Beam management method and apparatus

Abstract

Embodiments of the present application provide a beam management method and apparatus. The beam management method comprises: a terminal device receives configuration information from a network device, wherein the configuration information is used for configuring beam management and / or beam reporting; the terminal device performs time beam prediction on the basis of an AI / ML functionality / model, wherein the terminal device predicts and reports a beam of one or more time instances.

Description

Beam management method and device Technical Field

[0001] The embodiments of the present application relate to the field of communication technologies. Background Art

[0002] NR Release 18 investigates artificial intelligence / machine learning (AI / ML) over the air interface. AI / ML can be used for the following use cases: channel state information (CSI) feedback enhancement, beam management, and positioning enhancement. CSI feedback enhancement can include CSI prediction and CSI compression; beam management can include spatial beam prediction (BM case-1) and temporal beam prediction (BM case-2); and positioning enhancement can include direct positioning and AI / ML-assisted positioning.

[0003] In some sub-use cases, a two-sided model can be used, with the AI / ML model located on both the end device and the network equipment. In other sub-use cases, a one-sided model can be used, with the AI / ML model located on either the end device or the network equipment. For beam management, the AI / ML model can be located on the end device and / or the network equipment.

[0004] It should be noted that the above introduction to the technical background is merely intended to provide a clear and complete description of the technical solutions of this application and facilitate understanding by those skilled in the art. Simply because these solutions are described in the background technology section of this application, it should not be assumed that the above technical solutions are well known to those skilled in the art.

[0005] Summary of the Invention

[0006] The inventors have discovered that terminal devices and / or network devices can utilize AI / ML functionality / models to predict beams based on beam measurement results, but there is currently no clear solution for how to specifically indicate and report time beam predictions.

[0007] To address at least one of the above problems, embodiments of the present application provide a beam management method and apparatus.

[0008] According to one aspect of an embodiment of the present application, a beam management method is provided, including:

[0009] The terminal device receives configuration information from the network device; the configuration information is used to configure beam management and / or beam reporting;

[0010] The terminal device performs time beam prediction based on AI / ML functionality / model; wherein the terminal device predicts and reports beams of one or more time instances.

[0011] According to another aspect of an embodiment of the present application, a beam management device is provided, including:

[0012] A receiving unit, configured to receive configuration information from a network device; the configuration information is used to configure beam management and / or beam reporting;

[0013] A processing unit that performs time beam prediction based on AI / ML functionality / model; wherein the terminal device predicts and reports the beam of one or more time instances.

[0014] According to another aspect of an embodiment of the present application, a beam management method is provided, including:

[0015] The network device sends configuration information to the terminal device; the configuration information is used to configure beam management and / or beam reporting;

[0016] The network device receives a beam report sent by the terminal device; wherein the terminal device performs time beam prediction based on AI / ML functionality / model and reports beams of one or more time instances.

[0017] According to another aspect of an embodiment of the present application, a beam management device is provided, including:

[0018] A sending unit, which sends configuration information to the terminal device; the configuration information is used to configure beam management and / or beam reporting;

[0019] A receiving unit receives a beam report sent by the terminal device; wherein the terminal device performs time beam prediction based on AI / ML functionality / model and reports the beam of one or more time instances.

[0020] According to another aspect of an embodiment of the present application, a communication system is provided, including:

[0021] A network device that sends configuration information to a terminal device; the configuration information is used to configure beam management and / or beam reporting;

[0022] A terminal device that performs time beam prediction based on AI / ML functionality / model and reports the beam for one or more time instances.

[0023] One of the beneficial effects of the embodiments of the present application is that: a terminal device receives configuration information from a network device; the configuration information is used to configure beam management and / or beam reporting; the terminal device performs time beam prediction based on AI / ML functionality / model; and the terminal device predicts and reports beams for one or more time instances. This improves the performance and efficiency of beam management and enhances the accuracy and reliability of beam management.

[0024] With reference to the following description and accompanying drawings, specific embodiments of the present application are disclosed in detail, indicating the manner in which the principles of the present application can be employed. It should be understood that the embodiments of the present application are not limited in scope. Within the spirit and scope of the appended claims, the embodiments of the present application include many variations, modifications and equivalents.

[0025] Features described and / or illustrated with respect to one embodiment may be used in the same or similar manner in one or more other embodiments, combined with features in other embodiments, or substituted for features in other embodiments.

[0026] It should be emphasized that the term "include / comprising" when used herein refers to the presence of features, integers, steps or components, but does not exclude the presence or addition of one or more other features, integers, steps or components. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0027] The elements and features described in one figure or one embodiment of the present application can be combined with the elements and features shown in one or more other figures or embodiments. In addition, in the accompanying drawings, similar reference numerals represent corresponding parts in several figures and can be used to indicate corresponding parts used in more than one embodiment.

[0028] FIG1 is a schematic diagram of a communication system according to an embodiment of the present application;

[0029] FIG2 is a schematic diagram of a beam management method according to an embodiment of the present application;

[0030] FIG3 is a schematic diagram of a beam management method according to an embodiment of the present application;

[0031] FIG4 is an example diagram showing how the TCI state is indicated according to an embodiment of the present application;

[0032] FIG5 is an example diagram showing how the TCI state is indicated according to an embodiment of the present application;

[0033] FIG. 6 is an example diagram of a TCI state indicated in an embodiment of the present application.

[0034] FIG7 is an example diagram showing how the TCI state is indicated according to an embodiment of the present application;

[0035] FIG8 is an example diagram showing how the TCI state is indicated according to an embodiment of the present application;

[0036] FIG9 is an exemplary diagram of timing of beam indication for multiple time instances according to an embodiment of the present application;

[0037] FIG10 is an example diagram of an application of a TCI status indicated in an embodiment of the present application;

[0038] FIG11 is an example diagram of a beam reporting being used as a beam switching command according to an embodiment of the present application;

[0039] FIG12 is a schematic diagram of a beam management method according to an embodiment of the present application;

[0040] FIG13 is a schematic diagram of a beam management device according to an embodiment of the present application;

[0041] FIG14 is another schematic diagram of a beam management device according to an embodiment of the present application;

[0042] FIG15 is a schematic diagram of a terminal device according to an embodiment of the present application;

[0043] FIG16 is a schematic diagram of a network device according to an embodiment of the present application. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0044] The above and other features of the present application will become apparent through the following description with reference to the accompanying drawings. In the description and the accompanying drawings, specific embodiments of the present application are disclosed in detail, which illustrate some embodiments in which the principles of the present application can be adopted. It should be understood that the present application is not limited to the described embodiments. On the contrary, the present application includes all modifications, variations and equivalents that fall within the scope of the appended claims.

[0045] In the embodiments of the present application, the terms "first", "second", etc. are used to distinguish different elements from the name, but do not indicate the spatial arrangement or temporal order of these elements, and these elements should not be limited by these terms. The term "and / or" includes any one and all combinations of one or more of the associated listed terms. The terms "comprising", "including", "having", etc. refer to the presence of the stated features, elements, components or components, but do not exclude the presence or addition of one or more other features, elements, components or components.

[0046] In the embodiments of this application, the singular forms "a," "the," etc. include plural forms and should be broadly understood to mean "a" or "a type" rather than being limited to "one." Furthermore, the term "said" should be understood to include both singular and plural forms, unless the context clearly indicates otherwise. Furthermore, the term "according to" should be understood to mean "at least in part based on...", and the term "based on" should be understood to mean "at least in part based on...", unless the context clearly indicates otherwise.

[0047] In the embodiments of the present application, the term "communication network" or "wireless communication network" may refer to a network that complies with any of the following communication standards, such as Long Term Evolution (LTE), enhanced Long Term Evolution (LTE-A, LTE-Advanced), Wideband Code Division Multiple Access (WCDMA), High-Speed ​​Packet Access (HSPA), etc.

[0048] Furthermore, communication between devices in the communication system may be carried out according to communication protocols of any stage, for example, including but not limited to the following communication protocols: 1G (generation), 2G, 2.5G, 2.75G, 3G, 4G, 4.5G and 5G, New Radio (NR), future 6G, etc., and / or other communication protocols currently known or to be developed in the future.

[0049] In the embodiments of the present application, the term "network device" refers to, for example, a device in a communication system that connects a terminal device to the communication network and provides services to the terminal device. Network devices may include, but are not limited to, the following devices: base station (BS), access point (AP), transmission reception point (TRP), broadcast transmitter, mobile management entity (MME), gateway, server, radio network controller (RNC), base station controller (BSC), etc.

[0050] Among them, base stations may include but are not limited to: NodeB (NodeB or NB), evolved NodeB (eNodeB or eNB) and 5G base station (gNB), IAB host, etc., and may also include remote radio head (RRH, Remote Radio Head), remote radio unit (RRU, Remote Radio Unit), relay (relay) or low-power node (such as femeto, pico, etc.). The term "base station" can include some or all of their functions. Each base station can provide communication coverage for a specific geographical area. The term "cell" can refer to a base station and / or its coverage area, depending on the context in which the term is used.

[0051] In the embodiments of the present application, the term "user equipment" (UE) or "terminal equipment" (TE) refers to, for example, a device that accesses a communication network through a network device and receives network services. A terminal device can be fixed or mobile and may also be referred to as a mobile station (MS), a terminal, a subscriber station (SS), an access terminal (AT), a station, and so on.

[0052] Among them, terminal devices may include but are not limited to the following devices: cellular phones, personal digital assistants (PDAs), wireless modems, wireless communication devices, handheld devices, machine-type communication devices, laptop computers, cordless phones, smart phones, smart watches, digital cameras, etc.

[0053] For another example, in scenarios such as the Internet of Things (IoT), the terminal device can also be a machine or device for monitoring or measurement, including but not limited to: machine type communication (MTC) terminal, vehicle-mounted communication terminal, device-to-device (D2D) terminal, machine-to-machine (M2M) terminal, and so on.

[0054] In addition, the term "network side" or "network device side" refers to one side of the network, which can be a base station or one or more network devices as described above. The term "user side" or "terminal side" or "terminal device side" refers to the user or terminal side, which can be a UE or one or more terminal devices as described above. Unless otherwise specified herein, "device" can refer to either network equipment or terminal equipment.

[0055] The following describes the scenarios of the embodiments of the present application through examples, but the present application is not limited thereto.

[0056] FIG1 is a schematic diagram of a communication system according to an embodiment of the present application, schematically illustrating a situation using a terminal device and a network device as an example. As shown in FIG1 , a communication system 100 may include a network device 101 and terminal devices 102 and 103. For simplicity, FIG1 illustrates only two terminal devices and one network device as an example, but the embodiments of the present application are not limited thereto.

[0057] In the embodiment of the present application, existing services or future services can be transmitted between the network device 101 and the terminal devices 102 and 103. For example, these services may include but are not limited to: enhanced mobile broadband (eMBB), massive machine type communication (mMTC), and ultra-reliable and low-latency communication (URLLC), etc.

[0058] It is worth noting that FIG1 shows that both terminal devices 102 and 103 are within the coverage range of network device 101, but the present application is not limited thereto. Both terminal devices 102 and 103 may not be within the coverage range of network device 101, or one terminal device 102 may be within the coverage range of network device 101 while the other terminal device 103 is outside the coverage range of network device 101.

[0059] In the embodiments of the present application, the high-layer signaling may be, for example, radio resource control (RRC) signaling; for example, an RRC message, including, for example, an MIB, system information, or a dedicated RRC message; or an RRC information element (RRC IE). The high-layer signaling may also be, for example, MAC (Medium Access Control) signaling; or a MAC control element (MAC CE). However, the present application is not limited thereto.

[0060] In embodiments of the present application, one or more AI / ML models may be configured and run in a network device and / or a terminal device. The AI / ML models may be used for various signal processing functions in wireless communications, such as CSI prediction, CSI compression, beamforming, positioning management, and the like; however, the present application is not limited thereto.

[0061] Embodiments of the first aspect

[0062] An embodiment of the present application provides a beam management method, which is described from the perspective of a terminal device.

[0063] FIG2 is a schematic diagram of a beam management method according to an embodiment of the present application. As shown in FIG2 , the method includes:

[0064] 201. A terminal device receives configuration information from a network device; the configuration information is used to configure beam management and / or beam reporting;

[0065] 202. The terminal device performs time beam prediction based on AI / ML functionality / model; wherein the terminal device predicts and reports beams for one or more time instances.

[0066] It is worth noting that FIG2 above is merely a schematic illustration of an embodiment of the present application, and the present application is not limited thereto. For example, the execution order of the various operations may be appropriately adjusted, and other operations may be added or some operations may be reduced. Those skilled in the art may make appropriate modifications based on the above description, and are not limited to the description of FIG2 above.

[0067] In some embodiments, functionality refers to an AI / ML feature / feature group enabled by a configuration, where the configuration is supported based on conditions indicated by UE capabilities.

[0068] For example, the AL / ML function may be one or more functions, or one or more logical models, or one or more sub-functions, or one or more features, or one or more feature groups.

[0069] For another example, the function can be to use AI / ML for spatial beam prediction, or to use AI / ML for time beam prediction, or to use AI / ML for CSI prediction, or to use AI / ML for direct positioning, or to use AI / ML for assisted positioning, and so on.

[0070] In some embodiments, the configuration information for beam management may include configuration information of one or more reference signals used for beam management or beam measurement, such as CSI-RS configuration information, etc. The present application is not limited thereto, and reference may be made to related technologies for specific configuration information.

[0071] In some embodiments, one or more reference signals are used for measurement and the measurement results are input into the AI / ML functionality / model, and another one or more reference signals are used for the output of the AI / ML functionality / model for inference.

[0072] FIG3 is another schematic diagram of the beam management method according to an embodiment of the present application, which is illustrated by taking a terminal device configured with AIML as an example. As shown in FIG3 , the method includes:

[0073] 301. A terminal device receives configuration information from a network device; for example, the configuration information includes a second reference signal resource set (set B) for beam measurement and a first reference signal resource set (set A) for beam prediction.

[0074] 302. The terminal device performs beam measurement and inputs the beam measurement results into the AI / ML functionality / model. For example, the measurement results of the reference signals in set B are used as input to the AI / ML, and the reference signals in set A are used for prediction (or inference).

[0075] 303. The terminal device sends the beam prediction result to the network device.

[0076] For example, the AI / ML function is located on the terminal device side. After the AI / ML function is enabled or activated, the terminal device performs beam measurement based on the reference signal from the network side, uses AI / ML to perform beam prediction based on the beam measurement results, and sends the prediction results to the network device.

[0077] It is worth noting that FIG3 above is merely a schematic illustration of an embodiment of the present application, and the present application is not limited thereto. For example, the execution order of the various operations may be appropriately adjusted, and other operations may be added or some operations may be reduced. Those skilled in the art may make appropriate modifications based on the above description, and are not limited to the description of FIG3 above.

[0078] The above schematically illustrates AI / ML-based beam management. The following describes time beam prediction.

[0079] In some embodiments, the TCI state of one or more time instances is configured through RRC, and / or some of the TCI states are selected or activated through MAC CE, and / or the TCI state to be used is indicated from the activated TCI state through DCI.

[0080] For example, for time beam prediction, the UE predicts future beams and reports beam information for multiple future time instances. (For example, for network-side AI / ML models, time beam prediction can be performed on the gNB; for UE-side AI / ML models, time beam prediction can be performed on the UE). The gNB can configure the TCI state for future time instances via RRC, select / activate a subset of TCI states via MAC CE, and indicate the TCI state to be used via DCI.

[0081] In some embodiments, the MAC CE maps the TCI status to a codepoint in the DCI field for TCI status indication. For example, the MAC CE may be newly added, i.e., a new MAC CE may be defined; alternatively, an existing MAC CE may be reused. These MAC CEs may map the TCI status to a codepoint in the DCI field for TCI status indication.

[0082] In some embodiments, a codepoint in the DCI domain used for TCI status indication maps the TCI status of one or more time instances, the MAC CE defines the mapping between the codepoint in the DCI domain and the TCI status of one or more time instances, and one DCI indicates the TCI status of one or more time instances.

[0083] Table 1 illustrates an example of mapping DCI code points to TCI states at one or more time instances. As shown in Table 1, for example, code point 000 may correspond to TCI state (TCI#A) at time instance #1, TCI state (TCI#C) at time instance #2, TCI state (TCI#E) at time instance #3, TCI state (TCI#A) at time instance #4, and so on. TCI states at multiple time instances can be indicated by one DCI.

[0084] Table 1

[0085] Figure 4 is an example diagram of how TCI status is indicated in an embodiment of the present application. As shown in Figure 4, for example, the TCI status of multiple time instances can be indicated by a single DCI. For example, if a DCI is received at time T1 and the TCI indication field (Transmission Configuration Indication field) in the DCI is set to "000", the DCI indicates the TCI status of time instance #1 (TCI#A), the TCI status of time instance #2 (TCI#C), the TCI status of time instance #3 (TCI#E), and the TCI status of time instance #4 (TCI#A).

[0086] In some embodiments, a codepoint in the DCI field used for TCI status indication maps the TCI status of a time instance, and the MAC CE defines the mapping between the codepoint in the DCI field and the TCI status of one or more time instances, and one DCI indicates the TCI status of a time instance.

[0087] For example, for different time instances, the code point is mapped to the same TCI state; for another example, for different time instances, the code point is mapped to different TCI states.

[0088] Table 2 illustrates an exemplary mapping between DCI code points and TCI states at one or more time instances. As shown in Table 2, for example, code point 000 may correspond to TCI state (TCI#A) at time instance #1, TCI state (TCI#C) at time instance #2, TCI state (TCI#E) at time instance #3, TCI state (TCI#A) at time instance #4, and so on. However, one DCI indicates the TCI state of one time instance.

[0089] Table 2

[0090] Figure 5 is an example diagram of how TCI status is indicated according to an embodiment of the present application. As shown in Figure 5 , for example, the TCI status of a time instance can be indicated by one DCI, and different TCI statuses can be indicated for different time instances using the same code point.

[0091] For example, if a DCI is received at T1 and the TCI indication field (Transmission Configuration Indication field) in the DCI is set to "000", then the DCI indicates the TCI status (TCI#A) of time instance #1; if a DCI is received at T2 and the TCI indication field (Transmission Configuration Indication field) in the DCI is set to "000", then the DCI indicates the TCI status (TCI#C) of time instance #2; if a DCI is received at T3 and the TCI indication field (Transmission Configuration Indication field) in the DCI is set to "003", then the DCI indicates the TCI status (TCI#D) of time instance #3; if a DCI is received at T4 and the TCI indication field (Transmission Configuration Indication field) in the DCI is set to "000", then the DCI indicates the TCI status (TCI#A) of time instance #4.

[0092] In some embodiments, a codepoint in a DCI field used for TCI status indication maps the TCI status of one or more time instances, and the MAC CE defines a mapping between the codepoint in the DCI field and the TCI status of one or more time instances, and one DCI indicates the TCI status of one or more time instances; wherein the number of time instances mapped to different codepoints is the same, or the number of time instances mapped to different codepoints is different.

[0093] Table 3 illustrates an exemplary mapping between DCI code points and TCI states for one or more time instances. As shown in Table 3, for example, code point 000 can correspond to the TCI states of four time instances: TCI state of time instance #1 (TCI#A), TCI state of time instance #2 (TCI#C), TCI state of time instance #3 (TCI#E), and TCI state of time instance #4 (TCI#A); code point 002 can correspond to the TCI states of three time instances: TCI state of time instance #2 (TCI#E), TCI state of time instance #3 (TCI#C), and TCI state of time instance #4 (TCI#C), etc. The TCI states of multiple time instances can be indicated by one DCI.

[0094] Table 3

[0095] Figure 6 is an example diagram of how TCI status is indicated in an embodiment of the present application. As shown in Figure 6, for example, the TCI status of multiple time instances can be indicated by a single DCI. For example, if a DCI is received at time T1, and the TCI indication field (Transmission Configuration Indication field) in the DCI is set to "000", the DCI indicates the TCI status of time instance #1 (TCI#A), the TCI status of time instance #2 (TCI#C), the TCI status of time instance #3 (TCI#E), and the TCI status of time instance #4 (TCI#A).

[0096] For another example, a DCI is received at T3, and the TCI indication field (Transmission Configuration Indication field) in the DCI is set to "005". Then the DCI can override the DCI received at T1. The DCI received at T3 indicates the TCI status (TCI#B) of time instance #3 and the TCI status (TCI#F) of time instance #4.

[0097] In some embodiments, one or more codepoints in the DCI field for TCI status indication are mapped to TCI status with a time instance, and another one or more codepoints are mapped to TCI status without a time instance.

[0098] For example, for a code point that maps a TCI state with a time instance, the number of time instances mapped to different code points is the same; for another example, for a code point that maps a TCI state with a time instance, the number of time instances mapped to different code points is different.

[0099] For example, the MAC CE defines both the mapping between the codepoint of the DCI domain and the TCI state of one or more time instances, and the mapping between the codepoint of the DCI domain and the TCI state without a time instance.

[0100] Table 4 illustrates an exemplary mapping between DCI code points and TCI states at one or more time instances. As shown in Table 4, for example, code point 000 may correspond to TCI states at time instances, such as four TCI states at time instances: TCI state at time instance #1 (TCI#A), TCI state at time instance #2 (TCI#C), TCI state at time instance #3 (TCI#E), and TCI state at time instance #4 (TCI#A); code point 001 may correspond to TCI states at four time instances, and so on.

[0101] For another example, as shown in Table 4, code point 002 may correspond to a TCI state without a time instance (TCI#A), code point 003 may correspond to a TCI state without a time instance (TCI#B), code point 004 may correspond to a TCI state without a time instance (TCI#C), and code point 005 may correspond to a TCI state without a time instance (TCI#D).

[0102] Table 4

[0103] Figure 7 is an example diagram of how TCI status is indicated according to an embodiment of the present application. As shown in Figure 7 , for example, TCI status of one or more time instances can be indicated by one DCI; for another example, one DCI indicates TCI status without time instances.

[0104] For example, a DCI is received at T1, and the TCI indication field (Transmission Configuration Indication field) in the DCI is set to "000". Then the DCI indicates the TCI status (TCI#A) of time instance #1, the TCI status (TCI#C) of time instance #2, the TCI status (TCI#E) of time instance #3, and the TCI status (TCI#A) of time instance #4.

[0105] For another example, if a DCI is received at T2, and the TCI indication field (Transmission Configuration Indication field) in the DCI is set to "005", then the DCI can override the DCI received at T1, which indicates a TCI state (TCI#D) with no time instance, until another DCI is received.

[0106] In some embodiments, in RRC and / or MAC CE, the time instances are explicitly or implicitly configured; the number of the time instances and / or the intervals between the time instances are predefined or configured.

[0107] For example, the System Frame Number (SFN) can be used as the timestamp for a time instance. Another example is the number of time instances and the interval between them can be configured. The SFN is only configured for the first time instance; for the remaining time instances, the SFN for that time instance can be implicitly derived.

[0108] In some embodiments, in the DCI, a first domain (e.g., a newly defined domain) is used for time instance indication, or an unused second domain (e.g., an existing domain in a non-scheduling DCI) is reused for time instance indication, or a first DCI format (e.g., a newly defined DCI format) is used to indicate the TCI status of one or more time instances.

[0109] For example, a new DCI field may be introduced, and the new DCI field may indicate one or more time instances. For another example, a new DCI format may be introduced, and the new DCI format may indicate the TCI status of one or more time instances.

[0110] In some embodiments, for time beam prediction, the TCI status of one or more time instances is indicated by DCI, and switching between beam indication with time instances and beam indication without time instances can be supported.

[0111] For example, for BM case-2, if the TCI status of one or more time instances can be indicated by one DCI, the switching between the beam indication (beam indication with time instance, also referred to as enhanced beam indication) and the legacy beam indication (legacy beam indication) of the embodiment of the present application can be supported. The priority of the enhanced beam indication and the legacy beam indication can be defined as one of the following:

[0112] --DCI carrying traditional beam indication has higher priority. That is, the traditional beam indication carried by DCI can override the DCI carrying enhanced beam indication for one or more time instances;

[0113] --DCIs carrying enhanced beam indications for one or more time instances have higher priority. That is, if a collision occurs, conventional beam indications carried by DCIs can be ignored;

[0114] --DCI carrying legacy beam indication will not (and is not expected to) be received by the UE.

[0115] FIG8 is an example diagram of an embodiment of the present application in which the TCI state is indicated, illustrating an example of switching between enhanced beam indication and traditional beam indication. As shown in FIG8 , the UE can perform time beam prediction and report beams for the next four time instances. The gNB can send a DCI at T1 indicating the TCI for the next four time instances. After T2, the UE receives another DCI with traditional beam indication indicating TCI#D. The UE then applies TCI#D until receiving another beam indication command, and the DCI received at T1 is overridden. Therefore, TCI#E after T3 and TCI#A after T4 are no longer valid.

[0116] The TCI status indication is described above. The following describes the beam application time. For example, for BM case-2, if the TCI status of multiple time instances can be indicated by a single DCI, the timing for receiving DCI and beam application can be defined.

[0117] In some embodiments, for time beam prediction, TCI states of multiple time instances are indicated by DCI, and the DCI for indicating the TCI states of the multiple time instances is received by the terminal device before the first time instance of the multiple time instances.

[0118] FIG9 is an exemplary diagram of timing of beam indication for multiple time instances according to an embodiment of the present application.

[0119] For example, as shown in option A in Figure 9, assuming the first time instance is T1, the second time instance is T2, and ΔT is the beam application time, DCI may be received before T1-ΔT, indicating the TCI status of multiple time instances. In one example, the TCI status of the first time instance will be applied at time instance T1, and the TCI status of subsequent time instances will be applied at the corresponding time instances. In another example, assuming DCI is received at time instance T, the TCI status of the first time instance will be applied at time instance T+ΔT. The TCI status of subsequent time instances will be applied to the corresponding time instances.

[0120] For another example, as shown in option B in FIG9 , assuming that the first time instance is T1, the second time instance is T2, and ΔT is the beam application time, then DCI indicating the TCI status of multiple time instances may be received between T1-ΔT and T2-ΔT; alternatively, DCI indicating the TCI status of multiple time instances may be received before T2-ΔT. Assuming that DCI is received at time instance T, the TCI status of the first time instance is applied at time instance T+ΔT. The TCI status of subsequent time instances is applied to the corresponding time instances.

[0121] In some embodiments, for DCI indicating TCI states for multiple time instances, the DCI may be received at any time (e.g., may be received before the last time instance). If DCI is received after a certain time instance, the TCI state indicated in the DCI before the current time instance is discarded, and only the TCI state for the time instance after the current time instance is applied. Alternatively, the TCI state for the current time instance may also be applied.

[0122] Figure 10 is an example diagram of the application of the indicated TCI state according to an embodiment of the present application. For example, as shown in Figure 10, if DCI is received between T3 and T4, and the DCI indicates the TCI state for four time instances, T1 to T4, then the TCI state for T1 and T2 is ignored, and the TCI state for T4 is applied, or the TCI state for T3 and T4 is applied.

[0123] In some embodiments, for time beam prediction, a TCI state of a time instance is indicated by DCI, and the DCI for indicating the TCI state of the time instance is received by the terminal device before the time instance.

[0124] For example, for BM case-2, if the TCI status of a time instance is indicated by DCI, the timing for receiving DCI and beam application can be defined.

[0125] For example, assuming time instance T1 and ΔT is the beam application time, DCI indicating the TCI state for a time instance may be received before T1-ΔT. In one example, the TCI state for the time instance is applied at time instance T1. In another example, assuming DCI is received at time instance T, the TCI state for that time instance is applied at time instance T+ΔT.

[0126] For another example, DCI may be received between an interval from T1-ΔT to T1+ΔT2, indicating the TCI state of a time instance, or DCI may be received before T1+ΔT2, indicating the DCI state of a time instance), where ΔT2 is a predefined or configured interval, or depends on UE capabilities, or ΔT2 defines the validity period of the TCI state of a time instance. Assuming that DCI is received at time instance T, the TCI state of the time instance is applied at time instance T+ΔT.

[0127] The above schematically illustrates the beam application time, and the following describes beam switching.

[0128] In some embodiments, the beam report of the terminal device for time beam prediction is used as a beam switching command. After the terminal device sends the beam report, the terminal device and the network device both switch to using the strongest beam at each time instance.

[0129] In some embodiments, the terminal device further receives an acknowledgement from the network device regarding the beam reporting, where the beam reporting is included in uplink control information (UCI) and / or MAC CE.

[0130] Figure 11 illustrates an example of beam reporting being used as a beam switching command in an embodiment of the present application. For example, as shown in Figure 11 , the UE can perform beam prediction and report beams for the next four time instances. After the UE receives confirmation from the gNB (for this beam reporting), both the UE and the gNB will use the corresponding strongest beam (top-1 beam) at each time instance. The present application is not limited to this; for example, a predefined beam (e.g., the first beam or a predetermined beam, etc.) may also be used.

[0131] In an embodiment of the present application, the TCI state can be any one or combination of the following: NR Rel-15 TCI state (including TCI state for PDSCH, TCI state for PDCCH, TCI state for CSI-RS), joint DL / UL TCI state, separate DL TCI state, and separate UL TCI state; the present application is not limited to this.

[0132] The embodiments of the present application can be applied to a terminal device side model (UE-side model) or a network device side model (gNB-side model), but the present application is not limited thereto.

[0133] The above embodiments are merely exemplary of the present invention, but the present invention is not limited thereto. Appropriate modifications may be made based on the above embodiments. For example, the above embodiments may be used alone, or one or more of the above embodiments may be combined.

[0134] As can be seen from the above embodiment, a terminal device receives configuration information from a network device; the configuration information is used to configure beam management and / or beam reporting; the terminal device performs time beam prediction based on AI / ML functionality / model; and the terminal device predicts and reports beams for one or more time instances. This improves the performance and efficiency of beam management, and enhances the accuracy and reliability of beam management.

[0135] Embodiments of the second aspect

[0136] The embodiment of the present application provides a beam management method, which is described from the perspective of a network device. The embodiment of the second aspect can be combined with the embodiment of the first aspect, and the same contents as the embodiment of the first aspect will not be repeated.

[0137] FIG12 is another schematic diagram of a beam management method according to an embodiment of the present application. As shown in FIG12 , the method includes:

[0138] 1201. A network device sends configuration information to a terminal device; the configuration information is used to configure beam management and / or beam reporting.

[0139] 1202. The network device receives a beam report sent by the terminal device; wherein the terminal device performs time beam prediction based on AI / ML functionality / model and reports beams of one or more time instances.

[0140] The above embodiments are merely exemplary of the present invention, but the present invention is not limited thereto. Appropriate modifications may be made based on the above embodiments. For example, the above embodiments may be used individually, or one or more of the above embodiments may be combined.

[0141] As can be seen from the above embodiment, a terminal device receives configuration information from a network device; the configuration information is used to configure beam management and / or beam reporting; the terminal device performs time beam prediction based on AI / ML functionality / model; and the terminal device predicts and reports beams for one or more time instances. This improves the performance and efficiency of beam management, and enhances the accuracy and reliability of beam management.

[0142] Embodiments of the third aspect

[0143] The embodiment of the present application provides a beam management device. The device may be, for example, a terminal device, or one or more components or assemblies configured in the terminal device, and the contents that are the same as those in the first and second aspects of the embodiment are not repeated here.

[0144] FIG13 is a schematic diagram of a beam management device according to an embodiment of the present application. As shown in FIG13 , the beam management device 1300 according to an embodiment of the present application includes:

[0145] A receiving unit 1301 receives configuration information from a network device; the configuration information is used to configure beam management and / or beam reporting;

[0146] A processing unit 1302 performs time beam prediction based on AI / ML functionality / model; wherein the terminal device predicts and reports beams for one or more time instances.

[0147] In some embodiments, the TCI state of one or more time instances is configured through RRC, and / or some of the TCI states are selected or activated through MAC CE, and / or the TCI state to be used is indicated from the activated TCI state through DCI.

[0148] In some embodiments, the MAC CE maps the TCI status to a codepoint in a DCI field for TCI status indication.

[0149] In some embodiments, a codepoint in the DCI domain used for TCI status indication maps the TCI status of one or more time instances, the MAC CE defines the mapping between the codepoint in the DCI domain and the TCI status of one or more time instances, and one DCI indicates the TCI status of one or more time instances.

[0150] In some embodiments, a codepoint in the DCI field used for TCI status indication maps the TCI status of a time instance, and the MAC CE defines the mapping between the codepoint in the DCI field and the TCI status of one or more time instances, and one DCI indicates the TCI status of a time instance.

[0151] In some embodiments, for different time instances, the codepoints are mapped to the same TCI state, or the codepoints are mapped to different TCI states.

[0152] In some embodiments, a codepoint in a DCI field used for TCI status indication maps the TCI status of one or more time instances, and the MAC CE defines a mapping between the codepoint in the DCI field and the TCI status of one or more time instances, and one DCI indicates the TCI status of one or more time instances; wherein the number of time instances mapped to different codepoints is the same, or the number of time instances mapped to different codepoints is different.

[0153] In some embodiments, one or more codepoints in the DCI field for TCI status indication are mapped to TCI status with a time instance, and another one or more codepoints are mapped to TCI status without a time instance.

[0154] In some embodiments, for codepoints that map TCI states with time instances, the number of time instances mapped to different codepoints is the same, or the number of time instances mapped to different codepoints is different.

[0155] In some embodiments, the MAC CE defines both a mapping between a codepoint of the DCI domain and a TCI state of one or more time instances, and a mapping between a codepoint of the DCI domain and a TCI state without a time instance.

[0156] In some embodiments, one DCI indicates a TCI status of one or more time instances, or one DCI indicates a TCI status with no time instance.

[0157] In some embodiments, the time instances are explicitly or implicitly configured in the RRC and / or the MAC CE; the number of the time instances and / or the intervals between the time instances are predefined or configured.

[0158] In some embodiments, in the DCI, the first field is used for time instance indication, or the unused second field is reused for time instance indication, or the first DCI format is used to indicate the TCI status of one or more time instances.

[0159] In some embodiments, for time beam prediction, the TCI status of one or more time instances is indicated by DCI, and switching between beam indication with time instances and beam indication without time instances can be supported.

[0160] In some embodiments, for time beam prediction, TCI states of multiple time instances are indicated by DCI, and the DCI for indicating the TCI states of the multiple time instances is received by the terminal device before the first time instance of the multiple time instances.

[0161] In some embodiments, for time beam prediction, a TCI state of a time instance is indicated by DCI, and the DCI for indicating the TCI state of the time instance is received by the terminal device before the time instance.

[0162] In some embodiments, the beam report of the terminal device for time beam prediction is used as a beam switching command. After the terminal device sends the beam report, the terminal device and the network device both switch to using the strongest beam at each time instance.

[0163] In some embodiments, the terminal device further receives an acknowledgement from the network device regarding the beam reporting, where the beam reporting is included in uplink control information (UCI) and / or MAC CE.

[0164] In some embodiments, as shown in FIG13 , the beam management device 1300 may further include:

[0165] Transmitting unit 1303 transmits beam measurement information and / or beam prediction information to the network device. For example, processing unit 1302 uses AI / ML to predict beam information for one or more time instances, and transmitting unit 1303 reports the beam information for one or more time instances predicted by AI / ML.

[0166] The above embodiments are merely exemplary of the present invention, but the present invention is not limited thereto. Appropriate modifications may be made based on the above embodiments. For example, the above embodiments may be used alone, or one or more of the above embodiments may be combined.

[0167] It is worth noting that the above only describes the components or modules related to the present application, but the present application is not limited thereto. The beam management device 1300 may also include other components or modules. For the specific contents of these components or modules, reference may be made to the relevant art.

[0168] In addition, for the sake of simplicity, FIG13 only illustrates the connection relationship or signal direction between various components or modules. However, it should be clear to those skilled in the art that various related technologies such as bus connection can be used. The above-mentioned components or modules can be implemented by hardware facilities such as processors, memories, transmitters, and receivers; the implementation of this application is not limited to this.

[0169] As can be seen from the above embodiment, a terminal device receives configuration information from a network device; the configuration information is used to configure beam management and / or beam reporting; the terminal device performs time beam prediction based on AI / ML functionality / model; and the terminal device predicts and reports beams for one or more time instances. This improves the performance and efficiency of beam management, and enhances the accuracy and reliability of beam management.

[0170] Embodiments of the fourth aspect

[0171] The embodiment of the present application provides a beam management device. The device may be, for example, a network device, or one or more components or assemblies configured in the network device. The contents that are the same as those in the first to third aspects of the embodiment are not repeated here.

[0172] FIG14 is another schematic diagram of a beam management device according to an embodiment of the present application. As shown in FIG14 , the beam management device 1400 includes:

[0173] A sending unit 1401 sends configuration information to a terminal device; the configuration information is used to configure beam management and / or beam reporting;

[0174] A receiving unit 1402 receives a beam report sent by the terminal device; wherein the terminal device performs time beam prediction based on AI / ML functionality / model and reports the beam of one or more time instances.

[0175] The above embodiments are merely exemplary of the present invention, but the present invention is not limited thereto. Appropriate modifications may be made based on the above embodiments. For example, the above embodiments may be used alone, or one or more of the above embodiments may be combined.

[0176] It is worth noting that the above only describes the components or modules related to the present application, but the present application is not limited thereto. The beam management device 1400 may also include other components or modules. For the specific contents of these components or modules, reference may be made to the relevant art.

[0177] In addition, for the sake of simplicity, FIG14 only illustrates the connection relationship or signal direction between various components or modules. However, it should be clear to those skilled in the art that various related technologies such as bus connection can be used. The above-mentioned components or modules can be implemented by hardware facilities such as processors, memories, transmitters, and receivers; the implementation of this application is not limited to this.

[0178] As can be seen from the above embodiment, a terminal device receives configuration information from a network device; the configuration information is used to configure beam management and / or beam reporting; the terminal device performs time beam prediction based on AI / ML functionality / model; and the terminal device predicts and reports beams for one or more time instances. This improves the performance and efficiency of beam management, and enhances the accuracy and reliability of beam management.

[0179] Embodiments of the fifth aspect

[0180] An embodiment of the present application also provides a communication system, and reference may be made to FIG1 . The contents that are the same as those in the first to fourth aspects of the embodiments will not be repeated.

[0181] In some embodiments, the communication system 100 may include at least:

[0182] A network device that sends configuration information to a terminal device; the configuration information is used to configure beam management and / or beam reporting;

[0183] A terminal device that performs time beam prediction based on AI / ML functionality / model and reports the beam for one or more time instances.

[0184] The embodiment of the present application also provides a terminal device, but the present application is not limited thereto and may also be other devices.

[0185] Figure 15 is a schematic diagram of a terminal device according to an embodiment of the present application. As shown in Figure 15 , terminal device 1500 may include a processor 1510 and a memory 1520. Memory 1520 stores data and programs and is coupled to processor 1510. It should be noted that this diagram is exemplary; other types of structures may be used to supplement or replace this structure to implement telecommunication or other functions.

[0186] For example, the processor 1510 may be configured to execute a program to implement the beam management method as described in the embodiment of the first aspect. For example, the processor 1510 may be configured to perform the following control: receiving configuration information from a network device; the configuration information is used to configure beam management and / or beam reporting; performing time beam prediction based on AI / ML functionality / model; wherein the terminal device predicts and reports beams for one or more time instances.

[0187] As shown in Figure 15 , the terminal device 1500 may further include: a communication module 1530, an input unit 1540, a display 1550, and a power supply 1560. The functions of these components are similar to those in the prior art and are not described in detail here. It is worth noting that the terminal device 1500 does not necessarily include all of the components shown in Figure 15 , and these components are not essential. Furthermore, the terminal device 1500 may also include components not shown in Figure 15 , for which reference may be made to the prior art.

[0188] An embodiment of the present application further provides a network device, which may be, for example, a base station, but the present application is not limited thereto and may also be other network devices.

[0189] Figure 16 is a schematic diagram illustrating the structure of a network device according to an embodiment of the present application. As shown in Figure 16 , network device 1600 may include a processor 1610 (e.g., a central processing unit (CPU)) and a memory 1620; memory 1620 is coupled to processor 1610. Memory 1620 may store various data and may also store an information processing program 1630, which is executed under the control of processor 1610.

[0190] For example, the processor 1610 may be configured to execute a program to implement the beam management method as described in the embodiment of the second aspect. For example, the processor 1610 may be configured to perform the following control: sending configuration information to a terminal device; the configuration information is used to configure beam management and / or beam reporting; receiving a beam report sent by the terminal device; wherein the terminal device performs time beam prediction based on AI / ML functionality / model, and reports beams for one or more time instances.

[0191] In addition, as shown in FIG16 , network device 1600 may further include: a transceiver 1640 and an antenna 1650, etc.; wherein, the functions of the above components are similar to those in the prior art and are not described in detail here. It is worth noting that network device 1600 does not necessarily include all the components shown in FIG16 ; in addition, network device 1600 may also include components not shown in FIG16 , and reference may be made to the prior art for details.

[0192] An embodiment of the present application also provides a computer program, wherein when the program is executed in a terminal device, the program enables the terminal device to perform the beam management method described in the embodiment of the first aspect.

[0193] An embodiment of the present application also provides a storage medium storing a computer program, wherein the computer program enables a terminal device to execute the beam management method described in the embodiment of the first aspect.

[0194] An embodiment of the present application also provides a computer program, wherein when the program is executed in a network device, the program enables the network device to perform the beam management method described in the embodiment of the second aspect.

[0195] An embodiment of the present application also provides a storage medium storing a computer program, wherein the computer program enables a network device to execute the beam management method described in the embodiment of the second aspect.

[0196] The above devices and methods of the present application can be implemented by hardware or by a combination of hardware and software. The present application relates to such a computer-readable program that, when executed by a logic component, enables the logic component to implement the devices or components described above, or enables the logic component to implement the various methods or steps described above. The present application also relates to a storage medium for storing the above program, such as a hard disk, a magnetic disk, an optical disk, a DVD, a flash memory, etc.

[0197] The method / device described in conjunction with the embodiments of the present application can be directly embodied as hardware, a software module executed by a processor, or a combination of the two. For example, one or more of the functional block diagrams shown in the figure and / or one or more combinations of functional block diagrams can correspond to various software modules of the computer program flow or to various hardware modules. These software modules can respectively correspond to the various steps shown in the figure. These hardware modules can be implemented by solidifying these software modules, for example, using a field programmable gate array (FPGA).

[0198] The software module may be located in RAM memory, flash memory, ROM memory, EPROM memory, EEPROM memory, registers, a hard disk, a removable disk, a CD-ROM, or any other form of storage medium known in the art. A storage medium may be coupled to a processor so that the processor can read information from the storage medium and write information to the storage medium; or the storage medium may be an integral part of the processor. The processor and the storage medium may be located in an ASIC. The software module may be stored in the memory of the mobile terminal or in a memory card that can be inserted into the mobile terminal. For example, if the device (such as a mobile terminal) uses a large-capacity MEGA-SIM card or a large-capacity flash memory device, the software module may be stored in the MEGA-SIM card or the large-capacity flash memory device.

[0199] One or more of the functional blocks and / or one or more combinations of functional blocks described in the accompanying drawings may be implemented as a general-purpose processor, a digital signal processor (DSP), an application-specific integrated circuit (ASIC), a field-programmable gate array (FPGA) or other programmable logic device, a discrete gate or transistor logic device, a discrete hardware component, or any appropriate combination thereof for performing the functions described in this application. One or more of the functional blocks and / or one or more combinations of functional blocks described in the accompanying drawings may also be implemented as a combination of computing devices, such as a combination of a DSP and a microprocessor, multiple microprocessors, one or more microprocessors in communication with a DSP, or any other such configuration.

[0200] The present application has been described above in conjunction with specific embodiments. However, those skilled in the art should understand that these descriptions are merely illustrative and are not intended to limit the scope of protection of the present application. Those skilled in the art may make various modifications and variations to the present application based on the spirit and principles of the present application, and such modifications and variations are also within the scope of the present application.

[0201] Regarding the implementation methods including the above embodiments, the following additional notes are also disclosed:

[0202] 1. A beam management method, comprising:

[0203] The terminal device receives configuration information from the network device; the configuration information is used to configure beam management and / or beam reporting;

[0204] The terminal device performs time beam prediction based on AI / ML functionality / model; wherein the terminal device predicts and reports beams of one or more time instances.

[0205] 2. A beam management method, comprising:

[0206] The network device sends configuration information to the terminal device; the configuration information is used to configure beam management and / or beam reporting;

[0207] The network device receives a beam report sent by the terminal device; wherein the terminal device performs time beam prediction based on AI / ML functionality / model and reports beams of one or more time instances.

[0208] 3. A terminal device comprising a memory and a processor, wherein the memory stores a computer program, and the processor is configured to execute the computer program to implement the beam management method as described in Note 1.

[0209] 4. A network device comprising a memory and a processor, wherein the memory stores a computer program, and the processor is configured to execute the computer program to implement the beam management method as described in Note 2.

[0210] 5. A computer program product, comprising at least a computer program, wherein when the computer program is executed by a processor, the terminal device executes the beam management method as described in Note 1.

[0211] 6. A computer program product, comprising at least a computer program, wherein when the computer program is executed by a processor, the network device executes the beam management method as described in Note 2.

Claims

1. A beam management apparatus, comprising: a receiving unit that receives configuration information from a network device; the configuration information is used to configure beam management and / or beam reporting; a processing unit that performs time beam prediction based on an AI / ML function / model; wherein the terminal device predicts and reports beams for one or more time instances.

2. The device according to claim 1, wherein Configure the TCI state for one or more time instances through RRC, and / or select or activate some of the TCI states in the TCI state through MAC CE, and / or indicate the TCI state to be used from the activated TCI states through DCI.

3. The device according to claim 2, wherein The MAC CE maps the TCI state to a code point in the DCI field for TCI state indication.

4. The device according to claim 3, wherein One code point in the DCI field for TCI state indication maps the TCI state for one or more time instances, the MAC CE defines the mapping between the code points in the DCI field and the TCI state for one or more time instances, and one DCI indicates the TCI state for one or more time instances.

5. The apparatus according to claim 3, wherein One code point in the DCI field for TCI state indication maps the TCI state for one time instance, the MAC CE defines the mapping between the code points in the DCI field and the TCI state for one or more time instances, and one DCI indicates the TCI state for one time instance.

6. The device according to claim 5, wherein For different time instances, the code point maps to the same TCI state, or the code point maps to different TCI states.

7. The apparatus according to claim 3, wherein, One code point in the DCI field for TCI state indication maps the TCI state for one or more time instances, the MAC CE defines the mapping between the code points in the DCI field and the TCI state for one or more time instances, and one DCI indicates the TCI state for one or more time instances; wherein, the number of time instances mapped by different code points is the same, or the number of time instances mapped by different code points is different.

8. The apparatus according to claim 3, wherein, One or more code points in the DCI field for TCI state indication map to the TCI state with time instances, and another or more code points map to the TCI state without time instances.

9. The device according to claim 8, wherein For the code points mapping to the TCI state with time instances, the number of time instances mapped by different code points is the same, or the number of time instances mapped by different code points is different.

10. The apparatus according to claim 8, wherein, The MAC CE defines both the mapping between the code points in the DCI field and the TCI state for one or more time instances, and the mapping between the code points in the DCI field and the TCI state without time instances.

11. The device according to claim 8, wherein, One DCI indicates the TCI state for one or more time instances, or one DCI indicates the TCI state without time instances.

12. The apparatus according to claim 2, wherein, In the RRC and / or the MAC CE, the time instances are configured explicitly or implicitly; the number of time instances and / or the interval between the time instances are predefined or configured.

13. The apparatus according to claim 2, wherein, In the DCI, a first field is used for time instance indication, or an unused second field is reused for time instance indication, or a first DCI format is used to indicate the TCI state for one or more time instances.

14. The device according to claim 1, wherein, For time beam prediction, if the TCI state of one or more time instances is indicated by DCI, then the switching between the beam indication with time instance and the beam indication without time instance can be supported.

15. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein, For time beam prediction, if the TCI states of multiple time instances are indicated by DCI, then the DCI for indicating the TCI states of the multiple time instances is received by the terminal device before the first time instance among the multiple time instances.

16. The device according to claim 1, wherein For time beam prediction, if the TCI state of one time instance is indicated by DCI, then the DCI for indicating the TCI state of the one time instance is received by the terminal device before the time instance.

17. The device according to claim 1, wherein, The beam report of the terminal device for time beam prediction is used for the beam switching command. After the terminal device sends the beam report, both the terminal device and the network device switch to use the strongest beam for each time instance.

18. The apparatus according to claim 17, wherein, The terminal device also receives an acknowledgement from the network device for the beam report, and the beam report is included in the uplink control information and / or MAC CE.

19. A beam management device, comprising: A sending unit, which sends configuration information to a terminal device; The configuration information is used to configure beam management and / or beam reporting; A receiving unit, which receives the beam report sent by the terminal device; Wherein the terminal device performs time beam prediction based on an AI / ML function / model and reports the beams of one or more time instances.

20. A communication system, comprising: A network device, which sends configuration information to a terminal device; The configuration information is used to configure beam management and / or beam reporting; A terminal device, which performs time beam prediction based on an AI / ML function / model and reports the beams of one or more time instances.

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