Systems and methods using reflection-based communication elements - Patents.com

Abstract

In some aspects, a wireless communication method includes transmitting a first message to a second wireless communication node by a first wireless communication node for suspending sharing of a reflection-based communication element between the first wireless communication node and the second wireless communication node, where the reflection-based communication element maintains shared configuration parameters from the first wireless communication node and the second wireless communication node.

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] Technical Field FIELD OF THE DISCLOSURE The present disclosure relates generally to wireless communications, and more particularly to systems and methods for designing or configuring reference signaling. [Background technology]

[0002] background The standards body, the 3rd Generation Partnership Project (3GPP®), is currently specifying a new air interface called 5G New Radio (5G NR), as well as the Next Generation Packet Core Network (NG-CN or NGC). 5G NR will have three main components: the 5G Access Network (5G-AN), the 5G Core Network (5GC), and the User Equipment (UE). To facilitate the enablement of different data services and requirements, the elements of the 5GC, also called network functions, have been simplified, some of them being software-based and some being hardware-based, so that they can be adapted as needed. Summary of the Invention [Means for solving the problem]

[0003] overview The exemplary embodiments disclosed herein are directed to solving problems associated with one or more of the problems presented in the prior art, as well as providing further features that will be readily apparent by reference to the following detailed description in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. According to various embodiments, exemplary systems, methods, devices, and computer program products are disclosed herein. However, it is understood that these embodiments are presented by way of example and not limitation, and it will be apparent to those skilled in the art upon reading this disclosure that various modifications can be made to the disclosed embodiments while remaining within the scope of the present disclosure.

[0004] In some aspects, a wireless communication method includes transmitting a first message to a second wireless communication node by a first wireless communication node for suspending sharing of a reflection-based communication element between the first wireless communication node and the second wireless communication node, where the reflection-based communication element maintains shared configuration parameters from the first wireless communication node and the second wireless communication node.

[0005] In some embodiments, the method includes receiving a first message from a first wireless communication node or a second wireless communication node by the reflection-based communication element to interrupt the sharing of the reflection-based communication element between the first wireless communication node and the second wireless communication node. In some embodiments, the reflection-based communication element maintains shared configuration parameters from the first wireless communication node and the second wireless communication node.

[0006] These and other aspects and their implementations are described in more detail in the drawings, the specification, and the claims. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0007] BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS Various exemplary embodiments of the present solution are described in detail below with reference to the following figures or drawings. The drawings are provided for illustrative purposes only and merely depict exemplary embodiments of the present solution to facilitate the reader's understanding of the present solution. Thus, the drawings should not be considered as limiting the breadth, scope, or applicability of the present solution. It should be noted that for clarity and ease of explanation, these drawings are not necessarily drawn to scale.

[0008] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 illustrates an example cellular communication network in which the techniques and other aspects disclosed herein may be implemented, according to one embodiment of the disclosure.

[0009] [Diagram 2] FIG. 2 illustrates a block diagram of an example base station and user equipment device in accordance with some embodiments of the disclosure.

[0010] [Diagram 3] FIG. 3 illustrates a block diagram of an example coverage area of ​​multiple base stations in accordance with some embodiments of the disclosure.

[0011] [Figure 4] FIG. 4 illustrates a swim-lane diagram of an example process for initiating a process of sharing a RIS between neighboring base stations according to some embodiments of the present disclosure.

[0012] [Diagram 5] FIG. 5 illustrates a swim lane diagram of another example process for initiating a sharing interruption according to some embodiments of the present disclosure.

[0013] [Figure 6] FIG. 6 illustrates a swim-lane diagram of an example process for resuming shared use of a RIS according to some embodiments of the present disclosure.

[0014] [Figure 7] FIG. 7 illustrates a method for discontinuing sharing of a reflection-based communication element according to some embodiments.

[0015] [Figure 8] FIG. 8 illustrates a method for discontinuing sharing of a reflection-based communication element according to some embodiments. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0016] Detailed Description In order to enable those skilled in the art to make and use the present solution, various exemplary embodiments of the present solution are described below with reference to the accompanying drawings. As will be apparent to those skilled in the art, after reading the present disclosure, various changes or modifications can be made to the examples described herein without departing from the scope of the present solution. Thus, the present solution is not limited to the exemplary embodiments and applications described and illustrated herein. Furthermore, the specific order or hierarchy of steps in the methods disclosed herein is merely an example approach. The specific order or hierarchy of steps of the disclosed methods or processes can be rearranged based on design preferences while remaining within the scope of the present solution. Thus, those skilled in the art will appreciate that the methods and techniques disclosed herein present various steps or operations in a sample order, and the present solution is not limited to the specific order or hierarchy presented unless otherwise specified.

[0017] A. Network and Computing Environment FIG. 1 illustrates an exemplary wireless communication network and / or system 100 in which the techniques disclosed herein may be implemented, according to one embodiment of the present disclosure. In the following description, the wireless communication network 100 may be any wireless network, such as a cellular network or a narrowband Internet of Things (NB-IoT) network, and is referred to herein as "network 100." Such an exemplary network 100 includes a base station 102 (hereinafter "BS 102") and a user equipment device 104 (hereinafter "UE 104") that can communicate with each other via a communication link 110 (e.g., a wireless communication channel), and a cluster of cells 126, 130, 132, 134, 136, 138, and 140 that overlap a geographic region 101. In FIG. 1, the BS 102 and the UE 104 are contained within the respective geographic boundaries of the cell 126. Each of the other cells 130, 132, 134, 136, 138, and 140 may include at least one base station operating in its assigned bandwidth to provide adequate wireless coverage to its served users.

[0018] For example, the BS 102 may operate in an assigned channel transmission bandwidth to provide adequate coverage to the UE 104. The BS 102 and the UE 104 may communicate via a downlink radio frame 118 and an uplink radio frame 124, respectively. Each radio frame 118 / 124 may be further divided into subframes 120 / 127 that may include data symbols 122 / 128. In this disclosure, the BS 102 and the UE 104 are generally described herein as non-limiting examples of "communication nodes" capable of implementing the methods disclosed herein. Such communication nodes may be capable of wireless and / or wired communication in accordance with various embodiments of the present solution.

[0019] 2 illustrates a block diagram of an exemplary wireless communication system 200 for transmitting and receiving wireless communication signals, e.g., OFDM / OFDMA signals, in accordance with some embodiments of the present solution. System 200 may include components and elements configured to support known or conventional operational features that need not be described in detail herein. In an exemplary embodiment, system 200 may be used to communicate (e.g., transmit and receive) data symbols in a wireless communication environment, such as wireless communication environment 100 of FIG. 1, as described above.

[0020] The system 200 generally includes a base station 202 (hereinafter "BS 202") and a user equipment device 204 (hereinafter "UE 204"). The BS 202 includes a BS (base station) transceiver module 210, a BS antenna 212, a BS processor module 214, a BS memory module 216, and a network communication module 218, each of which is coupled and interconnected with each other as needed via a data communication bus 220. The UE 204 includes a UE (user equipment) transceiver module 230, a UE antenna 232, a UE memory module 234, and a UE processor module 236, each of which is coupled and interconnected with each other as needed via a data communication bus 240. The BS 202 communicates with the UE 204 over a communication channel 250, which may be any wireless channel or other medium suitable for the transmission of data as described herein.

[0021] As will be appreciated by those skilled in the art, system 200 may further include any number of modules other than those shown in FIG. 2. Those skilled in the art will appreciate that the various exemplary blocks, modules, circuits, and processing logic described in connection with the embodiments disclosed herein may be implemented in hardware, computer-readable software, firmware, or any practical combination thereof. To clearly illustrate this compatibility and suitability of hardware, firmware, and software, the various exemplary components, blocks, modules, circuits, and steps are described generally in terms of their functionality. Whether such functionality is implemented as hardware, firmware, or software may depend on the particular application and design constraints imposed on the overall system. Those familiar with the concepts described herein may implement such functionality in a manner suitable for each particular application, but such implementation decisions should not be construed as limiting the scope of the present disclosure.

[0022] According to some embodiments, the UE transceiver 230 may be referred to herein as an "uplink" transceiver 230 including a radio frequency (RF) transmitter and an RF receiver each with circuitry coupled to an antenna 232. Alternatively, a duplexing switch (not shown) may couple the uplink transmitter or receiver to the uplink antenna in a time duplexing manner. Similarly, according to some embodiments, the BS transceiver 210 may be referred to herein as a "downlink" transceiver 210 including an RF transmitter and an RF receiver each with circuitry coupled to an antenna 212. Alternatively, a downlink duplexing switch may couple the downlink transmitter or receiver to the downlink antenna 212 in a time duplexing manner. The operation of the two transceiver modules 210 and 230 may be coordinated in time such that the downlink transmitter is coupled to the downlink antenna 212 at the same time that the uplink receiver circuitry is coupled to the uplink antenna 232 for receiving transmissions over the wireless transmission link 250. In some embodiments, there is strict time synchronization with a minimum guard time between changes in duplexing direction.

[0023] The UE transceiver 230 and the base station transceiver 210 are configured to communicate over a wireless data communication link 250 and cooperate with a suitably configured RF antenna arrangement 212 / 232 capable of supporting a particular wireless communication protocol and modulation scheme. In some exemplary embodiments, the UE transceiver 210 and the base station transceiver 210 are configured to support industry standards such as Long Term Evolution (LTE) and the emerging 5G standard. However, it will be understood that the present disclosure is not necessarily limited in application to a particular standard and associated protocol. Rather, the UE transceiver 230 and the base station transceiver 210 may be configured to support alternative or additional wireless data communication protocols, including future standards or variants thereof.

[0024] According to various embodiments, the BS 202 may be, for example, an evolved Node B (eNB), a serving eNB, a target eNB, a femto station, or a pico station. In some embodiments, the UE 204 may be embodied in various types of user devices, such as a mobile phone, a smartphone, a personal digital assistant (PDA), a tablet, a laptop computer, a wearable computing device, or the like. The processor modules 214 and 236 may be implemented or realized using a general purpose processor, an associative memory, a digital signal processor, an application specific integrated circuit, a field programmable gate array, any suitable programmable logic device, discrete gate or transistor logic, discrete hardware components, or any combination thereof designed to perform the functions described herein. Thus, the processor may be realized as a microprocessor, a controller, a microcontroller, a state machine, or the like. The processor may also be implemented as a combination of computing devices, such as a combination of a digital signal processor and a microprocessor, multiple microprocessors, one or more microprocessors in conjunction with a digital signal processor core, or any other such configuration.

[0025] Furthermore, the steps of the methods or algorithms described in connection with the embodiments disclosed herein may be embodied directly in hardware, in firmware, in software modules executed by the processor modules 214 and 236, respectively, or in any practical combination thereof. The memory modules 216 and 234 may be realized as RAM memory, flash memory, ROM memory, EPROM memory, EEPROM memory, registers, hard disk, removable disk, CD-ROM, or any other form of storage medium known in the art. In this regard, the memory modules 216 and 234 may be coupled to the processor modules 210 and 230, respectively, such that the processor modules 210 and 230 can read information from and write information to the memory modules 216 and 234, respectively. The memory modules 216 and 234 may also be integrated into the respective processor modules 210 and 230. In some embodiments, the memory modules 216 and 234 may each include a cache memory for storing temporary variables or other intermediate information during execution of instructions executed by the processor modules 210 and 230, respectively. Memory modules 216 and 234 may also each include non-volatile memory for storing instructions executed by processor modules 210 and 230, respectively.

[0026] The network communications module 218 generally represents hardware, software, firmware, processing logic, and / or other components of the base station 202 that enable bidirectional communication between the base station transceiver 210 and other network components and communication nodes configured to communicate with the base station 202. For example, the network communications module 218 may be configured to support Internet or WiMAX traffic. In a typical arrangement, without limitation, the network communications module 218 provides an 802.3 Ethernet interface to enable the base station transceiver 210 to communicate with a conventional Ethernet-based computer network. As such, the network communications module 218 may include a physical interface for connecting to a computer network (e.g., a Mobile Switching Center (MSC)). The terms "configured for," "configured to," and conjugations thereof, as used herein with respect to a specified operation or function, refer to a device, component, circuit, structure, machine, signal, etc. that is physically constructed, programmed, formatted, and / or arranged to perform the specified operation or function.

[0027] B. Reference Signaling Design and Configuration The prior art does not disclose a scenario in which multiple base stations (BSs, e.g., BS102, BS202, Next Generation Node Bs (gNBs), Evolved Node Bs (eNBs), wireless communication nodes, cell towers, 3GPP® wireless access devices, non-3GPP® wireless access devices, network nodes, etc.) share the same Reconfigurable Intelligent Surface (RIS). Disclosed herein are embodiments of systems, devices, and methods for negotiating between base stations in this scenario and sharing RIS methods, processes, interactive parameters, RIS types, and other issues.

[0028] With the explosive growth of data traffic, millimeter wave (mmWave) is used in the fifth generation mobile communication due to the abundance of frequency bands available in mmWave. One challenge to realize mmWave communication is path loss. To compensate for the severe path loss of mmWave transmission, mmWave base stations (BSs) can use large-scale antenna arrays for narrow-beam transmission, which can effectively transmit energy directed to a specific area or direction. However, mmWave directional transmission may be susceptible to congestion and may even cause connection interruptions, which brings new challenges to establishing and maintaining mmWave links. To this end, reconfigurable intelligent surfaces (RISs) are integrated into mmWave cellular systems.

[0029] The RIS is an antenna surface that, in some embodiments, includes a large number of (low-cost) passive reflecting elements. Each element can independently adjust the phase and amplitude of the incident electromagnetic wave, thereby changing the propagation path of the electromagnetic wave. While traditional radio technologies can perform signal processing at the transmitting and receiving ends to adapt to dynamic and uncontrollable radio environments, the RIS can correct (actively, intelligently, etc.) the radio channel by controllable intelligent signal reflection techniques. Thus, the RIS can provide a new degree of freedom to improve radio link performance and may pave the way for the realization of intelligent programmable radio environments. In mmWave cellular systems, congestion problems can significantly degrade communication quality and even interrupt the link. The RIS can be a new way to tackle the congestion problem of mmWave communication due to its ability to change the transmission environment of the electromagnetic wave. For a user whose link with its base station is interrupted, the phase of the RIS can be adjusted to allow the transmission path of the electromagnetic wave to reach the user around the obstacle, thereby improving the communication quality and coverage of the mmWave system.

[0030] Some embodiments of the RIS deployment method adopt the deployment of one or more dedicated RIS in the coverage area of ​​a single base station to improve the signal of the coverage blind spot in the coverage area of ​​the base station. However, the blind spot covered by the RIS may have a distinction between busy and idle periods. When the RIS is in a non-operational state or uses only a part of the resources, the RIS may make the resources idle. Therefore, how to fully and efficiently use the RIS is a problem that needs to be solved.

[0031] Some wireless communication systems may support the use of wireless repeaters. For example, wireless repeaters may be located between user equipment (UE, e.g., UE 104, UE 204, mobile devices, wireless communication devices, terminals, etc.) and relay communications between base stations and UEs. Repeaters are used to extend the coverage area of ​​transmitting devices. Repeaters may not attempt to decode signals, but may receive RF signals wirelessly, amplify them, and retransmit them. Sometimes, the configuration of the repeater, e.g., the configuration used to control the direction and width of the retransmitted signal, may be controlled by the base station to achieve flexible repeater use. The use cases and functions of the repeater may be similar to the RIS. The difference may be that the RIS does not amplify the RF signal, which can save device costs, and in some cases, may use a larger size reflector panel to ensure RF signal strength.

[0032] Disclosed herein are embodiments of systems, devices, and methods for how multiple base stations can improve the efficiency of joint use of a RIS. Figure 3 shows a block diagram of an example coverage area of ​​multiple base stations according to some embodiments of the present disclosure. When there are multiple blind spots near the overlapping area of ​​two or more base station coverage areas, a RIS can be placed in the overlapping area as shown in Figure 3, and two or more base stations can share and use the RIS.

[0033] Since base station 1 (BS1) and base station 2 (BS2) may have different coverage requirements and beam configurations when covering their respective blind spot areas, different base stations such as BS1 and BS2 may use the RIS in different ways, resource requirements, and delay requirements.

[0034] In some embodiments, the BS acquires RIS sharing capabilities. Communication between neighboring BSs can include supporting shared RIS information (RIS type, RIS location, RIS sharing capabilities (sharing pattern), RIS terminal identification, and RIS user interface operation state (on / off)). The neighboring BS can initiate the process of sharing the RIS. In some embodiments, during the (initiation) period, the sharing mode is negotiated and configuration parameters are shared, and during the sharing period, the control module of the RIS establishes a link with that BS. Other auxiliary processes include a sharing mode modification process, a sharing mode termination process, a sharing mode failure process, and a sharing mode interruption process.

[0035] In some embodiments, base station 1 and base station 2 negotiate configuration parameters for RIS sharing according to the sharing capability of the RIS and their own requirements for using the RIS, and perform sharing. In some embodiments, when BS1 or BS2 confirms that it does not need to use the RIS for the time being, but does not want to abandon the negotiated RIS sharing, BS1 or BS2 can request the other BS to suspend RIS sharing. RIS sharing suspension may refer to suspending joint use of the RIS, where BS1 and BS2 retain existing RIS sharing configuration parameters, and the RIS retains RIS sharing configuration parameters corresponding to the suspended BS. During the sharing suspension period, whether the RIS resources originally allocated by the RIS to the sharing suspended BS will be used by the BS that has not suspended sharing can be negotiated by BS1 and BS2 before sharing is suspended. In some embodiments, when the suspended BS requests to resume sharing, the suspended BS requests the other BS to make a RIS sharing resume request.

[0036] Disclosed herein are embodiments of RIS shared suspend and resume processes. When BS1 or BS2 needs to suspend pre-negotiated RIS sharing, BS1 or BS2 can initiate a sharing suspend process to the other BS participating in the RIS shared use. Suspension may refer to suspension, not withdrawal, of the RIS shared use.

[0037] In one embodiment, BS2 initiates a suspend process, the steps of which may include: BS2 sends a RIS sharing suspend request to BS1, BS1 feeds back a confirmation message, the BS currently establishing a link with the control module of the RIS sends a RIS sharing suspend message to the RIS, and according to the received message, the RIS saves the original sharing configuration parameters, suspends the reflection unit array codebook provided by the sharing BS (e.g., BS2), and performs operations during the sharing suspend.

[0038] BS2 may send a RIS sharing suspension request to BS1. The suspension sharing request may include one or more of the following: the need to suspend the shared RIS logo, optionally the reason for the suspension of sharing (change in its own resource requirements, change in blind spot coverage requirements, RIS coverage performance does not meet requirements, change in business requirements), optionally the period for which sharing is suspended (defined by a start time and duration, or a start time and an end time), optionally whether the RIS resources that are idle due to the suspension can be temporarily used by the other BS (BS1) during the suspension sharing period, or optionally which idle RIS resources of BS2 can be temporarily used by the other BS (BS1) during the sharing suspension period.

[0039] The idle (RIS) resources of BS2 that can be temporarily used by the other BS may include all the idle resources temporarily used by BS1 or a part of the idle resources temporarily used by BS1. The part of the idle resources temporarily used by BS1 may include information on the period temporarily used by BS1 if the sharing mode is time sharing, information on the frequency band temporarily used by BS1 if the sharing mode is frequency division sharing, or information on the reflective panel (logo) temporarily used by BS1 if the sharing mode is space division sharing.

[0040] BS1 may feed back a confirmation message, where the confirmation message (e.g., content) may include one or more of: confirmation of the RIS logo of the suspended sharing, confirmation of the duration for which the sharing is suspended, confirmation of whether the RIS resources that are idle due to the suspension will be temporarily used by BS1, or confirmation of which idle RIS resources will be temporarily used by BS1 during the confirmed sharing suspension period.

[0041] A BS currently establishing a link with the control module of the RIS may send a RIS sharing interruption message to the RIS, i.e., if BS1 is currently connected to the control module of the RIS, BS1 may send the message, if BS2 is connected to the control module of the RIS, BS2 may send the message to the control module of the RIS, or if both BS1 and BS2 have established a connection with the control module of the RIS at the same time, either BS1 or BS2 may send the message. The sharing interruption message may include one or more of the following: the interruption of the sharing BS identity (which in this example is the identity of BS2), optionally, the reason for interrupting sharing, optionally, the duration for which sharing is interrupted, optionally, whether RIS resources that are idle due to the interruption will be temporarily used by BS1 during the interruption sharing period, optionally, which idle RIS resources will be temporarily used by BS1 during the sharing interruption period, or optionally, updated RIS configuration parameters and / or reflector unit array codebook.

[0042] According to the received message, the RIS may save the original shared configuration parameters, suspend the reflector unit array codebook provided by the shared BS (BS2 in this case), and perform operations during the sharing suspension. The operations performed during the sharing suspension may include one or more of the following: the RIS maintaining the execution of the existing reflector panel configuration parameters and / or reflector array codebook (RIS resources that are idle due to the suspension remain idle), the RIS automatically applying the reflector panel configuration parameters and reflector unit array codebook used by the non-suspended RIS resources to the suspended RIS resources, or, if the RIS receives updated RIS shared configuration parameters and / or reflector unit array codebook, the RIS configuring the reflector panels according to the received parameters and codebook.

[0043] For a shared, suspended RIS, if BS1 or BS2 wishes to resume execution of the RIS share (e.g., the BS that initiated the suspension or the other BS requests restoration of the RIS share), a restoration process can be initiated.

[0044] In one embodiment, BS2 initiates resumption of execution of RIS sharing. The steps for resuming execution of RIS sharing may include: BS2 sends a RIS sharing interruption and resume request (e.g., a sharing recovery request) to BS1; BS1 feeds back a sharing recovery confirmation message or a sharing recovery rejection message; the BS currently establishing a link with the control module of the RIS sends a RIS sharing recovery message to the RIS; and the RIS restores the saved sharing configuration parameters and the reflective element array codebook.

[0045] BS2 may send a RIS sharing suspend and resume request to BS1, which may include one or more of an indication that the shared RIS logo needs to be restored, or updated shared configuration parameters for the RIS and / or reflector unit array codebook, as appropriate.

[0046] BS1 may feedback a sharing recovery confirmation message or a sharing recovery rejection message (with a reason for rejection, if necessary). The confirmation message may include one or more of the following: confirmation of restoration of the shared RIS logo, confirmation of the shared configuration parameters of the RIS and / or the reflector unit array codebook provided by BS2, or modification of the shared configuration parameters and / or the reflector element array codebook provided by BS2, and transmission of the modified shared configuration parameters and / or the reflector element array codebook.

[0047] A BS that currently has a link established with a control module of the RIS may send a RIS sharing recovery message to the RIS, which may include one or more of the following: restoration of the shared BS logo, or, if necessary, updated shared configuration parameters and / or reflective element array codebooks.

[0048] The RIS can restore the saved shared configuration parameters and the reflective element array codebook, and if updated shared configuration parameters and / or reflective element array codebook are received, can be configured according to the updated shared configuration parameters and / or reflective element array codebook.

[0049] Before RIS sharing is suspended, the two network nodes sharing the use of the RIS negotiate to determine sharing-related information. The sharing-related information may include one or more of a RIS sharing mode, a shared configuration parameter of the RIS, or a reflective element array codebook configured for the RIS. The RIS sharing mode may include one or more of a time sharing, a frequency division sharing, or an air separation sharing. The RIS may have multiple reflective panels, and different panels may serve different network nodes.

[0050] BS1 and BS2 can exchange RIS information using the Xn setup process over the Xn interface or a newly defined process over the Xn interface. The shared related information can be sent by BS1 or BS2 to the control module of the RIS, and the transmission mode is that the control plane signaling is used to carry the information.

[0051] The sharing configuration parameters may include one or more of configuration parameters for time division sharing, configuration parameters for frequency division sharing, or configuration parameters for air separation sharing. The configuration parameters for time division sharing may include one or more of sharing period information or a time point or time offset at the start of sharing. The sharing period information may indicate that the period may be periodic, i.e., sharing starts over a period of time, and the parameters include the period, the sharing duration of each period, and the start time offset of the sharing time of each period, the period may be aperiodic, i.e., a period defined by a start time and an end time, the period may be defined by a start time and a duration, or the granularity of the period may be defined in hours, minutes, seconds, milliseconds, or system frames, subframes, timeslots, and symbols.

[0052] The configuration parameters for frequency division sharing may include one or more of shared frequency band information or a RIS reflector unit array corresponding to the shared frequency band (defined by the number of reflector units or the range of rows and columns of the reflector units).

[0053] The configuration parameters for air separation sharing are one or more of the following: number of shared reflector panels, shared reflector panel identification, configuration mode of the antenna reflector unit array codebook of the shared reflector panel: dynamic, semi-static, static, update time interval of the supported configuration parameters (if required), or physical parameters of the shared reflector panel and size of the reflector unit array.

[0054] 4 illustrates a swim-lane diagram of an example process for initiating a process of sharing a RIS between neighboring base stations according to some embodiments of the present disclosure. In one embodiment, as shown in FIG. 4, a neighboring network node actively requests a neighboring cell node to share a RIS.

[0055] At 201: gNB2 determines whether it needs to use a RIS covered by gNB1 based on information previously communicated with gNB1 that can support sharing of the RIS. Based on the conditions for RIS3 to establish a successful connection, gNB2 can evaluate whether there is a blind spot around RIS3 that needs to be covered, and if so, gNB2 can decide to request to share RIS3.

[0056] At 202: gNB2 sends a sharing request to gNB1. The sharing request may include an identification of the RIS requiring sharing: e.g., UE ID of RIS3, a sharing mode of the target RIS: sharing configuration parameters of the target RIS under which one or more desired sharing modes can be provided. For example, RIS3 is a multi-panel RIS.

[0057] The sharing configuration parameters can include the number of reflective panels that need to be shared. For example, if gNB1 informs RIS3 that there are two reflective panels in the preceding RIS communication and that there is one panel that can be shared, gNB2 can apply to share one panel.

[0058] The shared configuration parameters may include a shared reflector panel identification. For example, a serial number of the panel applied for sharing may be used. The shared configuration parameters may include a configuration mode of the antenna reflector unit array of the shared reflector panel: one or more of dynamic, semi-static, and static may be selected, and a codebook configuration parameter update interval may also be signaled. The shared configuration parameters may include one or more of physical parameters of the scale of the shared reflector panel or reflector unit array: the size of the reflector unit array that needs to be used may be represented by the number of rows and columns.

[0059] In some embodiments, the RIS3 uses time division sharing. Time division sharing includes one or more of a request to share period information, a granularity of the period that can be defined in hours, minutes, seconds, milliseconds, or system frames, subframes, timeslots, and symbols, or a time point or time offset at which sharing starts. The request to share period information can indicate that the period can be periodic, i.e., sharing starts over a period of time every certain period. The parameters include the period, the sharing duration of each period, and the start time offset of the sharing time of each period, and the period can be aperiodic, i.e., a period defined by a start time and an end time, or the period can be defined by a start time and a duration.

[0060] In some embodiments, the RIS 3 uses frequency division sharing, which may include frequency band information that needs to be shared.

[0061] The sharing request may include whether the target RIS is connected to gNB1 or gNB2, or to gNB1 and gNB2 simultaneously when gNB2 is using the target RIS (the RIS control module must support at least dual connectivity). The sharing request may include the configured reflector unit array codebook for the reflector panel (if multiple panels need to be shared, a corresponding number of reflector unit array codebooks should be provided).

[0062] In 203a: gNB1 decides whether to accept the sharing request, and if not, proceeds to step 603b; if so, feeds back an acceptance message to gNB2 and confirms or modifies the sharing information required by gNB2. The acceptance message may include an indication of acceptance of the identity of one or more target RISs to be shared. In this embodiment, if gNB2's sharing request to RIS3 is accepted, the UE ID of RIS3 may be fed back to indicate confirmation. If gNB2 requires multiple RISs to be shared and gNB1 refuses to accept some of the RIS sharing requirements, gNB1 may feed back the identity of the target RIS that gNB1 refuses to share with the reason for the refusal (e.g., the target RIS does not support the sharing mode or sharing required by gNB2, or the configuration parameters and target RIS lacks sharable resources);

[0063] The acceptance message may include an indication of acceptance of the shared mode of the shared target RIS. The acceptance message may include an indication of acceptance of the shared configuration parameters of the shared target RIS. The acceptance message may include whether the control module of the target RIS is connected to gNB1 or gNB2, or to gNB1 and gNB2 simultaneously when gNB2 is using the target RIS (the RIS control module must support at least dual connectivity).

[0064] At 203b: If gNB1 does not accept the sharing request, gNB1 feeds back to gNB2 a RIS sharing rejection message, which may include the reason for the rejection. For example, the reason may include that the target RIS lacks sharable resources, does not support the required sharing mode or sharing configuration parameters.

[0065] At 204: If the sharing acceptance message is received, gNB1 sends a sharing configuration message to the RIS accepting the sharing. The sharing configuration message may include identification information of gNB2 participating in the sharing, such as base station cell identification information and physical cell identification information. The sharing configuration message may include one or more of the following: a sharing mode, a sharing configuration parameter, or whether the target RIS is connected to gNB1 or gNB2 or simultaneously connected to gNB1 and gNB2 when gNB2 is using the target RIS (the RIS control module must support at least dual connectivity). The sharing configuration message may include one or more of a reflector unit array codebook configured by gNB1 for the RIS, if necessary, or a reflector element array codebook configured by gNB2 for the RIS, if necessary. At 205: The RIS control plane configures the reflector panel according to the configuration message to perform sharing.

[0066] 5 illustrates a swim-lane diagram of another exemplary process for initiating a sharing suspension, according to some embodiments of the present disclosure. In one embodiment, BS1 and BS2 have established a sharing mechanism for RIS3 covered by BS1. If BS2 temporarily has no business in the RIS3 coverage area, BS2 can consider suspending the sharing of RIS3, as shown in FIG. 5.

[0067] At 301: BS2 sends a RIS sharing suspension request to BS1. The sharing suspension request can include one or more of the following: an indication of the need to suspend the shared RIS identifier (e.g., UE ID, IMSI, S-TMSI, etc. of RIS3) that can uniquely identify the RIS by BS1 and BS2; a reason for the suspension of sharing (e.g., change in its own resource requirements, change in blind spot coverage requirements, performance of RIS coverage does not match requirements, change in business requirements); a suspension sharing period: which can be defined by a start time and duration, or a start time and an end time; whether or not the RIS resources that are idle due to the suspension can be temporarily used by the other BS (BS1) during the suspension sharing period; or which idle RIS resources of BS2 can be temporarily used by the other BS (BS1) during the sharing suspension period. Examples of idle RIS resources that can be temporarily used by the other BS are described above.

[0068] 302: BS1 feeds back a sharing interruption confirmation message. The content of the confirmation message is described above.

[0069] 303: The BS currently establishing a link with the control module of the RIS sends a RIS sharing interruption message to the RIS. In this example, it is assumed that the RIS is established. In one embodiment, the linked BS is BS1, which sends the message to the RIS. The contents of the confirmation message are described above.

[0070] 304: According to the received message, the RIS saves the original sharing configuration parameters and the reflection unit array codebook provided by the interrupted sharing BS (in this case, BS2), and performs operations during the sharing interruption, which are described above.

[0071] 6 illustrates a swim-lane diagram of an exemplary process for resuming shared use of a RIS, according to some embodiments of the present disclosure. In one embodiment, when BS2 regenerates blind spot coverage requirements within the coverage area of ​​RIS3, BS2 can request BS1 to resume shared use of RIS3, as shown in FIG.

[0072] 401: BS2 sends a RIS share recovery request to BS1. The contents of the share recovery request are described above.

[0073] 402a: BS1 feeds back a sharing recovery confirmation message or a sharing recovery rejection message (with a rejection reason, if necessary). The content of the confirmation message is described above.

[0074] 402b: If BS1 determines that the resources of RIS3 are not sufficient to be shared again with BS2 (e.g., BS1 has further resource requirements for RIS3), BS1 can respond with a BS2 Sharing Restoration Rejection message, which can include the reason for the rejection. The reasons for the rejection are described above.

[0075] 403: The BS currently establishing a link with the control module of the RIS sends a RIS share recovery message to the RIS. In this example, assuming that the BS establishing a link with the RIS is BS1, BS1 sends the message to the RIS. The contents of the RIS share recovery message are described above.

[0076] 404: The RIS restores the saved shared configuration parameters and the reflector array codebook. If the sharing mode is updated, the shared configuration parameters and / or the reflector array codebook are received, and the BS is updated according to the shared configuration parameters and / or the reflector array codebook.

[0077] 7 illustrates a method 700 for discontinuing sharing of a reflection-based communication element, according to some embodiments. With reference to FIGS. 1-6, in some embodiments, the method 700 may be performed by a first wireless communication node (e.g., a base station, a gNB). Depending on the embodiment, additional, fewer, or different operations may be performed in the method 700.

[0078] Briefly, in some embodiments, a first wireless communication node sends a first message to a second wireless communication node to discontinue sharing of a reflection-based communication element between the first wireless communication node and the second wireless communication node (710), and the reflection-based communication element maintains shared configuration parameters from the first wireless communication node and the second wireless communication node (720).

[0079] More specifically, in operation 710, in some embodiments, the first wireless communication node transmits a first message to the second wireless communication node to discontinue sharing of a reflection-based communication element between the first wireless communication node and the second wireless communication node. In some embodiments, the first wireless communication node is BS2 (which may be referred to as gNB2), the second wireless communication node is BS1 (which may be referred to as gNB1), and the reflection-based communication is a RIS control module.

[0080] In some embodiments, the first message includes at least one of an identifier of the reflection-based communication element, a reason for the interruption of sharing of the reflection-based communication element, or a duration of the interruption of sharing of the reflection-based communication element. In some embodiments, the first message indicates whether resources of the reflection-based communication element that are made available due to the interruption of sharing of the reflection-based communication element can be used by the second wireless communication node.

[0081] In some embodiments, the first message further indicates that the resources of the reflection-based communication element are configured to be partially used by the second wireless communication node. In some embodiments, if a mode of sharing the reflection-based communication element by the first wireless communication node and the second wireless communication node is time division multiplexing, the first message further indicates a period of time for temporary use by the second wireless communication node.

[0082] In some embodiments, if the mode of sharing the reflection-based communication element by the first wireless communication node and the second wireless communication node is frequency division multiplexing, the first message further indicates a frequency band temporarily used by the second wireless communication node. In some embodiments, if the mode of sharing the reflection-based communication element by the first wireless communication node and the second wireless communication node is space division multiplexing, the first message further indicates information of a reflection panel temporarily used by the second wireless communication node.

[0083] In some embodiments, the first wireless communication node receives a second message from the second wireless communication node acknowledging the first message, in some embodiments, the second message includes at least one of an identifier of the reflection-based communication element being acknowledged, a duration of the suspension of sharing of the reflection-based communication element being acknowledged, an acknowledgement of whether resources of the reflection-based communication element made available by the suspension of sharing of the reflection-based communication element can be used by the second wireless communication node, or which resources of the reflection-based communication element being acknowledged are configured to be temporarily used by the second wireless communication node.

[0084] In some embodiments, the first wireless communication node or the second wireless communication node transmits to the reflection-based communication element a third message indicating the suspension of sharing of the reflection-based communication element if the second wireless communication node responds with an acknowledgment to the first message. In some embodiments, the third message includes at least one of an identifier of the first wireless communication node, a reason for the suspension of sharing of the reflection-based communication element, a duration of the suspension of sharing of the reflection-based communication element, whether resources of the reflection-based communication element made available due to the suspension of sharing of the reflection-based communication element can be used by the second wireless communication node, which of the resources of the reflection-based communication element are configured to be temporarily used by the second wireless communication node, updated sharing configuration parameters associated with the reflection-based communication element, or an updated codebook configured for the reflection element array of the reflection-based communication element.

[0085] In some embodiments, the original codebook configured for the reflection-based communication element's reflection element array remains during the suspension. In some embodiments, after the reflection-based communication element receives the fourth message indicating the suspension of its sharing, the reflection-based communication element maintains the original codebook that the first wireless communication node configured for the reflection element array of the reflection-based communication element and the original sharing configuration parameters associated with the reflection-based communication element.

[0086] In some embodiments, the first wireless communication node restores the sharing of the reflection-based communication element. In some embodiments, the first wireless communication node transmits a fifth message to the second wireless communication node indicating the restoration of the sharing of the reflection-based communication element. In some embodiments, the first wireless communication node receives a sixth message from the second wireless communication node acknowledging the fifth message.

[0087] In some embodiments, the first wireless communication node or the second wireless communication node transmits a seventh message to the reflection-based communication element indicating restoration of sharing of the reflection-based communication element. In some embodiments, the seventh message includes at least one of an identifier of the wireless communication node that resumes sharing of the reflection-based communication element, updated sharing configuration parameters associated with the reflection-based communication element, or an updated codebook configured for the reflection element array of the reflection-based communication element. In some embodiments, the reflection-based communication element resumes sharing according to the seventh message.

[0088] At operation 720, in some embodiments, the reflection-based communication element maintains shared configuration parameters from the first wireless communication node and the second wireless communication node.

[0089] 8 illustrates a method 800 for discontinuing sharing of a reflection-based communication element, according to some embodiments. With reference to FIGS. 1-6, in some embodiments, method 800 may be performed by a reflection-based communication element (e.g., a RIS control module). Depending on the embodiment, additional, fewer, or different operations may be performed in method 800.

[0090] Briefly, in some embodiments, the reflection-based communication element receives a first message from a first wireless communication node or a second wireless communication node to discontinue sharing of the reflection-based communication element between the first wireless communication node and the second wireless communication node, the reflection-based communication element maintains shared configuration parameters from the first wireless communication node and the second wireless communication node (810), and the reflection-based communication element maintains shared configuration parameters from the first wireless communication node and the second wireless communication node (820).

[0091] More specifically, in operation 810, in some embodiments, the reflection-based communication element receives a first message from the first wireless communication node or the second wireless communication node to discontinue sharing of the reflection-based communication element between the first wireless communication node and the second wireless communication node. In some embodiments, the first wireless communication node is BS2 (which may be referred to as gNB2), the second wireless communication node is BS1 (which may be referred to as gNB1), and the reflection-based communication element is a RIS control module.

[0092] In some embodiments, the first message includes at least one of: an identifier of the wireless communication node that will suspend sharing of the reflection-based communication element; a reason for the suspension of sharing of the reflection-based communication element; a duration of the suspension of sharing of the reflection-based communication element; whether resources of the reflection-based communication element that are made available due to the suspension of sharing of the reflection-based communication element can be used by a wireless communication node that is not suspending sharing; which of the resources of the reflection-based communication element are configured to be temporarily used by a wireless communication node that is not suspending sharing; updated sharing configuration parameters associated with the reflection-based communication element; or an updated codebook configured for the reflection element array of the reflection-based communication element.

[0093] At operation 820, in some embodiments, the reflection-based communication element maintains the shared configuration parameters from the first wireless communication node and the second wireless communication node. In some embodiments, the reflection-based communication element receives a second message from the first wireless communication node or the second wireless communication node to resume sharing. In some embodiments, the second message includes at least one of an identifier of the wireless communication node that resumes sharing of the reflection-based communication element, updated shared configuration parameters associated with the reflection-based communication element, or an updated codebook configured for the reflection element array of the reflection-based communication element.

[0094] Although various embodiments of the present solution have been described above, it should be understood that they are presented only as examples and not as limitations. Similarly, various diagrams may depict example architectures or configurations, which are provided to enable those skilled in the art to understand example features and functionality of the present solution. However, such skilled in the art will understand that the present solution is not limited to the example architectures or configurations shown, but can be implemented using various alternative architectures and configurations. Furthermore, as will be understood by those skilled in the art, one or more features of one embodiment can also be combined with one or more features of another embodiment described herein. Thus, the breadth and scope of the present disclosure should not be limited by any of the example embodiments described above.

[0095] It is also understood that any reference to an element herein using a designation such as "first," "second," etc., does not generally limit the quantity or order of those elements. Rather, these designations may be used herein as a convenient means of distinguishing between two or more elements or instances of an element. Thus, a reference to a first element and a second element does not imply that only two elements can be used or that the first element must precede the second element in any way.

[0096] Further, those skilled in the art will understand that information and signals may be represented using any of a variety of different technologies and techniques. For example, the data, instructions, commands, information, signals, bits, and symbols that may be referred to in the above description may be represented by voltages, currents, electromagnetic waves, magnetic fields or particles, optical fields or particles, or any combination thereof.

[0097] Those skilled in the art will further appreciate that any of the various exemplary logic blocks, modules, processors, means, circuits, methods, and functions described in connection with the aspects disclosed herein can be implemented by electronic hardware (e.g., digital implementations, analog implementations, or a combination of the two), firmware, various forms of programs or design code incorporating instructions (which may be referred to herein for convenience as "software" or "software modules"), or any combination of these technologies. To clearly illustrate this interchangeability of hardware, firmware, and software, the various exemplary components, blocks, modules, circuits, and steps have been described above generally in terms of their functionality. Whether such functionality is implemented as hardware, firmware, or software, or a combination of these technologies, depends on the particular application and design constraints imposed on the overall system. Those skilled in the art may implement the described functionality in various ways for each particular application, but such implementation decisions do not cause a departure from the scope of the present disclosure.

[0098] Further, those skilled in the art will appreciate that the various example logic blocks, modules, devices, components, and circuits described herein can be implemented in or performed by an integrated circuit (IC), which can include a general purpose processor, a digital signal processor (DSP), an application specific integrated circuit (ASIC), a field programmable gate array (FPGA) or other programmable logic device, or any combination thereof. The logic blocks, modules, and circuits can further include an antenna and / or a transceiver for communicating with various components in a network or device. The general purpose processor can be a microprocessor, but alternatively, the processor can be any conventional processor, controller, or state machine. The processor can also be implemented as a combination of computing devices, such as a combination of a DSP and a microprocessor, multiple microprocessors, one or more microprocessors in conjunction with a DSP core, or any other suitable configuration for performing the functions described herein.

[0099] If implemented in software, the functions can be stored as one or more instructions or codes on a computer-readable medium. Thus, the steps of a method or algorithm disclosed herein can be implemented as software stored on a computer-readable medium. Computer-readable media includes both computer storage media and communication media, including any medium that can be enabled to transfer a computer program or code from one place to another. A storage medium can be any available medium that can be accessed by a computer. By way of example, and not limitation, such computer-readable media can include RAM, ROM, EEPROM, CD-ROM or other optical disk storage, magnetic disk storage or other magnetic storage devices, or any other medium that can be used to store desired program code in the form of instructions or data structures and that can be accessed by a computer.

[0100] As used herein, the term "module" refers to software, firmware, hardware, and any combination of these elements for performing the associated functions described herein. Additionally, for purposes of explanation, various modules are described as separate modules, however, one of ordinary skill in the art will appreciate that two or more modules may be combined to form a single module that performs associated functions according to embodiments of the present solution.

[0101] Further, memory or other storage, as well as communication components, may be used in embodiments of the solution. For clarity, it will be appreciated that the above description describes embodiments of the solution with reference to different functional units and processors. However, it will be apparent that any suitable distribution of functionality between different functional units, processing logic elements, or domains may be used without detracting from the solution. For example, functionality illustrated as being performed by separate processing logic elements or controllers may be performed by the same processing logic element or controller. Thus, references to specific functional units do not indicate a strict logical or physical structure or organization, but merely to suitable means for providing the described functionality.

[0102] Various modifications to the implementations described in this disclosure will be readily apparent to those skilled in the art, and the general principles defined herein can be applied to other implementations without departing from the scope of the present disclosure. Thus, the present disclosure is not intended to be limited to the implementations shown herein, but is to be accorded the widest scope consistent with the novel features and principles disclosed herein, as set forth in the following claims.

Claims

1. 1. A wireless communication method, comprising: transmitting, by a first wireless communication node to a second wireless communication node, a first message for suspending sharing of a reflection-based communication element between the first wireless communication node and the second wireless communication node; the reflection-based communication element maintains shared configuration parameters from the first wireless communication node and the second wireless communication node; A wireless communication method comprising:

2. The first message comprises: an identifier for the reflection-based communication element; the reason for the interruption of the sharing of the reflection-based communication element; or the duration of the interruption in sharing the reflection-based communication element; The wireless communication method of claim 1 , comprising at least one of:

3. 2. The wireless communication method of claim 1, wherein the first message indicates whether resources of the reflection-based communication element made available by the interruption of sharing of the reflection-based communication element can be used by the second wireless communication node.

4. The method of claim 3 , wherein the first message further indicates that the resources of the reflection-based communication element are configured to be partially used by the second wireless communication node.

5. 5. The wireless communication method of claim 4, wherein when a mode of sharing the reflection-based communication element by the first wireless communication node and the second wireless communication node is time division multiplexing, the first message further indicates a period of temporary use by the second wireless communication node.

6. 5. The wireless communication method of claim 4, wherein if a mode of sharing the reflection-based communication element by the first wireless communication node and the second wireless communication node is frequency division multiplexing, the first message further indicates a frequency band temporarily used by the second wireless communication node.

7. 5. The wireless communication method of claim 4, wherein when a mode of sharing the reflection-based communication element by the first wireless communication node and the second wireless communication node is spatial division multiplexing, the first message further indicates information of a reflection panel temporarily used by the second wireless communication node.

8. receiving, by the first wireless communication node, from the second wireless communication node, a second message acknowledging the first message; The wireless communication method of claim 1 , further comprising:

9. The second message comprises: an identifier of the reflection-based communication element being acknowledged; a period of said interruption in sharing of said reflection-based communication element being acknowledged; an acknowledgement as to whether the resources of the reflection-based communication element that become available due to the interruption of the sharing of the reflection-based communication element can be used by the second wireless communication node; or Which of the resources of the reflection-based communication element being acknowledged are configured to be temporarily used by the second wireless communication node. The wireless communication method of claim 8, comprising at least one of:

10. sending, by the first wireless communication node or the second wireless communication node, to the reflection-based communication element, a third message indicating the interruption of sharing of the reflection-based communication element if the second wireless communication node responds with an acknowledgment to the first message; The wireless communication method of claim 1 , further comprising:

11. The third message includes: an identifier of the first wireless communication node; a reason for the interruption of sharing of the reflection-based communication element; a duration of said interruption in sharing of said reflection-based communication element; whether resources of the reflection-based communication element that become available due to the interruption of the sharing of the reflection-based communication element can be used by the second wireless communication node; which of the resources of the reflection-based communication element are configured to be temporarily used by the second wireless communication node; updated shared configuration parameters associated with the reflection-based communication element; or an updated codebook configured for a reflectance element array of said reflectance-based communication elements; The wireless communication method of claim 10, comprising at least one of:

12. 2. The wireless communication method of claim 1, wherein an original codebook configured for the reflection element array of the reflection-based communication element remains during the interruption, and after the reflection-based communication element receives a fourth message indicating the interruption of its sharing, the reflection-based communication element maintains the original codebook configured by the first wireless communication node for the reflection element array of the reflection-based communication element and the original shared configuration parameters associated with the reflection-based communication element.

13. restoring, by the first wireless communication node, the sharing of the reflection-based communication elements. The wireless communication method of claim 1 , further comprising:

14. transmitting a fifth message by the first wireless communication node to the second wireless communication node indicating the restoration of sharing of the reflection-based communication element. The wireless communication method of claim 13, further comprising:

15. receiving, by the first wireless communications node, from the second wireless communications node, a sixth message acknowledging the fifth message; The wireless communication method of claim 14, further comprising:

16. transmitting, by the first wireless communication node or the second wireless communication node, to the reflection-based communication element, a seventh message indicating the restoration of sharing of the reflection-based communication element. The wireless communication method of claim 13, further comprising:

17. The seventh message is an identifier of the wireless communication node that will resume sharing the reflection-based communication element; updated shared configuration parameters associated with the reflection-based communication element; or an updated codebook configured for a reflectance element array of said reflectance-based communication elements; 20. The wireless communication method of claim 16, comprising at least one of:

18. The wireless communication method of claim 16 , wherein the reflection-based communication element resumes the sharing in accordance with the seventh message.

19. 1. A wireless communication method, comprising: receiving, by a reflection-based communication element, from a first wireless communication node or a second wireless communication node, a first message for discontinuing sharing of the reflection-based communication element between the first wireless communication node and the second wireless communication node, wherein the reflection-based communication element maintains shared configuration parameters from the first wireless communication node and the second wireless communication node; A wireless communication method comprising:

20. The first message comprises: an identifier of the wireless communication node that is to discontinue sharing the reflection-based communication element; a reason for the interruption of sharing of the reflection-based communication element; a duration of said interruption in sharing of said reflection-based communication element; whether resources of the reflection-based communication element that become available due to the interruption of sharing of the reflection-based communication element can be used by the wireless communication node that does not interrupt sharing; which of the resources of the reflection-based communication element are configured to be temporarily used by the wireless communication node that does not discontinue sharing; updated shared configuration parameters associated with the reflection-based communication element; or an updated codebook configured for a reflectance element array of said reflectance-based communication elements; 20. The wireless communication method of claim 19, comprising at least one of:

21. receiving a second message from the first wireless communication node or the second wireless communication node by the reflection-based communication element to resume the sharing; 20. The wireless communication method of claim 19, further comprising:

22. The second message comprises: an identifier of the wireless communication node that will resume sharing the reflection-based communication element; updated shared configuration parameters associated with the reflection-based communication element; or an updated codebook configured for a reflectance element array of said reflectance-based communication elements; 22. The wireless communication method of claim 21, comprising at least one of:

23. A wireless communication device comprising at least one processor and a memory, the at least one processor configured to read code from the memory and to perform a method according to any of claims 1 to 22.

24. 23. A computer program product comprising a computer readable program medium code stored thereon, the code, when executed by at least one processor, causing the at least one processor to perform a method according to any of claims 1 to 22.

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