Method and apparatus for determining transmission configuration indication status - Patents.com

Abstract

Systems, methods, apparatus, and computer program products are provided for determining a transmission configuration indication (TCI) state. One method may include a user equipment detecting one or more downlink control information (DCIs) and the user equipment determining at least one of the one or more DCIs. Confirmation information for the determined at least one of the one or more DCIs is transmitted in the same symbol, the same slot, or the same uplink channel. The method may also include the user equipment determining a first TCI state indicated in the first DCI, where the first DCI is latest in time among the determined at least one DCI of the one or more DCIs, and the user equipment applying the first TCI state.

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] Some exemplary embodiments may relate generally to communications involving mobile or wireless telecommunications systems, such as Long Term Evolution (LTE) or fifth generation (5G) radio access technologies or new radio (NR) access technologies, or other communications systems. For example, certain exemplary embodiments may relate generally to systems and / or methods for determining a transmission configuration indication (TCI) state. [Background technology]

[0002] Examples of mobile communication systems or wireless communication systems may include the Universal Mobile Telecommunications System (UMTS) Terrestrial Radio Access Network (UTRAN), Long Term Evolution (LTE) Evolved UTRAN (E-UTRAN), LTE-Advanced (LTE-A), MultiFire, LTE-A Pro, and / or fifth-generation (5G) radio access technology or New Radio (NR) access technology. 5G radio systems refer to the next generation (NG) of radio systems and network architectures. 5G systems are primarily built on 5G New Radio (NR), but 5G (or NG) networks can also be built on E-UTRA radio. NR is estimated to provide bit rates of 10 to 20 Gbps or more and support service categories such as enhanced mobile broadband (eMBB), ultra-reliable low-latency communications (URLLC), and massive machine-based communications (mMTC). NR is expected to provide extremely high bandwidth, ultra-robust low-latency connectivity, and large-scale networking to support the Internet of Things (IoT). As IoT and machine-to-machine (M2M) communications become more widespread, there will be a growing need for networks that meet the needs of low power consumption, low data rates, and long battery life. Next-generation radio access network (NG-RAN) refers to the RAN for 5G and can provide both NR and LTE (and LTE-Advanced) radio access. Note that in 5G, a node capable of providing radio access functionality to user equipment (i.e., similar to a Node B (NB) in UTRAN or an evolved NB (eNB) in LTE) may be referred to as a next-generation NB (gNB) if built with NR radios, or a next-generation eNB (NG-eNB) if built with E-UTRA radios. Summary of the Invention

[0003] One embodiment relates to a method including: a user equipment detecting one or more downlink control information (DCI); determining at least one of the downlink control information (DCI); acknowledgement information for the determined at least one of the one or more DCIs is transmitted in the same symbol, the same slot, or the same uplink channel; determining a first transmission configuration indication (TCI) state indicated in the first downlink control information (DCI); the first DCI being most recent in time among the determined at least one DCI of the one or more DCIs; and the user equipment applying the determined first transmission configuration indication (TCI) state.

[0004] One embodiment relates to an apparatus including at least one processor and at least one memory containing computer program code configured to cause the at least one processor to at least: detect one or more downlink control information (DCIs); determine at least one of the one or more downlink control information (DCIs); acknowledgement information for the determined at least one of the one or more DCIs is transmitted in the same symbol, the same slot, or the same uplink channel; determine a first transmission configuration indication (TCI) state indicated in the first downlink control information (DCI); the first DCI is most recent in time among the determined at least one DCI of the one or more DCIs; and apply the first transmission configuration indication (TCI) state.

[0005] One embodiment relates to an apparatus including: means for detecting one or more downlink control information (DCI); means for determining at least one of the downlink control information (DCI), where acknowledgement information for the determined at least one of the one or more DCIs is transmitted in the same symbol, the same slot, or the same uplink channel; means for determining a first transmission configuration indication (TCI) state indicated in the first downlink control information (DCI), where the first DCI is most recent in time among the determined at least one DCI of the one or more DCIs; and means for applying the first transmission configuration indication (TCI) state.

[0006] One embodiment relates to a computer-readable medium having stored thereon program instructions for performing a process including detecting one or more downlink control information (DCI); determining at least one of the one or more downlink control information (DCI), where acknowledgement information for the determined at least one of the one or more DCIs is transmitted in the same symbol, the same slot, or the same uplink channel; determining a first transmission configuration indication (TCI) state indicated in the first downlink control information (DCI), where the first DCI is most recent in time among the determined at least one DCI of the one or more DCIs; and applying the first transmission configuration indication (TCI) state. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0007] For a proper understanding of the exemplary embodiments, please refer to the accompanying drawings. [Figure 1] FIG. 1 illustrates an example of a Physical Downlink Shared Channel (PDSCH) time domain allocation according to one embodiment. [Figure 2] FIG. 2 illustrates an example of a time division duplex (TDD) pattern configuration according to one embodiment. [Figure 3]FIG. 3 is a diagram illustrating an example of flexible hybrid automatic repeat request (HARQ) acknowledgement (ACK) / negative acknowledgement (NACK) timing according to one embodiment. [Figure 4] FIG. 4 illustrates the ambiguity of which TCI indication a UE applies to the same application time according to one embodiment. [Figure 5] FIG. 5 illustrates an example flow diagram of a method according to one embodiment. [Figure 6A] FIG. 6A illustrates an exemplary block diagram of an apparatus according to one embodiment. [Figure 6B] FIG. 6B illustrates an exemplary block diagram of an apparatus according to one embodiment. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0008] It will be readily understood that the components of the specific exemplary embodiments as generally described and illustrated herein could be arranged and designed in a wide variety of different configurations. Thus, the following detailed description of several exemplary embodiments of systems, methods, apparatuses, and computer program products for resolving beam application time ambiguities, e.g., in a unified transmit configuration instruction (TCI) framework, is not intended to limit the scope of the particular embodiments, but is instead representative of selected exemplary embodiments.

[0009] The features, structures, or characteristics of the exemplary embodiments described throughout this specification may be combined in any suitable manner in one or more exemplary embodiments. For example, the use of the phrase "particular embodiment," "some embodiments," or other similar phrases throughout this specification indicates the fact that a particular feature, structure, or characteristic described in connection with one embodiment may be included in at least one embodiment. Thus, the appearances of "particular embodiment," "some embodiments," "other embodiments," or other similar phrases throughout this specification do not necessarily all refer to the same group of embodiments, but rather the described features, structures, or characteristics may be combined in any suitable manner in one or more exemplary embodiments.

[0010] Moreover, if desired, different functions or procedures described below can be performed in different orders and / or concurrently with one another. Moreover, if desired, one or more of the functions or procedures described can be optional or combined. As such, the following description should be considered as illustrative of the principles and teachings of particular exemplary embodiments, and not in limitation thereof.

[0011] Certain example embodiments described herein may be relevant to New Radio (NR) physical layer developments. For example, some embodiments may be configured to address ambiguities in beam switching procedures in the unified TCI framework of 3GPP Release-17.

[0012] The objectives of multi-beam enhancements may include extending support for enhanced multi-beam operation targeting Frequency Range 2 (FR2) but also applicable to Frequency Range 1 (FR1), identifying and specifying features that facilitate more efficient (less latency and overhead) downlink (DL) / uplink (UL) beam management in intra-cell and inter-cell scenarios, supporting higher UE speeds and / or more configured TCI states; For example, a common beam for DL ​​and UL data and control transmission and reception (e.g., for intra-band carrier aggregation); A unified TCI framework for DL ​​and UL beam direction, Enhancements to the signaling mechanisms for the above functions include greater use of dynamic control signaling (as opposed to radio resource control) to improve latency and efficiency. Inter-cell beam management allows a UE to transmit to or receive from one cell (i.e., the serving cell does not change when beam selection occurs). This includes Layer 1 (L1)-only measurement / reporting (i.e., no impact on L3) and beam indication related to cells with any physical cell ID. Beam indication may be based on the Release-17 unified TCI framework. The same beam measurement / reporting mechanism can be reused for inter-cell multiplexed transmitting / receiving points (mTRPs). Further objectives include identifying and specifying capabilities to facilitate UL beam selection for UEs equipped with multiple panels, taking into account mitigation of UL coverage loss due to maximum permissible exposure (MPE), based on UL beam indication using the unified TCI framework for fast UL panel selection.

[0013] In the unified TCI frame under development, a UE can configure either a joint DL / UL TCI state or separate DL and UL TCI states for DL ​​signal / channel reception and UL signal / channel transmission, respectively. A UE can activate up to N (e.g., N is 8) joint or separate DL and UL TCI states, one of which is a so-called directed TCI state. In the joint DL / UL directed TCI state, the UE can use a single TCI state to determine DL reception parameters and UL transmission parameters, such as the receive beam in the downlink and the transmit beam in the uplink. In the separate DL and UL TCI states, the UE has one directed TCI codepoint at a time to configure the TCI state for the DL and the TCI state for the UL to determine the receive beam in the downlink and the transmit beam in the uplink, respectively.

[0014] In the unified TCI framework, the following aspect is provided: A common TCI state (also known as a directed TCI) for one set of signals and channels at a time. The TCI state can be a joint DL / UL, an individual DL TCI state, or an individual UL TCI state. The RRC configures a set (or pool) of joint and / or individual TCI states. The medium access control (MAC) activates the number of joint and / or individual TCI states (e.g., 8). Before the first indication, the first activated TCI state is the currently indicated TCI state. Downlink control information (DCI) can indicate that one of the activated TCI states should become the indicated TCI state (which may be the common TCI state).

[0015] For DCI-based TCI state indication, the following aspects are provided: DCI format 1_1 / 1_2 with and without DL allocation can be used to send the TCI state indication; The indication is acknowledged by a Hybrid Automatic Repeat Request (HARQ) acknowledgement (ACK) by the UE; The application time of the beam indication is at least X ms or the first slot after Y symbols from the last symbol of the joint or individual DL / UL beam indication acknowledgement; The codepoint in the TCI field can be a joint TCI state for both DL and UL, or individual, e.g., a pair of DL TCI state and UL TCI state, DL TCI state (maintain current UL TCI state), or UL TCI state (maintain current DL TCI state).

[0016] Figure 1 illustrates an example of a physical downlink shared channel (PDSCH) time domain allocation in one embodiment. In the example of Figure 1, K0 is the offset between the DL slot in which the PDCCH (DCI) for downlink scheduling is received and the DL slot in which the PDSCH data is scheduled. K1 is the offset between the DL slot in which data is scheduled on the PDSCH and the UL slot in which ACK / NACK feedback for the scheduled PDSCH data needs to be transmitted. In the example of Figure 1, based on the value of K0 and the information provided in the DCI message received in slot 0, data is scheduled in PDSCH slot 3 with an offset of 3 slots. Based on the value of K1, ACK / NACK feedback for the data scheduled on the PDSCH in slot 3 is transmitted on the physical uplink control channel (PUCCH) in UL slot 8 with an offset of 5 slots.

[0017] When operating in time division duplex (TDD) mode, the UE needs to know when to expect transmission (UL) and when to expect reception (DL) in terms of slots. Unlike LTE, there are no pre-defined TDD slot patterns in 5G NR. Rather, in NR, patterns can be defined in a more flexible way and signaled to the UE via an NSA RRC reconfiguration message, based on the following parameters:

[0018] FIG. 2 illustrates an example of a TDD pattern configuration according to an exemplary embodiment. In TDD NR, HARQ ACK / NACK timing is fully configurable. The HARQ ACK / NACK timing can be configured for a specific PDSCH by specifying a parameter K1. As an example, assume that the slot configuration is a DDDDU with a period of 2.5 ms. Then, as shown in FIG. 2, by specifying K1, HARQ ACK / NACK for a PDSCH can be transmitted in the same UL slot. Furthermore, FIG. 3 illustrates another example of flexible HARQ ACK / NACK timing.

[0019] A problem may arise related to the application time of the beam indication (indicated TCI state) mentioned above. This problem can be illustrated by the case where HARQ-ACK information related to multiple DCIs (and scheduled PDSCHs if the DCIs are transmitted together with DL allocations) is conveyed in the same UL slot (the same UL channel, such as PUCCH or PUSCH). This means that the same application time exists for different DCIs that may transmit different indication TCI states. Therefore, as shown in the example of Figure 4, there is ambiguity as to which TCI state applies after the application time of Y symbols after PUCCH transmission. In other words, Figure 4 illustrates the ambiguity as to which TCI indication a UE applies for the same application time. In the example of Figure 4, DCI#a and DCI#b transmit TCI state#2, and DCI#c transmits TCI state#3. The PUCCH transmits HARQ-ACK information corresponding to these three DCIs (and their scheduled PDSCHs). Since the acknowledgement information for DCI#a, DCI#b, and DCI#c is transmitted in the same slot, it is unclear which TCI state (indicated by which DCI) applies.

[0020] According to an example embodiment, the UE may be configured to apply the indicated TCI state Y symbols after the last symbol of the joint or individual DL / UL beam direction acknowledgment. In one embodiment, Y symbols may represent the number of time-domain OFDM symbols, where Y is specific to the subcarrier spacing and may be equal to or greater than a value provided by the UE as a UE capability. The indicated TCI state may be the one indicated in the latest (i.e., most recent) DCI in which the UE transmits HARQ-ACK information within the same symbol, the same UL slot, or the same uplink channel. In the following description, the latest DCI is referred to as the first DCI. In one embodiment, the first DCI is the one in which the UE transmits either a HARQ-ACK or a HARQ-NACK. According to another embodiment, the first DCI is the one in which the UE transmits a HARQ-ACK.

[0021] FIG. 5 illustrates an example flow diagram of a method of beam switching according to an example embodiment. For example, the method of FIG. 5 can resolve beam application time ambiguity in a unified TCI framework. In certain example embodiments, the flow diagram of FIG. 5 can be performed by a communication device in a communication system such as LTE or 5G NR. For example, in some example embodiments, the communication device performing the method of FIG. 5 may include a UE, a sidelink (SL) UE, a wireless device, a mobile station, an IoT device, a roadside unit (RSU) UE type, other mobile or stationary device, etc.

[0022] As shown in the example of FIG. 5, at 505, the UE can detect one or more DCIs with or without DL scheduling. In one embodiment, the method may include, at 510, determining at least one of one or more DCIs and / or scheduled PDSCHs for which the UE should transmit acknowledgement information, such as a HARQ-ACK or a HARQ negative acknowledgement (NACK), in the same symbol, in the same slot, and / or in the same UL channel. For example, the UL channel may include a PUCCH and / or a PUSCH. According to one embodiment, the method may include, at 515, determining a first TCI state indicated by a first DCI, the first DCI being the most recent in time among the DCIs determined at 510. In one embodiment, the first DCI may include a DCI for which the UE transmits either a HARQ-ACK or a HARQ-NACK. In a further embodiment, the first DCI may include a DCI for which the UE transmits a HARQ ACK.

[0023] In certain embodiments, the method of FIG. 5 may further include, at 520, the UE applying the first TCI state determined at 515. According to an example embodiment, the applying step 520 may include the UE applying the first TCI state after an application time. The application time may refer to an allowed processing time in the UE and / or the gNB after the UE transmits a HARQ-ACK. After the application time, the newly indicated TCI state may be applied.

[0024] In one embodiment, applying 520 the first TCI state may include applying the first TCI state after a number of symbols (Y) or slots after the last symbol of the acknowledgement information for the first DCI. In certain embodiments, the number of symbols (Y) or slots may be equal to or greater than a number provided by the UE as a UE capability.

[0025] 4, there are three DCIs, DCI#a, DCI#b, and DCI#c, whose ACK / NACKs are transmitted in the same slot. DCI#c, which indicates TCI state#3, may be the most recent of the three DCIs. Therefore, in this example, the UE can consider that TCI state#3 applies after the last symbol (Y) or number of slots of the ACK of DCI#c.

[0026] Also, in another exemplary embodiment, as in the above example, refer to FIG. 4, which has three DCIs (i.e., DCI#a, DCI#b, and DCI#c) whose ACK / NACKs are transmitted in the same slot. If the acknowledgement information for DCI#a and DCI#b, indicating TCI state#2, is both ACK, but the acknowledgement information for DCI#c, indicating TCI state#3, is NACK, the UE only needs to consider the DCI with ACK when determining the first TCI state. Therefore, according to this exemplary embodiment, the UE can apply TCI state#2 indicated by DCI#b after the number of symbols (Y) or slots after the last symbol of the ACK for DCI#b, because DCI#b is the most recent of DCI#a and DCI#b.

[0027] In an exemplary embodiment, the network or gNB may not be permitted to have different TCIs for DCIs that have the same time instant for acknowledgment (e.g., HARQ-ACK) information in the UL. Correspondingly, in an exemplary embodiment, the UE may assume that there are no different TCIs for DCIs for which the UE transmits acknowledgment (e.g., HARQ-ACK) information at the same time (or on the same UL channel).

[0028] 4 and 5 are provided as exemplary embodiments of a method or process, however, the specific exemplary embodiments are not limited to these examples and further exemplary embodiments are possible as described elsewhere herein.

[0029] 6A illustrates an example of an apparatus 10 according to an embodiment. In one embodiment, the apparatus 10 may be a node, host, or server in a communications network or may provide a service to such a network. For example, the apparatus 10 may be a network node, satellite, base station, Node B, evolved Node B (eNB), 5G Node B or access point, next generation Node B (NG-NB or gNB), TRP, HAPS, integrated access and backhaul (IAB) node, and / or WLAN access point associated with a radio access network, such as an LTE network, 5G, or NR. In some exemplary embodiments, the apparatus 10 may be, for example, a gNB or other similar wireless node.

[0030] It should be understood that in some exemplary embodiments, apparatus 10 may comprise an edge cloud server as a distributed computing system, and the server and wireless node may be standalone devices that communicate with each other via wireless paths or via wired connections, or may be located in substantially the same entity that communicates via wired connections. For example, in a particular exemplary embodiment in which apparatus 10 represents a gNB, it may be configured with a central unit (CU) and distributed unit (DU) architecture that divides gNB functions. In such an architecture, the CU may be a logical node that includes gNB functions such as user data forwarding, mobility control, radio access network sharing, positioning, and / or session management. The CU may control the operation of DU(s) over the fronthaul interface. The DU may also be a logical node that includes a subset of gNB functions, depending on the functional division option. Note that those skilled in the art will understand that apparatus 10 may include components or functions not shown in FIG. 6A .

[0031] As in the example of FIG. 6A , device 10 may include processor 12 for processing information and executing instructions or operations. Processor 12 may be any type of general-purpose or special-purpose processor. Indeed, processor 12 may include, by way of example, one or more of a general-purpose computer, a special-purpose computer, a microprocessor, a digital signal processor (DSP), a field-programmable gate array (FPGA), an application-specific integrated circuit (ASIC), a processor based on a multi-core processor architecture, or any other processing means. While FIG. 6A illustrates a single processor 12, multiple processors may be utilized according to other embodiments. For example, it should be understood that in certain embodiments, device 10 may include two or more processors that may form a multiprocessor system capable of supporting multiprocessing (e.g., processor 12 in this case refers to a multiprocessor). In certain embodiments, the multiprocessor system may be tightly coupled (e.g., to form a computer cluster) or loosely coupled.

[0032] The processor 12 may perform functions related to the operation of the device 10, including, for example, precoding of antenna gain / phase parameters, encoding and decoding of individual bits that make up communication messages, formatting of information, and overall control of the device 10, including processing related to communication or management of communication resources.

[0033] Apparatus 10 may further include or be connected to memory 14 (internal or external) that may be connected to processor 12 for storing information and instructions that may be executed by processor 12. Memory 14 may be one or more memories and may be of any type suitable for the local application environment and may be implemented using any suitable volatile or non-volatile data storage technology, such as semiconductor-based memory devices, magnetic memory devices and systems, optical memory devices and systems, fixed memory, and / or removable memory. For example, memory 14 may comprise random access memory (RAM), read-only memory (ROM), static storage devices such as magnetic or optical disks, hard disk drives (HDDs), or any other type of non-transitory machine- or computer-readable medium, or any combination of other suitable storage means. The instructions stored in memory 14 may include program instructions or computer program code that, when executed by processor 12, enable apparatus 10 to perform the tasks described herein.

[0034] In an exemplary embodiment, device 10 may further include or be connected (internal or external) to a drive or port configured to accept and read an external computer-readable storage medium, such as an optical disk, a USB drive, a flash drive, or any other storage medium. For example, the external computer-readable storage medium may store a computer program or software for execution by processor 12 and / or device 10.

[0035] In some exemplary embodiments, device 10 may also include or be connected to one or more antennas 15 for transmitting and receiving signals and / or data to and from device 10. Device 10 may further include or be connected to a transceiver 18 configured to transmit and receive information. Transceiver 18 may include, for example, multiple wireless interfaces that may be connected to antenna(s) 15 or any other suitable transmission and reception means. The wireless interface may support multiple wireless access technologies, including one or more of Global System for Mobile Communications (GSM), Narrowband Internet of Things (NB-IoT), LTE, 5G, WLAN, Bluetooth® (BT), Bluetooth® Low Energy (BT-LE), Near Field Communication (NFC), Radio Frequency Identification (RFID), Ultra Wideband (UWB), MulteFire, etc. The wireless interface may include components such as filters, converters (e.g., digital-to-analog converters), mappers, Fast Fourier Transform (FFT) modules, etc., to generate symbols for transmission over one or more downlinks and receive symbols (e.g., over an uplink).

[0036] Thus, transceiver 18 may be configured to modulate information onto a carrier waveform for transmission by antenna 15, and to demodulate information received via antenna 15 for further processing by other elements of device 10. In other embodiments, transceiver 18 may transmit and receive signals or data directly. Additionally or alternatively, in some embodiments, device 10 may include input / output devices (I / O devices), or input / output means.

[0037] In an exemplary embodiment, memory 14 may store software modules that provide functionality when executed by processor 12. The modules may include, for example, an operating system that provides operating system functionality for device 10. The memory may also store one or more functional modules, such as applications or programs, for providing additional functionality to device 10. Components of device 10 may be implemented as hardware or any suitable combination of hardware and software.

[0038] According to some exemplary embodiments, the processor 12 and memory 14 may be included in or form part of a processing circuit / means or a control circuit / means. Further, in some embodiments, the transceiver 18 may be included in or form part of a transceiver circuit / means.

[0039] As used herein, the term "circuitry" refers to hardware-only circuit implementations (e.g., analog and / or digital circuits), combinations of hardware circuits and software, combinations of analog and / or digital hardware circuits and software / firmware, hardware circuits that cause a device (e.g., device 10) to perform various functions, and / or hardware circuits and / or processors, or portions thereof, that use software for operation but may not be present if not necessary for operation. As a further example, the term "circuitry" in this embodiment may also cover simply a hardware circuit or processor (or processors), or portions of a hardware circuit or processor, and associated software and / or firmware implementations. The term circuitry may also encompass, for example, baseband integrated circuits in a server, cellular network node or device, or other computing or network device.

[0040] As described above, in certain exemplary embodiments, apparatus 10 may be, or may be part of, a network element or RAN node, such as a base station, access point, Node B, eNB, gNB, TRP, HAPS, IAB node, relay node, WLAN access point, satellite, etc. In exemplary embodiments, apparatus 10 may be a gNB or other radio node, or may be a CU and / or DU of a gNB. According to particular embodiments, apparatus 10 may be controlled by memory 14 and processor 12 to perform functions associated with any of the embodiments described herein. For example, in exemplary embodiments, apparatus 10 may be configured to perform one or more processes depicted in any of the flowcharts or signaling diagrams described herein, such as those illustrated in FIGS. 1-5, or any other method described herein. In some embodiments, apparatus 10 may be configured to perform procedures related to beam switching, such as those described herein, that can resolve beam application time ambiguity in the unified TCI framework.

[0041] 6B illustrates an example of device 20 according to another embodiment. In one embodiment, device 20 may be a node or element in a communications network or associated with such a network, such as a UE, communications node, mobile equipment (ME), mobile station, handheld terminal, fixed device, IoT device, or other device. As described in this example, a UE may alternatively be, for example, a mobile station, mobile device, mobile unit, handheld terminal, user equipment, subscriber station, wireless terminal, tablet, smartphone, IoT device, sensor or NB-IoT device, watch or other wearable, head-mounted display (HMD), vehicle, drone, medical equipment and applications (e.g., telesurgery), industrial equipment and applications (sometimes referred to as telesurgery), industrial devices and applications (e.g., robots and / or other wireless devices operating in industrial and / or automated processing chain contexts), consumer electronics, device operating on a commercial and / or industrial wireless network, etc. As an example, device 20 may be implemented in, for example, a wireless handheld device, a wireless plug-in accessory, etc.

[0042] In some exemplary embodiments, device 20 may include one or more processors, one or more computer-readable storage media (e.g., memory, storage, etc.), one or more wireless access components (e.g., modems, transceivers, etc.), and / or a user interface. In some embodiments, device 20 may be configured to operate using one or more wireless access technologies, such as GSM, LTE, LTE-A, NR, 5G, WLAN, WiFi, NB-IoT, Bluetooth, NFC, MulteFire, and / or any other wireless access technology. Note that one skilled in the art will understand that device 20 may include components or features not shown in FIG. 6B .

[0043] As shown in the example of FIG. 6B, device 20 may include or be connected to processor 22 for processing information and executing instructions or operations. Processor 22 may be any type of general-purpose or special-purpose processor. Indeed, processor 22 may include, by way of example, one or more of a general-purpose computer, a special-purpose computer, a microprocessor, a digital signal processor (DSP), a field-programmable gate array (FPGA), an application-specific integrated circuit (ASIC), and a processor based on a multi-core processor architecture. While a single processor 22 is shown in FIG. 6B, multiple processors may be utilized according to other embodiments. For example, it should be understood that in certain embodiments, device 20 may include two or more processors that may form a multiprocessor system that may support multiprocessing (e.g., processor 22 in this example may refer to a multiprocessor). In certain embodiments, the multiprocessor system may be tightly coupled (e.g., to form a computer cluster) or loosely coupled.

[0044] Processor 22 may perform functions related to the operation of device 20, including, as some examples, precoding of antenna gain / phase parameters, encoding and decoding of individual bits that make up communication messages, formatting of information, and overall control of device 20, including processing related to management of communication resources.

[0045] Apparatus 20 may further include or be connected to memory 24 (internal or external) that may be connected to processor 22 for storing information and instructions that may be executed by processor 22. Memory 24 may be one or more memories and may be of any type suitable for the local application environment and may be implemented using any suitable volatile or non-volatile data storage technology, such as semiconductor-based memory devices, magnetic memory devices and systems, optical memory devices and systems, fixed memory, and / or removable memory. For example, memory 24 may include any combination of random access memory (RAM), read-only memory (ROM), static storage devices such as magnetic or optical disks, hard disk drives (HDDs), or any other type of non-transitory machine- or computer-readable medium. The instructions stored in memory 24 may include program instructions or computer program code that, when executed by processor 22, enable apparatus 20 to perform tasks as described herein.

[0046] In embodiments, device 20 may further include or be connected (internal or external) to a drive or port configured to accept and read an external computer-readable storage medium, such as an optical disk, a USB drive, a flash drive, or any other storage medium. For example, the external computer-readable storage medium may store a computer program or software for execution by processor 22 and / or device 20.

[0047] In some demonstrative embodiments, device 20 may include or be connected to one or more antennas 25 for receiving downlink signals and for transmitting from device 20 via the uplink. Device 20 may further include a transceiver 28 configured to transmit and receive information. Transceiver 28 may also include a wireless interface (e.g., a modem) connected to antenna 25. The wireless interface may support multiple wireless access technologies, including one or more of GSM, LTE, LTE-A, 5G, NR, WLAN, NB-IoT, Bluetooth, BT-LE, NFC, RFID, UWB, etc. The wireless interface may include other components, such as filters, converters (e.g., digital-to-analog converters, etc.), symbol demappers, signal shaping components, inverse fast Fourier transform (IFFT) modules, etc., for processing symbols, such as OFDMA symbols, carried by the downlink or uplink.

[0048] For example, transceiver 28 may be configured to modulate information onto a carrier waveform for transmission by antenna 25 and demodulate information received via antenna 25 for further processing by other elements of device 20. In other embodiments, transceiver 28 may transmit and receive signals or data directly. Additionally or alternatively, in some embodiments, device 20 may include input / output devices (I / O devices). In particular embodiments, device 20 may further include a user interface, such as a graphical user interface or a touch screen.

[0049] In one embodiment, memory 24 stores software modules that provide functionality when executed by processor 22. The modules may include, for example, an operating system that provides operating system functionality for device 20. The memory may also store one or more functional modules, such as applications or programs, for providing additional functionality to device 20. Components of device 20 may be implemented as hardware or any suitable combination of hardware and software. According to an exemplary embodiment, device 20 may be configured to communicate with device 10 via a wireless or wired communication link 70, optionally according to any radio access technology, such as NR.

[0050] According to some embodiments, the processor 22 and memory 24 may be included in or form part of processing or control circuitry. Further, in some embodiments, the transceiver 28 may be included in or form part of transmitting and receiving circuitry.

[0051] As mentioned above, according to some embodiments, apparatus 20 may be, for example, a UE, a SL UE, a relay UE, a mobile device, a mobile station, a ME, an IoT device, and / or an NB-IoT device. According to particular embodiments, apparatus 20 may be controlled by memory 24 and processor 22 to perform functionality associated with any of the embodiments described herein, such as one or more of the operations illustrated in or described with respect to FIGS. 1-2, or any other method described herein. For example, in one embodiment, apparatus 20 may be controlled to perform processing related to beam switching, which may, for example, resolve ambiguity in beam application times in a unified TCI framework, as described in detail elsewhere herein.

[0052] According to one embodiment, the apparatus 20 may be controlled by the memory 24 and the processor 22 to detect one or more DCIs and determine at least one DCI for which acknowledgement information, such as a HARQ-ACK or a HARQ-NACK, for the determined at least one DCI is transmitted in the same symbol, the same slot, or the same UL channel (e.g., PUCCH and / or PUSCH) as the one or more DCIs. In one embodiment, the apparatus 20 may be further controlled by the memory 24 and the processor 22 to determine a first TCI state indicated in a first DCI that is most recent in time among the determined at least one DCI from the one or more DCIs. In one embodiment, the apparatus 20 may be controlled by the memory 24 and the processor 22 to apply the first TCI state. According to one embodiment, the apparatus 20 may be controlled to apply the first TCI state after an application time. In an exemplary embodiment, the acknowledgement information for the first DCI may be a DCI for which the apparatus 20 transmits either a HARQ-ACK or a HARQ-NACK. In a further exemplary embodiment, the acknowledgement information for the first DCI may be a DCI for which device 20 sends a HARQ ACK.

[0053] In some exemplary embodiments, an apparatus (e.g., apparatus 10 and / or apparatus 20) may include means for performing any of the methods, processes, or variations described herein. Examples of means may include one or more processors, memories, controllers, transmitters, receivers, sensors, circuits, and / or computer program code for performing any of the operations described herein.

[0054] In view of the foregoing, certain exemplary embodiments provide several technical improvements, enhancements, and / or preferably advantages over existing technical processes, constituting improvements at least in the field of radio network control and / or management. For example, as described in detail above, certain exemplary embodiments may be configured to provide methods, apparatuses, and / or systems that enable beam switching. In particular, some embodiments thus provide methods for resolving beam application time ambiguity in a unified TCI framework. Use of certain exemplary embodiments thus results in improved functionality of communication networks and their nodes, such as base stations, eNBs, gNBs, and / or IoT devices, UEs, or mobile stations.

[0055] In some exemplary embodiments, the functions of any of the methods, processes, signal diagrams, algorithms or flowcharts described herein may be implemented by software and / or computer program code or portions of code stored in a memory or other computer-readable or tangible medium and executed by a processor.

[0056] In some exemplary embodiments, a device includes or is associated with at least one software application, module, unit, or entity configured as an arithmetic operation or as a program or part of a program (including additional or updated software routines) that can be executed by at least one computing processor or controller. A program, also referred to as a program product or computer program, includes software routines, applets, and macros, can be stored on any device-readable data storage medium, and can include program instructions for performing specific tasks. A computer program product can include one or more computer-executable components configured to perform exemplary embodiments when the program is executed. The one or more computer-executable components can be at least one software code or part of the code. Modifications and configurations necessary to implement the functionality of exemplary embodiments can be implemented as a routine(s) or as additional or updated software routine(s). In one example, software routines can be downloaded to a device.

[0057] As an example, the software or computer program code or portions of code may be in source code form, object code form, or any intermediate form, and may be stored on any carrier, distribution medium, or computer-readable medium, which may be any entity or device capable of carrying a program. Such a carrier may be, for example, a recording medium, a computer memory, a read-only memory, an optical, electrical, and / or electrical carrier signal, a telecommunications signal, and / or a software distribution package. Depending on the processing power required, the computer program may be executed in a single electronic digital computer or distributed across several computers. The computer-readable medium or computer-readable storage medium may be a non-transitory medium.

[0058] In other exemplary embodiments, the functionality of the exemplary embodiments may be performed by hardware or circuitry included in the device, for example through the use of an application specific integrated circuit (ASIC), a programmable gate array (PGA), a field programmable gate array (FPGA), or any other combination of hardware and software. In yet another exemplary embodiment, the functionality of the exemplary embodiments may be implemented as a signal by intangible means, such as may be conveyed by an electromagnetic signal downloaded from the Internet or other network.

[0059] According to exemplary embodiments, an apparatus such as a node, device, or corresponding component may be configured as a circuit, computer, or microprocessor, e.g., a single-chip computer element, or a chipset, and may include at least a memory for providing storage capacity used for arithmetic operations and / or an arithmetic processor for performing arithmetic operations.

[0060] The exemplary embodiments in this example may apply to both singular and plural embodiments, regardless of whether singular or plural language is used in connection with describing a particular embodiment. For example, an embodiment describing the operation of a single network node may also apply to an exemplary embodiment including multiple instances of the network node, and vice versa.

[0061] Those skilled in the art will readily appreciate that the exemplary embodiments, such as those described above, may be implemented using a different sequence of steps and / or hardware elements in different configurations than those disclosed. Thus, while several embodiments have been described based on these exemplary embodiments, it will be apparent to those skilled in the art that certain modifications, variations, and alternative configurations will be apparent while remaining within the spirit and scope of the exemplary embodiments.

[0062] Partial Glossary ACK Acknowledgment CSI-RS Channel State Information Reference Signal DCI Downlink Control Information HARQ Hybrid Automatic Repeat Request L1-RSRP Layer 1 Reference Signal Received Power NACK Negative Acknowledgment PDCCH Physical Downlink Control Channel PDSCH Physical Downlink Shared Channel PUCCH Physical Uplink Control Channel PUSCH Physical Uplink Shared Channel QCL quasi-simultaneous deployment SCS Subcarrier Spacing SSB sync signal block TCI transmission setting instructions UE User Equipment

Claims

1. a user equipment detecting one or more downlink control information (DCI); the user equipment determines at least one of the one or more downlink control information (DCIs), and acknowledgement information for the determined at least one of the one or more downlink control information (DCIs) is transmitted in the same symbol, the same slot, or the same uplink channel; the user equipment determines a first transmission configuration indication (TCI) state indicated in a first downlink control information (DCI), the first downlink control information (DCI) being the most recent in time among the determined at least one of the one or more downlink control information (DCI); the user equipment applies the first transmission configuration indication (TCI) state; The method includes:

2. The acknowledgement information is a Hybrid Automatic Repeat Request (HARQ) acknowledgement.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the received signal includes a positive acknowledgement (ACK) or a hybrid automatic repeat request (HARQ) negative acknowledgement (NACK).

3. The acknowledgement information for the first downlink control information (DCI) is a hybrid automatic repeat request (HARQ) acknowledgement.

3. The method of claim 1 or 2, wherein the method includes either a Hybrid Automatic Repeat Request (HARQ) Negative Acknowledgement (ACK) or a Hybrid Automatic Repeat Request (HARQ) Negative Acknowledgement (NACK).

4. The method of claim 1 or 2, wherein the acknowledgement information for the first downlink control information (DCI) comprises a hybrid automatic repeat request (HARQ) acknowledgement (ACK).

5. 2. The method of claim 1, wherein applying the first transmission configuration indication (TCI) state includes applying the first transmission configuration indication (TCI) state after a number of symbols or slots after a last symbol of acknowledgement information for the first downlink control information (DCI).

6. at least one processor; at least one memory containing computer program code; An apparatus comprising: The at least one memory and computer program code are configured to cause the device, by the at least one processor, to at least: Detecting one or more downlink control information (DCI); determining at least one of the one or more Downlink Control Information (DCI), wherein acknowledgement information for the determined at least one of the one or more Downlink Control Information (DCI) is transmitted in the same symbol, the same slot, or the same uplink channel; determining a first transmission configuration indication (TCI) state indicated in a first downlink control information (DCI), the first downlink control information (DCI) being most recent in time among the determined at least one of the one or more downlink control information (DCI); applying the first transmission configuration indication (TCI) state; An apparatus configured to cause the

7. The acknowledgement information is a Hybrid Automatic Repeat Request (HARQ) acknowledgement.

7. The apparatus of claim 6, wherein the received signal includes a positive acknowledgement (ACK) or a hybrid automatic repeat request (HARQ) negative acknowledgement (NACK).

8. The acknowledgement information for the first downlink control information (DCI) is a hybrid automatic repeat request (HARQ) acknowledgement.

8. The apparatus of claim 6 or 7, wherein the received signal includes either a positive acknowledgement (ACK) or a negative acknowledgement (NACK) of a Hybrid Automatic Repeat Request (HARQ).

9. The apparatus of claim 6 or 7, wherein the acknowledgement information for the first downlink control information (DCI) comprises a hybrid automatic repeat request (HARQ) acknowledgement (ACK).

10. 7. The apparatus of claim 6, wherein applying the first transmission configuration indication (TCI) state comprises applying the indicated transmission configuration indication (TCI) state after a number of symbols or slots after a last symbol of acknowledgement information for the first downlink control information (DCI).

11. means for detecting one or more Downlink Control Information (DCI); means for determining at least one of the one or more Downlink Control Information (DCI), wherein acknowledgement information for the determined at least one of the one or more Downlink Control Information (DCI) is transmitted in the same symbol, the same slot, or the same uplink channel; means for determining a first transmission configuration indication (TCI) state indicated in a first downlink control information (DCI), the first downlink control information (DCI) being latest in time among the determined at least one of the one or more downlink control information (DCI); means for applying the first transmission configuration indication (TCI) state; An apparatus comprising:

12. The acknowledgement information is a Hybrid Automatic Repeat Request (HARQ) acknowledgement.

12. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein the received signal comprises a positive acknowledgement (ACK) or a hybrid automatic repeat request (HARQ) negative acknowledgement (NACK).

13. The acknowledgement information for the first downlink control information (DCI) is a hybrid automatic repeat request (HARQ) acknowledgement.

13. The apparatus of claim 11 or 12, wherein the received signal includes either a positive acknowledgement (ACK) or a negative acknowledgement (NACK) of a hybrid automatic repeat request (HARQ).

14. 13. The apparatus of claim 11 or 12, wherein the acknowledgement information for the first downlink control information (DCI) comprises a hybrid automatic repeat request (HARQ) acknowledgement (ACK).

15. 12. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein the means for applying the first transmission configuration indication (TCI) state comprises means for applying the indicated transmission configuration indication (TCI) state after a number of symbols or slots after a last symbol of acknowledgment information for the first downlink control information (DCI).

16. Detecting one or more downlink control information (DCI); determining at least one of the one or more Downlink Control Information (DCI), wherein acknowledgement information for the determined at least one of the one or more Downlink Control Information (DCI) is transmitted in the same symbol, the same slot, or the same uplink channel; determining a first transmission configuration indication (TCI) state indicated in a first downlink control information (DCI), the first downlink control information (DCI) being most recent in time among the determined at least one of the one or more downlink control information (DCI); applying the first transmission configuration indication (TCI) state; A computer-readable medium having stored thereon program instructions for performing at least the steps of:

17. The acknowledgement information is a Hybrid Automatic Repeat Request (HARQ) acknowledgement.

17. The computer-readable medium of claim 16, wherein the received signal comprises a positive acknowledgement (ACK) or a hybrid automatic repeat request (HARQ) negative acknowledgement (NACK).

18. The acknowledgement information for the first downlink control information (DCI) is a hybrid automatic repeat request (HARQ) acknowledgement.

18. The computer-readable medium of claim 16 or 17, wherein the received signal comprises either a positive acknowledgement (ACK) or a hybrid automatic repeat request (HARQ) negative acknowledgement (NACK).

19. The acknowledgement information for the first downlink control information (DCI) is a hybrid automatic repeat request (HARQ) acknowledgement.

18. The computer-readable medium of claim 16 or 17, comprising a response (ACK).

20. 17. The computer-readable medium of claim 16, wherein applying the first transmission configuration indication (TCI) state comprises applying the first transmission configuration indication (TCI) state after a number of symbols or slots after a last symbol of acknowledgment information for the first downlink control information (DCI).

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