Multi-radio access technology spectrum sharing space division multiplexing precoding framework

Abstract

A method performed by a user equipment (UE) includes: receiving configuration from a network, the configuration indicating a first reference signal (RS) resource associated with a first radio access technology (RAT) and second RS resources associated with different second RATs. The method includes determining a beam corresponding to the first RS resource in the first RS resource and at least one orthogonal beam corresponding to at least one second RS resource. The method includes reporting channel state information (CSI) feedback associated with the first RS resource and information identifying at least one second RS resource. Furthermore, the method includes receiving first data from the first RAT in time and frequency resources, the time and frequency resources being used simultaneously by the first RAT or the second RAT to transmit second data to a second UE paired with the UE for use in multiple-user multiple-input multiple-output (MU-MIMO).

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This disclosure generally relates to telecommunications, and more particularly to multiple radio access technology (RAT) spectrum sharing (MRSS) in public terrestrial mobile networks. Background Technology

[0002] A telecommunications system can be viewed as a facility that enables communication between two or more entities, such as between two user equipments (UEs), between a UE and a base station, between two base stations, between a UE and a network function of a communication network, and / or between a base station and other nodes. A telecommunications system may include a communication network and one or more UEs. A communication session may include, for example, communication using data to carry communications such as voice, video, email, text messages, multimedia, and / or content data. Non-limiting examples of services provided include two-way or multi-way calling, data communication or multimedia services, and access to data network systems such as the Internet.

[0003] In a telecommunications system that includes wireless communication networks, at least a portion of a communication session between at least two sites occurs over a wireless link. Examples of wireless communication networks include Public Land Mobile Networks (PLMNs), satellite-based communication networks, and various wireless local area networks, such as Wireless Local Area Networks (WLANs). Some wireless communication networks can be divided into cells and are therefore often referred to as cellular networks.

[0004] Users can access the telecommunications network of a telecommunications system through appropriate communication equipment or terminals. A user's communication equipment may be referred to as user equipment (UE) or user device. The communication equipment is equipped with appropriate signal receiving and transmitting means for enabling communication, such as access to the communication network or direct communication with other users. The communication equipment can access a carrier provided by, for example, a base station in a cell, and transmit and / or receive communication on that carrier.

[0005] Telecommunications systems have evolved through multiple generations, each bringing advancements in speed, capacity, and functionality. Evolved Packet System (EPS) represents the 4G architecture, which includes Long Term Evolution (LTE) and LTE-Advanced (LTE-A) as its radio access technologies. The 5G system (5GS) is built on EPS, introducing 5G New Radio (5GNR) for enhanced mobile broadband, massive machine-type communications, and ultra-reliable low-latency communications. The future 6G system (6GS) promises to further revolutionize telecommunications with even more advanced capabilities. Telecommunications systems are interconnected, with 5GS designed to interoperate with EPS for seamless service continuity. The 3rd Generation Partnership Project (3GPP) plays a crucial role in developing and maintaining the standards for these telecommunications systems, ensuring global interoperability and evolution from Universal Mobile Telecommunications System (UMTS) (3G) to 6G technologies. Summary of the Invention

[0006] The exemplary implementations of this disclosure relate to telecommunications, and more particularly to Multiple Radio Access Technology (RAT) spectrum sharing (MRSS) in public terrestrial mobile networks. This disclosure includes, but is not limited to, the following exemplary implementations.

[0007] Some example implementations provide an apparatus for implementing a user equipment (UE), the apparatus comprising: at least one memory configured to store instructions; and at least one processing circuit configured to access the at least one memory and execute the instructions such that the apparatus at least: receives configuration from a network indicating a first reference signal (RS) resource associated with a first radio access technology (RAT) and second RS resources associated with different second RATs; determines a beam corresponding to a first RS resource having the highest received signal strength or quality measured at the UE, and at least one orthogonal beam corresponding to at least one second RS resource having the lowest received signal strength or quality, and related to the second RS resource. The system includes: a second beam orthogonal corresponding to a second RS resource having the highest received signal strength or quality in the source; reporting channel state information (CSI) feedback associated with the first RS resource and information identifying the at least one second RS resource to the network; and receiving first data from the first RAT in time and frequency resources, the time and frequency resources being used simultaneously by the first RAT or the second RAT to transmit second data to a second UE paired with the UE for multiple user multiple input multiple output (MU-MIMO), the first data being transmitted by the first RAT using beamforming weights for MU-MIMO, the beamforming weights being determined based on the CSI feedback, the at least one second RS resource, and the pairing of the UE and the second UE for MU-MIMO.

[0008] Some example implementations provide a method performed by a user equipment (UE), the method comprising: receiving configuration from a network, the configuration indicating a first reference signal (RS) resource associated with a first radio access technology (RAT) and second RS resources associated with different second RATs; determining a beam corresponding to the first RS resource having the highest received signal strength or quality measured at the UE, and at least one orthogonal beam corresponding to at least one second RS resource having the lowest received signal strength or quality, and orthogonal to the second beam corresponding to the second RS resource having the highest received signal strength or quality. The system reports channel state information (CSI) feedback associated with the first RS resource and information identifying the at least one second RS resource to the network; and receives first data from the first RAT in time and frequency resources, the time and frequency resources being used simultaneously by the first RAT or the second RAT to transmit second data to a second UE paired with the UE for multiple user multiple input multiple output (MU-MIMO), the first data being transmitted by the first RAT using beamforming weights for MU-MIMO, the beamforming weights being determined based on the CSI feedback, the at least one second RS resource, and the pairing of the UE and the second UE for MU-MIMO.

[0009] Some example implementations provide an apparatus including: at least one memory configured to store instructions; and at least one processing circuitry configured to access the at least one memory and execute the instructions to cause the apparatus to at least: receive a first report from a first user equipment (UE), the first report including first channel state information (CSI) feedback associated with a first RS resource in a first RS resource associated with a first radio access technology (RAT), and information identifying at least one second RS resource associated with a different second RAT; receive a second report from a second UE, the second report including second CSI feedback associated with a second RS resource in the second RS resource; determine beamforming weights for MU-MIMO based on the first CSI feedback, the second CSI feedback, the at least one second RS resource, and the pairing of the first UE and the second UE for multi-user multiple-input multiple-output (MU-MIMO); and configure the beamforming weights to the first RAT and the second RAT so that the first RAT and the second RAT use the beamforming weights to transmit first data and second data to the UE and the second UE in time and frequency resources used simultaneously by both the first RAT and the second RAT.

[0010] Some exemplary embodiments provide a method comprising: receiving a first report from a first user equipment (UE), the first report including first channel state information (CSI) feedback associated with a first RS resource in a first RS resource associated with a first radio access technology (RAT), and information identifying at least one second RS resource associated with a different second RAT; receiving a second report from a second UE, the second report including second CSI feedback associated with a second RS resource in the second RS resource; determining beamforming weights for MU-MIMO based on the first CSI feedback, the second CSI feedback, the at least one second RS resource, and a pairing of the first UE and the second UE for multi-user multiple-input multiple-output (MU-MIMO); and configuring the beamforming weights to the first RAT and the second RAT for transmitting first data and second data to the UE and the second UE using the beamforming weights in time and frequency resources used simultaneously by both the first RAT and the second RAT.

[0011] Some example implementations provide an apparatus for implementing a user equipment (UE), the apparatus comprising: at least one memory configured to store instructions; and at least one processing circuitry configured to access the at least one memory and execute the instructions such that the apparatus performs at least the following operations: receiving configuration from a network indicating a first reference signal (RS) resource associated with a first radio access technology (RAT) and a second RS resource associated with a different second RAT; determining, among at least one of the first RS resource or the second RS resource, the RS resource having the highest received signal strength or quality measured at the UE; reporting channel state information (CSI) feedback associated with the RS resource to the network; and receiving first data and second data from the first RAT and the second RAT in time and frequency resources, the time and frequency resources being used simultaneously by both the first RAT and the second RAT to transmit the first data and the second data, the first data and the second data being transmitted by the first RAT and the second RAT using beamforming weights for single-user multiple-input multiple-output (SU-MIMO) determined based on the CSI feedback.

[0012] Some example implementations provide a method performed by a user equipment (UE) comprising: receiving configuration from a network indicating a first reference signal (RS) resource associated with a first radio access technology (RAT) and a second RS resource associated with a different second RAT; determining, at least one of the first RS resource or the second RS resource, the RS resource having the highest received signal strength or quality measured at the UE; reporting channel state information (CSI) feedback associated with the RS resource to the network; and receiving first data and second data from the first RAT and the second RAT in time and frequency resources, the time and frequency resources being used simultaneously by both the first RAT and the second RAT to transmit the first data and the second data, the first data and the second data being transmitted by the first RAT and the second RAT using beamforming weights for single-user multiple-input multiple-output (SU-MIMO) determined based on the CSI feedback.

[0013] Some exemplary embodiments provide an apparatus comprising: at least one memory configured to store instructions; and at least one processing circuit configured to access the at least one memory and execute the instructions to cause the apparatus to at least: receive from a user equipment (UE) a report including channel state information (CSI) feedback, the CSI feedback being associated with an RS resource of at least one of a first RS resource or a second RS resource, the first RS resource being associated with a first radio access technology (RAT) and the second RS resource being associated with a different second RAT; determine beamforming weights for single-user multiple-input multiple-output (SU-MIMO) based on the CSI feedback; and configure the beamforming weights for the first RAT to transmit first data to the UE in time and frequency resources using the beamforming weights, the time and frequency resources being simultaneously used by the first RAT or the second RAT to transmit second data to the UE.

[0014] Some example implementations provide a method comprising: receiving from a user equipment (UE) a report including channel state information (CSI) feedback, the CSI feedback being associated with an RS resource of at least one of a first RS resource or a second RS resource, the first RS resource being associated with a first radio access technology (RAT) and the second RS resource being associated with a different second RAT; determining beamforming weights for single-user multiple-input multiple-output (SU-MIMO) based on the CSI feedback; and configuring the beamforming weights for the first RAT to transmit first data to the UE using the beamforming weights in time and frequency resources, the time and frequency resources being used simultaneously by the first RAT or the second RAT to transmit second data to the UE.

[0015] These and other features, aspects, and advantages of this disclosure will become apparent from the following detailed description and the accompanying drawings, which are briefly described below. This disclosure includes any combination of two, three, four, or more features or elements set forth in this disclosure, whether or not such features or elements are explicitly combined in the particular exemplary embodiments described herein or otherwise narrated. This disclosure is intended to be read holistically such that any separable feature or element of this disclosure should be considered composable in any aspect and exemplary embodiment, unless the context of this disclosure expressly provides otherwise.

[0016] Therefore, it should be understood that the content of this invention is provided merely to outline some exemplary embodiments in order to provide a basic understanding of some aspects of this disclosure. Consequently, it should be understood that the above-described exemplary implementations are merely examples and should not be construed as limiting the scope or spirit of this disclosure in any way. Other exemplary embodiments, aspects, and advantages will become apparent from the following detailed description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, which illustrate the principles of some of the described exemplary embodiments by way of example. Attached Figure Description

[0017] Therefore, exemplary embodiments of this disclosure have been described in general terms. Reference will now be made to the accompanying drawings, which are not necessarily drawn to scale, and in which: Figure 1 The present disclosure illustrates a telecommunications system comprising one or more Public Land Mobile Networks (PLMNs) coupled to one or more external data networks, according to some example embodiments thereof; Figure 2 A PLMN according to some example implementations is shown; Figure 3 Multiple Radio Access Technology (RAT) Spectrum Sharing (MRSS) in a PLMN according to some example implementations is shown; Figure 4The beam grid structure in which discrete beam sets can be generated is shown; Figure 5 The transmission of 5G and 6G reference signals (RS) via a beam scanning process is illustrated according to some example implementations; Figure 6 Spatial multiplexing (SDM) of 5G and 6G data in an MRSS with multi-user multiple-input multiple-output (MU-MIMO) according to some example implementations is shown; Figure 7 SDM of 5G and 6G data in MRSS with single-user multiple-input multiple-output (SU-MIMO) is shown according to some example implementations; Figure 8 SDM of 5G and 6G demodulation reference signals (DMRS) in an MRSS with MU-MIMO according to some example implementations is shown; Figure 9A and 9B A diagram illustrates the process of SDM for 5G and 6G data in an MRSS with MU-MIMO, according to some example implementations. Figure 10 This is a flowchart illustrating various steps in a method performed by a user equipment (UE) according to various example implementations; Figure 11 This is a flowchart illustrating various steps in a method according to various example implementations; Figure 12A and Figure 12B It is a flowchart illustrating various steps in a method performed by a UE according to various example implementations; Figure 13 This is a flowchart illustrating various steps in a method according to various example embodiments; and Figure 14 An apparatus according to some example implementations is shown. Detailed Implementation

[0018] Some embodiments of this disclosure will now be described more fully below with reference to the accompanying drawings, which illustrate some, but not all, of these embodiments. In fact, various embodiments of this disclosure may be embodied in many different forms and should not be construed as limited to the embodiments set forth herein; rather, these exemplary embodiments are provided so that this disclosure will be thorough and complete and will fully convey the scope of this disclosure to those skilled in the art. The same reference numerals always refer to the same elements. Unless otherwise stated or clear from the context, references to first, second, etc., should not be construed as implying a particular order, but are used only to distinguish one item or operation from another.

[0019] As used herein, unless otherwise stated or clearly indicated from the context, an "OR" of a set of operands is an "inclusive OR," meaning it is true if and only if one or more operands are true, not a "XOR" which is false if all operands are true. Thus, for example, "[A] OR [B]" is true if [A] is true, or if [B] is true, or if both [A] and [B] are true. Furthermore, the articles "a" and "one" mean "one or more," unless otherwise stated or clearly indicated from the context to refer to the singular form. Additionally, it should be understood that, unless otherwise stated, the terms "data," "content," "digital content," "information," and similar terms are sometimes used interchangeably. The term "network" can refer to a group of interconnected computers including clients and servers; and within a network, these computers can be interconnected directly or indirectly by various means, including via one or more switches, routers, gateways, access points, etc.

[0020] This disclosure discusses telecommunications systems and mobile or cellular networks and their user equipment, and while specific terminology may be used, it is broadly applicable to a wide range of technologies. For example, while this disclosure may refer to radio access technologies such as 5G NR and 5G Advanced, it is equally relevant to next-generation radio access technologies such as 6G. The exemplary implementations of this disclosure described herein also refer to Public Land Mobile Networks (PLMNs) and Mobile Network Operators (MNOs), but the exemplary implementations are similarly applicable to Standalone Non-Public Networks (SNPNs).

[0021] While some examples and figures focus on radio access networks (RANs), particularly those operating according to the 3GPP standards for 5G NR (often referred to as 3GPP access or 3GPP access network), the example implementations are applicable to any type of access network. The applicability of any type of access network includes not only 3GPP access networks but also non-3GPP access networks, such as wired access, untrusted non-3GPP access networks, and trusted non-3GPP access networks that use Radio Access Gateway Functions (W-AGF), Non-3GPP Interoperability Functions (N3IWF), or Trusted Non-3GPP Gateway Functions (TNGF) to connect to the core network (e.g., a 5G core network (5GC) or a 6G core network (6GC) for mobile or cellular networks).

[0022] Furthermore, as used herein, the term "circuit" may refer to one or more of the following: (a) a hardware circuit implementation only (such as an implementation only in analog and / or digital circuits); (b) a combination of hardware circuits and software, such as (if applicable): (i) a combination of (multiple) analog and / or digital hardware circuits with software / firmware, and (ii) (multiple) hardware processors with any part of the software (including digital signal processors(s)), software, and (multiple) memories, which work together to enable a device such as a mobile phone or a server to perform various functions; or (c) (multiple) hardware circuits and / or (multiple) processors, such as (multiple) microprocessors or a portion thereof, which require software (e.g., firmware) to operate, but may be absent when the software is not required to operate.

[0023] The foregoing definition of "circuit" applies to all uses of the term in this application (including in any claim). As another example, as used herein, the term "circuit" also encompasses only hardware circuitry or a processor (or processors) or a portion thereof, and its accompanying software and / or firmware. The term "circuit" also encompasses, for example and if applicable to a particular claim element, baseband integrated circuits or processor integrated circuits for mobile devices, or similar integrated circuits in servers, cellular network devices, or other computing or network devices.

[0024] Figure 1 Telecommunication system 100 according to various example embodiments of this disclosure is illustrated. Examples of suitable telecommunications systems include UMTS, EPS, and 5GS, as well as future 6GS. A telecommunications system (also referred to as a system) typically includes one or more mobile or cellular networks. The one or more mobile or cellular networks may interconnect with each other. As shown, for example, the system includes one or more PLMNs 102 coupled to one or more other external data networks (DNs) 104, particularly including wide area networks (WANs) such as the Internet. As will be appreciated, the PLMN may be a self-contained PLMN including a 5GC, or a non-self-contained PLMN including both an evolved packet core (EPC) and a 5GC connected to a RAN. Although the illustrated system includes one or more PLMNs, it should be understood that the system may include one or more non-public networks, or one or more PLMNs and one or more non-public networks.

[0025] Each PLMN 102 includes a core network (CN) 106, such as an EPC, 5GC, or 6GC; and each CN is coupled to one or more RANs 108 implementing one or more Radio Access Technologies (RATs). Examples of these RANs include the Evolved UMTS Terrestrial Radio Access Network (E-UTRAN) for 4G LTE, the Next Generation Radio Access Network (NG-RAN) for 5G NR, and the 6G RAN. As used herein, “network equipment” refers to any suitable equipment within the RAN or the core network of a telecommunications system. Examples of suitable network equipment are described in more detail below.

[0026] Examples of RATs include 3GPP radio access technologies such as GSM, CDMA2000 1xEV-DO (HRPD), CDMA2000 1x (1xRTT), UTRA, E-UTRA, 5G NR, 5G Advanced, and 6G. Other examples of RATs include IEEE 802 technologies such as IEEE 802.11 (Wi-Fi), IEEE 802.15 (including 802.15.1 (WPAN / Bluetooth), 802.15.4 (Zigbee), and 802.15.6 (WBAN)), Bluetooth, Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE), Ultra Wideband (UWB), etc. Generally, RAT can refer to any 2G, 3G, 4G, 5G, 6G, or higher generation RAT and its different versions, as well as any other RAT that can be deployed to interoperate with such a RAT to provide access to CN 106 of the MNO.

[0027] Telecommunication system 100 also includes one or more communication devices, which may be referred to differently as User Equipment (UE) 110, terminal equipment, terminal device, mobile station, etc. The UE is typically a device configured to communicate with network equipment (e.g., access nodes, such as RAN nodes in RAN 108) or another UE in the telecommunications system. The UE may be a portable computer (e.g., laptop computer, notebook computer, tablet computer), a mobile phone (e.g., cellular phone, smartphone), a wearable computer (e.g., smartwatch), etc. In other examples, the UE may be an Internet of Things (IoT) device, an Industrial IoT (IIoT) device, a vehicle equipped with Vehicle-to-Everything (V2X) communication technology, etc. In some examples, as referenced by 3GPP, the UE may be a Narrowband IoT (NB-IoT) device, an enhanced machine-type communication (eMTC) device, a RedCap device, an environmental IoT device, etc.

[0028] In operation, these UEs 110 can connect to one or more RAN nodes of RAN 108 based on their specific RAT, thereby accessing a specific CN 106 of PLMN 102, or accessing one or more external data networks 104 (e.g., the Internet) or services provided by the PLMN. External data networks can provide Internet access or third-party services (e.g., services provided by third-party application servers). For example, the International Telecommunication Union (ITU) has categorized 5G mobile network services (e.g., services provided by 5G mobile networks) into three classes: enhanced mobile broadband (eMBB), ultra-reliable and low-latency communications (URLLC), and massive machine-type communications (mMTC) or massive Internet of Things (MIoT).

[0029] In various examples, RAN 108 can be configured to provide one or more macro cells, micro cells, pico cells, femto cells, etc. RAN typically includes one or more RAN nodes that interact with UE 110. In various examples, RAN nodes can be referred to as base stations (BS), access points (AP), base transceiver stations (BTS). Examples of RAN nodes include node B (NB), evolved NB (eNB), macro BS, NB (MNB) or eNB (MeNB), home BS, NB (HNB) or eNB (HeNB), next-generation NB (gNB), enhanced gNB (en-gNB), next-generation eNB (ng-eNB), 6G NB (6gNB), etc. The term “gNB” in 5G NR can correspond to eNB in ​​4G LTE. In addition, next-generation RAN nodes can refer to gNB or ng-eNB. And unless otherwise stated, gNB in ​​5G NR or 6gNB in ​​6G can sometimes be more generally referred to as (6)gNB or more simply as gNB.

[0030] RAN 108 may include some type of network control / management entity responsible for controlling RAN nodes. The network control / management entity and RAN nodes may be separate entities or integrated into a single device. The network control / management entity may include processing circuitry configured to perform various management functions for controlling one or more RAN nodes. The processing circuitry may be associated with memory, computer-readable storage media, or data storage devices, including databases for maintaining information required for the various management functions.

[0031] Figure 2An example of a PLMN 102 (such as a 4G LTE, 5G NR, or 6G PLMN) communicating with a UE 110 of a telecommunications system 100 and an external data network 104 is shown. As illustrated, a RAN 108 (e.g., an E-UT RAN, NG-RAN, 6G RAN) includes one or more RAN nodes 202 configured to connect one or more UEs to the RAN, thereby accessing a CN 106 (e.g., an EPC, 5GC, 6GC). In 4G LTE, the UE, E-UT RAN, and EPC constitute the EPS. Similarly, in 5G NR, the UE, NG RAN, and 5GC constitute the 5GS. And in 6G, the UE, 6G RAN, and 6GC constitute the 6GS.

[0032] In various scenarios, a single UE 110 (dual-mode or multi-mode UE) can support carrier aggregation (CA), dual connectivity (DC), or multiple connectivity (MC). In this regard, CA allows the UE to connect to cells on multiple carriers simultaneously, enabling the UE to achieve higher throughput and faster time-scale load balancing across multiple carriers. As described herein, the term "dual connectivity" (or "DC") broadly encompasses carrier aggregation, dual connectivity, and multiple connectivity, used individually or in combination.

[0033] In some implementations, the operation of a gNB or other RAN node may be distributed or functionally divided into components including one or more Remote Radio Headers (RRHs) or Radio Units (RUs) 204 and Baseband Units (BBUs); and in some implementations, the BBU may be divided into a Central Unit (CU) 206 (central node) and a Distributed Unit (DU) 208 (distributed node). A CU may be, for example, a server, a host, or a node. In some implementations, the RRH / RU and DU may be co-located at a network device. The operation of a gNB or RAN node may also be distributed among multiple servers, hosts, or nodes.

[0034] It should also be understood that the distribution of operations between core network operations and RAN node operations can vary depending on the implementation. For example, 5G or 6G network architectures can be based on so-called CU-DU splitting. One gNB-CU (CU 206) can control one or more gNB-DUs (DU 208). A gNB-CU can control multiple spatially separated gNB-DUs, at least acting as transmit / receive (Tx / Rx) nodes. However, in some example implementations, a gNB-DU may include, for example, the Radio Link Control (RLC), Medium Access Control (MAC) layer, and Physical (PHY) layer, while the gNB-CU may include layers above the RLC layer, such as the Packet Data Convergence Protocol (PDCP) layer, Radio Resource Control (RRC), and Internet Protocol (IP) layer. Other functional splitting is also possible. Those skilled in the art are considered familiar with the Open Systems Interconnection (OSI) model and the functions within each layer.

[0035] In some example implementations, the server or CU 206 can generate a virtual network through which the server communicates with the radio nodes. Typically, virtual networking can involve the process of combining hardware and software network resources and network functions into a single software-based management entity (virtual network). Such a virtual network can provide flexible distribution of operations between the server and the radio head end / node. In practice, any digital signal processing task can be performed in the CU or DU 208, and the boundaries of responsibility transferred between the CU and DU can be selected depending on the implementation.

[0036] In 3GPP, Dynamic Spectrum Sharing (DSS) and Multi-RAT Spectrum Sharing (MRSS) are technologies that allow multiple RATs to dynamically share the same spectrum. In this regard, DSS allows for the dynamic allocation of spectrum resources between 4G LTE and 5G NR based on RAN conditions, thereby allowing the MNO to adjust the allocation of spectrum resources in real time to meet evolving service demands. DSS includes mechanisms to ensure the coexistence of 4G LTE and 5G NR in the same frequency band, minimize interference, and optimize performance.

[0037] When both 4G LTE and 5G NR services are deployed in the same frequency band, DSS supports DC (Distribution Control). For DSS, the RRC (Resource Reduction Control) protocol includes a process for dynamically allocating spectrum resources between 4G LTE and 5G NR. This involves signaling between UE 110 and RAN 108 to adjust the allocation. Other benefits of DSS include smooth UE transitions between 4G LTE and 5G NR services without noticeable disruptions. However, one of the main limitations of DSS is its ability to dynamically manage spectrum.

[0038] The transition from 5G NR to 6G is expected to bring flexibility to spectrum usage, where 6G may operate across different spectrum resources and gradually consume spectrum previously used by 5G NR. These spectrum resources may include, for example, frequency range 1 (FR1) (sub-6 GHz), frequency range 2 (FR2) (24 GHz to 52 GHz), and frequency range 3 (FR3) (7-24 GHz). This flexibility comes with the challenge of migrating and sharing spectrum between 5G NR and 6G without affecting the performance of UE 110 (including both 5G UEs and newly added 6G UEs).

[0039] MRSS allows for the sharing of spectrum resources between 5G NR and 6G. Utilizing MRSS, RAN 108 can benefit from a mechanism that enables 5G NR and 6G operation simultaneously using the same frequency band. In one example of a DC, the MRSS cell can be a primary cell (PCell) shared between 5G NR and 6G, and the secondary cell (SCell) is a 6G-only cell that can provide additional capacity to the MRSS cell. In addition to aspects related to MSSS sharing, the PCell may also need to handle legacy signaling requirements. Therefore, in another example of a DC where flexibility is handled in the SCell, the PCell can be a 6G-only cell providing primary connectivity for core functionality, while the MRSS cell is an SCell that will provide additional capacity or coverage while sharing spectrum with 5G NR.

[0040] like Figure 3 As shown, in an MRSS scenario, the 6G RAT3 02 (provided by 6G NB 202A) and 5G RAT 304 (provided by 5GgNB 202B) can share the same RU 204. In various examples, the 5G gNB and 6G NB can be logically separated and physically separated or co-located. In the MRSS design, resource allocation for 5G NR and 6G can be handled by one or more MAC entities, including at least one scheduler 306. Different approaches and architectures can be proposed for MRSS. One proposed architecture for a common RAN vendor for 5G NR and 6G involves a scheduler for joint scheduling between 5G NR and 6G. Another architecture proposed for a common vendor or different vendors involves a separate scheduler between 5G NR and 6G. The 5G NR scheduler can be separated from the 6G scheduler (not co-located), such as in an MRSS system with a cloud-native RAN deployment for 6G and a classic deployment for 5G.

[0041] A challenge in MRSS is avoiding the introduction of significant overhead for control signaling and reference signal (RS) transmission, especially when different RATs coexist in the same bandwidth. MRSS can be deployed for sub-6 GHz (FR1) and / or millimeter wave (FR2). For Sub-6 GHz, millimeter wave, and mid-band (e.g., 2.5 GHz), beamforming can be used to combat propagation loss and improve signal strength, and it is reasonable to assume that 5G NR and 6G can coexist with full frequency reuse, which can benefit from efficient beam management.

[0042] In 3GPP, the channel between UE 110 and RAN node 202 is not explicitly reported. Instead, a codebook is defined for Channel State Information (CSI) reporting, and this codebook is formed by a set of possible beamforming matrices. In this respect, the UE can perform measurements on the CSI-RS signal from the RAN node and select entries in the codebook based on these measurements. This entry can be represented by an index of the preferred beamforming matrix (i.e., the Precoding Matrix Index (PMI)). The PMI is added to the CSI report sent by the UE to the RAN node.

[0043] A single codebook includes entries of a given rank, and the selected codebook can be identified by a rank indicator (RI), which can also be included as part of the CSI report sent by UE 110 to RAN node 202. The CSI report can be completed by calculating a channel quality indicator (CQI), which indicates the preferred modulation and coding scheme (MCS) under the assumption of single-user multiple-input multiple-output (SU-MIMO) transmission, which uses beams indicated by the PMI derived from the codebook indicated by the RI. Although the UE sends a CSI report, the RAN node can determine any additional beamforming matrices used for data transmission based on the implementation.

[0044] Therefore, 3GPP relies on codebook-based beamforming, where the codebook is defined based on discrete beam sets, which are generated based on the two-dimensional discrete Fourier transform (2D-DFT) of the beam grid (GoB). Figure 4The diagram illustrates a beam trellis structure with eight CSI-RS ports, having oversampling factors O1=O2=4, an azimuth dimension N1=2, and an elevation dimension N2=2. For any port configuration specified in 3GPP TS 38.214, the total number of beams in the GoB structure can be calculated as N1O1 × N2O2. The number of CSI-RS ports can be calculated as P_CSI-RS=2N1N2, where 2 corresponds to dual polarization, P_CSI-RS is the number of CSI-RS ports, N1 is the size of the azimuth dimension, and N2 is the size of the elevation dimension, corresponding to 2 rows and 2 columns, respectively. This definition applies to both Type I and Type II codebooks.

[0045] In Type I codebook, UE 110 can report a beam L=1 in the entire GoB architecture back to RAN node 202. Given information about the beam's index in the azimuth direction, information about the beam's index in the elevation direction, information related to rank-based beam design, and information about the co-phase between the two polarizations, the report can include four indices.

[0046] In the Type II codebook, UE 110 can report more than one beam. For 4 ports, the UE can report 2 beams (L=2), while for more than 4 ports, the UE can report 2, 3, or 4 beams (L=2, 3, or 4). There is similarity between the Type I and Type II codebooks related to broadband information; however, the Type II codebook feedback includes additional sub-band level information. The mapping between the indexes and the corresponding beam indices, amplitude coefficients, and phase coefficients of the Type II codebook is specified in 3GPP TS 38.214.

[0047] In one example of a Type II codebook with four CSI-RS ports, the process of determining the PMI index and associated beamforming weights may include the UE 110 determining the rank and optimal CSI-RS beam from the DFT beam set. For the four CSI-RS ports, the UE may report two CSI-RS beams for each polarization. The UE may then determine the optimal beam among the four CSI-RS beams based on the order of the strongest signal beam orientation. The strongest beam can then have its beam amplitude and phase coefficients obtained.

[0048] After determining the strongest beam, UE 110 can use singular value decomposition of the channel matrix to determine the remaining beam coefficients. In the next step, the UE can map the coefficients to their respective quantization amplitudes. If the UE is configured to report only the broadband amplitude of the beam, the sub-band amplitude is set to 1. The weights of the antenna elements can then be calculated based on the coefficients. In this respect, beams of each polarization can be linearly combined to obtain the final beamforming weight matrix.

[0049] Downlink (DL) MIMO precoding can be calculated based on uplink (UL) sounding reference signal (SRS) measurements or derived from UE feedback based on DL CSI-RS measurements. SRS-based MIMO precoding is typically used for time division duplex (TDD) where channel reciprocity holds, while DL-CSI-RS is typically used for frequency division duplex (FDD) where the DL and UL channels are estimated separately.

[0050] Similarly, in the Type I codebook, UE 110 can report back to RAN node 202 a beam L=1 in the entire GoB structure (e.g., Figure 4 As shown in the diagram, in Type I codebooks, a UE can report two beams (L=2), while for more than four ports, the UE can report two, three, or four beams (L=2, 3, or 4). Typically, Type I codebooks are more commonly used for SU-MIMO, where multiple data streams can be spatially multiplexed across different spatial layers of a single UE. On the other hand, Type II codebooks are better suited for Multi-User Multiple-Input Multiple-Output (MU-MIMO) because different beams facilitate spatial multiplexing of different UEs.

[0051] When spatial division multiplexing (SDM) is considered in MRSS operation, 5G RAT 304 and 6G RAT 302 can coordinate MIMO operation and transmit beams from a shared radio unit RU 204, which may have one or more panels. In one example, 5G and 6G RATs can be spatially multiplexed in the same time-frequency resources (time and frequency resources) for two UEs 110, one UE 100A (sometimes referred to as a 6G UE) connected to the 6G RAT and another UE 110B (sometimes referred to as a 5G UE) connected to the 5G RAT. In this case, each UE can receive either 5G or 6G data. In another example, for UE 110C (sometimes referred to as a DC UE), which can simultaneously receive both 5G and 6G data on different spatial layers via a DC method, MRSS can use SU-MIMO to spatially multiplex 5G and 6G data in the same time-frequency resources. In the latter case, an advanced UE type (e.g., type 3) can be assumed because the UE can maintain dual connectivity with both 5G and 6G receivers simultaneously.

[0052] Combining SDM in MRSS operation presents numerous challenges. For example, employing MU-MIMO and SU-MIMO with spatial multiplexing can generate cross-RAT interference because different spatial layers may carry 5G or 6G data and / or control signals, which can be interfered with by transmissions from other spatial layers carrying 5G or 6G data and / or control signals. How to limit such cross-RAT interference, coordinate beam directions in time and / or frequency, or adjust their transmission power and / or beamforming modes has not been well studied. Here, a joint 5G / 6G scheduler 306 can typically be employed; however, the joint scheduler can also be considered to be deployed at either the 6G RAT 302 (first RAT) or the 5G RAT 304 (second RAT), with low-latency feedback between the RATs for joint scheduler operation.

[0053] As another challenge, replicating resources used for 5G and 6G transmissions can significantly increase the energy consumption at RAN 108. Since 5G and 6G transmissions can be scheduled simultaneously in MIMO, the total transmission time is reduced. Shorter transmission periods can result in RU 204 being activated for shorter periods, thus consuming less energy. In this way, RAN nodes 202A and 202B can better manage their active and sleep states, ensuring efficient power management.

[0054] In view of the foregoing, the exemplary embodiments of this disclosure provide a solution for introducing a MIMO framework for MRSS. The MIMO framework can facilitate coexistence between 5G RAT 304 and 6G RAT 302 on different spatial layers while limiting interference. The MIMO framework can also allow resource allocation strategies for 5G and 6G assisted by MIMO spatial multiplexing, which reduces the energy consumption of MRSS.

[0055] According to some example implementations, UE 110 may send UE capability information to RAN 108, indicating that the UE supports MRSS with SU-MIMO and / or MU-MIMO, and that the UE supports cross-RAT measurements and reporting. More specifically, for example, the UE capability information may indicate that the UE supports MU-MIMO MRSS, including the maximum number of tiers in 6G. The UE capability information may indicate that the UE supports DC with a first RAT (e.g., 6G RAT 302) and a second RAT (e.g., 5G RAT 304). The UE capability information may indicate that the UE supports MU-MIMO MRSS, including the maximum number of tiers in both 5G and 6G. Furthermore, for example, the UE capability information may indicate that the UE supports CSI feedback including PMI based on cross-RAT measurements.

[0056] Based on UE capability information, in some examples, RAN 108 can configure UE 110 to use MRSS to measure first RS resources associated with a first RAT (e.g., 6G RAT 302 provided by 6G NB 202A) and second RS resources associated with a different second RAT (e.g., 5G RAT 304 provided by 5G gNB 202B). These RS resources may include CSI-RS, Synchronization Signal Blocks (SSBs), etc. RAN can also configure UE (e.g., 6G UE 110A) to receive (first) data from the first RAT using MRSS communication. Furthermore, RAN can configure detailed MU-MIMO or SU-MIMO configurations for UE, including RI, MCS, etc., which can indicate downlink control information (DCI) to the UE based on UE PMI feedback.

[0057] In some examples, RAN 108 can configure UE 110 with a configuration indicating a first RS resource associated with a first RAT (e.g., 6G RAT 302) and a second RS resource associated with a second RAT (e.g., 5G RAT 304). In some of these examples, the RS resource can be a CSI-RS for reporting CSI feedback, including PMI. It is worth noting that when UEs are close to each other, the directional beams and corresponding CSI-RS sets of the two UEs can partially / completely overlap. This is a situation where cross-RAT reporting may be more necessary, as cross-RAT interference can also be more problematic when pairing two UEs for MU-MIMO MRSS.

[0058] In some examples, RAN 108 can also configure a reporting configuration for UE 110, which allows the UE to report CSI feedback, which may be specific to MRSS with SU-MIMO or MU-MIMO. As described below, in some examples, the reporting configuration may instruct the UE to report CSI feedback associated with a first RS resource having the highest received signal strength or quality measured at the UE. It may also instruct the UE to report information identifying at least one second RS resource having the lowest received signal strength or quality, which allows the RAN to further spatially separate 5G and 6G transmissions. As described herein, the RS resource with the highest received signal strength or quality may sometimes be referred to as the best RS resource, and the RS resource with the lowest received signal strength or quality may sometimes be referred to as the worst RS resource. In some examples involving SU-MIMO, the UE may be instructed to report CSI feedback associated with the best RS resource among the first and / or second RS resources.

[0059] like Figure 5 As shown, in some examples involving SDM in an MRSS with MU-MIMO, a first RAT (e.g., 6G RAT 302) can transmit a first RS resource (e.g., a 6G RS resource), and a second RAT (e.g., 5G RAT 304) can transmit a second RS resource (e.g., a 5G RS resource). The 6G UE 110A can perform cross-RAT measurements on the first and second RS resources.

[0060] The 6G UE 110A can determine a beam corresponding to the best RS resource (e.g., the best 6G RS resource) among the first RS resources measured at the 6G UE. In some examples where the first RS resource is a first CSI-RS resource, the 6G UE can determine the best resource among the first CSI-RS resources. The 6G UE can also determine at least one orthogonal beam that corresponds to at least one worst RS resource (e.g., the worst 5G RS resource) among the second RS resources and is orthogonal to a second beam corresponding to the best RS resource among the second RS resources.

[0061] Then, the 6G UE 110A may report a first report to RAN 108 (e.g., 6G NB 202A), which includes a first CSI feedback (e.g., RI, PMI, CQI) associated with the best 6G RS resource measured at the 6G UE, and information identifying the worst 5G RS resource measured at the 6G UE. The information identifying the worst 5G RS resource may include, for example, one or more RS indices (e.g., the last M CSI-RS resource indices (CRI) of the 5G RS resource). In some examples, the first report may also include information indicating the measurement corresponding to the worst 5G RS resource, such as Layer 1 (L1) reference signal received power (L1-RSRP).

[0062] Similar to 6G UE 110A, 5G UE 110B can perform measurements on a second RS resource. The 5G UE can determine the beam corresponding to the best RS resource (e.g., the best 5G RS resource) among the second RS resources measured at the 5G UE. The 5G UE can also report a second report to RAN 108 (e.g., 5G gNB 202B), which includes second CSI feedback (e.g., RI, PMI, CQI) associated with the best 5G RS resource measured at the 5G UE.

[0063] Scheduler 306 may receive a first report and a second report from 6G UE 110A and 5G UE 110B, such as via 6G NB 202A and 5G gNB 202B. The scheduler may determine beamforming weights for MU-MIMO (e.g., concurrent 5G and 6G operation) based on first CSI feedback, second CSI feedback, the worst 5GRS resource measured by the 6G UE, and the pairing of the 6G UE and 5G UE for MU-MIMO. In some examples, the pairing of the 6G UE and 5G UE may be determined based on the first CSI feedback, the second CSI feedback, and information identifying the worst 5GRS resource measured by the 6G UE (e.g., CRI).

[0064] like Figure 6 As shown, scheduler 306 can then configure beamforming weights to a first RAT (e.g., 6G RAT 302) and a second RAT (e.g., 5G RAT 304) so ​​that the first and second RATs can use the beamforming weights to transmit (first) 6G data and (second) 5G data to 6G UE 110A and 5G UE 110B in time and frequency resources used simultaneously by both the first and second RATs. The 6G UE can receive (and decode) 6G data from the first RAT, and the 5G UE can receive (and decode) 5G data from the second RAT. In some examples, the 5G UE paired with the 6G UE for MU-MIMO can alternatively be another second 6G UE with access to the first RAT; and in some of these examples, the time and frequency resources can be used by the first RAT to transmit (first) 6G data to the 6G UE and (second) 6G data to the second 6G UE. Furthermore, in some examples, the 6G UE can at least partially eliminate cross-RAT interference from 6G data based on measurements performed on 5G RS resources.

[0065] In some examples involving SDM in MRSS with SU-MIMO, similar to before, the first RAT (e.g., 6G RAT 302) can transmit the first RS resource (e.g., 6G RS resource), and the second RAT (e.g., 5G RAT 304) can transmit the second RS resource (e.g., 5G RS resource). The DC UE 110C can perform cross-RAT measurements on the first RS resource and the second RS resource.

[0066] The DC UE 110C can determine the beam corresponding to the optimal RS resource (e.g., optimal 6G, 5G, or 6G / 5G RS resource) among the first and / or second RS resources measured at the DC UE. Therefore, the DC UE can determine the optimal RS resource among the first and / or second RS resources. For example, the DC UE can determine the optimal RS resource among the first RS resources. In another example, the DC UE can determine the optimal RS resource among the second RS resources. And in yet another example, the DC UE can determine the optimal RS resource among both the first and second RS resources. In some examples where the first and second RS resources are first CSI-RS resources and second CSI-RS resources, the DC UE 110C can determine the optimal resource among the first and / or second CSI-RS resources.

[0067] The DC UE 110C can then report to the RAN 108 (e.g., 6G NB 202A) a report including CSI feedback (e.g., RI, PMI, CQI) associated with the best RS resource among the 6G RS resources and / or 5G RS resources measured at the DC UE. In some examples, the PMI can be determined for RI>1 to support SDM for 5G and 6G data in the same time and frequency resources; otherwise, the DC UE can fall back to a single 5G or 6G connection. The scheduler 306 can receive the report from the DC UE 110C, for example, via the 6G NB. The scheduler can determine the beamforming weights for SU-MIMO based on the CSI feedback.

[0068] like Figure 7 As shown, scheduler 306 can then configure beamforming weights to a first RAT (e.g., 6G RAT 302) and a second RAT (e.g., 5G RAT 304) so ​​that the first and second RATs can use the beamforming weights to transmit (first) 6G data and (second) 5G data to DC UE 110C in time and frequency resources used simultaneously by both the first and second RATs. DC UE can receive (and decode) the 6G data from the first RAT and the 5G data from the second RAT. In some examples, DC UE can at least partially eliminate cross-layer interference from 6G data based on measurements performed on 5G RS resources.

[0069] like Figure 8As shown, in some other examples involving SDM in an MRSS with MU-MIMO, 6G UE 110A may receive a first demodulation reference signal (DMRS) from a first RAT (e.g., 6G RAT 302) within time and frequency resources simultaneously used by a second RAT (e.g., 5G RAT 304) to transmit 5G data to 5G UE 110B. In examples involving a second 6G UE paired with a 6G UE for MU-MIMO, the first RAT may simultaneously use time and frequency resources to transmit (second) 6G data to the second 6G UE. Similarly, 5G UE 110B may receive a second DMRS from the second RAT within time and frequency resources simultaneously used by the first RAT to transmit 6G data to the 6G UE. The 6G UE may use the first DMRS to decode 6G data from the first RAT, and the 5G UE may use the second DMRS to decode 5G data from the second RAT.

[0070] Similarly, in some additional examples involving SDM in MRSS with SU-MIMO, DC UE 110C can receive first DMRS from a first RAT (e.g., 6G RAT 302) during time and frequency resources simultaneously used by a second RAT (e.g., 5G RAT 304) to transmit 5G data or second DMRS to the DC UE. Likewise, DC UE can receive first DMRS from a second RAT during time and frequency resources simultaneously used by a first RAT to transmit 6G data or first DMRS to the DC UE. The DC UE can use the first DMRS to decode 6G data from the first RAT and the second DMRS to decode 5G data from the second RAT.

[0071] To further illustrate some example implementations, Figure 9A and 9B A flowchart illustrating the process for SDM of 5G and 6G data in an MRSS with MU-MIMO is shown. Figure 9A As shown, the first RAT (e.g., 6GRAT 302 provided by 6G NB 202A) can receive a UE capability message from the 6G UE 110A at step 901. This UE capability message includes the following: information indicating that the 6G UE supports operational UE capability information related to cross-RAT measurement and reporting (e.g., ...). cross- RAT measurements and reporting ), and information instructing 6G UEs to support MRSS with SU-MIMO and / or MU-MIMO (e.g., support MRSS with SDM ).

[0072] At step 902, the first RAT (e.g., 6G RAT 302) and the second RAT (e.g., 5G RAT 304 provided by 5G gNB 202B) can exchange RS resource configuration information. In some examples, it can be assumed that information about the second RS resources configured for the second RAT is available at the first RAT. This exchange can be performed via the interface between the first and second RATs for RS resources with RRC-configured by the second RAT.

[0073] The 6G UE 110A can receive RRC configuration from a first RAT (e.g., 6G RAT 302) at step 903. The RRC configuration may include, for example, RS resource configuration for channel measurements, which includes configurations of (first) 6G RS resources and (second) 5G RS resources. The RRC configuration may also include CSI reporting configuration for PMI reporting associated with the 6G RS resources, and information related to the 5G RS resources.

[0074] The first RAT (e.g., 6G RAT 302) can transmit the configured 6G RS resources at step 904, and these 6G RS resources can be used by the 6G UE 110A for measurement. In this regard, the 6G UE can determine the best RS resource among the 6G RS resources measured by the 6G UE at step 905, and determine the PMI (CSI feedback) associated with the best RS resource among the 6G RS resources.

[0075] The second RAT (e.g., 5G RAT 304) can transmit the configured 5G RS resources at step 906, and these 5G RS resources can be measured by both 6G UE 110A and 5G UE 110B. The 5G UE can determine the optimal resource among the 5G RS resources measured by the 5G UE at step 907, and determine the PMI (CSI feedback) associated with the optimal resource among the 5G RS resources. At step 908, the 5G UE can report the (second) CSI feedback including the PMI associated with the optimal 5G RS resource. This (second) CSI feedback can be reported to the second RAT, and the second RAT can forward the CSI feedback to scheduler 306.

[0076] like Figure 9BAs shown, the 6G UE 110B can determine the worst 5G RS resource among the 5G RS resources measured by the 6G UE at step 909. The 6G UE can prepare a (first) report including (first) CSI feedback, which includes the PMI associated with the best RS resource among the 6G RS resources measured by the 6G UE. The report may also include the CRIs of the last M RS resources among the 5G RS resources measured by the 6G UE. The 6G UE can send the report to a first RAT (e.g., 6G RAT 302) at step 910, and the first RAT can forward the report to the scheduler 306.

[0077] Scheduler 306 (e.g., a joint scheduler) can determine beamforming weights for MU-MIMO at step 911 based on (first) CSI feedback from 6G UE 110A (e.g., PMI associated with the best RS resource among the 6G RS resources measured by the 6G UE) and (second) CSI feedback from 5G UE 110B (e.g., PMI associated with the best RS resource among the 5G RS resources measured by the 5G UE). The scheduler can also determine beamforming weights based on the pairing of the 6G UE and 5G UE for MU-MIMO and the CRI of the last M RS resources among the 5G RS resources measured by the 6G UE.

[0078] Scheduler 306 may configure beamforming weights for MU-MIMO for the first RAT (e.g., 6G RAT 302) and the second RAT (e.g., 5G RAT 304) at steps 912 and 914. Then, at steps 913 and 915, the first RAT and the second RAT may use the beamforming weights to transmit 6G data to 6G UE 110A and 5G UE 110B in time and frequency resources used simultaneously by both the first RAT and the second RAT. And as shown in step 916, the 6G UE may at least partially eliminate cross-RAT interference from the 6G data based on measurements performed on the 5G RS resources.

[0079] Figure 10This is a flowchart illustrating various steps in a method 1000 performed by a user equipment (UE) according to various example embodiments. The method includes receiving configuration from a network indicating a first reference signal (RS) resource associated with a first radio access technology (RAT) and second RS resources associated with different second RATs, as shown in block 1002. The method includes determining a beam corresponding to a first RS resource having the highest received signal strength or quality measured at the UE, and at least one orthogonal beam corresponding to at least one second RS resource having the lowest received signal strength or quality, and orthogonal to a second beam corresponding to the second RS resource having the highest received signal strength or quality, as shown in block 1004. The method includes reporting channel state information (CSI) feedback associated with the first RS resource and information identifying the at least one second RS resource to the network, as shown in block 1006. The method includes receiving first data from the first RAT in time and frequency resources, the time and frequency resources being used simultaneously by the first RAT or the second RAT to transmit second data to a second UE paired with the UE for multiple user multiple input multiple output (MU-MIMO), the first data being transmitted by the first RAT using beamforming weights for MU-MIMO, the beamforming weights being determined based on the CSI feedback, the at least one second RS resource, and the pairing of the UE and the second UE for MU-MIMO, as shown in box 1008.

[0080] In some examples, method 1000 further includes sending UE capability information to the network, the UE capability information indicating that the UE supports multi-RAT spectrum sharing (MRSS) with MU-MIMO and that the UE supports cross-RAT measurements, wherein the first RS resource and the at least one second RS resource are determined based on the cross-RAT measurements. In some of these examples, configuration is received from the network at block 1002 based on the UE capability information.

[0081] In some examples, method 1000 further includes performing cross-RAT measurements on the first RS resource and the second RS resource, and determining the first RS resource and at least one second RS resource based on the cross-RAT measurements at block 1004.

[0082] In some examples, method 1000 further includes receiving from the network a configuration for the UE to use multi-RAT spectrum sharing (MRSS) to measure the first RS resource and the second RS resource, and receiving first data from the first RAT at block 1008.

[0083] In some examples, method 1000 further includes receiving a reporting configuration from the network, the reporting configuration providing information for the UE to report CSI feedback and identify at least one second RS resource at block 1006.

[0084] In some examples, the first RS resource is a first CSI-RS resource, and the first RS resource is the first CSI-RS resource that has the highest received signal strength or quality measured at the UE. In some of these examples, the CSI feedback includes a precoding matrix index (PMI) associated with the first CSI-RS resource.

[0085] In some examples, method 1000 also includes at least partially eliminating cross-RAT interference from the first data based on measurements performed on the second RS resource.

[0086] In some examples, method 1000 further includes: decoding the first data using a first demodulation reference signal (DMRS), the first demodulation reference signal (DMRS) being received from the first RAT in the time and frequency resources used by the first RAT or the second RAT simultaneously to transmit the second data or the second DMRS to the second UE.

[0087] Figure 11 This is a flowchart illustrating various steps in method 1100 according to various example implementations. The method includes receiving a first report from a first user equipment (UE), the first report including first channel state information (CSI) feedback associated with a first RS resource in a first RS resource associated with a first radio access technology (RAT), and information identifying at least one second RS resource associated with a different second RAT, such as... Figure 11 As shown in box 1102. The method includes receiving a second report from a second UE, the second report including second CSI feedback associated with a second RS resource in a second RS resource, as shown in box 1104. The method includes determining beamforming weights for MU-MIMO based on the first CSI feedback, the second CSI feedback, the at least one second RS resource, and the pairing of the first UE and the second UE for multi-user multiple-input multiple-output (MU-MIMO), as shown in box 1106. And the method includes configuring the beamforming weights to the first RAT and the second RAT so that the first RAT and the second RAT use the beamforming weights to transmit first data and second data to the UE and the second UE in time and frequency resources used simultaneously by both the first RAT and the second RAT, as shown in box 1108.

[0088] In some examples, the first RS resource is a first CSI-RS resource, and the second RS resource is a second CSI-RS resource. In some of these examples, the first CSI feedback includes a first precoding matrix index (PMI) associated with the first CSI-RS resource, and the second CSI feedback includes a second PMI associated with the second CSI-RS resource.

[0089] In some examples, the beam corresponding to the first RS resource has the highest received signal strength or quality measured at the first UE within the first RS resource. In some of these examples, at least one orthogonal beam corresponding to the at least one second RS resource has the lowest received signal strength or quality measured at the first UE within the second RS resource, and the at least one orthogonal beam is orthogonal to a second beam corresponding to the second RS resource having the highest received signal strength or quality. Also in some of these examples, the second RS resource has the highest received signal strength or quality measured at the second UE within the second RS resource.

[0090] Figure 12A and 12B This is a flowchart illustrating various steps in a method 1200 performed by a user equipment (UE) according to various example embodiments. The method includes receiving configuration from a network, the configuration indicating a first reference signal (RS) resource associated with a first radio access technology (RAT) and second RS resources associated with a different second RAT, such as... Figure 12A As shown in box 1202. The method includes determining, as shown in box 1204, the RS resource with the highest received signal strength or quality measured at the UE, from at least one of the first RS resource or the second RS resource. The method includes reporting channel state information (CSI) feedback associated with the RS resource to the network, as shown in box 1206. Furthermore, the method includes receiving first data and second data from the first RAT and the second RAT in time and frequency resources, the time and frequency resources being used simultaneously by both the first RAT and the second RAT to transmit the first data and the second data, the first data and the second data being transmitted by the first RAT and the second RAT using beamforming weights for single-user multiple-input multiple-output (SU-MIMO) determined based on the CSI feedback.

[0091] In some examples, method 1200 further includes sending UE capability information to the network, the UE capability information indicating that the UE supports dual connectivity with the first RAT and the second RAT, that the UE supports multi-RAT spectrum sharing (MRSS) with SU-MIMO, and that the UE supports cross-RAT measurements for determining the RS resources. In some of these examples, configuration is received from the network based on the UE capability information at block 1202.

[0092] In some examples, method 1200 also includes performing cross-RAT measurements on the first RS resource and the second RS resource, and determining the RS resource based on the cross-RAT measurements at block 1204.

[0093] In some examples, method 1200 further includes: receiving from the network a configuration for the UE to use multi-RAT spectrum sharing (MRSS) to measure the first RS resource and the second RS resource, and receiving the first data and the second data simultaneously from the first RAT and the second RAT at block 1208.

[0094] In some examples, method 1200 also includes receiving a report configuration from the network for the UE to use in reporting CSI feedback.

[0095] In some examples, the first RS resource and the second RS resource are a first CSI-RS resource and a second CSI-RS resource, and the RS resource is the CSI-RS resource with the highest received signal strength or quality measured at the UE, which is at least one of the first CSI-RS resource or the second CSI-RS resource. In some of these examples, the CSI feedback includes a precoding matrix index (PMI) associated with the CSI-RS resource.

[0096] In some examples, method 1200 further includes: at least partially eliminating cross-layer interference from the first data based on measurements performed on the second RS resource.

[0097] In some examples, method 1200 further includes decoding the first data using a first demodulation reference signal (DMRS) received from the first RAT in the time and frequency resources that the second RAT simultaneously uses to transmit the second data or the second DMRS to the UE, such as... Figure 12B As shown in box 1210. In some of these examples, the method further includes, in the time and frequency resources that the first RAT is simultaneously using to transmit the first data or the first DMRS to the UE, using the second DMRS received from the second RAT, as shown in box 1212.

[0098] Figure 13 This is a flowchart illustrating various steps in method 1300 according to various example embodiments. The method includes receiving a report from a user equipment (UE) including channel state information (CSI) feedback associated with at least one of a first RS resource or a second RS resource associated with a first radio access technology (RAT), and the second RS resource associated with a different second RAT, as shown in block 1302. The method includes determining beamforming weights for single-user multiple-input multiple-output (SU-MIMO) based on the CSI feedback, as shown in block 1304. The method further includes configuring the beamforming weights for the first RAT to transmit first data to the UE using the beamforming weights in time and frequency resources, the time and frequency resources being simultaneously used by either the first RAT or the second RAT to transmit second data to the UE, as shown in block 1306.

[0099] In some examples, the RS resource is a CSI-RS resource, and the CSI feedback includes a precoding matrix index (PMI) associated with the CSI-RS resource.

[0100] In some examples, the RS resource has the highest received signal strength or quality measured at the UE in at least one of the first RS resource or the second RS resource.

[0101] In some examples, the RS resource has the highest received signal strength or quality measured at the UE in either the first RS resource or the second RS resource.

[0102] In some examples, the RS resource has the highest received signal strength or quality measured at the UE among the first RS resource and the second RS resource.

[0103] According to exemplary embodiments of this disclosure, telecommunications system 100 or PLMN 102 and its components (such as UE 110, CN 106, RAN 108, RAN node 202, 6GNB 202A, 5GgNB 202B, RU 204, CU 206, DU 208, 6GRAT 302, 5GRAT 304, and / or scheduler 306) can be implemented by various means. Apparatus for implementing the system and its components may comprise hardware, firmware, software, or a combination thereof. In some instances, one or more devices may be configured to act as or otherwise implement the system and its components shown and described herein. In examples involving more than one device, the respective devices may be interconnected or otherwise communicate with each other in a variety of different ways, such as directly or indirectly via wired or wireless networks.

[0104] According to some example implementations, regarding Figure 10 and Figure 11 At least some of the described methods 1000 and 1100 can be performed by means including components for performing functions corresponding to the respective method steps. Similarly, regarding Figure 12A and Figure 12B as well as Figure 13 At least some of the methods described in methods 1200 and 1300 can be performed by means including units for performing functions corresponding to the respective method steps. Examples of suitable means may include user equipment, user terminals, etc. Other examples of suitable means may include RAN nodes (e.g., ng-eNB, gNB, gNB-DU, gNB-CU) or any suitable means such as servers, hosts, or nodes. Other examples of suitable means may also include: a standalone computer including at least one scheduler, such as a server, host, or node; a distributed computing system including at least one scheduler; or a cloud computing system including at least one scheduler. The at least one scheduler may be implemented as a virtual machine or container by the distributed computing system or cloud computing system.

[0105] Figure 14 An apparatus 1400 according to some exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure is shown, wherein components for performing various operations include separate hardware or hardware directed by one or more computer programs from a computer-readable storage medium or other memory, such as computer memory. The apparatus may include one or more of each of a plurality of components, such as processing circuitry 1402 connected to a computer-readable storage medium or other memory 1404.

[0106] Processing circuitry 1402 may consist of one or more processors individually or in combination with one or more computer-readable storage media. Processing circuitry is typically any computer hardware capable of processing information such as data, computer programs, computer code, and / or other suitable electronic information. Processing circuitry consists of a collection of electronic circuits, some of which may be packaged as integrated circuits or multiple interconnected integrated circuits (integrated circuits are sometimes more commonly referred to as "chips"). Processing circuitry may be configured to execute computer programs, which may be stored on the processing circuitry or otherwise stored in memory 1404 (of the same or another device).

[0107] Depending on the specific implementation, the processing circuitry 1402 may include multiple processors, a multi-core processor, or some other type of processor, such as a central processing unit, a graphics processing unit, a tensor processing unit, or an accelerator. Furthermore, the processing circuitry may be implemented using multiple heterogeneous processor systems, where the main processor resides on a single chip along with one or more auxiliary processors. As another illustrative example, the processing circuitry may be a symmetric multiprocessor system comprising multiple processors of the same type. In yet another example, the processing circuitry may be embodied as or otherwise include one or more application-specific integrated circuits (ASICs), field-programmable gate arrays (FPGAs), etc. Therefore, while the processing circuitry may be able to execute a computer program to perform one or more functions, the various examples of processing circuitry may be able to perform one or more functions without the assistance of a computer program. In any case, the processing circuitry may be appropriately programmed to perform functions or operations according to exemplary embodiments of this disclosure.

[0108] Memory 1404 is typically any computer hardware capable of temporarily and / or permanently storing information (e.g., data, computer programs, instructions 1406 (e.g., computer-readable program code), and / or other suitable information). Memory may include volatile and / or non-volatile memory and may be fixed or removable. Examples of suitable memory include recording media, random access memory (RAM), read-only memory (ROM), hard disk drives, flash memory, thumb drives, removable computer disks, optical disks, or some combination thereof.

[0109] Memory 1404 is a non-transitory device capable of storing information. An example of a suitable memory is a computer-readable storage medium, distinguishable from a computer-readable transport medium capable of carrying information from one location to another. Examples of suitable computer-readable transport media include electronic carrier signals, telecommunication signals, or some combination thereof. As used herein, the term "non-transitory" is a limitation on the medium itself (i.e., tangible, not signaling), not a limitation on the persistence of data storage (e.g., RAM and ROM). As used herein, a computer-readable medium generally refers to a computer-readable storage medium or a computer-readable transport medium. A computer-readable medium is any entity or device capable of storing and carrying information such as one or more computer programs or portions thereof.

[0110] In addition to memory 1404 (e.g., a computer-readable storage medium), processing circuitry 1402 may also be connected to one or more interfaces for displaying, sending, and / or receiving information. Interfaces may include communication interface 1408 and / or one or more user interfaces. Communication interfaces may be configured to send and / or receive information to and / or from other devices, networks, etc. Communication interfaces may be configured to send and / or receive information via physical (wired) and / or wireless communication links. Examples of suitable communication interfaces include network interface controllers (NICs), wireless NICs (WNICs), etc.

[0111] The user interface may include a display 1410 and / or one or more user input interfaces 1412. The display may be configured to present or otherwise display information to a user; suitable examples include liquid crystal displays (LCDs), light-emitting diode (LED) displays, organic LED (OLED) displays, active-matrix OLEDs (AMOLEDs), etc. The user input interface may be wired or wireless and may be configured to receive information from a user into the device, such as for processing, storage, and / or display. Suitable examples of the user input interface include a microphone, image or video capture device, keyboard or keypad, joystick, touch-sensitive surface (separate from or integrated into the touchscreen), biometric sensors, etc. The user interface may also include one or more interfaces for communicating with peripheral devices such as printers, scanners, etc.

[0112] The combination of operations supporting the implementation of exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure is supported by the processing circuitry 1402 executing instruction 1406 or storing instructions in memory 1404. In this way, apparatus 1400 may include at least one processing circuit and at least one memory coupled to the at least one processing circuit, wherein the at least one processing circuit is configured to execute instructions stored in the at least one memory. It will also be understood that one or more functions, and combinations thereof, may be implemented by a dedicated hardware-based computer system and / or processing circuitry, or a combination of dedicated hardware and program code instructions, performing the specified functions.

[0113] Some exemplary embodiments of this disclosure can also be performed as a computer process defined by one or more computer programs or portions thereof. Exemplary embodiments of this disclosure can be performed by executing at least a portion of a computer program including instructions. The computer program can be in source code form, object code form, or some intermediate form. The computer program can be stored in a computer-readable medium readable by a computer, processing circuitry, or other suitable means. As mentioned above, for example, the computer program can be stored in memory such as a computer-readable storage medium. Additionally or alternatively, for example, the computer program can be stored in a computer-readable transmission medium. The coding of software used to perform exemplary embodiments of this disclosure is entirely within the scope of those skilled in the art.

[0114] As will be understood, any suitable instructions may be loaded from memory or a computer-readable medium (e.g., a computer-readable storage medium, a computer-readable transmission medium) onto a computer, processor, processing circuitry, or other programmable means to produce a particular machine, such that the particular machine becomes a component for implementing the functions specified herein. Instructions may also be stored in a computer-readable medium that can direct a computer, processor, processing circuitry, or other programmable means to operate in a particular manner to produce a particular machine or a particular article of manufacture. In some examples, instructions stored in a computer-readable medium can produce an article of manufacture, wherein the article of manufacture becomes a means for implementing the functions described herein. Instructions may be retrieved from a computer-readable medium and loaded onto a computer, processor, processing circuitry, or other programmable means to configure the computer, processor, processing circuitry, or other programmable means to perform operations to be performed on or by the computer, processor, processing circuitry, or other programmable means.

[0115] The retrieval, loading, and execution of instructions, including program code instructions, can be performed sequentially, such that one instruction is retrieved, loaded, and executed at a time. In some example implementations, retrieval, loading, and / or execution can be performed in parallel, such that multiple instructions are retrieved, loaded, and / or executed together. The execution of program code instructions can produce computer-implemented processes, such that the instructions, executed by a computer, processor, processing circuitry, or other programmable device, provide operations for implementing the functions described herein.

[0116] Benefiting from the teachings presented in the foregoing description and associated drawings, those skilled in the art to which this disclosure pertains will conceive of numerous modifications and other embodiments of the disclosure set forth herein. Therefore, it should be understood that this disclosure is not limited to the specific embodiments disclosed, and that modifications and other embodiments are intended to be included within the scope of the appended claims. Furthermore, although the foregoing description and associated drawings describe exemplary embodiments in the context of certain example combinations of elements and / or functions, it should be understood that different combinations of elements and / or functions may be provided by alternative embodiments without departing from the scope of the appended claims. In this regard, for example, combinations of elements and / or functions different from those explicitly described above are also contemplated as being set forth in some of the appended claims. Although specific terminology is used herein, it is used only in a general and descriptive sense and not for limiting purposes.

[0117] Clause 1. A method performed by a user equipment (UE), the method comprising: receiving configuration from a network, the configuration indicating a first reference signal (RS) resource associated with a first radio access technology (RAT) and second RS resources associated with different second RATs; determining a beam corresponding to a first RS resource having the highest received signal strength or quality measured at the UE and at least one orthogonal beam, the at least one orthogonal beam corresponding to at least one second RS resource having the lowest received signal strength or quality, and orthogonal to a second beam corresponding to a second RS resource having the highest received signal strength or quality; and directing... The network reports channel state information (CSI) feedback associated with the first RS resource and information identifying the at least one second RS resource; and receives first data from the first RAT in time and frequency resources, the time and frequency resources being used simultaneously by the first RAT or the second RAT to transmit second data to a second UE paired with the UE for multiple user multiple input multiple output (MU-MIMO), the first data being transmitted by the first RAT using beamforming weights for MU-MIMO, the beamforming weights being determined based on the CSI feedback, the at least one second RS resource, and the pairing of the UE and the second UE for MU-MIMO.

[0118] Clause 2. The method according to Clause 1, wherein the method further comprises: sending UE capability information to the network, the UE capability information indicating that the UE supports multi-RAT spectrum sharing (MRSS) with MU-MIMO, and that the UE supports cross-RAT measurements, the first RS resource and the at least one second RS resource being determined based on cross-RAT measurements, and wherein the configuration is received from the network based on the UE capability information.

[0119] Clause 3. The method according to Clause 1 or 2, wherein the method further comprises: performing a cross-RAT measurement on the first RS resource and the second RS resource, and the first RS resource and the at least one second RS resource are determined based on the cross-RAT measurement.

[0120] Clause 4. The method according to any one of Clauses 1 to 3, wherein the method further comprises: receiving from the network a configuration for the UE to use Multi-RAT Spectrum Sharing (MRSS) to measure the first RS resource and the second RS resource and to receive the first data from the first RAT.

[0121] Clause 5. The method according to any one of Clauses 1 to 4, wherein the method further comprises: receiving a report configuration from the network, the report configuration being used by the UE to report the CSI feedback and the information identifying the at least one second RS resource.

[0122] Clause 6. The method according to any one of Clauses 1 to 5, wherein the first RS resource is a first CSI-RS resource, and the first RS resource is a first CSI-RS resource having the highest received signal strength or quality measured at the UE, and wherein the CSI feedback includes a precoding matrix index (PMI) associated with the first CSI-RS resource.

[0123] Clause 7. The method according to any one of Clauses 1 to 6, wherein the method further comprises: at least partially eliminating cross-RAT interference from the first data based on measurements performed on the second RS resource.

[0124] Clause 8. The method according to any one of Clauses 1 to 7, wherein the method further comprises: decoding the first data using a first demodulation reference signal (DMRS), the first demodulation reference signal (DMRS) being received from the first RAT in the time and frequency resources used by the first RAT or the second RAT simultaneously to transmit the second data or the second DMRS to the second UE.

[0125] Clause 9. An apparatus comprising: at least one memory configured to store instructions; and at least one processing circuit configured to access the at least one memory and execute the instructions to cause the apparatus to perform a method according to any one of Clauses 1 to 8.

[0126] Clause 10. A method comprising: receiving a first report from a first user equipment (UE), the first report including first channel state information (CSI) feedback associated with a first RS resource in a first RS resource associated with a first radio access technology (RAT), and information identifying at least one second RS resource associated with a different second RAT; receiving a second report from a second UE, the second report including second CSI feedback associated with a second RS resource in the second RS resource; determining beamforming weights for MU-MIMO based on the first CSI feedback, the second CSI feedback, the at least one second RS resource, and a pairing of the first UE and the second UE for multi-user multiple-input multiple-output (MU-MIMO); and configuring the beamforming weights to the first RAT and the second RAT for the first RAT and the second RAT to transmit first data and second data to the UE and the second UE using the beamforming weights in time and frequency resources simultaneously used by both the first RAT and the second RAT.

[0127] Clause 11. The method according to Clause 10, wherein the first RS resource is a first CSI-RS resource and the second RS resource is a second CSI-RS resource, wherein the first CSI feedback includes a first precoding matrix index (PMI) associated with the first CSI-RS resource, and the second CSI feedback includes a second PMI associated with the second CSI-RS resource.

[0128] Clause 12. The method according to Clause 10 or Clause 11, wherein the beam corresponding to the first RS resource has the highest received signal strength or quality measured at the first UE in the first RS resource, and at least one orthogonal beam corresponding to the at least one second RS resource has the lowest received signal strength or quality measured at the first UE in the second RS resource, and the at least one orthogonal beam is orthogonal to a second beam corresponding to a second RS resource having the highest received signal strength or quality in the second RS resource, and wherein the second RS resource has the highest received signal strength or quality measured at the second UE in the second RS resource.

[0129] Clause 13. An apparatus comprising: at least one memory configured to store instructions; and at least one processing circuit configured to access the at least one memory and execute the instructions to cause the apparatus to perform a method according to any one of Clauses 10 to 12.

[0130] Clause 14. A computer program comprising instructions that, in response to execution by at least one processing circuit, cause a device to perform the method according to any one of Clauses 10 to 12.

Claims

1. A method performed by a user equipment (UE), the method comprising: Receive configuration from the network, the configuration indicating a first reference signal (RS) resource associated with a first radio access technology (RAT) and a second RS resource associated with a different second RAT; Determine a beam corresponding to a first RS resource having the highest received signal strength or quality measured at the UE, and at least one orthogonal beam, the at least one orthogonal beam corresponding to at least one second RS resource having the lowest received signal strength or quality, and orthogonal to a second beam corresponding to a second RS resource having the highest received signal strength or quality. Report channel state information (CSI) feedback associated with the first RS resource and information identifying the at least one second RS resource to the network; as well as First data is received from the first RAT in time and frequency resources, which are used simultaneously by the first RAT or the second RAT to transmit second data to a second UE paired with the UE for multiple user multiple input multiple output (MU-MIMO). The first data is transmitted by the first RAT using beamforming weights for MU-MIMO, which are determined based on the CSI feedback, the at least one second RS resource, and the pairing of the UE and the second UE for MU-MIMO.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein, The method further includes: sending UE capability information to the network, the UE capability information indicating that the UE supports multi-RAT spectrum sharing (MRSS) with MU-MIMO, and that the UE supports cross-RAT measurements, wherein the first RS resource and the at least one second RS resource are determined based on cross-RAT measurements, and The configuration described therein is based on the UE capability information received from the network.

3. The method according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the method further comprises: A cross-RAT measurement is performed on the first RS resource and the second RS resource, and the first RS resource and the at least one second RS resource are determined based on the cross-RAT measurement.

4. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the method further comprises: The network receives a configuration for the UE to use Multi-RAT Spectrum Sharing (MRSS) to measure the first RS resource and the second RS resource, and to receive the first data from the first RAT.

5. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the method further comprises: The UE receives a report configuration from the network, the report configuration being used by the UE to report the CSI feedback and the information identifying the at least one second RS resource.

6. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein the first RS resource is a first CSI-RS resource, and the first RS resource is the first CSI-RS resource among the first CSI-RS resources having the highest received signal strength or quality measured at the UE, and The CSI feedback includes a precoding matrix index (PMI) associated with the first CSI-RS resource.

7. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 6, wherein the method further comprises: Cross-RAT interference from the first data is at least partially eliminated based on measurements performed on the second RS resource.

8. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 7, wherein the method further comprises: The first data is decoded using a first demodulation reference signal (DMRS), which is received from the first RAT in the time and frequency resources used by the first RAT or the second RAT to simultaneously transmit the second data or the second DMRS to the second UE.

9. An apparatus comprising: At least one memory is configured to store instructions; as well as At least one processing circuit is configured to access the at least one memory and execute the instructions to cause the apparatus to perform the method according to any one of claims 1 to 8.

10. An apparatus comprising: At least one memory is configured to store instructions; as well as At least one processing circuit is configured to access the at least one memory and execute the instructions to cause the device to: Receive a first report from a first user equipment (UE), the first report including first channel state information (CSI) feedback associated with a first RS resource in a first RS resource associated with a first radio access technology (RAT), and information identifying at least one second RS resource associated with a different second RAT; A second report is received from the second UE, the second report including a second CSI feedback associated with the second RS resource in the second RS resource; Beamforming weights for MU-MIMO are determined based on the first CSI feedback, the second CSI feedback, the at least one second RS resource, and the pairing of the first UE and the second UE for multi-user multiple-input multiple-output (MU-MIMO). as well as The beamforming weights are configured to the first RAT and the second RAT, so that the first RAT and the second RAT can use the beamforming weights to send first data and second data to the UE and the second UE in time and frequency resources used by both the first RAT and the second RAT simultaneously.

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