery charging, or DC-DC conversion.

[0109] 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.

[0110] 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.

[0111] 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.

[0112] 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.

[0113] The components of network node 1000 can be coupled to various other components through one or more interconnects 1032.

[0114] 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 described above. Figure 9 Similar-named elements are shown and described.

[0115] 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.

[0116] 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.

[0117] 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.

[0118] 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.

[0119] Example Further exemplary aspects are provided in the following sections.

[0120] Example 1 includes a method implemented by a component of a user equipment (UE), the method comprising: performing a measurement of a frequency offset between a first transmit-receive point (TRP) and a second TRP, or a timing difference between the first TRP and the second TRP; and generating a report based on the measurement.

[0121] Example 2 includes the method described in Example 1 or other examples herein, the method further comprising: processing configurations associated with the measurement or the report.

[0122] Example 3 includes the method described in Example 1 or 2 or other embodiments herein, wherein the configuration includes a channel measurement resource (CMR) configuration associated with the measurement.

[0123] Example 4 includes the method according to any one of Examples 1 to 3 or other embodiments herein, wherein the configuration includes a Tracking Reference Signal (TRS) resource associated with the measurement.

[0124] Example 5 includes the method according to any one of Examples 1 to 4 or other embodiments herein, wherein the configuration includes a Tracking Reference Signal (TRS) resource set associated with the measurement.

[0125] Example 6 includes the method according to any one of Examples 1 to 5 or other embodiments herein, wherein the TRS resource set is a non-zero power channel state information resource set.

[0126] Example 7 includes the method according to any one of Examples 1 to 6 or other embodiments herein, wherein: the TRS resource set is a first TRS resource set, which is a first periodic TRS resource set or a first aperiodic TRS resource set; and the configuration includes a second TRS resource set, which is a second periodic TRS resource set or a second aperiodic TRS resource set.

[0127] Example 8 includes the method according to any one of Examples 1 to 7 or other embodiments herein, wherein: the first TRS resource set is a first periodic TRS resource set, and the first periodic TRS resource set is a first non-zero power (NZP) channel state information (CSI) reference signal (RS) resource set; the second TRS resource set is a second periodic TRS resource set, and the second periodic TRS resource set is a second NZP-CSI-RS resource set; and the first NZP-CSI-RS resource set and the second NZP-CSI-RS resource set are configured by CSI resource configuration.

[0128] Example 9 includes the method according to any one of Examples 1 to 8 or other embodiments herein, wherein the CSI resource configuration includes channel measurement resource (CMR) configuration.

[0129] Example 10 includes the method according to any one of Examples 1 to 9 or other embodiments herein, wherein the first period is the periodicity of the first periodic TRS, the second period is the periodicity of the second periodic TRS, and the first period is an integer multiple of the second period.

[0130] Example 11 includes the method according to any one of Examples 1 to 10 or other embodiments herein, wherein the relative time slot offset between the first periodic TRS resource set and the second periodic TRS resource set is a predefined value.

[0131] Example 12 includes the method according to any one of Examples 1 to 11 or other embodiments herein, wherein the predefined value is 0, 1, 2 or 3 time slots.

[0132] Example 13 includes the method according to any one of Examples 1 to 12 or other embodiments herein, wherein: the first TRS resource set is a first aperiodic TRS resource set, and the first aperiodic TRS resource set is a first non-zero power (NZP) channel state information (CSI) reference signal (RS) resource set; the second TRS resource set is a second aperiodic TRS resource set, and the second aperiodic TRS resource set is an NZP-CSI-RS resource set; and the first NZP-CSI-RS resource set and the second NZP-CSI-RS resource set are configured by CSI resource configuration.

[0133] Example 14 includes the method according to any one of Examples 1 to 13 or other embodiments herein, wherein the relative trigger offset between the first trigger signal associated with the first aperiodic TRS resource set and the second trigger signal associated with the second aperiodic TRS resource set is a predefined value.

[0134] Example 15 includes the method according to any one of Examples 1 to 14 or other embodiments herein, wherein the predefined value is 0, 1, 2 or 3 time slots.

[0135] Example 16 includes the method according to any one of Examples 1 to 15 or other embodiments herein, wherein the measurement is a measurement of the frequency offset between a first TRP and a second TRP, the first TRP being a reference TRP, and the report is based on the frequency offset of the second TRP.

[0136] Example 17 includes the method according to any one of Examples 1 to 16 or other embodiments herein, wherein the measurement is a measurement of the time offset between a first TRP and a second TRP, the first TRP being a reference TRP, and the report is based on the time offset of the second TRP.

[0137] Example 18 includes a method implemented by a component of a network element, the method comprising: receiving a report from a user equipment (UE) including an indication of a frequency offset between a first transmit / receive point (TRP) and a second TRP or a timing difference between the first TRP and the second TRP; and calibrating the first TRP or the second TRP.

[0138] Example 19 includes the method according to Example 18 or other embodiments herein, the method further comprising: transmitting a configuration message to the UE, the configuration message including an indication of resources associated with the report.

[0139] Example 20 includes the method according to Example 18 or 19 or other embodiments herein, wherein the resource is a resource of periodic channel state information (CSI) reports or aperiodic CSI reports.

[0140] 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 20 or any other methods or processes described herein.

[0141] Another embodiment may include the methods, techniques or processes described or associated with any one of embodiments 1 to 20 or any part or component thereof.

[0142] 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 20.

[0143] Another embodiment may include an apparatus comprising: processing circuitry for performing one or more elements of a method described or associated with any of embodiments 1 to 20 or any other method or process 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.

[0144] Another embodiment includes signals described or associated with any one of embodiments 1 to 20, or a portion or component thereof.

[0145] Another embodiment may include datagrams, information elements, packets, frames, segments, PDUs, or messages described or associated with any one of embodiments 1 to 20 or any part or component thereof, or otherwise described in this disclosure.

[0146] Another embodiment may include a signal encoded with data as described or associated with any one of embodiments 1 to 20 or a portion or component thereof, or otherwise described in this disclosure.

[0147] 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 20 or any part or component thereof, or otherwise described in this disclosure.

[0148] 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 20.

[0149] 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 20.

[0150] Another embodiment may include signals in a wireless network as shown and described herein.

[0151] Another embodiment may include a method for communicating in a wireless network as shown and described herein.

[0152] Another embodiment may include a system for providing wireless communication as shown and described herein.

[0153] Another embodiment may include a device for providing wireless communication as shown and described herein.

[0154] 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 aspects to the precise forms disclosed. In view of the teachings above, modifications and variations are possible, or may be obtained from practice of the various aspects.

[0155] 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: Perform a measurement of the frequency offset or timing offset between the first transmit / receive point (TRP) and the second TRP; as well as A report is generated based on the measurements.

2. The method according to claim 1, further comprising: Process the configuration associated with the measurement or the report.

3. The method according to claim 2, wherein: The configuration includes a channel measurement resource (CMR) configuration associated with the measurement; and The configuration includes a set of tracking reference signals (TRS) resources associated with the measurement.

4. The method according to claim 3, wherein the TRS resource set is a non-zero power (NZP) channel state information (CSI) reference signal (RS) resource set.

5. The method according to claim 3, wherein: The configuration is the Channel State Information (CSI) configuration; The TRS resource set is a first TRS resource set, which is either a first periodic TRS resource set or a first aperiodic TRS resource set; and The configuration includes a second TRS resource set, which is either a second periodic TRS resource set or a second non-periodic TRS resource set.

6. The method according to claim 5, wherein: The first TRS resource set is associated with the first TRP; and The second TRS resource set is associated with the second TRP.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the measurement is a measurement of the frequency offset between a first TRP and a second TRP, the first TRP being a reference TRP, and the generation of the report includes: The frequency offset of the second TRP is differentially encoded relative to the frequency offset of the first TRP.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the measurement is a measurement of the frequency offset between a first TRP and a second TRP, the first TRP being a reference TRP, and the method further comprises: Calculate the frequency offset of the second TRP relative to the first TRP; as well as The absolute value of the frequency offset is determined, wherein the report includes an indication of the first TRP and the absolute value of the frequency offset.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the measurement is a measurement of a timing offset between a first TRP and a second TRP, the first TRP being a reference TRP, and the generation of the report includes: The timing offset of the second TRP relative to the first TRP is differentially encoded.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the measurement is a measurement of a timing offset between a first TRP and a second TRP, the first TRP being a reference TRP, and the method further comprises: Calculate the timing offset of the second TRP relative to the first TRP; as well as The absolute value of the timing offset is determined, wherein the report includes an indication of the first TRP and the absolute value of the timing offset.

11. An apparatus comprising: Processing circuit, the processing circuit being used for: Perform a measurement of the frequency offset or timing offset between the first transmit / receive point (TRP) and the second TRP; as well as A report is generated based on the measurements; and An interface circuit is coupled to the processing circuit to enable communication.

12. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein the processing circuitry is further configured to: Processing configurations associated with the measurement or the report, wherein the configurations include a set of tracking reference signals (TRS) resources.

13. The apparatus according to claim 12, wherein: The configuration is the Channel State Information (CSI) configuration; The TRS resource set is a first TRS resource set associated with the first TRP, and the first TRS resource set is either a first periodic TRS resource set or a first aperiodic TRS resource set; and The configuration includes a second TRS resource set associated with the second TRP, the second TRS resource set being either a second periodic TRS resource set or a second non-periodic TRS resource set.

14. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein the measurement is a measurement of the frequency offset between a first TRP and a second TRP, the first TRP being a reference TRP, and the processing circuitry is configured to: The frequency offset of the second TRP is differentially encoded relative to the frequency offset of the first TRP.

15. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein the measurement is a measurement of the frequency offset between a first TRP and a second TRP, the first TRP being a reference TRP, and the processing circuitry is further configured to: Calculate the frequency offset of the second TRP relative to the first TRP; and The absolute value of the frequency offset is determined, wherein the report includes an indication of the first TRP and the absolute value of the frequency offset.

16. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein the measurement is a measurement of a timing offset between a first TRP and a second TRP, the first TRP being a reference TRP, and the processing circuitry is configured to: The timing offset of the second TRP relative to the first TRP is differentially encoded.

17. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein the measurement is a measurement of a timing offset between a first TRP and a second TRP, the first TRP being a reference TRP, and the processing circuitry is further configured to: Calculate the timing offset of the second TRP relative to the first TRP; and The absolute value of the timing offset is determined, wherein the report includes an indication of the first TRP and the absolute value of the timing offset.

18. One or more non-transitory computer-readable media, the one or more non-transitory computer-readable media having instructions that, when executed, cause processing circuitry to: Processing reports received from user equipment (UE), the reports including indications of frequency offset between a first transmit / receive point (TRP) and a second TRP, or timing offset between the first TRP and the second TRP; and Calibrate the first TRP or the second TRP.

19. One or more non-transitory computer-readable media according to claim 18, wherein the instructions are executed to further cause the processing circuitry to: A configuration message is generated for sending to the UE, the configuration message including an indication of the resources associated with the report.

20. One or more non-transitory computer-readable media according to claim 19, wherein the report includes differentially encoded timing offset or differentially encoded frequency offset.

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