Beam power backoff information aided PMI and CQI reporting with power boosting

Abstract

Systems and methods are disclosed that enable beam power backoff information aided Channel State Information (CSI) reporting with power boosting. In one embodiment, a method performed by a User Equipment (UE) comprises obtaining Spatial Domain (SD) basis power scaling factors for respective SD basis vectors and, for each Rank Indicator (RI) and Precoding Matrix Indicator (PMI) hypothesis of a set of hypotheses, converting the SD basis power scaling factors into per-layer power scaling factors for the hypothesis and generating adjusted per-layer power scaling factors for the hypothesis such that, for the adjusted per-layer power scaling factors, a total power utilization factor for the adjusted per-layer power scaling factors is equal to 1 and the SD basis power scaling factors are not exceeded. The method further comprises determining CSI feedback in a manner that takes into consideration the adjusted per-layer power scaling factors for each hypothesis and reporting the CSI feedback.

Description

BEAM POWER BACKOFF INFORMATION AIDED PMI AND CQI REPORTING WITH POWER BOOSTING RELATED APPLICATIONS

[0001] This application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 63 / 697,225, filed September 20, 2024, the disclosure of which is hereby incorporated herein by reference in its entirety. TECHNICAL FIELD

[0002] The present disclosure relates to a cellular or wireless communications system and, more specifically, to Channel State Information (CSI) feedback in a cellular or wireless communications system. BACKGROUND Codebook-Based Precoding

[0003] Multi-antenna techniques can significantly increase the data rates and reliability of a wireless communication system. The performance is in particular improved if both the transmitter and the receiver are equipped with multiple antennas, which results in a Multiple-Input Multiple- Output (MIMO) communication channel. Such systems and / or related techniques are commonly referred to as MIMO.

[0004] A core component of the 5thGeneration (5G) wireless network or New Radio (NR) is the support of MIMO antenna deployments and MIMO related techniques such as spatial multiplexing. Spatial multiplexing can be used to increase data rates in favorable channel conditions. Figure 1 shows an example of spatial multiplexing. An information carrying symbolvector ^^^^ is multiplied by an ^^^^^^^^ × ^^^^ precoding matrix or precoder ^^^^, which serves to distribute thetransmit energy in a subspace of the ^^^^^^^^dimensional vector space. The precoding matrix is typically selected from a codebook of possible precoding matrices and typically indicated by means of a Precoding Matrix Indicator (PMI), which specifies a unique precoding matrix in the codebook for a given number of symbol streams. The ^^^^ symbols in ^^^^ each correspond to a MIMO layer, and ^^^^ is referred to as the transmission rank, which equals to the number of columns of theprecoder ^^^^ . In this way, spatial multiplexing is achieved since multiple symbols can betransmitted simultaneously over the same time / frequency Resource Element (RE). The number of symbols ^^^^ is typically adapted to suit the current channel properties.

[0005] NR uses Orthogonal Frequency Division Multiplexing (OFDM) in downlink. Thereceived ^^^^^^^^ × 1 vector ^^^^^^^^ at a User Equipment (UE) on a certain RE can be expressed as^^^^^^^^ = ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ + ^^^^^^^^where ^^^^^^^^is a receiver noise / interference vector. The precoder ^^^^ can be constant over frequency (i.e., wideband), or frequency selective (i.e., per subband).

[0006] The precoder ^^^^ is chosen to match the characteristics of the ^^^^^^^^ × ^^^^^^^^ MIMO channelmatrix ^^^^^^^^, resulting in so-called channel dependent precoding. This is also commonly referred to as closed-loop precoding.

[0007] In closed-loop precoding, the UE feeds back recommendations on a suitable precoder to the NR base station (i.e., the gNodeB, gNB) in the form of a PMI based on downlink channel measurements. For that purpose, the UE is configured with a Channel State Information (CSI) report configuration including CSI Reference Signals (CSI-RS) for channel measurements and a codebook of candidate precoders. In addition to precoders, the feedback may also include a Rank Indicator (RI) and one or two Channel Quality Indicators (CQIs). RI, PMI and CQI are part of a CSI feedback. In NR, CSI feedback can be either wideband, where one CSI is reported for the entire channel bandwidth, or frequency-selective, where one CSI is reported for each subband, which is defined as a number of contiguous Physical Resource Blocks (PRBs) ranging between 4- 32 PRBs depending on the Band Width Part (BWP) size.

[0008] Given the CSI feedback from the UE, the gNB determines the transmission parameters it wishes to use to transmit to the UE, including the precoding matrix, transmission rank, and Modulation and Coding Scheme (MCS). 2D Antenna Arrays

[0009] Two-dimensional (2D) antenna arrays are widely used and such antenna arrays can be described by a number of antenna ports, ^^^^1, in a first dimension (e.g., the horizontal dimension), a number of antenna ports, ^^^^2, in the second dimension perpendicular to the first dimension (e.g., the vertical dimension), and a number of polarizations ^^^^^^^^. The total number of antenna ports isthus ^^^^ = ^^^^1^^^^2^^^^^^^^. The concept of an antenna port is non-limiting in the sense that it can refer toany virtualization (e.g., linear mapping) to the physical antenna elements. For example, pairs of physical antenna elements could be fed the same signal, and hence share the same virtualized antenna port.

[0010] An example of a 4 × 4 (i.e., ^^^^1 × ^^^^2,) array with dual-polarized antenna elements(i.e., ^^^^^^^^ = 2) is illustrated below in Figure 2.

[0011] Precoding may be interpreted as multiplying the signal to be transmitted by a set of beamforming weights on the antenna ports prior to transmission. A typical approach is to tailor the precoder to the antenna form factor, i.e. taking into account ^^^^1,^^^^2and ^^^^^^^^when designing the precoder codebook.Channel State Information Reference Signals (CSI-RS)

[0012] For CSI measurement and feedback, CSI-RS are defined. A CSI-RS is transmitted on an antenna port at the gNB and is used by a UE to measure downlink channel between the antenna port and each of the UE’s receive antenna ports. The transmit antenna ports are also referred to as CSI-RS ports. The supported number of CSI-RS ports in NR are {1,2,4,8,12,16,24,32}. In Release 19, this list was extended to also include 48, 64, and 128. 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 Non-Zero Power (NZP) CSI-RS.

[0013] CSI-RS can be configured to be transmitted in certain REs in a slot and certain slots. Figure 3 shows an example of CSI-RS REs for 12 antenna ports, where 1RE per RB per port is shown.

[0014] In addition, Interference Measurement Resource (IMR) is also defined in NR for a UE to measure interference. An IMR resource contains 4 REs, either 4 adjacent RE in frequency in the same OFDM symbol or 2 by 2 adjacent REs in both time and frequency in a slot. By measuring both the channel based on NZP CSI-RS and the interference based on an IMR, a UE can estimate the effective channel and noise plus interference to determine the CSI. Furthermore, a UE in NR may be configured to measure interference based on one or multiple NZP CSI-RS resource. CSI Framework in NR

[0015] In NR, a UE can be configured with multiple CSI reporting settings and multiple CSI- RS resource settings. Each resource setting can contain multiple resource sets, and each resource set can contain up to 8 CSI-RS resources. For each CSI reporting setting, a UE feeds back a CSI report.

[0016] Each CSI reporting setting contains at least the following information: • A CSI-RS resource setting for channel measurement • An IMR resource set for interference measurement • Optionally, a CSI-RS resource set for interference measurement • Time-domain behavior, i.e. periodic, semi-persistent, or aperiodic reporting • Frequency granularity, i.e. wideband or subband • CSI parameters to be reported such as RI, PMI, CQI, and CSI-RS Resource Indicator (CRI) in case of multiple CSI-RS resources in a resource set • Codebook types, i.e. type I or II, and codebook subset restriction • Measurement restriction• Subband size. One out of two possible subband sizes is indicated, the value range depends on the bandwidth of the BWP. One CQI / PMI (if configured for subband reporting) is fed back per subband). DFT-Based Precoders

[0017] A common type of precoding is to use a Discrete Fourier Transform (DFT)-precoder, where the precoder vector used to precode a single-layer transmission using a single-polarized uniform linear array (ULA) with ^^^^ antennas is defined aswhere ^^^^ = 0,1, …^^^^^^^^ − 1 is the precoder index and ^^^^ is an integer oversampling factor. ^^^^^^^^ is alsoreferred to as a one-dimensional (1D) DFT vector (1D DFT vector) or beam with beam index ^^^^. If the ULA is along the horizontal dimension, each DFT beam points to an azimuth direction. If the ULA is along the vertical dimension, each DFT beam points to an elevation direction. Each precoder corresponds to a DFT beam.

[0018] A corresponding precoder vector for a two-dimensional Uniform Planar Array (UPA) with ^^^^1antenna ports in one dimension and ^^^^2antenna ports in another dimension can be defined as specified in 3rdGeneration Partnership Project (3GPP) Technical Specification (TS) 38.214 V18.0.0:In the above, ^^^^1and ^^^^2are the over sampling factors in the two dimensions associated with ^^^^1and ^^^^2, respectively. ^^^^^^^^,^^^^is also referred to as a two-dimensional (2D) DFT beam characterizedby two beam indices (^^^^,^^^^), one in each dimension. Each such vector(^^^^ = 0, … ,^^^^1^^^^11; ^^^^ = 0, … ,^^^^2^^^^2 − 1) corresponds to a 2D DFT beam.

[0019] Extending the 2D DFT vectors for dual-polarized UPA may then be done aswhere ^^^^^^^^ = ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ / 2 is a co-phasing factor that may be selected from M-Phase Shift Keying (PSK)alphabet such as Quadrature Phase-Shift Keying (QPSK) with ^^^^ = 0, 1, 2, 3, and ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^−^^^^^^^^ is thenumber of CSI-RS ports. This is the codebook for single layer CSI report with ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^−^^^^^^^^ports.

[0020] A precoder matrix for multi-layer transmission may be created by appending columns of 2D DFT vectors. An example for 2-layer precoder matrix is given as.

[0021] Such DFT-based precoders are used for instance in NR Type I CSI feedback, where each layer is associated with a 2D DFT beam. The NR Type I CSI feedback consisting of such DFT-based precoders is defined in clause 5.2.2.2.1 of 3GPP TS 38.214. Beam Power Backoff at the Network for Coexistence

[0022] For large arrays and large arrays of subarrays, a beam, precoding vector, or a 2D-DFT vector ^^^^^^^^,^^^^, with its largest spatial gain in a desired spatial direction, may produce a sidelobe or a grating lobe in an undesired direction with a high spatial gain. Such high gain in undesired directions may create interference to other systems with which the current network / system is co- existing by sharing the same time and frequency resources. Also, the gain in the desired direction may cause interference to other systems.

[0023] To reduce the interference towards the other systems, the network may choose to not use the beams / precoding vector / 2D-DFT vectors / 2D-DFT spatial basis vectors that result in high gains towards the victim system. Alternatively, the network may apply a beam / precoding vector / 2D-DFT vector specific / 2D-DFT spatial basis vector power back-off to control the interference towards the other systems with which it co-exists. Beam / 2D-DFT Vector Selection at UE

[0024] Let channel for PRB ^^^^ be given by1,2,⋯ ,^^^^PRB,where ^^^^^^^^ is the number of receiver antennas and ^^^^^^^^ = 2^^^^1^^^^2is the number of transmitted CSI-RS ports. The wideband channel transmit correlation matrix is given by ^^^^^^^^ = ∑^^^^ ^^^^^^H^^ ^^^^^^^^ ∈ ℂ^^^^T×^^^^T.The precoder matrix ^^^^^^^^for rank ^^^^ and ^^^^-th subband can be decomposed aswhere is a wideband precoder matrix composed of ^^^^ 2D-DFT vectors or beamforming duplicated over two polarizations and ^^^^2,^^^^is a matrix for subband ^^^^ that linearly combines thevectors in ^^^^1. The number of 2D-DFT vectors, ^^^^, is a function of the rank ^^^^. In an example, ^^^^ =1,2,2,2,3,3,4 and 4 for ^^^^ = 1, 2,3,4, 5, 6, 7 and 8, respectively.

[0025] The matrix ^^^^1is of the form^^^^ ^^^^

[0026] The best wideband precoder ^^^^1∗among all the allowed ^^^^1is given by ^^^^∗ = arg max

[0027] The matrix ^^^^is normalized such that each column has a norm ofwhere ^^^^ is the transmission rank. SUMMARY

[0028] Systems and methods are disclosed that enable beam power backoff information aided Channel State Information (CSI) reporting with power boosting. In one embodiment, a method performed by a User Equipment (UE) comprises obtaining Spatial Domain (SD) basis power scaling factors for respective SD basis vectors and, for each Rank Indicator (RI) and Precoding Matrix Indicator (PMI) hypothesis of a set of RI and PMI hypotheses for determining CSI feedback, converting the SD basis power scaling factors into per-layer power scaling factors for the RI and PMI hypothesis and generating adjusted per-layer power scaling factors for the RI and PMI hypothesis such that, for the adjusted per-layer power scaling factors, a total power utilization factor for the adjusted per-layer power scaling factors is equal to 1 and the SD basis power scaling factors are not exceeded. The method further comprises determining a CSI feedback in a manner that takes into consideration the adjusted per-layer power scaling factors for each RI and PMI hypothesis and sending, to a network node, a CSI report comprising the determined CSI feedback. Embodimetns of the present disclosure may be used to enable the total available power for downlink transmission can be fully utilized while satisfying the power backoffs indicated by the network, e.g., to ensure coexistence.

[0029] In one embodiment, the SD basis power scaling factors are per beam power scaling factors or per-beam-group power scaling factors obtained for respective beams or for respective beam groups.

[0030] In one embodiment, the determined CSI feedback comprises a RI, PMI, and Channel Quality Indicator (CQI).

[0031] In one embodiment, generating the adjusted per-layer power scaling factors for the RI and PMI hypothesis comprises applying a normalization to the per-layer power scaling factors for the RI and PMI hypothesis. In one embodiment, applying the normalization to the per-layer power scaling factors for the RI and PMI hypothesis comprises applying the normalization to the per- layer power scaling factors for the RI and PMI hypothesis in accordance withwhere ^^^^^^∗^^is the adjusted per-layer scaling factor for the i-th SD basis vector, ^^�^^^^^^is the per-layer power scaling factor for the i-th SD basis vector, and ^^�^^ is an unbounded total power utilization factor for the per-layer power scaling factors.

[0032] In one embodiment, generating the adjusted per-layer power scaling factors for the RI and PMI hypothesis comprises distributing non-utilized power among one or more of the SD basis vectors that can be power boosted without breaking a per-beam power constraint.

[0033] In one embodiment, generating the adjusted per-layer power scaling factors for the RI and PMI hypothesis comprises adjusting only one or more of the per-layer power scaling factors that correspond to one or more of the SD basis vectors that are power boosted such that the total power utilization after the adjustment is equal to 1, the one or more SD basis vectors that are power boosted are those for which the per-layer power scaling factors are greater than 1.

[0034] In one embodiment, generating the adjusted per-layer power scaling factors for the RI and PMI hypothesis comprises (a) setting a temporary per-layer power scaling factor (^̅^^^^^^^) for the i-th SD basis vector equal to the per-layer power scaling factor (^^�^^^^^^) for the i-th SD basis vector, for all SD basis vectors^^^^ ∈ ^^^^back, where ^^^^back is a subset that contains beam indices of beams within widebandprecoder (^^^^^^^^) that have power scaling factors ^̅^^^^^^^ ≤ 1;(b) computing ^^^^rem = 1 −1 ^^^^∑ ∀^^^^∈^^^^back ^^^^^^^^ ^̅^^^^^^^, where ^^^^ is a known rank and ^^^^^^^^ is a number oflayers carried on the i-th SD basis vector or beam; (c) setting the temporary per-layer scaling factor ( ^̅^^^^^^^ ) for the i-th SD basis vector qualto ^^^^^^^^^^^^�^^�^^^^^^ , ∑for all SD basis vectors ^^^^ ∈ ^^^^boost, where ^^^^boost is a subset thatcontains beam indices of beams withinthat have power scaling factors ^̅^^^^^^^ >(d) for allproceeding to step (g);(e) for each ^^^^ ∈ ^^^^boost, if ^̅^^^^^^^ <^^^^rem∑ ∀^^^^∈^^^^boost ^^^^^^^^, adding the SD basis vector index ^^^^ to ^^^^backand removing the SD basis vector index ^^^^ from ^^^^boost; (f) if ^^^^boostis an empty set, proceeding to step (g), else returning to step (b). (g) setting the adjusted per-layer power scaling factor (^^^^^^∗^^) for the i-th SD basis vector equal to ^̅^^^^^^^.

[0035] In one embodiment, the method further comprises reporting at least some of the adjusted per-layer power scaling factors to the network.

[0036] In one embodiment, the method further comprises reporting the adjusted per-layer power scaling factors associated to the RI and PMI hypothesis that corresponds to the reported CSI feedback to the network node.

[0037] In one embodiment, converting the SD basis power scaling factors into the per-layer power scaling factors for the RI and PMI hypothesis comprises converting the SD basis power scaling factors into the per-layer power scaling factors for the RI and PMI hypothesis in accordance with:where is the per-layer power scaling factor for the i-th SD basis vector, ^^^^^^^^^^^^,^^^^^^^^is the SD basis power scaling factor for the i-th SD basis vector, ^^^^ is a rank of final precoder matrix ^^^^^^^^, and ^^^^^^^^is the number of layers that are transmitted using the ^^^^-th SD basis vector.

[0038] In one embodiment, the total power utilization factor for the per-layer power scaling factors for the RI and PMI hypothesis is defined as:where L is the number of SD basis vectors.

[0039] In one embodiment, the method further comprises receiving, from the network node, information that configures how the UE performs the generating adjusted per-layer power scaling factors for the RI and PMI hypothesis.

[0040] Corresponding embodiments of a UE are also disclosed. In one embodiment, a UE is adapted to obtain SD basis power scaling factors for respective SD basis vectors and, for each RI and PMI hypothesis of a set of RI and PMI hypotheses for determining CSI feedback, convert the SD basis power scaling factors into per-layer power scaling factors for the RI and PMI hypothesis and generate adjusted per-layer power scaling factors for the RI and PMI hypothesis such that, for the adjusted per-layer power scaling factors, a total power utilization factor for the adjusted per- layer power scaling factors is equal to 1 and the SD basis power scaling factors are not exceeded. The UE is further adapted to determine a CSI feedback in a manner that takes into consideration the adjusted per-layer power scaling factors for each RI and PMI hypothesis and send, to a network node, a CSI report comprising the determined CSI feedback.

[0041] 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. The processing circuitry configured to cause the UE to obtain SD basis power scaling factors for respective SD basis vectors and, for each RI and PMI hypothesis of a set of RI and PMI hypotheses for determining CSI feedback, convert the SD basis power scalingfactors into per-layer power scaling factors for the RI and PMI hypothesis and generate adjusted per-layer power scaling factors for the RI and PMI hypothesis such that, for the adjusted per-layer power scaling factors, a total power utilization factor for the adjusted per-layer power scaling factors is equal to 1 and the SD basis power scaling factors are not exceeded. The processing circuitry is further configured to cause the UE to determine a CSI feedback in a manner that takes into consideration the adjusted per-layer power scaling factors for each RI and PMI hypothesis and send, to a network node, a CSI report comprising the determined CSI feedback.

[0042] Embodiments of a method performed by a network node are also disclosed. In one embodiment, a method performed by a network node comprises sending, to a UE, SD basis power scaling factors for respective SD basis vectors and sending, to the UE, information that configures how the UE is to perform power scaling factor adjustment.

[0043] Corresponding embodiments of a network node are also disclosed. In one embodiment, a network node is adapted to send, to a UE, SD basis power scaling factors for respective SD basis vectors and send, to the UE, information that configures how the UE is to perform power scaling factor adjustment.

[0044] In one embodiment, a network node comprises processing circuitry configured to cause the network node to send, to a UE, SD basis power scaling factors for respective SD basis vectors and send, to the UE, information that configures how the UE is to perform power scaling factor adjustment. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0045] 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.

[0046] Figure 1 illustrates a transmission structure of spatial multiplexing in New Radio (NR);

[0047] Figure 2 is an illustration of a two-dimensional antenna array of dual-polarized antenna elements (Np=2), with N1=4 horizontal antenna elements and N2=4 vertical antenna elements;

[0048] Figure 3 illustrates an example of Resource Element (RE) allocation for a 12-port Channel State Information Reference Signal (CSI-RS) in NR;

[0049] Figure 4A is a flow chart that illustrates the operation of a User Equipment (UE) in accordance with embodiments of the present disclosure;

[0050] Figure 4B is a flow chart that illustrates the operation of a network node in accordance with embodiments of the present disclosure;

[0051] Figure 5 shows an example of a communication system in accordance with some embodiments of the present disclosure;

[0052] Figure 6 shows a UE in accordance with some embodiments of the present disclosure;

[0053] Figure 7 shows a network node in accordance with some embodiments of the present disclosure; and

[0054] Figure 8 is a block diagram illustrating a virtualization environment in which functions implemented by some embodiments may be virtualized in accordance with some embodiments of the present disclosure. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0055] 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.

[0056] 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.

[0057] Throughout the present disclosure, the term ‘beam’ is used to describe a precoding vector in a PMI codebook. Other terminologies such as ‘2D-DFT vector’, ‘2D-DFT spatial basis vector’, or ‘spatial domain (SD) basis vector’ may equivalently be used to describe a beam or precoding vector.

[0058] The ”WRC 23 Resolution COM4 / 7: Terrestrial component of IMT within the frequency band 6425–7125 MHz” limits the level of expected Effective Isotropic Radiated Power (EIRP) (also called Equivalent Isotropic Radiated Power) spectral density as a function of the vertical angle above the horizon. For large arrays and large arrays of subarrays, a two-dimensional (2D) Discrete Fourier Transform (DFT) (i.e., 2D-DFT) vector ^^^^^^^^,^^^^, with its largest spatial gain in a desired spatial direction may produce a sidelobe or a grating lobe in an undesired direction with a high spatial gain. Such high gain in undesired directions may create interference to other systems with which the terrestrial network plans to co-exist by sharing the same time and frequency resources. Also, the gain in the desired direction may cause interference to other systems, e.g., to satellite systems if the main beam is pointing above the horizon to serve User Equipments (UEs) in tall buildings.

[0059] To ensure coexistence with other systems and to limit interference to these other systems, solutions have been proposed for beam-specific power backoff aware Precoding Matrix Indicator (PMI) and Channel Quality Indicator (CQI) selection. In the case of Channel StateInformation (CSI) feedback based precoding and when the network is unaware of the full channel information, the network node (e.g., the New Radio (NR) base station, which is referred to as a gNodeB, gNB) can apply a beam-specific power backoff that reduces the power of a subset of the beams that has been indicated by the reported PMI in order to comply with regulatory emission masks. Such a precoder may be sub-optimal compared to the case when the UE is aware of the beam-specific power backoffs applied by the network node. If the UE was aware of the applied backoffs, it may have selected another precoder by taking the power backoffs into account. The power backoff may also lead to a mismatch in the reported CQI for Modulation and Coding Scheme (MCS) selection when the UE is not aware of the backoff. The network can to some extent compensate for this mismatch by adjusting the CQI of a codeword reported by the UE. However, the adjusted CQI of a codeword may not accurately match the CQI that could have been calculated if the UE was aware of the applied power backoffs.

[0060] In an effort to aid the UEs to select the beams and calculate a more accurate CQI, the network may signal to the UEs the information related to restricted beams and beam specific power backoff that the network would apply on the allowed beams. For each beam ^^^^^^^^,^^^^, indexed through a first spatial dimension index ^^^^ and a second spatial dimension index ^^^^, a power backoff, ^^^^^^^^,^^^^, may be signaled to the UE. Alternatively, a power backoff may be signaled for a group of beams (i.e., one power backoff value signaled for a group of beams for multiple beam groups).

[0061] As an example, the precoder matrix ^^^^^^^^ for rank ^^^^ and ^^^^ -th subband can bedecomposed as ^^^^^^^^ =is a wideband precoder matrix composed of ^^^^ beams and^^^^2,^^^^is a matrix for subband ^^^^ that either linearly combines the beams inor contains co- phasing factors corresponding to the ^^^^ beams. It has been proposed that a UE uses the information of the power backoff value to determine power backoff scaled wideband precoder candidates according towhere ^^^^ is the rank of final precoder matrix ^^^^^^^^, ^^^^^^^^is the number of layers that are transmitted using the ^^^^-th beamis the power backoff value associated with beam.number of beams, ^^^^, may be a function of the rank ^^^^. In an example, ^^^^ = 1,2,2,2,3,3,4, and 4 for^^^^ = 1, 2,3,4, 5, 6, 7, and 8, respectively. In another example, ^^^^ = 1,2,3,4,5,6,7, and 8 for ^^^^ =1, 2,3,4, 5, 6, 7, and 8, respectively.

[0062] In an example, for transmission rank ^^^^ = 3 , the first two spatial layers may betransmitted using the first beamin ^�^^^1, in which case= 2.

[0063] The best power backoff scaled wideband precoder ^�^^^1∗selected by the UE among allthe allowed ^�^^^1 candidates is given by^�^^^1∗ = arg max tracewhere ^^^^^^^^is the wideband channel transmit correlation matrix.

[0064] There currently exist certain challenge(s). When the amplitude scaling factor given byis used for the beam candidatethe power backoff scaled wideband precoder ^�^^^1∗selected by the UE may not utilize the total available power at the gNB for Physical Downlink Shared Channel (PDSCH) transmission.

[0065] In an example with Rank ^^^^ = 3, the precoder matrix hypothesis is composed of twounique beams indexed with 0 and 1. The first beam carries two layers while the second beamcarries one layer, i.e., ^^^0^ = 2= 1. The power scaling factors for the first and the secondbeams are ^^^^0 = 0.6 and= 0.5, respectively. The bounded power scaling factors are given by^̂^^^0 = min�1,^^^^^^^^0^^^0^� = 0.9,^^^^^^^^1^^^1^� = 1.In this case, the PDSCH transmit power when using the bounded factors is given by0.9 + 1 × 1)^^^^^^^^^^^^ = 0.933^^^^^^^^^^^^,where ^^^^^^^^^^^^is the total available power for PDSCH transmission. Hence, only 93.3% of the available power is utilized for the PDSCH transmission in this example. This may lead to decreased performance. How to improve performance when beam based power backoff is applied for PDSCH transmission is an open problem to be solved.

[0066] Certain aspects of the disclosure and their embodiments may provide solutions to these or other challenges. Embodiments of systems and methods are disclosed herein to adjust amplitude / power scaling factors of candidate beams to fully utilize a total available power for downlink (e.g., PDSCH) transmission while satisfying power backoffs indicated by the network, e.g., to ensure coexistence.

[0067] In one embodiment, a method performed by a UE for CSI calculation, the UE being configured to report Type-I CSI with scaling factors applied to spatial domain (SD) basis vectors in a codebook, comprises: • for each RI and PMI hypothesis of at least a subset of a set of RI and PMI hypotheses:o converting configured Spatial Domain (SD) basis scaling factors to per-layer scaling factors according to the RI and PMI hypothesis; o calculating a PDSCH power utilization factor for the per-layer scaling factors; o applying a power adjustment to the scaling factors so that the PDSCH power utilization factor after the power adjustment becomes one and the configured SD basis scaling factors are not exceeded; • determining RI, PMI, and CQI taking the adjusted scaling factors into account; • sending a CSI report including the determined RI, PMI, and CQI to a network node.

[0068] Certain embodiments may provide one or more of the following technical advantage(s). For example, using embodiments of the present disclosure, the total available power for PDSCH transmission can be fully utilized while satisfying the power backoffs indicated by the network, e.g., to ensure coexistence. The teachings of certain embodiments may improve, e.g., a data rate of the Radio Access Network (RAN).

[0069] Now, a more detailed description of embodiments of the present disclosure will be provided.

[0070] Consider a ^^^^1hypothesis of the formwhere ^^^^^^^^^^^^,^^^^^^^^is the ^^^^-th 2D-DFT beam in thehypothesis. A UE uses information of the power backoff values corresponding to the 2D-DFT beams (which may be configured by a network node such as, e.g., a gNB) to determine power backoff scaled wideband precoder hypothesis given bywhereand ^^^^ is the amplitude scaling factor for the ^^^^-th 2D-DFT beam the hypothesis. The total power utilization is then calculated as

[0071] Let ^^^^^^^^^^^^,^^^^^^^^be the power scaling factor indicated by the network to the UE, wherein the power scaling factor ^^^^^^^^^^^^,^^^^^^^^is an additional scaling applied to the power control offset (e.g., powerControlOffset as described in clause 5.2.2.3.1 of 3GPP TS 38.214 V18.3.0) configured in the Non-Zero Power (NZP) CSI-RS resource(s) used for channel measurement when beam ^^^^^^^^^^^^,^^^^^^^^is assumed for a rank-one PDSCH transmission with the single layer. In a multi-layer (i.e., rank >1) transmission when the layers are distributed over multiple beams, each beam will not be allocated the full PDSCH power. Therefore, the scaling factors need to be adjusted by the number of layers carried by the beam relative to the total number of layers. Assuming that the PDSCHpower is split equally among the layers, the per-beam scaling factors are converted to per-layer scaling factors according toThese scaling factors are referred to herein as unbounded power scaling factors since some scaling factors may become greater than one which would mean boosting the power of a layer beyond (1 / ^^^^).

[0072] A total power utilization factor for the unbounded power scaling factors can be computed aswhere ^�^^^ = 1 means that the full available PDSCH power in the gNB is utilized if it is transmittedwith these scaling factors applied to the PMI.

[0073] In order to avoid power boosting of layers beyond (1 / ^^^^), bounded scaling factors are defined according toand a corresponding bounded total power utilization can be calculated as

[0074] The problem addressed herein is that the unbounded power utilization may exceed one or that the bounded / unbounded power utilization may be less than one, depending on the configured beam power backoff values, the selected rank, and precoder hypothesis. Clearly, a power utilization greater than one cannot be realized since it would require more transmit (Tx) power than what is available in the gNB. A power utilization less than one is not desired either since that does not utilize the full power in the gNB. In the following, two different methods that achieve full power utilization while fulfilling the requirements on the allowed transmitted power per beam are described.

[0075] In a first method (“Method 1”), a normalization preserving the relative power scaling is applied. More specifically, in the first method, the scaling factors applied to beams in a ^^^^1hypothesis are normalized such that the total power utilization becomes 1 while preserving the relative values of the unbounded power scaling factors. Consider the same example as previouslydescribed with rank ^^^^ = 3 , two beams with power scaling factors ^^^^0 = 0.6 and ^^^^1 = 0.5 ,respectively, and that the first beam carries two layers and the second beam carries one layer, i.e.,^^^0^ = 1. The unbounded power scaling factors are given by^^�^^0 =^^^^^^^^0^^^^0 = 0.9, ^^�^^1 =^^^^^^^^1^^^1^= 1.5.and the unbounded total power utilization becomes0.9 + 1 × 1.5) = 1.1Since the power utilization is greater than one, the power scaling factors need to be reduced in some way. In this method, a normalization is applied to the unbounded scaling factors so that the total power utilization becomes one while preserving the relation between the unbounded power scaling factors for different beams. This can be achieved by diving each scaling factor by the unbounded total power utilization according to ^^^^^^∗^^= ^�^^^^^^^^�^^^ . The final power utilization after this normalization then becomesClearly, the power utilization is now one and the relation between the unbounded power scaling factors for different beams has not been changed.

[0076] If the unbounded total power utilization before normalization is less than one, this normalization is not needed since the total PDSCH power is not exceeded. Therefore, in more general terms, the final scaling factors can be obtained according to

[0077] Advantages with Method 1 are that it can be implemented with very low complexity, and it preserves the intended beam power backoff profile given by the configured scaling factors. Furthermore, it does not require any signaling of adjusted scaling factors from the UE to the network since the network can infer the final scaling adjustment from the reported PMI and RI. For instance, from the reported PMI and RI, the network knows which beams are selected for the different layers and the network also knows the power scaling factors associated with these beams. The network can then calculate unbounded power scaling factors ^^�^^^^^^and the unbounded total power utilization ^^�^^ from the information included in PMI and RI reported by the UE. The final scaling factors ^^^^^^∗^^can then be determined by the network.

[0078] In a second method (“Method 2”), a power redistribution scheme is used. When a subset of beams in the1hypothesis has unbounded scaling factors greater than or equal to 1, another subset of beams has unbounded scaling factors smaller than 1, and the unbounded total power utilization is less than 1, some of the beams can be power boosted under the constraint that total power utilization is 1.

[0079] In the second method, the non-utilized power is distributed among beams that can be power boosted without breaking the per-beam power constraint.

[0080] In an embodiment, for the case where the ^^^^1hypothesis is composed of two unique beams, the following procedure is used to compute the scaling factors: 1) If ^^�^^^^^^ < 1 for all the beams, this implies that all the beams in the hypothesis need to bepower backed off and therefore the scaling factors are given by2) If ^^�^^^^^^ > 1 for all the beams, this implies that all the beams can be boosted. However, dueto the PDSCH total transmit power constraint they cannot be scaled using ^^�^^^^^^. a. In one variant of this embodiment, the scaling factors are bounded and given by ^^^^^^∗^^ = 1.b. In an alternative variant of this embodiment, the scaling factors are normalized and given by3) If ^^�^^^^^^ > 1, ^^�^^^^^^≠^^^^ ≤ 1 and ^�^^^ ≤ 1, this implies that one beam needs to be power backed off,the other beams can be boosted while satisfying the PDSCH total transmit power constraint. Therefore, the scaling factors are given by ^^^^^^∗^^ = ^^�^^^^^^.4) If ^^�^^^^^^ > 1, ^^�^^^^^^≠^^^^ ≤ 1 and ^�^^^ > 1, this implies that one beam needs to be power backed off,the other beams can be boosted. However, if ^^�^^^^^^ and ^^�^^^^^^ are used directly, the PDSCH totaltransmit power constraint cannot be met. Therefore, the scaling is updated as

[0081] Consider the same example as previously with the unbounded power scaling factors ^^�^^0 =^^^^^^^^0^^^^0 = 0.9,1.5.and the unbounded power utilization0.9 + 1 × 1.5) = 1.1.

[0082] In this method, instead of scaling the unbounded power scaling factors with the samenormalization factor, only the beam that already has been boosted (i.e., beam 1 with ^^�^^1 = 1.5) isre-scaled. The re-scaling is calculated so that the beam is only boosted up to a limit so that the total power utilization becomes one, i.e. ^^^^0∗ = ^^�^^0 = 0.9, ^^^^1∗ = min�^^�^^1 , ^^^^ − ^^^0^ ^^�^^0^^^1^� = 1.2so that the final power utilization becomes 0.9 + 1 × 1.2) = 1.

[0083] When the number of unique beams in a ^^^^1hypothesis is larger than 2, we may end up in a scenario where: a) a subset of beams with indices ^^^^ ∈ ^^^^back, have a power scaling factor ^^�^^^^^^ ≤ 1b) a subset of beams with indices ^^^^ ∈ ^^^^boost have a power scaling factor> 1, andc) ^^�^^ > 1, while ^̂^^^ < 1

[0084] The number of beams that can be boosted is greater than 1.

[0085] In a related embodiment, for the above scenario, the scaling factors chosen by a UE for boosting a subset of beams is indicated to the network as part of the CSI feedback. In some embodiments, the indices of beams for which power is to be boosted are also reported by the UE to the network as part of the CSI feedback.

[0086] In a related embodiment, for the above scenario, the scaling factors are found using the following iterative procedure:

[0087] Step 1: Set ^̅^^^^^^^ = ^^�^^^^^^ for all SD basis vectors (e.g., beams or beam groups) ^^^^ ∈ ^^^^back,where ^^^^backis the subset that contains beam indices of beams withinthat have power scalingfactors

[0088] Step 2: compute

[0089] Step 3: the subsetcontains beampower ^^^^

[0090] Step 4: For all

[0091] Step 5: For each ^^^^ ∈ ^^^^boost, if ^̅^^^^^^^ <^^^^rem∑ ∀^^^^∈^^^^boost ^^^^^^^^, add the SD basis vector (e.g., beam or beam group) index ^^^^ to the set ^^^^backand remove it from the set ^^^^boost.

[0092] Step 6: If ^^^^boostis an empty set go to STEP 7, Else go to STEP 2.

[0093] Step 7: set ^^^^^^∗^^ = ^̅^^^^^^^ and STOP.

[0094] The network uses the same procedure as above to determine the scaling factors for the beam.

[0095] In one embodiment, which power boosting method (i.e., Method 1 or Method 2) to be used by the UE is given in specifications.

[0096] In one embodiment, which power boosting method (i.e., Method 1 or Method 2) to be used is configured by the network and indicated to the UE, e.g., by Radio Resource Control (RRC) signaling.

[0097] In another embodiment, whether Method 1 is to be applied during CSI computation or not is configured to the UE from the network via RRC signaling. In another embodiment, whetherMethod 1 is to be applied during CSI computation or not is signaled to the UE from the network via MAC CE or DCI signaling. In yet another embodiment, whether Method 1 is to be applied during CSI computation or not is signaled to the UE from the network via any combination of two or more of RRC signaling, MAC CE signaling, and DCI signaling.

[0098] In another embodiment, whether Method 2 is to be applied during CSI computation or not is configured to the UE from the network via RRC signaling. In another embodiment, whether Method 2 is to be applied during CSI computation or not is signaled to the UE from the network via Medium Access Control (MAC) Control Element (CE) or Downlink Control Information (DCI) signaling. In yet another embodiment, whether Method 2 is to be applied during CSI computation or not is signaled to the UE from the network via any combination of two or more of RRC signaling, MAC CE signaling, and DCI signaling.

[0099] Figure 4A is a flow chart that illustrates the operation of a UE in accordance with an example embodiment of the present disclosure. Optional steps are represented by dashed lines. Further, while the steps of Figure 4A are shown as being performed in a particular order, the steps may be performed in any order unless otherwise explicitly stated or required. Further, some steps may be performed in parallel. As illustrated, the UE optionally receives, from a network node (e.g., a base station such as, e.g., a gNB) information that configures the UE to use either Method 1 or Method 2 (step 400A). Details of example embodiments of how this configuration is received are described above and equally applicable here. Alternatively, whether the UE uses Method 1 or Method 2 may be predefined, e.g., via a 3GPP specification.

[0100] The UE obtains spatial domain (SD) basis power scaling factors (step 401A). In one embodiment, the UE receives the SD basis power scaling factors from a network node (e.g., from a base station such as, e.g., a gNB) for respective SD basis vectors (e.g., for respective beams or for respective beam groups). The SD basis power scaling factors may be, for example, per-beam power scaling factors or per-beam group power scaling factors. The UE converts the SD basis power scaling factors into per-layer power scaling factors, e.g., according to a particular RI and PMI hypothesis (step 402A). More specifically, in embodiments in which the SD basis power scaling factors are converted into per-layer power scaling factors according to:where ^^�^^^^^^is the (unbounded) per-layer power scaling factor for the i-th SD basis vector (e.g., the i- th 2D-DFT beam), ^^^^^^^^^^^^,^^^^^^^^is the SD basis power scaling factor (i.e., the power backoff value) for the i-th SD basis vector (e.g., i-th 2D-DFT beam), ^^^^ is a rank of final precoder matrix ^^^^^^^^(see Background section for details regarding ^^^^^^^^), and ^^^^^^^^is the number of layers that are transmitted using the ^^^^-th SD basis vector (e.g., i-th 2D-DFT beam).

[0101] The UE calculates a total TX (e.g., PDSCH) power utilization factor ^�^^^ for the per-layer scaling factors (step 404A). As discussed above, the total power utilization factor ^^�^^ for the per- layer scaling factors may be calculated as:where L is the number of SD basis vectors.

[0102] The UE adjusts one or more of the per-layer scaling factors such that the total power utilization factor after the adjustment is equal to 1 and the per SD basis vector (e.g., per-beam or per-beam group) power scaling factors are not exceeded (step 406A). In one embodiment, this adjustment is performed in accordance with Method 1 where a normalization is applied to the per- layer power scaling factors as described above with respect to Method 1 (step 406A-1). For example, the normalization may be applied for each i-th SD basis vector as follows:where ^^^^^^∗^^is the adjusted per-layer scaling factor for the i-th SD basis vector.

[0103] Alternatively, in another embodiment, the adjustment of step 406A is performed in accordance with Method 2 such that non-utilized power is distributed among one or more SD basis vectors (e.g., one or more beams) that can be power boosted without breaking a per-SD basis vector power constraint (step 406A-2). The description of the various examples and embodiments of Method 2 above are equally applicable here to step 406A-2.

[0104] Steps 401Ato 406A may be repeated (or otherwise performed) for multiple RI and PMI hypotheses (step 408A).

[0105] The UE determines a RI, PMI, and CQI, taking into consideration the adjusted per- layer power scaling factors for each RI and PMI hypothesis (step 410A) and sends, to a network node (e.g., a base station such as, e.g., a gNB), a CSI report including the determined RI, PMI, and CQI (step 412A). The determination in step 410A may be performed using, for example, the existing scheme defined in 3GPP NR specifications but taking the adjusted power-layer power scaling factors into consideration.

[0106] Figure 4B is a flow chart that illustrates the operation of a network node (e.g., a base station), in accordance with embodiments of the present disclosure. As illustrated, the network node sends, to a UE, SD basis power scaling factors (e.g., per-beam power scaling factors or per- beam group power scaling factors) for respective SD basis vectors (e.g., for respective beams or for respective beam groups) (step 400B). The network node also sends, to the UE, information that configures how the UE is to perform power scaling factor adjustment (step 402B).

[0107] Figure 5 shows an example of a communication system 500 in accordance with some embodiments.

[0108] In the example, the communication system 500 includes a telecommunication network 502 that includes an access network 504, such as a Radio Access Network (RAN), and a core network 506, which includes one or more core network nodes 508. The access network 504 includes one or more access network nodes, such as network nodes 510A and 510B (one or more of which may be generally referred to as network nodes 510), 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 502 includes one or more Open-RAN (ORAN) network nodes. An ORAN network node is a node in the telecommunication network 502 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 502, including one or more network nodes 510 and / or core network nodes 508.

[0109] 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 A1, F1, W1, E1, E2, X2, Xn interface, an open fronthaul user plane interface, or an open fronthaul management plane interface. Moreover, an ORAN access node may be a logical node in a physical node. Furthermore, an ORAN network node may be implemented in a virtualization environment (described further below) in which one or more network functions are virtualized. For example, the virtualization environment may include an O-Cloud computing platform orchestrated by a Service Management and Orchestration Framework via an O-2 interface defined by the O-RAN Alliance or comparable technologies. The network nodes 510 facilitate direct or indirect connection of User Equipment (UE), such as by connecting UEs 512A, 512B, 512C, and 512D (one or more of which may be generally referred to as UEs 512) to the core network 506 over one or more wireless connections.

[0110] 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 500 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 500 may include and / or interface with any type of communication, telecommunication, data, cellular, radio network, and / or other similar type of system.

[0111] The UEs 512 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 510 and other communication devices. Similarly, the network nodes 510 are arranged, capable, configured, and / or operable to communicate directly or indirectly with the UEs 512 and / or with other network nodes or equipment in the telecommunication network 502 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 502.

[0112] In the depicted example, the core network 506 connects the network nodes 510 to one or more hosts, such as host 516. 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 506 includes one more core network nodes (e.g., core network node 508) 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 508. 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).

[0113] The host 516 may be under the ownership or control of a service provider other than an operator or provider of the access network 504 and / or the telecommunication network 502, and may be operated by the service provider or on behalf of the service provider. The host 516 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, analyticsfunctionality, 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.

[0114] As a whole, the communication system 500 of Figure 5 enables connectivity between the UEs, network nodes, and hosts. In that sense, the communication system 500 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.

[0115] In some examples, the telecommunication network 502 is a cellular network that implements 3GPP standardized features. Accordingly, the telecommunication network 502 may support network slicing to provide different logical networks to different devices that are connected to the telecommunication network 502. For example, the telecommunication network 502 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 (IoT) services to yet further UEs.

[0116] In some examples, the UEs 512 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 504 on a predetermined schedule, when triggered by an internal or external event, or in response to requests from the access network 504. 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).

[0117] In the example, a hub 514 communicates with the access network 504 to facilitate indirect communication between one or more UEs (e.g., UE 512C and / or 512D) and network nodes (e.g., network node 510B). In some examples, the hub 514 may be a controller, router, content source and analytics, or any of the other communication devices described herein regarding UEs. For example, the hub 514 may be a broadband router enabling access to the core network 506 forthe UEs. As another example, the hub 514 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 510, or by executable code, script, process, or other instructions in the hub 514. As another example, the hub 514 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 514 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 514 may retrieve VR assets, video, audio, or other media or data related to sensory information via a network node, which the hub 514 then provides to the UE either directly, after performing local processing, and / or after adding additional local content. In still another example, the hub 514 acts as a proxy server or orchestrator for the UEs, in particular if one or more of the UEs are low energy IoT devices.

[0118] The hub 514 may have a constant / persistent or intermittent connection to the network node 510B. The hub 514 may also allow for a different communication scheme and / or schedule between the hub 514 and UEs (e.g., UE 512C and / or 512D), and between the hub 514 and the core network 506. In other examples, the hub 514 is connected to the core network 506 and / or one or more UEs via a wired connection. Moreover, the hub 514 may be configured to connect to a Machine-to-Machine (M2M) service provider over the access network 504 and / or to another UE over a direct connection. In some scenarios, UEs may establish a wireless connection with the network nodes 510 while still connected via the hub 514 via a wired or wireless connection. In some embodiments, the hub 514 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 510B. In other embodiments, the hub 514 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 510B, but which is additionally capable of operating as a communication start and / or end point for certain data channels.

[0119] Figure 6 shows a UE 600 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 bythe 3GPP, including a Narrowband Internet of Things (NB-IoT) UE, a Machine Type Communication (MTC) UE, and / or an enhanced MTC (eMTC) UE.

[0120] A UE may support Device-to-Device (D2D) communication, for example by implementing a 3GPP standard for sidelink communication, Dedicated Short-Range Communication (DSRC), Vehicle-to-Vehicle (V2V), Vehicle-to-Infrastructure (V2I), or Vehicle- to-Everything (V2X). In other examples, a UE may not necessarily have a user in the sense of 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).

[0121] The UE 600 includes processing circuitry 602 that is operatively coupled via a bus 604 to an input / output interface 606, a power source 608, memory 610, a communication interface 612, and / or any other component, or any combination thereof. Certain UEs may utilize all or a subset of the components shown in Figure 6. 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.

[0122] The processing circuitry 602 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 610. The processing circuitry 602 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 602 may include multiple Central Processing Units (CPUs).

[0123] In the example, the input / output interface 606 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 600. 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-sensitivedisplay 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.

[0124] In some embodiments, the power source 608 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 608 may further include power circuitry for delivering power from the power source 608 itself, and / or an external power source, to the various parts of the UE 600 via input circuitry or an interface such as an electrical power cable. Delivering power may be, for example, for charging of the power source 608. Power circuitry may perform any formatting, converting, or other modification to the power from the power source 608 to make the power suitable for the respective components of the UE 600 to which power is supplied.

[0125] The memory 610 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 610 includes one or more application programs 614, such as an operating system, web browser application, a widget, gadget engine, or other application, and corresponding data 616. The memory 610 may store, for use by the UE 600, any of a variety of various operating systems or combinations of operating systems.

[0126] The memory 610 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 610 may allow the UE 600 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 utilizinga communication system, may be tangibly embodied as or in the memory 610, which may be or comprise a device-readable storage medium.

[0127] The processing circuitry 602 may be configured to communicate with an access network or other network using the communication interface 612. The communication interface 612 may comprise one or more communication subsystems and may include or be communicatively coupled to an antenna 622. The communication interface 612 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 618 and / or a receiver 620 appropriate to provide network communications (e.g., optical, electrical, frequency allocations, and so forth). Moreover, the transmitter 618 and receiver 620 may be coupled to one or more antennas (e.g., the antenna 622) and may share circuit components, software, or firmware, or alternatively be implemented separately.

[0128] In the illustrated embodiment, communication functions of the communication interface 612 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 / Internet 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.

[0129] Regardless of the type of sensor, a UE may provide an output of data captured by its sensors, through its communication interface 612, 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).

[0130] 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 surfacesor 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.

[0131] A UE, when in the form of an IoT 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 IoT device are a device which is or which is embedded in: a connected refrigerator or freezer, a television, a connected lighting device, an electricity meter, a robot vacuum cleaner, a voice controlled smart speaker, a home security camera, a motion detector, a thermostat, a smoke detector, a door / window sensor, a flood / moisture sensor, an electrical door lock, a connected doorbell, an air conditioning system like a heat pump, an autonomous vehicle, a surveillance system, a weather monitoring device, a vehicle parking monitoring device, an electric vehicle charging station, a smart watch, a fitness tracker, a head-mounted display for Augmented Reality (AR) or VR, a wearable for tactile augmentation or sensory enhancement, a water sprinkler, an animal- or item-tracking device, a sensor for monitoring a plant or animal, an industrial robot, an Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV), and any kind of medical device, like a heart rate monitor or a remote controlled surgical robot. A UE in the form of an IoT device comprises circuitry and / or software in dependence of the intended application of the IoT device in addition to other components as described in relation to the UE 600 shown in Figure 6.

[0132] As yet another specific example, in an IoT scenario, a UE may represent a machine or other device that performs monitoring and / or measurements and transmits the results of such monitoring and / or measurements to another UE and / or a network node. The UE may in this case be an M2M device, which may in a 3GPP context be referred to as an MTC device. As one particular example, the UE may implement the 3GPP NB-IoT standard. In other scenarios, a UE may represent a vehicle, such as a car, a bus, a truck, a ship, an airplane, or other equipment that is capable of monitoring and / or reporting on its operational status or other functions associated with its operation.

[0133] 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.

[0134] Figure 7 shows a network node 700 in accordance with some embodiments. As used herein, network node refers to equipment capable, configured, arranged, and / or operable to communicate directly or indirectly with a UE and / or with other network nodes or equipment in a telecommunication network. Examples of network nodes include, but are not limited to, APs (e.g., radio APs), Base Stations (BSs) (e.g., radio BSs, Node Bs, evolved Node Bs (eNBs), NR Node Bs (gNBs)), and O-RAN nodes or components of an O-RAN node (e.g., O-RU, O-DU, O-CU).

[0135] Base stations may be categorized based on the amount of coverage they provide (or, stated differently, their transmit power level) and so, depending on the provided amount of coverage, may be referred to as femto base stations, pico base stations, micro base stations, or macro base stations. A base station may be a relay node or a relay donor node controlling a relay. A network node may also include one or more (or all) parts of a distributed radio base station such as centralized digital units, distributed units (e.g., in an O-RAN access node), and / or Remote Radio Units (RRUs), sometimes referred to as Remote Radio Heads (RRHs). Such RRUs may or may not be integrated with an antenna as an antenna integrated radio. Parts of a distributed radio base station may also be referred to as nodes in a Distributed Antenna System (DAS).

[0136] 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).

[0137] The network node 700 includes processing circuitry 702, memory 704, a communication interface 706, and a power source 708. The network node 700 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 700 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 700 may be configured to support multiple RATs. In such embodiments, some components may be duplicated (e.g., separate memory 704 for different RATs) and some components may be reused (e.g., a same antenna 710 may be shared by different RATs). The network node 700 may also include multiple sets of the various illustrated components for different wireless technologies integrated into network node700, 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 700.

[0138] The processing circuitry 702 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 700 components, such as the memory 704, to provide network node 700 functionality.

[0139] In some embodiments, the processing circuitry 702 includes a System on a Chip (SOC). In some embodiments, the processing circuitry 702 includes one or more of Radio Frequency (RF) transceiver circuitry 712 and baseband processing circuitry 714. In some embodiments, the RF transceiver circuitry 712 and the baseband processing circuitry 714 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 712 and the baseband processing circuitry 714 may be on the same chip or set of chips, boards, or units.

[0140] The memory 704 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 702. The memory 704 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 702 and utilized by the network node 700. The memory 704 may be used to store any calculations made by the processing circuitry 702 and / or any data received via the communication interface 706. In some embodiments, the processing circuitry 702 and the memory 704 are integrated.

[0141] The communication interface 706 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 706 comprises port(s) / terminal(s) 716 to send and receive data, for example to and from a network over a wired connection. The communication interface 706 also includes radio front-end circuitry 718 that may be coupled to, or in certain embodiments a part of, the antenna 710. The radio front-end circuitry 718 comprises filters 720 and amplifiers 722. Theradio front-end circuitry 718 may be connected to the antenna 710 and the processing circuitry 702. The radio front-end circuitry 718 may be configured to condition signals communicated between the antenna 710 and the processing circuitry 702. The radio front-end circuitry 718 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 718 may convert the digital data into a radio signal having the appropriate channel and bandwidth parameters using a combination of the filters 720 and / or the amplifiers 722. The radio signal may then be transmitted via the antenna 710. Similarly, when receiving data, the antenna 710 may collect radio signals which are then converted into digital data by the radio front-end circuitry 718. The digital data may be passed to the processing circuitry 702. In other embodiments, the communication interface 706 may comprise different components and / or different combinations of components.

[0142] In certain alternative embodiments, the network node 700 does not include separate radio front-end circuitry 718; instead, the processing circuitry 702 includes radio front-end circuitry and is connected to the antenna 710. Similarly, in some embodiments, all or some of the RF transceiver circuitry 712 is part of the communication interface 706. In still other embodiments, the communication interface 706 includes the one or more ports or terminals 716, the radio front-end circuitry 718, and the RF transceiver circuitry 712 as part of a radio unit (not shown), and the communication interface 706 communicates with the baseband processing circuitry 714, which is part of a digital unit (not shown).

[0143] The antenna 710 may include one or more antennas, or antenna arrays, configured to send and / or receive wireless signals. The antenna 710 may be coupled to the radio front-end circuitry 718 and may be any type of antenna capable of transmitting and receiving data and / or signals wirelessly. In certain embodiments, the antenna 710 is separate from the network node 700 and connectable to the network node 700 through an interface or port.

[0144] The antenna 710, the communication interface 706, and / or the processing circuitry 702 may be configured to perform any receiving operations and / or certain obtaining operations described herein as being performed by the network node 700. Any information, data, and / or signals may be received from a UE, another network node, and / or any other network equipment. Similarly, the antenna 710, the communication interface 706, and / or the processing circuitry 702 may be configured to perform any transmitting operations described herein as being performed by the network node 700. Any information, data, and / or signals may be transmitted to a UE, another network node, and / or any other network equipment.

[0145] The power source 708 provides power to the various components of the network node 700 in a form suitable for the respective components (e.g., at a voltage and current level needed for each respective component). The power source 708 may further comprise, or be coupled to,power management circuitry to supply the components of the network node 700 with power for performing the functionality described herein. For example, the network node 700 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 708. As a further example, the power source 708 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.

[0146] Embodiments of the network node 700 may include additional components beyond those shown in Figure 7 for providing certain aspects of the network node’s functionality, including any of the functionality described herein and / or any functionality necessary to support the subject matter described herein. For example, the network node 700 may include user interface equipment to allow input of information into the network node 700 and to allow output of information from the network node 700. This may allow a user to perform diagnostic, maintenance, repair, and other administrative functions for the network node 700. In some embodiments providing a core network node, such as core network node 5108 of FIG. 5, some components, such as the radio front-end circuitry 718 and the RF transceiver circuitry 712 may be omitted.

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

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

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

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

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

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

[0153] Although the computing devices described herein (e.g., UEs, network nodes) 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.

[0154] In certain embodiments, some or all of the functionality described herein may be provided by processing circuitry executing instructions stored on in memory, which in certain embodiments may be a computer program product in the form of a non-transitory computer- readable storage medium. In alternative embodiments, some or all of the functionality may be provided by the processing circuitry without executing instructions stored on a separate or discrete device-readable storage medium, such as in a hard-wired 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.

[0155] 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.

[0156] Some exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure are as follows: Group A Embodiments

[0157] Embodiment 1: A method performed by a User Equipment, UE, comprising any one or more of the following: • obtaining (401A) Spatial Domain, SD, basis power scaling factors (e.g., per-beam power scaling factors or per-beam group power scaling factors) for respective SD basis vectors (e.g., for respective beams or for respective beam groups); • for each Rank Indicator, RI, and Precoding Matrix Indicator, PMI, hypothesis of a set of RI and PMI hypotheses for determining Channel State Information, CSI, feedback, performing any one or more of: - converting (402A) the SD basis power scaling factors into per-layer power scaling factors for the RI and PMI hypothesis; - calculating (404A) a total (e.g., PDSCH) power utilization factor for the per-layer power scaling factors for the RI and PMI hypothesis; - generating (406A) adjusted per-layer power scaling factors for the RI and PMI hypothesis such that, for the adjusted per-layer power scaling factors, the total power utilization factor for the adjusted per-layer power scaling factors is equal to 1 and the SD basis power scaling factors are not exceeded; • determining (410A) a RI, PMI, and Channel Quality Indicator, CQI, such that the adjusted per-layer power scaling factors for each RI and PMI hypothesis are taken into consideration; • sending (412A), to a network node, a CSI report comprising the determined RI, PMI, and CQI.

[0158] Embodiment 2: The method embodiment 1, wherein generating (406A) the adjusted per-layer power scaling factors for the RI and PMI hypothesis comprises applying (406A-1) a normalization to the per-layer power scaling factors for the RI and PMI hypothesis.

[0159] Embodiment 3: The method of embodiment 2, wherein applying (406A-1) the normalization to the per-layer power scaling factors for the RI and PMI hypothesis comprises applying (406A-1) the normalization to the per-layer power scaling factors for the RI and PMI hypothesis in accordance withwhere ^^^^^^∗^^is the adjusted per-layer scaling factor for the i-th SD basis vector,is the per-layer power scaling factor for the i-th SD basis vector, and ^�^^^ is the calculated total power utilization factor for the per-layer power scaling factors.

[0160] Embodiment 4: The method embodiment 1, wherein generating (406A) the adjusted per-layer power scaling factors for the RI and PMI hypothesis comprises distributing (406A-2) non-utilized power among one or more SD basis vector(s) that can be power boosted without breaking a per-beam power constraint.

[0161] Embodiment 5: The method embodiment 1, wherein generating (406A) the adjusted per-layer power scaling factors for the RI and PMI hypothesis comprises adjusting only one or more of the per-layer power scaling factors that correspond to one or more of the SD basis vector(s) that are power boosted (e.g., one or more SD basis vector(s) for which the per-layer power scaling factors are greater than 1) such that the total power utilization after the adjustment is equal to 1.

[0162] Embodiment 6: The method embodiment 1, wherein generating (406A) the adjusted per-layer power scaling factors for the RI and PMI hypothesis comprises •Step 1: Setfor all SD basis vectors ^^^^ ∈ ^^^^back , where ^^^^back is the subset thatcontains beam indices of beams withinthat have power scaling factors ^̅^^^^^^^ ≤ 1• Step 2: compute•Step 3: ^̅^^^^^^^ = ^^^^^^^^^^^^∀^^^^ ∈ ^^^^boost, where ^^^^boost is the subset that containsbeam indices of beams withinthat have power scaling factors ^̅^^^^^^^ >• Step 4: For all•Step 5: For each ^^^^ ∈ ^^^^boost, if ^̅^^^^^^^ <^^^^rem∑ ∀^^^^∈^^^^boost ^^^^^^^^, add the SD basis vector index ^^^^ to the set ^^^^backand remove it from the set ^^^^boost. • Step 6: If ^^^^boostis an empty set go to STEP 7, Else go to STEP 2. •Step 7: set ^^^^^^∗^^ = ^̅^^^^^^^ and STOP.

[0163] Embodiment 7: The method of any of embodiments 4 to 6, further comprising reporting at least some of the adjusted per-layer power scaling factors (e.g., those associated to the RI and PMI hypothesis that corresponds to the determined / reported RI and PMI) to the network node (e.g., as part of the CSI report).

[0164] Embodiment 8: The method of any of embodiments 1 to 7, wherein converting (402A) the SD basis power scaling factors into the per-layer power scaling factors for the RI and PMIhypothesis comprises converting (402A) the SD basis power scaling factors into the per-layer power scaling factors for the RI and PMI hypothesis in accordance with:where ^^�^^^^^^ is the per-layer power scaling factor for the i-th SD basis vector, ^^^^^^^^^^^^,^^^^^^^^ is the SD basispower scaling factor for the i-th SD basis vector, ^^^^ is a rank of final precoder matrix ^^^^^^^^, and ^^^^^^^^is the number of layers that are transmitted using the ^^^^-th SD basis vector.

[0165] Embodiment 9: The method of embodiment 8, wherein calculating (404A) the total (e.g., PDSCH) power utilization factor for the per-layer power scaling factors for the RI and PMI hypothesis comprises calculating (404A) the total (e.g., PDSCH) power utilization factor for the per-layer power scaling factors for the RI and PMI hypothesis in accordance withwhere L is the number of SD basis vectors.

[0166] Embodiment 10: The method of any of embodiments 1 to 9, further comprising receiving (400A), from the network node, information that configures how the UE performs the generating (406A) adjusted per-layer power scaling factors for the RI and PMI hypothesis. Group B Embodiments

[0167] Embodiment 11: A method performed by a network node, the method comprising any one or more of: sending, to a UE, Spatial Domain, SD, basis power scaling factors (e.g., per-beam power scaling factors or per-beam group power scaling factors) for respective SD basis vectors (e.g., for respective beams or for respective beam groups); and sending, to the UE, information that configures how the UE is to perform power scaling factor adjustment. Group C Embodiments

[0168] Embodiment 12: A user equipment comprising: processing circuitry configured to perform any of the steps of any of the Group A embodiments; and power supply circuitry configured to supply power to the processing circuitry.

[0169] Embodiment 13: A network node comprising: processing circuitry configured to perform any of the steps of any of the Group B embodiments; power supply circuitry configured to supply power to the processing circuitry.

[0170] Embodiment 14: A user equipment (UE) comprising: an antenna configured to send and receive wireless signals; radio front-end circuitry connected to the antenna and to processing circuitry, and configured to condition signals communicated between the antenna and theprocessing circuitry; the processing circuitry being configured to perform any of the steps of any of the Group A embodiments; an input interface connected to the processing circuitry and configured to allow input of information into the UE to be processed by the processing circuitry; an output interface connected to the processing circuitry and configured to output information from the UE that has been processed by the processing circuitry; and a battery connected to the processing circuitry and configured to supply power to the UE.

Claims

CLAIMS 1. A method performed by a User Equipment, UE, comprising: obtaining (401A) Spatial Domain, SD, basis power scaling factors for respective SD basis vectors; for each Rank Indicator, RI, and Precoding Matrix Indicator, PMI, hypothesis of a set of RI and PMI hypotheses for determining Channel State Information, CSI, feedback: converting (402A) the SD basis power scaling factors into per-layer power scaling factors for the RI and PMI hypothesis; and generating (406A) adjusted per-layer power scaling factors for the RI and PMI hypothesis such that, for the adjusted per-layer power scaling factors, a total power utilization factor for the adjusted per-layer power scaling factors is equal to 1 and the SD basis power scaling factors are not exceeded; determining (410A) a CSI feedback in a manner that takes into consideration the adjusted per-layer power scaling factors for each RI and PMI hypothesis; and sending (412A), to a network node, a CSI report comprising the determined CSI feedback.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the SD basis power scaling factors are per beam power scaling factors or per-beam-group power scaling factors obtained for respective beams or for respective beam groups.

3. The method of claim 1 or 2, wherein the determined CSI feedback comprises a RI, PMI, and Channel Quality Indicator, CQI.

4. The method of any of claims 1 to 3, wherein generating (406A) the adjusted per-layer power scaling factors for the RI and PMI hypothesis comprises applying (406A-1) a normalization to the per-layer power scaling factors for the RI and PMI hypothesis.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein applying (406A-1) the normalization to the per-layer power scaling factors for the RI and PMI hypothesis comprises applying (406A-1) the normalization to the per-layer power scaling factors for the RI and PMI hypothesis in accordance withwhere ^^^^^^∗^^is the adjusted per-layer scaling factor for the i-th SD basis vector, is the per-layer power scaling factor for the i-th SD basis vector, and ^^�^^ is an unbounded total power utilizationfactor for the per-layer power scaling factors.

6. The method of any of claims 1 to 3, wherein generating (406A) the adjusted per-layer power scaling factors for the RI and PMI hypothesis comprises distributing (406A-2) non-utilized power among one or more of the SD basis vectors that can be power boosted without breaking a per-beam power constraint.

7. The method of any of claims 1 to 3, wherein generating (406A) the adjusted per-layer power scaling factors for the RI and PMI hypothesis comprises adjusting only one or more of the per-layer power scaling factors that correspond to one or more of the SD basis vectors that are power boosted such that the total power utilization after the adjustment is equal to 1, the one or more SD basis vectors that are power boosted are those for which the per-layer power scaling factors are greater than 1.

8. The method of any of claims 1 to 3, wherein generating (406A) the adjusted per-layer power scaling factors for the RI and PMI hypothesis comprises (a) setting a temporary per-layer power scaling factor (^̅^^^^^^^) for the i-th SD basis vector equal to the per-layer power scaling factor (^^�^^^^^^) for the i-th SD basis vector, for all SD basis vectors^^^^ ∈ ^^^^back, where ^^^^back is a subset that contains beam indices of beams within widebandprecoder (^^^^^^^^) that have power scaling factors ^̅^^^^^^^ ≤ 1;(b) computing ^^^^rem = 1 −1 ^^^^∑ ∀^^^^∈^^^^back ^^^^^^^^ ^̅^^^^^^^, where ^^^^ is a known rank and ^^^^^^^^ is a number oflayers carried on the i-th SD basis vector or beam; (c) setting the temporary per-layer scaling factor ( ^̅^^^^^^^ ) for the i-th SD basis vector qualto ^^^^^^^^^^^^�^^�^^^^^^ ,^^^^rem∑ ∀^^^^∈^^^^boost ^^^^^^^^� for all SD basis vectors ^^^^ ∈ ^^^^boost, where ^^^^boost is a subset thatcontains beam indices of beams withinthat have power scaling factors ^̅^^^^^^^ >(d) for allproceeding to step (g);(e) for each ^^^^ ∈ ^^^^boost, if ^̅^^^^^^^ <^^^^rem∑ ∀^^^^∈^^^^boost ^^^^^^^^, adding the SD basis vector index ^^^^ to ^^^^backand removing the SD basis vector index ^^^^ from ^^^^boost; (f) if ^^^^boostis an empty set, proceeding to step (g), else returning to step (b). (g) setting the adjusted per-layer power scaling factor (^^^^^^∗^^) for the i-th SD basis vector equal to ^̅^^^^^^^.

9. The method of any of claims 6 to 8, further comprising reporting at least some of the adjusted per-layer power scaling factors to the network.

10. The method of any of claims 6 to 8, further comprising reporting the adjusted per-layer power scaling factors associated to the RI and PMI hypothesis that corresponds to the reported CSI feedback to the network node.

11. The method of any of claims 1 to 10, wherein converting (402A) the SD basis power scaling factors into the per-layer power scaling factors for the RI and PMI hypothesis comprises converting (402A) the SD basis power scaling factors into the per-layer power scaling factors for the RI and PMI hypothesis in accordance with:where is the per-layer power scaling factor for the i-th SD basis vector, ^^^^^^^^^^^^,^^^^^^^^ is the SD basispower scaling factor for the i-th SD basis vector, ^^^^ is a rank of final precoder matrix ^^^^^^^^, and ^^^^^^^^is the number of layers that are transmitted using the ^^^^-th SD basis vector.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein the total power utilization factor for the per-layer power scaling factors for the RI and PMI hypothesis is defined as:where L is the number of SD basis vectors.

13. The method of any of claims 1 to 12, further comprising receiving (400A), from the network node, information that configures how the UE performs the generating (406A) adjusted per-layer power scaling factors for the RI and PMI hypothesis.

14. A User Equipment, UE, adapted to: obtain (401A) Spatial Domain, SD, basis power scaling factors for respective SD basis vectors; for each Rank Indicator, RI, and Precoding Matrix Indicator, PMI, hypothesis of a set of RI and PMI hypotheses for determining Channel State Information, CSI, feedback: convert (402A) the SD basis power scaling factors into per-layer power scaling factors for the RI and PMI hypothesis; and generate (406A) adjusted per-layer power scaling factors for the RI and PMIhypothesis such that, for the adjusted per-layer power scaling factors, a total power utilization factor for the adjusted per-layer power scaling factors is equal to 1 and the SD basis power scaling factors are not exceeded; determine (410A) a CSI feedback in a manner that takes into consideration the adjusted per-layer power scaling factors for each RI and PMI hypothesis; and send (412A), to a network node, a CSI report comprising the determined CSI feedback.

15. The UE of claim 14, further adapted to perform the method of any of claims 2 to 13.

16. A User Equipment, UE, (600) comprising: a communication interface (612) comprising a transmitter (618) and a receiver (620); and processing circuitry (602) associated with the communication interface (612), the processing circuitry (602) configured to cause the UE (600) to: obtain (401A) Spatial Domain, SD, basis power scaling factors for respective SD basis vectors; for each Rank Indicator, RI, and Precoding Matrix Indicator, PMI, hypothesis of a set of RI and PMI hypotheses for determining Channel State Information, CSI, feedback: convert (402A) the SD basis power scaling factors into per-layer power scaling factors for the RI and PMI hypothesis; and generate (406A) adjusted per-layer power scaling factors for the RI and PMI hypothesis such that, for the adjusted per-layer power scaling factors, a total power utilization factor for the adjusted per-layer power scaling factors is equal to 1 and the SD basis power scaling factors are not exceeded; determine (410A) a CSI feedback in a manner that takes into consideration the adjusted per-layer power scaling factors for each RI and PMI hypothesis; and send (412A), to a network node, a CSI report comprising the determined CSI feedback.

17. The UE of claim 16, further adapted to perform the method of any of claims 2 to 13.

18. A method performed by a network node, the method comprising: sending (400B), to a UE, Spatial Domain, SD, basis power scaling factors for respective SD basis vectors; and sending (402B), to the UE, information that configures how the UE is to perform power scaling factor adjustment.

19. A network node adapted to: send (400B), to a UE, Spatial Domain, SD, basis power scaling factors for respective SD basis vectors; and send (402B), to the UE, information that configures how the UE is to perform power scaling factor adjustment.

20. A network node comprising processing circuitry configured to cause the network node to: send (400B), to a UE, Spatial Domain, SD, basis power scaling factors for respective SD basis vectors; and send (402B), to the UE, information that configures how the UE is to perform power scaling factor adjustment.

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