Methods, apparatus, and computer programs for configuring and executing efficient beam reporting.

Abstract

According to a first aspect of this specification, a user equipment is described, the user equipment comprising: a component for transmitting a beam index report to a network device, the beam index report indicating an optimal set of beams for corresponding predictions for a plurality of different future times, wherein the beam index report includes: a first set of beam identifiers for a first future time and a second set of beam identifiers for a second future time, wherein at least one beam identifier in the first set of beam identifiers is associated with a beam of a first type, and at least one beam identifier in the second set of beam identifiers is associated with a beam of a second type.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] Various example embodiments relate to apparatus, methods, and / or computer programs for configuring and performing efficient beam reporting. Background Technology

[0002] Beamforming technology can be used in radio frequency (RF) communication networks to focus the transmission or reception of signals onto a specific spatial direction (e.g., corresponding to a specific beam). This enables improved signal quality between the base station and a given user equipment (UE), as well as reduced interference with other UEs. Furthermore, beamforming technology is becoming increasingly important as RF communication networks utilize higher frequency bands, including sub-6 GHz (FR1) and millimeter wave (FR2) bands.

[0003] Traditional beam management (BM) procedures introduce higher measurement and reporting overhead for larger beamcodebooks, resulting in higher power consumption for user equipment (UE). The use of artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning (ML) in the air interface can be used to reduce the overhead associated with traditional BM procedures. Summary of the Invention

[0004] The subject matter of the independent claims is provided for some aspects. Other aspects are defined in the dependent claims.

[0005] For example, in a first aspect, this specification describes an apparatus comprising: a component for transmitting a beam index report to a network device, the beam index report indicating the optimal set of beams for corresponding predictions for a plurality of different future times, wherein the beam index report includes: a first set of beam identifiers for a first future time and a second set of beam identifiers for a second future time, wherein at least one beam identifier in the first set of beam identifiers is associated with a beam of a first type of beam, and wherein at least one beam identifier in the second set of beam identifiers is associated with a beam of a second type of beam.

[0006] In a second aspect, this specification describes a method comprising: transmitting a beam index report indicating an optimal set of beams for corresponding predictions for a plurality of different future times, wherein the beam index report includes: a first set of beam identifiers for a first future time and a second set of beam identifiers for a second future time, wherein at least one beam identifier in the first set of beam identifiers is associated with a beam of a first type of beam, and at least one beam identifier in the second set of beam identifiers is associated with a beam of a second type of beam.

[0007] In a third aspect, this specification describes an apparatus comprising: a component for transmitting an indicator in a format for a beam index report, the indicator indicating which of a plurality of beam identifiers in the beam index report correspond to a beam of a first type of beam, and which of the plurality of beam identifiers in the beam index report correspond to a beam of a second type of beam.

[0008] In a fourth aspect, this specification describes a method comprising: transmitting an indicator for a format of a beam index report, the indicator indicating which of a plurality of beam identifiers in the beam index report correspond to a beam of a first type of beam, and which of the plurality of beam identifiers in the beam index report correspond to a beam of a second type of beam.

[0009] In the fifth aspect, this specification describes computer-readable instructions that, when executed by a computing device, cause the computing device to perform at least any of the methods described herein (including the methods described in the second and fourth aspects above).

[0010] In a sixth aspect, this specification describes a computer-readable medium (such as a non-transitory computer-readable medium) including program instructions stored thereon for (at least) performing any of the methods described herein (including the methods described in the second and fourth aspects above).

[0011] In a seventh aspect, this specification describes an apparatus comprising: at least one processor and at least one memory storing instructions that, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the apparatus to perform at least any of the methods described herein (including the methods described in the second and fourth aspects above).

[0012] In the eighth aspect, this specification describes a computer program comprising instructions that, when executed by a device, cause the device to perform at least any of the methods described herein (including the methods described in the second and fourth aspects above). Attached Figure Description

[0013] Example embodiments will now be described below by way of non-limiting example with reference to the following schematic diagrams, in which:

[0014] Figure 1 This paper describes example scenarios in which beam management can be used and some example embodiments disclosed herein can be implemented.

[0015] Figures 2A to 2C Various examples of beam set A and its corresponding beam set B are described;

[0016] Figures 3A to 3C The process according to various example embodiments is described;

[0017] Figure 4 Various example types of beam index reports are described;

[0018] Figure 5 An example scenario is depicted in which adjacent beam periods are bundled to determine another beam set;

[0019] Figure 6A and 6B It is a flowchart depicting a method performed according to an example embodiment;

[0020] Figure 7 It is a schematic diagram depicting components of one or more example embodiments previously described;

[0021] Figure 8 A tangible medium for storing computer-readable code is described, which, when run by a computer, can perform methods according to the example embodiments described herein. Detailed Implementation

[0022] The scope of protection sought by the various implementations of the subject matter disclosed herein is set forth in the independent claims. Features of the subject matter described herein or in the specification that do not fall within the scope of the independent claims should be interpreted as examples that help to understand the various implementations of the subject matter described herein.

[0023] Throughout the specification and drawings, the same reference numerals refer to the same elements.

[0024] In the following description, different exemplary embodiments will be used as examples of RF communication networks using fifth-generation (5G), new radio (NR), or advanced 5G communication networks, without limiting the embodiments to such architectures. It should be understood that the embodiments described herein can also be applied to other types of communication networks, such as fourth-generation (4G) or long-term evolution (LTE) communication networks, or to other future communication network technologies, such as sixth-generation (6G) communication networks, by appropriately adjusting parameters and processes. Some examples of other options for applicable systems are: Universal Mobile Telecommunications System (UMTS) Radio Access (UTRA), Long Term Evolution (LTE, also known as E-UTRA), Advanced Long Term Evolution (Advanced LTE, LTE-A), Wireless Local Area Network (WLAN or Wi-Fi), Global Microwave Interconnection Access (WiMAX), Bluetooth®, Personal Communication Services (PCS), ZigBee®, Wideband Code Division Multiple Access (WCDMA), systems using Ultra Wideband (UWB) technology, sensor networks, Mobile Ad Hoc Networks (MANET), and Internet Protocol Multimedia Subsystem (IMS), or any combination thereof.

[0025] Additionally, in the following text, the term "user equipment" generally refers to a portable computing device, including wireless mobile communication devices that operate with or without a subscriber identification module (SIM), including but not limited to the following types of devices: mobile stations (mobile phones), smartphones, personal digital assistants (PDAs), handheld devices, devices using wireless modems (such as alarms or measuring devices), laptops and / or touchscreen computers, tablets, game consoles, laptops, multimedia devices, air / land / sea aircraft, etc. It should be noted that user equipment can also be almost entirely uplink devices, an example of which is a camera or camcorder that uploads images or video clips to a network. User equipment can also be a device capable of operating in an Internet of Things (IoT) network, a scenario in which objects are provided with the ability to transmit data via the IoT network without human-to-human or human-to-computer interaction. In some applications, user equipment may include small portable devices with radio components (such as watches, headphones, or glasses), where some or all of the computing is performed in the cloud. User equipment may also be referred to as UE, terminal equipment, subscriber unit, mobile station, remote terminal, access terminal, or user terminal, to name just a few.

[0026] As described herein, beam management (BM) can be used to identify and maintain appropriate beams (or beam pairs) for links between user equipment and network equipment. Some BM procedures (including the so-called P-1, P-2, and P-3 procedures) involve Tx (and in some cases Rx) beam scanning, which requires the user equipment to perform numerous measurements. For example, such measurements may include received power (RSRP) or signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) measurements of reference signals (e.g., synchronization block (SSB) reference signals or channel state information reference signals (CSI-RS)) received by the user equipment on each Tx beam (and in some cases each Rx beam). However, such procedures are relatively costly, both in terms of time and network resource consumption (e.g., increased spectrum utilization, increased interference, etc.).

[0027] Other beamforming (BM) processes can employ trained artificial intelligence (AI) or machine learning (ML) models to perform beam prediction using a reduced number of measurements (also known as AI / ML beam prediction). In this way, the optimal beam (or beam pair) can be predicted with reduced overhead and latency. Beam prediction can include spatial beam prediction and temporal beam prediction, such as... Figure 1 This is described in more detail in the Chinese text.

[0028] Go to Figure 1 The implementation scenarios in which beam management can be used and some of the implementations disclosed in this paper can be implemented are described.

[0029] like Figure 1 As shown, example environment 100 includes network device 110. Network device 110 can include, for example, any component or part of a cellular network. For example, network device 110 can include gNodeB (gNB), eNodeB (eNB), base station, etc. Network device 110 can also be referred to as a network node. In addition, signals can be transmitted through it to one or more downlink (DL) transmission (Tx) beams 112A, 112B, 112C, 112D, 112N (e.g., associated with corresponding transmission spatial filters) to one or more user equipments.

[0030] like Figure 1As also shown in the example, in the first scenario demonstrating spatial beam prediction, example environment 100 includes user equipment 120. In some implementations, signals can be received from network devices (such as network device 110) via one or more downlink receive (Rx) beams 122A, 122B, and 122N, which may be used by user equipment 120 (associated with corresponding receive spatial filters). In other implementations, the DL Rx beams may not be configured for user equipment 120. This may occur, for example, when user equipment 120 includes a single antenna for receiving DL signals.

[0031] In operation, User Equipment 120 can predict one or more beams from a second set of TX beams (which can be defined as set A, or otherwise referred to as the beam prediction set) based on measurements of reference signals received through a first set of TX beams (which may be defined as set B, or otherwise referred to as the beam measurement set). User Equipment 120 can then report to Network Device 110 the identifiers (or in other words, beam indices) of the beams used for the first K predictions (or in other words, the identifiers of the first K predicted beams) (where K is a positive integer and can be configured, for example, by Network Device 110).

[0032] In this scenario, set B has a smaller cardinality than set A. For example, set A may include all available DL Tx beams (e.g., DL Tx beams 112A to 112N). Set B may include beams from lower sets within set A, and / or may include beams from other sets. As an example, set B may include relatively wide beams, while set A may include relatively narrow beams. For instance, set A may include beams belonging to the Channel State Information Reference Signal (CSI-RS) beam set, while set B may include beams belonging to the Synchronization Signal Block (SSB) beam set.

[0033] For example, briefly return Figure 2A The first set B 210 may include a first relatively wide beam 212, a second relatively wide beam 214, a third relatively wide beam 216, and a fourth relatively wide beam 218. For example, it can be... Figure 2AAs can be seen, each of the relatively wide beams 212, 214, 216, and 218 in the first set B 210 can be formed by two units of elevation angle and three units of azimuth angle. Based on measurements of the reference signals received on these relatively wide beams 212, 214, 216, and 218 of the first set B 210, the user equipment 120 can make predictions based on the relatively narrow beams from the first set A 250 (e.g., where each relatively narrow beam is formed by a single unit of elevation angle and a single unit of azimuth angle). For example, the first K predicted beam identifiers can correspond to the relatively narrow beams 252 and 254.

[0034] As another example, set A can include a subset of set B. For example, briefly return... Figure 2B The second set A 260 may include (relatively narrow) beams, where each beam is formed by a single unit elevation angle and a single unit azimuth angle. The second set B 220 may include some beams from the second set A 260 (e.g., beam 222), but may not include other beams from the second set A 260 (e.g., beam 224). Based on measurements of a reference signal received on the second set B 220, the user equipment 120 may predict the second set A 260. For example, the first K predicted beam identifiers may correspond to beams 262 and 264 (even though, for example, beam 264 may not be included in the second set B 220).

[0035] In both examples, therefore, the optimal DL Tx beams (multiple) from all available DL Tx beams can be predicted using fewer measurements than the total number of available DL Tx beams.

[0036] return Figure 1 In the second scenario demonstrating time-based beam prediction, example environment 100 includes user equipment 130. User equipment 130 is depicted at an initial time (e.g., time t) and subsequent times after a given time interval (e.g., time t+T). Additionally, similar to that described with respect to the first scenario, in some implementations, one or more DL Rx beams 132A, 132B, 132N may be available for user equipment 130, through which signals can be received from network devices (such as network device 110). However, similarly, in many implementations, DL Rx beams may not be configured for user equipment 120.

[0037] In operation, User Equipment 130 can use an AI / ML model to process historical RSRP measurements of reference signals received on beams from set B (these measurements may have been received and / or measured within a time period referred to as the observation window). Based on the corresponding AI / ML model output, User Equipment 120 can predict the strongest beams in set A to be used at future times (the time period including the future times is referred to as the prediction window). Then, User Equipment 120 can report the top K predicted beam identifiers to Network Equipment 110 for each future time (where K is a positive integer and can be configured by Network Equipment 110, for example).

[0038] As described with respect to the first scenario, set A here could also include all possible DL Tx beams at subsequent times (e.g., DL Tx beams 112A to 112N at time t+T). However, in contrast to the first scenario, the measurements of the reference signal received via set B correspond to historical measurements of the reference signal received via set B at one or more previous times (e.g., at the initial time (time t)). In this case, the second set of beams can be reduced based on the first set of beams (e.g., as described in the section on spatial beam prediction), or can include the same number of beams as the first set of beams. In other words, historical measurement data can be used to predict subsequent (multiple) optimal DL Tx beams at one or more future times.

[0039] As an example, briefly return Figure 2C Historical measurements 230 may include historical measurements via set B (where set B is a subset of the third set A 270) for a first previous time 232 (e.g., t-2), a second previous time (e.g., t-1), and a third previous time 236 (e.g., t). Based on these historical measurements 230, predictions via set A may be made at a first future time 270 (e.g., t+1) and a second future time 280 (e.g., t+2). For example, for the first future time, the beam identifiers of the first K predictions may correspond to beam 272; and for the second future time, the beam identifiers of the first K predictions may correspond to beams 282 and 284.

[0040] Although beam prediction is typically described in this document in relation to predicting (multiple) optimal DL Tx beams, it should be understood that this is merely illustrative, and the techniques described herein can be used for prediction of any type of beam, including, for example, DL Rx beam prediction (e.g., for predicting (multiple) optimal Rx beams for a user equipment receiving transmissions from a network device), uplink (UL) Tx beam prediction (e.g., for predicting (multiple) optimal Tx beams for a user equipment transmitting to a network device), and UL Rx beam prediction (e.g., for predicting (multiple) optimal Rx beams for a network device receiving transmissions from a user equipment). Furthermore, while AI / ML beam prediction is frequently cited herein, it should be understood that other forms of beam prediction (which may be referred to as conventional beam prediction techniques) that do not involve trained AI / ML models can also be used.

[0041] In many examples, AI / ML models can be deployed at the user device (e.g., so-called user device-side models can be utilized). For example, in the case of DL Tx temporal beam prediction (e.g., as... Figure 1 In Scenario 2), the trained AI / ML model can be deployed at User Equipment 130. Thus, at one or more historical moments, the User Equipment can receive reference signals on some or all of the beams in set B and perform one or more measurements on each of the received reference signals. Based on these historical measurements, User Equipment 130 can use the AI / ML model to predict the optimal beam(s) from set A. User Equipment 130 can then report the prediction and / or any subsequent selections to the network device. For example, User Equipment 130 can send a beam index report (e.g., beam identifier) ​​to Network Device 110 for each future moment, corresponding to the beam index of each of the first K predicted beams.

[0042] However, it should be understood that the AI / ML model can be trained and / or deployed at either network device 110 (e.g., a so-called network-side model can be utilized) or user device 130. For example, when the AI / ML model is deployed at network device 110, user device 130 can again receive reference signals on some or all of the beams of set B at one or more historical moments and perform one or more measurements on each of the received reference signals. However, in this case, user device 130 should report the historical measurement data to network device 110. The network device can then use the trained AI / ML model to predict the best beam(s) from set A beam(s) and optionally report the prediction or any subsequent selection to user device 110. Furthermore, it should be understood that other arrangements are also possible in other cases (e.g., DL Rx beam prediction, ULTx beam prediction, UL Rx beam prediction).

[0043] As described in this paper, the value of K can be configured, for example, by the network device. In some cases, setting K=1 may be beneficial (e.g., to reduce reporting overhead). In temporal beam prediction, this would mean that for each future moment of the prediction window, the first predicted beam would be reported. However, since this relies on the best beam (or at least a sufficiently good beam) being identified in the set of 1s (at each future moment), the accuracy of the first prediction may be relatively low. This is because it can be assumed that any prediction using an AI / ML model inherently involves a certain degree of uncertainty. On the other hand, as K increases, the prediction accuracy can be assumed to improve (e.g., because the best or sufficiently good beam can be identified in a set of increasing size), at the cost of increased overhead. For example, suppose the user equipment (e.g., by the network device) has been configured to report the first K predicted beams within a prediction window of size T2, and the number of bits required to represent the set A beam identifiers is b. SetA (For example, because b) SetA = Therefore, it can be seen that each predicted beam index report will require 1 bit.

[0044] However, beam index reports cannot be entirely reliable from a network device's perspective, considering the unavoidable and inherent prediction errors of AI / ML models. Therefore, at least some bits in the beam index report may be wasted by including beam identifiers for predictions associated with relatively low confidence levels. Furthermore, each UE may utilize different (e.g., proprietary) (multiple) AI / ML prediction models. Therefore, unless other relevant requirements are agreed upon beforehand by the network device supplier and the various UEs, effectively utilizing beam reports from predictions of multiple UEs within a cell by network devices can be challenging.

[0045] The various implementations described in this paper address the prediction uncertainty of AI / ML models and the differences in prediction capabilities among user devices. Specifically, the implementations described in this paper efficiently utilize UL feedback resources for beam reporting of the first K predictions, while also supporting informed decision-making at the network device side based on the reported beams.

[0046] It is generally assumed that each prediction of an AI / ML model is associated with a certain level of uncertainty or probability, thus prediction error is unavoidable. As an example, in many cases, the output of an AI / ML model can include a probability distribution over each beam of set A, such that each beam from set A is associated with a corresponding probability of being the best beam in the AI / ML model output. The higher the probability, the more confident the AI / ML model is in predicting that beam is the best beam; therefore, this probability can also be referred to as the confidence level. Thus, this probability can be considered inversely proportional to the uncertainty of the prediction.

[0047] In some implementations, the probability or confidence level of a prediction can be indicated by P[%]. This means that among M independent predictions (e.g., where M∈{20,50,100,……}), at least ⌊ M∙P / 100⌋ Predicted instances are correct. The choice between P and M can be based on a trade-off between statistical reliability and the cost / workload required for testing. In other words, the term "confidence level" can be defined as the number of correctly predicted beam identifiers divided by the number of predicted instances. In this case, a predicted beam identifier can be considered correct, not only when the identifier is predicted for a specific time, but also when the identifier is correctly listed (e.g., when the first identifier for a specific time corresponds to the identifier of the actual best beam, the second identifier corresponds to the identifier of the actual second best beam, etc.). Therefore, it can be assumed that as the beam resolution increases (in terms of the number of bits required to represent the identifier), the confidence level will likely decrease. This is because higher resolution beams correspond to narrower beams, and are therefore more prone to prediction errors. In other words, a coarser estimate (e.g., a wider beam, such as a beam with an identifier indicating one of 16 possible beams, or in other words, a beam identifier with 4-bit resolution) may have a higher confidence level than a narrower beam (e.g., a beam with an indicator indicating one of 128 possible beams, or in other words, a beam identifier with 7-bit resolution). Furthermore, it can generally be assumed that predictions for more distant future moments have a lower confidence level than predictions for future moments closer to the present.

[0048] Therefore, it can be seen that, for a given user equipment, in order to exceed a certain confidence level threshold (e.g., 80%) at a first future time (e.g., +5 ms), a relatively high-resolution beam (e.g., with an identifier indicating one of 128 beams) can be used. On the other hand, in order to meet the same confidence level threshold at a second future time further in the future (e.g., +20 ms), a lower resolution beam (e.g., with an identifier indicating one of 32 beams) can be used.

[0049] It is also understandable that for another user device with lower predictive capabilities, the first future moment might be such that a beam identifier with a resolution of only one of 64 beams can be used, and for the second future moment, a beam identifier with a resolution of only one of 8 beams can be used.

[0050] In some implementations described herein, beam index reports can be configured to include beam identifiers corresponding to different types of beams. As described herein, different types of beams can be associated with, for example, beam resolution. Such beam index reports may be referred to as hybrid beam index reports. The beam types included in the beam index report may be based, for example, on indications from user equipment, network equipment, or may be pre-configured. In some implementations, indications of measurements for a given beam may be reported along with the corresponding beam identifier.

[0051] In some implementations described herein, the selection of the type of beam and / or the beam itself to be included in the beam index report can be based on the probability (or in other words, the confidence level or the best beam probability) of any given predicted beam being the best beam. For example, a user equipment can perform AI / ML model-assisted future (time) Top-K beam predictions and report up to K predicted beam identifiers (e.g., beam indices) on a configured prediction window (T2), provided that the confidence level of the prediction is equal to or higher than a predefined confidence level threshold (which may otherwise be referred to as a reporting threshold, the best beam probability threshold, the best beam probability threshold, etc.).

[0052] As described herein, the same minimum required confidence level (or in other words, confidence level threshold) can be configured throughout the prediction window (e.g., by the network device) to enforce a consistent quality assurance level on the predicted beams of the user equipment. Additionally, the user equipment can be configured to report the maximum resolution (e.g., in terms of the number of bits required to represent the beam identifier) ​​for each prediction, provided that the configured confidence level is met.

[0053] In this way, as can be seen from the examples above, using such hybrid beam index reports (e.g., including “multi-resolution” beam identifiers within the same beam index report) can offer various potential advantages. For example, using such hybrid beam index reports can facilitate differentiation among UE vendors and can address the anticipated trend of declining forecasts over the forecast time window.

[0054] In other words, in this way, the inherent uncertainty of predictions based on AI / ML models can be taken into account in beam reporting to minimize wasted UL feedback resources. For example, from the perspective of network devices, beam identifiers of predictions that do not meet the confidence level threshold are of little use for future beam allocation conditions. Therefore, from the perspective of user equipment, reporting such predicted beam identifiers is also of little use. By avoiding reporting such predicted beam identifiers, UL feedback resources that would otherwise be wasted can be saved, and the overhead for beam reporting can be reduced.

[0055] Furthermore, in situations where multiple user equipments (UEs) and their beam reports exist, a uniform metric can be used at the network device level for future beam allocation. More specifically, by introducing the concept of confidence levels and ultimately reporting based on confidence level thresholds, the various implementations described herein can offer advantages in interoperability and testing without requiring UE-specific implementation details to define specific performance requirements. In other words, using confidence levels introduces an end-to-end metric in which UE-specific beam prediction capability differences can be eliminated, and it does not require UE-specific implementation details of the AI / ML model architecture and / or training weights. Additionally, by setting uniform requirements across all UEs and future timeframes, the use of confidence levels covers predictive uncertainties related to AI / ML models.

[0056] In some cases, UL feedback resources can be allocated a specific size (e.g., as discussed above). (bits). Therefore, from a system performance perspective, it may be more advantageous for user equipment to report low-resolution (or wide) beam identifiers above a threshold ("more likely to align") than to report high-resolution (or narrow) beam identifiers below a threshold ("less likely to align"). Furthermore, by including beam identifiers predicted with high confidence (even if they have lower resolution), UL feedback resources that would otherwise be wasted (e.g., by including unused or low-confidence, therefore unusable, predicted beam identifiers) can be utilized, and the amount of useful information included in the beam index report can be maximized. This is especially true when it is generally assumed that the number of bits required to represent a high-resolution beam is higher than the number of beams required to represent a low-resolution beam.

[0057] The configuration of beam index reports can correspond to one or more types of beam index reports. In some implementations, at least some types of beam index reports can be predefined. In some implementations, at least some types of beam index reports can be configured by network devices and / or user equipment (e.g., "dynamically" configured based on prediction confidence levels). In this way, flexibility in reporting different types of beams is provided by having multiple types of beam index reports available for user equipment and / or network devices.

[0058] In other words, all the implementations described herein relate to efficient beam reporting. These implementations can also facilitate efficient beam reporting, for example, by providing signals during the initial setup phase to configure efficient beam reporting, and for indicating the type and / or format of the beam index report (e.g., when it is "dynamically" configured by the user equipment). Furthermore, while the implementations described herein typically involve temporal beam prediction for multiple future instances, it should be understood that the techniques and advantages described herein can also be applied to spatial beam prediction (e.g., spatial beam prediction by configuring and executing a hybrid beam index report, or in other words, beam index reporting for a single moment that includes beam identifiers for different types of beams).

[0059] return Figures 3A to 3C The processes that can be performed according to various example embodiments are described. Figures 3A to 3C One or more processes in the process can be executed by user equipment 310, which can be the same as or similar to the user equipment described with respect to any of the preceding figures (e.g., Figure 1 (User equipment 120 or user equipment 130). In addition... Figure 3A One or more processes in the process can be performed by network device 320, which may be the same as or similar to the network device described with respect to any of the preceding figures (e.g., Figure 1 Network equipment 110).

[0060] Go to Figure 3A In operation S1.0, user equipment 310 and network equipment 320 can participate in the preparation phase. The preparation phase may include one or more of operations S1.1, S1.2, and S1.3.

[0061] At operation S1.1, user equipment 310 may receive a capability query from network device 320. This capability query may indicate a request for capability information from the user equipment. The capability information may include, for example, one or more of the following: an indication that the user equipment can support hybrid beam index reporting; an indication of multiple types and / or multiple formats of beam index reporting that the user equipment can support; a preferred type and / or format of beam index reporting; an indication of beam type based on a given confidence level threshold (e.g., maximum beam resolution), etc. In some implementations, user equipment 310 may also receive an indication of a confidence level threshold from network device 320.

[0062] As described herein, the configuration of beam index reports can correspond to a specific type of beam index report. Some types of beam index reports can have a fixed format (e.g., the beam index report can be predefined and can be indicated, for example, based on a beam index report type identifier corresponding to the beam index report type). Furthermore, some types of beam index reports can have a format that can be modified (e.g., reported by the user equipment based on a confidence level threshold). Alternatively, this format can be referred to as a subtype of the beam index report type. In some types of beam index reports, the beam type (e.g., beam resolution, number of bits used for the beam identifier, etc.) can be fixed for each prediction window instance (or in other words, each future time). For example, at a first prediction time, all the first K predicted beams can be beams of type 1, and at a second subsequent prediction time, all the first K predicted beams can be beams of type 2. In some types of beam index reports, a mixture of beam types can be included for any given future time.

[0063] For example, briefly return Figure 4 Various example types of beam index reports are depicted. Each example type of beam index report includes the top K beam predictions for different future times. In this case, future times include t1, t2, t3, and t4, which, as examples, could correspond to +5ms, +10ms, +15ms, and +20ms, respectively. Additionally, each "slot" in the example type of beam index report (which may correspond to bits allocated for the beam index report for the beam prediction ranked for that future time) includes one of the following: an identifier for a first-type beam (e.g., beam 420), an empty slot (e.g., 430), or an identifier for a second-type beam (e.g., 440). In these examples, the first-type beam can have relatively high resolution (or in other words, it can be a relatively narrow beam, thus requiring a relatively high number of bits, which...) Figure 4 The second type of beam is depicted by a relatively wide-width box (e.g., such as slot 420 to indicate its required memory space), and the second type of beam can have a relatively low resolution (or in other words, it can be a relatively wide beam, thus requiring a relatively low number of bits, which in Figure 4 The beam is depicted by a narrow-width box (e.g., such as slot 440). It should be understood that although only two types of beams are used... Figure 4 The beam types are shown in the table, but any number of beam types can be included in the beam index report described herein.

[0064] As a first example of a beam index report type, beam index report 410, for each future moment, includes only the identifier for the first type beam 420. As mentioned above, the first type beam 420 can have relatively high resolution (or in other words, a relatively narrow beam). This type of beam index report can typically be supported by high-end or advanced devices with high-performance predictive AI / ML models.

[0065] For example Figure 4 As shown, some time slots in the first type of beam index report 410 may not be filled (e.g., time slot 430). This may be because the predictions of the K beams of the first type of beam may not reach at least the threshold channel level. Therefore, when using the first type of beam index report 410, there is a risk that the allocated reporting resources may not be fully utilized because predictions below the threshold are expected at more distant prediction times and / or lower ranked beams (e.g., the Kth, the (K-1)th, etc.).

[0066] In some implementations, to mitigate the risk of failing to fully utilize reporting / UL resources, the format of this type of beam index report can be selected from a predefined set of formats or otherwise modified. For example, as previously mentioned, the resource allocation required for the first type of beam index report can be based on... It is determined that K is the number of predicted beams for each future time, T2 is the number of future times in the prediction window, and b Type 1 This is the number of bits used for the beam identifier in the first type of beam. In this case, assuming K=4 and T2=4, it can be seen that beam index report 410 is allocated 16 bits. b Type 1 Bits. This format can be referred to as the first format of the beam index report 410. However, as can be... Figure 4 The examples show that only 10 b Type 1 Bits are actually used in the beam index report. Therefore, different formats for the beam index report 410 can be selected (e.g., based on assumptions about the confidence level of the beam prediction for a specific ranking and / or future time, and / or based on the actual confidence level of the beam prediction for a specific ranking and / or future time), and / or the format of the beam index report 410 can be modified (e.g., to reduce the number of allocated bits, and thus reduce the number of wasted bits in the beam index report). For example, different formats could be similar to... Figure 4 The beam index report 410 is in the format described in the report, but does not include one or more time slots located at more distant prediction times and / or lower priority beams.

[0067] As an example, the second format may not include the time slot used for the Kth prediction at time t4. Therefore, the second format can be allocated only 15 slots. b Type 1 Bits. As another example, the third format may not include time slots for the Kth prediction at time t4, the (K-1)th prediction at time t4, and the Kth prediction at time t3. Therefore, the third format can be allocated only 13 bits. b Type 1 Bits. As another example, the fourth format may not include time slots for the Kth prediction at time t4, the (K-1)th prediction at time t4, the (K-2)th prediction at time t4, the Kth prediction at time t3, the (K-1)th prediction at time t3, and the Kth prediction at time t2. Therefore, the fourth format can be allocated only 10 bits. b Type 1 Bit. The format of the beam index report 410 typically follows this pattern to exclude time slots in the shape of a gradually expanding right-angled triangle in the lower right corner of the beam index report (for convenience, these are depicted as being formed by multiple rectangular or square areas).

[0068] As a second example of beam index report types, beam index report 412 only includes beams of the second type (e.g., low-resolution beams). This is a relatively resource-efficient option (e.g., because the identifier for the second type of beam can use fewer bits). However, this type of beam index report is limited to reporting relatively wide beams. This type of beam index report may generally be suitable for low-end devices that do not employ high-performance (and potentially computationally intensive) AI / ML prediction models.

[0069] As a third example of beam index report types, beam index report 414 includes both beams of the first type and beams of the second type. Beam index report 414 can be referred to as a hybrid between beam index report 410 and beam index report 412. Beam index report 414 may include beams of the first type used for near-future prediction (e.g., in...). Figure 4 In the example shown, the second type of beam (for t1 and t2) is used for long-term future predictions (e.g., in...) Figure 4 In the example shown, t3 and t4 are used.

[0070] In some implementations, the boundary between the first type of beam and the second type of beam can correspond to the format of beam index report 414. For example, as... Figure 4In the example, the first format of beam index report 414 may include the boundary between t2 and t3. However, other formats may include, for example, the boundary between t1 and t2, and / or the boundary between t3 and t4. As described with respect to beam index report 410, the format of beam index report 414 may be selected from a predefined set of formats and / or modified based on various considerations (e.g., based on assumptions about the confidence level of the prediction for a specific ranking and / or future time, and / or based on the actual confidence level of the prediction for a specific ranking and / or future time). Since the boundary has only one degree of freedom in this case, the format may be indicated using a single value to indicate the location of the boundary (e.g., based on convention, the format may be represented using a single value to indicate a future time before or after the boundary).

[0071] As a fourth example of a beam index report type, beam index report 416 may include both a first-type beam and a second-type beam for the same future time. Specifically, beam index report 416 may include a first-type beam in a triangle in the upper left corner and a second-type beam in a triangle in the lower right corner. This should hold true for most cases, as it can generally be assumed, as described herein, that the prediction uncertainty of the AI / ML model will increase with the ranking of the Top-K predictions (e.g., as the position in the beam index report moves down) and with the time distance between the current time and the predicted future time (e.g., as the position in the beam index report moves to the right).

[0072] In some implementations, the format of beam index report 416 may therefore correspond to the boundary between the first type of beam and the second type of beam (e.g., the boundary between the upper left triangle and the lower right triangle).

[0073] As an example, this format can use bias values ​​(e.g., as provided by...). Figure 4 In b (as shown) and / or angle values ​​(e.g., by, as shown) Figure 4 In a (As shown) is indicated. The offset value (or otherwise referred to as the offset value) may correspond to the offset at the start of the boundary in the beam index report. For example, the offset value may be provided as the number of beams of the first type included in the final future time. Figure 4 In the example, the bias value could therefore be provided as a representation of the value 1 (e.g., in binary, etc.). Alternatively or additionally, the angle value could indicate the angle of the boundary (e.g., from a vertical or horizontal direction) and / or the angle of the boundary normal (e.g., from a vertical or horizontal direction). The angle value could be provided as, for example, a degree value, or a ratio between the number of future times and the number of ranks. Figure 4In the example, since the boundary shifts down one rank for each time step, the ratio can be determined to be 1, and therefore the angle value can be provided as a representation of value 1. Therefore, the indicator used for the beam index report 416 format (in [...]) a,b The form ] can be provided as [1,1].

[0074] As another example, there may be a predefined set of formats for the beam index report 416. Therefore, the format of the beam index report 416 can be indicated by referring to the corresponding predefined or configured format from the predefined or configured set of formats (e.g., a format indicator).

[0075] Beam index report 416 can be described as partially flexible because the format can be adapted to a certain extent (e.g., by the user equipment based on individual prediction confidence levels). This partial flexibility allows the format to be indicated with relatively low additional overhead (e.g., as described herein), since less likely formats do not need to be represented (e.g., formats deviating from the upper left and lower right triangular paradigms). Furthermore, the risk of wasting allocated time slots in the beam index report (e.g., as described with respect to beam index report 410) can be mitigated because they can instead be utilized by including a second type of beam.

[0076] As another example, a fully flexible type of beam index report can be used. In this case, any beam in the beam index report can be of any type. Therefore, the format of a fully flexible type of beam index report can indicate whether a beam is a type 1 beam or a type 2 beam for each predicted beam identifier in the beam index report. For example, an indicator for indicating the format can be provided in the header section along with the beam index report (this could also be the case for any other type of beam index report). As another example, the indicator can be linked to (e.g., added to or appended to) each beam identifier in the beam index report to indicate whether the beam is a type 1 beam or a type 2 beam. In this way, full flexibility can be provided at the cost of increased overhead.

[0077] return Figure 3A In operation S1.2, user equipment 310 may provide capability information to network equipment 320. In some implementations, the user equipment may provide capability information after receiving (e.g., in response to) a capability query. Alternatively, the user equipment may provide capability information without first receiving a capability query.

[0078] At operation S1.3, user equipment 310 can receive configuration information from network device 320. User equipment 310 can then be configured based on the received configuration information. Alternatively, user equipment 310 can be configured based on configuration information already stored on user equipment 310 (e.g., a default confidence level threshold can be configured for user equipment 310, which can be used if configuration information is not received from network device 320). This configuration information may include, for example, an indication of the type and / or format to be used in subsequent beam index reports. Alternatively, the configuration information may include an indication of a confidence level threshold. Alternatively, the configuration information may include an indication of one or more beam types to be included in the beam index report. Alternatively, the configuration information may include a value of K to be used and / or an indication of the number of prediction times for the beam index report.

[0079] In some implementations, configuration information can be determined by the network device based on received capability information. Therefore, in some implementations, configuration information can be received by user equipment 310 after capability information has been sent. Alternatively, the capability information can be determined by the network device based on capability information stored at network device 320 (e.g., previously received, input by the network device 320's vendor, etc.). Configuration information can be configured separately for user equipment 310.

[0080] For example, User Equipment 310 may have a prediction capability for a given confidence level threshold (e.g., as indicated in the capability information sent to Network Equipment 320). For example, with a confidence level threshold of 80%, and for a given prediction window, User Equipment 310 may be able to make predictions at a specific beam resolution. Therefore, the configuration information may include indications for including beams at a specific resolution (or lower resolution) in subsequent beam index reports. In some implementations, the prediction capability of a User Equipment may change from one prediction window to another during operation. This may be due, for example, to the User Equipment's signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) conditions and / or channel conditions. Therefore, in some implementations, User Equipment 310 may report updated prediction capabilities during operation, and the configuration information may be updated accordingly. In some implementations, each User Equipment may be configured with a confidence level threshold. However, since each User Equipment may have different prediction capabilities, they may each be configured with a different corresponding beam type.

[0081] In operation S2.0, user equipment 310 and network equipment 320 can participate in the observation window. This observation window may include operations S2.1 and S2.2.

[0082] At operation S2.1, user equipment 310 can receive multiple reference signals. These reference signals may include, for example, an SSB reference signal, CSI-RS, etc. Each reference signal can be associated with a corresponding beam from the measurement beam set (or in other words, set B). For example, each reference signal can be transmitted by a network device via a corresponding DL Tx beam, or in other words, network device 320 can perform a beam scan of set B.

[0083] At operation S2.2, user equipment 310 can determine one or more measurements for each received reference signal. For example, the system can determine the received signal power (RSRP), signal-to-noise ratio (SNR), signal-to-interference and noise ratio (SINR), and reference signal reception quality (RSRQ) for each received reference signal.

[0084] Operations S2.1 and S2.2 can be repeated any number of times within a given observation window. Each instance of these operations can be considered as an instance of historical measurement data for a given historical moment. Therefore, based on a given observation window, the corresponding set of historical measurement data can be obtained.

[0085] In operation S3.0, user equipment 310 and network devices can participate in the prediction window. This prediction window may include operations S3.1, S3.2, S3.3, and S3.4.

[0086] At operation S3.1, user equipment 310 processes historical measurement data from the observation window using a trained AI / ML model to obtain the corresponding AI / ML model output. This AI / ML model can be trained in any suitable manner to generate corresponding predictions of the best beam(s) from set A, and / or measurements for each of the predictions for beam(s) in set A, based on a given set of measurements in set B. Such training can utilize training data, for example, including simulated measurements and / or real-world measurements. The AI / ML model output can include a probability distribution over the set of predicted beams (or in other words, set A) for each of multiple future times. More specifically, this probability distribution can indicate the probability that each beam will be the best beam at the corresponding future time. In other words, the AI / ML model output can indicate the prediction of the best beam(s) at the corresponding future time. Alternatively or additionally, the AI / ML model output can indicate the measurement (e.g., RSRP, SNR, etc.) of the predictions for each beam in the set of predictions for beams at the corresponding future time.

[0087] User equipment 310 can determine the ranking order of predictions for one or more beams (from set A) based on the AI / ML model output. For example, in some implementations, the beam with the highest probability of being the best beam in the AI / ML model output can be assigned rank 1, the beam with the second highest probability of being the best beam in the AI / ML model output can be assigned rank 2, and so on. Alternatively, in some implementations, the beam with the highest predicted measurement (e.g., in terms of RSRP) in the AI / ML model output can be assigned rank 1, the beam with the second highest predicted measurement in the AI / ML model output can be assigned rank 2, and so on.

[0088] Then, based on the predicted beam ranking order, for each of the K beams in the future time period, the order of the predicted beam ranking can be determined, where K is a positive integer. For example, the beams from the predicted ranking order of beams with rankings 1 to K for a first future time period can be determined, the beams from the predicted ranking order of beams with rankings 1 to K for a second future time period can be determined, and so on. The value of K can be determined, for example, based on a value stored at user equipment 310 (e.g., a default value or a value agreed upon in an appropriate standard) or based on configuration information received from network equipment 320.

[0089] The top K predicted beams can be selected for inclusion in a beam index report to be reported (e.g., reported to network device 320). In some implementations, each of the top K predicted beams, and for each moment in a future time instance, can be compared to a confidence level threshold. If the confidence level associated with a given beam is equal to or greater than (or in other words, meets) the confidence level threshold, then the given beam can be selected for inclusion in the beam index report. However, if the confidence level associated with a given beam is lower than the confidence level threshold (or in other words, does not meet), then the given beam may not be selected, or in other words, excluded from the beam index report.

[0090] AI / ML model outputs can correspond to one or more specific types of beams. For example, for multiple future moments, an AI / ML model can be trained to predict the probability that a beam of type 1 is the optimal beam. As described herein, in some cases, after the ranking order of predictions for type 1 beams has been determined, user device 310 can determine the ranking order of predictions for type 2 beams in a more similar manner (e.g., based on AI / ML model outputs, or based on different AI / ML model outputs generated by processing historical measurement data using the same or different AI / ML models).

[0091] For example, in some cases, the type and / or format of the configured beam index report may include a first type of beam and a second type of beam (and in some cases, another type of beam). For example, certain types and / or formats of the beam index report may include time slots for the first type of beam and the second type of beam. Therefore, the ranking order of the predictions for the first type of beam and the ranking order of the predictions for the second type of beam can be determined. The time slots for the first type of beam can be filled with beam identifiers based on the ranking order of the predictions for the first type of beam (in some implementations, subject to a confidence level threshold being met). Similarly, the time slots for the second type of beam can be filled with beam identifiers based on the ranking order of the predictions for the second type of beam (in some implementations, subject to a confidence level threshold being met).

[0092] Alternatively, after it has been determined that at least some of the predicted top K first-type beams (or the predicted top L first-type beams, where L is the number of time slots corresponding to the first-type beams in the configuration format and / or beam index report type) do not meet the confidence level threshold, the ranking order of the predicted beams for the second-type beams can be determined. In some implementations, if one or more time slots for the first-type beams cannot be utilized (e.g., because there are not enough first-type beams that meet the confidence level threshold), they can instead be utilized by beam identifiers for the second-type beams based on the ranking order of the predicted second-type beams. If it is determined that there are still unused time slots in the beam index report (e.g., because there are not enough second-type beams that meet the confidence level threshold), the process can be repeated for progressively widened beams (e.g., lower resolution) until all time slots in the beam index report, or at least the number of time slots in the beam index report that meet the threshold, can be utilized.

[0093] Alternatively or concurrently, the format and / or type of the beam index report may be modified based on: determining that at least some (or at least a threshold number) of the first K beams (or the first L beams) predicted for at least some future times do not meet the confidence level threshold.

[0094] As an example, consider a type of beam index report where each time slot in the beam index report is assigned a beam identifier for a first type of beam (e.g., as per [reference to beam index report]). Figure 4As described in Beam Index Report 410, after determining that at least a threshold number of the top K first-type beams predicted for at least some future times do not meet the confidence level threshold, the updated format and / or updated type of the beam index report can be determined. For example, the format of this type of beam index report can be determined so that it is derived from the beam index report (e.g., as per the description of beam index report 410). Figure 4 As described above, one or more time slots are excluded (from the bottom right corner). The number of excluded time slots can be determined based on, for example, the number of beams that do not meet the confidence level threshold (e.g., so that there are no wasted time slots in the beam index report, or at least fewer than the threshold number of wasted time slots in the beam index report).

[0095] Alternatively, the type of beam index report can also be changed, for example, to any of the following: such as regarding Figure 4 The beam index report type described in beam index report 412, such as regarding Figure 4 The beam index report type described in beam index report 414, or as per the information regarding... Figure 4 The beam index report type described in beam index report 416. For example, one of these other types of beam index reports can be selected (assuming they are supported by user equipment 310) because they include time slots for the second type of beam, for which a higher confidence level may be expected.

[0096] As another example, consider a type of beam index report that includes time slots for some future instances of a first type of beam, and time slots for other future instances of a second type of beam (e.g., as per [reference to [reference to a specific time period]). Figure 4 (As described in beam index report 414). After determining that at least a threshold number of the top K first-type beams does not meet the confidence level threshold, the updated format and / or type of the beam index report can be determined. For example, the format of the beam index report can be determined to locate the boundary between the first-type beams and the second-type beams to reduce (or eliminate) the number of unfilled time slots (e.g., as per [reference to beam index report 414]). Figure 4 (as described above), while maximizing the number of beams of the first type included in the beam index report. Then, predictions for the second type of beams can be used to fill unused time slots. Alternatively or additionally, the type of beam index report can be changed, for example, to something like... Figure 4 The beam index report described in beam index report 412, or as per [reference to]... Figure 4 The beam index report described in beam index report 416.

[0097] As another example, consider a type of beam index report for future instances at least some time, which includes time slots for a first type of beam and time slots for a second type of beam (e.g., as per [reference to...]). Figure 4 (As described in beam index report 416). After determining that at least a threshold number of the top K first-type beams does not meet the confidence threshold, the updated format and / or type of the beam index report can be determined. For example, the format of the beam index report can be determined to locate the boundary between first-type beams and second-type beams to reduce (or eliminate) the number of unfilled time slots while maximizing the number of first-type beams included in the beam index report (e.g., as per the description of beam index report 416). Figure 4 As described above (e.g., by configuring angle and offset values). Then, predictions for the second type of beam can be used to fill unused time slots. Additionally or alternatively, the type of beam index report can be changed, for example, to any of the following: such as regarding Figure 4 The beam index report type described in beam index report 412, or as per [reference to]... Figure 4 The beam index report type described in beam index report 414.

[0098] In some implementations, user equipment 310 can determine whether a change in the format and / or type of the beam index report should be initiated. For example, user equipment 310 can compare the predicted top K beams for each future time moment with a confidence level threshold and determine accordingly whether to change the format and / or type of the beam index report. After determining that the format and / or type of the beam index report should be changed, user equipment 310 can send an indication to network device 320 to request a change in the format and / or type of the beam index report (and in some cases, an indication of an updated format and / or type of the beam index report, preferably). User equipment 310 can then receive updated configuration information from network device 320 indicating the updated format and / or type of the beam index report and can configure subsequent beam index reports accordingly. Alternatively, user equipment 310 can unilaterally determine to change the format and / or type of the beam index report (e.g., without receiving updated configuration information from network device 320). Optionally, user equipment 310 may report the updated format and / or type of the beam index report to network equipment 320 (e.g., together with the beam index report, or separately).

[0099] Alternatively, network device 320 may determine whether a change in the format and / or type of the beam index report should be made. For example, user equipment 310 may determine the confidence level corresponding to each predicted beam report, and / or whether the predicted beam meets a confidence level threshold. Based on this information, network device 320 may determine whether a change in the format and / or type of the beam index report should be made, and the updated format and / or type of the beam index report. Then, network device 320 may send updated configuration information to user equipment 310 to indicate the updated format and / or type of the beam index report.

[0100] As described herein, the second type of beam can have a relatively lower resolution (or in other words, a relatively wider beamwidth) than the first type of beam. For example, as described herein, the first type of beam can come from set A. The resolution (or in other words, beamwidth) of the first type of beam can be determined based on one or more of the following: a confidence level threshold, the predictive capability of user equipment 310, and configuration information received from network device 320. In some implementations, the first type of beam can belong to the CSI-RS beam set.

[0101] Alternatively or concurrently, the second type of beam can be a beam of set B (e.g., having a resolution or beamwidth that measures the set of beams). In some implementations, the second type of beam may belong to the SSB beam set.

[0102] Alternatively, the second type of beam can be a beam from different sets of beams, which can be represented as set B. WB Set B WB It can be constructed, for example, by bundling together several adjacent beams (e.g., beams of type 1). For example, set B WB It can be configured (or in other words, aligned) between user equipment 310 and network equipment 320 before the preparation phase, during the preparation phase, during the reporting of the first K predicted beams, etc.

[0103] For example, briefly return Figure 5 An example scenario 500, in which adjacent beams are bundled to determine another beam set, is depicted. Figure 5 The example scenario 500 described herein involves network device 510 (which may be similar to or the same as any network device previously described, such as including...). Figure 1 Network equipment 110 Figures 3A to 3C Network equipment 320, etc.), and user equipment 530 (which may be similar to or the same as any user equipment previously described, such as including Figure 1 User equipment 120 and user equipment 130 in Figures 3A to 3C User equipment 310, etc.

[0104] like Figure 5 As further described, multiple narrow DL TX beams 512A to 512D, 514A to 514D, 516A to 516D (e.g., Type I beams, A-beams, or in some cases, CSI-RS beams) may be used for network device 510. Additionally, multiple wide DL TX beams 522, 524, 526 may be used for network device (e.g., B-beams, or in some cases, SSB beams).

[0105] Set B WB A beam can be constructed from bundled adjacent narrow beams, even if these beams do not necessarily belong to set B (e.g., the SSB beam set). For example, in Figure 5 In the example depicted, beam 528 can be constructed from bundled beams 512D and 514A, even though beam 512D belongs to beam 522 and beam 514A belongs to beam 524. Because the bundled beam 528 is better aligned with the location of user equipment 530, it can be constructed and / or selected, thus resulting in a higher confidence level, but at the cost of a lower expected measurement (e.g., compared to the confidence level and expected measurement of adjacent beams 512D and 514A).

[0106] return Figure 3A In operation S3.2, user equipment 310 reports the first K beams of the prediction window for future times. User equipment 310 can report the first K beams of the prediction using a configured type (and optional format) of the beam index report.

[0107] In some implementations, user equipment 310 may additionally report the format and / or type of the beam index report. For example, an indication of the format and / or type of the beam index report may be included together with the beam index report (e.g., in the header section, an indication of the beam type may be included together with each beam identifier in the beam index report, etc.). Alternatively or additionally, the format and / or type of the beam index report may be reported separately from the beam index report (e.g., in a separate transmission). In some implementations, the reporting interval for the format and / or type of the beam index report may differ from the reporting interval of the beam index report. For example, the format and / or type of the beam index report may only be reported when a change is made, such that it is assumed that each subsequently received beam index report will have the format and / or type of the previously reported beam index report (thus saving network resources). As another example, the type and / or format may only be reported at a specific time interval (which may be larger than the reporting interval of the beam index report), after a threshold number of beam index reports has been sent, etc.

[0108] At operation S3.3, network device 320 applies the Tx beam according to the beam index report. In other words, at each time point in the future, network device 320 can select one of the predicted top K beams indicated in the beam index report for use in communication with user equipment 310.

[0109] At operation S3.4, at one or more future times, user equipment 310 can receive transmissions from network equipment 320 via a beam selected for the corresponding future time (e.g., selected based on a reported beam index report).

[0110] At operation S4.0, user equipment 310 and network device 320 can return to operation S2.0 to perform subsequent iterations of the observation window and prediction window until the communication session between user equipment 310 and network device 320 ends (e.g., user equipment 310 disconnects from network device 320, for example, to initiate a subsequent communication session with a different network device, in which case user equipment 310 and the different network device can restart the process by returning to operation S1.0).

[0111] In some implementations, the configured format and / or type of the beam index report can be modified based on performance monitoring at network device 320 and / or user equipment 310. For example, in addition to predicting beam identifiers for the top K beams predicted on a prediction window, user equipment 310 can also predict measurements corresponding to these predicted beam identifiers. Furthermore, user equipment 310 can determine measurements received for transmission from the top K predicted beams via one or more selected beams on the prediction window. For example, user equipment 310 can measure the actual RSRP of a received transmission sent from network device 320 using one or more selected beams. The predicted performance can be based on one or more comparisons between predicted measurements corresponding to a specific beam identifier at a particular future time and actual measurements corresponding to the same specific beam identifier at the corresponding future time.

[0112] For example, return Figure 3B Operations S1.0, S2.0, and S3.0 can be performed as follows: Figure 3A The execution described herein is performed. However, user equipment 310 and / or network equipment 320 may participate in performance monitoring at operation S5.0A, rather than simply repeating operations S2.0 and S3.0 (e.g., as described regarding operation S4.0), which... Figure 3B In this case, it can be referred to as performance monitoring on the 320 side of the network device.

[0113] For example, in addition to the beam identifiers for the first K beams predicted on the prediction window, user equipment 310 can also report the predicted measurements for the first K beams predicted on the prediction window. Furthermore, user equipment 310 can also report the actual measurements on the prediction window. Network device 320 can then compare the corresponding predicted measurements with the actual measurements. Alternatively or additionally, user equipment 310 can report the result of the comparison between the corresponding predicted measurements and the actual measurements. Based on this comparison, the network device can determine the current level of performance of the beam prediction performed by user equipment 310.

[0114] If, at operation S5.0A, it is not determined that the beam prediction performance of user equipment 310 has degraded (e.g., if the prediction performance is above a prediction performance threshold), then user equipment 310 and network equipment 320 can return to operation S2.0 (e.g., as per the question regarding...). Figure 3A (as described in operation S4.0). However, if a beam prediction performance degradation is detected at operation S6.1A (e.g., the determined performance degradation is below a threshold), the network device can determine at operation S6.2A to reconfigure the user equipment 310 (e.g., using updated configuration information).

[0115] At operation S6.3A, after it has been determined that user equipment 310 will be reconfigured, the network device can reconfigure user equipment 310 (e.g., by sending updated configuration information). In other words, at operation S6.3A, user equipment 310 can receive updated configuration information. The updated configuration information may modify one or more of the following: the format of the configured beam index report, the type of the configured beam index report, the confidence level threshold, one or more beam types to be included in the configured beam index report, etc. The updated configuration information can be determined to improve the predictive performance of user equipment 310. User equipment 310 can configure subsequent beam index reports based on the updated configuration information.

[0116] In some implementations, operations S6.1A, S6.2A, and S6.3A can be performed during the prediction window, such that the predicted beams of the reports for future moments later in the prediction window may not be used (e.g., to avoid any resulting degradation in network performance).

[0117] At operation S7.0, user equipment 310 and network equipment 320 can return to operation S2.0, where user equipment 310 has been configured with updated configuration information.

[0118] As another example, return Figure 3C ,and Figure 3B Similarly, operations S1.0, S2.0, and S3.0 can be performed as follows: Figure 3A The described operation is executed. However, in this example, user equipment 310 and / or network equipment 320 can participate in performance monitoring at operation S5.0B, while... Figure 3B In this case, it can be referred to as performance monitoring on the user equipment 310 side.

[0119] For example, in this scenario, user equipment 310 can compare the predicted measurement with the actual measurement. Based on this comparison, user equipment 310 can determine the current performance level of the beam prediction performed by user equipment 310. If it is not determined at operation S5.0B that the beam prediction performance of user equipment 310 has degraded (e.g., if the prediction performance is higher than a prediction performance threshold), then user equipment 310 and network device 320 can return to operation S2.0 (e.g., as per the previous step). Figure 3A (as described in operation S4.0). However, if a decrease in beam prediction performance is detected at operation S6.1B (e.g., if the performance level is below a threshold), the user equipment can determine at operation S6.2B to request reconfiguration (e.g., using updated configuration information).

[0120] In operation S6.3B, after determining that a reconfiguration request is needed, user equipment 310 may send an instruction to network equipment 320 for the reconfiguration request.

[0121] At operation S6.4B, after receiving an instruction for a reconfiguration request, network device 320 can determine to reconfigure user equipment 310.

[0122] At operation S6.5B, user equipment 310 can receive updated configuration information from network device 320. The updated configuration information may modify one or more of the following: the format of the configured beam index report, the type of the configured beam index report, the confidence level threshold, and one or more beam types to be included in the configured beam index report. The updated configuration information can be determined to improve the prediction performance of user equipment 310. User equipment 310 can configure subsequent beam index reports based on the updated configuration information.

[0123] In some implementations, the updated configuration information may be determined by network device 320 based on information sent by user equipment 310 that indicates a request for reconfiguration. For example, user equipment 310 may include indications for requests regarding preferred beam index report format, beam index report type, confidence level threshold, beam types included in the beam index report, etc.

[0124] Alternatively, after a performance degradation has been detected and predicted, user equipment 310 may unilaterally determine and apply the updated configuration information to subsequent beam index reports (e.g., without performing operations S6.2B, S6.3B, and S6.4B). In such an implementation, user equipment 310 may report the updated configuration information to network equipment 320.

[0125] In some implementations, one or more of operations S6.1B to S6.5B can be performed during the prediction window, such that the reported predicted beams may not be used if it is determined that the predicted beams at a later future time in the prediction window will be affected by performance degradation (e.g., to avoid any resulting degradation in network performance).

[0126] At operation S7.0, user equipment 310 and network equipment 320 can return to operation S2.0, where user equipment 310 has been configured with updated configuration information.

[0127] Return now Figure 6A A flowchart illustrating a method 600 performed according to an example embodiment is depicted. Method 600 can be performed by a user device, which can be the same as or similar to any user device described herein (e.g., ...). Figure 1User equipment 120 or user equipment 130 in the middle, Figures 3A to 3C User equipment 310 in the middle, Figure 5 User equipment 530, etc.

[0128] Method 600 may include sending a beam index report to a network device, the beam index report indicating the optimal set of beams for corresponding predictions for multiple different future times. The beam index report may include: a first set of beam identifiers for a first future time and a second set of beam identifiers for a second future time. At least one beam identifier in the first set of beam identifiers may be associated with a beam of a first type. Additionally, at least one beam identifier in the second set of beam identifiers may be associated with a beam of a second type. For example, the beam index report may be as follows: Figure 4 The beam index report type described in beam index report 414, or as per [reference to]... Figure 4 The beam index report type described in beam index report 416, etc.

[0129] In some implementations, the beam of the first type of beam has a first beamwidth, and the beam of the second type of beam has a second beamwidth, wherein the first beamwidth is narrower than the second beamwidth. Alternatively or additionally, the beam identifier associated with the beam of the first type of beam is assigned a first number of bits in the beam index report, and the beam identifier associated with the beam of the second type of beam is assigned a second number of bits in the beam index report, wherein the first number of bits is greater than the second number of bits.

[0130] In some implementations, the beam of the first type of beam belongs to the beam's Channel State Information Reference Signal (CSI-RS) set. Alternatively, the beam of the second type of beam belongs to the beam's Synchronization Signal Block (SSB) set.

[0131] In some implementations, the beam of the second type of beam includes the beams of the adjacent beams of the first type of beam (e.g., as per [reference to...]). Figure 5 (as described above). The adjacent beams may include: multiple adjacent beams of a first type of beam selected based on an optimal beam probability threshold.

[0132] The beam index report can be configured according to the first type of beam index report (e.g., as about Figure 4 The beam index report 414 describes, as per [the relevant information] Figure 4 (As described in beam index report 416, etc.).

[0133] In some implementations, method 600 may further include: sending a first type of beam index report to the network device indicating that it is supported by the user equipment (e.g., as part of capability information sent to the network device, such as regarding...). Figure 3A (As described in operation S1.2). Alternatively or concurrently, method 600 may include sending an indication of beam type to the network device based on an optimal beam probability threshold for beam prediction for one or more future times (e.g., the maximum beam resolution that can be predicted with a probability higher than the optimal beam probability threshold). (e.g., as part of capability information sent to the network device, such as regarding...) Figure 3A (As described in operation S1.2).

[0134] In some implementations, method 600 may include: receiving from a network device an indication for configuring a beam index report according to a first type of beam index report (e.g., as part of configuration information received by a user equipment, such as regarding...). Figure 3A (as described in operation S1.3). Alternatively or concurrently, method 600 may include: receiving from the network device an indication of an optimal beam probability threshold (otherwise referred to as a confidence level threshold) for beam prediction for one or more future times (e.g., as part of configuration information received by the user equipment, such as regarding...). Figure 3A (As described in operation S1.3).

[0135] In some implementations, method 600 may include: determining, based on historical measurement data associated with a first set of beams (e.g., set B), the optimal beam probability (e.g., as per [reference to beam type]) for multiple beams in a second set of beams (e.g., set A) at a first future time. Figure 1 , Figure 2C as well as Figure 3A (As described in operation S3.1). The second set of beams may include beams of the first type.

[0136] Method 600 may further include: configuring a beam index report according to a first type of beam index report, and including, in the first set of beam identifiers, a beam identifier for at least one beam in the second set of beams (e.g., as per the information provided) based on the optimal beam probability of multiple beams in the second set of beams. Figure 3A and Figure 4 (As described in operation S3.1).

[0137] Method 600 may further include: determining a third set (e.g., set B or set B') for the beam at a second future time based on historical measurement data. WBThe optimal beam probability of multiple beams in the third set of beams. The third set of beams may include beams of the second type of beams. Method 600 may further include: configuring a beam index report according to a first type of beam index report, and including beam identifiers of at least one beam from the third set of beams in the second set of beam identifiers (e.g., as per the information about beams in the third set of beams) based on the optimal beam probability of multiple beams in the third set of beams. Figure 3A and Figure 4 (As described in operation S3.1).

[0138] Alternatively or concurrently, method 600 may include: after the optimal beam probability of a given beam in the second set of beams that has already been determined is lower than a probability threshold at a first future time, determining a third set (e.g., set B, set B) for beams based on historical measurement data associated with the first set of beams. WB The method 600 may further include: after the optimal beam probability of a given beam in a third set of beams that has been determined is higher than a probability threshold, configuring the beam index report to include the beam identifier for the given beam in the third set of beams in the first set of beam identifiers (e.g., as per the beam index threshold). Figure 3A and Figure 4 (As described in operation S3.1).

[0139] In some implementations, method 600 may include: determining that a beam index report is configured according to a first type of beam index report (e.g., determining or selecting a first type of beam index report). The first type of beam index report may indicate that the beam index report will be configured to include beam identifiers associated with beams of the first type in a first set of beam identifiers for a first future time. Method 600 may further include: after the first type of beam index report has been determined, determining optimal beam probabilities for multiple beams in a second set of beams based on measurements associated with the first set of beams and for the first future time. Additionally, the user equipment may select the format of the first type of beam index report (e.g., as per the definition of the first type of beam index report) based on determining how many of the optimal beam probabilities exceed a probability threshold. Figure 3A and Figure 4 (As described in operation S3.1). This format can indicate the number of beam indices associated with a first type of beam that will be included in a first set of beam identifiers associated with a first future time. The user equipment can configure a beam index report according to the determined first type of beam index report format.

[0140] In some implementations, method 600 may include: at a time corresponding to a first future time, receiving subsequent transmissions from a network device and via a selected beam associated with a beam identifier in a first set of beam identifiers (e.g., as per [reference to...]). Figure 3A (As described in operation S3.4).

[0141] In some implementations, method 600 may include: determining to send a subsequent beam index report configured according to a second type of beam index report, the second type of beam index report being different from the first type of beam index report (e.g., as per [reference to...]). Figure 3A Operation S3.1 Figure 3B Operation S6.3A, Figure 3C (As described in operations S6.3B to S6.5B, etc.). For example, as regarding... Figure 3B As described in operation S6.3A, the user equipment can receive an indication from the network device for using the second type of beam index report. Therefore, determining whether to send a subsequent beam index report configured according to the second type of beam index report can be based on receiving this indication. As another example, as per [reference to...] Figure 3C As described in operation S6.3B, after a decrease in beam prediction performance has been detected, the user equipment can send an instruction to the network device to request modification of the first type of beam index report for use in subsequent beam index reports. Alternatively, method 600 may include sending a subsequent beam index report to the network device based on a second type of beam index report.

[0142] Return now Figure 6B A flowchart illustrating method 650 performed according to an example embodiment is depicted. Method 650 can be performed by a user device that may be the same as or similar to any user device described herein (e.g., ...). Figure 1 User equipment 120 or user equipment 130 in the middle, Figures 3A to 3C User equipment 310 in the middle, Figure 5 User equipment 530, as shown in Figure 6, etc.

[0143] exist Figure 6BAt the operation point, method 650 includes: sending an indicator in the format of a beam index report. The indicator may indicate the optimal set of beams for corresponding predictions for multiple different future times. In some implementations, the indicator may also indicate the type of beam index report. The indicator may indicate which beam identifiers among multiple beam identifiers in the beam index report correspond to beams of a first type of beam, and which beam identifiers among multiple beam identifiers in the beam index report correspond to beams of a second type of beam. For example, the indicator may, for multiple different future times, indicate which beam identifiers in the corresponding set of beam identifiers in the beam index report for a given future time correspond to beams of a first type of beam, and which beam identifiers in the corresponding set of beam identifiers for a given future time correspond to beams of a second type of beam.

[0144] In some implementations, the beam of the first type of beam has a first beamwidth, and the beam of the second type of beam has a second beamwidth, wherein the first beamwidth is narrower than the second beamwidth. Alternatively or additionally, the beam identifier associated with the beam of the first type of beam may be assigned a first number of bits in the beam index report, and the beam identifier associated with the beam of the second type of beam may be assigned a second number of bits in the beam index report, wherein the number of first bits is greater than the number of second bits.

[0145] In some implementations, the beam of the first type of beam belongs to the beam's Channel State Information Reference Signal (CSI-RS) set. Alternatively, the beam of the second type of beam belongs to the beam's Synchronization Signal Block (SSB) set.

[0146] In some implementations, the beam of the second type of beam may include the beams of adjacent beams of the first type of beam (e.g., as per [reference to...]). Figure 5 (as described above). The adjacent beams may include multiple adjacent beams of a first type of beam selected based on an optimal beam probability threshold.

[0147] In some implementations, method 650 may further include: sending to the network device an indication of the type of beam index report that can be supported by the user equipment (e.g., as part of capability information sent to the network device, such as regarding...). Figure 3A (As described in operation S1.2). Alternatively or concurrently, method 650 may include: sending an indication of beam type to the network device based on an optimal beam probability threshold for beam prediction for one or more future times (e.g., the maximum beam resolution that can be predicted with a probability higher than the optimal beam probability threshold). (e.g., as part of capability information sent to the network device, such as regarding...) Figure 3A (As described in operation S1.2)

[0148] In some implementations, method 650 may include: receiving from the network device an indication for configuring a beam index report according to a first type of beam index report (e.g., as part of configuration information received by the user equipment, such as regarding...). Figure 3A (as described in operation S1.3). Alternatively or concurrently, method 650 may include: receiving from the network device an indication of an optimal beam probability threshold for beam prediction for one or more future times (e.g., as part of configuration information received by the user equipment, such as regarding...). Figure 3A (As described in operation S1.3).

[0149] As an example, the indicator may include: an indication of the boundary between the beam identifier associated with the beam of the first type of beam and the beam identifier associated with the beam of the second type of beam in the beam index report (e.g., as per [reference to...]). Figure 4 (As described in beam index reports 414 and 416). In some implementations, the indicator may indicate a shape formed in the beam index report by beam identifiers associated with beams of the first type of beam and / or by beam identifiers associated with beams of the second type of beam.

[0150] In some implementations, the indicator may include an offset value (also known as a bias value, e.g., as about...). Figure 4 (As described in beam index report 416). The offset value may indicate the number of beam identifiers associated with a beam of the first type included in the set of corresponding beam identifiers for the final future time in the beam index report. Alternatively, the indicator may include an angle value. The angle value may indicate the angle between a line (e.g., a boundary) in the beam index report and the vertical or horizontal (as described in the beam index report). Figure 4 (As shown in beam index report 416), where beam identifiers above the lines in the beam index report are associated with beams of the first type of beam, and beam identifiers below the lines are associated with beams of the second type of beam. For example, angle values ​​can be determined based on the ratio between the number of multiple beam identifiers and the number of future times. Alternatively, the indicator may include the ratio itself.

[0151] In some implementations, the indicator can indicate a predetermined format for the beam index report. For example, a set of predetermined or configured formats can be stored (e.g., at the user equipment and / or at the network equipment), and the indicator can indicate a specific format from that set of predetermined or configured formats.

[0152] In some implementations, the indicator includes: an indication of the first or second beam type for a single beam identifier in the beam index report (e.g., for something like...). Figure 4(The aforementioned fully flexible beam index report type). For example, these indications can be concatenated with the corresponding beam identifier in the beam index report (e.g., appended or added).

[0153] In some implementations, the indicator may be sent along with the beam index report. For example, the indicator may be provided in the header of the beam index report. Alternatively, the reporting intervals of the indicator and the beam index report may differ. For example, the indicator may be sent at the first time point, and one or more beam index reports configured according to the format of the beam index report may be sent at one or more corresponding subsequent time points (e.g., until the format of the beam index report changes and / or until a threshold number of beam index reports has been sent, at which point the corresponding updated indicator may be sent to the network device).

[0154] In some implementations, method 650 may include receiving subsequent transmissions from the network device and via a selected beam associated with a beam identifier reported by the transmitted beam index.

[0155] In some implementations, method 650 may include: determining an indicator (e.g., as per the prediction of one or more corresponding optimal beam probabilities for the optimal beam for the first type of beam and / or the second type of beam). Figure 3A Operation S3.1 and Figure 4 (as described in Beam Index Report 416, etc.).

[0156] For example, method 650 may include: after a first prediction of the best beam for a first type of beam has determined that the first best beam probability exceeds a best beam probability threshold, selecting a first beam identifier corresponding to the best beam of the prediction for the first type of beam to be included in the beam index report. On the other hand, if it is determined that the first beam probability does not exceed the best beam probability threshold, it can be determined whether the second best beam probability corresponding to the second prediction of the best beam for a second type of beam exceeds the best beam probability threshold. If it is determined that the second beam probability exceeds the best beam probability threshold, the second beam identifier corresponding to the best beam of the prediction for the second type of beam can be selected to be included in the beam index report. Then, an indicator of the format of the beam index report can be determined based on the selection of the first beam index and the second beam index.

[0157] In some implementations, method 650 may include: determining a follow-up indicator for a subsequent format of the beam index report based on the corresponding optimal beam probabilities of one or more subsequent predictions of the optimal beam for the first type of beam and / or the second type of beam. The follow-up indicator may be sent to a network device.

[0158] return Figure 7 Components of one or more of the foregoing example embodiments are described and are collectively referred to below as processing system 700. Processing system 700 may be, for example, a user equipment (such as any user equipment mentioned herein, including user equipment mentioned in the following claims), a network device (such as any network device mentioned herein), etc.

[0159] The processing system 700 may have a processor 702, a memory 704 tightly coupled to the processor 702 and including RAM 714 and ROM 712, and (optionally) a user input 710 and a display 718. The processing system 700 may include one or more network / device interfaces 708 for connecting to a network / device (e.g., a wireless or wired modem). The network / device interface 708 may also operate as a connection to other devices, such as non-network-side devices. Therefore, direct connection between devices is possible without network involvement.

[0160] The processor 702 is connected to each of the other components in order to control their operation.

[0161] Memory 704 may include non-volatile memory, such as a hard disk drive (HDD) or a solid-state drive (SSD). The ROM 712 of memory 704 stores contents such as an operating system 715, and may also store software applications 716. The RAM 714 of memory 704 is used by the processor 702 for temporary data storage. The operating system 715 may contain code that, when executed by the processor, implements aspects of the aforementioned algorithms and sequences. Note that in the case of small devices, memory may be more suitable for small size applications; that is, it is not always a hard disk drive (HDD) or a solid-state drive (SSD).

[0162] The processor 702 can take any suitable form. For example, it can be a microcontroller, multiple microcontrollers, a processor, or multiple processors.

[0163] The processing system 700 can be a standalone computer, server, console, or its network. The processing system 700 and the necessary structural components can all be internal to a device (such as an IoT device), i.e., embedded in a very small size.

[0164] In some example embodiments, the processing system 700 may also be associated with external software applications. These may be applications stored on a remote server device / app, and may run partially or entirely on that remote server device / app. These applications may be referred to as cloud-hosted applications. The processing system 700 may communicate with the remote server device / app to utilize the software applications stored thereon.

[0165] Figure 8 A tangible medium is shown in the form of a removable memory unit 810 storing computer-readable code that, when run by a computer, can perform the methods according to the example embodiments described above. The removable memory unit 810 may be a memory disk, such as a USB flash drive, having internal memory 820 storing the computer-readable code. The internal memory 820 may be accessed by a computer system via a connector 830. Of course, other forms of tangible storage media may be used, as will be apparent to those skilled in the art. The tangible medium may be any device / apparatus capable of storing data / information that can be exchanged between devices / apparatus / networks.

[0166] Embodiments of the present invention can be implemented in software, hardware, application logic, or a combination of software, hardware, and application logic. The software, application logic, and / or hardware can reside on memory or any computer medium. In example embodiments, the application logic, software, or instruction set is maintained on any of a variety of conventional computer-readable media. In the context of this document, "memory" or "computer-readable medium" can be any non-transitory medium or component that can contain, store, communicate, propagate, or transmit instructions for use by or associated with an instruction execution system, apparatus, or device, such as a computer.

[0167] In the relevant context, references to “computer-readable medium,” “computer program product,” “tangible computer program,” or “processor” or “processing circuit system” should be understood to encompass not only computers with different architectures (such as single-processor / multi-processor architectures and sequencer / parallel architectures) but also special-purpose circuits (such as field-programmable gate arrays (FPGAs), application-specific integrated circuits (ASICs), signal processing devices / apparatus, and other devices / apparatus). References to computer programs, instructions, code, etc., should be understood to express software used for programmable processor firmware, such as programmable content (e.g., instructions for a processor) for hardware devices / apparatus, or configuration or configuration settings for fixed-function devices / apparatus, gate arrays, programmable logic devices / apparatus, etc.

[0168] If necessary, the different functions discussed herein may be executed in different orders and / or concurrently with each other. Furthermore, one or more of the functions described above may be optional or may be combined, if necessary. Similarly, it should be understood that the flowcharts and sequences described herein are merely examples, and the various operations depicted therein may be omitted, reordered, and / or combined.

[0169] It should be understood that the above-described examples are illustrative only and do not limit the scope of the invention. Other variations and modifications will become apparent to those skilled in the art upon reading this specification.

[0170] Furthermore, the disclosure of this application should be understood to include any novel feature or any combination of novel features explicitly or implicitly disclosed herein, or any generalization thereof, and new claims may be drafted during the examination of this application or any application derived therefrom to cover any such feature and / or combination of such features.

[0171] Although various aspects of the invention have been set forth in the independent claims, other aspects of the invention include other combinations of features from the exemplary embodiments and / or dependent claims with features of the independent claims, and not only the combinations expressly listed in the claims.

[0172] It should also be noted in this document that while various examples have been described above, these descriptions should not be considered limiting. Rather, several variations and modifications may be made without departing from the scope of the invention as defined in the appended claims.

[0173] For illustrative purposes, exemplary embodiments of this application are provided below.

[0174] Example 1. A user equipment, comprising: A component for transmitting an indicator in a format for a beam index report, the indicator indicating which of a plurality of beam identifiers in the beam index report correspond to a beam of a first type of beam, and which of the plurality of beam identifiers in the beam index report correspond to a beam of a second type of beam.

[0175] Example 2. The user equipment according to Example 1, wherein the beam index report is used to indicate the optimal set of beams for corresponding predictions for a plurality of different future times, and wherein the indicator, for the plurality of different future times, indicates which beam identifiers in the set of corresponding beam identifiers in the beam index report for a given future time correspond to the beam of the first type of beam, and which beam identifiers in the set of corresponding beam identifiers for the given future time correspond to the beam of the second type of beam.

[0176] Example 3. The user equipment according to Example 2, wherein the indicator indicates a shape formed in the beam index report by a beam identifier associated with the beam of the first type of beam and / or a beam identifier associated with the beam of the second type of beam.

[0177] Example 4. The user equipment according to Example 2 or Example 3, wherein the indicator includes: an indication of the boundary between the beam identifier associated with the beam of the first type of beam and the beam identifier associated with the beam of the second type of beam in the beam index report.

[0178] Example 5. A user equipment according to any one of Examples 2 to 4, wherein the indicator includes an offset value indicating the number of beam identifiers associated with the beam of the first type of beam included in the set of corresponding beam identifiers for the final future time of the beam index report.

[0179] Example 6. A user equipment according to any one of Examples 2 to 5, wherein the indicator includes an angle value indicating the angle between a line in the beam index report and a vertical or horizontal line, wherein a beam identifier above the line in the beam index report is associated with a beam of the first type of beam, and a beam identifier below the line in the beam index report is associated with a beam of the second type of beam.

[0180] Example 7. The user equipment according to Example 6, wherein the angle value is determined based on the ratio between the number of beam identifiers and the number of future times.

[0181] Example 8. A user equipment according to any one of the foregoing embodiments, wherein the indicator indicates a predetermined format of a beam index report.

[0182] Example 9. The user equipment according to Example 1 or Example 2, wherein the indicator includes: an indication of a first type of beam or a second type of beam for a separate beam identifier in the beam index report.

[0183] Example 10. The user equipment according to Example 9, wherein the indication is concatenated with the corresponding beam identifier in the beam index report.

[0184] Example 11. The user equipment according to any one of the foregoing embodiments further includes components for the following: The beam index report is sent to the network device along with the indicator.

[0185] Example 12. The user equipment according to Example 11, wherein the indicator is provided in the header portion of the beam index report.

[0186] Example 13. A user equipment according to any of the preceding embodiments, wherein the indicator is transmitted at a first moment, and wherein one or more beam index reports configured according to the format of the beam index report are transmitted at one or more corresponding subsequent moments.

[0187] Example 14. The user equipment according to any one of Examples 11 to 13 further includes: A component for receiving subsequent transmissions from the network device and via a selected beam associated with the beam identifier in the transmitted beam index report.

[0188] Example 15. The user equipment according to any one of the foregoing embodiments further includes: A component for determining the indicator based on one or more predictions of the corresponding optimal beam probability for the optimal beam for the first type of beam and / or the second type of beam.

[0189] Example 16. The user equipment according to Example 15, wherein determining the indicator includes: In response to a first prediction of the optimal beam for the first type of beam, the corresponding first optimal beam probability is determined to exceed the optimal beam probability threshold: Select the first beam identifier of the predicted best beam corresponding to the first type of beam to be included in the beam index report; Components for performing the following in response to determining that the first optimal beam probability does not exceed the optimal beam probability threshold: For the second prediction of the best beam of the second type of beam, determine whether the corresponding second best beam probability exceeds the best beam probability threshold; In response to determining that the second optimal beam probability exceeds the optimal beam probability threshold: Select the second beam identifier that corresponds to the predicted best beam of the second type of beam to be included in the beam index report; And the indicator that determines the format of the beam index report based on one of the first beam index and the second beam index.

[0190] Example 17. The user equipment according to any one of the foregoing embodiments further includes: A component for determining a subsequent indicator for a subsequent format of the beam index report based on the corresponding optimal beam probability of one or more subsequent predictions of the optimal beam for the first type of beam and / or the second type of beam; and A component for sending the subsequent indicator to the network device.

[0191] Example 18. A user equipment according to any one of the preceding embodiments, wherein the beam of the first type of beam has a first beamwidth, and the beam of the second type of beam has a second beamwidth, the first beamwidth being narrower than the second beamwidth.

[0192] Example 19. A user equipment according to any one of the preceding embodiments, wherein the beam identifier associated with the beam of the first type of beam is allocated a first number of bits in the beam index report, and wherein the beam identifier associated with the beam of the second type of beam is allocated a second number of bits in the beam index report, the first number of bits being greater than the second number of bits.

[0193] Example 20. A user equipment according to any one of the preceding embodiments, wherein the beam of the first type of beam belongs to the channel start information reference signal (CSI-RS) set of the beam, and wherein the beam of the second type of beam belongs to the synchronization signal block (SSB) set of the beam.

[0194] Example 21. A user equipment according to any of the preceding embodiments, wherein the beam of the second type beam includes the beam of an adjacent beam of the first type beam.

[0195] Example 22. The user equipment according to Example 21, wherein the adjacent beams include: a plurality of adjacent beams of the first type of beam selected based on an optimal beam probability threshold.

[0196] Example 23. The user equipment according to any one of the foregoing embodiments, the user equipment further comprising: A component for sending an indication to the network device that the user equipment supports a first type of beam index report.

[0197] Example 24. The user equipment according to any one of the foregoing embodiments, the user equipment further comprising: A component for receiving instructions from the network device to configure the beam index report according to a first type of beam index report.

[0198] Example 25. The user equipment according to any one of the foregoing embodiments, the user equipment further comprising: A component for receiving from the network device an indication of the optimal beam probability threshold for beam prediction for one or more future times.

[0199] Example 26. The user equipment according to any one of the foregoing embodiments, the user equipment further comprising: A component for sending an indication of beam type to the network device based on an optimal beam probability threshold for beam prediction for one or more future times.

[0200] Example 27. A computer-implemented method, comprising: Send an indicator in a format for a beam index report, the indicator indicating which of a plurality of beam identifiers in the beam index report correspond to a beam of a first type of beam, and which of the plurality of beam identifiers in the beam index report correspond to a beam of a second type of beam.

Claims

1. A user equipment, comprising: A component for transmitting an indicator in a format for a beam index report, the indicator indicating which of a plurality of beam identifiers in the beam index report correspond to a beam of a first type of beam, and which of the plurality of beam identifiers in the beam index report correspond to a beam of a second type of beam.

2. The user equipment of claim 1, wherein the beam index report is used to indicate the optimal set of corresponding predictions for a plurality of different future times, and wherein the indicator, for the plurality of different future times, indicates which beam identifiers in the set of corresponding beam identifiers in the beam index report for a given future time correspond to the beam of the first type of beam, and which beam identifiers in the set of corresponding beam identifiers for the given future time correspond to the beam of the second type of beam; The indicator indicates the shape formed in the beam index report by the beam identifier associated with the beam of the first type of beam and / or by the beam identifier associated with the beam of the second type of beam.

3. The user equipment according to claim 2, wherein the indicator comprises: The beam index report indicates the boundary between the beam identifier associated with the beam of the first type of beam and the beam identifier associated with the beam of the second type of beam.

4. The user equipment according to any one of claims 2 to 3, wherein the indicator includes an offset value indicating the number of beam identifiers associated with the beam of the first type of beam included in the set of corresponding beam identifiers for the final future time of the beam index report.

5. The user equipment according to any one of claims 2 to 3, wherein the indicator includes an angle value indicating the angle between a line in the beam index report and a vertical or horizontal line, wherein a beam identifier above the line in the beam index report is associated with a beam of the first type of beam, and a beam identifier below the line in the beam index report is associated with a beam of the second type of beam; and The angle value is determined based on the ratio between the number of beam identifiers and the number of future moments.

6. The user equipment according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the indicator indicates a predetermined format of the beam index report.

7. The user equipment according to claim 1 or claim 2, wherein the indicator comprises: Indication of a first-type or second-type beam for a single beam identifier in the beam index report; and The indicated signal is concatenated with the corresponding beam identifier in the beam index report.

8. The user equipment according to any one of claims 1 to 3, further comprising components for: The beam index report is sent to the network device along with the indicator; and The indicator is provided in the header section of the beam index report.

9. The user equipment according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the indicator is transmitted at a first moment, and wherein one or more beam index reports configured according to the format of the beam index report are transmitted at one or more corresponding subsequent moments.

10. The user equipment according to claim 8, further comprising: A component for receiving subsequent transmissions from the network device and via a selected beam associated with the beam identifier in the transmitted beam index report.

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