Method, device, and computer program for uplink communications

Abstract

Techniques are provided for uplink communication with a network node. The method is implemented by a transceiver device. The method includes exchanging signaling with the network node to form a RVUE comprised of a group of transceiver devices. The transceiver device is part of the group of transceiver devices. The signaling indicates at least an available number of antenna ports of the RVUE for communication with the network node and a maximum supported transmission rank for the RVUE. The method includes receiving, from the network node, a configuration for uplink transmission from the RVUE to the network node. The configuration indicates at least which transmission rank to use for the RVUE and a mapping of transmission layers to antenna ports in the RVUE. The method includes performing uplink transmission towards the network node in accordance with the received configuration.

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The embodiments presented herein relate to a method, a transceiver device, a computer program, and a computer program product for uplink communication with a network node. The embodiments presented herein further relate to a method, a network node, a computer program, and a computer program product for configuring a group of transceiver devices that configure reconfigurable virtual user equipment (RVUE) for uplink communication. [Background technology]

[0002] Several communication nodes, such as access points or other types of nodes on the network side, as well as user equipment (UE) or other types of devices on the user side, can form a network by establishing connectivity between them. A network of such communication nodes can comprise wireless connections, wired connections, or a combination of both. Generally, communication nodes communicate with each other in the network according to some predefined interface. In general terms, UEs served by a (wireless) access network can form a network with other UEs. In such a network, UEs can communicate with each other directly, or at least without utilizing cellular connectivity. For example, UEs can communicate with each other by using Bluetooth connectivity or sidelink connectivity.

[0003] A network can be static, semi-static, or fully flexible with respect to its members. For example, communication nodes can be allowed to join and / or leave semi-static or fully flexible networks. An example of a network is a local computer network where communication nodes in the form of computers can be added or removed from the local computer network and communication within the network is facilitated using wired Ethernet links or wireless Wi-Fi links.

[0004] Compared to collocated multiple-input multiple-output (MIMO) systems, distributed MIMO (D-MIMO) systems provide better coverage and multi-user connectivity by utilizing joint processing (e.g., with respect to remote radio units (RRUs)) from many access points distributed throughout a deployment area. Served users are likely to be nearby and have good connections to one such access point. Furthermore, the likelihood of shadowing and having correlated MIMO channels is reduced compared to collocated MIMO systems. Furthermore, D-MIMO systems also offer higher system and link capacity, at the expense of more complex deployment and greater transport needs, compared to collocated MIMO systems.

[0005] A given UE may have poor connectivity to its serving access point in a serving cellular network, for example, due to shadowing or interference. Good cellular connectivity requires dense network deployments, such as densely deployed co-located MIMO systems or even D-MIMO systems, especially at higher frequencies. Such systems are complex (in terms of hardware and software) and incur costs. In addition, a given UE may need to support many different frequencies, bandwidths, and communication standards, making the UE complex, bulky, and costly (in terms of hardware and software). Summary of the Invention

[0006] SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION An object of the embodiments herein is to address the above problems by providing improved uplink communications for a group of transceiver devices.

[0007] According to a first aspect, a method for uplink communication with a network node is presented. The method is performed by a transceiver device. The method includes exchanging signaling with the network node to form a RVUE comprised of a group of transceiver devices. The transceiver device is part of the group of transceiver devices. The signaling indicates at least an available number of antenna ports of the RVUE for communication with the network node and a maximally support transmission rank for the RVUE. The method includes receiving, from the network node, a configuration for uplink transmission from the RVUE to the network node. The configuration indicates at least which transmission rank to use for the RVUE and a mapping of transmission layers to antenna ports in the RVUE. The method includes performing uplink transmission towards the network node according to the received configuration.

[0008] According to a second aspect, a transceiver device for uplink communication with a network node is presented. The transceiver device includes a processing circuit. The processing circuit is configured to cause the transceiver device to exchange signaling with the network node to form a RVUE comprised of a group of transceiver devices. The transceiver device is part of the group of transceiver devices. The signaling indicates at least an available number of antenna ports of the RVUE for communication with the network node and a maximum supported transmission rank for the RVUE. The processing circuit is configured to cause the transceiver device to receive, from the network node, a configuration for uplink transmission from the RVUE to the network node. The configuration indicates at least which transmission rank to use for the RVUE and a mapping of transmission layers to antenna ports in the RVUE. The processing circuit is configured to cause the transceiver device to perform uplink transmission towards the network node in accordance with the received configuration.

[0009] According to a third aspect, a transceiver device for uplink communication with a network node is presented. The transceiver device comprises a signaling module configured to exchange signaling with the network node to form a RVUE comprised of a group of transceiver devices. The transceiver device is part of the group of transceiver devices. The signaling indicates at least an available number of antenna ports of the RVUE for communication with the network node and a maximum supported transmission rank for the RVUE. The transceiver device comprises a receiving module configured to receive, from the network node, a configuration for uplink transmission from the RVUE to the network node. The configuration indicates at least which transmission rank to use for the RVUE and a mapping of transmission layers to antenna ports in the RVUE. The transceiver device comprises a transmitting module configured to perform uplink transmission towards the network node according to the received configuration.

[0010] According to a fourth aspect, a computer program for uplink communication with a network node is presented. The computer program comprises computer code that, when run on a processing circuit of a transceiver device, causes the transceiver device to perform actions. One action includes the transceiver device exchanging signaling with the network node to form a RVUE consisting of a group of transceiver devices. The transceiver device is part of the group of transceiver devices. The signaling indicates at least an available number of antenna ports of the RVUE for communication with the network node and a maximum supported transmission rank for the RVUE. One action includes the transceiver device receiving, from the network node, a configuration for uplink transmission from the RVUE to the network node. The configuration indicates at least which transmission rank to use for the RVUE and a mapping of transmission layers to antenna ports in the RVUE. One action includes the transceiver device performing uplink transmission toward the network node according to the received configuration.

[0011] According to a fifth aspect, a method for configuring a group of transceiver devices for uplink communication is presented. The method is implemented by a network node. The method includes exchanging signaling with one of the transceiver devices in the group of transceiver devices to form a RVUE configured by the group of transceiver devices. The signaling indicates at least an available number of antenna ports of the RVUE for communication with the network node and a maximum supported transmission rank for the RVUE. The method includes configuring the RVUE for uplink transmission from the RVUE to the network node according to the available number of antenna ports and the maximum supported transmission rank. The configuring indicates at least which transmission rank to use for the RVUE and a mapping of transmission layers to antenna ports in the RVUE. The method includes receiving an uplink transmission from the RVUE according to the configuration.

[0012] According to a sixth aspect, a network node for configuring a group of transceiver devices for uplink communication is presented. The network node comprises a processing circuit. The processing circuit is configured to cause the network node to exchange signaling with one of the transceiver devices in the group of transceiver devices to form a RVUE constituted by the group of transceiver devices. The signaling indicates at least an available number of antenna ports of the RVUE for communication with the network node and a maximum supported transmission rank for the RVUE. The processing circuit is configured to cause the network node to configure the RVUE for uplink transmission from the RVUE to the network node according to the available number of antenna ports and the maximum supported transmission rank. The configuring indicates at least which transmission rank to use for the RVUE and a mapping of transmission layers to antenna ports in the RVUE. The processing circuit is configured to cause the network node to receive uplink transmissions from the RVUE in accordance with the configuration.

[0013] According to a seventh aspect, a network node for configuring a group of transceiver devices for uplink communication is presented. The network node comprises a signaling module configured to exchange signaling with one of the transceiver devices in the group of transceiver devices to form a RVUE constituted by the group of transceiver devices. The signaling indicates at least an available number of antenna ports of the RVUE for communication with the network node and a maximum supported transmission rank for the RVUE. The network node comprises a configuration module configured to configure the RVUE for uplink transmission from the RVUE to the network node according to the available number of antenna ports and the maximum supported transmission rank. The configuring indicates at least which transmission rank to use for the RVUE and a mapping of transmission layers to antenna ports in the RVUE. The network node comprises a receiving module configured to receive uplink transmissions from the RVUE according to the configuration.

[0014] According to an eighth aspect, a computer program for configuring a group of transceiver devices for uplink communication is presented. The computer program comprises computer code that, when run on a processing circuit of a network node, causes the network node to perform actions. One action includes the network node exchanging signaling with one of the transceiver devices in the group of transceiver devices to form a RVUE configured by the group of transceiver devices. The signaling indicates at least an available number of antenna ports of the RVUE for communication with the network node and a maximum supported transmission rank for the RVUE. One action includes the network node configuring the RVUE for uplink transmission from the RVUE to the network node according to the available number of antenna ports and the maximum supported transmission rank. The configuring indicates at least which transmission rank to use for the RVUE and a mapping of transmission layers to antenna ports in the RVUE. One action includes the network node receiving uplink transmissions from the RVUE according to the configuration.

[0015] According to a ninth aspect, there is provided a computer program product comprising a computer program according to at least one of the fourth and eighth aspects and a computer-readable storage medium on which the computer program is stored. The computer-readable storage medium may be a non-transitory computer-readable storage medium.

[0016] Advantageously, these aspects can reduce overhead for uplink communications when the transceiver devices act cooperatively as one RVUE compared to the overhead for individual uplink communications for the transceiver devices.

[0017] Advantageously, these aspects can improve throughput for uplink communications when the transceiver devices act cooperatively as one RVUE compared to throughput for individual uplink communications for the transceiver devices.

[0018] Advantageously, these aspects can improve uplink communication diversity when the transceiver devices act cooperatively as one RVUE, compared to diversity for individual uplink communications for the transceiver devices.

[0019] Advantageously, these aspects may improve robustness against blocking during uplink communications when the transceiver devices act cooperatively as one RVUE compared to robustness against blocking during individual uplink communications for the transceiver devices.

[0020] Advantageously, these aspects may be used to reduce energy consumption for uplink communications when the transceiver devices work cooperatively as one RVUE compared to energy consumption for individual uplink communications for the transceiver devices.

[0021] Other objectives, features, and advantages of the enclosed embodiments will become apparent from the following detailed disclosure, from the attached dependent claims, and from the drawings.

[0022] In general, all terms used in the claims should be interpreted according to their customary meaning in the art unless expressly defined otherwise herein. All references to "a / an / the element, apparatus, component, means, module, step, etc." should be openly interpreted as referring to at least one instance of that element, apparatus, component, means, module, step, etc., unless expressly stated otherwise. The steps of any method disclosed herein do not have to be performed in the exact order disclosed, unless expressly stated.

[0023] The inventive concept will now be described, by way of example only, with reference to the accompanying drawings in which: [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0024] [Figure 1] 1 is a schematic diagram of a group of transceiver devices, according to an example. [Figure 2] 1 is a schematic diagram of an RVUE according to one embodiment. [Figure 3] FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram of an RVUE in communication with a network node according to one embodiment. [Figure 4] 1 is a schematic diagram of an RVUE according to one embodiment. [Figure 5] 1 is a flowchart of a method according to an embodiment. [Figure 6] 1 is a flowchart of a method according to an embodiment. [Figure 7] FIG. 10 is a schematic diagram of an uplink transmission from an RVUE according to an embodiment. [Figure 8] FIG. 10 is a schematic diagram of an uplink transmission from an RVUE according to an embodiment. [Figure 9] FIG. 10 is a schematic diagram of an uplink transmission from an RVUE according to an embodiment. [Figure 10] FIG. 10 is a schematic diagram of an uplink transmission from an RVUE according to an embodiment. [Figure 11]2 is a schematic diagram illustrating functional units of a transceiver device according to one embodiment. [Figure 12] 2 is a schematic diagram illustrating functional modules of a transceiver device according to one embodiment. [Figure 13] FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram illustrating functional units of a network node according to one embodiment. [Figure 14] FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram illustrating functional modules of a network node according to one embodiment. [Figure 15] FIG. 1 illustrates an example of a computer program product comprising computer readable means, according to one embodiment. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0025] The inventive concepts will now be described more fully hereinafter with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which several embodiments of the inventive concepts are shown. However, the inventive concepts may be embodied in many different forms and should not be construed as limited to the embodiments set forth herein; rather, these embodiments are provided as examples so that this disclosure will be thorough and complete, and will fully convey the scope of the inventive concepts to those skilled in the art. Like numbers refer to like elements throughout the description. Any step or feature indicated by a dashed line should be considered optional.

[0026] 1 shows a classic scenario in which three different transceiver devices 200 (for a traditional UE, a smartwatch, and an extended reality (XR) headset belonging to the same user 500) are configured for individual and independent communication with a network, indicated by beams 511, 512, 513. When configured for individual and independent communication with the network, each of the transceiver devices 200 may need to support many different frequencies, bandwidths, and communication standards. This makes the transceiver devices 200 complex (in terms of hardware and software), bulky, and costly.

[0027] In contrast to FIG. 1 , FIG. 2 illustrates the same scenario with three different transceiver devices 200 as in FIG. 1 , but the transceiver devices 200 are configured to cooperate with each other as a group of transceiver devices. More specifically, the transceiver devices 200 are configured to communicate with each other, as indicated by links 515 and 516, but when communicating with the network, the transceiver devices 200 appear as one single device, hereafter referred to as RVUE 400. This is indicated by beam 514 used by RVUE 400 to communicate with the network. The embodiments disclosed herein are based on such a group of transceiver devices 200 that together constitute the RVUE 400. Thus, the RVUE 400 is constituted by a group of transceiver devices 200. Each such transceiver device 200 may or may not have its own individual network identification information. It is sufficient that at least one of the transceiver devices 200 has its own individual network identification information. For this purpose, at least one of the transceiver devices 200 needs to be provided with a subscriber identity module or subscriber identification module. The SIM may be provided with a traditional SIM card or by an embedded SIM (eSIM) or integrated SIM (iSIM). In some examples, each of the transceiver devices 200 is provided with hardware that enables each of the transceiver devices 200 to independently connect to a network. In this way, even if only one of the transceiver devices 200 is provided with a SIM, all of the transceiver devices 200 can be used to communicate with the network when the transceiver devices 200 cooperate with each other as a group of transceiver devices 200 that constitute the RVUE 400. In some embodiments, at least one of the transceiver devices 200 in the group of transceiver devices 200 (that constitute the RVUE 400) comprises a cellular modem and has cellular network identification information.In some embodiments, each of the transceiver devices 200 in the group of transceiver devices 200 (comprising the RVUE 400) comprises a signaling interface for non-cellular communication with other transceiver devices 200 in the group of transceiver devices 200. In some embodiments, the RVUE 400 may be viewed as a device-centric network that shares resources. Examples of such resources may be processing, power amplifiers, antennas, identification information, etc. In some embodiments, at least one of the transceiver devices 200 in the group of transceiver devices 200 has network identification information, which is used by the network node 300 when communicating with the RVUE 400 in accordance with the RVUE 400 configuration. In some examples, the RVUE 400 configuration comprises instructions that the RVUE 400 should be formed by at least two transceiver devices 200 in the group of transceiver devices. For alternative characterizations of the RVUE 400 and related technical information, reference is made to applicant's parallel disclosures [Applicant Reference Number: P105673WO01] and [Applicant Reference Number: P106173WO01], which are incorporated herein by reference.

[0028] The transceiver devices 200 can be operatively connected to one another via any proprietary or standardized, wired or wireless technology. The transceiver devices 200 of each RVUE 400 can belong to the same user or can be shared among multiple users. By forming an RVUE 400, connection to a network for the transceiver devices 200 is improved compared to connection to a network for just one single transceiver device 200. The RVUE 400 enables diversity and / or multiplexing over multiple spatially separated devices. Each transceiver device 200 can have its own unique characteristics, e.g., its operation optimized for a certain frequency band or deployment location. Some non-limiting examples of the transceiver device 200 include consumer premises equipment (CPE), UEs (such as mobile phones, tablet computers, and laptop computers), smart wearables (such as smart watches and smart glasses), relays, repeaters, modems, routers, remote radio units (RRUs), network-enabled vehicles (such as unmanned aerial vehicles and autonomous vehicles), network-enabled machinery, and industrial equipment. As a first non-limiting example, consider a set of smart wearables operatively connected to the same UE. In this case, the smart wearables and the UE may constitute an RVUE 400. As a second non-limiting example, consider a set of communication devices consisting of a UE, a tablet computer, and a laptop computer belonging to the same user. In this case, the set of communication devices may constitute an RVUE 400. As a third non-limiting example, consider a set of communication devices consisting of a modem, a router, and a computer connected to the same local area network. In this case, the set of communication devices may constitute an RVUE 400. As a fourth non-limiting example, consider a set of communication devices consisting of two or more UEs, tablet computers, laptop computers, etc., located in the same vehicle (such as a car, bus, train car, etc.).In that case, the set of communication equipment can constitute RVUE 400. As a fourth non-limiting example, consider a set of communication equipment consisting of one or more UEs and a network-connectable vehicle, with one or more UEs located in the network-connectable vehicle. In this regard, the hardware capabilities of the network-connectable vehicle may be much better than that of the UE in terms of more output power, better synchronization between transmitters, more and larger antenna panels, antenna panels located on the exterior of the vehicle with line-of-sight to the serving access point, etc. In this case, the UE and the network-connectable vehicle can be configured as virtual UEs, with data from all communication equipment being routed to the network through the network-connectable vehicle. As a fourth non-limiting example, consider a set of communication equipment consisting of integrated radio access backhaul (IAB) nodes operatively connected to the same donor IAB node. In that case, the IAB nodes can constitute RVUE 400. Each IAB node is equipped with at least one antenna port for communication with the network, but transmission between the IAB node and the donor IAB node is performed over the Uu interface. IAB nodes may be connected to each other over alternative interfaces and thus be able to exchange data with each other without network involvement.

[0029] In some examples, one of the transceiver devices 200 that make up the RVUE 400 serves as a cooperating transceiver device 200 in a group of transceiver devices 200. In that case, this cooperating transceiver device 200 may be configured to coordinate joint processing and transmission / reception on the group of transceiver devices 200.

[0030] 3 illustrates a scenario in which the transceiver device 200 communicates with a network node 300 in a beam 514 via the RVUE 400. The network node 300 may be any of a (radio) access network node, a radio base station, a base transceiver station, a Node B (NB), an evolved Node B (eNB), a gNB, an access point, etc. Because the RVUE 400 is comprised of spatially separated devices with potentially different connection capabilities, the likelihood of good network connectivity for spatial diversity and / or multiplexing on the transceiver device 200 may be increased compared to the network capability of each individual transceiver device 200. The network node 300 will recognize the RVUE 400 as a single transceiver device 200, potentially increasing capacity and / or capability compared to each individual transceiver device 200. This may be useful for adding spatial diversity and / or multiplexing to improve performance without exposing each individual transceiver device 200 to the network.

[0031] Generally speaking, combining transceiver devices 200 with different capabilities results in different capabilities of the RVUE 400. An example of this is shown in FIG. 4, which illustrates an exemplary RVUE 400 with a total of four antennas 517. The RVUE 400 is composed of a smartphone (UE0), a smartwatch (UE1), and an XR headset (UE2), where the smartphone (UE0) has one dual-port antenna panel (p=0 and p=1), the smartwatch (UE1) has one single-port antenna panel (p=2), and the XR headset (UE2) has one single-port antenna panel (p=3) for communicating with the network. When operating as individual devices, the devices therefore have either one antenna port or two antenna ports for communicating with the network. By forming the RVUE 400, the devices then instead share a total of four antenna ports (p=0,...p=3) for communicating with the network.

[0032] In general terms, depending on the number of available antenna ports, there may be different possible schemes for precoded transmission. Such precoded transmission may be based on a codebook.

[0033] In general terms, non-coherent codebook-based precoding refers to precoding in which several precoders are used for UEs that are unable to coherently combine signals transmitted from different antenna ports. These precoders are pure antenna selection precoders, i.e., there is no signal combining between two or more antenna ports.

[0034] Partially coherent codebook-based precoding refers to precoding in which some precoders are used for UEs that can coherently combine signals on a subset of antenna ports but cannot coherently combine signals transmitted from another subset of antenna ports. These precoders are a hybrid between a port combining precoder and an antenna selection precoder. That is, only a subset of antenna ports can be combined together.

[0035] Fully coherent codebook-based precoding refers to precoding in which several precoders are used for the UE that can coherently combine signals on all antenna ports. These precoders can therefore combine signals on all antenna ports.

[0036] It should be noted that, although several terms, such as sounding reference signal (SRS), physical uplink shared channel (PUSCH), codebook-based uplink transmission, noncoherent codebook, partially coherent codebook, and fully coherent codebook, are used in Long Term Evolution (LTE) or New Radio (NR)-based systems, the embodiments disclosed herein are not limited to these particular signals or concepts. Instead, they should be interpreted as illustrative examples intended to provide a better understanding of the inventive concepts disclosed herein. For example, SRS is an example of an uplink reference signal used to sound an uplink channel and / or a downlink channel. Such an uplink reference signal may be used, for example, for reciprocity-based downlink transmission or to estimate a downlink channel for codebook-based uplink transmission. For example, PUSCH is an example of a channel used for transmitting data and / or control information in the uplink.

[0037] In current cellular communication systems (e.g., using a Long Term Evolution (LTE) air interface or a New Radio (NR) air interface), uplink transmissions (e.g., codebook-based precoded uplink data transmissions and uplink reference signal transmissions) are configured per antenna panel per transceiver device 200. If transceiver devices 200 could be interconnected to form groups of transceiver devices 200 that make up an RVUE 400 as disclosed above, this limitation creates unnecessary overhead and limits system throughput.

[0038] The embodiments disclosed herein enable a network node 300 to configure transceiver devices 200 for uplink transmission on multiple transceiver devices 200. This is made possible by the RVUE 400 being configured with a group of transceiver devices 200. Examples of uplink transmission are disclosed below.

[0039] Reference is now made to FIG. 5, which illustrates a method for uplink communication with a network node 300 implemented by the transceiver device 200, according to one embodiment.

[0040] It is assumed that a group of transceiver devices 200 have been configured to form an RVUE 400 and that the network node 300 has been made aware of this.

[0041] S104: The transceiver device 200 exchanges signaling with the network node 300 to form an RVUE 400 constituted by a group of the transceiver devices 200. The transceiver device 200 is part of the group of the transceiver devices 200. The signaling indicates at least the available number of antenna ports of the RVUE 400 for communication with the network node 300 and the maximum supported transmit rank for the RVUE 400.

[0042] The information may be signaled from each transceiver device 200 separately or from one of the transceiver devices 200 in a group of transceiver devices 200 on behalf of all transceiver devices 200 that make up the RVUE 400. For example, the information may be signaled as part of device capability signaling. Based on this information, the network node 300 can configure the RVUE 400, and thus the transceiver device 200, to configure the RVUE 400 for uplink transmission.

[0043] S106: The transceiver device 200 receives, from the network node 300, a configuration for uplink transmission from the RVUE 400 to the network node 300. The configuration indicates at least which transmission rank to use for the RVUE 400 and a mapping of transmission layers to antenna ports in the RVUE 400.

[0044] That is, the network node 300 may configure on a subset or all of the antenna ports of the transceiver devices 200 that make up the RVUE 400. Different types of uplink transmissions are disclosed below. The transceiver devices 200 follow the configuration when performing their uplink transmissions.

[0045] S108: The transceiver device 200 performs an uplink transmission towards the network node 300 according to the received configuration.

[0046] Next, an embodiment relating to further details of uplink communications with the network node 300 effected by the transceiver device 200 will be disclosed with continued reference to FIG.

[0047] Next, details of the signaling in step S104 will be disclosed.

[0048] In some embodiments, the signaling further indicates any of the number of transceiver devices 200 in the group of transceiver devices 200, the number of antenna ports per transceiver device 200 in the group of transceiver devices 200, the supported bandwidth per transceiver device 200 in the group of transceiver devices 200, the coherency capability per transceiver device 200 in the group of transceiver devices 200, the maximum transmit power per transceiver device 200 in the group of transceiver devices 200, and which uplink reference signal resources or ports correspond to which transceiver devices 200 in the group of transceiver devices 200.

[0049] In addition to the parameters included in the configuration listed with step S106, there may be further parameters included in the configuration.

[0050] In some embodiments, the configuration further indicates either a precoder to be used for codebook-based uplink transmissions, a set of spatial filters to be used for non-codebook-based uplink transmissions, or a waveform to be used for uplink communications. Different waveforms may be used for uplink (and downlink) transmissions.

[0051] Next, different examples of uplink transmission are disclosed.

[0052] The uplink transmission is either an uplink data transmission or a transmission of an uplink reference signal.

[0053] In some examples, the uplink transmission is a codebook-based precoded uplink data transmission, such as a codebook-based precoded physical uplink shared channel (PUSCH) transmission.

[0054] In some examples, the codebook is selected on multiple transceiver devices 200 belonging to the same RVUE 400. That is, in some examples, according to the configuration, the codebook-based precoded uplink data transmission will be performed jointly on at least two of the transceiver devices 200 in the group of transceiver devices 200.

[0055] In some examples, non-coherent codebooks are selected on ports belonging to different antenna panels or on transceiver devices 200 belonging to the same RVUE 400. That is, in some examples, according to the configuration, non-coherent codebook-based precoded uplink data transmissions will be performed on antenna ports belonging to different ones of the transceiver devices 200 in the group of transceiver devices 200.

[0056] In some examples, a non-coherent codebook, a partially coherent codebook, or a fully coherent codebook is selected on ports belonging to the same antenna panel or transceiver device 200 of the RVUE 400. That is, in some examples, according to the configuration, a non-coherent codebook-based precoded uplink data transmission, a partially coherent codebook-based precoded uplink data transmission, or a fully coherent codebook-based precoded uplink data transmission will be performed on antenna ports belonging to one and the same transceiver device 200 in a group of transceiver devices 200.

[0057] In some examples, the uplink transmission is a non-codebook-based precoded uplink data transmission, such as a non-codebook-based precoded physical uplink shared channel (PUSCH) transmission.

[0058] In some examples, one SRS resource or a set of SRS resources is configured on multiple transceiver devices 200 that belong to the same RVUE 400. That is, in some examples, one uplink reference signal resource or a common set of uplink reference signal resources is configured on transceiver devices 200 in a group of transceiver devices 200 according to the configuration.

[0059] It may be such that the available number of antenna ports is less than the total number of antenna ports of the RVUE 400. In that case, the transceiver device 200 may perform the (optional) step S102.

[0060] S102: The transceiver device 200 selects an available antenna port from the total antenna ports of the RVUE 400.

[0061] Using only a subset of the total antenna ports of the RVUE 400 at a given time may be used to minimize or at least reduce uplink overhead.

[0062] Next, details of how the selection can be made are disclosed.

[0063] In some embodiments, the selecting is based on at least one of the signal quality, capacity of the signaling interface between the transceiver devices 200 in the group of transceiver devices 200 .

[0064] For non-codebook-based operation, typically one PUSCH layer is associated with each SRS resource. Furthermore, each SRS resource corresponds to a spatial filter (i.e., the transceiver device 200 may have virtualized its ports in some manner, or the spatial filter corresponds to one antenna port). If the network node 300 knows which SRS resources belong to which transceiver devices 200, the network node 300 can turn on / off the transceiver devices 200 in the RVUE 400 by indicating which SRS resources and / or SRS resource sets should be used to transmit the PUSCH from the RVUE 400.

[0065] For codebook-based operation, the network node 300 indicates the SRS resources / sets as above and may (1) signal one codebook for each SRS resource, or (2) signal one codebook on (an indicated subset of) the ports in the indicated SRS resources, or (3) signal one codebook on all ports of all transceiver devices 200, where this codebook may contain zero rows so that some transceiver devices 200 do not transmit, or (4) signal a bitmap on which a precoder is applied.

[0066] In the above, spatial division multiplexing is assumed, i.e., for each layer, there is a separate precoding vector / spatial filter. Furthermore, one and the same layer can be transmitted from multiple transceiver devices 200 in the RVUE 400 to increase reliability.

[0067] Reference is now made to FIG. 6, which illustrates a method for configuring a group of transceiver devices 200 for uplink communication, implemented by a network node 300, according to one embodiment.

[0068] As mentioned above, it is assumed that a group of transceiver devices 200 have been configured to form an RVUE 400 and that the network node 300 has been made aware of this.

[0069] S202: The network node 300 exchanges signaling with one of the transceiver devices 200 in the group of transceiver devices 200 to form an RVUE 400 configured by the group of transceiver devices 200. The signaling indicates at least the available number of antenna ports of the RVUE 400 for communication with the network node 300 and the maximum supported transmit rank for the RVUE 400.

[0070] Upon receiving such signaling, the network node 300 configures uplink transmissions on multiple panels / ports belonging to the group of transceiver devices 200 by treating the group of transceiver devices 200 as one RVUE 400 in a manner to enable overhead-efficient and high-performance uplink transmissions, which is achieved by selecting configuration parameters for only one of the transceiver devices 200 and / or by communicating configuration parameters to only one of the transceiver devices 200.

[0071] S204: The network node 300 configures the RVUE 400 for uplink transmission from the RVUE 400 to the network node 300 according to the available number of antenna ports and the maximum supported transmission rank. The configuration indicates at least which transmission rank to use for the RVUE 400 and the mapping of transmission layers to antenna ports in the RVUE 400.

[0072] As disclosed above, the transceiver device 200 follows the configuration when performing the uplink transmission of the transceiver device 200 .

[0073] S206: The network node 300 receives an uplink transmission from the RVUE 400 according to the configuration.

[0074] An embodiment relating to further details of configuring a group of transceiver devices 200 for uplink communication, as performed by the network node 300, is disclosed with continued reference to FIG.

[0075] As disclosed above, in some examples, the signaling further indicates any of the number of transceiver devices 200 in the group of transceiver devices 200, the number of antenna ports per transceiver device 200 in the group of transceiver devices 200, the supported bandwidth per transceiver device 200 in the group of transceiver devices 200, the coherency capability per transceiver device 200 in the group of transceiver devices 200, the maximum transmit power per transceiver device 200 in the group of transceiver devices 200, and which uplink reference signal resources or ports correspond to which transceiver devices 200 in the group of transceiver devices 200.

[0076] As disclosed above, in some examples, the configuration further indicates either a precoder to be used for codebook-based uplink transmissions, a set of spatial filters to be used for non-codebook-based uplink transmissions, or a waveform to be used for uplink communications.

[0077] As disclosed above, in some examples, the uplink transmission is either an uplink data transmission or a transmission of an uplink reference signal.

[0078] As disclosed above, in some examples, the uplink transmission is a codebook-based precoded uplink data transmission.

[0079] As disclosed above, in some examples, according to the configuration, the codebook-based precoded uplink data transmission will be performed jointly on at least two of the transceiver devices 200 in the group of transceiver devices 200.

[0080] As disclosed above, in some examples, according to the configuration, the non-coherent codebook-based precoded uplink data transmission will be performed on antenna ports belonging to different ones of the transceiver devices 200 in the group of transceiver devices 200.

[0081] As disclosed above, in some examples, according to the configuration, the non-coherent codebook-based precoded uplink data transmission, the partially coherent codebook-based precoded uplink data transmission, or the fully coherent codebook-based precoded uplink data transmission will be performed on antenna ports belonging to one and the same transceiver device 200 in the group of transceiver devices 200.

[0082] As disclosed above, in some examples, the uplink transmission is a non-codebook-based precoded uplink data transmission.

[0083] As disclosed above, in some examples, one uplink reference signal resource or a common set of uplink reference signal resources is configured on transceiver devices 200 in a group of transceiver devices 200 according to the configuration.

[0084] Next, embodiments, aspects and examples applicable to both the transceiver device 200 and the network node 300, and corresponding methods, are disclosed.

[0085] Because different devices may have different output power capabilities, different coherency capabilities, etc., the network node 300, in some aspects, is aware of which SRS resources or SRS ports correspond to which transceiver devices 200. In one example, there is an implicit mapping between SRS port numbering and the transceiver devices 200. For example, in device capability signaling, an explicit or implicit number (where the implicit number may be based, for example, on in which order the device capabilities are signaled) may be indicated for each transceiver device 200. In that case, there may be an implicit mapping between SRS ports and the transceiver devices 200, such that, for example, the SRS port or ports with the lowest numbers are assigned to the transceiver device 200 with the lowest numbers. In another example, there is an explicit association between SRS resources / ports and the network node 300. This may be achieved, for example, during radio resource control (RRC) configuration of the SRS resources / ports, where, for example, a device number is configured for each SRS resource / port.

[0086] In some examples, all antenna ports on all transceiver devices 200 are sounded (and thus SRS transmission overhead remains unchanged). However, uplink data transmission may be performed only by the transceiver device 200 with the best available channel. This can improve performance for transceiver devices 200 with poor channel conditions (e.g., transceiver devices 200 suffering from deep fading). Thus, in some examples, SRS is transmitted from all transceiver devices 200, but PUSCH is transmitted from only one of the transceiver devices 200.

[0087] In a first example, consider a scenario in which three transceiver devices 200 are active but transmitting and / or receiving data at a low rate, as in FIG. 1 . According to a legacy NR scheme, if each of the transceiver devices 200 is configured with a codebook-based PUSCH, each transceiver device 200 needs to transmit an SRS and a PUSCH (and receive signaling from the network node 300 regarding how to do so). The minimum total number of uplink layers would be three in this example, one for each of the transceiver devices 200. If the three transceiver devices 200 form an RVUE 400, as in FIG. 2 , the minimum total number of uplink layers would instead be one, i.e., one layer. According to the inventive concepts disclosed herein, as shown in FIG. 2 , UE1 and UE2 may relay their uplink data to UE0, which performs uplink transmission for all of the transceiver devices 200. This allows the SRS overhead to be reduced from four SRS ports (corresponding to all four antenna ports on all three transceiver devices 200) to two SRS ports (corresponding to the two antenna ports in UE0's panel), which reduces the risk of SRS congestion.

[0088] In a second example, consider a scenario in which three transceiver devices 200 are active, but only one of the transceiver devices 200, UE0, needs to transmit data at a high rate, as in FIG. 7, where UE0 is communicating in beams 518 and 519. According to a traditional NR scheme, a maximum of two uplink layers are supported because UE0 is equipped with only two antenna ports. However, as in FIG. 8, if UE0 communicates some of its uplink data to UE1 and UE2, where the three transceiver devices 200 are configured as one RVUE 400, the combined number of antenna ports is increased to four. This increases the maximum number of supported uplink layers to four, which may lead to higher user throughput for UE0.

[0089] In some aspects, the delay requirement from scheduling downlink control information (DCI) to actual data transmission may be relaxed because communicating data from one transceiver device 200 to another is associated with extra delay. That is, the minimum delay between DCI triggering an uplink transmission and the actual uplink transmission is increased when uplink transmission is performed on multiple transceiver devices 200.

[0090] In a third example, a transceiver device 200 in the form of a cellular modem / router (UE0) and a transceiver device 200 in the form of a laptop computer (UE1) are configured as RVUE 400, as in FIG. 9. The laptop computer (possibly along with several other devices without cellular communication capabilities) connects to a local area network (LAN) provided by the cellular modem / router (UE0). UE0 and UE1 are therefore interconnected via some non-cellular interface (e.g., Wi-Fi or Ethernet) as indicated by links 515, 516. UE0 and UE1 are shown as being located on different sides of a blocking wall 912 in a room 910, and therefore their respective preferred connections are to different transmission points (TRPs) 910a, 910b. The TRPs 910a, 910b are operatively connected to a shared baseband processing unit 920 over link 922 in the cellular network. In the illustrative example of FIG. 9, UE0 is configured for uplink transmission in two layers, as represented by beams 520 and 521, while UE1 is configured for uplink transmission in only one single layer, as represented by beam 522. Configuring UE0 and UE1 as RVUEs 400 results in improved coverage for UE0 and UE1. To illustrate this, consider the situation in FIG. 10 in which an operable connection between UE0 and its serving TRP 910a is interrupted by blocker 914. If UE1 were capable of uplink transmission using three layers, as represented by beams 522, 523, and 524, UE0 could reroute UE0's uplink traffic to UE1 to maintain its connection to the cellular network, where uplink transmissions from UE1 in one of the three layers belong to UE0.

[0091] 11 illustrates, in terms of several functional units, components of a transceiver device 200 according to one embodiment. The processing circuitry 210 is provided using any combination of one or more suitable central processing units (CPUs), multiprocessors, microcontrollers, digital signal processors (DSPs), etc., capable of executing software instructions stored, for example, in a computer program product 1510a (as in FIG. 15) in the form of a storage medium 230. The processing circuitry 210 may further be provided as at least one application specific integrated circuit (ASIC), or field programmable gate array (FPGA).

[0092] In particular, processing circuitry 210 is configured to cause transceiver device 200 to perform a set of operations or steps, as disclosed above. For example, storage medium 230 may store a set of operations, and processing circuitry 210 may be configured to retrieve the set of operations from storage medium 230 to cause transceiver device 200 to perform the set of operations. The set of operations may be provided as a set of executable instructions, thereby causing processing circuitry 210 to be configured to perform the methods disclosed herein.

[0093] The storage medium 230 may also comprise persistent storage, which may be, for example, any one or combination of magnetic memory, optical memory, solid state memory, or even remotely mounted memory.

[0094] The transceiver device 200 may further comprise a communications (comm.) interface 220 for communicating with other entities, functions, nodes, and devices, such as other transceiver devices 200 and network nodes 300. Thus, the communications interface 220 may comprise one or more transmitters and receivers comprising analog and digital components.

[0095] Processing circuit 210 controls the overall operation of transceiver device 200, for example, by sending data and control signals to communication interface 220 and storage medium 230, by receiving data and reports from communication interface 220, and by retrieving data and instructions from storage medium 230. Other components of transceiver device 200, and related functions, are omitted so as not to obscure the concepts presented herein.

[0096] FIG. 12 schematically illustrates components of a transceiver device 200 according to one embodiment, with respect to several functional modules. The transceiver device 200 of FIG. 12 includes several functional modules: a signal module 210b configured to perform step S104, a receiving module 210c configured to perform step S106, and a transmitting module 210d configured to perform step S108. The transceiver device 200 of FIG. 12 may further include several optional functional modules, such as a selection module 210a configured to perform step S102. In general terms, each functional module 210a:210d may be implemented in hardware or software. Preferably, one or more or all of the functional modules 210a:210d may be implemented by the processing circuitry 210, possibly in cooperation with the communication interface 220 and / or the storage medium 230. The processing circuit 210 may therefore be configured to fetch instructions provided by the functional modules 210a:210d from the storage medium 230 and execute these instructions, thereby performing any step of the transceiver device 200 as disclosed herein.

[0097] Figure 13 illustrates, in terms of several functional units, components of a network node 300 according to one embodiment. The processing circuitry 310 is provided using any combination of one or more suitable central processing units (CPUs), multiprocessors, microcontrollers, digital signal processors (DSPs), etc., capable of executing software instructions stored, for example, in a computer program product 1510b (as in Figure 15) in the form of a storage medium 330. The processing circuitry 310 may further be provided as at least one application specific integrated circuit (ASIC), or field programmable gate array (FPGA).

[0098] In particular, the processing circuitry 310 is configured to cause the network node 300 to perform a set of operations or steps, as disclosed above. For example, the storage medium 330 may store the set of operations, and the processing circuitry 310 may be configured to retrieve the set of operations from the storage medium 330 to cause the network node 300 to perform the set of operations. The set of operations may be provided as a set of executable instructions, thereby causing the processing circuitry 310 to be configured to perform the methods disclosed herein.

[0099] The storage medium 330 may also comprise persistent storage, which may be, for example, any one or combination of magnetic memory, optical memory, solid state memory, or even remotely mounted memory.

[0100] The network node 300 may further comprise a communication interface 320 for communication with other entities, functions, nodes, and devices, such as with individual transceiver devices 200 and with an RVUE 400 formed by a group of transceiver devices 200. Thus, the communication interface 320 may comprise one or more transmitters and receivers comprising analog and digital components.

[0101] Processing circuitry 310 controls the overall operation of network node 300, for example, by sending data and control signals to communication interface 320 and storage medium 330, receiving data and reports from communication interface 320, and retrieving data and instructions from storage medium 330. Other components of network node 300, and related functionality, are omitted so as not to obscure the concepts presented herein.

[0102] FIG. 14 schematically illustrates components of a network node 300 according to one embodiment with respect to several functional modules. The network node 300 of FIG. 14 comprises several functional modules: a signaling module 310a configured to perform step S202, a setting module 310b configured to perform step S204, and a receiving module 310c configured to perform step S206. The network node 300 of FIG. 14 may further comprise several optional functional modules, represented by functional module 310d. In general terms, each functional module 310a:310d may be implemented in hardware or software. Preferably, one or more or all of the functional modules 310a:310d may be implemented by the processing circuitry 310, possibly in cooperation with the communication interface 320 and / or the storage medium 330. The processing circuitry 310 may therefore be configured to fetch instructions provided by the functional modules 310a:310d from the storage medium 330 and execute these instructions, thereby performing any step of the network node 300 as disclosed herein.

[0103] The network node 300 may be provided as a standalone device or as part of at least one further device. For example, the network node 300 may be provided in a node of a (radio) access network or in a node of a core network. Alternatively, the functionality of the network node 300 may be distributed between at least two devices or nodes. These at least two nodes or devices may either be part of the same network part (such as the (radio) access network or the (core) network) or may be spread between at least two such network parts. In general terms, instructions that need to be performed in real time may be implemented in a device or node operatively closer to the cell served by the network node 300 than instructions that do not need to be performed in real time.

[0104] Thus, a first portion of the instructions performed by network node 300 may be executed on a first device, and a second portion of the instructions performed by network node 300 may be executed on a second device, and the embodiments disclosed herein are not limited to any particular number of devices on which the instructions performed by network node 300 may be executed. Accordingly, methods according to embodiments disclosed herein are suitable for being performed by network node 300 residing in a cloud computing environment. Thus, while a single processing circuit 310 is shown in FIG. 13, processing circuit 310 may be distributed among multiple devices or nodes. The same applies to functional modules 310a:310d in FIG. 14 and computer program 1520b in FIG. 15.

[0105] 15 illustrates an example of a computer program product 1510a, 1510b comprising computer-readable means 1530. A computer program 1520a may be stored on the computer-readable means 1530, and the computer program 1520a may cause the processing circuit 210 and entities and devices operatively coupled to the processing circuit 210, such as the communication interface 220 and the storage medium 230, to perform methods according to embodiments described herein. Thus, the computer program 1520a and / or the computer program product 1510a may provide means for performing any steps of the transceiver device 200 disclosed herein. A computer program 1520b may be stored on the computer-readable means 1530, and the computer program 1520b may cause the processing circuit 310 and entities and devices operatively coupled to the processing circuit 310, such as the communication interface 320 and the storage medium 330, to perform methods according to embodiments described herein. Thus, the computer program 1520b and / or the computer program product 1510b may provide means for performing any of the steps of the network node 300 disclosed herein.

[0106] In the example of Figure 15, the computer program products 1510a, 1510b are shown as optical discs, such as CDs (compact discs) or DVDs (digital versatile discs), or Blu-ray discs. The computer program products 1510a, 1510b may also be embodied as memory, such as random access memory (RAM), read-only memory (ROM), erasable programmable read-only memory (EPROM) or electrically erasable programmable read-only memory (EEPROM), more particularly as a non-volatile storage medium of the device in an external memory, such as a USB (universal serial bus) memory or a flash memory, such as a compact flash memory. Thus, although the computer programs 1520a, 1520b are shown here schematically as tracks on the illustrated optical disc, the computer programs 1520a, 1520b may be stored in any manner suitable for the computer program products 1510a, 1510b.

[0107] The inventive concept has been described above primarily with reference to a few embodiments. However, as will be readily appreciated by those skilled in the art, other embodiments besides those disclosed above are equally possible within the scope of the inventive concept as defined by the appended claims.

Claims

1. 1. A method for uplink communication with a network node (300), the method being performed by a transceiver device (200), the method comprising: exchanging signaling (S104) with the network node (300) to form a RVUE (400) consisting of a group of transceiver devices (200), wherein the transceiver devices (200) are part of the group of transceiver devices (200), and the signaling indicates at least an available number of antenna ports of the RVUE (400) for communication with the network node (300) and a maximum supported transmission rank for the RVUE (400); receiving (S106) from the network node (300) a configuration for uplink transmission from the RVUE (400) to the network node (300), the configuration indicating at least which transmission rank to use for the RVUE (400) and a mapping of transmission layers to the antenna ports in the RVUE (400); performing (S108) an uplink transmission towards said network node (300) according to said received configuration; A method comprising:

2. 2. The method of claim 1, wherein the signaling further indicates any of: a number of transceiver devices in the group of transceiver devices; a number of antenna ports for each transceiver device in the group of transceiver devices; a supported bandwidth for each transceiver device in the group of transceiver devices; a coherency capability for each transceiver device in the group of transceiver devices; a maximum transmit power for each transceiver device in the group of transceiver devices; and which uplink reference signal resources or ports correspond to which transceiver devices in the group of transceiver devices.

3. 2. The method of claim 1, wherein the configuration further indicates one of: a precoder to be used for codebook-based uplink transmission; a set of spatial filters to be used for non-codebook-based uplink transmission; or a waveform to be used for the uplink communication.

4. the available number of antenna ports is less than the total number of antenna ports of the RVUE (400), and the method comprises: Selecting an available antenna port from the total antenna ports of the RVUE (400) (S102). The method of claim 1 further comprising:

5. 5. The method of claim 4, wherein the selecting is based on at least one of a signal quality, a capacity of a signaling interface between the transceiver devices (200) in the group of transceiver devices (200).

6. The method of claim 1 , wherein the uplink transmission is one of an uplink data transmission or a transmission of an uplink reference signal.

7. The method of claim 1 , wherein the uplink transmission is a codebook-based precoded uplink data transmission.

8. 8. The method of claim 7, wherein, according to the configuration, the codebook-based precoded uplink data transmission is to be performed jointly on at least two of the transceiver devices (200) in the group of transceiver devices (200).

9. 9. The method of claim 8, wherein according to the configuration, non-coherent codebook-based precoded uplink data transmissions are to be performed on antenna ports belonging to different ones of the transceiver devices (200) in the group of transceiver devices (200).

10. 9. The method of claim 8, wherein according to the configuration, a non-coherent codebook-based precoded uplink data transmission, a partially coherent codebook-based precoded uplink data transmission, or a fully coherent codebook-based precoded uplink data transmission is to be performed on antenna ports belonging to one and the same transceiver device (200) in the group of transceiver devices (200).

11. The method of claim 1 , wherein the uplink transmission is a non-codebook-based precoded uplink data transmission.

12. 2. The method of claim 1, wherein, according to the configuration, one uplink reference signal resource or a common set of uplink reference signal resources is configured on the transceiver devices (200) in the group of transceiver devices (200).

13. 10. The method of claim 1, wherein at least one of the transceiver devices in the group of transceiver devices comprises a cellular modem and has cellular network identification information.

14. 2. The method of claim 1, wherein each of the transceiver devices in the group of transceiver devices comprises a signaling interface for non-cellular communication with other transceiver devices in the group of transceiver devices.

15. 1. A method for configuring a group of transceiver devices (200) for uplink communication, the method being performed by a network node (300), the method comprising: exchanging (S202) signaling with one of the transceiver devices (200) in the group of transceiver devices (200) to form a RVUE (400) constituted by the group of transceiver devices (200), the signaling indicating at least an available number of antenna ports of the RVUE (400) for communication with the network node (300) and a maximum supported transmission rank for the RVUE (400); configuring (S204) the RVUE (400) for uplink transmission from the RVUE (400) to the network node (300) according to the available number of antenna ports and the maximum supported transmission rank, wherein the configuring indicates at least which transmission rank to use for the RVUE (400) and a mapping of transmission layers to the antenna ports in the RVUE (400); receiving (S206) an uplink transmission from the RVUE (400) according to the configuration; A method comprising:

16. 16. The method of claim 15, wherein the signaling further indicates any of: a number of transceiver devices in the group of transceiver devices; a number of antenna ports for each transceiver device in the group of transceiver devices; a supported bandwidth for each transceiver device in the group of transceiver devices; a coherency capability for each transceiver device in the group of transceiver devices; a maximum transmit power for each transceiver device in the group of transceiver devices; and which uplink reference signal resources or ports correspond to which transceiver devices in the group of transceiver devices.

17. 16. The method of claim 15, wherein the configuration further indicates one of: a precoder to be used for codebook-based uplink transmission; a set of spatial filters to be used for non-codebook-based uplink transmission; or a waveform to be used for the uplink communication.

18. 16. The method of claim 15, wherein the uplink transmission is either an uplink data transmission or a transmission of an uplink reference signal.

19. The method of claim 15 , wherein the uplink transmission is a codebook-based precoded uplink data transmission.

20. 20. The method of claim 19, wherein, according to the configuration, the codebook-based precoded uplink data transmission is to be performed jointly on at least two of the transceiver devices (200) in the group of transceiver devices (200).

21. 21. The method of claim 20, wherein according to the configuration, non-coherent codebook-based precoded uplink data transmissions are to be performed on antenna ports belonging to different ones of the transceiver devices (200) in the group of transceiver devices (200).

22. 21. The method of claim 20, wherein according to the configuration, a non-coherent codebook-based precoded uplink data transmission, a partially coherent codebook-based precoded uplink data transmission, or a fully coherent codebook-based precoded uplink data transmission is to be performed on antenna ports belonging to one and the same transceiver device (200) in the group of transceiver devices (200).

23. The method of claim 15 , wherein the uplink transmission is a non-codebook-based precoded uplink data transmission.

24. 16. The method of claim 15, wherein, according to the configuration, one uplink reference signal resource or a common set of uplink reference signal resources is configured on the transceiver devices (200) in the group of transceiver devices (200).

25. A transceiver device (200) for uplink communication with a network node (300), said transceiver device (200) comprising a processing circuit (210), said processing circuit providing said transceiver device (200) with: exchanging signaling with the network node (300) to form a RVUE (400) consisting of a group of transceiver devices (200), the transceiver devices (200) being part of the group of transceiver devices (200), the signaling indicating at least an available number of antenna ports of the RVUE (400) for communication with the network node (300) and a maximum supported transmission rank for the RVUE (400); receiving, from the network node (300), a configuration for uplink transmission from the RVUE (400) to the network node (300), the configuration indicating at least which transmission rank to use for the RVUE (400) and a mapping of transmission layers to the antenna ports in the RVUE (400); performing an uplink transmission towards said network node (300) according to said received configuration; a transceiver device (200) configured to:

26. A transceiver device (200) for uplink communication with a network node (300), said transceiver device (200) comprising: a signaling module (210b) configured to exchange signaling with the network node (300) to form a RVUE (400) consisting of a group of transceiver devices (200), the transceiver devices (200) being part of the group of transceiver devices (200), the signaling indicating at least an available number of antenna ports of the RVUE (400) for communication with the network node (300) and a maximum supported transmission rank for the RVUE (400); a receiving module (210c) configured to receive from the network node (300) a configuration for uplink transmission from the RVUE (400) to the network node (300), the configuration indicating at least which transmission rank to use for the RVUE (400) and a mapping of transmission layers to the antenna ports in the RVUE (400); a transmission module (210d) configured to perform an uplink transmission towards said network node (300) according to said received configuration; A transceiver device (200) comprising:

27. A transceiver device (200) according to claim 25 or 26, further configured to perform a method according to any one of claims 2 to 14.

28. 1. A network node (300) for configuring a group of transceiver devices (200) for uplink communication, said network node (300) comprising a processing circuit (310), said processing circuit causing said network node (300) to: exchanging signaling with one of the transceiver devices (200) in the group of transceiver devices (200) to form a RVUE (400) consisting of the group of transceiver devices (200), the signaling indicating at least an available number of antenna ports of the RVUE (400) for communication with the network node (300) and a maximum supported transmission rank for the RVUE (400); configuring the RVUE (400) for uplink transmission from the RVUE (400) to the network node (300) according to the available number of antenna ports and the maximum supported transmission rank, wherein the configuring indicates at least which transmission rank to use for the RVUE (400) and a mapping of transmission layers to the antenna ports in the RVUE (400); receiving an uplink transmission from said RVUE (400) in accordance with said configuration; A network node (300) configured to:

29. A network node (300) for configuring a group of transceiver devices (200) for uplink communication, said network node (300) comprising: a signaling module (310a) configured to exchange signaling with one of the transceiver devices (200) in the group of transceiver devices (200) to form a RVUE (400) consisting of the group of transceiver devices (200), the signaling indicating at least an available number of antenna ports of the RVUE (400) for communication with the network node (300) and a maximum supported transmission rank for the RVUE (400); a configuration module (310b) configured to configure the RVUE (400) for uplink transmission from the RVUE (400) to the network node (300) according to the available number of antenna ports and the maximum supported transmission rank, wherein the configuring indicates at least which transmission rank should be used for the RVUE (400) and a mapping of transmission layers to the antenna ports in the RVUE (400); a receiving module (310c) configured to receive uplink transmissions from the RVUE (400) in accordance with said configuration; A network node (300) comprising:

30. A network node (300) according to claim 28 or 29, further configured to perform a method according to any one of claims 16 to 24.

31. A computer program (1520a) for uplink communication with a network node (300), the computer program being configured, when run on a processing circuit (210) of a transceiver device (200), to cause the transceiver device (200) to: exchanging signaling (S104) with the network node (300) to form a RVUE (400) consisting of a group of transceiver devices (200), wherein the transceiver devices (200) are part of the group of transceiver devices (200), and the signaling indicates at least an available number of antenna ports of the RVUE (400) for communication with the network node (300) and a maximum supported transmission rank for the RVUE (400); receiving (S106) from the network node (300) a configuration for uplink transmission from the RVUE (400) to the network node (300), the configuration indicating at least which transmission rank to use for the RVUE (400) and a mapping of transmission layers to the antenna ports in the RVUE (400); performing (S108) an uplink transmission towards said network node (300) according to said received configuration; A computer program (1520a) comprising computer code for causing the computer program to perform the steps of:

32. A computer program (1520b) for configuring a group of transceiver devices (200) for uplink communication, the computer program (1520b) when run on a processing circuit (310) of a network node (300) causing the network node (300) to: exchanging (S202) signaling with one of the transceiver devices (200) in the group of transceiver devices (200) to form a RVUE (400) constituted by the group of transceiver devices (200), the signaling indicating at least an available number of antenna ports of the RVUE (400) for communication with the network node (300) and a maximum supported transmission rank for the RVUE (400); configuring (S204) the RVUE (400) for uplink transmission from the RVUE (400) to the network node (300) according to the available number of antenna ports and the maximum supported transmission rank, wherein the configuring indicates at least which transmission rank to use for the RVUE (400) and a mapping of transmission layers to the antenna ports in the RVUE (400); receiving (S206) an uplink transmission from the RVUE (400) according to the configuration; a computer program (1520b) comprising computer code for causing the computer program to perform the steps of:

33. A computer program product (1510a, 1510b) comprising a computer program (1520a, 1520b) according to at least one of claims 31 and 32 and a computer readable storage medium (1530) on which said computer program is stored.

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