Waveform management

Abstract

According to an embodiment in one aspect of the present invention, information is selectively transmitted in the physical uplink shared channel direction using a first waveform or a second waveform, the second waveform having a lower peak-to-average power ratio than the first waveform, and first and second power headroom information is provided to a network node that controls a cell to which the device is connected, and the device, such as a user equipment, is configured to select either to continue using the first waveform in the physical uplink shared channel or to switch to using the second waveform in the physical uplink shared channel.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present disclosure relates to the management of wireless communication processes.

Background Art

[0002] In some wireless communication systems, multiple signal waveforms can be used in wireless communication between a user equipment (UE) and an access node such as a base station. The waveform of a signal corresponds to the shape of the graph of the signal as a function of time. Examples of waveforms include sine waves, square waves, triangular waves, etc., but in communication systems, due to the modulation used, the waveform becomes more complex. The modulation used in wireless communication systems may be of a higher order, and generally the modulation scheme is correlated with the characteristic waveform of that modulation scheme.

Summary of the Invention

[0003] According to some aspects, the subject matter of the independent claims is provided. Some embodiments are defined in the dependent claims. The scope of protection required for various embodiments of the present invention is defined by the independent claims. Embodiments, exemplary embodiments, and features that do not fall within the scope of the independent claims herein are construed as useful examples for understanding the various embodiments of the present invention.

[0004] According to a first aspect of the present disclosure, there is provided an apparatus comprising at least one processing core and at least one memory including computer program code, wherein the at least one memory and the computer program code are configured to cause the at least one processing core to cause the apparatus to transmit information in a physical uplink shared channel direction using at least, optionally, a first waveform or a second waveform, wherein the second waveform has a lower peak-to-average power ratio than the first waveform; provide first and second power headroom information to a network node that controls a cell to which the apparatus is connected, wherein the first power headroom information discloses the amount of power between the maximum allowable transmit power or the maximum achievable transmit power and a first transmit power currently used by the apparatus to transmit on the physical uplink shared channel using the first waveform, and the second power headroom information discloses the amount of power between the maximum allowable transmit power or the maximum achievable power using the second waveform and a second transmit power that the apparatus would use to transmit on the physical uplink shared channel if the apparatus uses the second waveform; and select whether to continue using the first waveform on the physical uplink shared channel or switch to using the second waveform on the physical uplink shared channel.

[0005] According to a second aspect of the present disclosure, there is provided an apparatus comprising at least one processing core and at least one memory including computer program code, wherein the at least one memory and the computer program code are configured to cause the apparatus, at least selectively, to receive information regarding a physical uplink channel direction using a first waveform or a second waveform, the second waveform having a lower peak-to-average power ratio than the first waveform; to receive first and second power headroom information from a user equipment (UE) connected to a cell controlled by the apparatus, the first power headroom information disclosing the amount of power between a maximum allowable transmission power or a maximum achievable transmission power and a first transmission power currently used by the UE to transmit on the physical uplink channel using the first waveform, and the second power headroom information disclosing the amount of power between a maximum allowable transmission power or a maximum achievable power using the second waveform and a second transmission power that the UE would use to transmit on the physical uplink channel if the UE uses the second waveform; and to select whether to continue using the first waveform on the physical uplink channel or to switch to using the second waveform on the physical uplink channel.

[0006] According to a third aspect of the present disclosure, an apparatus selectively transmits information in a physical uplink shared channel direction using a first waveform or a second waveform, wherein the second waveform has a lower peak-to-average power ratio than the first waveform; provides first and second power headroom information to a network node that controls a cell to which the apparatus is connected, wherein the first power headroom information discloses the amount of power between the maximum allowable transmission power or the maximum achievable transmission power and a first transmission power currently used by the apparatus to transmit in the physical uplink shared channel using the first waveform, and the second power headroom information discloses the amount of power between the maximum allowable transmission power or the maximum achievable power using the second waveform and a second transmission power that the apparatus would use to transmit in the physical uplink shared channel if the apparatus uses the second waveform; and selects whether to continue using the first waveform in the physical uplink shared channel or to switch to using the second waveform in the physical uplink shared channel. A method is provided that includes these steps.

[0007] According to a fourth aspect of the present disclosure, an apparatus selectively receives information regarding a direction of a physical uplink channel by using a first waveform or a second waveform, where the second waveform has a lower peak-to-average power ratio than the first waveform, and receives first and second power headroom information from a user equipment (UE) connected to a cell controlled by the apparatus, where the first power headroom information discloses an amount of power between a maximum allowable transmission power or a maximum achievable transmission power and a first transmission power currently used by the UE to transmit on the physical uplink channel using the first waveform, and the second power headroom information discloses an amount of power between a maximum allowable transmission power or a maximum achievable power using the second waveform and a second transmission power that the UE would use to transmit on the physical uplink channel if the UE uses the second waveform, and selects whether to continue using the first waveform on the physical uplink channel or switch to using the second waveform on the physical uplink channel. A method is provided that includes these steps.

[0008] According to a fifth aspect of the present disclosure, there is provided a means for selectively transmitting information in a physical uplink shared channel direction using a first waveform or a second waveform, wherein the second waveform has a lower peak-to-average power ratio than the first waveform, a means for providing first and second power headroom information to a network node that controls a cell to which the device is connected, wherein the first power headroom information discloses the amount of power between the maximum allowable transmission power or the maximum achievable transmission power and the first transmission power currently used by the device to transmit in the physical uplink shared channel using the first waveform, and the second power headroom information discloses the amount of power between the maximum allowable transmission power or the maximum achievable power using the second waveform and the second transmission power that the device would use to transmit in the physical uplink shared channel if the device uses the second waveform, and a means for selecting whether to continue using the first waveform in the physical uplink shared channel or to switch to using the second waveform in the physical uplink shared channel.

[0009] According to a sixth aspect of the present disclosure, there is provided a means for selectively receiving information regarding a physical uplink channel direction using a first waveform or a second waveform, wherein the second waveform has a lower peak-to-average power ratio than the first waveform, a means for receiving first and second power headroom information from a user equipment (UE) connected to a cell controlled by the device, wherein the first power headroom information discloses the amount of power between the maximum allowable transmission power or the maximum achievable transmission power and the first transmission power currently used by the UE to transmit in the physical uplink channel using the first waveform, and the second power headroom information discloses the amount of power between the maximum allowable transmission power or the maximum achievable power using the second waveform and the second transmission power that the UE would use to transmit in the physical uplink channel if the UE uses the second waveform, and a means for selecting whether to continue using the first waveform in the physical uplink channel or to switch to using the second waveform in the physical uplink channel.

[0010] According to a seventh aspect of the present disclosure, when executed by at least one processor, the apparatus transmits information in a physical uplink shared channel direction using at least, selectively, a first waveform or a second waveform, wherein the second waveform has a lower peak-to-average power ratio than the first waveform; provides first and second power headroom information to a network node that controls a cell to which the apparatus is connected, wherein the first power headroom information discloses the amount of power between the maximum allowable transmit power or the maximum achievable transmit power and the first transmit power currently used by the apparatus to transmit in the physical uplink shared channel using the first waveform, and the second power headroom information discloses the amount of power between the maximum allowable transmit power or the maximum achievable power using the second waveform and the second transmit power that the apparatus would use to transmit in the physical uplink shared channel if the apparatus were using the second waveform; and selects whether to continue using the first waveform in the physical uplink shared channel or switch to using the second waveform in the physical uplink shared channel. A non-transitory computer-readable medium storing a set of computer-readable instructions for causing the above to be executed is provided.

[0011] According to an eighth aspect of the present disclosure, when executed by at least one processor, the apparatus is caused to receive information regarding a physical uplink channel direction using at least, selectively, a first waveform or a second waveform, wherein the second waveform has a lower peak-to-average power ratio than the first waveform; receive first and second power headroom information from a user equipment (UE) connected to a cell controlled by the apparatus, wherein the first power headroom information discloses the amount of power between the maximum allowable transmission power or the maximum achievable transmission power and the first transmission power currently used by the UE to transmit on the physical uplink channel using the first waveform, and the second power headroom information discloses the amount of power between the maximum allowable transmission power or the maximum achievable power using the second waveform and the second transmission power that the UE would use to transmit on the physical uplink channel if the UE uses the second waveform; and select whether to continue using the first waveform on the physical uplink channel or switch to using the second waveform on the physical uplink channel. A non-transitory computer-readable medium storing a set of computer-readable instructions for causing the above is provided.

Brief Description of the Drawings

[0012]

Figure 1

Figure 2

Figure 3

Figure 4

Figure 5

Modes for Carrying Out the Invention

[0013] Here, a method for facilitating waveform switching in cellular communication is disclosed, where a user equipment (UE) provides assistance information to a base station, or more generally a network node, to assist in waveform switching. The assistance information may include power headroom reports or other power headroom information regarding one or more waveforms to enable the base station to select the waveforms to use. The UE can switch waveforms in response to an explicit or implicit instruction from the base station, or autonomously while maintaining consistency with the assistance information transmitted to the base station. Such switching brings a technical advantage of enabling communication at a higher power and improves performance in low-coverage situations.

[0014] FIG. 1 shows an exemplary system in at least some embodiments of the present invention. The system is, for example, a cellular communication system also known as a specific 5th generation (5G), New Radio (NR), 5G-Advanced, 6G, or Long Term Evolution (LTE) system specified by the 3rd Generation Partnership Project (3GPP (registered trademark)). Some embodiments of the present disclosure may also be implemented in non-cellular systems such as, for example, a wireless local area network (WLAN). The system includes a base station 130, which may be referred to as, for example, a gNB or an eNB depending on the specific technology on which the system is based. The base station 130 may be distributed in that it may include one or more base station apparatuses. For example, the base station 130 may include a centralized unit CU and one or more distributed units DU. The CU provides support for upper layers such as radio resource control (RRC), and the DU processes lower layers such as radio link control (RLC) and media access control (MAC). In some embodiments, the base station 130 is a single device and is not distributed.

[0015] The base station 130 is connected to the core network (CN) 140. The CN 140 includes nodes such as a mobility management entity (MME), a subscriber data repository, and a gateway. These nodes function as a whole communication system and are not shown in FIG. 1 for clarity, but enable interworking with additional networks. The exact names and specific functions of the core network nodes, as well as the way CN tasks are distributed among them, depend on the technology on which the system of FIG. 1 is based in each specific implementation. The CN 140 can be connected to additional networks via a gateway

[0016] The base station 130 controls a cell, and the cell edge is schematically shown as edge 101 in FIG. 1. UEs (110, 120) are arranged within the cell, where UE 110 is close to the base station 130 and UE 120 is close to edge 101. UE 110 communicates with the base station 130 via a radio link 131, and UE 120 communicates with the base station 130 via a radio link 132. The radio links (131, 132) can each include an uplink (UL) and a downlink (DL) for communicating towards the base station 130 and the UE, respectively.

[0017] Generally, some UEs may be stationary in nature due to their unchanging position, but UEs can move within the coverage area of a cell and cross edge 101 to move into the coverage area of another cell. Examples of such stationary UEs include the communication module of a utility meter and a closed-circuit video camera, while mobile UEs include smartphones, tablet computers, laptop computers, mobile phones, connected car connection modules, etc. Thus, even the same UE can be close to the cell edge 101 or far from the edge depending on its movement. Even for a stationary UE, if the network is reconfigured and edge 101 moves, the distance to the cell edge 101 may change.

[0018] The Physical Uplink Control Channel (PUCCH) in NR is an example of an uplink control channel and is used to transmit uplink control information (UCI) such as a scheduling request (SR), and can also be used for a beam failure recovery request (BFR) or a link failure recovery request, a hybrid automatic repeat request acknowledgement (HARQ-ACK), and channel state information (CSI). Usually, in a UE without coverage limitation, a cyclic prefix OFDM (CP-OFDM) waveform is used together with the physical uplink channel, and when better coverage is required, a discrete Fourier transform spread OFDM (DFT-s-OFDM) waveform is used together with the physical uplink channel. DFT-s-OFDM has a lower PAPR than CP-OFDM and is thus generally more suitable for a situation with limited coverage such as a UE 120 close to the cell edge 101. On the other hand, CP-OFDM has high spectral efficiency and is considered preferable when improvement in coverage is not required. An example of the physical uplink channel is the Physical Uplink Shared Channel (PUSCH).

[0019] Since the DFT-s-OFDM waveform has a lower PAPR than the CP-OFDM waveform, it is beneficial for scenarios with limited UL coverage and scenarios with limited power. Since the UE may roam to different parts of the cell coverage area as described above, it is beneficial to dynamically switch waveforms such as CP-OFDM and DFT-s-OFDM. The UL waveform may be set for the UE via an RRC signal, but in this case, a high signal load is generated to achieve a change in the waveform. Therefore, it is beneficial to switch the waveform using a more optimized signal solution with a lower signal load and shorter latency than RRC signaling.

[0020] When adapting the transmission power of the UE, the base station can only recognize the maximum power reduction (MPR) requirement and the power headroom reported from the UE. The MPR defines the allowable reduction of the maximum power level for a specific combination of modulations used and the number and location of the resource blocks allocated. For example, in order to comply with the adjacent channel leakage power requirement, the power can be dynamically reduced. Depending on the technology, there are also those that enforce signal quality criteria in the UE. In some cases, when scheduling is difficult from the perspective of the UE's power amplifier, the UE is permitted to reduce its transmission power. The power reduction is, for example, 2 dB. The MPR can be defined individually for different modulation schemes and waveforms. On the other hand, the power headroom report (PHR) discloses the difference between the nominal maximum UE transmission power and the current power used for uplink transmission. In other words, the PHR discloses how much more the UE can increase its transmission power without exceeding its nominal maximum transmission power. The PHR may be used, for example, to support packet scheduling considering power, and the PHR may be provided from the UE to the base station, for example, in a MAC control element (MAC CE). The power headroom can be obtained as power headroom = UE maximum nominal transmission power - PUSCH power. In at least some systems, the signaled PHR can have a value between zero and 63 that represents the power headroom in 1 decibel (dB) granularity. In other words, the resolution of the PHR can be quite coarse in terms of the ability to represent the headroom. In a scenario with limited coverage, a 1 dB change in transmission power, or even a 1 / 2 dB change, can make a significant difference in communication. The power headroom also depends on the waveform used.

[0021] The actual power level, the transmission power indicated to the UE via a power control command, and the maximum transmission power that a specific UE implementation can provide for the current transmission are usually only recognized by the UE itself. Therefore, it is beneficial to make it easier for the base station to perform a more optimal waveform selection.

[0022] In an example of a 3GPP (registered trademark) system, the transmission power of a UE in PUSCH is determined as follows. [Number]

[0023] Here, the upper limit of the transmission power is P CMAX,f,c (i), which is defined as the maximum output power set by the UE. The UE sets the P CMAX,f,c while P CMAX_L,f,c ≦P CMAX,f,c ≦P CMAX_H,f,c Within the range, the P CMAX,f,c value can be set for each slot, where P CMAX_L,f,c = MIN{P EMAX,c - ΔT C,c , P PowerClass - ΔP PowerClass ) - MAX(MAX(MPR(c) + ΔMPR c , A - MPR c ) + ΔT IB,c + ΔT C,c + ΔT RxSRS , P - MPR c )}, and P CMAX_H,f,c = MIN{P EMAX,c , P PowerClass - ΔP PowerClass}. These terms are described in the 3GPP (registered trademark) technical standards TS38.101 - 1 / 38.101 - 2 / 38.101 - 3. Importantly, the base station does not recognize the P CMAX,f,c (i) value used by the UE. The base station only recognizes the boundary of P CMAX,f,c (i).

[0024] The method disclosed in this specification incorporates a waveform support signal from the UE to the base station and, in some embodiments, a waveform selection command from the base station to the UE.

[0025] Examples of the support information received at the base station 130 from the UE (110, 120) include P for both waveforms embedded in the PHR Cmax、c.It includes power headroom information in the form of a waveform-specific power headroom value, such as the one shown. The waveform-specific power headroom value may be specific to both the waveform and the modulation and coding scheme (MCS). The waveform assistance information can be embedded in the PHR and / or the scheduling request SR sent from the UE to the base station. Additionally, or alternatively, for multiple waveforms, individual power headroom reports (PHRs) may be provided from the UE. Instead of separate PHRs, the assistance information may include multiple waveform-specific power headroom values related to one or more waveforms embedded in a single power headroom report. In some embodiments, the assistance information is related to two waveforms having the same physical resource block (PRB) allocation and MCS. The waveform-specific power headroom value may include a display of the power headroom value of another waveform expressed relative to the power headroom value of a certain waveform in a PHR dedicated to that waveform. Generally, the power headroom information may include a PHR dedicated to a specific waveform so that multiple such PHRs can be sent by the UE to distribute power headroom information specific to multiple waveforms, or the power headroom information may include waveform-specific power headroom values included in a PHR dedicated to another waveform, such as the DFT-s-OFDM-specific power headroom value included in the CP-OFDM PHR.

[0026] The assistance information may include, for example, a single bit indicating that DFT-s-OFDM is preferred for the current PUSCH transmission. Alternatively, multiple bits can be used to indicate that DFT-s-OFDM is preferred in a predefined scenario. The assistance information can also cover multiple PRB ranges and / or multiple modulation schemes.

[0027] In the case of the π / 2 BPSK scenario, the assistance information can cover both π / 2 BPSK without power boost and / or π / 2 BPSK with power boost. The power boost may be restricted to a specific pre-set band and may involve duty cycle limitations. For the QPSK scenario, it can cover scenarios without spectrum spreading and / or FDSS with spectrum spreading.

[0028] Figure 2 shows an exemplary process in at least some embodiments of the present invention. The process is executed in a UE. In step 210, the UE operates according to a first waveform, such as one set using RRC signaling for example. In step 220, the UE receives settings for another second waveform from the base station. This setting may include a definition of radio resources to use with the second waveform. The UE saves the setting but does not yet move to use it and continues to operate using the first waveform. In step 230, the UE receives settings for transmitting waveform assistance information to the base station. This setting may include a definition of a container for providing the assistance information and information defining the information to be included in the assistance information to be provided to the base station. Steps (220, 230) may be executed at least partially simultaneously.

[0029] The configuration for transmitting waveform support information can also include a description of at least one trigger event for triggering the transmission of waveform support information to the base station. The trigger event may include that a request for support information is received at the UE, or that the situation at the UE meets at least one criterion. The trigger event may be based on a fixed timer so that support information is provided at set regular time intervals, such as every 5 seconds or every 30 seconds. Another example of a trigger event is that the path loss of the radio path between the UE and the base station changes beyond a first threshold. A further example of a trigger event is that the UE changes the applied MPR to be greater than or equal to a set value. Yet another example is the determination that the difference in power values such as the transmission power, the set maximum transmission power, or the power headroom between the first waveform and the second waveform in a predefined scenario changes by more than a second threshold, which can also be expressed in decibels, for example. The transmission power may be the transmission power of a specific channel such as the PUSCH. As yet another option, power values such as the maximum transmission power or the power headroom may exceed a third threshold.

[0030] In step 240, the UE determines that at least one of the trigger events occurs at the UE, and in response, in step 250, the UE transmits the waveform support information to the base station. As described above, the support information may include, for example, the first and second power headroom information respectively related to the first waveform and the second waveform. As described above, the first and second power headroom information may be provided in separate PRHs, or in one PRH, or actually in another message.

[0031] In step 260, the UE switches to the second waveform autonomously in response to an instruction to that effect from the base station, or based on the transmitted waveform support information or the characteristics of the situation in which the waveform support information was transmitted. The base station can, for example, transmit an instruction to change the waveform in the downlink control information (DCI) field, or use a specific type of DCI to explicitly or implicitly instruct a waveform change. There is also a method of using MAC CE for switching between different waveforms. The waveform-specific power headroom is one criterion for switching, but as described above in this specification, other criteria can also be applied. Also, the number of waveforms is not limited to two and may be three or more.

[0032] Next, the operation of the system will be described by way of examples. In the first example, an extended power headroom report is adopted as the waveform support information. Generally, separate first and second power headroom information is transmitted for the first waveform and the second waveform, respectively. As described above, the power headroom information specifies how much power the UE can use without exceeding its nominal maximum transmission power. Due to differences in waveform characteristics, switching to another waveform such as a low-PAPR waveform may increase the power headroom, and as a result, more power may be used by the UE.

[0033] In this embodiment, individual power headroom reports for DFT-s-OFDM and OFDM are configured for the UE. These can be carried out via one or two MAC messages. Alternatively, the existing PHR can also be used for the current waveform (i.e., the PUSCH waveform carrying the PHR). This is the first power headroom information. This PHR is enhanced to carry waveform-specific values related to other waveforms as other power headroom information so that the same PHR has both the first and second power headroom information. Relative information as a waveform-specific value, in which the power headroom information is expressed relative to the power headroom of the used waveform, may provide good accuracy and thus also solve the problem regarding the low resolution of the PHR message of cell-edge UEs. This can be done, for example, with 2 to 4 bits. The waveform-specific value can define how many decibels different the power headroom of the second waveform is from the power headroom of the first waveform expressed via the PHR as an absolute value.

[0034] When 3 bits are used, the range of the signaling value is [0 0.5 1 1.5 2 2.5 3 3.5] dB, and depending on which waveform is used as the reference for the PHR, the numerical values are either positive or negative. For example, assuming that the DFT-s-OFDM waveform always provides a higher transmission power compared to the CP-OFDM, if the reference waveform used for the PHR calculation is CP-OFDM, these values are positive, and negative otherwise. As another option, signaling with both positive and negative values can also be used. In this case, the waveform-specific value is expressed directly with respect to the current waveform.

[0035] The power headroom report in the second embodiment is used to represent the difference between the currently used transmission PUSCH power and the maximum achievable power in the current configuration from the UE. This difference, delta, is determined separately for the first and second waveforms and can be provided to the base station. The delta values may be provided in the same message or in separate messages. In particular, the same message or separate messages may be PHR reports extended to include delta. In this case, the deltas provided separately for the first and second waveforms become the first power headroom information and the second power headroom information, respectively. Since the maximum achievable power depends on the situation at that time, it is different from the nominal maximum transmission power of the UE. In particular, the maximum achievable power depends on the waveform, PRB allocation, UE implementation, and modulation scheme. Therefore, by dynamically switching to other waveforms, more accurate information can be obtained about how much power can be obtained compared to a comparison with the nominal maximum UE power. This is because in any configuration, it is unlikely that the UE is set to transmit exactly at the nominal maximum UE transmission power.

[0036] In a third example, an implicit waveform switching that is activated / deactivated by the UE is described. The implicit waveform switching is activated when the UE reports that the power headroom value falls below a pre-set threshold or, in some embodiments, exceeds it. This may be based on, for example, the value of the downlink control information (DCI) from the base station. The threshold may be set for the UE by the base station. Depending on the waveform used for the PHR, individual thresholds may be applied. A lower threshold may be used for the PHR of CP-OFDM, and a higher threshold may be used for the PHR of DFT-s-OFDM. The implicit signaling may be combined with the above-described power headroom report using either the nominal maximum UE transmission power or the maximum achievable power in the current configuration from the UE.

[0037] In an implicit switching instruction, a specific DCI parameter value may indicate the switching from the CP-OFDM waveform to the DFT-s-OFDM waveform. By scheduling the PUSCH with such a value, the base station can indicate the selected waveform. When such an implicit switch is activated, if the base station selects an MCS value such as BPSK or QPSK from a set of predefined or configured MCS values and instructs that it is below a threshold or the number of PRBs is below a certain threshold, the UE transmits in the DFT-s-OFDM waveform.

[0038] In another embodiment of the implicit instruction, when the UL grant parameter signaled via DCI causes a change in the transmission power that exceeds the limit of the change in the determined transmission power with respect to the transmission power used for the determination of the latest PHR, a waveform change is indicated.

[0039] The limit of the change in the determined transmission power can be the value obtained by subtracting the reported power headroom value by a set threshold, i.e., limit = power headroom - threshold. Therefore, when the UE reports a larger power headroom, a larger change in the transmission power is required before the DFT-s-OFDM waveform is selected.

[0040] For example, the DFT-s-OFDM waveform is selected when a transmission power change exceeding (power headroom value - threshold) occurs due to PRB allocation.

[0041]

Number

[0042] Here,

Number

[0043] In the implicit signaling in the third example, the transmission power needs to be changed by the scheduling of the base station so that both the base station and the UE have the same interpretation of which waveform to use. Such changes can be caused by PRB allocation, MCS (which may change the MCS offset of transmission power control (TPC)), and closed-loop TPC commands. Changes in the estimated path loss can be excluded. Therefore, the change in transmission power calculated to determine the implicit signaling of the waveform may be different from the change in transmission power used in PUSCH transmission including the influence of the estimated path loss.

[0044] In the fourth example, autonomous waveform switching is activated by the UE in response to waveform assistance information without being implicitly or explicitly instructed by the base station to switch waveforms. When the UE reports that the power headroom value of the current waveform is below a threshold or, in some embodiments, above the threshold, autonomous waveform switching to / from DFT-s-OFDM is performed at both the gNB and the UE. Thereafter, the UE receives from the base station a DCI containing fields related to the newly activated waveform after a certain time from the report.

[0045] The certain time after the report provides an opportunity to request the base station to retransmit the MAC message or indicate that the transmission and reception of the waveform assistance information has failed when the waveform assistance information is transmitted in a MAC packet data unit (PDU). In this way, even if the PHR detection fails at the base station, the UE will not switch the waveform, and the ambiguity regarding the waveform to be used between the base station and the UE is avoided. This is shown in FIG. 4.

[0046] The method disclosed herein provides a way for the base station to facilitate a more optimal waveform selection. For example, when the transmission power is limited by the radio frequency (RF) performance (the MPR difference between two waveforms is 1.5 dB in the case of QPSK). In this scenario, the base station may receive the following PHR reports.

[0047] 1) The PHR of CP-OFDM (= the transmission waveform in this embodiment) is 1 dB.

[0048] 2) The PHR of DFT-s-OFDM is 2 dB.

[0049] Based on this, when the base station schedules the PUSCH, it will be recognized that in at least an equal or greater bandwidth allocation, DFT-s-OFDM may be a better waveform candidate. The PUSCH may be scheduled with more PRB allocations than the number of PRBs of the PUSCH for which the PHR was reported. On the other hand, when the base station schedules the PUSCH with a similar or narrow frequency allocation, since some positive power headroom is reported even for CP-OFDM, there is a possibility of preferring CP-OFDM. This decision may also be affected by the power control command transmitted from the base station after the PHR and / or the performance difference during the execution of the CP-OFDM / DFT-s-OFDM receiver at the base station.

[0050] Regarding the difference between the waveform-specific value embedded in the PHR and the multiple PHRs for different waveforms, note that for the embedded waveform-specific value, the reported value indicates a metric different from the PHR, and due to the small dynamic range, a finer resolution such as 0.5 dB can be used with fewer bits. The UE can report a value indicating only the difference with respect to the PHR value of the current waveform shown as an absolute value. In another embodiment, the UE reports the difference with respect to P CMAX,c which presents the lower limit of the set transmission power P that the UE can select. CMAX_L,f,c The base station can also determine the same P CMAX_L,f,c

[0051] ​In other words, the advantage of the waveform-specific values embedded in the PHR over the plurality of PHRs is that, due to the selection of the reference point associated with the reported value, the quantization size becomes smaller, improving the accuracy, and the reported range becomes smaller, reducing the bit field size. Since the number of bits required for each value is small, it becomes easier for the UE to report a plurality of values, such as a plurality of PUSCH allocations like the actual PUSCH allocation and the virtual PUSCH allocation. By reporting a plurality of values, the base station can obtain a more complete understanding of the desired waveform, facilitating more efficient waveform selection.

[0052] FIG. 3 shows an exemplary apparatus that can support at least some embodiments of the present invention. Shown is apparatus 300, which can include, for example, UE 110 of FIG. 1 or base station 130 in applicable parts. Included in apparatus 300 is a processor 310, which can include a single-core or multi-core processor, where a single-core processor includes one processing core and a multi-core processor includes one or more processing cores. Processor 310 can generally include a control device. Processor 310 can include a plurality of processors. Processor 310 can be a control device. The processing core can include, for example, a Cortex-A8 processing core manufactured or designed by ARM Holdings, or a Zen processing core designed by Advanced Micro Devices. Processor 310 can include at least one Qualcomm Snapdragon processor and / or an Intel Atom processor. Processor 310 can include at least one application-specific integrated circuit (ASIC). Processor 310 can include at least one field-programmable gate array (FPGA). Processor 310 can serve as means for performing steps of methods such as transmitting, providing, selecting, executing, and receiving in apparatus 300. Processor 310 can be configured to perform operations, at least in part, by computer instructions.

[0053] The processor may include a circuit, or may be configured as one circuit or multiple circuits, and the circuit or circuits are configured to perform the steps of the method according to the embodiments described herein. As used in this application, the term "circuit" refers to (a) a hardware-only circuit implementation, such as an implementation only in analog circuits and / or digital circuits, and (b) a combination of a hardware circuit and software, and in the applicable case, (i) a combination of analog and / or digital hardware circuit(s) and software / firmware, and (ii) software (including a digital signal processor(s)), software, and a hardware processor(s) having memory(ies), and any part that cooperates to cause the device such as a mobile phone or a base station to perform various functions, and (c) a hardware circuit(s) and / or processor(s) (such as a microprocessor(s) or a part of a microprocessor(s)) that require software (such as firmware), but may not exist when the software is not required for operation, one or more, or all of the above.

[0054] This definition of a circuit applies to all uses of this term in this application, including all claims. As a further example, in the use in this embodiment, the term "circuit" also targets a hardware circuit or a processor (or multiple processors) or a part of a hardware circuit or a processor, and the implementation of the accompanying software and / or firmware thereto. Also, the term "circuit" also targets, for example, and if applicable to the elements of a specific claim, a baseband integrated circuit or a processor integrated circuit for a mobile device, or a similar integrated circuit in a server, a cellular network device, or other computing devices or network devices.

[0055] Device 300 may include a memory 320. The memory 320 may include a random access memory and / or a permanent memory. The memory 320 may include at least one RAM chip. The memory 320 may include, for example, a semiconductor memory, a magnetic memory, an optical memory and / or a holographic memory. At least a part of the memory 320 may be accessible to the processor 310. At least a part of the memory 320 may be configured within the processor 310. The memory 320 may be a means for storing information. The memory 320 may include computer instructions configured to cause the processor 310 to execute. When computer instructions configured to cause the processor 310 to perform a specific operation are stored in the memory 320 and the device 300 as a whole is configured to be executed under the instruction of the processor 310 using the computer instructions from the memory 320, the processor 310 and / or at least one of its processing cores are considered to be configured to perform the above specific operation. At least a part of the memory 320 may be configured in the processor 310. At least a part of the memory 320 may be external to the device 300, but may be accessible to the device 300.

[0056] Device 300 can include a transmitter 330. Device 300 can be provided with a receiver 340. The transmitter 330 and the receiver 340 can be configured to transmit and receive information respectively according to at least one cellular standard or non-cellular standard. The transmitter 330 may include one or more transmitters. The receiver 340 may include a plurality of receivers. The transmitter 330 and / or the receiver 340 can be configured to operate according to, for example, the standards of GSM, wideband code division multiple access, WCDMA (registered trademark), 5G, new radio (NR), long term evolution (LTE), IS-95, wireless local area network (WLAN), Ethernet (registered trademark), and / or worldwide interoperability for microwave access (WiMAX (registered trademark)).

[0057] Device 300 may include a Near Field Communication (NFC) transceiver 350. The NFC transceiver 350 can support at least one NFC technology such as NFC, Bluetooth®, Wibree®, or similar technologies.

[0058] User device 300 can include a user interface (UI) 360. The UI 360 may include at least one of a display, a keyboard, a touch screen, a vibrator arranged to send a signal to the user by vibrating the user device 300, a speaker, and a microphone. The user can operate the device 300 via the UI 360, for example, to receive an incoming call, make a phone or video call, browse the Internet, manage digital files stored in the memory 320 accessible via the transmitter 330 and receiver 340 or via the NFC transceiver 350 and / or in the cloud, and / or play games.

[0059] User device 300 includes or is arranged to receive a user ID module 370. The user ID module 370 may include, for example, a subscriber ID module (SIM) card attachable to the device 300. The user ID module 370 may contain information identifying the subscription of the user of the device 300. The user ID module 370 may contain encryption information that can be used to verify the ID of the user of the device 300 and / or to facilitate the encryption of communicated information and the charging of the user of the device 300 for communications made via the device 300.

[0060] The processor 310 can be provided with a transmitter arranged to output information to other devices connected to the device 300 via electrical wiring inside the device 300 from the processor 310. Such a transmitter may include, for example, a serial bus transmitter arranged to output information to the memory 320 via at least one electrical wiring and store it there. Instead of a serial bus, the transmitter may include a parallel bus transmitter. Similarly, the processor 310 can be provided with a receiver arranged to receive information in the processor 310 from other devices provided in the device 300 via electrical wiring inside the device 300. Such a receiver may include, for example, a serial bus receiver arranged to receive information from the receiver 340 via at least one electrical wiring for processing in the processor 310. Instead of a serial bus, the receiver may also include a parallel bus receiver.

[0061] The device 300 may include additional devices not shown in FIG. 3. For example, if the device 300 includes a smartphone, it may include at least one digital camera. Some devices 300 can include a rear camera and a front camera, where the rear camera is for taking digital photos and the front camera is for video calls. The device 300 can include, at least in part, a fingerprint sensor arranged to authenticate the user of the device 300. In some embodiments, the device 300 may lack at least one of the above-described devices. For example, some devices 300 may lack the NFC transceiver 350 and / or the user ID module 370.

[0062] The processor 310, the memory 320, the transmitter 330, the receiver 340, the NFC transceiver 350, the UI 360 and / or the user ID module 370 can be interconnected by the electrical wiring inside the device 300 in a number of different ways. For example, each of the aforementioned devices can be individually connected to the master bus inside the device 300 so that the devices can exchange information. However, as will be understood by those skilled in the art, this is merely an example, and depending on the embodiment, various ways of interconnecting at least two of the aforementioned devices can be selected without departing from the scope of the present invention.

[0063] FIG. 4 is a diagram showing signaling according to at least some embodiments of the present invention. On the vertical axis, the UE 110 of FIG. 1 is arranged on the left side and the base station 130 of FIG. 1 is arranged on the right side. Time progresses from top to bottom. The signaling in FIG. 4 relates to autonomous switching by the UE.

[0064] In step 410, the UE 110 determines power headroom information for first and second waveforms, such as CP-OFDM and DFT-s-ODFM, respectively. In step 420, the UE 110 provides the first and second power headroom information to the base station 130. For example, these can be provided to the base station by additionally including, in the PHR of the currently used CP-OFDM waveform, the second power headroom information as a waveform-specific value related to the second waveform, DFT-s-ODFM. The waveform-specific value describes the power headroom when DFT-s-OFDM is used instead of CP-OFDM with respect to the power headroom reporting value related to CP-OFDM in the CP-OFDM PHR. For example, the waveform-specific value can indicate that when the second waveform, DFT-s-ODFM, is used instead of CP-OFDM, an additional 1.5 dB of power can be used and the power headroom of CP-OFDM is reported as +1 dB.

[0065] Both the UE and the base station are configured to respond to such power headroom reports by switching to the use of DFT-s-OFDM in the PUSCH without a separate indication from the base station. The base station determines this in step 430 based on the report in step 420, and the UE waits in step 440 for a possible error message from the base station as described above herein. If the base station cannot correctly receive the PHR in step 420, the base station is not aware that the UE is planning to autonomously switch to a second waveform, and a radio link error may occur. Therefore, the UE switches to the second waveform in step 440 after confirming that the base station does not report an error in decoding the PHR 420. In step 450, an uplink shared channel is transmitted from the UE 110 using the second waveform.

[0066] Here, the power headroom report using the nominal maximum UE transmission power as a reference has been described. However, a similar process can also be obtained when, as described above in connection with the second embodiment, the UE signals the power available for both waveforms from the perspective of the maximum achievable power in the current configuration. In other words, the first and second power headroom information can be defined with reference to either the nominal maximum UE transmission power or the maximum achievable power in the current configuration. The current configuration may include parameter values used in the transmission of the physical uplink channel, such as PRB allocation and modulation scheme, for example.

[0067] FIG. 5 is a flowchart of a method according to at least some embodiments of the present invention. The steps of the illustrated method can be executed, for example, in the UE 110 or in a control device configured to control its functions when installed therein.

[0068] Step 510 includes the apparatus selectively transmitting information in the physical uplink shared channel direction using either a first waveform or a second waveform, where the second waveform has a lower peak-to-average power ratio than the first waveform. Step 520 includes providing first and second power headroom information to a base station that controls the cell to which the apparatus is connected, where the first power headroom information discloses the amount of power between the maximum allowable transmit power or the maximum achievable transmit power that the apparatus is currently using and the first transmit power for transmission in the physical uplink shared channel using the first waveform, and the second power headroom information discloses the amount of power between the maximum allowable transmit power or the maximum achievable power using the second waveform and the second transmit power that the apparatus would use for transmission in the physical uplink shared channel if it were using the second waveform. Finally, step 530 includes selecting whether to continue using the first waveform in the physical uplink shared channel or to switch to using the second waveform in the physical uplink shared channel.

[0069] It should be understood that the disclosed embodiments of the present invention are not limited to the specific structures, process steps, or materials disclosed herein, but extend to equivalents thereof that would be recognized by one of ordinary skill in the relevant art. Also, it should be understood that the terms used herein are for the purpose of describing particular embodiments only and are not intended to be limiting.

[0070] Throughout this specification, references to one embodiment or an embodiment mean that a particular feature, structure, or characteristic described in connection with the embodiment is included in at least one embodiment of the invention. Thus, appearances of the phrases "in one embodiment" or "in an embodiment" in various places throughout this specification are not necessarily all referring to the same embodiment. When referring to a numerical value using terms such as "about" or "substantially" in this example, the exact numerical value is also disclosed.

[0071] In this specification, a plurality of items, structural elements, components, and / or materials may, for convenience, be presented in a common list. However, these lists should be interpreted as if each component of the list were a separately and uniquely identified component. Thus, the individual components of such a list should not be construed as virtual equivalents of other components of the same list based solely on their presentation in a common group without an opposing indication. Further, various exemplary embodiments and examples of the present invention may be referenced herein along with alternatives for its various components. It should be understood that such embodiments, exemplary examples, and alternatives are not construed as virtual equivalents of each other and are considered separate and independent representations of the present invention.

[0072] Furthermore, the described features, structures, or characteristics may be combined in any suitable manner in one or more embodiments. In the foregoing description, numerous specific details such as examples of length, width, shape, etc. were provided to provide a thorough understanding of the embodiments of the present invention. However, those skilled in the relevant art will recognize that the present invention can be practiced without one or more of the specific details or with other methods, components, materials, etc. In other embodiments, well-known structures, materials, or operations are not shown in detail or described in order to avoid obscuring aspects of the present invention.

[0073] The above-described examples illustrate the principles of the present invention in one or more specific applications, but it will be apparent to those skilled in the art that numerous changes can be made in form, usage, and details of implementation without departing from the principles and concepts of the present invention and without exercising inventive faculty. Accordingly, the present invention is not intended to be limited except as defined by the claims set forth below.

[0074] In this specification, the verbs "comprise" and "include" are used as open limitations that neither exclude nor require the presence of features not recited. The features recited in the claims can be freely combined with each other unless otherwise explicitly stated. Further, it should be understood that the use of "a" or "an", i.e., the singular form, throughout this document does not exclude the plural form.

Industrial Applicability

[0075] At least some embodiments of the present invention find industrial applications in wireless cellular communications.

Description of Symbols

[0076] ARQ Automatic Repeat reQuest BPSK Binary Phase Shift Keying CP-OFDM Cyclic Prefix OFDM DFT-s-OFDM Discrete Fourier Transform - spread OFDM FDSS Frequency Domain Spectrum Shaping HARQ Hybrid ARQ MPR Maximum Power Reduction OFDM Orthogonal Frequency Division Multiplexing PAPR Peak-to-Average Power Ratio PH Power Headroom PHR Power Headroom Report PUCCH Physical Uplink Control Channel PUSCH Physical Uplink Shared Channel QPSK Quadrature Phase Shift Keying

[0077] Technical Items [Item 1] An apparatus comprising at least one processing core and at least one memory including computer program code, wherein the at least one memory and the computer program code cause the apparatus, by the at least one processing core, to at least Optionally, transmitting information in a physical uplink shared channel direction using a first waveform or a second waveform, wherein the second waveform has a lower peak-to-average power ratio than the first waveform. Providing first and second power headroom information to a network node that controls the cell to which the device is connected, wherein the first power headroom information discloses the difference in power between the maximum allowable transmit power or the maximum achievable transmit power and a first transmit power currently used by the device for transmission on the physical uplink shared channel using the first waveform, and wherein the second power headroom information discloses the difference in power between the maximum allowable transmit power or the maximum achievable power using the second waveform and a second transmit power that the device would use for transmission on the physical uplink shared channel if the device were to use the second waveform. Selecting whether to continue using the first waveform on the physical uplink shared channel or to switch to using the second waveform on the physical uplink shared channel. A device configured to cause the above to be executed. [Item 2] The device according to item 1, configured to separately provide the first and second power headroom information in two different power headroom reports. [Item 3] The device according to item 1, configured to provide the first and second power headroom information in a single power headroom report. [Item 4] The device according to any one of items 1 to 3, configured to perform the selection at least partially based on the first and second power headroom information without receiving an explicit command from the base station. [Item 5] The device according to any one of items 1 to 3, configured to perform the selection at least partially based on a command received from the base station in response to the provision of the first and second power headroom information. [Item 6] The apparatus according to any one of Items 1 to 3, configured to provide the first and second power headroom information to the base station in response to the trigger condition being satisfied in the apparatus. [Item 7] The trigger condition includes one or more of the following conditions: a set time has elapsed since the previous provision of the first and second power headroom information; the path loss between the apparatus and the base station has changed by more than a first threshold amount; the apparatus has changed the maximum power reduction value of the apparatus; or the difference in transmission power, power headroom, or set maximum transmission power between the first and second waveforms has changed by more than a second threshold amount. The apparatus according to Item 6. [Item 8] The maximum allowable transmission power is the nominal maximum allowable transmission power of the apparatus in any setting, or the maximum allowable transmission power of the apparatus based on the user equipment power class of the apparatus. The apparatus according to any one of Items 1 to 7. [Item 9] The maximum achievable transmission power is the maximum achievable transmission power of the apparatus in the setting used when the first and second power headroom information is provided to the base station. The apparatus according to any one of Items 1 to 7. [Item 10] The apparatus is configured to represent and provide the amount of electric power between the maximum allowable transmission power or the maximum achievable power using the second waveform and the second transmission power that the apparatus would use to transmit on the physical uplink shared channel when the apparatus uses the second waveform, relative to the amount of electric power between the maximum allowable transmission power or achievable transmission power and the first transmission power. The apparatus according to any one of Items 1 to 9. [Item 11] The maximum allowable transmission power, the first transmission power, and the second transmission power are determined with respect to a set reference transmission that may be different from the transmission on the physical uplink shared channel, and the setting of the reference transmission includes at least one of a modulation scheme and a frequency position of a resource block, and the apparatus according to any one of Items 1 to 10. [Item 12] An apparatus comprising at least one processing core and at least one memory including computer program code, wherein the at least one memory and the computer program code cause the at least one processing core to cause the apparatus to at least optionally, receive information regarding the physical uplink channel direction using a first waveform or a second waveform, wherein the second waveform has a lower peak-to-average power ratio than the first waveform; receive first and second power headroom information from a user equipment (UE) connected to a cell controlled by the apparatus, wherein the first power headroom information discloses the amount of power between the maximum allowable transmission power or the maximum achievable transmission power and a first transmission power currently used by the UE for transmission on the physical uplink channel using the first waveform, and the second power headroom information discloses the amount of power between the maximum allowable transmission power or the maximum achievable power using the second waveform and a second transmission power that the UE would use for transmission on the physical uplink channel if the UE were using the second waveform; select whether to continue using the first waveform on the physical uplink channel or switch to using the second waveform on the physical uplink channel; An apparatus configured to cause the execution of. [Item 13] The apparatus according to any one of items 1 to 12, wherein the first waveform is cyclic prefix orthogonal frequency division multiplexing (CP-OFDM), and the second waveform is discrete Fourier transform spread orthogonal frequency division multiplexing (DFT-s-OFDM). [Item 14] The apparatus selectively transmits information in the physical uplink shared channel direction using a first waveform or a second waveform, the second waveform having a lower peak-to-average power ratio than the first waveform; providing first and second power headroom information to a network node that controls a cell to which the apparatus is connected, the first power headroom information disclosing an amount of power between a maximum allowable transmission power or an achievable transmission power and a first transmission power currently used by the apparatus to transmit in the physical uplink shared channel using the first waveform, and the second power headroom information disclosing an amount of power between the maximum allowable transmission power or a maximum achievable power using the second waveform and a second transmission power that the apparatus would use to transmit in the physical uplink shared channel when the apparatus uses the second waveform; selecting whether to continue using the first waveform in the physical uplink shared channel or to switch to using the second waveform in the physical uplink shared channel; A method comprising: [Item 15] The method according to item 14, configured to separately provide the first and second power headroom information in two different power headroom reports [Item 16] The method according to item 14, configured to provide the first and second power headroom information in a single power headroom report. [Item 17] The method according to any one of items 14 to 16, wherein the apparatus is configured to perform the selection based at least in part on the first and second power headroom information without receiving an explicit indication from the base station. [Item 18] The method according to any one of items 14 to 16, wherein the apparatus is configured to perform the selection based at least in part on an instruction received from the base station in response to the provision of the first and second power headroom information. [Item 19] The method according to any one of items 14 to 18, wherein the apparatus is configured to perform the provision of the first and second power headroom information to the base station in response to a trigger condition being satisfied in the apparatus. [Item 20] Receiving, by the apparatus, information regarding the physical uplink shared channel direction, selectively, using a first waveform or a second waveform, wherein the second waveform has a lower peak-to-average power ratio than the first waveform, Receiving, from a user equipment (UE) connected to a cell controlled by the apparatus, first and second power headroom information, wherein the first power headroom information discloses an amount of electric power between a maximum allowable transmission power or a maximum achievable transmission power and a first transmission power currently used by the UE for transmission on the physical uplink channel using the first waveform, and the second power headroom information discloses an amount of electric power between the maximum allowable transmission power or a maximum achievable power using the second waveform and a second transmission power that the UE would use for transmission on the physical uplink channel if the UE were using the second waveform, Selecting whether to continue using the first waveform on the physical uplink channel or to switch to using the second waveform on the physical uplink channel, A method comprising. [Item 21] The method according to any one of items 14 to 20, wherein the first waveform is cyclic prefix orthogonal frequency division multiplexing (CP-OFDM) and the second waveform is discrete Fourier transform spread orthogonal frequency division multiplexing (DFT-s-OFDM). [Item 22] Means for selectively transmitting information in the physical uplink shared channel direction using a first waveform or a second waveform, wherein the second waveform has a lower peak-to-average power ratio than the first waveform, and the means for transmitting; Means for providing first and second power headroom information to a network node that controls the cell to which the device is connected, wherein the first power headroom information discloses the difference in power between the maximum allowable transmission power or the maximum achievable transmission power and the first transmission power currently used by the device to transmit on the physical uplink shared channel using the first waveform, and the second power headroom information discloses the difference in power between the maximum allowable transmission power or the maximum achievable power using the second waveform and the second transmission power that the device would use to transmit on the physical uplink shared channel if the device uses the second waveform, and the means for providing; Means for selecting whether to continue using the first waveform on the physical uplink shared channel or to switch to using the second waveform on the physical uplink shared channel; A device comprising the above. [Item 23] Means for selectively receiving information regarding the physical uplink channel direction using a first waveform or a second waveform, wherein the second waveform has a lower peak-to-average power ratio than the first waveform, and the means for receiving Means for receiving first and second power headroom information from a user equipment (UE) connected to the cell controlled by the device, wherein the first power headroom information discloses the difference in power between the maximum allowable transmission power or the maximum achievable transmission power and the first transmission power currently used by the UE to transmit on the physical uplink channel using the first waveform, and the second power headroom information discloses the difference in power between the maximum allowable transmission power or the maximum achievable power using the second waveform and the second transmission power that the UE would use to transmit on the physical uplink channel if the UE uses the second waveform, and the means for receiving; means for selecting whether to continue using the first waveform on the physical uplink channel or to switch to using the second waveform on the physical uplink channel; A device comprising the same. [Item 24] When executed by at least one processor, cause the device to at least optionally transmit information in the direction of the physical uplink shared channel using a first waveform or a second waveform, wherein the second waveform has a lower peak-to-average power ratio than the first waveform; provide first and second power headroom information to a network node that controls the cell to which the device is connected, wherein the first power headroom information discloses the difference in power between the maximum allowable transmit power or the maximum achievable transmit power and the first transmit power currently used by the device to transmit on the physical uplink shared channel using the first waveform, and the second power headroom information discloses the difference in power between the maximum allowable transmit power or the maximum achievable power using the second waveform and the second transmit power that the device would use to transmit on the physical uplink shared channel if the device uses the second waveform; select whether to continue using the first waveform on the physical uplink shared channel or to switch to using the second waveform on the physical uplink shared channel; A non-transitory computer-readable medium storing a set of computer-readable instructions that, when executed by at least one processor, cause the device to perform the above. [Item 25] When executed by at least one processor, cause the device to at least optionally receive information regarding the physical uplink channel direction using a first waveform or a second waveform, wherein the second waveform has a lower peak-to-average power ratio than the first waveform; Receiving, from a user equipment (UE) connected to a cell controlled by the apparatus, first and second power headroom information, wherein the first power headroom information discloses a power amount between a maximum allowable transmission power or a maximum achievable transmission power and a first transmission power currently used by the UE for transmission on the physical uplink channel using the first waveform, and the second power headroom information discloses a power amount between the maximum allowable transmission power or a maximum achievable power using the second waveform and a second transmission power that the UE would use for transmission on the physical uplink channel if the UE uses the second waveform, and Selecting whether to continue using the first waveform on the physical uplink channel or to switch to using the second waveform on the physical uplink channel, and A non-transitory computer-readable medium storing a set of computer-readable instructions for causing the above to be executed.

Claims

1. An apparatus comprising at least one processing core and at least one memory including computer program code, wherein the at least one memory and the computer program code cause the at least one processing core to cause the apparatus to, at least, optionally, transmit information in a physical uplink shared channel direction using a first waveform or a second waveform, wherein the second waveform has a lower peak-to-average power ratio than the first waveform; provide first and second power headroom information to a network node controlling a cell to which the apparatus is connected, wherein the first power headroom information discloses the amount of power between a maximum allowable transmit power or a maximum achievable transmit power and a first transmit power currently used by the apparatus to transmit on the physical uplink shared channel using the first waveform, and wherein the second power headroom information discloses the amount of power between the maximum allowable transmit power or a maximum achievable power using the second waveform and a second transmit power that the apparatus would use to transmit on the physical uplink shared channel if the apparatus uses the second waveform; select whether to continue using the first waveform on the physical uplink shared channel or to switch to using the second waveform on the physical uplink shared channel; An apparatus configured to perform the above.

2. The apparatus according to claim 1, configured to separately provide the first and second power headroom information in two different power headroom reports.

3. The apparatus according to claim 1, configured to provide the first and second power headroom information in a single power headroom report.

4. The apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 3, configured to perform the selection based at least in part on the first and second power headroom information without receiving an explicit command from the base station.

5. The apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 3, configured to perform the selection based at least in part on a command received from the base station in response to the provision of the first and second power headroom information.

6. The apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 3, configured to provide the first and second power headroom information to the base station in response to the trigger condition being satisfied in the apparatus.

7. The trigger condition includes one or more of the following conditions: a set time has elapsed since the previous provision of the first and second power headroom information; the path loss between the apparatus and the base station has changed by more than a first threshold change amount; the apparatus has changed the maximum power reduction value of the apparatus; or the difference in transmission power, power headroom, or set maximum transmission power between the first and second waveforms has changed by more than a second threshold change amount. The apparatus according to claim 6.

8. The maximum allowable transmission power is the nominal maximum allowable transmission power of the apparatus in any setting, or the maximum allowable transmission power of the apparatus based on the user equipment power class of the apparatus. The apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 7.

9. The maximum achievable transmission power is the maximum achievable transmission power of the apparatus in the setting used when the first and second power headroom information is provided to the base station. The apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 7.

10. The apparatus is configured to provide the amount of power between the maximum allowable transmission power or the maximum achievable power using the second waveform and the second transmission power that the apparatus would use to transmit on the physical uplink shared channel when the apparatus uses the second waveform, relative to the amount of power between the maximum allowable transmission power or achievable transmission power and the first transmission power. The apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 9.

11. The maximum allowable transmission power, the first transmission power, and the second transmission power are determined with respect to a set reference transmission that may be different from the transmission on the physical uplink shared channel. The setting of the reference transmission includes at least one of a modulation scheme and a frequency position of a resource block. The apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 10.

12. An apparatus comprising at least one processing core and at least one memory including computer program code, wherein the at least one memory and the computer program code cause the apparatus, at least, to selectively receive information regarding a physical uplink channel direction using a first waveform or a second waveform, wherein the second waveform has a lower peak-to-average power ratio than the first waveform; to receive first and second power headroom information from a user equipment (UE) connected to a cell controlled by the apparatus, wherein the first power headroom information discloses the amount of power between the maximum allowable transmission power or the maximum achievable transmission power and a first transmission power currently used by the UE to transmit on the physical uplink channel using the first waveform, and the second power headroom information discloses the amount of power between the maximum allowable transmission power or the maximum achievable power using the second waveform and a second transmission power that the UE would use to transmit on the physical uplink channel if the UE uses the second waveform; to select whether to continue using the first waveform on the physical uplink channel or to switch to using the second waveform on the physical uplink channel; An apparatus configured to perform the above. **Claim 13** The apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 12, wherein the first waveform is cyclic prefix orthogonal frequency division multiplexing (CP-OFDM) and the second waveform is discrete Fourier transform spread orthogonal frequency division multiplexing (DFT-s-OFDM). **Claim 14** The apparatus to selectively transmit information in a physical uplink shared channel direction using a first waveform or a second waveform, wherein the second waveform has a lower peak-to-average power ratio than the first waveform. To provide first and second power headroom information to a network node that controls a cell to which the device is connected, wherein the first power headroom information discloses the amount of power between the maximum allowable transmit power or the achievable transmit power and the first transmit power currently used by the device to transmit on the physical uplink shared channel using the first waveform, and the second power headroom information discloses the amount of power between the maximum allowable transmit power or the maximum achievable power using the second waveform and the second transmit power that the device would use to transmit on the physical uplink shared channel if the device uses the second waveform, and to provide; To select whether to continue using the first waveform on the physical uplink shared channel or to switch to using the second waveform on the physical uplink shared channel; A method comprising.

15. The device selectively receives information regarding the physical uplink channel direction using a first waveform or a second waveform, wherein the second waveform has a lower peak-to-average power ratio than the first waveform; Receiving first and second power headroom information from a user equipment (UE) connected to a cell controlled by the device, wherein the first power headroom information discloses the amount of power between the maximum allowable transmit power or the maximum achievable transmit power and the first transmit power currently used by the UE to transmit on the physical uplink channel using the first waveform, and the second power headroom information discloses the amount of power between the maximum allowable transmit power or the maximum achievable power using the second waveform and the second transmit power that the UE would use to transmit on the physical uplink channel if the UE uses the second waveform; Selecting whether to continue using the first waveform on the physical uplink channel or to switch to using the second waveform on the physical uplink channel; A method comprising.

16. When executed by at least one processor, cause the device to at least Selectively transmitting information in the physical uplink shared channel direction using a first waveform or a second waveform, wherein the second waveform has a lower peak-to-average power ratio than the first waveform; Providing first and second power headroom information to a network node that controls the cell to which the device is connected, wherein the first power headroom information discloses the difference in power between the maximum allowable transmit power or the maximum achievable transmit power and the first transmit power currently used by the device to transmit in the physical uplink shared channel using the first waveform, and the second power headroom information discloses the difference in power between the maximum allowable transmit power or the maximum achievable power using the second waveform and the second transmit power that the device would use to transmit in the physical uplink shared channel if the device were using the second waveform; Selecting whether to continue using the first waveform in the physical uplink shared channel or to switch to using the second waveform in the physical uplink shared channel; A non-transitory computer-readable medium storing a set of computer-readable instructions for causing the above to be executed. When executed by at least one processor, cause the device to at least Selectively receiving information regarding the physical uplink channel direction using a first waveform or a second waveform, wherein the second waveform has a lower peak-to-average power ratio than the first waveform; Receiving first and second power headroom information from a user equipment (UE) connected to the cell controlled by the device, wherein the first power headroom information discloses the difference in power between the maximum allowable transmit power or the maximum achievable transmit power and the first transmit power currently used by the UE to transmit in the physical uplink channel using the first waveform, and the second power headroom information discloses the difference in power between the maximum allowable transmit power or the maximum achievable power using the second waveform and the second transmit power that the UE would use to transmit in the physical uplink channel if the UE were using the second waveform; ​ Selecting whether to continue using the first waveform on the physical uplink channel or to switch to using the second waveform on the physical uplink channel; A non-transitory computer-readable medium storing a set of computer-readable instructions for causing the above to be executed.

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