Uplink spatial relationship indication and power control

Abstract

To provide an apparatus, a system, and a method for a user equipment (UE) device for performing the power control of an uplink (UL) reference signal (RS).SOLUTION: In a wireless communication system, a user equipment (UE) device receives, from a cellular base station, a configuration update that provides a reduced runtime associated with a downlink reference signal (DL RS) for measuring path loss, receives an updated downlink reference signal from the cellular base station, determines updated path loss based on the updated downlink reference signal within the reduced runtime, and transmits an uplink reference signal (UL RS) using the updated path loss for power control.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 8

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] This patent application relates to wireless devices, and more particularly to apparatus, systems, and methods for managing uplink spatial relationships and power control. [Background technology]

[0002] The use of wireless communication systems is growing rapidly. Wireless devices, particularly wireless user equipment devices (UEs), are becoming more prevalent. Furthermore, there are many applications (or apps) hosted on the UEs that perform or rely on wireless communication, such as applications providing messaging, email, browsing, video streaming, short video, audio streaming, real-time gaming, or a variety of other online services.

[0003] In some cases, path loss parameters such as the spatial relationship between uplink and downlink reference signals, filtering behavior, and / or cumulative closed-loop power control may be unclear. Thus, improvements in this area are desirable. Summary of the Invention

[0004] Techniques, apparatus, systems, and methods are disclosed for a user equipment device (UE) to select a beam for an uplink reference signal and / or perform path loss measurements.

[0005] In some embodiments, the UE may establish a connection with the base station, determine that the spatial relationship of the uplink reference signals is not provided by higher layer signaling, and determine that the downlink reference signals for path loss measurements are not configured by higher layer signaling. Thus, the UE may select a beam for the uplink reference signals using quasi-co-location with a default beam for the downlink shared channel, a beam for the downlink reference signals, and / or a scheduling downlink control channel.

[0006] In some embodiments, the UE may establish a connection with the base station and may determine that a reduced latency for path loss measurements is effective. The UE may select one or more path loss parameters responsive to the reduced latency and measure the path loss based on the parameters.

[0007] In some embodiments, the UE may establish a connection with the base station and may receive a downlink reference signal update, in response to which the UE may reset its path loss measurements.

[0008] This Summary is intended to provide a brief overview of some of the subject matter described herein. Accordingly, it will be understood that the above features are merely examples and should not be construed as narrowing the scope or spirit of the subject matter described herein in any way. Other features, aspects, and advantages of the subject matter described herein will become apparent from the following Detailed Description, Figures, and Claims.

[0009] A better understanding of the disclosed embodiments can be obtained from the following detailed description when considered in conjunction with the following drawings. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0010] [Figure 1] 1 illustrates an exemplary wireless communication system according to some embodiments. [Figure 2]1 illustrates a base station (BS) in communication with a user equipment (UE) device, according to some embodiments. [Figure 3] 1 illustrates an example block diagram of a UE according to some embodiments. [Figure 4] 1 illustrates an example block diagram of a BS according to some embodiments. [Figure 5] 1 illustrates an exemplary block diagram of a cellular communication circuit according to some embodiments. [Figure 6] 1 illustrates an example of a 5G NR base station, according to some embodiments. [Figure 7] 1 illustrates an example of a 5G NR base station, according to some embodiments. [Figure 8] FIG. 1 is a flowchart illustrating an exemplary method for beam selection according to some embodiments. [Figure 9] FIG. 1 is a timing diagram illustrating aspects of beam selection, according to some embodiments. [Figure 10] FIG. 1 is a flow chart diagram illustrating an example method for determining a path loss parameter with reduced latency, according to some embodiments. [Figure 11] FIG. 10 is a timing diagram illustrating aspects of path loss measurement with reduced latency, according to some embodiments. [Figure 12] FIG. 1 is a flow chart diagram illustrating an example method for path loss measurement using an updated downlink reference signal, according to some embodiments; [Figure 13] 1 illustrates potential standard variations according to some embodiments. [Figure 14] 1 illustrates potential standard variations according to some embodiments.

[0011] While the invention is susceptible to various modifications and alternative forms, specific embodiments thereof are shown by way of example in the drawings and will herein be described in detail. It should be understood, however, that the drawings and detailed description thereto are not intended to limit the invention to the particular forms disclosed, but on the contrary, the intention is to cover all modifications, equivalents, and alternatives falling within the spirit and scope of the invention as defined by the appended claims. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0012] Abbreviation

[0013] The following abbreviations are used in this patent application:

[0014] UE: User Equipment

[0015] BS: Base station

[0016] ENB:eNodeB (base station)

[0017] LTE: Long Term Evolution

[0018] UMTS: Universal Mobile Telecommunications System

[0019] RAT: Radio Access Technology

[0020] RAN: Radio Access Network

[0021] E-UTRAN: Evolved UMTS terrestrial RAN

[0022] CN: Core Network

[0023] EPC: Evolved Packet Core

[0024] MME: Mobility Management Entity

[0025] HSS: Home Subscriber Server

[0026] SGW: Serving Gateway

[0027] PS: Packet Switching

[0028] CS: Circuit Switched

[0029] EPS: Evolved Packet Switching System

[0030] RRC: Radio Resource Control

[0031] IE: Information Element

[0032] UL: Uplink

[0033] DL: Downlink

[0034] RS:Reference signal term

[0035] Below is a glossary of terms used in this disclosure.

[0036] Storage medium—Any of various types of non-transitory memory or storage device. The term “storage medium” is intended to include, for example, installation media such as CD-ROMs, floppy disks, or tape drives; computer system memory or random access memory such as DRAM, DDR RAM, SRAM, EDO RAM, Rambus RAM; non-volatile memory such as flash, magnetic media such as hard drives, or optical storage; registers, or other similar types of memory elements. A storage medium may include other types of non-transitory memory, or combinations thereof. Additionally, a storage medium may be located in a first computer system on which a program is executed, or in a second, different computer system connected to the first computer system via a network such as the Internet. In the latter instance, the second computer system can provide program instructions to the first computer system for execution. The term “storage medium” may include two or more storage media that can reside in different locations, for example, in different computer systems connected via a network. A storage medium may store program instructions (e.g., embodied as a computer program) that can be executed by one or more processors.

[0037] Carrier Medium - storage media as described above, as well as physical transmission media such as buses, networks, and / or other physical transmission media that carry signals, such as electrical, electromagnetic, or digital signals.

[0038] Programmable Hardware Element—includes a variety of hardware devices with multiple programmable function blocks connected via programmable interconnects. Examples include Field Programmable Gate Arrays (FPGAs), Programmable Logic Devices (PLDs), Field Programmable Object Arrays (FPOAs), and Complex PLDs (CPLDs). Programmable function blocks can range in granularity from fine-grained (combinational logic or lookup tables) to coarse-grained (arithmetic logic units or processor cores). Programmable hardware elements are also sometimes referred to as "reconfigurable logic."

[0039] Computer System—Any of various types of computing or processing systems, including a personal computer system (PC), mainframe computer system, workstation, network appliance, Internet appliance, personal digital assistant (PDA), television system, grid computing system, or other device or combination of devices. In general, the term “computer system” can be broadly defined to encompass any device (or combination of devices) having at least one processor that executes instructions from a storage medium.

[0040] User Equipment (UE) (or "UE device") - Any of various types of computer system devices that are mobile or handheld and that perform wireless communications. Examples of UE devices include mobile phones or smartphones (e.g., iPhone™, Android™-based phones), portable gaming devices (e.g., Nintendo DS™, PlayStation Portable™, Gameboy Advance™, iPhone™), laptops, wearable devices (e.g., smart watches, smart glasses), PDAs, portable Internet devices, music players, data storage devices, or other handheld devices. In general, the terms "UE" or "UE device" may be broadly defined to encompass any electronic, computing, and / or telecommunications device (or combination of devices) that is easily carried by a user and capable of wireless communications.

[0041] Wireless Device—Any of various types of computer system devices that perform wireless communications. A wireless device can be portable (or mobile) or may be stationary or fixed to a location. A UE is an example of a wireless device.

[0042] Communications Device—Any of various types of computer systems or devices that perform communications. The communications can be wired or wireless. A communications device can be portable (or mobile) or may be stationary or fixed to a location. A wireless device is one example of a communications device. A UE is another example of a communications device.

[0043] Base Station - The term "base station" has the full scope of its ordinary meaning and includes at least a wireless communication station that is installed at a fixed location and used for communication as part of a radiotelephone or wireless system.

[0044] Processing Element—refers to various elements or combinations of elements capable of performing functions within a device such as a user equipment or cellular network device. A processing element may include, for example, a processor and associated memory, portions or circuitry of an individual processor core, an entire processor core, a processor array, circuitry such as an Application Specific Integrated Circuit (ASIC), a programmable hardware element such as a Field Programmable Gate Array (FPGA), and various combinations of the above.

[0045] Channel—A medium used to convey information from a sender (transmitter) to a receiver. Note that because the characteristics of a “channel” may vary according to different wireless protocols, as used herein, the term “channel” is considered to be used to match the standard of the type of device to which the term is used in reference. In some standards, channel widths can be variable (e.g., depending on device capabilities, band conditions, etc.). For example, LTE may support scalable channel bandwidths from 1.4 MHz to 20 MHz. In contrast, WLAN channels may have a 22 MHz width, and Bluetooth channels may have a 1 MHz width. Other protocols and standards may include different channel definitions. Furthermore, some standards may define and use multiple types of channels, e.g., different channels for uplink or downlink, and / or different channels for different uses, such as data, control information, etc.

[0046] Band - The term "band" has the full scope of the ordinary meaning of band and includes at least that portion of the spectrum (eg, the radio frequency spectrum) where channels are used for the same purpose or excluded.

[0047] Automatically—refers to an action or operation performed by a computer system (e.g., software executed by a computer system) or device (e.g., a circuit, programmable hardware element, ASIC, etc.) without user input directly specifying or executing the action or operation. Thus, the term “automatically” contrasts with an operation that is manually performed or specified by a user, in which the user provides input to directly perform the operation. An automatic procedure may be initiated by input provided by a user, but subsequent actions performed “automatically” are not specified by the user, i.e., the user does not specify each action to be performed “manually.” For example, a user filling out an electronic form by selecting each field and providing input specifying information (e.g., by typing the information, selecting a checkbox, selecting a radio button, etc.) is manually filling out the form, even though the computer system must update the form in response to the user actions. A form may also be filled out automatically by a computer system, in which the computer system (e.g., software executing on the computer system) analyzes the form fields and fills out the form without user input specifying the answers to the fields. As noted above, a user can invoke automatic form filling but is not involved in the actual filling of the form (e.g., the user is not manually specifying answers in fields, but rather the answers are completed automatically). This specification provides various examples of actions that are automatically performed in response to actions taken by a user.

[0048] Approximately—refers to a nearly correct or exact value. For example, approximately can refer to a value that is within 1-10 percent of a precise (or desired) value. Note, however, that the actual threshold (or tolerance) may depend on the application. For example, in some embodiments, "approximately" may mean within 0.1% of some specified or desired value, while in various other embodiments, the threshold may be, for example, 2%, 3%, 5%, etc., as desired or required by the particular application.

[0049] Concurrent—refers to parallel execution or performance in which tasks, processes, or programs execute in an at least partially overlapping manner. For example, concurrent may be implemented using “strong” or strict parallelism, in which tasks are executed (at least partially) in parallel on respective computing elements, or using “weak parallelism,” in which tasks are executed in an interleaved manner, e.g., by time-division multiplexing of execution threads.

[0050] Configured to—Various components may be described as being “configured to” perform one or more tasks. In this context, “configured to” is a broad description that generally means “having a structure” to perform a task or tasks during operation. Thus, a component may be configured to perform a task even when the component is not currently performing the task (e.g., a set of electrical conductors may be configured to electrically connect a module to another module even when the two modules are not connected). In some contexts, “configured to” may be a broad description of a structure that generally means “having circuitry” to perform a task or tasks during operation. Thus, a component may be configured to perform a task even when the component is not currently on. Generally, the circuitry forming the structure corresponding to “configured to” may include hardware circuitry.

[0051] Various components may be described as performing a task or tasks for convenience in description. Such descriptions should be construed as including the phrase "configured to." It is expressly intended that the description of a component as being configured to perform one or more tasks does not invoke 35 U.S.C. 112(f) interpretation with respect to that component. Figures 1 and 2 - Communication System

[0052] Figure 1 illustrates a simplified exemplary wireless communication system according to some embodiments. It should be noted that the system of Figure 1 is merely one example of a possible system, and that features of the present disclosure may be implemented in any of a variety of systems as desired.

[0053] As shown, the exemplary wireless communication system includes a base station 102 that communicates with one or more user devices 106A, 106B-106N, etc., via a transmission medium. Each of the user devices may be referred to herein as "user equipment" (UE). Thus, the user devices 106 are referred to as UEs or UE devices.

[0054] Base station (BS) 102 may be a base transceiver station (BTS) or cell site ("cellular base station") and may include hardware that enables wireless communication with UEs 106A-106N.

[0055] The communication area (or coverage area) of a base station may be referred to as a "cell." The base station 102 and the UE 106 may be configured to communicate over a transmission medium using any of a variety of radio access technologies (RATs), also referred to as wireless communication technologies or telecommunications standards, such as GSM, UMTS (e.g., associated with a WCDMA or TD-SCDMA air interface), LTE, LTE-Advanced (LTE-A), 5G New Radio (5G NR), HSPA, 3GPP2 CDMA2000 (e.g., 1xRTT, 1xEV-DO, HRPD, eHRPD), etc. Note that if the base station 102 is implemented in the context of LTE, it may instead be referred to as an "eNodeB" or "eNB." Note that if the base station 102 is implemented in the context of 5G NR, it may instead be referred to as a "gNodeB" or "gNB."

[0056] As shown, the base station 102 may also be capable of communicating with a network 100 (e.g., a cellular service provider's core network, a telecommunications network such as the public switched telephone network (PSTN), and / or the Internet, among other possibilities). Thus, the base station 102 may facilitate communications between user devices and / or between the user devices and the network 100. In particular, the cellular base station 102 may provide various telecommunications capabilities to the UE 106, such as voice, SMS, and / or data services.

[0057] Base station 102 and other similar base stations operating according to the same or different cellular communication standards may thus be provided as a network of cells that can provide continuous or near-continuous overlapping service to UEs 106A-106N and similar devices across a geographic area via one or more cellular communication standards.

[0058] 1, while the base station 102 may function as a "serving cell" for the UEs 106A-106N, each UE 106 may also receive signals from (and possibly be within communication range of) one or more other cells (which may be provided by other base stations 102B-102N), which may be referred to as "neighbor cells." Such cells may also facilitate communication between user devices and / or between user devices and the network 100. Such cells may include "macro" cells, "micro" cells, "pico" cells, and / or cells providing any of various other granularities of coverage area size. Other configurations are possible.

[0059] In some embodiments, the base station 102 may be a next-generation base station, e.g., a 5G New Radio (5G NR) base station, or "gNB." In some embodiments, a gNB may be connected to a legacy Evolved Packet Core (EPC) network and / or an NR Core (NRC) network. In addition, a gNB cell may include one or more Transition and Reception Points (TRPs). In addition, a UE capable of operating according to 5G NR may be connected to one or more TRPs in one or more gNBs.

[0060] It should be noted that the UE 106 may be capable of communicating using multiple wireless communication standards. For example, the UE 106 may be configured to communicate using at least one cellular communication protocol (e.g., GSM, UMTS (e.g., associated with a WCDMA or TD-SCDMA air interface), LTE, LTE-A, 5G NR, HSPA, 3GPP2 CDMA2000 (e.g., 1xRTT, 1xEV-DO, HRPD, eHRPD), etc.), if desired, as well as a wireless network protocol (e.g., Wi-Fi) and / or a peer-to-peer wireless communication protocol (e.g., Bluetooth, Wi-Fi peer-to-peer, etc.). The UE 106 may also or alternatively be configured to communicate using one or more global navigation satellite systems (GNSS, e.g., GPS or GLONASS), one or more mobile television broadcast standards (e.g., ATSC-M / H), and / or any other wireless communication protocol, if desired. Other combinations of wireless communication standards (including three or more wireless communication standards) are possible.

[0061] 2 illustrates a user equipment 106 (e.g., one of devices 106A-106N) communicating with a base station 102, according to some embodiments. The UE 106 may be a device with cellular communication capabilities, such as a mobile phone, a handheld device, a computer or tablet, or virtually any type of wireless device.

[0062] The UE 106 may include a processor configured to execute program instructions stored in memory. The UE 106 may perform any of the method embodiments described herein by executing such stored instructions. Alternatively, or in addition, the UE 106 may include a programmable hardware element, such as an FPGA (field programmable gate array), configured to perform any of the method embodiments described herein, or any portion of any of the method embodiments described herein.

[0063] The UE 106 may include one or more antennas for communicating using one or more wireless communication protocols or technologies. In some embodiments, the UE 106 may be configured to communicate, for example, using CDMA2000 (1xRTT / 1xEV-DO / HRPD / eHRPD) or LTE using a single shared radio, and / or using GSM or LTE using a single shared radio. The shared radio may be coupled to a single antenna or to multiple antennas (e.g., in the case of multiple-input multiple-power, or "MIMO") to perform wireless communication. In general, a radio may include any combination of a baseband processor, analog RF signal processing circuitry (e.g., including filters, mixers, oscillators, amplifiers, etc.), or digital processing circuitry (e.g., for digital modulation and other digital processing). Similarly, a radio may implement one or more receive and transmit chains using the above hardware. For example, the UE 106 may share one or more portions of the receive and / or transmit chains between multiple wireless communication technologies, such as those described above.

[0064] In some embodiments, the UE 106 may include any number of antennas and may be configured to transmit and / or receive directional wireless signals (e.g., beams) using the antennas. Similarly, the BS 102 may include any number of antennas and may be configured to transmit and / or receive directional wireless signals (e.g., beams) using the antennas. To receive and / or transmit such directional signals, the antennas of the UE 106 and / or the BS 102 may be configured to apply different "weights" to different antennas. The process of applying these different weights may be referred to as "precoding."

[0065] In some embodiments, the UE 106 may include a separate transmit and / or receive chain (e.g., including separate antennas and other radio mechanism components) for each wireless communication protocol the UE 106 is configured to communicate using. As a further possibility, the UE 106 may include one or more radios shared among multiple wireless communication protocols and one or more radios used exclusively by a single wireless communication protocol. For example, the UE 106 may include a shared radio for communicating using either LTE or 5G NR (or LTE or 1xRTT or LTE or GSM) and separate radios for communicating using each of Wi-Fi and Bluetooth. Other configurations are possible. Figure 3 - UE block diagram

[0066] FIG. 3 illustrates an exemplary simplified block diagram of a communication device 106, according to some embodiments. Note that the communication device block diagram of FIG. 3 is merely one example of a possible communication device. According to embodiments, the communication device 106 may be a User Equipment (UE) device, a mobile device or station, a wireless device or station, a desktop computer or computing device, a mobile computing device (e.g., a laptop computer, a notebook computer, or a portable computing device), a tablet, and / or a combination of devices, among other devices. As shown in the figure, the communication device 106 may include a set of components 300 configured to perform core functions. For example, the set of components may be implemented as a System On Chip (SOC), where the SOC may include portions for various purposes. Alternatively, the set of components 300 may be implemented as separate components or groups of components for various purposes. The set of components 300 may be coupled (e.g., communicatively coupled, directly or indirectly) to various other circuits of the communication device 106.

[0067] For example, communication device 106 may include various types of memory (including, e.g., NAND flash 310), input / output interfaces such as connector I / F 320 (e.g., for connecting to a computer system, a dock, a charging station, input devices such as a microphone, a camera, a keyboard, output devices such as speakers, etc.), a display 360 that may be integrated with communication device 106 or may be external, and cellular communication circuitry 330 such as 5G NR, LTE, GSM, and short- to medium-range wireless communication circuitry 329 (e.g., Bluetooth™ and WLAN circuitry). In some embodiments, communication device 106 may include wired communication circuitry (not shown), such as a network interface card for Ethernet.

[0068] Cellular communication circuitry 330 may be communicatively coupled (e.g., directly or indirectly) to one or more antennas, such as antennas 335 and 336, as shown. Short- to medium-range wireless communication circuitry 329 may also be communicatively coupled (e.g., directly or indirectly) to one or more antennas, such as antennas 337 and 338, as shown. Alternatively, short- to medium-range wireless communication circuitry 329 may be communicatively coupled (e.g., directly or indirectly) to antennas 335 and 336 in addition to or instead of being communicatively coupled (e.g., directly or indirectly) to antennas 337 and 338. Short- to medium-range wireless communication circuitry 329 and / or cellular communication circuitry 330 may include multiple receive chains and / or multiple transmit chains for receiving and / or transmitting multiple spatial streams, for example, in a Multiple-Input Multiple Output (MIMO) configuration.

[0069] In some embodiments, as described further below, the cellular communication circuitry 330 may include dedicated receive chains (e.g., a first receive chain for LTE and a second receive chain for 5G NR) for multiple RATs (including and / or communicatively coupled, e.g., directly or indirectly, to dedicated processors and / or radios). Additionally, in some embodiments, the cellular communication circuitry 330 may include a single transmit chain that can be switched between radios dedicated to particular RATs. For example, a first radio may be dedicated to a first RAT, e.g., LTE, and may communicate with a dedicated receive chain and a transmit chain shared with an additional radio, e.g., a second radio that may be dedicated to a second RAT, e.g., 5G NR, and may communicate with the dedicated receive chain and the shared transmit chain.

[0070] Communication device 106 may also include and / or be configured for use with one or more user interface elements, which may include any of a variety of elements, such as a display 360 (which may be a touchscreen display), a keyboard (which may be a separate keyboard or may be implemented as part of the touchscreen display), a mouse, a microphone and / or speaker, one or more cameras, one or more buttons, and / or any of a variety of other elements capable of providing information to a user and / or receiving or interpreting user input.

[0071] The communication device 106 may further include one or more smart cards 345, which include Subscriber Identity Module (SIM) functionality, such as one or more Universal Integrated Circuit Cards (UICCs) 345.

[0072] As shown, SOC 300 may include processor(s) 302 capable of executing program instructions for communication device 106 and display circuitry 304 capable of performing graphics processing and providing display signals to display 360. Processor(s) 302 may be coupled to a memory management unit (MMU) 340, which may be configured to receive addresses from processor(s) 302 and translate these addresses to locations in memory (e.g., memory 306, read only memory (ROM) 350, NAND flash memory 310) and / or to other circuits or devices, such as display circuitry 304, near field communication circuitry 229, cellular communication circuitry 330, connector I / F 320, and / or display 360. MMU 340 may be configured to perform memory protection and page table translation or setup. In some embodiments, the MMU 340 may be included as part of the processor(s) 302 .

[0073] As described above, the communication device 106 may be configured to communicate using wireless and / or wired communication circuitry. The communication device 106 may be configured to transmit a request to attach to a first network node according to a first RAT and to transmit an indication that the wireless device has the capability to maintain a substantially simultaneous connection with the first network node and a second network node operating according to a second RAT. The wireless device may also be configured to transmit a request to attach to a second network node. The request may include an indication that the wireless device is capable of maintaining a substantially simultaneous connection with the first network node and the second network node. Furthermore, the wireless device may be configured to receive an indication that dual connectivity (DC) with the first network node and the second network node has been established.

[0074] As described herein, the communications device 106 may include hardware and software components for performing functions using multiplexing to perform transmissions over multiple radio access technologies on the same frequency carrier, as well as various other technologies described herein. The processor 302 of the communications device 106 may be configured to implement some or all of the features described herein, for example, by executing program instructions stored on a storage medium (e.g., a non-transitory computer-readable storage medium). Alternatively (or additionally), the processor 302 may be configured as a programmable hardware element, such as a field programmable gate array (FPGA), or as an application specific integrated circuit (ASIC). Alternatively (or additionally), the processor 302 of the communications device 106 may be configured to perform some or all of the functions described herein in conjunction with one or more of the other components 300, 304, 306, 310, 320, 329, 330, 340, 345, 350, and 360.

[0075] Additionally, as described herein, processor 302 may include one or more processing elements. Thus, processor 302 may include one or more integrated circuits (ICs) configured to perform the functions of processor 302. Additionally, each integrated circuit may include circuitry (e.g., a first circuit, a second circuit, etc.) configured to perform the functions of processor(s) 302.

[0076] Further, as described herein, the cellular communication circuit 330 and the near-field wireless communication circuit 329 may each include one or more processing elements and / or processors. In other words, one or more processing elements or processors may be included in the cellular communication circuit 330, and similarly, one or more processing elements or processors may be included in the near-field wireless communication circuit 329. Thus, the cellular communication circuit 330 may include one or more integrated circuits (ICs) configured to perform the functions of the cellular communication circuit 330. In addition, each integrated circuit may include circuitry (e.g., a first circuit, a second circuit, etc.) configured to perform the functions of the cellular communication circuit 330. Similarly, the near-field wireless communication circuit 329 may include one or more ICs configured to perform the functions of the near-field wireless communication circuit 329. In addition, each integrated circuit may include circuitry (e.g., a first circuit, a second circuit, etc.) configured to perform the functions of the near-field wireless communication circuit 329. Figure 4 - Base station block diagram

[0077] FIG. 4 shows an exemplary block diagram of a base station 102, according to some embodiments. Note that the base station of FIG. 4 is merely one example of a possible base station. As shown, the base station 102 may include a processor(s) 404 capable of executing program instructions for the base station 102. The processor(s) 404 may also be coupled to a memory management unit (MMU) 440, which may be configured to receive addresses from the processor(s) 404 and translate these addresses into locations in memory (e.g., memory 460 and read only memory (ROM) 450) or other circuits or devices.

[0078] The base station 102 may include at least one network port 470. The network port 470 may be configured to couple to a telephone network and provide access to the telephone network for multiple devices, such as the UE devices 106, as described above in Figures 1 and 2.

[0079] Network port 470 (or additional network ports) may also or alternatively be configured to couple to a cellular network, such as a core network of a cellular service provider. The core network may provide mobility-related services and / or other services to multiple devices, such as UE device 106. In some cases, network port 470 may be coupled to a telephone network via the core network, and / or the core network may provide telephone service (e.g., among other UE devices served by the cellular service provider).

[0080] In some embodiments, the base station 102 may be a next-generation base station, e.g., a 5G New Radio (5G NR) base station, or "gNB." In such embodiments, the base station 102 may be connected to a legacy Evolved Packet Core (EPC) network and / or an NR Core (NRC) network. In addition, the base station 102 may be considered a 5G NR cell and may include one or more Transition and Reception Points (TRPs). In addition, a UE capable of operating according to 5G NR may be connected to one or more TRPs in one or more gNBs.

[0081] The base station 102 may include at least one antenna 434, and possibly multiple antennas. The radio 430 and the at least one antenna 434 may be configured to operate as a wireless transceiver and may further be configured to communicate with the UE device 106. The antenna 434 may communicate with the radio 430 via a communication chain 432. The communication chain 432 may be a receive chain, a transmit chain, or both. The radio 430 may be configured to communicate via various wireless communication standards, including, but not limited to, 5G NR, LTE, LTE-A, GSM, UMTS, CDMA2000, Wi-Fi, etc.

[0082] The base station 102 may be configured to communicate wirelessly using multiple wireless communication standards. In some instances, the base station 102 may include multiple radios, which may enable the base station 102 to communicate according to multiple wireless communication technologies. For example, one possibility is that the base station 102 includes an LTE radio for performing communications according to LTE and a 5G NR radio for communicating according to 5G NR. In such a case, the base station 102 may be capable of operating as both an LTE base station and a 5G NR base station. Another possibility is that the base station 102 may include a multimode radio. This multimode radio is capable of communicating according to any of multiple wireless communication technologies (e.g., 5G NR and Wi-Fi, LTE and Wi-Fi, LTE and UMTS, LTE and CDMA2000, UMTS and GSM, etc.).

[0083] As described further later in this specification, the BS 102 may include hardware and software components for implementing or supporting the implementation of the features described herein. The processor 404 of the base station 102 may be configured to implement or support the implementation of some or all of the methods described herein, for example, by executing program instructions stored on a storage medium (e.g., a non-transitory computer-readable storage medium). Alternatively, the processor 404 may be configured as a programmable hardware element, such as a Field Programmable Gate Array (FPGA), or as an Application Specific Integrated Circuit (ASIC), or a combination thereof. Alternatively (or in addition), the processor 404 of the BS 102 may be configured to implement or support the implementation of some or all of the features described herein in cooperation with one or more of the other components 430, 432, 434, 440, 450, 460, and 470.

[0084] Additionally, as described herein, the processor(s) 404 may include one or more processing elements. Thus, the processor(s) 404 may include one or more integrated circuits (ICs) configured to perform the functions of the processor(s) 404. Additionally, each integrated circuit may include circuitry (e.g., a first circuit, a second circuit, etc.) configured to perform the functions of the processor(s) 404.

[0085] Further, as described herein, radio 430 may include one or more processing elements. Thus, radio 430 may include one or more integrated circuits (ICs) configured to perform the functions of radio 430. In addition, each integrated circuit may include circuitry (e.g., a first circuit, a second circuit, etc.) configured to perform the functions of radio 430. Figure 5 - Cellular communication circuit block diagram

[0086] FIG. 5 shows an exemplary simplified block diagram of cellular communication circuitry, according to some embodiments. Note that the block diagram of the cellular communication circuitry in FIG. 5 is merely one example of possible cellular communication circuitry. Other circuitry is possible, such as circuitry including sufficient antennas or coupled to antennas for different RATs to perform uplink activity using separate antennas. According to embodiments, the cellular communication circuitry 330 may be included in a communication device, such as the communication device 106 described above. As noted above, the communication device 106 may be, among other devices, a user equipment (UE) device, a mobile device or mobile station, a wireless device or wireless base station, a desktop computer or computing device, a mobile computing device (e.g., a laptop, notebook, or portable computing device), a tablet, and / or a combination of devices.

[0087] The cellular communication circuitry 330 may be communicatively coupled (e.g., communicatively, directly or indirectly) to one or more antennas, such as antennas 335a, 335b, and 336, as shown (in FIG. 3). In some embodiments, the cellular communication circuitry 330 may include dedicated receive chains (e.g., a first receive chain for LTE and a second receive chain for 5G NR) for multiple RATs (including and / or communicatively coupled, e.g., directly or indirectly, to dedicated processors and / or radios). For example, as shown in FIG. 5, the cellular communication circuitry 330 may include a modem 510 and a modem 520. The modem 510 may be configured to communicate according to a first RAT, such as LTE or LTE-A, and the modem 520 may be configured to communicate according to a second RAT, such as 5G NR.

[0088] As shown, the modem 510 may include one or more processors 512 and memory 516 in communication with the processor 512. The modem 510 may be in communication with a radio frequency (RF) front end 530. The RF front end 530 may include circuitry for transmitting and receiving wireless signals. For example, the RF front end 530 may include receive circuitry (RX) 532 and transmit circuitry (TX) 534. In some embodiments, the receive circuitry 532 may be in communication with a downlink (DL) front end 550, which may include circuitry for receiving wireless signals via an antenna 335a.

[0089] Similarly, the modem 520 may include one or more processors 522 and a memory 526 in communication with the processor 522. The modem 520 may be in communication with an RF front end 540. The RF front end 540 may include circuitry for transmitting and receiving wireless signals. For example, the RF front end 540 may include receive circuitry 542 and transmit circuitry 544. In some embodiments, the receive circuitry 542 may be in communication with a DL front end 560, which may include circuitry for receiving wireless signals via the antenna 335b.

[0090] In some embodiments, a switch (e.g., and / or combiner, multiplexer, etc.) 570 can couple the transmit circuitry 534 to an uplink (UL) front end 572. Additionally, the switch 570 may couple the transmit circuitry 544 to the UL front end 572. The UL front end 572 may include circuitry for transmitting wireless signals via the antenna 336. Thus, when the cellular communication circuitry 330 receives an instruction to transmit according to a first RAT (e.g., as supported via the modem 510), the switch 570 may be switched to a first state that enables the modem 510 to transmit signals according to the first RAT (e.g., via a transmit chain including the transmit circuitry 534 and the UL front end 572). Similarly, when the cellular communication circuitry 330 receives an instruction to transmit according to a second RAT (e.g., as supported via the modem 520), the switch 570 may be switched to a second state that enables the modem 520 to transmit signals according to the second RAT (e.g., via a transmit chain including the transmit circuitry 544 and the UL front end 572).

[0091] In some embodiments, modems 510 and 520 may be configured to transmit simultaneously, receive simultaneously, and / or transmit and receive simultaneously. Thus, when cellular communication circuitry 330 receives a transmit instruction according to both a first RAT (e.g., supported by modem 510) and a second RAT (e.g., supported by modem 520), combiner 570 may be switched to a third state that enables modems 510 and 520 to transmit signals (e.g., via transmit circuitry 534, 544 and UL front end 572) according to the first and second RATs. In other words, the modems may coordinate their communication activities and perform transmit and / or receive functions as needed at any time.

[0092] In some embodiments, the cellular communication circuit 330 may be configured to transmit, via the first modem while the switch is in the first state, a request to attach to a first network node operating according to a first RAT, and to transmit, via the first modem while the switch is in the first state, an indication that the wireless device is capable of maintaining a substantially simultaneous connection with the first network node and a second network node operating according to a second RAT. The wireless device may also be configured to transmit, via the second radio while the switch is in the second state, a request to attach to the second network node. The request may include an indication that the wireless device is capable of maintaining a substantially simultaneous connection with the first network node and the second network node. Further, the wireless device may be configured to receive, via the first radio, an indication that dual connectivity with the first network node and the second network node has been established.

[0093] As described herein, modem 510 may include hardware and software components for performing functions using multiplexing to perform transmissions over multiple radio access technologies on the same frequency carrier, as well as various other technologies described herein. Processor 512 may be configured to implement some or all of the features described herein, for example, by executing program instructions stored on a storage medium (e.g., a non-transitory computer-readable storage medium). Alternatively (or in addition), processor 512 may be configured as a programmable hardware element, such as a field programmable gate array (FPGA), or as an application specific integrated circuit (ASIC). Alternatively (or in addition), processor 512 may be configured to implement some or all of the features described herein in cooperation with one or more of the other components 530, 532, 534, 550, 570, 572, 335, and 336.

[0094] In some embodiments, the processors 512, 522, etc. may be configured to perform or support the performance of some or all of the methods described herein, for example, by executing program instructions stored on a storage medium (e.g., a non-transitory computer-readable storage medium). Alternatively, the processors 512, 522, etc. may be configured as programmable hardware elements such as FPGAs, or ASICs, or combinations thereof. Additionally, as described herein, the processors 512, 522, etc. may include one or more processing elements. Thus, the processors 512, 522, etc. may include one or more integrated circuits (ICs) configured to perform the functions of the processors 512, 522, etc. Additionally, each integrated circuit may include circuitry (e.g., a first circuit, a second circuit, etc.) configured to perform the functions of the processors 512, 522, etc.

[0095] As described herein, modem 520 may include hardware and software components for performing functions using multiplexing to perform transmissions over multiple radio access technologies on the same frequency carrier, as well as various other technologies described herein. Processor 522 may be configured to perform some or all of the functions described herein, for example, by executing program instructions stored on a storage medium (e.g., a non-transitory computer-readable storage medium). Alternatively (or in addition), processor 522 may be configured as a programmable hardware element, such as a field programmable gate array (FPGA), or as an application specific integrated circuit (ASIC). Alternatively (or in addition), processor 522 may be configured to perform some or all of the functions described herein in cooperation with one or more of the other components 540, 542, 544, 550, 570, 572, 335, and 336. Figures 6-7 - 5G NR Architecture

[0096] In some implementations, fifth-generation (5G) wireless communications are initially deployed simultaneously with other wireless communications standards (e.g., LTE). For example, while FIG. 6 illustrates a possible standalone (SA) implementation of a Next Generation Core (NGC) network 606 and 5G NR base stations (e.g., gNBs 604), dual connectivity between LTE and 5G New Radio (5G NR or NR) is specified as part of the initial deployment of NR, for example, according to an exemplary non-standalone (NSA) architecture shown in FIG. 7. Thus, as shown in FIG. 7, the evolved packet core (EPC) network 600 can continue to communicate with current LTE base stations (e.g., eNBs 602). In addition, the eNBs 602 can communicate with 5G NR base stations (e.g., gNBs 604) and can pass data between the EPC network 600 and the gNBs 604. In some cases, the gNBs 604 may also have at least a user plane reference point with the EPC network 600. Thus, the EPC network 600 may be used (or reused), and the gNB 604 may function as additional capabilities for the UE, such as providing increased downlink throughput to the UE. In other words, LTE may be used for control plane signaling, and NR may be used for user plane signaling. Thus, LTE may be used to establish a connection to the network, and NR may be used for data services. As will be appreciated, numerous other non-standalone architecture variants are possible.

[0097] Figures 8 and 9 - Beam Selection In modern wireless communication systems, e.g., cellular systems such as 5G NR, a UE (e.g., UE 106) and a base station (e.g., BS 102) can measure channel conditions in a variety of ways. Such measurements are facilitated by the exchange of uplink (UL) and downlink (DL) reference signals, such as sounding reference signals (SRS).

[0098] The UE and / or BS may perform various measurements of the radio link between the UE and the BS, for example. The measurements may include any radio link measurement, such as signal-to-noise ratio (SNR), signal-to-interference and noise ratio (SINR), reference signal received power (RSRP), reference signal received quality (RSRQ), received signal strength indicator (RSSI), block error rate (BLER), bit error rate (BER), channel impulse response (CIR), channel error response (CER), etc. The UE and / or BS may maintain a history of the measurements. The UE / BS may compare the measurements, or metrics calculated based on the measurements, to one or more thresholds. The UE / BS may use various parameters in such comparisons, for example, for hysteresis. The measurements, thresholds, and / or parameters may be configured by the BS (e.g., by the network) and / or by the UE. The UE and / or BS may report measurements (e.g., directly and / or as channel quality indicators (CQIs), channel conditions (CSIs), etc.), comparison results, etc., to each other and / or to the network at any time.

[0099] Among various possibilities, RSRP can be used to estimate path loss. For example, path loss can be determined based on the ratio of RSRP to the transmit power (e.g., of the RS). In other words, RSRP can be inversely proportional to path loss.

[0100] In 3GPP Release 16, overhead and latency reduction schemes are planned to be specified, with the following aspects considered for further study: 1) spatial relationship assumptions between dedicated physical uplink control channel (PUCCH) and SRS when the spatial relationship is not provided by higher layer signaling, and 2) latency reduction of path loss power control parameter updates, e.g., DL RS for path loss measurements, and parameters P0 and alpha, which may be updated, for example, by the media access control (MAC) control element (CE).

[0101] Figure 8 is a flow diagram illustrating an example aspect of beam selection for transmission of an UL RS. The technique of Figure 8 allows a UE to select a beam or beams for transmitting an RS without an indication of spatial relationship from the network. Aspects of the method of Figure 8 may be performed by a UE 106 in communication with a BS 102, as shown and described in the figure, or more generally, in other devices, as appropriate, in conjunction with any of the computer circuits, systems, devices, elements, or components shown in the figure. For example, a processor(s) of a UE (e.g., a processor(s) associated with communications circuitry 329 or 330, such as processor(s) 302, processor(s) 512 and / or 522), a processor of a base station (e.g., processor(s) 404, or a processor associated with radio 430 and / or communications chain 432, among other possibilities), or a processor(s) of a network element (e.g., NGC 606, any component of EPC 600, etc.) may cause a UE or base station(s) to perform some or all of the illustrated method elements. For example, a baseband processor or application processor of a UE may cause a UE to perform some or all of the method elements shown in the figures. While at least some elements of the methods are described as relating to communications technologies and / or features associated with 3GPP specification documents, it should be noted that such description is not intended to limit the disclosure, and aspects of the methods may be used in any suitable wireless communication system, as desired. Similarly, while at least some elements of the method are described in connection with transmitting an UL RS, such description is not intended to limit the disclosure, and aspects of the method may be used to transmit other types of signals, such as data and / or control information, as desired. In various embodiments, some of the method elements shown in the figures may be performed simultaneously, may be performed in a different order than shown in the figures, may be replaced by other method elements, or may be omitted. Additional method elements may also be performed as desired.As shown, the method may operate as follows.

[0102] According to some embodiments, the UE 106 may establish 802 a connection with the BS 102. The connection may be or may include a cellular connection operating according to one or more wireless standards, such as, for example, NR. The UE and BS may exchange data and / or control information, for example, in the uplink (UL) and / or downlink (DL) directions.

[0103] The BS may provide the UE with control information related to the transmission and / or reception of an RS. For example, the BS may indicate either or both of a receive beam the UE should use to receive a DL RS or a transmit beam the UE should use to transmit a UL RS. The receive beam and the transmit beam may not correspond (e.g., they may be the same or different). In some embodiments, the BS may indicate that the UE should use two or more beams for transmission and / or reception of an RS. For example, the BS may indicate that the UE should transmit or receive an RS on multiple different beams (e.g., including, among other possibilities, a quasi-omni beam and / or one or more focused beams). The beams may be indicated and / or referenced by spatial domain filters, spatial relationships, antenna weight vectors, etc.

[0104] The control information may include information related to the DL RS update operation for path loss measurement. Note that path loss measurement may refer to the process of measuring RSRP (e.g., and / or another indicator of signal strength) and estimating path loss using RSRP. For example, the BS may instruct the UE which level (e.g., Level 1 and / or Level 3, etc.) to use to measure path loss (e.g., for power control purposes) after updating the DL RS. Similarly, the UE may instruct the BS its capability to respond to such updates, e.g., how long it takes to update the path loss measurement process. Furthermore, the BS may instruct parameters for filtering path loss, e.g., a forgetting factor. The BS may instruct one or more timer values, e.g., to measure RSRP using Level 1 and / or Level 3 after such updates.

[0105] According to some embodiments, the UE 106 may determine 804 whether a spatial relationship (e.g., beam) of an UL signal is configured. The UL signal may be an UL RS (e.g., SRS), an UL control channel (e.g., PUCCH), an UL data channel (e.g., PUSCH), and / or any other UL transmission. For example, the UE may determine whether the network (e.g., BS 102) has indicated the beam(s) that the UE should use to transmit an UL RS, e.g., an SRS.

[0106] According to some embodiments, if the spatial relationships of the UL RSs are configured, the UE 106 can select a beam for the UL RS according to the spatial relationships 806. In other words, the UE can select a beam or beams instructed by the network.

[0107] According to some embodiments, if the spatial relationship of the UL RS is not configured, the UE 106 may determine whether a DL RS is provided for path loss measurement 808. In other words, the UE may determine whether the BS 102 is transmitting a DL RS to be used for UL power control, e.g., so that the UE can determine path loss and adjust UL transmit power accordingly.

[0108] If a DL RS is provided, the UE can identify the beam based on the DL RS. For example, the UE can determine which receiving beam receives the DL RS most strongly (e.g., or otherwise best) (e.g., highest RSRP).

[0109] In some embodiments, the UE may determine whether the network provides an indication of which receive beam the UE should use to receive a DL RS, e.g., for purposes of measuring path loss, and if so, the UE may determine which beam is indicated.

[0110] According to some embodiments, if a DL RS for path loss is provided, the UE 106 may determine 810 a spatial filter (e.g., beam) for the UL RS based on the DL RS (e.g., for path loss measurement). In other words, if a dedicated PUCCH / SRS spatial relationship is not configured, the UE may derive a spatial domain filter (e.g., select a beam) based on the DL RS. According to some embodiments, for example, as shown in FIG. 9, the UE may apply the same spatial domain filter (e.g., beam) to the transmission of the PUCCH / SRS that it uses to receive the DL RS.

[0111] The beam(s) to use for receiving the DL RS may be instructed to the UE by the BS using higher layers (e.g., radio resource control (RRC) signaling). Furthermore, if the beam(s) to use for receiving the DL RS are not instructed by higher layer signaling, the UE can determine the beam(s) to receive the DL RS (e.g., for path loss measurement) based on the beam(s) used to receive the synchronization signal block (SSB). In other words, the UE can receive DL RS path loss measurements using the same beam(s) used to receive the SSB. The UE can determine when and how to decode the SSB based on the master information block (MIB).

[0112] According to some embodiments, if the DL RS is not configured for path loss, the UE 106 may determine 812 a spatial filter (e.g., beam) for the UL RS based on a beam used for other communications. In other words, the UE may select a spatial filter for the UL RS based on a spatial filter used for communications other than the UL RS or DL ​​RS. For example, the UE 106 may select a spatial filter according to one or more of the following options:

[0113] In some embodiments, the UE may determine the spatial domain filter (e.g., beam) for the UL RS (e.g., dedicated PUCCH / SRS, such as semi-persistent and / or periodic SRS) based on a default downlink beam, e.g., a default beam for the Physical Downlink Shared Channel (PDSCH). Of course, other downlink channels may also be used (e.g., a default beam for the Physical Downlink Control Channel (PDCCH)).

[0114] The default PDSCH beam can be based on the quasi-co-location (QCL) of the monitored control resource set (CORESET). For example, if multiple CORESETs are configured, the CORESET of the most recent slot prior to the current slot (e.g., using an offset parameter K) can be used. For example, if a PUCCH / SRS is transmitted (e.g., to be transmitted) in slot n, the CORESET used for the PDSCH in the previous slot nK can be selected for transmitting the UL RS in slot n. The offset parameter K may be configured by higher layer signaling, predefined (e.g., K = 0, or any other value), or determined based on the UE's capabilities (e.g., K can be based on the minimum amount of time or number of slots for the UE to switch beams). Furthermore, K may be the same or different for different subcarrier spacings (e.g., K may depend on the subcarrier spacing, according to some embodiments). For example, different subcarrier spacing may be associated with different slot lengths (e.g., for 15 kHz subcarrier spacing, the slot duration may be 1 ms, while for 30 kHz subcarrier spacing, the slot duration may be 0.5 ms). Thus, to achieve the same time offset in different subcarrier spacing scenarios, the value of the slot offset parameter K may be different.

[0115] In another example, K can be based on N2, for example, as shown in Tables 6.4-1 and 6.4-2 of 3GPP Technical Specification 38.214, reproduced below. [Table 1] [Table 2]

[0116] If multiple CORESETs are used in slot nK, the UE may select the CORESET with the lowest CORESET ID (e.g., the one used in slot nK). In some embodiments, the UE may select the CORESET with the highest CORESET ID, or another CORESET as directed by the network.

[0117] In some embodiments, the UE can determine the spatial domain filter (e.g., beam) for the UL RS (e.g., dedicated PUCCH / SRS such as semi-persistent and / or periodic SRS) based on the DL RS in one active transmission configuration indication (TCI) state for the PDSCH (e.g., or PDCCH). The TCI can be a means for the BS to instruct the UE on the beam (e.g., for UL transmission). Furthermore, the spatial domain for the UL RS can be determined based on the QCL of the CORESET indicated by the TCI. In some embodiments, the CORESET can be in an active bandwidth part (BWP) within the same component carrier (CC) as the UL RS. Among various possibilities, the CORESET can be the one with the highest CORESET ID, the one with the lowest CORESET ID, and / or one indicated by the network, e.g., using higher layer signaling. If multiple TCI states are configured, the UE can determine based on the first TCI or the last TCI (e.g., the most recently configured), among various possibilities. As mentioned above, the PUCCH / SRS in slot n should be based on the corresponding TCI state in slot nK, where K may be determined as described above.

[0118] In some embodiments, the UE may determine a spatial domain filter (e.g., beam) for a UL RS (e.g., a dedicated aperiodic PUCCH / SRS) based on the QCL of a DL channel, e.g., a scheduling PDCCH. In some embodiments, the scheduling PDCCH and the (e.g., aperiodic) PUCCH / SRS may be in the same CC or in different CCs in the same band. In some embodiments, for cross-carrier scheduling or cross-carrier scheduling of CCs in different bands, either the spatial relationship for path loss measurement or the DL RS may be configured.

[0119] In some embodiments, to determine the spatial domain filter, the UE can consider the type of UL RS being transmitted. For aperiodic UL RS (e.g., PUCCH / SRS), the beam can be selected based on the QCL of the DL channel. Note that aperiodic UL RS can be triggered by the network, e.g., via a PDCCH from the BS. Thus, the UE can transmit the UL RS using the beam on which it received the DL signal. Thus, beam switching can be shortened by using the same beam to receive the PDCCH and transmit the UL RS. For other types of UL RS, for example, semi-persistent / periodic PUCCH / SRS, a default DL beam, or TCI can be used, among other possibilities.

[0120] According to some embodiments, the UE 106 may transmit 814 an UL signal (e.g., an UL RS) using the selected beam(s).

[0121] In some embodiments, the UL RS may be aperiodic. In some embodiments, the UL RS may be periodic. In some embodiments, the UE may transmit the aperiodic RS using beam(s) selected based on the QCL of the DL channel and / or may transmit the periodic or semi-persistent RS using beam(s) selected based on the TCI and / or default DL beam.

[0122] In some embodiments, the technique of Figure 8 may be applied to an SRS for path loss measurement, but not to an SRS for beam management, for example. In other embodiments, the technique of Figure 8 may be applied to an SRS for path loss measurement and / or an SRS for beam management. Figure 10 - Path loss measurement and power control with reduced latency

[0123] According to some embodiments, when the latency (e.g., amount of time available) for power control parameter updates is reduced (e.g., below a threshold amount of time), the UE behavior with respect to path loss measurements and / or transmit power for UL RS transmissions may become ambiguous. In 3GPP Release 15, path loss is measured based on higher layer filtered (e.g., calculated over time, e.g., weighted average with most weight given to most recent values) RSRP, e.g., at time n, as follows:

[0124] F n =(1-a)F n-1 +aM n

[0125] In the formula, F n-1 is the filtered RSRP determined at the previous time n-1, and M n is the currently measured RSRP, and a is a factor (eg, a forgetting factor) based on higher layer (eg, RRC) signaling.

[0126] 10 is a flow diagram illustrating exemplary aspects of path loss calculation with reduced latency, e.g., following a DL RS update for path loss measurement. The technique of FIG. 10 allows a UE to adapt or modify path loss calculations in response to a DL RS update with reduced latency, e.g., for DL ​​RS path loss measurement. In some embodiments, aspects of the method of FIG. 10 can be applied to open-loop power control techniques. Aspects of the method of FIG. 10 can be performed by a UE 106 in communication with a BS 102, as shown and described in the figure, or more generally, in other devices, as appropriate, in conjunction with any of the computer circuits, systems, devices, elements, or components shown in the figure. For example, a processor(s) of a UE (e.g., a processor(s) associated with communications circuitry 329 or 330, such as processor(s) 302, processor(s) 512 and / or 522), a processor of a base station (e.g., processor(s) 404, or a processor associated with radio 430 and / or communications chain 432, among other possibilities), or a processor(s) of a network element (e.g., NGC 606, any component of EPC 600, etc.) may cause a UE or base station(s) to perform some or all of the illustrated method elements. For example, a baseband processor or application processor of a UE may cause a UE to perform some or all of the method elements shown in the figures. While at least some elements of the methods are described as relating to communications technologies and / or features associated with 3GPP specification documents, it should be noted that such description is not intended to limit the disclosure, and aspects of the methods may be used in any suitable wireless communication system, as desired. In various embodiments, some of the method elements shown in the figures may be performed simultaneously, may be performed in a different order than shown in the figures, may be replaced by other method elements, or may be omitted. Additional method elements may also be performed as desired. As shown in the figures, the method may operate as follows.

[0127] According to some embodiments, the UE 106 may establish a connection with the BS 102 (eg, as described above with respect to 802).

[0128] The UE 106 may receive a DL RS from the BS 102 and may perform path loss measurements based on the DL RS. For example, the UE may determine path loss based on an RSRP measured based on the DL RS. In some embodiments, the UE may determine RSRP at a higher layer (e.g., Layer 3, e.g., L3-RSRP). In some embodiments, the path loss measurements may be used for open-loop power control.

[0129] According to some embodiments, the UE 106 may receive 1004 an update of the DL RS for measuring path loss. The update may be received as (e.g., or included in) a MAC CE transmitted from the BS 102, among other possibilities. Transmitting such an update via a MAC CE may reduce update latency compared to transmitting a similar update using higher layer signaling, such as RRC. In other words, the update may reduce the UE's time to perform (e.g., respond to) the update (e.g., compared to a similar update provided by RRC). Thus, the UE may have relatively strict time constraints for performing the update. The update may change one or more parameters of the DL RS, such as transmit power, the BS's transmit beam, the UE's receive beam, and / or time and / or frequency resources. As another possible example, the BS may change the DL RS monitored for path loss measurements, e.g., from a first synchronization signal block (SSB) to a second synchronization signal block (SSB), e.g., from SSB1 to SSB2, or vice versa.

[0130] According to some embodiments, the UE 106 may determine the path loss and transmit the UL RS according to the determined path loss 1006. In other words, the UE may measure the path loss based on the DL RS according to the update and may use the measured path loss for power control, such as determining the transmit power of the UL RS.

[0131] In some embodiments, the UE may measure path loss based on RSRP evaluated at Layer 1 (e.g., L1-RSRP). For example, the UE may measure RSRP at the physical layer. L1-RSRP may be determined quickly, e.g., compared to L3-RSRP. For example, L1 RSRP may be based on unfiltered physical layer measurements (e.g., averaging over time as in Equation 1). In some embodiments, whether to measure path loss by L1-RSRP and / or L3-RSRP (e.g., higher layer filtered RSRP) may be determined based on UE capability (e.g., based on how quickly the UE can respond to updates). For example, UE capability may be whether the UE can track a new DL RS before it is indicated as a path loss reference signal. For example, the BS may configure (e.g., by the RRC layer) 16 different DL RSs. The first one of the 16 different DL RSs (e.g., RS1) may be selected (e.g., by the BS) as the initial path loss RS. The BS may then decide to change the pathloss RS from RS1 to a different DL RS (e.g., RS2). If the UE can track each of the 16 DL RSs (e.g., simultaneously), it can use L3-RSRP, even if it has a limited time to change from the first pathloss RS to the second pathloss RS. However, if the UE cannot (e.g., does not) track all of the configured DL RSs, the UE can use L1-RSRP (e.g., during a certain period of time) if the RS is changed within a limited execution time (e.g., based on MAC CE).

[0132] In some embodiments, the UE may signal its capabilities (e.g., to track multiple configured DL RSs or otherwise respond quickly to changes in path loss RS) to the BS, e.g., using RRC signaling. In some embodiments, whether path loss may be measured by L1-RSRP or L3-RSRP may be configured by higher layer signaling, e.g., by the network (e.g., BS 102) and / or by the UE 106. In some embodiments, if L3-RSRP is configured, the BS may update the DL RS for path loss measurement, e.g., instead using RRC, rather than using MAC CE.

[0133] In some embodiments, the UE may measure path loss based on the L3-RSRP, and the filter may be reset (e.g., in response) when the DL RS for path loss measurement for PUSCH / SRS power control is updated, e.g., by the MAC CE. For example, the L3-RSRP may be filtered using Equation 1 above. For the first RSRP calculation after a DL RS update, the forgetting factor value, a, may be set to 1, e.g., so that the first RSRP calculation is based on the first measurement. This calculation may be expressed as Equation 2:

[0134] F n =M n

[0135] After the first RSRP calculation after the update (eg, for the second and subsequent RSRP calculations), the value of the forgetting factor a can be changed back to the configured value and Equation 1 can be used.

[0136] In some embodiments, the UE may measure path loss based on L1-RSRP upon receiving an update for the DL RS for path loss measurement within a certain period of time (e.g., before a timer expires), e.g., as shown in FIG. 11 . In other words, based on receipt of an update (e.g., a MAC CE, e.g., at 1004), the UE may start (e.g., or reset) a timer. While the timer is running (e.g., during timing window 1102), the UE may determine path loss for UL RS transmit power control using L1-RSRP. Upon expiration of the timer, the UE may use L3-RSRP. According to some embodiments, the timer (e.g., the length of time for which L1-RSRP is used) may be configured by higher layer signaling (e.g., RRC). Such RRC signaling may be in response to an indication from the UE regarding its capabilities related to L1 and / or L3 RSRP measurements.

[0137] In some embodiments, the UE may determine a method for measuring path loss based on the latency of the configuration update. For example, if the configuration update is received, e.g., via MAC CE, with a relatively short latency, the UE may select a path loss measurement method that can be performed / updated quickly. For example, the UE may select to measure path loss using L1-RSRP after the update via MAC CE (e.g., at least for a certain period of time). In contrast, if the configuration update has a longer latency (e.g., received via RRC), the UE may select a path loss measurement approach with a longer latency (e.g., continue to use L3-RSRP). In these examples, according to some embodiments, the latency may be considered related to UE capabilities. For example, a UE that can respond to an update faster may respond to the update using L3-RSRP, which has a lower latency, than a UE that responds more slowly. Similarly, the length of time for which L1-RSRP may be used may be based on UE capabilities. For example, the UE may indicate its capability to apply L3 measurements to the network (e.g., via RRC), and a timer value (e.g., associated with L1 measurements) may be set (e.g., by RRC signaling from the network) based on the capability. Figure 12 - Path loss measurements with updated DL RS

[0138] Figure 12 is a flow diagram illustrating an example aspect of managing cumulative closed-loop power control behavior, e.g., after a DL RS update. The technique of Figure 12 allows the UE to efficiently reset path loss measurements and power control after such an update. Aspects of the method of Figure 12 may be performed by the UE 106 in communication with the BS 102, as shown and described in the figure, or more generally, in other devices, as appropriate, in conjunction with any of the computer circuits, systems, devices, elements, or components shown in the figure. For example, a processor(s) of a UE (e.g., a processor(s) associated with communications circuitry 329 or 330, such as processor(s) 302, processor(s) 512 and / or 522), a processor of a base station (e.g., processor(s) 404, or a processor associated with radio 430 and / or communications chain 432, among other possibilities), or a processor(s) of a network element (e.g., NGC 606, any component of EPC 600, etc.) may cause a UE or base station(s) to perform some or all of the illustrated method elements. For example, a baseband processor or application processor of a UE may cause a UE to perform some or all of the method elements shown in the figures. While at least some elements of the methods are described as relating to communications technologies and / or features associated with 3GPP specification documents, it should be noted that such description is not intended to limit the disclosure, and aspects of the methods may be used in any suitable wireless communication system, as desired. In various embodiments, some of the method elements shown in the figures may be performed simultaneously, may be performed in a different order than shown in the figures, may be replaced by other method elements, or may be omitted. Additional method elements may also be performed as desired. As shown in the figures, the method may operate as follows.

[0139] According to some embodiments, the UE 106 may establish a connection with the BS 102 (eg, as described above with respect to 802).

[0140] The UE 106 can receive a DL RS from the BS 102 and can perform path loss measurements based on the DL RS. For example, the UE can determine path loss based on, for example, an RSRP measured based on the DL RS. In some embodiments, the UE can maintain a cumulative closed-loop power control factor. For example, the path loss measurements can be used for closed-loop power control.

[0141] According to some embodiments, the UE 106 may receive an update of the DL RS (eg, as described above for 1004).

[0142] According to some embodiments, the UE 106 may reset the path loss measurement and / or reset one or more path loss parameters in response to the update (1206). For example, if the DL RS for PUSCH / SRS path loss measurement is updated by the MAC CE, the UE may reset the cumulative closed-loop power control factor (e.g., delta or δ). In some embodiments, the power control factor may be reset when the UE takes action to update the DL RS for path loss measurement. In other words, according to some embodiments, the power control factor may be reset when the UE begins performing power control based on a newly indicated reference signal.

[0143] In some embodiments, a specification change may be made to Section 7.1.1 of 3GPP TS 38.213 v.15.6.0, for example, as shown in FIG. 13. As shown, the UE may reset the accumulated power control adjustment state (e.g., for PUSCH, e.g., l) for the active BWP (e.g., b) in response to a change in the RS configuration. The power control adjustment state may be used to determine the transmit power used for UL RS transmission. For example, the accumulated power control factor may be 3 dB before being reset (e.g., at 1206). In other words, before the reset, the transmit power used by the UE for the UL RS may be based on the open-loop power + 3 dB. When the accumulated power control factor is reset, it (e.g., delta) may be equal to 0 dB. The transmit power is then the open-loop power (e.g., 0 dB). The BS can change the accumulated power control factor (e.g., delta) using transmit power control (TPC) command signaling, but may start from 0 dB.

[0144] The modified RS configuration may be provided by a higher layer (eg, the MAC layer of the UE in response to the MAC CE having the update).

[0145] In some embodiments, a specification change may be made to section 7.3.1 of 3GPP TS 38.213 v.15.6.0, for example, as shown in Figure 14. The UE may reset the power control adjustment state accumulation (e.g., for SRS, e.g., l) for the active BWP (e.g., b) in response to a change in the SRS configuration.

[0146] The UE may transmit one or more UL RSs using, for example, reset path loss parameters. For example, the UE may use a reset power control adjustment state for power control. Additional Information and Examples

[0147] Embodiments of the present disclosure may be implemented in any of a variety of forms. For example, some embodiments may be implemented as a computer-implemented method, a computer-readable storage medium, or a computer system. Other embodiments may be implemented using one or more custom-designed hardware devices, such as an ASIC. Still other embodiments may be implemented using one or more programmable hardware elements, such as an FPGA.

[0148] In some embodiments, a non-transitory computer-readable storage medium may be configured such that the non-transitory computer-readable storage medium stores program instructions and / or data that, when executed by a computer system, cause the computer system to perform a method, such as any of the method embodiments described herein, or any combination of the method embodiments described herein, or any subset of any of the method embodiments described herein, or any combination of such subsets.

[0149] In some embodiments, a device (e.g., a UE) may be configured to include a processor (or set of processors) and a memory medium, where the memory medium stores program instructions and the processor is configured to read and execute the program instructions from the memory medium. The program instructions are executable to perform any of the various method embodiments described herein (or any combination of the method embodiments described herein, or any subset of any of the method embodiments described herein, or any combination of such subsets). The device may be embodied in any of a variety of forms.

[0150] It is understood that use of personally identifiable information should comply with generally recognized privacy policies and practices that meet or exceed industry or government requirements for maintaining user privacy. In particular, personally identifiable information data should be managed and handled in a manner that minimizes the risk of unintended or unauthorized access or use, and the nature of authorized use should be clearly indicated to users.

[0151] Although the above embodiments have been described in considerable detail, numerous variations and modifications will become apparent to those skilled in the art once the above disclosure is fully appreciated, and it is intended that the following claims be interpreted to embrace all such variations and modifications.

Claims

1. Determining that a spatial relationship of an uplink signal is not configured for a user equipment (UE) by a cellular network; determining that a downlink reference signal for path loss is not provided to the UE by the cellular network; selecting a particular spatial filter for the uplink signal based at least in part on the determination that the spatial relationship of the uplink signal is not configured and the determination that a downlink reference signal for path loss is not provided, the particular spatial filter being associated with a spatial filter used for downlink communications; transmitting the uplink signal using the particular spatial filter; A method comprising:

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the uplink signal comprises a sounding reference signal (SRS).

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein the uplink signal comprises a physical uplink control channel (PUCCH).

4. 10. The method of claim 1, wherein the downlink communication comprises a Physical Downlink Shared Channel (PDSCH).

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein the downlink communication comprises a Physical Downlink Control Channel (PDCCH).

6. The method of claim 1 , wherein the downlink communication comprises a communication in a recent slot.

7. 7. The method of claim 6, wherein the most recent slot is offset K slots from the current slot, where K is configured by higher layer signaling.

8. 1. A method comprising receiving an uplink signal from a user equipment (UE) using a particular spatial filter associated with a spatial filter used for downlink communications, a spatial relationship of uplink signals is not configured for the UE; A method, wherein a downlink reference signal for path loss is not provided to the UE by the cellular network.

9. The method of claim 8 , wherein the uplink signal comprises a sounding reference signal (SRS).

10. The method of claim 8 , wherein the uplink signal comprises a physical uplink control channel (PUCCH).

11. 10. The method of claim 8, wherein the downlink communication comprises a Physical Downlink Shared Channel (PDSCH).

12. The method of claim 8 , wherein the downlink communication comprises a Physical Downlink Control Channel (PDCCH).

13. The method of claim 8 , wherein the downlink communication comprises a communication in a recent slot.

14. 14. The method of claim 13, wherein the most recent slot is offset K slots from the current slot, where K is configured by higher layer signaling.

15. A radio and a processor communicatively coupled to the radio, the processor comprising: Determining that a spatial relationship of an uplink signal is not configured for a user equipment (UE) by a cellular network; determining that a downlink reference signal for path loss is not provided to the UE by the cellular network; selecting a particular spatial filter for the uplink signal based at least in part on the determination that the spatial relationship of the uplink signal is not configured and the determination that a downlink reference signal for path loss is not provided, the particular spatial filter being associated with a spatial filter used for downlink communications; transmitting the uplink signal using the particular spatial filter; and A UE comprising:

16. 16. The UE of claim 15, wherein the uplink signal comprises a sounding reference signal (SRS).

17. When instructions stored in memory are executed, Determining that a spatial relationship of an uplink signal is not configured for a user equipment (UE) by a cellular network; determining that a downlink reference signal for path loss is not provided to the UE by the cellular network; selecting a particular spatial filter for the uplink signal based at least in part on the determination that the spatial relationship of the uplink signal is not configured and the determination that a downlink reference signal for path loss is not provided, the particular spatial filter being associated with a spatial filter used for downlink communications; transmitting the uplink signal using the particular spatial filter.

18. 20. The apparatus of claim 17, wherein the uplink signal comprises a physical uplink control channel (PUCCH).

19. To the base station (BS), and a processor configured to cause the apparatus to perform operations including receiving an uplink signal from a user equipment (UE) using a particular spatial filter associated with a spatial filter used for downlink communications, a spatial relationship of uplink signals is not configured for the UE; The apparatus, wherein a downlink reference signal for path loss is not provided to the UE by the cellular network.

20. 20. The apparatus of claim 19, further comprising a radio communicatively coupled to the processor.

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