Reducing the beam sweep coefficient for enhanced wireless resource management

Abstract

The user equipment (UE) includes a transceiver and a processor. The processor is configured to determine a first beam sweep coefficient for the cell detection portion of a Layer 3 (L3) measurement and a second beam sweep coefficient for a Layer 1 (L1) reference signal received power (RSRP) (L1-RSRP) measurement for the activation of an unknown secondary cell (SCell) in the Third Generation Partnership Project (3GPP) New Radio (NR) frequency range 2 (FR2). The processor is also configured to report the UE capability to the network via the transceiver. The UE capability identifies a beam sweep coefficient pair, including the first and second beam sweep coefficients.

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] This application generally relates to user equipment (UE) in the third-generation partnership project (3 rd The Generation Partnership Project (3GPP) relates to a wireless communication system that communicates in new radio (NR) frequency range two (FR2) and performs radio resource management (RRM) functions using one or more receive (Rx) beams. [Background technology]

[0002] Wireless mobile communication technology uses various standards and protocols to transmit data between network devices (e.g., base stations, wireless heads, etc.) and wireless communication devices. Wireless communication system standards and protocols can include, for example, 3GPP Long Term Evolution (LTE) (e.g., 4G), 3GPP NR (e.g., 5G), and the IEEE 802.11 standard for wireless local area networks (WLAN) (commonly known as Wi-Fi® by industry groups).

[0003] As intended by 3GPP, different radio communication system standards and protocols can be used to communicate between various radio access networks (RANs) and network devices of a RAN (sometimes commonly referred to as a RAN node, network node, or simply a node) and radio communication devices known as UEs. 3GPP RANs may include, for example, the Global System for Mobile Communications (GSM), Enhanced Data Rate for GSM Evolutionary (EDGE) RAN (GERAN), Universal Terrestrial Radio Access Network (UTRAN), Advanced Universal Terrestrial Radio Access Network (E-UTRAN), and / or Next Generation Radio Access Network (NG-RAN).

[0004] Each RAN may use one or more radio access technologies (RATs) to perform communication between network devices and UEs. For example, GERAN implements GSM and / or EDGE RATs, UTRAN implements Universal Mobile Telecommunication System (UMTS) RATs or other 3GPP RATs, E-UTRAN implements LTE RATs (sometimes simply referred to as LTE), and NG-RAN implements NR RATs (sometimes referred to herein as 5G RATs, 5G NR RATs, or simply NR). In certain deployments, E-UTRAN may also implement NR RATs. In certain deployments, NG-RAN may also implement LTE RATs.

[0005] Network devices used by a RAN can be compatible with that RAN. An example of an E-UTRAN network device is the Advanced Universal Terrestrial Radio Access Network (E-UTRAN) Node B (commonly also called Advanced Node B, Extended Node B, eNode B, or eNB). An example of an NG-RAN network device is the Next Generation Node B (sometimes referred to as Node B or gNB).

[0006] RANs provide communication services with external entities via connections to the core network (CN). For example, E-UTRANs can utilize the Advanced Packet Core (EPC), and NG-RANs can utilize the 5G Core Network (5GC).

[0007] To facilitate the identification of any particular element or action, the most significant digit(s) of the reference number refers to the number of the figure in which that element was first introduced. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0008] [Figure 1] An exemplary wireless communication system according to embodiments described herein is shown.

[0009] [Figure 2] This specification illustrates an exemplary method of wireless communication by a UE according to embodiments described herein.

[0010] [Figure 3] Another exemplary method of wireless communication by a UE, according to embodiments described herein, is shown.

[0011] [Figure 4] This specification describes exemplary improvements to coarse and fine beams using UE according to embodiments described herein. [Figure 5] This specification describes exemplary improvements to coarse and fine beams using UE according to embodiments described herein.

[0012] [Figure 6] Another exemplary method of wireless communication by a UE, according to embodiments described herein, is shown.

[0013] [Figure 7] This specification illustrates an exemplary method of wireless communication by a network device according to embodiments described herein.

[0014] [Figure 8] An exemplary architecture of a wireless communication system according to embodiments described herein is shown.

[0015] [Figure 9] This specification describes an exemplary system for performing signaling between a wireless device and a network device, according to embodiments described herein. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0016] Various embodiments are described with respect to the UE. However, references to the UE are provided for illustrative purposes only. The exemplary embodiments may be used with any electronic component, which consists of hardware, software, and / or firmware capable of establishing connectivity to a network and exchanging information and data with the network. Thus, the UE described herein can be used to represent any suitable electronic device.

[0017] In some cases, for the activation of a secondary cell (SCell) that is unknown to 3GPP NR FR2, a UE that needs to perform measurements for beam training can report a beam sweeping coefficient (e.g., a first beam sweeping coefficient) for the cell detection part of layer 3 (L3) measurements and / or a beam sweeping coefficient (e.g., a second beam sweeping coefficient) for layer 1 (L1) reference signal received power (RSRP) (L1-RSRP) measurements. The beam sweeping coefficient can be used to reduce the number of receive (Rx) beams that the UE needs to train, thereby reducing the duration of the measurement period that the UE needs to perform beam training for L3 / L1 measurements and reducing the time that the network needs to wait before scheduling the UE. Typically, the number of Rx beams used for the cell detection part of L3 measurements and for L1-RSRP measurements is 8. However, in some cases, the UE may be able to reduce the number of Rx beams used for one or both measurements.

[0018] FIG. 1 shows an exemplary wireless communication system 100. The wireless communication system can include a UE 102 that is wirelessly connected to a network (e.g., a 3GPP network). The UE 102 can communicate with the network on one or more uplink (UL) channels and one or more downlink (DL) channels, and more specifically, with one or more network devices (e.g., one or more base stations (e.g., gNBs), which can take the form of remote radio heads, etc.) of the RAN on one or more UL channels and DL channels. Depending on the capabilities of the UE 102 and the configuration of the UE by the network, the UE 102 can communicate with one or more network devices 104-1, 104-2 simultaneously, contemporaneously (e.g., in a multiple input multiple output (MIMO) mode), or sequentially (e.g., when handed over).

[0019] In some cases, the UE 102 can be connected to the first network device 104-1 in the radio resource control (RRC) connected mode, and the second network device 104-2 can belong to an adjacent cell of the cell including the first network device 104-1. In some embodiments, the adjacent cell may be a candidate SCell for the UE 102. For RRM purposes (e.g., mobility management), the UE 102 can measure one or more signals (e.g., channel state information (CSI) reference signal (RS) (CSI-RS) and / or synchronization signal block (SSB)) transmitted by the second network device 104-2.

[0020] FIG. 2 shows an exemplary method 200 of wireless communication by a UE. In some cases, the UE may be one of the UEs described with reference to FIG. 1 or other UEs described herein. The method 200 can be executed using a processor, transceiver, or other components of the UE.

[0021] At 202, the method 200 can include determining a first beam sweeping coefficient (X1) for the cell detection portion of the L3 measurement and a second beam sweeping coefficient (X2) for the L1-RSRP measurement for 3GPP NR FR2 SCell activation.

[0022] At 204, the method 200 can include reporting UE capabilities to a network (e.g., a network device of the RAN such as a base station or gNB) via a transceiver. The UE capabilities can specify a beam sweeping coefficient pair (X1, X2) including the first beam sweeping coefficient and the second beam sweeping coefficient.

[0023] The method 200 can be variously embodied, extended, or adapted as described in the following paragraphs and other places in this description.

[0024] In some embodiments of method 200, the first beam sweep coefficient is a member of the first list of candidate options (e.g., X1 ∈ {n1, n2, n3...}). In some embodiments, each candidate option within the first list of candidate options can be 8 or less (e.g., n1 < n2 < n3... ≤ 8). In some embodiments, the second beam sweep coefficient is a member of the second list of candidate options (e.g., X2 ∈ {m1, m2, m3...}). In some embodiments, each candidate option within the second list of candidate options can be 8 or less (e.g., m1 < m2 < m3... ≤ 8). In some embodiments, the number of candidate options within each list of candidate options can be more or less.

[0025] In some embodiments of method 200, the first list of candidate options can include four or fewer candidate options, and the second list of candidate options can include four or fewer candidate options (e.g., when the reported beam sweep coefficient pair is (X1, X2), X1 = n i and X2 = m j where 1 ≤ i, j ≤ 4). With such a limitation, the number of possible beam sweep coefficient pairs is 16. In other embodiments, each list of candidate options can include more or fewer candidate options, and the number of possible beam sweep coefficient pairs can be more or less. However, the network device (e.g., a network device of the RAN) must have resources to support the number of possible beam sweep coefficient pairs.

[0026] In some embodiments of method 200, the first beam sweeping coefficient and the second beam sweeping coefficient can be determined under the constraint that the first beam sweeping coefficient must be smaller than the second beam sweeping coefficient (i.e., X1 < X2). In other embodiments, the first beam sweeping coefficient and the second beam sweeping coefficient can be determined under the constraint that the second beam sweeping coefficient must be smaller than the first beam sweeping coefficient (i.e., X2 < X1). In other embodiments, the first beam sweeping coefficient and the second beam sweeping coefficient can be determined under the constraint that the first beam sweeping coefficient must be equal to the second beam sweeping coefficient (i.e., X1 = X2).

[0027] In some embodiments, method 200 can include mapping a pair of beam sweeping coefficients to an index. In these embodiments, at 204, reporting the UE capabilities can include reporting the index. For example, the index s can be defined as s k ={n i ,m j} when 1≦i,j≦4 and 1≦k≦16. Reporting the index can reduce the number of bits that need to be transmitted to the network to indicate the pair of beam sweeping coefficients to the network.

[0028] In some embodiments of Method 200, UE capability may be capability indications based on 3GPP Technical Specification (TS) 38.306. For example, in some embodiments, beam sweep coefficient pairs may be associated with UEs (i.e., beam sweep coefficient pairs may be beam sweep coefficient pairs per UE). In some embodiments, beam sweep coefficient pairs may be associated with FR2 frequency ranges (i.e., beam sweep coefficient pairs may be beam sweep coefficient pairs per FR2, such as FR2-1 beam sweep coefficient pairs or FR2-2 beam sweep coefficient pairs). In some embodiments, beam sweep coefficient pairs may be associated with FR2 bands (i.e., beam sweep coefficient pairs may be beam sweep coefficient pairs per FR2 band). In some embodiments, beam sweep coefficient pairs may be associated with FR2 bands per band combination (i.e., beam sweep coefficient pairs may be beam sweep coefficient pairs per FR2 band per band combination). In some embodiments, Method 200 can determine and report separate beam sweep coefficient pairs for different FR2 frequency ranges, different FR2 bandwidths, and / or different bandwidth combinations of FR2 bandwidths.

[0029] Figure 3 shows another exemplary method 300 of wireless communication by a UE. In some cases, the UE may be the UE described with reference to Figure 1, or one of the other UEs described herein. Method 300 can be performed using a processor, a transceiver, or other components of the UE.

[0030] In 302, method 300 may include determining a first beam sweep coefficient (X1) for the cell detection portion of the L3 measurement and a second beam sweep coefficient (X2) for the L1-RSRP measurement for 3GPP NR FR2 SCell activation.

[0031] In 304, method 300 may include reporting UE capability to a network (e.g., a base station or a RAN network device such as a gNB) via a transceiver. The UE capability can be used to determine a combined beam sweep coefficient (Y) based on at least a first beam sweep coefficient and a second beam sweep coefficient.

[0032] In some embodiments, the combined beam sweep coefficient can be determined by adding the first beam sweep coefficient and the second beam sweep coefficient (for example, Y = X1 + X2). In some embodiments, Y can be restricted to 8 or 16 (i.e., Y ≤ 8 or Y ≤ 16). This value of Y is the duration of the network's 3GPP NR FR2 SCell activation measurement period Y*T rs This makes it possible to determine, which may be sufficient for the network, where T rs This is the reference signal (RS) period for L3 and L1 measurements. While the UE may operate according to specific values ​​of X1 and Y1, the network only needs to know how long it will take the UE to train its Rx beam for 3GPP NR FR2 SCell activation, and as a result, the network can delay scheduling the UE until after the Rx beam training is complete.

[0033] Alternatively, in some embodiments, the combined beam sweep coefficient can be determined by multiplying the first beam sweep coefficient by the second beam sweep coefficient (e.g., Y = X1 * X2). In some embodiments, Y can be limited to a set of values ​​such as Y ∈ {16, 32, 40, 48, 56, 64}. In these embodiments, the product of the number of Rx beams used for a coarse (or coarse) beam training pattern (e.g., for an L3 measurement) and the number of Rx beams used for a fine beam training pattern (e.g., for an L1 measurement) can provide the network with sufficient information to determine the time required for the UE to train the UE's Rx beams for 3GPP NR FR2 SCell activation, with Y=16 options 400, 500 shown in Figures 4 and 5 being equivalent. As an example, Figure 4 shows that UE 402 performs beam training using four coarse Rx beams 404 and four fine Rx beams 406 (for Y=16). In contrast, Figure 5 shows that UE502 performs beam training using eight coarse Rx beams 504 and two fine Rx beams 506 for each coarse Rx beam 504 (for Y=16).

[0034] Method 300 can be embodied, extended, or adapted in various ways, as described in the following paragraphs and elsewhere in this description.

[0035] In some embodiments of method 300, the first beam sweep coefficient is a member of a first list of candidate options (e.g., X1 ∈ {n1, n2, n3...}). In some embodiments, each candidate option within the first list of candidate options can be 8 or less (e.g., n1 < n2 < n3... ≤ 8). In some embodiments, the second beam sweep coefficient is a member of a second list of candidate options (e.g., X2 ∈ {m1, m2, m3...}). In some embodiments, each candidate option within the second list of candidate options can be 8 or less (e.g., m1 < m2 < m3... ≤ 8). In some embodiments, the number of candidate options within each list of candidate options can be more or less.

[0036] In some embodiments of method 300, the first list of candidate options can include four or fewer candidate options, and the second list of candidate options can include four or fewer candidate options (e.g., 1 ≤ i, j ≤ 4). With such a limitation, the number of possible combined beam sweep coefficients is 16. In other embodiments, each list of candidate options can include more or fewer candidate options, and the number of possible combined beam sweep coefficients can be more or less. However, the network device (e.g., a network device of the RAN) must have resources to support the number of possible combined beam sweep coefficients.

[0037] In some embodiments of method 300, the first beam sweep coefficient and the second beam sweep coefficient can be determined under the constraint that the first beam sweep coefficient must be less than the second beam sweep coefficient (i.e., X1 < X2). In other embodiments, the first beam sweep coefficient and the second beam sweep coefficient can be determined under the constraint that the second beam sweep coefficient must be less than the first beam sweep coefficient (i.e., X2 < X1). In other embodiments, the first beam sweep coefficient and the second beam sweep coefficient can be determined under the constraint that the first beam sweep coefficient must be equal to the second beam sweep coefficient (i.e., X1 = X2).

[0038] In some embodiments of method 300, the UE capability can be a capability indication based on 3GPP TS 38.306. For example, in some embodiments, the combined beam sweep coefficient can be associated with the UE (i.e., the combined beam sweep coefficient can be a combined beam sweep coefficient for each UE). In some embodiments, the combined beam sweep coefficient can be associated with the FR2 frequency range (i.e., the combined beam sweep coefficient can be a combined beam sweep coefficient for each FR2, such as an FR2-1 combined beam sweep coefficient or an FR2-2 combined beam sweep coefficient). In some embodiments, the combined beam sweep coefficient can be associated with the FR2 band (i.e., the combined beam sweep coefficient can be a combined beam sweep coefficient for each FR2 band). In some embodiments, the combined beam sweep coefficient can be associated with the FR2 band for each band combination (i.e., the combined beam sweep coefficient can be a combined beam sweep coefficient for each FR2 band for each band combination). In some embodiments, method 300 can determine and report separate combined beam sweep coefficients for different FR2 frequency ranges, different FR2 bands, and / or different FR2 bands for different band combinations.

[0039] The methods described with reference to Figures 2 and 3 can be used by the UE regardless of which RS is measured for L3 and L1 measurements. Often, the UE measures CSI-RS for L3 measurements and SSB for L1 measurements. However, there may be special cases where the UE uses SSB for the cell detection portion of the L3 measurement and CSI-RS for the L1-RSRP measurement. There may also be special cases where the UE uses one or more types of CSI-RS for both the cell detection portion of the L3 measurement and the L1-RSRP measurement. Methods that may be performed in these special cases are described with reference to Figure 6.

[0040] Figure 6 shows another exemplary method 600 of wireless communication by a UE. In some cases, the UE may be the UE described with reference to Figure 1, or one of the other UEs described herein. Method 600 can be performed using a processor, a transceiver, or other components of the UE.

[0041] In 602, method 600 may include determining a first beam sweep coefficient (X1) for the cell detection portion of the L3 measurement and a second beam sweep coefficient (X2) for the L1-RSRP measurement for 3GPP NR FR2 SCell activation.

[0042] In 604, method 600 may include reporting UE capability to a network (e.g., a base station or a RAN network device such as a gNB) via a transceiver. UE capability may be based at least in part on a first beam sweep coefficient and a second beam sweep coefficient.

[0043] In 606, method 600 may include determining that the L1-RSRP measurement is based on non-zero power (NZP) CSI-RS (NZP CSI-RS).

[0044] At 608, method 600 can include determining the period of the L1-RSRP measurement as the period of the NZP CSI-RS multiplied by the ceiling function of the second beam sweeping coefficient and divided by the number of NZP CSI-RS resources in the NZP CSI-RS resource set (e.g.,

Number

[0045] In various embodiments of method 600, the UE capabilities can identify the beam sweeping coefficient pair described with reference to FIG. 2 or the combined beam sweeping coefficient described with reference to FIG. 3.

[0046] Method 600 can be variously embodied, extended, or adapted as described in the following paragraphs and elsewhere in this description.

[0047] In some embodiments, method 600 can include determining that the cell detection portion of the L3 measurement is based on the SSB and determining that the maximum number of Rx beams (e.g., maxNumberRxBeam in 3GPP TS 38.306) used to measure the NZP CSI-RS resources is equal to the second beam sweeping coefficient.

[0048] In some embodiments, method 600 can include determining that the cell detection portion of the L3 measurement is based on the NZP CSI-RS, determining that the NZP CSI-RS for the cell detection portion of the L3 measurement is one of the NZP CSI-RS in a configured NZP CSI-RS resource set having repeated ON in any L1-RSRP configuration, and determining the period of the cell detection portion of the L3 measurement as the period of the NZP CSI-RS multiplied by the ceiling function of the first beam sweeping coefficient and divided by the number of NZP CSI-RS resources in the NZP CSI-RS resource set (e.g.,

Number

[0049] In some embodiments of Method 600, the NZP CSI-RS may be a first NZP CSI-RS, and the number of NZP CSI-RS resources in the NZP CSI-RS resource set may be a first number of NZP CSI-RS resources in the first NZP CSI-RS resource set. In these embodiments, Method 600 may further include determining that the cell detection portion of the L3 measurement is based on a second NZP CSI-RS, that the second NZP CSI-RS for the cell detection portion of the L3 measurement is one NZP CSI-RS in a second NZP CSI-RS resource set that has repeat ON in any L1-RSRP configuration, and determining that the duration of the cell detection portion of the L3 measurement is the duration of the second NZP CSI-RS multiplied by the ceiling function of the first beam sweep coefficient and divided by a second number of NZP CSI-RS resources in the second NZP CSI-RS resource set. In these embodiments, the duration of the cell detection portion of the L3 measurement is

number

number

[0050] Figure 7 shows an exemplary method 700 of wireless communication using a network device (e.g., a network device in a RAN). In some cases, the network device may be one of the network devices described with reference to Figure 1 or one of the other network devices described herein. Method 700 can be performed using a processor, a transceiver, or other components of the network device.

[0051] In 702, method 700 may include receiving UE capability for 3GPP NR FR2 SCell activation from the UE via a transceiver. The UE capability may be based at least partially on a first beam sweep coefficient (X1) for the cell detection portion of the L3 measurement and a second beam sweep coefficient (X2) for the L1-RSRP measurement.

[0052] In 704, method 700 may include scheduling the UE according to the measurement period required by the UE for 3GPP NR FR2 SCell activation. The measurement period may be obtained based on the UE capability received in 702.

[0053] In various embodiments of Method 700, the UE capability can be determined by a pair of beam sweep coefficients described with reference to Figure 2 or a combined beam sweep coefficient described with reference to Figure 3.

[0054] Method 700 can be embodied, extended, or adapted in various ways, as described elsewhere in this specification (for example, as described with reference to Figures 2 to 6).

[0055] Embodiments contemplated herein include one or more non-temporary computer-readable media for storing instructions, which, when an instruction is executed by one or more processors of an electronic device, cause the electronic device to execute one or more elements of Method 200, 300, 600, or 700. In the context of Method 200, 300, or 600, the non-temporary computer-readable media may be, for example, the memory of a UE (such as memory 906 of wireless device 902, which is a UE described herein). In the context of Method 700, the non-temporary computer-readable media may be, for example, the memory of a network device (such as memory 924 of network device 920, which is described herein).

[0056] Embodiments contemplated herein include devices having logic, modules, or circuits that perform one or more elements of Method 200, 300, 600, or 700. In the context of Method 200, 300, or 600, the device may be, for example, a device of a network device (such as wireless device 902, which is a UE as described herein). In the context of Method 700, the device may be, for example, a device of a network device (such as network device 920, as described herein).

[0057] Embodiments contemplated herein include an apparatus having one or more processors and one or more computer-readable media that, when executed by the one or more processors, use or store instructions causing the one or more processors to execute one or more elements of Method 200, 300, 600, or 700. In the context of Method 200, 300, or 600, the apparatus may be, for example, an apparatus of a network device (such as wireless device 902, which is a UE as described herein). In the context of Method 700, the apparatus may be, for example, an apparatus of a network device (such as network device 920, which is a UE as described herein).

[0058] Embodiments intended herein include signals described in or related to one or more elements of Methods 200, 300, 600, or 700.

[0059] Embodiments contemplated herein include a computer program or computer program product having instructions, wherein the execution of the program by a processor causes the processor to execute one or more elements of Method 200, 300, 600, or 700. In the context of Method 200, 300, or 600, the processor may be the processor of a UE (such as the processor(s) 904 of a wireless device 902 which is a UE described herein), and the instructions may be located, for example, within the processor and / or on the memory of the UE (such as the memory(s) 906 of a wireless device 902 which is a UE described herein). In the context of Method 700, the processor may be the processor of a network device (such as the processor(s) 922 of a network device 920 described herein), and the instructions may be located, for example, within the processor and / or on the memory(s) of the network device (such as the memory(s) 924 of a network device 920 described herein).

[0060] Figure 8 shows an exemplary architecture of a wireless communication system according to embodiments described herein. The following description is provided for an exemplary wireless communication system 800 that operates in conjunction with LTE system standards or specifications, and / or 5G or NR system standards or specifications, as provided by 3GPP technical specifications.

[0061] As shown in Figure 8, the wireless communication system 800 includes UE802 and UE804 (however any number of UEs may be used). In this example, UE802 and UE804 are shown as smartphones (e.g., handheld touchscreen mobile computing devices that can connect to one or more cellular networks), but it may also include any mobile or non-mobile computing devices configured for wireless communication.

[0062] UE802 and UE804 may be configured to communicate with RAN806. In embodiments, RAN806 may be NG-RAN, E-UTRAN, etc. UE802 and UE804 utilize connections (or channels) with RAN806 (referred to as connection 808 and connection 810, respectively), each of which has a physical communication interface. RAN806 may include one or more network devices, such as base stations 812 and 814, that enable connections 808 and connection 810.

[0063] In this example, connections 808 and 810 are air interfaces to enable such communication coupling and may correspond to RAT(s) used by RAN806, such as LTE and / or NR.

[0064] In some embodiments, UE802 and UE804 can also directly exchange communication data via the sidelink interface 816. UE804 is configured to access an access point (shown as AP818) via connection 820, as illustrated. For example, connection 820 may include a local radio connection such as a connection compliant with any IEEE 802.11 protocol, and AP818 may include a Wi-Fi® router. In this example, AP818 may be connected to another network (e.g., the Internet) without going through CN824.

[0065] In this embodiment, UE802 and UE804 can be configured to communicate with each other or with base stations 812 and / or 814 using orthogonal frequency division multiplexing (OFDM) communication signals via a multi-carrier communication channel according to various communication technologies, such as, but not limited to, orthogonal frequency division multiplexing (OFDMA) communication technology (e.g., for downlink communication) or single-carrier frequency division multiplexing (SC-FDMA) communication technology (e.g., for uplink and ProSe or sidelink communication), and the scope of the embodiment is not limited in this respect. The OFDM signal may include multiple orthogonal subcarriers.

[0066] In some embodiments, all or part of base stations 812 or 814 may be implemented as one or more software entities running on a server computer as part of a virtual network. In addition, or in other embodiments, base stations 812 or 814 may be configured to communicate with each other via interface 822. In embodiments where the wireless communication system 800 is an LTE system (e.g., CN824 is an EPC), interface 822 may be an X2 interface. The X2 interface may be defined between two or more network devices in the RAN connected to the EPC (e.g., two or more eNBs, etc.) and / or between two eNBs connected to the EPC. In embodiments where the wireless communication system 800 is an NR system (e.g., CN824 is a 5GC), interface 822 may be an Xn interface. The Xn interface may be defined between two or more network devices in the RAN connected to the 5GC (e.g., two or more gNBs, etc.), between base station 812 (e.g., gNB) and an eNB connected to the 5GC, and / or between two eNBs connected to the 5GC (e.g., CN824).

[0067] RAN806 is shown to be communicatively coupled to CN824. CN824 may comprise one or more network elements 826 configured to provide various data and telecommunications services to customers / subscribers (e.g., users of UE802 and UE804) connected to CN824 via RAN806. The components of CN824 may be implemented in a single physical device or separate physical devices, including components for reading and executing instructions from machine-readable or computer-readable media (e.g., non-temporary machine-readable storage media).

[0068] In this embodiment, CN824 may be an EPC, and RAN806 may be connected to CN824 via S1 interface 828. In this embodiment, S1 interface 828 may be divided into two parts: an S1 user plane (S1-U) interface that carries traffic data between base station 812 or base station 814 and a serving gateway (S-GW), and an S1-MME interface which is a signaling interface between base station 812 or base station 814 and mobility management entities (MME).

[0069] In this embodiment, CN824 may be a 5GC, and RAN806 may be connected to CN824 via NG interface 828. In this embodiment, NG interface 828 may be divided into two parts: an NG user plane (NG-U) interface that carries traffic data between base station 812 or base station 814 and user plane functions (UPF), and an S1 control plane (NG-C) interface that is a signaling interface between base station 812 or base station 814 and access and mobility management functions (AMF).

[0070] Generally, the application server 830 may be an element that provides applications using Internet Protocol (IP) bearer resources (e.g., packet-switched data services) with the CN824. The application server 830 may also be configured to support one or more communication services (e.g., VoIP sessions, group communication sessions, etc.) for the UE802 and UE804 via the CN824. The application server 830 may communicate with the CN824 via the IP communication interface 832.

[0071] Figure 9 shows an exemplary system 900 for performing signaling 938 between a wireless device 902 and a network device 920 according to embodiments described herein. System 900 may be part of a wireless communication system described herein. The wireless device 902 may be, for example, a UE of the wireless communication system. The network device 920 may be, for example, a base station (e.g., eNB or gNB) or a wireless head of the wireless communication system.

[0072] The wireless device 902 may include one or more processors 904. The processors 904 can execute instructions to perform various operations of the wireless device 902, as described herein. The processors 904 may include, for example, one or more baseband processors implemented using a central processing unit (CPU), a digital signal processor (DSP), an application-specific integrated circuit (ASIC), a controller, a field-programmable gate array (FPGA) device, another hardware device, a firmware device, or any combination thereof configured to perform the operations described herein.

[0073] The wireless device 902 may include a memory 906. The memory 906 may be a non-temporary computer-readable storage medium that stores instructions 908 (for example, instructions being executed by a processor(s) 904). Instructions 908 may also be called program code or computer programs. The memory 906 may also store data used by the processor(s) 904 and results calculated by the processor(s) 904.

[0074] The wireless device 902 may include one or more transceivers 910 (which may also be collectively referred to as transceivers 910) that include radio frequency (RF) transmitter and / or receiver circuits that use the antenna(s) 912 of the wireless device 902 to facilitate signaling to and from the wireless device 902 with other devices (e.g., network device 920) according to the corresponding RAT.

[0075] The wireless device 902 may include one or more antennas 912 (e.g., one, two, four, eight, or more). In embodiments having multiple antennas 912, the wireless device 902 can leverage the spatial diversity of such multiple antennas 912 to transmit and / or receive multiple different data streams on the same time and frequency resources. This behavior is sometimes referred to as MIMO behavior (referring to the multiple antennas used in each of the transmitting and receiving devices that enable this embodiment). MIMO transmission by the wireless device 902 can be achieved by precoding (or digital beamforming) applied in the wireless device 902 to multiplex the data streams across the antennas 912 according to known or assumed channel characteristics, so that each data stream is received at a desired location in the spatial domain (e.g., the location of the receiver associated with that data stream) with appropriate signal strength relative to the other streams. Some embodiments may use a single-user MIMO (SU-MIMO) method (where all data streams are directed to a single receiver) and / or a multi-user MIMO (MU-MIMO) method (where individual data streams may be directed to individual (different) receivers at different locations in the spatial domain).

[0076] In some embodiments having multiple antennas, the wireless device 902 may implement analog beamforming techniques so that the phases of signals transmitted by antenna(s) 912 are relatively adjusted so that the (joint) transmission of antenna(s) 912 can be directed (this is sometimes called beam steering).

[0077] The wireless device 902 may include one or more interfaces 914. Interfaces 914 can be used to provide inputs to or outputs from the wireless device 902. For example, the wireless device 902, which is a UE, may include interfaces 914 such as microphones, speakers, touchscreens, and buttons to enable inputs and / or outputs to the UE by the user of the UE. Other interfaces of such a UE may consist of transmitters, receivers, and other circuits (other than, for example, the transceivers 910 / antennas 912 already described) that enable communication between the UE and other devices and may operate according to known protocols (e.g., Wi-Fi®, Bluetooth®, etc.).

[0078] The wireless device 902 may include one or more RRM measurement modules 916. The RRM measurement modules 916 can be implemented via hardware, software, or a combination thereof. For example, the RRM measurement modules 916 can be implemented as instructions 908 stored in the processor, circuitry, and / or memory 906 and executed by the processor 904. In some embodiments, the RRM measurement modules 916 can be integrated within the processor 904 and / or the transceiver 910. For example, the RRM measurement modules 916 can be implemented by a combination of software components (executed by, for example, a DSP or general-purpose processor) and hardware components (e.g., logic gates and circuits) within the processor 904 or the transceiver 910.

[0079] The RRM measurement module(s) 916 can be used for various embodiments of the present disclosure, for example, the embodiments shown in Figures 1 to 7, from the perspective of a wireless device or UE. The RRM measurement module(s) 916 can be configured, for example, to transmit a set of capabilities relating to the beam sweep coefficient capability of a wireless device for RRM measurement and / or to perform RRM measurement according to the beam sweep coefficient capability.

[0080] The network device 920 may include one or more processors 922. The processors 922 can execute instructions to perform various operations of the network device 920, as described herein. The processors 922 may include, for example, one or more baseband processors implemented using a CPU, DSP, ASIC, controller, FPGA device, another hardware device, firmware device, or any combination thereof configured to perform the operations described herein.

[0081] The network device 920 may include memory 924. Memory 924 may be a non-temporary computer-readable storage medium that stores instructions 926 (for example, instructions being executed by processor(s) 922). Instructions 926 may also be called program code or computer programs. Memory 924 may also store data used by processor(s) 922 and results calculated by processor(s) 922.

[0082] The network device 920 may include one or more transceivers 928 (which may also be collectively referred to as transceivers 928) that include RF transmitter and / or receiver circuits that use the antenna(s) 930 of the network device 920 to facilitate signaling to and from the network device 920 (e.g., signaling 938) with other devices (e.g., wireless device 902) according to the corresponding RAT.

[0083] The network device 920 may include one or more antennas 930 (e.g., one, two, four, or more). In embodiments having multiple antennas 930, the network device 920 can perform MIMO, digital beamforming, analog beamforming, beam steering, and the like, as described.

[0084] The network device 920 may include one or more interfaces 932. Interfaces 932 can be used to provide inputs to or outputs from the network device 920. For example, a network device 920 in a RAN (e.g., a base station, radio head, etc.) may include interfaces 932 consisting of transmitters, receivers, and other circuits (e.g., other than the transceivers 928 / antennas 930 already described) that enable the network device 920 to communicate with other devices in the core network and / or enable the network device 920 to communicate with external networks, computers, databases, etc., for the purpose of operating, managing, and maintaining the network device 920 or other devices operably connected to it.

[0085] The network device 920 may include one or more RRM measurement configuration modules 934. The RRM measurement configuration modules 934 can be implemented via hardware, software, or a combination thereof. For example, the RRM measurement configuration module 934 can be implemented as an instruction 926 stored in a processor, circuitry, and / or memory 924 and executed by a processor 922. In some embodiments, the RRM measurement configuration module 934 can be integrated within a processor 922 and / or a transceiver 928. For example, the RRM measurement configuration module 934 can be implemented by a combination of software components (e.g., executed by a DSP or general-purpose processor) and hardware components (e.g., logic gates and circuits) within a processor 922 or a transceiver 928.

[0086] The RRM measurement configuration module(s) 934 can be used for various embodiments of the present disclosure, for example, the embodiments shown in Figures 1 to 7, from the perspective of a network device. The RRM measurement configuration module(s) 934 can be configured, for example, to receive a set of capabilities relating to the beam sweep coefficient capability of a wireless device for RRM measurement, and / or to schedule the wireless device 902 according to the beam sweep coefficient capability.

[0087] In one or more embodiments, at least one of the components described in one or more of the aforementioned figures may be configured to perform one or more operations, techniques, processes and / or methods as described herein. For example, the baseband processor (or processor) described above in relation to one or more of the figures herein may be configured to operate according to one or more of the examples described herein. In another embodiment, a circuit associated with a UE, network device, network element, etc., as described above in relation to one or more of the aforementioned figures may be configured to operate according to one or more of the examples described herein.

[0088] Any of the embodiments described above can be combined with any other embodiment (or combination of embodiments) unless otherwise specified. The above descriptions of one or more implementation forms are illustrative and illustrative, but are not intended to be exhaustive or to limit the scope of the embodiments to the exact forms described. Modifications and variations are possible based on the above teachings or can be learned from the practice of various embodiments.

[0089] The embodiments and implementations of the systems and methods described herein may include a variety of operations that can be embodied by machine-executable instructions performed by a computer system. The computer system may include one or more general-purpose computers or dedicated computers (or other electronic devices). The computer system may include hardware components that include specific logic for performing operations, or it may include a combination of hardware, software, and / or firmware.

[0090] The systems described herein are provided as examples, although they relate to specific embodiments. These embodiments can be combined into a single system, partially combined into other systems, divided into multiple systems, or otherwise divided or combined. In addition, parameters, attributes, aspects, etc., of one embodiment are intended to be used in another embodiment. Parameters, attributes, aspects, etc., are described in one or more embodiments for clarity only, and it is recognized that parameters, attributes, aspects, etc., can be combined with or substituted for parameters, attributes, etc., of another embodiment unless specifically abandoned herein.

[0091] It should be fully understood that the use of personally identifiable information should adhere to privacy policies and practices that are generally recognized as meeting or exceeding industry or government requirements for maintaining user privacy. In particular, personally identifiable information data should be managed and handled in a manner that minimizes the risk of unintended or unauthorized access or use, and the nature of authorized use should be clearly indicated to the user.

[0092] While the foregoing has been described in some detail for clarity, it will be clear that changes and modifications can be made without departing from the principles. It should be noted that many alternative methods exist for implementing both the processes and apparatus described herein. Therefore, these embodiments should be considered illustrative and not limiting, and the description is not limited to the details given herein and may be modified within the appended claims and equivalents.

Claims

1. User equipment (UE), Transceiver and, It is a processor, For the activation of an unknown secondary cell (SCell) in the new radio (NR) frequency range two (FR2) of the 3rd Generation Partnership Project (3GPP), The first beam sweep coefficient for the cell detection portion of the Layer 3 (L3) measurement, Determine the second beam sweep coefficient for measuring the Layer 1 (L1) reference signal received power (RSRP) (L1-RSRP), A UE comprising a processor configured to report to the network via the transceiver the UE's ability to identify a beam sweep coefficient pair including the first beam sweep coefficient and the second beam sweep coefficient.

2. The first beam sweep coefficient is a member of the first list of candidate options, and each candidate option in the first list of candidate options is 8 or less. The second beam sweep coefficient is a member of a second list of candidate options, and each candidate option in the second list of candidate options is 8 or less. The UE according to claim 1.

3. The first list of candidate options includes four or fewer candidate options: The second list of candidate options includes four or fewer candidate options. The UE according to claim 1.

4. The first beam sweep coefficient and the second beam sweep coefficient are, The first beam sweep coefficient must be less than the second beam sweep coefficient. The second beam sweep coefficient must be less than the first beam sweep coefficient, or The first beam sweep coefficient is determined under the constraint that it must be equal to the second beam sweep coefficient. The UE according to claim 1.

5. The processor is configured to map the beam sweep coefficient pairs to indices, Reporting the aforementioned UE capability includes reporting the aforementioned index, The UE according to claim 1.

6. The beam sweep coefficient pair is, The aforementioned UE, FR2 frequency range, FR2 bandwidth, or Associated with one of the FR2 bands for each band combination, The UE according to claim 1.

7. User equipment (UE), Transceiver and, It is a processor, For the activation of an unknown secondary cell (SCell) in the new radio (NR) frequency range two (FR2) of the 3rd Generation Partnership Project (3GPP), The first beam sweep coefficient for the cell detection portion of the Layer 3 (L3) measurement, Determine the second beam sweep coefficient for measuring the Layer 1 (L1) reference signal received power (RSRP) (L1-RSRP), A UE comprising a processor configured to report to the network via the transceiver the UE's ability to identify a combined beam sweep coefficient based on at least the first beam sweep coefficient and the second beam sweep coefficient.

8. The UE according to claim 1, wherein the processor is configured to determine the combined beam sweep coefficient by adding the first beam sweep coefficient and the second beam sweep coefficient.

9. The UE according to claim 1, wherein the processor is configured to determine the combined beam sweep coefficient by multiplying the first beam sweep coefficient by the second beam sweep coefficient.

10. The first beam sweep coefficient is a member of the first list of candidate options, and each candidate option in the first list of candidate options is 8 or less. The second beam sweep coefficient is a member of a second list of candidate options, and each candidate option in the second list of candidate options is 8 or less. The UE according to claim 7.

11. The first list of candidate options includes four or fewer candidate options: The second list of candidate options includes four or fewer candidate options. The UE according to claim 7.

12. The first beam sweep coefficient and the second beam sweep coefficient are, The first beam sweep coefficient must be less than the second beam sweep coefficient. The second beam sweep coefficient must be less than the first beam sweep coefficient, or The first beam sweep coefficient is determined under the constraint that it must be equal to the second beam sweep coefficient. The UE according to claim 7.

13. The aforementioned combined beam sweep coefficient is, The aforementioned UE, FR2 frequency range, FR2 bandwidth, or Associated with one of the FR2 bands for each band combination, The UE according to claim 7.

14. User equipment (UE), Transceiver and, It is a processor, For the activation of an unknown secondary cell (SCell) in the new radio (NR) frequency range two (FR2) of the 3rd Generation Partnership Project (3GPP), The first beam sweep coefficient for the cell detection portion of the Layer 3 (L3) measurement, Determine the second beam sweep coefficient for measuring the Layer 1 (L1) reference signal received power (RSRP) (L1-RSRP), The UE capability based at least partially on the first beam sweep coefficient and the second beam sweep coefficient is reported to the network via the transceiver. The L1-RSRP measurement is determined to be based on a non-zero power (NZP) channel state information (CSI) reference signal (RS) (NZP CSI-RS), and A UE comprising a processor configured to determine the period of L1-RSRP measurement by multiplying the period of NZP CSI-RS by the ceiling function of the second beam sweep coefficient and dividing by the number of NZP CSI-RS resources in the NZP CSI-RS resource set.

15. The aforementioned processor, The cell detection portion of the L3 measurement is determined to be based on a synchronization signal block (SSB), and The system is configured to determine that the maximum number of received (Rx) beams used to measure the NZP CSI-RS resource is equal to the second beam sweep coefficient. The UE according to claim 14.

16. The aforementioned processor, The cell detection portion of the L3 measurement is determined to be based on the NZP CSI-RS. It is determined that the NZP CSI-RS for the cell detection portion of the L3 measurement is one NZP CSI-RS in an NZP CSI-RS resource set configured to have repeated ON in any L1-RSRP configuration, The duration of the cell detection portion of the L3 measurement is determined by multiplying the duration of the NZP CSI-RS by the ceiling function of the first beam sweep coefficient and dividing by the number of NZP CSI-RS resources in the NZP CSI-RS resource set. The UE according to claim 14.

17. The aforementioned NZP CSI-RS is the first NZP CSI-RS, The number of NZP CSI-RS resources in the aforementioned NZP CSI-RS resource set is the first number of NZP CSI-RS resources in the first NZP CSI-RS resource set, The aforementioned processor, The cell detection portion of the L3 measurement is determined to be based on the second NZP CSI-RS, The second NZP CSI-RS for the cell detection portion of the L3 measurement is determined to be one NZP CSI-RS in a second NZP CSI-RS resource set having repeated ON in any L1-RSRP configuration. The duration of the cell detection portion of the L3 measurement is determined by multiplying the duration of the second NZP CSI-RS by the ceiling function of the first beam sweep coefficient and dividing by the second number of NZP CSI-RS resources in the second NZP CSI-RS resource set. The UE according to claim 14.

18. The UE capability specifies a beam sweep coefficient pair including the first beam sweep coefficient and the second beam sweep coefficient, according to claim 14.

19. The UE capability is determined by identifying a combined beam sweep coefficient, and the combined beam sweep coefficient is determined by adding the first beam sweep coefficient and the second beam sweep coefficient, according to claim 14.

20. The UE capability is determined by identifying a combined beam sweep coefficient, which is determined by multiplying the first beam sweep coefficient by the second beam sweep coefficient, according to claim 14.

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