Activation of trigger condition evaluation for user equipment initiated beam reporting

Abstract

A method performed by a User Equipment is provided. The method includes any one or more of the following steps: receiving a signalling comprising information on a CSI configuration, receiving a first control message for triggering or activating channel measurements on one or more NZP CSI-RS resources configured, receiving a second control message for triggering or activating the configured CSI reporting, activating the trigger condition evaluation based on received information and, upon the fulfilment of one or more trigger conditions, either requesting for uplink (UL) resource(s) or sending a UE initiated beam report to a network node in pre-configured resources. Equivalent network node methods are also provided. Equivalent apparatuses, communication systems, computer programs are also provided.

Description

ACTIVATION OF TRIGGER CONDITION EVALUATION FOR USER EQUIPMENTINITIATED BEAM REPORTINGRELATED APPLICATIONS

[0001] This application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 63 / 575194, filed April 5, 2025, the disclosure of which is hereby incorporated herein by reference in its entirety.TECHNICAL FIELD

[0002] The present disclosure relates to a wireless (e.g., cellular) communications system and, more particularly, to triggering of user equipment (UE) initiated beam reporting in a wireless communications system.BACKGROUND

[0003] QCL and TCI states

[0004] In NR, two antenna ports are said to be Quasi Co-located (QCL) if certain large scale channel parameters associated to one of the two antenna ports can be inferred from the other antenna port. The supported QCL types in NR include:• 'QCL-TypeA': {Doppler shift, Doppler spread, average delay, delay spread}• 'QCL-TypeB': {Doppler shift, Doppler spread}• 'QCL-TypeC: {Doppler shift, average delay}• 'QCL-TypeD': {Spatial Rx parameter}

[0005] In NR, an antenna port is defined by a reference signal (RS). Therefore, if two RSs are QCL with certain QCL typeD, a receive spatial filter or beam used for receiving one of the RSs, referred to as target RS, can be used also for receiving the other RS, referred to as source RS. The source RS can be a NZP CSI-RS (Non-zero Power Channel State Information Reference Signal) or a SSB (Synchronization Signals and Physical Broadcast Channel block). The target RS can be a Demodulation Reference Signal (DMRS) for PDCCH (Physical Downlink Control Channel) or PDSCH (Physical Downlink Shared Channel), or a CSI-RS.

[0006] QCL relation between two RSs is indicated by a TCI (transmission configuration indication) state. A TCI state is configured by the network via TCI-State information element (IE) as shown below, which can comprise up to two QCL types and for each QCL type, a source RS. For beam management, there are always two QCL types and one of the two QCL types is a QCL type-D.

[0007] TCI-State information element

[0008] Beam management with unified TCI framework

[0009] In NR, a spatial beam (or simply beam) is also defined by a reference signal (RS). The RS can be a CSI-RS or an SSB. Downlink (DL) beam management is about determining a downlink beam for downlink transmission to a UE and informing the UE about the downlink beam via a TCI state comprising a RS for QCL typeD. For example, if a TCI state with a source RS for QCL typeD is indicated to UE for a PDSCH, it is assumed that a receive beam (or spatial filter) previously used for receiving the source RS would be used by the UE to receive the PDSCH.

[0010] For beam management purpose, a list of TCI states can be configured for a UE in a higher layer parameter PDSCH-Config via RRC (Radio Resource Control) signaling (see 3gpp TS 38.331 section 6.3.2 for details). Up to 8 TCI states from the list can be activated with a MAC (medium Access Control) CE (control element).

[0011] In NR Rel-17, a unified beam indication framework was introduced to simplify beam management, in which a common beam applicable to multiple downlink channels and signals such as PDCCH and PDSCH may be indicated to a UE via a unified TCI state. The common beam framework is also referred to a unified TCI state framework.

[0012] The new framework can be RRC configured in one out two modes of operation, e. g., “Joint DL / UL TCI” or “Separate DL / UL TCI”. For “Joint DL / UL TCI”, one Joint TCI state is used for both DL and UL (uplink) signals / channels. For “Separate DL / UL TCI”, one DL-only TCI state is used for DL channels / signals and one UL-only TCI state is used for UL signals / channels. A TCI state configured under the newly introduced Rel-17 framework will henceforth be referred to as a unified TCI state.

[0013] A unified TCI state for DL or joint DL and UL comprises an identifiers of two QCL source RSs as shown below, where the first RS is a QCL source RS for one of {typeA, typeB, typeC} QCL types, while the second RS is a QCL source RS for QCL typeD. The second RS is used to indicate a spatial beam or filter associated with the unified TCI state.

[0014] A unified TCI state can be updated with one of two alternatives:• Two-stage: RRC signaling is used to configure a list of unified TCI states in higher layer parameter PDSCH-config, and a MAC-CE is used to activate one unified TCI state in the list of unified TCI states.• Three-stage: RRC signaling is used to configure a list of unified TCI states in PDSCH- config, a MAC-CE is used to activate up to 8 unified TCI states in the list, and a 3 -bit TCI state bitfield in DCI (Downlink Control Information) formats 1 1 or 1 2 is used to indicate one of the activate unified TCI states.

[0015] The one activated or indicated unified TCI state is used in subsequent DL transmissions until a new unified TCI state is activated or indicated.

[0016] In NR terminology, the activation of a TCI state is the same as activation of an associated beam. When a TCI state is activated, the corresponding SSB or CSI-RS with QCL typeD will be tracked by the UE in term of the associated time, frequency and spatial direction (or beam) so that the UE would know how to receive channels / signals transmitted in a associated beam. Therefore, the activated beams can be dynamically switched and indicated by DCI. Toswitch to a non-activated beam, the beam has to be activated first, which may take a longer time since the UE needs to wait for the next available RS associated to the beam to synchronize to it.

[0017] An example of beam indication with DCI is shown in Figure 1, where eight TCI states (TCI states #3, #7, #9, #12, #25, #36, #42 and #57) are activated. DCI code point 0 indicates the first activated TCI state, which is TCI state #3 in this example, DCI code point 1 indicates the second activated TCI state, which is TCI state #7 in this example, and so on.

[0018] CSI report configuration for beam management (BM)

[0019] The signal quality of a DL beam can be measured and reported by a UE based on a downlink RS, e. g., an SSB or a NZP CSI-RS, associated to the DL beam. The signal quality can be one of Ll-RSRP (layer one (LI) reference signal received power), Ll-SINR (signal to interference and noise ratio), or Ll-RSRQ (RS received quality).

[0020] In NR, a UE can be configured by the network (or gNB) with one or more Channel State Information (CSI) report configurations. Each CSI report configuration is used to configure a CSI report. A CSI report can be either periodic, semi-persistent, or aperiodic. CSI reports from the UE can be used to assist the network to perform beam management operations, such as determining a proper beam for transmitting data and / or control channels to the UE. In this case, CSI report is also referred to as beam report.

[0021] A CSI report configuration is signaled in an information element (IE) CSI- ReportConfig in a RRC message. The IE CSI-ReportConfig is defined in TS 38.331, vl8.0.0, clause 6.3, and is copied below. It comprises a CSI report identifier (ID), a CSI resource configuration ID for channel measurement, a serving cell index for a serving cell over which the CSI resources are to be measured, a CSI report type, e. g., whether it is periodic, semi-persistent, or aperiodic, a report quantity indicating what to be reported, and others. For beam management purpose, the report quantity can be Ll-RSRP, Ll-SINR, CRI (CSI-RS resource indicator), and SSBRI (SSB Resource Indicator). See also TS 38.214, vl8.1.0, clause 5.2 for more details.CSI-ReportConfig information element

[0022] A CSI resource configuration comprises a list of RS resource sets to be measured, such as NZP CSI-RS resource sets and / or SSB resource sets for a given serving cell. Notice that the UE may measure CSI resources of a first serving cell and report in another serving cell. The IE in which the CSI resource configuration(s) is provided to the UE is described in TS 38.331, vl8.0.0, clause 6.3 and is shown below:CSI-ResourceConfig information element

[0023] UE-initiated / event-driven beam management

[0024] In legacy, the CSI / beam reporting is always NW-initiated. The NW explicitly requests a certain report from the UE, by including a pointer to a certain CSI-ReportConfig in DCI.

[0025] In NR Rel-19, UE initiated beam reporting will be supported in which a UE keeps monitoring the quality of a set of DL beams and sends a beam report only when certain condition is met. Particularly, the following objective has been defined in Rel-19 WID (RP-234007, New WID: NR MIMO Phase 5, Dec. 2023, incorporated herein by reference).

[0026] Specify enhancement to facilitate UE-initiated / event-driven beam management for reducing overhead and / or latency, assuming the unified TCI while leveraging (as much as possible) legacy CSI measurement and reporting configuration frameworks, targeting FR2 and sTRP with intra- and inter-cell beam management a) UL signaling content(s) (and procedure(s) as required) for UE-initiated / event-driven beam reporting facilitating fast beam switching; b) UL signaling medium / container considering the UE-initiated / event-driven nature of the UL transmission, designed primarily for the purpose of beam reporting.

[0027] Importantly, such UE-initiated processes are expected to become more important as we move towards 6G (sixth-generation technology for wireless communications).SUMMARY

[0028] There currently exist certain challenge(s). When periodic CSI-RS resources are used for UE initiated beam reporting, one solution is that the trigger condition for a UE initiated beam report can be evaluated once the periodic CSI-RS resources are configured. In this solution, since periodic CSI-RSs are continuously transmitted on the periodic CSI-RS resources once the periodic CSI-RS resources are configured, the trigger condition for the UE initiated beam reporting can be evaluated based after the periodic CSI-RS resources are configured.

[0029] However, this solution may not be efficient as the UE has to evaluate the trigger condition from the beginning once periodic CSI-RS resources are configured. Hence, one problem is how the UE can efficiently evaluate the trigger condition for UE initiated beam reporting when periodic CSI-RS resources are configured.

[0030] On the contrary to periodic CSI-RSs, semi-persistent CSI-RSs and aperiodic CSI-RSs are not always transmitted. Hence, another problem is how and when the UE shall start evaluating the trigger condition for UE initiated beam reporting when semi-persistent or aperiodic CSI-RSs are used for channel measurement is an open problem to solve.

[0031] Certain aspects of the disclosure and their embodiments may provide solutions to these or other challenges. According to some embodiments of the disclosure, methods at a UE in which the UE evaluates a trigger condition for UE initiated beam measurement and / or reporting for the cases in which the UE initiated beam reporting is associated with semi-persistent and / or aperiodic DL-RSs, e.g., CSI-RSs that are measured and evaluated, are provided.

[0032] When the UE receives a command (e.g. MAC CE, DCI) from a network node (e.g. gNodeB or gNB) indicating to the UE that one or more aperiodic and / or semi-persistent DL-RS resources (associated to a resource configuration) is / are being activated / triggered / transmitted, the UE evaluates the associated trigger condition (configured in a reporting configuration associated to the resource configuration which is activated), wherein when the condition is met the UE transmits the report.

[0033] When the UE receives a command (e.g. MAC CE, DCI) from a network node (e.g. gNodeB) indicating to the UE that one or more aperiodic and / or semi-persistent resources (associated to a resource configuration) stops being transmitted, the UE stops evaluating the associated trigger condition so that the associated UE initiated reports are not transmitted.

[0034] On the network side, a network node (e.g. gNodeB) configures the UE with a trigger condition (e.g. in a reporting configuration) associated to a semi-persistent and / or aperiodic DL- RSs, e.g., CSI-RSs (e.g. in a resource configuration associated to the reporting configuration);

[0035] When the network transmits to the UE an indication that the semi-persistent and / or aperiodic DL-RSs is being transmitted (e.g. a MAC CE or DCI indicating an indication of the resource configuration and / or the reporting configuration), and transmits the semi-persistent and / or aperiodic DL-RSs, the network node may receive a report from the UE (e.g. when the trigger condition is met).

[0036] When the network transmits to the UE an indication that the semi-persistent and / or aperiodic DL-RSs stops being transmitted (e.g. a MAC CE or DCI indicating an indication of the resource configuration and / or the reporting configuration) and stops transmitting the semi- persistent and / or aperiodic DL-RSs, the network node does not expect a report from the UE.

[0037] Some embodiments of the present disclosure relate to how the UE is configured / indicated on when and how to start and / or stop evaluating one or more event or trigger conditions for UE initiated beam reporting associated to a CSI report configuration based on a plurality ofDL-RS resources for channel measurements associated to the event or trigger conditions (e. g., used as input to the trigger conditions). At a high-level, a proposed scheme is based on one or more of the following steps:- The UE receiving from the NW signaling comprising information on a CSI reporting configuration comprising a plurality of DL-RS resources and one or more event or trigger conditions;- The UE receiving from the NW a first control message for triggering or activating the DLRS resources;- either based on the first control message or a second control message received by the UE from the NW, the UE triggers or activates the CSI reporting, e.g., performing channel measurements based on the DL-RS resources and evaluating the event or trigger conditions based on the channel measurements;- The UE sending a CSI report or a request for UL resources to send the a CSI report, upon the fulfilment of one or more trigger conditions.

[0038] The DL-RS resources can be aperiodic, semi-persistent, or periodic. In case of periodic DL-RS, the step of receiving the first control message could be skipped.

[0039] According to some embodiments, activating the CSI reporting in this context comprises one or more of:- Performing one or more measurements on the aperiodic and / or semi-persistent DL-RS(s) associated to the resource configuration indicated in the first control message.- Evaluating the event or trigger condition configured in a reporting configuration which has an associated resource configuration, the resource configuration in which the activated aperiodic and / or semi-persistent DL-RS(s) are configured.

[0040] According to some embodiments, the method also comprises, for the case in which the aperiodic or semi-persistent DL-RS are being transmitted (e.g. the DL-RSs are activated), the UE further receives a third command indicating that the transmission of these DL-RSs is being stopped (e.g. the DL-RSs are deactivated), so that in response to the third command the UE deactivates the CSI reporting; or for the case in which the DL-RSs are periodic or semi-persistent DL-RSs, the UE further receives a third command to deactivate the CSI reporting while the DL RSs are still active (e. g., the DL-RSs are still being transmitted)

[0041] Deactivating the CSI reporting may comprise one or more of:- Stop performing one or more measurements on the DL-RS(s) associated to the resource configuration indicated in the first control message.- Stop evaluating the trigger condition configured in a reporting configuration which has as associated resource configuration the resource configuration in which the DL-RS(s) are configured.

[0042] In one embodiment, a method performed by a User Equipment, UE, is provided. The method includes one or more of the following steps: receiving a signalling comprising information on a channel system information (CSI) configuration receiving a first control message for triggering or activating channel measurements on one or more non-zero power (NZP) CSI reference signal (RS) resources configured, receiving a second control message for triggering or activating the configured CSI reporting, activating the trigger condition evaluation based on received information; and upon the fulfilment of one or more trigger conditions, either requesting for uplink (UL) resource(s) or sending a UE initiated beam report to a network node in pre-configured resources.

[0043] In another embodiment, a method performed by a network node is provided. The method includes one or more of the following steps: sending a signalling comprising information on a CSI configuration; sending a first control message for triggering or activating channel measurements on one or more non-zero power (NZP) channel system information (CSI) reference signal (RS) resources configured, sending a second control message for triggering or activating the CSI reporting configured, and, upon the fulfilment of one or more trigger conditions evaluated based on sent information, either sending uplink (UL) resource(s) or receiving a UE initiated beam report on pre -configured resources.BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0044] The accompanying drawing figures incorporated in and forming a part of this specification illustrate several aspects of the disclosure, and together with the description serve to explain the principles of the disclosure.

[0045] Figure 1 illustrates an example of DCI indication of a TCI state. The DCI gives a pointer into the ordered list of activated TCI states.

[0046] Figure 2 is a flow chart that illustrates a process performed by a User Equipment (UE), in accordance with one embodiment of the present disclosure;

[0047] Figure 3 is a flow chart that illustrates a process performed by a network node, in accordance with one embodiment of the present disclosure;

[0048] Figure 4 shows an example of a communication system in accordance with some embodiments of the present disclosure;

[0049] Figure 5 shows a User Equipment device (UE) in accordance with some embodiments of the present disclosure;

[0050] Figure 6 shows a network node in accordance with some embodiments of the present disclosure;

[0051] Figure 7 is a block diagram of a host, which may be an embodiment of the host of Figure 4, in accordance with various aspects of the present disclosure described herein;

[0052] Figure 8 is a block diagram illustrating a virtualization environment in which functions implemented by some embodiments of the present disclosure may be virtualized; and

[0053] Figure 9 shows a communication diagram of a host communicating via a network node with a UE over a partially wireless connection in accordance with some embodiments of the present disclosure.DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0054] The embodiments set forth below represent information to enable those skilled in the art to practice the embodiments and illustrate the best mode of practicing the embodiments. Upon reading the following description in light of the accompanying drawing figures, those skilled in the art will understand the concepts of the disclosure and will recognize applications of these concepts not particularly addressed herein. It should be understood that these concepts and applications fall within the scope of the disclosure.

[0055] Some of the embodiments contemplated herein will now be described more fully with reference to the accompanying drawings. Embodiments are provided by way of example to convey the scope of the subject matter to those skilled in the art.

[0056] Certain embodiments may provide one or more of the following technical advantage(s). Some of the proposed schemes may enable the UE to perform UE initiated beam measurement and reporting in the cases with semi-persistent and aperiodic DL-RSs. Particularly, with some of the proposed solutions, the UE may be informed when it should start or stop the UE initiated beam reporting. This, in turn, may provide the gNB with timely UE initiated beam reports with low latency compared to, e.g., the cases with legacy beam measurement reporting. A further advantage may be that the network can enable and disable the UE-initiated beam report in a flexible manner with the proposed solution which can save UE’s computation effort needed to check for the event or trigger conditions. The start or stop mechanisms proposed in embodiments of this disclosure may be also applicable to periodic DL-RS.

[0057] Now, a more detailed description of various embodiments of the present disclosure will be provided.

[0058] In this disclosure, it is described, according to some embodiments, how and when to evaluate the event or trigger condition for UE initiated beam reporting when dynamic downlink reference signals (DL-RSs), e.g., CSI-RSs, are used for channel measurement. The dynamic DL- RSs can be either semi-persistent NZP CSI-RSs or aperiodic NZP CSI-RSs. In this section, a general embodiment is described. Detailed example embodiments related to the issue of how to activate the evaluation of the event or trigger condition for the specific cases of semi-persistent NZP CSI-RSs and aperiodic NZP CSI-RSs are described under each step. Although CSI-RS is used as an example in the following discussions, the ideas can be applicable to other downlink reference signals (DL-RS).

[0059] One embodiment written from a UE perspective involves the following steps (see Figure 2. Note that not all steps are needed for all embodiments described in the disclosure, hence one or more steps can be removed from the flowchart depending on embodiment). Note that the order of Step 202 and Step 203 is exchangeable. One or more steps from 202, 203, 204 can be merged in one step.

[0060] Step 201: A UE receives from a gNB signaling including information on a CSI reporting configuration, wherein the information on the CSI reporting configuration comprises one or more of the following:• a first one or more indicator(s) or identifier(s) associated with one or more NZP CSI-RS resources for channel measurement; o in some embodiments, the one or more NZP CSI-RS resources are either semi-persistent NZP CSI-RS resources or aperiodic NZP CSI-RS resources; o in some embodiments, the one or more NZP CSI-RS resources are periodic NZP CSI- RS resources;• a second indicator indicating a reporting quantity to be reported as part of a UE initiated beam report, wherein the reporting quantity can be one of Ll-RSPR or Ll-SINR along with NZP CSI-RS resource index or identifier (referred to as CRI, henceforth) corresponding to at least one of the one or more NZP CSI-RS resources for channel measurement;• a third indicator or identifier of one or more events and / or one or more event or trigger conditions for UE initiated beam reporting that, when triggered, results in at least one of the following UE actions: o request resource(s) from the gNB for transmitting the UE initiated beam report, or o transmit the UE initiated beam report in preconfigured resources.

[0061] In Step 201, each of the first one or more indicator(s) or identifier(s) may refer to one or more of:• a CSI resource configuration identifier (e.g., csi-ResourceConfigld as defined in 3GPP TS 38.331 V18.0.0);• a NZP CSI-RS resource set identifier (e.g., NZP-CSI-RS-ResourceSetld’s as defined in 3GPP TS 38.331); and• a NZP CSI-RS resource identifier (e.g., nzp-CSI-RS-Resourceld’s as defined in 3GPP TS 38.331).

[0062] In Step 201, the second identifier may refer to reportQuantity which is a field within the CSI-ReportConfig information element as defined in 3GPP TS 38.331. If Ll-RSRP of one or more NZP CSI-RS resources is to be reported, then the reportQuantity would be set to a value of ‘cri-RSRP’. If Ll-SINR of one or more NZP CSI-RS resources is to be reported, then the reportQuantity would be set to a value of ‘cri-SINR’.

[0063] In Step 201, the third indicator or identifier may be an identifier associated with the event or the trigger condition. An example of the event or trigger condition may be defined as follows:“Quality of at least one new beam, such as Ll-RSRP of a NZP CSI-RS resource for channel measurement, becomes a threshold value better than the quality of the current beam.”

[0064] where the quality is defined as the measured Ll-RSRP; the current beam may, for example, be defined as the beam associated with the currently indicated / active / used TCI state; and a new beam may, for example, be defined as a beam that is not associated with the currently indicated / active / used TCI state.

[0065] In Step 201, when an event or trigger condition is triggered, a request for resource(s) may be sent from the UE to the gNB via a SR (scheduling request). Once the request via SR is sent, the gNB may grant UL shared channel resources for transmitting the UE initiated beam report via PUSCH.

[0066] In Step 201, when an event or trigger condition is triggered, transmitting the UE initiated beam report in preconfigured resources may be achieved by transmitting the UE initiated beam report on, for example, an UL configured grant resource.

[0067] Step 202: The UE receives from the gNB a first control message for triggering or activating the one or more NZP CSI-RS resources configured in Step 201.

[0068] In Step 202, if the one or more NZP CSI-RS resources are semi-persistent NZP CSI- RS resources, the first control message is a first MAC CE that activates the one or more semi- persistent NZP CSI-RS resources. In some cases, the first control message also comprises amodification of the parameters of the semi-persistent NZP CSI-RS resources, e.g.,. the TCI stated fields.

[0069] In Step 202, if the one or more NZP CSI-RS resources are aperiodic NZP CSI-RS resources, the first control message is a first DCI that triggers the one or more aperiodic NZP CSI- RS resources. In some cases, the first DCI also provides information about the TCI state(s) associated to the aperiodic NZP CSI-RS resources.

[0070] In one embodiment, after the trigger is received, the UE immediately starts channel measurement based on the one or more NZP CSI-RS resources and evaluation of the event or trigger conditions configured in the CSI report configuration in Step 201 associated to the one or more NZP CSI-RS resources.

[0071] In another embodiment, if the one or more NZP CSI-RS resources are semi-persistent NZP CSI-RS resources, the UE will not start channel measurement based on the one or more NZP CSI-RS resources until after receiving a second control message described in Step 203.

[0072] Step 203: The UE receives from the gNB a second control message for triggering or activating the CSI reporting configured in Step 201 .

[0073] After the second control message is received, the UE may immediately start channel measurement based on the activated one or more NZP CSI-RS resources in step 202 and evaluation of the event or trigger conditions configured in the CSI report configuration in Step 201 associated to the activated one or more NZP CSI-RS resources.

[0074] In another embodiment, the channel measurement and evaluation of the event conditions may be stopped after receiving a de-activation command for the CSI report configuration even though the one or more NZP CSI-RS resources may still be active (e.g., transmitted). This would give more control to the network on when UE initiated beam reporting may be used.

[0075] In some embodiments, the one or more NZP CSI-RS resources can also be periodic. The UE does not measure channel and evaluate any event or trigger conditions based on the one or more NZP CSI-RS resources until receiving second control message for triggering or activating a UE initiated CSI reporting associated to the one or more NZP CSI-RS resources. In addition, the channel measurement and evaluation of the event or trigger conditions may be stopped after receiving a de-activation command for the CSI report configuration.

[0076] In some embodiments, the second control message may be a second DCI that activate s / triggers the CSI reporting.

[0077] In some alternative embodiments, the second control message is a second MAC CE that activates the CSI reporting.

[0078] Step 204: Based on the first control message or the second control message, the UE activates the event or trigger condition evaluation associated with the third indicator or identifier defined in Step 201. By activating the event or trigger condition evaluation, what is meant is that the UE starts checking whether the event or trigger condition is triggered or not after receiving one of the first control message and the second control message. Detailed embodiments for this step are described below:

[0079] In one embodiment, when the one or more NZP CSI-RS resources are semi-persistent NZP CSI-RS resources, the first control message (e.g., the first MAC CE that activates the one or more semi-persistent NZP CSI-RS resources described in Step 202) is used to activate the event or trigger condition evaluation. That is, once the one or more semi-persistent NZP CSI-RS resources are activated, the UE starts checking whether the event or trigger condition is triggered or not following the reception of the first control message (e.g., the first MAC CE) and after measuring the channel on at least one occasion of each of the one or more semi-persistent NZP CSI-RS resources. That is, Step 203 can be skipped in this case.

[0080] In one optional embodiment, actual transmission occasion of CSI-RS resource for each of the one or more semi-persistent NZP CSI-RS resource is expected at the UE side that at least one actual CSI-RS transmission of each CSI-RS resource is needed for UE to evaluate the event or trigger condition. In one alternative optional embodiment, a virtual transmission occasion is used to determine the start of evaluating the event or trigger condition. It means if a CSI-RS resource is not transmitted at the transmission occasion due to collision with other signaling or other reasons, and even if the measurement of CSI-RS is not performed or the measurement become invalid for that virtual transmission occasion, the UE checks whether the event or trigger condition is fulfilled if at least one virtual transmission occasion has occurred for each of the one or more semi-persistent CSI-RS resources.

[0081] In an alternative embodiment, when the one or more NZP CSI-RS resources are semi- persistent NZP CSI-RS resources, the second control message (described in Step 203) is used to activate the event or trigger condition evaluation. That is, once the CSI reporting is activated, the UE starts checking whether the event or trigger condition is triggered or not after the reception of the second control message.

[0082] In another embodiment, when the one or more NZP CSI-RS resources are aperiodic NZP CSI-RS resources, the first control message (e.g., the first DCI that triggers the one or more aperiodic NZP CSI-RS resources described in Step 202) is used to activate the event or trigger condition evaluation. That is, once the one or more aperiodic NZP CSI-RS resources are triggered, the UE starts checking whether the event or trigger condition is triggered or not following thereception of the first control message (e.g., the first DCI). That is, the same DCI (e. g., first DCI) triggers both the one or more aperiodic NZP CSI-RS resources and the CSI reporting and Step 203 can be skipped. Note that the UE only sends a report if the event or trigger condition is triggered, e.g., if the event or trigger condition is fulfilled.

[0083] In yet another embodiment, it is assumed that different DCIs trigger the one or more NZP CSI-RS resources and the CSI reporting. In this embodiment, when the one or more NZP CSI-RS resources are aperiodic NZP CSI-RS resources, the second control message (e.g., the second DCI that activates / triggers the CSI reporting described in Step 203) is used to activate the event or trigger condition evaluation. That is, once the CSI reporting is triggered, the UE starts checking whether the event or trigger condition is triggered or not following the reception of the second control message (e.g., the third DCI). Note that the UE only sends a report if the event or trigger condition is triggered, e.g., if the event or trigger condition is fulfilled.

[0084] In related embodiments, when the UE is evaluating the event or trigger condition based on one or more semi-persistent NZP CSI-RS resources, and the UE receives a third control message (e.g., a MAC CE) that deactivates channel measurements on the one or more NZP CSI- RS resources configured in Step 201, the UE stops evaluating the even or trigger conditions based on said semi-persistent NZP CSI-RS resources.

[0085] In other related embodiments, when the UE is evaluating the triggering condition based on one or more semi-persistent NZP CSI-RS resources, and the UE receives a fourth control message (e.g. a DCI) that deactivates the CSI reporting, the UE stops evaluating the eventortrigger conditions based on said semi-persistent NZP CSI-RS resources.

[0086] In other related embodiments, when the UE is evaluating the event or trigger condition based on one or more semi-persistent NZP CSI-RS resources, and the UE receives a fifth control message (e.g. a MAC CE) that deactivates the CSI reporting, the UE stops evaluating the event or trigger condition based on said semi-persistent NZP CSI-RS resources.

[0087] In other related embodiments, when the UE is evaluating the event or trigger condition based on one or more semi-persistent NZP CSI-RS resources or one or more aperiodic NZP CSI- RS resources, and the UE receives a control message that activates different CSI-RS resource(s) or actives another CSI reporting, the UE stops evaluating the event or trigge conditions based on either semi-persistent NZP CSI-RS resources or aperiodic CSI-RS resources.

[0088] In other related embodiments, the UE stops evaluating the triggering condition if a higher layer signal, e.g. RRC Reconfiguration signaling is received.

[0089] In some optional embodiments, if UE receives TCI activation / deactivation MAC CEs which changes TCI states associated to the one or more semi-persistent NZP CSI-RS resourceswhich leads to a change of the beam status among indicated / activated / used / not used beams, the UE may stop evaluating the currently indicated triggering conditions based on the said semi- persistent NZP CSI-RS resources. Alternatively, the evaluation of triggering conditions is valid until further notification.

[0090] In some related embodiment, the UE stops evaluating the trigger conditions based on the one or more semi -persistent NZP CSI-RS resources immediately when a beam failure recovery request is sent to the NW.

[0091] In some related embodiment, the UE stops evaluating the trigger conditions based on the one or more semi-persistent NP CSI-Rs resources immediately when a PRACH is sent to the NW.

[0092] Step 205 : The UE performs one or more of the following actions when the trigger condition is triggered according to embodiments in Step 204: o request resource(s) from the gNB for transmitting the UE initiated beam report, or o transmit the UE initiated beam report in preconfigured resources. o In some embodiments, the preconfigured resources are configured in the reporting configuration and are implicitly activated when UE receives a message to begin the event or trigger condition evaluation (e. g., first control message or second control message as described in previous steps). o In some embodiments, the preconfigured resources are activated after the offset time from the time when the message to begin event or trigger condition evaluation (e . g ., first control message or second control message as described in previous steps) is received. o In one example, the offset is equal to the duration to receive the number of samples needed for evaluating the event. o In some other examples, offset can be a configurable parameter e.g., RRC parameter o In some examples, number of reporting occasions for the preconfigured resources can be a configurable parameter. In some examples it can be single instance of a resource for sending measurement report. In some other examples it can be multiple instances. o In some optional embodiments, if the event or trigger condition is not triggered, UE sends an invalid measurement report (e.g., lowest Ll-RSRP value or an invalid Ll-RSRP value) and stops using other preconfigured resources configured (if more than one preconfigured resource instance is configured) for a certain amount of time. In this certain amount of time, NW can use the preconfigured resources for different signal / channels of same UE or different UE.o In some optional embodiments, the pre -configured resources are shared among the set of UEs. Whether a UE among the set of UE can use a particular pre-configured shared resources depends on a rules or formula defined in the spec. The formula or rule can be based on UE identifier, RS identifier (e.g., SSB or CSI-RS), slot number or SFN, sub frame number or other configurable parameters.

[0093] In one embodiment, upon the UEs request for UL resources, the gNB will configure the UE with UL resources so that it can send the report.

[0094] In this way, the proposed scheme enables appropriate UE initiated beam measurement and report in the cases with semi-persistent and aperiodic DL-RSs, where the proposed scheme informs the UE about the appropriate time when it should start evaluating the fulfilment of the trigger conditions. This addresses one of the topics of interest in Rel-19 as well as in 6G.

[0095] Other embodiments

[0096] In some embodiments a UE initiated beam report is configured (e.g., in a CSI report configuration in NR or similar information element in Sixth-generation technology for wireless communications (6G)), and the UE initiated beam report is associated with a set of DL-RS resources, where the set of DL-RS resources are used by the UE to evaluate a trigger condition associated with the UE initiated beam report. In addition, in some embodiments the configured UE initiated beam report is configured / associated with one or more trigger conditions.

[0097] In some embodiments, the UE initiated beam report can be dynamically activated / de- activated by a first message (using e.g. DCI or MAC-CE), and / or the set of DL-RS resources associated with the UE initiated beam report can be dynamically activated / de -activated by a second message (using e.g. MAC-CE / DCI), and / or one or more of the trigger conditions can be activated / de-activated by a third message (using e.g. MAC-CE / DCI).

[0098] In some embodiments, the UE only evaluates a trigger condition of a UE initiated beam report if both the UE initiated beam report is activated, the corresponding set of DL-RS resources are activated and the corresponding trigger condition is activated. In one embodiment, if either of the UE initiated beam report, or the corresponding set of DL-RS resources, or a trigger condition is de-activated, the UE stops evaluating that trigger condition.

[0099] In some embodiments, the first message and the second message is the same message. In a related embodiment, if a UE initiated beam report is activated by the first message, the associated set of DL-RS resources are activated automatically. In some embodiment, if a UE initiated beam report is de-activated by the first message, the associated set of DL-RS resources are de-activated automatically.

[0100] In some embodiments, the first message, the second message and the third message is the same message. In a related embodiment, if a UE initiated beam report is activated by the first message, the associated set of DL-RS resources and associated trigger conditions are activated automatically. In some embodiment, if a UE initiated beam report is de-activated by the first message, the associated set of DL-RS resources and the associated trigger conditions are deactivated automatically.

[0101] In some embodiment, when the UE initiated beam report is activated, and the set of DL-RS resources are activated, but a trigger condition becomes de-activated (in the third message), the UE stops evaluating the de-activated trigger condition.

[0102] Figure 3 is a flow chart that illustrates a method performed by a network node (e.g., a gNB in this example embodiment) in accordance with an embodiment of the present disclosure. Note that this process is complementary to the process performed by the UE described above, e.g., with respect to Figure 2. As such, details above provided in relation to Figures 2 are equally applicable to Figure 3. The method comprises one or more of the illustrated steps. As illustrated, the gNB may send a signalling comprising information on a csi configuration (step 301). The gNB may send a first control message for triggering or activating channel measurements on one or more NZP CSI-RS resources configured (step 302). The gNB may send a second control message for trigerring or activating the CSI reporting configured (step 303 ). Upon the fulfilment of one or more trigger conditions evaluated based on information sent in steps 301-303, the gNB may either send uplink (UL) resource(s) or receive a UE initiated beam report on pre-configured resources.

[0103] Figure 4 shows an example of a communication system 400 in which embodiments of the present disclosure may be implemented.

[0104] In the example, the communication system 400 includes a telecommunication network 402 that includes an access network 404, such as a Radio Access Network (RAN), and a core network 406, which includes one or more core network nodes 408. The access network 404 includes one or more access network nodes, such as network nodes 410A and 410B (one or more of which may be generally referred to as network nodes 410), or any other similar Third Generation Partnership Project (3GPP) access nodes or non-3GPP Access Points (APs). Moreover, as will be appreciated by those of skill in the art, a network node is not necessarily limited to an implementation in which a radio portion and a baseband portion are supplied and integrated by a single vendor. Thus, it will be understood that network nodes include disaggregated implementations or portions thereof. For example, in some embodiments, the telecommunication network 402 includes one or more Open-RAN (ORAN) network nodes. An ORAN network node is a node in the telecommunication network 402 that supports an ORAN specification (e.g., aspecification published by the O-RAN Alliance, or any similar organization) and may operate alone or together with other nodes to implement one or more functionalities of any node in the telecommunication network 402, including one or more network nodes 410 and / or core network nodes 408.

[0105] Examples of an ORAN network node include an Open Radio Unit (O-RU), an Open Distributed Unit (O-DU), an Open Central Unit (O-CU), including an O-CU Control Plane (O- CU-CP) or an O-CU User Plane (O-CU-UP), a RAN intelligent controller (near-real time or non- real time) hosting software or software plug-ins, such as a near-real time control application (e.g., xApp) or a non-real time control application (e.g., rApp), or any combination thereof (the adjective “open” designating support of an ORAN specification). The network node may support a specification by, for example, supporting an interface defined by the ORAN specification, such as an Al, Fl, Wl, El, E2, X2, Xn interface, an open fronthaul user plane interface, or an open fronthaul management plane interface. Moreover, an ORAN access node may be a logical node in a physical node. Furthermore, an ORAN network node may be implemented in a virtualization environment (described further below) in which one or more network functions are virtualized. For example, the virtualization environment may include an O-Cloud computing platform orchestrated by a Service Management and Orchestration Framework via an O-2 interface defined by the O-RAN Alliance or comparable technologies. The network nodes 410 facilitate direct or indirect connection of User Equipment (UE), such as by connecting UEs 412A, 412B, 412C, and 412D (one or more of which may be generally referred to as UEs 412) to the core network 406 over one or more wireless connections.

[0106] Example wireless communications over a wireless connection include transmitting and / or receiving wireless signals using electromagnetic waves, radio waves, infrared waves, and / or other types of signals suitable for conveying information without the use of wires, cables, or other material conductors. Moreover, in different embodiments, the communication system 400 may include any number of wired or wireless networks, network nodes, UEs, and / or any other components or systems that may facilitate or participate in the communication of data and / or signals whether via wired or wireless connections. The communication system 400 may include and / or interface with any type of communication, telecommunication, data, cellular, radio network, and / or other similar type of system.

[0107] The UEs 412 may be any of a wide variety of communication devices, including wireless devices arranged, configured, and / or operable to communicate wirelessly with the network nodes 410 and other communication devices. Similarly, the network nodes 410 are arranged, capable, configured, and / or operable to communicate directly or indirectly with the UEs412 and / or with other network nodes or equipment in the telecommunication network 402 to enable and / or provide network access, such as wireless network access, and / or to perform other functions, such as administration in the telecommunication network 402.

[0108] Note that the functionality of the network node or gNB described above (e.g., with respect to Figures 2-3) may be implemented in any one of the network nodes 410, and the functionality of the UE described above (e.g., with respect to Figures 2-3) may be implemented in any one of the UEs 412. In this regard, the network node 410 may be a multi -TRP network node (e.g., a gNB having multiple TRPs).

[0109] In the depicted example, the core network 406 connects the network nodes 410 to one or more hosts, such as host 416. These connections may be direct or indirect via one or more intermediary networks or devices. In other examples, network nodes may be directly coupled to hosts. The core network 406 includes one more core network nodes (e.g., core network node 408) that are structured with hardware and software components. Features of these components may be substantially similar to those described with respect to the UEs, network nodes, and / or hosts, such that the descriptions thereof are generally applicable to the corresponding components of the core network node 408. Example core network nodes include functions of one or more of a Mobile Switching Center (MSC), Mobility Management Entity (MME), Home Subscriber Server (HSS), Access and Mobility Management Function (AMF), Session Management Function (SMF), Authentication Server Function (AUSF), Subscription Identifier De-Concealing Function (SIDF), Unified Data Management (UDM), Security Edge Protection Proxy (SEPP), Network Exposure Function (NEF), and / or a User Plane Function (UPF).

[0110] The host 416 may be under the ownership or control of a service provider other than an operator or provider of the access network 404 and / or the telecommunication network 402, and may be operated by the service provider or on behalf of the service provider. The host 416 may host a variety of applications to provide one or more service. Examples of such applications include live and pre-recorded audio / video content, data collection services such as retrieving and compiling data on various ambient conditions detected by a plurality of UEs, analytics functionality, social media, functions for controlling or otherwise interacting with remote devices, functions for an alarm and surveillance center, or any other such function performed by a server.

[0111] As a whole, the communication system 400 of Figure 4 enables connectivity between the UEs, network nodes, and hosts. In that sense, the communication system 400 may be configured to operate according to predefined rules or procedures, such as specific standards that include, but are not limited to: Global System for Mobile Communications (GSM); Universal Mobile Telecommunications System (UMTS); Long Term Evolution (LTE), and / or other suitableSecond, Third, Fourth, or Fifth Generation (2G, 3G, 4G, or 5G) standards, or any applicable future generation standard (e.g., Sixth Generation (6G)); Wireless Local Area Network (WLAN) standards, such as the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) 802.11 standards (WiFi); and / or any other appropriate wireless communication standard, such as the Worldwide Interoperability for Microwave Access (WiMax), Bluetooth, Z-Wave, Near Field Communication (NFC) ZigBee, LiFi, and / or any Low Power Wide Area Network (LPWAN) standards such as LoRa and Sigfox.

[0112] In some examples, the telecommunication network 402 is a cellular network that implements 3GPP standardized features. Accordingly, the telecommunication network 402 may support network slicing to provide different logical networks to different devices that are connected to the telecommunication network 402. For example, the telecommunication network 402 may provide Ultra Reliable Low Latency Communication (URLLC) services to some UEs, while providing enhanced Mobile Broadband (eMBB) services to other UEs, and / or massive Machine Type Communication (mMTC)Zmassive Internet of Things (loT) services to yet further UEs.

[0113] In some examples, the UEs 412 are configured to transmit and / or receive information without direct human interaction. For instance, a UE may be designed to transmit information to the access network 404 on a predetermined schedule, when triggered by an internal or external event, or in response to requests from the access network 404. Additionally, a UE may be configured for operating in single- or multi-Radio Access Technology (RAT) or multi-standard mode. For example, a UE may operate with any one or combination of WiFi, New Radio (NR), and LTE, e. g. being configured for Multi-Radio Dual Connectivity (MR-DC), such as Evolved UMTS Terrestrial RAN (E-UTRAN) NR - Dual Connectivity (EN-DC).

[0114] In the example, a hub 414 communicates with the access network 404 to facilitate indirect communication between one or more UEs (e.g., UE 412C and / or 412D) and network nodes (e.g., network node 410B). In some examples, the hub 414 may be a controller, router, content source and analytics, or any of the other communication devices described herein regarding UEs. For example, the hub 414 may be a broadband router enabling access to the core network 406 for the UEs . As another example, the hub 414 may be a controller that sends commands or instructions to one or more actuators in the UEs. Commands or instructions may be received from the UEs, network nodes 410, or by executable code, script, process, or other instructions in the hub 414. As another example, the hub 414 may be a data collector that acts as temporary storage for UE data and, in some embodiments, may perform analysis or other processing of the data. As another example, the hub 414 may be a content source. For example, for a UE that is a Virtual Reality(VR) headset, display, loudspeaker or other media delivery device, the hub 414 may retrieve VR assets, video, audio, or other media or data related to sensory information via a network node, which the hub 414 then provides to the UE either directly, after performing local processing, and / or after adding additional local content. In still another example, the hub 414 acts as a proxy server or orchestrator for the UEs, in particular if one or more of the UEs are low energy loT devices.

[0115] The hub 414 may have a constant / persistent or intermittent connection to the network node 41 OB. The hub 414 may also allow for a different communication scheme and / or schedule between the hub 414 and UEs (e.g., UE 412C and / or 412D), and between the hub 414 and the core network 406. In other examples, the hub 414 is connected to the core network 406 and / or one or more UEs via a wired connection. Moreover, the hub 414 may be configured to connect to a Machine-to-Machine (M2M) service provider over the access network 404 and / or to another UE over a direct connection. In some scenarios, UEs may establish a wireless connection with the network nodes 410 while still connected via the hub 414 via a wired or wireless connection. In some embodiments, the hub 414 may be a dedicated hub - that is, a hub whose primary function is to route communications to / from the UEs from / to the network node 410B. In other embodiments, the hub 414 may be a non-dedicated hub - that is, a device which is capable of operating to route communications between the UEs and the network node 410B, but which is additionally capable of operating as a communication start and / or end point for certain data channels.

[0116] Figure 5 shows a UE 500 in accordance with some embodiments. As used herein, a UE refers to a device capable, configured, arranged, and / or operable to communicate wirelessly with network nodes and / or other UEs. Examples of a UE include, but are not limited to, a smart phone, mobile phone, cell phone, Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) phone, wireless local loop phone, desktop computer, Personal Digital Assistant (PDA), wireless camera, gaming console or device, music storage device, playback appliance, wearable terminal device, wireless endpoint, mobile station, tablet, laptop, Laptop Embedded Equipment (LEE), Laptop Mounted Equipment (LME), smart device, wireless Customer Premise Equipment (CPE), vehicle, vehicle-mounted or vehicle embedded / integrated wireless device, etc. Other examples include any UE identified by the 3GPP, including a Narrowband Internet of Things (NB-IoT) UE, a Machine Type Communication (MTC) UE, and / or an enhanced MTC (eMTC) UE.

[0117] A UE may support Device -to-Device (D2D) communication, for example by implementing a 3 GPP standard for sidelink communication, Dedicated Short-Range Communication (DSRC), Vehicle-to-Vehicle (V2V), Vehicle-to-Infrastructure (V2I), or Vehicle- to-Everything (V2X). In other examples, a UE may not necessarily have a user in the sense of ahuman user who owns and / or operates the relevant device. Instead, a UE may represent a device that is intended for sale to, or operation by, a human user but which may not, or which may not initially, be associated with a specific human user (e.g., a smart sprinkler controller). Alternatively, a UE may represent a device that is not intended for sale to, or operation by, an end user but which may be associated with or operated for the benefit of a user (e.g., a smart power meter).

[0118] The UE 500 includes processing circuitry 502 that is operatively coupled via a bus 504 to an input / output interface 506, apower source 508, memory 510, a communication interface 512, and / or any other component, or any combination thereof. Certain UEs may utilize all or a subset of the components shown in Figure 5. The level of integration between the components may vary from one UE to another UE. Further, certain UEs may contain multiple instances of a component, such as multiple processors, memories, transceivers, transmitters, receivers, etc.

[0119] The processing circuitry 502 is configured to process instructions and data and may be configured to implement any sequential state machine operative to execute instructions stored as machine-readable computer programs in the memory 510. The processing circuitry 502 may be implemented as one or more hardware-implemented state machines (e.g., in discrete logic, Field Programmable Gate Arrays (FPGAs), Application Specific Integrated Circuits (ASICs), etc.); programmable logic together with appropriate firmware; one or more stored computer programs, general purpose processors, such as a microprocessor or Digital Signal Processor (DSP), together with appropriate software; or any combination of the above. For example, the processing circuitry 502 may include multiple Central Processing Units (CPUs).

[0120] In the example, the input / output interface 506 may be configured to provide an interface or interfaces to an input device, output device, or one or more input and / or output devices. Examples of an output device include a speaker, a sound card, a video card, a display, a monitor, a printer, an actuator, an emitter, a smartcard, another output device, or any combination thereof. An input device may allow a user to capture information into the UE 500. Examples of an input device include a touch-sensitive or presence-sensitive display, a camera (e.g., a digital camera, a digital video camera, a web camera, etc.), a microphone, a sensor, a mouse, a trackball, a directional pad, a trackpad, a scroll wheel, a smartcard, and the like. The presence-sensitive display may include a capacitive or resistive touch sensor to sense input from a user. A sensor may be, for instance, an accelerometer, a gyroscope, a tilt sensor, a force sensor, a magnetometer, an optical sensor, a proximity sensor, a biometric sensor, etc., or any combination thereof. An output device may use the same type of interface port as an input device. For example, a Universal Serial Bus (USB) port may be used to provide an input device and an output device.

[0121] In some embodiments, the power source 508 is structured as a battery or battery pack. Other types of power sources, such as an external power source (e.g., an electricity outlet), photovoltaic device, or power cell, may be used. The power source 508 may further include power circuitry for delivering power from the power source 508 itself, and / or an external power source, to the various parts of the UE 500 via input circuitry or an interface such as an electrical power cable. Delivering power may be, for example, for charging of the power source 508. Power circuitry may perform any formatting, converting, or other modification to the power from the power source 508 to make the power suitable for the respective components of the UE 500 to which power is supplied.

[0122] The memory 510 may be or be configured to include memory such as Random Access Memory (RAM), Read Only Memory (ROM), Programmable ROM (PROM), Erasable PROM (EPROM), Electrically EPROM (EEPROM), magnetic disks, optical disks, hard disks, removable cartridges, flash drives, and so forth. In one example, the memory 510 includes one or more application programs 514, such as an operating system, web browser application, a widget, gadget engine, or other application, and corresponding data 516. The memory 510 may store, for use by the UE 500, any of a variety of various operating systems or combinations of operating systems.

[0123] The memory 510 may be configured to include a number of physical drive units, such as Redundant Array of Independent Disks (RAID), flash memory, USB flash drive, external hard disk drive, thumb drive, pen drive, key drive, High Density Digital Versatile Disc (HD-DVD) optical disc drive, internal hard disk drive, Blu-Ray optical disc drive, Holographic Digital Data Storage (HDDS) optical disc drive, external mini Dual In-line Memory Module (DIMM), Synchronous Dynamic RAM (SDRAM), external micro-DIMM SDRAM, smartcard memory such as a tamper resistant module in the form of a Universal Integrated Circuit Card (UICC) including one or more Subscriber Identity Modules (SIMs), such as a Universal SIM (USIM) and / or Internet Protocol Multimedia Services Identity Module (ISIM), other memory, or any combination thereof. The UICC may for example be an embedded UICC (eUICC), integrated UICC (iUICC) or a removable UICC commonly known as a ‘SIM card.’ The memory 510 may allow the UE 500 to access instructions, application programs, and the like stored on transitory or non-transitory memory media, to off-load data, or to upload data. An article of manufacture, such as one utilizing a communication system, may be tangibly embodied as or in the memory 510, which may be or comprise a device-readable storage medium.

[0124] The processing circuitry 502 may be configured to communicate with an access network or other network using the communication interface 512. The communication interface 512 may comprise one or more communication subsystems and may include or becommunicatively coupled to an antenna 522. The communication interface 512 may include one or more transceivers used to communicate, such as by communicating with one or more remote transceivers of another device capable of wireless communication (e.g., another UE or a network node in an access network). Each transceiver may include a transmitter 518 and / or a receiver 520 appropriate to provide network communications (e.g., optical, electrical, frequency allocations, and so forth). Moreover, the transmitter 518 and receiver 520 may be coupled to one or more antennas (e.g., the antenna 522) and may share circuit components, software, or firmware, or alternatively be implemented separately.

[0125] In the illustrated embodiment, communication functions of the communication interface 512 may include cellular communication, WiFi communication, LPWAN communication, data communication, voice communication, multimedia communication, short- range communications such as Bluetooth, NFC, location-based communication such as the use of the Global Positioning System (GPS) to determine a location, another like communication function, or any combination thereof. Communications may be implemented according to one or more communication protocols and / or standards, such as IEEE 802.11, Code Division Multiplexing Access (CDMA), Wideband CDMA (WCDMA), GSM, LTE, NR, UMTS, WiMax, Ethernet, Transmission Control Protocol / Intemet Protocol (TCP / IP), Synchronous Optical Networking (SONET), Asynchronous Transfer Mode (ATM), Quick User Datagram Protocol Internet Connection (QUIC), Hypertext Transfer Protocol (HTTP), and so forth.

[0126] Regardless of the type of sensor, a UE may provide an output of data captured by its sensors, through its communication interface 512, via a wireless connection to a network node. Data captured by sensors of a UE can be communicated through a wireless connection to a network node via another UE. The output may be periodic (e.g., once every 15 minutes if it reports the sensed temperature), random (e.g., to even out the load from reporting from several sensors), in response to a triggering event (e.g., when moisture is detected an alert is sent), in response to a request (e.g., a user initiated request), or a continuous stream (e.g., a live video feed of a patient).

[0127] As another example, a UE comprises an actuator, a motor, or a switch related to a communication interface configured to receive wireless input from a network node via a wireless connection. In response to the received wireless input the states of the actuator, the motor, or the switch may change. For example, the UE may comprise a motor that adjusts the control surfaces or rotors of a drone in flight according to the received input or to a robotic arm performing a medical procedure according to the received input.

[0128] A UE, when in the form of an loT device, may be a device for use in one or more application domains, these domains comprising, but not limited to, city wearable technology,extended industrial application, and healthcare. Non-limiting examples of such an loT device are a device which is or which is embedded in: a connected refrigerator or freezer, a television, a connected lighting device, an electricity meter, a robot vacuum cleaner, a voice controlled smart speaker, a home security camera, a motion detector, a thermostat, a smoke detector, a door / window sensor, a flood / moisture sensor, an electrical door lock, a connected doorbell, an air conditioning system like a heat pump, an autonomous vehicle, a surveillance system, a weather monitoring device, a vehicle parking monitoring device, an electric vehicle charging station, a smart watch, a fitness tracker, a head-mounted display for Augmented Reality (AR) or VR, a wearable for tactile augmentation or sensory enhancement, a water sprinkler, an animal- or item-tracking device, a sensor for monitoring a plant or animal, an industrial robot, an Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV), and any kind of medical device, like a heart rate monitor or a remote controlled surgical robot. A UE in the form of an loT device comprises circuitry and / or software in dependence of the intended application of the loT device in addition to other components as described in relation to the UE 500 shown in Figure 5.

[0129] As yet another specific example, in an loT scenario, a UE may represent a machine or other device that performs monitoring and / or measurements and transmits the results of such monitoring and / or measurements to another UE and / or a network node. The UE may in this case be an M2M device, which may in a 3GPP context be referred to as an MTC device. As one particular example, the UE may implement the 3GPP NB-IoT standard. In other scenarios, a UE may represent a vehicle, such as a car, a bus, a truck, a ship, an airplane, or other equipment that is capable of monitoring and / or reporting on its operational status or other functions associated with its operation.

[0130] In practice, any number of UEs may be used together with respect to a single use case . For example, a first UE might be or be integrated in a drone and provide the drone’s speed information (obtained through a speed sensor) to a second UE that is a remote controller operating the drone. When the user makes changes from the remote controller, the first UE may adjust the throttle on the drone (e.g., by controlling an actuator) to increase or decrease the drone’s speed. The first and / or the second UE can also include more than one of the functionalities described above. For example, a UE might comprise the sensor and the actuator and handle communication of data for both the speed sensor and the actuators.

[0131] Figure 6 shows a network node 600 in accordance with some embodiments. As used herein, network node refers to equipment capable, configured, arranged, and / or operable to communicate directly or indirectly with a UE and / or with other network nodes or equipment in a telecommunication network. Examples of network nodes include, but are not limited to, APs (e.g.,radio APs), Base Stations (BSs) (e.g., radio BSs, Node Bs, evolved Node Bs (eNBs), NR Node Bs (gNBs)), and O-RAN nodes or components of an O-RAN node (e.g., O-RU, O-DU, O-CU).

[0132] Base stations may be categorized based on the amount of coverage they provide (or, stated differently, their transmit power level) and so, depending on the provided amount of coverage, may be referred to as femto base stations, pico base stations, micro base stations, or macro base stations. A base station may be a relay node or a relay donor node controlling a relay. A network node may also include one or more (or all) parts of a distributed radio base station such as centralized digital units, distributed units (e.g., in an O-RAN access node), and / or Remote Radio Units (RRUs), sometimes referred to as Remote Radio Heads (RRHs). Such RRUs may or may not be integrated with an antenna as an antenna integrated radio. Parts of a distributed radio base station may also be referred to as nodes in a Distributed Antenna System (DAS).

[0133] Other examples of network nodes include multiple Transmission Point (multi-TRP) 5G access nodes, Multi-Standard Radio (MSR) equipment such as MSR BSs, network controllers such as Radio Network Controllers (RNCs) or BS Controllers (BSCs), Base Transceiver Stations (BTSs), transmission points, transmission nodes, Multi-Cell / Multicast Coordination Entities (MCEs), Operation and Maintenance (O&M) nodes, Operations Support System (OSS) nodes, Self-Organizing Network (SON) nodes, positioning nodes (e.g., Evolved Serving Mobile Location Centers (E-SMLCs)), and / or Minimization of Drive Tests (MDTs).

[0134] The network node 600 includes processing circuitry 602, memory 604, a communication interface 606, and a power source 608. The network node 600 may be composed of multiple physically separate components (e.g., aNodeB component and an RNC component, or a BTS component and a BSC component, etc.), which may each have their own respective components. In certain scenarios in which the network node 600 comprises multiple separate components (e.g., BTS and BSC components), one or more of the separate components may be shared among several network nodes. For example, a single RNC may control multiple NodeBs. In such a scenario, each unique NodeB and RNC pair may in some instances be considered a single separate network node. In some embodiments, the network node 600 may be configured to support multiple RATs. In such embodiments, some components may be duplicated (e.g., separate memory 604 for different RATs) and some components may be reused (e.g., a same antenna 610 may be shared by different RATs). The network node 600 may also include multiple sets of the various illustrated components for different wireless technologies integrated into network node 600, for example GSM, WCDMA, LTE, NR, WiFi, Zigbee, Z-wave, Long Range Wide Area Network (LoRaWAN), Radio Frequency Identification (RFID), or Bluetooth wirelesstechnologies. These wireless technologies may be integrated into the same or different chip or set of chips and other components within the network node 600.

[0135] The processing circuitry 602 may comprise a combination of one or more of a microprocessor, controller, microcontroller, CPU, DSP, ASIC, FPGA, or any other suitable computing device, resource, or combination of hardware, software, and / or encoded logic operable to provide, either alone or in conjunction with other network node 600 components, such as the memory 604, to provide network node 600 functionality.

[0136] In some embodiments, the processing circuitry 602 includes a System on a Chip (SOC). In some embodiments, the processing circuitry 602 includes one or more of Radio Frequency (RF) transceiver circuitry 612 and baseband processing circuitry 614. In some embodiments, the RF transceiver circuitry 612 and the baseband processing circuitry 614 may be on separate chips (or sets of chips), boards, or units, such as radio units and digital units. In alternative embodiments, part or all of the RF transceiver circuitry 612 and the baseband processing circuitry 614 may be on the same chip or set of chips, boards, or units.

[0137] The memory 604 may comprise any form of volatile or non-volatile computer-readable memory including, without limitation, persistent storage, solid state memory, remotely mounted memory, magnetic media, optical media, RAM, ROM, mass storage media (for example, a hard disk), removable storage media (for example, a flash drive, a Compact Disk (CD), or a Digital Video Disk (DVD)), and / or any other volatile or non-volatile, non-transitory device-readable, and / or computer-executable memory devices that store information, data, and / or instructions that may be used by the processing circuitry 602. The memory 604 may store any suitable instructions, data, or information, including a computer program, software, an application including one or more of logic, rules, code, tables, and / or other instructions capable of being executed by the processing circuitry 602 and utilized by the network node 600. The memory 604 may be used to store any calculations made by the processing circuitry 602 and / or any data received via the communication interface 606. In some embodiments, the processing circuitry 602 and the memory 604 are integrated.

[0138] The communication interface 606 is used in wired or wireless communication of signaling and / or data between a network node, access network, and / or UE. As illustrated, the communication interface 606 comprises port(s) / terminal(s) 616 to send and receive data, for example to and from a network over a wired connection. The communication interface 606 also includes radio front-end circuitry 618 that may be coupled to, or in certain embodiments a part of, the antenna 610. The radio front-end circuitry 618 comprises filters 620 and amplifiers 622. The radio front-end circuitry 618 may be connected to the antenna 610 and the processing circuitry602. The radio front-end circuitry 618 may be configured to condition signals communicated between the antenna 610 and the processing circuitry 602. The radio front-end circuitry 618 may receive digital data that is to be sent out to other network nodes or UEs via a wireless connection. The radio front-end circuitry 618 may convert the digital data into a radio signal having the appropriate channel and bandwidth parameters using a combination of the filters 620 and / or the amplifiers 622. The radio signal may then be transmitted via the antenna 610. Similarly, when receiving data, the antenna 610 may collect radio signals which are then converted into digital data by the radio front-end circuitry 618. The digital data may be passed to the processing circuitry 602. In other embodiments, the communication interface 606 may comprise different components and / or different combinations of components.

[0139] In certain alternative embodiments, the network node 600 does not include separate radio front-end circuitry 618; instead, the processing circuitry 602 includes radio front-end circuitry and is connected to the antenna 610. Similarly, in some embodiments, all or some of the RF transceiver circuitry 612 is part of the communication interface 606. In still other embodiments, the communication interface 606 includes the one or more ports or terminals 616, the radio front-end circuitry 618, and the RF transceiver circuitry 612 as part of a radio unit (not shown), and the communication interface 606 communicates with the baseband processing circuitry 614, which is part of a digital unit (not shown).

[0140] The antenna 610 may include one or more antennas, or antenna arrays, configured to send and / or receive wireless signals. The antenna 610 may be coupled to the radio front-end circuitry 618 and may be any type of antenna capable of transmitting and receiving data and / or signals wirelessly. In certain embodiments, the antenna 610 is separate from the network node 600 and connectable to the network node 600 through an interface or port.

[0141] The antenna 610, the communication interface 606, and / or the processing circuitry 602 may be configured to perform any receiving operations and / or certain obtaining operations described herein as being performed by the network node 600. Any information, data, and / or signals may be received from a UE, another network node, and / or any other network equipment. Similarly, the antenna 610, the communication interface 606, and / or the processing circuitry 602 may be configured to perform any transmitting operations described herein as being performed by the network node 600. Any information, data, and / or signals may be transmitted to a UE, another network node, and / or any other network equipment.

[0142] The power source 608 provides power to the various components of the network node 600 in a form suitable for the respective components (e.g., at a voltage and current level needed for each respective component). The power source 608 may further comprise, or be coupled to,power management circuitry to supply the components of the network node 600 with power for performing the functionality described herein. For example, the network node 600 may be connectable to an external power source (e.g., the power grid or an electricity outlet) via input circuitry or an interface such as an electrical cable, whereby the external power source supplies power to power circuitry of the power source 608. As a further example, the power source 608 may comprise a source of power in the form of a battery or battery pack which is connected to, or integrated in, power circuitry. The battery may provide backup power should the external power source fail.

[0143] Embodiments of the network node 600 may include additional components beyond those shown in Figure 6 for providing certain aspects of the network node’s functionality, including any of the functionality described herein and / or any functionality necessary to support the subject matter described herein. For example, the network node 600 may include user interface equipment to allow input of information into the network node 600 and to allow output of information from the network node 600. This may allow a user to perform diagnostic, maintenance, repair, and other administrative functions for the network node 600.

[0144] Figure 7 is a block diagram of a host 700, which may be an embodiment of the host 416 of Figure 4, in accordance with various aspects described herein. As used herein, the host 700 may be or comprise various combinations of hardware and / or software including a standalone server, a blade server, a cloud-implemented server, a distributed server, a virtual machine, container, or processing resources in a server farm. The host 700 may provide one or more services to one or more UEs.

[0145] The host 700 includes processing circuitry 702 that is operatively coupled via a bus 704 to an input / output interface 706, a network interface 708, a power source 710, and memory 712. Other components may be included in other embodiments. Features of these components may be substantially similar to those described with respect to the devices of previous figures, such as Figures 5 and 6, such that the descriptions thereof are generally applicable to the corresponding components of the host 700.

[0146] The memory 712 may include one or more computer programs including one or more host application programs 714 and data 716, which may include user data, e.g. data generated by a UE for the host 700 or data generated by the host 700 for a UE. Embodiments of the host 700 may utilize only a subset or all of the components shown. The host application programs 714 may be implemented in a container-based architecture and may provide support for video codecs (e.g., Versatile Video Coding (VVC), High Efficiency Video Coding (HEVC), Advanced Video Coding (AVC), Moving Picture Experts Group (MPEG), VP9) and audio codecs (e.g., Free Lossless AudioCodec (FLAC), Advanced Audio Coding (AAC), MPEG, G.711), including transcoding for multiple different classes, types, or implementations of UEs (e.g., handsets, desktop computers, wearable display systems, and heads-up display systems). The host application programs 714 may also provide for user authentication and licensing checks and may periodically report health, routes, and content availability to a central node, such as a device in or on the edge of a core network. Accordingly, the host 700 may select and / or indicate a different host for Over-The-Top (OTT) services for a UE. The host application programs 714 may support various protocols, such as the HTTP Live Streaming (HLS) protocol, Real-Time Messaging Protocol (RTMP), Real-Time Streaming Protocol (RTSP), Dynamic Adaptive Streaming over HTTP (DASH or MPEG-DASH), etc.

[0147] Figure 8 is a block diagram illustrating a virtualization environment 800 in which functions implemented by some embodiments may be virtualized. In the present context, virtualizing means creating virtual versions of apparatuses or devices which may include virtualizing hardware platforms, storage devices, and networking resources. As used herein, virtualization can be applied to any device described herein, or components thereof, and relates to an implementation in which at least a portion of the functionality is implemented as one or more virtual components. Some or all of the functions described herein may be implemented as virtual components executed by one or more Virtual Machines (VMs) implemented in one or more virtual environments 800 hosted by one or more of hardware nodes, such as a hardware computing device that operates as a network node, UE, core network node, or host. Further, in embodiments in which the virtual node does not require radio connectivity (e.g., a core network node or host), then the node may be entirely virtualized. In some embodiments, the virtualization environment 800 includes components defined by the O-RAN Alliance, such as an O-Cloud environment orchestrated by a Service Management and Orchestration Framework via an O-2 interface.

[0148] Applications 802 (which may alternatively be called software instances, virtual appliances, network functions, virtual nodes, virtual network functions, etc.) are run in the virtualization environment 800 to implement some of the features, functions, and / or benefits of some of the embodiments disclosed herein.

[0149] Hardware 804 includes processing circuitry, memory that stores software and / or instructions executable by hardware processing circuitry, and / or other hardware devices as described herein, such as a network interface, input / output interface, and so forth. Software may be executed by the processing circuitry to instantiate one or more virtualization layers 806 (also referred to as hypervisors or VM Monitors (VMMs)), provide VMs 808A and 808B (one or more of which may be generally referred to as VMs 808), and / or perform any of the functions, features,and / or benefits described in relation with some embodiments described herein. The virtualization layer 806 may present a virtual operating platform that appears like networking hardware to the VMs 808.

[0150] The VMs 808 comprise virtual processing, virtual memory, virtual networking, or interface and virtual storage, and may be run by a corresponding virtualization layer 806. Different embodiments of the instance of a virtual appliance 802 may be implemented on one or more of the VMs 808, and the implementations may be made in different ways. Virtualization of the hardware is in some contexts referred to as Network Function Virtualization (NFV). NFV may be used to consolidate many network equipment types onto industry standard high volume server hardware, physical switches, and physical storage, which can be located in data centers and customer premise equipment.

[0151] In the context of NFV, a VM 808 may be a software implementation of a physical machine that runs programs as if they were executing on a physical, non-virtualized machine. Each of the VMs 808, and that part of the hardware 804 that executes that VM, be it hardware dedicated to that VM and / or hardware shared by that VM with others of the VMs 808, forms separate virtual network elements. Still in the context of NFV, a virtual network function is responsible for handling specific network functions that run in one or more VMs 808 on top of the hardware 804 and corresponds to the application 802.

[0152] The hardware 804 may be implemented in a standalone network node with generic or specific components. The hardware 804 may implement some functions via virtualization. Alternatively, the hardware 804 may be part of a larger cluster of hardware (e.g., such as in a data center or CPE) where many hardware nodes work together and are managed via management and orchestration 810, which, among others, oversees lifecycle management of the applications 802. In some embodiments, the hardware 804 is coupled to one or more radio units that each include one or more transmitters and one or more receivers that may be coupled to one or more antennas. Radio units may communicate directly with other hardware nodes via one or more appropriate network interfaces and may be used in combination with the virtual components to provide a virtual node with radio capabilities, such as a RAN or a base station. In some embodiments, some signaling can be provided with the use of a control system 812 which may alternatively be used for communication between hardware nodes and radio units.

[0153] Figure 9 shows a communication diagram of a host 902 communicating via a network node 904 with a UE 906 over a partially wireless connection in accordance with some embodiments. Example implementations, in accordance with various embodiments, of the UE (such as the UE 412A of Figure 4 and / or the UE 500 of Figure 5), the network node (such as thenetwork node 410A of Figure 4 and / or the network node 600 of Figure 6), and the host (such as the host 416 of Figure 4 and / or the host 700 of Figure 7) discussed in the preceding paragraphs will now be described with reference to Figure 9.

[0154] Like the host 700, embodiments of the host 902 include hardware, such as a communication interface, processing circuitry, and memory. The host 902 also includes software, which is stored in or is accessible by the host 902 and executable by the processing circuitry. The software includes a host application that may be operable to provide a service to a remote user, such as the UE 906 connecting via an OTT connection 950 extending between the UE 906 and the host 902. In providing the service to the remote user, a host application may provide user data which is transmitted using the OTT connection 950.

[0155] The network node 904 includes hardware enabling it to communicate with the host 902 and the UE 906. The connection 960 may be direct or pass through a core network (like the core network 406 of Figure 4) and / or one or more other intermediate networks, such as one or more public, private, or hosted networks. For example, an intermediate network may be a backbone network or the Internet.

[0156] The UE 906 includes hardware and software, which is stored in or accessible by the UE 906 and executable by the UE’s processing circuitry. The software includes a client application, such as a web browser or operator-specific “app” that may be operable to provide a service to a human or non-human user via the UE 906 with the support of the host 902. In the host 902, an executing host application may communicate with the executing client application via the OTT connection 950 terminating at the UE 906 and the host 902. In providing the service to the user, the UE's client application may receive request data from the host's host application and provide user data in response to the request data. The OTT connection 950 may transfer both the request data and the user data. The UE's client application may interact with the user to generate the user data that it provides to the host application through the OTT connection 950.

[0157] The OTT connection 950 may extend via the connection 960 between the host 902 and the network node 904 and via a wireless connection 970 between the network node 904 and the UE 906 to provide the connection between the host 902 and the UE 906. The connection 960 and the wireless connection 970, over which the OTT connection 950 may be provided, have been drawn abstractly to illustrate the communication between the host 902 and the UE 906 via the network node 904, without explicit reference to any intermediary devices and the precise routing of messages via these devices.

[0158] As an example of transmitting data via the OTT connection 950, in step 908, the host 902 provides user data, which may be performed by executing a host application. In someembodiments, the user data is associated with a particular human user interacting with the UE 906. In other embodiments, the user data is associated with a UE 906 that shares data with the host 902 without explicit human interaction. In step 910, the host 902 initiates a transmission carrying the user data towards the UE 906. The host 902 may initiate the transmission responsive to a request transmitted by the UE 906. The request may be caused by human interaction with the UE 906 or by operation of the client application executing on the UE 906. The transmission may pass via the network node 904 in accordance with the teachings of the embodiments described throughout this disclosure. Accordingly, in step 912, the network node 904 transmits to the UE 906 the user data that was carried in the transmission that the host 902 initiated, in accordance with the teachings of the embodiments described throughout this disclosure. In step 914, the UE 906 receives the user data carried in the transmission, which may be performed by a client application executed on the UE 906 associated with the host application executed by the host 902.

[0159] In some examples, the UE 906 executes a client application which provides user data to the host 902. The user data may be provided in reaction or response to the data received from the host 902. Accordingly, in step 916, the UE 906 may provide user data, which may be performed by executing the client application. In providing the user data, the client application may further consider user input received from the user via an input / output interface of the UE 906. Regardless of the specific manner in which the user data was provided, the UE 906 initiates, in step 918, transmission of the user data towards the host 902 via the network node 904. In step 920, in accordance with the teachings of the embodiments described throughout this disclosure, the network node 904 receives user data from the UE 906 and initiates transmission of the received user data towards the host 902. In step 922, the host 902 receives the user data carried in the transmission initiated by the UE 906.

[0160] One or more of the various embodiments improve the performance of OTT services provided to the UE 906 using the OTT connection 950, in which the wireless connection 970 forms the last segment. More precisely, the teachings of these embodiments may improve, e.g., data rate, latency, and / or power consumption and thereby provide benefits such as, e.g., reduced user waiting time, related restriction on file size, improved content resolution, better responsiveness, and / or extended battery lifetime.

[0161] In an example scenario, factory status information may be collected and analyzed by the host 902. As another example, the host 902 may process audio and video data which may have been retrieved from a UE for use in creating maps. As another example, the host 902 may collect and analyze real-time data to assist in controlling vehicle congestion (e.g., controlling traffic lights). As another example, the host 902 may store surveillance video uploaded by a UE. Asanother example, the host 902 may store or control access to media content such as video, audio, VR, or AR which it can broadcast, multicast, or unicast to UEs. As other examples, the host 902 may be used for energy pricing, remote control of non-time critical electrical load to balance power generation needs, location services, presentation services (such as compiling diagrams etc. from data collected from remote devices), or any other function of collecting, retrieving, storing, analyzing, and / or transmitting data.

[0162] In some examples, a measurement procedure may be provided for the purpose of monitoring data rate, latency, and other factors on which the one or more embodiments improve. There may further be an optional network functionality for reconfiguring the OTT connection 950 between the host 902 and the UE 906 in response to variations in the measurement results. The measurement procedure and / or the network functionality for reconfiguring the OTT connection 950 may be implemented in software and hardware of the host 902 and / or the UE 906. In some embodiments, sensors (not shown) may be deployed in or in association with other devices through which the OTT connection 950 passes; the sensors may participate in the measurement procedure by supplying values of the monitored quantities exemplified above, or by supplying values of other physical quantities from which software may compute or estimate the monitored quantities. The reconfiguring of the OTT connection 950 may include message format, retransmission settings, preferred routing, etc.; the reconfiguring need not directly alter the operation of the network node 904. Such procedures and functionalities may be known and practiced in the art. In certain embodiments, measurements may involve proprietary UE signaling that facilitates measurements of throughput, propagation times, latency, and the like by the host 902. The measurements may be implemented in that software causes messages to be transmitted, in particular empty or ‘dummy’ messages, using the OTT connection 950 while monitoring propagation times, errors, etc.

[0163] Although the computing devices described herein (e.g., UEs, network nodes, hosts) may include the illustrated combination of hardware components, other embodiments may comprise computing devices with different combinations of components. It is to be understood that these computing devices may comprise any suitable combination of hardware and / or software needed to perform the tasks, features, functions, and methods disclosed herein. Determining, calculating, obtaining, or similar operations described herein may be performed by processing circuitry, which may process information by, for example, converting the obtained information into other information, comparing the obtained information or converted information to information stored in the network node, and / or performing one or more operations based on the obtained information or converted information, and as a result of said processing making adetermination. Moreover, while components are depicted as single boxes located within a larger box or nested within multiple boxes, in practice computing devices may comprise multiple different physical components that make up a single illustrated component, and functionality may be partitioned between separate components. For example, a communication interface may be configured to include any of the components described herein, and / or the functionality of the components may be partitioned between the processing circuitry and the communication interface. In another example, non-computationally intensive functions of any of such components may be implemented in software or firmware and computationally intensive functions may be implemented in hardware.

[0164] In certain embodiments, some or all of the functionality described herein may be provided by processing circuitry executing instructions stored in memory, which in certain embodiments may be a computer program product in the form of a non-transitory computer- readable storage medium. In alternative embodiments, some or all of the functionality may be provided by the processing circuitry without executing instructions stored on a separate or discrete device -readable storage medium, such as in a hardwired manner. In any of those particular embodiments, whether executing instructions stored on a non-transitory computer-readable storage medium or not, the processing circuitry can be configured to perform the described functionality. The benefits provided by such functionality are not limited to the processing circuitry alone or to other components of the computing device, but are enjoyed by the computing device as a whole and / or by end users and a wireless network generally.

[0165] Those skilled in the art will recognize improvements and modifications to the embodiments of the present disclosure. All such improvements and modifications are considered within the scope of the concepts disclosed herein.

[0166] EMBODIMENTS:Group A EmbodimentsEmbodiment 1. A method performed by a User Equipment, UE, the method comprising any one or more of the following: receiving (step 201) a signalling comprising information on a CSI configuration; receiving (step 202) a first control message for triggering or activating channel measurements on one or more dynamic NZP CSI-RS resources configured; receiving (step 203) a second control message for trigerring or activating the configured CSI reporting; activating (step 204) the trigger condition evaluation based on received information; and upon the fulfilment of one or more trigger conditions, either (step 205) requesting foruplink (UL) resource(s) or sending a UE initiated beam report to a network node in preconfigured resources.Embodiment 2. The method of any of the previous embodiments, further comprising: providing user data; and forwarding the user data to a host via the transmission to the network node.Group B EmbodimentsEmbodiment 3. A method performed by a network node, the method comprising one or more of the following: sending (Step 301) a signalling comprising information on a CSI configuration; sending (Step 302) a first control message for triggering or activating channel measurements on one or more dynamic NZP CSI-RS resources configured; sending (Step 303) a second control message fortrigerring or activating the CSI reporting configured; and upon the fulfilment of one or more trigger conditions evaluated based on sent information, either (Step 304) sending uplink (UL) resource(s) or receiving a UE initiated beam report on pre -configured resources.Embodiment 4. The method of any of the previous embodiments, further comprising: obtaining user data; and forwarding the user data to a host or a user equipment.Group C EmbodimentsEmbodiment 5. A user equipment comprising : processing circuitry configured to perform any of the steps of any of Group A embodiments; and power supply circuitry configured to supply power to the processing circuitry.Embodiment 6. A network node comprising: processing circuitry configured to perform any of the steps of any of Group B embodiments; and power supply circuitry configured to supply power to the processing circuitry.Embodiment 7. A user equipment (UE) comprising: an antenna configured to send and receive wireless signals; radio front-end circuitry connected to the antenna and to processing circuitry, and configured to condition signals communicated between the antenna and the processing circuitry; the processing circuitry being configured to perform any of the steps of any of Group A embodiments;an input interface connected to the processing circuitry and configured to allow input of information into the UE to be processed by the processing circuitry; an output interface connected to the processing circuitry and configured to output information from the UE that has been processed by the processing circuitry; and a battery connected to the processing circuitry and configured to supply power to the UE. Embodiment 8. A host configured to operate in a communication system to provide an over- the-top (OTT) service, the host comprising: processing circuitry configured to provide user data; and a network interface configured to initiate transmission of the user data to a network node in a cellular network for transmission to a user equipment (UE), the network node having a communication interface and processing circuitry, the processing circuitry of the network node configured to perform any of the operations of any of Group B embodiments to transmit the user data from the host to the UE.Embodiment 9. The host of the previous embodiment, wherein: the processing circuitry of the host is configured to execute a host application that provides the user data; and the UE comprises processing circuitry configured to execute a client application associated with the host application to receive the transmission of user data from the host.Embodiment 10. A method implemented in a host configured to operate in a communication system that further includes a network node and a user equipment (UE), the method comprising: providing user data for the UE; and initiating a transmission carrying the user data to the UE via a cellular network comprising the network node, wherein the network node performs any of the operations of any of Group B embodiments to transmit the user data from the host to the UE.Embodiment 11. The method of the previous embodiment, further comprising, at the network node, transmitting the user data provided by the host for the UE.Embodiment 12. The method of any of the previous 2 embodiments, wherein the user data is provided at the host by executing a host application that interacts with a client application executing on the UE, the client application being associated with the host application.Embodiment 13. A communication system configured to provide an over-the-top (OTT) service, the communication system comprising: a host comprising: processing circuitry configured to provide user data for a user equipment (UE), the user data being associated with the over-the-top service; anda network interface configured to initiate transmission of the user data toward a cellular network node for transmission to the UE, the network node having a communication interface and processing circuitry, the processing circuitry of the network node configured to perform any of the operations of any of Group B embodiments to transmit the user data from the host to the UE.Embodiment 14. The communication system of the previous embodiment, further comprising: the network node; and / or the UE.Embodiment 15. A host configured to operate in a communication system to provide an over- the-top (OTT) service, the host comprising: processing circuitry configured to initiate receipt of user data; and a network interface configured to receive the user data from a network node in a cellular network, the network node having a communication interface and processing circuitry, the processing circuitry of the network node configured to perform any of the operations of any of Group B embodiments to receive the user data from a user equipment (UE) for the host. Embodiment 16. The host of the previous 2 embodiments, wherein: the processing circuitry of the host is configured to execute a host application that receives the user data; and the host application is configured to interact with a client application executing on the UE, the client application being associated with the host application.Embodiment 17. The host of the any of the previous 2 embodiments, wherein the initiating receipt of the user data comprises requesting the user data.Embodiment 18. A method implemented by a host configured to operate in a communication system that further includes a network node and a user equipment (UE), the method comprising: at the host, initiating receipt of user data from the UE, the user data originating from a transmission which the network node has received from the UE, wherein the network node performs any of the steps of any of Group B embodiments to receive the user data from the UE for the host.Embodiment 19. The method of the previous embodiment, further comprising at the network node, transmitting the received user data to the host.Embodiment 20. A host configured to operate in a communication system to provide an over- the-top (OTT) service, the host comprising: processing circuitry configured to provide user data; and a network interface configured to initiate transmission of the user data to a cellular networkfor transmission to a user equipment (UE), wherein the UE comprises a communication interface and processing circuitry, the communication interface and processing circuitry of the UE being configured to perform any of the operations of any of Group A embodiments to receive the user data from the host.Embodiment 21. The host of the previous embodiment, wherein the cellular network further includes a network node configured to communicate with the UE to transmit the user data to the UE from the host.Embodiment 22. The host of the previous 2 embodiments, wherein: the processing circuitry of the host is configured to execute a host application, thereby providing the user data; and the host application is configured to interact with a client application executing on the UE, the client application being associated with the host application.Embodiment 23. A method implemented by a host operating in a communication system that further includes a network node and a user equipment (UE), the method comprising: providing user data for the UE; and initiating a transmission carrying the user data to the UE via a cellular network comprising the network node, wherein the UE performs any of the operations of any of Group A embodiments to receive the user data from the host.Embodiment 24. The method of the previous embodiment, further comprising: at the host, executing a host application associated with a client application executing on the UE to receive the user data from the host application.Embodiment 25. The method of the previous embodiment, further comprising: at the host, transmitting input data to the client application executing on the UE, the input data being provided by executing the host application, wherein the user data is provided by the client application in response to the input data from the host application.Embodiment 26. A host configured to operate in a communication system to provide an over- the-top (OTT) service, the host comprising: processing circuitry configured to provide user data; and a network interface configured to initiate transmission of the user data to a cellular network for transmission to a user equipment (UE), wherein the UE comprises a communication interface and processing circuitry, the communication interface and processing circuitry of the UE being configured to perform any of the steps of any of Group A embodiments to transmit the user data to the host.Embodiment 27. The host of the previous embodiment, wherein the cellular network further includes a network node configured to communicate with the UE to transmit the user data from the UE to the host.Embodiment 28. The host of the previous 2 embodiments, wherein: the processing circuitry of the host is configured to execute a host application, thereby providing the user data; and the host application is configured to interact with a client application executing on the UE, the client application being associated with the host application.Embodiment 29. A method implemented by a host configured to operate in a communication system that further includes a network node and a user equipment (UE), the method comprising: at the host, receiving user data transmitted to the host via the network node by the UE, wherein the UE performs any of the steps of any of Group A embodiments to transmit the user data to the host.Embodiment 30. The method of the previous embodiment, further comprising: at the host, executing a host application associated with a client application executing on the UE to receive the user data from the UE.Embodiment 31. The method of the previous 2 embodiments, further comprising: at the host, transmitting input data to the client application executing on the UE, the input data being provided by executing the host application, wherein the user data is provided by the client application in response to the input data from the host application.

[0167] ABBREVIATIONSAt least some of the following abbreviations may be used in this disclosure. If there is an inconsistency between abbreviations, preference should be given to how it is used above. If listed multiple times below, the first listing should be preferred over any subsequent listing(s).Ix RTT CDMA2000 lx Radio Transmission Technology3GPP 3rd Generation Partnership Project5G 5th Generation6G 6th GenerationABS Almost Blank SubframeARQ Automatic Repeat RequestAWGN Additive White Gaussian NoiseBCCH Broadcast Control ChannelBCH Broadcast ChannelCA Carrier AggregationCC Carrier ComponentCCCH SDU Common Control Channel SDUCDMA Code Division Multiplexing AccessCGI Cell Global IdentifierCIR Channel Impulse ResponseCP Cyclic PrefixCPICH Common Pilot ChannelCPICH Ec / No CPICH Received energy per chip divided by the power density in the bandCQI Channel Quality informationC-RNTI Cell RNTICSI Channel State InformationDCCH Dedicated Control ChannelDL DownlinkDM DemodulationDMRS Demodulation Reference SignalDRX Discontinuous ReceptionDTX Discontinuous TransmissionDTCH Dedicated Traffic ChannelDUT Device Under Test E-CID Enhanced Cell-ID (positioning method) eMBMS evolved Multimedia Broadcast Multicast Services E-SMLC Evolved-Serving Mobile Location Centre ECGI Evolved CGI eNB E-UTRAN NodeB ePDCCH Enhanced Physical Downlink Control Channel E-SMLC Evolved Serving Mobile Location Center E-UTRA Evolved UTRA E-UTRAN Evolved UTRAN FDD Frequency Division Duplex FFS For Further Study gNB Base station in NR GNSS Global Navigation Satellite System HARQ Hybrid Automatic Repeat Request HO Handover HSPA High Speed Packet Access HRPD High Rate Packet Data LOS Line of Sight LPP LTE Positioning Protocol LTE Long-Term Evolution MAC Medium Access Control MAC Message Authentication Code MBSFN Multimedia Broadcast multicast service Single Frequency Network MBSFN ABS MBSFN Almost Blank Subframe MDT Minimization of Drive Tests MIB Master Information Block MME Mobility Management Entity MSC Mobile Switching Center NPDCCH Narrowband Physical Downlink Control Channel NR New Radio OCNG OFDMA Channel Noise Generator OFDM Orthogonal Frequency Division Multiplexing OFDMA Orthogonal Frequency Division Multiple Access OSS Operations Support SystemOTDOA Observed Time Difference of ArrivalO&M Operation and MaintenancePBCH Physical Broadcast ChannelP-CCPCH Primary Common Control Physical ChannelPCell Primary CellPCFICH Physical Control Format Indicator ChannelPDCCH Physical Downlink Control ChannelPDCP Packet Data Convergence ProtocolPDP Profile Delay ProfilePDSCH Physical Downlink Shared ChannelPGW Packet GatewayPHICH Physical Hybrid-ARQ Indicator ChannelPLMN Public Land Mobile NetworkPMI Precoder Matrix IndicatorPRACH Physical Random Access ChannelPRS Positioning Reference SignalPSS Primary Synchronization SignalPUCCH Physical Uplink Control ChannelPUS CH Physical Uplink Shared ChannelRACH Random Access ChannelQAM Quadrature Amplitude ModulationRAN Radio Access NetworkRAT Radio Access TechnologyRLC Radio Link ControlRLM Radio Link ManagementRNC Radio Network ControllerRNTI Radio Network Temporary IdentifierRRC Radio Resource ControlRRM Radio Resource ManagementRS Reference SignalRSCP Received Signal Code PowerRSRP Reference Symbol Received Power OR Reference Signal Received PowerRSRQ Reference Signal Received Quality OR Reference Symbol Received QualityRSSI Received Signal Strength IndicatorRSTD Reference Signal Time DifferenceSCH Synchronization ChannelSCell Secondary CellSDAP Service Data Adaptation ProtocolSDU Service Data UnitSFN System Frame NumberSGW Serving GatewaySI System InformationSIB System Information BlockSNR Signal to Noise RatioSON Self Optimized NetworkSS Synchronization SignalSSS Secondary Synchronization SignalTDD Time Division DuplexTDOA Time Difference of ArrivalTOA Time of ArrivalTSS Tertiary Synchronization SignalTTI Transmission Time IntervalUE User EquipmentUL UplinkUSIM Universal Subscriber Identity ModuleUTDOA Uplink Time Difference of ArrivalWCDMA Wide CDMAWLAN Wide Eocal Area NetworkREFERENCES incorporated here by reference1. RP -234007, New WID: NR MIMO Phase 5, Dec. 2023, incorporated here by reference.2. Chair notes, RAN1#116, Athens, Greece, February 26th - March 1st, 2024, incorporated here by reference

Claims

CLAIMS:

1. A method performed by a User Equipment, UE, the method comprising any one or more of the following: receiving (step 201) a signalling comprising information on a channel system information (CSI) configuration; receiving (step 202) a first control message for triggering or activating channel measurements on one or more non-zero power (NZP) CSI reference signal (RS) resources configured; receiving (step 203) a second control message for triggering or activating the configured CSI reporting; activating (step 204) the trigger condition evaluation based on received information; and upon the fulfilment of one or more trigger conditions, either (step 205) requesting for uplink (UL) resource(s) or sending a UE initiated beam report to a network node in preconfigured resources.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the information on the CSI reporting configuration comprises one or more of the following: a first one or more indicator(s) or identifier(s) associated with one or more NZP CSI-RS resources for channel measurement; a second indicator indicating a reporting quantity to be reported as part of a UE initiated beam report, wherein the reporting quantity can be one of Ll-RSPR or Ll-SINR along with NZP CSI-RS resource index or identifier (referred to as CRI, henceforth) corresponding to at least one of the one or more NZP CSI-RS resources for channel measurement; a third indicator or identifier of one or more events and / or one or more event or trigger conditions for UE initiated beam reporting that, when triggered, results in at least one of the following UE actions: o request resource(s) from the gNB for transmitting the UE initiated beam report; and o transmit the UE initiated beam report in preconfigured resources.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the second identifier may refer to reportQuantity whichis a field within the CSI-ReportConfig information element.

4. The method of claim 2, wherein the third indicator or identifier may be an identifier associated with the event or the trigger condition.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising performing one or more of the following actions when the trigger condition is triggered: request resource(s) from the gNB for transmitting the UE initiated beam report, and transmit the UE initiated beam report in preconfigured resources.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising: providing user data; and forwarding the user data to a host via the transmission to the network node.

7. A method performed by a network node, the method comprising one or more of the following: sending (Step 301) a signalling comprising information on a CSI configuration; sending (Step 302) a first control message for triggering or activating channel measurements on one or more non-zero power (NZP) channel system information (CSI) reference signal (RS) resources configured; sending (Step 303 )a second control message fortrigerring or activating the CSI reporting configured; and upon the fulfilment of one or more trigger conditions evaluated based on sent information, either (Step 304) sending uplink (UL) resource(s) or receiving a UE initiated beam report on pre -configured resources.

8. The method of any of the previous embodiments, further comprising: obtaining user data; and forwarding the user data to a host or a user equipment.

9. A user equipment (500) comprising: processing circuitry (502) configured to perform any of the steps of any of claim 1-2; and power supply circuitry (508) configured to supply power to the processing circuitry.

10. A network node (600) comprising: processing circuitry (602) configured to perform any of the steps of any of claim 3-4; and power supply circuitry (608) configured to supply power to the processing circuitry.

11. A user equipment (UE) (500) comprising: an antenna (522) configured to send and receive wireless signals; radio front-end circuitry connected to the antenna and to processing circuitry, and configured to condition signals communicated between the antenna and the processing circuitry; the processing circuitry being configured to perform any of the steps of any of claims 1-6; an input interface connected to the processing circuitry and configured to allow input of information into the UE to be processed by the processing circuitry; an output interface connected to the processing circuitry and configured to output information from the UE that has been processed by the processing circuitry; and a battery connected to the processing circuitry and configured to supply power to the UE.

12. A host configured to operate in a communication system to provide an over-the-top (OTT) service, the host comprising: processing circuitry configured to provide user data; and a network interface configured to initiate transmission of the user data to a network node in a cellular network for transmission to a user equipment (UE), the network node having a communication interface and processing circuitry, the processing circuitry of the network node configured to perform any of the operations of any of claims 7-8 to transmit the user data from the host to the UE.

13. The host of the claim 8, wherein: the processing circuitry of the host is configured to execute a host application that provides the user data; and the UE comprises processing circuitry configured to execute a client application associated with the host application to receive the transmission of user data from the host.

14. A method implemented in a host (416) configured to operate in a communication system (400) that further includes a network node (410) and a user equipment (UE) (412) , the method comprising:providing user data for the UE; and initiating a transmission carrying the user data to the UE via a cellular network comprising the network node, wherein the network node performs any of the operations of any of claims 7-8 to transmit the user data from the host to the UE.

15. The method of claim 10, further comprising, at the network node, transmitting the user data provided by the host for the UE.

16. The method of any of claims 10-11, wherein the user data is provided at the host by executing a host application that interacts with a client application executing on the UE, the client application being associated with the host application.

17. A communication system configured to provide an over-the-top (OTT) service, the communication system comprising: a host comprising: processing circuitry configured to provide user data for a user equipment (UE), the user data being associated with the over-the-top service; and a network interface configured to initiate transmission of the user data toward a cellular network node for transmission to the UE, the network node having a communication interface and processing circuitry, the processing circuitry of the network node configured to perform any of the operations of any of claims 7-8 to transmit the user data from the host to the UE.

18. The communication system of claim 13, further comprising: the network node; and / or the UE.

19. A host configured to operate in a communication system to provide an over-the-top (OTT) service, the host comprising: processing circuitry configured to initiate receipt of user data; and a network interface configured to receive the user data from a network node in a cellular network, the network node having a communication interface and processing circuitry, the processing circuitry of the network node configured to perform any of the operations of any of claims 7-8 to receive the user data from a user equipment (UE) for the host.

20. The host of claims 14-15, wherein: the processing circuitry of the host is configured to execute a host application that receives the user data; and the host application is configured to interact with a client application executing on the UE, the client application being associated with the host application.

21. The host of the any of claims 15-16, wherein the initiating receipt of the user data comprises requesting the user data.

22. A method implemented by a host configured to operate in a communication system that further includes a network node and a user equipment (UE), the method comprising: at the host, initiating receipt of user data from the UE, the user data originating from a transmission which the network node has received from the UE, wherein the network node performs any of the steps of any of claims 7-8 to receive the user data from the UE for the host.

23. The method of claim 18, further comprising at the network node, transmitting the received user data to the host.

24. A host configured to operate in a communication system to provide an over-the-top (OTT) service, the host comprising: processing circuitry configured to provide user data; and a network interface configured to initiate transmission of the user data to a cellular network for transmission to a user equipment (UE), wherein the UE comprises a communication interface and processing circuitry, the communication interface and processing circuitry of the UE being configured to perform any of the operations of any of claims 1-6 to receive the user data from the host.

25. The host of claim 20, wherein the cellular network further includes a network node configured to communicate with the UE to transmit the user data to the UE from the host.

26. The host of the claims 20-21, wherein: the processing circuitry of the host is configured to execute a host application, thereby providing the user data; and the host application is configured to interact with a client application executing on the UE,the client application being associated with the host application.

27. A method implemented by a host operating in a communication system that further includes a network node and a user equipment (UE), the method comprising: providing user data for the UE; and initiating a transmission carrying the user data to the UE via a cellular network comprising the network node, wherein the UE performs any of the operations of any of claims 1-6 to receive the user data from the host.

28. The method of claim 23, further comprising: at the host, executing a host application associated with a client application executing on the UE to receive the user data from the host application.

29. The method of claim 24, further comprising: at the host, transmitting input data to the client application executing on the UE, the input data being provided by executing the host application, wherein the user data is provided by the client application in response to the input data from the host application.

30. A host configured to operate in a communication system to provide an over-the-top (OTT) service, the host comprising: processing circuitry configured to provide user data; and a network interface configured to initiate transmission of the user data to a cellular network for transmission to a user equipment (UE), wherein the UE comprises a communication interface and processing circuitry, the communication interface and processing circuitry of the UE being configured to perform any of the steps of any of claims 1-6 to transmit the user data to the host.

31. The host of claim 26, wherein the cellular network further includes a network node configured to communicate with the UE to transmit the user data from the UE to the host.

32. The host of claims 25-26, wherein: the processing circuitry of the host is configured to execute a host application, thereby providing the user data; and the host application is configured to interact with a client application executing on the UE,the client application being associated with the host application.

33. A method implemented by a host configured to operate in a communication system that further includes a network node and a user equipment (UE), the method comprising: at the host, receiving user data transmitted to the host via the network node by the UE, wherein the UE performs any of the steps of any of claims 1-6 to transmit the user data to the host.

34. The method of claim 29, further comprising: at the host, executing a host application associated with a client application executing on the UE to receive the user data from the UE.

35. The method of claims 29-30, further comprising: at the host, transmitting input data to the client application executing on the UE, the input data being provided by executing the host application, wherein the user data is provided by the client application in response to the input data from the host application.

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