Antenna setting for uplink and downlink transmission

Abstract

Embodiments of the invention relate to adaptation of uplink antenna settings for a client device (100). The client device (100) transmits uplink reference signals (510) to a network access node (300) under a set of uplink antenna settings (120) and receives an uplink antenna setting indication (512) from the network access node (300). The uplink antenna setting indication (512) indicates an uplink antenna setting of the set of uplink antenna settings (120) of the client device (100). Based on the received uplink antenna setting indication (512), the client device (100) determines an uplink antenna setting for an uplink transmission (514) to the network access node (300). Furthermore, embodiments of the invention also relate to the network access node (300) for adapting downlink antenna settings, corresponding methods and computer programs.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] Embodiments of the present invention relate to a client device for determining uplink antenna settings for uplink transmission to a network access node and a network access node for determining downlink antenna settings for downlink transmission to the client device. Furthermore, embodiments of the present invention also relate to corresponding methods and computer programs. Background Technology

[0002] Multiple-input multiple-output (MIMO) is a fundamental technology in 3GPP 5G New Radio (NR). Depending on the beamforming techniques and processes used, multiple antennas can be used at client devices and / or network access nodes to increase coverage, capacity, throughput, and reliability. Multi-antenna communication is particularly important in higher frequency ranges to counteract the adverse effects of excessive path loss, thereby ensuring coverage.

[0003] Therefore, in the specification work for 5G NR, some research projects and work projects focus on methods and procedures that leverage the enormous potential of multi-antenna and multi-panel-based transmission technologies in both the uplink and downlink. This includes features such as channel state information (CSI) reporting, beam management, beam fault recovery, machine learning-based beam management, and uplink precoder selection.

[0004] 5G NR supports different Layer 1 and Layer 2 procedures for acquiring and maintaining precoders and beams at client devices and / or network access nodes. This includes receive (Rx) beams / transmit (Tx) beams, uplink precoders, downlink frequency selectivity, and wideband precoders. For beam management, different procedures are defined for downlink beams, uplink beams, and beam fault detection and recovery in the higher frequency range. For downlink beam management, client devices can measure downlink reference signals transmitted at network access nodes using different Tx beams to support the selection of downlink Tx / Rx beams, changing the network access node's Tx beams and the client device's Rx beams. In the case of downlink reference signal measurements used for beam management, client devices can report the number of downlink reference signal resource indicators and corresponding beam quality values ​​in the CSI report, such as reference signal received power (RSRP) and / or signal-to-interference-noise ratio (SINR). Furthermore, group-based beam management is supported with appropriate configuration, suitable for multi-network access node scenarios. Summary of the Invention

[0005] One objective of embodiments of the present invention is to provide a solution that mitigates or resolves the drawbacks and problems of conventional solutions.

[0006] Another object of embodiments of the present invention is to provide a scheme for utilizing the advantages of dynamic antenna settings in transmissions between client devices and network access nodes.

[0007] The foregoing and other objectives are achieved through the subject matter of the independent claims. Further embodiments of the invention are provided in the dependent claims.

[0008] According to a first aspect of the invention, the above-mentioned and other objectives are achieved by a client device, which is used to:

[0009] Uplink reference signals are transmitted to network access nodes under a set of uplink antenna settings, wherein at least one uplink reference signal is transmitted under each uplink antenna setting in the set of uplink antenna settings.

[0010] Receive uplink antenna setting instruction from the network access node. The uplink antenna setting instruction indicates the uplink antenna setting in a set of uplink antenna settings of the client device.

[0011] The uplink antenna setting for uplink transmission to the network access node is determined based on the received uplink antenna setting indication.

[0012] The advantage of the client device according to the first aspect is that it can determine the uplink antenna configuration for uplink transmission, thereby optimizing the achievable performance of uplink transmission. For a client device equipped with multiple antennas (with different possible antenna configurations), selecting the antenna configuration for uplink transmission defines the propagation conditions for performing uplink transmission among other parameters. For example, when the possible antenna configurations are different tilt angles of the antenna polarization at the client device, the selection of the antenna configuration (i.e., the polarization tilt angle) will affect the fast fading coefficient and antenna field pattern, etc. Subsequently, by selecting the antenna configuration based on the uplink antenna configuration indication, the client device can perform its uplink transmission under optimized radio propagation conditions.

[0013] In one implementation of the client device according to the first aspect, the client device is further used for:

[0014] Uplink reference signals are transmitted under a set of uplink antenna settings and a set of uplink beams, wherein at least one uplink reference signal is transmitted under each of the uplink beams in the set of uplink beams of the client device.

[0015] The advantage of this implementation is that the detection and selection of uplink antenna settings can be performed based on a dedicated process or in conjunction with beam management and precoder selection processes. Therefore, adjusting the polarization of the client device antenna simplifies subsequent precoding and makes beamforming more suitable for the power amplifier by reducing amplitude taper.

[0016] In one implementation of the client device according to the first aspect, any two uplink antenna settings in a set of uplink antenna settings are different from each other in at least the following aspects: polarization, number of antenna elements, antenna position, antenna orientation, antenna layout, antenna switching mode, and electromagnetic characteristics of metamaterial antennas and / or radio frequency lenses.

[0017] The advantage of this implementation is that the proposed scheme supports client devices with reconfigurable antennas, which have one or more possible configurations that affect the wireless channel and antenna radiation pattern. Depending on the antenna technology and the RF front-end implementation of the client device, different degrees of freedom can be supported.

[0018] In one implementation of the client device according to the first aspect, the uplink antenna setting indication is indicated as a bitmap or a combination indicator.

[0019] The advantage of this implementation is that it supports different possible formats for the uplink antenna setup indication. The indication can be transmitted as part of dynamic downlink signaling, such as Downlink Control Information (DCI) or Medium Access Control (MAC) Control Element (CE). Furthermore, the uplink antenna setup indication can be transmitted as part of Radio Resource Control (RRC) signaling.

[0020] In one implementation of the client device according to the first aspect, the uplink antenna setting indication further indicates at least one channel quality associated with a set of uplink antenna settings of the client device.

[0021] The advantage of this implementation is that the client device can support different links / carriers simultaneously. Therefore, by associating channel quality with a set of uplink antenna settings as part of the uplink antenna setting indication, the client device can select antenna settings that can support all active links / carriers based on its capabilities.

[0022] In one implementation of the client device according to the first aspect, the channel quality is any one of the following: RSRP, SINR, RSRP difference or gap between different uplink antenna settings, and SINR difference or gap between different uplink antenna settings.

[0023] The advantage of this implementation is that the client device can support different links / carriers simultaneously. The client device can select antenna settings that support all active links / carriers based on its capabilities. RSRP, SINR, the RSRP difference or gap between different uplink antenna settings, and the SINR difference or gap between different uplink antenna settings can be used by the client device as input to its algorithm or model, which selects uplink antenna settings for transmission on all its active links / carriers. Alternatively, these channel quality parameters can be used as input to train, infer, or monitor beam and / or antenna setting prediction machine learning models.

[0024] In one implementation of the client device according to the first aspect, the client device is further used for:

[0025] The uplink antenna settings for uplink transmission are further determined based on measurements of the downlink reference signal received from the network access node.

[0026] The advantage of this implementation is that the client device can select its uplink antenna settings based on downlink reference signal measurements, thereby avoiding costly uplink reference signal transmission. In different Time Division Duplex (TDD) or Frequency Division Duplex (FDD) scenarios, at least partial channel reciprocity can be assumed. Therefore, the optimal uplink antenna settings for uplink transmission can be selected based on the optimal client device antenna settings for downlink reception.

[0027] In one implementation of the client device according to the first aspect, the client device is further used for:

[0028] Send an uplink antenna setting switching instruction to the network access node. The uplink antenna setting switching instruction indicates that the client device supports dynamic switching of the uplink antenna setting.

[0029] Receive downlink antenna setting switching indication from the network access node. The downlink antenna setting switching indication indicates that the network access node supports dynamic switching of downlink antenna settings.

[0030] The advantage of this implementation is that it supports client devices with varying capabilities. In fact, depending on the capabilities of the client device, it may not support or may support multiple different possible antenna settings. The sent uplink antenna setting switching instruction will transmit to the network access node the different supported antenna settings of the client device, such as the number of supported antenna polarization angles / types, the number of different antenna element activation modes, orientation, and the number of possible settings for the electromagnetic characteristics of the metamaterial antenna and / or RF lens.

[0031] In one implementation of the client device according to the first aspect, the uplink antenna setting switching indication and / or downlink antenna setting switching indication are radio resource control messages.

[0032] The advantage of this implementation is that the uplink antenna setting switching indication and / or downlink antenna setting switching indication can be sent in the RRC configuration, reconfiguration or other messages during the initial access process.

[0033] In one implementation of the client device according to the first aspect, the client device is further used for:

[0034] Receive uplink antenna configuration management resource configuration from the network access node, and receive uplink reference signal for uplink antenna configuration management resource configuration indication.

[0035] The advantage of this implementation is that the behavior of the reference signal transmission used for uplink antenna setting management is configured by the network, thus avoiding any ambiguity. In addition to the periodic management / switching of uplink antenna settings, the resources used to transmit uplink antenna setting indications can also be configured by the network.

[0036] In one implementation of the client device according to the first aspect, the client device is further used for:

[0037] Receive uplink and / or downlink antenna setup aware transmission configuration indicators from the network access node;

[0038] Further, the uplink antenna settings for uplink transmission are determined based on the transmission configuration indicator sensed by the uplink and / or downlink antenna settings.

[0039] The advantage of this implementation is that antenna setup diversity can be utilized by dynamically indicating the uplink and / or downlink antenna settings for each of the uplink and / or downlink channel transmissions.

[0040] In one implementation of the client device according to the first aspect, the client device is further used for:

[0041] Measure the downlink reference signal received from the network access node under a set of downlink antenna settings, wherein at least one downlink reference signal is transmitted under each downlink antenna setting in the set of downlink antenna settings of the network access node;

[0042] Determine the channel quality of each downlink antenna setting in a set of downlink antenna settings for the network access node;

[0043] Based on a determined channel quality, a subset of downlink antenna settings is selected from a set of downlink antenna settings at the network access node;

[0044] Send a downlink antenna configuration instruction to the network access node. The downlink antenna configuration instruction indicates the subset of downlink antenna configurations selected and their associated channel quality.

[0045] For example, the associated channel quality can be related to RSRP, SINR, the difference or gap in RSRP between different downlink antenna settings, and the difference or gap in SINR between different downlink antenna settings.

[0046] The advantage of this implementation is that the downlink reference signal measurement is used for a subset of the downlink antenna setup, which is perceived by the client device to provide optimal wireless propagation conditions.

[0047] In one implementation of the client device according to the first aspect, the client device is further used for:

[0048] Perform uplink transmission to the network access node within the defined uplink antenna settings; and / or

[0049] Receive downlink transmissions from the network access node under the downlink antenna settings associated with the defined uplink antenna settings.

[0050] The advantage of this implementation is that antenna setup diversity can be utilized to improve achievable performance. By selecting antenna setups determined to provide optimal channel conditions for uplink transmission and / or downlink reception, client devices can improve achievable key performance indicators (KPIs) for both uplink and downlink.

[0051] According to a second aspect of the present invention, the above-mentioned and other objectives are achieved through a network access node, which is used to:

[0052] A downlink reference signal is transmitted to a client device under a set of downlink antenna settings, wherein at least one downlink reference signal is transmitted under each downlink antenna setting in a set of downlink antenna settings of the network access node;

[0053] Receive a set of downlink antenna setting instructions from the client device, each downlink antenna setting instruction indicating a subset of the downlink antenna settings in a set of downlink antenna settings of the network access node;

[0054] The downlink antenna settings for downlink transmission to the client device are determined based on a set of received downlink antenna indications.

[0055] The advantage of the network access node according to the second aspect is that the network access node can determine the antenna settings for transmitting downlink channels and receiving uplink transmissions from one or more client devices based on downlink antenna setting indications from client devices. Since the network access node is providing coverage for multiple client devices, its antenna settings can be configured to take into account the KPIs of all client devices. The appropriate process for determining the antenna settings at the network access node depends on the implementation. The antenna settings of the network access node for transmitting downlink channels and / or receiving uplink channels can be transmitted to the client devices in uplink and / or downlink antenna setting-aware transmission configuration indicators.

[0056] In one implementation of the network access node according to the second aspect, the network access node is further used for:

[0057] Downlink reference signals are transmitted under a set of downlink antenna settings and a set of downlink beams, wherein at least one downlink reference signal is transmitted under each of the downlink beams in the set of downlink beams at the network access node.

[0058] The advantage of this implementation is that the detection and selection of downlink antenna settings can be performed based on a dedicated process or jointly with beam management and precoder selection processes. Therefore, adjusting the polarization of the network access node antennas simplifies subsequent precoding and makes beamforming more suitable for power amplifiers by reducing amplitude taps.

[0059] In one implementation of the network access node according to the second aspect, any two downlink antenna configurations in a set of downlink antenna configurations differ from each other in at least the following aspects: polarization, number of antenna elements, antenna position, antenna orientation, antenna layout, antenna switching mode, and electromagnetic characteristics of metamaterial antennas and / or radio frequency lenses.

[0060] The advantage of this implementation is that the proposed scheme supports network access nodes with reconfigurable antennas, which have one or more possible configurations that affect the wireless channel and antenna radiation pattern. Depending on the antenna technology and the implementation of the network access node's RF front-end, different degrees of freedom can be supported.

[0061] In one implementation of the network access node according to the second aspect, the downlink antenna setting indication is indicated as a bitmap or a combination indicator.

[0062] The advantage of this implementation is that it supports different possible formats for the downlink antenna setup indication. The indication can be transmitted as part of dynamic downlink signaling (e.g., DCI or MAC CE). Furthermore, the uplink antenna setup indication can be transmitted as part of RRC signaling.

[0063] In one implementation of the network access node according to the second aspect, the downlink antenna setup indication also indicates at least one channel quality associated with a set of downlink antenna setups of the network access node.

[0064] The advantage of this implementation is that network access nodes can support different links / carriers simultaneously. Therefore, by associating channel quality with a set of downlink antenna settings as part of the downlink antenna setting indication, network access nodes can select antenna settings that can support all active links / carriers based on their capabilities.

[0065] In one implementation of the network access node according to the second aspect, the channel quality is any one of the following: RSRP, SINR, RSRP difference or gap between different uplink antenna settings, and SINR difference or gap between different uplink antenna settings.

[0066] The advantage of this implementation is that the network access node can simultaneously support different links / carriers. The network access node can select antenna settings that can support all active links / carriers based on its capabilities. RSRP, SINR, the RSRP difference or gap between different downlink antenna settings, and the SINR difference or gap between different downlink antenna settings can be used by the network access node as input to its algorithm or model, which selects downlink antenna settings for transmission on all its active links / carriers. Alternatively, these channel quality parameters can be used as input to the training, inference, or monitoring of beam and / or antenna setting prediction machine learning models.

[0067] In one implementation of the network access node according to the second aspect, the network access node is further used for:

[0068] The downlink antenna settings for downlink transmission are further determined based on measurements of the uplink reference signal received from the client device.

[0069] The advantage of this implementation is that network access nodes can select their downlink antenna settings based on uplink reference signal measurements, thereby avoiding costly uplink reference signal transmission. In different Time Division Duplex (TDD) or Frequency Division Duplex (FDD) scenarios, at least partial channel reciprocity can be assumed. Therefore, the optimal downlink antenna settings can be selected for downlink transmission based on the optimal network access node antenna settings used for uplink reception.

[0070] In one implementation of the network access node according to the second aspect, the network access node is further used for:

[0071] Receive a set of uplink antenna setting switching instructions from the client device, each uplink antenna setting switching instruction indicating that the client device supports dynamic switching of uplink antenna settings;

[0072] Send a set of downlink antenna setting switching instructions to the client device. Each downlink antenna setting switching instruction indicates that the network access node supports dynamic switching of downlink antenna settings.

[0073] The advantage of this implementation is that it supports client devices with varying capabilities. In fact, depending on the capabilities of the client device, it may not support or may support multiple different possible antenna settings. The sent uplink antenna setting switching instruction will transmit to the network access node the different supported antenna settings of the client device, such as the number of supported antenna polarization angles / types, the number of different antenna element activation modes, orientation, and the number of possible settings for the electromagnetic characteristics of the metamaterial antenna and / or RF lens.

[0074] In one implementation of the network access node according to the second aspect, the uplink antenna setting switching indication and / or downlink antenna setting switching indication are RRC messages.

[0075] The advantage of this implementation is that the uplink antenna setting switching indication and / or downlink antenna setting switching indication can be sent in the RRC configuration, reconfiguration or other messages during the initial access process.

[0076] In one implementation of the network access node according to the second aspect, the network access node is further used for:

[0077] Send a set of uplink antenna configuration management resource configurations to the client device. Each uplink antenna configuration management resource configuration indication will be sent by the uplink reference signal from the client device.

[0078] The advantage of this implementation is that the behavior of the reference signal transmission used for uplink antenna setting management is configured by the network, thus avoiding any ambiguity. In addition to the periodic management / switching of uplink antenna settings, the resources used to transmit uplink antenna setting indications can also be configured by the network.

[0079] In one implementation of the network access node according to the second aspect, the network access node is further used for:

[0080] Send uplink and / or downlink antenna setting aware transmission configuration indicators to the client device.

[0081] The advantage of this implementation is that antenna setup diversity can be utilized by dynamically indicating the uplink and / or downlink antenna settings for each of the uplink and / or downlink channel transmissions.

[0082] In one implementation of the network access node according to the second aspect, the network access node is further used for:

[0083] Further, based on the transmitted uplink and / or downlink antenna settings, a transmission configuration indicator is used to determine the downlink antenna settings for downlink transmission to the client device.

[0084] The advantage of this implementation is that antenna setup diversity can be utilized by dynamically indicating the uplink and / or downlink antenna settings for each of the uplink and / or downlink channel transmissions.

[0085] In one implementation of the network access node according to the second aspect, the network access node is further used for:

[0086] Measure the uplink reference signal received from the client device under a set of uplink antenna settings, wherein at least one uplink reference signal is transmitted under each uplink antenna setting in the set of uplink antenna settings of the client device;

[0087] Determine the channel quality of each uplink antenna setting in a set of uplink antenna settings for the client device;

[0088] Select uplink antenna settings from a set of uplink antenna settings from the client device based on the determined channel quality;

[0089] Send an uplink antenna setting instruction to the client device, which indicates the selected uplink antenna setting.

[0090] The advantage of this implementation is that the uplink reference signal measurement is used for a subset of the uplink antenna setup, which is perceived by the network access node to provide optimal wireless propagation conditions.

[0091] In one implementation of the network access node according to the second aspect, the network access node is further used for:

[0092] Perform downlink transmission to the client device under a defined downlink antenna setting; and / or

[0093] Receive uplink transmissions from the client device under the uplink antenna settings associated with the defined downlink antenna settings.

[0094] The advantage of this implementation is that antenna setup diversity can be utilized to improve achievable performance. By selecting antenna setups determined to provide optimal channel conditions for uplink transmission and / or downlink reception, network access nodes can improve achievable uplink and downlink KPIs.

[0095] According to a third aspect of the invention, the above-mentioned and other objectives are achieved by a method for a client device, the method comprising:

[0096] Uplink reference signals are transmitted to network access nodes under a set of uplink antenna settings, wherein at least one uplink reference signal is transmitted under each uplink antenna setting in the set of uplink antenna settings.

[0097] Receive uplink antenna setting instruction from the network access node. The uplink antenna setting instruction indicates the uplink antenna setting in a set of uplink antenna settings of the client device.

[0098] The uplink antenna setting for uplink transmission to the network access node is determined based on the received uplink antenna setting indication.

[0099] The method according to the third aspect can be extended to an implementation corresponding to the implementation of the client device according to the first aspect. Therefore, the implementation of the method includes one or more features of the corresponding implementation of the client device.

[0100] The advantages of the method based on the third aspect are the same as the advantages of the corresponding implementation method of the client device based on the first aspect.

[0101] According to a fourth aspect of the present invention, the above-mentioned and other objectives are achieved by a method for a network access node, the method comprising:

[0102] A downlink reference signal is transmitted to a client device under a set of downlink antenna settings, wherein at least one downlink reference signal is transmitted under each downlink antenna setting in a set of downlink antenna settings of the network access node;

[0103] Receive a set of downlink antenna setting instructions from the client device, each downlink antenna setting instruction indicating a subset of the downlink antenna settings in a set of downlink antenna settings of the network access node;

[0104] The downlink antenna settings for downlink transmission to the client device are determined based on a set of received downlink antenna indications.

[0105] The method based on the fourth aspect can be extended to an implementation method corresponding to the implementation method of the network access node in the second aspect. Therefore, the implementation method includes one or more features of the corresponding implementation method of the network access node.

[0106] The advantages of the method according to the fourth aspect are the same as the advantages of the corresponding implementation method of the network access node according to the second aspect.

[0107] Embodiments of the present invention also relate to a computer program characterized by comprising program code, which, when executed by at least one processor, causes the at least one processor to perform any method according to embodiments of the present invention. Furthermore, embodiments of the present invention also relate to a computer program product comprising a computer-readable medium and a computer program, the computer program being contained in the computer-readable medium and potentially including one or more of the following: read-only memory (ROM), programmable ROM (PROM), erasable PROM (EPROM), flash memory, electrically erasable PROM (EEPROM), hard disk drive, etc.

[0108] Other applications and advantages of embodiments of the present invention will become apparent from the following detailed description. Attached Figure Description

[0109] The accompanying drawings are intended to illustrate and explain different embodiments of the invention, in which:

[0110] Figure 1 A client device according to an embodiment of the present invention is shown;

[0111] Figure 2 A flowchart of a method for a client device according to an embodiment of the present invention is shown;

[0112] Figure 3 A network access node according to an embodiment of the present invention is shown;

[0113] Figure 4 A flowchart of a method for a network access node according to an embodiment of the present invention is shown;

[0114] Figure 5 A communication system according to an embodiment of the present invention is shown;

[0115] Figure 6 A signaling diagram for determining uplink antenna settings according to an embodiment of the present invention is shown;

[0116] Figure 7 The combined uplink antenna setup and beam scanning according to an embodiment of the present invention are illustrated;

[0117] Figure 8 A signaling diagram for determining downlink antenna settings according to an embodiment of the present invention is shown;

[0118] Figure 9 The combined downlink antenna setup and beam scanning according to an embodiment of the present invention are illustrated;

[0119] Figure 10 A combined downlink antenna setup and beam scanning according to another embodiment of the present invention is shown;

[0120] Figure 11 A signaling diagram illustrating antenna setting switching indication and antenna setting configuration according to an embodiment of the present invention is shown. Detailed Implementation

[0121] Beamforming is a critical component of modern wireless communication systems. The accuracy of beamforming weights and their design, whether digital, analog, or hybrid, depends on the implementation method. In most cases, assuming a given antenna array structure—such as the number, position, polarization, and antenna layout of antenna elements—beamforming weights are formed using phase and amplitude taps.

[0122] Variations in antenna tilt, polarization, movement, position, and transmit power amplifier level can significantly impact the performance of the selected beamforming weights. Furthermore, with the advent of metamaterial-based antennas, antenna properties are expected to change dynamically. Therefore, appropriate methods are needed to adapt to situations where antennas at client devices and / or network access nodes are reconfigurable in terms of position, polarization, orientation, subarray movement, and material properties.

[0123] Therefore, according to embodiments of the present invention, a scheme is provided for utilizing the advantages of dynamically adapting antenna settings at client devices and / or network access nodes.

[0124] Figure 1 A client device 100 according to an embodiment of the present invention is shown. Figure 1 In the illustrated embodiment, client device 100 includes a processor 102, a transceiver 104, and a memory 106. The processor 102 is coupled to the transceiver 104 and the memory 106 via a communication device 108 known in the art. Client device 100 also includes an antenna or antenna array 110 coupled to the transceiver 104, indicating that client device 100 is used for wireless communication in a communication system. In embodiments of the invention, the antenna or antenna array 110 is used to provide a plurality of antenna configurations for transmitting and receiving.

[0125] Processor 102 may be referred to as one or more general-purpose central processing units (CPUs), one or more digital signal processors (DSPs), one or more application-specific integrated circuits (ASICs), one or more field-programmable gate arrays (FPGAs), one or more programmable logic devices, one or more discrete gates, one or more transistor logic devices, one or more discrete hardware components, or one or more chipsets. Memory 106 may be read-only memory, random access memory (RAM), or non-volatile RAM (NVRAM). Transceiver 104 may be transceiver circuitry, a power controller, or an interface providing the ability to communicate with other communication modules or communication devices. Transceiver 104, memory 106, and / or processor 102 may be implemented in separate chipsets or in a common chipset.

[0126] In this invention, the client device 100 is used to perform some operations, which can be understood as the client device 100 including suitable components for performing these operations, such as processor 102 and transceiver 104.

[0127] According to an embodiment of the present invention, the client device 100 is configured to transmit an uplink reference signal 510 to the network access node 300 under a set of uplink antenna settings 120, wherein at least one uplink reference signal is transmitted under each uplink antenna setting in the set of uplink antenna settings 120. The client device 100 is further configured to receive an uplink antenna setting indication 512 from the network access node 300, the uplink antenna setting indication 512 indicating the uplink antenna settings in the set of uplink antenna settings 120 of the client device 100, and to determine the uplink antenna settings for the uplink transmission 514 to the network access node 300 based on the received uplink antenna setting indication 512.

[0128] Furthermore, in one embodiment of the invention, the client device 100 includes a transceiver for transmitting an uplink reference signal 510 to the network access node 300 under a set of uplink antenna settings 120, wherein at least one uplink reference signal is transmitted under each of the set of uplink antenna settings 120; and receiving an uplink antenna setting indication 512 from the network access node 300, the uplink antenna setting indication 512 indicating an uplink antenna setting among the set of uplink antenna settings 120 of the client device 100. The client device 100 includes a processor for determining the uplink antenna setting of the uplink transmission 514 to the network access node 300 based on the received uplink antenna setting indication 512.

[0129] Furthermore, in another embodiment of the invention, the client device 100 includes a processor and a memory having computer-readable instructions stored thereon, which, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to: transmit an uplink reference signal 510 to the network access node 300 under a set of uplink antenna settings 120, wherein at least one uplink reference signal is transmitted under each of the set of uplink antenna settings 120; receive an uplink antenna setting indication 512 from the network access node 300, the uplink antenna setting indication 512 indicating an uplink antenna setting in the set of uplink antenna settings 120 of the client device 100; and determine the uplink antenna setting for an uplink transmission 514 to the network access node 300 based on the received uplink antenna setting indication 512.

[0130] Figure 2 This demonstrates that it can be implemented on client device 100 (such as...) Figure 1 The flowchart illustrates the corresponding method 200 executed in the client device (shown). Method 200 includes sending an uplink reference signal 510 202 to the network access node 300 under a set of uplink antenna settings 120, wherein at least one uplink reference signal is sent under each of the uplink antenna settings 120 in the set. Method 200 also includes receiving an uplink antenna setting indication 512 204 from the network access node 300, the uplink antenna setting indication 512 indicating the uplink antenna settings in the set of uplink antenna settings 120 of the client device 100. Method 200 further includes determining an uplink antenna setting 206 for an uplink transmission 514 to the network access node 300 based on the received uplink antenna setting indication 512.

[0131] Figure 3 A network access node 300 according to an embodiment of the present invention is shown. Figure 3In the illustrated embodiment, network access node 300 includes a processor 302, a transceiver 304, and a memory 306. The processor 302 is coupled to the transceiver 304 and the memory 306 via a communication device 308 known in the art. Network access node 300 can be used for wireless and / or wired communication in a communication system. Wireless communication capability can be provided by an antenna or antenna array 310 coupled to the transceiver 304, while wired communication capability can be provided by a wired communication interface 312, etc., coupled to the transceiver 304. In embodiments of the invention, the antenna or antenna array 310 is used to provide a plurality of antenna configurations for transmitting and receiving.

[0132] Processor 302 may be one or more general-purpose CPUs, one or more DSPs, one or more ASICs, one or more FPGAs, one or more programmable logic devices, one or more discrete gates, one or more transistor logic devices, one or more discrete hardware components, and one or more chipsets. Memory 306 may be read-only memory, RAM, or NVRAM. Transceiver 304 may be transceiver circuitry, a power controller, or an interface that provides the ability to communicate with other communication modules or communication devices, such as network nodes and network servers. Transceiver 304, memory 306, and / or processor 302 may be implemented in separate chipsets or in a common chipset.

[0133] In this disclosure, network access node 300 is used to perform some operations, which can be understood as network access node 300 including suitable components for performing these operations, such as processor 302 and transceiver 304.

[0134] According to an embodiment of the present invention, a network access node 300 is configured to transmit a downlink reference signal 530 to a client device 100 under a set of downlink antenna settings 320, wherein at least one downlink reference signal is transmitted under each downlink antenna setting in the set of downlink antenna settings 320 of the network access node 300. The network access node 300 is further configured to receive a set of downlink antenna setting indications 532 from the client device 100, each downlink antenna setting indication indicating a subset of downlink antenna settings in the set of downlink antenna settings 320 of the network access node 300; and to determine a downlink antenna setting for downlink transmission 524 to the client device 100 based on the set of received downlink antenna indications 532.

[0135] Furthermore, in one embodiment of the invention, the network access node 300 includes a transceiver for transmitting a downlink reference signal 530 to the client device 100 under a set of downlink antenna settings 320, wherein at least one downlink reference signal is transmitted under each of the downlink antenna settings 320 of the network access node 300; and receiving a set of downlink antenna setting indications 532 from the client device 100, each downlink antenna setting indication indicating a subset of the downlink antenna settings in the set of downlink antenna settings 320 of the network access node 300. The network access node 300 includes a processor for determining a downlink antenna setting for downlink transmission 524 to the client device 100 based on a set of received downlink antenna indications 532.

[0136] Furthermore, in another embodiment of the invention, the network access node 300 includes a processor and a memory having computer-readable instructions stored thereon, which, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to: transmit a downlink reference signal 530 to the client device 100 under a set of downlink antenna settings 320, wherein at least one downlink reference signal is transmitted under each of the set of downlink antenna settings 320 of the network access node 300; receive a set of downlink antenna setting indications 532 from the client device 100, each downlink antenna setting indication indicating a subset of the downlink antenna settings in the set of downlink antenna settings 320 of the network access node 300; and determine a downlink antenna setting for downlink transmission 524 to the client device 100 based on the set of received downlink antenna indications 532.

[0137] Figure 4 It shows that it can be done in such a way Figure 3 The flowchart illustrates the corresponding method 400 performed in the network access node 300. Method 400 includes transmitting a downlink reference signal 530 402 to the client device 100 under a set of downlink antenna settings 320, wherein at least one downlink reference signal is transmitted under each downlink antenna setting in the set of downlink antenna settings 320 of the network access node 300. Method 400 also includes receiving a set of downlink antenna setting indications 532 404 from the client device 100, each downlink antenna setting indication indicating a subset of downlink antenna settings in the set of downlink antenna settings 320 of the network access node 300; and determining a downlink antenna setting 406 for downlink transmission 524 to the client device 100 based on the set of received downlink antenna indications 532.

[0138] Figure 5A communication system 500 according to an embodiment of the present invention is illustrated. The communication system 500 in the disclosed embodiment includes a client device 100 and a network access node 300. The network access node 300 can be connected to a network (NW), such as a core network, via a communication interface. The communication system 500 can be a communication system according to 3GPP standards, such as a 5G system. In this case, the client device 100 can be user equipment (UE), and the network access node 300 can be a transmission reception point (TRP), a next-generation NodeB (gNB), etc., but the invention is not limited thereto.

[0139] According to embodiments of the present invention, client device 100 and / or network access node 300 are used to determine antenna settings for transmission. Antenna settings may be related to one or more of polarization, number of antenna elements, antenna position, antenna orientation, antenna layout, antenna switching mode, electromagnetic characteristics of metamaterial antennas and / or RF lenses. Therefore, client device 100 and / or network access node 300 may include reconfigurable antennas, i.e., antennas that can be configured / adapted according to the aforementioned attributes. For example, the antennas of client device 100 and / or network access node 300 may be adaptive polarization antennas, multiple antenna arrays, each with a different polarization setting, mobile antennas capable of changing their position (e.g., foldable devices in client devices), antenna arrays where antenna elements / panels can be dynamically closed / opened, and / or metamaterial antennas with different settings, wherein the metamaterial changes its characteristics, for example, due to an applied voltage.

[0140] According to an embodiment of the present invention, antenna settings for the antennas of the client device 100 and / or the network access node 300 can be determined such that the antenna settings for transmission between the client device 100 and the network access node 300 can be optimized according to current propagation conditions. To determine the uplink antenna settings for uplink transmission, the client device 100 sends an uplink reference signal 510 to the network access node 300, such as... Figure 5 As shown. An uplink reference signal 510 is transmitted under a set of uplink antenna settings 120, and at least one uplink reference signal is transmitted under each uplink antenna setting in the set of uplink antenna settings 120, such as the reference... Figure 6 and Figure 7Further described. Client device 100 receives uplink antenna setting indication 512 from network access node 300. Uplink antenna setting indication 512 indicates the uplink antenna setting in a set of uplink antenna settings 120 of client device 100. Based on the received uplink antenna setting indication 512, client device 100 determines the uplink antenna setting for uplink transmission 514 to network access node 300. Reference Figure 5 The client device 100 can also perform uplink transmission 514 to the network access node 300. Uplink transmission 514 is performed within a defined uplink antenna setting.

[0141] To determine the downlink antenna settings for downlink transmission, network access node 300 can send downlink reference signals 530 to one or more client devices 100 under a set of downlink antenna settings 320, receive a set of downlink antenna setting indications 532 from client devices 100, and determine the downlink antenna settings for downlink transmission 524 to client devices 100 based on the received downlink antenna indications 532, as will be referred to below. Figure 8 and Figure 9 Further description.

[0142] Figure 6 Signaling for determining uplink antenna settings according to an embodiment of the present invention is illustrated. The process of determining the uplink antenna settings can be triggered by the client device 100 itself or by the network access node 300 using appropriate control signaling such as dynamic downlink signaling or RRC signaling. The process of determining the uplink antenna settings can also be configured to be executed periodically.

[0143] exist Figure 6 In step I, the client device 100 transmits an uplink reference signal 510 to the network access node 300 under a set of uplink antenna settings 120. Therefore, the set of uplink antenna settings 120 includes two or more antenna settings. At least one uplink reference signal is transmitted under each uplink antenna setting in the set of uplink antenna settings 120. Each uplink antenna setting in the set of uplink antenna settings 120 may be associated with a specific polarization, number of antenna elements, antenna position, antenna orientation, antenna layout, antenna switching mode, and / or electromagnetic characteristics of the metamaterial antenna and / or RF lens. Further, any two uplink antenna settings in the set of uplink antenna settings 120 differ from each other at least in the following aspects: polarization, number of antenna elements, antenna position, antenna orientation, antenna layout, antenna switching mode, and electromagnetic characteristics of the metamaterial antenna and / or RF lens. Therefore, during the transmission of the uplink reference signal 510, the uplink antenna settings of the client device 100 are switched / changed. The uplink reference signal 510 can be sent periodically, aperiodically, or semi-persistently at different time instances.

[0144] exist Figure 6 In step II, the network access node 300 measures the uplink reference signal 510 received from the client device 100 under a set of uplink antenna settings 120. As described above, at least one uplink reference signal is transmitted under each of the set of uplink antenna settings 120 of the client device 100. The network access node 300 also determines the channel quality of each uplink antenna setting in the set of uplink antenna settings 120 of the client device 100, i.e., determines the channel quality of each received uplink reference signal 510, and thus determines the uplink antenna setting for transmitting the reference signal 510. The network access node 300 also selects an uplink antenna setting from the set of uplink antenna settings 120 of the client device 300 based on the determined channel quality, for example, selecting the uplink antenna setting that provides the best channel quality at the network access node 300.

[0145] Then, network access node 300 sends uplink antenna setting instruction 512 to client device 100, such as Figure 6 As shown in step III. The uplink antenna setting indicator 512 indicates the selected uplink antenna setting. The uplink antenna setting indicator 512 can indicate an independent quantity or as part of other quantities, for example, in a beam report. The uplink antenna setting indicator 512 can also indicate a bitmap or a combination indicator. The bitmap or combination indicator can be determined based on the number of different antenna settings of the client device 100. For devices supporting... The client device 100 with one antenna setting, the combined indicator can be of size [size missing]. The uplink antenna setting indicator is a combination of indicators, and the bitmap indicator can be a bitmap of all zero entries except for one entry in the index of the selected uplink antenna setting. The indicator can be transmitted as part of dynamic downlink signaling (e.g., DCI or MAC CE). Furthermore, the uplink antenna setting indicator can be transmitted as part of RRC signaling.

[0146] Client device 100 receives uplink antenna setting instruction 512 from network access node 300, and thus obtains the uplink antenna setting from the set of uplink antenna settings 120 indicated in uplink antenna setting instruction 512. In this way, client device 100 is informed of the uplink antenna setting selected by network access node 300, for example, which uplink antenna setting in the set of uplink antenna settings 120 received by network access node 300 has the highest channel quality.

[0147] In an embodiment, the uplink antenna setup indication 512 also indicates at least one channel quality associated with a set of uplink antenna setups 120 of the client device 100. Therefore, the network access node 300 may indicate one or more of the channel qualities determined in step II in the uplink antenna setup indication 512, i.e., one or more of the determined channel qualities of the set of uplink antenna setups 120 of the client device 100. The channel quality is any of the following: RSRP, SINR, RSRP difference or gap between different uplink antenna setups, and SINR difference or gap between different uplink antenna setups. Therefore, the uplink antenna setup indication 512 may also indicate quality differences between different antenna setups. These channel qualities can be used when the network access node 300 selects its own antenna setup or indicates the antenna setup of the client device 100. For example, when achievable performance degrades below a threshold, the network access node 300 may use the number of channels to select a fallback antenna setup. Alternatively, these channel qualities may be used as input for training, inference, or monitoring of beam and / or antenna setup prediction machine learning models.

[0148] exist Figure 6 In step IV, client device 100 determines the uplink antenna configuration for uplink transmission 514 to network access node 300 based on the received uplink antenna configuration instruction 512. For example, client device 100 may determine the uplink antenna configuration for uplink transmission 514 as the uplink antenna configuration indicated in uplink antenna configuration instruction 512. Client device 100 may also determine the uplink antenna configuration for uplink transmission 514 based on the uplink antenna configuration and at least one channel quality associated with a set of uplink antenna configurations 120 indicated in uplink antenna configuration instruction 512. In practice, client device 100 may support multiple active links / carriers. Therefore, the different active links / carriers of client device 100 need to be considered when determining the uplink antenna configuration.

[0149] In this embodiment, the client device 100 further determines the uplink antenna configuration of the uplink transmission 514 based on measurements of the downlink reference signal received from the network access node 300. Therefore, the client device 100 can select its uplink antenna configuration based on downlink reference signal measurements, thereby avoiding costly uplink reference signal transmission. The measured downlink reference signal can be a downlink reference signal transmitted by the network access node 300, for example, for channel state information (CSI) measurements and / or other measurements. The client device 100 can perform different measurements on the same downlink reference signal resource transmitted with the same downlink antenna configuration / beam combination or on repeated downlink reference signal resources, such as... Figure 10As shown. During each measurement, the client device 100 can switch the active antenna settings of its receiving antenna, such as polarization, position, etc. Then, the client device 100 can determine its uplink antenna setting based on the uplink antenna setting indication 512 and further based on the optimal downlink setting of its receiving antenna. This method can be used in TDD and certain FDD scenarios when at least partial channel reciprocity is valid. Therefore, the optimal uplink antenna setting can be selected for uplink transmission based on the optimal client device antenna setting for downlink reception.

[0150] Based on the determined uplink antenna settings, the client device 100 can perform actions such as Figure 6 The transmissions shown in optional steps V and VI are as follows. For example, client device 100 can perform uplink transmission 514 to network access node 300 in a defined uplink antenna setting, such as... Figure 6 As shown in step V. Client device 100 can also receive downlink transmission 524 from network access node 300 under a downlink antenna setting associated with a determined uplink antenna setting, such as... Figure 6 Step VI is shown in the diagram.

[0151] In this embodiment, the client device 100 can transmit an uplink reference signal 510 under a set of uplink antenna settings 120 and a set of uplink beams 130, wherein at least one uplink reference signal is transmitted under each of the uplink beams 130 of the client device 100. The uplink antenna settings can be switched simultaneously with the beams, or the uplink antenna settings and beams can be switched at different times. Therefore, the uplink reference signal 510 can be repeatedly transmitted with a different uplink antenna setting / beam combination each time, or it can be repeatedly transmitted with a fixed beam and a different uplink antenna setting each time. Therefore, different beam settings of the client device 100 are also considered when determining the uplink antenna settings.

[0152] Figure 7 An embodiment is shown in which client device 100 transmits uplink reference signal 510 using a combined uplink antenna setup and beam scanning under a set of uplink antenna setups 120 and a set of uplink beams 130. A set of uplink antenna setups 120 includes... Figure 7 The first uplink antenna setting is indicated by a checkered pattern. Figure 7 The second uplink antenna configuration is indicated by a striped pattern. In this example, a set of uplink beams 130 includes four uplink beams. The client device 100 scans all combinations of uplink antenna configurations and uplink beams. Therefore, the uplink reference signal 510 is transmitted twice under each uplink beam, once using the first uplink antenna configuration and once using the second uplink antenna configuration, as shown below. Figure 7 The image shows the first and last beams.

[0153] exist Figure 7 In the illustrated embodiment, network access node 300 uses a fixed beam to receive uplink reference signal 510. Network access node 300 also uses this fixed beam to transmit uplink antenna setting indication 512, which indicates the uplink antenna settings in a set of uplink antenna settings 120. However, in this embodiment, when receiving uplink reference signal 510 from client device 100 and / or transmitting uplink antenna setting indication 512 to client device 100, network access node 300 may instead use different beam and / or antenna settings. This may occur when performing data collection measurements for training, inference, or monitoring of beam and / or antenna setting prediction models.

[0154] Figure 8 Signaling for determining downlink antenna settings according to an embodiment of the present invention is illustrated. The process of determining the downlink antenna settings can be triggered by client device 100 or network access node 300, which will be referenced in the following disclosure. Figure 11 The process of determining the downlink antenna settings can also be configured to be performed periodically.

[0155] exist Figure 8 In step I, network access node 300 transmits downlink reference signal 530 to client device 100 under a set of downlink antenna settings 320. At least one downlink reference signal is transmitted under each of the downlink antenna settings 320 in the set of downlink antenna settings 320 of network access node 300. Any two downlink antenna settings in the set of downlink antenna settings 320 differ from each other in at least the following aspects: polarization, number of antenna elements, antenna position, antenna orientation, antenna layout, antenna switching mode, and electromagnetic characteristics of the metamaterial antenna and / or RF lens. Therefore, the downlink antenna settings of network access node 300 are changed / switched during the transmission of downlink reference signal 530. Downlink reference signal 530 may be transmitted periodically, aperiodically, or semi-continuously at different time instances.

[0156] exist Figure 8 In step II, each client device 100 measures the downlink reference signal 530 received from the network access node 300 under a set of downlink antenna settings 320, wherein at least one downlink reference signal is transmitted under each of the downlink antenna settings 320 of the set of downlink antenna settings 320 of the network access node 300. The client device 100 also determines the channel quality of each downlink antenna setting in the set of downlink antenna settings 320 of the network access node 300, i.e., determines the channel quality of each received downlink reference signal 530, and thus determines the downlink antenna settings transmitted with it. The client device 100 also selects a subset of downlink antenna settings under the set of downlink antenna settings 320 of the network access node 300 based on the determined channel quality, for example, selecting the uplink antenna setting with the best channel quality.

[0157] Then, each client device 100 sends a downlink antenna setting instruction 532 to the network access node 300, such as Figure 8 As shown in step III. Downlink antenna setting indication 532 indicates a subset of the selected downlink antenna settings and may also indicate its associated channel quality. Similar to uplink antenna setting indication 512, downlink antenna setting indication 532 may indicate an independent quantity or a portion of another quantity, for example, in beam reporting. Downlink antenna setting indication 532 may also indicate a bitmap or combined indicator as described above.

[0158] Network access node 300 receives a set of downlink antenna setting indications 532 from client device 100. Each downlink antenna setting indication indicates a subset of downlink antenna settings in a set of downlink antenna settings 320 for network access node 300. The reason for using a subset of downlink antenna settings is that when network access node 300 uses a single antenna panel, it may need to serve multiple client devices simultaneously. Since a single downlink antenna setting may not be optimal for all client devices, a subset of downlink antenna settings is needed so that network access node 300 can make informed choices later. Network access node 300 can use the downlink antenna setting indications and associated channel quality values ​​to select appropriate antenna settings for downlink transmission, uplink reception, and to construct an effective antenna setting-aware TCI state.

[0159] In an embodiment, the downlink antenna configuration indication 532 also indicates at least one channel quality associated with a set of downlink antenna configurations 320 of the network access node 300. Therefore, the client device 100 may include one or more of the channel qualities determined in step II in the downlink antenna configuration indication 532. The channel quality is any of the following: RSRP, SINR, RSRP difference or gap between different uplink antenna configurations, and SINR difference or gap between different uplink antenna configurations. These channel qualities can be used when the network access node 300 selects its own antenna configuration or indicates the antenna configuration of the client device 100. For example, the network access node 300 may use these quantities to select a fallback antenna configuration when achievable performance degradation occurs. Alternatively, these channel qualities can be used as input for training, inference, or monitoring of beam and / or antenna configuration prediction machine learning models.

[0160] exist Figure 8In step IV, network access node 300 determines the downlink antenna settings for downlink transmission 524 to client device 100 based on a set of received downlink antenna indications 532. Therefore, network access node 300 can determine the downlink antenna settings for downlink transmission 524 to client device 100 based on a subset of the indicated downlink antenna settings and based on channel quality indications associated with any set of downlink antenna settings 320. Network access node 300 can determine the downlink antenna settings for each of its antenna panels. The determined antenna settings can depend on the channel conditions connecting the client device and the scheduled downlink channels on each network access node transmission panel. For example, network access node 300 can determine the downlink antenna settings that achieve the highest average effective channel gain for all scheduled downlink channels.

[0161] In an embodiment, network access node 300 may further determine the downlink antenna configuration of downlink transmission 524 based on measurements of the uplink reference signal received from client device 100. The uplink reference signal may be an uplink reference signal transmitted by client device 100, such as an uplink reference signal 510 transmitted by client device 100 as part of determining the uplink antenna configuration according to the present invention, used for channel state information (CSI) measurements, beam management, and / or the present invention.

[0162] Based on the determined downlink antenna settings, network access node 300 can perform actions such as Figure 8 At least one transmission indicated in optional steps V and VI. For example, network access node 300 can perform downlink transmission 524 to client device 100 under a defined downlink antenna setting, such as... Figure 8 As shown in step V. Network access node 300 can also receive uplink transmissions 514 from client device 100 under an uplink antenna setting associated with a determined downlink antenna setting, such as... Figure 8 Step VI is shown in the diagram.

[0163] In this embodiment, the network access node 300 transmits a downlink reference signal 530 under a set of downlink antenna configurations 320 and a set of downlink beams 330, wherein at least one downlink reference signal is transmitted under each of the downlink beams 330 of the network access node 300. The downlink antenna configurations can be switched simultaneously with the beams, or the downlink antenna configurations and beams can be switched at different times. Therefore, the downlink reference signal 530 can be repeatedly transmitted with a different downlink antenna configuration / beam combination each time, or it can be repeatedly transmitted with a fixed beam and a different downlink antenna configuration each time.

[0164] Figure 9An embodiment is illustrated in which a network access node 300 transmits a downlink reference signal 530 with a set of downlink antenna configurations 320 and a set of downlink beams 330. The set of downlink antenna configurations 320 includes... Figure 9 The first downlink antenna setup is indicated by a checkered pattern. Figure 9 The second downlink antenna configuration is indicated by a horizontal stripe pattern. In this example, a set of downlink beams 330 includes four downlink beams. The network access node 300 scans all or a subset of the combinations of downlink antenna configurations and downlink beams. Therefore, the downlink reference signal 530 is transmitted twice under each downlink beam, once using the first downlink antenna configuration and once using the second downlink antenna configuration, as shown. Figure 9 The image shows the first and last beams.

[0165] exist Figure 9 In the illustrated embodiment, client device 100 receives downlink reference signal 510 using a fixed beam and / or fixed antenna setup. Client device 100 also transmits downlink antenna setup indication 532, which indicates the downlink antenna setup in a set of downlink antenna setups 320, using a fixed beam and / or fixed antenna setup.

[0166] Figure 10 An embodiment is illustrated where network access node 300 transmits a downlink reference signal (RS) under the same downlink antenna setup / beam combination. Client device 100 can perform measurements on the downlink reference signal (RS) and use these measurements when determining its uplink antenna setup, such as reference signals. Figure 6 As described in step IV. See reference. Figure 10 During each measurement, the client device 100 can switch its downlink antenna settings / beam combination. Then, the uplink antenna settings are determined based on the antenna settings that provide the highest channel quality when receiving the downlink reference signal.

[0167] Figure 11 Signaling for capability exchange and configuration related to antenna setup is illustrated according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0168] exist Figure 11In step I, the client device 100 sends an uplink antenna setting switching indication 516 to the network access node 300. The uplink antenna setting switching indication 516 indicates that the client device 100 supports dynamic switching of the uplink antenna setting. The network access node 300 receives the uplink antenna setting switching indication 516 from the client device 100, and thus obtains an indication that the client device 100 supports dynamic switching of the uplink antenna setting. The network access node 300 can receive uplink antenna setting switching indications 516 from multiple client devices 100, meaning the network access node 300 can receive a set of uplink antenna setting switching indications 516 from the client devices 100. Each uplink antenna setting switching indication 516 indicates that the client device 100 supports dynamic switching of the uplink antenna setting.

[0169] exist Figure 11 In step II, network access node 300 sends a signal to client device 100. Figure 11 (Only one is shown in the image) A set of downlink antenna setting switching indications 518 are sent, each downlink antenna setting switching indication 518 indicating that the network access node 300 supports dynamic switching of downlink antenna settings. The client device 100 receives the downlink antenna setting switching indications 518 from the network access node 300, and thus obtains the indication that the network access node 300 supports dynamic switching of downlink antenna settings.

[0170] The uplink antenna setting switching indication 516 and / or downlink antenna setting switching indication 518 can be RRC messages. The uplink antenna setting switching indication 516 and / or downlink antenna setting switching indication 518 can be new RRC messages or included in existing RRC messages. For example, the uplink antenna setting switching indication 516 and / or downlink antenna setting switching indication 518 can be indicated in an RRC message sent as part of an RRC configuration process (e.g., an RRC capability message).

[0171] In this embodiment, the network access node 300 can use the uplink antenna setting management resource configuration 520 message to configure the client device 100 with the uplink reference signal 510. Therefore, the network access node 300 can send a set of uplink antenna setting management resource configurations 520 to the client device 100, each uplink antenna setting management resource configuration 520 indicating the uplink reference signal 510 to be sent by the client device 100. Figure 11Step III in the diagram illustrates network access node 300 sending uplink antenna configuration management resource configuration 520 to client device 100. Uplink antenna configuration management resource configuration 520 indicates an uplink reference signal 510 to be transmitted by client device 100. Client device 100 receives uplink antenna configuration management resource configuration 520 from network access node 300 and thus acquires the uplink reference signal 510 indicated in uplink antenna configuration management resource configuration 520. In this embodiment, client device 100... Figure 6 The transmission of the uplink reference signal 510 performed in step I can be based on the received uplink antenna setting management resource configuration 520.

[0172] Network access node 300 can also configure client device 100 using antenna setting-aware transmission configuration indicator (TCI) status. The antenna setting-aware TCI status can be indicated in the DCI from network access node 300 to client device 100. (See reference) Figure 11 In step IV, network access node 300 may send uplink and / or downlink antenna setting-aware transmission configuration indicators 522 to client device 100. Each uplink and / or downlink antenna setting-aware transmission configuration indicator may configure one or more reference signals with quasi-co-address relationships between applicable uplink and / or downlink antenna settings. In an embodiment, network access node 300 may further determine downlink antenna settings for downlink transmission 524 to client device 100 based on the sent uplink and / or downlink antenna setting-aware transmission configuration indicators 522. For example, in Figure 8 In step V, network access node 300 can use uplink and / or downlink antenna setting-aware transmission configuration indicator 522 to determine the downlink antenna settings for downlink transmission 524 to client device 100. Network access node 300 can also use the downlink antenna settings determined based on uplink and / or downlink antenna setting-aware transmission configuration indicator 522 to determine the uplink antenna settings for receiving uplink transmission 514 from client device 100. For example, each downlink antenna setting-aware TCI state includes parameters for configuring quasi-co-address relationships between one or two downlink reference signals and reference signal ports of the downlink channel, such as DMRS, CSI-RS. The downlink antenna setting-aware TCI state can also indicate the antenna settings of client device 100 and / or network access node 300 for receiving and / or transmitting downlink channels.

[0173] Client device 100 receives an uplink and / or downlink antenna setting aware transmission configuration indicator 522 from network access node 300, and can further determine the uplink antenna settings for uplink transmission 514 to network access node 300 based on the uplink and / or downlink antenna setting aware transmission configuration indicator 522. For example, in Figure 6 In step V, the client device 100 can use the uplink and / or downlink antenna setting-aware transmission configuration indicator 522 to determine the uplink antenna settings for uplink transmission 514 to the network access node 300. The client device 100 can use the uplink and / or downlink antenna setting-aware transmission configuration indicator 522 to adapt its spatial filters, i.e., antenna settings and beamforming.

[0174] In this document, a client device can refer to a user device / user equipment (UE), a mobile station, an Internet of Things (IoT) device, a sensor device, a wireless terminal, and / or a mobile terminal, and is capable of wireless communication within a wireless communication system (sometimes also called a cellular wireless system). A UE can also be referred to as a wirelessly capable mobile phone, cellular phone, tablet, or laptop. For example, in this context, a UE can be a portable, pocket-sized, handheld, computer-configurable, or vehicle-mounted mobile device capable of transmitting voice and / or data with another communication entity (e.g., another receiver or server) via a radio access network (RAN). A UE can also be a site, which is any device including a media access control (MAC) and physical layer (PHY) interface compliant with IEEE 802.11, connected to a wireless medium (WM). The UE can be used to communicate in 3GPP-related long term evolution (LTE), advanced LTE, fifth generation (5G) radio systems (e.g., new radio (NR)) and their evolution, as well as in IEEE-related Wi-Fi, worldwide interoperability for microwave access (WiMAX) and their evolution.

[0175] The network access node in this article can also be referred to as a wireless network access node, access network access node, access point (AP), or base station (BS), such as a radio base station (RBS). In some networks, it may be called a transmitter, "gNB," "gNodeB," "eNB," "eNodeB," "NodeB," or "B node," depending on the standards, technologies, and terminology used. Depending on the transmission power and thus also on the cell size, a wireless network access node can be of different categories or types, such as a macro eNodeB, a home eNodeB, or a pico base station. A wireless network access node can also be a site, which is any device including IEEE 802.11 compliant MAC and PHY interfaces connected to Wi-Fi. Wireless network access nodes can be used for communication in 3GPP-related LTE, Advanced LTE, 5G wireless systems (e.g., NR) and their evolutions, as well as in IEEE-related Wi-Fi, WiMAX, and their evolutions.

[0176] Furthermore, any method provided in the embodiments of the present invention can be implemented in a computer program having code components, which, when run by a processing component, causes the processing component to perform the steps of the method. The computer program is included in a computer-readable medium of the computer program product. The computer-readable medium can substantially include any memory, such as the ROM, PROM, EPROM, flash memory, EEPROM, hard disk drive, etc., described above.

[0177] Furthermore, it should be recognized that client devices and network access nodes include, for example, the necessary communication capabilities in the form of functions, components, units, elements, etc., for executing or implementing embodiments of the present invention. Examples of other such components, units, elements, and functions include: processors, memories, buffers, control logic, encoders, decoders, rate matchers, de-rate matchers, mapping units, multipliers, decision units, selection units, switches, interleavers, deinterleavers, modulators, demodulators, inputs, outputs, antennas, amplifiers, receiving units, transmitting units, DSPs, TCM encoders, TCM decoders, power supply units, power feeders, communication interfaces, communication protocols, etc., which are suitably arranged together to execute the scheme.

[0178] Therefore, one or more processors in client devices and network access nodes may include, for example, one or more instances of a CPU, processing unit, processing circuitry, processor, ASIC, microprocessor, or other processing logic capable of interpreting and executing instructions. Thus, the expression "processor" can refer to a processing circuitry comprising multiple processing circuits, such as any, some, or all of the aforementioned processing circuits. The processing circuitry can also perform data processing functions for inputting, outputting, and processing data, including data buffering and device control functions such as call processing control and user interface control.

[0179] Finally, it should be understood that the present invention is not limited to the embodiments described above, but also relates to and incorporates all embodiments within the scope of the appended independent claims.

Claims

1. A client device (100), characterized in that, Used for: Uplink reference signals (510) are transmitted to network access nodes (300) under a set of uplink antenna settings (120), wherein at least one uplink reference signal is transmitted under each uplink antenna setting in the set of uplink antenna settings (120); The network access node (300) receives an uplink antenna setting instruction (512), which indicates the uplink antenna setting in the set of uplink antenna settings (120) of the client device (100); The uplink antenna setting for uplink transmission (514) to the network access node (300) is determined based on the received uplink antenna setting instruction (512).

2. The client device (100) according to claim 1, characterized in that, Used for: The uplink reference signal (510) is transmitted under the set of uplink antennas (120) and the set of uplink beams (130), wherein at least one uplink reference signal is transmitted under each of the set of uplink beams (130) of the client device (100).

3. The client device (100) according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that, Any two uplink antenna arrangements in the set of uplink antenna arrangements (120) are different from each other in at least the following aspects: polarization, number of antenna elements, antenna position, antenna orientation, antenna layout, antenna switching mode, and electromagnetic characteristics of metamaterial antennas and / or radio frequency lenses.

4. The client device (100) according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that, The uplink antenna setting indicator (512) is indicated as a bitmap or a combination indicator.

5. The client device (100) according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that, The uplink antenna setup indication (512) also indicates at least one channel quality associated with the set of uplink antenna setups (120) of the client device (100).

6. The client device (100) according to claim 5, characterized in that, The channel quality is any of the following: RSRP, SINR, RSRP difference or gap between different uplink antenna settings, and SINR difference or gap between different uplink antenna settings.

7. The client device (100) according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that, Used for: The uplink antenna configuration of the uplink transmission (514) is further determined based on measurements of the downlink reference signal received from the network access node (300).

8. The client device (100) according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that, Used for: Send an uplink antenna setting switching instruction (516) to the network access node (300), the uplink antenna setting switching instruction (516) indicating that the client device (100) supports dynamic switching of uplink antenna settings; The network access node (300) receives a downlink antenna setting switching instruction (518), which indicates that the network access node (300) supports dynamic switching of downlink antenna settings.

9. The client device (100) according to claim 8, characterized in that, The uplink antenna setting switching indication (516) and / or the downlink antenna setting switching indication (518) are RRC messages.

10. The client device (100) according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that, Used for: The uplink antenna configuration management resource configuration (520) is received from the network access node (300), the uplink antenna configuration management resource configuration (520) indicating the uplink reference signal (510).

11. The client device (100) according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that, Used for: Receive uplink and / or downlink antenna setting aware transmission configuration indicator (522) from the network access node (300); The uplink antenna setting of the uplink transmission (514) is further determined based on the transmission configuration indicator (522) sensed by the uplink and / or downlink antenna settings.

12. The client device (100) according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that, Used for: Measure downlink reference signals (530) received from the network access node (300) under a set of downlink antenna settings (320), wherein at least one downlink reference signal is transmitted under each of the set of downlink antenna settings (320) of the network access node (300); Determine the channel quality of each downlink antenna setting in the set of downlink antenna settings (320) of the network access node (300); Based on the determined channel quality, a subset of downlink antenna settings is selected from the set of downlink antenna settings (320) of the network access node (300); Send a downlink antenna setting instruction (532) to the network access node (300), the downlink antenna setting instruction (532) indicating a subset of selected downlink antenna settings and their associated channel quality.

13. The client device (100) according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that, Used for: The uplink transmission (514) to the network access node (300) is performed in the determined uplink antenna settings; and / or Downlink transmissions from the network access node (300) are received in a downlink antenna configuration associated with a defined uplink antenna configuration.

14. A network access node (300), characterized in that, Used for: A downlink reference signal (530) is transmitted to a client device (100) under a set of downlink antenna settings (320), wherein at least one downlink reference signal is transmitted under each of the set of downlink antenna settings (320) of the network access node (300); The client device (100) receives a set of downlink antenna setting instructions (532), each downlink antenna setting instruction indicating a subset of the downlink antenna settings in the set of downlink antenna settings (320) of the network access node (300); Based on the set of received downlink antenna indications (532), the downlink antenna settings for downlink transmission (524) to the client device (100) are determined.

15. The network access node (300) according to claim 14, characterized in that, Used for: The downlink reference signal (530) is transmitted under the set of downlink antennas (320) and the set of downlink beams (330), wherein at least one downlink reference signal is transmitted under each of the set of downlink beams (330) of the network access node (300).

16. The network access node (300) according to claim 14 or 15, characterized in that, Any two downlink antenna arrangements in the set of downlink antenna arrangements (320) are different from each other in at least the following aspects: polarization, number of antenna elements, antenna position, antenna orientation, antenna layout, antenna switching mode, and electromagnetic characteristics of metamaterial antennas and / or radio frequency lenses.

17. The network access node (300) according to any one of claims 14 to 16, characterized in that, The downlink antenna setting indicator (532) is indicated as a bitmap or a combination indicator.

18. The network access node (300) according to any one of claims 14 to 17, characterized in that, The downlink antenna setup indication (532) also indicates at least one channel quality associated with the set of downlink antenna setups (320) of the network access node (300).

19. The network access node (300) according to claim 18, characterized in that, The channel quality is any of the following: RSRP, SINR, RSRP difference or gap between different uplink antenna settings, and SINR difference or gap between different uplink antenna settings.

20. The network access node (300) according to any one of claims 14 to 19, characterized in that, Used for: The downlink antenna configuration of the downlink transmission (524) is further determined based on the measurement of the uplink reference signal received from the client device (100).

21. The network access node (300) according to any one of claims 14 to 20, characterized in that, Used for: The client device (100) receives a set of uplink antenna setting switching instructions (516), each uplink antenna setting switching instruction (516) indicating that the client device (100) supports dynamic switching of uplink antenna settings; A set of downlink antenna setting switching instructions (518) is sent to the client device (100), each downlink antenna setting switching instruction (518) indicating that the network access node (300) supports dynamic switching of downlink antenna settings.

22. The network access node (300) according to claim 21, characterized in that, The uplink antenna setting switching indication (516) and / or the downlink antenna setting switching indication (518) are RRC messages.

23. The network access node (300) according to any one of claims 14 to 22, characterized in that, Used for: Send a set of uplink antenna setting management resource configurations (520) to the client device (100), each uplink antenna setting management resource configuration (520) indicating an uplink reference signal (510) to be sent by the client device (100).

24. The network access node (300) according to any one of claims 14 to 23, characterized in that, Used for: Send an uplink and / or downlink antenna setting aware transmission configuration indicator (522) to the client device (100).

25. The network access node (300) according to claim 24, characterized in that, Used for: The downlink antenna settings for the downlink transmission to the client device (100) are further determined based on the transmission configuration indicator (522) sensed by the transmitted uplink and / or downlink antenna settings.

26. The network access node (300) according to any one of claims 14 to 25, characterized in that, Used for: Measure the uplink reference signal (510) received from the client device (100) under a set of uplink antenna settings (120), wherein at least one uplink reference signal is transmitted under each of the set of uplink antenna settings (120) of the client device (100); Determine the channel quality of each uplink antenna setting in the set of uplink antenna settings (120) of the client device (100); Based on the determined channel quality, an uplink antenna setting is selected from the set of uplink antenna settings (120) of the client device (300); Send an uplink antenna setting instruction (512) to the client device (100), the uplink antenna setting instruction (512) indicating the selected uplink antenna setting.

27. The network access node (300) according to any one of claims 14 to 26, characterized in that, Used for: The downlink transmission (524) to the client device (100) is performed in the determined downlink antenna settings; and / or Uplink transmissions from the client device (100) are received in the uplink antenna settings associated with the determined downlink antenna settings.

28. A method (200) for a client device (100), characterized in that, The method (200) includes: Uplink reference signals (510) are transmitted (202) to network access nodes (300) under a set of uplink antenna settings (120), wherein at least one uplink reference signal is transmitted under each uplink antenna setting in the set of uplink antenna settings (120); The network access node (300) receives (204) an uplink antenna setting instruction (512), which indicates the uplink antenna setting in the set of uplink antenna settings (120) of the client device (100); The uplink antenna setting for uplink transmission (514) to the network access node (300) is determined (206) based on the received uplink antenna setting instruction (512).

29. A method (400) for a network access node (300), characterized in that, The method (200) includes: A downlink reference signal (530) is transmitted (402) to a client device (100) under a set of downlink antenna settings (320), wherein at least one downlink reference signal is transmitted under each of the set of downlink antenna settings (320) of the network access node (300); The client device (100) receives (404) a set of downlink antenna setting instructions (532), each downlink antenna setting instruction indicating a subset of the downlink antenna settings in the set of downlink antenna settings (320) of the network access node (300); Based on the set of received downlink antenna indications (532), the downlink antenna settings for downlink transmission (524) to the client device (100) are determined (406).

30. A computer program having program code, characterized in that, When the computer program is run on a computer, the program code is used to perform the method according to claim 28 or 29.

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