Association between antenna ports and port groups

Abstract

Methods, apparatus, and systems relating to the association of antenna ports and port groups with respect to various types of reference signals are disclosed to help reduce transmission loss and enable effective communication between a base station and user equipment (UE). In one exemplary aspect, a method for wireless communication includes a base station configuring one or more phase-tracking reference signal (PTRS) ports associated with antenna ports in a group of antenna ports. One or more antenna ports in a group of antenna ports share the same PTRS port. The method also includes a base station performing uplink transmission to a terminal device based on one or more PTRS ports.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] (Technical Field) This patent document is directed to digital communications.

Background Art

[0002] (Background) Mobile communication technologies are leading the world towards a more connected and networked society. The rapid growth of mobile communication and technological progress have led to further demands for capacity and connectivity. Other aspects such as energy consumption, device cost, spectral efficiency, and latency are also important to meet the requirements of various communication scenarios. Various techniques, including new ways to provide higher quality services, longer battery life, and improved performance, have been discussed.

Summary of the Invention

Means for Solving the Problems

[0003] (Summary) This patent document particularly describes techniques related to the association of antenna ports and port groups with various types of reference signals for reducing transmission losses and enabling effective communication between a base station and a user equipment (UE).

[0004] In one exemplary aspect, a method for wireless communication includes configuring, by a base station, one or more phase tracking reference signal (PTRS) ports associated with one or more antenna ports within one or more antenna port groups. One or more antenna ports within an antenna port group share the same PTRS port. The method also includes performing, by the base station, an uplink transmission with a terminal device based on the one or more PTRS ports.

[0005] In one exemplary aspect, a method for wireless communication includes a terminal device for uplink transmission determining one or more phase-tracking reference signal (PTRS) ports associated with one or more antenna ports within a group of antenna ports. One or more antenna ports within the group of antenna ports share the same PTRS port, and the method includes the terminal device performing uplink transmission with a base station based on one or more PTRS ports.

[0006] In another exemplary aspect, a communications device is disclosed. This device includes a processor configured to implement the method described above.

[0007] In yet another exemplary aspect, a computer program storage medium is disclosed. The computer program storage medium contains code stored thereon. When the code is executed by a processor, it causes the processor to implement the described method.

[0008] These and other aspects are explained in this book. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0009] [Figure 1A] Figure 1A illustrates a method for wireless communication according to one or more embodiments of the present technology.

[0010] [Figure 1B] Figure 1B illustrates a method for wireless communication according to one or more embodiments of the present technology.

[0011] [Figure 2A] Figure 2A illustrates one embodiment of the present technology in which the antenna ports are organized into two groups of antenna ports.

[0012] [Figure 2B] Figure 2B illustrates another embodiment of one or more of the present technology, in which the antenna ports are organized into two groups of antenna ports.

[0013] [Figure 2C] FIG. 2C illustrates yet another example of partitioning antenna ports into two antenna port groups according to one or more embodiments of the present technology.

[0014] [Figure 3A] FIG. 3A illustrates an example of partitioning antenna ports into four antenna port groups according to one or more embodiments of the present technology.

[0015] [Figure 3B] FIG. 3B illustrates another example of partitioning antenna ports into four antenna port groups according to one or more embodiments of the present technology.

[0016] [Figure 3C] FIG. 3C illustrates yet another example of partitioning antenna ports into four antenna port groups according to one or more embodiments of the present technology.

[0017] [Figure 4] FIG. 4 shows an example of a wireless communication system to which a technique according to one or more embodiments of the present technology can be applied.

[0018] [Figure 5] FIG. 5 is a block diagram representation to which a part of a wireless station according to one or more embodiments of the present technology can be applied.

BEST MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION

[0019] (Detailed Description) The section headings in this book are used only to improve readability and do not limit the scope of the disclosed embodiments and techniques within each section to that section only. Further, some embodiments are described with reference to the 3rd Generation Partnership Project (3GPP®), 5th Generation (5G) New Radio (NR), or 6th Generation (6G) standards for ease of understanding, and the techniques described may be implemented in different radio systems implementing protocols other than the NR or 6G protocols.

[0020] In wireless communication, many reference signals are used for different purposes to enable more accurate and efficient transmission of information. For example, a sounding reference signal (SRS) is a type of reference signal transmitted from a user equipment (UE) to a base station so that the base station can perform channel quality estimation regarding the uplink. A demodulation reference signal (DMRS) is a reference signal used to decode data transmission in both the downlink and uplink directions. A phase-tracking reference signal (PTRS) is used to track the phase of the local oscillator in a receiver and a transmitter, thereby enabling suppression of phase noise and general phase errors, which is particularly important at high carrier frequencies such as millimeter waves. Other reference signals, such as a channel state information (CSI) reference signal (RS), provide a mechanism for providing measurements and measurement reports regarding channel state estimation.

[0021] In the current NR design, for one UE, a maximum of four DMRS ports are supported, a maximum of four SRS ports are supported, and a maximum of two PTRS ports are supported. With the advancement of wireless communication technology, more than four SRS ports and more than four DMRS ports can be supported for a UE in the uplink direction. The number of supported PTRS ports can also increase. Assuming more and more ports for various types of reference signals, there remains a need to define the association between different ports for reference signal planning for communication improvement.

[0022] This patent document discloses techniques that can be implemented in various embodiments to enable appropriate association between reference signal antenna ports (e.g., SRS ports and PTRS ports, DMRS ports and PTRS ports). As the number of antenna ports increases, the antenna ports are considered to exist in groups based on characteristics such as full / partial coherent transmission and / or UE support for modulation and coding schemes. For example, if there are eight antenna ports and a fully coherent codebook is supported, the antenna ports can be considered as one group of antenna ports. If a partially coherent codebook is supported, the antenna ports can be considered as being categorized into two or four groups of antenna ports. If a non-coherent codebook or non-codebook transmission is supported, each port is considered as a group. The group of antenna ports is associated with one or more PTRS ports to reduce transmission errors. For example, if a fully coherent codebook is supported, up to one PTRS port is supported. For partial / non-coherent codebook-based transmissions or non-codebook-based transmissions, the maximum number of PTRS ports configured by the base station is determined by additional factors such as rank values. When the indicated rank is less than 4, only one PTRS port may be required. When the indicated MCS for a codeword is less than the configured MCS threshold, one or zero PTRS ports may be required. When an indicated DMRS port is associated with a group of antenna ports, one PTRS port may be required.

[0023] Figure 1A illustrates a method for wireless communication according to one or more embodiments of the present technology. Method 100 includes, in operation 110, configuring one or more phase-tracking reference signal (PTRS) ports associated with one or more antenna ports in a group of antenna ports by a base station. One or more antenna ports in the group of antenna ports share the same PTRS port. Method 100 also includes, in operation 130, receiving uplink transmissions to terminal devices based on one or more PTRS ports by the base station.

[0024] Figure 1B illustrates a method for wireless communication according to one or more embodiments of the present technology. Method 150 includes, in operation 160, a terminal device for uplink transmission determining one or more phase-tracking reference signal (PTRS) ports associated with one or more antenna ports in a group of antenna ports. One or more antenna ports in the group of antenna ports share the same PTRS port. Method 150 also includes, in operation 170, the terminal device performing uplink transmission with a base station based on one or more PTRS ports.

[0025] In some embodiments, the antenna ports comprise either demodulated reference signal (DMRS) ports or sounding reference signal (SRS) ports. In some embodiments, the antenna ports are organized based on the capabilities of the terminal device (e.g., fully / partially coherent or non-codebook-based transmission) or the indication / configuration of the base station (e.g., modulation and coding scheme, MCS, values). The states in which the antenna ports are considered to exist within one or more groups can also be predefined (e.g., within a 3GPP® standard or as a predefined configuration).

[0026] In some embodiments, the capability of the terminal device indicates whether the terminal device supports coherent transmission, and the antenna ports are located within one or more groups of antenna ports in response to the terminal device supporting partially coherent transmission, non-coherent transmission, or non-codebook-based transmission. In some embodiments, the antenna ports are located within one group of antenna ports corresponding to one PTRS port. In some embodiments, the antenna ports are located within two groups of antenna ports corresponding to two PTRS ports. In some embodiments, the two groups of antenna ports comprise at least one of the following: a first group of ports {0, 1, 2, 3} and a second group of ports {4, 5, 6, 7}, a first group of ports {0, 1, 4, 5} and a second group of ports {2, 3, 6, 7}, or a first group of ports {0, 2, 4, 6} and a second group of ports {1, 3, 5, 7}. In some embodiments, antenna ports in four antenna port groups, corresponding to two PTRS ports / antenna ports in the first and second antenna port groups, share the first PTRS port, and antenna ports in the third and fourth antenna port groups share the second PTRS port. In some embodiments, the antenna ports reside in four antenna port groups, corresponding to four PTRS ports. In some embodiments, the four antenna port groups comprise at least one of the following: a first group of ports {0, 2}, a second group of ports {1, 3}, a third group of ports {4, 6}, and a fourth group of ports {5, 7}, or a first group of ports {0, 1}, a second group of ports {2, 3}, a third group of ports {4, 5}, and a fourth group of ports {6, 7}.

[0027] In some embodiments, a single PTRS port is configured, and a 3-bit indication is used to indicate the association between a single PTRS port and a DMRS port in response to the number of antenna port groups being configured as 2, 4, or 8, or the uplink transmission being at least one of partially coherent codebook-based transmission, non-coherent codebook-based transmission, or non-codebook-based transmission.

[0028] In some embodiments, a modulation and coding scheme (MCS) configured by a base station is associated with one or more PTRS ports. In some embodiments, a PTRS port is associated with a group of antenna ports that correspond to a higher modulation and coding scheme (MCS) than one or more other groups of antenna ports. In some embodiments, a PTRS port is associated with an antenna port that corresponds to a higher modulation and coding scheme (MCS) than other antenna ports in the group of antenna ports.

[0029] In some embodiments, the actual number of PTRS ports used for uplink transmission is based on at least one of the indicated rank number, the transmitted precoding matrix indicator (TPMI), the SRS resource indicator (SRI), the number of codewords, or the MCS of the codewords. In some embodiments, a PTRS port is absent in response to a codeword having an MCS value lower than a single MCS threshold reported by the terminal device or configured or indicated by the base station. In some embodiments, a PTRS port is absent in response to a codeword having an MCS value lower than a corresponding MCS threshold, with two MCS thresholds reported by the terminal device or configured or indicated by the base station corresponding to two codewords.

[0030] In some embodiments, the time domain density of the PTRS port used for uplink transmission is compared with a codeword with respect to the configured or reported MCS threshold, as shown in Tables 1 and 2 below. MCS1 or I MCS2 Based on this, several MCS thresholds are constructed or reported corresponding to different time domain densities, e.g., 4, 2, and 1. [Table 1] [Table 2]

[0031] In some embodiments, the association between a group of antenna ports and the corresponding PTRS port is indicated to the terminal device via a signaling message. In some embodiments, a codeword is associated with a single group of antenna ports. In some embodiments, the signaling message includes radio resource control (RRC) signaling or downlink control information (DCI) signaling.

[0032] Further details of the disclosed technology are described in the embodiments below.

[0033] Embodiment 1: Association between SRS ports / port groups and PTRS ports

[0034] This embodiment discloses an exemplary association between an SRS port / port group and a PTRS port.

[0035] In some embodiments, a fully coherent codebook is supported, and antenna ports are categorized as existing within a single group of antenna ports. In those cases, a maximum of one PTRS port is supported. In some embodiments, a partially coherent codebook is supported, and the maximum number of PTRS ports configured by the base station is categorized as existing within multiple groups of antenna ports. For example, when eight SRS ports exist, the eight SRS ports may exist within two groups of antenna ports (as shown, for example, in Figure 2A-2C) or four groups of antenna ports (as shown, for example, in Figure 3A-3C).

[0036] In some embodiments, if the antenna ports are located within two antenna port groups, up to two PTRS ports may be supported. The base station can be configured to have a maximum of one or two PTRS ports. If the antenna ports are located within four antenna port groups, up to two or four PTRS ports may be supported. The base station can be configured to have a maximum of one or two PTRS ports. Alternatively, the base station can be configured to have a maximum of one, two, or four PTRS ports.

[0037] In some embodiments, when two codewords are used for transmission, or configured or indicated so that the maximum rank is greater than 4, and the maximum number of PTRS ports is configured to be greater than 1, the association of PTRS and SRS ports or antenna port groups can be one of the following cases:

[0038] Example 1-1: An antenna port exists within two groups of antenna ports (for example, two groups of antenna ports are configured), and each group of antenna ports is associated with one PTRS port. For example, the first group of antenna ports is associated with PTRS port 0, and the second group of antenna ports is associated with PTRS port 1.

[0039] Figure 2A illustrates one embodiment of the present technology in which the antenna ports are organized into two groups of antenna ports. In this embodiment, eight SRS ports are located in the two groups. Ports {0,2,1,3} / {0,1,2,3} are located in the first group of antenna ports and share PTRS port 0. Ports {4,6,5,7} / {4,5,6,7} are located in the second group of antenna ports and share PTRS port 1. In such a case, the two groups of antenna ports are independent, for example, from a physical design standpoint, and the two groups of antenna ports are fixed at a relatively large distance apart.

[0040] Figure 2B illustrates another embodiment of one or more embodiments of the present technology, in which the antenna ports are organized into two groups of antenna ports. In this embodiment, eight SRS ports are located in the two groups. Ports {0,4,1,5} / {0,1,4,5} are located in the first group of antenna ports and share PTRS port 0. Ports {2,6,3,7} / {2,3,6,7} are located in the second group of antenna ports and share PTRS port 1. In such cases, the antenna ports are marked first from one polarization direction and then from the other polarization direction.

[0041] Figure 2C illustrates yet another embodiment of one or more embodiments of the present technology, in which the antenna ports are organized into two groups of antenna ports. In this embodiment, eight SRS ports are located within the two groups of ports. Ports {0,2,4,6} / {0,4,2,6} are located within the first group of antenna ports and share PTRS port 0. Ports {1,3,5,7} / {1,5,3,7} are located within the second group of antenna ports and share PTRS port 1. In such a case, the alternating antenna ports are marked based on their polarization direction, for example, antenna port #0 is marked with respect to one polarization direction with respect to the group of antenna ports, and antenna port #1 is marked with respect to the other group of antenna ports.

[0042] Example 1-2: Antenna ports are located within four antenna port groups (for example, four antenna port groups are configured), and each group of two antenna port groups is associated with one PTRS port. For example, groups 1, 2, 3, and 4 are configured. Groups 1 and 2 are associated with PTRS port 0, and groups 3 and 4 are associated with PTRS port 1. Alternatively, groups 1 and 3 are associated with PTRS port 0, and groups 2 and 4 are associated with PTRS port 1. The association between groups and PTRS ports can be predefined or be an RRC configuration from the base station.

[0043] Case 1-3: Antenna ports are located within four antenna port groups (for example, four antenna port groups are configured), and the maximum number of PTRS ports is four. Each antenna group is associated with one PTRS port.

[0044] Figure 3A illustrates one embodiment of the present technology in which the antenna ports are organized into four antenna port groups. In this embodiment, eight SRS ports are located within the four groups. Ports {0,2} are located within the first antenna port group and share PTRS port 0. Ports {1,3} are located within the second antenna port group and share PTRS port 1. Ports {4,6} are located within the third antenna port group and share PTRS port 2. Ports {5,7} are located within the fourth antenna port group and share PTRS port 3. In such a case, two antenna port groups are independent, for example, from a physical design standpoint, and the two antenna port groups are fixed at a relatively large distance apart.

[0045] Figure 3B illustrates one embodiment of the present technology in which the antenna ports are organized into four antenna port groups. In this embodiment, eight SRS ports are located within the four groups. Ports {0,4} are located within the first antenna port group and share PTRS port 0. Ports {1,5} are located within the second antenna port group and share PTRS port 1. Ports {2,6} are located within the third antenna port group and share PTRS port 2. Ports {3,7} are located within the fourth antenna port group and share PTRS port 3. In such cases, the antenna ports are marked based on their polarization direction.

[0046] Figure 3C illustrates yet another embodiment of one or more embodiments of the present technology, in which the antenna ports are organized into four antenna port groups. In this embodiment, eight SRS ports are located within the four groups. Ports {0,1} are located within the first antenna port group and share PTRS port 0. Ports {2,3} are located within the second antenna port group and share PTRS port 1. Ports {4,5} are located within the third antenna port group and share PTRS port 2. Ports {6,7} are located within the fourth antenna port group and share PTRS port 3.

[0047] In some embodiments, with respect to non-coherent codebook-based uplink transmission and non-codebook-based transmission, eight antenna ports are configured or shown for eight antenna port groups. When a single PTRS port is configured, all antenna ports share the same PTRS port. When up to two PTRS ports are configured, four of the antenna port group / antenna ports share one PTRS, and the remaining antenna port group / antenna ports share the other PTRS. When up to four PTRS ports are configured, the antenna port group / antenna ports are associated with PTRS ports such as {0,1} / {2,3} / {4,5} / {6,7} or {0,2} / {1,3} / {4,6} / {5,7} or {0,4} / {1,5} / {2,6} / {3,7}.

[0048] Embodiment 2: Association between DMRS ports / port groups and PTRS ports

[0049] This embodiment discloses an exemplary association between a DMRS port / port group and a PTRS port.

[0050] In some embodiments, the maximum number of PTRS ports is configured to be 1 for non-coherent codebook-based uplink transmissions and non-codebook-based transmissions. In some embodiments, a single PTRS port is associated with a DMRS port corresponding to a codeword with a higher MCS value. In some embodiments, a single PTRS port is shared by all DMRS ports. An indicator can be used to indicate which DMRS port is associated with a PTRS port. For example, when there are eight DMRS ports, an indicator with three bits may be included in the DCI to indicate which DMRS port is associated with a PTRS port.

[0051] In some embodiments, more than one PTRS port can be configured. However, not all configured PTRS ports can be used for transmission. The actual number of PTRS ports used for transmission is associated with the MCS value of each codeword. In some embodiments, PTRS ports can be activated, but the actual number of PTRS ports remains zero. For example, only DMRS ports corresponding to codewords with higher MCS values ​​are associated with PTRS ports. However, if the MCS value is lower than the MCS threshold that enables PTRS transmission, the actual number of PTRS ports is zero.

[0052] In some embodiments, DMRS ports may reside within two groups of antenna ports based on MCS values. PTRS ports may be associated with groups corresponding to codewords with higher MCS values. Up to four DMRS ports are supported for a single code transmission. Therefore, if the transmission has more than four layers, two codewords should be used.

[0053] For example, when rank = 5, two codewords are used for layer 2 and layer 3 transmission. DMRS ports can reside within two antenna port groups, with one port group associated with one codeword. Up to two bits can be used to indicate PTRS-DMRS association. For example, with respect to codebook-based transmission, the Transmission Precoder Matrix Indicator (TPMI) can indicate the total rank and the association between DMRS ports / port groups and SRS ports / port groups. The total rank is 5 when the TPMI indicates the precoder as follows: [1,0,1,0,1,0,1,0; 1,0,-1,0,1,0,-1,0; 0,1,0,1,0,1,0,1; 0,1,0,-1,0,1,0,-1; 0,1,0,1,0,-1,0,-1]'

[0054] It can also be determined that the first two DMRS ports share the same SRS port and are associated with the same set of antenna ports.

[0055] 1. In some implementations, the first group of antenna ports supports two-layer transmission, and the second group of antenna ports supports three-layer transmission. If the first group of antenna ports supports codewords with higher MCS values, one bit is required to indicate the association between the PTRS port and the DMRS port. If the second group of antenna ports supports codewords with higher MCS values, and a single PTRS port is configured, two bits are required to indicate the association between the PTRS port and the three DMRS ports. In some implementations, two PTRS ports are configured, and one bit is required to indicate the association between each of the two PTRS ports and the three DMRS ports.

[0056] 2. In some implementations, the first group of antenna ports corresponds to layer 1 transmission, and the second group of antenna ports corresponds to layer 4 transmission. If a codeword with a higher MCS value corresponds to the first group of antenna ports, which includes two DMRS ports, then two PTRS ports are required. In this case, the two DMRS ports can have a one-to-one mapping with the two PTRS ports, and therefore a bit of 0 is required to indicate the association between the PTRS ports and the DMRS ports. If a codeword with a higher MCS value corresponds to the second group of antenna ports, then one PTRS port is required, and one bit is required to indicate the association between the PTRS port and the two DMRS ports. In some implementations, one PTRS port is configured, and one bit is required to indicate the association between the PTRS port and the DMRS ports.

[0057] In another embodiment, when rank = 6, two codewords are used for 3-layer and 3-layer transmission. Up to two bits can be used to indicate PTRS-DMRS association.

[0058] 1. In some embodiments, a first group of antenna ports corresponds to 3-layer transmission, and a second group of antenna ports corresponds to 3-layer transmission. When the first group of antenna ports is associated with one codeword with a higher MCS, two bits can be used to indicate the association between the PTRS ports and the three DMRS ports. Similarly, two bits can be used to indicate the association between the PTRS ports and the three DMRS ports for the second group of antennas associated with a codeword with a higher MCS.

[0059] 2. In some embodiments, the first group of antenna ports corresponds to 4-layer transmission, and the second group of antenna ports corresponds to 2-layer transmission. When a codeword with a higher MCS value is associated with the first three DMRS ports, one PTRS port is required. In this case, two bits can be used to indicate the association between the PTRS port and the DMRS port. When a codeword with a higher MCS is associated with the last three DMRS ports, two PTRS ports are required, and one bit is needed.

[0060] 3. In some embodiments, the first group of antenna ports corresponds to two-layer transmission, and the second group of antenna ports corresponds to four-layer transmission. When a codeword with a higher MCS is associated with the first three DMRS ports, two PTRS ports are required. In this case, one bit can be used to indicate the association between the two PTRS ports and the three DMRS ports. When a codeword with a higher MCS is associated with the last three DMRS ports, one PTRS port is required, and two bits are needed. In this case, the last three DMRS ports are associated with the second group of antenna ports. When partial coherence is required within one group of antenna ports, two PTRS ports are required. One PTRS is shared by two DMRS ports, and the other PTRS port is associated with another DMRS port with a higher MCS. In such cases, one bit is needed to indicate the association between the DMRS port and the PTRS port. When full coherence is supported within a single antenna port group, or when a maximum of one PTRS port is supported for a single antenna port group, only one PTRS port is required. If one of three DMRS ports with a higher MCS is shown to be associated with a PTRS port, two bits are required to indicate the association between DMRS and PTRS.

[0061] In yet another embodiment, when rank = 7, two codewords are used for layer 3 and layer 4 transmission. Up to two bits can be used to indicate PTRS-DMRS association.

[0062] 1. In some embodiments, a first group of antenna ports corresponds to 3-layer transmission, and a second group of antenna ports corresponds to 4-layer transmission. When a codeword with a higher MCS is associated with the first group of antenna ports, two bits can be used to indicate the association of the PTRS port and the DMRS port. Similarly, when a codeword with a higher MCS is associated with the second group of antenna ports, two bits are required to indicate the association of the PTRS port and the DMRS port.

[0063] 2. In some embodiments, a first group of antenna ports corresponds to 4-layer transmission, and a second group of antenna ports corresponds to 3-layer transmission. When a code with a higher MCS is associated with the first three DMRS ports, two bits can be used to indicate the association between the PTRS port and the DMRS port. When a codeword with a higher MCS is associated with the last three DMRS ports, the three DMRS ports are associated with one group of antenna ports. When a maximum of one PTRS port is required with respect to one group of antenna ports, one DMRS port from the three DMRS ports with a higher MCS is shown together with the PTRS port, and two bits are required to indicate the association between DMRS and PTRS.

[0064] In yet another embodiment, when rank = 8, two codewords are used for 4-layer and 4-layer transmission. Up to two bits can be used to indicate PTRS-DMRS association. In some embodiments, a PTRS port is associated with DMRS with a higher MCS of the codeword. One PTRS port is associated with one group of antenna ports, while the other group of antenna ports is not associated with any of the PTRS ports.

[0065] In some embodiments, DMRS ports may be organized or configured into groups of one or more ports, and more than one PTRS ports may be used. In some embodiments, two PTRS ports may be associated with different groups of antenna ports or different codewords, and the actual number of PTRS ports may be determined by the MCS level indicated by the associated codewords.

[0066] In some embodiments, the UE may report one or two MCS thresholds based on the UE capability. Alternatively, or in addition, the MCS thresholds are configured by the base station within the PTRS configuration (e.g., via RRC signaling). If only one MCS threshold is reported or configured, two PTRS ports are associated with the reported MCS threshold. The reported MCS threshold corresponds to the higher MCS, lower MCS, or combined MCS values ​​of two codewords. If the MCS of one codeword is less than the threshold, no associated PTRS ports exist. If more than one PTRS port is associated with a codeword, no associated PTRS ports exist. If both MCS values ​​of two codewords are less than the threshold, no associated PTRS ports exist. Alternatively, or in addition, if one of the indicated MCSs is less than the threshold, none of the PTRS ports exist. If one of the indicated MCSs is not less than the threshold, all of the PTRS ports exist.

[0067] If two MCS thresholds are reported or configured for two codewords, the MCS for each codeword is compared to the individual thresholds corresponding to the same codeword. If the MCS is less than the threshold, no associated PTRS port exists. The actual PTRS port number is associated with the indicated MCS for each codeword.

[0068] In some embodiments, one group of antenna ports is associated with one codeword (for example, rank 5 is associated with DMRS ports for 2- and 3-layer transmission, rank 6 with DMRS ports for 3- and 3-layer transmission, rank 7 with DMRS ports for 3- and 4-layer transmission, and rank 8 with DMRS ports for 4- and 4-layer transmission). If more than four layers are indicated or configured, two codewords are supported. With respect to rank 5, the first two layers and the other three layers are associated with two codewords, each. Similarly, with respect to rank 6, the first three layers and the other three layers are associated with each codeword. With respect to rank 7, the first three layers for CW and the other four layers are associated with two codewords, each. With respect to rank 8, the first four layers and the other four layers are associated with each codeword. Thus, in such cases, one group of antenna ports is associated with one codeword. Whether a PTRS port is missing is based on the MCS value indicated for each codeword. When the indicated MCS values ​​differ for two codewords, the actual number of PTRS ports may be less than the maximum number of PTRS ports configured.

[0069] In some embodiments, multiple codewords are associated with a single group of antenna ports (for example, rank 7 is associated with DMRS ports for 4-layer and 3-layer transmission). With respect to rank 7, the first three layers (DMRS ports) are associated with the first codeword, while four DMRS ports are associated with the first group of antenna ports. PTRS ports can be associated with DMRS ports with higher MCS values.

[0070] In some embodiments, the highest rank is above 4, but the actual transmission rank is 4 or less. Only one codeword is shown, and the PTRS port can be associated with a codeword with a higher MCS.

[0071] Table 3 illustrates an example of a PTRS-DMRS association for uplink (UL) PTRS ports 0 and 1. [Table 3]

[0072] Table 4 illustrates another example of PTRS-DMRS association for UL PTRS ports 0 and 1. [Table 4]

[0073] For eight or more DMRS ports, if two, four, or eight antenna port groups are configured or indicated, a maximum of two PTRS ports can be configured. If two PTRS ports are associated with separate antenna port groups, Tables 1 and / or 2 can be used to determine the association between the DRMS ​​ports and the PTRS ports. If there is only one actual PTRS port, Tables 1 and / or 2 are still applicable. A PTRS port can be associated with one of the antenna port groups, or a PTRS port can be associated with a codeword with a higher MCS.

[0074] For eight or more DMRS ports, if four or eight antenna port groups are configured or indicated, up to four PTRS ports can be configured. Two or four PTRS ports are associated with separate antenna groups. If there is only one actual PTRS port, the PTRS port can be associated with one of the antenna port groups, or the PTRS port can be associated with a codeword with a higher MCS.

[0075] Table 5 shows an exemplary process for determining the association between a DMRS port / port group and a PTRS port according to one or more embodiments of the present technology. [Table 5]

[0076] Embodiment 3: Association Configuration / Indication

[0077] This embodiment describes the configuration or indication of associations. The association between the antenna port group and the PTRS port can be predefined or RRC configured.

[0078] In some embodiments, associations can be predefined as defined in one of the embodiments described above. Predefined associations can be based on UE reporting. For example, a UE may report preferred associations between antenna port groups and PTRS ports. Based on the UE reporting, a base station or gNB can select one of the predefined associations.

[0079] In one embodiment, the UE can support one or more configurations. The UE can determine associations based on one or more predefined rules. For example, if the number of antenna port groups is configured as four, configuration 1 indicates that antenna port groups 0 and 1 share PTRS 0, and antenna port groups 2 and 3 share PTRS port 1. Configuration 2 indicates that antenna port groups 0 and 2 share PTRS port 0, and antenna port groups 1 and 3 share PTRS port 1. In another embodiment, if the number of antenna port groups is configured as eight, configuration 1 indicates that antenna port groups 0, 1, 2, and 3 share PTRS port 0, and antenna port groups 4, 5, 6, and 7 share PTRS port 1. Configuration 2 indicates that antenna port groups 0, 2, 4, and 6 share PTRS port 0, and antenna port groups 1, 3, 5, and 7 share PTRS port 1. Additional configurations can be provided to indicate different associations between port groups and PTRS ports.

[0080] In some embodiments, associations can be configured or indicated by a base station via signaling messages such as RRC, Media Access Control (MAC) control elements (CE), or Downlink Control Information (DCI). For example, using an RRC configuration, the number of antenna port groups and / or codebook / non-codebook or coherent type can be configured within a physical uplink sharing (PUSCH) configuration. In some embodiments, SRS port association information is configured within an SRS configuration of RRC information elements (IE). More specifically, with respect to non-codebook-based transmissions, associations between PTRS ports and SRS ports / port groups can be configured within an SRS configuration. With respect to codebook-based transmissions, associations between SRS ports / port groups can be configured within an SRS configuration or a PUSCH configuration. In an SRS configuration, associations between PTRS and SRS ports are configured similarly to non-codebook-based transmissions, and this configuration can indicate SRS ports / antenna port groups sharing one PTRS. Regarding PUSCH configurations, if fully coherent transmission is configured (e.g., the number of antenna port groups = 1), the PTRS is shared by all SRS ports, and there is no need to configure any association between the SRS port / antenna port group and the PTRS port. Regarding partially coherent transmissions (e.g., two types of partial coherence associated with antenna port groups = 2 or 4), the antenna port group / SRS port sharing PTRS port 0 can be configured when partial coherence is configured.

[0081] SRS resources or ports are indicated by the SRS Resource Indication (SRI) field in the DCI for both codebook-based and non-codebook-based uplink transmissions. For codebook-based transmissions, the associated precoder is indicated by the Transmission Precoder Matrix Indicator (TPMI) field for codebook-based uplink transmissions. When two SRI or TPMI fields are indicated in the DCI when configured so that the maximum rank exceeds 4, each field is associated with one PTRS port. The associated SRS ports / antenna ports associated with one SRI / TPMI field share one PTRS port.

[0082] Figure 4 shows an embodiment of a wireless communication system 400 to which techniques according to one or more embodiments of the present technology may be applied. The wireless communication system 400 may include one or more base stations (BS) 405a, 405b, one or more wireless devices (or UEs) 410a, 410b, 410c, 410d, and a core network 425. Base stations 405a, 405b can provide wireless services to user devices 410a, 410b, 410c, and 410d in one or more wireless sectors. In some implementations, base stations 405a, 405b include directional antennas for producing two or more directional beams to provide wireless coverage in different sectors. The core network 425 can communicate with one or more base stations 405a, 405b. The core network 425 provides connectivity with other wireless communication systems and wired communication systems. The core network may include one or more service subscription databases to store information related to subscribed user devices 410a, 410b, 410c, and 410d. A first base station 405a may provide radio services based on a first radio access technology, while a second base station 405b may provide radio services based on a second radio access technology. Base stations 405a and 405b may be jointly installed in the field or separately deployed, depending on the deployment scenario. User devices 410a, 410b, 410c, and 410d may support multiple different radio access technologies. The techniques and embodiments described herein may be implemented by base stations of the radio devices described herein.

[0083] Figure 5 is a block diagram representation to which a portion of a radio station according to one or more embodiments of the present technology may be applied. A radio station 505, such as a network node, base station, or radio device (or user device, UE), may include a processor electronic device 510, such as a microprocessor, that implements one or more of the radio techniques presented herein. The radio station 505 may include a transceiver electronic device 515 for transmitting and / or receiving radio signals via one or more communication interfaces, such as an antenna 520. The radio station 505 may include other communication interfaces for transmitting and receiving data. The radio station 505 may include one or more memories (not expressly shown) configured to store information such as data and / or instructions. In some implementations, the processor electronic device 510 may include at least a portion of the transceiver electronic device 515. In some embodiments, at least some of the techniques, modules, or functions disclosed are implemented using the radio station 505. In some embodiments, the radio station 505 may be configured to implement the methods described herein.

[0084] Other embodiments, modules, and functional operations disclosed herein may be implemented in digital electronic networks, or in computer software, firmware, or hardware, or a combination thereof, including the structures disclosed herein and their structural equivalents. Other embodiments disclosed may be implemented as one or more modules of computer program instructions encoded on a computer-readable medium for execution by or control of the operation of one or more computer program products, i.e., data processing apparatus. The computer-readable medium may be a machine-readable storage device, a machine-readable storage substrate, a memory device, a composition of a material that produces a machine-readable propagating signal, or a combination thereof. The term “data processing apparatus” includes, in examples, all apparatus, devices, and machines for processing data, including a programmable processor, a computer, or multiple processors or computers. In addition to hardware, the apparatus may include code that generates an execution environment for the computer program, such as processor firmware, a protocol stack, a database management system, an operating system, or a combination thereof. A propagating signal is an artificially generated signal, such as a mechanically generated electrical, optical, or electromagnetic signal that is generated to encode information for transmission to a suitable receiver device.

[0085] Computer programs (also known as programs, software, software applications, scripts, or code) can be written in any form of programming language, including compiled or interpreted languages, and can be deployed in any form, including as standalone programs or as modules, components, subroutines, or other units suitable for use within a computing environment. Computer programs do not necessarily correspond to files in a file system. A program can be stored in part of a file that holds other programs or data (e.g., one or more scripts stored in a markup language document), in a single file dedicated to that program, or in multiple collaborative files (e.g., files that store one or more modules, subprograms, or parts of code). Computer programs can be deployed to run on one computer, or on multiple computers located on one site, or distributed across multiple sites and interconnected by a communication network.

[0086] The processes and logical flows described in this book can be implemented by one or more programmable processors that execute one or more computer programs to perform functions by acting on input data and generating outputs. Processes and logical flows can also be implemented by special-purpose logic networks, such as FPGAs (Field-Programmable Gate Arrays) or ASICs (Application-Specific Integrated Circuits), and the devices can also be implemented as such. Suitable processors for executing computer programs include, in examples, both general-purpose and special-purpose microprocessors, and any one or more processors of any type of digital computer. Generally, a processor will receive instructions and data from read-only memory or random-access memory or both. Essential elements of a computer are a processor for executing instructions and one or more memory devices for storing instructions and data. Generally, a computer will also be operablely coupled to one or more mass storage devices for storing data, such as magnetic, magneto-optical, or optical disks, or to receive data from there, or transfer data thereto, or both. However, a computer is not required to have such devices. Computer-readable media suitable for storing computer program instructions and data include, as embodiments, all forms of non-volatile memory, media, and memory devices, including semiconductor memory devices such as EPROMs, EEPROMs, and flash memory devices, magnetic disks such as internal hard disks or removable disks, magneto-optical disks, and CD-ROMs and DVD-ROM disks. Processors and memory can be complemented by or incorporated into special-purpose logic networks.

[0087] This patent document contains many details, which should be interpreted not as limitations on the scope of any invention or claim, but rather as descriptions of features that may be specific to a particular embodiment of a particular invention. Certain features described in this patent document in the context of a separate embodiment may also be implemented in combination in a single embodiment. Conversely, various features described in the context of a single embodiment may also be implemented separately or in any preferred secondary combination in multiple embodiments. Furthermore, features described above as acting in a combination and initially claimed as such, but one or more features from the claimed combination may, in some cases, be removed from that combination, and the claimed combination may be subject to secondary combinations or variations of secondary combinations.

[0088] Similarly, while operations are depicted in a specific order in the drawings, this should not be understood as requiring that such operations be performed in a specific order or sequentially, or that all illustrated operations be performed, in order to achieve a desired result. Furthermore, the separation of various system components in the embodiments described in this patent document should not be understood as requiring such separation in all embodiments.

[0089] Only a few implementations and embodiments are described, and other implementations, enhancements, and modifications may also be made based on those described and illustrated in this patent document.

Claims

1. A method for wireless communication, The base station configures one or more phase-tracking reference signal (PTRS) ports associated with one or more antenna ports within a group of antenna ports, wherein one or more antenna ports within the group of antenna ports share the same PTRS port. The base station receives uplink transmissions to terminal devices based on one or more PTRS ports. Methods that include...

2. A method for wireless communication, The terminal device for uplink transmission determines one or more phase-tracking reference signal (PTRS) ports associated with one or more antenna ports within a group of antenna ports, wherein one or more antenna ports within the group of antenna ports share the same PTRS port. The terminal device performs the uplink transmission with the base station based on one or more PTRS ports. Methods that include...

3. The method according to claim 1 or 2, wherein one or more antenna ports include a demodulated reference signal (DMRS) port or a sounding reference signal (SRS) port.

4. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the one or more antenna ports are located in a group of antenna ports based on the capabilities of the terminal device, a predefined configuration, or indication or configuration from the base station.

5. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the capability of the terminal device indicates whether the terminal device supports coherent transmission, and the one or more antenna ports are located in a group of one or more antenna ports in response to the terminal device supporting partially coherent transmission, non-coherent, or non-codebook-based transmission.

6. The method according to claim 5, wherein the one or more antenna ports are located within a group of antenna ports corresponding to one PTRS port.

7. The method according to claim 5, wherein the one or more antenna ports are located within two groups of antenna ports corresponding to two PTRS ports.

8. The two aforementioned antenna port groups are, The first group of ports {0, 2, 1, 3} and the second group of ports {4, 6, 5, 7}, A first group of ports {0, 4, 1, 5} and a second group of ports {2, 6, 3, 7}, or The first group of ports {0, 2, 4, 6} and the second group of ports {1, 3, 5, 7}, The method according to claim 7, comprising at least one of the following.

9. The method according to claim 5, wherein the one or more antenna ports are located within four antenna port groups corresponding to two PTRS ports, the antenna ports in the first antenna port group and the second antenna port group share the first PTRS port, and the antenna ports in the third antenna port group and the fourth antenna port group share the second PTRS port.

10. The method according to claim 5, wherein the one or more antenna ports are located within a group of four antenna ports corresponding to four PTRS ports.

11. The aforementioned four antenna port groups are, The first group of ports {0, 2}, the second group of ports {1, 3}, the third group of ports {4, 6}, and the fourth group of ports {5, 7}, A first group of ports {0, 4}, a second group of ports {1, 5}, a third group of ports {2, 6}, and a fourth group of ports {3, 7}, or The first group of ports {0, 1}, the second group of ports {2, 3}, the third group of ports {4, 5}, and the fourth group of ports {6, 7}, The method according to claim 10, comprising at least one of the following.

12. A single PTRS port is configured, and 3-bit indication is used. The number of antenna port groups is configured as 2, 4, or 8, or The uplink transmission is a partially coherent codebook-based transmission, a non-coherent codebook-based transmission, or a non-codebook-based transmission. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 11, used to indicate the association between the single PTRS port and the DMRS port in response to at least one of the following.

13. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the modulation and coding scheme (MCS) configured or indicated by the base station is associated with one or more PTRS ports.

14. The method according to claim 13, wherein the PTRS port is associated with a group of antenna ports that supports a higher modulation and coding scheme (MCS) than one or more other groups of antenna ports.

15. The method according to claim 13, wherein the PTRS port is associated with an antenna port that corresponds to a higher modulation and coding scheme (MCS) than other antenna ports in the antenna port group.

16. The method according to any one of claims 13 to 15, wherein the actual number of PTRS ports used for the uplink transmission is based on at least one of the indicated rank number, the transmitted precoding matrix indicator (TPMI), SRS resource indicator (SRI), the number of codewords, the indicated MCS of the codeword or one or more configured MCS thresholds, or one or more MCS thresholds reported by the terminal device.

17. The method according to claim 16, wherein one or more PTRS ports are absent in response to the corresponding codeword having an MCS value lower than a single MCS threshold, the single MCS threshold being reported by the terminal device or configured by the base station.

18. The method according to claim 16, wherein one or more PTRS ports are absent in response to the MCS value of a codeword being lower than the corresponding MCS threshold, and the two MCS thresholds are reported by the terminal device or are configured by the base station corresponding to the two codewords.

19. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 18, wherein the association between the group of antenna ports and the corresponding PTRS port is indicated to the terminal device via a signaling message.

20. The method according to claim 19, wherein the codeword is associated with a group of antenna ports.

21. The method according to claim 20, wherein the signaling message comprises radio resource control (RRC) signaling or downlink control information (DCI) signaling.

22. A communication device comprising a processor, wherein the processor is configured to implement one or more of the methods according to claims 1 to 21.

23. A computer program product having code stored thereon, wherein when the code is executed by a processor, the computer program product causes the processor to implement one or more of the methods according to claims 1 to 21.

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