Update transmission setting instruction status

Abstract

[0003] Embodiments of the present disclosure relate to a device, method, apparatus, and computer-readable medium for updating transmission configuration indication (TCI) states taking spatial adaptation into account. The method includes, in a terminal device, receiving, from a network device, configuration information of two or more TCI state sets corresponding to at least one antenna / spatial pattern disposed on the network device, receiving, from the network device, a notification related to which of the two or more TCI state sets is applicable to the terminal device, and applying at least one TCI state from the applicable TCI state set in subsequent communication with the network device.

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] FIELD Embodiments of the present disclosure relate generally to the field of telecommunications, and more particularly to devices, methods, apparatus, and computer-readable storage media related to updating transmission configuration indication (TCI) states with spatial adaptation in mind. [Background technology]

[0002] Reducing network energy consumption has been discussed within the 3rd Generation Partnership Project (3GPP™) as a key issue for environmental sustainability, reducing environmental impact, and reducing operational costs.

[0003] As fifth-generation mobile communications technology (5G) spreads across industries and geographic regions to handle advanced services and applications requiring very high data rates, networks are becoming denser, using more antennas, wider bandwidth, and more frequency bands. Summary of the Invention

[0004] Generally, the exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure provide a solution for TCI state updates that takes spatial adaptation into account.

[0005] In a first aspect, a terminal device is provided, the terminal device comprising: one or more transceivers; and one or more processors communicatively coupled to the one or more transceivers, the one or more processors configured to cause the terminal device to receive, from a network device, configuration information of two or more TCI condition sets corresponding to at least one antenna / spatial pattern disposed on the network device, receive from the network device a notification related to which of the two or more TCI condition sets is applicable to the terminal device, and apply at least one TCI state from the applicable TCI condition set in subsequent communication with the network device.

[0006] In a second aspect, a network device is provided, the network device comprising: one or more transceivers; and one or more processors communicatively coupled to the one or more transceivers, the one or more processors configured to cause the network device to: transmit, to a terminal device, configuration information of two or more TCI condition sets corresponding to at least one antenna / spatial pattern disposed on the network device; and transmit, to the terminal device, a notification related to which of the two or more TCI condition sets is applicable to the terminal device.

[0007] In a third aspect, a method is provided, the method including: receiving, in a terminal device, from a network device, configuration information of two or more TCI condition sets corresponding to at least one antenna / spatial pattern disposed on the network device, receiving from the network device a notification related to which of the two or more TCI condition sets is applicable to the terminal device, and applying at least one TCI state from the applicable TCI condition set in subsequent communication with the network device.

[0008] In a fourth aspect, a method is provided, the method including: transmitting, from a network device to a terminal device, configuration information of two or more TCI condition sets, each corresponding to at least one antenna / spatial pattern disposed on the network device; and transmitting, to the terminal device, a notification related to which of the two or more TCI condition sets is applicable to the terminal device.

[0009] In a fifth aspect, an apparatus is provided that comprises: means for receiving, from a network device, configuration information of two or more TCI state sets, each corresponding to at least one antenna / spatial pattern disposed on the network device; means for receiving, from the network device, a notification relating to which of the two or more TCI state sets is applicable to the device; and means for applying at least one TCI state from the applicable TCI state set in subsequent communication with the network device.

[0010] In a sixth aspect, an apparatus is provided, comprising: means for transmitting configuration information of two or more TCI condition sets corresponding to at least one antenna / spatial pattern disposed in the apparatus to a terminal device; and means for transmitting a notification to the terminal device relating to which of the two or more TCI condition sets is applicable to the terminal device.

[0011] In a seventh aspect, a terminal device is provided, comprising at least one processor and at least one memory storing instructions that, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the terminal device to at least receive from a network device configuration information of two or more TCI state sets, each corresponding to at least one antenna / spatial pattern disposed on the network device; receive from the network device a notification relating to which of the two or more TCI state sets is applicable to the terminal device; and apply at least one TCI state from the applicable TCI state set in subsequent communication with the network device.

[0012] In an eighth aspect, a network device is provided comprising at least one processor and at least one memory storing instructions that, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the network device to perform at least the following: send configuration information to a terminal device corresponding to at least one antenna / spatial pattern disposed in the network device among two or more TCI state sets; and send a notification to the terminal device relating to which of the two or more TCI state sets is applicable to the terminal device.

[0013] In a ninth aspect, there is provided a computer readable medium having stored thereon a computer program which, when executed by at least one processor of an apparatus, causes the apparatus to perform a method according to the third or fourth aspect.

[0014] Furthermore, other features and advantages of the embodiments of the present disclosure will become apparent from the following description of specific embodiments, taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings which illustrate, by way of example, the principles of embodiments of the present disclosure. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0015] Embodiments of the present disclosure are presented by way of example, the advantages of which will be explained in more detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings. [Figure 1] FIG. 1 illustrates an exemplary environment in which exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure may be implemented. [Figure 2] FIG. 2 illustrates a signaling chart illustrating a process of updating a TCI state according to some exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure. [Figure 3A] FIG. 3A illustrates an example of updating a TCI state according to some exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure. [Figure 3B] FIG. 3B illustrates an example of updating a TCI state according to some exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure. [Figure 4] FIG. 4 illustrates a flowchart of an example method for updating TCI status according to some example embodiments of the present disclosure. [Figure 5]FIG. 5 illustrates a flowchart of an example method for updating a TCI state according to some example embodiments of the present disclosure. [Figure 6] FIG. 6 shows a simplified block diagram of an apparatus suitable for practicing exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure. [Figure 7] 7 shows a block diagram illustrating an example of a computer-readable medium according to some embodiments of the present disclosure. Throughout the drawings, the same or similar reference numbers may represent the same or similar elements. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0016] The principles of the present disclosure will be described with reference to some exemplary embodiments. These embodiments are provided solely to facilitate understanding of the present disclosure and to facilitate implementation of the present disclosure by those skilled in the art, and are not intended to limit the scope of the present disclosure. The embodiments described herein can be realized in various embodiments other than those described below.

[0017] In the following description and claims, unless otherwise defined, all technical and scientific terms used herein shall have the meaning commonly understood by one of ordinary skill in the art to which the technology described herein belongs.

[0018] References in this disclosure to "one embodiment," "embodiment," "exemplary embodiment," and the like indicate that the described embodiment includes a particular feature, structure, or characteristic, but do not require that all embodiments include the particular feature, structure, or characteristic. Moreover, such references do not necessarily refer to the same embodiment. Furthermore, when a particular feature, structure, or characteristic is described in connection with an embodiment, it is clear that it is within the knowledge of one skilled in the art to modify that feature, structure, or characteristic in connection with other embodiments.

[0019] Although terms such as "first," "second," and the like are used to describe various elements, these elements are not limited by these terms. These terms are used merely to distinguish one element from another. For example, a first element can be referred to as a second element, and similarly, a second element can be referred to as a first element, without departing from the scope of the exemplary embodiments. As used herein, the term "and / or" includes any and all combinations of one or more of the listed terms.

[0020] As used herein, "at least one of: " and "at least one " and similar expressions, when a list of two or more elements is connected by "and" or "or", mean at least one element, or at least two or more elements, or at least all elements.

[0021] In this specification, unless expressly stated otherwise, performing a step "in response to A" does not mean that the step is performed immediately after "A" occurs, but may include one or more intervening steps.

[0022] The terminology used herein is for the purpose of describing particular embodiments and is not intended to limit example embodiments. As used herein, the singular forms "a," "an," and "the" are intended to include the plural forms unless the context clearly dictates otherwise. Furthermore, as used herein, the terms "comprises," "comprising," "has," "having," "includes," and "including" specify the presence of stated features, elements, and / or components, etc., but do not exclude the presence or addition of one or more other features, elements, components, and / or combinations thereof.

[0023] In this application, the term "circuit" means (a) hardware-only circuit implementation (e.g., implementation using only analog and / or digital circuitry); (b) a combination of hardware circuitry and software, e.g., (where applicable); (i) a combination of analog and / or digital hardware circuitry and software / firmware; and (ii) any portion of software, hardware processors with software and memory (including digital signal processors) that work together to cause a device, such as a mobile phone or a server, to perform various functions; and (c) A hardware circuit or processor (e.g., a microprocessor or part of a microprocessor) that requires software (e.g., firmware) to operate without the need for software, including the absence of such software; It may refer to one or more, or all, of the following:

[0024] This definition of circuit applies to all uses of the term in this application, including the claims. Furthermore, the term circuit as used herein also covers a simple hardware circuit or processor (or processors) or part of a hardware circuit or processor and its associated software and / or firmware implementation. For example, the term circuit, when applied to certain claim elements, also covers a baseband or processor integrated circuit for a mobile device, or a similar integrated circuit in a server, cellular network device, or other computing or network device.

[0025] As used herein, the term "communication network" refers to a network conforming to an appropriate communication standard, such as New Radio (NR), Long Term Evolution (LTE), LTE-Advanced (LTE-A), Wideband Code Division Multiple Access (WCDMA), High-Speed ​​Packet Access (HSPA), or Narrowband Internet of Things (NB-IoT). Furthermore, communications between terminal devices and network devices within the communication network may be based on, but not limited to, first-generation (1G), second-generation (2G), 2.5G, 2.75G, third-generation (3G), fourth-generation (4G), 4.5G, fifth-generation (5G) communication protocols, and / or other protocols now known or developed in the future. Embodiments of the present disclosure may be applied to various communication systems. With the rapid development of communication technologies, it is natural that future communication technologies and systems capable of embodying the present disclosure will also emerge. Therefore, the scope of the present disclosure is not limited to the above-mentioned systems.

[0026] As used herein, the term "network device" refers to a node in a communication network through which a terminal device accesses and receives services from the network. Network devices may be base stations (BSs) or access points (APs), e.g., Node Bs (Node Bs or NBs), evolved Node Bs (eNode Bs or eNBs), NR NBs (also referred to as gNBs), remote radio units (RRUs), radio headers (RHs), remote radio heads (RRHs), relays, integrated access and backhaul (IAB) nodes, low-power nodes such as femto and pico nodes, non-terrestrial networks (NTNs) or non-terrestrial network devices (e.g., satellite network devices, low earth orbit (LEO) satellites, geostationary earth orbit (GEO) satellites), or airborne network devices, depending on the terminology and technology applied. In some exemplary embodiments, a radio access network (RAN) split architecture includes a centralized unit (CU) and a distributed unit (DU) in an IAB donor node. The IAB node includes a mobile terminal (IAB-MT) portion that acts like a UE to a parent node, and the DU portion of the IAB node acts like a base station to a next-hop IAB node.

[0027] The term "terminal" refers to any terminal device capable of wireless communication. By way of example, a terminal device may also be referred to as communication equipment, user equipment (UE), subscriber station (SS), mobile subscriber station, mobile station (MS), or access terminal (AT). Terminal devices include mobile phones, cellular phones, smartphones, VoIP phones, wireless local loop phones, tablets, wearable terminals, PDAs, portable computers, desktop computers, image capture terminals such as digital cameras, gaming terminals, music storage and playback devices, in-vehicle wireless terminals, wireless endpoints, mobile stations, laptop embedded devices (LEEs), laptop mounted devices (LMEs), USB dongles, smart devices, wireless customer premise equipment (CPEs), Internet of Things (IoT) devices, watches or other wearables, head-mounted displays (HMDs), vehicles, drones, medical devices and applications (e.g., remote surgery), industrial devices and applications (e.g., robots and / or other wireless devices operating in the context of industrial and / or automated processing chains), consumer electronics devices, devices operating on commercial and / or industrial wireless networks, and the like. Terminal devices may also correspond to the mobile terminal (MT) portion of an IAB node (e.g., a relay node). Hereinafter, the terms "terminal device," "communications device," "terminal," "user equipment," and "UE" may be used interchangeably.

[0028] As used herein, the terms "resource," "transmission resource," "resource block," "physical resource block" (PRB), "uplink resource," or "downlink resource" refer to any resource for performing communication, such as communication between a terminal device and a network device. Examples include time domain resources, frequency domain resources, spatial domain resources, code domain resources, or other resources that enable communication. Hereinafter, unless explicitly stated, both frequency domain and time domain resources are used as examples of transmission resources to describe some exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure. It should be noted that the exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure are equally applicable to other resources in other domains.

[0029] 1 illustrates an example of a communication network 100 in which an embodiment of the present invention may be implemented. As shown in FIG. 1, the communication network 100 may include a terminal device 110. Hereinafter, the terminal device 110 may also be referred to as a UE.

[0030] The communication network 100 may further include a network device 120. Hereinafter, the network device 120 may also be referred to as a gNB. The terminal device 110 may communicate with the network device 120.

[0031] 1 is for illustrative purposes only and is not intended to be limiting in any way. Communications network 100 may include any suitable number of network devices and terminal devices.

[0032] In some exemplary embodiments, the link from network device 120 to terminal device 110 may be referred to as the downlink (DL), and the link from terminal device 110 to network device 120 may be referred to as the uplink (UL). In the DL, network device 120 is the transmit (TX) device (or transmitter) and terminal device 110 is the receive (RX) device (or receiver). In the UL, terminal device 110 is the TX device (or transmitter) and network device 120 is the RX device (or receiver).

[0033] Communications in the communication environment 100 may be implemented according to any suitable communication protocol, including first-generation (1G), second-generation (2G), third-generation (3G), fourth-generation (4G), fifth-generation (5G), sixth-generation (6G) cellular communication protocols, wireless local network communication protocols such as Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) 802.11, and / or other protocols now known or developed in the future. Further, communications may utilize any suitable wireless communication technology, including, but not limited to, code division multiple access (CDMA), frequency division multiple access (FDMA), time division multiple access (TDMA), frequency division duplex (FDD), time division duplex (TDD), multiple-input multiple-output (MIMO), orthogonal frequency division multiplexing (OFDM), discrete Fourier transform spread OFDM (DFT-s-OFDM), and / or other technologies now known or developed in the future.

[0034] As networks become more dense, energy consumption has become a significant factor in operational costs. The majority of energy consumption comes from the radio access network, especially from active antenna units (AAUs). Radio access power consumption can be divided into two parts: a dynamic part that is consumed only when data transmission / reception is in progress, and a static part that is constantly consumed to maintain the minimum necessary operation of the radio access device even when data transmission / reception is not in progress.

[0035] In 5G New Radio (NR), the TCI state can be used to establish a quasi-co-location (QCL) relationship between a source reference signal (RS) resource and a target RS resource, and the two resources are considered to be quasi-co-located if the channel characteristics of symbols transmitted on one antenna port can be inferred from the channel characteristics of symbols transmitted on the other antenna port.

[0036] The update / notification of the TCI state or spatial relationship information for DL ​​and UL channels may depend on different operations with different functions, e.g., different operations may be considered in terms of the flexibility or speed of the notification or update. The TCI state is a container that includes QCL source reference signals to provide spatial source characteristics that help the UE to set its receive beam for DL ​​reception. Similarly, spatial relationships can carry reference signals that the UE can use as spatial sources to inform how to set its transmit beam for UL transmission.

[0037] In 5G NR, QCL types are defined. QCL type AC is applicable in frequency range 1 (FR1), and QCL type AD is applicable in frequency range 2 (FR2). In FR2, the network can signal a change in the transmit beam of the physical downlink control channel (PDCCH) or physical downlink shared channel (PDSCH) by switching the TCI state. For aperiodic sounding reference signals (A-SRS), MAC CE-based spatial relationship updates can be performed on a per-resource level.

[0038] The operation of TCI status / spatial relationship information signaling is briefly described below for DL ​​and UL channels / signals. Multiple spatial relationship information can be configured through the Radio Resource Control (RRC) in the Physical Uplink Control Channel (PUCCH). The selection and activation of one spatial relationship can be done through the Medium Access Control (MAC) Control Element (CE).

[0039] Furthermore, RRC can configure up to 128 TCI states for the PDSCH and can activate up to 8 TCI states using MAC CE. The Downlink Control Information (DCI) has a 3-bit field to select a specific TCI state from the 8 activated TCI states for PDSCH beam direction. For PDCCH, each control resource set (CORESET) consists of K TCI states and MAC CE signaling indicates which TCI state is used.

[0040] Furthermore, a unified TCI framework is defined, which means that the TCI states that previously provided QCL assumptions for reception of DL signals and channels can also be used to provide spatial sources for transmission of UL signals and channels.

[0041] The unified TCI framework defines the concept of an indicated TCI state. An indicated TCI state may be a joint DL and UL TCI state or a separate DL TCI state and a separate UL TCI state. An indicated TCI state may provide a QCL source (DL) for a set of downlink signals and channels and a spatial source (UL) for a set of uplink signals and channels. For a UE, there may be one indicated joint DL and UL TCI state or one indicated DL TCI state and one indicated UL TCI state.

[0042] At a high level, the unified TCI framework includes the following features: For example, a common TCI state (also called a directed TCI) for a set of signals and channels at a time. The TCI state can be a joint DL / UL TCI state or a separate DL TCI state and a separate UL TCI state. A set (or pool) of joint and / or separate TCI states is configured by the RRC. The MAC can activate (e.g., eight) joint and / or separate TCI states. Before the indication, the first activated TCI state becomes the current directed TCI state. The DCI can indicate one of the activated TCI states as the directed TCI state, which is also considered as the common TCI state.

[0043] For DCI-based TCI status indication, the TCI status indication can be sent using DCI format 1_1 / 1_2, regardless of whether there is a DL allocation. This indication can be acknowledged by the UE using a Hybrid Automatic Repeat Request (HARQ) Acknowledgment (ACK). The first slot for beam indication application timing can be X ms or Y symbols after the last symbol of the ACK for joint or separate DL / UL beam indication. The codepoint of the TCI field can be configured for both joint DL / UL or separate DL and UL cases. In the joint DL / UL case, the codepoint of the TCI field can indicate the TCI status for both DL and UL. Meanwhile, in the separate DL and UL case, the codepoint of the TCI field can indicate a pair of DL TCI status and UL TCI status, or a pair of DL TCI status and UL TCI status.

[0044] Further research and development into dynamic spatial adaptation is currently underway, which may involve improvements to channel state information (CSI) and beam management related procedures (measurements, reporting, signaling, etc.) to enable efficient adaptation of spatial elements.

[0045] Such dynamic spatial adaptation may affect beam management related procedures, especially TCI state update / instruction procedures. For example, muting logical antenna ports with reduced rotational beams may result in a wider beam pattern, affecting QCL information and, consequently, the instructed or applicable TCI state.

[0046] Therefore, an embodiment of the present disclosure proposes a TCI update / indication mechanism that takes spatial adaptation into account. In this solution, a terminal device receives configurations of two or more TCI state sets corresponding to at least one antenna / spatial pattern deployed in a network device. The terminal device also receives a notification related to which of the two or more TCI state sets is applicable to the terminal device. The terminal device applies at least one TCI state from the applicable TCI state set in subsequent communication with the network device. In this way, a flexible, fast, and efficient TCI state update / indication procedure that takes dynamic spatial adaptation into account can be applied.

[0047] Exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure will now be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0048] 2 illustrates a signaling chart 200 for communication in accordance with some exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure. As shown in FIG. 2, the signaling chart 200 includes a terminal device 110 and a network device 120. For purposes of explanation, the signaling chart 200 will be described with reference to FIG. 1.

[0049] 2, network device 120 transmits (202) configuration information of two or more TCI state sets to terminal device 110. Each of the two or more TCI state sets may correspond to at least one antenna pattern, at least one spatial pattern, and / or at least one antenna configuration arranged on network device 120. In some embodiments, the at least one antenna pattern, at least one spatial pattern, and / or at least one antenna configuration arranged on network device 120 may also be referred to as spatial adaptation.

[0050] As used below, two or more TCI state sets may also be referred to as two or more TCI state subsets within one or more TCI state sets.

[0051] In some exemplary embodiments, the set (or subset) of TCI states may correspond to active TCI states in the MAC CE. In other exemplary embodiments, the set of TCI states may correspond to TCI states configured via RRC. That is, the network device 120 may notify the terminal device of configuration information for two or more TCI state sets via the MAC CE or RRC.

[0052] For example, when the terminal device 110 is close to the network device or when the traffic / cell load is low, the capacity provided by using more antennas will not be fully utilized. From the viewpoint of network energy saving, the network device 120 can turn off some of the transceivers to improve energy efficiency without significantly impacting the service to the terminal device 110. Under this circumstance, the network device 120 has the freedom to decide which transceivers to mute according to different configurations, and in practice, different antenna / spatial muting patterns can be configured in the network device.

[0053] 3A illustrates multiple antenna / spatial patterns. As shown, antenna panels 301-306 each have an area where antenna / spatial elements are muted. For example, in antenna panel 301, antenna / spatial elements within area 311 are muted. By muting different antenna / spatial elements, different antenna / spatial patterns can be configured on network device 120.

[0054] Optionally or alternatively, at least one antenna / spatial pattern or at least one antenna / spatial configuration used below may be associated with one or more other parameters. For example, at least one antenna / spatial pattern or at least one antenna / spatial configuration may be represented by, correspond to, or be replaced by one or more antenna muting patterns, the number or set of one or more active or muted antenna / spatial elements, the number or set of one or more active or muted antenna ports, one or more reporting configurations or settings, one or more codebook configurations, one or more spatial configurations, one or more CSI-RS resources or resource sets, respective values ​​of one or more parameters for a CSI-RS resource or CSI-RS resource set, a CSI-RS resource or CSI-RS resource set configuration, one or more energy or power levels, or one or more energy reduction levels.

[0055] As described above, the two or more TCI state sets each correspond to at least one antenna pattern, at least one spatial pattern, and / or at least one antenna configuration arranged on the network device 120.

[0056] Optionally, terminal device 110 can recognize an association between two or more TCI state sets and corresponding antenna / spatial patterns or configurations. For example, network device 120 can send a notification / configuration to terminal device 110, e.g., via a system information block (SIB), RRC, MAC CE, and / or DCI, informing that each of two or more TCI state sets corresponds to at least one antenna pattern and / or at least one spatial pattern and / or at least one antenna configuration configured on network device 120. That is, a correspondence between each of two or more TCI state sets and at least one antenna / spatial pattern or configuration appears to terminal device 110.

[0057] Another option is that the terminal device 110 may be unaware of the correspondence, meaning that the correspondence between each of the two or more TCI state sets and at least one antenna / spatial pattern or setting is not visible to the terminal device 110.

[0058] 2, network device 120 may also send a notification to terminal device 110 related to which of two or more TCI state sets is applicable or “active” (204). Thus, terminal device 110 may determine the applicable TCI state set from the two or more TCI state sets based on the notification (206).

[0059] For example, the network device 120 may send a notification via the MAC CE related to which of two or more sets of TCI conditions are applicable, or the network device 120 may send a notification via the DCI related to which of two or more sets of TCI conditions are applicable.

[0060] In some example embodiments, the notification may explicitly indicate which of two or more TCI condition sets is applicable, e.g., each of the two or more TCI condition sets may be configured with an identifier, and the notification may indicate the identifier of the applicable TCI condition set.

[0061] When the network device 120 updates or indicates one or more TCI states in the MAC CE, the terminal device may be notified using new, existing, or reserved bits or fields corresponding to or belonging to these one or more TCI states via the same or different MAC CE or DCI.

[0062] For example, for TCI states activated (via MAC CE) for DL ​​and / or UL channels or signals, such as the PDSCH, PDCCH, Physical Uplink Shared Channel (PUSCH), Physical Uplink Control Channel (PUCCH), Sounding Reference Signal (SRS), CSI-RS, Tracking Reference Signal (TRS), etc., there will be two sets of such activated TCI states (e.g., each corresponding to an antenna pattern). When updating one of these TCI state sets, network device 120 can notify which set the TCI state indicated in the MAC CE corresponds to. Based on this notification or a separate notification, terminal device 110 is informed of which TCI state set is applicable.

[0063] When the network device 120 updates or signals one or more TCI states indicated in the DCI, the terminal device is notified in the same or a different DCI or MAC CE using new, existing, or reserved bits or fields. This determines the set to which these one or more TCI states belong. For example, for TCI states activated (through MAC CE) for DL ​​and / or UL channels or signals such as PDSCH, PDCCH, PUSCH, PUCCH, SRS CSI-RS, and TRS, there are two sets of such activated TCI states (e.g., each corresponding to an antenna pattern). For example, when indicating a TCI state in the DCI, the network device 120 indicates the set to which the indicated TCI state belongs. The terminal device 110 then knows from which set to obtain this TCI state. Based on this or a separate notification, the UE is informed of which TCI state set is applicable.

[0064] That is, based on the MAC CE or DCI, the terminal device 110 determines at least one TCI state from the applicable TCI state set to be applied in subsequent communication with the network device 120. Based on the MAC CE or DCI, the terminal device 110 can obtain the value of the at least one TCI state. The terminal device 110 can know, via the same or separate notifications, which of two or more TCI state sets is applicable and the at least one TCI state to be applied from the applicable TCI state set.

[0065] In other exemplary embodiments, the notification may implicitly indicate which of two or more TCI state sets is applicable. For example, if terminal device 110 recognizes an association between two or more TCI state sets and corresponding antenna / spatial patterns or configurations, the notification may indicate the (applicable) antenna / spatial pattern or configuration, and the notification may be explicit or implicit and may be sent using at least one of RRC, MAC CE, or DCI. Terminal device 110 then considers the TCI state set corresponding to the indicated / applicable antenna / spatial pattern or configuration. In some embodiments, after terminal device 110 is notified of an antenna pattern, terminal device 110 may consider the set of TCI states to be applicable immediately after the pattern is notified or after a configured period after the configuration is notified.

[0066] Thus, when network device 120 updates or signals one or more TCI states via MAC CE, terminal device 110 understands that the one or more TCI states correspond to the applicable TCI state set. Similarly, when network device 120 signals a TCI state in a DCI, terminal device 110 understands that the one or more TCI states are the applicable TCI state set for the selected TCI state set.

[0067] Furthermore, two or more TCI state sets described above may be configured, correspond to, or be defined for one or more UL / DL channels or signals. Specifically, for example, antenna / spatial adaptation may be applicable / effective only for some or all of the terminal device dedicated channels and signals, such as PDSCH, PDCCH, CSI-RS, TRS, etc. Therefore, the operations and notifications proposed above are applicable only to the adaptable channels / signals.

[0068] Furthermore, if a new indicated / applicable antenna / spatial pattern does not affect the reference signal provided as the source reference signal in the information provided by the TCI state, this TCI state is still applicable. The effect on the reference signal may be due to a change in the number / set of corresponding ports or a change in the number of antennas / spatial elements (active or muted).

[0069] In other words, the change in TCI state is applicable only to channels or signals (based on the defined association / correspondence) whose TCI state includes the source RS affected by the (new) specified / applicable antenna / spatial pattern.

[0070] Thus, terminal device 110 may determine, for example, that there are two applicable active sets of TCI states, each set corresponding to or valid for a particular UL / DL signal and channel. The applicability or relevance of a channel / signal to an antenna / spatial adaptation or a particular antenna / spatial pattern may be configured or indicated to the terminal device.

[0071] In some demonstrative embodiments, terminal device 110 can determine one or more antenna muting patterns (e.g., as shown in FIG. 3A ) based on the applicable TCI state set. If terminal device 110 is indicated with an applicable TCI state set with a given antenna / spatial pattern, e.g., if the antenna / spatial pattern is associated with an antenna muting pattern, terminal device 110 can apply transmission and / or reception for channels and signals with the particular antenna muting pattern based on instructions from the received associated TCI indication.

[0072] An example of a TCI state indication or update can be described in more detail with reference to Figure 3B. As shown in Figure 3B, in block 321, terminal device 110 can be configured to maintain at least two active TCI state sets, each corresponding to one or more antennas / spatial patterns, which are comprised of a pool of TCI states and can be configured by RRC. For example, TCI state sets 331 and 332 are configured, each of which can have up to eight active TCI states / codepoints.

[0073] Terminal device 110 may then receive a MAC CE indicating that one or more of the at least two active TCI state sets are to be activated / updated / indicated, and terminal device 110 may then determine, in block 322, which TCI state sets are applicable based on the identifiers of the TCI state sets or the indication of applicable antennas / spatial patterns located at network device 120.

[0074] If the network device 120 updates the ("instructed") TCI state via the DCI or the TCI state in the MAC CE taking into account one TCI state set, the terminal device 110 obtains the value of this TCI state from the applicable TCI state set of active TCI states in block 323.

[0075] Based on the solution of the present disclosure, a flexible, fast and efficient TCI state update / indication procedure can be applied by considering dynamic spatial adaptation. Furthermore, this solution allows for (fast and efficient) adaptation and determination of active / indicated TCI states to applicable antenna / spatial (mute) patterns.

[0076] 4 illustrates a flowchart of an example method 400 for TCI status updating in accordance with some exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure. Method 400 may be implemented in terminal device 110 shown in FIG. 1. For purposes of explanation, method 400 will be described with reference to FIG. 1.

[0077] At 410, terminal device 110 receives, from a network device, configuration information of two or more TCI state sets corresponding to at least one antenna / spatial pattern deployed on the network device.

[0078] At 420, terminal device 110 receives a notification from a network device relating to which of two or more TCI condition sets are applicable to the terminal device.

[0079] At 430, the terminal device 110 applies at least one TCI state from the applicable TCI state set in subsequent communications with the network device.

[0080] In some exemplary embodiments, the terminal device may further obtain a configuration indicating that at least one of the two or more TCI state sets corresponds to one or more of the one or more antennas / spatial patterns located on the network device.

[0081] In some exemplary embodiments, at least one antenna / spatial pattern is associated with at least one of one or more antenna muting patterns, one or more numbers or sets of active or muted antennas / spatial elements, one or more numbers or sets of active or muted antenna ports, one or more reporting configurations or settings, one or more codebook configurations, one or more spatial configurations, one or more CSI-RS resources or resource sets, values ​​of one or more parameters of CSI-RS resources or CSI-RS resource sets, configurations of CSI-RS resources or CSI-RS resource sets, one or more energy or power levels, or one or more energy reduction levels.

[0082] In some exemplary embodiments, the terminal device further determines an applicable TCI condition set from two or more TCI condition sets based on the instruction.

[0083] In some exemplary embodiments, the indication relating to which of two or more TCI condition sets is applicable includes at least one of an identifier of the applicable TCI condition set or an applicable antenna / spatial pattern of the network device.

[0084] In some exemplary embodiments, the terminal device may further receive configuration information of two or more TCI state sets via RRC signaling.

[0085] In some exemplary embodiments, the terminal device further receives at least one of a DCI or a MAC CE from the network device, and determines at least one TCI state from the applicable TCI state set based on the at least one of the DCI or the MAC CE.

[0086] In some exemplary embodiments, the terminal device may obtain a value for at least one TCI state from an applicable TCI state set based on at least one of the DCI or the MAC CE.

[0087] In some exemplary embodiments, the terminal device may further receive at least one of a DCI or a MAC CE along with an indication as to which of two or more TCI condition sets is applicable.

[0088] In some example embodiments, at least one TCI state is indicated via at least one of a DCI or a MAC CE using at least one of a new field, an existing field, or a reserved field.

[0089] In some exemplary embodiments, the two or more TCI state sets each correspond to information including at least one of one or more uplink channels or signals or one or more downlink channels or signals, and the terminal device can further obtain a configuration indicating an association of the information with at least one antenna / spatial pattern disposed in the network device.

[0090] In some exemplary embodiments, the terminal device may further determine at least one antenna / spatial pattern corresponding to the applicable TCI state set and perform transmission or reception of channels and signals using the at least one antenna / spatial pattern.

[0091] 5 illustrates a flowchart of an example method 500 of TCI state updating, according to some exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure. Method 500 may be performed in network device 120, as shown in FIG. 1. For illustrative purposes, method 500 will be described with reference to FIG. 1.

[0092] At 510, the network device 120 transmits configuration information of two or more TCI state sets corresponding to at least one antenna / spatial pattern disposed on the network device to the terminal device.

[0093] At 520, the network device 120 sends a notification to the end device relating to which of two or more TCI condition sets are applicable to the end device.

[0094] In some exemplary embodiments, the network device may further transmit a configuration to the terminal device indicating that at least one of the two or more TCI state sets corresponds to one or more of the at least one antenna / spatial pattern located on the network device.

[0095] In some exemplary embodiments, at least one antenna / spatial pattern is associated with at least one of: one or more antenna muting patterns; one or more numbers or sets of active or muted antennas / spatial elements; one or more numbers or sets of active or muted antenna ports; one or more reporting configurations or settings; one or more codebook configurations; one or more spatial configurations; one or more CSI-RS resources or resource sets; values ​​of one or more parameters of CSI-RS resources or CSI-RS resource sets; a configuration of CSI-RS resources or CSI-RS resource sets; one or more energy or power levels; or one or more energy reduction levels.

[0096] In some exemplary embodiments, the notification related to which of two or more TCI condition sets is applicable includes at least one of an identifier of the applicable TCI condition set or an applicable antenna / spatial pattern of the network device.

[0097] In some exemplary embodiments, the network device may further transmit configuration information of two or more TCI state sets via RRC signaling.

[0098] In some exemplary embodiments, the network device may further transmit to the terminal device at least one of a DCI or a MAC CE indicating at least one TCI state to be applied from the set of TCI states to be applied.

[0099] In some example embodiments, the network device may further transmit at least one of a DCI or a MAC CE along with a notification relating to which of two or more TCI condition sets is applicable.

[0100] In some example embodiments, the at least one TCI state is signaled by at least one of the DCI or the MAC CE using at least one of a new field, an existing field, or a reserved field.

[0101] In some exemplary embodiments, the two or more TCI state sets each correspond to information including at least one of one or more uplink channels or signals or one or more downlink channels or signals, and the network device may further transmit to the terminal device a configuration indicating an association between the information and at least one antenna / spatial pattern disposed on the network device.

[0102] In some exemplary embodiments, an apparatus capable of performing method 400 (e.g., implemented in terminal device 110) may comprise means for performing the steps of method 400. The means may be implemented in any suitable form. For example, the means may be implemented as a circuit or a software module.

[0103] In some demonstrative embodiments, the device comprises means for receiving, from the network device, configuration information of two or more TCI state sets, each corresponding to at least one antenna / spatial pattern disposed on the network device; means for receiving, from the network device, a notification relating to which of the two or more TCI state sets is applicable to the device; and means for applying at least one TCI state from the applicable TCI state set in subsequent communication with the network device.

[0104] In some exemplary embodiments, the device may further comprise means for obtaining a configuration indicating that at least one of the two or more TCI state sets corresponds to one or more of the at least one antenna / spatial pattern disposed on the network device.

[0105] In some exemplary embodiments, at least one antenna / spatial pattern is associated with at least one antenna muting pattern, one or more numbers or sets of one or more active or muted antennas / spatial elements, one or more numbers or sets of one or more active or muted antenna ports, one or more reporting configurations or settings, one or more codebook configurations, one or more spatial configurations, one or more CSI-RS resources or resource sets, values ​​of one or more parameters of CSI-RS resources or CSI-RS resource sets, configurations of CSI-RS resources or CSI-RS resource sets, one or more energy or power levels, or one or more energy reduction levels.

[0106] In some example embodiments, the apparatus may further comprise means for determining an applicable TCI condition set from two or more TCI condition sets based on the notification.

[0107] In some exemplary embodiments, the notification related to which of two or more TCI condition sets is applicable includes at least one of an identifier of the applicable TCI condition set or an applicable antenna / spatial pattern of the network device.

[0108] In some exemplary embodiments, the apparatus may further include means for receiving, via RRC signaling, configuration information of two or more TCI state sets.

[0109] In some example embodiments, the apparatus may further comprise means for receiving at least one of a DCI or a MAC CE from the network apparatus, and means for determining at least one TCI state from an applicable TCI state set based on the at least one of the DCI or the MAC CE.

[0110] In some exemplary embodiments, the apparatus may further comprise means for obtaining, based on at least one of the DCI or the MAC CE, a value of at least one TCI state from an applicable TCI state set.

[0111] In some demonstrative embodiments, the apparatus may further comprise means for receiving at least one of a DCI or a MAC CE and an indication indicating which of the two or more TCI state sets is applicable.

[0112] In some example embodiments, at least one DCI or MAC CE is signaled by at least one TCI state using one of at least one new field, existing field, or reserved field.

[0113] In some demonstrative embodiments, the two or more TCI state sets each correspond to information including at least one of one or more uplink channels or signals or one or more downlink channels or signals, and the device may further include means for obtaining a configuration indicating an association of the information with at least one antenna / spatial pattern disposed on the network device.

[0114] In some exemplary embodiments, an apparatus capable of executing method 500 (e.g., implemented in network device 120) may comprise means for performing each step of method 500. The means may be implemented in any suitable form. For example, the means may be implemented as a circuit or a software module.

[0115] In some exemplary embodiments, the apparatus comprises means for transmitting configuration information of two or more TCI condition sets corresponding to at least one antenna / spatial pattern disposed on the apparatus to a terminal device, and means for transmitting an indication to the terminal device indicating which of the two or more TCI condition sets are applicable to the terminal device.

[0116] In some demonstrative embodiments, the apparatus may further include means for transmitting a configuration to the terminal device indicating that at least one of the two or more TCI state sets corresponds to one of the at least one antenna / spatial pattern disposed on the network device.

[0117] In some exemplary embodiments, at least one antenna / spatial pattern is associated with at least one of one or more antenna muting patterns, one or more numbers or sets of active or muted antennas / spatial elements, one or more numbers or sets of active or muted antenna ports, one or more reporting configurations or settings, one or more codebook configurations, one or more spatial configurations, one or more CSI-RS resources or resource sets, values ​​of one or more parameters of CSI-RS resources or CSI-RS resource sets, configurations of CSI-RS resources or CSI-RS resource sets, one or more energy or power levels, or one or more power saving levels.

[0118] In some exemplary embodiments, the indication as to which of two or more TCI condition sets is applicable includes at least one of an identifier of the applicable TCI condition set or an applicable antenna / spatial pattern of the network device.

[0119] In some exemplary embodiments, the apparatus may further include means for transmitting, via RRC signaling, configuration information of the two or more TCI state sets.

[0120] In some exemplary embodiments, the apparatus may further comprise means for transmitting to the terminal device at least one of a DCI or a MAC CE indicating at least one TCI state to be applied from the applied TCI state set.

[0121] In some demonstrative embodiments, the apparatus may further include means for transmitting at least one of a DCI or a MAC CE along with an indication of which of the two or more TCI condition sets is applicable.

[0122] In some example embodiments, at least one TCI state is indicated by at least one of the DCI or MAC CE using at least one of a new field, an existing field, or a reserved field.

[0123] In some exemplary embodiments, the two or more TCI state sets each correspond to information including one or more uplink channels or signals, one or more downlink channels or signals, or both, and the device may further comprise means for transmitting to the terminal device a configuration indicating an association of the information with at least one antenna / spatial pattern disposed on the network device.

[0124] 6 illustrates a simplified block diagram of an apparatus 600 suitable for implementing an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure. The apparatus 600 may be provided to implement a communications apparatus such as the terminal equipment 110 or the network equipment 120 illustrated in FIG. 1. As illustrated, the device 600 includes one or more processors 610, one or more memories 620 coupled to the processors 610, and one or more communications modules 640 coupled to the processors 610.

[0125] The communications module 640 is for bidirectional communication. The communications module 640 includes one or more communications interfaces that facilitate communication with one or more other modules or devices. The communications interfaces may represent any interface necessary for communication with other network elements. In some exemplary embodiments, the communications module 640 may include at least one antenna.

[0126] Processor 610 may be of any type suitable for a local technology network and may include, for example, one or more of a general-purpose computer, a special-purpose computer, a microprocessor, a digital signal processor (DSP), a processor based on a multi-core processor architecture, etc. Device 600 may include multiple processors, such as application-specific integrated circuit chips, time-slaved to a clock that synchronizes a main processor.

[0127] The memory 620 may include one or more non-volatile memories and one or more volatile memories. Examples of non-volatile memory include, but are not limited to, read-only memory (ROM) 624, electrically programmable read-only memory (EPROM), flash memory, hard disks, compact disks (CDs), digital video disks (DVDs), optical disks, laser disks, and other magnetic and / or optical storage devices. Examples of volatile memory include, but are not limited to, random access memory (RAM) 622 and other volatile memory that is not retained during power loss.

[0128] The computer program 630 includes computer-executable instructions that are executed by the associated processor 610. The instructions of the program 630 may include instructions for performing the operations / acts of some exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure. The program 630 is stored in a memory (e.g., the ROM 624). The processor 610 can load the program 630 into the RAM 622 to perform any appropriate operations and processes.

[0129] An exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure may be implemented by a program 630, which enables the device 600 to perform any of the processes of the present disclosure described in Figures 2 to 5. An exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure may also be implemented by hardware or a combination of software and hardware.

[0130] In some exemplary embodiments, the program 630 may be tangibly contained in a computer-readable medium included in the device 600 (such as memory 620) or other storage accessible to the device 600. The device 600 may load the program 630 from the computer-readable medium into RAM 622 for execution. In some exemplary embodiments, the computer-readable medium may include any type of non-transitory storage medium, such as ROM, EPROM, Flash memory, hard disks, CDs, DVDs, and the like. The term "non-transitory" as used herein refers not to a limitation regarding the permanence of the data storage device (e.g., RAM vs. ROM), but rather to a limitation regarding the medium itself (i.e., tangible, not a signal).

[0131] 7 shows an example of a computer readable medium 700, which may take the form of a CD, DVD, or other optical storage disc. The computer readable medium 700 has the program 630 stored thereon.

[0132] In general, various embodiments of the present disclosure may be implemented by hardware or special purpose circuits, software, logic, or any combination thereof. Some aspects may be implemented by hardware, while other aspects may be implemented by firmware or software executed by a controller, microprocessor, or other computing device. Although various aspects of embodiments of the present disclosure have been described using block diagrams, flowcharts, or other graphical representations, it should be understood that the blocks, devices, systems, techniques, or methods described herein may be implemented by, by way of non-limiting example, hardware, software, firmware, special purpose circuits or logic, general purpose hardware or controller, other computing device, or any combination thereof.

[0133] Some exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure also provide at least one computer program product tangibly stored on a computer-readable medium, such as a non-transitory computer-readable medium. The computer program product includes computer-executable instructions, such as those included in program modules, for executing on a device on a target physical or virtual processor to perform any of the methods described above. Generally, program modules include routines, programs, libraries, objects, classes, components, data structures, etc. that perform particular tasks or implement particular abstract data types. The functionality of the program modules may be combined or divided among program modules as desired in various embodiments. The machine-executable instructions for a program module may be executed in a local or distributed device. In a distributed device, the program modules may be located in both local and remote storage media.

[0134] Program code for carrying out the methods of the present disclosure can be written in any combination of one or more programming languages. The program code can be provided to a processor or controller of a general-purpose computer, special-purpose computer, or other programmable data processing apparatus, and when executed by the processor or controller, can implement the functions / acts specified in the flowcharts and / or block diagrams. The program code can be executed entirely on a machine, partially on a machine, as a stand-alone software package, partially on a machine and partially on a remote machine, or entirely on a remote machine or server.

[0135] In the context of the present disclosure, computer program code or associated data may be transmitted by any suitable carrier to enable a device, apparatus, or processor to perform the various processes and operations as described above. Examples of carriers include signals, computer-readable media, etc.

[0136] The computer-readable medium may be a computer-readable signal medium or a computer-readable storage medium. Computer-readable media include, but are not limited to, electronic, magnetic, optical, electromagnetic, infrared, or semiconductor systems, apparatus, or devices, or any suitable combination thereof. More specific examples of computer-readable storage media include an electrical connection having one or more wires, a portable computer disk, a hard disk, a random access memory (RAM), a read-only memory (ROM), an erasable programmable read-only memory (EPROM or Flash memory), an optical fiber, a portable compact disk read-only memory (CD-ROM), an optical storage device, a magnetic storage device, or any suitable combination thereof.

[0137] Furthermore, although operations are described in a particular order, this does not imply that the operations must be performed in that particular order or sequence, or that all of the operations shown must be performed, to achieve desirable results. Multitasking and parallel processing may be preferred in certain situations. Similarly, while the above description includes details of several specific examples, these should not be construed as limiting the scope of the disclosure, but rather as descriptions of functionality specific to particular embodiments. Unless explicitly stated otherwise, certain features described in the context of separate embodiments may also be implemented in combination in a single embodiment. Conversely, unless explicitly stated otherwise, various features described in the context of a single embodiment may also be implemented in multiple embodiments separately or in any suitable subcombination.

[0138] Although the present disclosure has been described in terms of structural features and / or method acts, it is to be understood that the present disclosure, as defined by the appended claims, is not necessarily limited to the specific features or acts described above. Rather, the specific features and acts described above are disclosed as exemplary forms for implementing the invention.

Claims

1. A terminal device, one or more transceivers; one or more processors communicatively coupled to the one or more transceivers; Equipped with The one or more processors may include: receiving, from a network device, configuration information for two or more sets of transmit configuration indication (TCI) conditions corresponding to at least one antenna / spatial pattern disposed on said network device; receiving a notification from the network device relating to which of the two or more TCI condition sets is applicable to the terminal device; applying at least one TCI state from the applicable TCI state set in subsequent communications with the network device; A terminal device configured to cause the

2. The terminal device of claim 1 , wherein the terminal device is configured to acquire a configuration that notifies the network device that at least one of the two or more TCI state sets corresponds to the at least one antenna / spatial pattern disposed in the network device.

3. The at least one antenna / spatial pattern comprises: one or more antenna muting patterns; one or more numbers or sets of active or muted antennas / spatial elements; one or more numbers or sets of active or muted antenna ports; one or more reporting configurations or settings; one or more codebook configurations; one or more spatial settings, one or more channel state information reference signal (CSI-RS) resources or resource sets; a respective value of one or more parameters of a CSI-RS resource or a CSI-RS resource set; Configuring a CSI-RS resource or a CSI-RS resource set; one or more energy or power levels, or one or more power saving levels; 3. The terminal device of claim 2, which is associated with at least one of:

4. The terminal device according to claim 1 , wherein the terminal device is configured to determine the applicable TCI state set from the two or more TCI state sets based on the notification.

5. The notification relating to which of the two or more TCI condition sets is applicable comprises: an identifier for the applicable TCI condition set, or the applicable antenna / spatial pattern of said network device; 5. The terminal device according to claim 1, further comprising at least one of:

6. 6. The terminal device according to claim 1, wherein the terminal device is adapted to receive the configuration information of the two or more TCI state sets via Radio Resource Control (RRC) signaling.

7. The terminal device receiving at least one of a Downlink Control Information (DCI) or a Medium Access Control (MAC) Control Element (CE) from the network device; determining the at least one TCI state from the applicable TCI state set based on at least one of the DCI or MAC CE; 7. A terminal device according to claim 1, adapted to execute the following:

8. The terminal device of claim 7 , wherein the terminal device is configured to obtain a value for the at least one TCI state from the applicable TCI state set based on at least one of the DCI or MAC CE.

9. 9. The terminal device of claim 7, wherein the terminal device is adapted to receive the at least one DCI or MAC CE together with the indication relating to which of the two or more TCI state sets is applicable.

10. The at least one TCI state is indicated via the at least one DCI or MAC CE: New fields, An existing field, or Reserved fields, 10. The terminal device according to claim 7, wherein notification is made by using at least one of the following:

11. The two or more TCI state sets each include: one or more uplink channels or signals; or one or more downlink channels or signals; corresponding to information including at least one of the terminal device is adapted to obtain a configuration informing it of an association between the at least one antenna / spatial pattern arranged in the network device and the information; The terminal device according to any one of claims 1 to 10.

12. The terminal device determining at least one antenna / spatial pattern corresponding to said applicable set of TCI conditions; using said at least one antenna / spatial pattern to transmit or receive channels and signals; 12. A terminal device according to any preceding claim, adapted to execute the following:

13. A network device, one or more transceivers; one or more processors communicatively coupled to the one or more transceivers; Equipped with The one or more processors may configure the network device to: transmitting to a terminal device configuration information among two or more transmission configuration indication (TCI) state sets corresponding to at least one antenna / spatial pattern disposed in the network device; sending a notification to the terminal device relating to which of the two or more TCI condition sets is applicable to the terminal device; 1. A network device configured to:

14. 14. The network device of claim 13, wherein the network device is configured to transmit a configuration to the terminal device informing the terminal device that at least one of the two or more TCI state sets corresponds to one or more of the at least one antenna / spatial pattern located on the network device.

15. The antenna / spatial pattern is: one or more antenna muting patterns; one or more numbers or sets of active or muted antennas / spatial elements; one or more numbers or sets of active or muted antenna ports; one or more reporting configurations or settings; one or more codebook configurations; one or more spatial settings, one or more channel state information reference signal (CSI-RS) resources or resource sets; a respective value of one or more parameters of a CSI-RS resource or a CSI-RS resource set; Configuring a CSI-RS resource or a CSI-RS resource set; one or more energy or power levels, or one or more power saving levels; 15. A network device according to claim 13 or 14, which is associated with at least one of:

16. The notification relating to which of the two or more TCI condition sets is applicable comprises: an identifier for the applicable TCI condition set, or the applicable antenna / spatial pattern of said network device; 16. A network device according to claim 1, comprising at least one of:

17. 17. The network device of claim 1, wherein the network device is adapted to transmit the configuration information of the two or more TCI state sets via Radio Resource Control (RRC) signaling.

18. 18. A network device according to any preceding claim, wherein the network device is adapted to transmit to the terminal device Downlink Control Information (DCI) or Medium Access Control (MAC) Control Element (CE) informing at least one TCI state from the applicable TCI state set to be applied.

19. 20. The network device of claim 18, wherein the network device is adapted to transmit at least one of the DCI or MAC CE along with the notification relating to which of the two or more TCI state sets is applicable.

20. The at least one TCI state is indicated via at least one of the DCI or MAC CE: New fields, An existing field, or Reserved fields, 20. The network device according to claim 18 or 19, wherein the notification is made using at least one of the following:

21. The two or more TCI state sets each include: one or more uplink channels or signals; or one or more downlink channels or signals; corresponding to information including at least one of the network device is adapted to transmit to the terminal device a configuration informing the terminal device of an association between the at least one antenna / spatial pattern disposed on the network device and the information; 21. A network device according to any preceding claim.

22. receiving, at a terminal device, from a network device, configuration information of two or more sets of transmission configuration indication (TCI) conditions corresponding to at least one antenna / spatial pattern disposed at the network device; receiving a notification from the network device relating to which of the two or more TCI condition sets is applicable to the terminal device; applying at least one TCI state from the applicable set of TCI states in subsequent communications with the network device; A method comprising:

23. transmitting, from a network device to a terminal device, configuration information of two or more sets of transmit configuration indication (TCI) conditions corresponding to at least one antenna / spatial pattern disposed on the network device; sending to the terminal device a notification relating to which of the two or more TCI condition sets applies to the terminal device; A method comprising:

24. 1. An apparatus comprising: means for receiving, from a network device, configuration information for two or more sets of transmit configuration indication (TCI) conditions corresponding to at least one antenna / spatial pattern disposed on said network device; means for receiving a notification from the network device relating to which of the two or more TCI condition sets is applicable to the device; means for applying at least one TCI state from said set of applicable TCI states in subsequent communications with said network device; An apparatus comprising:

25. 1. An apparatus comprising: means for transmitting to a terminal device two or more sets of transmission configuration indication (TCI) state configuration information, each set corresponding to at least one antenna / spatial pattern disposed on the device; means for transmitting to the terminal device a notification relating to which of the two or more TCI condition sets is applicable to the terminal device; An apparatus comprising:

26. A terminal device, at least one processor; When executed by the at least one processor, the terminal device is configured to: receiving, at the terminal device, from a network device, configuration information of two or more sets of transmission configuration indication (TCI) states corresponding to at least one antenna / spatial pattern disposed at the network device; receiving a notification from the network device relating to which of the two or more TCI condition sets is applicable to the terminal device; applying at least one TCI state from the applicable set of TCI states in subsequent communications with the network device; at least one memory storing instructions for executing the A terminal device comprising:

27. A network device, at least one processor; When executed by the at least one processor, the network device is configured to: transmitting, from the network device to the terminal device, configuration information of two or more transmission configuration indication (TCI) state sets, each corresponding to at least one antenna / spatial pattern disposed on the network device; sending a notification to the terminal device relating to which of the TCI condition sets are applicable to the terminal device; at least one memory storing instructions for executing the A network device comprising:

28. 24. A computer readable medium comprising instructions that, when executed by an apparatus, cause the apparatus to perform at least one of the method of claim 22 or the method of claim 23.

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