Method and apparatus for supporting spatial element adaptation

Abstract

[0003] Embodiments of the present application relate to a method and apparatus for supporting spatial element adaptation. An exemplary apparatus, for example, a UE, may include a transceiver and a processor coupled to the transceiver. The processor is configured to: receive first signaling indicating at least one RS set, each RS set including at least one RS resource; determine at least one RS group based on the at least one RS set; and perform reporting based on at least one of the at least one RS group or the at least one RS set.

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] TECHNICAL FIELD Embodiments of the present application generally relate to wireless communication technologies, and more particularly to methods and apparatus for supporting spatial element adaptation. [Background technology]

[0002] Wireless communication systems are widely deployed to provide various telecommunication services such as telephony, video, data, messaging, broadcasts, and the like. Wireless communication systems may employ multiple-access technologies capable of supporting communication with multiple users by sharing available system resources (e.g., time, frequency, and power). Examples of wireless communication systems may include fourth-generation (4G) systems, such as Long Term Evolution (LTE) systems, LTE-Advanced (LTE-A) systems, or LTE-A Pro systems, and fifth-generation (5G) systems, sometimes referred to as New Radio (NR) systems. However, wireless communication systems still need to evolve in pursuit of better service quality, better service experience, and lower costs.

[0003] According to the RAN1#111 agreement, techniques and extensions for spatial element adaptation need to be further explored, including but not limited to the following aspects: Channel State Information (CSI) Reference Signal (RS) (re)configuration, CSI / Radio Resource Management (RRM) / Radio Link Monitoring (RLM) measurements, CSI reporting (e.g., multiple CSI reports), and beam management of gNBs to switch between different spatial domain configurations. Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] At least one objective of the present application is to provide a technical solution that supports spatial element adaptation, including determining RSs (or RS resources) for measurements (e.g., CSI-RS measurements and / or synchronization signal block (SSB) measurements) and then reporting based on the RS measurements to switch between different spatial domain configurations. [Means for solving the problem]

[0005] Some embodiments of the present application provide an exemplary remote device, e.g., a UE, including a transceiver and a processor coupled to the transceiver, wherein the processor is configured to: receive first signaling indicating at least one RS set, each RS set including at least one RS resource; determine at least one RS group based on the at least one RS set; and perform reporting based on at least one of the at least one RS group or the at least one RS set.

[0006] Some other embodiments of the present application provide exemplary wireless communication methods, e.g., methods implemented in a UE, including: receiving first signaling indicating at least one RS set, each RS set including at least one RS resource; determining at least one RS group based on the at least one RS set; and performing reporting based on at least one of the at least one RS group or the at least one RS set.

[0007] Some still other embodiments of the present application provide a Radio Access Network (RAN) node, e.g., a gNB, including a transceiver and a processor coupled to the transceiver, wherein the processor is configured to: transmit first signaling indicating at least one RS set, each RS set including at least one RS resource; determine at least one RS group based on the at least one RS set; and receive a report based on at least one of the at least one RS group or the at least one RS set.

[0008] In some embodiments of the present application, each of the at least one RS group is at least one RS set.

[0009] In some embodiments of the present application, the processor is configured to receive second signaling indicating the following information: at least one of a window size of an RS set or at least one time instance of the RS set, or a window size of an RS set and an offset of the RS set, or a window size of an RS set, an offset of the RS set, and at least one time instance of the RS set, or one or more RS resource indices in an RS set of at least one RS set, or the number of RS sets in an RS group, or the number of time instances of an RS set in an RS group, or the number of RS resources in an RS group, or the number of RS groups, or the number of elements in each RS group, or at least one port index in each RS resource; and determine at least one RS group based on the at least one RS set and the information indicated in the second signaling.

[0010] According to some embodiments of the present application, if at least one RS resource in the RS set is a periodic RS resource, the window size and offset are in units of the period of the at least one RS resource.

[0011] According to some embodiments of the present application, if the second signaling indicates a window size, the at least one time instance of the RS set is determined based on the window size.

[0012] According to some embodiments of the present application, when the second signaling indicates a window size and an offset, at least one time instance of the RS set is determined based on the window size and the offset.

[0013] According to some embodiments of the present application, each element in at least one RS group is an RS resource pair. In some scenarios, each RS resource pair in the RS group is configured. In some scenarios, the two RS resources of the RS resource pair are from the same RS set or different RS sets.

[0014] In some embodiments of the present application, the start time for determining at least one RS group is configured by a Medium Access Control (MAC) control element (CE), a group common downlink control information (DCI), or a dynamic scheduling DCI.

[0015] In some embodiments of the present application, the stop time for determining at least one RS group is configured by a MAC CE, a group common DCI, or a dynamic scheduling DCI, or is based on a configured or predefined timer.

[0016] According to some embodiments of the present application, the start of the timer is based on a time instance when at least one RS group is determined to start.

[0017] In some embodiments of the present application, reporting based on at least one of the at least one RS group or at least one RS set includes reporting at least one of the following: differential reporting metrics for different RS sets, differential reporting metrics for different RS groups, or differential reporting metrics for both different RS sets and different RS groups.

[0018] According to some embodiments of the present application, the differential reporting metric includes at least one of a differential reference signal received power (RSRP), a differential reference signal received quality (RSRQ), a differential received signal strength indicator (RSSI), a differential layer 1-signal to interference and noise ratio (L1-SINR), a differential rank indicator (RI), or a differential channel quality indicator (CQI).

[0019] According to some embodiments of the present application, reporting based on at least one of the at least one RS group or the at least one RS set further includes reporting at least one of an RS set index or an RS group index, and in some scenarios, the number of at least one of the RS set index or the RS group index is configured.

[0020] According to some embodiments of the present application, the different RS sets include configured or predefined reference RS sets, and the different RS groups include configured or predefined reference RS groups.

[0021] According to some embodiments of the present application, at least one of an RS set index or an RS group index associated with determining a differential reporting metric is configured.

[0022] According to some embodiments of the present application, the differential reporting metric is based on the periodic RS resources and aperiodic RS resources within an RS set or RS group, and the RS set or RS group is determined based on the periodic RS resource that is closest to and earlier than the aperiodic RS.

[0023] According to some embodiments of the present application, at least one of the RS set index or RS group index associated with determining the differential reporting metric is based on the reporting identity.

[0024] In some embodiments of the present application, the time instance for performing the reporting is configured or based on the time instance of the aperiodic RS or based on an event associated with the differential reporting metric.

[0025] Given the above, embodiments of the present application provide technical solutions that support spatial element adaptation, e.g., CSI and / or SSB measurements and corresponding reporting, to adapt spatial element adjustments, which can save signaling overhead and thus facilitate the deployment and implementation of NR.

[0026] To describe the manner in which the advantages and features of the present disclosure can be obtained, the disclosure will be described by reference to specific embodiments thereof that are illustrated in the accompanying drawings. These drawings depict only exemplary embodiments of the disclosure and therefore should not be considered limiting of its scope. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0027] [Figure 1] 1 is a schematic diagram illustrating an exemplary wireless communication system in accordance with some embodiments of the present application. [Figure 2] 1 is a flowchart illustrating exemplary steps of a method for supporting spatial element adaptation, according to some embodiments of the present application. [Figure 3]FIG. 10 is a schematic diagram illustrating RS group determination in scenario 2 according to some embodiments of the present application. [Figure 4] FIG. 10 is a schematic diagram illustrating RS group determination in scenario 3 according to some embodiments of the present application. [Figure 5] FIG. 10 is a schematic diagram illustrating RS group determination in Scenario 3 according to some other embodiments of the present application. [Figure 6] FIG. 1 is a block diagram of an example device supporting spatial element adaptation, according to some embodiments of the present application. [Figure 7] FIG. 10 is a block diagram of an example device supporting spatial element adaptation, according to some other embodiments of the present application. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0028] The detailed description of the accompanying drawings is intended as an illustration of preferred embodiments of the present application and is not intended to represent the only form in which the present application may be practiced. It is to be understood that the same or equivalent functions may be accomplished by different embodiments that are intended to be encompassed within the spirit and scope of the present application.

[0029] Reference will now be made in detail to several embodiments of the present application, examples of which are illustrated in the accompanying drawings. For ease of understanding, the embodiments are provided under specific network architectures and new service scenarios, such as Third Generation Partnership Project (3GPP®) 5G, 3GPP® LTE, etc. With the development of network architectures and new service scenarios, it is contemplated that all embodiments in the present application are also applicable to similar technical problems, and further, the terms listed in the present application may change, which should not affect the principles of the present application.

[0030] FIG. 1 illustrates a schematic diagram of an exemplary wireless communication system 100 in accordance with some embodiments of the present application.

[0031] As shown in Figure 1, wireless communication system 100 includes a UE 103 and a base station (BS) 101. Although only one BS is illustrated in Figure 1 for simplicity, it is contemplated that wireless communication system 100 may include more BSs in some other embodiments of the present application. Similarly, although only one UE is illustrated in Figure 1 for simplicity, it is contemplated that wireless communication system 100 may include more UEs in some other embodiments of the present application.

[0032] The wireless communication system 100 is compatible with any type of network capable of transmitting and receiving wireless communication signals. For example, the wireless communication system 100 may be compatible with a wireless communication network, a cellular telephone network, a time division multiple access (TDMA)-based network, a code division multiple access (CDMA)-based network, an orthogonal frequency division multiple access (OFDMA)-based network, an LTE network, a 3GPP®-based network, a 3GPP® 5G network, a satellite communication network, a high altitude platform network, and / or other communication networks.

[0033] The BS 101 may also be referred to as an access point, access terminal, base, macro cell, Node B, enhanced Node B (eNB), gNB, Home Node B, relay node, or device, or described using other terms used in the art. The BS 101 is generally part of a wireless access network, which may include a controller communicatively coupled to the BS 101.

[0034] Additionally, the BS 101 may be configured with one transmit reception point (TRP) (or panel), i.e., it may operate in a single-TRP scenario, or it may be configured with multiple TRPs (or panels), i.e., it may operate in a multi-TRP scenario. That is, one or more TRPs are associated with the BS 101. A TRP may function like a small BS. Two TRPs may have the same cell ID (identity or index) or different cell IDs. Two TRPs may communicate with each other via a backhaul link. Such a backhaul link may be an ideal backhaul link or a non-ideal backhaul link. The latency of an ideal backhaul link may be considered zero, while the latency of a non-ideal backhaul link may be tens of milliseconds, e.g., on the order of tens of milliseconds, which may be much greater than the latency of an ideal backhaul link.

[0035] A single TRP may be used to serve one or more UEs 103 under the control of the BS 101. In different scenarios, the TRP may be referred to by different terms, which may be represented by a TCI state index or a CORESETPoolIndex value, etc. It should be understood that the TRP (or panel) configured for the BS 101 may be transparent to the UEs 103.

[0036] The UE 103 may include computing devices such as desktop computers, laptop computers, personal digital assistants (PDAs), tablet computers, smart televisions (e.g., televisions connected to the Internet), set-top boxes, game consoles, security systems (including security cameras), in-vehicle computers, network devices (e.g., routers, switches, and modems). According to an embodiment of the present application, the UE 103 may include a portable wireless communication device, a smartphone, a cellular telephone, a flip phone, a device with a subscriber identity module, a personal computer, a selective call receiver, or any other device capable of transmitting and receiving communication signals over a wireless network. In some embodiments of the present application, the UE 103 may include a wearable device such as a smart watch, a fitness band, or an optical head-mounted display. Furthermore, the UE 103 may be referred to as a subscriber unit, mobile, mobile station, user, terminal, mobile terminal, wireless terminal, fixed terminal, subscriber station, user terminal, or device, or described using other terms used in the art.

[0037] For example, with respect to spatial elements in a wireless communication system, spatial elements generally include antenna elements, transmit (Tx) radio units (RUs) (with sub-arrays / full connectivity), antenna panels, transmit receive points (TRxPs) (co-located or geographically separated from each other), and logical antenna ports (corresponding to specific signals and channels, sometimes referred to as logical ports or antenna ports), etc. According to the RAN1#111 agreement, spatial elements include, but are not limited to, the following aspects: A mechanism for indicating spatial element compatibility to the user equipment (UE) Signaling to update the active Channel State Information (CSI) Reference Signal (RS) configuration Enhancements to CSI-RS (re)configuration, CSI / Radio Resource Management (RRM) / Radio Link Monitoring (RLM), CSI reporting (e.g., multiple CSI reports), and beam management in gNBs to switch between different spatial domain configurations If necessary, relevant UE behavior when spatial element adaptation is performed, e.g., measurements, CSI feedback, power control, Physical Uplink Shared Channel (PUSCH) / Physical Downlink Shared Channel (PDSCH) repetition, Sounding Reference Signal (SRS) transmission, Transmission Configuration Indicator (TCI) configuration, beam management, beam failure recovery, radio link monitoring, cell (re)selection, handover, initial access, etc. There is a need for further exploration of techniques and extensions for the adaptation of spatial elements, including:

[0038] Therefore, multiple CSI reports corresponding to different active antenna ports or active TXRUs are necessary for the gNB's decision regarding spatial domain adaptation. Therefore, how to determine CSI measurement resources for multiple CSI reports and how to determine the corresponding multiple CSI reports should be considered and solved. For example, a more specific problem to be solved is how to reduce the signaling overhead corresponding to RS configuration and reporting.

[0039] Considering at least the above considerations, embodiments of the present application propose technical solutions supporting spatial element adaptation, for example, methods and apparatuses supporting spatial element adaptation, which mainly focus on determining measurement resources and reporting to save signaling overhead, including reducing the overhead of both measurement resources and reporting in the case of multiple CSI reports. The CSI reporting may be based on CSI-RS and / or SSB. Exemplary spatial domain adaptations may be adapting antenna ports on or off, or TXRUs on or off, or TRPs on or off, etc.

[0040] 2 is a flowchart illustrating an example procedure of a method for supporting spatial element adaptation according to some embodiments of the present application. Although the method is illustrated at a system level between a RAN node, e.g., a gNB on the network side, and a remote device, e.g., a UE on the remote side, those skilled in the art should understand that the methods implemented in the RAN node and the remote device can be implemented separately and / or incorporated by other devices having similar functionality.

[0041] Referring to FIG. 2, in step 201, a RAN node, e.g., a gNB, may transmit first signaling, e.g., radio resource control (RRC) signaling or MAC CE signaling, indicating at least one RS set (each RS or RS resource may be represented by an index, etc.), to a remote side, e.g., a UE. For example, the first signaling may indicate multiple CSI-RS or SSB sets, or may indicate only one CSI-RS or SSB set. Each RS set includes at least one RS resource, e.g., a CSI-RS resource or SSB, which may be periodic, semi-persistent, or aperiodic. In another example, the indicated RS set may include only one RS resource. The number of RS resources in different RS sets may be the same or different. In some embodiments of the present application, each RS set corresponds to a spatial domain element, e.g., the pattern of a spatial domain filter (or beam). In other embodiments, each RS set may correspond to a spatial domain adaptation, such as turning an antenna port on or off, turning a TRP on or off, or turning a TXRU on or off. In response, in step 202, the UE receives first signaling.

[0042] At least one RS group based on at least one RS set may be determined for measurement in various manners. For example, in step 203, the gNB determines at least one RS group based on at least one RS set according to various manners, and correspondingly, in step 204, the UE determines at least one RS group based on at least one RS set according to various manners. Elements in each RS group may be an RS resource, an RS resource pair, an RS set, a port index, etc. The two RS resources in each RS resource pair may be from the same RS set or different RS sets. Therefore, each RS group may include one or more separate RS resources, one or more separate RS resource pairs, one or more RS sets, one or more port indexes, etc.

[0043] The start time and stop time of measurement resource determination based on at least one RS set, e.g., the time to start determining at least one RS group and the time to stop determining at least one RS group, may be determined in various manners. According to some embodiments of the present application, the start time for determining at least one RS group is configured by the network side, for example, via a MAC CE, a group-common DCI, a dynamic scheduling DCI, or the like. Similarly, the stop time for determining at least one RS group may also be configured by the network side, for example, via a MAC CE, a group-common DCI, a dynamic scheduling DCI, or the like. There may be a configured or predefined delay between receiving the signaling and applying the signaling. However, in some other embodiments of the present application, the stop time for determining at least one RS group may be based on a configured or predefined timer. The start of the timer is based on a time instance when determination of the at least one RS group starts, for example, based on a slot when determination of the at least one RS group starts, or based on some other manner.

[0044] In step 206, the UE performs a report based on at least one of the at least one RS group or the at least one RS set, for example, based only on the at least one RS group, based only on the at least one RS set, or based on both the at least one RS group and the at least one RS set. The report may be related to beam management or a CSI report, etc. In response, the gNB receives the report based on at least one of the at least one RS group or the at least one RS set in step 207. For example, the UE may report multiple CSI reports to the gNB based on multiple CSI-RS groups determined from multiple CSI-RS sets.

[0045] The reporting based on at least one RS group or at least one RS set may be based on differential reporting metrics. In some scenarios, the reporting may further include reporting at least one of an RS set index or an RS group index. The number of at least one of the RS set index or the RS group index is configured or predefined.

[0046] According to some embodiments of the present application, reporting based on at least one RS group or at least one RS set includes reporting at least one of the following: differential reporting metrics for different RS sets (e.g., differential reporting metrics based on RS resources from different RS sets), differential reporting metrics for different RS groups (e.g., differential reporting metrics based on RS resources, RS resource pairs, RS resource sets, or RS port sets from different RS groups), or differential reporting metrics for both different RS sets and different RS groups (e.g., differential reporting metrics based on RS resources, RS resource pairs, or RS port sets from different RS groups determined from different RS sets). Exemplary differential reporting metrics include at least one of a differential RSRP, a differential RSRQ, a differential RSSI, a differential L1-SINR, a differential RI, a differential CQI, or the like. For example, reporting based on at least one of the at least one RS group or at least one RS set may report a differential RSRP between different CSI-RS groups, or report a differential RSRP and a differential RSRQ between different CSI-RS groups, etc.

[0047] The RS set and / or RS group associated with determining the differential reporting metric may be determined in various manners. For example, in some embodiments of the present application, an RS set index and / or RS group index associated with determining the differential reporting metric is configured. In some other embodiments of the present application, the RS set index and / or RS group index associated with determining the differential reporting metric is based on a reporting identity. For example, for an RS group having periodic RS resources and an RS group having aperiodic RS resources, if the RS groups belong to the same reporting identity, the corresponding differential reporting metric between these two RS groups is reported. In the case of a comparison based on periodic RS resources and aperiodic RS resources, the RS set and / or RS group to which the periodic RS resources and the aperiodic RS resources respectively belong may also be determined based on the periodic RS resource that is closest to the aperiodic RS and earlier than the aperiodic RS.

[0048] Each differential reporting metric associated with an RS set may be generated based on a comparison between the RS set and another corresponding RS set (also referred to as a reference RS set). Similarly, each differential reporting metric associated with an RS group may be generated based on a comparison between the RS group and another corresponding RS group (also referred to as a reference RS group), e.g., a configured or predefined reference RS group. For example, different RS sets to be compared may include a configured or predefined reference RS set for comparison to determine the differential reporting metric. Similarly, different RS groups to be compared may include a configured or predefined reference RS group for comparison to determine the differential reporting metric.

[0049] The report based on at least one RS group and / or at least one RS set may further include reporting at least one of an RS set index or an RS group index, e.g., an index of an RS set with the largest reporting metric and / or an index of an RS group with the largest reporting metric. According to some embodiments of the present application, the number of at least one RS set (e.g., RS set index) or RS group (e.g., RS group index) is configured. For example, if there are four CSI-RS groups determined based on multiple CSI-RS sets, but the gNB configures the number of RS groups to be reported for each report as two, the UE reports only two differential reporting metrics associated with the two RS groups compared with two reference RS groups (e.g., the other two RS groups among the four groups) and reports the indices of the two RS groups with the largest reporting metrics in addition to the differential reporting metrics of the two RS groups. As an example, assume there are group indexes 0, 1, 2, and 3. Group indexes 0 and 1 belong to a certain part of the four groups. Group indexes 2 and 3, as the two reference RS groups, belong to the other part of the four groups. Group index 1 has a higher RSRP value than group index 0, but group index 2 has a higher RSRP value than group index 3. Finally, group indexes 1 and 2 are reported, given that they are the two groups with the highest reported metrics.

[0050] The time of reporting may also be determined in various manners. According to some embodiments of the present application, the time instance for performing reporting is configured, for example, by the gNB. According to some other embodiments of the present application, the time instance for performing reporting is based on the time instance of the aperiodic RS. In one example, for a periodic RS report based on triggering an aperiodic RS report, measurement results based on at least one of the periodic RS and the aperiodic RS are reported if the aperiodic RS report has the same reporting identity as the periodic RS report. In another example, for a periodic RS report based on triggering an aperiodic RS report, measurement results based on at least one of the periodic RS and the aperiodic RS are reported if both the periodic RS and the aperiodic RS belong to the same RS group. According to still other embodiments of the present application, the time instance for performing reporting is based on an event associated with a differential reporting metric. For example, a differential reporting metric is reported when a difference between measurement results based on an inactive RS group and measurement results based on an active RS group is greater than a configured or predefined threshold. The active RS group may correspond to a spatial domain configuration currently adopted by the network node. An inactive RS group may correspond to a spatial domain configuration that is not currently adopted by the network, and may be adopted later or previously by the network. The spatial domain configuration may correspond to an antenna port on or off, a TXRU on or off, or a TRP on or off, etc.

[0051] In order to help understand the technical solution of the present application, more detailed embodiments of the present application are exemplified below. Those skilled in the art should be well aware that due to the consistency between the network side and the remote side, some embodiments are only exemplified for one side as an example, and except for special operations, the corresponding operations on the other side should also be determined. In addition, the measurement resource determination and reporting exemplified in this specification mainly consider the novel parts in consideration of spatial element adaptation, and other measurement resource determination and reporting techniques applied to spatial element adaptation can also refer to known technologies.

[0052] Measurement resource determination As mentioned above, there are various ways to determine the measurement resources corresponding to the adaptation of the spatial domain elements.

[0053] For example, according to some embodiments (Scenario 1) of the present application, at least one RS set indicated by the first signaling is directly determined as at least one RS group, i.e., at least one RS group is the same as at least one RS set indicated by the first signaling, and the at least one RS set is used for measurement. For example, multiple RS groups for measurement are multiple CSI-RS sets configured via the first signaling, and different CSI-RS sets may have the same or different numbers of RS elements, e.g., multiple CSI-RS resources. In a multi-TRP scenario, at least one RS group is determined for each TRP, for example, based on a respective TRP identity or CORESETPoolIndex value (each corresponding to a TRP).

[0054] According to some other embodiments of the present application, at least one RS group is determined from the indicated at least one RS set based on additional configured or predefined information (or rules). Furthermore, to generate at least one RS group, RS resources (distinct or paired) from the indicated at least one RS set, or one or more RS sets from the indicated at least one RS set, are determined (or divided or grouped or selected). Alternatively, to generate at least one RS group, one or more port indexes for each resource from the indicated at least one RS set are determined (or divided or grouped or selected). Thus, each RS group includes one or more RS resources (which may be distinct or paired), or one or more RS sets, or one or more port indexes. In some scenarios, there may be slot or symbol overlap for data (and / or channels) and RS groups. An exemplary solution to this problem is the QCL assumption, i.e., that the spatial domain relationship of data (and / or channels) follows the spatial domain relationship of RS groups. In a multi-TRP scenario, at least one RS group may be determined for each TRP, e.g., based on the respective TRP identity or CORESETPoolIndex value, or, if possible, based on considering both single-TRP and multi-TRP together.

[0055] For example, according to some embodiments of the present application, the network side further configures information for determining at least one RS group, and indicates the information to the remote side through second signaling, such as another RRC signaling, or MAC CE signaling, or DCI signaling. Exemplary information includes, but is not limited to: a) at least one of the window size of the RS set or at least one time instance of the RS set, or b) The window size of the RS set and the offset of the RS set, or c) the window size of the RS set, the offset of the RS set, and at least one time instance of the RS set; or d) one or more RS resource indices within the RS set of at least one RS set; or e) The number of RS sets in the RS group, or f) The number of time instances of the RS set in the RS group, or g) The number of RS resources in the RS group, or h) The number of RS groups, or i) the number of elements in each RS group, or j) At least one port index within each RS resource Includes.

[0056] At least one RS group is determined based on at least one RS set and the information indicated in the second signaling. In some scenarios, separate items of the above information may be indicated to the UE for RS group determination. In some other scenarios, several combinations of the above items may be indicated to the UE for RS group determination.

[0057] In some embodiments (Scenario 2) of the present application, at least one RS group may be determined based on the indicated RS set according to different time-domain positions (e.g., time instances, etc.). An example scenario is that there is only one RS set configuration, e.g., one CSI-RS resource set configuration, that includes periodic RS resources (or considered as a periodically repeating RS set). For example, if the SCS is 15 kHz, the CSI-RS set includes CSI-RS resources #0, #1, #2, and #3, the periodicity (or duration) of the CSI-RS set and each CSI-RS resource is 40 ms, and the offsets for each CSI-RS resource are 0 slot, 1 slot, 2 slots, and 3 slots, respectively. Therefore, the time-domain resources for CSI-RS resource #0 are slot #0, slot #40, slot #80, etc. The time-domain resources for CSI-RS resource #1 are slot #1, slot #41, slot #81, etc. The time domain resources for CSI-RS resource #2 are slot #2, slot #42, slot #82, etc. The time domain resources for CSI-RS resource #3 are slot #3, slot #43, slot #83, etc. The at least one RS group may be determined based on the RS set configuration by dividing the periodic RS resources in the RS set (or the repeating periodic RS set) into at least one RS group according to different time domain positions (e.g., time instances). In some embodiments of the present application, the number of elements in each RS group may be configured in the second signaling. For example, the number of RS sets in an RS group or the number of time instances of RS sets in an RS group may be configured in the second signaling. In some other embodiments of the present application, the number of RS groups may be configured in the second signaling. In still other embodiments of the present application, a combination of some or all of the above information may be configured in the second signaling.

[0058] In some scenarios, the different time domain positions may also be configured or determined based on a window size and an offset (which may be zero, if any). An exemplary window size may be a multiple of the period of the RS resources in the RS set (which may also be expressed as the period of the RS set in some scenarios in which the RS set is considered periodic). An exemplary offset may also be in units of the period of the RS resources in the RS resource set (which may also be expressed as the period of the RS set in some scenarios in which the RS set is considered periodic). For example, if the second signaling indicates a window size, at least one time instance of the RS set is determined based on the window size. If the second signaling indicates a window size and an offset, at least one time instance of the RS set is determined based on the window size and the offset. If at least one RS resource in the RS set is a periodic RS resource, the window size and the offset are in units of the period of the at least one RS resource. In some embodiments of the present application, the time instance, the window, and the offset (which may be zero, if any) for grouping the RS sets may all be configured.

[0059] Each periodic RS set within the window (or RS resource within the period) may be associated with the same or a different RS group. Different RS groups may be associated with different spatial domain adaptations, such as turning on or off different antenna ports, turning on or off different TRPs, or turning on or off different TXRUs. In a multi-TRP scenario, the RS group determination may be based on each TRP, such as the respective TRP identity or CORESETPoolIndex value, or the RS group determination for both single-TRP and multi-TRP may be considered together.

[0060] FIG. 3 is a schematic diagram illustrating the determination of an RS group in scenario 2 according to some embodiments of the present application.

[0061] As shown in Figure 3, there is one RS set configuration, e.g., one CSI-RS resource set configuration that configures a CSI-RS resource set, and the CSI-RS resource set is repeated periodically. The window size is assumed to be twice the period of the CSI-RS set (or two periods), and the offset is assumed to be zero. The number of RS sets in an RS group is 1. Then, two CSI-RS groups, e.g., Group #0 and Group #1, each containing an RS set, may be determined.

[0062] On the other hand, the RS set configuration can also be expressed as an RS set having multiple periodic RS resources. The window size is assumed to be twice the period of the RS resources in the RS set, and the offset is assumed to be zero. The number of time instances of the RS set per RS ​​group is 1. Then, two CSI-RS groups, for example, Group #0 and Group #1, each containing four RS resources within one period, can be determined.

[0063] In some other embodiments (scenario 3) of the present application, at least one RS group may be determined based on the indicated RS set according to different RS resources, e.g., according to an RS resource index, etc. An exemplary scenario is that there is only one RS set configuration, e.g., one CSI-RS resource set configuration, that configures an RS set with periodic RS resources (or considered a periodically repeated RS set). Another exemplary scenario is that there is only one RS set configuration, e.g., one CSI-RS resource set configuration, that configures an RS set with aperiodic CSI-RS resources. According to some embodiments of the present application, at least one RS group may be determined based on the RS set configuration by dividing the periodic RS resources in the RS set (or repeated periodic RS set) into at least one RS group according to RS resources, e.g., according to an RS resource index, etc. Different RS groups may be associated with different spatial domain adaptations. The elements of each RS group may be separate RS resources (or RS resource indices), e.g., one or more CSI-RS resources, or may be RS resource pairs (or RS resource index pairs), e.g., one or more CSI-RS resource pairs.

[0064] For example, in some embodiments of the present application, one or more RS resource indexes in the RS set may be configured in the second signaling to be used for the RS group. In some other embodiments of the present application, the number of elements, e.g., the number of RS resources in an RS group, may be configured in the second signaling. In some still other embodiments of the present application, the number of RS groups may be configured in the second signaling. In some still other embodiments of the present application, the number of RS groups and / or the number of elements in each RS group may be configured in the second signaling.

[0065] In a multi-TRP scenario, the determination of RS groups can be based on each TRP, for example, based on the respective TRP identity or CORESETPoolIndex value, or the determination of RS groups for both single-TRP and multi-TRP can be considered together. In some embodiments of the present application, when determining RS groups for both single-TRP and multi-TRP together, each element in each RS group is an RS resource pair. Each RS resource of the RS resource pair corresponds to a TRP. The RS resource pair index for each RS group can be configured by the network side, for example, by the gNB via second signaling.

[0066] There may be partial or no overlap between elements, e.g., RS resources (e.g., RS resource indices) of different RS groups, i.e., different RS groups contain partially identical or completely different RS resources. For both beam management and CSI measurement, the partial overlap case may apply to scenarios where the beam width does not change and only the number of beams changes, while the no overlap case may apply to scenarios where both the beam width and the number of beams change.

[0067] FIG. 4 is a schematic diagram illustrating the determination of RS groups in Scenario 3 according to some embodiments of the present application, where there is no overlap between RS resources of different RS groups.

[0068] As shown in FIG. 4, there is one RS set configuration, e.g., one CSI-RS resource set configuration constituting a CSI-RS resource set, and the CSI-RS resource set is periodically repeated. Alternatively, the RS set configuration may also be represented as an RS set having multiple periodic RS resources. Two RS groups are determined, where two RSs (or an RS pair in a multi-TRP scenario) including RS resources #0 and #2 are configured for a first RS group, e.g., group #0, and two other RSs (or another RS ​​pair in a multi-TRP scenario) including RS resources #1 and #3 are configured for a second RS group, e.g., group #1. Therefore, different RS groups include entirely different RS resources.

[0069] FIG. 5 is a schematic diagram illustrating the determination of RS groups in Scenario 3, where there is partial overlap between RS resources of different RS groups, according to some other embodiments of the present application.

[0070] As shown in Figure 5, there is one RS set configuration, e.g., one CSI-RS resource set configuration that constitutes a CSI-RS resource set, and the CSI-RS resource set is periodically repeated. Alternatively, the RS set configuration may also be represented as an RS set having multiple periodic RS resources. Assume that two RS groups are determined, where two RSs including RS resources #0 and #2 are configured for a first RS group, e.g., group #0, and three RSs including RS resources #1, #2, and #3 are configured for a second RS group, e.g., group #1. Therefore, the two RS groups partially overlap because both include RS resource #2.

[0071] In some still other embodiments (scenario 4) of the present application, at least one RS group may be determined based on the indicated RS set according to a different port index within each resource. An exemplary scenario is that there is only one RS set configuration, e.g., one CSI-RS resource set configuration, that configures an RS set with periodic RS resources (or considered to be a periodic RS set) or one or more aperiodic RS resources. Another exemplary scenario is that there is only one RS set configuration, e.g., one CSI-RS resource set configuration, that configures an RS set with aperiodic RS resources. When an exemplary RS set configuration configures an RS set with only one RS, the RS set configuration may also be considered as an RS configuration, e.g., one CSI-RS resource configuration that configures one CSI-RS resource.

[0072] Each RS group includes one or more port indexes within a resource (a designated resource or resources within a designated RS set). In some embodiments of the present application, at least one port index within each RS resource may be configured in the second signaling. Different RS groups may be associated with TXRUs corresponding to different spatial domain adaptations, for example, antenna ports that are all set to off. RS transmission from the network side is based on the largest port index. There may be partial or no overlap between the port indexes of different RS groups, i.e., different RS groups include partially identical or completely different port indexes. In a multi-TRP scenario, the determination of the RS group may be based on each TRP, for example, based on the respective TRP identity or CORESETPoolIndex value.

[0073] RS report The UE performs reporting based on at least one of at least one RS group or at least one RS set, for example, reporting at least one of the following: differential reporting metrics for different RS sets, differential reporting metrics for different RS groups, or differential reporting metrics for both different RS sets and different RS groups. The RS group and / or RS set in each comparison as a reference (reference RS set or reference RS group) may be configured or implicitly determined in various manners, for example, by a configured RS set index and / or RS group index or the number of RS set indexes and / or RS group indexes. The RS group and / or RS set in each comparison for reporting its differential reporting metrics (reported RS set or reported RS group) may also be configured or implicitly determined in various manners, for example, by a configured RS set index and / or RS group index or the number of RS set indexes and / or RS group indexes. In some embodiments of the present application, all RS sets and / or determined RS groups may be used in the comparison (as reference RS sets and / or reference RS groups, or as reported RS sets and / or reported RS groups), while in some other embodiments of the present application, only a portion of the RS sets and / or determined RS groups may be used in the comparison.

[0074] Specifically, in some scenarios, the comparison is between periodic resources. Considering Scenario 1 in measurement resource determination, at least one RS set index (or RS group index) may be configured as a reference RS set or as an RS set for reporting its differential report metrics. For Scenarios 2 to 4 in measurement resource determination, some or all of the RS groups may be used for comparison. For example, at least one RS group index for comparison (or reporting) or the number of RS groups for comparison (or reporting) may be configured by the network side. For example, there are four RS groups, e.g., Group #0, Group #1, Group #2, and Group #3, determined in the scenario, and the number of reports is configured as two. Then, the comparison is between each two RS groups according to additional configuration information (or rules) or predefined information (or rules) to generate two reports, for example, between Group #0 and Group #1 and between Group #2 and Group #3. Which of Group #0 and Group #1, and which of Group #2 and Group #3, serves as the reference RS group or the reported RS group may be determined based on configured information (or rules) or predefined information (or rules).

[0075] In some other scenarios, the comparison is between a periodic RS in the RS set or RS group and an aperiodic RS in the RS set or RS group. According to some embodiments of the present application, the comparison can be based on measurement results of the aperiodic RS and the nearest periodic RS, where the periodic RS precedes the aperiodic RS. According to some other embodiments of the present application, the periodic RS and the aperiodic RS may be associated with the same reporting identity, and then the comparison result, e.g., a differential reporting metric between the periodic RS and the aperiodic RS, is reported.

[0076] For RS reporting for beam management, at least one of differential RSRP, differential RSRQ, differential RSSI, or differential L1-SINR between different RS groups is reported. In some embodiments of the present application, an RS group index associated with the report is also reported to the network side. How many RS groups are reported and which may or may not be accompanied by corresponding reporting metrics, e.g., RSRP, RSRQ, RSSI, and / or L1-SINR, may be configured by the network side. Exemplary reporting metrics, e.g., RSRP, RSRQ, RSSI, and / or L1-SINR of an RS group, may be determined based on the best value among all resources of the RS group or based on the average of the best N values ​​of the reporting metrics among all resources of the RS group, where N is a configured or predefined integer greater than or equal to 1. The same applies to differential reporting metrics between different RS sets.

[0077] In a multi-TRP scenario for beam management, reporting may be performed per TRP or between different TRPs.

[0078] If reporting is per TRP, considering scenarios 2-4 in measurement decisions, each TRP may be associated with an RS set, but RS group reporting may be performed separately for each RS set.

[0079] Considering scenarios 2 to 4 in measurement determination, when reporting is between multiple TRPs, if each TRP is associated with an RS set, the report includes the RS set index in addition to the reporting metric, e.g., the differential reporting metric for the RS group (or RS group index). The differential reporting metric is between different RS groups of different RS sets. In some embodiments of the present application, both the RS set index and the RS group index are reported as a pair. The corresponding differential reporting metric may also be reported together with the RS set index and the RS group index. In some other embodiments of the present application, the RS set index and the RS group index may correspond to different bit fields. For example, the RS set index is reported in a first field, and the RS group index associated with the RS set index is reported in a second field. The corresponding reporting metric may also be reported together with the RS group index.

[0080] In the case of an RS report for a CSI report, at least one of the differential values ​​of RI, precoding matrix indicator (PMI), channel quality indication (CQI), and layer indication (LI) between different RS groups is reported. If one RS group has one CQI and another RS ​​group for comparison has two CQIs, only the first corresponding CQI is used to determine the differential value. Regarding the PMI, RI, and LI, etc., these are reported based on each RS group. In some embodiments of the present application, an RS group index associated with the report is also reported to the network side. How many RS groups are reported and which may or may not be accompanied by corresponding reporting metrics, e.g., RI, PMI, CQI, and / or LI, etc., may be configured or predefined by the network side. Exemplary reporting metrics for an RS group, e.g., RI and / or CQI, etc., may be determined based on the best value of RI and / or CQI among all resources of the RS group or based on the average of the best N values ​​of RI and / or CQI among all resources of the RS group. The same applies to differential reporting metrics between different RS sets.

[0081] In a multi-TRP scenario for CSI reporting, differential reporting metrics, e.g., differential RI and CQI, may be for RS groups for a single RS resource corresponding to a single TRP. In some other embodiments of the present application, differential reporting metrics, e.g., differential RI and CQI, may also be between both different RS sets and different RS groups for comparison between different TRPs. In addition, there may be reporting metrics, e.g., differential RI and CQI, between RS groups constructed by different RS set indices and different resource pair indices. An exemplary resource pair index may also be represented by an RS set index. For example, the RS set index corresponding to the first TRP is 0, the RS set index corresponding to the second TRP is 1, and the RS set index corresponding to the resource pair of both the first TRP and the second TRP is 2. Therefore, the RS set index and RS group index may also be reported in the same field, e.g., as a pair, or in different bit fields.

[0082] In addition to the method, the embodiments of the present application also propose an apparatus that supports spatial element adaptation.

[0083] For example, FIG. 6 illustrates a block diagram of an apparatus 600 that supports spatial element adaptation, according to some embodiments of the present application.

[0084] 6, the apparatus 600 may include at least one non-transitory computer-readable medium 601, at least one receiving circuit 602, at least one transmitting circuit 604, and at least one processor 606 coupled to the non-transitory computer-readable medium 601, the receiving circuit 602, and the transmitting circuit 604. The at least one processor 606 may be a central processing unit (CPU), a digital signal processor (DSP), a microprocessor, etc. The apparatus 600 may be a RAN node, e.g., a gNB, or a remote device, e.g., a UE, configured to implement the methods exemplified above.

[0085] In this figure, elements such as at least one processor 606, transmit circuitry 604, and receive circuitry 602 are described in the singular, but the plural is contemplated unless limitation to the singular is explicitly stated. In some embodiments of the present application, the receive circuitry 602 and the transmit circuitry 604 may be combined into a single device, such as a transceiver. In certain embodiments of the present application, the apparatus 600 may further include an input device, a memory, and / or other components.

[0086] In some embodiments of the present application, the non-transitory computer-readable medium 601 may store computer-executable instructions that cause a processor to implement a method for a RAN node, e.g., a gNB, as described above. For example, the computer-executable instructions, when executed, cause the processor 606 to interact with the receive circuit 602 and the transmit circuit 604 to perform steps for a RAN node, as shown above.

[0087] In some embodiments of the present application, the non-transitory computer-readable medium 601 may store computer-executable instructions that cause a processor to implement a method relating to a remote device, e.g., a UE, as described above. For example, the computer-executable instructions, when executed, cause the processor 606 to interact with the receiving circuit 602 and the transmitting circuit 604 to perform steps relating to a remote device, as illustrated above.

[0088] FIG. 7 is a block diagram of an apparatus 700 that supports spatial element adaptation, according to some other embodiments of the present application.

[0089] 7, an apparatus 700, e.g., a RAN node or a UE, may include at least one processor 702 and at least one transceiver 704 coupled to the at least one processor 702. The transceiver 704 may include at least one separate receiving circuit 706 and transmitting circuit 708, or at least one integrated receiving circuit 706 and transmitting circuit 708. The at least one processor 702 may be a CPU, a DSP, a microprocessor, etc.

[0090] According to some embodiments of the present application, the apparatus 700 is a RAN node, e.g., a gNB, including a transceiver and a processor coupled to the transceiver, wherein the processor is configured to: transmit first signaling indicating at least one RS set, each RS set including at least one RS resource; determine at least one RS group based on the at least one RS set; and receive a report based on at least one of the at least one RS group or the at least one RS set.

[0091] According to some embodiments of the present application, the apparatus 700 is a remote device, e.g., a UE, including a transceiver and a processor coupled to the transceiver, wherein the processor is configured to: receive first signaling indicating at least one RS set, each RS set including at least one RS resource; determine at least one RS group based on the at least one RS set; and perform reporting based on at least one of the at least one RS group or the at least one RS set.

[0092] The methods according to the embodiments of the present application may also be implemented on a programmed processor. However, the controller, flowcharts, and modules may also be implemented on hardware electronic or logical circuitry, such as a general-purpose or special-purpose computer, a programmed microprocessor or microcontroller and peripheral integrated circuit elements, an integrated circuit, a discrete component circuit, or a programmable logic device. In general, any device capable of implementing the flowcharts shown in the figures may be used to implement the processor functions of the present application. For example, one embodiment of the present application provides an apparatus including a processor and a memory. Computer-programmable instructions for implementing the method are stored in the memory, and the processor is configured to execute the computer-programmable instructions to implement the method. The method may be the method described above or another method according to an embodiment of the present application.

[0093] An alternative embodiment preferably implements the method according to an embodiment of the present application on a non-transitory computer-readable storage medium storing computer-programmable instructions. The instructions are preferably executed by a computer-executable component, preferably integrated with the network security system. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium may be stored on any suitable computer-readable storage medium, such as random access memory (RAM), read-only memory (ROM), flash memory, electrically erasable programmable read-only memory (EEPROM), an optical storage device (compact disc (CD) or digital video disc (DVD)), a hard drive, a floppy disk, or any suitable device. The computer-executable component is preferably a processor, although the instructions may alternatively or additionally be executed by any suitable dedicated hardware device. For example, one embodiment of the present application provides a non-transitory computer-readable storage medium having computer-programmable instructions stored thereon. The computer-programmable instructions are configured to implement a method as described above or other methods according to an embodiment of the present application.

[0094] Additionally, in this disclosure, the terms "includes," "including," or any other variations thereof, are intended to cover a non-exclusive inclusion, such that a process, method, article, or apparatus that comprises a list of elements not only includes those elements, but may also include other elements not expressly listed or inherent to such process, method, article, or apparatus. An element preceded by "a," "an," etc., does not, without further constraints, preclude the presence of additional identical elements in the process, method, article, or apparatus that comprises that element. Also, the term "another" is defined as at least a second or more. Terms such as "having," as used herein, are defined as "including." [Explanation of symbols]

[0095] 100 Wireless Communication System 101 Base station (BS), BS 103UE 600 equipment 601 Non-transitory computer-readable medium 602 receiving circuit 604 Transmitting circuit 606 processor 700 equipment 702 processor 704 Transceiver 706 Receiving Circuit 708 Transmitting Circuit

Claims

1. A user equipment (UE), A transceiver; a processor coupled to the transceiver, the processor comprising: receiving first signaling indicating at least one reference signal (RS) set, each RS set including at least one RS resource; determining at least one RS group based on the at least one RS set; performing reporting based on at least one of the at least one RS group or the at least one RS set; The UE is configured to:

2. the processor: The following information: At least one of the window size of the RS set or at least one time instance of the RS set, or The window size of the RS set and the offset of the RS set, or the window size of the RS set, the offset of the RS set, and at least one time instance of the RS set, or one or more RS resource indices within an RS set of the at least one RS set; or The number of RS sets in the RS group, or The number of time instances of the RS set in the RS group, or The number of RS resources in the RS group, or The number of RS groups, or the number of elements in each RS group, or At least one port index in each RS resource receiving second signaling indicating the information; determining the at least one RS group based on the at least one RS set and the information indicated in the second signaling; The UE of claim 1 , configured to:

3. 3. The UE of claim 2, wherein if the second signaling indicates the window size, at least one time instance of the RS set is determined based on the window size.

4. 10. The UE of claim 1, wherein each element in an RS group of the at least one RS group is an RS resource pair.

5. The UE of claim 4 , wherein the two RS resources of the RS resource pair are from the same RS set or different RS sets.

6. 10. The UE of claim 1, wherein the start time for determining the at least one RS group is configured by a medium access control (MAC) control element (CE), a group common downlink control information (DCI), or a dynamic scheduling DCI.

7. 10. The UE of claim 1, wherein the stop time for determining the at least one RS group is configured by a medium access control (MAC) control element (CE), a group common downlink control information (DCI), or a dynamic scheduling DCI, or is based on a configured or predefined timer.

8. The reporting based on at least one of the at least one RS group or the at least one RS set is based on at least one of the following: Differential reporting metrics for different RS sets, Differential reporting metrics for different RS groups, or Differential reporting metrics for both different RS sets and different RS groups The UE of claim 1 , further comprising reporting at least one of:

9. 10. The UE of claim 8, wherein the reporting based on at least one of the at least one RS group or the at least one RS set further comprises reporting at least one of an RS set index or an RS group index.

10. 10. The UE of claim 8, wherein the different RS sets comprise configured or predefined reference RS sets, and the different RS groups comprise configured or predefined reference RS groups.

11. 9. The UE of claim 8, wherein the differential reporting metric is based on periodic RS resources and aperiodic RS resources in an RS set or RS group, and the RS set or RS group is determined based on the periodic RS resource that is closest to and earlier than the aperiodic RS.

12. 10. The UE of claim 8, wherein at least one of an RS set index or an RS group index associated with determining the differential reporting metric is based on a reporting identity.

13. 10. The UE of claim 1, wherein the time instance for performing the reporting is configured or based on a time instance of a non-periodic RS or based on an event associated with a differential reporting metric.

14. A Radio Access Network (RAN) node, comprising: A transceiver; a processor coupled to the transceiver, the processor comprising: transmitting first signaling indicating at least one reference signal (RS) set, each RS set including at least one RS resource; determining at least one RS group based on the at least one RS set; receiving a report based on at least one of the at least one RS group or the at least one RS set; a RAN node configured to:

15. receiving first signaling indicating at least one reference signal (RS) set, each RS set including at least one RS resource; determining at least one RS group based on the at least one RS set; performing reporting based on at least one of the at least one RS group or the at least one RS set; A wireless communication method comprising:

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