Beam-related tracking reference signal availability signaling

Abstract

According to some embodiments, a method implemented by a wireless device includes obtaining (512) a tracking reference signal (TRS) / channel state information reference signal (CSI-RS) resource configuration and an underlying beam association for a plurality of TRS / CSI-RS occasions, and obtaining (514) an availability indicator. The availability indicator indicates an association of one or more of the plurality of TRS / CSI-RS occasions with the underlying beam association. The method further includes receiving (518) Layer 1 signaling on the beam. The Layer 1 signaling indicates that TRS / CSI-RS is available in at least one TRS / CSI-RS occasion of the plurality of TRS / CSI-RS occasions. The method further includes determining (520) that one or more of the plurality of TRS / CSI-RS occasions have available TRS / CSI-RS based on the availability indicator and the Layer 1 signaling, and receiving (522) the TRS / CSI-RS in at least one of the determined TRS / CSI-RS occasions.

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] Embodiments of the present disclosure are directed to wireless communications, and more particularly to beam-related tracking reference signal (TRS) availability signaling. [Background technology]

[0002] In general, all terms used herein should be interpreted according to their ordinary meaning in the relevant technical field unless a different meaning is expressly given and / or implied from the context in which the term is used. All references to an element, apparatus, component, means, step, etc. should be openly interpreted as referring to at least one instance of that element, apparatus, component, means, step, etc., unless expressly stated otherwise. The steps of any method disclosed herein need not be performed in the exact order disclosed, unless a step is explicitly described as following or preceding another step and / or if it is implicit that a step must follow or precede another step. Any feature of any of the embodiments disclosed herein may be applied to any other embodiment, wherever appropriate. Similarly, any advantage of any of the embodiments may be applied to any other embodiment, and vice versa. Other objects, features, and advantages of the enclosed embodiments will become apparent from the following description.

[0003] Third Generation Partnership Project (3GPP) fifth generation (5G) New Radio (NR) and long term evolution (LTE) wireless networks generally use paging to inform user equipment (UE) that the network has signaling or data to send to the UE. A UE in idle mode receives information about paging configuration via higher layer signaling (such as system information signaling).

[0004] For each idle discontinuous reception (I-DRX) cycle (or DRX cycle in idle mode), the UE initiates processing (e.g., wake-up operations) prior to its paging occasion to receive one or more synchronization signal blocks (SSBs) for functions such as automatic gain control (AGC) and time-frequency synchronization. At the paging occasion, the UE attempts to decode a paging downlink control information (DCI) (e.g., DCI1-0 with a cyclic redundancy check (CRC) scrambled by a paging radio network temporary identifier (P-RNTI)), and if a paging DCI is detected, the UE can also decode a paging physical downlink shared channel (PDSCH) allocated by the paging DCI to identify whether the UE has been paged (e.g., whether the paging message includes the UE's 5G-S-TMSI).

[0005] The paging DCI includes the modulation and coding scheme (MCS) associated with the scheduled PDSCH, resource allocation, transport block (TB) scaling field, redundancy version (RV), etc. The paging DCI may also be used to indicate system information (SI) changes, in which case the UE may not need to decode the corresponding PDSCH.

[0006] The content of the paging DCI format as described in TS38.212 is shown below: The following information is transmitted by DCI format 1_0 with CRC scrambled by P-RNTI. Short Message Indicator - 2 bits according to Table 7.3.1.2.1-1. Short Message - 8 bits according to TS38.331 clause 6.5. If only scheduling information for paging is carried, this bit field is reserved. Frequency domain resource allocation - TIFF0007745651000001.tif9170 bits. If only short messages are carried, this bit field is reserved. · TIFF0007745651000002.tif8170 is the size of CORESET0 Time domain resource allocation - 4 bits, as specified in TS 38.214 clause 5.1.2.1. If only short messages are carried, this bit field is reserved. VRB to PRB mapping - 1 bit according to Table 7.3.1.2.2-5. If only short messages are carried, this bit field is reserved. Modulation and Coding Scheme - 5 bits, as specified in TS38.214 clause 5.1.3, using Table 5.1.3.1-1. If only short messages are carried, this bit field is reserved. TB Scaling - 2 bits, as specified in TS38.214 clause 5.1.3.2. If only short messages are carried, this bit field is reserved. Reserved bits - 8 bits for operation in cells with shared spectrum channel access, 6 bits otherwise.

[0007] If additional reference signals, such as tracking reference signals (TRS), are provided to idle / inactive UEs, the UE can reduce its wake-up time and still receive enough signals (SSB, TRS, etc.) in advance of its paging occasion to decode the paging PDSCH, thereby reducing UE power consumption. However, sending additional TRS to idle / inactive UEs increases network power consumption. Therefore, sending additional TRS only for connected mode UEs allows idle UEs to take advantage of UE power savings without increasing network power consumption.

[0008] The current design allows the network to indicate configured potential TRS / CSI-RS occasions to idle / inactive UEs via system information signaling, but whether TRS / CSI-RS is transmitted in a potential TRS / CSI-RS occasion (or TRS / CSI-RS occasion for brevity) is left to the network implementation.

[0009] Proposals are also being considered that provide explicit / implicit indication of the availability of TRS / CSI-RS in a TRS / CSI-RS occasion, such as: 1) signaling via SIB that TRS is always present in the TRS / CSI-RS occasion; 2) using L1 signaling, such as a paging DCI, to indicate that TRS / CSI-RS is available in the TRS / CSI-RS occasion; 3) a UE implementation may blindly detect whether TRS / CSI-RS is available in the TRS / CSI-RS occasion; and / or 4) if a corresponding paging message (Paging PDSCH) is in the next PO (Paging Occasion), TRS / CSI-RS is always present in the TRS / CSI-RS occasion.

[0010] Currently, several challenges exist. For example, when L1-based availability signaling is used to inform idle UEs (i.e., UEs in RRC_Idle / Inactive state) of the actual transmission of TRS, the L1-based availability signaling can be performed either in the paging DCI or another signal, e.g., a paging early indicator, which can also be a DCI. In the paging DCI, reserved bits are generally used to indicate TRS availability. Currently, there are six reserved bits in the paging DCI. Furthermore, it would be beneficial if idle UEs were aware of TRS availability per beam level, since the network can turn on / off TRS in different beams depending on whether at least one connected UE is using TRS.

[0011] An NR UE can be configured with TRS resources in up to 8 beams in FR1 and up to 64 beams in FR2. If bitmap / codepoint-based availability per beam is used in the paging DCI, the number of reserved bits cannot accommodate the per beam availability signaling, and therefore the beam selectivity availability signaling needs to be optimized.

[0012] In one proposal, a UE is aware of TRS availability based solely on the availability indication in a paging DCI received in a particular beam. The paging DCI is swept over configured SSB beams in idle mode, so, for example, if a UE receives an indication that a TRS is available through a paging DCI received in a first beam, the indication is applicable only to the TRS associated with that beam, and not to any other potential TRSs whose occasions are shared with the idle UE.

[0013] Although this approach significantly reduces the overhead of per-beam availability signaling, it has its own drawbacks. For example, if a UE is configured with eight beams in idle mode, the UE will generally monitor paging DCI in the strongest beam and omit the others; therefore, the UE will also only be aware of TRS availability in the strongest beam. If this beam changes, for example, in the next DRX cycle, the UE will not know whether the TRS associated with the second strongest beam is available, which may affect its performance.

[0014] Therefore, there is a need for flexible beam-selective TRS availability signaling that enables the network to configure availability signaling in a paging DCI or early paging indicator (PEI) in a way that fits within the reserved bits for the paging DCI or reduces the overhead for the PEI, and does not affect UE performance in idle mode, particularly in terms of power consumption. Summary of the Invention

[0015] Based on the above discussion, several challenges currently exist with respect to beam-related tracking reference signal (TRS) availability signaling. Some aspects of the present disclosure and their embodiments may provide solutions to these or other challenges.

[0016] Certain embodiments include an efficient mechanism for a UE to obtain TRS availability using L1-based signaling on a beam selectivity basis: The UE receives a configuration from higher layers based on which the UE can determine an association between an availability bit field in the DCI and the applicability of that information to one or more beams.

[0017] Some embodiments include an explicit field in higher layer signaling (e.g., System Information Base (SIB)) to indicate one or more field values ​​related to beam-related availability information. For example, the field may be set to "individual," meaning that L1 availability in a DCI detected in beam X applies to TRS availability in beam X, or "all," meaning that L1 availability in a DCI detected in any beam X applies to TRS availability in all beams configured by higher layers. The field may be set to "group" availability, meaning that L1 availability in a DCI detected in any beam of a group of beams applies to TRS availability in all beams belonging to the group of beams.

[0018] Below is an example with up to four groups of beams, where higher layers may explicitly configure the groups. { "Group1" - the first group of beams configured by the upper layer, "Group2" - the second group of beams set by the upper layer, "Group3" - the third group of beams configured by the upper layer, "Group4" - the fourth group of beams configured by the upper layer, }

[0019] Generally, certain embodiments include explicit upper layer configuration of L1 TRS availability in DCI detected in a first beam and its applicability to TRS availability in one or more beams. Some embodiments support a codepoint in the upper layer configuration that explicitly indicates at least one of "all" or "individual." Additionally, some embodiments include an upper layer indication of a beam group for association with the availability indication.

[0020] According to some embodiments, a method implemented by a wireless device includes obtaining a TRS / Channel State Information Reference Signal (CSI-RS) resource configuration and underlying beam associations for multiple TRS / CSI-RS occasions and obtaining an availability indicator. The availability indicator indicates an association of one or more of the multiple TRS / CSI-RS occasions with the underlying beam association. The method further includes receiving Layer 1 signaling on the beam. The Layer 1 signaling indicates that TRS / CSI-RS is available in at least one TRS / CSI-RS occasion of the multiple TRS / CSI-RS occasions (e.g., an availability bitmap). The method further includes determining, based on the availability indicator and the Layer 1 signaling, that one or more of the multiple TRS / CSI-RS occasions have available TRS / CSI-RS, and receiving TRS / CSI-RS in at least one of the determined TRS / CSI-RS occasions.

[0021] In a particular embodiment, receiving Layer 1 signaling indicating that TRS / CSI-RS is available in at least one TRS / CSI-RS occasion of the plurality of TRS / CSI-RS occasions includes receiving at least one of a paging downlink control indication (DCI) and an early paging indicator (PEI).

[0022] In a particular embodiment, the availability indicator associates TRS / CSI-RS occasions with individual beams, and determining that one or more of the plurality of TRS / CSI-RS occasions have available TRS / CSI-RS includes determining that the TRS / CSI-RS is available in one of the TRS / CSI-RS occasions associated with the beam on which the Layer 1 signaling was received.

[0023] In a particular embodiment, the availability indicator associates the TRS / CSI-RS occasions with all beams, and determining that one or more of the plurality of TRS / CSI-RS occasions have available TRS / CSI-RS includes determining that the TRS / CSI-RS is available in all TRS / CSI-RS occasions associated with all underlying beams of the plurality of TRS / CSI-RS occasions.

[0024] In a particular embodiment, the availability indicator associates TRS / CSI-RS occasions with a group of beams, and determining that one or more of the plurality of TRS / CSI-RS occasions have available TRS / CSI-RS includes determining that the TRS / CSI-RS is available in all TRS / CSI-RS occasions associated with underlying beams in the group of beams.

[0025] In certain embodiments, the method further includes obtaining an indication associating a subset of the beams underlying the plurality of TRS / CSI-RS occasions into a group of beams.

[0026] In certain embodiments, the availability indicator is associated with one or more validity durations.

[0027] According to some embodiments, a wireless device comprises processing circuitry operable to perform any of the wireless device methods described above.

[0028] Also disclosed is a computer program product comprising a non-transitory computer readable medium storing computer readable program code, the computer readable program code, when executed by a processing circuit, operable to perform any of the methods performed by the wireless device described above.

[0029] According to some embodiments, a method implemented by a network node includes transmitting, to a wireless device, a TRS / CSI-RS resource configuration and underlying beam associations for a plurality of TRS / CSI-RS occasions, and transmitting an availability indicator to the wireless device, the availability indicator indicating an association of one or more of the plurality of TRS / CSI-RS occasions with the underlying beam associations.

[0030] In a particular embodiment, the method further includes transmitting Layer 1 signaling on the beam to the wireless device, the Layer 1 signaling indicating that TRS / CSI-RS is available in at least one TRS / CSI-RS occasion of the plurality of TRS / CSI-RS occasions (e.g., an availability bitmap).

[0031] In a particular embodiment, transmitting Layer 1 signaling indicating that TRS / CSI-RS is available in at least one TRS / CSI-RS occasion of the plurality of TRS / CSI-RS occasions includes transmitting at least one of a paging DCI and a PEI.

[0032] In particular embodiments, the availability indicator associates a TRS / CSI-RS occasion with an individual beam, associates a TRS / CSI-RS occasion with all beams, or associates a TRS / CSI-RS occasion with a group of beams.

[0033] In certain embodiments, the method further includes transmitting an indication associating a subset of the beams underlying the plurality of TRS / CSI-RS occasions into a group of beams.

[0034] In certain embodiments, the availability indicator is associated with one or more validity durations.

[0035] According to some embodiments, a network node comprises processing circuitry operable to perform any of the network node methods described above.

[0036] Also disclosed is a computer program product comprising a non-transitory computer readable medium storing computer readable program code, the computer readable program code, when executed by a processing circuit, being operable to perform any of the methods performed by the network node described above.

[0037] Some embodiments may provide one or more of the following technical advantages: For example, certain embodiments increase UE power savings by using TRS / CSI-RS before paging occasions (POs), and the UE becomes aware of TRS / CSI-RS availability through L1-based signaling and on a per-beam basis; the UE can decide to decode only one or more DCIs, which allows the UE to learn about TRS transmissions more efficiently on a per-beam basis; and network signaling for per-beam availability is efficient and low overhead.

[0038] For a more complete understanding of the disclosed embodiments and their features and advantages, reference is now made to the following descriptions taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which: [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0039] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a slot diagram showing a TDD PCell and an FDD SCell. [Figure 2] FIG. 10 is a diagram illustrating an example of downlink processing time for a PCell at 30 kHz and an SCell at 15 kHz. [Figure 3] FIG. 1 is a block diagram illustrating an exemplary wireless network. [Figure 4] FIG. 1 illustrates an exemplary user equipment, according to some embodiments. [Figure 5] 1 is a flowchart illustrating an exemplary method in a wireless device, according to some embodiments. [Figure 6] 1 is a flowchart illustrating an exemplary method in a network node, according to some embodiments. [Figure 7] 1 is a schematic block diagram of a wireless device and a network node in a wireless network, according to some embodiments. [Figure 8] FIG. 1 illustrates an exemplary virtualization environment, according to some embodiments. [Figure 9] FIG. 1 illustrates an exemplary communications network connected to a host computer through an intermediate network, according to some embodiments. [Figure 10] FIG. 1 illustrates an exemplary host computer communicating with user equipment via a base station over a partially wireless connection, according to some embodiments. [Figure 11] 1 is a flowchart illustrating a method implemented according to some embodiments. [Figure 12] 1 is a flowchart illustrating a method implemented in a communication system, according to some embodiments. [Figure 13] 1 is a flowchart illustrating a method implemented in a communication system, according to some embodiments. [Figure 14] 1 is a flowchart illustrating a method implemented in a communication system, according to some embodiments. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0040] As explained above, currently there are several challenges related to beam-related tracking reference signal (TRS) availability signaling. Some aspects of the present disclosure and their embodiments may provide solutions to these or other challenges.

[0041] Certain embodiments include an efficient mechanism for a user equipment (UE) to obtain tracking reference signal (TRS) availability using L1-based signaling on a beam selectivity basis, where the UE receives configuration from higher layers based on which the UE can determine an association between an availability bit field in downlink control information (DCI) and the applicability of that information to one or more beams.

[0042] Certain embodiments are more fully described with reference to the accompanying drawings, however, other embodiments are included within the scope of the subject matter disclosed herein, and the disclosed subject matter should not be construed as being limited to only the embodiments described herein; rather, these embodiments are provided as examples to convey the scope of the subject matter to those skilled in the art.

[0043] In some embodiments, an idle UE (i.e., a UE in RRC_Idle / Inactive state) is provided with one or more TRS / CSI-RS resource configurations through system information (SI) or other higher layer mechanisms, e.g., as part of an existing system information block (SIB) or dedicated SIB, or dedicated signaling. The UE is further explicitly informed of the availability of TRS / CSI-RS resources for the provided configured occasions. The UE knows whether TRS / CSI-RS is currently being transmitted in one or more occasions.

[0044] The explicit indication may include L1-based signaling, such as a paging DCI or an early paging indicator (PEI). For example, an availability bit field may be set in a reserved bit of a paging DCI for this purpose. The explicit indication may be separate for each TRS / CSI-RS configuration, or for a subset or all of them. For example, the availability signaling may indicate whether a TRS associated with a particular beam is transmitted or not. A beam as referred to herein is equivalent to a transmission configuration indication (TCI) state for a connected UE or a synchronization signal block (SSB) index for an idle UE.

[0045] Certain embodiments include a flexible configuration mechanism in which the network configures availability signaling in the DCI so that the UE can be aware of whether the TRS is available in a particular beam, a particular group of beams, or all beams. In the following exemplary embodiments, when we describe the network configuring the availability bitfield, it means that the network employs higher layer signaling, such as system information or dedicated signaling, to configure the availability bitfield.

[0046] In some embodiments, the network sets the availability bit field in the DCI so that DCI received in different beams indicates TRS availability in all beams. The UE receives the DCI in a first beam and therefore receives the underlying TRS availability information in the DCI, thereby making the UE aware of TRS availability in all other beams.

[0047] The network may set the availability bitfield, as in this exemplary embodiment, for example, because there are a limited number of configured TRS beams, e.g., only two TRS beams, and therefore per-beam availability can be handled by two bits in the DCI. Alternatively, the network may either turn off TRS in all beams if it decides to turn off TRS, or not at all, and thus the availability indication is applicable to all beams. In this case, a single bit is sufficient to indicate whether TRS is available, and additional bits may be used for other purposes, e.g., to indicate the validity of TRS availability.

[0048] In some embodiments, the network sets the availability bitfield in the DCI so that the TRS availability signaling in each beam is applicable only to that beam, i.e., an individual beam selectivity approach. A UE receives a DCI in a first beam where TRS availability is applicable only in that beam, i.e., if the indication is that TRS is available, the UE knows that the TRS associated with the first beam is available and can be used. If the UE wants to know whether TRS is available in, for example, a second beam, the UE decodes the DCI in the second beam.

[0049] The network may configure the UE as such, for example, because TRS availability changes frequently per beam level, e.g., if there are no connected UEs in a particular beam (i.e., TCI state for connected UEs, or SSB index for idle UEs), the network turns off TRS for that beam. Furthermore, the network may determine to do this because the number of available bits in the DCI to cover per-beam availability signaling is limited (e.g., as in the case of paging DCI) or because overhead should be reduced (e.g., as in the case of PEI). For example, the network may configure the UE with eight beams and only one bit is available for availability signaling, and therefore the network sets the availability bit field in an individual beam selectivity approach.

[0050] In some embodiments, higher layers can configure multiple validity durations for TRS availability. If a UE detects a DCI in a first beam indicating that TRS is available, the UE can infer that TRS is available in the first beam for a first validity duration and that TRS is available in other beams belonging to the same group as the first beam for a second validity duration. The first validity duration and the second validity duration can be explicitly configured by higher layers and can have different values. For example, the first validity duration can be longer than the second validity duration.

[0051] In some embodiments, the network sets the availability bitfield in the DCI such that TRS availability signaling in a group of beams (i.e., at least one group of beams is associated with two or more beams) is applicable to that group of beams. This method is thus a balance between the "all" approach of the first exemplary embodiment and the "individual" approach of the second embodiment.

[0052] For example, the UE receives a TRS resource availability indication configuration from a higher layer indicating a first group associated with a first particular group of TRS beams determined by quasi-co-location (QCL) information, where each beam is associated with an SSB index, and a second group associated with a second particular group of beams. The UE then receives a DCI including a TRS availability bit field in at least one beam in the first group, such that the UE is aware of the availability status of TRS in all beams associated with the first group but not the beams associated with the second group.

[0053] The network may decide to do this to provide a balance between beam selectivity availability (particularly if the network wants to turn on / off individual beams or beams associated with a group) and UE flexibility in choosing a beam to decode DCI, so that the UE does not need to decode all beams associated with a group of beams to be aware of TRS availability. The network may further decide to set the availability indication in each group to be applicable to all beams or individual beams.

[0054] For example, the network may set a bit in each group indicating whether TRS is available in all beams associated with the group, or, for example, set two bits in the DCI received in the beam, or in the first beam of the group or the second of the beams of the group, indicating whether TRS is available. In a further particular example, the network may set the TRS availability indication for DCI received only in some and not all (e.g., one) beams of the group. For example, a UE may be configured with a first group consisting of a first beam and a second beam, and the TRS availability indication is set to be present only in the DCI received in the first beam, indicating TRS availability for the entire first group of beams.

[0055] In a general embodiment, the network may configure the availability signaling with a "beam association relationship setting" that specifies how the UE should interpret the availability signaling received in the DCI associated with a beam. For example, the network may configure the availability signaling with the condition "all," which indicates that the DCI received in a beam indicates TRS availability in all beams, or the condition "individual," which indicates that the DCI received in a particular beam indicates TRS availability only in that particular beam, or the condition "group-based," which indicates that the DCI received within a group of beams associated with a particular group indicates the availability of TRS only in the beams associated with that group.

[0056] An idle mode UE camps on a cell. The UE receives higher layer signaling indicating multiple non-zero power CSI-RS resource sets (NZP-CSI-RS resource sets) corresponding to tracking reference signals (e.g., it is assumed that the trs-Info parameter is explicitly or implicitly set), where the NZP-CSI resource sets are associated with (or include) at least one TCI state identifier. The TCI state identifier indicates a QCL source for the resources in the resource set.

[0057] The UE receives information via higher layers indicating a DCI format (e.g., a paging DCI, including a Radio Network Temporary Identifier (RNTI)) and indicating a field within the DCI that carries information regarding the availability / unavailability of RSs in the NZP-CSI-RS resource set. The UE receives information via higher layers indicating an explicit parameter that indicates an association between a first TCI state identifier and at least a second TCI state identifier (or the first NZP-CSI-RS resource set and a second NZP-CSI-RS resource set).

[0058] If the UE detects a DCI corresponding to a DCI format (e.g., a paging DCI, including an RNTI) in a PDCCH associated with a first NZP-CSI-RS resource set (e.g., the QCL source of the PDCCH is the same as the QCL source of the first NZP-CSI-RS resource set), the UE infers TRS availability / unavailability for the second NZP-CSI-RS resource set based on fields in the detected DCI format.

[0059] If the explicit parameter indicates a first value (e.g., "all"), the UE can infer TRS availability for multiple non-zero power CSI-RS resource sets. If the explicit parameter indicates a second value (e.g., "individual"), the UE can infer TRS availability for only the first non-zero power CSI-RS resource set.

[0060] The UE may further receive information regarding the grouping of the NZP-CSI-RS resource sets via higher layers, e.g., a first set of NZP-CSI-RS resource sets belongs to a first group and a second set of NZP-CSI-RS resource sets belongs to a second group.

[0061] If the explicit parameter indicates a third value (e.g., “group”), the UE may infer TRS availability for only a group of NZP-CSI-RS resource sets, where the group is the group containing the first non-zero power CSI-RS resource set.

[0062] 1 illustrates an exemplary method in a network node according to a particular embodiment. In a particular embodiment, one or more steps of FIG. 3 may be performed by the network node 160 described with respect to FIG.

[0063] The method begins at step 100, where a network node (e.g., network node 160) provides TRS / CSI-RS configurations along with their underlying beam association relationship configurations through higher layers, such as broadcasting in SIMB.

[0064] In step 110, the network node provides TRS / CSI-RS availability according to the configured beam association using L1-based signaling, for example, paging DCI or PEI.

[0065] 2 illustrates an exemplary method in a wireless device according to a particular embodiment. In a particular embodiment, one or more steps of FIG. 3 may be performed by the wireless device 110 described with respect to FIG.

[0066] The method begins at step 200, where a wireless device receives TRS / CSI-RS configurations along with their underlying beam association relationship configurations from an upper layer, for example, broadcast via an SIB.

[0067] In step 210, the wireless device receives TRS / CSI-RS availability from L1-based signaling, for example, a paging DCI or PEI.

[0068] In step 220, the wireless device detects a DCI based on the first beam index, the DCI indicating that a TRS resource is available, and determines that the TRS resource is available for one or more beams based on the beam association relationship setting.

[0069] 3 illustrates an exemplary wireless network, according to some embodiments. The wireless network may comprise and / or interface with any type of communication, telecommunication, data, cellular, and / or radio network, or other similar type of system. In some embodiments, the wireless network may be configured to operate according to a particular standard or other type of predefined rules or procedures. Thus, particular embodiments of the wireless network may implement communications standards such as Global System for Mobile Communications (GSM), Universal Mobile Telecommunications System (UMTS), Long Term Evolution (LTE), and / or other suitable 2G, 3G, 4G, or 5G standards, wireless local area network (WLAN) standards such as the IEEE 802.11 standard, and / or any other suitable wireless communication standard, such as Worldwide Interoperability for Microwave Access (WiMax), Bluetooth, Z-Wave, and / or ZigBee standards.

[0070] The network 106 may comprise one or more backhaul networks, core networks, IP networks, public switched telephone networks (PSTN), packet data networks, optical networks, wide area networks (WANs), local area networks (LANs), wireless local area networks (WLANs), wired networks, wireless networks, metropolitan area networks, and other networks for enabling communication between devices.

[0071] Network node 160 and WD 110 comprise various components, which are described in more detail below. These components cooperate to provide network node and / or wireless device functionality, such as providing wireless connectivity in a wireless network. In different embodiments, a wireless network may comprise any number of wired or wireless networks, network nodes, base stations, controllers, wireless devices, relay stations, and / or any other components or systems that may facilitate or participate in the communication of data and / or signals, whether via wired or wireless connections.

[0072] As used herein, a network node refers to a device that is capable of, set up, configured, and / or operable to communicate, directly or indirectly, with wireless devices and / or other network nodes or devices in a wireless network to enable and / or provide wireless access to wireless devices and / or to perform other functions (e.g., administration) in the wireless network.

[0073] Examples of network nodes include, but are not limited to, access points (APs) (e.g., wireless access points), base stations (BSs) (e.g., radio base stations, Node Bs, evolved Node Bs (eNBs), and NR Node Bs (gNBs)). Base stations may be categorized based on the amount of coverage they provide (or, stated differently, their transmit power level), in which case they may also be referred to as femto, pico, micro, or macro base stations.

[0074] A base station may be a relay node or a relay donor node that controls a relay. A network node may also include one or more (or all) parts of a distributed radio base station, such as a centralized digital unit and / or a remote radio unit (RRU), sometimes referred to as a remote radio head (RRH). Such remote radio units may or may not be integrated with an antenna as an antenna-integrated radio. A part of a distributed radio base station may also be referred to as a node in a distributed antenna system (DAS). Still further examples of network nodes include MSR equipment such as a multi-standard radio (MSR) BS, a network controller such as a radio network controller (RNC) or base station controller (BSC), a base transceiver station (BTS), a transmission point, a transmitting node, a multi-cell / multicast coordination entity (MCE), a core network node (e.g., MSC, MME), an O&M node, an OSS node, a SON node, a positioning node (e.g., E-SMLC), and / or an MDT.

[0075] As another example, a network node may be a virtual network node, as described in more detail below. More generally, however, a network node may represent any suitable device (or group of devices) capable of, configured to, and / or operable to enable and / or provide wireless devices with access to a wireless network or to provide some service to wireless devices that have accessed the wireless network.

[0076] 3, network node 160 includes processing circuitry 170, device-readable medium 180, interface 190, ancillary equipment 184, power supply 186, power circuitry 187, and antenna 162. Although network node 160 shown in the example wireless network of FIG. 3 may represent a device including the shown combination of hardware components, other embodiments may comprise network nodes with different combinations of components.

[0077] It should be understood that a network node comprises any suitable combination of hardware and / or software required to perform the tasks, features, functions, and methods disclosed herein. Moreover, while the components of network node 160 are illustrated as a single box located within a larger box or nested within multiple boxes, in reality the network node may comprise multiple different physical components that make up the single depicted component (e.g., device-readable medium 180 may comprise multiple separate hard drives as well as multiple RAM modules).

[0078] Similarly, network node 160 may be assembled from multiple physically separate components (e.g., a Node B component and an RNC component, or a BTS component and a BSC component, etc.), each of which may have their own respective components. In some scenarios in which network node 160 comprises multiple separate components (e.g., a BTS component and a BSC component), one or more of the separate components may be shared among several network nodes. For example, a single RNC may control multiple Node Bs. In such scenarios, each unique Node B and RNC pair may, in some instances, be considered a single separate network node.

[0079] In some embodiments, network node 160 may be configured to support multiple radio access technologies (RATs). In such embodiments, some components may be duplicated (e.g., separate device-readable media 180 for different RATs) and some components may be reused (e.g., the same antenna 162 may be shared by the RATs). Network node 160 may also include multiple sets of the various shown components for different wireless technologies, such as GSM, WCDMA, LTE, NR, WiFi, or Bluetooth wireless technologies, integrated into network node 160. These wireless technologies may be integrated into the same or different chips or sets of chips and other components within network node 160.

[0080] Processing circuitry 170 is configured to perform any decision, computation, or similar operations (e.g., some acquisition operations) described herein as being provided by a network node. These operations performed by processing circuitry 170 may include processing information acquired by processing circuitry 170, for example, by transforming the acquired information into other information, comparing the acquired or transformed information with information stored in the network node, and / or performing one or more operations based on the acquired or transformed information and as a result of said processing making a decision.

[0081] Processing circuitry 170 may comprise one or more combinations of a microprocessor, controller, microcontroller, central processing unit, digital signal processor, application specific integrated circuit, field programmable gate array, or any other suitable computing device, resource, or combination of hardware, software, and / or coded logic operable to provide network node 160 functionality, either alone or in conjunction with other network node 160 components, such as device-readable medium 180.

[0082] For example, processing circuit 170 may execute instructions stored on device-readable medium 180 or in memory within processing circuit 170. Such functionality may include providing any of the various wireless features, functions, or benefits described herein. In some embodiments, processing circuit 170 may include a system-on-chip (SOC).

[0083] In some embodiments, processing circuitry 170 may include one or more of radio frequency (RF) transceiver circuitry 172 and baseband processing circuitry 174. In some embodiments, radio frequency (RF) transceiver circuitry 172 and baseband processing circuitry 174 may be on separate chips (or sets of chips), boards, or units, such as a radio unit and a digital unit. In alternative embodiments, some or all of RF transceiver circuitry 172 and baseband processing circuitry 174 may be on the same chip or set of chips, board, or unit.

[0084] In some embodiments, some or all of the functionality described herein as being provided by a network node, base station, eNB, or other such network device may be performed by processing circuitry 170 executing instructions stored on device-readable medium 180, or memory within processing circuitry 170. In alternative embodiments, some or all of the functionality may be provided by processing circuitry 170 without executing instructions stored on a separate or separate device-readable medium, such as in a hardwired manner. In any of those embodiments, processing circuitry 170 may be configured to perform the described functionality, regardless of whether it executes instructions stored on a device-readable storage medium. Benefits provided by such functionality are enjoyed by network node 160 as a whole, and / or by end users and the wireless network generally, and are not limited to processing circuitry 170 alone or other components of network node 160.

[0085] Device-readable medium 180 may comprise any form of volatile or non-volatile computer-readable memory, including, but not limited to, persistent storage, solid-state memory, remotely mounted memory, magnetic media, optical media, random-access memory (RAM), read-only memory (ROM), mass storage media (e.g., hard disk), removable storage media (e.g., flash drive, compact disc (CD) or digital video disc (DVD)), and / or any other volatile or non-volatile, non-transitory device-readable and / or computer-executable memory device that stores information, data, and / or instructions that may be used by processing circuit 170. Device-readable medium 180 may store any suitable instructions, data, or information, including applications including one or more of computer programs, software, logic, rules, code, tables, etc., and / or other instructions that can be executed by processing circuit 170 and utilized by network node 160. Device-readable medium 180 may be used to store computations performed by processing circuit 170 and / or data received via interface 190. In some embodiments, processing circuitry 170 and device-readable medium 180 may be considered to be integrated.

[0086] Interface 190 is used in wired or wireless communication of signaling and / or data between network node 160, network 106, and / or WD 110. As shown, interface 190 comprises port(s) / terminal(s) 194 for sending and receiving data to and from network 106, e.g., over a wired connection. Interface 190 also includes radio front-end circuitry 192, which is coupled to antenna 162 or, in some embodiments, may be part of antenna 162.

[0087] The radio front-end circuit 192 includes a filter 198 and an amplifier 196. The radio front-end circuit 192 may be connected to the antenna 162 and the processing circuit 170. The radio front-end circuit may be configured to condition signals communicated between the antenna 162 and the processing circuit 170. The radio front-end circuit 192 may receive digital data to be sent to another network node or WD via a wireless connection. The radio front-end circuit 192 may convert the digital data into a radio signal having appropriate channel and bandwidth parameters using a combination of the filter 198 and / or the amplifier 196. The radio signal may then be transmitted via the antenna 162. Similarly, when receiving data, the antenna 162 may collect the radio signal, which is then converted into digital data by the radio front-end circuit 192. The digital data may be passed to the processing circuit 170. In other embodiments, the interface may include different components and / or different combinations of components.

[0088] In some alternative embodiments, network node 160 may not include a separate radio front-end circuit 192; instead, processing circuit 170 may comprise radio front-end circuitry and may be connected to antenna 162 without a separate radio front-end circuit 192. Similarly, in some embodiments, all or a portion of RF transceiver circuitry 172 may be considered part of interface 190. In still other embodiments, interface 190 may include one or more ports or terminals 194, radio front-end circuitry 192, and RF transceiver circuitry 172 as part of a radio unit (not shown), and interface 190 may communicate with baseband processing circuitry 174 that is part of a digital unit (not shown).

[0089] Antenna 162 may include one or more antennas or antenna arrays configured to send and / or receive wireless signals. Antenna 162 may be coupled to radio front-end circuitry 192 and may be any type of antenna capable of wirelessly transmitting and receiving data and / or signals. In some embodiments, antenna 162 may comprise one or more omnidirectional, sector, or panel antennas operable to transmit / receive wireless signals, for example, between 2 GHz and 66 GHz. An omnidirectional antenna may be used to transmit / receive wireless signals in any direction, a sector antenna may be used to transmit / receive wireless signals from devices within a specific area, and a panel antenna may be a line-of-sight antenna used to transmit / receive wireless signals in a relatively straight line. In some instances, the use of two or more antennas may be referred to as MIMO. In some embodiments, antenna 162 may be separate from network node 160 and connectable to network node 160 through an interface or port.

[0090] Antenna 162, interface 190, and / or processing circuit 170 may be configured to perform any receiving operation and / or some obtaining operation described herein as being performed by a network node. Any information, data, and / or signal may be received from a wireless device, another network node, and / or any other network equipment. Similarly, antenna 162, interface 190, and / or processing circuit 170 may be configured to perform any transmitting operation described herein as being performed by a network node. Any information, data, and / or signal may be transmitted to a wireless device, another network node, and / or any other network equipment.

[0091] Power circuitry 187 may comprise or be coupled to power management circuitry and is configured to supply power to the components of network node 160 for performing the functions described herein. Power circuitry 187 may receive power from power source 186. Power source 186 and / or power circuitry 187 may be configured to provide power to the various components of network node 160 in a form suitable for each component (e.g., at voltage and current levels required for each respective component). Power source 186 may either be included in power circuitry 187 and / or network node 160 or may be external to power circuitry 187 and / or network node 160.

[0092] For example, network node 160 may be connectable to an external power source (e.g., an electrical outlet) via an input circuit or interface, such as an electrical cable, whereby the external power source provides power to power circuit 187. As a further example, power source 186 may comprise a power source in the form of a battery or battery pack connected to or integrated within power circuit 187. The battery may provide backup power if the external power source fails. Other types of power sources, such as photovoltaic devices, may also be used.

[0093] 3 that may be responsible for providing some aspects of the network node's functionality, including any of the functionality described herein and / or functionality necessary to support the subject matter described herein. For example, network node 160 may include user interface devices to enable input of information into network node 160 and output of information from network node 160. This may enable a user to perform diagnostic, maintenance, repair, and other administrative functions for network node 160.

[0094] As used herein, a wireless device (WD) refers to a device capable of, set up, configured, and / or operable to communicate wirelessly with network nodes and / or other wireless devices. Unless otherwise noted, the term WD may be used interchangeably with user equipment (UE) herein. Communicating wirelessly may involve sending and / or receiving radio signals using electromagnetic waves, radio waves, infrared waves, and / or other types of signals suitable for conveying information over the air.

[0095] In some embodiments, a WD may be configured to send and / or receive information without direct human interaction. For example, a WD may be designed to send information to a network on a predetermined schedule, when triggered by an internal or external event, or in response to a request from the network.

[0096] Examples of WDs include, but are not limited to, smartphones, mobile phones, cell phones, voice-over-IP (VoIP) phones, wireless local loop phones, desktop computers, personal digital assistants (PDAs), wireless cameras, gaming consoles or devices, music storage devices, playback appliances, wearable terminal devices, wireless endpoints, mobile stations, tablets, laptop computers, laptop embedded equipment (LEEs), laptop mounted equipment (LMEs), smart devices, wireless customer premises equipment (CPEs), in-vehicle wireless terminal devices, etc. A WD may support device-to-device (D2D) communications, e.g., by implementing 3GPP standards for sidelink communications, vehicle-to-vehicle (V2V), vehicle-to-infrastructure (V2I), vehicle-to-everything (V2X), and in this case may be referred to as a D2D communications device.

[0097] As yet another specific example, in an Internet of Things (IoT) scenario, a WD may represent a machine or other device that performs monitoring and / or measurements and transmits the results of such monitoring and / or measurements to another WD and / or network node. The WD, in this case, may be a machine-to-machine (M2M) device, which may be referred to as an MTC device in a 3GPP context. As an example, the WD may be a UE that implements the 3GPP Narrowband Internet of Things (NB-IoT) standard. Examples of such machines or devices are sensors, metering devices such as power meters, industrial machinery, or household or personal appliances (e.g., refrigerators, televisions, etc.), personal wearables (e.g., watches, fitness trackers, etc.).

[0098] In other scenarios, the WD may represent a vehicle or other equipment capable of monitoring and / or reporting on its operational status or other functionality associated with its operation. The WD described above may represent an endpoint of a wireless connection, in which case the device may be referred to as a wireless terminal. Furthermore, the WD described above may be mobile, in which case the device may be referred to as a mobile device or mobile terminal.

[0099] As shown, wireless device 110 includes antenna 111, interface 114, processing circuitry 120, device-readable medium 130, user interface equipment 132, auxiliary equipment 134, power source 136, and power circuitry 137. WD 110 may include multiple sets of one or more of the shown components for different wireless technologies supported by WD 110, such as GSM, WCDMA, LTE, NR, WiFi, WiMAX, or Bluetooth wireless technologies, to name just a few. These wireless technologies may be integrated on the same or different chip or set of chips as other components within WD 110.

[0100] Antenna 111 may include one or more antennas or antenna arrays configured to send and / or receive wireless signals and is connected to interface 114. In some alternative embodiments, antenna 111 may be separate from WD 110 and connectable to WD 110 through an interface or port. Antenna 111, interface 114, and / or processing circuit 120 may be configured to perform any receiving or transmitting operations described herein as being performed by a WD. Any information, data, and / or signals may be received from a network node and / or another WD. In some embodiments, the wireless front-end circuit and / or antenna 111 may be considered an interface.

[0101] As shown, interface 114 comprises radio front-end circuitry 112 and antenna 111. Radio front-end circuitry 112 comprises one or more filters 118 and amplifier 116. Radio front-end circuitry 112 is connected to antenna 111 and processing circuitry 120 and is configured to condition signals communicated between antenna 111 and processing circuitry 120. Radio front-end circuitry 112 may be coupled to or part of antenna 111. In some embodiments, WD 110 may not include a separate radio front-end circuit 112; rather, processing circuitry 120 may comprise radio front-end circuitry and be connected to antenna 111. Similarly, in some embodiments, some or all of RF transceiver circuitry 122 may be considered part of interface 114.

[0102] The radio front-end circuit 112 may receive digital data to be sent to another network node or WD via a wireless connection. The radio front-end circuit 112 may convert the digital data into a radio signal having appropriate channel and bandwidth parameters using a combination of a filter 118 and / or an amplifier 116. The radio signal may then be transmitted via the antenna 111. Similarly, when receiving data, the antenna 111 may collect the radio signal, which is then converted into digital data by the radio front-end circuit 112. The digital data may be passed to the processing circuit 120. In other embodiments, the interface may comprise different components and / or different combinations of components.

[0103] Processing circuitry 120 may comprise one or more combinations of a microprocessor, controller, microcontroller, central processing unit, digital signal processor, application specific integrated circuit, field programmable gate array, or any other suitable computing device, resource, or combination of hardware, software, and / or coded logic operable to provide WD 110 functionality, either alone or in conjunction with other WD 110 components, such as device-readable medium 130. Such functionality may include providing any of the various wireless features or benefits described herein. For example, processing circuitry 120 may execute instructions stored on device-readable medium 130 or in memory within processing circuitry 120 to provide the functionality disclosed herein.

[0104] As shown, the processing circuitry 120 includes one or more of an RF transceiver circuitry 122, a baseband processing circuitry 124, and an application processing circuitry 126. In other embodiments, the processing circuitry may comprise different components and / or different combinations of components. In some embodiments, the processing circuitry 120 of the WD 110 may comprise a SOC. In some embodiments, the RF transceiver circuitry 122, the baseband processing circuitry 124, and the application processing circuitry 126 may be on separate chips or sets of chips.

[0105] In alternative embodiments, some or all of the baseband processing circuitry 124 and the application processing circuitry 126 may be combined into one chip or set of chips, and the RF transceiver circuitry 122 may be on a separate chip or set of chips. In further alternative embodiments, some or all of the RF transceiver circuitry 122 and the baseband processing circuitry 124 may be on the same chip or set of chips, and the application processing circuitry 126 may be on a separate chip or set of chips. In yet other alternative embodiments, some or all of the RF transceiver circuitry 122, the baseband processing circuitry 124, and the application processing circuitry 126 may be combined in the same chip or set of chips. In some embodiments, the RF transceiver circuitry 122 may be part of the interface 114. The RF transceiver circuitry 122 may condition RF signals for the processing circuitry 120.

[0106] In some embodiments, some or all of the functionality described herein as being performed by a WD may be provided by processing circuitry 120 executing instructions stored on device-readable medium 130, which in some embodiments may be a computer-readable storage medium. In alternative embodiments, some or all of the functionality may be provided by processing circuitry 120 without executing instructions stored on a separate or separate device-readable storage medium, such as in a hardwired manner.

[0107] In any of those embodiments, processing circuitry 120, whether or not executing instructions stored on a device-readable storage medium, may be configured to perform the described functions, and the benefits provided by such functions are enjoyed by WD 110, but not limited to processing circuitry 120 alone or other components of WD 110, and / or by end users and wireless networks generally.

[0108] Processing circuitry 120 may be configured to perform any of the decision, calculation, or similar operations (e.g., some acquisition operations) described herein as being performed by a WD. These operations as performed by processing circuitry 120 may include processing information acquired by processing circuitry 120, for example, by transforming the acquired information into other information, comparing the acquired or transformed information with information stored by WD 110, and / or performing one or more operations based on the acquired or transformed information and as a result of said processing making a decision.

[0109] The device-readable medium 130 may be operable to store applications, including one or more of computer programs, software, logic, rules, codes, tables, etc., and / or other instructions that can be executed by the processing circuit 120. The device-readable medium 130 may include computer memory (e.g., random access memory (RAM) or read-only memory (ROM)), mass storage media (e.g., hard disks), removable storage media (e.g., compact discs (CDs) or digital video discs (DVDs)), and / or any other volatile or non-volatile, non-transitory device-readable and / or computer-executable memory device that stores information, data, and / or instructions that can be used by the processing circuit 120. In some embodiments, the processing circuit 120 and the device-readable medium 130 may be integrated.

[0110] The user interface devices 132 may provide components that allow a human user to interact with the WD 110. Such interaction may be in many forms, such as visual, auditory, tactile, etc. The user interface devices 132 may be operable to produce output to the user and to allow the user to provide input to the WD 110. The type of interaction may vary depending on the type of user interface devices 132 installed on the WD 110. For example, if the WD 110 is a smartphone, the interaction may be via a touchscreen; if the WD 110 is a smart meter, the interaction may be through a screen that provides usage (e.g., number of gallons used) or a speaker that provides an audible alarm (e.g., if smoke is detected).

[0111] The user interface device 132 may include input interfaces, devices, and circuits, as well as output interfaces, devices, and circuits. The user interface device 132 is configured to allow input of information to the WD 110 and is connected to the processing circuit 120 to allow the processing circuit 120 to process the input information. The user interface device 132 may include, for example, a microphone, proximity or other sensors, keys / buttons, a touch display, one or more cameras, a USB port, or other input circuitry. The user interface device 132 is also configured to allow output of information from the WD 110 and to allow the processing circuit 120 to output information from the WD 110. The user interface device 132 may include, for example, a speaker, a display, vibration circuitry, a USB port, a headphone interface, or other output circuitry. Using one or more input and output interfaces, devices, and circuits of the user interface device 132, the WD 110 may communicate with end users and / or wireless networks, allowing the end users and / or wireless networks to benefit from the functionality described herein.

[0112] Ancillary device 134 is operable to provide more specific functionality that may not generally be performed by a WD. It may include specialized sensors for taking measurements for various purposes, interfaces for additional types of communication such as wired communication, etc. The inclusion of components of ancillary device 134 and the types of components of ancillary device 134 may vary depending on the embodiment and / or scenario.

[0113] The power source 136, in some embodiments, may be in the form of a battery or battery pack. Other types of power sources may also be used, such as an external power source (e.g., an electrical outlet), a photovoltaic device, or a battery. The WD 110 may further include a power circuit 137 for delivering power from the power source 136 to various portions of the WD 110 that require power from the power source 136 to perform any of the functions described or shown herein. The power circuit 137, in some embodiments, may include a power management circuit.

[0114] Power circuitry 137 may additionally or alternatively be operable to receive power from an external power source, in which case WD 110 may be connectable to the external power source (such as an electrical outlet) via an input circuit or interface, such as a power cable. Power circuitry 137 may also, in some embodiments, be operable to deliver power from the external power source to power source 136. This may be for charging power source 136, for example. Power circuitry 137 may perform any formatting, conversion, or other modification on the power from power source 136 to make it suitable for the respective components of WD 110 being powered.

[0115] Although the subject matter described herein may be implemented in any suitable type of system using any suitable components, the embodiments disclosed herein are described with reference to a wireless network, such as the exemplary wireless network shown in FIG. 3. For simplicity, the wireless network of FIG. 3 illustrates only network 106, network nodes 160 and 160b, and WDs 110, 110b, and 110c. In practice, the wireless network may further include any additional elements suitable for supporting communication between wireless devices or between a wireless device and another communication device, such as a landline telephone, a service provider, or any other network node or end device. Of the components shown, network node 160 and wireless device (WD) 110 are illustrated with additional detail. A wireless network may provide communication and other types of services to one or more wireless devices to facilitate the wireless device's access to the wireless network and / or use of services offered by or via the wireless network.

[0116] 4 illustrates an exemplary user equipment (UE) according to some embodiments. User equipment or UE, as used herein, does not necessarily have a user in the sense of a human user who owns and / or operates an associated device. Instead, a UE may represent a device (e.g., a smart sprinkler controller) that is intended for sale to or operation by a human user, but may not be associated with or may not initially be associated with a particular human user. Alternatively, a UE may represent a device (e.g., a smart power meter) that is not intended for sale to or operation by an end user, but may be associated with or operated for the benefit of a user. The UE 200 may be any UE identified by the 3rd Generation Partnership Project (3GPP), including an NB-IoT UE, a machine-type communication (MTC) UE, and / or an enhanced MTC (eMTC) UE. The UE 200 shown in Figure 4 is an example of a WD configured for communication according to one or more communications standards promulgated by the 3rd Generation Partnership Project (3GPP), such as the 3GPP's GSM, UMTS, LTE, and / or 5G standards. As mentioned above, the terms WD and UE may be used interchangeably. Thus, while Figure 4 is a UE, the components described herein are equally applicable to a WD, and vice versa.

[0117] In FIG. 4, UE 200 includes processing circuitry 201 operably coupled to input / output interface 205, radio frequency (RF) interface 209, network connection interface 211, memory 215, such as random access memory (RAM) 217, read-only memory (ROM) 219, and storage medium 221, communication subsystem 231, power source 213, and / or any other components, or any combination thereof. Storage medium 221 includes operating system 223, application programs 225, and data 227. In other embodiments, storage medium 221 may include other similar types of information. Some UEs may use all of the components shown in FIG. 4 or only a subset of those components. The level of integration between components may vary from UE to UE. Additionally, some UEs may include multiple instances of a component, such as multiple processors, memories, transceivers, transmitters, receivers, etc.

[0118] 4, processing circuit 201 may be configured to process computer instructions and data. Processing circuit 201 may be configured to implement any sequential state machine operable to execute machine instructions stored in memory as a machine-readable computer program, such as one or more hardware-implemented state machines (e.g., in discrete logic, FPGA, ASIC, etc.), programmable logic with appropriate firmware, one or more pre-programmed, general-purpose processors, such as a microprocessor or digital signal processor (DSP) with appropriate software, or any combination of the above. For example, processing circuit 201 may include two central processing units (CPUs). Data may be information in a form suitable for use by a computer.

[0119] In the illustrated embodiment, the input / output interface 205 may be configured to provide an input device, an output device, or a communication interface to an input / output device. The UE 200 may be configured to use an output device via the input / output interface 205.

[0120] An output device may use the same type of interface port as an input device. For example, a USB port may be used to provide input to and output from the UE 200. An output device may be a speaker, a sound card, a video card, a display, a monitor, a printer, an actuator, an emitter, a smart card, another output device, or any combination thereof.

[0121] The UE 200 may be configured to use input devices via the input / output interface 205 to allow a user to capture information into the UE 200. The input devices may include a touch-sensitive or presence-sensitive display, a camera (e.g., a digital camera, a digital video camera, a webcam, etc.), a microphone, a sensor, a mouse, a trackball, a directional pad, a trackpad, a scroll wheel, a smart card, etc. The presence-sensitive display may include a capacitive or resistive touch sensor for detecting input from the user. The sensor may be, for example, an accelerometer, a gyroscope, a tilt sensor, a force sensor, a magnetometer, a light sensor, a proximity sensor, another similar sensor, or any combination thereof. For example, the input device may be an accelerometer, a magnetometer, a digital camera, a microphone, and a light sensor.

[0122] In FIG. 4 , RF interface 209 may be configured to provide a communications interface to RF components, such as a transmitter, receiver, and antenna. Network connection interface 211 may be configured to provide a communications interface to network 243a. Network 243a may encompass wired and / or wireless networks, such as a local area network (LAN), a wide area network (WAN), a computer network, a wireless network, a communications network, another similar network, or any combination thereof. For example, network 243a may comprise a Wi-Fi network. Network connection interface 211 may be configured to include receiver and transmitter interfaces used to communicate with one or more other devices over a communications network according to one or more communications protocols, such as Ethernet, TCP / IP, SONET, ATM, etc. Network connection interface 211 may implement receiver and transmitter functionality appropriate for a communications network link (e.g., optical, electrical, etc.). The transmitter and receiver functionality may share circuit components, software, or firmware, or alternatively, may be implemented separately.

[0123] RAM 217 may be configured to interface to processing circuit 201 via bus 202 to provide storage or caching of data or computer instructions during the execution of software programs, such as an operating system, application programs, and device drivers. ROM 219 may be configured to provide computer instructions or data to processing circuit 201. For example, ROM 219 may be configured to store invariant low-level system code or data for basic system functions, such as basic input / output (I / O), booting, or receiving keystrokes from a keyboard, that is stored in non-volatile memory.

[0124] The storage medium 221 may be configured to include memory, such as RAM, ROM, programmable read-only memory (PROM), erasable programmable read-only memory (EPROM), electrically erasable programmable read-only memory (EEPROM), magnetic disk, optical disk, floppy disk, hard disk, removable cartridge, or flash drive. In one example, the storage medium 221 may be configured to include an operating system 223, an application program 225, such as a web browser application, a widget or gadget engine, or another application, and data files 227. The storage medium 221 may store any of a variety of different operating systems or combinations of operating systems for use by the UE 200.

[0125] The storage medium 221 may be configured to include several physical drive units, such as a redundant array of independent disks (RAID), a floppy disk drive, a flash memory, a USB flash drive, an external hard disk drive, a thumb drive, a pen drive, a key drive, a high-density digital versatile disk (HD-DVD) optical disk drive, an internal hard disk drive, a Blu-ray optical disk drive, a holographic digital data storage (HDDS) optical disk drive, an external mini dual in-line memory module (DIMM), a synchronous dynamic random access memory (SDRAM), an external micro-DIMM SDRAM, a smart card memory such as a subscriber identity module or removable user identity module (SIM / RUIM) module, other memory, or any combination thereof. The storage medium 221 may enable the UE 200 to access, offload, or upload data to computer-executable instructions, application programs, etc. stored on a temporary or non-transitory memory medium. An article of manufacture, such as an article of manufacture utilizing a communication system, may be tangibly embodied in the storage medium 221, which may comprise a device-readable medium.

[0126] In FIG. 4 , the processing circuit 201 may be configured to communicate with network 243b using a communications subsystem 231. Network 243a and network 243b may be the same network or networks or different networks or networks. The communications subsystem 231 may be configured to include one or more transceivers used to communicate with network 243b. For example, the communications subsystem 231 may be configured to include one or more transceivers used to communicate with one or more remote transceivers of another device capable of wireless communication, such as another WD, UE, or base station of a radio access network (RAN), according to one or more communications protocols, such as IEEE 802.2, CDMA, WCDMA, GSM, LTE, UTRAN, WiMax, etc. Each transceiver may include a transmitter 233 and / or a receiver 235 for implementing transmitter or receiver functions, respectively, appropriate for the RAN link (e.g., frequency allocation, etc.). Furthermore, the transmitter 233 and receiver 235 of each transceiver may share circuit components, software, or firmware or, alternatively, may be implemented separately.

[0127] In the illustrated embodiment, the communication capabilities of the communication subsystem 231 may include data communications, voice communications, multimedia communications, short-range communications such as Bluetooth, near-field communications, location-based communications such as using a global positioning system (GPS) to determine location, another similar communication capability, or any combination thereof. For example, the communication subsystem 231 may include cellular communications, Wi-Fi communications, Bluetooth communications, and GPS communications. The network 243b may encompass wired and / or wireless networks, such as a local area network (LAN), a wide area network (WAN), a computer network, a wireless network, a communications network, another similar network, or any combination thereof. For example, the network 243b may be a cellular network, a Wi-Fi network, and / or a near-field network. The power source 213 may be configured to provide alternating current (AC) or direct current (DC) power to the components of the UE 200.

[0128] The features, benefits, and / or functionality described herein may be implemented in one of the components of UE 200 or distributed across multiple components of UE 200. Furthermore, the features, benefits, and / or functionality described herein may be implemented in any combination of hardware, software, or firmware. In one example, communication subsystem 231 may be configured to include any of the components described herein. Furthermore, processing circuitry 201 may be configured to communicate with any of such components over bus 202. In another example, any of such components may be represented by program instructions stored in memory that, when executed by processing circuitry 201, perform the corresponding functions described herein. In another example, the functionality of any of such components may be distributed between processing circuitry 201 and communication subsystem 231. In another example, non-computationally intensive functionality of any of such components may be implemented in software or firmware, and computationally intensive functionality may be implemented in hardware.

[0129] 5 is a flowchart illustrating an exemplary method in a wireless device according to some embodiments. In a particular embodiment, one or more steps of FIG. 5 may be performed by the wireless device 110 described with respect to FIG.

[0130] The method begins at step 512, where a wireless device (e.g., wireless device 110) obtains a TRS / CSI-RS resource configuration and underlying beam associations for multiple TRS / CSI-RS occasions. For example, the wireless device may receive the TRS / CSI-RS resource configuration via system information.

[0131] In step 514, the wireless device obtains an availability indicator. The availability indicator indicates an association of one or more of the multiple TRS / CSI-RS occasions with the underlying beam association. For example, the availability indicator may associate an indicator with a single beam, all beams, or a group of beams.

[0132] In a particular embodiment, the availability indicator associates TRS / CSI-RS occasions with individual beams, and determining that one or more of the plurality of TRS / CSI-RS occasions have available TRS / CSI-RS includes determining that the TRS / CSI-RS is available in one of the TRS / CSI-RS occasions associated with the beam on which the Layer 1 signaling was received.

[0133] In a particular embodiment, the availability indicator associates the TRS / CSI-RS occasions with all beams, and determining that one or more of the plurality of TRS / CSI-RS occasions have available TRS / CSI-RS includes determining that the TRS / CSI-RS is available in all TRS / CSI-RS occasions associated with all underlying beams of the plurality of TRS / CSI-RS occasions.

[0134] In a particular embodiment, the availability indicator associates TRS / CSI-RS occasions with a group of beams, and determining that one or more of the plurality of TRS / CSI-RS occasions have available TRS / CSI-RS includes determining that the TRS / CSI-RS is available in all TRS / CSI-RS occasions associated with underlying beams in the group of beams.

[0135] In certain embodiments, the availability indicator is associated with one or more validity durations, as described above.

[0136] In an embodiment in which the availability indicator indicates a group of beams, the method may include step 516, in which the wireless device obtains an indication associating a subset of the beams underlying the plurality of TRS / CSI-RS occasions into the group of beams.

[0137] In step 518, the wireless device receives Layer 1 signaling on the beam. The Layer 1 signaling indicates that TRS / CSI-RS is available in at least one TRS / CSI-RS occasion of the multiple TRS / CSI-RS occasions (e.g., an availability bitmap). For example, receiving Layer 1 signaling indicating that TRS / CSI-RS is available in at least one TRS / CSI-RS occasion of the multiple TRS / CSI-RS occasions includes receiving at least one of a paging DCI and a PEI.

[0138] In step 520, the wireless device determines that one or more of the plurality of TRS / CSI-RS occasions have available TRS / CSI-RS based on the availability indicator and the Layer 1 signaling. For example, the wireless device may determine TRS / CSI-RS availability according to any of the embodiments and examples described herein.

[0139] In step 522, the wireless device receives TRS / CSI-RS on at least one of the determined TRS / CSI-RS occasions.

[0140] Modifications, additions, or omissions may be made to the method 500 of Figure 5. Additionally, one or more steps in the method of Figure 5 may be performed in parallel or in any suitable order.

[0141] 6 is a flowchart illustrating an exemplary method in a network node according to some embodiments. In a particular embodiment, one or more steps of FIG. 6 may be performed by the network node 160 described with respect to FIG.

[0142] The method begins at step 612, where a network node (e.g., network node 160) transmits to a wireless device a TRS / CSI-RS resource configuration and underlying beam associations for multiple TRS / CSI-RS occasions. For example, the network node may broadcast the TRS / CSI-RS resource configuration via system information.

[0143] In step 614, the network node transmits an availability indicator to the wireless device. The availability indicator indicates an association of one or more of the multiple TRS / CSI-RS occasions with the underlying beam association.

[0144] In particular embodiments, the availability indicator associates a TRS / CSI-RS occasion with an individual beam, associates a TRS / CSI-RS occasion with all beams, or associates a TRS / CSI-RS occasion with a group of beams.

[0145] In certain embodiments, the availability indicator is associated with one or more validity durations, as described above.

[0146] In an embodiment in which the availability indicator indicates a group of beams, the method may include step 616, in which the network node sends an indication associating a subset of the beams underlying the multiple TRS / CSI-RS occasions into the group of beams.

[0147] In step 618, the network node transmits Layer 1 signaling on the beam to the wireless device indicating that TRS / CSI-RS is available in at least one TRS / CSI-RS occasion of the multiple TRS / CSI-RS occasions (e.g., an availability bitmap).

[0148] In a particular embodiment, transmitting Layer 1 signaling indicating that TRS / CSI-RS is available in at least one TRS / CSI-RS occasion of the plurality of TRS / CSI-RS occasions includes transmitting at least one of a paging DCI and a PEI.

[0149] Modifications, additions, or omissions may be made to the method 600 of Figure 6. Additionally, one or more steps in the method of Figure 6 may be performed in parallel or in any suitable order.

[0150] 7 shows a schematic block diagram of two apparatuses in a wireless network (e.g., the wireless network shown in FIG. 3). The apparatuses include a wireless device and a network node (e.g., the wireless device 110 and the network node 160 shown in FIG. 3). Apparatuses 1600 and 1700 are operable to perform the example methods described with reference to FIGS. 5 and 6, respectively, as well as, possibly, any other processes or methods disclosed herein. It should also be understood that the methods of FIGS. 5 and 6 are not necessarily performed solely by apparatus 1600 and / or 1700; at least some operations of the methods may be performed by one or more other entities.

[0151] Virtual devices 1600 and 1700 may comprise processing circuitry, which may include one or more microprocessors or microcontrollers, as well as other digital hardware, which may include digital signal processors (DSPs), special-purpose digital logic, etc. The processing circuitry may be configured to execute program code stored in memory, which may include one or several types of memory, such as read-only memory (ROM), random access memory, cache memory, flash memory devices, optical storage devices, etc. The program code stored in memory, in some embodiments, includes program instructions for implementing one or more communication and / or data communication protocols, as well as instructions for performing one or more of the techniques described herein.

[0152] In some implementations, the processing circuitry may be used to cause the acquiring module 1602, the determining module 1604, the transmitting module 1606, and any other suitable units of the device 1600 to perform corresponding functions in accordance with one or more embodiments of the present disclosure. Similarly, the processing circuitry described above may be used to cause the receiving module 1702, the determining module 1704, the transmitting module 1706, and any other suitable units of the device 1700 to perform corresponding functions in accordance with one or more embodiments of the present disclosure.

[0153] 7, the apparatus 1600 includes an acquisition module 1602 configured to acquire a TRS / CSI-RS resource configuration and an underlying beam association in accordance with any of the embodiments and examples described herein. A determination module 1604 is configured to determine TRS / CSI-RS availability in accordance with any of the embodiments and examples described herein.

[0154] As shown in FIG. 7, the apparatus 1700 includes a transmitting module 1706 configured to transmit the TRS / CSI-RS resource configuration and the underlying beam association in accordance with any of the embodiments and examples described herein.

[0155] 8 is a schematic block diagram illustrating a virtualization environment 300 in which functionality implemented by some embodiments may be virtualized. In this context, virtualizing means creating a virtual version of an apparatus or device, which may include virtualizing a hardware platform, storage devices, and networking resources. Virtualization, as used herein, may apply to a node (e.g., a virtualized base station or a virtualized radio access node) or to a device (e.g., a UE, a wireless device, or any other type of communication device) or component of that device, and relates to implementations in which at least a portion of the functionality is implemented as one or more virtual components (e.g., via one or more applications, components, functions, virtual machines, or containers executing on one or more physical processing nodes in one or more networks).

[0156] In some embodiments, some or all of the functionality described herein may be implemented as virtual components executed by one or more virtual machines implemented in one or more virtual environments 300 hosted by one or more of the hardware nodes 330. Furthermore, in embodiments where the virtual nodes are not wireless access nodes or do not require wireless connectivity (e.g., core network nodes), the network nodes may be fully virtualized.

[0157] The functionality may be implemented by one or more applications 320 (which may alternatively be referred to as software instances, virtual appliances, network functions, virtual nodes, virtual network functions, etc.) operable to implement some of the features, functions, and / or benefits of some of the embodiments disclosed herein. The applications 320 are run in a virtualization environment 300, which provides hardware 330 comprising processing circuitry 360 and memory 390. The memory 390 includes instructions 395 executable by the processing circuitry 360, such that the applications 320 are operable to provide one or more of the features, benefits, and / or functions disclosed herein.

[0158] The virtualization environment 300 includes general-purpose or dedicated network hardware devices 330 that include one or more sets of processors or processing circuitry 360, which may be commercial-off-the-shelf (COTS) processors, dedicated application-specific integrated circuits (ASICs), or any other type of processing circuitry, including digital or analog hardware components or dedicated processors. Each hardware device may include memory 390-1, which may be non-persistent memory for temporarily storing instructions 395 or software executed by the processing circuitry 360. Each hardware device may include one or more network interface controllers (NICs) 370, also known as network interface cards, which include physical network interfaces 380. Each hardware device may also include a non-transitory, persistent, machine-readable storage medium 390-2 that stores software 395 and / or instructions executable by the processing circuitry 360. Software 395 may include any type of software, including software for instantiating one or more virtualization layers 350 (also called hypervisors), software for running virtual machines 340, and software that enables it to perform the functions, features and / or benefits described in connection with some embodiments described herein.

[0159] The virtual machines 340 may comprise virtual processes, virtual memory, virtual networking or interfaces, and virtual storage, and may be run by a corresponding virtualization layer 350 or hypervisor. Different embodiments of the virtual appliance 320 instance may be implemented on one or more of the virtual machines 340, and the implementation may be done in different ways.

[0160] During operation, processing circuitry 360 executes software 395 to instantiate hypervisor or virtualization layer 350, which is sometimes referred to as a virtual machine monitor (VMM). Virtualization layer 350 may present to virtual machine 340 a virtual operating platform that looks like networking hardware.

[0161] 8, hardware 330 may be a standalone network node with general or specific components. Hardware 330 may include antenna 3225 and may implement some functionality through virtualization. Alternatively, hardware 330 may be part of a larger cluster of hardware (e.g., as in a data center or customer premises equipment (CPE)) where many hardware nodes work together and are managed via a management and orchestration (MANO) 3100 that, among other things, oversees the lifecycle management of application 320.

[0162] Hardware virtualization, in some contexts, is called network functions virtualization (NFV). NFV can be used to consolidate many network equipment types onto industry-standard high-volume server hardware, physical switches, and physical storage that may be located in data centers and customer premises equipment.

[0163] In the context of NFV, virtual machine 340 may be a software implementation of a physical machine that runs programs as if those programs were running on a physical, non-virtualized machine. Each virtual machine 340 and the portion of hardware 330 on which it runs, whether hardware dedicated to that virtual machine and / or hardware shared by that virtual machine with other ones of virtual machines 340, form a separate virtual network element (VNE).

[0164] Further in the context of NFV, a virtual network function (VNF) is responsible for handling a specific network function running in one or more virtual machines 340 on top of the hardware networking infrastructure 330 and corresponds to application 320 in FIG. 18.

[0165] In some embodiments, one or more radio units 3200, each including one or more transmitters 3220 and one or more receivers 3210, may be coupled to one or more antennas 3225. The radio units 3200 may communicate directly with the hardware node 330 via one or more appropriate network interfaces and may be used in combination with virtualization components to provide a virtual node with wireless capabilities, such as a wireless access node or base station.

[0166] In some embodiments, some signaling may be accomplished using a control system 3230 that may alternatively be used for communication between the hardware nodes 330 and the radio unit 3200.

[0167] 9, according to one embodiment, a communication system includes a communication network 410, such as a 3GPP-type cellular network, comprising an access network 411, such as a wireless access network, and a core network 414. The access network 411 includes multiple base stations 412a, 412b, 412c, such as NBs, eNBs, gNBs, or other types of wireless access points, each defining a corresponding coverage area 413a, 413b, 413c. Each base station 412a, 412b, 412c can be connected to the core network 414 over a wired or wireless connection 415. A first UE 491 located in the coverage area 413c wirelessly connects to or is configured to be paged by the corresponding base station 412c. A second UE 492 in the coverage area 413a can be wirelessly connected to the corresponding base station 412a. Although multiple UEs 491, 492 are shown in this example, the disclosed embodiments are equally applicable to situations where only one UE is in the coverage area or where only one UE is connected to the corresponding base station 412.

[0168] The communications network 410 is itself connected to a host computer 430, which may be embodied in hardware and / or software of a standalone server, a cloud-implemented server, a distributed server, or as a processing resource in a server farm. The host computer 430 may be owned or controlled by a service provider, or may be operated by or on behalf of the service provider. Connections 421 and 422 between the communications network 410 and the host computer 430 may extend directly from the core network 414 to the host computer 430 or may proceed through an optional intermediate network 420. The intermediate network 420 may be one of a public network, a private network, or a hosted network, or a combination of two or more of them; the intermediate network 420 may be a backbone network or the Internet, if any; in particular, the intermediate network 420 may comprise two or more subnetworks (not shown).

[0169] The communication system of FIG. 9 as a whole enables connectivity between connected UEs 491, 492 and a host computer 430. The connectivity may be described as an over-the-top (OTT) connection 450. The host computer 430 and connected UEs 491, 492 are configured to communicate data and / or signaling via the OTT connection 450, using the access network 411, the core network 414, any intermediate networks 420, and possible further infrastructure (not shown) as intermediaries. The OTT connection 450 may be transparent, in the sense that the participating communication devices through which the OTT connection 450 passes are unaware of the routing of the uplink and downlink communications. For example, the base station 412 may not, or need not, be informed about the past routing of incoming downlink communications involving data originating from the host computer 430 that is to be forwarded (e.g., handed over) to the connected UE 491. Similarly, the base station 412 does not need to be aware of the future routing of outgoing uplink communications originating from the UE 491 and destined for the host computer 430 .

[0170] FIG. 10 illustrates an exemplary host computer communicating with user equipment via a base station over a partially wireless connection, according to some embodiments. An exemplary implementation, according to one embodiment of the UE, base station, and host computer described in the previous paragraph, will now be described with reference to FIG. 10. In communication system 500, host computer 510 comprises hardware 515, including communication interface 516 configured to set up and maintain wired or wireless connections with interfaces of different communication devices of communication system 500. Host computer 510 further comprises processing circuitry 518, which may have storage and / or processing capabilities. In particular, processing circuitry 518 may comprise one or more programmable processors, application specific integrated circuits, field programmable gate arrays, or combinations thereof (not shown), adapted to execute instructions. Host computer 510 further comprises software 511, stored on or accessible by host computer 510 and executable by processing circuitry 518. Software 511 includes host application 512. The host application 512 may be operable to provide services to a remote user, such as a UE 530 connecting via an OTT connection 550 that terminates at the UE 530 and the host computer 510. In providing services to the remote user, the host application 512 may provide user data that is transmitted using the OTT connection 550.

[0171] The communications system 500 further includes a base station 520 provided in the communications system, the base station 520 comprising hardware 525 that enables the base station 520 to communicate with the host computer 510 and the UE 530. The hardware 525 may include a communications interface 526 for setting up and maintaining wired or wireless connections with interfaces of different communications devices of the communications system 500, as well as a wireless interface 527 for setting up and maintaining at least a wireless connection 570 with a UE 530 located in a coverage area (not shown in FIG. 10 ) served by the base station 520. The communications interface 526 may be configured to facilitate a connection 560 to the host computer 510. The connection 560 may be direct, or the connection 560 may pass through a core network of the communications system (not shown in FIG. 10 ) and / or one or more intermediate networks external to the communications system. In the illustrated embodiment, the hardware 525 of the base station 520 further includes processing circuitry 528, which may comprise one or more programmable processors, application specific integrated circuits, field programmable gate arrays, or combinations thereof (not shown) adapted to execute instructions. The base station 520 further has software 521 stored internally or accessible via an external connection.

[0172] The communication system 500 further includes the previously mentioned UE 530. The hardware 535 of the UE 530 may include a wireless interface 537 configured to set up and maintain a wireless connection 570 with a base station serving a coverage area in which the UE 530 is currently located. The hardware 535 of the UE 530 further includes processing circuitry 538, which may comprise one or more programmable processors, application specific integrated circuits, field programmable gate arrays, or combinations thereof (not shown) adapted to execute instructions. The UE 530 further includes software 531 stored on or accessible by the UE 530 and executable by the processing circuitry 538. The software 531 includes a client application 532. The client application 532 may be operable, with support from the host computer 510, to provide services to a human or non-human user via the UE 530. On the host computer 510, a running host application 512 may communicate with a running client application 532 via an OTT connection 550 that terminates at the UE 530 and the host computer 510. In providing services to a user, the client application 532 may receive request data from the host application 512 and provide user data in response to the request data. The OTT connection 550 may transfer both the request data and the user data. The client application 532 may interact with the user to generate the user data that the client application 532 provides.

[0173] It should be noted that the host computer 510, base station 520, and UE 530 shown in Figure 10 may be similar to or equivalent to the host computer 430, one of the base stations 412a, 412b, and 412c, and one of the UEs 491 and 492, respectively, of Figure 8. That is, the inner workings of these entities may be as shown in Figure 10, and separately, the surrounding network topology may be that of Figure 8.

[0174] 10, the OTT connection 550 is depicted abstractly to show communication between the host computer 510 and the UE 530 via the base station 520, without explicit reference to intermediary devices and the exact routing of messages through those devices. The network infrastructure may determine the routing, and the network infrastructure may be configured to hide the routing from the UE 530, the service provider operating the host computer 510, or both. While the OTT connection 550 is active, the network infrastructure may also make decisions to dynamically change the routing (e.g., based on load balancing considerations or reconfiguration of the network).

[0175] The wireless connection 570 between the UE 530 and the base station 520 follows the teachings of the embodiments described throughout this disclosure. One or more of the various embodiments improve the performance of the OTT service provided to the UE 530 using the OTT connection 550 of which the wireless connection 570 forms the last segment. More precisely, the teachings of these embodiments may improve signaling overhead and reduce latency, which may provide faster Internet access for the user.

[0176] Measurement procedures may be provided for monitoring data rates, latency, and other factors that one or more embodiments improve upon. There may further be optional network functionality for reconfiguring the OTT connection 550 between the host computer 510 and the UE 530 in response to fluctuations in the measurement results. The measurement procedures and / or the network functionality for reconfiguring the OTT connection 550 may be implemented in the software 511 and hardware 515 of the host computer 510 or in the software 531 and hardware 535 of the UE 530, or both. In embodiments, sensors (not shown) may be deployed in or associated with communication devices through which the OTT connection 550 passes, and the sensors may participate in the measurement procedures by providing values ​​of the monitored quantities exemplified above or other physical quantities from which the software 511, 531 may calculate or estimate the monitored quantities. The reconfiguration of the OTT connection 550 may include message formats, retransmission settings, preferred routing, etc., and the reconfiguration need not affect the base station 520, and the reconfiguration may be unknown or imperceptible to the base station 520. Such procedures and functions may be known and practiced in the art. In some embodiments, the measurements may involve proprietary UE signaling that facilitates the host computer 510's measurements of throughput, propagation time, latency, etc. The measurements may be implemented in software 511 and 531 causing messages, particularly empty or "dummy" messages, to be sent using the OTT connection 550 while the software 511 and 531 monitors propagation times, errors, etc.

[0177] Figure 11 is a flowchart illustrating a method implemented in a communication system, according to one embodiment. The communication system includes a host computer, a base station, and a UE, which may be as described with reference to Figures 9 and 10. For simplicity of this disclosure, only drawing references to Figure 11 are included in this section.

[0178] In step 610, the host computer provides user data. In sub-step 611 of step 610 (which may be optional), the host computer provides the user data by executing a host application. In step 620, the host computer initiates a transmission carrying the user data to the UE. In step 630 (which may be optional), the base station transmits the user data carried in the host computer initiated transmission to the UE, according to the teachings of embodiments described throughout this disclosure. In step 640 (which may also be optional), the UE executes a client application associated with the host application executed by the host computer.

[0179] Figure 12 is a flowchart illustrating a method implemented in a communication system, according to one embodiment. The communication system includes a host computer, a base station, and a UE, which may be as described with reference to Figures 9 and 10. For simplicity of this disclosure, only drawing references to Figure 12 are included in this section.

[0180] In step 710 of the method, the host computer provides user data. In an optional substep (not shown), the host computer provides the user data by executing a host application. In step 720, the host computer initiates a transmission carrying the user data to the UE. The transmission may go through a base station in accordance with the teachings of embodiments described throughout this disclosure. In step 730 (which may be optional), the UE receives the user data carried in the transmission.

[0181] Figure 13 is a flowchart illustrating a method implemented in a communication system, according to one embodiment. The communication system includes a host computer, a base station, and a UE, which may be as described with reference to Figures 9 and 10. For simplicity of this disclosure, only drawing references to Figure 13 are included in this section.

[0182] In step 810 (which may be optional), the UE receives input data provided by the host computer. Additionally or alternatively, in step 820, the UE provides user data. In sub-step 821 (which may be optional) of step 820, the UE provides the user data by executing a client application. In sub-step 811 (which may be optional) of step 810, the UE executes a client application that provides user data in response to the received input data provided by the host computer. In providing the user data, the executed client application may further consider user input received from the user. Regardless of the particular manner in which the user data was provided, the UE initiates transmission of the user data to the host computer in sub-step 830 (which may be optional). In method step 840, the host computer receives the user data transmitted from the UE in accordance with the teachings of the embodiments described throughout this disclosure.

[0183] Figure 14 is a flowchart illustrating a method implemented in a communication system, according to one embodiment. The communication system includes a host computer, a base station, and a UE, which may be as described with reference to Figures 9 and 10. For simplicity of this disclosure, only drawing references to Figure 14 are included in this section.

[0184] In step 910 (which may be optional), the base station receives user data from the UE in accordance with the teachings of embodiments described throughout this disclosure. In step 920 (which may be optional), the base station initiates transmission of the received user data to the host computer. In step 930 (which may be optional), the host computer receives the user data carried in the transmission initiated by the base station.

[0185] The term unit may have its usual meaning in the field of electronics, electrical devices, and / or electronic devices, and may include, for example, electrical and / or electronic circuits, devices, modules, processors, memories, logical solid and / or discrete devices, computer programs or instructions, etc., for performing respective tasks, procedures, calculations, output, and / or display functions, such as those described herein.

[0186] Modifications, additions, or omissions may be made to the systems and devices disclosed herein without departing from the scope of the present invention. Components of the systems and devices may be integrated or separated. Moreover, the operations of the systems and devices may be performed by more, fewer, or other components. Furthermore, the operations of the systems and devices may be performed using any suitable logic, including software, hardware, and / or other logic. As used herein, "each" refers to each member of a set or each member of a subset of a set.

[0187] Modifications, additions, or omissions may be made to the methods disclosed herein without departing from the scope of the invention. The methods may include more, fewer, or other steps. Furthermore, the steps may be performed in any suitable order.

[0188] The above description sets forth numerous specific details. However, it should be understood that embodiments may be practiced without these specific details. In other instances, well-known circuits, structures, and techniques have not been shown in detail in order not to obscure an understanding of this description. Those skilled in the art will be able to use the included description to implement the appropriate functionality without undue experimentation.

[0189] References herein to "one embodiment," "an embodiment," "exemplary embodiment," etc. indicate that the described embodiment may include a particular feature, structure, or characteristic, but every embodiment may not necessarily include the particular feature, structure, or characteristic. Moreover, such phrases do not necessarily refer to the same embodiment. Furthermore, when a particular feature, structure, or characteristic is described with respect to an embodiment, it is submitted that it is within the knowledge of one skilled in the art to implement such feature, structure, or characteristic with respect to other embodiments, whether or not explicitly described.

[0190] While the present disclosure has been described with reference to several embodiments, modifications and substitutions of the embodiments will be apparent to those skilled in the art. Therefore, the above description of the embodiments does not constrain the present disclosure. Other changes, substitutions, and alterations are possible without departing from the scope of the present disclosure, which is defined by the following claims.

Claims

1. 1. A method implemented by a wireless device, the method comprising: Obtaining 512 tracking reference signal (TRS) / channel state information reference signal (CSI-RS) resource configurations and underlying beam associations for multiple TRS / CSI-RS occasions; obtaining an availability indicator (514), the availability indicator indicating an association of one or more of the plurality of TRS / CSI-RS occasions with the underlying beam association; receiving 518 Layer 1 signaling on a beam, the Layer 1 signaling indicating that a TRS / CSI-RS is available in at least one TRS / CSI-RS occasion of the plurality of TRS / CSI-RS occasions; determining (520) that one or more of the plurality of TRS / CSI-RS occasions have an available TRS / CSI-RS based on the availability indicator and the Layer 1 signaling; receiving a TRS / CSI-RS in at least one of the determined TRS / CSI-RS occasions (522), wherein the availability indicator associates TRS / CSI-RS occasions with individual beams, and determining that one or more of the plurality of TRS / CSI-RS occasions have available TRS / CSI-RS includes determining that a TRS / CSI-RS is available in one of the TRS / CSI-RS occasions associated with the beam on which the Layer 1 signaling was received; A method comprising:

2. A method implemented by a wireless device, the method comprising: Obtaining 512 tracking reference signal (TRS) / channel state information reference signal (CSI-RS) resource configurations and underlying beam associations for multiple TRS / CSI-RS occasions; obtaining an availability indicator (514), the availability indicator indicating an association of one or more of the plurality of TRS / CSI-RS occasions with the underlying beam association; receiving 518 Layer 1 signaling on a beam, the Layer 1 signaling indicating that a TRS / CSI-RS is available in at least one TRS / CSI-RS occasion of the plurality of TRS / CSI-RS occasions; determining (520) that one or more of the plurality of TRS / CSI-RS occasions have an available TRS / CSI-RS based on the availability indicator and the Layer 1 signaling; receiving (522) a TRS / CSI-RS in at least one of the determined TRS / CSI-RS occasions, wherein the availability indicator associates TRS / CSI-RS occasions with all beams, and determining that one or more of the plurality of TRS / CSI-RS occasions have available TRS / CSI-RS includes determining that TRS / CSI-RS is available in all TRS / CSI-RS occasions associated with underlying beams among all of the plurality of TRS / CSI-RS occasions; A method comprising:

3. A method implemented by a wireless device, the method comprising: Obtaining 512 tracking reference signal (TRS) / channel state information reference signal (CSI-RS) resource configurations and underlying beam associations for multiple TRS / CSI-RS occasions; obtaining an availability indicator (514), the availability indicator indicating an association of one or more of the plurality of TRS / CSI-RS occasions with the underlying beam association; receiving 518 Layer 1 signaling on a beam, the Layer 1 signaling indicating that a TRS / CSI-RS is available in at least one TRS / CSI-RS occasion of the plurality of TRS / CSI-RS occasions; determining (520) that one or more of the plurality of TRS / CSI-RS occasions have an available TRS / CSI-RS based on the availability indicator and the Layer 1 signaling; receiving (522) a TRS / CSI-RS in at least one of the determined TRS / CSI-RS occasions, wherein the availability indicator associates TRS / CSI-RS occasions with a group of beams, and determining that one or more of the plurality of TRS / CSI-RS occasions have available TRS / CSI-RS includes determining that TRS / CSI-RS is available in all TRS / CSI-RS occasions associated with underlying beams in the group of beams; A method comprising:

4. 4. The method of claim 3, further comprising: obtaining (516) an indication associating a subset of the underlying beams of the plurality of TRS / CSI-RS occasions into a group of beams.

5. 2. The method of claim 1, wherein the Layer 1 signaling indicating that TRS / CSI-RS is available includes an availability bitmap indicating TRS / CSI-RS occasions on which TRS / CSI-RS is available.

6. A wireless device (110) comprising a processing circuit (120), the processing circuit comprising: Obtaining tracking reference signal (TRS) / channel state information reference signal (CSI-RS) resource configuration and underlying beam associations for multiple TRS / CSI-RS occasions; obtaining an availability indicator, the availability indicator indicating association of one or more of the plurality of TRS / CSI-RS occasions; receiving Layer 1 signaling on a beam, the Layer 1 signaling indicating that a TRS / CSI-RS is available in at least one TRS / CSI-RS occasion among the plurality of TRS / CSI-RS occasions; determining, based on the availability indicator and the Layer 1 signaling, that one or more of the plurality of TRS / CSI-RS occasions have an available TRS / CSI-RS; receiving a TRS / CSI-RS in at least one of the determined TRS / CSI-RS occasions, wherein the availability indicator associates TRS / CSI-RS occasions with individual beams, and wherein the processing circuitry is operable to determine that one or more of the plurality of TRS / CSI-RS occasions have available TRS / CSI-RS by determining that a TRS / CSI-RS is available in one of the TRS / CSI-RS occasions associated with the beam on which the Layer 1 signaling was received; a wireless device (110) operable to:

7. A wireless device (110) comprising a processing circuit (120), the processing circuit comprising: Obtaining tracking reference signal (TRS) / channel state information reference signal (CSI-RS) resource configuration and underlying beam associations for multiple TRS / CSI-RS occasions; obtaining an availability indicator, the availability indicator indicating association of one or more of the plurality of TRS / CSI-RS occasions; receiving Layer 1 signaling on a beam, the Layer 1 signaling indicating that a TRS / CSI-RS is available in at least one TRS / CSI-RS occasion among the plurality of TRS / CSI-RS occasions; determining, based on the availability indicator and the Layer 1 signaling, that one or more of the plurality of TRS / CSI-RS occasions have an available TRS / CSI-RS; receiving a TRS / CSI-RS in at least one of the determined TRS / CSI-RS occasions, wherein the availability indicator associates TRS / CSI-RS occasions with all beams, and wherein the processing circuitry is operable to determine that one or more of the plurality of TRS / CSI-RS occasions have available TRS / CSI-RS by determining that TRS / CSI-RS is available in all TRS / CSI-RS occasions associated with underlying beams among all of the plurality of TRS / CSI-RS occasions; 2. A wireless device operable to:

8. A wireless device (110) comprising a processing circuit (120), the processing circuit comprising: Obtaining tracking reference signal (TRS) / channel state information reference signal (CSI-RS) resource configuration and underlying beam associations for multiple TRS / CSI-RS occasions; obtaining an availability indicator, the availability indicator indicating association of one or more of the plurality of TRS / CSI-RS occasions; receiving Layer 1 signaling on a beam, the Layer 1 signaling indicating that a TRS / CSI-RS is available in at least one TRS / CSI-RS occasion among the plurality of TRS / CSI-RS occasions; determining, based on the availability indicator and the Layer 1 signaling, that one or more of the plurality of TRS / CSI-RS occasions have an available TRS / CSI-RS; receiving a TRS / CSI-RS in at least one of the determined TRS / CSI-RS occasions, wherein the availability indicator associates a TRS / CSI-RS occasion with a group of beams, and wherein the processing circuitry is operable to determine that one or more of the plurality of TRS / CSI-RS occasions have an available TRS / CSI-RS by determining that TRS / CSI-RS is available in all TRS / CSI-RS occasions associated with underlying beams in the group of beams; 2. A wireless device operable to:

9. 10. The wireless device of claim 8, wherein the processing circuitry is further operable to obtain an indication associating a subset of the underlying beams of the plurality of TRS / CSI-RS occasions into a group of beams.

10. 7. The wireless device of claim 6, wherein the Layer 1 signaling indicating that TRS / CSI-RS is available includes an availability bitmap indicating TRS / CSI-RS occasions on which TRS / CSI-RS is available.

11. 1. A method implemented by a network node, the method comprising: transmitting 612, to a wireless device, a tracking reference signal (TRS) / channel state information reference signal (CSI-RS) resource configuration and underlying beam associations for multiple TRS / CSI-RS occasions; transmitting an availability indicator to the wireless device (614), the availability indicator indicating an association of one or more of the plurality of TRS / CSI-RS occasions with the underlying beam association, the availability indicator associating a TRS / CSI-RS occasion with a respective beam; A method comprising:

12. 12. The method of claim 11, further comprising: transmitting (616) Layer 1 signaling to the wireless device on a beam, the Layer 1 signaling indicating that a TRS / CSI-RS is available in at least one TRS / CSI-RS occasion of the plurality of TRS / CSI-RS occasions.

13. 13. The method of claim 12, wherein transmitting Layer 1 signaling indicating that a TRS / CSI-RS is available in at least one TRS / CSI-RS occasion among the plurality of TRS / CSI-RS occasions comprises transmitting at least one of a paging downlink control indication (DCI) and an early paging indicator (PEI).

14. A method implemented by a network node, the method comprising: transmitting 612, to a wireless device, a tracking reference signal (TRS) / channel state information reference signal (CSI-RS) resource configuration and underlying beam associations for multiple TRS / CSI-RS occasions; transmitting an availability indicator to the wireless device (614), the availability indicator indicating an association of one or more of the plurality of TRS / CSI-RS occasions with the underlying beam association, the availability indicator associating TRS / CSI-RS occasions with all beams; A method comprising:

15. A method implemented by a network node, the method comprising: transmitting 612, to a wireless device, a tracking reference signal (TRS) / channel state information reference signal (CSI-RS) resource configuration and underlying beam associations for multiple TRS / CSI-RS occasions; transmitting (614) an availability indicator to the wireless device, the availability indicator indicating an association of one or more of the plurality of TRS / CSI-RS occasions with the underlying beam association, the availability indicator associating a TRS / CSI-RS occasion with a group of beams; transmitting an indication (618) associating a subset of the beams underlying the plurality of TRS / CSI-RS occasions into a group of beams; A method comprising:

16. The method of claim 12 , wherein the Layer 1 signaling indicating that TRS / CSI-RS is available comprises an availability bitmap.

17. A network node (160) comprising a processing circuit (170), said processing circuit comprising: transmitting, to a wireless device, a tracking reference signal (TRS) / channel state information reference signal (CSI-RS) resource configuration and underlying beam associations for multiple TRS / CSI-RS occasions; transmitting an availability indicator to the wireless device, the availability indicator indicating an association of one or more of the plurality of TRS / CSI-RS occasions with the underlying beam association, the availability indicator associating TRS / CSI-RS occasions with individual beams; a network node (160) operable to:

18. 18. The network node of claim 17, wherein the processing circuitry is further operable to transmit Layer 1 signaling on a beam to the wireless device, the Layer 1 signaling indicating that a TRS / CSI-RS is available in at least one TRS / CSI-RS occasion of the plurality of TRS / CSI-RS occasions.

19. 19. The network node of claim 18, wherein the processing circuitry is operable to transmit Layer 1 signaling indicating that a TRS / CSI-RS is available in at least one TRS / CSI-RS occasion of the plurality of TRS / CSI-RS occasions by transmitting at least one of a paging downlink control indication (DCI) and an early paging indicator (PEI).

20. A network node (160) comprising a processing circuit (170), the processing circuit comprising: transmitting, to a wireless device, a tracking reference signal (TRS) / channel state information reference signal (CSI-RS) resource configuration and underlying beam associations for multiple TRS / CSI-RS occasions; transmitting an availability indicator to the wireless device, the availability indicator indicating an association of one or more of the plurality of TRS / CSI-RS occasions with the underlying beam association, the availability indicator associating TRS / CSI-RS occasions with all beams; a network node operable to:

21. A network node (160) comprising a processing circuit (170), the processing circuit comprising: transmitting, to a wireless device, a tracking reference signal (TRS) / channel state information reference signal (CSI-RS) resource configuration and underlying beam associations for multiple TRS / CSI-RS occasions; transmitting an availability indicator to the wireless device, the availability indicator indicating an association of one or more of the plurality of TRS / CSI-RS occasions with the underlying beam association, the availability indicator associating a TRS / CSI-RS occasion with a group of beams; transmitting an indication associating a subset of beams underlying the plurality of TRS / CSI-RS occasions into a group of beams; a network node operable to:

22. 19. The network node of claim 18, wherein the Layer 1 signaling indicating that TRS / CSI-RS is available comprises an availability bitmap.

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