Apparatus and method for network power adaptation in a wireless communication system

Abstract

The disclosure relates to a 5G or 6G communication system for supporting a higher data transmission rate. An apparatus and method for network power adaptation. A method for a user equipment (UE) to perform a measurement on a cell includes receiving first information of first parameters for a first synchronization signal on the cell and receiving second information of second parameters for a second synchronization signal on the cell. The method further includes receiving the first synchronization signal and the second synchronization signal on the cell, wherein the first synchronization signal and the second synchronization signal have a same quasi co-location property, and determining a measurement on the cell based on the first synchronization signal and the second synchronization signal.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This disclosure generally relates to wireless communication systems, and more specifically, to apparatus and methods for network power adaptation in wireless communication systems. Background Technology

[0002] 5G mobile communication technology defines a wide frequency band, enabling high transmission rates and new services. It can be implemented not only in "sub-6GHz" bands such as 3.5GHz, but also in "above 6GHz" bands, including 28GHz and 39GHz, known as mmWave. Furthermore, 6G mobile communication technology (referred to as "super 5G systems") is being considered in terahertz (THz) bands (e.g., the 95GHz to 3THz band) to achieve transmission rates fifty times faster than 5G and ultra-low latency one-tenth that of 5G.

[0003] At the outset of 5G mobile communication technology development, standardization was underway for the following technologies to support services and meet performance requirements associated with enhanced mobile broadband (eMBB), ultra-reliable low-latency communication (URLLC), and massive machine-type communication (mMTC): beamforming and massive MIMO for mitigating radio wave path loss and increasing radio wave transmission distance in millimeter waves; dynamic operation supporting parameter sets (e.g., operating multiple subcarrier spacings) and time slot formats for efficient utilization of millimeter wave resources; initial access technologies supporting multi-beam transmission and broadband; definition and operation of BWP (bandwidth portion); new channel coding methods (such as LDPC (low-density parity-check) codes for large data transmissions and polar codes for highly reliable transmission of control information); L2 preprocessing; and network slicing for providing dedicated networks for specific services.

[0004] Currently, given the services that 5G mobile communication technology needs to support, discussions are underway regarding improvements and performance enhancements to the initial 5G mobile communication technology, and physical layer standardization already exists for technologies such as: V2X (Vehicle-to-Everything) for assisting autonomous vehicles in determining driving based on information about the location and status of vehicles transmitted by vehicles and for enhancing user convenience; NR-U (New Radio Unlicensed) designed to make system operation in unlicensed bands comply with various regulatory requirements; NR UE power saving; non-terrestrial networks (NTNs) for UE-satellite direct communication to provide coverage in areas where communication with terrestrial networks is unavailable; and positioning.

[0005] Furthermore, standardization is underway in the wireless interface architecture / protocol domain for technologies such as: Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT) to support new services through interoperability and convergence with other industries; IAB (Integrated Access and Backhaul) for nodes to provide network service area extension by supporting wireless backhaul and access links in an integrated manner; mobility enhancements including conditional handover and DAPS (Dual Active Stack) handover; and two-step random access (2-step RACH for NR) to simplify the random access process. In terms of system architecture / services, standardization is also underway for: 5G baseline architectures (e.g., service-based architectures or service-based interfaces) for combining Network Functions Virtualization (NFV) and Software-Defined Networking (SDN) technologies; and mobile edge computing (MEC) for UE location-based reception services.

[0006] With the commercialization of 5G mobile communication systems, the number of connected devices will increase exponentially, necessitating enhanced functionality and performance of 5G mobile communication systems, as well as integrated operation of connected devices. To this end, new research is planned related to: Extended Reality (XR) for effectively supporting AR (Augmented Reality), VR (Virtual Reality), MR (Mixed Reality), etc.; improving 5G performance and reducing 5G complexity by leveraging Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Machine Learning (ML); AI service support; Metaverse service support; and drone communication.

[0007] Furthermore, this development of 5G mobile communication systems will serve as a foundation for: not only developing new waveforms for providing terahertz band coverage for 6G mobile communication technologies, multi-antenna transmission technologies (such as full-dimensional MIMO (FD-MIMO), array antennas, and massive MIMO), metamaterial-based lenses and antennas for improving terahertz band signal coverage, high-dimensional spatial multiplexing technologies using OAM (orbital angular momentum), and RIS (reconfigurable smart surfaces), but also developing full-duplex technologies to improve the frequency efficiency of 6G mobile communication technologies and enhance system networks, AI-based communication technologies to achieve system optimization by leveraging satellites and AI (artificial intelligence) from the design phase and internalizing end-to-end AI support capabilities, and next-generation distributed computing technologies to achieve services at a complexity level exceeding the operational capabilities of UEs by utilizing ultra-high-performance communication and computing resources. Summary of the Invention

[0008] [Technical Issues]

[0009] This disclosure provides a method and apparatus for network power adaptation in wireless communication systems.

[0010] Solution to the problem

[0011] According to one aspect of an exemplary embodiment, a method and apparatus for network power adaptation in a wireless communication system are provided.

[0012] [Beneficial effects of the invention]

[0013] This disclosure provides efficient communication methods in wireless communication systems. Attached Figure Description

[0014] To gain a more complete understanding of this disclosure and its advantages, reference is now made to the following description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, wherein like reference numerals denote like parts:

[0015] Figure 1 An example wireless network according to an embodiment of the present disclosure is shown;

[0016] Figure 2 An example gNodeB (gNB) according to an embodiment of this disclosure is shown;

[0017] Figure 3 An example UE according to an embodiment of the present disclosure is shown;

[0018] Figure 4A and 4B An example of a wireless transmission and reception path according to an embodiment of the present disclosure is shown;

[0019] Figure 5 An example of a transmitter structure for beamforming according to an embodiment of the present disclosure is shown;

[0020] Figure 6 An example of a transmitter structure for a physical downlink shared channel (PDSCH) in a subframe is shown according to an embodiment of the present disclosure;

[0021] Figure 7 An example of a receiver structure for a PDSCH in a subframe according to an embodiment of the present disclosure is shown;

[0022] Figure 8 An example coding structure for the Physical Downlink Control Channel (PDCCH) in a subframe is shown according to an embodiment of this disclosure;

[0023] Figure 9 An example decoding structure for PDCCH in a subframe is shown according to an embodiment of the present disclosure;

[0024] Figure 10 A diagram illustrating an example satellite coverage area according to an embodiment of the present disclosure is shown;

[0025] Figure 11 An example system for cell coverage according to an embodiment of the present disclosure is shown;

[0026] Figure 12 A flowchart illustrating an example UE procedure for transitioning to a low-power state and performing a reference signal received power (RSRP) measurement, according to embodiments of this disclosure, is shown; and

[0027] Figure 13 A diagram illustrating an example satellite coverage area according to an embodiment of this disclosure is shown.

[0028] Figure 14 A block diagram of a terminal (or user equipment (UE)) according to an embodiment of the present disclosure is shown.

[0029] Figure 15 A block diagram of a base station according to an embodiment of the present disclosure is shown. Detailed Implementation

[0030] This application claims priority to U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 63 / 571,881, filed March 29, 2024, and U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 63 / 670,598, filed July 12, 2024, pursuant to 35 USC §119(e), the entire contents of which are incorporated herein by reference. This disclosure relates to network power adaptation.

[0031] Wireless communication is already one of the most successful innovations in modern history. Recently, the number of users of wireless communication services has exceeded five billion and continues to grow rapidly. The demand for wireless data services is increasing rapidly due to the growing popularity of smartphones and other mobile data devices (such as tablets, notebook computers, netbooks, e-book readers, and machine-type devices) among consumers and businesses. To meet the high growth of mobile data services and support new applications and deployments, improvements in radio interface efficiency and coverage are crucial. To meet the increased demand for wireless data services since the deployment of 4G communication systems, and to enable various vertical applications, 5G communication systems have been developed and are currently being deployed.

[0032] Before proceeding with the detailed description below, it may be advantageous to define certain words and phrases used throughout this patent document. The term “coupled” and its derivatives refer to any direct or indirect communication between two or more elements, regardless of whether these elements are physically in contact with each other. The terms “transmit,” “receive,” and “communicate,” and their derivatives include both direct and indirect communication. The terms “comprising” and “including,” and their derivatives, mean including but not limited to. The term “or” is inclusive, meaning and / or. The phrase “associated with,” and its derivatives, mean including, being included in, interconnected with, containing, being contained within, connected to or connected to, coupled to or coupled with, able to communicate with, cooperate with, interleaved, juxtaposed, proximate, bound to or bound to, having, possessing the properties of, having a relationship to or with, etc. The term “controller” means any device, system, or part thereof that controls at least one operation. Such a controller may be implemented in hardware or a combination of hardware and software and / or firmware. The functionality associated with any particular controller may be centralized or distributed, local or remote. When used with a list of items, the phrase "at least one" means that different combinations of one or more of the listed items may be used, and it may be necessary to use only one item from the list. For example, "at least one of A, B, and C" includes any of the following combinations: A, B, C, A and B, A and C, B and C, and A and B and C.

[0033] Furthermore, the various functions described below can be implemented or supported by one or more computer programs, each computer program being formed by computer-readable program code and embodied in a computer-readable medium. The terms "application" and "program" refer to one or more computer programs, software components, instruction sets, procedures, functions, objects, classes, instances, associated data, or portions thereof suitable for implementation in appropriate computer-readable program code. The phrase "computer-readable program code" includes any type of computer code, including source code, object code, and executable code. The phrase "computer-readable medium" includes any type of medium accessible by a computer, such as read-only memory (ROM), random access memory (RAM), hard disk drive, optical disc (CD), digital video disc (DVD), or any other type of storage. "Non-transitory" computer-readable media does not include wired, wireless, optical, or other communication links that transmit transient electrical or other signals. Non-transitory computer-readable media includes media in which data can be permanently stored and media in which data can be stored and later rewritten, such as rewritable optical discs or erasable memory devices.

[0034] Definitions of certain other words and phrases are provided throughout this patent document. Those skilled in the art will understand that, in many cases (if not most), such definitions apply to the prior and future use of the words and phrases defined in this way.

[0035] The following discussion Figure 1-15 The various non-limiting embodiments used to describe the principles of this disclosure in this patent document are for illustrative purposes only and should not be construed as limiting the scope of this disclosure in any way. Those skilled in the art will understand that the principles of this disclosure can be implemented in any suitably arranged system or device.

[0036] To meet the increased demand for wireless data services since the deployment of 4G communication systems, and to enable various vertical applications, 5G / NR communication systems have been developed and are currently being deployed. 5G / NR communication systems are implemented in higher frequency (mmWave) bands (e.g., 28 GHz or 60 GHz bands) to achieve higher data rates, or in lower frequency bands (such as 6 GHz) to achieve robust coverage and mobility support. To reduce radio wave propagation loss and increase transmission distance, beamforming, massive MIMO, full-dimensional MIMO (FD-MIMO), array antennas, analog beamforming, and massive MIMO technologies are discussed in 5G / NR communication systems.

[0037] In addition, in 5G / NR communication systems, development is underway to improve system networks based on advanced small cells, cloud radio access networks (RANs) ultra-dense networks, device-to-device (D2D) communication, wireless backhaul, mobile networks, cooperative communication, coordinated multipoint (CoMP), and receiver interference cancellation.

[0038] The discussion of 5G systems and their associated frequency bands is for informational purposes only, as some embodiments of this disclosure can be implemented in 5G systems. However, this disclosure is not limited to 5G systems or their associated frequency bands, and embodiments of this disclosure can be utilized in combination with any frequency band. For example, aspects of this disclosure can also be applied to 5G communication systems, 6G, or even newer deployments using terahertz (THz) frequency bands.

[0039] The following documents and standards are hereby incorporated in this disclosure by reference, as if fully set forth herein: [Reference 1] 3GPP TS 38.211 v18.1.0, "NR; Physical Channels and Modulation"; [Reference 2] 3GPP TS 38.212 v18.1.0, "NR; Multiplexing and Channel Coding"; [Reference 3] 3GPP TS 38.213 v18.1.0, "NR; Physical Layer Procedures for Control"; [Reference 4] 3GPP TS 38.214 v18.1.0, "NR; Physical Layer Procedures for Data"; [Reference 5] 3GPP TS 38.321 v18.0.0, "NR; Media Access Control (MAC) Protocol Specification"; and [Reference 6] 3GPP TS 38.331 v18.0.0, "NR; Radio Resource Control (RRC) Protocol Specification".

[0040] The following Figure 1-3 Various embodiments of communication technologies implemented in wireless communication systems and using orthogonal frequency division multiplexing (OFDM) or orthogonal frequency division multiple access (OFDMA) are described. Figure 1-3 The description does not imply any physical or architectural limitations on how the different embodiments can be implemented. Different embodiments of this disclosure can be implemented in any suitably arranged communication system.

[0041] Figure 1 An example wireless network 100 according to an embodiment of the present disclosure is shown. Figure 1 The embodiment of the wireless network 100 shown is for illustrative purposes only. Other embodiments of the wireless network 100 may be used without departing from the scope of this disclosure.

[0042] like Figure 1 As shown, the wireless network includes gNB 101 (e.g., a base station, BS), gNB 102, and gNB 103. gNB 101 communicates with gNB 102 and gNB 103. gNB 101 also communicates with at least one network 130 (such as the Internet, a proprietary Internet Protocol (IP) network, or other data network).

[0043] gNB 102 provides wireless broadband access to network 130 to a first plurality of user equipments (UEs) within its coverage area 120. The first plurality of UEs includes UE 111, which may be located in a small business; UE 112, which may be located in an enterprise; UE 113, which may be a WiFi hotspot; UE 114, which may be located in a first residence; UE 115, which may be located in a second residence; and UE 116, which may be a mobile device, such as a cellular phone, wireless laptop computer, wireless PDA, etc. gNB 103 provides wireless broadband access to network 130 to a second plurality of UEs within its coverage area 125. The second plurality of UEs includes UE 115 and UE 116. In some embodiments, one or more of gNBs 101-103 may communicate with each other and with UEs 111-116 using 5G / NR, Long Term Evolution (LTE), LTE-A Advanced, WiMAX, WiFi, or other wireless communication technologies.

[0044] Depending on the network type, the term "base station" or "BS" can refer to any component (or set of components) configured to provide wireless access to a network, such as a transmitting point (TP), a transmitting-receiving point (TRP), an enhanced base station (eNodeB or eNB), a 5G / NR base station (gNB), a macro cell, a femtocell, a WiFi access point (AP), or other wirelessly enabled equipment. A base station can provide wireless access according to one or more wireless communication protocols, such as 5G / NR 3rd Generation Partnership Project (3GPP) NR, Long Term Evolution (LTE), LTE-Advanced (LTE-A), High Speed ​​Packet Access (HSPA), Wi-Fi 802.11a / b / g / n / ac, etc. For convenience, the terms "BS" and "TRP" are used interchangeably in this patent document to refer to network infrastructure components that provide wireless access to remote terminals. Furthermore, depending on the network type, the term "user equipment" or "UE" can refer to any component, such as a "mobile station," "subscriber station," "remote terminal," "wireless terminal," "receiving point," or "user device." For convenience, the terms “user equipment” and “UE” are used in this patent document to refer to a remote wireless device for wireless access to a BS, whether the UE is a mobile device (such as a mobile phone or smartphone) or is generally considered to be a fixed device (such as a desktop computer or vending machine).

[0045] The dashed lines indicate the approximate extent of coverage areas 120 and 125, and are shown as approximately circular for illustrative and explanatory purposes only. It should be clearly understood that coverage areas associated with the gNB (such as coverage areas 120 and 125) may have other shapes, including irregular shapes, depending on the configuration of the gNB and variations in the radio environment associated with natural and man-made obstacles.

[0046] As discussed in more detail below, wireless network 100 may have communications facilitated via one or more communication satellites 104 in orbit above the Earth. Communication satellites 104 may communicate directly with BSs 102 and 103 to provide network access, for example, where BSs 102 and 103 are remotely located or otherwise require facilitating network access beyond or in addition to traditional fronthaul and / or backhaul connections. BSs may also be located on communication satellites 104. Various UEs (e.g., as shown in UE 116) may be able to have at least some direct communication and / or location with one or more communication satellites 104.

[0047] Non-terrestrial networks (NTNs) refer to networks or network segments that utilize RF resources on communication satellites (or unmanned aerial vehicle system platforms) (e.g., Communication Satellite 104). NTNs are envisioned to ensure ubiquitous service availability and continuity, given their ability to provide broad coverage and reliable service. For example, NTNs can support communication services in unserved areas not covered by traditional terrestrial networks, in underserved areas experiencing limited communication services, for devices and passengers on mobile platforms, and for future rail / maritime / aviation communications.

[0048] As described in more detail below, one or more of UEs 111-116 include circuitry, programming, or a combination thereof for network power adaptation. In some embodiments, one or more of BSs 101-103 include circuitry, programming, or a combination thereof to support network power adaptation.

[0049] although Figure 1 An example of a wireless network is shown, but more can be found on... Figure 1 Various modifications can be made. For example, wireless network 100 can include any number of gNBs and any number of UEs in any suitable arrangement. Furthermore, gNB 101 can communicate directly with any number of UEs and provide these UEs with wireless broadband access to network 130. Similarly, each gNB 102-103 can communicate directly with network 130 and provide UEs with direct wireless broadband access to network 130. Additionally, gNBs 101, 102, and / or 103 can provide access to other or additional external networks (e.g., external telephone networks or other types of data networks).

[0050] Figure 2 An example gNB 102 according to an embodiment of the present disclosure is shown. Figure 2 The embodiment of gNB 102 shown is for illustrative purposes only, and Figure 1 gNBs 101 and 103 can have the same or similar configurations. However, gNBs come in a wide variety of configurations, and Figure 2 This disclosure is not intended to limit the scope of any particular implementation of gNB.

[0051] like Figure 2 As shown, gNB 102 includes multiple antennas 205a-205n, multiple transceivers 210a-210n, a controller / processor 225, a memory 230, and a backhaul or network interface 235.

[0052] Transceivers 210a-210n receive incoming radio frequency (RF) signals from antennas 205a-205n, such as signals transmitted by a UE in wireless network 100. Transceivers 210a-210n down-convert the incoming RF signals to generate IF or baseband signals. The IF or baseband signals are processed by receive (RX) processing circuitry in transceivers 210a-210n and / or controller / processor 225, which generates processed baseband signals by filtering, decoding, and / or digitizing the baseband or IF signals. Controller / processor 225 can further process the baseband signals.

[0053] The transmit (TX) processing circuitry in transceivers 210a-210n and / or controller / processor 225 receives analog or digital data (such as voice data, network data, email, or interactive video game data) from controller / processor 225. The TX processing circuitry encodes, multiplexes, and / or digitizes the outgoing baseband data to generate a processed baseband or IF signal. Transceivers 210a-210n up-convert the baseband or IF signal into an RF signal transmitted via antennas 205a-205n.

[0054] The controller / processor 225 may include one or more processors or other processing devices that control the overall operation of the gNB 102. For example, the controller / processor 225 may control the transceivers 210a-210n to receive uplink (UL) channel signals and transmit downlink (DL) channel signals according to well-known principles. The controller / processor 225 may also support additional functions, such as more advanced wireless communication capabilities. For example, the controller / processor 225 may support beamforming or directional routing operations, where outgoing / incoming signals from / to multiple antennas 205a-205n are weighted differently to effectively direct outgoing signals in a desired direction. As another example, the controller / processor 225 may support methods for network power adaptation. The controller / processor 225 may support any of a variety of other functions within the gNB 102.

[0055] The controller / processor 225 is also capable of executing programs and other processes residing in the memory 230, such as triggering network power adaptation. The controller / processor 225 can move data into or out of the memory 230 as needed for the execution process.

[0056] The controller / processor 225 is also coupled to a backhaul or network interface 235. The backhaul or network interface 235 allows the gNB 102 to communicate with other devices or systems via a backhaul connection or over a network. Interface 235 can support communication via any suitable wired or wireless connection. For example, when the gNB 102 is implemented as part of a cellular communication system (such as a cellular communication system supporting 5G / NR, LTE, or LTE-A), interface 235 can allow the gNB 102 to communicate with other gNBs via a wired or wireless backhaul connection. When the gNB 102 is implemented as an access point, interface 235 can allow the gNB 102 to communicate via a wired or wireless local area network or via a wired or wireless connection to a larger network (such as the Internet). Interface 235 includes any suitable architecture supporting communication via wired or wireless connections, such as Ethernet or a transceiver.

[0057] Memory 230 is coupled to controller / processor 225. A portion of memory 230 may include RAM, and another portion of memory 230 may include flash memory or other ROM.

[0058] although Figure 2 An example of gNB 102 is shown, but it is possible to compare it with other models. Figure 2 Various changes can be made. For example, gNB 102 can include any number of Figure 2 Each component shown. Furthermore, Figure 2 The various components can be combined, further subdivided, or omitted, and additional components can be added as needed.

[0059] Figure 3 An example UE 116 according to an embodiment of the present disclosure is shown. Figure 3 The embodiment of UE 116 shown is for illustrative purposes only, and Figure 1 UEs 111-115 can have the same or similar configurations. However, UEs have a wide variety of configurations, and Figure 3 This disclosure is not intended to limit the scope of any particular implementation of the UE.

[0060] like Figure 3 As shown, UE 116 includes an antenna 305, a transceiver 310, and a microphone 320. UE 116 also includes a speaker 330, a processor 340, an input / output (I / O) interface (IF) 345, an input 350, a display 355, and memory 360. Memory 360 includes an operating system (OS) 361 and one or more applications 362.

[0061] Transceiver 310 receives incoming RF signals transmitted by a gNB of wireless network 100 from antenna 305. Transceiver 310 down-converts the incoming RF signals to generate intermediate frequency (IF) or baseband signals. The IF or baseband signals are processed by RX processing circuitry in transceiver 310 and / or processor 340, which generates processed baseband signals by filtering, decoding, and / or digitizing the baseband or IF signals. The RX processing circuitry sends the processed baseband signals to speaker 330 (e.g., for voice data) or to processor 340 (e.g., for web browsing data).

[0062] The TX processing circuitry in transceiver 310 and / or processor 340 receives analog or digital voice data from microphone 320 or other outgoing baseband data (such as network data, email, or interactive video game data) from processor 340. The TX processing circuitry encodes, multiplexes, and / or digitizes the outgoing baseband data to generate a processed baseband or IF signal. Transceiver 310 up-converts the baseband or IF signal into an RF signal transmitted via antenna 305.

[0063] Processor 340 may include one or more processors or other processing devices and executes OS 361 stored in memory 360 to control the overall operation of UE 116. For example, processor 340 may control transceiver 310 to receive DL channel signals and transmit UL channel signals according to well-known principles. In some embodiments, processor 340 includes at least one microprocessor or microcontroller.

[0064] Processor 340 is also capable of executing other processes and programs residing in memory 360. For example, processor 340 can execute processes for network power adaptation as described in embodiments of this disclosure. Processor 340 can move data into or out of memory 360 as needed for the execution of the process. In some embodiments, processor 340 is configured to execute application 362 based on OS 361 or in response to signals received from a gNB or operator. Processor 340 is also coupled to I / O interface 345, which provides UE 116 with the ability to connect to other devices, such as laptop computers and handheld computers. I / O interface 345 is the communication path between these accessories and processor 340.

[0065] The processor 340 is also coupled to an input 350 and a display 355. The input 350 includes, for example, a touchscreen, a keypad, etc. The operator of the UE 116 can use the input 350 to input data into the UE 116. The display 355 may be a liquid crystal display, a light-emitting diode display, or other display capable of displaying text and / or at least limited graphics (such as from a website).

[0066] The memory 360 is coupled to the processor 340. A portion of the memory 360 may include random access memory (RAM), and another portion of the memory 360 may include flash memory or other read-only memory (ROM).

[0067] although Figure 3 An example of UE 116 is shown, but it is possible to modify it. Figure 3 Make various changes. For example, Figure 3 The various components can be combined, further subdivided, or omitted, and additional components can be added as needed. As a specific example, processor 340 can be divided into multiple processors, such as one or more central processing units (CPUs) and one or more graphics processing units (GPUs). In another example, transceiver 310 may include any number of transceivers and signal processing chains and can be connected to any number of antennas. Furthermore, although... Figure 3 The UE116 is shown configured as a mobile phone or smartphone, but the UE can be configured to operate as other types of mobile or fixed devices.

[0068] Figure 4A and Figure 4BExamples of wireless transmit and receive paths 400 and 450 according to embodiments of the present disclosure are shown respectively. For example, transmit path 400 may be described as being implemented in a gNB (such as gNB 102), while receive path 450 may be described as being implemented in a UE (such as UE 116). However, it should be understood that receive path 450 may be implemented in a gNB, and transmit path 400 may be implemented in a UE. In some embodiments, transmit path 400 and / or receive path 450 are configured to utilize network power adaptation as described in embodiments of the present disclosure.

[0069] like Figure 4A As shown, the transmit path 400 includes a channel coding and modulation block 405, a serial-to-parallel (S to P) block 410, an N-size inverse fast Fourier transform (IFFT) block 415, a parallel-to-serial (P to S) block 420, a cyclic prefix addition block 425, and an up-converter (UC) 430. The receive path 450 includes a down-converter (DC) 455, a cyclic prefix removal block 460, an S to P block 465, an N-size fast Fourier transform (FFT) block 470, a parallel-to-serial (P to S) block 475, and a channel decoding and demodulation block 480.

[0070] In transmit path 400, channel coding and modulation block 405 receives a set of information bits, applies coding (such as low-density parity-check (LDPC) coding), and modulates the input bits (such as using quadrature phase shift keying (QPSK) or quadrature amplitude modulation (QAM)) to generate a sequence of frequency-domain modulated symbols. Serial-to-parallel block 410 converts (such as demultiplexes) the serial modulated symbols into parallel data to generate N parallel symbol streams, where N is the IFFT / FFT size used in gNB 102 and UE 116. IFFT block 415 of size N performs an IFFT operation on the N parallel symbol streams to generate a time-domain output signal. Parallel-to-serial block 420 converts (such as multiplexes) the parallel time-domain output symbols from IFFT block 415 of size N to generate a serial time-domain signal. Cyclic prefix addition block 425 inserts a cyclic prefix into the time-domain signal. Upconverter 430 modulates (such as upconverts) the output of cyclic prefix addition block 425 to an RF frequency for transmission via the wireless channel. The signal can also be filtered at the baseband before being switched to the RF frequency.

[0071] like Figure 4BAs shown, downconverter 455 downconverts the received signal to the baseband frequency, and cyclic prefix removal block 460 removes the cyclic prefix to generate a serial time-domain baseband signal. Serial-to-parallel block 465 converts the time-domain baseband signal into a parallel time-domain signal. FFT block 470 of size N performs an FFT algorithm to generate N parallel frequency-domain signals. (P to S) block 475 converts the parallel frequency-domain signals into a sequence of modulated data symbols. Channel decoding and demodulation block 480 demodulates and decodes the modulated symbols to recover the original input data stream.

[0072] Each of gNBs 101-103 can implement a transmission path 400 similar to that sent to UEs 111-116 in the downlink, and a reception path 450 similar to that received from UEs 111-116 in the uplink. Similarly, each of UEs 111-116 can implement a transmission path 400 for sending to gNBs 101-103 in the uplink, and a reception path 450 for receiving from gNBs 101-103 in the downlink.

[0073] Figure 4A and 4B Each component in the system can be implemented using only hardware or a combination of hardware and software / firmware. As a specific example, Figure 4A and 4B At least some components can be implemented in software, while others can be implemented using configurable hardware or a combination of software and configurable hardware. For example, FFT block 470 and IFFT block 415 can be implemented as configurable software algorithms, where the value of size N can be modified depending on the implementation.

[0074] Furthermore, although described as using FFT and IFFT, this is merely illustrative and should not be construed as limiting the scope of this disclosure. Other types of transforms, such as the Discrete Fourier Transform (DFT) and Inverse Discrete Fourier Transform (IDFT) functions, may be used. It should be understood that for the DFT and IDFT functions, the value of the variable N can be any integer (e.g., 1, 2, 3, 4, etc.), while for the FFT and IFFT functions, the value of the variable N can be any integer that is a power of 2 (e.g., 1, 2, 4, 8, 16, etc.).

[0075] although Figure 4A and 4B Examples of wireless transmit and receive paths 400 and 450 are shown respectively, but more details can be found on the other side. Figure 4A and 4B Make various changes. For example, you can combine, further subdivide, or omit. Figure 4A and 4B It includes various components and allows for the addition of additional components as needed. Furthermore, Figure 4A and 4B This is intended to illustrate examples of the types of send and receive paths that can be used in a wireless network. Any other suitable architecture can be used to support wireless communication in a wireless network.

[0076] Figure 5 An example of a transmitter structure 500 for beamforming according to an embodiment of the present disclosure is shown. In some embodiments, one or more of gNB 102 or UE 116 include transmitter structure 500. For example, one or more of antenna 205 and its associated system or antenna 305 and its associated system may be included in transmitter structure 500. This example is for illustration only, and other embodiments may be used without departing from the scope of the present disclosure.

[0077] Therefore, embodiments of this disclosure recognize that Release 14 LTE and Release 15 NR support up to 32 Channel State Information Reference Signal (CSI-RS) antenna ports, enabling eNBs or gNBs to be equipped with a large number of antenna elements (such as 64 or 128). Multiple antenna elements can then be mapped onto a single CSI-RS port. For millimeter-wave bands, although the number of antenna elements can be larger for a given form factor, hardware constraints (such as the feasibility of mounting a large number of analog-to-digital converters (ADCs) and digital-to-analog converters (DACs) at millimeter-wave frequencies) can limit the number of CSI-RS ports that can correspond to the number of digital precoding ports, such as... Figure 5 As shown. A CSI-RS port can then be mapped to a large number of antenna elements that can be controlled by a set of analog phase shifters 501. A CSI-RS port can then correspond to a subarray that generates a narrow analog beam through analog beamforming 505. This analog beam can be configured to sweep a wider range of angles 520 by changing the phase shifter group across symbols or time slots / subframes. The number of subarrays (equal to the number of RF chains) is related to the number of CSI-RS ports N. CSI-PORT Same. Digital beamforming unit 510 spans N CSI-PORT The analog beams are linearly combined to further increase the precoding gain. While the analog beams are broadband (and therefore not frequency-selective), the digital precoding can vary across frequency subbands or resource blocks. Receiver operation can be envisioned similarly.

[0078] because Figure 5The transmitter structure 500 utilizes multiple analog beams for transmission and reception (where, for example, one or a few analog beams are selected from a large number of analog beams after a training duration performed occasionally or periodically), hence the term "multi-beam operation" is used to refer to this aspect of the entire system. For illustrative purposes, this includes indicating the assigned DL or ULTX beam (also referred to as "beam indication"), measuring at least one reference signal for calculating and performing beam reporting (also referred to as "beam measurement" and "beam reporting," respectively), and receiving DL or UL transmissions via selecting the corresponding RX beam. Figure 5 The system is also suitable for higher frequency bands, such as >52.6 GHz (also known as frequency range 4 or FR4). In this case, the system can use only analog beams. Due to O2 absorption loss near 60 GHz (an additional loss of ~10 dB per 100 m distance), a greater number and narrower analog beams (and therefore a greater number of radiators in the array) are needed to compensate for the additional path loss.

[0079] The text and accompanying drawings are provided by way of example only to aid the reader in understanding this disclosure. They are not intended and should not be construed as limiting the scope of this disclosure in any way. Although certain embodiments and examples have been provided, those skilled in the art will understand, based on the disclosure herein, that changes may be made to the illustrated embodiments and examples without departing from the scope of this disclosure. In the following, italicized names of parameters indicate that the parameter is provided by a higher layer.

[0080] Figure 6 An example of a transmitter structure 600 for PDSCH in a subframe according to an embodiment of the present disclosure is shown. For example, the transmitter structure 600 can be... Figure 1 This is implemented in gNB 102. This example is for illustration only, and other embodiments may be used without departing from the scope of this disclosure.

[0081] Information bits, such as downlink control information (DCI) bits or data bits 610, are encoded by encoder 620, rate-matched with allocated time / frequency resources by rate matcher 630, and modulated by modulator 640. Subsequently, the modulated coded symbols and demodulation reference signal (DM-RS) or CSI-RS 650 are mapped to RE 660 by RE mapping unit 665, inverse fast Fourier transform (IFFT) is performed by filter 670, cyclic prefix (CP) is added by CP insertion unit 680, and the resulting signal is filtered by filter 690 and transmitted by radio frequency (RF) unit 695.

[0082] Figure 7An example of a receiver structure 700 for a PDSCH in a subframe according to an embodiment of the present disclosure is shown. For example, the receiver structure 700 may be composed of... Figure 1 This can be implemented using any of UEs 111-116. This example is for illustrative purposes only, and other embodiments may be used without departing from the scope of this disclosure.

[0083] The received signal 710 is filtered by filter 720, CP removal unit removes CP 730, filter 740 applies Fast Fourier Transform (FFT), RE demapping unit 750 demaps the RE selected by bandwidth (BW) selector unit 755, the received symbols are demodulated by channel estimator and demodulator unit 760, rate dematcher 770 restores rate matching, and decoder 780 decodes the obtained bits to provide information bits 790.

[0084] DL or UL transmissions can be based on OFDM waveforms, which include variants using DFT precoding, known as DFT extended OFDM, which is typically used for UL transmissions.

[0085] The unit used for DL ​​or UL signaling on a cell is called a time slot and may include one or more symbols. The bandwidth (BW) unit is called a resource block (RB). An RB includes multiple subcarriers (SCs). For example, a time slot may have a duration of one millisecond, and an RB may have a bandwidth of 180 kHz and include 12 SCs with an inter-SC spacing of 15 kHz. The subcarrier spacing (SCS) can be determined by the SCS configuration. for kHz. A unit of a subcarrier on a symbol is called a resource element (RE). A unit of a RB on a symbol is called a physical RB (PRB).

[0086] DL signaling includes the Physical Downlink Shared Channel (PDSCH) for conveying information content, the PDCCH for conveying DL control information (DCI), and the Reference Signal (RS). The PDCCH can be transmitted through a variable number of time slot symbols (including one time slot symbol) and multiple control channel elements (CCEs) from a predetermined number of CCE sets (called CCE aggregation levels within the Control Resource Set (CORESET)), as described in 3GPP TS 38.211 [Reference 1] v18.1.0 “NR; Physical Channels and Modulation” and 3GPP TS 38.213 v18.1.0 [Reference 3] “NR; Physical Layer Procedures for Control”.

[0087] Figure 8An example coding structure 800 for PDCCH in a subframe according to an embodiment of this disclosure is shown. For example, it can be... Figure 1 The gNB 103 implements an encoding structure 800 for PDCCH in subframes. This example is for illustration only, and other embodiments may be used without departing from the scope of this disclosure.

[0088] The gNB (e.g., gNB 102) encodes and transmits each DCI format separately in the corresponding PDCCH. Where applicable, the DCI format is designed to mask the Cyclic Redundancy Check (CRC) of the DCI format codewords in the Radio Network Temporary Identifier (RNTI) for the UE (e.g., UE 116) so that the UE can identify the DCI format. For example, the CRC may include 24 bits, and the RNTI may include 16 or 24 bits. The CRC of the (uncoded) DCI format bits 810 is determined using the CRC calculation unit 820, and the CRC is masked using the XOR operation unit 830 between the CRC bits and the RNTI bits 840. The XOR operation is defined as XOR(0,0)=0, XOR(0,1)=1, XOR(1,0)=1, XOR(1,1)=0. The masked CRC bits are appended to the DCI format information bits using the CRC appending unit 850. Encoder 860 performs channel coding, such as polar coding, and then rate matching is performed on the allocated resources by rate matcher 870. Interleaving and modulation unit 880 applies interleaving and modulation, such as QPSK, and transmits output control signal 890.

[0089] Figure 9 An example decoding structure 900 for PDCCH in a subframe according to an embodiment of the present disclosure is shown. For example, the decoding structure 900 for PDCCH in a subframe can be derived from... Figure 1 This can be implemented using any of UEs 111-116. This example is for illustrative purposes only, and other embodiments may be used without departing from the scope of this disclosure.

[0090] The received control signal 910 is demodulated and deinterleaved by the demodulator and deinterleaver 920. The rate matching applied at the gNB transmitter is recovered by the rate matcher 930, and the resulting bits are decoded by the decoder 940. After decoding, the CRC extractor 950 extracts the CRC bits and provides DCI format information bits 960. The DCI format information bits are demasked 970 by an XOR operation with RNTI 980 (where applicable), and a CRC check is performed by unit 990. When the CRC check is successful (checksum is zero), the DCI format information bits are considered valid. When the CRC check is unsuccessful, the DCI format information bits are considered invalid.

[0091] DCI can be used for several purposes. The DCI format includes an Information Element (IE) and is typically used to schedule PDSCH (DLDCI format) or Physical Uplink Shared Channel (PUSCH) (UL DCI format) transmissions. The DCI format includes Cyclic Redundancy Check (CRC) bits to allow the UE to confirm correct detection. The DCI format type is identified by a Radio Network Temporary Identifier (RNTI) that scrambles the CRC bits. For DCI formats that schedule PDSCH or PUSCH for a single UE with an RRC connection to the gNB, the RNTI is the Cell RNTI (C-RNTI) or another RNTI type, such as Modulation and Coding Scheme-Cell Radio Network Temporary Identifier (MCS-C-RNTI). For DCI formats that schedule PDSCH to transmit System Information (SI) to a group of UEs, the RNTI is the System Information RNTI (SI-RNTI). For DCI formats that schedule PDSCH to provide a response to Random Access (RA) from a group of UEs, the RNTI is the Random Access RNTI (RA-RNTI). For the DCI format of PDSCH provided by the scheduler in Msg4 of the RA procedure for contention resolution, the RNTI is the Temporary C-RNTI (TC-RNTI). For the DCI format of PDSCH provided by the scheduler for paging a group of UEs, the RNTI is the Paging RNTI (P-RNTI). For the DCI format of providing Transmission Power Control (TPC) commands to a group of UEs, the RNTI is the Transmit Power Control Radio Network Temporary Identifier (TPC-RNTI), and so on. Each RNTI type is configured to the UE via higher-layer signaling. The UE typically decodes the PDSCH at multiple candidate locations for transmission.

[0092] For each DL bandwidth portion (BWP) indicated to the UE in the serving cell, it can be provided to the UE via higher-layer signaling. Each control resource set (CORESET) is used. For each CORESET, a CORESET index is provided to the UE. ( The parameters include: DM-RS scrambling sequence initialization value; precoder granularity (the number of resource element groups (REGs) that the UE can expect to use in the frequency domain with the same DM-RS precoder); number of consecutive symbols in the CORESET; a set of resource blocks (RBs) in the CORESET; control channel element-to-resource element group (CCE-to-REG) mapping parameters; antenna port quasi-co-addressing from a set of antenna port quasi-co-addressing; quasi-co-addressing information of the DM-RS antenna ports received by the PDCCH in the corresponding CORESET; and the CORESET... The presence or absence of the Transmission Configuration Indicator (TCI) field in DCI format 1_1 for PDCCH transmission.

[0093] For each DL BWP configured for a UE in the serving cell, the UE is provided by a higher layer. A search space set. For those from For each search space set, provide the UE with a search space set index. ( ), search space set With CORESET The relationship between them PDCCH monitoring periodicity and time slot The PDCCH monitoring offset for each time slot, the PDCCH monitoring mode within the time slot (indicating the first symbol of the CORESET within the time slot used for PDCCH monitoring), and the set of search spaces. The number of existing time slots Duration, per CCE aggregation level Number of PDCCH candidates and search space set This indicates either a common search space (CSS) set or a user-specific search space (USS) set. When the search space set is a CSS set, U... E monitors the PDCCH to detect DCI format 2_x, where x ranges from 0 to 7, as described in TS 38.212 v18.0.0 [Reference 2], or the DCI format associated with scheduling broadcast / multicast PDSCH reception, as well as DCI format 0_0 and DCI format 1_0.

[0094] The UE determines the PDCCH monitoring timing on the DLBWP during operation based on the PDCCH monitoring periodicity, PDCCH monitoring offset, and PDCCH monitoring mode within the time slot. For the search space set... ,if The UE determines that the PDCCH listening opportunity exists when there is a number. The frame with number Within the time slot. The UE from the time slot Start monitoring targeting Search space set of consecutive time slots The PDCCH candidate, and does not monitor the next one Search space set of consecutive time slots The UE determines the CCE for monitoring the PDCCH based on the search space set according to the search space equation as described in TS 38.213 v18.1.0 [Reference 3].

[0095] The UE can be configured to utilize carrier aggregation (CA) operations for PDSCH reception over multiple cells (DLCA) or PUSCH transmission over multiple cells (ULCA). As described in TS 38.213 v18.1.0 [Reference 3] and TS38.214 v18.1.0 [Reference 4], the UE can also configure multiple transmit-receive points (TRPs) for each cell via an indication (or absence) of the coresetPoolIndex of CORESET, whereby the UE receives PDCCH / PDSCH from the corresponding TRP.

[0096] In the following text, unless otherwise explicitly stated, parameter values ​​provided by higher layers include those provided via System Information Blocks (SIBs) (such as SIB1), or via common RRC signaling, or via UE-specific RRC signaling.

[0097] When the UE's measurements and reports are received based on Synchronization Signal / Physical Broadcast Channel (SS / PBCH) block reception or CSI-RS reception, the following descriptions and examples for the UE to perform measurements and corresponding measurement reports also apply.

[0098] The following descriptions and embodiments are directly applicable to or applicable to terrestrial networks (TN) and non-terrestrial networks (NTN), and the functionality of satellites and / or satellite gateways on Earth connected to satellites in the NTN can be the same as the functionality of serving gNBs in the TN, or can be taken into account that the satellite coverage area of ​​low Earth orbit (LEO) satellites changes over time due to the movement of the satellites relative to the Earth. For geostationary Earth orbit (GEO) satellites, the satellite coverage area is fixed, similar to the coverage area of ​​a gNB cell in the TN.

[0099] Throughout this disclosure, the terms satellite or service gNB are used interchangeably to refer to any component (or set of components) configured to provide wireless access to a network (e.g., network 130) to remote terminals. The description applies directly to satellite network architectures with transparent payloads and those with opaque payloads, and is applicable to any airborne platform (such as an unmanned air service (UAS) platform) as well as to terrestrial networks.

[0100] Throughout this disclosure, the term beam hopping is generally used to indicate the operation of adapting a beam over a satellite coverage area in one or more of the time / frequency / space / power domains, including turning a beam on and off, or using beams of different widths, or using different beams for different control or data channels in the same or partially overlapping areas.

[0101] Non-terrestrial networks (NTNs) are networks that utilize RF resources on airborne satellite or unmanned aerial vehicle (UAS) service platforms. NTNs include satellites, which can be geostationary orbit (GEO) satellites served by one or more satellite gateways deployed within the satellite target coverage area, or low Earth orbit (LEO) satellites continuously served by one or more satellite gateways at a time; radio links between satellite gateways and satellites or UAS platforms; and radio links between UEs and satellites or UAS platforms. Satellites or UAS platforms can implement transparent payloads, where NTN payloads transparently forward radio protocols received from the UE (via the service link) to the NTN gateway (via the feeder link) and vice versa, or implement regenerative payloads with onboard processing. An NTN gateway can serve multiple NTN payloads, and an NTN payload can be served by multiple NTN gateways. Satellites or UAS platforms typically generate several beams over a service area or satellite coverage area defined by their field of view. The satellite coverage area depends on the onboard antenna pattern and elevation angle. The coverage area of ​​a beam or beam point can be elliptical in shape and, in some respects, considered a cell within a terrestrial network.

[0102] Beams over a satellite's coverage area can be generated using multi-feed reflector antennas or phased array antennas at the satellite. GEO satellites are typically equipped with multi-feed reflector antennas, while phased array antennas are used for LEO satellites due to their wide-angle coverage capabilities. To suppress interference, different frequency bands and orthogonal polarizations can be used for different beams, and frequency band reuse will occur between sufficiently isolated beams to ensure sufficient system capacity. For LEO satellites, the coverage area and propagation channel characteristics change due to the rapid movement of the satellite, requiring rapid adaptation of resource allocation between connected and disconnected modes. Due to the large satellite coverage area, traffic may be unevenly distributed within the coverage area, including areas with high traffic as well as large areas with typically sparse or no traffic. Furthermore, limited payload power and feeder link bandwidth may limit the number of satellite beams that can be active simultaneously at any given time, each beam having a nominal equivalent isotropic radiated power (EIRP) density. Such constraints necessitate solutions that minimize energy consumption and avoid, or at least minimize, interference between transmits or receivers in different beams. Therefore, it is necessary to flexibly control resources in multiple beams within the satellite coverage area in the time, frequency, spatial, or power domains to optimize performance while maintaining coverage.

[0103] This document addresses similar problems and the need for solutions described in NTN directly applicable to TN, where the serving gNB can operate using several beams to transmit and receive within the cell. Unlike the NTN scenario or any over-the-air platform, the cell does not move because the serving gNB is in a fixed location; however, service conditions change over time. Some UEs require access to and / or services, while others transition from the RRC_CONNECTED state to the RRC_IDLE or RRC_INACTIVE state. The mobility of UEs or other types of terminals alters the services within the cell, thus requiring adjustments to network operations within the cell to provide the necessary services while optimizing network energy efficiency and UE power consumption. Therefore, embodiments of this disclosure recognize the need for flexible control of intra-cell resources in the time, frequency, spatial, or power domains to optimize performance, minimize network and UE energy consumption, and maintain coverage.

[0104] A technique widely used to control the transmission power, time intervals of transmission and reception, antenna orientation, or frequency band of satellite or network units is commonly referred to as beam switching. This typically indicates the adaptation of a beam across a coverage area, including turning beams on and off over time in different areas or changing the transmission power of a beam. Beam switching can provide efficient resource allocation based on dynamic service demands within the satellite coverage area.

[0105] Figure 10 A diagram illustrating an example satellite coverage area 1000 according to an embodiment of the present disclosure is shown. For example, satellite coverage area 1000 may serve… Figure 1 Any of UEs 111-116. This example is for illustration only, and other embodiments may be used without departing from the scope of this disclosure.

[0106] refer to Figure 10 Within a satellite coverage area, there can be multiple cells or points, and each beam provided by a given non-terrestrial network (NTN) payload can cover one cell or point. Satellite 1010 uses multiple beams on satellite coverage area 1020 to serve users in a corresponding number of cells within a given time period. For example, the satellite coverage area may include... A cell or point, and the satellite is active at any given time. indivual( Beam, or activation Each satellite can use beams of approximately the same beamwidth when services are expected to be distributed approximately equally across the satellite coverage area, or when the same level of coverage is required within the satellite coverage area. The satellite can shut down beam 1030 when there is no service in a given area of ​​the satellite coverage area served by the beam. The satellite can use a beam with a first beamwidth 1040 and adjust the beamwidth over time to provide coverage over a larger area with a second beamwidth 1050. The satellite can transmit in one direction using the same beamwidth and adjust the transmission power to provide coverage over a smaller or larger area. The satellite can adjust the beamwidth to provide coverage over a smaller or larger area and adjust the transmission power accordingly. When transmitting at maximum power, the satellite can adjust the beamwidth to provide coverage over the largest area of ​​the satellite coverage area and / or manipulate the beam in different directions.

[0107] Figure 11 An example system 1100 for cell coverage according to an embodiment of the present disclosure is illustrated. For example, the system 1100 for cell coverage may serve... Figure 1 Any of UEs 111-116. This example is for illustration only, and other embodiments may be used without departing from the scope of this disclosure.

[0108] For TN, refer to Figure 11 The serving gNB 1110 can provide coverage on cell C1 1120 or cell C2 1130 by changing the transmit power and using the same beam. Based on service requirements, the serving gNB can adapt the transmit power while using the same beam, or adapt the beam using the same power, for example, when the serving gNB is already transmitting at maximum power. In addition to adapting power or beamwidth, or as an alternative, the gNB can also adapt the beam direction based on service requirements.

[0109] Current networks have limited capability to dynamically adjust the transmit power of a serving gNB or satellite beam to provide coverage over a cell or satellite coverage area, or a portion thereof. The serving gNB sets its transmit power to provide coverage of the cell and maintains the same power even when service conditions may change. For satellites operating with multiple beams to cover a satellite coverage area, the transmit power used in each beam is set to provide coverage for the corresponding area within the satellite coverage area and remains the same during beam activity.

[0110] Therefore, the serving gNB or satellite can dynamically adjust the transmit power in the beam to adapt to the service type and load, for example, by reducing power under low load conditions or by increasing power to provide better coverage for cell edge users or better reception for services requiring higher reliability, which will be beneficial for energy saving and / or improving coverage and capacity.

[0111] The serving gNB provides coverage over the cell and transmits DL signals and channels using beams with a given beamwidth and beam direction. Within the cell, there are transmissions or receptions of the serving gNB that the UE can anticipate, such as transmissions of SS / PBCH block (SSB) system information or CSI-RS indicated by higher layers, or receptions of Physical Random Access Channel (PRACH) or Sounding Reference Signal (SRS) indicated by higher layers. The serving gNB uses transmit power to transmit over the cell using the beams. Depending on service conditions and / or network operating modes, the serving gNB may change its transmit power, and the cell area may change accordingly. The serving gNB may use maximum transmit power and utilize the beams to provide coverage over the largest cell, or it may turn off transmit power and not utilize the beams to provide coverage.

[0112] For example, using the same beam, the serving gNB transmits at a first transmit power during a first time interval and at a second transmit power during a second time interval, with the second power being less than the first power. The coverage area decreases during the second time interval, and the first cell active during the first time interval is larger than the second cell active during the second time interval. For TN or GEO satellites, the cell size decreases during the second time interval, while the cell center remains the same because the location of the serving gNB or GEO satellite is fixed. When the serving gNB uses the first transmit power, UEs located in areas at the cell edge will be within coverage, and when the serving gNB uses the second transmit power, UEs located in areas at the cell edge will be outside coverage, thus experiencing reception degradation or being unable to reliably receive signals or receiving any signals at all. For LEO satellites, the coverage area provided by the beam changes over time due to the relative motion of the satellite and the Earth, and the area of ​​satellite coverage within coverage in the first time instance will be outside coverage in the second time instance as the satellite moves away, and the transition from within coverage to outside coverage will occur continuously on a timescale dependent on satellite velocity.

[0113] The UE can periodically monitor the signal quality of the DL (Directional Link) channel. For example, the UE can perform RSRP measurements based on available DL signals or channels on the cell, such as the reception of Synchronization Signal / Physical Broadcast Channel (SS / PBCH) blocks or CSI-RS. The measured RSRP is compared with an RSRP threshold provided by the serving gNB in ​​higher-level parameters, where the RSRP threshold can be provided by cell-specific or UE-specific parameters. When the service types in the cell are homogeneous, cell-specific parameters can be provided; otherwise, the serving gNB provides a UE-specific RSRP threshold corresponding to the service type. Larger RSRP threshold values ​​are configured for high-reliability services, and smaller values ​​are configured for services with less stringent reliability requirements. Different RSRP threshold values ​​can be configured for different UE types or UE capabilities, and the RSRP threshold can be configured by higher layers as UE-specific or UE-group-specific parameters depending on whether the serving gNB knows the UE type or UE capability when the UE is in RRC_IDLE or RRC_CONNECTED state. The service gNB provides a first cell-specific RSRP threshold for RSRP measurement in the RRC_IDLE state and a second UE-specific or UE-group-specific RSRP threshold for RSRP measurement in the RRC_CONNECTED state.

[0114] The UE can be provided with a first configuration and a second configuration of SS / PBCH blocks, wherein the first-configured SS / PBCH blocks are transmitted in a first area using a first beam, and the second-configured SS / PBCH blocks are transmitted in a second area using a second beam. For example, the first area is C1, and the second area is C2, which is adjacent to C1. Figure 11 As shown. The serving gNB uses a first beam and a first transmit power to transmit, and the corresponding coverage area is C1+C2, on which the UE receives the first configured SS / PBCH block. When the serving gNB's transmit power changes, and the serving gNB uses the first beam to transmit at a second power less than the first power, the corresponding coverage area is C1, and the UE in C2 will be outside the coverage area. The UE in C2 will receive the SS / PBCH block from the second configured SS / PBCH block, and can perform an RSRP measurement on the SS / PBCH block from the second configured SS / PBCH block when outside the coverage area, based on the RSRP measured based on the first configured SS / PBCH block being below the RSRP threshold. When outside the coverage area in C2, the UE (e.g., UE 116) may not be able to receive the SS / PBCH block. The area where the serving gNB or satellite transmits the second configured SS / PBCH block using the corresponding beam or multiple beams depends on the network (e.g., network 130) operation.

[0115] In one example, when the serving gNB reduces its transmit power from a first transmit power that provides coverage for C1+C2 to a second transmit power that provides coverage only on C1 using the first beam, the serving gNB transmits the second configured SS / PBCH block using the corresponding beam in C2.

[0116] In one example, the satellite uses Figure 10 The corresponding second beam and second transmit power on the entire satellite coverage area 1020 are used to transmit the second configured SS / PBCH block, and using Figure 10 The first configured SS / PBCH block is transmitted using the corresponding first beam and first transmit power in the area within the satellite coverage area 1040.

[0117] The first and second SS / PBCH configurations can have different periodicities of SS / PBCH blocks. For example, a first coverage area and a second coverage area (where the first coverage area and the second coverage area can be respectively...) Figure 11 C1 and C2 in the text, or could be Figure 10 The satellite coverage area and beam-activated area in the parameter (ssb-PeriodicityServingCell) can be associated with the first and second values ​​of the parameter ssb-PositionsInBurst, or with the first and second values ​​of the parameter groupPresence, respectively. The parameter ssb-PeriodicityServingCell indicates the transmission period of the SS / PBCH block in milliseconds, the parameter ssb-PositionsInBurst indicates the temporal position of the SS / PBCH block in the SS / PBCH block transmission burst, and the parameter groupPresence indicates the group of SS / PBCH blocks with consecutive indices that are transmitted (such as a group of four SS / PBCH blocks) or a group of multiple SS / PBCH blocks.

[0118] Figure 12 A flowchart of an example UE procedure 1200 for transitioning to a low-power state and performing RSRP measurement according to an embodiment of the present disclosure is shown. For example, the procedure 1200 for transitioning to a low-power state and performing RSRP measurement may be provided by… Figure 1 This is performed by any of UEs 111-116 (such as UE 116). This example is for illustrative purposes only, and other embodiments may be used without departing from the scope of this disclosure.

[0119] The process begins at 1210, providing the UE with a first SS / PBCH configuration and a second SS / PBCH configuration. A first SS / PBCH block from the first configuration is transmitted in a first area, and a second SS / PBCH block from the second configuration is transmitted in a second area. At 1220, the UE determines, based on the reception of the first SS / PBCH block, that a first RSRP measurement is lower than a configured RSRP threshold. At 1230, the UE determines, based on the reception of the second SS / PBCH block, that a second RSRP measurement is higher than a configured RSRP threshold. At 1240, the UE sends an indication to the serving gNB.

[0120] The serving gNB (e.g., gNB 102) provides more than two SS / PBCH configurations, and the UE will be able to receive SS / PBCH blocks of one or more SS / PBCH configurations in separate areas or in areas that may partially or completely overlap.

[0121] For NTN, in the first example, the satellite can provide first and second SS / PBCH block configurations for the UE. SS / PBCH blocks from the first configuration are transmitted using a first beam covering a first area within the satellite's coverage range. This first area may be part of the satellite's coverage range, having a higher UE density relative to the rest of the coverage range. SS / PBCH blocks from the second configuration are transmitted using a beam wider than the first beam covering a second area within the satellite's coverage range. The second area may (partially or completely) include the first area or may not overlap with it. The second area is identical to the satellite coverage area to provide coverage across the entire satellite coverage area for certain scenarios. Although transmitting SS / PBCH blocks over the satellite coverage area impacts energy consumption, the second configuration can have a much larger periodicity than the first configuration, minimizing energy consumption.

[0122] refer to Figure 12 This illustrates an example procedure for a UE to transition to a low-power state and perform RSRP measurements based on SS / PBCH block reception, according to this disclosure.

[0123] In the following text, unless otherwise explicitly stated, parameter values ​​provided by higher layers include those provided via System Information Blocks (SIBs) (such as SIB1), or via common RRC signaling, or via UE-specific RRC signaling.

[0124] When the UE's measurements and reports are based on SS / PBCH block reception or CSI-RS reception, the following descriptions and examples for the UE to perform measurements and corresponding measurement reports also apply.

[0125] The following descriptions and embodiments are directly applicable to or applicable to terrestrial networks (TN) and non-terrestrial networks (NTN), and the functionality of satellites and / or satellite gateways on Earth connected to satellites in the NTN can be the same as the functionality of serving gNBs in the TN, or can be taken into account that the satellite coverage area of ​​low Earth orbit (LEO) satellites changes over time due to the movement of the satellites relative to the Earth. For geostationary Earth orbit (GEO) satellites, the satellite coverage area is fixed, similar to the coverage area of ​​a gNB cell in the TN.

[0126] Throughout this disclosure, the terms satellite or service gNB are used interchangeably to refer to any component (or set of components) configured to provide wireless access to the network to remote terminals. The description applies directly to satellite network architectures with transparent payloads and those with opaque payloads, and is applicable to any airborne platform, such as an unmanned aerial service (UAS) platform.

[0127] Throughout this disclosure, the term beam hopping is generally used to indicate the operation of adapting a beam over a satellite coverage area in one or more of the time / frequency / spatial / power domains, including turning a beam on and off, using beams of different widths, or using different beams for different control or data channels in the same or partially overlapping areas. A beam is defined based on the spatial relationship of the quasi-co-location (QCL) attributes of the source reference signal (RS) transmission (such as SS / PBCH blocks or CSI-RS), or by establishing the Transmission Configuration Indicator (TCI) state of the QCL relationship or spatial relationship between the source reference signal (such as Synchronization Signal Block (SSB) and / or CSI-RS) and the target reference signal. The TCI state and / or spatial relationship reference RS can determine the spatial Rx filter for UE reception, or the spatial Tx filter for transmissions from the UE. The TCI state and / or spatial relationship reference RS can determine the spatial Tx filter for transmissions from the gNB, or the spatial Rx filter for reception by the gNB.

[0128] The aforementioned needs for similar issues and solutions for NTN are directly applicable to TN, where the serving gNB can operate using several beams to transmit and receive within the cell. Unlike the NTN scenario or any over-the-air platform, the cell does not move because the serving gNB is in a fixed location; however, service conditions change over time. Some UEs require access to and / or services, while others transition from the RRC_CONNECTED state to the RRC_IDLE or RRC_INACTIVE state. The mobility of UEs or other types of terminals alters the services within the cell, thus requiring adjustments to network operations within the cell to provide the necessary services while optimizing network energy efficiency and UE power consumption. Therefore, it is necessary to flexibly control resources within the cell in the time, frequency, spatial, or power domains to optimize performance, minimize network and UE energy consumption, and maintain coverage.

[0129] Figure 13 A diagram illustrating an example satellite coverage area 1300 according to an embodiment of the present disclosure is shown. For example, satellite coverage area 1300 may serve… Figure 3 UE 116. This example is for illustration only, and other embodiments may be used without departing from the scope of this disclosure.

[0130] Beam hopping is a widely used technique for controlling transmission power, transmission / reception time intervals, and antenna orientation or frequency band. Beam hopping can provide efficient resource allocation based on dynamic service demands within the satellite coverage area. (Reference) Figure 13 Within a satellite coverage area, there can be multiple cells or points, and a beam provided by a given NTN payload can cover one cell or point. The satellite uses multiple beams over the satellite coverage area to serve users in the corresponding cells within a given time period. For example, the satellite coverage area may include... A cell or point, and the satellite is active at any given time. indivual( Beam, or activation A single beam. When services are expected to be distributed approximately equally across the satellite's coverage area, or when the same level of coverage is required within the coverage area, the satellite can use a beam of approximately the same width across the entire coverage area. (Reference) Figure 13The satellite uses beams of the same width across its coverage area. Over time, the satellite changes the cell it serves by activating different beams in different areas of its coverage area at different times, and the beam can hop from one cell to another within the coverage area. For example, in a first time period, the satellite simultaneously activates the beam providing coverage for cell A, and in a second time period, it simultaneously activates the beam providing coverage for cell B. The satellite can use beams with different beamwidths in different areas of its coverage area, thereby creating cells with different coverage areas. The satellite can also use different beamwidths to transmit SS / PBCH blocks or non-UE-specific signaling, as well as to transmit UE-specific signaling. The satellite can also use different beamwidths for the initial access procedure and for connected mode transmission and reception. For example, the UE can use a first beam to transmit SS / PBCH blocks, where the first beam covers an area served by multiple second beams, which have the same or different beamwidths that are narrower than the first beam used for operation in connected mode. Therefore, the satellite can flexibly allocate beam resources in different areas of its coverage area and change the capacity distribution among different beams over the coverage area. Beam adaptation within a satellite's coverage area is limited by the satellite's total transmit power, and beam-switching techniques are often referred to as power sharing. The total transmit power of a satellite depends on its type and configuration, which may allow for different settings in one or more of the time / frequency / space domains.

[0131] Throughout this disclosure, the term beam hopping is generally used to indicate the operation of adapting a beam over a satellite coverage area in one or more of the time / frequency / space / power domains, including turning a beam on and off, or activating a beam with a different width, or activating different beams to operate during random access and in connected mode, or activating different beams for different signals or channels (e.g., control or data signals or channels) over the same area, partially overlapping area, or non-overlapping area of ​​the satellite coverage area.

[0132] Before connecting to the NTN cell, the UE must have a valid Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS) position and have received valid ephemeris and common TA parameters broadcast by the network (e.g., network 130) for the serving cell. For synchronization, before and during connection to the NTN cell, the UE determines the round-trip time (RTT) between the UE and the RP based on the GNSS position, ephemeris, and common TA parameters, and autonomously pre-compensates the TTA for the RTT between the UE and the RP, as shown in Figure 16.14.2.1-1 (clause 4.3 of 3GPP TS38.211 [Reference 1]). The UE also determines the frequency Doppler shift of the serving link and autonomously pre-compensates it during uplink transmission by evaluating the UE position and ephemeris. If the UE does not have a valid GNSS position and / or valid ephemeris and common TA, the UE does not transmit until both are reacquired. In connected mode, the UE continuously updates timing advance and frequency pre-compensation. The UE can be configured to report timing advance during the RA procedure or in connected mode. In connected mode, timing advance reporting can be event-triggered. When making a network request, the UE reports its coarse UE location information (the most significant bits of the GNSS coordinates, ensuring an accuracy of approximately 2 km) to the NG-RAN (if available).

[0133] Synchronization signals and PBCH blocks (SSBs) include primary synchronization signals and secondary synchronization signals (PSS, SSS). Each synchronization signal occupies one symbol and 127 subcarriers, and the PBCH spans three OFDM symbols and 240 subcarriers. The timing of the SSB within a half-frame is determined by the subcarrier spacing (SCS), and the periodicity of the half-frame in which the SSB is transmitted is configured by the network. During a half-frame, different SSBs can be transmitted in different spatial directions (i.e., using different beams that span the coverage area of ​​the cell). Multiple SSBs can be transmitted within the frequency span of a carrier. The Physical Cell Identifier (PCI) of SSBs transmitted at different frequency locations can be the same or different. When an SSB is associated with a Primary Information Block (MIB) or a Residual Minimal System Information (RMSI) block (also known as the First Auxiliary Information Block (SIB)), the SSB is called a Cell-Defined SSB (CD-SSB) and is the SSB for which the UE uses to determine the Physical Cell Identifier (PCI) of the serving cell providing the SSB. The serving cell is associated with the CD-SSB located on the synchronization grid.

[0134] The gNB can also configure non-cell-defined SSBs (NCD-SSBs) to the UE. For example, for a UE in connected mode, the gNB can configure SSB-based RRM measurements on both the CD-SSB and / or the NCD-SSB. When both the CD-SSB and NCD-SSB are configured in the serving cell, the same PCI is associated with both the CD-SSB and the NCD-SSB. The gNB can configure the NCD-SSB for connected UEs for various functions, such as Radio Link Monitoring (RLM), Two-Way Forwarding Detection (BFD), Link Recovery, RACH Timing (RO) Selection, TCI Status, or any other function besides RRM measurements. For a UE in idle or inactive mode, the gNB can configure the NCD-SSB that the UE can use to perform measurements; however, the UE needs to use the CD-SSB to read the SIB.

[0135] During the initial cell search, the UE acquires / detects SSBs transmitted by the gNB. The gNB can transmit multiple SSBs with different quasi-co-address (QCL) attributes, also known as beams, and the UE typically acquires the SSB associated with the quasi-co-address attribute that provides one of the highest RSRPs. Then, considering beam reciprocity for DL ​​and UL transmissions, the UE can transmit PRACH based on the spatial configuration determined from the detected SSBs. The gNB can transmit CD-SSBs, or it can transmit NCD-SSBs with the same or different quasi-co-address (QCL) attributes as CD-SSBs. For CD-SSBs and NCD-SSBs with the same index, the QCL attributes can be the same; otherwise, the QCL attributes can be different.

[0136] The satellite will provide coverage of its coverage area by transmitting SSBs using different beams. Each beam can correspond to a cell, and the satellite can periodically transmit an associated SSB over each cell. One or more SSBs are transmitted. For operations with beam switching, the beam will be activated and deactivated during different time intervals. The satellite can transmit CD-SSBs with that beam during the beam's active time interval. Beam activation and deactivation can occur in a configured periodic and / or time pattern. Therefore, the UE located in the cell area will receive SSBs periodically corresponding to the periodicity of beam activation / deactivation or equivalently according to the on / off beam pattern.

[0137] Satellites can be associated with the first periodicity The satellite transmits NCD-SSBs using different beams. It can transmit consecutive NCD-SSBs cyclically across several beams covering multiple areas of coverage. The UE in the first area of ​​satellite coverage will receive the NCD-SSBs, the period depending on the first period and the transmission mode using different beams. For example, the satellite can transmit... Continuous NCD-SSBs are cyclically transmitted on each beam, and one NCD SSB is transmitted per beam, so that... UEs in one of the coverage areas of a beam, The UE periodically receives NCD-SSBs. If the area covered by the beam corresponds to a cell associated with a PCI, the UE may also receive CD-SSBs to determine the PCI, and the satellite will configure both the NCD-SSB and CD-SSB with corresponding periodicity and transmit them in the corresponding beam. The UE may also receive the beam-associated PCI in the DL channel or in signals other than SSBs, and the satellite will not configure the beam-associated CD-SSB. If the area covered by the beam does not correspond to a cell associated with a PCI, the satellite may configure only NCD-SSBs with PCIs associated with multiple beams covering the satellite's coverage area, or only CD-SSBs with PCIs associated with multiple beams covering the satellite's coverage area.

[0138] This disclosure relates to obtaining synchronization in non-terrestrial networks based on CD-SSB, or NCD-SSB, or a combination of CD-SSB and NCD-SSB. This disclosure also relates to procedures for receiving information to enhance synchronization for beam-switching operations.

[0139] In the first approach, the satellite uses different beams to transmit SSBs. Each beam can correspond to a cell, and the satellite can periodically transmit associated SSBs over each cell. One or more SSBs are transmitted. If multiple SSBs are transmitted within a period, the same beam is used to transmit the multiple SSBs, and the UE expects the SSBs to be quasi-co-located. The satellite uses the same beam to transmit SSBs for several time periods, and then uses another beam to transmit SSBs for another number of time periods.

[0140] In one example, the UE is provided with an SSB configuration indicating a first number of SSB cycles, or equivalently, a first time interval during which the satellite transmits the SSB using the same beam before initiating transmission with a different beam. The SSB configuration may also indicate a second number of SSB cycles, or equivalently, a second time interval during which the satellite transmits the SSB using a different beam. The transmission mode of the SSB within the cell can also be configured separately by higher-layer parameters.

[0141] Without loss of generality, for beam hopping operations utilizing two beams and corresponding two cells, the first beam will be activated and deactivated in subsequent time intervals, and the UE in the first cell associated with the first beam will only periodically activate during the active time interval of the first cell. The satellite receives SSBs. During the inactive time interval of the first cell associated with the first beam, the satellite uses the second beam in the corresponding second cell to transmit SSBs, and the UE in the second cell only periodically transmits SSBs during the active time interval of the second cell. The SSB is received locally. The periodicity of SSBs associated with different beams can be the same, for example, and Having the same value Furthermore, the satellite will use different beams periodically in different time intervals. Send SSB to the location.

[0142] During this time interval, the satellite transmits SSBs using a first beam. These SSBs include information about the first PCI for the first cell, and are used by the UE to determine the PCI of the first cell. Similarly, during the second time interval, the satellite transmits SSBs using a second beam. These SSBs include information about the second PCI for the second cell, and are used by the UE to determine the PCI of the second cell.

[0143] In one example, for operations involving beam hopping, the UE is provided with information about the time intervals during which the satellite transmits SSBs using the first beam and the time intervals during which the satellite transmits SSBs using a beam different from the first beam. The UE then transmits SSBs according to a configured period during the time intervals during which the satellite transmits SSBs using the first beam. Acquire the SSB associated with the quasi-co-located attribute, and do not attempt to detect the SSB during the time interval when transmitting the SSB using a beam different from the first beam.

[0144] In one example, for operations utilizing beam switching, the UE will attempt to perform a beam switching operation based on the configured periodicity. To receive SSBs associated with quasi-co-address attributes, and to discard receptions with low RSRP.

[0145] For operations with beam switching, due to the unavailability of SSBs associated with the same QCL attributes or the same beam, the periodicity of the configuration is affected. In satellite-covered cells, UEs may experience significant latency when accessing the network and successfully completing the initial random access procedure. To reduce network access latency, information can be provided to the UE that is associated with the frequency of an SSB transmitted using the same QCL attribute or the same beam on the frequency corresponding to the channel grid.

[0146] In the first method for performing measurements on a cell (such as for synchronization or RSRP), the cell may be associated with an SSB having a specific periodicity, and the frequency of the SSB is provided by an absoluteFrequencySSB as described in Reference 5, and the SSB is on the synchronization grid. The frequency domain offset of the number of subcarriers between the SSB and the entire resource block grid is provided in ssb-SubcarrierOffset, and the absence of this field indicates that no offset is applied. A list of one or more frequency bands to which the carrier belongs is provided in frequencyBandList, and multiple values ​​may be provided in the system information. The absolute frequency position of the reference RB is provided in absoluteFrequencyPointA corresponding to the lowest subcarrier defined in scs-SpecificCarrierList. The frequency domain offset between point A (the lowest subcarrier of common RB 0) and the lowest available subcarrier of the number of PRBs on that carrier (using subcarrierSpacing defined for that carrier) is provided in offsetToCarrier.

[0147] In a second approach for performing measurements on a cell (such as for synchronization or RSRP), the UE within the cell's satellite coverage area can access the network's NCD-SSB. Depending on the availability of the NCD-SSB and / or CD-SSB and their configuration in the time / frequency / spatial domains, the UE (e.g., UE 116) may, depending on its capability, use only the NCD-SSB, only the CD-SSB, or both to obtain synchronization or perform RSRP measurements. A two-step initial access procedure is feasible, where the UE uses the CD-SSB in the second step to obtain PCI. It is also feasible for the UE to receive PCI information via signaling different from that of the CD-SSB.

[0148] A cell can be associated with one or more NCD-SSBs for a given period, which can be indicated to the UE by a higher layer, and may or may not be located on the channel grid associated with the CD-SSB. For example, for a cell associated with both a CD-SSB and an NCD-SSB, the frequency of the CD-SSB is provided by an absoluteFrequencySSB as described in Reference 5, and the frequency of the NCD-SSB may be the same as or different from the frequency of the CD-SSB. When they are different, the frequency of the NCD-SSB also needs to be provided by the corresponding absoluteFrequencySSB. The time positions of the CD-SSB and the NCD-SSB can be the same or different. For example, the UE can indicate the time position of the NCD-SSB independently or relative to the time position of the CD-SSB by a higher layer. The transmission power of the CD-SSB and the NCD-SSB can be the same or different, and can depend on whether they are both associated with the same serving cell. For example, when the CD-SSB and the NCD-SSB are associated with the same cell, they have the same transmission power. A serving cell can be associated with a CD-SSB and one or more NCD-SSBs. Alternatively, one or more of the NCD-SSBs may be associated with a non-serving cell.

[0149] For NCD-SSB, the NCD-SSB frequency is provided in absoluteFrequencySSB, and the NCD-SSB periodicity is provided in ssb-Periodicity. The network can configure a periodicity greater than or less than the periodicity of the serving cell's CD-SSB. If this field is not present, the UE applies the CD-SSB's SSB periodicity. The network can configure the NCD-SSB periodicity associated with time intervals, transmitting the NCD-SSB with a first periodicity during a first time interval, and with a second periodicity during a second time interval, and so on. More than two periodicities can be defined. Changes in the NCD-SSB periodicity can be periodic and / or defined according to the configured time pattern, or can be indicated by a higher layer. For NCD-SSB transmissions at different frequencies, the NCD-SSB periodicity (and time pattern, if any) can be configured with the same or different values ​​at different frequencies. It is also feasible to configure the periodicity of CD-SSB relative to the periodicity of NCD-SSB. The network can configure the periodicity of CD-SSB for the serving cell to be greater than that of NCD-SSB, or it can configure the periodicity of CD-SSB for the serving cell to be less than that of NCD-SSB. If this field does not exist, the UE applies the SSB periodicity of NCD-SSB.

[0150] For NCD-SSBs, the time offset between the serving cell's CD-SSB and this NCD-SSB is specified in ssb-TimeOffset. For example, a value of 5ms means the first burst of the NCD-SSB is sent 5ms later than the first burst of the CD-SSB sent after the first symbol in the serving cell's System Frame Number (SFN) = 0; a value of 10ms means the first burst of the NCD-SSB is sent 10ms later than the first burst of the CD-SSB sent after the first symbol in the serving cell's SFN = 0, and so on. If this field is not present, the UE considers the time offset between the first burst of the CD-SSB sent in the serving cell and the first burst of this NCD-SSB to be zero. Configuring the CD-SSB's time offset relative to the NCD-SSB is also feasible.

[0151] In the third method for performing measurements on a cell (such as for synchronization or RSRP), the cell sends the NCD-SSB used by the UE within the cell's coverage area to access the network, and does not provide PCI to the UE.

[0152] Figure 14 A block diagram of a terminal (or user equipment (UE)) according to an embodiment of the present disclosure is shown. Figure 14 Corresponding to Figure 3 Example of a UE.

[0153] like Figure 14 As shown, the UE according to the embodiment may include a transceiver 1410, a memory 1420, and a processor 1430. The transceiver 1410, memory 1420, and processor 1430 of the UE can operate according to the communication method of the UE described above. However, the components of the UE are not limited thereto. For example, the UE may include more or fewer components than those described above. In addition, the processor 1430, transceiver 1410, and memory 1420 may be implemented as a single chip. Furthermore, the processor 1430 may include at least one processor.

[0154] Transceiver 1410 is collectively referred to as a UE receiver and a UE transmitter, and can transmit signals to or receive signals from a base station or network entity. Signals transmitted to or received from a base station or network entity may include control information and data. Transceiver 1410 may include an RF transmitter for up-converting and amplifying the frequency of the transmitted signal, and an RF receiver for amplifying the frequency of the received signal for low noise and down-converting. However, this is only an example of transceiver 1410, and the components of transceiver 1410 are not limited to RF transmitters and RF receivers.

[0155] In addition, transceiver 1410 can receive signals via a wireless channel and output them to processor 1430, and can also transmit signals output from processor 1430 via a wireless channel.

[0156] The memory 1420 can store programs and data required for the operation of the UE. Furthermore, the memory 1420 can store control information or data included in signals received by the UE. The memory 1420 can be a storage medium such as read-only memory (ROM), random access memory (RAM), hard disk, CD-ROM, and DVD, or a combination of storage media.

[0157] Processor 1430 can control a series of processes to enable the UE to operate as described above. For example, transceiver 1410 can receive data signals including control signals transmitted by a base station or network entity, and processor 1430 can determine the result of receiving the control signals and data signals transmitted by the base station or network entity.

[0158] Figure 15 A block diagram of a base station according to an embodiment of the present disclosure is shown. Figure 15 Corresponding to Figure 2 An example of gNodeB.

[0159] like Figure 15 As shown, a base station according to an embodiment may include a transceiver 1510, a memory 1520, and a processor 1530. The transceiver 1510, memory 1520, and processor 1530 of the base station can operate according to the communication method of the base station described above. However, the components of the base station are not limited thereto. For example, the base station may include more or fewer components than those described above. Furthermore, the processor 1530, transceiver 1510, and memory 1520 may be implemented as a single chip. Additionally, the processor 1530 may include at least one processor.

[0160] Transceiver 1510 is collectively referred to as a base station receiver and a base station transmitter, and can transmit signals to or receive signals from a terminal or network entity. Signals transmitted to or received from a terminal or network entity may include control information and data. Transceiver 1510 may include an RF transmitter for up-converting and amplifying the frequency of the transmitted signal, and an RF receiver for amplifying the frequency of the received signal for low noise and down-conversion. However, this is only an example of transceiver 1510, and the components of transceiver 1510 are not limited to RF transmitters and RF receivers.

[0161] In addition, transceiver 1510 can receive signals via a wireless channel and output them to processor 1530, and can also transmit signals output from processor 1530 via a wireless channel.

[0162] The memory 1520 can store programs and data required for the operation of the base station. Furthermore, the memory 1520 can store control information or data included in signals acquired by the base station. The memory 1520 can be a storage medium such as a read-only memory (ROM), random access memory (RAM), hard disk, CD-ROM, and DVD, or a combination of storage media.

[0163] The processor 1530 can control a series of processes to enable the base station to operate as described above. For example, the transceiver 1510 can receive data signals including control signals transmitted by the terminal, and the processor 1530 can determine the result of receiving the control signals and data signals transmitted by the terminal.

[0164] In one embodiment, a method is provided for a user equipment (UE) to perform measurements on a cell. The method includes receiving first information regarding first parameters of a first synchronization signal on the cell, and receiving second information regarding second parameters of a second synchronization signal on the cell. The method further includes receiving the first synchronization signal and the second synchronization signal on the cell, wherein the first synchronization signal and the second synchronization signal have the same quasi-co-location attribute, and determining measurements of the cell based on the first synchronization signal and the second synchronization signal.

[0165] In another embodiment, a method for a UE to perform measurements on a cell is provided. Wherein: the first synchronization signal is a first synchronization signal and a physical broadcast channel (SS / PBCH) block, the second synchronization signal is a second SS / PBCH block, the first SS / PBCH block is a cell-defined SS / PBCH block for the cell, and the second SS / PBCH block is not a cell-defined SS / PBCH block for the cell.

[0166] In another embodiment, a method is provided for a UE to perform measurements on a cell. A first parameter includes a first periodicity for a first synchronization signal on the cell, and a second parameter includes a second periodicity for a second synchronization signal on the cell.

[0167] In another embodiment, a method for a UE to perform measurements on a cell is provided. The first parameter includes a first power for a first synchronization signal on the cell, and the second parameter includes a second power for a second synchronization signal on the cell.

[0168] In another embodiment, a method is provided for a UE to perform measurements on a cell. A first synchronization signal is associated with a first index, a second synchronization signal is associated with a second index, and the first and second indices have the same value.

[0169] In another embodiment, a method is provided for a UE to perform measurements on a cell. The first parameter includes a duration, the reception of a first synchronization signal occurs only during this duration, and the duration repeats periodically.

[0170] In another embodiment, a method is provided for a UE to perform measurements on a cell. These measurements are used for synchronization in time or frequency.

[0171] In one embodiment, a UE is provided. The UE includes a transceiver configured to receive first information of a first parameter of a first synchronization signal on a cell, second information of a second parameter of a second synchronization signal on a cell, and the first synchronization signal and the second synchronization signal on the cell. The first synchronization signal and the second synchronization signal have the same quasi-co-address attribute. The UE also includes a processor operatively coupled to the transceiver. The processor is configured to determine measurements of the cell based on the first synchronization signal and the second synchronization signal.

[0172] In another embodiment, a UE is provided. The first synchronization signal is a first synchronization signal and a physical broadcast channel (SS / PBCH) block, the second synchronization signal is a second SS / PBCH block, the first SS / PBCH block is a cell-defined SS / PBCH block for a specific cell, and the second SS / PBCH block is not a cell-defined SS / PBCH block for a specific cell.

[0173] In another embodiment, a UE is provided. The first parameter includes a first periodicity for a first synchronization signal on the cell, and the second parameter includes a second periodicity for a second synchronization signal on the cell.

[0174] In another embodiment, a UE is provided. The first parameter includes a first power for a first synchronization signal on the cell, and the second parameter includes a second power for a second synchronization signal on the cell.

[0175] In another embodiment, a UE is provided in which: a first synchronization signal is associated with a first index, a second synchronization signal is associated with a second index, and the first index and the second index have the same value.

[0176] In another embodiment, a UE is provided. The first parameter includes a duration, and the transceiver is further configured to receive a first synchronization signal only during the duration, and the duration repeats periodically.

[0177] In another embodiment, a UE is provided, wherein the measurement is used for synchronization in time or frequency.

[0178] In one embodiment, a base station is provided. The base station includes a transceiver configured to: transmit first information regarding a first parameter of a first synchronization signal on a cell, second information regarding a second parameter of a second synchronization signal on a cell, and the first synchronization signal and the second synchronization signal on the cell. The first synchronization signal and the second synchronization signal have the same quasi-co-location properties. At most one of the first synchronization signal and the second synchronization signal is transmitted at any given time.

[0179] In another embodiment, a base station is provided. The first synchronization signal is a first synchronization signal and a physical broadcast channel (SS / PBCH) block, the second synchronization signal is a second SS / PBCH block, the first SS / PBCH block is a cell-defined SS / PBCH block for a specific cell, and the second SS / PBCH block is not a cell-defined SS / PBCH block for a specific cell.

[0180] In another embodiment, a base station is provided. The first parameter includes a first periodicity for a first synchronization signal on the cell, and the second parameter includes a second periodicity for a second synchronization signal on the cell.

[0181] In another embodiment, a base station is provided. The first parameter includes a first power for a first synchronization signal on the cell, and the second parameter includes a second power for a second synchronization signal on the cell.

[0182] In another embodiment, a base station is provided. A first synchronization signal is associated with a first index, a second synchronization signal is associated with a second index, and the first and second indices have the same value.

[0183] In another embodiment, a base station is provided. The first parameter includes a duration, and the transceiver is further configured to transmit a first synchronization signal only during the duration, and the duration repeats periodically.

[0184] Any of the above-described variant embodiments can be used independently or in combination with at least one other variant embodiment. The flowcharts above illustrate example methods that can be implemented according to the principles of this disclosure, and various changes can be made to the methods shown in the flowcharts herein. For example, although shown as a series of steps, the individual steps in each figure may overlap, occur in parallel, occur in different orders, or occur multiple times. In another example, steps may be omitted or replaced with other steps.

[0185] Although this disclosure has been described using exemplary embodiments, various changes and modifications may be suggested to those skilled in the art. This disclosure is intended to cover such changes and modifications that fall within the scope of the appended claims. Nothing described in this application should be construed as implying that any particular element, step, or function is an essential element that must be included within the scope of the claims. The scope of the patent subject matter is defined by the claims.

Claims

1. A method for a user equipment (UE) to perform measurements on a cell, the method comprising: Receive first information about the first parameter of the first synchronization signal on the cell; Receive second information regarding the second parameter of the second synchronization signal on the cell; Receive a first synchronization signal and a second synchronization signal on the cell, wherein the first synchronization signal and the second synchronization signal have the same quasi-co-address attribute; and Measurements of the cell are determined based on the first and second synchronization signals.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein: The first synchronization signal is the first synchronization signal and the physical broadcast channel (SS / PBCH) block. The second synchronization signal is the second SS / PBCH block. The first SS / PBCH block is the cell-defined SS / PBCH block for the specific cell, and... The second SS / PBCH block is not a cell-defined SS / PBCH block for the specific cell.

3. The method according to claim 1, wherein: The first parameter includes the first periodicity of the first synchronization signal on the cell, and The second parameter includes the second periodicity for the second synchronization signal on the cell.

4. The method according to claim 1, wherein: The first parameter includes the first power for the first synchronization signal on the cell, and The second parameter includes the second power for the second synchronization signal on the cell.

5. The method according to claim 1, wherein: The first synchronization signal is associated with the first index. The second synchronization signal is associated with the second index, and The first index and the second index have the same value.

6. The method according to claim 1, wherein: The first parameter includes the duration. The reception of the first synchronization signal only occurs within a certain duration, and The duration repeats periodically.

7. The method according to claim 1, wherein, Measurements are used for synchronization in time or frequency.

8. A user equipment (UE), comprising: The transceiver is configured to receive: The first information regarding the first parameter of the first synchronization signal on the cell. The second information regarding the second parameter of the second synchronization signal on the cell, and The first synchronization signal and the second synchronization signal on the cell, wherein the first synchronization signal and the second synchronization signal have the same quasi-co-address attribute; and A processor, operatively coupled to the transceiver, is configured to determine measurements of the cell based on a first synchronization signal and a second synchronization signal.

9. The UE according to claim 8, wherein: The first synchronization signal is the first synchronization signal and the physical broadcast channel (SS / PBCH) block. The second synchronization signal is the second SS / PBCH block. The first SS / PBCH block is the cell-defined SS / PBCH block for the specific cell, and... The second SS / PBCH block is not a cell-defined SS / PBCH block for the specific cell.

10. The UE according to claim 8, wherein: The first parameter includes the first periodicity of the first synchronization signal on the cell, and The second parameter includes the second periodicity for the second synchronization signal on the cell.

11. The UE according to claim 8, wherein: The first parameter includes the first power for the first synchronization signal on the cell, and The second parameter includes the second power for the second synchronization signal on the cell.

12. The UE according to claim 8, wherein: The first synchronization signal is associated with the first index. The second synchronization signal is associated with the second index, and The first index and the second index have the same value.

13. The UE according to claim 8, wherein: The first parameter includes the duration. The transceiver is also configured to receive the first synchronization signal only for a specified duration, and The duration repeats periodically.

14. The UE according to claim 8, wherein, Measurements are used for synchronization in time or frequency.

15. A base station, comprising: The transceiver is configured to send: The first information regarding the first parameter of the first synchronization signal on the cell. The second information regarding the second parameter of the second synchronization signal on the cell, and The first synchronization signal and the second synchronization signal on the cell, wherein: The first synchronization signal and the second synchronization signal have the same quasi-co-address attribute, and At most one of the first synchronization signal and the second synchronization signal is sent at any given time.

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