Method and apparatus for beam management operation in wireless networks

Abstract

A method performed by a User Equipment (UE) for performing a beam management operation is provided. The method receives, from a base station (BS), a Radio Resource Control (RRC) message for configuring a resource set including multiple Channel State Information-Reference Signal (CSI-RS) resources or Synchronization Signal Block (SSB) resources. The method receives, from the BS, a CSI report configuration associated with the resource set. The method transmits, to the BS, a CSI report based on the CSI report configuration. The CSI report includes the largest signal quality value among multiple signal quality values corresponding to the CSI-RS resources or SSB resources, a resource index corresponding to the largest signal quality value, and multiple remaining signal quality values. The remaining signal quality values in the CSI report are arranged based on the order of the CSI-RS resources or SSB resources in the resource set.　

Description

METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR BEAM MANAGEMENT OPERATION IN WIRELESS NETWORKS

[0001] The present disclosure is related to wireless communication and, more specifically, to a User Equipment (UE), Base Station (BS), and method for a beam management operation in the wireless communication networks.

[0002] Various efforts have been made to improve different aspects of wireless communication for the cellular wireless communication systems, such as the 5thGeneration (5G) New Radio (NR), by improving data rate, latency, reliability, and mobility. The 5G NR system is designed to provide flexibility and configurability to optimize network services and types, accommodating various use cases, such as enhanced Mobile Broadband (eMBB), massive Machine-Type Communication (mMTC), and Ultra-Reliable and Low-Latency Communication (URLLC). As the demand for radio access continues to grow, however, there exists a need for further improvements in the next-generation wireless communication systems, such as improvements in a beam management procedure.

[0003] The present disclosure is related to a UE, a BS, and a method for a beam management operation in the wireless communication networks.

[0004] In a first aspect of the present disclosure, a UE for performing a beam management operation is provided. The UE includes at least one processor and at least one non-transitory computer-readable medium that is coupled to the at least one processor and that stores one or more computer-executable instructions. The computer-executable instructions, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the UE to: receive, from a BS, a Radio Resource Control (RRC) message for configuring a resource set including multiple Channel State Information-Reference Signal (CSI-RS) resources or Synchronization Signal Block (SSB) resources; receive, from the BS, a CSI report configuration associated with the resource set; transmit, to the BS, a CSI report based on the CSI report configuration and the resource set. The CSI report includes the largest signal quality value among multiple signal quality values corresponding to the CSI-RS resources or SSB resources, a resource index of one of the CSI-RS resources or SSB resources corresponding to the largest signal quality value, and multiple remaining signal quality values corresponding to the signal quality values other than the largest signal quality value. The remaining signal quality values in the CSI report are arranged based on an order of the CSI-RS resources or SSB resources in the resource set.

[0005] In some implementations of the first aspect, each of the CSI-RS resources or SSB resources in the resource set corresponds to a respective resource index. The CSI-RS resources or SSB resources in the resource set are arranged in ascending order of the corresponding resource index.

[0006] In some implementations of the first aspect, the number of the CSI-RS resources or SSB resources in the resource set is equal to the maximum number of CSI-RS resources or SSB resources that is allowed to be configured in the resource set.

[0007] In some implementations of the first aspect, the number of the signal quality values in the CSI report is based on the number of the CSI-RS resources or SSB resources in the resource set.

[0008] In some implementations of the first aspect, the signal quality values correspond to multiple Layer 1-Reference Signal Received Power (L1-RSRP) values.

[0009] In some implementations of the first aspect, the remaining signal quality values in the CSI report correspond to multiple differential values relative to the largest signal quality value.

[0010] In a second aspect of the present application, a BS for configuring a beam management operation is provided. The BS includes at least one processor and at least one non-transitory computer-readable medium that is coupled to the at least one processor and that stores one or more computer-executable instructions. The computer-executable instructions, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the BS to: transmit, to a UE, an RRC message for configuring a resource set comprising multiple CSI-RS resources or SSB resources; transmit, to the UE, a CSI report configuration associated with the resource set; and receive, from the UE, a CSI report based on the CSI report configuration and the resource set. The CSI report includes the largest signal quality value among multiple signal quality values corresponding to the CSI-RS resources or SSB resources, a resource index of one of the CSI-RS resources or SSB resources corresponding to the largest signal quality value, and multiple remaining signal quality values corresponding to the signal quality values other than the largest signal quality value. The remaining signal quality values in the CSI report are arranged based on an order of the CSI-RS resources or SSB resources in the resource set.

[0011] In some implementations of the second aspect, each of the CSI-RS resources or SSB resources in the resource set corresponds to a respective resource index. The CSI-RS resources or SSB resources in the resource set are arranged in ascending order of the corresponding resource index.

[0012] In some implementations of the second aspect, the number of the CSI-RS resources or SSB resources in the resource set is equal to the maximum number of CSI-RS resources or SSB resources that is allowed to be configured in the resource set.

[0013] In some implementations of the second aspect, the number of the signal quality values in the CSI report is based on the number of the CSI-RS resources or SSB resources in the resource set.

[0014] In some implementations of the second aspect, the signal quality values correspond to multiple L1-RSRP values.

[0015] In some implementations of the second aspect, the remaining signal quality values in the CSI report correspond to multiple differential values relative to the largest signal quality value.

[0016] In a third aspect of the present application, a method performed by a UE for performing a beam management operation is provided. The method includes receiving, from a BS, an RRC message for configuring a resource set including multiple CSI-RS resources or SSB resources; receiving, from the BS, a CSI report configuration associated with the resource set; transmitting, to the BS, a CSI report based on the CSI report configuration and the resource set. The CSI report includes the largest signal quality value among multiple signal quality values corresponding to the CSI-RS resources or SSB resources, a resource index of one of the CSI-RS resources or SSB resources corresponding to the largest signal quality value, and multiple remaining signal quality values corresponding to the signal quality values other than the largest signal quality value. The remaining signal quality values in the CSI report are arranged based on an order of the CSI-RS resources or SSB resources in the resource set.

[0017] Aspects of the present disclosure are best understood from the following detailed disclosure when read with the accompanying drawings. Various features are not drawn to scale. Dimensions of various features may be arbitrarily increased or reduced for clarity of discussion.

[0018] FIG. 1 is a block diagram illustrating a functional framework for AI / ML for NR air interface, according to an example implementation of the present disclosure.

[0019] FIG. 2 is a flowchart illustrating a method / process performed by a UE for performing a beam management operation, according to an example implementation of the present disclosure.

[0020] FIG. 3 is a flowchart illustrating a method / process performed by a BS for configuring a beam management operation, according to an example implementation of the present disclosure.

[0021] FIG. 4 is a block diagram illustrating a node for wireless communication, according to an example implementation of the present disclosure.

[0022] Some of the abbreviations used in the present disclosure include: 3GPP　　　　　　　　3rd Generation Partnership Project 5G　　　　　　　　5th generation ACK　　　　　　　　Acknowledgment AI　　　　　　　　Artificial Intelligence AL　　　　　　　　Aggregation level AP　　　　　　　　Aperiodic BFD　　　　　　　　Beam Failure Detection BM　　　　　　　　Beam Management BS　　　　　　　　Base Station BWP　　　　　　　　Bandwidth Part CA　　　　　　　　Carrier Aggregation CORESET 　　　　　　　　Control resource set CC　　　　　　　　Component Carrier CCE　　　　　　　　Control Chanel Element CE　　　　　　　　Control Element CG　　　　　　　　Configured Grant CP　　　　　　　　Cyclic Prefix CRC　　　　　　　　Cyclic Redundancy Check CRI　　　　　　　　CSI-RS Resource Indicator CSI　　　　　　　　Channel State Information CSI-RS　　　　　　　　Channel State Information-Reference Signal DC　　　　　　　　Dual Connectivity DCI　　　　　　　　Downlink Control Information DL　　　　　　　　Downlink DMRS　　　　　　　　Demodulation Reference Signal FR　　　　　　　　Frequency Range HARQ　　　　　　　　Hybrid Automatic Repeat Request ID　　　　　　　　Identifier IE　　　　　　　　Information Element LSB　　　　　　　　Least Significant Bit LTE　　　　　　　　Long Term Evolution L1 / L2 / L3　　　　　　　　Layer 1 / Layer 2 / Layer 3 L1-RSRP　　　　　　　　Layer 1 Reference Signal Received Power MAC　　　　　　　　Medium Access Control MCG　　　　　　　　Master Cell Group MIMO　　　　　　　　Multiple-input Multiple-output MSB　　　　　　　　Most Significant Bit ML　　　　　　　　Machine Learning NACK　　　　　　　　Negative Acknowledgment NDI　　　　　　　　New Data Indicator NR　　　　　　　　New RAT / Radio NW　　　　　　　　Network NUL　　　　　　　　Normal UL PCI　　　　　　　　Physical Cell ID PCell　　　　　　　　Primary Cell PSCell　　　　　　　　Primary SCG Cell PBCH　　　　　　　　Physical Broadcast Channel PDCCH　　　　　　　　Physical Downlink Control Channel PDSCH　　　　　　　　Physical Downlink Shared Channel PDU　　　　　　　　Protocol Data Unit PHY　　　　　　　　Physical PRACH　　　　　　　　Physical Random Access Channel PTRS　　　　　　　　Phase-Tracking Reference Signal PUCCH　　　　　　　　Physical Uplink Control Channel PUSCH　　　　　　　　Physical Uplink Shared Channel QoS　　　　　　　　Quality of Service RA　　　　　　　　Random Access RAN　　　　　　　　Radio Access Network RAR　　　　　　　　Random Access Response RAT　　　　　　　　Radio Access Technology Rel　　　　　　　　Release RNTI　　　　　　　　Radio Network Temporary Identifier RRC　　　　　　　　Radio Resource Control RS　　　　　　　　Reference Signal RSRP　　　　　　　　Reference Signal Received Power RSRQ　　　　　　　　Reference Signal Received Quality RV　　　　　　　　Redundancy Version SCell　　　　　　　　Secondary Cell SCG　　　　　　　　Secondary Cell Group SCS　　　　　　　　Subcarrier Spacing SINR　　　　　　　　Signal to Interference plus Noise Ratio SpCell　　　　　　　　Special Cell SR　　　　　　　　Scheduling Request SRS　　　　　　　　Sounding Reference Signal SS　　　　　　　　Synchronization Signal SSB　　　　　　　　Synchronization Signal Block SSBRI　　　　　　　　SS / PBCH Block Resource indicator SUL　　　　　　　　Supplementary UL TA　　　　　　　　Timing Advance TAG　　　　　　　　Timing Advance Group TB　　　　　　　　Transport Block TCI　　　　　　　　Transmission Configuration Indication TR　　　　　　　　Technical Report TRP　　　　　　　　Transmission Reception Point TS　　　　　　　　Technical Specification Tx　　　　　　　　Transmission QCL　　　　　　　　Quasi-CoLocation UE　　　　　　　　User Equipment UL　　　　　　　　Uplink URLLC　　　　　　　　Ultra Reliable Low Latency Communication

[0023] The following contains specific information related to implementations of the present disclosure. The drawings and their accompanying detailed disclosure are merely directed to implementations. However, the present disclosure is not limited to these implementations. Other variations and implementations of the present disclosure will be obvious to those skilled in the art.

[0024] Unless noted otherwise, like or corresponding elements among the drawings may be indicated by like or corresponding reference numerals. Moreover, the drawings and illustrations in the present disclosure are generally not to scale and are not intended to correspond to actual relative dimensions.

[0025] For the purposes of consistency and ease of understanding, like features may be identified (although, in some examples, not illustrated) by the same numerals in the drawings. However, the features in different implementations may be different in other respects and may not be narrowly confined to what is illustrated in the drawings.

[0026] References to “one implementation,” “an implementation,” “example implementation,” “various implementations,” “some implementations,” “implementations of the present application,” etc., may indicate that the implementation(s) of the present application so described may include a particular feature, structure, or characteristic, but not every possible implementation of the present application necessarily includes the particular feature, structure, or characteristic. Further, repeated use of the phrase “In some implementations,” or “in an example implementation,” “an implementation,” do not necessarily refer to the same implementation, although they may. Moreover, any use of phrases like “implementations” in connection with “the present application” are never meant to characterize that all implementations of the present application must include the particular feature, structure, or characteristic, and should instead be understood to mean “at least some implementations of the present application” includes the stated particular feature, structure, or characteristic. The term “coupled” is defined as connected, whether directly or indirectly through intervening components, and is not necessarily limited to physical connections. The term “comprising,” when utilized, means “including, but not necessarily limited to”; it specifically indicates open-ended inclusion or membership in the so-described combination, group, series, and the equivalent.

[0027] The expression “at least one of A, B and C” or “at least one of the following: A, B and C” means “only A, or only B, or only C, or any combination of A, B and C.” The terms “system” and “network” may be used interchangeably. The term “and / or” is only an association relationship for describing associated objects and represents that three relationships may exist such that A and / or B may indicate that A exists alone, A and B exist at the same time, or B exists alone. The character “ / ” generally represents that the associated objects are in an “or” relationship.

[0028] For the purposes of explanation and non-limitation, specific details, such as functional entities, techniques, protocols, and standards, are set forth for providing an understanding of the disclosed technology. In other examples, detailed disclosure of well-known methods, technologies, systems, and architectures are omitted so as not to obscure the present disclosure with unnecessary details.

[0029] Persons skilled in the art will immediately recognize that any network function(s) or algorithm(s) disclosed may be implemented by hardware, software, or a combination of software and hardware. Disclosed functions may correspond to modules which may be software, hardware, firmware, or any combination thereof.

[0030] A software implementation may include computer executable instructions stored on a computer-readable medium, such as memory or other type of storage devices. One or more microprocessors or general-purpose computers with communication processing capability may be programmed with corresponding executable instructions and perform the disclosed network function(s) or algorithm(s).

[0031] The microprocessors or general-purpose computers may include Application-Specific Integrated Circuits (ASICs), programmable logic arrays, and / or one or more Digital Signal Processor (DSPs). Although some of the disclosed implementations are oriented to software installed and executing on computer hardware, alternative implementations implemented as firmware, as hardware, or as a combination of hardware and software are well within the scope of the present disclosure. The computer-readable medium includes but is not limited to Random Access Memory (RAM), Read Only Memory (ROM), Erasable Programmable Read-Only Memory (EPROM), Electrically Erasable Programmable Read-Only Memory (EEPROM), flash memory, Compact Disc Read-Only Memory (CD-ROM), magnetic cassettes, magnetic tape, magnetic disk storage, or any other equivalent medium capable of storing computer-readable instructions.

[0032] A radio communication network architecture such as a Long-Term Evolution (LTE) system, an LTE-Advanced (LTE-A) system, an LTE-Advanced Pro system, or a 5G NR Radio Access Network (RAN) typically includes at least one base station (BS), at least one UE, and one or more optional network elements that provide connection within a network. The UE communicates with the network such as a Core Network (CN), an Evolved Packet Core (EPC) network, an Evolved Universal Terrestrial RAN (E-UTRAN), a 5G Core (5GC), or an internet via a RAN established by one or more BSs.

[0033] A UE may include, but is not limited to, a mobile station, a mobile terminal or device, or a user communication radio terminal. The UE may be a portable radio equipment that includes, but is not limited to, a mobile phone, a tablet, a wearable device, a sensor, a vehicle, or a Personal Digital Assistant (PDA) with wireless communication capability. The UE is configured to receive and transmit signals over an air interface to one or more cells in a RAN.

[0034] The BS may be configured to provide communication services according to at least a Radio Access Technology (RAT) such as Worldwide Interoperability for Microwave Access (WiMAX), Global System for Mobile communications (GSM) that is often referred to as 2G, GSM Enhanced Data rates for GSM Evolution (EDGE) RAN (GERAN), General Packet Radio Service (GPRS), Universal Mobile Telecommunication System (UMTS) that is often referred to as 3G based on basic wideband-code division multiple access (W-CDMA), high-speed packet access (HSPA), LTE, LTE-A, evolved LTE (eLTE) that is LTE connected to 5GC, NR (often referred to as 5G), and / or LTE-A Pro. However, the scope of the present disclosure is not limited to these protocols.

[0035] The BS may include, but is not limited to, a node B (NB) in the UMTS, an evolved node B (eNB) in LTE or LTE-A, a radio network controller (RNC) in UMTS, a BS controller (BSC) in the GSM / GERAN, an ng-eNB in an Evolved Universal Terrestrial Radio Access (E-UTRA) BS in connection with 5GC, a next generation Node B (gNB) in the 5G-RAN, or any other apparatus capable of controlling radio communication and managing radio resources within a cell. The BS may serve one or more UEs via a radio interface. Although the gNB is used as an example in some implementations within the present disclosure, it should be noted that the disclosed implementations may also be applied to other types of base stations.

[0036] The BS may be operable to provide radio coverage to a specific geographical area using multiple cells forming the RAN. The BS may support the operations of the cells. Each cell may be operable to provide services to at least one UE within its radio coverage.

[0037] Each cell (may often referred to as a serving cell) may provide services to one or more UEs within the cell’s radio coverage, such that each cell schedules the DL (and optionally UL resources) to at least one UE within its radio coverage for DL (and optionally UL packet transmissions from the UE). The BS may communicate with one or more UEs in the radio communication system via the cells.

[0038] A cell may allocate sidelink (SL) resources for supporting the Proximity Services (ProSe) or Vehicle to Everything (V2X) services. Each cell may have overlapped coverage areas with other cells.

[0039] In Multi-RAT Dual Connectivity (MR-DC) cases, the primary cell of a Master Cell Group (MCG) or a Secondary Cell Group (SCG) may be referred to as a Special Cell (SpCell). A Primary Cell (PCell) may include the SpCell of an MCG. A Primary SCG Cell (PSCell) may include the SpCell of an SCG. MCG may include a group of serving cells associated with the Master Node (MN), including the SpCell and optionally one or more Secondary Cells (SCells). An SCG may include a group of serving cells associated with the Secondary Node (SN), including the SpCell and optionally one or more SCells.

[0040] As discussed above, the frame structure for NR may support flexible configurations for accommodating various next generation (e.g., 5G) communication requirements, such as Enhanced Mobile Broadband (eMBB), Massive Machine Type Communication (mMTC), and Ultra-Reliable and Low-Latency Communication (URLLC), while fulfilling high reliability, high data rate, and low latency requirements. The Orthogonal Frequency-Division Multiplexing (OFDM) technology in the 3GPP may serve as a baseline for an NR waveform. The scalable OFDM numerology, such as adaptive sub-carrier spacing, channel bandwidth, and Cyclic Prefix (CP), may also be used.

[0041] Two coding schemes may be considered for NR, specifically, Low-Density Parity-Check (LDPC) code and Polar Code. The coding scheme adaption may be configured based on channel conditions and / or service applications.

[0042] At least the DL transmission data, a guard period, and UL transmission data should be included in a transmission time interval (TTI) of a single NR frame. The respective portions of the DL transmission data, the guard period, and the UL transmission data should also be configurable based on, for example, the network dynamics of NR. SL resources may also be provided in an NR frame to support ProSe services or V2X services.

[0043] Any two or more than two of the following paragraphs, (sub)-bullets, points, actions, behaviors, terms, or claims described in the present disclosure may be combined logically, reasonably, and properly to form a specific method.

[0044] Any sentence, paragraph, (sub)-bullet, point, action, behaviors, terms, or claims described in the present disclosure may be implemented independently and separately to form a specific method.

[0045] Dependency, e.g., “based on”, “more specifically”, “preferably”, “in one embodiment”, “in some implementations”, etc., in the present disclosure is just one possible example which would not restrict the specific method.

[0046] In some implementations, all the designs / embodiment / implementations introduced within this disclosure are not limited to be applied for dealing with the problems discussed within this disclosure. For example, the described embodiments may be applied to solve other problems that exist in the RAN of wireless communication systems. In some implementations, all of the numbers listed within the designs / embodiment / implementations introduced within this disclosure are just examples and for illustration, for example, of how the described methods are executed.

[0047] Examples of some selected terms in the present disclosure are provided as follows.

[0048] DCI: DCI may include downlink control information, and there may be various DCI formats used in a PDCCH. The DCI format may be a predefined format in which the downlink control information may be packed / formed and transmitted in a PDCCH.

[0049] BWP: A subset of the total cell bandwidth of a cell is referred to as a Bandwidth Part (BWP) and a Bandwidth Adaptation (BA) may be achieved by configuring the UE with BWP(s) and instructing the UE which of the configured BWPs is currently the active one. To enable a BA on the PCell, the BS (e.g., a gNB) configures the UE with UL and DL BWP(s). To enable the BA on SCells, when CA is deployed, the BS configures the UE with one or more DL BWPs. It should be noted that there may be no BWP in the UL. For the PCell, the initial BWP is the BWP used for an initial access. For the SCell(s), the initial BWP is the BWP configured for the UE to operate after an SCell activation. The UE may be configured with a first active uplink BWP by a firstActiveUplinkBWP IE. If the first active uplink BWP is configured for an SpCell, the firstActiveUplinkBWP IE field may contain the ID of the UL BWP to be activated upon performing the RRC (re-)configuration. If such a field is absent, the RRC (re-)configuration may not impose a BWP switching. If the first active uplink BWP is configured for an SCell, the firstActiveUplinkBWP IE field may contain the ID of the uplink bandwidth part to be used upon the MAC-activation of an SCell.

[0050] TCI state: A TCI state may include parameters for configuring a QCL relationship between one or more DL reference signals and a target reference signal set. For example, a target reference signal set may include the DMRS ports of a PDSCH, a PDCCH, a PUCCH, or a PUSCH. The reference signals may include UL or DL reference signals. In NR Rel-15 / 16, the TCI state may be used for a DL QCL indication, whereas the spatial relation information may be used for providing the UL spatial transmission filter information for the UL signal(s) or channel(s). A TCI state may include the information similar to the spatial relation information, which may be used for UL transmission. In other words, from the UL perspective, a TCI state may provide the UL beam information that may indicate the relationship between a UL transmission and the DL or UL reference signals (e.g., the CSI-RS, the SSB, the SRS, and the PTRS).

[0051] Beam: The term “beam” here may be replaced by a spatial filter. For example, when a UE reports a preferred gNB Tx beam, the UE is essentially selecting a spatial filter used by the gNB. The term “beam information” may be used to provide information about which beam / spatial filter is being used / selected.

[0052] Cell: A cell in the present disclosure may refer to a PCell, a PSCell, an SpCell, an SCell, a candidate cell, a target cell, a neighbor cell, a serving cell, or a source cell.

[0053] The ‘TRP’ in the implementations or the examples may be replaced by ‘beam’ or ‘panel’. The term ‘overlap’ may refer to partial overlap or fully overlap in time domain, frequency domain and / or spatial domain.

[0054] In the realm of wireless communication, beam management plays a crucial role in optimizing the performance of communication networks, particularly in the context of emerging technologies like 5G and beyond. Beam management involves the selection, tracking, and optimization of beams in a beamforming system to ensure efficient and reliable data transmission between base stations and user devices. Furthermore, AI / ML-driven beam management enhances spectral efficiency by dynamically adjusting beamforming parameters to optimize resource allocation and / or by maximizing throughput per unit of spectrum. It improves coverage by intelligently steering beams towards active users and high-demand areas, ensuring better signal propagation and reduced dead zones. Additionally, AI / ML algorithms mitigate interference, enhance signal quality and reliability, thereby improving overall quality of service (QoS). Through these mechanisms (e.g., AI / ML algorithms), AI / ML-driven beam management optimizes spectrum usage, extends coverage, and enhances QoS, leading to more efficient and reliable wireless communication systems.

[0055] For the inference report, the content in a beam report in L1 signaling may correspond to all L1-RSRP of a measurement resource set and one beam index for the largest measured value of L1-RSRP of the measurement resource set. However, except for the largest measured value of L1-RSRP, there is no corresponding beam index for other L1-RSRP(s), and thus it is unclear how to make the NW know the mapping relationship between the beam index and the corresponding RSRP value(s). Hence, in a report content, the order of the reported information (e.g., L1-RSRP, L1-SINR, probability information of predicted beams, confidence information of the RSRP) may need to be well defined.

[0056] In some implementations, a method for AI / ML based beam management performed by a UE may include the following actions: receiving an RRC configuration for configuring a CSI-RS resource set including the maximum number of CSI-RS resources or SSB resources per CSI-RS resource set; receiving a CSI report configuration associated with the CSI-RS resource set; and transmitting the CSI report based on a report content quantity and the size of the CSI-RS resource set. The content of the CSI report may include a CSI-RS resource index or SSB resource index associated with the largest L1-RSRP value among all L1-RSRP values of the CSI-RS resource set. The order of all L1-RSRP values in the CSI report may be based on the order of CSI-RS resource index or SSB resource index corresponding to each of the L1-RSRP values of the CSI-RS resource set.

[0057] In some implementations, the order of the CSI-RS resource index or SSB resource index corresponding to each of the L1-RSRP values may be arranged from the smallest index to the largest index.

[0058] Functional framework for AI / ML for NR air interface

[0059] FIG. 1 is a block diagram 100 illustrating a functional framework for AI / ML for NR air interface, according to an example implementation of the present disclosure. As illustrated in FIG. 1, data collection 102 is a function that provides input data to the model training, management, and inference functions. Training data may include data needed as input for the AI / ML model training function. Monitoring data may include data needed as input for the management of AI / ML models or AI / ML functionalities. Inference data may include data needed as input for the AI / ML inference function.

[0060] Model training 104 is a function that performs AI / ML model training, validation, and testing, which may generate model performance metrics that may be used as part of the model testing procedure. The model training function is also responsible for data preparation (e.g., data pre-processing and cleaning, formatting, and transformation) based on training data delivered by a data collection function, if required. In some implementations, there may be a model storage 106 in the framework. The model training 104 may deliver a trained / updated model to the model storage 106. In some implementations, the trained / updated model may include trained, validated, and tested AI / ML models. In some implementations, the trained / updated model may include an updated version of the model.

[0061] Management 108 is a function that oversees the operation (e.g., selection / (de)activation / switching / fallback) and monitoring (e.g., performance) of AI / ML models or AI / ML functionalities. The management 108 is also responsible for making decisions to ensure the proper inference operation based on data received from the data collection function and the inference function. In some implementations, a management instruction represents essential input information to manage the inference function. Concerning information may include selection / (de)activation / switching of AI / ML models or AI / ML-based functionalities, fallback to non-AI / ML operation (e.g., not relying on inference process), and so on. In some implementations, a model transfer / delivery request is used to request model(s) to the model storage 106. In some implementations, performance feedback and retraining request represent essential input information for the model training 104 (e.g., for model (re)training or updating purposes).

[0062] Inference 110 is a function that provides outputs from the process of applying AI / ML models or AI / ML functionalities, using the data that is provided by the data collection 102 (e.g., inference data) as an input. The inference 110 is also responsible for data preparation (e.g., data pre-processing and cleaning, formatting, and transformation) based on the inference data delivered by the data collection 102, if required. In some implementations, inference output serves as data for the management 108 to monitor the performance of AI / ML models or AI / ML functionalities.

[0063] Model storage 106 is a function responsible for storing trained / updated models that may be used to perform the inference function. The model storage 106 may transfer / deliver an AI / ML model to the inference 110.

[0064] L1 measurement and report

[0065] A UE may perform, and report measurement (e.g., L1 measurement or L3 measurement) based on the received configuration and / or indication. L1 measurements may be further classified into L1 intra-frequency measurement, or L1 inter-frequency measurement. In some implementations, L1 intra-frequency measurement and L1 inter-frequency measurement may be based on L1-RSRP through measuring SSB (e.g., SS-RSRP) or CSI-RS (e.g., CSI-RSRP). In some implementations, L1 intra-frequency measurement and L1 inter-frequency measurement may be based on L1-SINR through measuring SSB (e.g., SS-SINR) or CSI-RS (CSI-SINR). In some implementations, L1 intra-frequency measurement and L1 inter-frequency measurement may be based on L1-RSRQ through measuring SSB (e.g., SS-RSRQ) or CSI-RS (e.g., CSI-RSRQ).

[0066] In some implementations, the L1 measurement report may include one or some PCIs (e.g., PCIs of the candidate cells, PCI of the source cell, PCI of the serving cell, or PCI of the target cell). In some implementations, the L1 measurement report may include one or some RS ID.

[0067] In some implementations, an L1 measurement report, transmitted as UCI on PUCCH or PUSCH, may be considered as the result of measurement from the UE’s perspective. In some implementations, the types of L1 measurement reports may include a periodic report on PUCCH, a semi-persistent report on PUCCH or PUSCH, and an aperiodic report on PUSCH. In some implementations, the L1 measurement report may be transmitted on a MAC-CE.

[0068] CSI measurement configuration

[0069] CSI measurement configuration involves setting parameters that configure how CSI measurements are performed and reported by a UE. The CSI measurement configuration configures a list of non-zero power CSI-RS resources for channel measurement, a list of CSI-RS resources for interference management, and a list of SSB resources for CSI measurement and reporting. In some implementation, the CSI measurement configuration may be associated with a CSI report configuration. In some implementations, when the CSI resources in the CSI resource set refer to beam measurement, the corresponding CSI report may only contain CRI, SSBRI, L1-RSRP, L1-SINR for each measurement result based on the configured CSI-RS resources, and one CSI-RS resource or SSB may correspond to one L1-RSRP / L1-SINR / L1-RSRQ value.

[0070] CSI report content

[0071] In some implementations, a CSI report may include Channel Quality Indicator (CQI), Precoding Matrix Indicator (PMI), CSI-RS resource indicator (CRI), SS / PBCH block resource indicator (SSBRI), Layer Indicator (LI), Rank Indicator (RI), Capability Index, L1-RSRP, L1-SINR, and / or L1-RSRQ. In some implementations, the report may contain top K values among a set of measurement results by measuring the CSI-RS resource or SSB, where K is a positive integer.

[0072] AI / ML-based beam management

[0073] The beam management may include DL Tx beam prediction for both the UE-sided model and the NW-sided model. The beam prediction may include predicting a Set A of beams based on a Set B of beams and an AI / ML model. For example, the AI / ML model may receive the Set B of beams as input and generate the Set A of beams as output. In some implementations, the measurement results may correspond to the inference / predicted results.

[0074] BM-Case1: BM-Case1 may refer to a spatial-domain DL Tx beam prediction for Set A of beams based on measurement results of Set B of beams. In some implementations, the Set B of beams may include beams received from one direction and the Set A of beams may include beams received from another direction. In some implementations, the Set B of beams may include wide beams (e.g., SSB) and the Set A of beams may include narrow beams (e.g., CSI-RS). In some implementations, the AI / ML model training and inference may be performed at the NW side. In some implementations, the AI / ML model training and inference may be performed at the UE side. In some implementations, Set A and Set B may be different. In some implementations, Set B may be a subset of Set A.

[0075] BM-Case2: BM-Case2 may refer to a temporal DL Tx beam prediction for Set A of beams based on the historic measurement results of Set B of beams. In some implementations, the Set B of beams may include beams that were received in the past and the Set A of beams may include beams that are expected to be received in the future. In some implementations, the AI / ML model training and inference may be performed at the NW side. In some implementations, the AI / ML model training and inference may be performed at the UE side. In some implementations, Set A and Set B may be different. In some implementations, Set B may be a subset of Set A. In some implementations, Set A and Set B may be the same.

[0076] Implementations

[0077] In some implementations, an RRC message (e.g., transmitted from the NW to the UE) may configure a CSI measurement configuration including one or more CSI-RS resource sets / CSI-SSB resource sets. Each CSI-RS resource set / CSI-SSB resource set may include one or more CSI-RS resource indexes / SSB resource indexes. Furthermore, the CSI-RS resource set / CSI-SSB resource set may be associated with a CSI report configuration, and the CSI-RS resource set / CSI-SSB resource set may be dedicated to the AI / ML purpose.

[0078] In some implementations, a UE may transmit a UE capability to report the support of AI / ML functionality, and the configured number of CSI-RS resources in one CSI-RS resource set (which may be dedicated to the AI / ML purpose) may be equal to the maximum number of CSI-RS resources in the CSI-RS resource set (which may be dedicated to the AI / ML purpose). For example, the UE may receive, from a BS, an RRC message for configuring a resource set including multiple CSI-RS resources or SSB resources. The number of the CSI-RS resources or SSB resources in the resource set may be equal to the maximum number of CSI-RS resources or SSB resources that is allowed to be configured in the resource set.

[0079] More specifically, the configured CSI-RS resources in one CSI-RS resource set may be a sequence, and the size of the sequence may be equal to or less than the maximum number of CSI-RS resources per CSI-RS resource set. In other words, the size of the CSI-RS resource set (or the number of CSI-RS resources per CSI-RS resource set) may be configured. For example, if the maximum number of CSI-RS resources that is allowed to be configured in a CSI-RS resource set is M, the configured CSI-RS resources associated with one CSI report (which may be used for AI / ML) may be equal to or less than M when the UE capability for AI / ML is reported, where M is a positive integer.

[0080] In some implementations, when the configured number of CSI-RS resources in a CSI-RS resource set, which is associated with a CSI report, is equal to the maximum number of CSI-RS resources in the CSI-RS resource set (e.g., M), the associated CSI report may be referred to as a CSI report for AI / ML.

[0081] In some implementations, when the maximum number of CSI resources included in a CSI report is greater than a predefined number (e.g., 4), the associated CSI report may be referred to as a CSI report for AI / ML.

[0082] In some implementations, when the configured number of CSI-RS resources in a CSI-RS resource set is equal to a dedicated number (e.g., 8) for the AI / ML purpose, the associated CSI report may be referred to as a CSI report for AI / ML.

[0083] In some implementations, when an indicator is configured to a CSI-RS resource set, the UE may transmit a CSI report for AI / ML based on the CSI-RS resource set and the indicator. In some implementations, the indicator may be configured to a UE for determining whether the corresponding CSI-RS resource set(s) / CSI-RS resource(s) are used for AI / ML. In some implementations, the indicator may be used to determine whether the corresponding CSI-RS resource set(s) is included in the configuration(s) of the corresponding CSI-RS resource set(s). In some implementations, the indicator may be used to determine whether the corresponding CSI-RS resource(s) is included in the configuration(s) of the corresponding CSI-RS resource(s). In some implementations, the indicator may be an IE taking ENUMERATED value from the set {‘true’} or {‘true’, ‘false’}. If the indicator is present and set to ‘true’, the UE may interpret that the CSI-RS resource set is associated with a CSI report for AI / ML. If the indicator is absent or present with a value of ‘false’, the UE may interpret that the CSI-RS resource set is associated with a CSI report other than for AI / ML.

[0084] In some implementations, a CSI-RS resource set may be a CSI-SSB resource set, including a set of SSB resources (e.g., SSB index).

[0085] In some implementations, a UE capability may indicate whether the configured number of CSI-RS / SSB resources is equal to the maximum number of resources per resource set (e.g., the size of a resource set), particularly for the CSI-RS resource set used for AI / ML. In some implementations, if a UE capability is reported to configure the size of the resource set in a CSI measurement configuration, the number of L1-RSRP values in a CSI report may be mandated to equal the size of the resource set. In other words, the number of L1-RSRP values in a CSI report may not be configured. For example, the number of L1-RSRP values in a CSI report may be determined by the UE capability.

[0086] In some implementations, if a UE capability is reported to configure the size of the resource set in a CSI measurement configuration, the number of L1-RSRQ values in a CSI report may be mandated to equal the size of the resource set. In other words, the number of L1-RSRQ values in a CSI report may not be configured. For example, the number of L1-RSRQ values in a CSI report may be determined by the UE capability.

[0087] In some implementations, if a UE capability is reported to configure the size of the resource set in a CSI measurement configuration, the number of L1-SINR values in a CSI report may be mandated to equal the size of the resource set. In other words, the number of L1-SINR values in a CSI report may not be configured. For example, the number of L1-SINR values in a CSI report may be determined by the UE capability.

[0088] In some implementations, a UE may not expect to multiplex a first CSI report with a second CSI report, where the first CSI report corresponds to the CSI-RS resource set with the maximum number of CSI-RS resources per CSI-RS resource set, and the second CSI report corresponds to the CSI-RS resource set with at most N CSI-RS resources, where N is a positive integer. In some implementations, N may be 1, 2, 4 or 8.

[0089] In some implementations, a CSI report may include a beam index (e.g., a CSI-RS resource index or an SSB resource index), L1-RSRP value, differential L1-RSRP value, L1-SINR value, differential L1-SINR value, L1-RSRQ value, differential L1-RSRQ value, probability information of predicted beams, and / or confidence information of the (L1-)RSRP / SINR / RSRQ.

[0090] In some implementations, the report quantity for the CSI report may be set to ‘CRI-RSRP’, ‘SSB-Index-RSRP’, ‘CRI-RSRQ’, ‘SSB-Index-RSRQ’, ‘CRI-SINR’, ‘SSB-Index-SINR’, ‘probability info’, and / or ‘confidence info’, but not limited thereto.

[0091] In some implementations, when the maximum number of CSI-RS resources in the CSI-RS resource set is configured, all L1-RSRP / L1-RSRQ / L1-SINR corresponding to the CSI-RS resources may be reported. In some implementations, the order of L1-RSRP / L1-RSRQ / L1-SINR values in a CSI report may be based on the corresponding beam index value (e.g., the CSI-RS resource index or SSB resource index).

[0092] In some implementations, a beam index corresponding to the largest L1-RSRP / L1-RSRQ / L1-SINR value among all L1-RSRP / L1-RSRQ / L1-SINR values and the corresponding L1-RSRP / L1-RSRQ / L1-SINR value may be reported in a CSI report. In some implementations, the beam index in a CSI report related to AI / ML may be the beam index corresponding to the largest L1-RSRP / L1-RSRQ / L1-SINR value among all L1-RSRP / L1-RSRQ / L1-SINR. The largest L1-RSRP / L1-RSRQ / L1-SINR value among all L1-RSRP / L1-RSRQ / L1-SINR may also be included in the CSI report related to AI / ML. In addition, the differential L1-RSRP / L1-RSRQ / L1-SINR values corresponding to indices other than the beam index corresponding to the largest L1-RSRP / L1-RSRQ / L1-SINR value may be included in the CSI report related to AI / ML without their beam indices. The differential L1-RSRP / L1-RSRQ / L1-SINR values in the CSI report may correspond to differential values relative to the largest L1-RSRP / L1-RSRQ / L1-SINR value.

[0093] In some implementations, differential L1-RSRP / L1-RSRQ / L1-SINR values corresponding to beam indices other than the beam index corresponding to the largest L1-RSRP / L1-RSRQ / L1-SINR value among all L1-RSRP / L1-RSRQ / L1-SINR in the CSI-RS resource set may be reported. Differential L1-RSRP / L1-RSRQ / L1-SINR values may correspond to differential values compared to the largest L1-RSRP / L1-RSRQ / L1-SINR value.

[0094] Table 1 below illustrates an example of the order of L1-RSRP in a CSI report, according to an example implementation of the present disclosure. The CSI report in Table 1 may be referred to as a beam index-based CSI report.

[0095] In Table 1, RSRP #1 may correspond to the largest RSRP value. CRI #1 or SSBRI #1 may be a beam index corresponding to the largest RSRP value. It should be noted that although RSRP is taken as an example in Table 1, the RSRP may be replaced with other signal quality values, such as RSRQ or SINR. In some implementations, as illustrated in Table 1, a differential L1-RSRP / L1-RSRQ / L1-SINR value corresponding to a smaller beam index may be placed before a differential L1-RSRP / L1-RSRQ / L1-SINR value corresponding to a larger beam index. It should be noted that these beam indices (e.g., CRI / SSBRI #2, CRI / SSBRI #3, …, CRI / SSBRI #M) may exclude the beam index (e.g., CRI / SSBRI #1) corresponding to the largest L1-RSRP / L1-RSRQ / L1-SINR value among all L1-RSRP / L1-RSRQ / L1-SINR. The RSRP in table 1 may correspond to the L1-RSRP.

[0096] In some implementations, the differential L1-RSRP / L1-RSRQ / L1-SINR values may be arranged such that the smallest differential L1-RSRP / L1-RSRQ / L1-SINR value appears first. This smallest value may correspond to a beam index K, where K is a positive integer. Following this, the differential L1-RSRP / L1-RSRQ / L1-SINR values corresponding to beam indices greater than K may be arranged in ascending order of their beam indices. Finally, the remaining differential L1-RSRP / L1-RSRQ / L1-SINR values corresponding to beam indices less than K may be placed at the end of the CSI report, also arranged in ascending order of their respective beam indices. It should be noted that these beam indices (e.g., corresponding to the differential L1-RSRP / L1-RSRQ / L1-SINR values) may exclude the beam index corresponding to the largest L1-RSRP / L1-RSRQ / L1-SINR value among all L1-RSRP / L1-RSRQ / L1-SINR.

[0097] In some implementations, a differential L1-RSRP / L1-RSRQ / L1-SINR value corresponding to a larger beam index may be placed before a differential L1-RSRP / L1-RSRQ / L1-SINR value corresponding to a smaller beam index. It should be noted that these beam indices (e.g., corresponding to the differential L1-RSRP / L1-RSRQ / L1-SINR values) may exclude the beam index corresponding to the largest L1-RSRP / L1-RSRQ / L1-SINR value among all L1-RSRP / L1-RSRQ / L1-SINR.

[0098] In some implementations, the differential L1-RSRP / L1-RSRQ / L1-SINR values may be arranged such that the largest differential L1-RSRP / L1-RSRQ / L1-SINR value appears first. This largest value may correspond to a beam index K, where K is a positive integer. Following this, the differential L1-RSRP / L1-RSRQ / L1-SINR values corresponding to beam indices less than K may be arranged in descending order of their beam indices. Finally, the remaining differential L1-RSRP / L1-RSRQ / L1-SINR values corresponding to beam indices greater than K may be placed at the end of the CSI report, also arranged in descending order of their respective beam indices. It should be noted that these beam indices (e.g., corresponding to the differential L1-RSRP / L1-RSRQ / L1-SINR values) may exclude the beam index corresponding to the largest L1-RSRP / L1-RSRQ / L1-SINR value among all L1-RSRP / L1-RSRQ / L1-SINR.

[0099] In some implementations, in a CSI report related to AI / ML, the first entry of the CSI report may indicate the beam index corresponding to the largest L1-RSRP / L1-RSRQ / L1-SINR value among all L1-RSRP / L1-RSRQ / L1-SINR. The second entry of the CSI report may indicate the largest L1-RSRP / L1-RSRQ / L1-SINR value among all L1-RSRP / L1-RSRQ / L1-SINR. The other entries of the CSI report may indicate differential L1-RSRP / L1-RSRQ / L1-SINR values relative to the largest L1-RSRP / L1-RSRQ / L1-SINR value. The other entries may be arranged according to a descending order or an ascending order of the corresponding beam indices.

[0100] In some implementations, when the maximum number of CSI-RS resources in the CSI-RS resource set is configured, all L1-RSRP / L1-RSRQ / L1-SINR corresponding to the CSI-RS resources may be reported, and the order of the L1-RSRP / L1-RSRQ / L1-SINR values in a CSI report may be based on the L1-RSRP / L1-RSRQ / L1-SINR values.

[0101] Table 2 below illustrates an example of the order of L1-RSRP in a CSI report, according to an example implementation of the present disclosure. The CSI report in Table 2 may be referred to as an RSRP value-based CSI report.

[0102] In Table 2, RSRP #1 may correspond to the largest RSRP value. CRI #1 or SSBRI #1 may be a beam index corresponding to the largest RSRP value. It should be noted that although RSRP is taken as an example in Table 2, the RSRP may be replaced with other signal quality values, such as RSRQ or SINR. In some implementations, as illustrated in Table 2, a larger L1-RSRP / L1-RSRQ / L1-SINR value may be placed before a smaller L1-RSRP / L1-RSRQ / L1-SINR value. It should be noted that the RSRP in Table 2 may correspond to L1-RSRP.

[0103] In some implementations, a smaller L1-RSRP / L1-RSRQ / L1-SINR value may be placed before a larger L1-RSRP / L1-RSRQ / L1-SINR value. For example, in the example illustrated in Table 2, the RSRP values may be arranged such that RSRP #2 < RSRP #3 < … < RSRP #M.

[0104] In some implementations, if the L1-RSRP / L1-RSRQ / L1-SINR values are arranged in an ascending order or a descending order in the CSI report, the CSI report may be used for the purpose of performance monitoring, data training, or data collection.

[0105] In some implementations, in a CSI report related to AI / ML, the first entry of the CSI report may indicate the beam index corresponding to the largest L1-RSRP / L1-RSRQ / L1-SINR value among all L1-RSRP / L1-RSRQ / L1-SINR. The second entry of the CSI report may indicate the largest L1-RSRP / L1-RSRQ / L1-SINR value among all L1-RSRP / L1-RSRQ / L1-SINR. The other entries of the CSI report may indicate the remaining L1-RSRP / L1-RSRQ / L1-SINR values corresponding to the beam indices other than the beam index indicated by the first entry. The other entries may be arranged according to a descending order or an ascending order of the L1-RSRP / L1-RSRQ / L1-SINR values.

[0106] In some implementations, when the maximum number of resources in the resource set is configured, all L1-RSRP / L1-RSRQ / L1-SINR corresponding to the CSI-RS resources may be reported, and the order of L1-RSRP / L1-RSRQ / L1-SINR values in a CSI report may be based on the value of differential L1-RSRP / L1-RSRQ / L1-SINR.

[0107] Table 3 below illustrates an example of the order of L1-RSRP in a CSI report, according to an example implementation of the present disclosure. The CSI report in Table 3 may be referred to as a differential RSRP value-based CSI report.

[0108] In Table 3, RSRP #1 may correspond to the largest RSRP value. CRI #1 or SSBRI #1 may be a beam index corresponding to the largest RSRP value. It should be noted that although RSRP is taken as an example in Table 3, the RSRP may be replaced with other signal quality values, such as RSRQ or SINR. In some implementations, as illustrated in Table 3, a smaller differential L1-RSRP / L1-RSRQ / L1-SINR value may be placed before a larger differential L1-RSRP / L1-RSRQ / L1-SINR value. It should be noted that the RSRP in Table 3 may correspond to L1-RSRP.

[0109] In some implementations, a larger differential L1-RSRP / L1-RSRQ / L1-SINR value may be placed before a smaller differential L1-RSRP / L1-RSRQ / L1-SINR value. For example, in the example illustrated in Table 3, the differential RSRP values may be arranged such that differential RSRP #2 > differential RSRP #3 > … > differential RSRP #M.

[0110] In some implementations, if the differential L1-RSRP / L1-RSRQ / L1-SINR values are arranged in an ascending order or a descending order in the CSI report, the CSI report may be used for the purpose of performance monitoring, data training, or data collection.

[0111] In some implementations, in a CSI report related to AI / ML, the first entry of the CSI report may indicate the beam index corresponding to the largest L1-RSRP / L1-RSRQ / L1-SINR value among all L1-RSRP / L1-RSRQ / L1-SINR. The second entry of the CSI report may indicate the largest L1-RSRP / L1-RSRQ / L1-SINR value among all L1-RSRP / L1-RSRQ / L1-SINR. The other entries of the CSI report may indicate the differential L1-RSRP / L1-RSRQ / L1-SINR values corresponding to the beam indices other than the beam index indicated by the first entry. The other entries may be arranged according to a descending order or an ascending order of the differential L1-RSRP / L1-RSRQ / L1-SINR values.

[0112] In some implementations, the CSI report may include probability information of the predicted beams and / or confidence information of the predicted beams.

[0113] Table 4 below illustrates an example of a CSI report including the probability / confidence information, according to an example implementation of the present disclosure. The probability information and / or the confidence information of each predicted beam may be placed immediately after the corresponding L1-RSRP / L1-RSRQ / L1-SINR value or the corresponding differential L1-RSRP / L1-RSRQ / L1-SINR value.

[0114] Table 5 below illustrates an example of a CSI report including the probability / confidence information, according to an example implementation of the present disclosure. The probability information and / or the confidence information of the predicted beams may be placed after all the L1-RSRP / L1-RSRQ / L1-SINR values or differential L1-RSRP / L1-RSRQ / L1-SINR values.

[0115] In some implementations, whether the probability information and / or confidence information is reported may be based on the UE capability.

[0116] In some implementations, each probability information and / or confidence information of a predicted beam in the CSI report may be associated with a L1-RSRP / L1-RSRQ / L1-SINR value or a differential L1-RSRP / L1-RSRQ / L1-SINR value.

[0117] In some implementations, the probability information may be the probability that a beam is the Top 1 or one of the Top K beams, where K is a positive integer. The value of the probability information may range from 0 to 100. In other words, if the probability information of the Top 1 beam is 100, it is 100% accurate that the inferred Top 1 beam is the beam with the best performance all the time. In some implementations, the bit field for the probability information may correspond to a specific predefined value, which is commonly known to both the UE and the NW. The specific predefined value may be a quantized probability value or an ENUMERATED value. For example, the probability information bit field with value ‘00’ may indicate that the beam has 0% probability to be the Top 1 beam; the probability information bit field with value ‘01’ may indicate that the beam has 30% probability to be the Top 1 beam; the probability information bit field with value ‘10’ may indicate that the beam has 70% probability to be the Top 1 beam; the probability information bit field with value ‘11’ may indicate that the beam has 100% probability to be the Top 1 beam. For another example, the probability information bit field with value ‘00’ may indicate that the beam has zero probability to be the Top 1 beam; the probability information bit field with value ‘01’ may indicate that the beam has little probability to be the Top 1 beam; the probability information bit field with value ‘10’ may indicate that the beam has medium probability to be the Top 1 beam; the probability information bit field with value ‘11’ may indicate that the beam has high probability to be the Top 1 beam.

[0118] In some implementations, the confidence information may be the probability of the performance of a beam (L1-RSRP / L1-RSRQ / L1-SINR value) which falls within a specified range of values, so the confidence information may represent how often the performance of the inferred Top 1 or Top K beam falls into the specific value. The value of the confidence information may range from 0 to 1.

[0119] In some implementations, the confidence information may represent the probability that the performance of a beam (e.g., L1-RSRP, L1-RSRQ, or L1-SINR value) falls within a specified range of values. The confidence information may indicate how often the performance of the inferred Top 1 or Top K beam falls within the specified range of values. The value of the confidence information may range from 0 to 1.

[0120] In some implementations, in a CSI report related to AI / ML, the first entry of the CSI report may indicate the beam index corresponding to the largest L1-RSRP / L1-RSRQ / L1-SINR value among all L1-RSRP / L1-RSRQ / L1-SINR values. The second entry of the CSI report may indicate the largest L1-RSRP / L1-RSRQ / L1-SINR value among all L1-RSRP / L1-RSRQ / L1-SINR. The third entry of the CSI report may indicate the probability / confidence information of the beam corresponding to the largest L1-RSRP / L1-RSRQ / L1-SINR value among all L1-RSRP / L1-RSRQ / L1-SINR values. The other entries of the CSI report may indicate differential L1-RSRP / L1-RSRQ / L1-SINR values relative to the largest L1-RSRP / L1-RSRQ / L1-SINR value. The other entries may be arranged according to a descending order or an ascending order of the corresponding probability value / confidence value.

[0121] In some implementations, in a CSI report related to AI / ML, the first entry of the CSI report may indicate the beam index corresponding to the largest L1-RSRP / L1-RSRQ / L1-SINR value among all L1-RSRP / L1-RSRQ / L1-SINR. The second entry of the CSI report may indicate the largest L1-RSRP / L1-RSRQ / L1-SINR value among all L1-RSRP / L1-RSRQ / L1-SINR. The third entry of the CSI report may indicate the probability / confidence information of the beam corresponding to the largest L1-RSRP / L1-RSRQ / L1-SINR value among all L1-RSRP / L1-RSRQ / L1-SINR values. The other entries of the CSI report may indicate differential L1-RSRP / L1-RSRQ / L1-SINR values relative to the largest L1-RSRP / L1-RSRQ / L1-SINR value and the corresponding probability / confidence information. After the third entry, each subsequent pair of entries represents a differential L1-RSRP / L1-RSRQ / L1-SINR value and the corresponding probability / confidence information. An example of such a CSI report is provided in Table 4. The other entries may be arranged in either descending or ascending order based on one of the following factors:

[0122] - Probability / confidence corresponding to beam indices other than the beam index corresponding to the largest L1-RSRP / L1-RSRQ / L1-SINR value;

[0123] - L1-RSRP / L1-RSRQ / L1-SINR values corresponding to beam indices other than the beam index corresponding to the largest L1-RSRP / L1-RSRQ / L1-SINR value;

[0124] - Differential L1-RSRP / L1-RSRQ / L1-SINR values corresponding to beam indices other than the beam index corresponding to the largest L1-RSRP / L1-RSRQ / L1-SINR value; and

[0125] - Beam indices other than the beam index corresponding to the largest L1-RSRP / L1-RSRQ / L1-SINR value.

[0126] In some implementations, in a CSI report related to AI / ML, the first entry of the CSI report may indicate the beam index corresponding to the largest L1-RSRP / L1-RSRQ / L1-SINR value among all L1-RSRP / L1-RSRQ / L1-SINR. The second entry of the CSI report may indicate the largest L1-RSRP / L1-RSRQ / L1-SINR value among all L1-RSRP / L1-RSRQ / L1-SINR. The third entry of the CSI report may indicate the probability / confidence information of the beam corresponding to the largest L1-RSRP / L1-RSRQ / L1-SINR value among all L1-RSRP / L1-RSRQ / L1-SINR value. Starting from the fourth entry, the CSI report may include differential L1-RSRP / L1-RSRQ / L1-SINR values relative to the largest L1-RSRP / L1-RSRQ / L1-SINR value. These entries may be arranged in either descending or ascending order based on the differential L1-RSRP / L1-RSRQ / L1-SINR values. The last entries of the CSI report may indicate the probability / confidence information corresponding to the beam indices other than the beam index indicated by the first entry. These last entries may be arranged in either descending or ascending order based on one of the following factors:

[0127] - Probability / confidence corresponding to beam indices other than the beam index corresponding to the largest L1-RSRP / L1-RSRQ / L1-SINR value;

[0128] - L1-RSRP / L1-RSRQ / L1-SINR values corresponding to beam indices other than the beam index corresponding to the largest L1-RSRP / L1-RSRQ / L1-SINR value;

[0129] - Differential L1-RSRP / L1-RSRQ / L1-SINR values corresponding to beam indices other than the beam index corresponding to the largest L1-RSRP / L1-RSRQ / L1-SINR value; and

[0130] - Beam indices other than the beam index corresponding to the largest L1-RSRP / L1-RSRQ / L1-SINR value.

[0131] FIG. 2 is a flowchart illustrating a method / process 200 performed by a UE for performing a beam management operation, according to an example implementation of the present disclosure. In the action 202, the process 200 may start by receiving, from a BS, an RRC message for configuring a resource set including multiple CSI-RS resources or SSB resources. For example, the resource set may include N CSI-RS resources or N SSB resources, where N is a positive integer greater than 1.

[0132] In the action 204, the process 200 may receive, from the BS, a CSI report configuration associated with the resource set. In the action 206, the process 200 may transmit, to the BS, a CSI report based on the CSI report configuration and the resource set. The process 200 may then end.

[0133] The CSI report may include the largest signal quality value among multiple signal quality values corresponding to the CSI-RS resources or SSB resources, a resource index of one of the CSI-RS resources or SSB resources corresponding to the largest signal quality value, and multiple remaining signal quality values corresponding to the signal quality values other than the largest signal quality value. The remaining signal quality values in the CSI report may be arranged based on an order of the CSI-RS resources or SSB resources in the resource set. An example of such a CSI report is provided in Table 1.

[0134] In some implementations, each of the CSI-RS resources or SSB resources in the resource set may correspond to a respective resource index. The CSI-RS resources or SSB resources in the resource set may be arranged in ascending order of the corresponding resource index. For example, the resource set may include CSI-RS resources arranged in ascending order of the corresponding resource index, such as CSI-RS resource ID#2, CSI-RS resource ID#3, CSI-RS resource ID#6, and so on. For example, the resource set may include SSB resources arranged in ascending order of the corresponding resource index, such as SSB resource ID#1, SSB resource ID#2, SSB resource ID#4, and so on. The remaining signal quality values in the CSI report may be arranged based on the order in which the CSI-RS resources or SSB resources are arranged in the resource set.

[0135] In some implementations, the remaining signal quality values in the CSI report may be arranged based on an ascending order of the corresponding resource index of the CSI-RS resources or SSB resources. In some implementations, the remaining signal quality values in the CSI report may be arranged based on a descending order of the corresponding resource index of the CSI-RS resources or SSB resources.

[0136] In some implementations, the number of the CSI-RS resources or SSB resources in the resource set may be equal to the maximum number of CSI-RS resources or SSB resources that is allowed to be configured in the resource set.

[0137] In some implementations, the number of the signal quality values in the CSI report may be based on the number of the CSI-RS resources or SSB resources in the resource set. For example, the resource set may include N CSI-RS resources or N SSB resources, and the CSI report may include N signal quality values, where N is a positive integer greater than 1.

[0138] In some implementations, the signal quality values may correspond to multiple L1-RSRP values. In some implementations, the signal quality values may correspond to multiple L1-RSRQ values. In some implementations, the signal quality values may correspond to multiple L1-SINR values.

[0139] In some implementations, the remaining signal quality values in the CSI report may correspond to multiple differential values relative to the largest signal quality value. In some implementations, the remaining signal quality values may correspond to multiple differential L1-RSRP values. In some implementations, the remaining signal quality values may correspond to multiple differential L1-RSRQ values. In some implementations, the remaining signal quality values may correspond to multiple differential L1-SINR values.

[0140] The steps / actions shown in FIG. 2 should not be construed as necessarily order dependent. The order in which the process is described is not intended to be construed as a limitation. Moreover, some of the actions shown in FIG. 2 may be omitted in some implementations and one or more actions shown in FIG. 2 may be combined.

[0141] The technical problem addressed by the method illustrated in FIG. 2 relates to the structure and ordering of content within a CSI report. Specifically, it concerns how signal quality information for multiple resources is arranged. By explicitly defining the order in which fields appear in the CSI report, the method ensures consistent interpretation between the network and the UE. This structured approach not only avoids ambiguity but also enables more efficient use of signaling resources. Aligning the order of reported values with the order of resources in the configured resource set allows the UE to generate the CSI report and the network to parse it based on a shared reference, thereby improving reliability and reducing the risk of misinterpretation.

[0142] FIG. 3 is a flowchart illustrating a method / process 300 performed by a BS for configuring a beam management operation, according to an example implementation of the present disclosure. In the action 302, the process 300 may start by transmitting, to a UE, an RRC message for configuring a resource set including multiple CSI-RS resources or SSB resources. In the action 304, the process 300 may transmit, to the UE, a CSI report configuration associated with the resource set.

[0143] In the action 306, the process 300 may receive, from the UE, a CSI report based on the CSI report configuration and the resource set. The CSI report may include the largest signal quality value among multiple signal quality values corresponding to the CSI-RS resources or SSB resources, a resource index of one of the CSI-RS resources or SSB resources corresponding to the largest signal quality value, and multiple remaining signal quality values corresponding to the signal quality values other than the largest signal quality value. The remaining signal quality values in the CSI report may be arranged based on an order of the CSI-RS resources or SSB resources in the resource set. The process 300 may then end. The method illustrated in FIG. 3 is similar to that in FIG. 2, except that it is described from the perspective of the BS (instead of the UE).

[0144] FIG. 4 is a block diagram illustrating a node 400 for wireless communication in accordance with various aspects of the present disclosure. As illustrated in FIG. 4, a node 400 may include a transceiver 420, a processor 428, a memory 434, one or more presentation components 438, and at least one antenna 436. The node 400 may also include a radio frequency (RF) spectrum band module, a BS communications module, a network communications module, and a system communications management module, Input / Output (I / O) ports, I / O components, and a power supply (not illustrated in FIG. 4).

[0145] Each of the components may directly or indirectly communicate with each other over one or more buses 440. The node 400 may be a UE or a BS that performs various functions disclosed with reference to FIGS. 1 through 3.

[0146] The transceiver 420 has a transmitter 422 (e.g., transmitting / transmission circuitry) and a receiver 424 (e.g., receiving / reception circuitry) and may be configured to transmit and / or receive time and / or frequency resource partitioning information. The transceiver 420 may be configured to transmit in different types of subframes and slots including, but not limited to, usable, non-usable, and flexibly usable subframes and slot formats. The transceiver 420 may be configured to receive data and control channels.

[0147] The node 400 may include a variety of computer-readable media. Computer-readable media may be any available media that may be accessed by the node 400 and include volatile (and / or non-volatile) media and removable (and / or non-removable) media.

[0148] The computer-readable media may include computer-storage media and communication media. Computer-storage media may include both volatile (and / or non-volatile media), and removable (and / or non-removable) media implemented in any method or technology for storage of information such as computer-readable instructions, data structures, program modules, or data.

[0149] Computer-storage media may include RAM, ROM, EPROM, EEPROM, flash memory (or other memory technology), CD-ROM, Digital Versatile Disks (DVD) (or other optical disk storage), magnetic cassettes, magnetic tape, magnetic disk storage (or other magnetic storage devices), etc. Computer-storage media may not include a propagated data signal. Communication media may typically embody computer-readable instructions, data structures, program modules, or other data in a modulated data signal, such as a carrier wave, or other transport mechanisms and include any information delivery media.

[0150] The term “modulated data signal” may mean a signal that has one or more of its characteristics set or changed in such a manner as to encode information in the signal. Communication media may include wired media, such as a wired network or direct-wired connection, and wireless media, such as acoustic, RF, infrared, and other wireless media. Combinations of any of the above listed components should also be included within the scope of computer-readable media.

[0151] The memory 434 may include computer-storage media in the form of volatile and / or non-volatile memory. The memory 434 may be removable, non-removable, or a combination thereof. Example memory may include solid-state memory, hard drives, optical-disc drives, etc. As illustrated in FIG. 4, the memory 434 may store a computer-readable and / or computer-executable instructions 432 (e.g., software codes) that are configured to, when executed, cause the processor 428 to perform various functions disclosed herein, for example, with reference to FIGS. 1 through 3. Alternatively, the instructions 432 may not be directly executable by the processor 428 but may be configured to cause the node 400 (e.g., when compiled and executed) to perform various functions disclosed herein.

[0152] The processor 428 (e.g., having processing circuitry) may include an intelligent hardware device, e.g., a Central Processing Unit (CPU), a microcontroller, an ASIC, etc. The processor 428 may include memory. The processor 428 may process the data 430 and the instructions 432 received from the memory 434, and information transmitted and received via the transceiver 420, the baseband communications module, and / or the network communications module. The processor 428 may also process information to send to the transceiver 420 for transmission via the antenna 436 to the network communications module for transmission to a CN.

[0153] One or more presentation components 438 may present data indications to a person or another device. Examples of presentation components 438 may include a display device, a speaker, a printing component, a vibrating component, etc.

[0154] In view of the present disclosure, it is obvious that various techniques may be used for implementing the disclosed concepts without departing from the scope of those concepts. Moreover, while the concepts have been disclosed with specific reference to certain implementations, a person of ordinary skill in the art may recognize that changes may be made in form and detail without departing from the scope of those concepts. As such, the disclosed implementations are to be considered in all respects as illustrative and not restrictive. It should also be understood that the present disclosure is not limited to the particular implementations disclosed and many rearrangements, modifications, and substitutions are possible without departing from the scope of the present disclosure.

Claims

1. A User Equipment (UE) for performing a beam management operation, the UE comprising: 　　　　at least one processor; and 　　　　at least one non-transitory computer-readable medium coupled to the at least one processor and storing one or more computer-executable instructions that, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the UE to: 　　　　　　　　receive, from a base station (BS), a Radio Resource Control (RRC) message for configuring a resource set comprising a plurality of Channel State Information-Reference Signal (CSI-RS) resources or Synchronization Signal Block (SSB) resources; 　　　　　　　　receive, from the BS, a CSI report configuration associated with the resource set; and 　　　　　　　　transmit, to the BS, a CSI report based on the CSI report configuration and the resource set, wherein: 　　　　the CSI report comprises a largest signal quality value among a plurality of signal quality values corresponding to the plurality of CSI-RS resources or SSB resources, a resource index of one of the plurality of CSI-RS resources or SSB resources corresponding to the largest signal quality value, and a plurality of remaining signal quality values corresponding to the plurality of signal quality values other than the largest signal quality value, and 　　　　the plurality of remaining signal quality values in the CSI report are arranged based on an order of the plurality of CSI-RS resources or SSB resources in the resource set.

2. The UE of claim 1, wherein: 　　　　each of the plurality of CSI-RS resources or SSB resources in the resource set corresponds to a respective resource index, and 　　　　the plurality of CSI-RS resources or SSB resources in the resource set is arranged in ascending order of the corresponding resource index.

3. The UE of claim 1, wherein: 　　　　a number of the plurality of CSI-RS resources or SSB resources in the resource set is equal to a maximum number of CSI-RS resources or SSB resources that is allowed to be configured in the resource set.

4. The UE of claim 1, wherein: 　　　　a number of the plurality of signal quality values in the CSI report is based on a number of the plurality of CSI-RS resources or SSB resources in the resource set.

5. The UE of claim 1, wherein: 　　　　the plurality of signal quality values corresponds to a plurality of Layer 1-Reference Signal Received Power (L1-RSRP) values.

6. The UE of claim 1, wherein: 　　　　the plurality of remaining signal quality values in the CSI report corresponds to a plurality of differential values relative to the largest signal quality value.

7. A Base Station (BS) for configuring a beam management operation, the BS comprising: 　　　　at least one processor; and 　　　　at least one non-transitory computer-readable medium coupled to the at least one processor and storing one or more computer-executable instructions that, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the BS to: 　　　　　　　　transmit, to a User Equipment (UE), a Radio Resource Control (RRC) message for configuring a resource set comprising a plurality of Channel State Information-Reference Signal (CSI-RS) resources or Synchronization Signal Block (SSB) resources; 　　　　　　　　transmit, to the UE, a CSI report configuration associated with the resource set; and 　　　　　　　　receive, from the UE, a CSI report based on the CSI report configuration and the resource set, wherein: 　　　　the CSI report comprises a largest signal quality value among a plurality of signal quality values corresponding to the plurality of CSI-RS resources or SSB resources, a resource index of one of the plurality of CSI-RS resources or SSB resources corresponding to the largest signal quality value, and a plurality of remaining signal quality values corresponding to the plurality of signal quality values other than the largest signal quality value, and 　　　　the plurality of remaining signal quality values in the CSI report are arranged based on an order of the plurality of CSI-RS resources or SSB resources in the resource set.

8. The BS of claim 7, wherein: 　　　　each of the plurality of CSI-RS resources or SSB resources in the resource set corresponds to a respective resource index, and 　　　　the plurality of CSI-RS resources or SSB resources in the resource set is arranged in ascending order of the corresponding resource index.

9. The BS of claim 7, wherein: 　　　　a number of the plurality of CSI-RS resources or SSB resources in the resource set is equal to a maximum number of CSI-RS resources or SSB resources that is allowed to be configured in the resource set.

10. The BS of claim 7, wherein: 　　　　a number of the plurality of signal quality values in the CSI report is based on a number of the plurality of CSI-RS resources or SSB resources in the resource set.

11. The BS of claim 7, wherein: 　　　　the plurality of signal quality values corresponds to a plurality of Layer 1-Reference Signal Received Power (L1-RSRP) values.

12. The BS of claim 7, wherein: 　　　　the plurality of remaining signal quality values in the CSI report corresponds to a plurality of differential values relative to the largest signal quality value.

13. A method performed by a User Equipment (UE) for performing a beam management operation, the method comprising: 　　　　receiving, from a base station (BS), a Radio Resource Control (RRC) message for configuring a resource set comprising a plurality of Channel State Information-Reference Signal (CSI-RS) resources or Synchronization Signal Block (SSB) resources; 　　　　receiving, from the BS, a CSI report configuration associated with the resource set; and 　　　　transmitting, to the BS, a CSI report based on the CSI report configuration and the resource set, wherein: 　　　　the CSI report comprises a largest signal quality value among a plurality of signal quality values corresponding to the plurality of CSI-RS resources or SSB resources, a resource index of one of the plurality of CSI-RS resources or SSB resources corresponding to the largest signal quality value, and a plurality of remaining signal quality values corresponding to the plurality of signal quality values other than the largest signal quality value, and 　　　　the plurality of remaining signal quality values in the CSI report are arranged based on an order of the plurality of CSI-RS resources or SSB resources in the resource set.

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