Facilitates multi-panel UE operation with various panel capabilities

Abstract

According to at least some example embodiments, a user equipment (UE) of a wireless communication system for facilitating dynamic association between a reference signal (RS) configured for beam management measurements and reporting for downlink (DL) and / or uplink (UL) beam selection and a semi-statically configured capability index of a capability set of at least one capability includes: a plurality of antenna panels; and a memory storing computer-executable instructions including generating a first capability set of at least a first capability, the first capability set including a plurality of capability information items respectively indexed by a plurality of corresponding capability indexes, each capability information item indicating, for a panel corresponding to the capability information item from among the plurality of antenna panels, capability information of the corresponding panel regarding the first capability, and transmitting the first capability set to a next generation Node B (gNB) included in the wireless communication system.

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] One or more exemplary embodiments relate generally to wireless communications, and more particularly to facilitating positioning in 3rd Generation Partnership Project (3GPP) fifth-generation (5G) New Radio (NR) networks. [Background technology]

[0002] Fifth-generation (5G) wireless communication networks are the next generation of mobile communication networks. Standards for 5G communication networks are currently being developed by the 3rd Generation Partnership Project (3GPP). These standards are known as 3GPP New Radio (NR) standards. One of the development areas of 3GPP New Radio (NR) technology is beam management between UEs and next-generation NodeBs (gNBs). Summary of the Invention [Means for solving the problem]

[0003] According to at least some exemplary embodiments, a user equipment (UE) of a wireless communication system for facilitating dynamic association between a reference signal (RS) configured for beam management measurements and reporting for downlink (DL) and / or uplink (UL) beam selection and a semi-statically configured capability index of a capability set of at least one function includes: a plurality of antenna panels; a memory storing computer-executable instructions; and a processor configured to execute the computer-executable instructions, the computer-executable instructions including: generating a first capability set of at least a first function, the first capability set including a plurality of capability information items respectively indexed by a plurality of corresponding capability indexes, each capability information item indicating, for a panel from the plurality of antenna panels corresponding to the capability information item, capability information of the corresponding panel related to the first function; and transmitting the first capability set to a next generation Node B (gNB) included in the wireless communication system.

[0004] The plurality of capability information items included in the first capability set may include at least first and second capability information items indexed by first and second indexes, respectively, from among a plurality of capability indexes, wherein the first capability information item indicates capability information of a first panel from among the plurality of antenna panels with respect to a first function, and the second capability information item indicates capability information of a second panel from among the plurality of antenna panels with respect to the first function, the second panel being different from the first panel.

[0005] The plurality of capability information items included in the first capability set may include at least first and second capability information items indexed by first and second indexes, respectively, from among a plurality of capability indexes, where the first capability information item indicates capability information of a first panel from among the plurality of antenna panels regarding a first function and a first DL and / or UL channel condition, and the second capability information item indicates capability information of the first panel regarding the first function and a second DL and / or UL channel condition, and the second DL and / or UL channel condition is different from the first DL and / or UL channel condition.

[0006] The first function may be at least one of a maximum number of Rx beams, a number of ports, activation delay group information, selection delay group information, or a maximum achievable equivalent isotropic radiated power (EIRP).

[0007] The computer-executable instructions may further include receiving and measuring a downlink (DL) reference signal (RS) from a gNB; starting a timer after measuring the DL reference signal; determining one or more best DL RSs from the received DL RSs for each capability index from among a plurality of capability indexes included in a first capability set, and determining one or more fallback RSs from among the received DL RSs for a fallback operation; reporting each capability index to the gNB along with the one or more best DL RSs determined for each capability index; reporting the one or more fallback RSs to the gNB; determining an Rx beam for receiving a DL signal and / or a Tx beam for transmitting a UL signal based on the one or more best DL RSs determined for the capability index from among the plurality of capability indexes; determining whether the timer has expired; and performing a fallback operation in response to determining that the timer has expired, wherein the fallback operation includes determining a new Rx beam for receiving a DL signal and / or a new Tx beam for transmitting a UL signal based on the one or more fallback RSs.

[0008] According to at least some exemplary embodiments, a network element of a wireless communication system for facilitating dynamic association between a reference signal (RS) configured for beam management measurements and reporting for downlink (DL) and / or uplink (UL) beam selection and a semi-statically configured capability index of a capability set of at least one function includes: a memory that stores computer-executable instructions; and a processor configured to execute the computer-executable instructions, the computer-executable instructions including: transmitting a downlink (DL) reference signal (RS) to a user equipment (UE); and receiving from the UE a first capability set of at least a first function, the first capability set including a plurality of capability information items respectively indexed by a plurality of corresponding capability indexes, each capability information item indicating capability information of a corresponding panel regarding the first function for a panel corresponding to the capability information item from among a plurality of antenna panels of the UE.

[0009] 7. The first function may include at least one of a maximum number of Rx beams, a number of ports, activation delay group information, selection delay group information, or a maximum achievable equivalent isotropic radiated power (EIRP).

[0010] According to at least some exemplary embodiments, a method of operating a user equipment (UE) of a wireless communication system to facilitate dynamic association between a reference signal (RS) configured for beam management measurements and reporting for downlink (DL) and / or uplink (UL) beam selection and a semi-statically configured capability index of a capability set of at least one function, the UE including a plurality of antenna panels, the method including: generating a first capability set for at least a first function, the first capability set including a plurality of capability information items respectively indexed by a plurality of corresponding capability indexes, each capability information item indicating, for a panel from the plurality of antenna panels corresponding to the capability information item, capability information of the corresponding panel related to the first function; and transmitting the first capability set to a next generation Node B (gNB) included in the wireless communication system.

[0011] The plurality of capability information items included in the first capability set may include at least first and second capability information items indexed by first and second indexes, respectively, from among a plurality of capability indexes, wherein the first capability information item indicates capability information of a first panel from among the plurality of antenna panels with respect to a first function, and the second capability information item indicates capability information of a second panel from among the plurality of antenna panels with respect to the first function, the first panel being different from the second panel.

[0012] The plurality of capability information items included in the first capability set may include at least first and second capability information items indexed by first and second indexes, respectively, from among a plurality of capability indexes, where the first capability information item indicates capability information of a first panel from among the plurality of antenna panels regarding a first function and a first DL and / or UL channel condition, and the second capability information item indicates capability information of the first panel regarding the first function and a second DL and / or UL channel condition, and the second DL and / or UL channel condition is different from the first DL and / or UL channel condition.

[0013] The first function may include at least one of a maximum number of Rx beams of the panel, a number of ports of the panel, activation delay group information of the panel, selection delay group information of the panel, or a maximum achievable equivalent isotropic radiated power (EIRP) of the panel.

[0014] The method may further include receiving and measuring downlink (DL) reference signals (RS) from a gNB; starting a timer after measuring the DL reference signals; determining one or more best DL RSs from the received DL RSs for each capability index from among a plurality of capability indexes in a capability set; determining one or more fallback RSs from among the received DL RSs for fallback operation; reporting each capability index to the gNB along with the one or more best DL RSs determined for each capability index; reporting the one or more fallback RSs to the gNB; determining an Rx beam for receiving DL signals and / or a Tx beam for transmitting UL signals based on the one or more best DL RSs determined for the capability index from among the plurality of capability indexes; determining whether a time has expired; and performing a fallback operation in response to determining that the timer has expired, wherein the fallback operation includes determining a new Rx beam for receiving DL signals and / or a new Tx beam for transmitting UL signals based on the one or more fallback RSs.

[0015] According to at least some exemplary embodiments, a method of operating a network element of a wireless communication system to facilitate dynamic association between a reference signal (RS) configured for beam management measurements and reporting for downlink (DL) and / or uplink (UL) beam selection and a semi-statically configured capability index of a capability set of at least one feature includes: transmitting a downlink (DL) reference signal (RS) to a user equipment (UE); and receiving from the UE a first capability set of at least a first feature, the first capability set including a plurality of capability information items respectively indexed by a plurality of corresponding capability indexes, each capability information item indicating capability information of a corresponding panel regarding the first feature for a panel corresponding to the capability information item from among a plurality of antenna panels of the UE.

[0016] The first function may include at least one of a maximum number of Rx beams, a number of ports, activation delay group information, selection delay group information, or a maximum achievable equivalent isotropic radiated power (EIRP).

[0017] According to at least some exemplary embodiments, a user equipment (UE) of a wireless communication system for facilitating dynamic association between a reference signal (RS) configured for beam management measurements and reporting for downlink (DL) and / or uplink (UL) beam selection and a semi-statically configured capability index of a capability set of at least one feature includes: generating means for generating a first capability set of at least a first feature, the first capability set including a plurality of capability information items respectively indexed by a plurality of corresponding capability indexes, each capability information item indicating capability information of a corresponding panel related to the first feature for a panel corresponding to the capability information item from a plurality of antenna panels of the UE; and transmitting means for transmitting the first capability set to a next generation Node B (gNB) included in the wireless communication system.

[0018] According to at least some exemplary embodiments, a network element of a wireless communication system for facilitating dynamic association between a reference signal (RS) configured for beam management measurements and reporting for downlink (DL) and / or uplink (UL) beam selection and a semi-statically configured capability index of a capability set of at least one feature includes: transmitting means for transmitting a downlink (DL) reference signal (RS) to a user equipment (UE); and receiving means for receiving a first capability set of at least a first feature from the UE, the first capability set including a plurality of capability information items respectively indexed by a plurality of corresponding capability indexes, each capability information item indicating capability information of a corresponding panel regarding the first feature for a panel corresponding to the capability information item from a plurality of antenna panels of the UE.

[0019] Exemplary embodiments will become more fully understood from the following detailed description and the accompanying drawings, in which like elements are represented by like reference numerals, and which are provided for purposes of illustration only and therefore not to limit the disclosure. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0020] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 illustrates a portion of a wireless communication system in accordance with at least some example embodiments. [Figure 2] FIG. 1 illustrates a network element in accordance with at least some example embodiments. [Figure 3] FIG. 1 illustrates a method for facilitating beam management for MP-UE, according to at least some example embodiments. [Figure 4A] FIG. 10 illustrates an example of a capability set in accordance with at least some example embodiments. [Figure 4B] FIG. 1 illustrates an example of a downlink (DL) reference signal (RS) set, according to at least some example embodiments. [Figure 5]FIG. 10 illustrates an example timer reset trigger, according to at least some example embodiments. [Figure 6A] FIG. 10 is a diagram illustrating a timer reset trigger, according to at least some example embodiments. [Figure 6B] FIG. 10 is a diagram illustrating a timer reset trigger, according to at least some example embodiments. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0021] It should be noted that these figures illustrate general features of methods, structures, and / or materials utilized in certain exemplary embodiments and are intended to supplement the written description provided below. However, these figures are not to scale, may not accurately reflect the precise structural or performance characteristics of particular embodiments, and should not be construed as defining or limiting the range of values or properties encompassed by the exemplary embodiments. The use of similar or identical reference numbers in various figures is intended to indicate the presence of similar or identical elements or features.

[0022] Various exemplary embodiments will now be described in more detail with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which several exemplary embodiments are shown.

[0023] Detailed exemplary embodiments are disclosed herein. However, the specific structural and functional details disclosed herein are merely representative for purposes of describing the exemplary embodiments. However, the exemplary embodiments may be embodied in many alternative forms and should not be construed as being limited to only the embodiments set forth herein.

[0024] It is to be understood that there is no intention to limit the example embodiments to the particular forms disclosed. On the contrary, the example embodiments are intended to cover all modifications, equivalents, and alternatives falling within the scope of this disclosure. Like numbers refer to like elements throughout the description of the drawings.

[0025] 1. Overview of NR beam management The current 3GPP Release 17 (Rel-17) and legacy NR releases define beam management procedures. One key aspect is the UE's ability to perform beam management operations, which are typically governed by various rules such as quasi-co-location (QCL) and time offsets, sometimes reported by the UE as UE capabilities. Beam management consists of a set of procedures and functions that enable, maintain, and improve transmit (Tx) and receive (Rx) beam alignment between a transmitter and a receiver. The beam pair link established between the transmitter and receiver includes a transmit beam and a receive beam pair. The beam pair link between a next-generation node B (gNB) and a user equipment (UE) can be the same or different in the downlink (DL) and uplink (UL). For the DL, the gNB provides a QCL-TypeD reference signal (RS) to the UE, allowing the UE to configure its receive beam based on the QCL-TypeD reference signal (RS). For the UL, the gNB provides the UE with spatial relationship information, based on which the UE can further configure its transmit beam.

[0026] Pseudo-colocation of two antenna ports means that the channel conditions of the symbols transmitted from those antenna ports are similar and can be inferred from one to the other. Depending on the set of channel condition characteristics, 3GPP Technical Specification (TS) 38.214 defines the following QCL types: QCL-TypeA, QCL-TypeB, QCL-TypeC, and QCL-TypeD. QCL-TypeD employs spatial Rx parameters to define the channel conditions and supports beamforming using spatial Rx parameters.

[0027] The QCL defines the relationship between two reference signals at the UE receiver. In practice, a gNB may be able to guarantee that the characteristics of two reference signals are similar only if they are transmitted from the same transmission / reception point (TRP). NR generally considers that transmission of any reference signal can occur from any TRP.

[0028] Regarding the definition of QCL-Type D, as of 3GPP Release 15 (Rel-15), many proposals have been made regarding spatial parameters, including, for example: Uses average angle of arrival (AoA), power angle spectrum (PAS) of AoA, average angle of departure (AoD), PAS of AoD, transmit / receive channel correlation, transmit / receive beamforming, etc. (3GPP Technical Specifications Group (TSG) RAN Meeting Contribution Document (TDoc) R1-170694). Capture AoA in terms of QCL parameters set to describe the spatial channel characteristics of the RS antenna ports as observed at the receiver. (3GPP TSG RAN TDoc R1-1707134) Use average AoA and AoA spread. (3GPP TSG RAN TDoc R1-1707369) Consider angle-of-arrival domain parameters, such as average AoA / zenith angle of arrival (ZoA) and / or angle spread at arrival (ASA) / zenith angle spread at arrival (ZSA), as spatial QCL parameters (3GPP TSG RAN TDoc R1-1708601). Spatial channel correlation. (3GPP TSG RAN TDoc R1-1708710) The general term "spatial parameters" is used, and performance testing of the actual functional utilization of this characteristic is left to the 3GPP TSG RAN Working Group 4 (RAN4). (3GPP TSG RAN TDoc R1-1708929)

[0029] The general term approach is used in 3GPP Technical Specification (TS) 38.214, section 5.1.5: The quasi-colocation type corresponding to each DL RS is given by the higher layer parameter qcl-Type of QCL-Info and can take one of the following values: - 'typeA': {Doppler shift, Doppler spread, average delay, delay spread} - 'typeB': {Doppler shift, Doppler spread} - 'typeC': {Doppler shift, average delay} - 'typeD':{spatial Rx parameters}

[0030] The QCL-TypeD RS spatial source can be a synchronization signal block (SSB) or a channel state information reference signal (CSI-RS). For a received beam indication of a target signal (e.g., DM-RS on the physical downlink shared channel (PDSCH), DM-RS on the physical downlink control channel (PDCCH), or CSI-RS), the UE is provided with a TCI state (container), which includes an indication of the QCL-TypeD RS. The UE applies the same receive (Rx) beam for receiving the target signal as that used to receive a given QCL-TypeD source RS (SSB or CSI-RS resource) in the transmission coordination indication (TCI) state. The UE can configure up to 64 or 128 (if the UE capabilities allow) TCI states. The TCI state container is defined by the TCI state information element (IE) in 3GPP TS 38.331 as follows: [Table 1]

[0031] In the UL, the UE is provided with a spatial source RS, which can be an SSB, a CSI-RS, or a sounding reference signal (SRS). When an SSB or a CSI-RS is provided as a spatial source, the UE uses the Rx beam used to receive a given SSB or CSI-RS resource as the spatial relationship of the Tx beam for transmitting a target signal (e.g., a physical uplink shared channel (PUSCH), a physical uplink control channel (PUCCH), or an SRS). When an SRS is provided as a spatial source, the UE uses the same Tx beam used to transmit a specific SRS resource as the Tx beam for transmitting the target signal. The spatial relationship information of the SRS is defined by the SRS-CONFIG IE in TS 3GPP38.331 as follows: [Table 2]

[0032] The main steps and functions in beam management are: - Measurement and reporting of candidate reference signals that can serve as a source for determining transmit and receive beam pairs in the downlink and uplink. o The general assumption is that the DL RS is used for both DL and UL beam indication. · TX / RX beam correspondence can be assumed in the UE. o The UE may be explicitly configured with SSB and / or CSI-RS resources for Layer 1 (L1) Reference Signal Received Power (RSRP) measurement and reporting (CSI-RS framework). A UE may be configured with CSI-RS resource settings for up to 16 CSI-RS resource sets with up to 64 resources in each set. The total number of different CSI-RS resources across all resource sets may be less than or equal to 128. o The UE reports the L1-RSRPs of the {1, 2, 3, or 4} best SSBs or CSI-RS per reporting configuration. The report includes the resource index and L1-RSRP value.

[0033] - Beam indication / beam switching o In DL, the UE is provided with the TCI status of the target signal based on which the UE can receive the target signal. The TCI status is: Radio resource control (RRC) configuration of periodic channel state information reference signal (P-CSI-RS) (including total radiated sensitivity (TRS)); Medium Access Control (MAC) - Control Element (CE) for PDCCH (one active TCI state per control resource set (CORESET)), semi-persistent channel state information reference signal (SP-CSI-RS), aperiodic channel state information reference signal (AP-CSI-RS), PDSCH (when following PDCCH); or Downlink Control Indicator (DCI) for PDSCH (when explicit indication is used) and AP-CSI-RS (triggering specific CSI-RS resource sets) will be provided. o In the UL, the UE is provided with the spatial relationship of the target signals, based on which the UE forms the Tx beam. The spatial relationship provisioning is: ·RRC-based (for P-SRS); MAC-CE based (SP-SRS, AP-SRS, PUCCH, PUSCH (when followed by PUCCH with resource ID=0)); or DCI based (indirectly for PUSCH (DCI indicates a reference SRS so that the UE transmits PUSCH on the same beam as the given SRS) is. o Also, in Rel15 / Rel16, several default beam assumptions are defined, including, for example: · PDSCH: · When the scheduling offset < timeDurationForQCL: The TCI state is one of the lowest CORESET IDs in the latest slot monitored by the UE. · When the scheduling offset >= timeDurationForQCL: If the TCI state is not provided by DCI, or if PDSCH reception is based on the TCI state provided by DCI, the TCI state is one of the CORESETs of the scheduling PDCCH. · AP-CSI-RS: · When the scheduling offset < beamSwitchTiming: The UE can adjust the TCI state with other overlapping signal TCI states or apply the TCI state of the lowest CORESET ID in the latest slot the UE is monitoring. · PUCCH / SRS: · When no spatial relation is configured, determine the spatial relation as follows in frequency range 2 (FR2): o When a CORESET is configured on the CC, the TCI state / QCL assumption follows one of the CORESETs with the lowest ID, or o When no CORESET is configured on the CC, the activated TCI state with the lowest ID is applicable to the PDSCH of the active DL bandwidth part (DL-BWP) of the CC. · PUSCH scheduled by DCI format 0_0: · When there is no PUCCH resource configured for the UL BWP CC active in FR2 and RRC connected mode: o The default spatial relation is the TCI state / QCL assumption of the CORESET with the lowest ID. In a multi-TRP scenario, a TCI codepoint may contain two TCI states, and as the default beam case, the UE assumes the TCI state of the TCI codepoint with the two TCI states with the lowest ID (e.g., in the case of PDSCH).

[0034] 2. NR beam management issues for multi-panel UE (MP-UE) One issue with NR beam management that can arise for MP-UEs is that current specifications, such as the 3GPP Release 15 (Rel-15) and 3GPP Release 16 (Rel-16) versions of NR, do not address the different capabilities that individual panels of UEs may have. Examples of such different capabilities include, but are not limited to: - different numbers of antenna elements between panels, which affects, for example, the number of receive (Rx) and transmit (Tx) beams a panel needs to fill a particular spatial aperture with maximum gain, or alternatively with a desired level of gain; - different numbers of antenna ports between panels, which affects, for example, the SRS resource configuration for codebook-based PUSCH; and - Different equivalent isotropic radiated power (EIRP) capabilities for UL transmission of different panels.

[0035] Due to different UE panels having different beamforming capabilities, the gNB may not be able to properly configure the UE with some CSI-RS resources, for example, for Rx beam training. According to conventional techniques, the UE provides only a single capability, maxNumberRxBeam, for the maximum number of receive beams. However, the gNB does not know whether the provided maxNumberRxBeam value is the maximum number of Rx beams associated with a panel among all the numbers of Rx beams associated with all panels of the UE, respectively, or the total number of Rx beams supported by the UE across all panels. Therefore, the gNB's lack of panel-specific knowledge of the UE's current serving panel can be problematic, for example, for Rx beamforming procedures performed between the UE and the gNB.

[0036] Another issue with NR beam management that can arise for MP-UEs relates to codebook-based PUSCH. For example, when a UE has an antenna panel configuration with different numbers of antenna ports per antenna panel, codebook-based PUSCH transmission with one or more beams is enabled by configuring the PUSCH with txConfig set to "codebook" and ULFPTxModes set to "Mode2." Furthermore, it is assumed that the UL SRS set is configured as a "codebook" with up to four SRS resources with different numbers of antenna ports per resource, where the resources can have up to two different spatial relationships.

[0037] Due to different UL transmission capabilities, i.e., different numbers of antenna ports, per UL SRS resource, the lack of per-panel capability information in the gNB adversely affects the configuration of different DL RS / signal resources as spatial sources for different UL SRS resources within an SRS set or potentially across different SRS sets. Currently, the Rel-15 / Rel-16 specifications (e.g., 3GPP TS 38.214) do not provide a mechanism that enables the network (e.g., gNB) to gain knowledge of which DL RS / signals are feasible for each SRS resource. Therefore, the gNB may configure / activate infeasible or undesirable spatial sources per SRS resource, and therefore per UE antenna panel. For example, the gNB may configure DL RS#A as a spatial source for SRS resource#0 (corresponding to UE antenna panel#0) even if DL RS#A is feasible for SRS resource#1 (corresponding to UE antenna panel#1) but not for SRS resource#0. In general, the above issues arise due to the current DL RS reporting for DL and UL beam selection being UE panel agnostic. However, reflecting different panel capabilities in SRS resource configurations (number of ports, etc.) would require panel-aware reporting, which may be undesirable.

[0038] A solution that can facilitate multi-panel operation of a UE by not requiring explicit panel identification and by taking into account panel-specific features that may vary from panel to panel would be advantageous. For example, it may be desirable to develop a solution that abstracts the panel implementation of the UE.

[0039] As described in more detail below, a method for facilitating beam management for MP-UEs, according to at least some exemplary embodiments, includes using an index to support reporting of UE capability information to a network (e.g., a gNB) on a panel-by-panel basis.

[0040] Examples of wireless communication network architectures and network element structures according to at least some example embodiments are described below with reference to FIGS.

[0041] 3. Architecture of a wireless communication system and an exemplary structure of its network elements. FIG. 1 shows a simplified diagram of a portion of a 3rd Generation Partnership Project (3GPP) New Radio (NR) access deployment to explain example embodiments in more detail.

[0042] Referring to FIG. 1, a wireless communication system 100 is an example of a 3GPP NR radio access deployment including a gNB 102 having transmit / receive points (TRPs) 102A, 102B, and 102C. Each TRP 102A, 102B, and 102C may be, for example, a remote radio head (RRH) or a remote radio unit (RRU), which includes at least, for example, a radio frequency (RF) antenna (or antennas) or antenna panel and a radio transceiver for transmitting and receiving data within a geographic area. In this regard, the TRPs 102A, 102B, and 102C provide cellular resources to user equipment (UE) (e.g., UE 106) within their geographic coverage areas. In some cases, baseband processing may be split between the TRPs 102A, 102B, and 102C and the gNB 102 within a fifth-generation (5G) cell. Alternatively, baseband processing may occur in the gNB 102. In the example shown in Figure 1, the TRPs 102A, 102B, 102C are configured to communicate with the UE 106 via one or more transmit (TX) / receive (RX) beam pairs. The gNB 102 communicates with a core network (CN) 130, which in 3GPP NR is called the New Core or 5G Core (5GC).

[0043] The TRPs 102A, 102B, and 102C may have independent schedulers, or the gNB 102 may perform joint scheduling between the TRPs 102A, 102B, and 102C.

[0044] 1, the gNB 102 and TRPs 102A, 102B, 102C may provide communication services to a relatively large number of UEs within the coverage areas of the TRPs 102A, 102B, 102C. For clarity of the exemplary embodiments, communication services (including transmission and reception of wireless signals) are described as between the gNB 102 and the UE 106. However, it should be understood that signals may be transmitted between the UE 106 and one or more of the TRPs 102A, 102B, 102C.

[0045] The UE 106 includes multiple panels 1062, 1064, 1066, and 1068 for transmitting data to and receiving data from the gNB 102 on the UL and DL. Although only four antenna panels are shown in FIG. 1 , exemplary embodiments should not be limited to this example. Exemplary functionality and operation of the UE 106 are described in more detail below. Examples of the UE 106 include, but are not limited to, mobile devices, tablets, laptop computers, wearable devices, Internet of Things (IoT) devices, desktop computers, and / or other types of fixed or portable devices capable of operating according to 5G NR communication standards and / or other wireless communication standards. In the example shown in FIG. 1 , the UE 106 is a mobile device.

[0046] According to at least some example embodiments, wireless communication system 100 is not limited to the elements shown in Figure 1, and wireless communication system 100 may include a different number of components than those shown in Figure 1. For example, wireless communication system 100 may include any number of UE devices, any number of gNBs, etc.

[0047] Additionally, although not shown, the CN 130 may include several 5GC network elements. For example, the gNB 102 may be connected to a location management function (LMF), an access and mobility management function (AMF) element, and / or a session management function (SMF) element. Additionally, although not shown, the wireless communication system 100 may further include a Long Term Evolution (LTE) network element connected to the gNB 102. Examples of such LTE elements include, but are not limited to, an LTE radio access technology (RAT) network element such as an evolved Node B (eNB) (e.g., an evolved universal mobile telecommunications system (UMTS) terrestrial radio access network (E-UTRAN) network element), and an LTE core network element such as a mobility management entity (MME) (e.g., an evolved packet core (EPC) network element). An exemplary structure that may be used to embody one or more radio network elements (e.g., gNBs, UEs, etc.) of the wireless communication system 100 is described below with reference to FIG. 2.

[0048] FIG. 2 illustrates an example embodiment of a network element. Referring to FIG. 2, network element 200 includes: a memory 740, a processor 720, and various communication interfaces 760, connected to one another; and one or more antennas or antenna panels 765 connected to the various communication interfaces 760. The various interfaces 760 and antennas 765 can comprise transceivers for transmitting / receiving data to / from a UE, a gNB, a CN node, a CN element, and / or another wireless network element via one or more of multiple radio beams. According to at least some example embodiments, in addition to or instead of including interfaces for supporting wireless communication, the various interfaces 760 may include interfaces for supporting wired communication.

[0049] 2 to provide the functionality of the particular element of wireless communication system 100 embodied by network element 200 (e.g., the functionality of a UE, a CN element, a gNB, etc., in accordance with one or more exemplary embodiments). However, it is not necessary to show all of these generally conventional components to disclose the exemplary embodiments.

[0050] Memory 740 may generally be a computer-readable storage medium including random access memory (RAM), read-only memory (ROM), and / or a permanent mass storage device such as a disk drive. Memory 740 also stores an operating system and any other routines / modules / applications executed by processor 720 to provide the functionality of a particular element of wireless communication system 100 embodied by network element 200 (e.g., functionality of a UE, CN element and / or node, gNB, etc., according to one or more exemplary embodiments). These software components may also be loaded into memory 740 from a separate computer-readable storage medium using a drive mechanism (not shown). Such separate computer-readable storage media may include a disk, tape, DVD / CD-ROM drive, memory card, or other similar computer-readable storage medium (not shown). In some exemplary embodiments, software components may be loaded into memory 740 through one of various interfaces 760 rather than via a computer-readable storage medium. According to at least some example embodiments, memory 740 may store computer-executable instructions corresponding to any or all of the steps described with reference to FIGS. 1-3.

[0051] The processor 720 may be configured to execute instructions of a computer program by performing arithmetic, logical, and input / output operations of the system. Instructions may be provided to the processor 720 by the memory 740.

[0052] The various interfaces 760 may include components that interface the processor 720 with one or more antennas 765 or other input / output components. As will be appreciated, the various interfaces 760 and programs stored in memory 740 to account for the special-purpose functionality of network element 200 will vary depending on the particular elements of wireless communication system 100 embodied by network element 200.

[0053] The various interfaces 760 may also include one or more user input devices (eg, a keyboard, keypad, mouse, etc.) and user output devices (eg, a display, speaker, etc.).

[0054] An exemplary method for facilitating beam management for MP-UE is described below with reference to FIGS. 1-3.

[0055] 4. Exemplary Methods for Facilitating Beam Management for MP-UE A method for facilitating beam management for MP-UE according to at least some example embodiments may include, for example: - Panel capability aware UE receive beam training; - Panel Capability Aware Codebook (CB) based PUSCH transmission; and - Panel capability aware SRS based UL beam search and selection Any or all of the following may be supported:

[0056] 3 illustrates a method for facilitating beam management for an MP-UE, according to at least some example embodiments. FIG. 3 will be described with reference to the UE 106 and gNB 102 of the wireless communication system 100 shown in FIG. 1. For ease of explanation, FIG. 3 will be described with reference to an example scenario in which the UE 106 includes at least five UE panels: Panel_1-Panel_5. With reference to FIG. 3, a method for facilitating beam management for an MP-UE, according to at least some example embodiments, may include, for example, the following operations:

[0057] 1. The UE 106 may provide a set of Tx and / or Rx capabilities (and thus DL reception and UL transmission) corresponding to a particular function to the gNB 102. According to at least some example embodiments, the set of Tx and / or Rx capabilities may be encapsulated in a semi-statistically constructed capability set with an index.

[0058] Examples of such capabilities include, but are not limited to, maxNumberRxBeam, nrOfPorts, activationDelayGroup, selectionDelayGroup, and indexedmaximumAchievableEIRP.

[0059] For example, FIG. 4A illustrates an example capability set according to at least some exemplary embodiments. Referring to FIG. 4A, a capability set 410 includes a plurality of capability indexes 412, each corresponding to a plurality of capability information items 414. As also shown in FIG. 4A, the plurality of capability indexes correspond to a plurality of panels 416 of the UE, respectively. According to at least some exemplary embodiments, the UE 106 can provide the capability set 410 to the gNB 102.

[0060] In the example shown in FIG. 4A , the function corresponding to the capability set 410 is the maximum number of Rx beams (i.e., MaxNumberOfRxBeams) of a UE panel. Thus, in the example shown in FIG. 4A , each capability information item among the plurality of capability information items 414 identifies the value of the maximum number of Rx beams, MaxNumberOfRxBeams, of the UE panel corresponding to the capability index to which the capability information item corresponds. As an example, for index #1 of the capability set 410, MaxNumberOfRxBeams=3. Furthermore, as shown in FIG. 4A , the UE panel corresponding to index #1 is Panel_2. Thus, in the example shown in FIG. 4A , for the UE panel Panel_2, MaxNumberOfRxBeams=3.

[0061] According to at least some example embodiments, two or more capability indexes may correspond to two or more different UE panels, respectively. For example, in FIG. 4A, capability indexes #1 and #2 correspond to UE panel Panel_1 and UE panel Panel_2, respectively.

[0062] According to at least some example embodiments, two or more capability indexes may correspond to two or more different channel conditions experienced by the same UE panel. For example, in FIG. 4A, capability index #2 corresponds to UE panel Panel_3 for channel condition condition_A, and capability index #3 corresponds to UE panel Panel_3 for channel condition condition_B.

[0063] According to at least some example embodiments, two or more capability indices can correspond to the same UE panel, regardless of the channel conditions experienced by the UE panel. For example, in FIG. 4A, capability indices #4 and #5 both correspond to UE panel Panel_4 and do not map to different channel conditions that UE panel Panel_4 may experience.

[0064] 4 for each capability index to indicate the UE panel to which the capability index corresponds. However, according to at least some example embodiments, the index 412 itself identifies the UE panel to which the index corresponds within the capability set 410, and thus the capability set 410 does not include a corresponding UE panel 416.

[0065] 2. The UE 106 can receive a downlink RS configuration to measure feasible beam pair links for downlink and uplink beam selection. According to at least some example embodiments, this process can be joint DL and UL or separate DL and UL.

[0066] 3. The UE 106 measures the DL RSs based on the received configuration, determines the best M DL RS resources according to the configured criteria, and associates the DL RSs with each capability index of a particular function, where M is a positive integer (S310).

[0067] According to at least some exemplary embodiments, the criteria for determining the best M DL RSs may be at least one of the following: L1-Reference Signal Received Power (RSRP), L1-Signal to Interference and Noise Ratio (SINR), power headroom, or an indication of the MPE event and its severity (e.g., power management maximum power reduction (P-MPR) reported in the Power Headroom Report (PHR) of the serving beam, or the P-MPR estimated in the virtual PHR of the candidate beam) and / or time span; or a combination thereof.

[0068] 4. The UE 106 may start a timer. For example, according to at least some example embodiments, the UE 106 may start the time from the point at which it makes measurements of the DL RS based on the received configuration (S320).

[0069] 5. The UE 106 can associate the best M DL RSs with each capability index, so that for each capability index, the M DL RSs associated with the capability index are those that can be measured by the UE panel corresponding to the capability index from among the UE panels 1062-1068 of the UE 106.

[0070] According to at least some example embodiments, on the UE side, the corresponding UE panel may be one or more physical antenna panels of the UE 106.

[0071] According to at least some example embodiments, the UE 106 may also determine a DL RS for default operation, ie, a fallback DL RS that is not associated with any capability index.

[0072] According to at least some example embodiments, the fallback DL RS is implicitly defined from the SSB index used as the QCL source, e.g., for CORESET#0, or from the DL RS with the lowest CORESET index, other 0 active TCI states.

[0073] 6. The UE 106 may report the best DL RS for each associated capability index of a particular function to the gNB 102 (S330). For example, Figure 4B illustrates an example of a downlink (DL) reference signal (RS) set 420 according to at least some exemplary embodiments. According to at least some exemplary embodiments, in step S330, the UE 106 may report the DL RS set 420 to the gNB 102.

[0074] DL RS set 420 may include multiple capability indexes 412 and multiple DL RSs 418. According to at least some example embodiments, the DL RS set may include, for each capability index among the multiple capability indexes 412, M DL RSs determined to be best for the UE panel to which the capability index corresponds (e.g., in step S310). For ease of explanation, in the example shown in FIG. 4B , M=1. Thus, for each index, the DL RS set includes one DL RS. However, M may be an integer greater than 1. Thus, DL RS set 420 may include multiple DL RSs corresponding to the same capability index among the multiple capability indexes 412.

[0075] 4B for the purpose of indicating the UE panel to which the capability index corresponds. However, according to at least some example embodiments, the index 412 itself identifies the UE panel to which the index corresponds within the DL RS set 420, and thus the DL RS set 420 does not include the corresponding UE panel 416.

[0076] According to at least some exemplary embodiments, the UE 106 may be configured to measure / track and report only UL / DL RS resources used as spatial sources for a set of activated UL / DL or combined UL and DL TCI states and their respective associated capability indices. Alternatively, according to at least some exemplary embodiments, the UE 106 may be configured to measure / track and report only UL / DL RS resources used as spatial sources for UL / DL resources and resource sets within aperiodic triggering of UL SRS or DL CSI-RS. Alternatively, according to at least some exemplary embodiments, the UE 106 may be configured to measure / track and report only RS resources corresponding to a given capability index.

[0077] 7. The UE 106 may receive a mapping of the reported DL RS to Rx and / or Tx beam assumptions for DL and / or UL resources, respectively (S340).

[0078] 8. The UE 106 may receive DL signals / channels based on the provided Rx beam assumption and / or transmit UL signals / channels based on the provided Tx beam assumption (S350).

[0079] 9. The UE 106 may determine whether a timer started by the UE 106 (e.g., in step S320) has expired (S360). If the UE 106 determines that the timer has not expired, the UE 106 may repeat measurements of the DL RSs based on the received configuration and determination of the best M DL RS resources (e.g., step S310).

[0080] 10. If the UE 106 determines that the timer has expired, the UE 106 may reset the timer, discard the received mapping (e.g., the mapping received in step S340), and apply the fallback RS to the Rx beam and / or Tx beam assumptions for the DL and / or UL resources (S370).

[0081] 11. The UE 106 may then receive a DL signal / channel based on the applied fallback Rx beam assumption and / or a Tx UL signal / channel based on the applied fallback Tx beam assumption (S380).

[0082] The UE 106 may then repeat measurements of the DL RSs based on the received configuration and determination of the best M DL RS resources (eg, step S310).

[0083] According to at least some exemplary embodiments, there may be one or more timer reset triggers that cause the UE 106 (or gNB 102) to reset the timer and perform steps S370 and S380 (e.g., step S360) even if the timer has not yet expired. For example, FIGS. 5, 6A, and 6B are diagrams illustrating exemplary timer reset triggers according to at least some exemplary embodiments. FIGS. 5, 6A, and 6B respectively illustrate the first TRP 102A and the UE 106 of the wireless communication system 100 of FIG. 1. As described above with respect to FIG. 1, the first TRP 102A is the TRP of the gNB 102. Examples of timer reset triggers are described in more detail below. Although three exemplary timer reset triggers are described below, at least some exemplary embodiments are not limited to the three exemplary timer reset triggers described below. For example, exemplary timer reset triggers other than the examples provided below may be implemented.

[0084] Example Timer Reset Trigger #1 At exemplary timer reset trigger #1, the spatial orientation of the UE 106 changes, thus potentially changing which DL RSs are received by each of one or more panels of the UE 106 from the gNB 102 (e.g., via one or more of the TRPs 102A-102C).

[0085] As shown in FIG. 5, the first TRP 102A may transmit a synchronization signal block (SSB). Also, in the example shown in FIG. 5, the UE rotates counterclockwise around itself. Therefore, a serving gNB beam (DL RS) previously received by the first UE panel 1062 may now be received by the third UE panel 1068. If the first panel 1062 and the third panel 1068 have different capabilities (e.g., NumberOfRxBeams[1]=8 and NumberOfRxBeams[2]=2, respectively, where capability index #1 corresponds to the first panel 1062 and capability index #2 corresponds to the third panel 1068), the same DL RS will first be associated with NumberOfRxBeams[1]=8 and then with NumberOfRxBeams[2]=2. Furthermore, the DL RS initially received by the first panel 1062 may have been desirable for the panel with a NumberOfRxBeams of 8, but the DL RS initially received by the first panel 1062 may not be desirable for the panel with a NumberOfRxBeams of 2 (i.e., the third panel 1068). Thus, according to at least some example embodiments, upon detecting a change in orientation (e.g., a change in orientation that may change which DL RS is received by which UE panel, such as the rotation shown in FIG. 5), the UE 106: resets a timer; switches to applying fallback RSs to the UE's 106's Rx and / or Tx beams (S370); receives DL signals and / or transmits Tx signals based on the applied fallback RS (S380); and may trigger, for example, to repeat measuring DL RSs and determining the M best DL RSs per capability index (S310) for the UE's 106's new orientation.

[0086] Example Timer Reset Trigger #2 At exemplary timer reset trigger #2, the channel conditions experienced by at least one panel of the UE 106 may change from semi-static to highly dynamic.

[0087] For example, in the example shown in Figures 6A and 6B, the first panel 1062 of the UE 106 may be a 1x4 array with eight beams. Figure 6A illustrates an example of a semi-static environment with respect to the channel conditions experienced by the first UE panel 1062, while Figure 6B illustrates an example of a highly dynamic environment with respect to the channel conditions experienced by the first UE panel 1062. As shown in Figures 6A and 6B, the first UE panel 1062 may use eight Rx beams 610 in the semi-static environment and only two Rx beams 620 in the highly dynamic environment.

[0088] Specifically, referring to FIG. 6A, in a semi-static environment, the UE 106 may report NumberOfRXBeams[1]=8 because the first UE panel 1062 can continuously measure all eight of its beams 610 and align with the best beam. However, referring to FIG. 6B, in a highly dynamic environment, the same UE panel 1062 may see the power of multiple clusters change rapidly. From the delayed power profile evaluation, the UE 106 may know that it cannot align a narrow beam with the current coherence estimate of the channel. Therefore, the UE 106 may report, for example, NumberOfRXBeams[2]=2 because it determines that two beams is the desired number of beams for the highly dynamic channel conditions. Therefore, the first UE panel 1062 of the UE 106 can receive DL signals via two Rx beams 620 in a highly dynamic environment.

[0089] Example Timer Reset Trigger #3 In example timer reset trigger #3, the resetting of the timer may be initiated by the gNB 102. For example, the timer may be reset by the gNB 102 in response to consecutive reports indicating a difference (e.g., reported RSRP / SINR) higher than a threshold, for example, resulting from a multi-cluster dynamic environment.

[0090] According to at least some example embodiments, both the UE 106 and the gNB 102 include timers. According to at least some example embodiments, when the UE 106's timer is reset (i.e., by expiration, or alternatively, by a timer reset trigger event): the UE 106 stops using the current DL RS and starts using the fallback RS (S370); receives DL signals using the fallback RS (S380); redetermines the M best DL RSs for each capability index (S310); starts the timer again (S320); and reports the newly determined M best DL RSs for each capability index to the gNB 102 (S330), e.g., by sending a capability set 410 to the gNB 102.

[0091] According to at least some example embodiments, when the gNB 102's timer is reset (i.e., expires, or alternatively, due to a timer reset trigger event), the gNB 102 may send a request to the UE 106 for the UE 106 to report its current M best DL RSs for each capability index to the gNB 102, or alternatively, may send a request to the UE 106 for the UE 106 to determine new M best DL RSs for each capability index and report the newly determined M best DL RSs for each capability index to the gNB 102. For example, the gNB may send a request to the UE 106 to perform one or more of steps S370, S380, S310, S320, and S330 described above.

[0092] In sections 4a-4e below, several different specific implementation examples of methods for facilitating beam management for MP-UEs according to at least some example embodiments are described.

[0093] 4a. UE Rx Beam Training (aka P3 Procedure) Implementation Example: 1. The UE provides the gNB with a set of P3 function capabilities, such as: maxNumberRxBeam0(index#0):=4 maxNumberRxBeam1(index#1):=8 maxNumberRxBeam2(index#2):=2

[0094] 2. The gNB configures the UE with DL RS (SSB and / or CSI-RS) for L1-RSRP / L1-SINR measurement and reporting.

[0095] 3. The UE measures the DL RS resource for each index in step 1, and the index can be associated with the UE panel entity (logical entity). - The UE starts a timer for the validity of the association between the DL RS and the capability index.

[0096] 4. The UE determines the best M DL RSs for each capability index (provided in step 1) and the UE reports the DL RSs (in this example, M is assumed to be 2). The criterion for determining the best DL RS for each capability index may be, for example, the reference signal received power (dBm) measured by the UE using the receiving panel associated with the capability index. - Reports can be: Index #0: DL RS#b, DL RS#t Index #1: DL RS#d, DL RS#g Index #2: DL RS#e, DL RS#h In one option, the UE also reports the DL RS for fallback operation. Another option is for the UE to order the capability indexes with the corresponding RSs such that the first set of DL RSs acts as fallback RSs after the timer expires.

[0097] 5. The gNB recognizes the feasible DL RSs by their capability index and, for each CSI-RS resource set configured with repeated "ON", can select one of the M RSs reported by their capability index as the QCL source. - Based on the report, the gNB may update the QCL sources of a particular resource set with new DL RSs.

[0098] 6. If the timer is reset (by the UE based on UE conditions or by the gNB based on a report) or expires in relation to the reported DL RS associated with the capability index, the gNB and UE shall assume fallback behavior. - In fallback operation, the association between the DL RS and the capability index is not valid and the UE applies the fallback RS to determine the RX beam for downlink signal reception and / or the TX beam for uplink signal transmission.

[0099] 4b. Example implementation of codebook-based PUSCH transmission: 1. The UE provides a capability set regarding the number of ports it supports per SRS resource: - nrOfPorts0(index#0):=1 - nrOfPorts1(index#1):=2

[0100] 2. Once configured, the UE performs L1-RSRP measurements and reports the best DL RS whose usage is subject to the configuration of the SRS resource set set in the "codebook" based on: - At the time of measurement, the UE starts a timer to verify the association between the DL RS and the capability index. The UE reports the best M DL RSs that are feasible spatial sources for a particular SRS resource in the SRS resource set. o M can be {1,2,3,4} o Conditional condition means that the UE will report DL RSs individually that are feasible spatial sources for SRS resource #0 / associated with capability index 0, individually that are feasible spatial sources for SRS resource #1 / associated with capability index 1, etc., of the configured SRS resource set with usage set to "Codebook". o The UE may then report multiple sets of DL RSs, each set corresponding to a particular SRS resource / associated with a capability index within the SRS resource set. o The criteria for determining the best DL RS for each capability index can be, for example, the virtual power headroom or the estimated UL RSRP value, i.e., taking into account the potential uplink transmit power capability. For example, MPE issues may prevent the UE from using the transmit power requested based on DL RSRP measurements alone. In general, the selected DL RS will be the one that allows the UE to use sufficient transmit power for UL transmissions. The UE may also report fallback RSs, which may be selected based on the selected RSs, e.g., from an MPE perspective, to allow the UE to use a sufficiently high transmit power using the TX beam. - The gNB can assume that it measures the reported DL RS using the antenna panel that the UE also uses for the specific SRS resource transmission. - This report may be a separate report, different from the L1-RSRP (measurement and) report of the best DL RS for DL TX beam selection.

[0101] 3. The UE receives the triggering of the SRS resource set and transmits accordingly.

[0102] 4. If the timer is reset or expires (by the UE based on UE conditions or by the gNB based on a report), the UE and gNB transition to fallback operation, where SRS resources with different port numbers are not valid or are configured with the same port number (e.g., the minimum of multiple values provided by the UE), and the fallback SRS is used to determine the TX beam for each SRS resource.

[0103] 4c. Example implementation of activation of combined DL / UL or separate DL or UL TCI states (hereafter simply TCI states) 1. The UE provides a configured capability regarding activation delay: a.activateDelayGroup0(index#0):=X b.activateDelayGroup1(index#1):=Y(Y>X)

[0104] 2. The UE groups the measured DL RSs that are feasible spatial sources in the TCI state into groups, and the DL RSs in each group are associated with activationDelayGroup0, and the DL RSs in a different group are associated with activationDelayGroup1. a. The latter means that activating or switching to a TCI state that has DL RSs from a different group than the DL RSs of the currently active UL TCI state requires time Y. If the DL RSs of the TCI state to be activated are from the same group as the DL RSs of the currently active TCI state, activation takes time X. b. At the time of measurement, the UE starts a timer to verify the association between the DL RS and the capability index.

[0105] 3. The UE reports the groups formed as described in the steps above.

[0106] 4. The UE and gNB have a common understanding of the application time of TCI-based activation. a. If the UE receives an activation of a TCI state in which the DL RS as QCL / spatial source is reported to be in the same group as the DL RS of the currently active TCI state, the application time is X. b. Otherwise, the application time is Y.

[0107] 5. If the timer is reset or expires (by the UE based on UE conditions or by the gNB based on a report), the UE and gNB transition to fallback operation with an application time of Y.

[0108] 4d. Implementation example of selecting a combined DL / UL or separate DL or UL TCI state (hereafter simply TCI state) 1. The UE provides configured capabilities regarding TCI state selection delay: a.selectionDelayGroup0(index#0):=W(W <X) b.selectionDelayGroup1(index#1):=Z(Z>W;Z <X)

[0109] 2. The UE groups the measured DL RSs that are feasible spatial sources in the TCI state into groups, and the DL RSs in each group are associated with selectionDelayGroup0, and the DL RSs in a different group are associated with selectionDelayGroup1. The latter means that selecting a TCI state with DL RSs from a different group than the DL RSs of the currently selected TCI state takes time Z. If the DL RSs of the selected TCI state are from the same group as the DL RSs of the currently selected TCI state, the selection takes time W. b. Here, the group can be a subgroup within the group defined in the activation function above. i. For example, in the activation function, the group size may be 4, where the UE may report two subgroups of size 2. The DL RSs of each subgroup are associated with selectionDelayGroup0, and the DL RSs of a different subgroup are associated with selectionDelayGroup1. c. At the time of measurement, the UE starts a timer to verify the association between the DL RS and the capability index.

[0110] 3. The UE reports the groups formed as described in the steps above.

[0111] 4. The UE and gNB have a common understanding of the application time of TCI-based selection. a. If the UE receives a selection indication for a TCI state in which the DL RS as QCL / spatial source is reported to be in the same group as the DL RS in the currently selected TCI state, the application time is W. b. Otherwise, the application time is Z.

[0112] 5. If the timer is reset or expires (by the UE based on UE conditions or by the gNB based on a report), the UE and gNB transition to fallback operation with application time Z.

[0113] 4e. Example implementation of maximum achievable EIRP (this is not an absolute value, but a relative value for different panels on the UE) 1. The UE provides the gNB with a set of capabilities for maximum achievable EIRP as follows: o maximumEIRP0(index#0):=0 o maximumEIRP1(index#1):=3 o maximumEIRP2(index#2):=6 Here, the values do not reflect dBm values, but rather the relative values in dB between antenna arrays. For example, one panel is built with a single element and therefore only presents a maximum EIRP of 0; another panel is built with a 1x2 antenna array and can present a beam with up to 3dB higher gain, i.e., a maximum EIRP of 1. Finally, a 1x4 antenna array can present a beam with 6dB higher gain than the single-element panel and be associated with a maximum EIRP of 2.

[0114] 2. The gNB configures the UE with DL RS (SSB and / or CSI-RS) for L1-RSRP / L1-SINR measurement and reporting.

[0115] 3. The UE measures the DL RS resources and associates the index in step 1 for each reported DL RS.

[0116] 4. At the time of measurement, the UE starts a timer to verify the association between the DL RS and the capability index.

[0117] 5. The gNB recognizes the feasible DL RSs by their capability index and, for each CSI-RS resource set configured with repeated "ON", can select one of the M RSs reported by their capability index as the QCL source. o Based on the report, the gNB may update the QCL sources for a particular resource set with new DL RSs.

[0118] 6. If the timer is reset or expires (by the UE based on UE conditions or by the gNB based on a report), the UE and gNB transition to fallback operation, with the maximum EIRP at an unknown or minimum value.

[0119] In this specification, terms such as "first," "second," etc. may be used to describe various elements, but these elements should not be limited by these terms. These terms are used only to distinguish one element from another. For example, a first element can be referred to as a second element, and similarly, a second element can be referred to as a first element, without departing from the scope of the present disclosure. As used herein, the term "and / or" includes any and all combinations of one or more of the associated listed items.

[0120] When an element is referred to as being "connected" or "coupled" to another element, it can be directly connected or coupled to the other element, or intervening elements may be present. In contrast, when an element is referred to as being "directly connected" or "directly coupled" to another element, there are no intervening elements present. Other words used to describe relationships between elements should be interpreted similarly (e.g., "between" and "directly between," "adjacent" and "directly adjacent," etc.).

[0121] The terminology used herein is for the purpose of describing particular embodiments only and is not intended to be limiting. As used herein, the singular forms "a," "an," and "the" are intended to include the plural forms unless the context clearly dictates otherwise. It will be further understood that the terms "comprises," "comprising," "includes," and / or "including," as used herein, specify the presence of stated features, integers, steps, operations, elements, and / or components, but do not exclude the presence or addition of one or more other features, integers, steps, operations, elements, components, and / or groups thereof.

[0122] It should also be noted that in some alternative implementations, the functions / acts noted may occur out of the order noted in the figures. For example, two figures shown in succession may, in fact, be executed substantially concurrently or in the reverse order, depending on the functions / acts involved.

[0123] Specific details have been provided above to provide a thorough understanding of the exemplary embodiments. However, those skilled in the art will understand that the exemplary embodiments may be practiced without these specific details. For example, systems may be shown in block diagrams to avoid obscuring the exemplary embodiments in unnecessary detail. In other instances, known processes, structures, and techniques may be shown without unnecessary detail to avoid obscuring the exemplary embodiments.

[0124] As described herein, the exemplary embodiments are described with reference to symbolic representations of operations and behaviours (e.g., in the form of flowcharts, flow diagrams, data flow diagrams, structure diagrams, block diagrams, etc.), and may be implemented as program modules or functional processes including routines, programs, objects, components, data structures, etc. that perform particular tasks or implement particular abstract data types, and may be implemented using existing hardware, such as, for example, existing UEs, base stations, eNBs, RRHs, gNBs, femto base stations, network controllers, computers, central units (CUs), ng-eNBs, other radio access or backhaul network elements, etc. Such existing hardware may be processing or control circuitry such as, but not limited to, one or more processors, one or more central processing units (CPUs), one or more controllers, one or more arithmetic logic units (ALUs), one or more digital signal processors (DSPs), one or more microcomputers, one or more field programmable gate arrays (FPGAs), one or more systems on a chip (SoCs), one or more programmable logic units (PLUs), one or more microprocessors, one or more application specific integrated circuits (ASICs), or other device(s) capable of responding to and executing instructions in a defined manner.

[0125] Although a flowchart may describe operations as a sequential process, many of the operations may occur in parallel, concurrently, or simultaneously. Additionally, the order of operations may be rearranged. A process may terminate when its operations are completed, but there may be additional steps not included in the figure. A process may correspond to a method, a function, a procedure, a subroutine, a subprogram, etc. When a process corresponds to a function, its termination may correspond to a return of the function to a calling function or a main function.

[0126] The terms "storage medium," "computer-readable storage medium," or "non-transitory computer-readable storage medium" disclosed herein may refer to one or more devices for storing data, including read-only memory (ROM), random-access memory (RAM), magnetic RAM, core memory, magnetic disk storage media, optical storage media, flash memory devices, and / or other tangible, machine-readable media for storing information. The term "computer-readable medium" may include, but is not limited to, portable or non-portable storage devices, optical storage devices, and various other media capable of storing, containing, or carrying instructions and / or data.

[0127] Furthermore, the exemplary embodiments may be implemented by hardware, software, firmware, middleware, microcode, hardware description languages, or any combination thereof. When implemented in software, firmware, middleware, or microcode, program code or code segments to perform the necessary tasks may be stored on a machine or computer-readable medium, such as a computer-readable storage medium. When implemented in software, one or more processors perform the necessary tasks. For example, as described above, according to one or more exemplary embodiments, at least one memory may include or store computer program code, and the at least one memory and computer program code may be configured to cause at least one processor to perform the necessary tasks in a network element or network device. Furthermore, the processor, memory, and exemplary algorithms encoded as computer program code function as means for providing or causing the operations described herein to be performed.

[0128] A code segment of computer program code may represent a procedure, a function, a subprogram, a program, a routine, a subroutine, a module, a software package, a class, or any combination of instructions, data structures, or program statements. A code segment may be coupled to another code segment or a hardware circuit by passing and / or receiving information, data, arguments, parameters, or memory contents. Information, arguments, parameters, data, etc. may be passed, forwarded, or transmitted via any suitable technique, such as memory sharing, message passing, token passing, network transmission, etc.

[0129] As used herein, the terms "including" and / or "having" are defined as including (i.e., open language). As used herein, the term "coupled" is defined as connected, although not necessarily directly and not necessarily mechanically. Terms derived from the word "indicate" (e.g., "indicating" and "indication") are intended to encompass all of the various techniques that may be utilized to communicate or reference the indicated object / information. Some (but not all) examples of techniques that may be utilized to communicate or reference the indicated object / information include: conveying the indicated object / information; conveying an identifier for the indicated object / information; conveying information used to generate the indicated object / information; conveying some parts or portions of the indicated object / information; conveying some derivative of the indicated object / information; and conveying some symbol representing the indicated object / information.

[0130] According to example embodiments, a UE, base station, eNB, RRH, gNB, femto base station, network controller, computer, central unit (CU), ng-eNB, other radio access or backhaul network element, etc. may be (or include) hardware, firmware, hardware executing software, or any combination thereof. Such hardware may include, but is not limited to, processing or control circuitry such as one or more processors, one or more CPUs, one or more controllers, one or more ALUs, one or more DSPs, one or more microcomputers, one or more FPGAs, one or more SoCs, one or more PLUs, one or more microprocessors, one or more ASICs, or any other device or devices capable of executing instructions in response to instructions in a defined manner.

[0131] Benefits, other advantages, and solutions to problems have been described above with regard to specific embodiments of the invention. However, the benefits, advantages, solutions to problems, and the element(s) that cause or result in such benefit, advantage, or solution, or that make such benefit, advantage, or solution more noticeable, should not be construed as a critical, necessary, or essential feature or element of any or all of the claims.

Claims

1. A user equipment (UE) of a wireless communication system, comprising: a plurality of antenna panels; a memory storing computer-executable instructions; a processor configured to execute computer-executable instructions; The computer executable instructions include: generating a first capability set of at least a first function to facilitate dynamic association between a reference signal (RS) configured for beam management measurements and reporting for downlink (DL) and / or uplink (UL) beam selection and semi-statically configured capability indexes of the first capability set of the at least first function, the first capability set including a plurality of capability information items respectively indexed by a plurality of corresponding capability indexes, each capability information item indicating capability information of the corresponding panel related to the first function for a panel corresponding to the capability information item from among a plurality of antenna panels; transmitting the first capability set to a next generation Node B (gNB) included in the wireless communication system; Including, the plurality of capability information items included in the first capability set include at least first and second capability information items indexed by first and second indexes, respectively, from among a plurality of capability indexes; a first capability information item indicating capability information of a first panel from among the plurality of antenna panels with respect to a first function and a first DL and / or UL channel condition; a second capability information item indicating capability information of the first panel relating to a first function and a second DL and / or UL channel condition; The UE, wherein the second DL and / or UL channel conditions are different from the first DL and / or UL channel conditions.

2. the plurality of capability information items included in the first capability set include at least first and second capability information items indexed by first and second indexes, respectively, from among a plurality of capability indexes; the first capability information indicates capability information of a first panel from among the plurality of antenna panels with respect to a first function; a second capability information item indicating capability information of a second panel from among the plurality of antenna panels with respect to the first function; the second panel is different from the first panel; The UE of claim 1.

3. 2. The UE of claim 1, wherein the first function is at least one of a maximum number of Rx beams, a number of ports, activation delay group information, selection delay group information, or a maximum achievable equivalent isotropic radiated power (EIRP).

4. The computer executable instructions Receiving and measuring a downlink (DL) reference signal (RS) from a gNB; starting a timer after measuring a DL reference signal; determining one or more best DL RSs from among the received DL RSs for each capability index from among a plurality of capability indexes included in a first capability set; determining one or more fallback RSs for fallback operation from among the received DL RSs; Reporting each capability index to the gNB along with one or more best DL RSs determined for each capability index; Reporting one or more fallback RSs to a gNB; determining an Rx beam for receiving a DL signal and / or a Tx beam for transmitting a UL signal based on one or more best DL RSs determined for a capability index from among the plurality of capability indexes; determining whether a timer has expired; and performing a fallback action in response to determining that the timer has expired, the fallback action comprising: The UE of claim 1 , further comprising determining a new Rx beam for receiving DL signals and / or a new Tx beam for transmitting UL signals based on one or more fallback RSs.

5. A network element of a wireless communication system, comprising: a memory storing computer-executable instructions; a processor configured to execute computer-executable instructions; The computer executable instructions include: transmitting a downlink (DL) reference signal (RS) to a user equipment (UE); receiving, from the UE, a first capability set of at least a first function to facilitate dynamic association between a reference signal (RS) configured for beam management measurements and reporting for downlink (DL) and / or uplink (UL) beam selection and semi-statically configured capability indexes of the first capability set of the at least first function, the first capability set including a plurality of capability information items respectively indexed by a plurality of corresponding capability indexes, each capability information item indicating capability information of a corresponding panel related to the first function for a panel corresponding to the capability information item from among a plurality of antenna panels of the UE; the plurality of capability information items included in the first capability set include at least first and second capability information items indexed by first and second indexes, respectively, from among a plurality of capability indexes; a first capability information item indicating capability information of a first panel from among the plurality of antenna panels with respect to a first function and a first DL and / or UL channel condition; a second capability information item indicating capability information of the first panel relating to a first function and a second DL and / or UL channel condition; The network element, wherein the second DL and / or UL channel conditions are different from the first DL and / or UL channel conditions.

6. 6. The network element of claim 5, wherein the first function comprises at least one of a maximum number of Rx beams, a number of ports, activation delay group information, selection delay group information, or a maximum achievable equivalent isotropic radiated power (EIRP).

7. A method of operating a user equipment (UE) in a wireless communication system, the UE including a plurality of antenna panels, the method comprising: generating a first capability set of at least a first function to facilitate dynamic association between a reference signal (RS) configured for beam management measurements and reporting for downlink (DL) and / or uplink (UL) beam selection and semi-statically configured capability indexes of the first capability set of the at least first function, the first capability set including a plurality of capability information items respectively indexed by a plurality of corresponding capability indexes, each capability information item indicating capability information of the corresponding panel related to the first function for a panel corresponding to the capability information item from among a plurality of antenna panels; transmitting the first capability set to a next generation Node B (gNB) included in the wireless communication system; Including, the plurality of capability information items included in the first capability set include at least first and second capability information items indexed by first and second indexes, respectively, from among a plurality of capability indexes; a first capability information item indicating capability information of a first panel from among the plurality of antenna panels with respect to a first function and a first DL and / or UL channel condition; a second capability information item indicating capability information of the first panel relating to a first function and a second DL and / or UL channel condition; A method wherein the second DL and / or UL channel conditions are different from the first DL and / or UL channel conditions.

8. the plurality of capability information items included in the first capability set include at least first and second capability information items indexed by first and second indexes, respectively, from among a plurality of capability indexes; the first capability information indicates capability information of a first panel from among the plurality of antenna panels with respect to a first function; a second capability information item indicating capability information of a second panel from among the plurality of antenna panels with respect to the first function; the second panel is different from the first panel; The method of claim 7.

9. 8. The method of claim 7, wherein the first feature includes at least one of a maximum number of Rx beams of the panel, a number of ports of the panel, activation delay group information of the panel, selection delay group information of the panel, or a maximum achievable equivalent isotropic radiated power (EIRP) of the panel.

10. Receiving and measuring a downlink (DL) reference signal (RS) from a gNB; starting a timer after measuring a DL reference signal; determining one or more best DL RSs from among the received DL RSs for each capability index from among a plurality of capability indexes in the capability set; determining one or more fallback RSs for fallback operation from among the received DL RSs; Reporting each capability index to the gNB along with one or more best DL RSs determined for each capability index; Reporting one or more fallback RSs to a gNB; determining an Rx beam for receiving a DL signal and / or a Tx beam for transmitting a UL signal based on one or more best DL RSs determined for a capability index from among the plurality of capability indexes; determining whether the time has expired; and performing a fallback action in response to determining that the timer has expired. and the fallback behavior is determining a new Rx beam for receiving a DL signal and / or a new Tx beam for transmitting a UL signal based on the one or more fallback RSs; The method of claim 7.

11. A method of operating a network element of a wireless communication system, comprising: transmitting a downlink (DL) reference signal (RS) to a user equipment (UE); receiving, from the UE, a first capability set of at least a first function to facilitate dynamic association between a reference signal (RS) configured for beam management measurements and reporting for downlink (DL) and / or uplink (UL) beam selection and semi-statically configured capability indexes of the first capability set of the at least first function, the first capability set including a plurality of capability information items respectively indexed by a plurality of corresponding capability indexes, each capability information item indicating capability information of a corresponding panel related to the first function for a panel corresponding to the capability information item from among a plurality of antenna panels of the UE; the plurality of capability information items included in the first capability set include at least first and second capability information items indexed by first and second indexes, respectively, from among a plurality of capability indexes; a first capability information item indicating capability information of a first panel from among the plurality of antenna panels with respect to a first function and a first DL and / or UL channel condition; a second capability information item indicating capability information of the first panel relating to a first function and a second DL and / or UL channel condition; A method wherein the second DL and / or UL channel conditions are different from the first DL and / or UL channel conditions.

12. 12. The method of claim 11, wherein the first feature comprises at least one of a maximum number of Rx beams, a number of ports, activation delay group information, selection delay group information, or a maximum achievable equivalent isotropic radiated power (EIRP).

13. A user equipment (UE) of a wireless communication system, comprising: a generating means for generating a first capability set of at least a first function to facilitate dynamic association between a reference signal (RS) configured for beam management measurements and reporting for downlink (DL) and / or uplink (UL) beam selection and semi-statically configured capability indexes of the first capability set of the at least first function, the first capability set including a plurality of capability information items respectively indexed by a plurality of corresponding capability indexes, each capability information item indicating capability information of a corresponding panel related to the first function for a panel corresponding to the capability information item from among a plurality of antenna panels of the UE; transmitting means for transmitting the first capability set to a next generation Node B (gNB) included in the wireless communication system; the plurality of capability information items included in the first capability set include at least first and second capability information items indexed by first and second indexes, respectively, from among a plurality of capability indexes; a first capability information item indicating capability information of a first panel from among the plurality of antenna panels with respect to a first function and a first DL and / or UL channel condition; a second capability information item indicating capability information of the first panel relating to a first function and a second DL and / or UL channel condition; A user equipment (UE) where the second DL and / or UL channel conditions are different from the first DL and / or UL channel conditions.

14. A network element of a wireless communication system, comprising: transmitting means for transmitting a downlink (DL) reference signal (RS) to a user equipment (UE); receiving means for receiving from the UE a first capability set of at least a first function to facilitate dynamic association between a reference signal (RS) configured for beam management measurements and reporting for downlink (DL) and / or uplink (UL) beam selection and semi-statically configured capability indexes of the first capability set of at least the first function, the first capability set including a plurality of capability information items respectively indexed by a plurality of corresponding capability indexes, each capability information item indicating capability information of a corresponding panel relating to the first function for a panel corresponding to the capability information item from among a plurality of antenna panels of the UE; the plurality of capability information items included in the first capability set include at least first and second capability information items indexed by first and second indexes, respectively, from among a plurality of capability indexes; a first capability information item indicating capability information of a first panel from among the plurality of antenna panels with respect to a first function and a first DL and / or UL channel condition; a second capability information item indicating capability information of the first panel relating to a first function and a second DL and / or UL channel condition; The network element, wherein the second DL and / or UL channel conditions are different from the first DL and / or UL channel conditions.

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