METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR ENHANCED CSI REPORTING FOR MULTIPLE DOWNLINK RESOURCES - Patent application

Abstract

[0004] Embodiments of the present disclosure relate to a method and apparatus for enhancing reporting of channel state information (CSI) for multiple downlink resources. The method performed by a UE includes receiving (401) a CSI report configuration from a network node providing N reference signal resources for channel measurement, performing (402) measurements on the N RS resources, calculating (403) or determining one or more CSI quantities for M selected RS resources, and transmitting (404) a CSI report including the calculated or determined CSI quantities to the network node, wherein the CSI report includes two parts, namely, Part 1 and Part 2, and content included in Part 1 indicates the size of Part 2. A method performed in a UE (600), a network node (700), and the network node (700) are also disclosed.

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present disclosure relates to the field of wireless communications, and in particular to a method and apparatus for enhancing reporting of channel state information (CSI) for multiple downlink resources in wireless communications networks, such as advanced 5G networks. [Background technology]

[0002] Fifth-generation (5G) mobile communication systems, also known as new radio (NR), offer a higher level of performance than previous generations of mobile communication systems. 5G mobile communications have been driven by the need to provide ubiquitous connectivity for applications such as diverse vehicular communications, remote control with feedback, and video downloads, as well as data applications for Internet-of-Things (IoT) devices, machine-type communication (MTC) devices, and more. 5G wireless technology offers several key benefits, including higher speeds, reduced latency, and improved connectivity. The 3rd Generation Partnership Project (3GPP) will provide a complete system specification for 5G network architecture, including at least the radio access network (RAN), core transport network (CN), and service capabilities.

[0003] FIG. 1 shows a simplified schematic diagram of an example wireless communication network 100 including a core network (CN) 110 and a radio access network (RAN) 120. The RAN 120 is shown to include multiple network nodes or radio base stations, referred to as gNBs in 5G. Three radio base stations, gNB1, gNB2, and gNB3, are shown. Each gNB is responsible for an area, referred to as a coverage area or cell. FIG. 1 shows three cells 121, 122, and 123, each served by its own gNB, gNB1, gNB2, and gNB3. Note that the network 100 can include any number of cells and gNBs. Radio base stations or network nodes serve users within the cells. In 4G or LTE, a radio base station is referred to as an eNB; in 3G or UMTS, a radio base station is referred to as an eNodeB; and in other radio access technologies, a radio base station is referred to as a BS. A user or user equipment (UE) may be a wireless or mobile terminal device or a fixed communication device. The mobile terminal device or UE may be an IoT device, an MTC device, etc. IoT devices may include wireless sensors, software, actuators, and computing devices. They may be embedded in mobile devices, automobiles, industrial equipment, environmental sensors, medical devices, aircraft, etc., and may also be network-enabled, allowing these devices to collect and exchange data across existing network infrastructure.

[0004] Returning to FIG. 1, each cell is shown to include UEs and IoT devices. gNB1 in cell 121 serves UE1 121A, UE2 121B, and IoT device 121C. Similarly, gNB2 in cell 121 serves UE3 122A, UE4 122B, and IoT device 122C, and gNB3 in cell 123 serves UE5 123A, UE6 123B, and IoT device 123C. Network 100 may include any number of UEs and IoT devices or any other type of device. The devices communicate with serving gNB(s) on the uplink, and the gNB(s) communicate with the devices on the downlink. Each base station gNB1-gNB3 may be connected to CN 120 via respective backhaul links 111, 121D, 122D, 123D, which are schematically depicted in FIG. 1 by arrows pointing to the "core," e.g., via an S1 interface. The core network 120 may be connected to one or more external networks, such as the Internet. The gNBs may connect to each other via the S1 interface or the X2 interface or the XN interface in 5G via respective interface links 121E, 122E, and 123E, which are shown in the figure by arrows pointing to the gNBs.

[0005] For data transmission, a physical resource grid may be used. The physical resource grid may comprise a set of resource elements (REs) onto which various physical channels and physical signals are mapped. For example, the physical channels may include physical downlink, uplink, and / or sidelink (SL) shared channels (PDSCH, PUSCH, PSSCH) carrying user-specific data, also referred to as downlink, uplink, or sidelink payload data; physical broadcast channels (PBCH) carrying, e.g., master information blocks (MIBs) and system information blocks (SIBs); and physical downlink, uplink, and / or sidelink control channels (PDCCH, PUCCH, PSCCH) carrying, e.g., downlink control information (DCI), uplink control information (UCI), or sidelink control information (SCI). For the uplink, the physical channels may further include a physical random access channel (PRACH or RACH) used by the UE to access the network once the UE is synchronized and has acquired the MIB and SIB. Physical signals may include a reference signal (RS), a synchronization signal (SS), etc. The resource grid may comprise a frame or radio frame having a certain duration, such as 10 milliseconds, in the time domain and a given bandwidth in the frequency domain. The radio frame may have a certain number of subframes of a predefined length, for example, two subframes with a length of 1 millisecond. Each subframe may include two slots of several OFDM symbols depending on the cyclic prefix (CP) length.In 5G, each slot consists of 14 or 12 OFDM symbols, depending on the standard and extended CP, respectively. A frame may consist of fewer OFDM symbols, for example, when utilizing a shortened transmission time interval (TTI) or a minislot / non-slot-based frame structure containing only a few OFDM symbols. Slot aggregation is supported in 5G NR, and thus data transmissions can be scheduled across one or more slots. A slot format indication informs the UE whether an OFDM symbol is downlink, uplink, or flexible.

[0006] The wireless communication network system may be any single-tone or multi-carrier system using frequency division multiplexing, such as an orthogonal frequency division multiplexing (OFDM) system, an orthogonal frequency division multiple access (OFDMA) system, or any other IFFT-based signal with or without CP, e.g., DFT-OFDM. Other waveforms may be used, such as non-orthogonal waveforms for multiple access, e.g., filter-bank multicarrier (FBMC), generalized frequency division multiplexing (GFDM), or universal filtered multicarrier (UFMC). The wireless communication system may operate, for example, according to the LTE-Advanced pro standard or the 5G or New Radio (NR) standard.

[0007] The wireless communication network system shown in Figure 1 may be a heterogeneous network having two separate overlaid networks: a network of macro cells, each including a macro base station, such as base stations gNB1-gNB3, and a network of small cell base stations (not shown in Figure 1), such as femto or pico base stations. In addition to the wireless networks described above, there are also non-terrestrial wireless communication networks that include space-based transceivers, such as satellites, and / or airborne transceivers, such as unmanned aerial systems. The non-terrestrial wireless communication networks or systems may operate similarly to the terrestrial system described above with reference to Figure 1, for example, according to the LTE-advanced pro standard or the 5G or NR standard.

[0008] In 3GPP NR, i.e., 5G, and its further releases [1-6], downlink (DL) channel state information (CSI) reporting by a UE to a network node (e.g., gNodeB, gNB) assists in scheduling of the physical downlink shared channel (PDSCH). Downlink reference signals (RS), such as channel state information reference signals (CSI-RS) and synchronization signal / physical broadcast channel (SS / PBCH) blocks (SSBs), are sometimes referred to as CSI resources and are used to evaluate the link between the UE and the network node. The UE provides CSI feedback to the network node on the physical uplink control channel (PUCCH) or physical uplink shared channel (PUSCH), where the CSI is obtained from measurements of the reference signals.

[0009] In millimeter wave (mmWave) frequencies (Frequency Range 2 (FR2)), i.e., frequencies above 6 GHz, wireless communication between communicating devices is typically performed using spatially selective / directional transmission and reception called beams. Hereinafter, the term "beam" is used to refer to spatially selective / directional transmission of outgoing signals or spatially selective / directional reception of incoming signals, achieved by precoding / filtering the signal at the device's antenna port with a set of coefficients. The terms precoding or filtering may refer to signal processing in the analog or digital domain. The set of coefficients used to spatially direct transmission / reception in a particular direction may be different from one direction to another. The term "Tx beam" refers to spatially selective / directional transmission, and the term "Rx beam" refers to spatially selective / directional reception. The set of coefficients used to precode / filter transmission or reception is referred to by the term "spatial filter." Because the spatial filter coefficients determine the direction in which transmission / reception is spatially directed, the term "spatial filter" is used interchangeably with the term "beam direction" herein.

[0010] Hereinafter, the term "higher layer," when used alone, refers to any communication layer above the physical layer in a protocol stack. In this disclosure, the term "frequency band" may be used to refer to any set of frequency domain resources, which may not necessarily refer to a frequency band around a particular carrier frequency as defined in a specification.

[0011] The terms serving cell and carrier component (CC) may be used interchangeably in this disclosure as a serving cell configured for a UE, which is typically a separate physical carrier with a carrier frequency. Depending on the frequency of the component carrier / serving cell, the size of the cell and beamformed reference signal may vary. Each serving cell or component carrier is a set of frequency domain resources, N BWP ≧1. In the serving cell, at any given time, the UE can receive physical layer transmissions from the TRP or any other network element in at least one of the configured BWPs of the cell's DL and can perform transmissions in at least one of the configured BWPs of the cell's UL.

[0012] In the following, the state of the art (SoTA) on CSI reporting and CSI resource configuration is provided. Issues and necessary enhancements to be considered in multi-TRP / panel or multi-band communication are provided later.

[0013] It should be noted that any reference to an action being performed by a gNodeB (gNB) may also be performed by any other element of the network, and therefore any relevant statements shall be read accordingly.

[0014] It should also be noted that the aspects and descriptions herein regarding multiple transmit-receive-points (TRPs) in this disclosure also apply to scenarios involving multiple panels from one or more base stations (gNB / TRPs) instead of multiple TRPs.

[0015] The following describes the prior art regarding physical downlink control and shared channels, CSI reporting, and transmission configuration indication in the downlink (DL).

[0016] Physical Layer Downlink Shared and Control Channel The Physical Downlink Control Channel (PDCCH) and the Physical Downlink Shared Channel (PDSCH) carry DL control information and DL data to the UE, respectively [1-6]. The PDCCH is configured at the Radio Resource Control (RRC) layer level by the base station or network node or gNodeB (gNB). The gNB transmits the PDCCH(s) on one or more control resource sets (CORESET) configured at the RRC level, as shown in Figure 2. A CORESET is a set of resources on which control information can be transmitted to the UE. A CORESET is a set of N resources in the frequency domain (given by the higher layer parameter frequencyDomainResources). RB CORESET N resource blocks (RBs) and N in the time domain (given by the higher layer parameter duration) symb CORESET ∈{1,2,3} symbols. A UE can be configured with up to three CORESETs per BWP per serving cell [1]. Scheduling of PDSCH or PUSCH or NR / LTE sidelink channels, or slot format instructions, or Sending power control commands, or Cancellation of UL transmission, or Power saving information notification, or Soft resource availability notification A PDCCH carrying downlink control information (DCI) for one of the CORESETs may be transmitted on the CORESET.

[0017] Depending on the purpose of the DCI, the DCI can have various formats. For example, information for scheduling a PDSCH is provided to a UE via a DCI having format 1_0 or 1_1. Each DCI format has a specific number of fields, and each field has a specific size. The size of some of the fields can be determined through the configuration of higher layer parameters. When a UE detects a valid DCI with a specific format, it executes the instructions intended by the DCI. For example, when the UE detects DCI format 1_0 or 1_1 for scheduling a PDSCH, it receives and processes the PDSCH according to the configuration provided in the DCI.

[0018] It should be noted that the terms PDCCH and DCI may be used interchangeably in this disclosure, as both terms refer to downlink control channel information obtained via the physical layer. Channel State Information Framework Channel state information (CSI) is provided by the UE to a network node (or gNB) after measurements of specific CSI resources in the downlink, which can be used to adapt transmission parameters on the link according to the channel conditions. In the DL, the CSI resources are CSI-RS and SSB resources. These DL RS resources are configured by the network node, and CSI is calculated by the UE from these DL RS resources. The UE performs measurements on the DL RS resources according to instructions provided by the network node or according to instructions defined in the specification, and provides the CSI quantities that the network node instructs the UE to report in a CSI report. The CSI report may include one or more of the following CSI quantities:

[0019] CSI-RS Resource Indicator (CRI) SSB Resource Indicator (SSBRI) Layer 1 (L1), i.e., the physical layer - Reference Signal Received Power (RSRP) Layer 1 (L1), i.e., the physical layer - Signal-to-Interference-and-Noise Ratio (SINR) Precoder Matrix Indicator (PMI) Rank Indicator (RI) Channel Quality Indicator (CQI) Layer Indicator (LI) The UE is notified of the N rep ≥ 1 CSI Report Configuration / Settings (CSI-ReportConfig) and N res ≧1 CSI resource configurations (CSI-ResourceConfig) are provided. Each CSI resource configuration, CSI-ResourceConfig, provides one or more of the following:

[0020] A non-zero power CSI-RS resource set(s) containing one or more non-zero power CSI-RS resources (One or more) SSB resource sets containing one or more SSB resources A CSI-IM resource set (or sets) containing one or more CSI-IM resources An NZP resource, an SSB resource, or a CSI-IM resource may comprise one or more ports. A CSI-IM resource is sometimes referred to as a zero-power (ZP) CSI-RS resource. The configuration of a CSI-IM resource comprises a pattern of resource elements in a time-frequency grid. These resource elements are transmitted at zero power, and intra-cell and inter-cell interference and / or noise can be measured by a UE from these resource elements.

[0021] To estimate CSI, the gNB (or network node) provides instructions to the UE, or instructions are defined in the specification for measuring various parameters from the provided resources. CSI measurements include measuring the channel portion and the interference portion (the portion of the link that interferes with the UE's communication) to estimate various CSI quantities. The channel and interference may be measured from different set(s) or group(s) of resources. Interference may be measured from one or more CSI-IM resources, or NZP-CSI-RS resources, or SSB resources. However, the channel portion may be measured only from the NZP-CSI-RS resources or SSB resources.

[0022] The information elements that provide the CSI report configuration are shown below. Each CSI report configuration is linked to at least one and up to three CSI resource configurations, and the three CSI resource configurations provide the following:

[0023] NZP-CSI-RS or SSB resource(s) for channel measurements CSI-IM resource(s) for interference measurement NZP-CSI-RS or SSB resource(s) for interference measurement

[0024]

number

[0025] Report structure The UE calculates various CSI parameters or CSI quantities indicated by the gNB for CSI reporting as provided in the higher layer parameters "reportQuantity" or "reportQuantity-r16" in the reporting configuration. The parameters are interdependent and the calculation of a parameter can be conditional on another parameter [4].

[0026] ·L1 shall be calculated conditional on the reported CQI, PMI, RI and CRI. ·CQI shall be calculated subject to the reported PMI, RI and CRI.

[0027] · PMI shall be calculated subject to the reported RI and CRI. ·RI shall be calculated conditional on the reported CRI. The CRI or SSBRI is the resource on which the channel is measured, and the precoder (PMI), rank (RI) and corresponding CQI (indication of the "appropriate MCS" (modulation and coding scheme) according to the specification) provide the link parameters for this resource.

[0028] As observed in the configuration of the CSI report, at least the following aspects of the CSI report are configurable by the gNB: CSI quantities reported by the UE The frequency granularity at which one or more of the CSI quantities are reported Reporting time domain behavior (aperiodic, semi-persistent, and periodic) Time domain restrictions for channel and interference measurements obtained for reporting Depending on the time-domain behavior of the report, the trigger and the channel on which the report is transmitted may vary. The following table (Table 1) from TS 38.214 [4] provides an overview of the various time-domain behaviors supported by the 3GPP 5G NR specifications for CSI reporting and associated CSI resources, the triggering or activation type for reporting, and the uplink channel used for reporting. The medium access control (MAC) layer or physical layer may be used for triggering or activation of CSI reporting, and, if applicable, deactivation. The gNB sends a medium access control-control element (MAC-CE) message in the case of semi-persistent CSI reporting for activation or deactivation of CSI reports. The physical layer is used in the case of semi-persistent or aperiodic CSI reporting for triggering and deactivation, if applicable.

[0029] [Table 1]

[0030] DOWNLINK TRANSMISSION CONFIGURATION INDICATION As mentioned before, the PDCCH and PDSCH carry DL control information and DL data to the UE, respectively [1-6].

[0031] A demodulation reference signal (DMRS) is embedded for coherent demodulation of the PDCCH / PDSCH at the UE. The DMRS consists of a set of DMRS ports. The number of DMRS ports determines the number of transmission layers included in the PDSCH. The DMRS is used for channel estimation at the UE to coherently demodulate the PDSCH or PDCCH(s). In the case of PDCCHs, one or more of them may be transmitted on the CORESET. Thus, the DMRS for coherent demodulation of the PDCCH(s) on the CORESET may be embedded across the PDCCH(s) transmitted on the CORESET.

[0032] The parameters for the transmission of PDCCH and PDSCH are known as "Transmission Configuration Indication" states (TCI states) [4]. In 3GPP Rel.16, the indication of how the control or shared channels are transmitted by the gNB and which assumptions the UE must consider while receiving them is done via Reference Signals (RS). The indication to the UE is performed using the TCI-state information element (IE) configured via RRC, as shown in Figure 3. The TCI-state IE contains, among other elements:

[0033] One or more reference signals For each reference signal, one or more quasi-colocation (QCL) hypotheses A TCI state is used to refer to how to receive a PDSCH or PDCCH(s) transmitted on a CORESET. Applying a TCI state to a PDSCH or CORESET means that the PDSCH or PDCCH(s) transmitted on the CORESET are assumed to be quasi-co-located with the reference signal referred to in the TCI state.

[0034] Assuming "quasi-co-location" means that certain channel parameters such as Doppler shift / spread, delay spread, mean delay, and / or Tx beam direction are assumed to be the same for the RS mentioned in the TCI state and the PDSCH or PDCCH(s) transmitted on the CORESET. In 3GPP Rel. 16 [4], four different QCL types can be indicated: "QCL-TypeA": {Doppler shift, Doppler spread, mean delay, delay spread} "QCL-TypeB": {Doppler shift, Doppler spread} "QCL-TypeC": {Doppler shift, average delay} "QCL-TypeD": {Spatial Rx parameters} One or more of the QCL-Info parameters are included in the TCI State IE to provide the QCL assumption(s) associated with the TCI state.

[0035] For example, consider a TCI state IE that includes DL Reference Signal (RS) "A" with QCL assumption "QCL-typeA" and DL RS "B" with QCL assumption "QCL-TypeD." Applying this TCI state to a PDSCH or CORESET with a given quasi-co-location assumption means that the UE assumes the same Doppler shift, Doppler spread, mean delay, and delay spread for the PDSCH or PDCCH(s) transmitted on CORESET and DL RS "A," and that the UE uses the same spatial filter for receiving DL RS "B" and the PDSCH or PDCCH(s) transmitted on CORESET, or the Rx spatial filter for receiving the PDCCH(s) on CORESET or PDSCH may be derived from or similar to the one used for reception of DL RS "B."

[0036] Typically, the TCI state used for the PDCCH or PDSCH includes the identifier (ID) of the channel state information reference signal (CSI-RS) or synchronization signal block (SSB) along with the QCL assumption for the reference signal. The RS of the TCI state is typically an RS that the UE has previously measured so that it can use it as a reference for receiving the DMRS of the PDCCH or PDSCH and therefore demodulate it. The indication of the TCI state for the CORESET or PDSCH is performed via a MAC-CE message or using the TCI-indication field of the downlink control information (DCI) used to schedule the PDSCH.

[0037] In FR2, where the gNB and UE establish a connection via spatially selective / directional beams, the TCI state is used to indicate the Rx beam the UE may receive, i.e., the spatial filter that the UE may use to receive the PDSCH / PDCCH(s) via the "qcl-TypeD" assumption with the UE's received CSI-RS or SSB. The determination of the DL Tx beam for transmitting the PDCCH(s) / PDSCH(s) is performed via a beam sweeping procedure by a network node (e.g., the gNB). In the beam sweeping procedure, the gNB configures a set of DL RSs (CSI-RS or SSBs) via RRC for the UE to measure the set of DL RSs. Each configured DL RS is transmitted using a different spatial filter, i.e., each configured DL RS may be transmitted in a different direction by the gNB. The UE measures each configured DL RS by receiving them using one or more spatial filters, i.e., the RSs may all be received with the same spatial filter, or a different spatial filter may be used to receive each RS. Following the measurement, the UE sends a beam report to the gNB. The beam report contains the indices of the configured DL RSs (essentially L DL Tx beam directions, where each beam direction results from the use of a specific spatial filter at the gNB), with 1≦L≦4, along with the received power at each of the RSs [4]. With the help of the beam report, the gNB determines one or more appropriate DL Tx beam directions, i.e., spatial filters for the transmission of the PDCCH(s) and PDSCH(s).

[0038] Multi-TRP scenario 3GPP Rel.16 standardized multi-TRP transmission to improve the reliability and robustness of PDSCH transmission. A network node (or gNB) can be considered as a TRP. Two types of multi-TRP transmission for PDSCH are possible:

[0039] Single DCI-based multi-TRP: A single DCI schedules the transmission of PDSCH(s) from two or more TRPs, i.e., PDSCH(s) may be multiplexed in the spatial, time, and / or frequency domains. When PDSCH(s) from different TRPs are multiplexed to a UE in the spatial, time, and / or frequency domains, the TCI field of the DCI may indicate two or more TCI states to indicate the QCL assumption for reception of a single PDSCH or multiple portions of multiple PDSCHs. The TCI field of the PDSCH scheduling DCI in 3GPP Rel. 15, which only supports single-TRP transmission from a single DCI, indicates only one TCI state for PDSCH scheduling. The TCI field is b bits in size and can indicate up to 2b different TCI states. However, higher layers may support T≧2. b For the purpose of indication via the TCI field for the PDSCH, the UE may select 2 TCI states from the T TCI states configured via higher layers, such that each code point in the TCI field maps to a TCI state. b To support single DCI-based multiple TRP transmission, 3GPP Rel.16 introduces a MAC-CE message that provides a mapping of one or more higher layer configured TCI states with codepoints in the TCI field to the UE.

[0040] Multi-DCI-based multi-TRP: In this scenario, at a given time, a UE may receive multiple PDSCHs, each scheduled by a different DCI. CORESETpoolIndex is a parameter introduced in 3GPP Rel.16 [4] for configuring a CORESET that may be used in this scenario. This parameter or index may be used to group CORESETs into different pools according to the TRP to which the CORESET is associated in the case of multi-TRP transmission. PDCCHs transmitted on CORESETs configured with the same CORESETpoolIndex value may be considered to be associated with the same TRP. A CORESET belonging to or associated with a CORESETpoolIndex means that the higher layer configuration of the CORESET may include the CORESETpoolIndex (value). It is understood that if a UE is configured by a network node with multiple CORESETpoolIndex values, the UE may receive multiple PDSCHs that may overlap in the time and frequency domains and are scheduled by multiple PDCCHs received on CORESETs configured with different CORESETpoolIndex values, i.e., CORESETs associated with different TRPs.

[0041] Link adaptation for multi-frequency band, multi-beam, and / or multi-TRP / panel downlink-based transmissions requires knowledge of CSI from the UE to the serving gNB for each frequency band, beam, and / or TRP. CSI knowledge facilitates dynamic scheduling of transmissions to adapt to changing channel conditions between the UE and one or more TRPs / panels on one or more frequency bands or beams. This allows the network node or gNB to switch transmissions "on" or "off" or adapt link transmission parameters (e.g., modulation and coding scheme / rate, i.e., MCS, number of layers, precoding, etc.) for each frequency band, beam, and / or TRP. In the current state of the art, various CSI quantities, such as PMI, RI, and CQI, can be reported for only one resource from a given set of resources. The UE cannot report CSI for multiple resources to which it may be associated. To enable dynamic multi-frequency band, multi-beam, and / or multi-TRP / panel-based downlink transmissions, the UE may provide CSI for one or more resources to one or more network nodes. Such a CSI report may include the following information:

[0042] Selected TRP(s), panel(s), beam(s), and / or frequency band(s) suitable for downlink transmission (this information may be conveyed indirectly by reporting associated resources) Transmission parameters for the selected TRP(s), beam(s), panel(s), and / or frequency band(s). The TRP, panel(s), beam(s), and / or frequency band selected by the UE for transmission may depend on the following aspects:

[0043] Ability of the UE to receive transmissions on multiple frequency bands or from multiple TRPs / panels / beams Quality of Service (QoS) or data rate requirement(s) for the UE, and Power saving conditions, e.g., the UE may determine that it may need to consume less power and therefore select a reduced number of frequency band(s) and / or TRP(s) / panel(s) / beam(s) for communication.

[0044] Therefore, the assessment and reporting of channel conditions by the UE for multiple TRPs, panels, beams, and / or frequency bands can enhance resource scheduling by the gNB.

[0045] Please note that the information in the above sections is intended solely to provide a better understanding of the background of the invention and, therefore, may contain information that does not constitute prior art already known to those skilled in the art.

[0046] In a further portion of this disclosure, methods are provided for the configuration of CSI reports and associated resources required for channel and interference measurements by a UE.

[0047] Provided below are methods and apparatus for enhancing reporting of CSI for multiple downlink resources in wireless communication networks, such as advanced 5G networks. Summary of the Invention

[0048] As mentioned above, it is an object of the embodiments herein to provide a method and apparatus for enhancing CSI reporting. According to an aspect of certain embodiments herein, there is provided a method performed by a UE, the method including: receiving, from a network node, a CSI report configuration providing N reference signal (RS) resources for channel measurements via one or more CSI settings; performing measurements on the N RS resources; calculating or determining one or more CSI quantities for the M selected RS resources; and transmitting a CSI report to the network node including the calculated or determined CSI quantities, wherein the CSI report includes two parts, namely, Part 1 and Part 2, and content included in Part 1 indicates a size of Part 2.

[0049] According to another aspect of the embodiments herein, there is provided a UE comprising a processor and a memory including instructions executable by the processor, whereby the UE is operable or configured to perform any one of the embodiments presented in the detailed description relating to actions performed by the UE.

[0050] According to an aspect of some embodiments herein, there is provided a method performed by a network node or a gNB, the method including: transmitting, via one or more CSI settings to a UE, a CSI report configuration providing N reference signal (RS) resources for channel measurements, to enable the UE to perform measurements on the N reference signal (RS) resources and calculate or determine one or more CSI quantities for M selected RS resources; receiving, from the UE, a CSI report including the calculated or determined CSI quantities, the CSI report including two parts, namely, Part 1 and Part 2, where content included in Part 1 indicates a size of Part 2; decoding Part 1 of the CSI report to determine a payload size of Part 2 of the CSI report, thereby enabling the network node to decode the CSI report.

[0051] According to another aspect of the embodiments herein, there is provided a network node comprising a processor and a memory including instructions executable by the processor, whereby the network node is operable or configured to perform any one of the embodiments presented in the detailed description relating to actions performed by the network node.

[0052] Also provided is a computer program comprising instructions that, when executed on at least one processor of a UE, cause the at least one processor to perform the actions or method steps presented herein.

[0053] Also provided is a computer program comprising instructions which, when executed on at least one processor of a network node, cause the at least one processor to perform the method steps presented herein.

[0054] A medium containing the computer program is also provided, the medium being one of a computer-readable storage medium, an electronic signal, an optical signal, or a wireless signal. An advantage of the embodiments herein is that they enhance CSI reporting. Further advantages of the embodiments herein are provided in the detailed description of the present disclosure. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0055] [Figure 1] 1 is a simplified diagram of a wireless communication network including a core network and a radio access network. [Figure 2] This is a diagram showing the upper layer structure of CORESET (state of the art (SoTA)). [Figure 3] A diagram showing the RRC configuration of the TCI status information element (SoTA). [Figure 4] 1 is a flowchart of a method performed by a UE according to some embodiments. [Figure 5]1 is a flowchart of a method performed by a network node according to some embodiments. [Figure 6] 1 is a block diagram illustrating a UE in accordance with some embodiments of the present disclosure. [Figure 7] 1 is a block diagram illustrating a network node according to some embodiments of the present disclosure. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0056] Below, detailed descriptions of example embodiments are described in conjunction with drawings in some scenarios to enable easier understanding of the solution(s) described herein.

[0057] In this disclosure, novel methods for CSI reporting and CSI resource configuration are provided for scenarios in which DL channels are provided from a network node (or gNB) across multiple frequency bands or bandwidth portions (BWPs), or from multiple transmission / reception points (TRPs), or across panels from one or more TRPs or beams at a given time instance in one or more cells. Using the proposed CSI reporting and CSI resource configuration method, a network node can dynamically schedule multiple frequency bands / BWPs and / or TRPs / panels / beams for downlink transmissions, switch links associated with particular frequency bands / BWPs or TRPs / beams and UEs “on” or “off” in DL, and adapt links associated with particular frequency bands / BWPs or TRPs / beams and UEs based on the CSI reported by the UE.

[0058] Additionally, some embodiments herein relate to methods for reference signal measurements and reporting of CSI for provided CSI report configuration information. Throughout the present disclosure, CSI-RS resources refer to non-zero power (NZP) CSI-RS resources, unless otherwise specified. Also, in this specification, CSI-IM resources refer to zero power (ZP) CSI-RS resources, unless otherwise specified. A CSI resource may refer to an SSB or CSI-RS resource on which one or more CSI quantities may be provided or evaluated or reported.

[0059] According to one embodiment, a method performed by a UE includes the following. ·Receiving, from a network node (or gNB), a CSI report configuration that provides N reference signal (RS) resources for channel measurement via one or more CSI resource settings. Here, the N reference signal resources may be CSI-RS or SSB resources, or a mixture of CSI-RS and SSB resources.

[0060] ·Performing measurements on the N reference signal resources provided for channel measurement in the CSI report configuration. ·Calculating or determining one or more CSI quantities for M selected reference signal resources.

[0061] ·Transmitting a CSI report including the calculated CSI quantities for the M selected resources to the network node. Here, the CSI report includes two parts, namely part 1 and part 2, and the content included in part 1 indicates the size or payload size of part 2 of the CSI report.

[0062] According to an exemplary embodiment, the CSI report may be composed of P parts, part 1 (i.e., the first part) has a fixed payload size, the size of part p, 1 < p ≦ P is indicated or determined by the content of part q, 1 ≦ q < p, P may be less than or equal to M, M may be less than or equal to N, and M may be greater than or equal to 1.

[0063] According to one embodiment, the aforementioned CSI report includes at least one of the following CSI quantities: A Channel Resource Identifier or CSI-RS Resource Indicator (CRI) indicating a subset or combination of CSI-RS resources (among those provided in the CSI reporting configuration) An SSB Resource Identifier (SSBRI) that indicates a subset or combination of SSB resources (among those provided in the CSI reporting configuration) A rank indicator (RI) associated with the resource indicating a rank value for the CSI resource, or an RI indicating a combination of rank values ​​for a subset of CSI-RS resources (e.g., indicated by a CRI) in the CSI report. A Channel Quality Indicator (CQI) indicating one or more CQI values ​​for a subset of CSI-RS resources (e.g., resources indicated by CRI or SSBRI) Layer Indicator (LI) value A Precoding Matrix Indicator (PMI) indicating one or more precoding matrices for a subset of CSI-RS resources (e.g., indicated by a CRI). According to one embodiment, the CSI report includes one or more CSI quantities, each CSI quantity being associated with at least one of the M selected reference signal resources, the M selected reference signal resources being indicated in the CSI report.

[0064] As mentioned above, the CSI report, when indicated as a report quantity in the CSI report configuration, includes at least one of the following CSI report quantities: RI, PMI, CQI, and LI for each of the M resources associated with the CSI report. For example, if the CSI report configuration indicates "RI / PMI / CQI," the UE reports three quantities for each of the M CSI-RS and / or SSB resources associated with the CSI report.

[0065] The reason for segmenting the CSI report into at least two parts is that the CSI in the CSI report (i.e., one or more reported CSI quantities) can be associated with a subset or combination of M out of the N configured resources for channel measurement, where the subset of M resources and the value of M can be freely selected by the UE. Since the payload size of the CSI report depends on the selected value of M, which is not known to the network node, it is beneficial to segment the CSI report into P parts, where part 1, the first part, has a fixed payload size known to the network node. In the first option, each part p (1 ≤ p < P) can indicate the size of part p + 1. In the second option, part 1 indicates the sizes of all parts p (1 < p ≤ P). Here, it is assumed that the value of M is less than or equal to N and P is less than or equal to M. As a special case, when M is 2 or more, the CSI report includes P parts, where P = 2. Thus, after receiving the CSI report by the network node and decrypting part 1 of the CSI report, the payload size of the subsequent or remaining parts of the CSI report can be derived, enabling the network node to decrypt the complete CSI report.

[0066] For example, as described above, the CSI report provided by the UE to the network node includes two parts, namely part 1 and part 2, and the content included in part 1 indicates the size of part 2. After decrypting part 1 of the CSI report, the gNB knows the size of part 2 of the CSI report. In another example, the CSI report consists of three parts, namely part 1, part 2, and part 3. Part 1 indicates the size of part 2, and part 2 indicates the size of part 3. After decrypting part 1 (which has a fixed size), the gNB knows the size of part 2 and can decrypt part 2. After decrypting part 2, the gNB knows the size of part 3 and can decrypt part 3.

[0067] In some examples, the size of the p-th portion of the CSI report may be determined by an indicator (bitfield) included in the q-th (q < p) portion of the CSI report. In some examples, the presence of a portion of the CSI report is determined by one of a bitmap or an indicator field in one of the previous portions of the CSI report. The size of the portion may be determined by the CSI quantity included in the CSI report. If the portion exists, the size is predefined, and if it does not exist, the size is zero. The CSI quantities to be reported may be provided in the CSI report configuration or they may be known to the UE (e.g., they are defined in the specification).

[0068] As an example, portion q may include an indicator indicating the size of portion p and may also determine whether portion p exists. For example, the CRI may determine the resources for which CSI is to be reported. For example, if two resources are indicated by the CRI, the report may comprise one or two portions.

[0069] The CSI reporting method described above is beneficial when the UE needs to calculate CSI (i.e., one or more CSI quantities) based on multiple subsets of resources or combinations of resources, where each subset of resources or each combination of resources is associated with, for example, a combination of frequency bands or bandwidth parts, or a combination of beams or TRPs. The UE may determine the frequency bands or bandwidth parts for operation or the subset or combination of TRPs / beams to be used for joint transmission. Thus, the CSI reporting method described above enables dynamic frequency band or TRP selection and / or scheduling for joint transmission.

[0070] A non-limiting example of a special case would be a CSI reporting configuration that provides two resources that can be associated with two frequency bands or ports from two different TRPs, or two different beams from one or more TRPs. The CSI can help the scheduler at the gNB determine an optimal subset or combination of association(s) with frequency band(s) or TRP(s) or beam(s).

[0071] According to one embodiment, the CSI report may include P parts, where a first part includes one or more CSI quantities associated with a first selected CSI-RS or SSB resource, and a pth part includes one or more CSI quantities associated with the pth selected CSI-RS or SSB resource. In some examples, P=M. As a special case, the CSI report includes two parts (P=2), where a first part includes one or more CSI quantities associated with a first selected CSI-RS or SSB resource, and a second part includes one or more CSI quantities associated with the remaining (M-1) selected CSI-RS and / or SSB resources. In one alternative example, the first part of the CSI report indicates at least R of the M selected CSI-RS or SSB resources associated with one or more CSI quantities in the CSI report, where 1≦R≦M. The value R may be indicated to the UE via higher layers or may be defined in a specification. In another alternative, the (p-1)th portion of the CSI report indicates CSI-RS and / or SSB resources for one or more CSI quantities in the pth portion of the CSI report (1 <p≦P)。

[0072] As mentioned above, the UE is configured with a CSI report configuration that provides N resources associated with one or more resource sets configured for channel measurements. The resources may be CSI-RS or SSB resources, and the resource set may be a CSI-RS or SSB resource set. The UE may be configured to transmit a CSI report to the network node that includes CSI (i.e., one or more CSI quantities) corresponding to M (1≦M≦N) or up to M selected resources. In some examples, the value of the parameter M is Freely selected by the UE, or known a priori to the UE, or - It is defined in the specification and is known.

[0073] In some examples, the value of the parameter M may be indicated to the UE from a network node either via physical layer signaling (e.g., via DCI signaling) or via higher layer signaling (e.g., via RRC or MAC-CE signaling).

[0074] In some examples, the resources provided in the CSI report configuration may be associated with ports from different TRPs (or gNBs) or beams. If a UE is configured with N resources for channel measurements, the N resources may be associated with N different TRPs or beams.

[0075] In some examples, each resource for channel measurement in a CSI report configuration may be associated with a partially overlapping or non-overlapping frequency band or bandwidth portion, which means that when a UE is configured with N resources configured for channel measurement, each resource may be associated with a different frequency band or bandwidth portion.

[0076] CSI Reports and Resource Configuration CSI report configuration According to one embodiment, the UE is configured to receive a CSI reporting configuration from a network node via an upper layer (e.g., RRC), where the CSI reporting configuration provides:

[0077] N NZP CSI-RS or SSB resources for channel measurements, where each CSI-RS or SSB resource has K≧1 CSI-RS or SSB ports, respectively.

[0078] One or more CSI quantities that the UE should report for 1≦M≦N resources configured for channel measurements. Resources for channel measurements may be provided to the UE via one or more "CSI-ResourceConfig" information elements configured via higher layers (e.g., RRC). The CSI-ResourceConfig information element may comprise one or more sets of SSB and / or CSI-RS resources. In addition, the CSI report configuration may include one or more sets of resources for interference measurements. In some examples, the resources for interference measurements are CSI-IM (ZP CSI-RS) resources. In some examples, the resources for interference measurements are NZP CSI-RS or SSB resources. In some examples, the resources for interference measurements are NZP CSI-RS or SSB resources, in addition to CSI-IM resources.

[0079] According to some embodiments, the UE may calculate the CSI for resource n, which may be a CSI-RS or an SSB resource, as follows: The channel is measured by the UE using one or more reference signals provided by one or more network nodes, indicated by resource n.

[0080] The interference is measured using one or more reference signals indicated by one or more resources from at least one of the following: ○ CSI-IM Resources o One or more NZP CSI-RS or SSB resources different from the resource n configured for channel measurements, or ○ One or more NZP CSI-RS or SSB resources configured for interference measurements In some examples, there may be a correspondence between resources for channel measurements and CSI-IM resources, and if such a correspondence exists, interference is measured from the corresponding CSI-IM resource, if applicable.

[0081] In some examples, a UE may be given N resources for channel measurement, and the UE measures interference corresponding to the nth resource for channel measurement from one or more of the remaining N−1 resources for channel measurement (resources different from resource n).

[0082] In some examples, a UE may be given N resources for channel measurement and one or more CSI-IM resources, and the UE measures interference corresponding to the nth resource for channel measurement from one of the CSI-IM resources.

[0083] In some examples, a UE may be given N resources for channel measurement and one or more CSI-IM resources, and the UE measures interference corresponding to the nth resource for channel measurement from one or more of the remaining N−1 resources (different from resource n) for channel measurement and from one CSI-IM resource.

[0084] In some examples, a UE may be given N resources for CSI and N CSI-IM resources of a CSI reporting configuration. The UE measures interference corresponding to the nth resource for channel measurement from the nth CSI-IM resource. There is a one-to-one correspondence between the N resources for channel measurement and the N CSI-IM resources, and each resource for channel measurement may be associated with a separate CSI-IM resource.

[0085] In some examples, a UE may be given N resources for channel measurement, N CSI-IM resources for interference measurement, and N NZP-CSI-RS resources, and the UE measures the interference corresponding to the n resource for channel measurement from the n CSI-IM resource for interference measurement and the n NZP-CSI-RS resource.

[0086] The current CSI reporting structure used in the NR specifications [4], [6] needs to be modified to allow a UE to report CSI for multiple CSI-RS and / or SSB resources, which may be reported in one or more parts. For this new type of CSI reporting, the NR CSI reporting structure needs to be modified and / or one or more new higher layer parameters need to be introduced.

[0087] According to several embodiments, a UE is configured to receive a higher layer configuration, e.g., a CSI reporting configuration, including one or more parameters indicating reporting of one or more CSI quantities for M or up to M resources. The M resources (CSI-RS or SSB resources, or a mixture thereof) are provided as channel measurement resources in the (CSI) reporting configuration. In some examples, the value M may be provided or indicated by a parameter providing the reporting quantity in the CSI reporting configuration, or by a different parameter in the CSI reporting configuration, or by a combination of parameters provided via a higher layer. It may be provided to the UE via a MAC-CE message. At least one of the CSI quantities provided in the CSI reporting configuration is reported by the UE for two or more associated CSI-RS and / or SSB resources. In one example, if the CSI reporting configuration indicates the CSI quantities RI, PMI, and CQI, three CSI quantities are reported by the UE for two or up to M CSI-RS and / or SSB resources. The resource, or combination of resources, or number of resources for which the CSI amount is provided in the CSI report may be configured via higher layers, may be selected by the UE, or may be known by the UE and defined in a specification.

[0088] CSI resource configuration The channel and interference measurement resources are provided via a higher layer information element, CSI-ResourceConfig, which provides a CSI resource configuration for CSI reporting configuration. One or more sets of NZP CSI-RS and / or SSB and / or CSI-IM resources are provided in a CSI-ResourceConfig information element (IE). The CSI reporting configuration indicates a resource configuration for channel measurements (CSI-ResourceConfig) and, if applicable, indicates one resource configuration for interference measurement from CSI-IM resources and / or one resource configuration for interference measurement from NZP-CSI-RS or SSB resources. In the following embodiments, methods are provided for configuration of CSI resource configurations for various purposes of CSI reporting, as described above.

[0089] According to several embodiments, the CSI reporting configuration is linked to one or more CSI resource configurations, and the CSI reporting configuration provides at least one of the following settings:

[0090] One or more CSI resource configurations, each providing one or more sets of DL RS resources for channel measurements. One or more CSI resource configurations, each providing one or more sets of CSI-IM resources for interference measurements. One or more CSI resource configurations, each providing one or more sets of DL RS resources for interference measurement. In some examples, the number of CSI resource configuration(s) for channel measurement and / or the number of CSI resource configuration(s) for interference measurement from CSI-IM resources and / or the number of CSI resource configuration(s) for interference measurement from CSI-RS or SSB resources is equal to the number of frequency bands or the number of TRPs or beams to which the resources are associated, e.g., it is equal to the number of CORESET pool index values ​​or the maximum number of TCI states mapped to a single TCI field codepoint of the DCI in a given cell.

[0091] According to one embodiment, the UE may measure the interference on resource m of CSI resource configuration k from: one or more resources associated with one or more CSI resource configurations k′ (k′ ≠ k) for channel measurements, and / or one or more resources associated with one or more CSI resource configurations that provide one or more CSI-IM resources and / or one or more DL RS resources for interference measurements In some examples, the CSI reporting configuration provides the following:

[0092] One CSI resource configuration for channel measurement, one CSI resource configuration for interference measurement including CSI-IM resources and one CSI resource configuration for interference measurement including CSI-RS or SSB resources, and / or One CSI resource configuration for interference measurement including either CSI-IM resources or CSI-RS or SSB resources.

[0093] The UE may then measure the interference corresponding to resource m for channel measurement from: one or more resources other than resource m associated with the CSI resource configuration for channel measurements, and / or ·One or more resources associated with the CSI resource configuration for interference measurement.

[0094] In some cases, there is a corresponding non-zero-power CSI-RS or SSB interference resource for each channel resource, which may be a resource associated with an interfering TRP or a partially overlapping frequency band.

[0095] According to one embodiment, the UE is provided with a CSI report configuration that includes the same number of NZP-CSI-RS or SSB resources for interference measurement via one or more resource configurations as there are resources for channel measurement. For example, if two resources are provided for channel measurement, there may also be two resources (NZP-CSI-RS resources, or SSB resources, or a mixture of both) provided for interference measurement, where each channel measurement resource has a corresponding NZP-CSI-RS or SSB resource interference measurement.

[0096] In the case of multi-TRP / panel or multi-beam or multi-frequency band transmission, channel resource m, for which various CSI quantities are evaluated by the UE, may itself act as an interfering resource for one or more channel resources different from resource m. This means that the UE may be configured to assume that one or more channel resources different from resource m are interfering resources for interference measurement purposes. Explicitly indicating a channel resource that may act as an interference resource to another channel resource as an interfering resource may be required in some contexts. For example, this may be necessary in FR2 scenarios where spatially selective beams are required for communication. If beamforming is used for reception, the interference measurement resource should be measured on the same Rx beam as the channel resource, so that interference caused by other resources can be measured when a beam suitable for a particular channel resource is used. If only channel measurement resources are given, the UE measures each resource using the respective beam for the channel measurement resource. Thus, a channel resource r, which may be a different channel resource, may be measured. c Interference resource r i is the channel resource r c To measure the interference corresponding to resource r c Therefore, explicit configuration of the corresponding interference resource(s) may help transmission of the same resource at different instances, thereby assisting the UE to switch beams or generally modify settings for measurements between channel and interference measurements of the same resource.

[0097] According to one embodiment, the UE is configured to use one or more of the CSI resources or one or more of the sets or groups of resources configured for channel measurement for interference measurement. This may mean, for example, that the UE is provided with a CSI report configuration by a network node, where one or more of the CSI resources configured for channel measurement or one or more of the sets or groups of resources may be configured for interference measurement. In another example, the UE may be provided with instructions from a specification to use one or more of the CSI resources or one or more of the sets or groups of resources configured for channel measurement for interference measurement. The ordering or identifier(s) of the resource(s) for channel measurement may be the same as or different from the ordering or identifier(s) of the resource(s) for interference measurement, i.e., the same resource may be used in the order of the resource(s) configured for channel measurement. i The rth resource may be the rth resource of the resource(s) configured for interference measurement. j The second resource may be r i ≠r j In one alternative, for the x-th channel measurement resource, interference may be measured from the x-th interference measurement resource. In another alternative, for the x-th channel measurement resource, interference may be measured from one or more resources different from the x-th interference measurement resource.

[0098] An example of a multi-TRP scenario may be as follows: The CSI report configuration may provide two resources {r1, r2} using the configured CSI resource configuration for channel measurements. For interference measurements, the associated CSI resource configuration provides the same resources in one of the following orderings: I1 = {r1, r2} or I2 = {r2, r1}.

[0099] When the first ordering I1 is used for interference measurement, for the first channel measurement resource r1, the interference is measured from the second interference measurement resource r2, and for the second channel measurement resource r2, the interference is measured from the first interference measurement resource r1.

[0100] When the second ordering I2 is used for interference measurement, for the first channel measurement resource r1, the interference is measured from the first interference measurement resource r2, and for the second channel measurement resource r2, the interference is measured from the second interference measurement resource r1.

[0101] A channel resource may be measured as an interference resource for a different channel resource, but some of the settings associated with the resource may change when measured as an interference resource. The following embodiments provide some of the settings that may change.

[0102] According to some embodiments, one or more of the CSI resources, or one or more of the sets or groups of resources, provided for channel measurement by a CSI report configuration may be provided for interference measurement via the same CSI resource configuration or a different CSI resource configuration. Values ​​of one or more of the following parameters associated with the CSI resource configuration or resources associated with a resource configuration used for interference measurement may be different from values ​​of corresponding parameters associated with the CSI resource configuration or resources associated with a resource configuration for channel measurement:

[0103] An identifier (ID) used for one or more resources in resource ordering or resource configuration. Aperiodic triggering offset of resource set(s) if the CSI resource configuration provides aperiodic resource(s). The time-domain behavior or periodicity (aperiodic, semi-persistent, or aperiodic) of the resource(s) provided in the resource configuration The periodicity and offset of one or more resources QCL settings or assumptions for one or more resources The above statement can mean one of the following:

[0104] The CSI resource configuration for channel and interference measurements provided by the gNB may be different and / or the configuration of one or more of the parameters may be different, in which case the gNB may provide such a configuration or the UE may expect such a configuration.

[0105] The settings corresponding to one or more of said parameters applied by the UE to the resource(s) corresponding to the channel measurements and interference measurements may be different. The parameter differences in the two resource configurations can be used to adapt the transmission of the resource according to the UE's ability to switch beams or modify the measurement parameters (such as the QCL assumptions applied), so that the resource may be measured as a channel resource during one transmission occasion and as an interference resource during another occasion.

[0106] Spatial reception conditions In Frequency Range 2 (FR2), i.e., for carrier frequencies greater than 6 GHz, DL transmissions are received at the UE using spatially selective Rx beams. If a particular beam is used for receiving and measuring a resource for channel measurement, the same beam should be used for receiving and measuring the interference measurement resource(s) associated with the channel measurement resource. Once the UE has identified a suitable Rx beam for receiving the channel measurement resource, it must determine the interference conditions when receiving the resource using that beam. Therefore, the interference resource is measured using the same Rx beam as the one used for channel measurement.

[0107] According to one embodiment, the UE is configured to apply a "QCL-type D" quasi-co-location assumption with respect to the channel measurement resource(s) when applicable, in order to measure the interference measurement resource(s) associated with the channel measurement resource(s). Thus, for a given Rx beam of the UE, the channel and interference can be measured uniquely. This means at least one of the following:

[0108] · The UE uses the same spatial domain Rx filter for receiving and / or measuring the channel measurement resource and the associated interference measurement resource(s). The UE derives a spatial domain Rx filter for receiving and / or measuring the channel measurement resource and the associated interference measurement resource(s) from a DL RS provided with a "QCL-typeD" for the channel measurement resource provided by the network or from a DL RS used by the UE to derive a spatial domain Rx filter for the channel measurement resource.

[0109] · The UE expects the channel measurement resource and the associated interference measurement resource(s) to be configured by the network node with the same DL RS for “QCL-typeD”.

[0110] · The reference signals associated with the channel measurement resource and the associated interference measurement resource(s) are transmitted using the same spatial domain transmit filter. In a multi-TRP scenario, when CSI for multiple CSI resources is provided by the UE, for resource m from a particular TRP used for channel measurement, resources other than resource m associated with other TRPs configured for channel measurement may act as sources of interference. The UE may be instructed to consider channel measurement resource(s) different from resource m as interference measurement resource(s), or the interference measurement resource(s) for each channel measurement resource may be explicitly provided to the UE, even if configured as part of the channel measurement resources.

[0111] INDICATION OF SELECTED CSI-RS RESOURCES IN THE CSI REPORT According to one embodiment, the CSI report includes a CSI-RS Resource Indicator (CRI) or CRI field that indicates the selected CSI-RS resource(s) associated with the CSI report.

[0112] According to one embodiment, the CRI or CRI field contains M components or portions for the M selected CSI-RS resources with which the CSI quantity is associated in the CSI report, each component or portion of the CRI indicating one of the M selected CSI-RS resources.

[0113] According to one embodiment, the CRI or CRI field in the CSI report is associated with a number of codepoints, where each codepoint is associated with a combination or subset of CSI-RS resources configured for channel measurements in the CSI report configuration. The association of codepoints to CSI-RS resource combinations may be configured via higher layers (e.g., RRC or MAC-CE), or it is known a priori to the UE and defined in a specification. In some examples, the association of codepoints to CSI-RS resource combinations is a higher layer configuration included in the CSI report configuration. If the number of codepoints is X, the CRI field is

[0114]

number

[0115] It has a size of bits. In some examples, the UE is configured with three CSI-RS resources for channel measurements: CSI-RS resource #1, CSI-RS resource #2, and CSI-RS resource #3. There are seven possible combinations of CSI-RS resources: (resource 1), (resource 2), (resource 3), (resource 1, resource 2), (resource 1, resource 3), (resource 2, resource 3), and (resource 1, resource 2, resource 3).

[0116] In one example, seven possible combinations are associated with seven code points, and the CRI or CRI field is represented by a 3-bit indicator, as shown in Table 2 below.

[0117] [Table 2]

[0118] In another example, the CRI code points are configured via higher layers and correspond to a subset of four combinations of three CSI-RS resources configured for channel measurements in the CSI reporting configuration. Table 3 shows an example of a 2-bit size CRI indicator associated with four code points.

[0119] [Table 3]

[0120] In another example, a UE is configured with two CSI-RS resources for channel measurements. The three possible combinations are associated with three codepoints, and the CRI or CRI field is represented by a 2-bit indicator, as shown in Table 4 below.

[0121] [Table 4]

[0122] In another example, the codepoints in the CRI field correspond to all possible combinations of CSI-RS resources configured for channel measurements in the CSI report configuration. The association of codepoints to combinations or subsets of CSI-RS resources may be configured at higher layers or may be defined in a specification. In some examples, the UE is configured with two CSI-RS resources for channel measurements, and there are three possible combinations of CSI-RS resources: (resource 1), (resource 2), and (resource 1, resource 2). Each codepoint in the CRI corresponds to one combination of CSI-RS resources.

[0123] If the number of possible combinations is X, then the CRI field is

[0124]

number

[0125] It has a size of bits. In some examples, a CRI indicating selected CSI-RS resources with which one or more CSI quantities are associated is included in Part 1 of the CSI report. In such cases, the number of CSI-RS resources indicated by the CRI defines the payload size(s) of the remaining part(s) of the CSI report.

[0126] In one embodiment, the CSI report includes two parts, namely, Part 1 and Part 2, where there is a first CRI and a second CRI, and the first CRI is included in Part 1 and indicates a single selected CSI-RS resource. In this embodiment, Part 1 may include one or more CSI quantities related to the single CSI-RS resource indicated by the first CRI. The second CRI is included in the remaining part(s) of the CSI report and indicates the remaining CSI-RS resources. The one or more CSI quantities included in the remaining part(s) of the CSI report are associated with the CSI-RS resource(s) indicated by the second CRI. The second CRI indicates one or more CSI-RS resources, which are different from the CSI-RS resources indicated by the first CRI.

[0127] In one embodiment, a bitmap of size N×1 indicating M CSI-RS resources is included in or provided in the CSI report, where the M CSI-RS resources are associated with CSI quantities in the CSI report, and N represents the number of CSI-RS resources configured for channel measurement in the CSI report configuration. Each bit in the bitmap is associated with a CSI-RS resource configured for channel measurement. The CSI report contains CSI (i.e., one or more CSI quantities) for M, or up to M, CSI-RS resources, where the value M is freely selected by the UE, configured via higher layers, or defined in a specification.

[0128] According to one embodiment, the bitmap may include M "1"s or up to M "1"s, with the remaining bits being "0". A "1" in the bitmap or bit sequence may indicate that the associated CSI-RS resource has been selected by the UE and that the CSI of the CSI report is associated with the selected CSI-RS resource. The bitmap may be a new field in the CSI report, or the CRI may be provided as said bitmap.

[0129] In one embodiment, a bitmap indicating one or more subsets of resources or resource pairs or resource combinations is included in or provided in the CSI report, where resource(s) of the subset(s) or resource combination(s) are configured for channel measurements, and each bit of the bitmap is associated with one subset of resources or one resource combination. Further, the CSI report includes CSI quantities associated with one or more subsets of resources or resource combinations indicated by the bitmap. In some examples, the bitmap is indicated in part 1 of the CSI report.

[0130] In one embodiment, the code points of the CRI correspond to all possible combinations of CSI-RS resources configured for channel measurements in the CSI report configuration. According to one embodiment, the CRI or CRI field is

[0131]

number

[0132] The CSI is represented by a bit indicator, where each code point of the bit indicator is associated with a combination of m or M CSI-RS resources. In some examples, the UE provides the value M in the CSI report. The value M is either freely selected by the UE, configured by a network node via a higher layer, or defined in a specification. In some examples, a CRI indicating the selected CSI-RS resources with which the CSI is associated is included in part 2 of the CSI report.

[0133] According to one embodiment, the amount of CSI provided in the CSI report is associated with M CSI resources, the CSI report includes P parts, and part 1 of the CSI report may include a CRI indicating 1≦Q≦M CSI resources. If all M resources are indicated in the first part, i.e., if Q=M, then parts p=2,...,P of the CSI report do not include a CRI. If Q=M=1, the CSI report includes only a single part.

[0134] INDICATION OF CSI-RS RESOURCE COMBINATIONS IN CSI REPORT CONFIGURATION According to one embodiment, the UE is configured to receive from the network node an indication of one or more subsets or combinations of the N resources provided for channel measurements in the CSI reporting configuration (e.g., CSI resource indication).

[0135] The reason for the CSI resource indication or indicator is to reduce the UE complexity for CSI calculation. Without the CSI resource indication, the UE is free to select M resources from the N configured resources in the CSI report configuration, which means that the UE

[0136]

number

[0137] It is necessary to calculate CSI (i.e., CSI quantity) for resource combinations N and M. Depending on the values ​​N and M, the number of resource combinations and the corresponding UE complexity for CSI calculation may be very large. To reduce the UE complexity, the network node may indicate to the UE a reduced set of resource combinations for CSI calculation. The UE may perform channel and / or interference measurements on received reference signals and evaluation of the corresponding CSI quantity for the indicated reduced set of resource combinations. Also, from the network perspective, the number of possible resource combinations may be strongly limited, for example, due to scheduling constraints by the gNB (or network node).

[0138] According to an example embodiment, the CSI report configuration includes a CSI resource indicator, where the indicator provides an indication of one or more subsets or combinations of resources. In some examples, as described above, each subset or combination of resources indicated by the CSI resource indicator is associated with a CRI codepoint, and the CRI is provided in the CSI report. In some examples, the indicator indicates two groups of resources, where each group comprises one or more resources configured for channel measurement. In one example, each resource of the subset(s) of resources in a group is mapped to one CRI codepoint, as described above, and one or more resource combinations from the two groups are mapped to one or more CRI codepoints, where each resource combination comprises a resource pair, where the resource pair includes one resource from each group. For example, the first group may include (resource 0) and (resource 1), the second group may include (resource 2) and (resource 3), and the mapping of resources to CRI codepoints is as follows, where the mapping is configured at higher layers or known by the UE (i.e., defined in the NR specifications): (resource 0) is mapped to the first CRI codepoint, (resource 2) is mapped to the second CRI codepoint, and the resource pair {(resource 1), (resource 3)} is mapped to the third CRI codepoint. Note that each CRI codepoint is associated with a subset of resources configured for channel measurements and measurement hypotheses.

[0139] In some examples, measurement hypotheses associated with a single resource may be enabled / disabled via higher layers (e.g., RRC). In some examples, measurement hypotheses associated with a resource pair may be enabled / disabled via higher layers (e.g., RRC).

[0140] In some instances, there is a one-to-one mapping between resources and measurement hypotheses, meaning that each resource is associated with only one measurement hypothesis. For example, assume that each resource for channel measurement provided in the CSI report configuration is associated with a TRP, and the resource combination can refer to a combination of TRPs that can be used for joint downlink data transmission to the UE. Due to scheduling constraints imposed by the gNB, only a small number of TRP combinations can be supported for joint transmission to the UE. In one example, a UE is configured with three resources, namely, resource #1, resource #2, and resource #3, and the three resources are associated with three different TRPs. The network can support transmission for TRP1, TRP2, and TRP3 and joint transmission for TRP pairs (TRP1, TRP2), (TRP1, TRP3), and (TRP2, TRP3), but not for TRP pair (TRP1, TRP2, TRP3). Thus, the network node can indicate the following resource combinations to the UE via the CSI resource indicator: (resource 1), (resource 2), (resource 3), (resource 1, resource 2), (resource 1, resource 3), and (resource 2, resource 3).

[0141] Two different embodiments are proposed below for the selection and reporting of resource combinations by the UE. In one embodiment, the UE is configured to select a single resource combination from an indicated set of resource combinations with respect to a particular performance measure (e.g., mutual information, capacity, throughput, or signal-to-interference-and-noise ratio (SINR)) and indicate the selected resource combination in a CSI report. The CSI in the CSI report is associated with the indicated resource combination. The selected resource combination may be indicated via a CRI in the CSI report, as described above. In another embodiment, the UE is configured to select multiple resource combinations from an indicated set of resource combinations with respect to a particular performance measure and indicate the selected resource combination in a CSI report. The CSI in the CSI report may include multiple portions, with each CSI portion associated with one indicated resource combination. The selected resource combination may be indicated via multiple CRIs in the CSI report.

[0142] In some examples, the UE is configured to report multiple CRIs in a CSI report, where each CRI is associated with a selected resource or resource combination. One or more resources in the resource configuration are configured for channel measurement. Furthermore, the CSI report may include one or more CSI quantities (e.g., included in CSI part 2), where each CSI quantity is associated with a CRI. In some examples, if the UE is configured to report X+1 CRIs, the UE selects X CRIs associated with X resource pairs or resource combinations, where each resource pair or combination includes only a single resource configured for channel measurement, and one CRI is associated with a resource pair including at least two resources configured for channel measurement.

[0143] INDICATION OF SELECTED RI VALUE(S) IN THE CSI REPORT According to one embodiment, the CSI report includes one or more rank indicator (RI) values, each indicating one rank value or combination of rank values ​​for selected CSI-RS resources associated with the CSI (i.e., one or more CSI quantities) in the CSI report.

[0144] In some examples, the CSI report comprises two parts, namely, Part 1 (first part) and a second part (part 2), and an RI indicating a selected rank value(s) for a CSI-RS resource associated with the CSI is included in part 1 of the CSI report. In some examples, the CSI report comprises two parts, namely, Part 1 and Part 2, and an RI indicator indicating a selected rank value(s) for a CSI-RS resource associated with the CSI is included in part 2 of the CSI report.

[0145] In one embodiment, the RI includes M components for the M selected CSI resources with which the CSI quantities are associated in the CSI report, with each component of the RI indicating a rank value corresponding to one of the M selected CSI resources.

[0146] In one embodiment, the CSI report includes the two parts described above, where Part 1 includes the CSI associated with a single selected CSI-RS resource. Additionally, the RI is divided into two parts, where the first part of the RI is included in Part 1 of the CSI report and indicates a rank value of the CSI included in Part 1 of the CSI report. The second part of the RI indicates a rank value(s) for the CSI included in Part 2 of the CSI report.

[0147] In one embodiment, the RI includes code points, and each code point of the RI indicates a combination of rank values ​​of selected CSI-RS resources. The bit size of the RI may depend on the number of selected CSI-RS resources with which the CSI is associated in the CSI report, or is defined in the specification.

[0148] In some examples, the UE selects two CSI-RS resources and reports a 3-bit RI in the CSI report to indicate the two selected rank values ​​for the two CSI-RS resources. The association of the RI codepoint to the rank value can either be configured for the UE or known by the UE and defined in a specification. Table 4 shows an example of a 3-bit RI for two CSI-RS resources.

[0149] [Table 5]

[0150] OVERALL RANK RESTRICTION According to one embodiment, the UE is configured to receive from the network node a higher layer parameter indicating a rank limit for the value obtained by summing all rank values ​​contained in the CSI report, which means that the UE can determine whether the overall rank or the sum of all rank values ​​is greater than r i means configured to select the rank value(s) in the CSI report such that: i is a higher layer parameter or is specified in the specification. For example, r i= 2 and the number of CSI-RS resources to which the CSI in the CSI report (i.e., one or more CSI quantities) is associated is given by 2, then the combinations of rank values ​​for the two resources are given by (Rank1,Rank2) = (1,0), (Rank1,Rank2) = (0,1), (Rank1,Rank2) = (1,1), (Rank1,Rank2) = (2,0), and (Rank1,Rank2) = (0,2), where Rank1 and Rank2 indicate the rank values ​​associated with the first CSI-RS resource and the second CSI-RS resource, respectively.

[0151] It should be noted that the above presented embodiments using CSI-RS resources and their corresponding indicators, i.e., CSI-RS Resource Indicators (CRIs), are also applicable when using SSB resources and their corresponding indicators, i.e., SSB Resource Indicators SSBRIs.

[0152] Referring to Figure 4, a method performed by a UE is provided, which summarizes some of the above-mentioned embodiments. As shown, the method includes: (401) receiving, from a network node, a CSI report configuration providing N reference signal (RS) resources for channel measurement via one or more CSI configurations;

[0153] (402) performing measurements on the N RS resources; (403) Calculating or determining one or more CSI quantities for the M selected RS resources.

[0154] (404) Sending a CSI report to a network node, the CSI report including the calculated or determined CSI amount, where the CSI report includes two parts, namely part 1 and part 2, and the content included in part 1 indicates the size of part 2.

[0155] As described above, the CSI report may include P parts, where the first part of the P parts has a fixed payload size, and P may be less than or equal to M. The (one or more) payload sizes of the (one or more) additional parts p of the CSI report may be indicated or determined by the content of part q, where 1 < p ≤ P and 1 ≤ q < p. Different examples of the number of parts have already been presented. A list of CSI quantities has been presented.

[0156] As described above, according to one embodiment, the reference signal resource is a CSI-RS resource or an SSB resource, or a mixture of a CSI-RS resource and an SSB resource. The method further includes measuring a channel using one or more of the reference signals, and measuring the corresponding interference using one or more resources from at least one of · CSI interference management (IM) resources, · one or more non-zero power (NZP) CSI-RS or SSB resources, or · one or more NZP CSI-RS or SSB resources configured for interference measurement

[0157] The CSI report configuration is linked to one or more CSI resource settings, and the CSI report configuration provides at least one of the following settings. · one or more CSI resource settings each providing one or more sets of downlink RS resources for channel measurement · one or more CSI resource settings each providing one or more sets of CSI-IM resources for interference measurement · one or more CSI resource settings each providing one or more sets of DL RS resources for interference measurement As previously presented, the number of CSI resource configurations for channel measurement, and / or the number of CSI resource configurations for interference measurement from CSI-IM resources, and / or the number of CSI resource configurations for interference measurement from CSI-RS or SSB resources is equal to the number of frequency bands or the number of TRPs or beams to which the resources are associated. The method performed by the UE further includes using one or more resources, or one or more groups or sets of CSI resources configured for channel measurement, for interference measurement.

[0158] The CSI report includes a CRI or CRI field that indicates the selected CSI-RS resource(s) associated with the CSI report. The CRI or CRI field is associated with a number of codepoints, each codepoint being associated with a combination or subset of CSI-RS resources configured for channel measurements in the CSI report configuration.

[0159] According to an example embodiment, the CSI report may include a bitmap of size N×1 indicating M CSI-RS resources, which are associated with the CSI quantity of the CSI report. The bitmap may comprise M “1”s or up to M “1”s, with the remaining bits being “0”, where a “1” in the bitmap may indicate that the associated CSI-RS resource is selected by the UE and the CSI of the CSI report is associated with the selected CSI-RS resource.

[0160] In another exemplary embodiment, a bitmap indicating one or more subsets or resource combinations is included in or provided in the CSI report, where resource(s) of the subset(s) or resource combination(s) are configured for channel measurements, and each bit of the bitmap is associated with one subset or one resource combination. Further, the CSI report includes CSI quantities associated with the one or more subsets or resource combinations indicated by the bitmap. In some examples, the bitmap is indicated in Part 1 of the CSI report. In some examples, the CRI in the CSI report is represented by the bitmap.

[0161] According to one embodiment, the CRI or CRI field is:

[0162]

number

[0163] Each code point in the bit indicator is associated with a combination of m or M CSI-RS resources. The CSI reporting configuration includes a CSI resource indicator that indicates one or more subsets or combinations of the N resources provided in the CSI reporting configuration. The subset(s) or combination(s) of resources associated with the codepoint of the CSI-RS resource indicator (CRI) are either configured via higher layers or specified in a specification.

[0164] According to one embodiment, the CSI report includes a rank indicator (RI) indicating a combination of rank values ​​for selected CSI-RS resources associated with the CSI report. The RI is included in a first part (part 1) of the CSI report or in another part of the CSI report, such as a second part (part 2), a third part, or a fourth part of the CSI report.

[0165] According to one embodiment, a method includes selecting a plurality of CSI resources and reporting a bit-size RI in a CSR report to indicate at least some of the selected RI values ​​for the plurality of CSI-RS resources. For example, selecting two CSI-RS resources and reporting a 3-bit RI in the CSI report to indicate two selected RI values ​​for the two CSI-RS resources. Note that the number of CSIs reported and the number of bits of the RI are design parameters.

[0166] According to one embodiment, the method may further comprise receiving from the network node a higher layer parameter indicating a rank limit for the value obtained by summing said RI values, as described above in the subsection "Overall Rank Limit".

[0167] The additional actions to be performed by the UE have already been described. 5, a method performed by a network node or gNB according to some embodiments described above is provided. As shown, the method includes:

[0168] (501) Sending, via one or more CSI configurations, a CSI report configuration providing N RS resources for channel measurement to a UE, which enables the UE to perform measurements on the N RS resources and calculate or determine one or more CSI quantities for the M selected RS resources.

[0169] (502) Receive, from a UE, a CSI report including a calculated or determined CSI amount, where the CSI report includes two parts, i.e., part 1 and part 2, and content included in part 1 indicates a size or payload size of part 2.

[0170] (503) Decoding a first part (i.e., part 1) of the CSI report to determine a payload size of a subsequent part (i.e., part 2) of the CSI report, thereby enabling the network node to decode the CSI report.

[0171] The additional actions performed by the network node have already been described. A UE is also provided for executing the aforementioned process or method steps performed by the UE. Figure 6 shows a block diagram of a UE 600. The UE 600 comprises a processor 610 or processing circuit or processing module or processor or means 610, a receiver circuit or receiver module 640, a transmitter circuit or transmitter module 650, a memory module 620, and a transceiver circuit or transceiver module 630, which may include the transmitter circuit 650 and the receiver circuit 640. The UE 600 further comprises an antenna system 660 including at least antenna circuitry for transmitting and receiving signals to / from a network node. The antenna system 660 employs beamforming as described above. Actions performed by the UE 600 have already been described.

[0172] The UE 600 may belong to any radio access technology, including 4G or LTE, LTE-A, 5G, Advanced 5G, or a combination thereof, that supports beamforming technology. The UE, which includes a processor and a memory, includes instructions executable by the processor, such that the UE 600 is operable or configured to perform any one of the embodiments related to the aforementioned UE.

[0173] The processing module / circuit 610 includes a processor, microprocessor, application specific integrated circuit (ASIC), field programmable gate array (FPGA), etc., and may be referred to as a "processor." The processor 610 controls the operation of the network node and its components. The memory (circuit or module) 620 includes random access memory (RAM), read-only memory (ROM), and / or another type of memory for storing data and instructions that may be used by the processor 610. In general, it will be understood that the network node in one or more embodiments includes fixed or programmed circuitry configured to perform the operations of any of the embodiments disclosed herein.

[0174] In at least one such example, the processor 610 includes a microprocessor, microcontroller, DSP, ASIC, FPGA, or other processing circuitry configured to execute computer program instructions from a computer program stored on a non-transitory computer-readable medium within or accessible to the processing circuitry. Here, "non-transitory" does not necessarily mean permanent or immutable storage and may include storage in working or volatile memory, but implies storage with at least some persistence. Execution of the program instructions specially adapts or configures the processing circuitry to perform the operations set forth in this disclosure related to the UE. It will be further understood that the UE 600 may comprise additional components.

[0175] A network node (or gNB) is also provided for executing the aforementioned process or method steps performed by the network node. Figure 7 shows an example block diagram of a network node. The network node 700 comprises a processor 710 or processing circuit or processing module or processor or means 710, a receiver circuit or receiver module 740, a transmitter circuit or transmitter module 750, a memory module 720, and a transceiver circuit or transceiver module 730 that may include the transmitter circuit 750 and the receiver circuit 740. The network node 700 further comprises an antenna system 760 including at least antenna circuitry for transmitting and receiving signals to / from a UE. The antenna system uses beamforming as described above. Actions performed by the network node 700 have already been described. The network node 700 may be considered a TRP.

[0176] The processing module / circuit 710 may include a processor, microprocessor, application specific integrated circuit (ASIC), field programmable gate array (FPGA), etc., and may be referred to as a "processor." The processor 710 controls the operation of the network node and its components. The memory (circuit or module) 720 includes random access memory (RAM), read-only memory (ROM), and / or another type of memory for storing data and instructions that may be used by the processor 710. In general, it will be understood that the network node in one or more embodiments includes fixed or programmed circuitry configured to perform the operations of any of the embodiments disclosed herein.

[0177] In at least one such example, the processor 710 includes a microprocessor, microcontroller, DSP, ASIC, FPGA, or other processing circuitry configured to execute computer program instructions from a computer program stored on a non-transitory computer-readable medium within or accessible to the processing circuitry. Here, "non-transitory" does not necessarily mean permanent or immutable storage and may include storage in working or volatile memory, but implies storage with at least some persistence. Execution of the program instructions specially adapts or configures the processing circuitry to perform the operations set forth in this disclosure. It will be further understood that a network node may comprise additional components.

[0178] The network node 700 may belong to any radio access technology, including 4G or LTE, LTE-A, 5G, Advanced 5G, or a combination thereof, that supports beamforming technology. The network node 700, which comprises a processor and a memory, includes instructions executable by the processor, such that the network node 700 is operable or configured to perform any one of the subject matter set forth in this disclosure related to a network node (or gNB).

[0179] References throughout this specification to "in one example" or "exemplary" mean that the particular feature, structure, or characteristic described in connection with that example is included in at least one embodiment of the technology. Thus, the appearances of the phrase "in one example" or the word "exemplary" in various places throughout this specification do not necessarily all refer to the same embodiment.

[0180] Throughout this disclosure, the words "comprise" or "comprising" are used in a non-limiting sense, i.e., to mean "consist at least of." Although specific terms may be used herein, they are used in a generic and descriptive sense only and not for purposes of limitation. Embodiments herein may be applied to any wireless system, including LTE or 4G, LTE-A (or LTE Advanced), 5G, Advanced 5G, WiMAX, WiFi, satellite communications, TV broadcasting, etc.

[0181] References [1] 3GPP TS 38.211 V16.0.0: “3GPP;TSG RAN;NR; Physical channels and modulation (Rel. 16)”, January 2020 [2] 3GPP TS 38.212 V16.0.0: “3GPP;TSG RAN;NR; Multiplexing and channel coding (Rel. 16)”, January 2020. [3] 3GPP TS 38.213 V16.0.0: “3GPP;TSG RAN;NR; Physical layer procedures for control (Rel. 16)”, January 2020. [4] 3GPP TS 38.214 V16.0.0: “3GPP;TSG RAN;NR; Physical layer procedures for data (Rel. 16)”, January 2020. [5] 3GPP TS 38.321 V15.8.0: “3GPP;TSG RAN;NR; Medium Access Control (MAC) protocol specification (Rel. 15),” January 2020. [6] 3GPP TS 38.331 V15.8.0: “3GPP; TSG RAN; NR; Radio Resource Control (RRC); Protocol specification (Rel. 15),” January 2020. [7] 3GPP TS 38.101-1 V16.2.0: “3GPP; TSG RAN; User Equipment (UE) radio transmission and reception; Part 1: Range 1 Standalone (Rel. 16),” January 2020. [8] 3GPP TS 38.101-2 V16.2.0: “3GPP; TSG RAN; User Equipment (UE) radio transmission and reception; Part 2: Range 2 Standalone (Rel. 16),” January 2020.

Claims

1. 1. A method performed by a user equipment (UE), comprising: Receiving a channel state information (CSI) reporting configuration from a network node (401), the CSI reporting configuration comprising: One or more resources for channel measurement, the N non-zero power (NZP) CSI reference signal (CSI-RS) resources associated with a NZP CSI-RS resource set or the N synchronization signal / physical broadcast channel (SSB) resources associated with a synchronization signal / SSB resource set; and one or more resources for interference measurement, the one or more resources for interference measurement being CSI Interference Management (CSI-IM) resources that are zero-power CSI-RS resources, and / or NZP CSI-RS resources or SSB resources; and an indication of one or more subsets or combinations of N resources provided for channel measurements in the CSI report configuration; receiving a CSI report configuration (401), measuring one or more interference measurement resources associated with the channel measurement resource by applying a quasi-co-location type D (QCL) assumption defined in the 3GPP specifications to the channel measurement resource; providing a CSI report to said network node (404); the CSI report includes two parts, namely part 1 and part 2, and the content included in part 1 indicates the size of part 2; the CSI report includes a CSI-RS resource indicator (CRI) or a CRI field indicating selected CSI-RS resources associated with the CSI report, the CRI or CRI field being included in Part 1 of the CSI report, the CRI or CRI field being associated with a number of code points, each code point being associated with a combination or subset of the CSI-RS resources configured for channel measurement in the CSI report configuration, and the association of the code points to combinations of CSI-RS resources is configured via higher layers or is known a priori to the UE and is defined in a 3GPP specification; The CSI reporting configuration is linked to one or more CSI resource configurations, and the CSI reporting configuration includes the following configurations: one or more CSI resource configurations, each providing one or more sets of downlink RS resources for channel measurement; one or more CSI resource configurations, each providing one or more sets of CSI-IM resources for interference measurement; one or more CSI resource configurations, each providing one or more sets of DL RS resources for interference measurement; providing at least one of: the number of CSI resource configurations for channel measurement and / or for interference measurement from CSI-IM resources and / or for interference measurement from CSI-RS or SSB resources is equal to the number of frequency bands or the number of transmission / reception points (TRPs) to which said resources are associated; method.

2. The CSI report includes the following CSI quantities: a synchronization signal / physical broadcast channel (SSB) resource identifier (SSBRI) indicating a subset or combination of SSB resources provided in the CSI report configuration, each resource being associated with one or more CSI quantities in the CSI report; and a rank indicator (RI) indicating a combination of rank values ​​for the subset of CSI-RS resources in the CSI report; a channel quality indicator (CQI) indicating one or more CQI values ​​for the subset of CSI-RS resources; a layer indicator (LI) value; and a precoding matrix indicator (PMI) indicating one or more precoding matrices for the subset of CSI-RS resources; The method of claim 1 , comprising one or more of:

3. measuring the channel using one or more of the reference signals; The corresponding interference is CSI interference management (IM) resources; one or more non-zero power (NZP) CSI-RS or SSB resources; or One or more NZP CSI-RS or SSB resources configured for interference measurements measuring using one or more resources from at least one of 3. The method of claim 1 or 2, further comprising:

4. 4. The method according to claim 1, wherein each CSI quantity is associated with at least one of M selected RS resources, and the M selected RS resources are indicated in the CSI report.

5. The method of any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the number of CSI-RS resources indicated by the CRI determines the payload size of part 2 of the CSI report.

6. 6. The method according to claim 1, wherein the CSI report includes a bitmap indicating one or more subsets or resource combinations of resources configured for channel measurement and associated with a CSI quantity of the CSI report.

7. The CRI or the CRI field is [Equation 1] 2. The method of claim 1, wherein each code point of the bit indicator is represented by a bit indicator, and each code point of the bit indicator is associated with a combination of m or M CSI-RS resources.

8. 8. The method of claim 1, wherein the CSI report includes a rank indicator (RI) indicating a combination of rank values ​​for selected CSI-RS resources associated with the CSI report, and the RI indicating the selected rank values ​​for the CSI-RS resources associated with a CSI report is included in Part 1 of the CSI report.

9. 9. The method of claim 8, comprising receiving from the network node a higher layer parameter indicating a rank limit for a value obtained by summing the rank values.

10. The CSI report includes a CRI or a CRI field indicating a selected CSI-RS resource associated with the CSI report; 9. The method of claim 8, wherein the CRI or CRI field is associated with a number of code points, and each code point of the CRI or CRI field indicates a combination of rank values ​​of the selected CSI-RS resources.

11. 1. A method performed by a network node, comprising: Transmitting (501) a channel state information (CSI) report configuration to a user equipment (UE), the CSI report configuration comprising: One or more resources for channel measurement, the N non-zero power (NZP) CSI reference signal (CSI-RS) resources associated with a NZP CSI-RS resource set or the N synchronization signal / physical broadcast channel (SSB) resources associated with a synchronization signal / SSB resource set; and one or more resources for interference measurement, the one or more resources for interference measurement being CSI Interference Management (CSI-IM) resources that are zero-power CSI-RS resources, and / or NZP CSI-RS resources or SSB resources; and an indication of one or more subsets or combinations of N resources provided for channel measurements in the CSI report configuration; transmitting a CSI report configuration (501), enabling the UE to measure one or more interference measurement resources associated with the channel measurement resource by applying a quasi-co-location type D (QCL) assumption defined in 3GPP specifications to the channel measurement resource; receiving 502 a CSI report from the UE, the CSI report including two parts, namely part 1 and part 2, and content included in part 1 indicating a size of part 2; decoding (503) part 1 of the CSI report to determine a payload size of part 2 of the CSI report, thereby enabling the network node to decode the CSI report; Including, the CSI report includes a CSI-RS resource indicator (CRI) or CRI field included in Part 1 of the CSI report, the CRI or CRI field being associated with a number of code points, each code point being associated with a combination or subset of the CSI-RS resources configured for channel measurement in the CSI report configuration, and the association of the code points to combinations of CSI-RS resources is configured via higher layers or is known a priori to the UE and is defined in a 3GPP specification; The CSI reporting configuration is linked to one or more CSI resource configurations, and the CSI reporting configuration includes the following configurations: one or more CSI resource configurations, each providing one or more sets of downlink RS resources for channel measurement; one or more CSI resource configurations, each providing one or more sets of CSI-IM resources for interference measurement; one or more CSI resource configurations, each providing one or more sets of DL RS resources for interference measurement; providing at least one of: A method in which the number of CSI resource configurations for channel measurement and / or the number of CSI resource configurations for interference measurement from CSI-IM resources and / or the number of CSI resource configurations for interference measurement from CSI-RS or SSB resources is equal to the number of frequency bands or the number of transmission / reception points (TRPs) to which the resources are associated.

12. A user equipment (UE) (600) comprising a processor (610) and a memory (620), wherein the memory (620) comprises instructions executable by the processor (610), whereby the UE (600) is operable to perform the method of any one of claims 1 to 10.

13. 12. A network node (700) comprising a processor (710) and a memory (720), said memory (720) containing instructions executable by said processor (710), whereby said network node (700) is operable to perform the method of claim 11.

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