User equipment (UE), network node, and methods for handling transmission of reference signals

Abstract

Embodiments of the present disclosure relate to a user equipment (UE), a network node and a method for handling transmission of reference signals. Embodiments herein disclose a first UE (110), a second apparatus (120) and a method(s). The method (200) comprises transmitting a report to the second apparatus (120), the report indicating a measurement of at least one reference signal (RS); and triggering, from the second apparatus (120), reception of an aperiodic tracking reference signal (aTRS) based on transmission of the report.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The exemplary embodiments of this disclosure relate to the field of wireless communication, and more particularly to user equipment (UE), network nodes, and methods for processing the transmission of reference signals. Background Technology

[0002] Certain abbreviations are defined herein and may be found in the specification and / or accompanying drawings.

[0003] In wireless communication systems such as 5G New Radio (NR) and its evolution toward 6G, beam management and Transmission Configuration Indicator (TCI) state switching are used to ensure robust and efficient downlink reception.

[0004] To maintain a high-quality communication link, the user equipment (UE) continuously monitors the reference signal (RS), including the synchronization signal block (SSB) and the channel state information reference signal (CSI-RS), and reports the measurement results to the network.

[0005] The TCI state switching process enables the UE to dynamically adapt its receive beam according to network instructions based on this measurement. In particular, when a new beam or transmission configuration provides better reception quality than the current configuration, an event-triggered reporting mechanism allows the UE to quickly notify the network. Summary of the Invention

[0006] The following describes aspects of the exemplary embodiments disclosed herein. It should be understood that these aspects are not intended to limit the scope of this disclosure. In fact, this disclosure may cover various aspects that may not be set forth below.

[0007] In a first aspect of this disclosure, a first device is disclosed. The first device includes at least one processor and at least one memory storing instructions that, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the first device to send a report to at least a second device indicating a measurement of at least one reference signal (RS); and, based on the transmission of the report, trigger the reception of an aperiodic tracking reference signal aTRS from the second device.

[0008] In a second aspect of this disclosure, a method for a first device is provided. The method includes sending a report to a second device indicating a measurement of at least one reference signal (RS); and, based on the transmission of the report, triggering reception of an aperiodic tracking reference signal aTRS from the second device.

[0009] In a third aspect of this disclosure, a second device is disclosed. The second device includes at least one processor and at least one memory storing instructions that, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the second device to receive at least a report from a first device indicating a measurement of at least one reference signal (RS); and based on the report, send an aperiodic tracking reference signal aTRS to the first device.

[0010] In a fourth aspect of this disclosure, a method for a second device is provided. The method includes receiving a report from a first device indicating a measurement of at least one reference signal (RS); and based on the report, transmitting an aperiodic tracking reference signal aTRS to the first device.

[0011] In a fifth aspect, a first apparatus is provided. The first apparatus includes components for causing the first apparatus to perform the method of the third aspect.

[0012] In a sixth aspect, a second apparatus is provided, the second apparatus including components for causing a first apparatus to perform the method of the third aspect.

[0013] The components for the fifth and sixth aspects can be implemented in hardware and / or software. For example, they include at least one processor for executing computer program code / instructions to cause a corresponding device (e.g., a UE or network node) to perform a corresponding method, and at least one memory for storing the computer program code / instructions. The component may also include a circuit system (as defined in this disclosure) for causing the corresponding device to perform the corresponding method.

[0014] According to a seventh aspect, a computer-readable medium (e.g., a non-transitory computer-readable medium) is provided. The computer-readable medium includes instructions that, when executed by a first means, cause the first means to perform the method of the first aspect.

[0015] According to an eighth aspect, a computer-readable medium (e.g., a non-transitory computer-readable medium) is provided. The computer-readable medium includes instructions that, when executed by a second means, cause the second means to perform the method of the first aspect.

[0016] Details of the exemplary embodiments are set forth in the accompanying drawings and the following description. Other features, objects, and advantages of this disclosure will be apparent from the description, the drawings, and the claims. Attached Figure Description

[0017] Specific embodiments are described with reference to the accompanying drawings. The same reference numerals are used throughout the drawings to denote the same features and components.

[0018] Figure 1The illustration shows a wireless communication system in which exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure may be implemented;

[0019] Figure 2 The illustration depicts a method performed by a first device according to an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure;

[0020] Figure 3 The illustration depicts a method performed by a first device according to an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure;

[0021] Figure 4 The illustration depicts a method performed by a second apparatus according to an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure;

[0022] Figure 5 The illustration depicts a scenario of a synchronization signal block (SSB) received between the reception of a user equipment-initiated (UEI) beam report and a transmission configuration indicator (TCI) state switching command transmitted by a UE, according to an example embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0023] Figure 6 The illustration depicts a scenario of an SSB received between an event occurrence and a first physical uplink control channel (PUCCH) according to an example embodiment of the present disclosure;

[0024] Figure 7 The illustration depicts a scenario of an SSB received between a first PUCCH and a second uplink channel according to an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0025] Figure 8 The illustration depicts a scenario of an aperiodic reference signal (aTRS) received between the DCI-specified signal and the reception of a UEI beam report and a TCI state switching command transmitted by the UE, according to an example embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0026] Figure 9 A block diagram of a first apparatus according to an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure is illustrated;

[0027] Figure 10 A block diagram of a second apparatus according to an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure is illustrated. Detailed Implementation

[0028] The current mechanism introduces unavoidable latency because user equipment (UE) can typically only initiate full downlink (DL) time-frequency synchronization after receiving a TCI activation or handover command from the network. This sequential approach can create a synchronization delay between better beam reporting and effective use of the new TCI state, resulting in suboptimal performance, especially for latency-sensitive services or high-mobility scenarios.

[0029] Furthermore, although synchronization signals such as SSB or Tracking Reference Signal (TRS) may be available, their timing relative to the reception of reporting and handover commands is not explicitly managed, leading to uncertainty about whether the UE is ready to use the target TCI state when activated.

[0030] Such delays and uncertainties can limit the efficiency of the beam switching process and affect the user experience by introducing receive gaps, delays, and potential packet loss during beam switching.

[0031] Example embodiments will now be described with reference to the accompanying drawings. The terminology used in this disclosure of the exemplary embodiments illustrated in the drawings is not intended to be limiting. In the drawings, the same reference numerals refer to the same elements.

[0032] It should be understood that although the terms "first" and "second," etc., may be used herein to describe various elements, these elements should not be limited by these terms. These terms are used only to distinguish one element from another. For example, without departing from the scope of the exemplary embodiments, a first element may be referred to as a second element, and similarly, a second element may be referred to as a first element.

[0033] This specification may refer to "a," "an," or "some" (or more) embodiments in several places. This does not necessarily imply that each such reference is directed to the same (or more) embodiments, or that the feature is applicable only to a single embodiment. Individual features of different embodiments may also be combined to provide other embodiments.

[0034] As used herein, the singular forms “a,” “an,” and “the” are also intended to include the plural forms unless the context clearly indicates otherwise. It should also be understood that the terms “comprising,” “including,” “containing,” and / or “containing,” when used herein, specify the presence of a feature, integer, step, operation, element, and / or component, but do not preclude the presence or addition of one or more other features, integers, steps, operations, elements, and / or components.

[0035] As used herein, whenever the phrase “at least one” or “one or more” precedes a list of elements, where the elements are connected by “and” or “or”, it means that at least any one of the elements, or at least some of the elements, or all of the elements are present. As used herein, whenever the phrase “one of” precedes a list of elements, where the elements are connected by “and” or “or”, it means that only one of the elements is present at a given time, unless the context permits the inclusion of more than one element. The use of the term “or” should be understood as “inclusive or” rather than “exclusive or”, unless the relevant context otherwise indicates. Conditional language, such as “may” or “may,” unless otherwise specifically stated or otherwise understood within the context in which it is used, is generally intended to convey that some embodiments may include certain features, elements, and / or steps, while other embodiments may not include certain features, elements, and / or steps. Therefore, such conditional language is generally not intended to imply that one or more embodiments require features, elements, and / or steps in any way. It should be understood that when an element is referred to as “connected” or “coupled” to another element, it may be directly connected or coupled to the other element, or there may be intermediate elements. Furthermore, the term “connection” or “coupled” as used herein may include wireless connection or coupling. As used herein, the term “and / or” includes any and all combinations and arrangements of one or more of the associated listed items. As used herein, the terms “at least one” and “one or more” mean “any one of at least one” and “any one of one or more”, respectively.

[0036] Unless otherwise defined, all terms used herein (including technical and scientific terms) have the same meaning as commonly understood by one of ordinary skill in the art to which this disclosure pertains. It should also be understood that terms such as those defined in commonly used dictionaries should be interpreted as having a meaning consistent with their meaning in the context of the relevant field and will not be interpreted in an idealized or overly formal sense, unless expressly defined herein.

[0037] The accompanying drawings depict a simplified structure showing only some elements and functional entities. All elements and functional entities are logical units, and their implementations may differ from those shown. The connections shown are logical connections; actual physical connections may differ. Furthermore, all logical units described and depicted in the drawings include the software and / or hardware components required for the unit to operate. Additionally, each unit may include one or more components within itself, which are implicitly understood. These components may be operatively coupled to each other and configured to communicate with each other to perform the functions of the unit.

[0038] As used herein, the term "circuit system" may refer to at least one of the following: (a) Hardware circuit implementation only (such as in analog, digital, and / or quantum circuit systems) (b) A combination of (multiple) hardware circuits and software, such as (if applicable): (i) a combination of (multiple) analog, digital, and / or quantum hardware circuits and software / firmware, and (ii) any portion of (multiple) hardware processors (including (multiple) digital and / or quantum processors) having software, and (multiple) memories, which work together to enable a device (such as a mobile phone, computing device, or server) to perform various functions, and (c) Any or all of the components of (multiple) hardware circuits (such as (multiple) microprocessors, (multiple) processors, and / or (multiple) quantum processors) that require software (e.g., firmware) to operate, but which may be absent when no software is required to operate.

[0039] This definition of "circuit system" applies to all uses of the term in this application, including in any claim. As another example, as used in this application, the term "circuit system" also covers only hardware circuitry or a processor (or multiple processors), or portions of hardware circuitry or a processor and their accompanying software and / or firmware implementations. The term "circuit system" also covers (e.g., 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.

[0040] In the following text, different example embodiments will be described using communication network architectures based on 3GPP standards for communication networks (such as 5G NR or 6G (sixth generation)) as examples of communication networks that can be applied to example embodiments; however, the example embodiments are not limited to this architecture.

[0041] The Radio Access Network (RAN1) has currently agreed on one or more events that may cause a User Equipment (UE) to initiate beam reporting. These one or more events include Event-2, where the quality of at least one new beam, such as the Layer-1 Reference Signal Received Power (L1-RSRP), becomes better than a threshold for the current beam; Event-1, where the quality of the current beam is worse than a certain threshold; and / or Event-7, where the quality of at least one new beam (such as L1-RSRP) becomes better than a threshold for the RS with the Qth best quality derived from the active TCI state.

[0042] Within the context of a determined event trigger, two options are defined:

[0043] Basic function: Once an event instance exists, such as event-2, once the L1-RSRP of the new beam becomes a better threshold than that of the current beam, a beam report initiated by the UE occurs.

[0044] Limited by UE capabilities: A beam report initiated by the UE occurs if, within a measurement window (configurable), the number of event instances (multiple) for at least one identical new beam is greater than or equal to the configurable number M.

[0045] Two variants, Mode A and Mode B, have been defined for the actual beam reporting process.

[0046] Mode A (Uplink Control Information (UCI) is dynamically scheduled by the gNB):

[0047] Step 1: The UE can send a first physical uplink control channel (PUCCH_) (one bit / multiple bits) to request resources for the second uplink (UL) channel to carry beam reports.

[0048] Step 2: The UE can detect the downlink control information (DCI) format to indicate the resources used for the second UL channel to carry beam reports.

[0049] Step 3: The beam report is sent on the second UL channel.

[0050] Mode A is a basic UE capability (i.e., all UEs that support UE-initiated / event-driven beam reporting should support this feature).

[0051] Mode B (UCI for the second UL channel in pre-configured (multiple) resources):

[0052] Step 1: The UE can send the first PUCCH (one bit / multiple bits) of the second UL channel to carry beam reports.

[0053] Step 2: The UE can send a beam report in the second UL channel.

[0054] The notification in step 1 is located in a report instance that is separated from the beam report in step 2.

[0055] In both modes A and B, the UE can send the first PUCCH when the event condition is met.

[0056] In Mode A, at the network node (gNB), the reception of the first PUCCH indicates that the UE is requesting resources on the uplink to send a beam report.

[0057] In Mode B, at the gNB, the reception of the first PUCCH implies that the UE will send a beam report on the uplink resources reserved for beam reports.

[0058] In the context of what is reported, namely, the UL signal content of a UE-initiated beam measurement (UEIBM) with L1-RSRP as the quality metric and event-2, it has been agreed that the UE reports N beams (e.g., the top N beams) where N≥1 is configured by the network via RRC, and at least one of these N beams satisfies a triggering event. Then, in addition to these N beams, the network can also configure the UE via Radio Resource Control (RRC) to report the current beam, where the current beam is associated with a specified TCI state. For example,

[0059] For event-1, always report the current beam.

[0060] For event-7, the UE can report the beam with the Qth best quality associated with the active TCI state, instead of reporting the current beam.

[0061] The currently defined TCI state transition latency requirement depends on whether the target TCI state is known or unknown.

[0062] Now, in the context of UEI event 2, the purpose of defining this event is to indicate to the network that there are (multiple) beams with a better threshold than the current beam. The result of reporting this event is that the network can send a TCI state switching command to the UE, instructing the UE to (activate and) subsequently switch to the better beam.

[0063] When a UEI beam report occurs in Mode A, the order of signaling messages is exchanged, and a switch in the TCI state may occur.

[0064] When a UE sends an L1-RSRP report indicating that one or more new beams are better than the threshold of the currently indicated TCI state: - Network nodes can send MAC-CE commands to the UE to switch TCI states; - After receiving the MAC-CE command, the UE can send a Hybrid Automatic Repeating Sequence (HARQ) to the gNB. - Based on the current DL TCI state switching delay requirements, the UE and SSB perform time-frequency synchronization, and the SSB has a quasi-co-occurrence (QCL) relationship with the target TCI state.

[0065] If the TCI state given in the MAC-CE is the only TCI state activated using that MAC-CE, then after all these steps are completed in sequence, the UE can receive the newly specified TCI state.

[0066] If there are more than one TCI state activated using MAC-CE, the UE can activate the TCI state based solely on MAC-CE, and the network may additionally need to send DCI to indicate one of these TCI states for reception / transmission.

[0067] The UE can perform DL synchronization based on an event-triggered report (as discussed above). However, after the report is triggered, the UE may need some time to perform DL synchronization and any other related actions. This could result in the UE not having performed DL synchronization by the time the TCI state transition command is received, and therefore may not necessarily achieve latency reduction.

[0068] The proposed embodiments provide apparatus and methods to define a delay between the reporting of an RS (CSI-RS or SSB) and the completion of DL synchronization with the reported RS (SSB) or associated RS (SSB with CSI-RS QCL), wherein after this delay, the UE can be activated or designated to switch to the TCI state associated with the RS (CSI-RS or SSB) without requiring DL synchronization at the time of TCI state activation / switching.

[0069] Figure 1 An example of a wireless communication system 100 in which exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure may be implemented is illustrated. The network 100 may include at least a first device 110 and a second device 120 (the first device 110 is also referred to as a terminal device, and the second device 120 is also referred to as a network device).

[0070] In some example embodiments, the first device 110 may include a user equipment (UE) and may be any wireless communication device capable of transmitting and receiving wireless signals. The first device 110 may be used to communicate with a radio access network (RAN) via an uplink channel. Non-limiting examples of the first device 110 include smartphones, tablets, laptops, etc. The first device 110 may include and / or be referred to as a "terminal device," "user equipment," "wireless transceiver unit," or another name.

[0071] In some example embodiments, the second device 120 may include a network node in a communication network (e.g., network 100) through which the first device 110 can access the network and receive services. The second device 120 may include and / or be referred to as a “base station,” “radio access network node,” “radio unit,” or another name. The second device 120 may operate according to one of several radio access technologies (RATs) communicating with the first device 110 and may be part of a RAN. The second device 120 may communicate with the first device 110 via a downlink channel.

[0072] In the wireless communication network 100, there may be wireless coverage areas (referred to as "cells"). Cell 130 may be supported by the second device 120.

[0073] There may be instances where the first device 110 initiates beam management, wherein the first device 110 may be configured with at least one event / condition, and if the at least one event / condition occurs or is met, the first device 110 may begin beam reporting.

[0074] The example provides an artificial intelligence / machine learning (AI / ML) based approach that uses a specific autoencoder to dynamically generate RS patterns and UE-specific masks. This AI / ML-based approach optimizes channel estimation, minimizes pilot pollution, and improves spectral efficiency in both uplink and downlink MU-MIMO transmissions.

[0075] In an embodiment, when the first device 110 is configured with at least one measurement and at least one associated reporting configuration, and when a report is triggered based on the reporting configuration, the first device 110 can perform downlink (DL) synchronization for the reporting RS or the RS associated with the reporting RS. In the proposed description, a delay can be defined between the reporting of the RS (CSI-RS or SSB) and the completion of DL synchronization with the reporting RS (SSB) or the associated RS (SSB with CSI-RS QCL), after which the first device 110 can be activated or designated to switch to the TCI state associated with the RS (CSI-RS or SSB) without requiring DL synchronization at the time of TCI state activation / switching.

[0076] In the embodiments, the proposed description also provides that the transmission of the first PUCCH can act as a trigger request for sending an aperiodic TRS for fine time / frequency tracking. This aTRS can be sent before, concurrently with, or after the transmission of a MAC CE indicating a change in TCI state, such that the first device 110 can perform timely synchronization updates.

[0077] In the embodiments, the proposed description provides an event-triggered L1 report (UEIBM) in which at least one configured measurement-based condition triggers the report via the first device 110. The embodiments of the proposed description can also be applied to other types of reports that include at least one of the following: periodic reports, non-periodic reports, or semi-persistent reports, if other types of reports can trigger the first device 110 to perform DL synchronization.

[0078] In the example, the report may involve RSs associated with a single TRP or multiple TRP setup, meaning that the measured and reported RSs may originate from one or more TRPs. For a multiple TRP scenario, the report may be a group-based report, where the first device 110 may report the measurements and additional RS resource groups that the first device 110 can receive simultaneously.

[0079] In the example, the delay between reporting and terminating a DL synchronization can be defined as starting from at least one of the following:

[0080] The time from when the first device 110 may send a UEI report on the Physical Uplink Shared Control Channel (PUSCH);

[0081] The time from when the report is triggered (when the reporting conditions for the event are met);

[0082] The first device 110 can request or notify the timing of UL resources (e.g., the first PUCCH) used for reporting;

[0083] The second device 120 can request the timing of a report including at least one of non-periodic reports, semi-persistent reports, or UEIBM Mode A;

[0084] The time from the end of the measurement window that triggered the report.

[0085] The first device 110 has measured multiple necessary occurrences that meet the reporting conditions to trigger the reporting time based on a measurement window, which includes L occurrences within a window of length M.

[0086] From the end of the time used for triggering, wherein the first device 110 has determined that the reporting conditions have been met during the duration of the time used for triggering, such as L3 event triggering report.

[0087] In the example, delay can be defined as including at least one of the following components:

[0088] The time from one of the starting points as defined above until the first received RS (SSB or periodic or aperiodic TRS) used to obtain DL synchronization can be defined as the time until the first SSB or "SSB periodic" or "TRS periodic".

[0089] "The time until the first SSB or TRS" may include the time until the reception of one or more SSBs / TRSs is reported or the time until the QCL'ed reception of the RS is reported. In cases where the first device 110 can report and therefore needs to perform DL synchronization for more than one SSB / TRS, this delayed portion may include the time until the first device 110 has received all the necessary SSBs / TRSs.

[0090] The delay may also include RS (SSB / TRS) processing time, which may include, for example, 2ms (TRS may take a short time).

[0091] In this example, the SSB in this disclosure can be defined as the RS used for DLT / F synchronization. This definition can be extended to other RSs that can meet the requirement of providing DLT / F synchronization to the first device 110.

[0092] Figure 2 A flowchart of method 200 performed by a first device 110 is illustrated. At step 202, method 200 provides sending a measurement report to a second device 120, the measurement report including measurement results for at least one reference signal (RS). At step 204, method 200 provides performing downlink (DL) synchronization with at least one RS or another RS ​​associated with at least one RS within a delay window, and at step 206, method 200 includes receiving a command from the second device (120) to switch to or activate a Transmission Configuration Indicator (TCI) state associated with at least one RS. At step 208, method 200 includes switching to or activating the TCI state.

[0093] In the example, the first device 110 is further configured to switch to or activate the TCI state by: if a TCI state switching command or a TCI state activation command is received after the end of the delay window, switching to or activating the TCI state within a switching delay excluding the DL synchronization time. In the example, the first device 110 is further configured to switch to or activate the TCI state by: if a TCI state switching command or a TCI state activation command is received before the end of the delay window, switching to or activating the TCI state within a switching delay including the DL synchronization time.

[0094] In the example, the first device (110) is also configured to: receive a measurement configuration from the second device 120; measure at least one RS based on the measurement configuration; and determine that a reporting condition associated with at least one RS is met.

[0095] In the example, the delay window is defined to begin based on a timing reference selected from at least one of the following: the time when the first device 110 sends a measurement report to the second device 120; the time when the reporting condition associated with at least one RS is met; the time when the first device 110 requests uplink resources for reporting from the second device 120; the time when the first device 110 notifies the second device 120 of the uplink resources for reporting; the time when the first device 110 receives the report request from the second device 120; the time when the measurement window for measuring at least one RS ends; the time when a predetermined number of measurement events occur within the defined time window; or the time when the time used for triggering expires.

[0096] In the example, the delay window lasts until DL synchronization is complete. The delay window includes a window for both DL synchronization and RS processing durations.

[0097] In the example, at least one RS includes at least one of the following: a synchronization signal block (SSB), a channel state information reference signal (CSI RS), a periodic tracking reference signal (pTRS), an aperiodic tracking reference signal (aTRS), or a quasi-co-location reference signal.

[0098] In the example, at least one RS is associated with a single Transmit Receive Point (TRP) or multiple TRPs.

[0099] In the example, the first device 110 is also configured to perform downlink (DL) synchronization with at least one RS after sending a report.

[0100] In the example, DL synchronization is performed during the delay window. DL synchronization is performed when the list of active TCI states for the first device 110 is not full. In the case where multiple RSs are reported in the UEI report, the first device 110 may perform this t / f synchronization only for the top k RSs (where the top k RSs may be defined based on the reported signal level / quality). For example: the first device 110 may have a maximum of 8 active TCI states, but the first device 110 may currently only have 6 TCI states in the active TCI state list. Then, if the first device 110 can report 4 RSs in the UEI report, the first device 110 may perform t / f synchronization only for the top 2 RSs reported in the UEI report.

[0101] Figure 3 The diagram illustrates a flowchart of method 300 performed by the first device 110. At step 302, method 300 sends a report to the second device 120 indicating the measurement of at least one reference signal (RS), and at step 304, method 300 triggers the reception of an aperiodic tracking reference signal (aTRS) from the second device 120 based on the transmission of the report.

[0102] In the example, the report is sent in the Physical Uplink Control Channel (PUCCH) that requests uplink resources from the second device, or in the Physical Uplink Shared Channel (PUSCH).

[0103] In the example, the report includes the first indicator requesting aTRS.

[0104] In the example, the first device 110 is also configured to receive a second indicator from the second device 120, the second indicator notifying the transmission of aTRS. The transmission of aTRS may be specified in a DCI that provides UL authorization for PUSCH transmission.

[0105] In the example, the reception of aTRS is triggered at a predetermined delay period after the transmission of the report.

[0106] In the example, the first device 110 is also configured to receive a command from the second device 120 to switch to a Transmission Configuration Indicator (TCI) state associated with at least one RS.

[0107] In the example, the aTRS reception occurs before, simultaneously with, or after the command reception.

[0108] Figure 4 The diagram illustrates a flowchart of method 400 performed by the second device 120. At step 402, method 400 receives a report from the first device 110 indicating the measurement of at least one reference signal RS, and at step 404, method 400 includes sending an aperiodic tracking reference signal (aTRS) to the first device 110 based on the report.

[0109] In the example, the transmission of aTRS is triggered based on a report, which includes a first indicator requesting aTRS.

[0110] In the example, the aTRS transmission is triggered at a predetermined delay period after the report is received.

[0111] In the example, the second device 120 is also configured to send a command to the first device 110 to switch to a Transmission Configuration Indicator (TCI) state associated with at least one RS.

[0112] In the example, the aTRS transmission occurs before, simultaneously with, or after the command is received.

[0113] In the example (Example 1), the DL synchronization delay can be defined as the time between the transmission (UEIBM) of the measurement report and the termination of DL synchronization. After transmitting a UEI beam report indicating the occurrence of an event and while awaiting a TCI state switching command or a TCI state activation command, if the first device 110 can receive (multiple) SSBs or aTRS / pTRS that have a QCL relationship with the RS of the TCI state reported in the UEI beam report, the first device 110 can be configured to perform time / frequency synchronization with the first SSB or aTRS / pTRS. The first device 110 can perform any other necessary actions, and after receiving the TCI state switching command from the second device 120, the first device 110 may not require T / F synchronization.

[0114] In the example (Example 2), the DL synchronization delay can also be defined as the time between the reporting condition becoming satisfied (the measurement that triggers the report) and the termination of DL synchronization. After the event triggering condition is determined and while waiting for the TCI state switching command or the TCI state activation command, if the first device 110 can receive (multiple) SSBs or aTRS / pTRS that have a QCL relationship with the RS of the TCI state reported in the UEI beam report, the first device 110 can perform time / frequency synchronization with the first SSB or aTRS / pTRS. The first device 110 can also perform any other necessary actions and may not require T / F synchronization after receiving the TCI state switching command from the second device 120.

[0115] In another example (Example 3), the DL synchronization delay can be defined as the time between sending the first PUCCH and the termination of DL synchronization. After sending the first PUCCH and while waiting for the TCI state switching command or the TCI state activation command, if the first device 110 can receive (multiple) SSBs or aTRS / pTRS that have a QCL relationship with the RS of the TCI state reported in the UEI beam report, the first device 110 can perform time / frequency synchronization with the first SSB or aTRS / pTRS. The first device 110 can perform any other necessary actions and may not require T / F synchronization after receiving the TCI state switching command from the second device 120.

[0116] In another example (Example 4), the DL synchronization delay can be defined as the time between the reception of a report request DCI or MAC-CE (for aperiodic or semi-persistent reporting or UEIBM Mode A) by the second device 120 and the termination of DL synchronization. After receiving the report request and while awaiting a TCI state switching delay command or a TCI state switching activation command, if the first device 110 can receive (multiple) SSBs or aTRS / pTRS with a QCL relationship to the RS of the TCI state reported in the UEI beam report, the first device 110 can perform time / frequency synchronization with the first SSB or aTRS / pTRS. The first device 110 can perform any other necessary actions, and T / F synchronization may not be required after receiving the TCI state switching command from the second device 120.

[0117] In another example (Example 5), the DL synchronization delay can be defined as the time between the termination of a measurement window of length M that satisfies the reporting conditions and the end of DL synchronization. After determining that the reporting conditions are met at the end of the window, and while waiting for a TCI state switching command or a TCI state activation command, if the first device 110 can receive (multiple) SSBs or aTRS / pTRS that have a QCL relationship with the RS of the TCI state reported in the UEI beam report, the first device 110 can perform time / frequency synchronization with the first SSB or aTRS / pTRS. The first device 110 can perform any other necessary actions, and T / F synchronization may not be required after receiving the TCI state switching command from the second device 120.

[0118] In the example (Example 6), the DL synchronization delay can be defined as the time between the time when the first device 110 can determine that the number L of necessary measurement opportunities to satisfy the reporting conditions within a window of length M has occurred (before or at the end of the window of length M), and the time when the first device 110 has completed DL synchronization. After the conditions for reporting are satisfied based on L occurrences, and while waiting for a TCI state switching command or a TCI state activation command, if the first device 110 can receive (multiple) SSBs or aTRS / pTRS that have a QCL relationship with the RS of the TCI state reported in the UEI beam report, the first device 110 can perform time / frequency synchronization with the first SSB or aTRS / pTRS. The first device 110 can perform any other necessary actions, and T / F synchronization may not be required after receiving the TCI state switching command from the second device 120.

[0119] In another example (Example 7), the DL synchronization delay is defined as the time between the end of the trigger time and the time when the first device 110 has completed DL synchronization. After the conditions for reporting are met based on the conditions satisfied during the duration of the trigger time, and while waiting for a TCI state switching command or a TCI state activation command, if the first device 110 can receive (multiple) SSBs or aTRS / pTRS that have a QCL relationship with the RS of the TCI state reported in the UEI beam report, the first device 110 can perform time / frequency synchronization with the first SSB or aTRS / pTRS. The first device can perform any other necessary actions, and T / F synchronization may not be required when receiving the TCI state switching command from the second device 120.

[0120] In the examples, considering different examples of DL synchronization delay as defined above (Examples 1 to 7), if the UEI beam report contains multiple RSs, the first device 110 can perform DL synchronization with the SSB or aTRS / pTRS, wherein the SSB or aTRS / pTRS has a QCL relationship with each RS in the TCI state reported in the UEI beam report.

[0121] In another example, in m-TRP operating mode and if group-based reporting is enabled, the first device 110 can perform time / frequency synchronization with the SSB. If, during the time between the first device 110 sending the GBBR report and receiving the (multiple) TCI state activation command or (multiple) TCI state switching command, the first device 110 can receive all the necessary (multiple) SSBs or aTRS / pTRS with QCL relationships to the RS of the TCI state reported in the GBBR report, then the UE will no longer require T / F synchronization after receiving the TCI state switching command from the second device 120.

[0122] In the example, the DL synchronization delay component (e.g., Tfirst-ssb) is defined as the time from any starting point in the example of DL synchronization delay as defined above until the first SSB, or is defined as the SSB period, where the first device 110 expects to perform DL synchronization with only one SSB based on the report.

[0123] In the example, the delay includes the time until the UE receives all the necessary SSBs, where the first device 110 expects to perform DL synchronization with multiple SSBs. This means that Tfirst_SSB can be defined as the time until the first device 110 has received all the necessary SSBs, or it can be defined as the maximum SSB cycle of all these SSBs.

[0124] The DL synchronization delay may additionally include components for SSB processing, such as TSSB-proc, which may have an exemplary value of 2ms. Other components may also be present that are associated with the operation of any other necessary first device 110.

[0125] In another example, the first device 110 may not expect to receive a TCI state activation command or a TCI state switching command during an SSB burst. That is, the TCI switching command can be sent before the start of the SSB burst transmission or after its completion.

[0126] In the example, the first device 110 is expected to perform DL synchronization based on the reception of periodic or aperiodic TRS. The transmission of aperiodic TRS can be implicitly or explicitly triggered by the transmission of UEI reported in the first PUCCH or PUSCH.

[0127] In the case of explicit aTRS indication, the transmission of aTRS can be specified in the DCI that provides UL authorization for PUSCH transmission. The actual transmission of aTRS can occur before, simultaneously with, or after the transmission of the MAC CE indicating the change of TCI state, allowing the first device 110 to perform timely synchronization updates and minimizing delays.

[0128] In another case of implicit aTRS indication, it can be known that the aTRS transmission occurs implicitly after the aTRS_delay period following the indication of the triggered event.

[0129] exist Figure 5 , Figure 6 and Figure 7 Each figure illustrates the first three examples of DL synchronization delays discussed in Examples 1 through 7 above. This example is for a MAC-CE-based TCI state switching (indication) scenario, where MAC-CE is used to activate / indicate only one TCI state.

[0130] Figure 5The illustration depicts scenario 500, illustrating the reception of an SSB between the reception of a UEI beam report and a TCI state switching command sent by the first device 110. At t0, event t2 is detected by the first device 110, and at t1, a first PUCCH is sent to the second device 120. Between t1 and t3, a DCI is received, and at t3, an L1 report is sent to the second device 120. Within a 2ms time window, the first device 110 can receive an SSB for T / F synchronization, and at t4, the first device 110 can receive a MAC-CE command from the second device 120 to switch the TCI state. Between t4 and t5, a HARQ is sent for a 3ms time window, and at t5, the first device 110 can receive the new TCI state. Figure 5 The DL synchronization delay is shown between t3 and t4.

[0131] Figure 6 The illustration depicts scenario 600 for receiving an SSB between the event occurrence and the first PUCCH. Similar to... Figure 5 The DL synchronization delay is shown between t0 and t1.

[0132] Figure 7 The illustration depicts scenario 700 for an SSB received between the first PUCCH and the second uplink channel. Similar to... Figure 6 The DL synchronization delay is shown between t0 and t1.

[0133] Figure 8 The illustration depicts aTRS configuration 800, received between the reception of the UEI beam report and the TCI state switching command transmitted by the first device 110, as specified by the DCI. Similar to... Figure 6 The DL synchronization delay is shown between t0 and t1.

[0134] Figure 9 and 10 The diagram illustrates a first device 110 and a second device 120 for implementing one or more exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure. The first device 110 may be or include a terminal device, etc. The second device 120 may be or include a base station, a next-generation NodeB (gNB), etc.

[0135] The first device 110 and the second device 120 may each include processors 1104 and 1204 for controlling the corresponding operations of the first device 110 and the second device 120. Processors 1104 / 1204 may also be referred to as a central processing unit (CPU). Processors 1104 / 1204 may be implemented, for example, in various ways, including circuit systems, at least one processing core, one or more coprocessors, one or more multi-core processors, one or more controllers, processing circuit systems, other processing elements including integrated circuits (e.g., application-specific integrated circuits (ASICs), field-programmable gate arrays (FPGAs), etc.), or some combination thereof.

[0136] The first device 110 and the second device 120 may each include a memory 1102 and a memory 1202. The memory 1102 / 1202 may include both read-only memory (ROM) and random access memory (RAM), and may provide instructions and data to the processor 1104 / 1204, respectively. The memory 1102 and the processor 1104 of the first device 110 may be operatively coupled. Similarly, the memory 1202 and the processor 1204 of the second device 120 may be operatively coupled.

[0137] Memory 1102 / 1202 may store instructions, such as computer-readable instructions / computer program code. The computer-readable instructions / computer program code may be pre-stored in memory 1102 / 1202, or alternatively or additionally, they may be received by the first device 110 and the second device 120 via electromagnetic carrier signals and / or may be copied from a physical entity such as a computer program product. Execution of the computer-readable instructions by processor 1104 / 1204 may cause the first device 110 or the second device 120 to perform the exemplary embodiments described herein, such as... Figures 2 to 5 The steps outlined in the document.

[0138] The first device 110 and the second device 120 may each include a transmitter / receiver (TX / RX) circuit system 1106 / 1206, and may further include a transmitter 1108 / 1208 and a receiver 1110 / 1210. The TX / RX circuit system 1106 of the first device 110 and the TX / RX circuit system 1206 of the second device 120 may be enabled to transmit or receive data, respectively. The first device 110 and the second device 120 may include (not shown) multiple antennas, transmitters, and receivers.

[0139] In some example embodiments, the first device 110 and the second device 120 may each include enabling it to perform... Figures 2 to 5The component is a step / operation (if applicable) in the process. This component can be implemented in any suitable form. For example, it can be implemented at least in a combination of circuit systems, memory 1102 / 1202, processor 1104 / 1204, TX / RX circuit systems 1106 / 1206, or in a software module.

[0140] Example embodiments of this disclosure have been disclosed in the accompanying drawings and description. Although specific terminology has been used, it is used in a general and descriptive sense only and not for limiting purposes. It will be apparent to those skilled in the art that various modifications and variations can be made to the embodiments disclosed herein that are consistent with this disclosure without departing from the spirit and scope of this disclosure. Other embodiments consistent with this disclosure will become apparent from consideration of the practice described in the specification and this disclosure.

Claims

1. A first device (110) for communication, comprising: At least one processor (1104). as well as At least one memory (1102) stores instructions that, when executed by the at least one processor (1104), cause the first device (110) to at least: A report is sent to the second device (120) indicating the measurement of at least one reference signal RS; and Based on the transmission of the report, the reception of the aperiodic tracking reference signal aTRS is triggered from the second device (120).

2. The first apparatus (110) according to claim 1, wherein the report is sent in the Physical Uplink Control Channel (PUCCH) requesting uplink resources from the second apparatus, or in the Physical Uplink Shared Channel (PUSCH).

3. The first device (110) according to claim 1 or claim 2, wherein the report includes a first indicator requesting the aTRS; and The first device (110) is further configured to: A second indicator is received from the second device (120), which notifies the transmission of the aTRS.

4. The first device (110) according to claim 1 or claim 2, wherein the reception of the aTRS is triggered at a predetermined delay period after the transmission of the report.

5. The first device (110) according to claim 1 or claim 2, wherein the first device (110) is further configured to: Receive a command from the second device (120) to switch to the Transmission Configuration Indicator (TCI) state associated with the at least one RS; and The reception of the aTRS occurs before, simultaneously with, or after the reception of the command.

6. A second means (120) for communication, comprising: At least one processor (1204); as well as At least one memory (1202) stores instructions that, when executed by the at least one processor (1204), cause the second device (120) to at least: Receive a report from the first device (110) indicating the measurement of at least one reference signal RS; and Based on the report, an aperiodic tracking reference signal aTRS is sent to the first device (110).

7. The second apparatus (120) according to claim 6, wherein the transmission of the aTRS is triggered based on the report, the report including a first indicator requesting the aTRS; and The transmission of the aTRS is triggered at a predetermined delay period following the receipt of the report.

8. The second device (120) according to any one of claims 6 to 7, wherein the second device (120) is further configured to: Send a command to the first device (110) to switch to the Transmission Configuration Indicator (TCI) state associated with the at least one RS; and The transmission of the aTRS occurs before the transmission of the command, occurs simultaneously with the reception of the command, or occurs after the reception of the command.

9. A method (300) for a first means (110) for communication, the method (300) comprising: A report (302) is sent to the second device (120), the report indicating the measurement of at least one reference signal RS; as well as Based on the transmission of the report, the reception of the aperiodic tracking reference signal aTRS is triggered (304) from the second device (120).

10. A method (400) for a second means (120) for communication, the method (400) comprising: A report (402) is received from the first device (110), the report indicating the measurement of at least one reference signal RS; as well as Based on the report, an aperiodic tracking reference signal aTRS (404) is sent to the first device (110).

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