SRS enhancement for asymmetric multi-TRP operation

Abstract

An apparatus configured to communicate in an uplink (UL) and a downlink (DL) with a first transmission and reception point (TRP) and in the UL with a second TRP, the apparatus configured to process, based on signals received from the first TRP, a configuration for transmitting sounding reference signals (SRS) to the first TRP and the second TRP, wherein the configuration comprises a first closed loop power control (CLPC) adjustment state for transmitting the SRS to the first TRP and a second CLPC adjustment state for transmitting the SRS to the second TRP, generate, for transmission to the first TRP, SRS including power control parameters according to the first CLPC adjustment state and generate, for transmission to the second TRP, SRS including power control parameters according to the second CLPC adjustment state.

Description

SRS Enhancement for Asymmetric Multi-TRP OperationInventors: Haitong Sun, Ankit Bhamri, Chunxuan Ye, Dawei Zhang, Hong He, Wei Zeng and Weidong YangPriority / Incorporation By Reference

[0001] This application claims priority to US Provisional Application 63 / 552,721 filed on February 13, 2024 and entitled, "SRS Enhancement for Asymmetric Multi-TRP Operation, " the entirety of which is incorporated by reference herein .Background

[0002] A user equipment (UE) may connect to a network via a base station. The base station may control multiple transmission and reception points (TRPs) . The UE may operate in multi-TRP (mTRP) mode where the UE establishes and maintains a connection with multiple TRPs at the same time.

[0003] In some scenarios, the mTRP operation may be asymmetric with respect to a UE . For example, consider a scenario where the UE is communicating with two TRPs. The UE may have uplink (UL) communications with both TRPs but only downlink (DL) communications with one of the TRPs. This may be referred to as asymmetric TRP operation.

[0004] There may be various issues related to asymmetric TRP operation including, for example, power control and timing. For example, typically, a UE may determine UL timing from DL communications. However, if the UE does not have any DL communications with a TRP, the UE may not be able to determine timing for the UL .Summary

[0005] Some example embodiments are related to an apparatus configured to communicate in an uplink (UL) and a downlink (DL) with a first transmission and reception point (TRP) and in the UL with a second TRP, the apparatus having processing circuitry configured to process, based on signals received from the first TRP, a configuration for transmitting sounding reference signals (SRS) to the first TRP and the second TRP, wherein the configuration comprises a first closed loop power control (CLPC) adjustment state for transmitting the SRS to the first TRP and a second CLPC adjustment state for transmitting the SRS to the second TRP, generate, for transmission to the first TRP, SRS including power control parameters according to the first CLPC adjustment state and generate, for transmission to the second TRP, SRS including power control parameters according to the second CLPC adjustment state.Brief Description of the Drawings

[0006] Fig. 1 shows an example network arrangement according to various example embodiments.

[0007] Fig. 2 shows an example user equipment (UE) according to various example embodiments.

[0008] Fig. 3 shows an example base station according to various example embodiments.

[0009] Fig. 4 shows an example system arrangement where aUE is communicating with an asymmetric mTRP arrangement according to various example embodiments.

[0010] Fig. 5 shows an example of an SRS-ResourceSet Information Element (IE) including an explicit configuration of two closed-loop power control (CLPC) adjustment states for SRS according to various example embodiments.

[0011] Fig. 6 shows an example Medium Access Control Control Element (MAC-CE) for updating a CLPC index for SRS according to various example embodiments.

[0012] Fig. 7 shows an example PathlossRef erenceRS-Conf ig IE that includes a CLPC index according to various example embodiments .

[0013] Fig. 8 shows an example PathlossRef erenceRS IE that includes a CLPC index according to various example embodiments .

[0014] Fig. 9 shows an example PathlossRef erenceRS-Conf ig IE that includes inter-cell mTRP pathloss information according to various example embodiments.

[0015] Fig. 10 shows an example PathlossRef erenceRS IE that includes inter-cell mTRP pathloss information according to various example embodiments.

[0016] Fig. 11 shows an example SRS-ResourceSet IE that includes a power control offset according to various example embodiments .

[0017] Fig. 12 shows an example MAC-CE for updating a power control offset for SRS according to various example embodiments .

[0018] Fig. 13 shows an example PathlossRef erenceRS-Config IE that includes a power control offset for SRS according to various example embodiments.

[0019] Fig. 14 shows an example PathlossRef erenceRS IE that includes a power control offset for SRS according to various example embodiments.

[0020] Fig. 15 shows an example TCI-State IE that includes a power control offset for SRS according to various example embodiments .

[0021] Fig. 16 shows an example TCI-UL-State IE that includes a power control offset for SRS according to various example embodiments.

[0022] Fig. 17 shows an example Uplink-powerControl IE of the unified TCI framework that includes a power control offset for SRS according to various example embodiments, unified TCI framework is enabled.

[0023] Fig. 18 shows an example POAlphaSet IE of the unified TCI framework that includes a power control offset for SRS according to various example embodiments.

[0024] Fig. 19 shows an example PathlossRef erenceRS IE of the unified TCI framework that includes a power control offset for SRS according to various example embodiments.Detailed Description

[0025] The example embodiments may be further understood with reference to the following description and the related appended drawings, wherein like elements are provided with the same reference numerals. The example embodiments relate to asymmetric mTRP operation. Specifically, to transmission of SRS in asymmetric mTRP operation.

[0026] The example embodiments are described with regard to a user equipment (UE) . However, reference to a UE is merely provided for illustrative purposes. The example embodiments may be utilized with any electronic component that may establish a connection to a network and is configured with the hardware, software, and / or firmware to exchange information and data with the network. Therefore, the UE as described herein is used to represent any appropriate type of electronic component .

[0027] The example embodiments are also described with regard to a fifth generation (5G) New Radio (NR) network and a next generation node B (gNB) . However, reference to a 5G NR network and a gNB is merely provided for illustrative purposes. The example embodiments may be utilized with any appropriate type of network (e.g., 5G Advanced, 6G, etc.) and base station.

[0028] The gNB may be configured with multiple transmission and reception points (TRPs) . Throughout this description, a TRP generally refers to a set of components configured to transmit and / or receive a beam. In some embodiments, multiple TRPs may be deployed locally at the gNB. For example, the gNB may include multiple antenna arrays / panels that are eachconfigured to generate a different beam. In other embodiments, multiple TRPs may be deployed at various different locations and connected to the gNB via a backhaul connection. For example, multiple small cells may be deployed at different locations and connected to the gNB. However, these examples are merely provided for illustrative purposes. TRPs are configured to be adaptable to a wide variety of different conditions and deployment scenarios. Thus, any reference to a TRP being a particular network component or multiple TRPs being deployed in a particular arrangement is merely provided for illustrative purposes. The TRPs described herein may represent any type of network component configured to transmit and / or receive a beam.

[0029] The example embodiments describe operations for asymmetric mTRP operation, including the configuration of two closed loop power control adjustment states to accommodate SRS transmissions to two TRPs, a configuration of a pathloss of a first TRP to be applied to a second TRP and a configuration of a power offset value to be applied to SRS transmissions. These and other example embodiments are described in greater detail below .

[0030] Fig. 1 shows an example network arrangement 100 according to various example embodiments. The example network arrangement 100 includes a UE 110. The UE 110 may be any type of electronic component that is configured to communicate via a network, e.g., mobile phones, tablet computers, desktop computers, smartphones, phablets, embedded devices, wearables, Internet of Things (ToT) devices, etc. An actual network arrangement may include any number of UEs being used by anynumber of users. Thus, the example of a single UE 110 is merely provided for illustrative purposes.

[0031] The UE 110 may be configured to communicate with one or more networks. In the example of the network arrangement 100, the network with which the UE 110 may wirelessly communicate is a 5G NR radio access network (RAN) 120.However, the UE 110 may also communicate with other types of networks (e.g., sixth generation (6G) RAN, 5G cloud RAN, a next generation RAN (NG-RAN) , a long-term evolution (LTE) RAN, a legacy cellular network, a wireless local area network (WLAN) , etc.) and the UE 110 may also communicate with networks over a wired connection. With regard to the example embodiments, the UE 110 may establish a connection with the 5G NR RAN 120. Therefore, the UE 110 may have at least a 5G NR chipset to communicate with the 5G NR RAN 120.

[0032] The 5G NR RAN 120 may be a portion of a cellular network that may be deployed by a network carrier (e.g., Verizon, AT&T, T-Mobile, etc.) . The 5G NR RAN 120 may include base stations or access nodes (Node Bs, eNodeBs, HeNBs, eNBS, gNBs, gNodeBs, macrocells, microcells, small cells, femtocells, etc.) that are configured to send and receive traffic from UEs that are equipped with the appropriate cellular chip set.

[0033] In the network arrangement 100, the 5G NR RAN 120 deploys a gNB 120A. The gNB 120A may be configured with multiple TRPs . Each TRP may represent one or more components configured to transmit and / or receive a signal. In some embodiments, multiple TRPs may be deployed locally at the gNB 120A. In other embodiments, multiple TRPs may be distributedat different locations and connected to the gNB 120A via a backhaul connection. For example, multiple small cells may be deployed at different locations and connected to the gNB 120A. However, these examples are merely provided for illustrative purposes. TRPs are configured to be adaptable to a wide variety of different conditions and deployment scenarios. Thus, any reference to a TRP being a particular network component or multiple TRPs being deployed in a particular arrangement is merely provided for illustrative purposes. The TRPs described herein may represent any type of network component configured to transmit and / or receive a beam.

[0034] Any association procedure may be performed for the UE 110 to connect to the 5G NR RAN 120. For example, as discussed above, the 5G NR RAN 120 may be associated with a particular cellular provider where the UE 110 and / or the user thereof has a contract and credential information (e.g., stored on a SIM card) . Upon detecting the presence of the 5G NR RAN 120, the UE 110 may transmit the corresponding credential information to associate with the 5G NR RAN 120. More specifically, the UE 110 may associate with a specific base station, e.g., the gNB 120A.

[0035] The network arrangement 100 also includes a cellular core network 130, the Internet 140, an IP Multimedia Subsystem (IMS) 150, and a network services backbone 160. The cellular core network 130 may refer to an interconnected set of components that manages the operation and traffic of the cellular network. It may include the evolved packet core (EPC) and / or the 5G core (5GC) . The cellular core network 130 also manages the traffic that flows between the cellular network and the Internet 140. The IMS 150 may be generally describedas an architecture for delivering multimedia services to the UE 110 using the IP protocol. The IMS 150 may communicate with the cellular core network 130 and the Internet 140 to provide the multimedia services to the UE 110. The network services backbone 160 is in communication either directly or indirectly with the Internet 140 and the cellular core network 130. The network services backbone 160 may be generally described as a set of components (e.g., servers, network storage arrangements, etc.) that implement a suite of services that may be used to extend the functionalities of the UE 110 in communication with the various networks.

[0036] Fig. 2 shows an example UE 110 according to various example embodiments. The UE 110 will be described with regard to the network arrangement 100 of Fig. 1. The UE 110 may include a processor 205, a memory arrangement 210, a display device 215, an input / output (I / O) device 220, a transceiver 225 and other components 230. The other components 230 may include, for example, an audio input device, an audio output device, a power supply, a data acquisition device, ports to electrically connect the UE 110 to other electronic devices, etc .

[0037] The processor 205 may be configured to execute a plurality of engines of the UE 110. For example, the engines may include an asymmetric mTRP engine 235 that may perform various operations related to asymmetric mTRP operation. To provide some general examples, the asymmetric mTRP engine 235 may perform operations such as, but not limited to, receiving a configuration of two closed loop power control adjustment states and applying the closed loop adjustments states to SRS transmissions to separate TRPs, receiving a configurationindicating a pathloss of a first TRP is to be applied to a second TRP for power control purposes and receiving a configuration having a power of fset value and modi fying a transmission power for SRS transmissions based on the power of fset value .

[0038] The above referenced engine 235 being applications ( e . g . , a program) executed by the processor 205 is merely provided for illustrative purposes . The functionality associated with the engine 235 may also be represented as a separate incorporated component of the UE 110 or may be a modular component coupled to the UE 110 , e . g . , an integrated circuit with or without firmware . For example , the integrated circuit may include input circuitry to receive signals and processing circuitry to process the signals and other information . The engine may also be embodied as one application or separate applications . In addition, in some UEs , the functionality described for the processor 205 is split among two or more processors such as a baseband processor and an applications processor . The example embodiments may be implemented in any of these or other configurations of a UE .

[0039] The memory arrangement 210 may be a hardware component configured to store data related to operations performed by the UE 110 . The display device 215 may be a hardware component configured to show data to a user while the I / O device 220 may be a hardware component that enables the user to enter inputs . The display device 215 and the I / O device 220 may be separate components or integrated together such as a touchscreen .

[0040] The transceiver 225 may be a hardware component configured to establish a connection with the 5G NR-RAN 120, an LTE-RAN (not pictured) , a legacy RAN (not pictured) , a WLAN (not pictured) , etc. Accordingly, the transceiver 225 may operate on a variety of different frequencies or channels (e.g., set of consecutive frequencies) . The transceiver 225 includes circuitry configured to transmit and / or receive signals (e.g., control signals, data signals) . Such signals may be encoded with information implementing any one of the methods described herein. The processor 205 may be operably coupled to the transceiver 225 and configured to receive from and / or transmit signals to the transceiver 225. The processor 205 may be configured to encode, decode and / or process signals (e.g., signaling from a base station of a network) for implementing any one of the methods described herein.

[0041] Fig. 3 shows an example base station 300 according to various example embodiments. The base station 300 may represent the gNB 120A or any other type of access node through which the UE 110 may establish a connection and manage network operations.

[0042] The base station 300 may include a processor 305, a memory arrangement 310, an input / output (I / O) device 315, a transceiver 320, multiple TRPs 330 and other components 325. The other components 325 may include, for example, an audio input device, an audio output device, a battery, a data acquisition device, ports to electrically connect the base station 300 to other electronic devices and / or power sources, TxRUs, transceiver chains, antenna elements, antenna panels, etc .

[0043] As indicated above, in some scenarios, the multiple TRPs 330 may be deployed locally at the base station 300. In other scenarios, one or more of the multiple TRPs 330 may be deployed at physical locations remote from the base station 300 and connected to the base station via a backhaul connection. The base station 300 may be configured to control the multiple TRPs 330 and perform operations such as, but not limited to, assigning resources, configuring reference signals, implementing beam management techniques, etc.

[0044] The processor 305 may be configured to execute a plurality of engines for the base station 300. For example, the engines may include an asymmetric mTRP configuration engine 335 that may perform various operations related to asymmetric mTRP operation. To provide some general examples, the asymmetric mTRP configuration engine 335 may perform operations such as, but not limited to, configuring two closed loop power control adjustment states for a UE to accommodate SRS transmissions to two TRPs, configuring a pathloss of a first TRP to be applied to a second TRP and configuring a power offset value to be applied to SRS transmissions.

[0045] The above noted engine 335 being applications (e.g., a program) executed by the processor 305 is only an example. The functionality associated with the engine 335 may also be represented as a separate incorporated component of the base station 300 or may be a modular component coupled to the base station 300, e.g., an integrated circuit with or without firmware. For example, the integrated circuit may include input circuitry to receive signals and processing circuitry to process the signals and other information. In addition, in some base stations, the functionality describedfor the processor 305 is split among a plurality of processors (e.g., a baseband processor, an applications processor, etc.) . The example embodiments may be implemented in any of these or other configurations of a base station.

[0046] The memory arrangement 310 may be a hardware component configured to store data related to operations performed by the base station 300. The I / O device 315 may be a hardware component or ports that enable a user to interact with the base station 300.

[0047] The transceiver 320 may be a hardware component configured to exchange data with the UE 110 and any other UEs in the network arrangement 100. The transceiver 320 may operate on a variety of different frequencies or channels (e.g., set of consecutive frequencies) . Therefore, the transceiver 320 may include one or more components to enable the data exchange with the various networks and UEs. The transceiver 320 includes circuitry configured to transmit and / or receive signals (e.g., control signals, data signals) . Such signals may be encoded with information implementing any one of the methods described herein. The processor 305 may be operably coupled to the transceiver 320 and configured to receive from and / or transmit signals to the transceiver 320. The processor 305 may be configured to encode, decode and / or process signals (e.g., signaling from a UE) for implementing any one of the methods described herein.

[0048] Fig. 4 shows an example system arrangement 400 where a UE 110 is communicating with an asymmetric mTRP arrangement according to various example embodiments. In the example of Fig. 4, the UE 110 is communicating with a first TRP 410 and asecond TRP 420. The UE 110 is communicating in both the DL andUL with the TRP 410. However, the UE 110 is only communicating in the UL with the TRP 420.

[0049] In one aspect, the example embodiments disclose a closed loop power control (CLPC) for sounding reference signals (SRS) for the asymmetric mTRP scenario. In the UL, UEs transmit SRS so the TRP may determine a quality of the synchronization and UL channel information with the UE . A TRP may provide an SRS configuration to the UE that provides CLPC information for the SRS such that the UE may perform power control for the SRS transmitted in UL . However, in the scenario of Fig. 4, the UE 110 is not receiving any DL communications from the TRP 420 and therefore the UE 110 does not receive any information as to how to perform power control for the SRS transmitted in the UL to TRP 420.

[0050] The example embodiments provide two closed loop power control (CLPC) adjustment states. These two CLPC adjustment states may be associated with a CLPC index, e.g., a first CLPC adjustment state is associated with an index 0 (10) and a second CLPC adjustment state is associated with an index 1 (il) . In the example of Fig. 4, one CLPC index may apply to one TRP and the other CLPC index may apply to the other TRP, e.g., the CLPC index 0 may apply to the TRP 410 and the CLPC index 1 may apply to the TRP 420. When the UE 110 is signaled the two CLPC indexes, the UE 110 may understand how to perform CLPC adjustments for the SRS transmissions to each of the TRPs 410 and 420. The following provides multiple examples of manners in which the two CLPC indexes may be signaled to the UE 110 by the network.

[0051] In some example embodiments, the configuration of the two CLPC adjustment states for SRS may be explicitly configured in an SRS-ResourceSet configured for the UE 110. For example, the serving cell via the TRP 410 may transmit an SRS-ResourceSet that includes two CLPC indexes where one CLPC index may be applied for communications with the TRP 410 and the other CLPC index may be applied for the communications with the TRP 420, e.g., the SRS in the UL .

[0052] Fig. 5 shows an example of an SRS-ResourceSet Information Element (IE) 500 including an explicit configuration of two closed-loop power control (CLPC) adjustment states for SRS according to various example embodiments. The explicit configuration is shown as the closedLoopIndex-rl 9 ENUMERATED { 10, il } 510 in the SRS- ResourceSet IE 500. When the UE 110 receives this SRS- ResourceSet IE 500 with the explicit CLPC configuration, the UE 110 may apply the CPLC index (e.g., 10 or il) for the CLPC of the SRS transmitted to the TRP 420. The SRS-ResourceSet IE 500 SRS may be signaled to the UE 110 via radio resource control (RRC) signaling.

[0053] The explicit configuration of the CLPC index in the SRS-ResourceSet IE 500 may be allowed under certain conditions. For example, when the srs- PowerControlAdj ustmentStates is configured as "separateClosedLoop", this allows the explicit configuration of the CLPC index for the SRS. If the srs- PowerControlAdj ustmentStates is not configured as "separateClosedLoop", the SRS CLPC may follow the PUSCH configuration. Another condition may be that the followUnif iedTCI-StateSRS-rl7 (not shown) is not enabled.Again, if this state is enabled, the CLPC for SRS may follow the CLPC configured for the unified TCI state.

[0054] In other example embodiments, Medium Access Control Control Element (MAC-CE) signaling may be used to update the CLPC index for the SRS . Fig. 6 shows an example MAC-CE 600 for updating a CLPC index for SRS according to various example embodiments. The MAC-CE 600 identifies the serving cell (e.g., Serving Cell ID 610) and the bandwidth part (BWP) associated with the serving cell (BWP ID 615) . Again, the MAC-CE 600 may be transmitted to the UE 110 by the serving cell via the TRP 410.

[0055] The MAC-CE 600 also includes the identity of the SRS resource set. In this example, there are 3 SRS Resource Set IDs, SRS Resource Set 1 620, SRS Resource Set 2 625 and SRS Resource Set 3 630. The MAC-CE 600 further includes the identity of the Pathloss Reference Reference Signal (RS) . In this example, there 3 Pathloss Reference RS IDs, Pathloss Reference ID 1 635, Pathloss Reference ID 2 640, and Pathloss Reference ID 3 645. The MAC-CE 600 also includes a closed loop (CL) index field. In this example, there are 3 CL fields, CL 1 650, CL 2 655 and CL 3 660.

[0056] To perform open loop power control, the UE 110 may use the SRS Resource Set and a Pathloss Reference RS. The MAC- CE 600 may associate each of the SRS Resource Sets with a corresponding Pathloss Reference RS, e.g., SRS Resource Set 1 620 may be associated with the Pathloss Reference ID 1 635.

[0057] The MAC-CE 600 may also associate each of the SRSResource Sets with a CL index field, e.g., SRS Resource Set 1620 is associated with the CL 1 field 650. The CL index field may be a one bit field having a value of 0 or 1 that corresponds to a first CL index or a second CL index, e.g., a value of 0 indicates a CL index 0 and a value 1 indicates a CL index 1. In this example, the UE 110 understands from the association between the SRS Resource Set and the corresponding Pathloss Reference RS to which TRP (e.g., TRP 410 or 420) the open loop power control is applied. This implies that when the MAC-CE 600 indicates the association between the CL index field and the SRS Resource Set, the UE 110 will also understand to which TRP (TRP 410 or TRP 420) the SRS Resource Set and corresponding CLPC of the SRS Resource Set applies. Thus, when the UE 110 receives the MAC-CE 600, the UE 110 will understand from the association between the SRS Resource Sets and corresponding CL index and the value of the CL index the CLPC that should be applied for the SRS of the TRP 420.

[0058] An advantage of the MAC-CE 600 is that the same signaling may be used to update the close loop index for the SRS and the Pathloss RS for the SRS.

[0059] In further example embodiments, the configuration of the two CLPC adjustment states for SRS may be configured in the PathlossRef erenceRS-Conf ig IE. Fig. 7 shows an example PathlossRef erenceRS-Conf ig IE 700 that includes a CLPC index according to various example embodiments. In Fig. 7, the PathlossRef erenceRS-Conf ig IE 700 includes the parameter closedLoopIndex-rl 9 ENUMERATED { 10, il } 710 that may be used to signal the CLPC index for SRS.

[0060] As described above with reference to the MAC-CE example, the UE 110 understands the relationship between thePathloss Reference RS and the TRP for which the open loop power control is being performed. Because thePathlossRef erenceRS-Conf ig may be referred to in the SRS- ResourceSet directly or indirectly, by including the CLPC index for the SRS in the PathlossRef erenceRS-Conf ig, the UE 110 will also understand the TRP to which the CLPC for the SRS Resource Set applies.

[0061] In additional example embodiments, the configuration of the two CLPC adjustment states for SRS may be configured in the PathlossRef erenceRS IE. Fig. 8 shows an example PathlossRef erenceRS IE 800 that includes a CLPC index according to various example embodiments. In Fig. 8, the PathlossRef erenceRS IE 800 includes the parameter closedLoopIndex-rl 9 ENUMERATED { 10, il } 810 that may be used to signal the CLPC index for SRS.

[0062] Similar to the example described above with respect to the PathlossRef erenceRS-Conf ig, the PathlossRef erenceRS may be referred to in the SRS-ResourceSet directly and by including the CLPC index for the SRS in the PathlossRef erenceRS , the UE 110 will also understand the TRP to which the CLPC for the SRS Resource Set applies.

[0063] In further example embodiments, the configuration of the two CLPC adjustment states for SRS may be configured in Downlink Control Information (DCI) , e.g., DCI Format 2_3. The DCI format 2_3 may include a Transmit Power Control (TPC) command field that is used to control transmit power of the SRS. The DCI Format 2_3 may be defined in the 3GPP Technical Specification 38.212 and currently, the TPC command field is a 2 bit field. The 2 bit TPC command may be used to signal theUE to increase or decrease the transmit power for the SRS and the step size that may be used for the increase / decrease. However, there is currently no indication of a CLPC index because current standards do not support 2 closed loop power control states. The TPC command field may also be used to signal the CLPC index to the UE 110.

[0064] In a first option, for each TPC command in DCI Format 2_3, one bit may be added to indicate the CLPC index. This will indicate to the UE 110 if the TPC command (e.g., the increase / decrease and step size) will apply to the CLPC index 0 or the CLPC index 1. The UE 110 may then apply the TPC command to the correct SRS transmissions, e.g., the SRS transmitted to the TRP 410 or TRP 420.

[0065] In a second option, for each TPC command in DCI Format 2_3, 2 bits are added. The original 2 bits may be used to provide the TPC command for CLPC index 0 and the added 2 bits may be used to provide the TPC command for CLPC index 1. In this option, the TPC command for each CLPC index may be updated each time the DCI Format 2_3 is provided to the UE 110.

[0066] In a third option, the number of bits in each TPC command in DCI Format 2_3 is not increased, e.g., the original 2 bits are used. In this option, the first bit indicates the TPC command for the CLPC index 0 and the second bit indicates the TPC command for the CLPC index 1. In this option, there is no change to the DCI format but the resolution of the TPC command may be less because only a single bit is used to indicate the TPC command of reach CLPC index, e.g., each TRP. Similar to the second option, in this option receipt of theDCI may update the TPC command for both indexes.

[0067] In another aspect, the example embodiments disclose operations to support inter-cell mTRP for SRS . In inter-cell mTRP, each of the TRPs may be controlled by a different cell, e.g., each of the TRPs have a different Physical Cell Identity (PCI) . For example, referring to Fig. 4, the TRP 410 may be controlled by a first cell and the TRP 420 may be controlled by a second cell.

[0068] As described above, part of power control for SRS includes measuring the pathloss based on a Pathloss RS that is transmitted in the DL . However, for the TRP 420, there is no DL on which to measure the pathloss. Moreover, in the intercell mTRP, the UE 110 may not have any communications in the DL with the cell controlling the TRP 420. Thus, the UE 110 may use the pathloss associated with a different cell (e.g., the cell associated with the TRP 410) for the SRS power control for the TRP 420. There is no current mechanism to indicate this type of configuration to the UE 110 in the legacy TCI framework. The following example embodiments provide manners of signaling this information to the UE 110.

[0069] In some example embodiments, the pathloss information for the TRP that does not include DL communications (e.g., TRP 420) may be signaled in the PathlossRef erenceRS-Conf ig IE. Fig. 9 shows an example PathlossRef erenceRS-Conf ig IE 900 that includes inter-cell mTRP pathloss information according to various example embodiments. The PathlossRef erenceRS-Conf ig IE 900 may be signaled from the TRP 410 to the UE 110. As described above, the TRP 410 has a first PCI associated with the cell thatcontrols the TRP 410. The parameter additionalPCI-rl 9 AdditionalPCIIndex-rl7 OPTIONAL -- Cond RS-SSB 910 may be used to signal a second PCI of the TRP 420 to the UE 110, e.g., the PCI of the cell that controls the TRP 420. This indication of the PCI of the TRP 420 in the PathlossRef erenceRS-Conf ig IE 900 indicates to the UE 110 that the pathloss determined for the TRP 410 may be used for the SRS power control for the TRP 420.

[0070] In some example embodiments, the pathloss information for the TRP that does not include DL communications (e.g., TRP 420) may be signaled in the PathlossRef erenceRS IE. Fig. 10 shows an example PathlossRef erenceRS IE that includes inter-cell mTRP pathloss information according to various example embodiments. The PathlossRef erenceRS-Conf ig IE 1000 may be signaled from the TRP 410 to the UE 110. As described above, the TRP 410 has a first PCI associated with the cell that controls the TRP 410. The parameter additionalPCI-rl 9 AdditionalPCIIndex-rl7 OPTIONAL -- Cond RS-SSB 1010 may be used to signal a second PCI of the TRP 420 to the UE 110, e.g., the PCI of the cell that controls the TRP 420. This indication of the PCI of the TRP 420 in the PathlossRef erenceRS-Conf ig IE 1000 indicates to the UE 110 that the pathloss determined for the TRP 410 may be used for the SRS power control for the TRP 420.

[0071] In the above examples, the PCI may be configured only when the Synchronization Signal Block (SSB) is configured as a Pathloss RS, e.g., the PCI is not applicable when CSI-RS is configured as a Pathloss RS.

[0072] In a further aspect, the example embodiments disclose operations to support a PC offset for SRS. As described above, part of power control for SRS includes measuring the pathloss based on a Pathloss RS that is transmitted in the DL . As also described above, when the TRP 420 is not transmitting in the DL, the UE 110 may rely on the pathloss for the DL transmissions from the TRP 410 (in the intra-cell or inter-cell mTRP scenario) . However, the pathloss between the TRP 410 and UE 110 may not be an accurate representation of the pathloss between the TRP 420 and UE 110. For example, the pathloss may be dependent on a variety of factors such as the distance the UE 110 is from the TRPs, obstructions between the TRPs and the UE 110, etc.

[0073] In the example embodiments, the serving cell may provide the UE 110 with a PC offset that is to be applied for the PC of the SRS transmissions for the TRP that does not include the DL transmissions, e.g., TRP 420, to compensate for the difference in pathloss between the TRPs. For example, the network may understand the location of the UE 110 relative to the TRPs 410 and 420 and may provide the PC offset to the UE 110 based on this information or any other information that allows the network to understand the difference in pathloss between the UE and the two different TRPs.

[0074] Thus, in some example embodiments, the network configures a power control offset PSRS, offset that is signaled to the UE 110. The UE may then modify the transmission power for the SRS to the TRP 420 by the PSRS, offset .

[0075] In some example embodiments, the network may configure the PSRS, offset for two CLPC indexes. In a first option,different PSRS, offset may be configured for different close loop indexes. In a second option, the same PSRS, offset may be configured for both close loop indexes.

[0076] In some example embodiments, the PSRS, offset may be explicitly configured. Fig. 11 shows an example SRS- ResourceSet IE 1100 that includes a power control offset according to various example embodiments. The parameter PCOffset-rl9 INTEGER { -20:20 } 1110 may be used to signal the power control offset to the UE 110. In some examples, the explicit configuration of the power control offset in the SRS- ResourceSet 1100 may only be allowed when the parameter followUnif iedTCI-StateSRS-rl7 is not enabled because when this parameter is enabled, the UE 110 may use information from that IE for the power control. The parameter PCOffset-rl9 INTEGER { -20:20 } 1110 shows some examples of ranges and step sizes that may be used for the power control offset. However, these are only examples and other ranges and step sizes may also be used .

[0077] In some example embodiments, a MAC-CE may be used to update the power control offset for SRS . In these example embodiments, it is recognized that the UE 110 may be in a mobility state and moving with respect to the TRP 410 and 420. Thus, the power control offset may have to be updated as the UE 110 is moving relative to the TRPs 410 and 420. The MAC-CE may be a fast manner to update the power control offset for the UE 110.

[0078] Fig. 12 shows an example MAC-CE 1200 for updating a power control offset for SRS according to various example embodiments. The MAC-CE 1200 includes some fields that aresimilar to the fields in the MAC-CE 600 described above. Thus, these fields will not be described again. The difference is that the MAC-CE 1200 includes the Power Offset fields, e.g., Power Offset 1 1250, Power Offset 2 1255 and Power Offset 3 1260. Again, similar to the CL index signaling with respect to Fig. 6, the association between the Power Offset and the SRS Resource Set may indicate to the UE 110 the power offset that may be used for a particular TRP .

[0079] In further example embodiments, the configuration of the power control offset for SRS may be configured in the PathlossRef erenceRS-Conf ig IE. Fig. 13 shows an example PathlossRef erenceRS-Conf ig IE 1300 that includes a power control offset for SRS according to various example embodiments. In Fig. 13, the PathlossRef erenceRS-Conf ig IE 1300 includes the parameter PCOffset-rl9 INTEGER { -20:20 } 1310 that may be used to signal the power control offset for SRS .

[0080] As described above with reference to the MAC-CE example, the UE 110 understands the relationship between the Pathloss Reference RS and the TRP for which the open loop power control is being performed. Because the PathlossRef erenceRS-Conf ig may be referred to in the SRS- ResourceSet directly or indirectly, by including the power control offset for the SRS in the PathlossRef erenceRS-Conf ig, the UE 110 will also understand the TRP to which the power control offset applies.

[0081] In additional example embodiments, the configuration of the power control offset for SRS may be configured in the PathlossRef erenceRS IE. Fig. 14 shows an examplePathlossRef erenceRS IE 1400 that includes a power control offset according to various example embodiments. In Fig. 14, the PathlossRef erenceRS IE 1400 includes the parameter PCOffset-rl9 INTEGER { -20:20 } 1410 that may be used to signal the power control offset for SRS .

[0082] Similar to the example described above with respect to the PathlossRef erenceRS-Conf ig, the PathlossRef erenceRS may be referred to in the SRS-ResourceSet directly and by including the power control offset for the SRS in the PathlossRef erenceRS , the UE 110 will also understand the TRP to which the power control offset applies.

[0083] The parameters PCOffset-rl9 INTEGER { -20:20 } 1310 and 1410 show some examples of ranges and step sizes that may be used for the power control offset. However, these are only examples and other ranges and step sizes may be used.

[0084] As described above, in some examples, the explicit configuration of the power control offset may not be allowed when the parameter followUnif iedTCI-StateSRS-rl7 is enabled. The following provides examples of signaling the power control offset to the UE 110 when the parameter followUnif iedTCI- StateSRS-rl7 is enabled.

[0085] Fig. 15 shows an example TCI-State IE 1500 that includes a power control offset for SRS according to various example embodiments. In Fig. 15, the TCI-State IE 1500 includes the parameter PCOffset-rl9 INTEGER { -20:20 } 1510 that may be used to signal the power control offset for SRS. The TCI-State IE 1500 may be used when the TCI state for both the UL and DL follow the same configuration.

[0086] Fig. 16 shows an example TCI-UL-State IE 1600 that includes a power control offset for SRS according to various example embodiments. In Fig. 16, the TCI-UL-State IE 1600 includes the parameter PCOffset-rl9 INTEGER { -20:20 } 1610 that may be used to signal the power control offset for SRS. The TCI-UL-State IE 1600 may be used when the TCI state for the UL and DL are different.

[0087] Fig. 17 shows an example Uplink-powerControl IE 1700 of the unified TCI framework that includes a power control offset for SRS according to various example embodiments. In Fig. 17, the Uplink-powerControl IE 1700 includes the parameter PCOffset-rl9 INTEGER { -20:20 } 1710 that may be used to signal the power control offset for SRS when the unified TCI framework is enabled.

[0088] Fig. 18 shows an example POAlphaSet IE 1800 of the unified TCI framework that includes a power control offset for SRS according to various example embodiments. In Fig. 18, the POAlphaSet IE 1800 includes the parameter PCOffset-rl9 INTEGER { -20:20 } 1810 that may be used to signal the power control offset for SRS when the unified TCI framework is enabled.

[0089] Fig. 19 shows an example PathlossRef erenceRS IE 1900 of the unified TCI framework that includes a power control offset for SRS according to various example embodiments. In Fig. 19, the PathlossRef erenceRS IE 1900 includes the parameter PCOffset-rl9 INTEGER { -20:20 } 1910 that may be used to signal the power control offset for SRS when the unified TCI framework is enabled.Examples

[0090] In a first example, a method performed by an apparatus configured to communicate in an uplink (UL) and a downlink (DL) with a first transmission and reception point (TRP) and in the UL with a second TRP, the method comprising processing, based on signals received from the first TRP, a configuration for transmitting sounding reference signals (SRS) to the first TRP and the second TRP, wherein the configuration comprises a first closed loop power control (CLPC) adjustment state for transmitting the SRS to the first TRP and a second CLPC adjustment state for transmitting the SRS to the second TRP, generating, for transmission to the first TRP, SRS including power control parameters according to the first CLPC adjustment state and generating, for transmission to the second TRP, SRS including power control parameters according to the second CLPC adjustment state.

[0091] In a second example, the method of the first example, wherein the configuration comprises a SRS-ResourceSet information element (IE) including a CLPC index corresponding to the first or second CLPC adjustment state.

[0092] In a third example, the method of the second example, wherein a srs-PowerControlAdj ustmentStates parameter of the SRS-ResourceSet IE is configured as "separateClosedLoop" and a followUnif iedTCI-StateSRS-rl7 of the configuration is not enabled.

[0093] In a fourth example, the method of the first example, wherein the configuration comprises a Medium Access Control Control Element (MAC-CE) that associates a first CLPC index corresponding to the first CLPC adjustment state to afirst SRS Resource Set Identification for the first TRP and a second CLPC index corresponding to the second CLPC adjustment state to a second SRS Resource Set Identification for the second TRP.

[0094] In a fifth example, the method of the fourth example, wherein the MAC-CE further associates the first SRS Resource Set Identification to a first Pathloss Reference Reference Signal (RS) Identification and the second SRS Resource Set Identification to a second Pathloss Reference RS Identification .

[0095] In a sixth example, the method of the first example, wherein the configuration comprises a PathlossRef erenceRS- Config information element (IE) including a CLPC index corresponding to the first or second CLPC adjustment state.

[0096] In a seventh example, the method of the first example, wherein the configuration comprises a PathlossRef erenceRS information element (IE) including a CLPC index corresponding to the first or second CLPC adjustment state .

[0097] In an eighth example, the method of the first example, wherein the configuration comprises downlink control information (DCI) comprising a Transmit Power Control (TPC) command field including information related to the first or second CLPC adjustment state.

[0098] In a ninth example, the method of the eighth example, wherein DCI comprises DCi format 2_3.

[0099] In a tenth example, the method of the eighth example, wherein the TPC command comprises a CLPC index bit set to a value corresponding to the first or second CLPC adjustment state.

[0100] In an eleventh example, the method of the eighth example, wherein the TPC command comprises a first set of two bits corresponding to the first CLPC adjustment state and a second set of two bits corresponding to the second CLPC adjustment state.

[0101] In a twelfth example, the method of the eighth example, wherein the TPC command comprises a first bit corresponding to the first CLPC adjustment state and a second bit corresponding to the second CLPC adjustment state.

[0102] In a thirteenth example, the method of the first example, wherein the first TRP comprises a first Physical Cell Identity (PCI) corresponding to a first cell and the second TRP comprises a second PCI corresponding to a second cell, wherein the configuration further comprises an indication that the apparatus is to use a pathloss (PL) based on measurements of Pathloss Reference Reference Signals (RS) transmitted by the first TRP as a PL for power control of SRS for SRS transmitted to the second TRP.

[0103] In a fourteenth example, the method of the thirteenth example, wherein the configuration comprises a PathlossRef erenceRS-Conf ig information element (IE) including an identification of the second PCI.

[0104] In a fifteenth example, the method of the thirteenth example, wherein the configuration comprises a PathlossRef erenceRS information element (IE) including an identification of the second PCI.

[0105] In a sixteenth example, the method of the first example, wherein the configuration further comprises a power control offset value, wherein a transmission power for transmitting the SRS to the second TRP is modified by the power offset value.

[0106] In a seventeenth example, the method of the sixteenth example, wherein a first power offset value is provided for a CLPC index corresponding to the first CLPC adjustment state and a second power offset value is provided for a CLPC index corresponding to the second CLPC adjustment state .

[0107] In an eighteenth example, the method of the sixteenth example, wherein the power offset value is provided for CLPC indexes corresponding to the first CLPC adjustment state and the second CLPC adjustment state.

[0108] In a nineteenth example, the method of the sixteenth example, wherein the configuration comprises a SRS-ResourceSet information element (IE) including an indication of the power control offset.

[0109] In a twentieth example, the method of the nineteenth example, wherein a srs-PowerControlAdj ustmentStates parameter of the SRS-ResourceSet IE is configured as "separateClosedLoop" and a followUnif iedTCI-StateSRS-rl7 ofthe configuration is not enabled.

[0110] In a twenty first example, the method of the sixteenth example, wherein the configuration comprises a Medium Access Control Control Element (MAC-CE) that associates a first power control index corresponding to a first power control offset to a first SRS Resource Set Identification and a second first power control index corresponding to a second SRS Resource Set Identification.

[0111] In a twenty second example, the method of the twenty first example, wherein the MAC-CE further associates the first SRS Resource Set Identification to a first Pathloss Reference Reference Signal (RS) Identification and the second SRS Resource Set Identification to a second Pathloss Reference RS Identification .

[0112] In a twenty third example, the method of the sixteenth example, wherein the configuration comprises a PathlossRef erenceRS-Conf ig information element (IE) including an indication of the power control offset.

[0113] In a twenty fourth example, the method of the sixteenth example, wherein the configuration comprises a PathlossRef erenceRS information element (IE) including an indication of the power control offset.

[0114] In a twenty fifth example, the method of the sixteenth example, wherein a followUnif iedTCI-StateSRS-rl7 of the configuration is enabled and the configuration comprises a TCI-State information element (IE) including an indication of the power control offset.

[0115] In a twenty sixth example, the method of the sixteenth example, wherein a followUnif iedTCI-StateSRS-rl7 of the configuration is enabled and the configuration comprises a TCI-UL-State information element (IE) including an indication of the power control offset.

[0116] In a twenty seventh example, the method of the sixteenth example, wherein a followUnif iedTCI-StateSRS-rl7 of the configuration is enabled and the configuration comprises a Uplink-powerControl information element (IE) including an indication of the power control offset.

[0117] In a twenty eighth example, the method of the sixteenth example, wherein a followUnif iedTCI-StateSRS-rl7 of the configuration is enabled and the configuration comprises a POAlphaSet information element (IE) including an indication of the power control offset.

[0118] In a twenty ninth example, the method of the sixteenth example, wherein a followUnif iedTCI-StateSRS-rl7 of the configuration is enabled and the configuration comprises a PathlossRef erenceRS information element (IE) including an indication of the power control offset.

[0119] In a thirtieth example, a processor configured to perform any of the methods of the first through twenty ninth examples .

[0120] In a thirty first example, a user equipment (UE) configured to perform any of the methods of the first through twenty ninth examples.

[0121] Those skilled in the art will understand that the above-described example embodiments may be implemented in any suitable software or hardware configuration or combination thereof. An example hardware platform for implementing the example embodiments may include, for example, an Intel x86 based platform with compatible operating system, a Windows OS, a Mac platform and MAC OS, a mobile device having an operating system such as iOS, Android, etc. The example embodiments described above may be embodied as a program containing lines of code stored on a non-transitory computer readable storage medium that, when compiled, may be executed on a processor or microprocessor .

[0122] In some embodiments, a non-transitory computer- readable memory medium (e.g., a non-transitory memory element) may be configured so that it stores program instructions and / or data, where the program instructions, if executed by a computer system, cause the computer system to perform a method, e.g., any of a method embodiments described herein, or, any combination of the method embodiments described herein, or, any subset of any of the method embodiments described herein, or, any combination of such subsets.

[0123] In some embodiments, a device (e.g., a UE) may be configured to include a processor (or a set of processors) and a memory medium (or memory element) , where the memory medium stores program instructions, where the processor is configured to read and execute the program instructions from the memory medium, where the program instructions are executable to implement any of the various method embodiments described herein (or, any combination of the method embodimentsdescribed herein, or, any subset of any of the method embodiments described herein, or, any combination of such subsets) . The device may be realized in any of various forms.

[0124] Embodiments of the present invention may be realized in any of various forms. For example, in some embodiments, the present invention may be realized as a computer- implemented method, a computer-readable memory medium, or a computer system. In other embodiments, the present invention may be realized using one or more custom-designed hardware devices such as ASICs. In other embodiments, the present invention may be realized using one or more programmable hardware elements such as FPGAs .

[0125] Although this application described various embodiments each having different features in various combinations, those skilled in the art will understand that any of the features of one embodiment may be combined with the features of the other embodiments in any manner not specifically disclaimed or which is not functionally or logically inconsistent with the operation of the device or the stated functions of the disclosed embodiments.

[0126] It is well understood that the use of personally identifiable information should follow privacy policies and practices that are generally recognized as meeting or exceeding industry or governmental requirements for maintaining the privacy of users. In particular, personally identifiable information data should be managed and handled so as to minimize risks of unintentional or unauthorized access or use, and the nature of authorized use should be clearly indicated to users.

[0127] It will be apparent to those skilled in the art that various modi fications may be made in the present disclosure , without departing from the spirit or the scope of the disclosure . Thus , it is intended that the present disclosure cover modi fications and variations of this disclosure provided they come within the scope of the appended claims and their equivalent .

Claims

CLAIMS :

1. An apparatus configured to communicate in an uplink (UL) and a downlink (DL) with a first transmission and reception point (TRP) and in the UL with a second TRP, the apparatus comprising processing circuitry configured to: process, based on signals received from the first TRP, a configuration for transmitting sounding reference signals (SRS) to the first TRP and the second TRP, wherein the configuration comprises a first closed loop power control (CLPC) adjustment state for transmitting the SRS to the first TRP and a second CLPC adjustment state for transmitting the SRS to the second TRP; generate, for transmission to the first TRP, SRS including power control parameters according to the first CLPC adjustment state; and generate, for transmission to the second TRP, SRS including power control parameters according to the second CLPC adjustment state.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the configuration comprises a SRS-ResourceSet information element (IE) including a CLPC index corresponding to the first or second CLPC adjustment state.

3. The apparatus of claim 2, wherein a srs- PowerControlAdj ustmentStates parameter of the SRS-ResourceSet IE is configured as "separateClosedLoop" and a followUnif iedTCI-StateSRS-rl7 of the configuration is not enabled .

4. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the configuration comprises a Medium Access Control Control Element (MAC-CE)that associates a first CLPC index corresponding to the first CLPC adjustment state to a first SRS Resource Set Identification for the first TRP and a second CLPC index corresponding to the second CLPC adjustment state to a second SRS Resource Set Identification for the second TRP.

5. The apparatus of claim 4, wherein the MAC-CE further associates the first SRS Resource Set Identification to a first Pathloss Reference Reference Signal (RS) Identification and the second SRS Resource Set Identification to a second Pathloss Reference RS Identification.

6. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the configuration comprises a PathlossRef erenceRS-Config information element (IE) including a CLPC index corresponding to the first or second CLPC adjustment state. . The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the configuration comprises a PathlossRef erenceRS information element (IE) including a CLPC index corresponding to the first or second CLPC adjustment state.

8. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the configuration comprises downlink control information (DCI) comprising a Transmit Power Control (TPC) command field including information related to the first or second CLPC adjustment state .

9. The apparatus of claim 8, wherein the TPC command comprises a CLPC index bit set to a value corresponding to the first or second CLPC adjustment state.

10. The apparatus of claim 8, wherein the TPC command comprises a first set of two bits corresponding to the first CLPC adjustment state and a second set of two bits corresponding to the second CLPC adjustment state.

11. The apparatus of claim 8, wherein the TPC command comprises a first bit corresponding to the first CLPC adjustment state and a second bit corresponding to the second CLPC adjustment state.

12. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the first TRP comprises a first Physical Cell Identity (PCI) corresponding to a first cell and the second TRP comprises a second PCI corresponding to a second cell, wherein the configuration further comprises an indication that the apparatus is to use a pathloss (PL) based on measurements of Pathloss Reference Reference Signals(RS) transmitted by the first TRP as a PL for power control of SRS for SRS transmitted to the second TRP.

13. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the configuration further comprises a power control offset value, wherein a transmission power for transmitting the SRS to the second TRP is modified by the power offset value.

14. The apparatus of claim 13, wherein a first power offset value is provided for a CLPC index corresponding to the first CLPC adjustment state and a second power offset value is provided for a CLPC index corresponding to the second CLPC adjustment state.

15. The apparatus of claim 13, wherein the power offset value is provided for CLPC indexes corresponding to the first CLPCadjustment state and the second CLPC adjustment state.

16. The apparatus of claim 13, wherein the configuration comprises a SRS-ResourceSet information element (IE) including an indication of the power control offset.

17. The apparatus of claim 13, wherein the configuration comprises a Medium Access Control Control Element (MAC-CE) that associates a first power control index corresponding to a first power control offset to a first SRS Resource Set Identification and a second first power control index corresponding to a second SRS Resource Set Identification.

18. The apparatus of claim 13, wherein the configuration comprises a PathlossRef erenceRS-Config information element (IE) including an indication of the power control offset.

19. The apparatus of claim 13, wherein the configuration comprises a PathlossRef erenceRS information element (IE) including an indication of the power control offset.

20. The apparatus of claim 13, wherein a followUnif iedTCI- StateSRS-rl7 of the configuration is enabled and the configuration comprises a TCI-State information element (IE) including an indication of the power control offset.

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