Subband phase offset feedback for coherent joint transmission

Abstract

Systems and methods related to phase offsets feedback in a cellular communications network are disclosed. In one embodiment, a method performed by a User Equipment (UE) comprises receiving a configuration to transmit a Sounding Reference Signal (SRS) on at least one antenna port at a first time instance and receiving a configuration to measure and report a set of phase offsets based on a plurality of Channel State Information Reference Signal (CSI-RS) resources each with at least one CSI-RS port wherein the measurement of the set of phase offsets is on the same at least one antenna port used for transmitting the SRS. The method further comprises measuring a set of phase offsets on each of one or more subbands, in accordance with the received configuration to measure and reporting the set of phase offsets for each of the one or more subbands.

Description

SUBBAND PHASE OFFSET FEEDBACK FOR COHERENT JOINT TRANSMISSIONRELATED APPLICATIONS

[0001] This application claims the benefit of International Patent Application No. PCT / CN2024 / 106665, filed July 22, 2024, 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 subband phase offset feedback for Coherent Joint Transmission (CJT) in a wireless communications system.BACKGROUND

[0003] Similar to Long Term Evolution (LTE), the 5thGeneration (5G) mobile systems or New Radio (NR) uses Orthogonal Frequency Division Multiplexing (OFDM) in the downlink (i.e. from a network node, gNodeB (gNB), eNodeB (eNB), or base station, to a User Equipment (UE)). In the uplink (i.e., from UE to gNB), both OFDM and Discrete Fourier Transform (DFT)-spread OFDM (DFT-S-OFDM) are supported. The basic NR physical resource can thus be seen as a timefrequency grid as illustrated in Figure 1, where a Resource Block (RB) in a 14-symbol slot is shown. An RB corresponds to twelve (12) contiguous subcarriers in the frequency domain. RBs are numbered in the frequency domain, starting with 0 from one end of the system bandwidth. Each resource element corresponds to one OFDM subcarrier during one OFDM symbol interval.

[0004] Different subcarrier spacings are supported in NR. The supported subcarrier spacings (also referred to as numerologies) are given by A = (15 X 2^) kilohertz (kHz) where / J. is a nonnegative integer and can be one of {0,1, 2, 3, 4}. A = 15kHz (e.g., = 0) is the basic (or reference) subcarrier spacing that is also used in LTE. is also referred to as the numerology.

[0005] In the time domain, downlink and uplink transmissions in NR are organized into equally-sized subframes of 1ms each. A subframe is further divided into multiple slots of equal1 duration. The slot length is dependent on the subcarrier spacing or numerology and is given by — ms. Each slot consists of 14 OFDM symbols for normal Cyclic Prefix (CP).

[0006] Data scheduling in NR can be in slot basis. Downlink (DL) transmissions can be dynamically scheduled, i.e., in each slot the gNB transmits Downlink Control Information (DCI) about which UE data is to be transmitted to and which resource blocks in the current downlink slot the data is transmitted on. The control information is carried on Physical Control Channel(PDCCH) and data is carried on Physical Downlink Shared Channel (PDSCH). A UE first detects and decodes PDCCH and, if a PDCCH is decoded successfully, it then decodes the corresponding PDSCH based on the decoded control information in the PDCCH.

[0007] Uplink (UL) data transmission can also be dynamically scheduled using PDCCH. Similar to downlink, a UE first decodes uplink grants in PDCCH and then transmits data over the Physical Uplink Shared Channel (PUSCH) based the decoded control information in the uplink grant such as modulation order, coding rate, uplink resource allocation, and etc.

[0008] In Third Generation Partnership Proj ect (3 GPP) NR Rel- 18, Channel State Information (CSI) feedback or reporting for Coherent Joint PDSCH Transmission, which is also referred to here simply as Coherent Joint Transmission (CJT), over multiple Transmission and Reception Points (TRPs) was introduced. In CJT, the signal of each Multiple Input Multiple Output (MIMO) layer of a PDSCH is transmitted jointly from multiple TRPs to a UE in a same time and frequency resource. Before the transmission, the signal at each TRP is phase adjusted such that the phase adjusted signals from the multiple TRPs are phase aligned when reaching the UE and thus are coherently combined at the UE. The power of the combined signal should be larger than that of the signal when received from a single TRP. This improves the signal quality received at the UE.

[0009] An example is shown in Figure 2, where a PDSCH with r layers, i.e., s = [s- s2, ... , sr]T, is transmitted from two TRPs after being precoded by a precoding matrixat TRP#1 and a precoding matrix W2at TRP#2. Each element of the precoding matrices is complex coefficient. The precoding helps to achieve coherent (or constructive) combining of signals from the two TRPs at the UE for each layer.

[0010] The precodersand IE2can be reported by the UE as part of a CSI report for CJT, which was introduced in 3GPP Rel-18, or determined by a network node (NW) (e.g. base station, gNodeB) based on uplink (UL) reference signals transmitted from the UE in Time Division Duplexing (TDD) systems assuming channel reciprocity. The latter is referred to as reciprocity based CJT. A CJT CSI typically comprises a rank (i.e., number of layers) indicator (RI), a channel quality indicator (CQI), and a precoding matrix indicator (PMI).and W2would be indicated by the PMI.

[0011] In NR Rel-18 CJT CSI, ideal synchronization between TRPs is assumed. In other words, the symbol / slot / frame timing and carrier frequency are exactly the same in different TRPs.

[0012] In practice, some level of timing and carrier frequency offsets do exist across different TRPs. The issue has been recognized and will be addressed in NR Rel-19 via UE measurement and reporting of time and frequency differences between TRPs. The reporting will be a standalone report, meaning that it will not be combined with legacy CSI reports.

[0013] In NR, for CSI reporting purpose, a UE can be configured with one or more channel (CSI) report configurations each comprising one or more Non-zero Power (NZP) CSI Reference Signal (CSI-RS) resources for channel measurements and a codebook used for CSI feedback. In addition to PMI and RI, the feedback typically also comprises one (for rank<=4) or two (for rank>4) CQIs. PMI and CQI feedback can be either wideband or per subband, where a wideband can be a whole bandwidth part (BWP) configured while a subband is defined as a number of contiguous Physical Resource Blocks (PRBs) within a BWP.

[0014] A CSI report configuration is done by Radio Resource Control (RRC) signaling via a RRC parameter CSI-ReportConfig defined in 3GPP Technical Specification (TS) 38.331 (see, e.g., VI 8.1.0). The report can be periodic or semi-persistent on Physical Uplink Control Channel (PUCCH) in a cell in which the CSI-ReportConfig is configured, or semi-persistent or aperiodic sent on PUSCH triggered by a DCI format received in the cell in which the CSI-ReportConfig is configured.

[0015] A NZP CSI-RS resource can have up to 32 CSI-RS antenna ports. In NR CSI reporting, one or more NZP CSI-RS resource sets can be configured and associated to a CSI report configuration for channel measurements. A NZP CSI-RS resource set contains one or more NZP CSI-RS resources.

[0016] CSI-RS is used for downlink channel measurement between a transmit antenna and a receive antenna. CSI-RS is configured by CSI-RS resources and can be transmitted on one or multiple antenna ports, also referred to as CSI-RS antenna ports or CSI-RS ports. Each CSI-RS port is transmitted in certain time and frequency resources configured in a corresponding CSI-RS resource. The supported numbers of antenna ports in NR are {1,2,4,8,12,16,24,32}. By measuring the received CSI-RS, a UE can estimate the channel that the CSI-RS is traversing, including the radio propagation channel and antenna gains. The CSI-RS for the above purpose is also referred to as NZP CSI-RS.

[0017] Figure 3 shows an example of one CSI-RS Resource Element (RE) allocation for 12 CSI-RS ports in a CSI-RS resource with frequency density one, i.e., average one RE per RB per CSI-RS port. CSI-RS is transmitted in every RB in a configured CSI-RS bandwidth, only CSI-RS in one RB is shown Figure 3.

[0018] In reciprocity-based DL transmission, the receive and transmit circuitries at each TRP are typically calibrated such that the phases are aligned across different receive and transmit circuitries associated to different antennas. The absolute transmit (Tx) and receive (Rx) phase at each TRP are unknown and are not needed for single TRP transmission. The unknow phase at each TRP is, however, a problem for reciprocity based CJT because coherent transmission is not possible without knowing the phase difference or offset between the TRPs.

[0019] An example is shown in Figure 4, where there are N TRPs. Hi E CNRX'UEXNTX'TRP(i = 1, ... , 1V) is the wireless propagation channel associated to the i-th TRP, where NRx UEis the number of received antennas at the UE and NTx TRPis the number of transmit antennas at each TRP. Hi is the same for UL and DL due to channel reciprocity.

[0020] The DL channel associated to the i-th TRP observed at the UE is HDL i=(ptxi G=1, ■ ■ ■, IV) is an unknown DL phase associated to the i-th TRP and consists of two parts, one associated to Tx hardware at the TRP and the other associated to the Rx hardware at the UE. The UL channel at the i-th TRP can be expressed as HUL i= ei<Prx'iHTwhere <prXii(i = 1, . . . , IV) is an unknown UL phase and consists of two parts, one associated to Rx hardware at the i-th TRP and the other associated to the Tx hardware at the UE. The UE related part is common to all the TRPs and not an issue.

[0021] DL channel associated to the i-th TRP can be obtained from UL channel estimation as HDL iNote that (ptx i— (prXiiis unknown but is not an issue for single TRP transmission because it is common to all the antenna ports.

[0022] For CJT over theare needed for the gNB to obtain precoding matrices, Wte CNTx,TRP^rwhere r is the rank or number of layers. To achieve coherent combining of signals from the N TRPs at the UE, {(<ptx f— Vrx.i)’7 =1, ■ ■ ■ , IV] need also to be estimated because they are generally different.

[0023] When each of the N TRPs also has a timing offset with respect to a reference timing, each—<Prx,i)’ i=!, ■ ■ ■ , IV] also contains a phase term which increases or decreases linearly over frequency or subcarriers.

[0024] To obtain {((ptXii— <prx,i)> t = 1, ■ ■ ., IV], several approaches have been proposed. In a first approach described in Rl-2400753, CSI enhancements for large antenna arrays and CJT, Ericsson, 3GPP TSG-RAN WG1 Meeting #117, Fukuoka, Japan, May 20 - 24, 2024, a CSLRS with a single CSLRS port is transmitted from each TRP. The CSLRS is precoded or precompensated, i.e., multiplied by the conjugate of the estimated complex UL channel based on Sounding Reference Signal (SRS) transmitted from a single antenna port at the UE, before being transmitted from the corresponding TRP. The UE uses the same antenna port to receive the C SIRS from each TRP. The phase due to the propagation channel is cancelled out due to channel reciprocity and remaining phase of the DL channel of the i-th TRP at the UE is ((ptXii— <prx,i)> which is reported / fed back to the gNB to obtainCJT.

[0025] In second approach described in Rl-2405149, CSI enhancements for >32 ports and UE-assisted CJT, Qualcomm Incorporated, 3GPP TSG-RAN WG1 Meeting #117, Fukuoka,Japan, May 20 - 24, 2024, a non-precoded CSI-RS with one or more CSI-RS ports can be transmitted from each TRP and the UE measures a phase (pDL,i (i=l,...,N) of the DL channel between one of the CSI-RS ports (e.g., port n(n = 1, ■■■ , Ntx TRpy) and one receive antenna port (e.g., portthe UE. For the ith TRP, (pDL i= (ptx i+ (pln m, where (pln mis the phase of the propagation channel between the CSI-RS port and the UE receive antenna port. The UE then reports (pDLiito the gNB. In addition, the UE transmits an SRS from the same antenna port (i.e., port m). The gNB measures a phase, (pUL:i, of the UL channel at CSI-RS port n based on the SRS. For the i-th TRP, (pULii= <prx,tThe gNB can then obtain (<ptXii— <prx,d = (PDLj—tPuL.i- However, <pln mcan be different over different frequencies (i.e., resource blocks (RBs) or subbands) within the configured CSI reporting band.

[0026] For phase feedback based on either the first or the second approach above, to save feedback overhead, a reference TRP can be selected and only the measured phase difference between each TRP and the reference TRP can be reported. The phase offset for the reference TRP is zero and thus, does not need to be reported. The phase offset for the i-th TRP can be denoted by <Pi (t = 1 / ■■■where iref 6 (1, . . . , IV) is the TRP index of the reference TRP. For the first approach, <p£= ((ptx i- <prx i) - ((ptXiiref- (prx.iref)- For the second approach, <p£= <PDL,i ~ VDL.iref-SUMMARY

[0027] Some embodiments advantageously provide methods, systems, and apparatuses for reciprocity-based precoding schemes for wireless communications.

[0028] According to one or more embodiments, a method performed by a User Equipment (UE) is provided. The method includes any one or more of the following steps: receiving a configuration to transmit a Sounding Reference Signal (SRS) on at least one antenna port at a first time instance, receiving a configuration to measure on the same at least one antenna port phase offsets based on a plurality of Channel State Information (CSI) Reference Signal (CSI-RS) resources each with at least one CSI-RS port; measuring a set of phase offsets on each of a subset of subbands, e.g. on each of an indicated subset of subbands; and / or reporting, for each of the subset of subbands, e.g. for each of the indicated subset of subbands, the set of phase offsets.

[0029] Additionally or alternatively, each of the CSI-RS resources may be associated to and transmitted from one of multiple Transmission and Reception Points (TRPs) at a second time instance. Optionally, the configuration to measure further comprises an indication of a subset of subbands over which the phase offsets are to be measured.

[0030] Additionally or alternatively, a method performed by a network node is also provided. The method includes one or more of the following steps: transmitting to a UE a configuration to transmit an SRS on at least one antenna port at a first time instance; transmitting to the UE a configuration to measure on the same at least one antenna port phase offsets based on a plurality of CSI-RS resources each with at least one CSI-RS port; optionally, each of the CSI-RS resources may be associated to and transmitted from one of multiple TRPs at a second time instance, where the configuration further comprises an indication of a subset of subbands over which the phase offsets are to be measured; and / or receiving, for each of a subset of subbands, e.g. for each of an indicated subset of subbands, a set of phase offsets, wherein, optionally, the set of phase offsets have been measured by the UE.

[0031] Additionally or alternatively, a method performed by a network node to detect and correct phase wrap around in the reported phase offsets is also provided. The method includes one or more of the following: receiving from the UE a report of, for example, four consecutive subband phase offsets associated to CSI-RS resource #n or TRP #n: n 0, ^n,i>E (0,2TT) , i = 1,calculating an initial phase slope based on <t>n 0,and predicting a phase offset ^'ni2 based on the slope and subband size, calculatinge minimum value among |<t> / ri,2—^71,21 >the corresponding one of d>n 2, <hn,2+2^ and <Pn 2— 2TT is determined as the unwrapped phase offset for <ni2,. Similarly, unwrapped phase offset can be determined for 0^3, After receiving all unwrap phase offsets, the phase offset slope can be recalculated.

[0032] In one embodiment, a method performed by a UE comprises receiving a configuration to transmit a Sounding Reference Signal (SRS) on at least one antenna port at a first time instance and receiving a configuration to measure and report a set of phase offsets based on a plurality of Channel State Information Reference Signal (CSI-RS) resources each with at least one CSI-RS port wherein the measurement of the set of phase offsets is on the same at least one antenna port used for transmitting the SRS. The method further comprises measuring a set of phase offsets on each of one or more subbands, in accordance with the received configuration to measure and reporting the set of phase offsets for each of the one or more subbands. In this manner, phase offsets feedback overhead may be reduced in the presence of timing offsets among multiple Transmission and Reception Points (TRPs).

[0033] In one embodiment, for each subband of the one or more subbands over which phase offsets are to be measured, the set of phase offsets measured for the subband are phase differencesbetween CSI-RS received in each of the plurality of CSI-RS resources and CSI-RS received in a reference CSI-RS resource .

[0034] In one embodiment, the one or more subbands over which the phase offsets are to be measured and reported are a subset of a set of subbands within a configured Channel State Information, CSI, reporting band.

[0035] In one embodiment, the configuration to measure further comprises an indication of the one or more subbands over which the phase offsets are to be measured and reported. In one embodiment, the indication of the subset of subands comprises subband indices of the subset of subbands for phase offset measurement and reporting.

[0036] In one embodiment, the configuration to measure further comprises information that indicates a subband size for phase offset measurement and reporting. In one embodiment, the indicated subband size for phase offset feedback is one of a set of candidate subband size values, and the set of candidate subband size values includes a candidate subband size value of one Resource Block (RB).

[0037] In one embodiment, the received configuration is a Channel State Information (CSI) report configuration for phase offset reporting.

[0038] In one embodiment, each of the CSI-RS resources may be associated to and received from one of a number of Transmission and Reception Points (TRPs) at a second time instance. In one embodiment, the first time instance occurs prior to the second time instance.

[0039] Corresponding embodiments of a UE are also disclosed. In one embodiment, a UE comprises a communication interface comprising a transmitter and a receiver. The UE further comprises processing circuitry associated with the communication interface, wherein the processing circuitry configured to cause the UE to receive a configuration to transmit a SRS on at least one antenna port at a first time instance and receive a configuration to measure and report a set of phase offsets based on a plurality of Channel CSI-RS resources each with at least one CSI- RS port wherein the measurement of the set of phase offsets is on the same at least one antenna port used for transmitting the SRS. The processing circuitry is further configured to cause the UE to measure a set of phase offsets on each of one or more subbands, in accordance with the received configuration to measure, and report the set of phase offsets for each of the one or more subbands.

[0040] Embodiments of a method performed by a network node are also disclosed. In one embodiment, a method performed by a network node comprises transmitting to a UE a configuration to transmit a SRS on at least one antenna port at a first time instance and transmitting to the UE a configuration to measure and report a set of phase offsets based on a plurality of CSI- RS resources each with at least one CSI-RS port wherein the measurement of the set of phaseoffsets is on the same at least one antenna port used for transmitting the SRS. The method further comprises receiving from the UE a set of phase offsets for each of one or more subbands.

[0041] Corresponding embodiments of a network node are also disclosed. In one embodiment, a network node comprises processing circuitry configured to cause the network node to transmit to a UE a configuration to transmit a SRS on at least one antenna port at a first time instance, transmit to the UE a configuration to measure and report a set of phase offsets based on a plurality of CSI-RS resources each with at least one CSI-RS port wherein the measurement of the set of phase offsets is on the same at least one antenna port used for transmitting the SRS, and receive from the UE a set of phase offsets for each of one or more subbands.BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0042] 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.

[0043] Figure 1 illustrates New Radio (NR) physical resources;

[0044] Figure 2 illustrates an example of coherent joint PDSCH transmission over two TRPs;

[0045] Figure 3 illustrates an example of a RE allocation for a 12-port CSI-RS resource in NR;

[0046] Figure 4 illustrates an example of joint DL transmitting from multiple TRPs.

[0047] Figure 5 illustrates phase offsets measured at the UE as a function of frequency.

[0048] Figure 6A is a flow chart that illustrates a process performed by a User Equipment (UE), in accordance with some embodiments of the present disclosure;

[0049] Figure 6B is a flow chart that illustrates a process performed by a network node, in accordance with some embodiments of the present disclosure;

[0050] Figure 7A illustrates phase offsets due to timing offsets, SCS=15kHz;

[0051] Figure 7B illustrates phase offsets due to timing offsets, SCS=30kHz;

[0052] Figure 8 illustrates an example of configuring two pairs of subbands for phase offsets measurement and report;

[0053] Figure 9 illustrates reported phase offsets on two pairs of subbands each with 1RB

[0054] Figure 10 is a flow chart that illustrates a process performed by a network node, in accordance with some embodiment of the present disclosure;

[0055] Figure 11 shows an example of a communication system in accordance with some embodiments of the present disclosure;

[0056] Figure 12 shows a User Equipment device (UE) in accordance with some embodiments of the present disclosure;

[0057] Figure 13 shows a network node in accordance with some embodiments of the present disclosure;

[0058] Figure 14 is a block diagram of a host, which may be an embodiment of the host of Figure 11, in accordance with various aspects of the present disclosure described herein;

[0059] Figure 15 is a block diagram illustrating a virtualization environment in which functions implemented by some embodiments of the present disclosure may be virtualized; and

[0060] Figure 16 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

[0061] 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.

[0062] 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.

[0063] Note that, in 6thGeneration (6G), terms than Non-Zero Power (NZP) Channel State Information (CSI) Reference Signal (CSLRS) might be used. For example, a new downlink reference signal or downlink synchronization signal might be introduced in 6G which can be used instead of NZP CSLRS. The 6G downlink reference signals and / or downlink synchronization signals might be a periodically, semi-persistently, or periodically transmitted. In the following the terms “DL-RS”, “NZP CSLRS” and “NZP CSLRS resource set” may be used interchangeably. Also, although the term Transmission and Reception Point (TRP) is used herein, the term “TRP” may not be captured in 3GPP specifications. Instead, a TRP can be represented by any one of ‘NZP CSLRS resource set’, ‘NZP CSLRS resource’, ‘TRS resource set’, and / or ‘TRS resource’, or in general downlink reference signal (DL-RS).

[0064] There currently exist certain challenge(s). When timing offsets are present among the TRPs, the phase offset (ptis frequency dependent. For the first approach for obtaining the phase offset (pt =—Vrx.i)’ *=1, ■ ■ ■ , N] described in Rl-2400753, CSI enhancements for large antenna arrays and CJT, Ericsson, 3GPP TSG-RAN WG1 Meeting #117, Fukuoka, Japan, May 20 - 24, 2024, epi at the kth subband is given by (Pi(k) = A<pf— 4nkAfATL, where A<pfis the phaseoffset at subband k=0, A / is the subband size, and AT} is the timing offset of the ith TRP with respect to the reference TRP. For the second approach described in Rl-2405149, CSI enhancements for >32 ports and UE-assisted CJT, Qualcomm Incorporated, 3GPP TSG-RAN WG1 Meeting #117, Fukuoka, Japan, May 20 - 24, 2024, <ptat the kth subband is by (pifk) = A<Pi(k) — 27rkA / ’(ATi + ATj ), where A<pj(k) is phase offset at subband k, and AT^ is the propagation delay difference between the ith TRP and the reference TRP. This is illustrated in Figure 5.

[0065] In a first option, A<pj and ATj (or an equivalent, e.g., NTi) may be fed back by the UE for each TRP. This is, however, only applicable to the first approach. In the second approach, the phase of the downlink (DL) channel, can also be different on different subbands due to multipath propagation delays and hence the timing offset cannot be correctly estimated.

[0066] In a second option, phases for only a subset of the total subbands, e.g., four subbands, are reported for each TRP. With proper selection of the subset of subbands, the timing offsets can be estimated at the gNB and ((ptXii— <prx,i) over all subbands in a bandwidth part (BWP) could be obtained.

[0067] In 3 GPP RAN1#117 meeting, it was agreed that one of the first and second options above will be selected according the following agreement.

[0068] A problem is then how to determine the NSB-Psubbands within the configured CSI reporting band in Opt2 for phase offset report.

[0069] Certain aspects of the disclosure and their embodiments may provide solutions to these or other challenges.

[0070] Referring to Figure 6A, a method for User Equipment (UE) feedback of phase offsets between multiple TRPs is proposed. The method comprising one or more of• receiving (600) a configuration to transmit a Sounding Reference Signal (SRS) on at least one antenna port at a first time instance;• receiving (602) a configuration to measure on the same at least one antenna port phase offsets based on a plurality of CSI-RS resources each with at least one CSI-RS port; optionally, each of the CSI-RS resources may be associated to and transmitted from one of the TRPs at a second time instance, where, optionally, the configuration further comprises an indication of a subset of subbands over which the phase offsets are to be measured;• measuring (604) a set of phase offsets on each of a subset of subbands, e.g. on each of the indicated subset of subbands; and / or• reporting (606), for each of a subset of subbands, e.g. for each of the indicated subset of subbands, the set of phase offsets.

[0071] Additionally or alternatively, a method at a network node corresponding to the method at the network node illustrated in Figure 6A is provided. As illustrated in Figure 6B, the method at the network node includes one or more of the following steps:• transmitting (608) to a UE a configuration to transmit a SRS on at least one antenna port at a first time instance;• transmitting (610) to the UE a configuration to measure on the same at least one antenna port phase offsets based on a plurality of CSI-RS resources each with at least one CSI-RS port; optionally, each of the CSI-RS resources may be associated to and transmitted from one of multiple TRPs at a second time instance, where optionally the configuration further comprises an indication of a subset of subbands over which the phase offsets are to be measured; and / or• receiving (612), for each of a subset of subbands, e.g. for each of the indicated subset of subbands, a set of phase offsets, wherein, optionally, the set of phase offsets have been measured by the UE.

[0072] The method is aimed at configuring a subset of subbands for a UE to measure and report phase offsets between each of multiple TRPs and a reference TRP. The UE may be further configured with a subband size for the measurement.

[0073] Certain embodiments may provide one or more of the following technical advantage(s). Embodiments of the solution(s) disclosed herein may reduce phase offsets feedback overhead in presence of timing offsets among multiple TRPs while allowing the gNodeB (gNB) to derive DL channels based on the phase offsets feedback together with UL channel estimation for coherent joint transmission of DL data from the multiple TRPs.

[0074] Now, a more detailed description of embodiments of the present disclosure will be provided.

[0075] For phase offsets reporting on subbands, in one embodiment, the NSB-P subbands are configured by the gNB in a corresponding CSI report configuration for phase offset feedback. The configuration may contain one or more of: a subband size for phase offset feedback and / or information about the NSB-P subbands for phase offset feedback.

[0076] A subband size could be selected such that the phase changes are small within each subband. Since the NSB-P is configurable and the feedback overhead does not scale with the configured CSI bandwidth due to indication of the subset NSB-Pof subbands for which the UE shall report phase offset, a small subband size is preferred, e.g., subband size of 1RB. Thus, in one embodiment, the subband size is pre-determined or specified. For example, the subband size of one Resource Block (RB) is specified for phase offset reporting. Alternatively, the subband size is configured and in one embodiment, a subband size value of 1 RB is one of the candidate subband size values that can be configured by the gNB to the UE.

[0077] An example of phase offset vs frequency due to timing offset at a TRP is shown in Figure 7A for subcarrier spacing (SCS)=15 kilohertz (kHz) and in Figure 7B for SCS=30kHz. In Figure 7A, it can be seen that for timing offset of 260 nanoseconds (ns), the phase offset starts to wrap around (i.e., >360 degree) over more than 4 RBs. Since only phase offsets in the range 0 to 360 degrees can be reported by a UE, it would be difficult to use a reported phase after phase wrap around.

[0078] To prevent phase wrap around in case of large timing offsets, in one embodiment, a pair of adjacent subbands can be configured.

[0079] Additionally or alternatively, information on whether a reported phase offset for a given subband or RB wraps around or not is reported by the UE along with the reported phase offset for the given subband or RB. Let the measured phase offset corresponding to the ithsubband or RB be given by 360x + ytwhere yt(0 < yt< 360) is the reported phase offset and is an integer that represents how many cycles the phase offset has wrapped around. In some embodiments, xtcan be positive or negative. Referring to the example in Figure 7A, the measured phase offset for the 8thsubband or RB for the case when timing offset is 260 ns is 539.1 degrees. Since there is one positive wrap around cycle in this case, the UE would report xs= +1 and ys=+179.1 degrees. The measured phase offset for the 4thsubband or RB for the case when the timing offset is 260 ns is 269.6 degrees. Since there is no wrap around in this case, the UE would report x4= 0 and y4= +269.6 degrees. In some embodiments, the candidate values for xtare {0, +1 }. Hence, a single bit is enough for the UE to report each xtto the gNB.

[0080] In some cases, there may be a negative wrap around cycle. For example, if the measured phase offset is —12 degrees. In this case, there is one negative wrap around cycle. Hence, in one embodiment, the UE would report xt= — 1 and yt= +348 degrees (—1 * 360 + 348 = —1). In some embodiments, the candidate values for xtare {-1, 0, +1 }. Hence, two bits are needed for the UE to report each xtto the gNB.

[0081] Additionally or alternatively, the network node can configure how the UE averages the phase offset within a subband. For example, the UE can be configured to calculate phase offsets based only on parts of RBs within each subband. For example, assume that subbands 0 and 1 have a subband size of 32 Physical Resource Blocks (PRBs). Then, the UE can be configured to average phase offset for each subband from PRBs 1 to 16 within each subband. Alternatively, the UE can be configured to average phase offset for subband 0 from PRBs 1-16 within subband 0 and to average phase offset for subband 1 from PRBs 17-32 within subband 1.

[0082] For a small timing offset of 30ns, it can be seen that the phase offset changes rather slowly over frequency, about 60 degrees over 8 RBs. Using only a pair of adjacent subbands may not provide a good timing offset estimation. In some embodiments, to improve timing offset estimation in case of small timing offsets, a second pair of adjacent subbands may be additionally configured. The first and second pairs may be spaced by X subbands (e.g., X=16 for subband size of 1 RB) apart such that the phase would not wrap around from the first pair to the second pair for small timing offsets. This is illustrated in Figure 8, where the first pair consists of subbands k and k+1 while the second pair consists of subbands k+X and k+X+1. In this case, only the starting subband index k and X may be configured. Alternatively, k may be fixed, i.e., k=0, i.e., the first subband is always used. In this case, only X is configured.

[0083] For small timing offset, which could be recognized when a small change is observed for the reported phase offsets within each pair for a same TRP, the reported phase offsets for both pairs can be used jointly to estimate the timing offset (or the phase lope) at the gNB.

[0084] For a large timing offset, which could be recognized when a large phase change is observed for the reported phase offsets within each pair, the timing offset or phase slope can be estimated based the reported phase offsets in each pair and the estimations can then be averaged to improve reliability.

[0085] An example is shown in Figure 9, where the reported phase offsets on two pairs of subbands for two timing offsets are shown. The subband size is one RB with SCS=15kHz. Thefirst pair of subbands consists of RB#1 and RB#2, and the second pair of subbands consists of RB#17 and RB#18. For timing offset of 260ns, phase wrap around occurs between the two pairs of subbands, the timing offset (i.e., the phase slope) can be estimated based the reported phase offsets of each pair of the subbands. For timing offset of 30ns, there is no phase wrap around between the two pairs of subbands, the timing offset can be estimated by using the reported phase offsets for the two pairs of subbands jointly.

[0086] Additionally or alternatively, when the network node calculates phase offset slope based on UE subband report, it can use two consecutive reported phase offsets to predict whether a subsequent subband phase offset is wrapped or not. For example, referring also to Figure 10, a method at a network node includes one or more of the following steps:• Step 201 : receiving from the UE a report of four subband phase offsets associated to a CSI- RS resource or TRP: n 0, n,i’ ^n,2> ^11,3 i• Step 202: calculating an initial slope based on n 0,and predicting <P'n 2based on the slope and subband size;• Step 203: calculatingand selecting the minimum of these three values and the corresponding one of <Pni2, <Pn 2+ 2TT and <Pn 2— 2TT is determined as the unwrap phase offset; and / or• Step 204: After obtained all unwrap phase offsets, recalculating phase offset slope.

[0087] Additionally or alternatively, a method at a user equipment corresponding to the method at the network node illustrated in Figure 10 is provided. The method includes the step of transmitting to a network node a report of four subband phase offsets<t)n,o> ^n,i> ^n,2> ^n,3 •

[0088] Additionally or alternatively, more than two pairs of subbands may be configured. The configuration of the subset of subbands can be part of a CSI report configuration for phase offset feedback.

[0089] Additionally or alternatively, differential encoding is used in which phase offset of a first configured subband for phase reporting is reported as absolute phase in degrees while for each of the remailing configured subbands for phase reporting, the phase difference with respect to the first subband is reported.

[0090] In a more general scenario, the subband indices of the NSB-P subbands for phase offset report are explicitly configured. Alternatively, a bitmap may be used in which each bit is associated to a subband and a bit value of 1 (or zero) indicates that a corresponding subband is selected for phase reporting. Additionally or alternatively, consecutive subbands are always configured or prespecified for phase offset reporting. For example, when 4 subbands are configured for phase offset reporting, the 4 subbands are always consecutive subbands.

[0091] Additionally or alternatively, the UE may report phase for two adjacent subbands k and k+1, together with the number of phase wrappings within the two subbands. In one embodiment, the UE may report phase with at most 1 wrapping for subbands k and k+1, without explicit indication the times of phase wrapping. In another embodiment, the UE may explicitly report the number of phase wrapping, for any of two subbands k and k+j subbands.

[0092] Some steps for phase offset reporting can be summarized as follows:• Step 1 : Receiving a configuration to transmit an SRS on at least one antenna port.• Step 2: Receiving a configuration to measure phase offsets based on a plurality of CSI-RS resources each with at least one CSI-RS port. Each of the CSI-RS resources is associated to and transmitted from one of multiple TRPs, where the configuration further comprising an indication of NSB-P > 0 subbands over which the phase offsets are to be measured.• Step 3 : Measuring a set of phase offsets on each of the NSB-P subbands, wherein the phase offsets are phase differences between each of the multiple TRPs and a reference TRP.• Step 4: Reporting, for each of the NSB-P subbands, a corresponding set of phase offsets.

[0093] The order of Step 1 and Step 2 may be switched depending on whether the first and second approach is used.

[0094] Figure 11 shows an example of a communication system 1100 in which embodiments of the present disclosure may be implemented.

[0095] In the example, the communication system 1100 includes a telecommunication network 1102 that includes an access network 1104, such as a Radio Access Network (RAN), and a core network 1106, which includes one or more core network nodes 1108. The access network 1104 includes one or more access network nodes, such as network nodes 1110A and 1110B (one or more of which may be generally referred to as network nodes 1110), 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 1102 includes one or more Open-RAN (ORAN) network nodes. An ORAN network node is a node in the telecommunication network 1102 that supports an ORAN specification (e.g., a specification 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 1102, including one or more network nodes 1110 and / or core network nodes 1108.

[0096] 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 0-2 interface defined by the 0-RAN Alliance or comparable technologies. The network nodes 1110 facilitate direct or indirect connection of User Equipment (UE), such as by connecting UEs 1112A, 1112B, 1112C, and 1112D (one or more of which may be generally referred to as UEs 1112) to the core network 1106 over one or more wireless connections.

[0097] 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 1100 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 1100 may include and / or interface with any type of communication, telecommunication, data, cellular, radio network, and / or other similar type of system.

[0098] The UEs 1112 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 1110 and other communication devices. Similarly, the network nodes 1110 are arranged, capable, configured, and / or operable to communicate directly or indirectly with the UEs 1112 and / or with other network nodes or equipment in the telecommunication network 1102 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 1102.

[0099] Note that the functionality of the network node or gNB described above (e.g., with respect to Figures 9-14) may be implemented in any one of the network nodes 1110, and thefunctionality of the UE described above (e.g., with respect to Figures 9-14) may be implemented in any one of the UEs 1112. In this regard, the network node 1110 may be a multi-TRP network node (e.g., a gNB having multiple TRPs).

[0100] In the depicted example, the core network 1106 connects the network nodes 1110 to one or more hosts, such as host 1116. 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 1106 includes one more core network nodes (e.g., core network node 1108) 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 1108. 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).

[0101] The host 1116 may be under the ownership or control of a service provider other than an operator or provider of the access network 1104 and / or the telecommunication network 1102, and may be operated by the service provider or on behalf of the service provider. The host 1116 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.

[0102] As a whole, the communication system 1100 of Figure 11 enables connectivity between the UEs, network nodes, and hosts. In that sense, the communication system 1100 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 suitable Second, 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.

[0103] In some examples, the telecommunication network 1102 is a cellular network that implements 3 GPP standardized features. Accordingly, the telecommunication network 1102 may support network slicing to provide different logical networks to different devices that are connected to the telecommunication network 1102. For example, the telecommunication network 1102 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) / massive Internet of Things (loT) services to yet further UEs.

[0104] In some examples, the UEs 1112 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 1104 on a predetermined schedule, when triggered by an internal or external event, or in response to requests from the access network 1104. 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, i.e. being configured for Multi -Radio Dual Connectivity (MR-DC), such as Evolved UMTS Terrestrial RAN (E-UTRAN) NR - Dual Connectivity (EN-DC).

[0105] In the example, a hub 1114 communicates with the access network 1104 to facilitate indirect communication between one or more UEs (e.g., UE 1112C and / or 1112D) and network nodes (e.g., network node 1 HOB). In some examples, the hub 1114 may be a controller, router, content source and analytics, or any of the other communication devices described herein regarding UEs. For example, the hub 1114 may be a broadband router enabling access to the core network 1106 for the UEs. As another example, the hub 1114 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 1110, or by executable code, script, process, or other instructions in the hub 1114. As another example, the hub 1114 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 1114 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 1114 may retrieve VR assets, video, audio, or other media or data related to sensory information via a network node, which the hub 1114 then provides to the UE either directly, after performing local processing, and / or after adding additional local content. In still another example, the hub 1114 acts as a proxy server or orchestrator for the UEs, in particular if one or more of the UEs are low energy loT devices.

[0106] The hub 1114 may have a constant / persistent or intermittent connection to the network node 1 HOB. The hub 1114 may also allow for a different communication scheme and / or schedule between the hub 1114 and UEs (e.g., UE 1112C and / or 1112D), and between the hub 1114 and the core network 1106. In other examples, the hub 1114 is connected to the core network 1106 and / or one or more UEs via a wired connection. Moreover, the hub 1114 may be configured to connect to a Machine-to-Machine (M2M) service provider over the access network 1104 and / or to another UE over a direct connection. In some scenarios, UEs may establish a wireless connection with the network nodes 1110 while still connected via the hub 1114 via a wired or wireless connection. In some embodiments, the hub 1114 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 1110B. In other embodiments, the hub 1114 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 1110B, but which is additionally capable of operating as a communication start and / or end point for certain data channels.

[0107] Figure 12 shows a UE 1200 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 3 GPP, including a Narrowband Internet of Things (NB-IoT) UE, a Machine Type Communication (MTC) UE, and / or an enhanced MTC (eMTC) UE.

[0108] 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), Vehi cl e-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 a human 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).

[0109] The UE 1200 includes processing circuitry 1202 that is operatively coupled via a bus 1204 to an input / output interface 1206, a power source 1208, memory 1210, a communication interface 1212, and / or any other component, or any combination thereof. Certain UEs may utilize all or a subset of the components shown in Figure 12. 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.

[0110] The processing circuitry 1202 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 1210. The processing circuitry 1202 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 1202 may include multiple Central Processing Units (CPUs).[OHl] In the example, the input / output interface 1206 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 1200. 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.

[0112] In some embodiments, the power source 1208 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 1208 may further include power circuitry for delivering power from the power source 1208 itself, and / or an external power source, to the various parts of the UE 1200 via input circuitry or an interface such as an electrical power cable. Delivering power may be, for example, for charging of the power source 1208.Power circuitry may perform any formatting, converting, or other modification to the power from the power source 1208 to make the power suitable for the respective components of the UE 1200 to which power is supplied.

[0113] The memory 1210 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 1210 includes one or more application programs 1214, such as an operating system, web browser application, a widget, gadget engine, or other application, and corresponding data 1216. The memory 1210 may store, for use by the UE 1200, any of a variety of various operating systems or combinations of operating systems.

[0114] The memory 1210 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 1210 may allow the UE 1200 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 1210, which may be or comprise a device-readable storage medium.

[0115] The processing circuitry 1202 may be configured to communicate with an access network or other network using the communication interface 1212. The communication interface 1212 may comprise one or more communication subsystems and may include or be communicatively coupled to an antenna 1222. The communication interface 1212 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 1218 and / or a receiver 1220 appropriate to provide network communications (e.g., optical, electrical, frequency allocations, and so forth). Moreover, the transmitter 1218 and receiver 1220 may be coupled toone or more antennas (e.g., the antenna 1222) and may share circuit components, software, or firmware, or alternatively be implemented separately.

[0116] In the illustrated embodiment, communication functions of the communication interface 1212 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.

[0117] Regardless of the type of sensor, a UE may provide an output of data captured by its sensors, through its communication interface 1212, 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).

[0118] 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.

[0119] 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, afitness 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 1200 shown in Figure 12.

[0120] 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 3 GPP 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.

[0121] 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.

[0122] Figure 13 shows a network node 1300 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 0-RAN nodes or components of an 0-RAN node (e.g., 0-RU, 0-DU, O-CU).

[0123] 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 0-RAN access node), and / or Remote RadioUnits (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).

[0124] 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).

[0125] The network node 1300 includes processing circuitry 1302, memory 1304, a communication interface 1306, and a power source 1308. The network node 1300 may be composed of multiple physically separate components (e.g., a NodeB 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 1300 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 1300 may be configured to support multiple RATs. In such embodiments, some components may be duplicated (e.g., separate memory 1304 for different RATs) and some components may be reused (e.g., a same antenna 1310 may be shared by different RATs). The network node 1300 may also include multiple sets of the various illustrated components for different wireless technologies integrated into network node 1300, for example GSM, WCDMA, LTE, NR, WiFi, Zigbee, Z-wave, Long Range Wide Area Network (LoRaWAN), Radio Frequency Identification (RFID), or Bluetooth wireless technologies. These wireless technologies may be integrated into the same or different chip or set of chips and other components within the network node 1300.

[0126] The processing circuitry 1302 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 1300 components, such as the memory 1304, to provide network node 1300 functionality.

[0127] In some embodiments, the processing circuitry 1302 includes a System on a Chip (SOC). In some embodiments, the processing circuitry 1302 includes one or more of Radio Frequency (RF) transceiver circuitry 1312 and baseband processing circuitry 1314. In someembodiments, the RF transceiver circuitry 1312 and the baseband processing circuitry 1314 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 1312 and the baseband processing circuitry 1314 may be on the same chip or set of chips, boards, or units.

[0128] The memory 1304 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 1302. The memory 1304 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 1302 and utilized by the network node 1300. The memory 1304 may be used to store any calculations made by the processing circuitry 1302 and / or any data received via the communication interface 1306. In some embodiments, the processing circuitry 1302 and the memory 1304 are integrated.

[0129] The communication interface 1306 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 1306 comprises port(s) / terminal(s) 1316 to send and receive data, for example to and from a network over a wired connection. The communication interface 1306 also includes radio front-end circuitry 1318 that may be coupled to, or in certain embodiments a part of, the antenna 1310. The radio front-end circuitry 1318 comprises filters 1320 and amplifiers 1322. The radio front-end circuitry 1318 may be connected to the antenna 1310 and the processing circuitry 1302. The radio front-end circuitry 1318 may be configured to condition signals communicated between the antenna 1310 and the processing circuitry 1302. The radio front-end circuitry 1318 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 1318 may convert the digital data into a radio signal having the appropriate channel and bandwidth parameters using a combination of the filters 1320 and / or the amplifiers 1322. The radio signal may then be transmitted via the antenna 1310. Similarly, when receiving data, the antenna 1310 may collect radio signals which are then converted into digital data by the radio front-end circuitry 1318. The digital data may be passed to the processing circuitry 1302. In other embodiments, the communication interface 1306 may comprise different components and / or different combinations of components.

[0130] In certain alternative embodiments, the network node 1300 does not include separate radio front-end circuitry 1318; instead, the processing circuitry 1302 includes radio front-end circuitry and is connected to the antenna 1310. Similarly, in some embodiments, all or some of the RF transceiver circuitry 1312 is part of the communication interface 1306. In still other embodiments, the communication interface 1306 includes the one or more ports or terminals 1316, the radio front-end circuitry 1318, and the RF transceiver circuitry 1312 as part of a radio unit (not shown), and the communication interface 1306 communicates with the baseband processing circuitry 1314, which is part of a digital unit (not shown).

[0131] The antenna 1310 may include one or more antennas, or antenna arrays, configured to send and / or receive wireless signals. The antenna 1310 may be coupled to the radio front-end circuitry 1318 and may be any type of antenna capable of transmitting and receiving data and / or signals wirelessly. In certain embodiments, the antenna 1310 is separate from the network node 1300 and connectable to the network node 1300 through an interface or port.

[0132] The antenna 1310, the communication interface 1306, and / or the processing circuitry 1302 may be configured to perform any receiving operations and / or certain obtaining operations described herein as being performed by the network node 1300. Any information, data, and / or signals may be received from a UE, another network node, and / or any other network equipment. Similarly, the antenna 1310, the communication interface 1306, and / or the processing circuitry 1302 may be configured to perform any transmitting operations described herein as being performed by the network node 1300. Any information, data, and / or signals may be transmitted to a UE, another network node, and / or any other network equipment.

[0133] The power source 1308 provides power to the various components of the network node 1300 in a form suitable for the respective components (e.g., at a voltage and current level needed for each respective component). The power source 1308 may further comprise, or be coupled to, power management circuitry to supply the components of the network node 1300 with power for performing the functionality described herein. For example, the network node 1300 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 1308. As a further example, the power source 1308 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.

[0134] Embodiments of the network node 1300 may include additional components beyond those shown in Figure 13 for providing certain aspects of the network node’s functionality, including any of the functionality described herein and / or any functionality necessary to supportthe subject matter described herein. For example, the network node 1300 may include user interface equipment to allow input of information into the network node 1300 and to allow output of information from the network node 1300. This may allow a user to perform diagnostic, maintenance, repair, and other administrative functions for the network node 1300.

[0135] Figure 14 is a block diagram of a host 1400, which may be an embodiment of the host 1116 of Figure 11, in accordance with various aspects described herein. As used herein, the host 1400 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 1400 may provide one or more services to one or more UEs.

[0136] The host 1400 includes processing circuitry 1402 that is operatively coupled via a bus 1404 to an input / output interface 1406, a network interface 1408, a power source 1410, and memory 1412. 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 12 and 13, such that the descriptions thereof are generally applicable to the corresponding components of the host 1400.

[0137] The memory 1412 may include one or more computer programs including one or more host application programs 1414 and data 1416, which may include user data, e.g. data generated by a UE for the host 1400 or data generated by the host 1400 for a UE. Embodiments of the host 1400 may utilize only a subset or all of the components shown. The host application programs 1414 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 Audio Codec (FLAC), Advanced Audio Coding (AAC), MPEG, G.711), including transcoding for multiple different classes, types, or implementations of LEs (e.g., handsets, desktop computers, wearable display systems, and heads-up display systems). The host application programs 1414 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 1400 may select and / or indicate a different host for Over-The-Top (OTT) services for a UE. The host application programs 1414 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.

[0138] Figure 15 is a block diagram illustrating a virtualization environment 1500 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 1500 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 1500 includes components defined by the O-RAN Alliance, such as an O-Cloud environment orchestrated by a Service Management and Orchestration Framework via an 0-2 interface.

[0139] Applications 1502 (which may alternatively be called software instances, virtual appliances, network functions, virtual nodes, virtual network functions, etc.) are run in the virtualization environment 1500 to implement some of the features, functions, and / or benefits of some of the embodiments disclosed herein.

[0140] Hardware 1504 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 1506 (also referred to as hypervisors or VM Monitors (VMMs)), provide VMs 1508 A and 1508B (one or more of which may be generally referred to as VMs 1508), and / or perform any of the functions, features, and / or benefits described in relation with some embodiments described herein. The virtualization layer 1506 may present a virtual operating platform that appears like networking hardware to the VMs 1508.

[0141] The VMs 1508 comprise virtual processing, virtual memory, virtual networking, or interface and virtual storage, and may be run by a corresponding virtualization layer 1506. Different embodiments of the instance of a virtual appliance 1502 may be implemented on one or more of the VMs 1508, 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.

[0142] In the context of NFV, a VM 1508 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 1508, and that part of the hardware 1504 that executes that VM, be it hardware dedicated to that VM and / or hardware shared by that VM with others of the VMs 1508, 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 1508 on top of the hardware 1504 and corresponds to the application 1502.

[0143] The hardware 1504 may be implemented in a standalone network node with generic or specific components. The hardware 1504 may implement some functions via virtualization. Alternatively, the hardware 1504 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 1510, which, among others, oversees lifecycle management of the applications 1502. In some embodiments, the hardware 1504 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 1512 which may alternatively be used for communication between hardware nodes and radio units.

[0144] Figure 16 shows a communication diagram of a host 1602 communicating via a network node 1604 with a UE 1606 over a partially wireless connection in accordance with some embodiments. Example implementations, in accordance with various embodiments, of the UE (such as the UE 1112A of Figure 11 and / or the UE 1200 of Figure 12), the network node (such as the network node 1110A of Figure 11 and / or the network node 1300 of Figure 13), and the host (such as the host 1116 of Figure 11 and / or the host 1400 of Figure 14) discussed in the preceding paragraphs will now be described with reference to Figure 16.

[0145] Like the host 1400, embodiments of the host 1602 include hardware, such as a communication interface, processing circuitry, and memory. The host 1602 also includes software, which is stored in or is accessible by the host 1602 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 1606 connecting via an OTT connection 1650 extending between the UE 1606 and the host 1602. In providing the service to the remote user, a host application may provide user data which is transmitted using the OTT connection 1650.

[0146] The network node 1604 includes hardware enabling it to communicate with the host 1602 and the UE 1606. The connection 1660 may be direct or pass through a core network (like the core network 1106 of Figure 11) and / or one or more other intermediate networks, such as oneor more public, private, or hosted networks. For example, an intermediate network may be a backbone network or the Internet.

[0147] The UE 1606 includes hardware and software, which is stored in or accessible by the UE 1606 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 1606 with the support of the host 1602. In the host 1602, an executing host application may communicate with the executing client application via the OTT connection 1650 terminating at the UE 1606 and the host 1602. 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 1650 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 1650.

[0148] The OTT connection 1650 may extend via the connection 1660 between the host 1602 and the network node 1604 and via a wireless connection 1670 between the network node 1604 and the UE 1606 to provide the connection between the host 1602 and the UE 1606. The connection 1660 and the wireless connection 1670, over which the OTT connection 1650 may be provided, have been drawn abstractly to illustrate the communication between the host 1602 and the UE 1606 via the network node 1604, without explicit reference to any intermediary devices and the precise routing of messages via these devices.

[0149] As an example of transmitting data via the OTT connection 1650, in step 1608, the host 1602 provides user data, which may be performed by executing a host application. In some embodiments, the user data is associated with a particular human user interacting with the UE 1606. In other embodiments, the user data is associated with a UE 1606 that shares data with the host 1602 without explicit human interaction. In step 1610, the host 1602 initiates a transmission carrying the user data towards the UE 1606. The host 1602 may initiate the transmission responsive to a request transmitted by the UE 1606. The request may be caused by human interaction with the UE 1606 or by operation of the client application executing on the UE 1606. The transmission may pass via the network node 1604 in accordance with the teachings of the embodiments described throughout this disclosure. Accordingly, in step 1612, the network node 1604 transmits to the UE 1606 the user data that was carried in the transmission that the host 1602 initiated, in accordance with the teachings of the embodiments described throughout this disclosure. In step 1614, the UE 1606 receives the user data carried in the transmission, which may be performed by a client application executed on the UE 1606 associated with the host application executed by the host 1602.

[0150] In some examples, the UE 1606 executes a client application which provides user data to the host 1602. The user data may be provided in reaction or response to the data received from the host 1602. Accordingly, in step 1616, the UE 1606 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 1606. Regardless of the specific manner in which the user data was provided, the UE 1606 initiates, in step 1618, transmission of the user data towards the host 1602 via the network node 1604. In step 1620, in accordance with the teachings of the embodiments described throughout this disclosure, the network node 1604 receives user data from the UE 1606 and initiates transmission of the received user data towards the host 1602. In step 1622, the host 1602 receives the user data carried in the transmission initiated by the UE 1606.

[0151] One or more of the various embodiments improve the performance of OTT services provided to the UE 1606 using the OTT connection 1650, in which the wireless connection 1670 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.

[0152] In an example scenario, factory status information may be collected and analyzed by the host 1602. As another example, the host 1602 may process audio and video data which may have been retrieved from a UE for use in creating maps. As another example, the host 1602 may collect and analyze real-time data to assist in controlling vehicle congestion (e.g., controlling traffic lights). As another example, the host 1602 may store surveillance video uploaded by a UE. As another example, the host 1602 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 1602 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.

[0153] 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 1650 between the host 1602 and the UE 1606 in response to variations in the measurement results. The measurement procedure and / or the network functionality for reconfiguring the OTT connection 1650 may be implemented in software and hardware of the host 1602 and / or the UE 1606. In some embodiments, sensors (not shown) may be deployed in or in association with other devices throughwhich the OTT connection 1650 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 1650 may include message format, retransmission settings, preferred routing, etc.; the reconfiguring need not directly alter the operation of the network node 1604. 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 1602. The measurements may be implemented in that software causes messages to be transmitted, in particular empty or ‘dummy’ messages, using the OTT connection 1650 while monitoring propagation times, errors, etc.

[0154] 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 a determination. 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.

[0155] 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 discretedevice-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.

[0156] 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.

Claims

Claims1. A method performed by a User Equipment, UE, the method comprising: receiving (600) a configuration to transmit a Sounding Reference Signal, SRS, on at least one antenna port at a first time instance; receiving (602) a configuration to measure and report a set of phase offsets based on a plurality of Channel State Information Reference Signal, CSI-RS, resources each with at least one CSI-RS port wherein the measurement of the set of phase offsets is on the same at least one antenna port used for transmitting the SRS; measuring (604) a set of phase offsets on each of one or more subbands, in accordance with the received configuration to measure; and reporting (606) the set of phase offsets for each of the one or more subbands.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein, for each subband of the one or more subbands over which phase offsets are to be measured, the set of phase offsets measured for the subband are phase differences between CSI-RS received in each of the plurality of CSI-RS resources and CSI-RS received in a reference CSI-RS resource .

3. The method of claim 1 or 2, wherein the one or more subbands over which the phase offsets are to be measured and reported are a subset of a set of subbands within a configured Channel State Information, CSI, reporting band.

4. The method of any of claims 1 to 3, wherein the configuration to measure further comprises an indication of the one or more subbands over which the phase offsets are to be measured and reported.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein the indication of the subset of subbands comprises subband indices of the subset of subbands for phase offset measurement and reporting.

6. The method of any of claims 1 to 5, wherein the configuration to measure further comprises information that indicates a subband size for phase offset measurement and reporting.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the indicated subband size for phase offset feedback is one of a set of candidate subband size values, and the set of candidate subband size values includes a candidate subband size value of one Resource Block, RB.

8. The method of claim 1 to 7, wherein the received configuration is a Channel State Information, CSI, report configuration for phase offset reporting.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein each of the CSI-RS resources may be associated to and received from one of a number of Transmission and Reception Points, TRPs, at a second time instance.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein the first time instance occurs prior to the second time instance.

11. A User Equipment, UE, (1200) comprising: a communication interface (1212) comprising a transmitter (1218) and a receiver (1220); and processing circuitry (1202) associated with the communication interface (1212), the processing circuitry (1202) configured to cause the UE (1200) to: receive (600) a configuration to transmit a Sounding Reference Signal, SRS, on at least one antenna port at a first time instance; receive (602) a configuration to measure and report a set of phase offsets based on a plurality of Channel State Information Reference Signal, CSI-RS, resources each with at least one CSI-RS port wherein the measurement of the set of phase offsets is on the same at least one antenna port used for transmitting the SRS; measure (604) a set of phase offsets on each of one or more subbands, in accordance with the received configuration to measure; and report (606) the set of phase offsets for each of the one or more subbands.

12. The UE (1200) of claim 11, wherein, for each subband of the one or more subbands over which phase offsets are to be measured, the set of phase offsets measured for the subband are phase differences between CSI-RS received in each of the plurality of CSI-RS resources and CSI-RS received in a reference CSI-RS resource.

13. The UE (1200) of claim 11 or 12, wherein the one or more subbands over which the phase offsets are to be measured and reported are a subset of a set of subbands within a configured Channel State Information, CSI, reporting band.

14. The UE (1200) of any of claims 11 to 13, wherein the configuration to measure furthercomprises an indication of the one or more subbands over which the phase offsets are to be measured and reported.

15. The UE (1200) of claim 14, wherein the indication of the subset of subbands comprises subband indices of the subset of subbands for phase offset measurement and reporting.

16. The UE (1200) of any of claims 11 to 15, wherein the configuration to measure further comprises information that indicates a subband size for phase offset measurement and reporting.

17. The UE (1200) of claim 16, wherein the indicated subband size for phase offset feedback is one of a set of candidate subband size values, and the set of candidate subband size values includes a candidate subband size value of one Resource Block, RB.

18. The UE (1200) of claim 11 to 17, wherein the received configuration is a Channel State Information, CSI, report configuration for phase offset reporting.

19. The UE (1200) of claim 11, wherein each of the CSI-RS resources may be associated to and received from one of a number of Transmission and Reception Points, TRPs, at a second time instance.

20. The method of claim 19, wherein the first time instance occurs prior to the second time instance.

21. A method performed by a network node, the method comprising: transmitting (608) to a User Equipment, UE, a configuration to transmit a Sounding Reference Signal, SRS, on at least one antenna port at a first time instance; transmitting (610) to the UE a configuration to measure and report a set of phase offsets based on a plurality of Channel State Information Reference Signal, CSI-RS, resources each with at least one CSI-RS port wherein the measurement of the set of phase offsets is on the same at least one antenna port used for transmitting the SRS; and receiving (612) from the UE a set of phase offsets for each of one or more subbands.

22. The method of claim 21, wherein, for each subband of the one or more subbands over which phase offsets are to be measured, the set of phase offsets measured for the subband are phase differences between CSI-RS received in each of the plurality of CSI-RS resources and CSI-RS receivedin a reference CSI-RS resource.

23. The method of claim 21 or 22, wherein the one or more subbands over which the phase offsets are to be measured and reported are a subset of a set of subbands within a configured Channel State Information, CSI, reporting band.

24. The method of any of claims 21 to 23, wherein the configuration to measure further comprises an indication of the one or more subbands over which the phase offsets are to be measured and reported.

25. The method of claim 24, wherein the indication of the subset of subbands comprises subband indices of the subset of subbands for phase offset measurement and reporting.

26. The method of any of claims 21 to 25, wherein the configuration to measure further comprises information that indicates a subband size for phase offset measurement and reporting.

27. The method of claim 26, wherein the indicated subband size for phase offset feedback is one of a set of candidate subband size values, and the set of candidate subband size values includes a candidate subband size value of one Resource Block, RB.

28. The method of claim 21 to 27, wherein the received configuration is a Channel State Information, CSI, report configuration for phase offset reporting.

29. The method of claim 21, wherein each of the CSI-RS resources may be associated to and transmitted from one of a number of Transmission and Reception Points, TRPs, at a second time instance.

30. A network node comprising processing circuitry configured to cause the network node to: transmit (608) to a User Equipment, UE, a configuration to transmit a Sounding Reference Signal, SRS, on at least one antenna port at a first time instance; transmit (610) to the a configuration to measure and report a set of phase offsets based on a plurality of Channel State Information Reference Signal, CSI-RS, resources each with at least one CSI-RS port wherein the measurement of the set of phase offsets is on the same at least one antenna port used for transmitting the SRS; and receive (612) from the UE a set of phase offsets for each of one or more subbands.

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