Methods of active resource counting for periodic CSI-RS resources

Abstract

Systems and methods are disclosed for active resource counting for periodic Channel State Information Reference Signal (CSI-RS) resources. In one embodiment, a method performed by a User Equipment (UE) for active resource counting at the UE comprises receiving, from a network node, configuration of one or more periodic Non-Zero Power (NZP) CSI-RS resources. The method further comprises receiving, from the network node, a first signal that indicates that the UE is to start measurement and / or computation of one or more CSI reporting quantities based on the periodic NZP CSI-RS resources and determining one or more active resource counting durations related to the periodic NZP CSI-RS resources. The method further comprises counting the periodic NZP CSI-RS resources as active during the active resource counting durations when performing measurement and / or computation of the one or more CSI reporting quantities based on the periodic NZP CSI-RS resources.

Description

METHODS OF ACTIVE RESOURCE COUNTING FOR PERIODIC CSI-RS RESOURCES RELATED APPLICATIONS

[0001] This application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Patent Application No.63 / 743,088, filed January 8, 2025, the disclosure of which is hereby incorporated herein by reference in its entirety.TECHNICAL FIELD

[0002] The present disclosure relates to a wireless communication system and, more specifically, to active resource counting for periodic Channel State Information Reference Signal (CSLRS) resources for Channel State Information (CSI) reporting.BACKGROUNDCodebook-Based Precoding

[0003] Multi-antenna techniques can significantly increase the data rates and reliability of a wireless communication system. The performance particularly 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 5th Generation (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 symbol vector s is multiplied by an NTX r precoding matrix or precoder W, which serves to distribute the transmit energy in a subspace of the NTdimensional 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 r symbols in s each correspond to a MIMO layer, and r is referred to as the transmission rank, which equals to the number of columns of the precoder W . In this way, spatial multiplexing is achieved since multiple symbols can be transmitted simultaneously over the same time / frequency Resource Element (RE). The number of symbols r is typically adapted to suit the current channel properties.

[0005] NR uses Orthogonal Frequency Division Multiplexing (OFDM) in downlink. The received NRX Ivector ynat a User Equipment (UE) on a certain RE can be expressed aswhere enis a receiver noise / interference vector. The precoder W can be constant over frequency (i.e., wideband), or frequency selective (i.e., per subband).

[0006] The precoder W is chosen to match the characteristics of the NRX NTMIMO channel matrix Hn, resulting in so-called channel dependent precoding. This is also commonly referred to as closed-loop precoding. In closed-loop precoding, the UE feeds back recommendations on a suitable precoder to the NR base station, or 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.

[0007] Given the CSI feedback from the UE, the gNB determines the transmission parameters that the gNB wishes to use to transmit to the UE, including the precoding matrix, transmission rank, and Modulation and Coding Scheme (MCS).2D Antenna Arrays

[0008] Two-dimensional (2D) antenna arrays are widely used and such antenna arrays can be described by a number of antenna ports, N17in a first dimension (e.g., the horizontal dimension), a number of antenna ports, N2, in a second dimension perpendicular to the first dimension (e.g., the vertical dimension), and a number of polarizations Np. The total number of antenna ports is thus N = N1N2Np. The concept of an antenna port is non-limiting in the sense that it can refer to any 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.

[0009] An example of a 4 x 4 (i.e.,X 1V2) array with dual-polarized antenna elements (i.e., Np= 2) is illustrated in Figure 2. In other words, Figure 2 is an illustration of an exemplary two-dimensional antenna array of dual-polarized antenna elements (Np== 4 horizontal antenna elements and N2= 4 vertical antenna elements

[0010] 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 theprecoder to the antenna form factor, i.e. taking into account N , N2> and Npwhen designing the precoder codebook.Channel State Information Reference Signals (CSI-RS)

[0011] 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 the 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 numbers of CSI-RS ports in NR are {1,2,4,8,12,16,24,32}. By measuring the received CSI-RS, aUE 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.

[0012] 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 1 RE per Resource Block (RB) per port is shown.

[0013] 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

[0014] 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.

[0015] 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).Active Resource Counting in NR

[0016] In NR, a UE is allowed to indicate the number of simultaneous NZP-CSI-RS resources (referred to herein as “active resource counting”) that the UE supports per component carrier as shown in component 4a of Table 1 below. Furthermore, according to Component 4 of Table 1 below, the UE can set a cap on the number of active NZP-CSI-RS resources across all component carriers in case of carrier aggregation involving more than one component carrier. Table 1 is from 3rdGeneration Partnership Project (3GPP) Technical Report (TR) 38.822 V17.1.0.Table 1

[0017] It should be noted that, in NR, the UE is allowed to report a low capability value of 1 for the number of active resources in a component carrier (see component-4a candidate values in Table 1). Furthermore, the component 4 in Table 1 further restricts the number of active NZP CSI-RSs per component carrier when carrier aggregation is configured.

[0018] According to 3GPP Technical Specification (TS) 38.214 V18.4.0 subclause 5.2.1.6, active resource counting for a periodic NZP-CSI-RS is defined as follows (emphasis added):In any slot, the UE is not expected to have more active CSI-RS ports or active CSI-RS resources in active BWPs than reported as capability. NZP CSI-RS resource is active in a duration of time defined as follows.For periodic CSI-RS, starting when the periodic CSI-RS is configured by higher layer signalling, and ending when the periodic CSI-RS configuration is released.SUMMARY

[0019] Systems and methods are disclosed for active resource counting for periodic Channel State Information Reference Signal (CSI-RS) resources. In one embodiment, a method performed by a User Equipment (UE) for active resource counting at the UE comprises receiving, from a network node, configuration of one or more periodic Non-Zero Power (NZP) CSI-RS resources. The method further comprises receiving, from the network node, a first signal that indicates to the UE that the UE is to start measurement and / or computation of one or more CSI reporting quantities based on the one or more periodic NZP CSI-RS resources and determining one or more active resource counting durations related to the one or more periodic NZP CSI-RS resources. The method further comprises counting the one or more periodic NZP CSI-RS resources as active during the one or more active resource counting durations when performing measurement and / or computation of the one or more CSI reporting quantities based on the one or more periodic NZP CSI-RS resources. In this manner, the network can flexibly configure more periodic NZP CSI-RS resources since the active resource counting durations are limited and the active resource counting durations can be controlled. In addition, the UE is enabled to be configured with more periodic CSI-RS resources even if the UE has reported a UE capability indicating a low number of active resource counting durations.

[0020] In one embodiment, the one or more active resource counting durations related to the one or more periodic NZP CSI-RS resources are periodically repeating active resource counting durations related to the one or more periodic NZP CSI-RS resources.

[0021] In one embodiment, determining the one or more active resource counting durations related to the one or more periodic NZP CSI-RS resources comprises determining the periodically repeating active resource counting durations related to the one or more periodic NZP CSI-RS resources wherein: an active resource counting duration of the periodically repeating active resource counting durations is defined as a finite number of slots starting from a slot containing a first CSI-RS occasion(s) of the one or more periodic NZP CSI-RS resources that occur(s) after receiving the first signal, and the active resource counting duration periodically repeats in subsequent CSI-RS occasion(s) of the one or more periodic NZP CSI-RS resources until a last CSI-RS occasion(s) of the one or more periodic NZP CSI-RS resources; or an active resource counting duration of the periodically repeating active resource counting durations is defined as a finite number of symbols starting from a last symbol of a first CSI-RS occasion(s) of the one or more periodic NZP CSI-RS resources that occur(s) after receiving the first signal, and the active resource counting duration periodically repeats in subsequent CSI-RS occasion(s) of the one or more periodic NZP CSI-RS resources until a last CSI-RS occasion(s) of the one or more periodic NZP CSI-RS resources. In one embodiment, the last CSI-RS occasion(s) of the one or more periodic NZP CSI-RS resources is a last CSI-RS occasion before the UE receives a CSI measurement stop trigger from the network node. In another embodiment, the last CSI-RS occasion(s) of the one or more periodic NZP CSI-RS resources is a last CSI-RS occasion before an aperiodic CSI report comprising the one or more CSI reporting quantities is transmitted by the UE. In another embodiment, the last CSI-RS occasion(s) of the one or more periodic NZP CSI-RS resources is a last CSI-RS occasion before a configured CSI measurement window ends. In another embodiment, information about the last CSI-RS occasion(s) of the one or more periodic NZP CSI-RS resources is provided by a third signal different from the first signal and also different than a second signal received from the network node that indicates uplink resources for carrying one or more CSI reports comprising the one or more CSI reporting quantities. In another embodiment, information about the last CSI-RS occasion(s) of the one or more periodic NZP CSI-RS resources is provided by the first signal.

[0022] In one embodiment, computation of at least one of the one or more CSI reporting quantities involves measurements on both a channel measurement resource, which is one of the one or more NZP CSI-RS resources, and an interference measurement resource that occur in same slot and an active resource counting duration of the periodically repeating active resource counting durations is defined as a finite number of slots or symbols starting from an end of a last symbol of the latest among the channel measurement resource and the interference measurement resource that occur in the same slot.

[0023] In one embodiment, computation of at least one of the one or more CSI reporting quantities involves measurements on both a channel measurement resource, which is one of the one or more NZP CSI-RS resources, and an interference measurement resource that occur in same slot and an active resource counting duration of the periodically repeating active resource counting durations is defined as a finite number of slots or symbols starting from an end of a last symbol of the channel measurement resource with the same slot regardless of whether symbols of the channel measurement resource occur later than or earlier than symbols of the interference measurement resource within the same slot.

[0024] In one embodiment, a duration of each of the one or more active resource counting durations in terms of a number of slots or symbols depends on any one or more of the following: a subcarrier spacing of the periodic NZP CSI-RS, a type(s) of CSI reporting quantity(s) to be computed, a number of ports in the periodic NZP CSI-RS, a configuration of whether the UE should prioritize CSI computation or other tasks, and whether an Artificial Intelligence, Al, or Machine Learning, ML, algorithm for computing CSI is to be used.

[0025] In one embodiment, the one or more NZP CSI-RS resources comprise X CSI-RS resources where X is an integer number greater than 1. In one embodiment, a starting point for an active resource counting duration is an end of a last symbol of a latest NZP CSI-RS resource among the X NZP CSI-RS resources. In another embodiment, a starting point for an active resource counting duration is an end of a last symbol of an earliest NZP CSI-RS resource among the X NZP CSI-RS resources. In one embodiment, counting the one or more periodic NZP CSI-RS resources as active during the one or more active resource counting durations comprises counting the X CSI-RS resources as X active CSI-RS resources during the one or more active resource counting durations. In another embodiment, counting the one or more periodic NZP CSI-RS resources as active during the one or more active resource counting durations comprises counting the X CSI-RS resources as Y active CSI-RS resources during the one or more active resource counting durations, where Y is not equal to X. In one embodiment, Y = aX where a is a scaling factor and the value of a is predefined or reported as a UE capability.

[0026] In one embodiment, the first signal is a CSI measurement start trigger. In one embodiment, receiving the first signal comprises receiving the CSI measurement start trigger via a downlink related downlink control information (DCI) or a downlink medium access control (MAC) control element (CE).

[0027] In one embodiment, the first signal is different from a second signal received from the network node that indicates uplink resources for carrying one or more CSI reports comprising the one or more CSI reporting quantities. In one embodiment, the second signal is an uplink relatedDCI providing uplink resources for carrying the one or more CSI reports that include the one or more CSI reporting quantities. In another embodiment, the second signal is a MAC CE that provides uplink resources for carrying the one or more CSI reports that include the one or more CSI reporting quantities. In another embodiment, the second signal is a configured grant that provides uplink resources for carrying the one or more CSI reports that include the one or more CSI reporting quantities. In one embodiment, the second signal is based on a Radio Resource Control (RRC) message. In another embodiment, the second signal is a CSI reporting trigger.

[0028] In one embodiment, the method further comprises performing measurement and / or computation of the one or more CSI reporting quantities based on the one or more periodic NZP CSI-RS resources during at least one of the one or more active resource counting durations. In one embodiment the method further comprises transmitting, to the network node, the one or more CSI reports comprising the one or more CSI reporting quantities. In one embodiment the one or more CSI reports are transmitted using one or more uplink resources indicated via a second signal.

[0029] Corresponding embodiments of a UE are also disclosed. In one embodiment, a UE for active resource counting at the UE comprises a communication interface comprising a transmitter and a receiver and processing circuitry associated with the communication interface. The processing circuitry is configured to cause the UE to receive, from a network node, configuration of one or more periodic NZP CSI-RS resources. The processing circuitry is further configured to cause the UE to receive, from the network node, a first signal that indicates to the UE that the UE is to start measurement and / or computation of one or more CSI reporting quantities based on the one or more periodic NZP CSI-RS resources and determine one or more active resource counting durations related to the one or more periodic NZP CSI-RS resources. The processing circuitry is further configured to cause the UE to count the one or more periodic NZP CSI-RS resources as active during the one or more active resource counting durations when performing measurement and / or computation of the one or more CSI reporting quantities based on the one or more periodic NZP CSI-RS resources.

[0030] Embodiments of a method performed by a network node are also disclosed. In one embodiment, a method performed by a network node comprises transmitting, to a UE, configuration of one or more periodic NZP CSI-RS resources and transmitting, to the UE, a first signal that indicates to the UE that the UE is to start measurement and / or computation of one or more CSI reporting quantities based on the one or more periodic NZP CSI-RS resources.

[0031] Corresponding embodiments of a network node are also disclosed. In one embodiment, a network node comprises processing circuitry configured to cause the network node to transmit, to a UE, configuration of one or more periodic NZP CSI-RS resources and transmit,to the UE, a first signal that indicates to the UE that the UE is to start measurement and / or computation of one or more CSI reporting quantities based on the one or more periodic NZP C SIRS resources.BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0032] 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.

[0033] Figure 1 is an illustration of the transmission structure of spatial multiplexing in New Radio (NR);

[0034] Figure 2 is an illustration of a two-dimensional antenna array of dual-polarized antenna elements ( Np= 2) , with= 4 horizontal antenna elements and N2= 4 vertical antenna elements;

[0035] Figure 3 illustrates an example of RE allocation for a 12-port CSI-RS in NR;

[0036] Figure 4 illustrates an example of active resource counting according to the First Embodiment of the present disclosure;

[0037] Figure 5 illustrates examples of defining starting point of ARC duration when channel measurement resource and interference measurement resource occur in the same slot, in accordance with an embodiment of the present disclosure;

[0038] Figure 6 illustrates an example of staggering ARC durations of two different periodic NZP CSI-RS resources, in accordance with an embodiment of the present disclosure;

[0039] Figure 7 illustrates an example of triggering CSI measurement based on a periodic CSI-RS resource, in accordance with an embodiment of the present disclosure;

[0040] Figure 8 illustrates another example of triggering CSI measurement based on a periodic CSI-RS resource, in accordance with an embodiment of the present disclosure;

[0041] Figure 9 illustrates an example of active resource counting according to another embodiment of the present disclosure;

[0042] Figure 10 illustrates the operation of a network node and a UE, in accordance with embodiments of the present disclosure;

[0043] Figure 11 shows an example of a communication system in accordance with some embodiments of the present disclosure;

[0044] Figure 12 is another example of a communication system according to some embodiments of the present disclosure;

[0045] Figure 13 shows a wireless device, which may be configured to operate in the communication system of Figure 11 or in the communication system of Figure 12;

[0046] Figure 14 shows a network node in accordance with some embodiments of the present disclosure; and

[0047] Figure 15 is a block diagram illustrating a virtualization environment in which functions implemented by some embodiments of the present disclosure may be virtualized.DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0048] 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.

[0049] 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.

[0050] There currently exist certain challenge(s). Currently, as specified in 3rdGeneration Partnership Project (3GPP) Technical Specification (TS) 38.214 V18.4.0 subclause 5.2.1.6, a periodic Non-Zero Power (NZP) Chanel State Information (CSI) Reference Signal (CSI-RS) resource is always counted as active starting from when the periodic NZP CSI-RS resource is configured until the configuration of the periodic NZP CSI-RS resource is released. Furthermore, the number of active resources supported by a User Equipment (UE) is typically limited by UE capability. For a UE that has an Active Resource Count (ARC) capability of NARC, the number of resources that are active cannot exceed NARCat any given time.

[0051] The fact that the periodic NZP CSI-RS resources are counted as always active puts pressure on the UEs to support a larger number of simultaneously active NZP-CSI-RS resources (i.e., large NARC) while a low UE capability (i.e., small NARC) restricts the network operation. A low UE capability on the aggregate number of active NZP-CSI-RS resources across all component carriers further hinders the usage of carrier aggregation.

[0052] With the current ARC rule (i.e., a periodic NZP CSI-RS resource is always counted as active), the limited ARC UE capability of NARCwill limit the number of periodic NZP CSI-RS resources that can be configured, which is a problem in the networks since it hinders flexibility and number of reports with which CSI can be measured and reported by the UE to the network.Hence, how to improve the flexibility and CSI reporting capacity to acquire CSI for UEs that have capability limitations on ARC is an open problem to be solved.

[0053] Certain aspects of the disclosure and their embodiments may provide solutions to these or other challenges. Systems and methods are disclosed herein that provide periodically repeating active resource counting durations for periodic NZP CSI-RS resource(s) wherein the periodically repeating active resource counting durations are initiated by a CSI measurement start trigger. The number of periodically repeating active resource counting durations are either indicated by the CSI measurement start trigger or a separate CSI measurement stop trigger.

[0054] Some example embodiments of the present disclosure are as follows:

[0055] Embodiment 1: A method for active resource counting at the UE, the method comprising:• Receiving configuration of one or more periodic NZP CSI-RS resources from a network node;• Receiving a first signal from the network node indicating the UE to start measurement and / or computation of one or more CSI reporting quantities based on the one or more periodic NZP CSI-RS resources wherein the first signal is different from a second signal received from the network node that indicates uplink resources for carrying one or more CSI reports comprising the one or more CSI reporting quantities;• Determining periodically repeating active resource counting durations related to the one or more periodic NZP CSI-RS resources wherein the periodically repeating active resource counting duration starts according to one or more of the following rules:o the active resource counting duration is defined as a finite number of slots starting from the slot containing a first CSI-RS occasion(s) of the one or more periodic NZP CSI-RS resources that occur(s) after receiving the first signal, and the active resource counting duration periodically repeating in subsequent CSI-RS occasion(s) of the one or more periodic NZP CSI-RS resources until a last CSI-RS occasion(s) of the one or more periodic NZP CSI-RS resources;o the active resource counting duration is defined as a finite number of symbols starting from the last symbol of the first CSI-RS occasion(s) of the one or more periodic NZP CSI-RS resources that occur(s) after receiving the first signal, and the active resource counting duration periodically repeating in subsequent CSI-RS occasion(s) of the one or more periodic NZP CSI-RS resources until a last CSI-RS occasion(s) of the one or more periodic NZP CSI-RS resources;• Counting the one or more periodic NZP CSI-RS resources as active during the determined periodically repeating active resource counting durations when performing measurement and / or computation of the one or more CSI reporting quantities based on the one or more periodic NZP CSI-RS resources.

[0056] Embodiment 2: The first signal is a CSI measurement start trigger which may be a downlink related Downlink Control Information (DCI) or a downlink Medium Access Control (MAC) Control Element (CE).

[0057] Embodiment 3: The method of any of 1-2, wherein the second signal is an uplink related DCI providing uplink resources for carrying the one or more CSI reports

[0058] Embodiment 4: The method of any of 1-2, the second signal is a MAC CE that provides UL resources for carrying the one or more CSI reports

[0059] Embodiment 5: The method of any of 1-2, the second signal is a configured grant that provides UL resources for carrying the one or more CSI reports wherein the second signal is based on a Radio Resource Control (RRC) message

[0060] Embodiment 6: The method of any of 1-2, wherein the second signal is a CSI reporting trigger

[0061] Embodiment 7: The method of any of 1-6, wherein the one or more CSI reports are reported using the uplink resources provided in any of 3-6.

[0062] Embodiment 8: The method of any of 1-7, wherein information on the last CSI-RS occasion(s) of the one or more periodic NZP CSI-RS resources is provided by a third signal different from the first signal and the second signal.

[0063] Embodiment 9: The method of 8, wherein the third signal is a CSI measurement stop trigger.

[0064] Embodiment 10: The method of any of 1-7, wherein information on the last CSI-RS occasion(s) of the one or more periodic NZP CSI-RS resources is provided by the first signal.

[0065] Certain embodiments may provide one or more of the following technical advantage(s). With the proposed ARC duration mechanism, the network can flexibly configure more periodic NZP CSI-RS resources since the ARC durations are limited and the ARC durations can be controlled by the CSI measurement start trigger and / or CSI measurement stop trigger. The UE will also benefit as the UE can still report a low NARCcapability while still being able to be configured with more periodic NZP CSI-RS resources.

[0066] Figure 4 shows an example of a First Embodiment of the present disclosure. In this embodiment, a UE receives configuration of a periodic NZP CSI-RS resource from a network node with periodicity Poas shown in Figure 4. Note that such configuration indicates a presence of theNZP CSI-RS, e.g. for Physical Downlink Shared Channel (PDSCH) rate matching purposes, but the UE does not perform any measurements on this periodic NZP CSI-RS, according to the present disclosure, until a CSI measurement start trigger is received.

[0067] In this embodiment, CSI measurement by the UE on the periodic NZP CSI-RS resource is started by a CSI measurement start trigger. The CSI measurement start trigger indicates information regarding the periodic NZP CSI-RS resource that the UE is to measure to compute one or more CSI reporting quantities such as, for example, rank indicator (RI), precoder matrix indicator (PMI), channel quality indicator (CQI), etc. In a further embodiment, the CSI measurement start trigger indicates information to the UE such as NZP CSI-RS resource identifier, the periodicity Poof the periodic NZP CSI-RS resource, and / or slots in which the periodic NZP CSI-RS resource occurs.

[0068] Note that from the network perspective, the periodic NZP CSI-RS can be transmitted before the CSI measurement start trigger. The periodic NZP CSI-RS can be transmitted to all UEs in a serving cell. The periodic NZP CSI-RS can even be transmitted even if there is no UE in a serving cell that performs measurements on it. Hence, the transmission of the periodic NZP CSI-RS is decoupled from measurements. In embodiments of the present disclosure, a UE does not perform any measurement based on the periodic NZP CSI-RS until the CSI measurement start trigger is received.

[0069] In Figure 4, the CSI measurement start trigger is received by the UE from the network in the slot labeled 17. Note that in this embodiment the CSI measurement start trigger is different from a CSI report trigger which triggers the CSI report. Hence, the CSI measurement trigger and the CSI report trigger are decupled and independent (although the UE must receive a measurement trigger for measurement and / or CSI computation based on a periodic NZP CSI-RS resource before receiving a CSI report trigger).

[0070] In Figure 4, the CSI report trigger is received by the UE from the network node in the slot labeled 25. In response to the CSI report trigger, the CSI report is reported by the UE to the network node in the slot labeled 29.

[0071] The UE starts measuring the periodic NZP CSI-RS resource from the first CSI-RS occasion after the CSI measurement start trigger. In Figure 4, the first CSI-RS occasion after the CSI measurement start trigger occurs in the slot labeled 21. In one embodiment, the periodic NZP CSI-RS resource is counted as an active resource for a finite active resource count (ARC) duration shown in Figure 4.

[0072] In one embodiment, the ARC duration may be defined as follows:• ARC duration is defined as a finite number Nstof slots starting from the slot containing the first CSI-RS occasion that occurs after the CSI measurement start trigger (e.g., from the slot labeled 21 until the slot labeled 25 in the example of Figure 4 where Nst= 5); • the ARC duration is repeated again for the finite number Nstof slots starting from the slot containing the second CSI-RS occasion that occurs after the CSI measurement start trigger (e.g., from the slot labeled 31 until the slot labeled 35 in the example of Figure 4 where NSi= 5);• the ARC duration is periodically repeated until the last CSI-RS occasion that occurs before the UE receives a CSI measurement stop trigger from the network. In the example of Figure 4, the last CSI-RS occasion before the CSI measurement stop trigger happens in the slot labeled 41, and the last ARC duration is from the slot labeled 41 until the slot labeled 45 where Nst= 5.

[0073] In the above embodiments, the Nstslots that define the ARC duration are consecutive slots.

[0074] In another embodiment, the CSI measurement on the periodic NZP CSI-RS resource is stopped only after the UE receives the CSI measurement stop trigger. This means the last CSI-RS occasion in the slot labeled 41 is the last CSI-RS occasion the UE measures on the periodic NZP CSI-RS resource in the example of Figure 4. Hence, the last instance of ARC duration also starts at the slot labeled 41 in the example of Figure 4.

[0075] Note that the periodic NZP CSI-RS resource is only counted as active during the periodically repeating finite ARC durations in this embodiment, which is an advantage compared to current NR operation. Also, the periodically repeating finite ARC durations only occur in between the slot in which CSI measurement start trigger is received and the slot in which CSI measurement stop trigger is received. Note that ARC duration is not applicable to CSI-RS occasions in slots labeled 1, 11, 51 and 61 as these slots do not occur in between the slot in which CSI measurement start trigger is received and the slot in which CSI measurement stop trigger is received.

[0076] In another embodiment, the ARC duration may be defined in terms of number of symbols (instead of slots) as follows:• ARC duration is defined as a finite number NSymof symbols starting from the last symbol of the first CSI-RS occasion that occurs after the CSI measurement start trigger (i.e., the ARC duration is defined for a duration of NSymsymbols starting from the last symbol of the first CSI-RS occasion that occurs after receiving the CSI measurement start trigger);• the ARC duration is repeated again for the same finite number NSymof symbols starting from the last symbols of the second CSI-RS occasion that occurs after the CSI measurement start trigger (i.e., the ARC duration is repeated for the second time for a duration of NSymsymbols starting from the last symbol of the second CSI-RS occasion that occurs after receiving the CSI measurement start trigger);• the ARC duration is periodically repeated until the last CSI-RS occasion before the UE receives a CSI measurement stop trigger from the network. In this embodiment, the last repeated ARC duration is defined as a finite number NSymof symbols starting from the last symbol of the last CSI-RS occasion that occurs before the UE receives the CSI measurement stop trigger from the network node.

[0077] In the above embodiments, the NSymsymbols are consecutive symbols.

[0078] In some embodiments, the UE performs measurement on the CSI-RS occasion(s) of the periodic NZP CSI-RS resource and computes the CSI reporting quantity within the ARC duration. Hence according to some embodiments, the ARC duration (given in terms of either Nstor NSym) is given by a CSI computational timeline needed to perform the measurement and the computation of the CSI reporting quantity. In some embodiments, the CSI computation timeline which determines the value of either Nstor NSymdepends on one or more of the following:• the subcarrier spacing (or numerology) of the periodic NZP CSI-RS,• the type of CSI reporting quantity (e.g., a first value of either Nstor NSymwhen the CSI reporting quantity includes RI / PMECQI and a second value of either Nstor NSymwhen the CSI reporting quantity includes Ll-RSRP),• the number of ports in the periodic NZP CSI-RS,• A configuration of whether the UE should prioritize CSI computation or prioritize other tasks (such as Physical Downlink Shared Channel (PDSCH) reception or Physical Uplink Shared Channel (PUSCH) encoding),• Whether an Artificial Intelligence (Al) or Machine Learning (ML) (i.e., AI / ML) based algorithm for computing CSI report is used or not (since if an AI / ML based CSI computation is used, it may use a dedicated hardware and can be performed in parallel with other tasks)

[0079] The above embodiments only mention the periodic NZP CSI-RS resource on which the UE performs channel measurements and computes a CSI reporting quantity after receiving the CSI measurement start trigger from the network. However, in some embodiments, computation of the CSI reporting quantity may involve measurements on both a channel measurement resourceand an interference measurement resource. Let us assume the channel measurement resource (which is the periodic NZP CSI-RS resource) and the interference measurement resource (which is a periodic interference measurement resource) periodically occur in the same slots. Figure 5 shows two examples of how to define the starting point of the ARC duration when the channel measurement resource and the interference measurement resource occur in the same slot (assuming the ARC duration is defined in terms of symbols). Note that for sake of simplicity, only the symbols within a single slot is shown in both Examples (a) and (b) in Figure 5.

[0080] In Example (a) of Figure 5, the symbols of the channel measurement resource occurs later than the symbols of the interference measurement resource. In this case, the starting point of ARC duration is at the end of the last symbol of the channel measurement resource (e.g., at the end of symbol 12 which is the last symbol of the channel measurement resource).

[0081] In Example (b) of Figure 5, the symbols of the channel measurement resource occurs earlier than the symbols of the interference measurement resource. In this case, the starting point of ARC duration is at the end of the last symbol of the interference measurement resource (e.g., at the end of symbol 11 which is the last symbol of the interference measurement resource).

[0082] In yet another embodiment, the starting point of ARC duration is always determined as the end of the last symbol of channel measurement resource regardless of whether the symbols of the channel measurement resource occurs earlier or later than the symbols of the interference measurement resource.

[0083] In some of the above embodiments, the case where the UE performs channel measurements and computes a CSI reporting quantity based on a single periodic NZP CSI-RS resource is covered. This is non-limiting in the sense that in some embodiments the CSI measurement start trigger indicates information to the UE regarding X > 1 periodic NZP CSI-RS resource(s) on which the UE shall perform channel measurement and computation of a CSI reporting quantity. This is useful at least in cases when the UE shall perform CSI prediction in time, as multiple CSI-RS measurements separated in time is needed. Alternatively, the UE would benefit from multiple measurements for better accuracy in estimation of e.g. Reference Signal Received Power (RSRP) value, especially if the Signal to Noise Ratio (SNR) is low. In one embodiment, the starting point of ARC duration is at the end of the last symbol of the latest periodic NZP CSI-RS resource among the X periodic NZP CSI-RS resources within a single CSI-RS periodicity. In another embodiment, the starting point of ARC duration is at the end of the last symbol of the earliest periodic NZP CSI-RS resource among the X periodic NZP CSI-RS resources within a single CSI-RS periodicity.

[0084] In some embodiments, the X > 1 periodic NZP CSI-RS resource(s) are counted with an ARC of X during the periodically repeating ARC durations. In another embodiment, the X > 1 periodic NZP CSI-RS resource(s) are counted with an ARC of Y > 1 during the periodically repeating ARC durations wherein Y A X. In some embodiments, Y = aX where a is a scaling factor and the value of a is predefined in 3GPP specifications and which may depend on other factors such as the CSI reporting quantity. For example, when the CSI reporting quantity to be computed involves RI, PMI, and CQI, then a first value of a may be predefined in 3 GPP specifications. When the CSI reporting quantity to be computed involves a layer 1 reference signal received power (Ll-RSRP), a second value of a may be predefined in 3 GPP specifications. In some further embodiments, the value of a may be reported as a UE capability by the UE to the network node as part of UE capability reporting. Note that the ARC of Y is only counted within the ARC durations and are not counted outside of the ARC durations.

[0085] In one embodiment, the CSI measurement start trigger is received via a Downlink Control Information (DCI). In a detailed embodiment, the CSI measurement start trigger is a downlink related DCI received by the UE from the network node which triggers the UE to measure the periodic NZP CSI-RS resource and to compute a CSI reporting quantity. The downlink related DCI does not trigger the UE to report a CSI in this embodiment.

[0086] In another embodiment, the CSI measurement start trigger is received via a Medium Access Control (MAC) Control Element (CE) from the network node to the UE. In a detailed embodiment, the CSI measurement start trigger is a downlink MAC CE received by the UE from the network node which triggers the UE to measure the periodic NZP CSI-RS resource and to compute a CSI reporting quantity. The downlink MAC CE does not trigger the UE to report a CSI in this embodiment.

[0087] In one embodiment, the CSI measurement stop trigger is received via a DCI. In a detailed embodiment, the CSI measurement stop trigger is a downlink related DCI received by the UE from the network node which triggers the UE to stop measurement of the periodic NZP CSI-RS resource. The downlink related DCI does not trigger the UE to report a CSI in this embodiment.

[0088] In one embodiment, the CSI measurement stop trigger is received via a MAC CE from the network node to the UE. In a detailed embodiment, the CSI measurement stop trigger is a downlink MAC CE received by the UE from the network node which triggers the UE to stop measurement of the periodic NZP CSI-RS resource. The downlink MAC CE does not trigger the UE to report a CSI in this embodiment.

[0089] A benefit of the First Embodiment and related embodiments described above is that, given that the periodic NZP CSI-RS is only counted as an active resource in the periodicallyrepeating finite ARC durations, the network has more flexibility with this new method of counting resources to allocate other periodic NZP CSI-RS resources that do not overlap with the periodically repeating finite ARC durations while still respecting the ARC capability of the UE at any given time. Figure 6 shows an example where two different periodic NZP CSI-RS resources are configured and their periodically repeating ARC durations are non-overlapping according to some embodiments proposed in the present disclosure.

[0090] Hence, the 3 GPP specification could contain text stating that the UE may assume that ARC durations are not overlapping (or that there is a maximum number of supported overlapping ARC, depending on UE capability) or equivalently that UE may ignore a second (or too many) trigger that have an ARC duration that overlaps with an already triggered or configured ARC duration,

[0091] In the example of Figure 6, even if the UE is capable of a single ARC, the embodiments proposed in the present disclosure allow two periodic NZP CSI-RS resources to be measured by the UE since the count of ARC does not exceed 1 in any of the slots depicted in the figure. For instance, the count of ARC is 1 in slots 21-23, 24-26, 31-33, 34-36, 41-43 and 44-46. Hence, the count of ARC does not exceed 1 in the example of Figure 6, and a UE capable of an ARC of only 1 can be configured to measure 2 periodic NZP CSI-RS resources.

[0092] In an alternative embodiment, the periodic NZP CSI-RS resource is counted as an active resource for the time duration starting from the CSI measurement start trigger to the end of the CSI report or to the CSI measurement stop trigger.

[0093] An example is shown in Figure 7, where the periodic CSI-RS resource is counted as active only after a CSI measurement start trigger associated to the CSI-RS resource is received and before an aperiodic CSI report associated to the CSI-RS resource is triggered and sent. In this case, a CSI measurement start trigger is needed for each aperiodic CSI report. The CSI measurement start trigger may contain information of multiple CSI report configurations based on the same periodic CSI-RS resource. In that case, the ARC may be counted multiple times for the periodic CSI-RS resource.

[0094] In another embodiment, for a periodic CSI report associated with the periodic CSI-RS resource, the CSI report starts only after receiving the CSI measurement start trigger. The CSI report stops after receiving a CSI measurement stop trigger. In this case, the ARC duration for the periodic CSI-RS resource is from the CSI measurement start trigger to the corresponding CSI measurement stop trigger.

[0095] In a further embodiment, the CSI measurement start trigger may indicate one or more periodic CSI-RS resources but may not contain information of any CSI report configurations. Inthis case, measurements on the one or more periodic CSI-RS resources are enabled for all CSI report configurations associated to the one or more periodic CSI-RS resources. The one or more periodic CSI-RS resource is considered active after a CSI measurement start trigger is received and before a corresponding CSI measurement stop trigger is received. An example is illustrated in Figure 8.

[0096] Figure 9 show an example of a Second Embodiment of the present disclosure. This embodiment is similar to the First Embodiment except that the UE does not receive CSI measurement stop triggers. Instead, the CSI measurement start trigger indicates information on the number of CSI-RS occasions to measure on the periodic NZP CSI-RS resource. Hence, the CSI Measurement start trigger contains an indication of duration of measurements (i.e. a measurement window), and in this case there is no need for a stop trigger. For example, the UE can be triggered to measure for 50 slots before it cancels measurements for the indicated NZP CSI-RS resource.

[0097] Alternatively, the measurement window duration is higher layer configured (e.g., RRC configured) and whenever a CSI measurement start trigger is received, the UE performs measurements for the duration of the window (unless a new trigger is received in which case the UE can continue to measure for the duration of the configured window (i.e. measurement window start timing is reset)). In one embodiment of using a measurement window, the measurement window contains only a single NZP CSI-RS measurement occasion.

[0098] In addition, if the measurements are within a configured measurement window only, the report trigger must be given by the network to the UE before the measurement window ends.

[0099] In the example of Figure 9, the CSI measurement start trigger is received by the UE from the network in the slot labeled 16. Similar to the First Embodiment, in this embodiment the CSI measurement start trigger is different from a CSI report trigger which triggers the CSI report. In Figure 9, the CSI report trigger is received by the UE from the network node in the slot labeled 25. In response to the CSI report trigger, the CSI report is reported by the UE to the network node in the slot labeled 29.

[0100] The UE starts measuring the periodic NZP CSI-RS resource from the first CSI-RS occasion after the CSI measurement start trigger. In Figure 9, the first CSI-RS occasion after the CSI measurement start trigger occurs in the slot labeled 21. In one embodiment, the periodic NZP CSI-RS resource is counted as an active resource count for finite active resource count (ARC) durations as shown in Figure 9.

[0101] In one embodiment, the ARC duration may be defined as follows:• ARC duration is defined as a finite number Nstof slots starting from the slot containing the first CSI-RS occasion that occurs after the CSI measurement start trigger (e.g., from the slot labeled 21 until the slot labeled 25 in the example of Figure 9 where Nst= 5); • the ARC duration is repeated again for the finite number Nstof slots starting from the slot containing the second CSI-RS occasion that occurs after the CSI measurement start trigger (e.g., from the slot labeled 31 until the slot labeled 35 in the example of Figure 9 where NSi= 5);• the ARC duration is periodically repeated until the last CSI-RS occasion that occurs before the UE receives a CSI measurement stop trigger from the network or when the configured measurement window ends. In the example of Figure 9, the last CSI-RS occasion before the CSI measurement stop trigger happens in the slot labeled 41, and the last ARC duration is from the slot labeled 41 until the slot labeled 45 where Nst= 5.

[0102] In the above embodiments, the Nstslots that define the ARC duration are consecutive slots.

[0103] In another embodiment, the ARC duration may be defined in terms of number of symbols (instead of slots) as follows:• ARC duration is defined as a finite number NSymof symbols starting from the last symbol of the first CSI-RS occasion that occurs after the CSI measurement start trigger (i.e., the ARC duration is defined for a duration of NSymsymbols starting from the last symbol of the first CSI-RS occasion that occurs after receiving the CSI measurement start trigger);• the ARC duration is periodically repeated until the last CSI-RS occasion which is indicated as part of the CSI measurement start trigger. In the example of Figure 9, the last CSI-RS occasion happens in the slot labeled 41, and the last ARC duration is defined as a finite number of NSymof symbols starting from the last symbol of the last CSI-RS occasion which is indicated as part of the CSI measurement start trigger.

[0104] In the above embodiments, the Nsymsymbols that define the ARC duration are consecutive symbols.

[0105] Although CSI report trigger is shown in the above embodiments, the proposed solution is non-limiting in the sense that the CSI report may be triggered by a signal that provides an uplink grant (i.e., resources to carry the CSI report). Hence, the CSI report trigger in the above embodiments can be replaced by a signal that provides an uplink (UL) grant. In one embodiment, the signal that provides the uplink grant to carry the CSI report is an uplink related DCI that theUE receives from the network node. In another embodiment, the signal that provides the uplink grant to carry the CSI report is a downlink MAC CE.

[0106] In yet another embodiment, the CSI reports are carried by periodic resources that are configured via a configured grant which allows scheduling Physical Uplink Shared Channel (PUSCH) resources to carry the CSI report without a DCI. In this embodiment the signal that provides the UL grant is a Radio Resource Control (RRC) message that schedules the PUSCH resources to carry the CSI report.

[0107] Figure 10 illustrates the operation of a network node 1000 and a UE 1002, in accordance with one example of the First Embodiment or the Second Embodiment described above. Note that not all of the details provided above regarding the First and Second Embodiments and their related (sub)embodiments are repeated here in the description of Figure 10; however, it is to be understood that the details provided above are equally applicable to the corresponding steps, or actions, of Figure 10. Optional steps are represented by dashed lines or dashed boxes.

[0108] As illustrated, the UE 1002 receives, from the network node 1000, a configuration of one or more periodic NZP CSI-RS resources (step 1004). Details regarding this configuration are provided above and are equally applicable here. The UE 1002 also receives, from the network node 1000, a first signal (e.g., a CSI measurement start trigger) indicating to the UE 1002 that the UE 1002 is to start CSI measurement and / or CSI computation of one or more CSI reporting quantities, based on the one or more periodic NZP CSI-RS resources (step 1006). Note that the first signal (e.g., the CSI measurement start trigger) is different from (i.e., separate and distinct from) a second signal (e.g., a CSI report trigger) received by the UE 1002 from the network node 1000 that indicates an uplink resource(s) (e.g., PUSCH resource(s)) on which the UE 1002 is to transmit one or more CSI reports including the one or more CSI reporting quantities. In other words, the first signal (e.g., the CSI measurement start trigger) is different than (i.e., separate and distinct from) a second signal (e.g., a CSI report trigger) that triggers the CSI report(s) including the one or more CSI reporting quantities.

[0109] The UE 1002 determines one or more active resource counting durations related to the one or more periodic NZP CSI-RS resources (step 1008). As described above in detail, in many of the embodiments described herein, the one or more active resource counting durations are periodically repeating active resource counting durations determined by the UE according to one or more of the following:• The active resource counting duration is defined as a finite number of slots starting from the slot containing a first CSI-RS occasion(s) of the one or more periodic NZP CSI-RS resources that occur(s) after receiving the first signal, and the active resource countingduration periodically repeating in subsequent CSI-RS occasion(s) of the one or more periodic NZP CSI-RS resources until a last CSI-RS occasion(s) of the one or more periodic NZP CSI-RS resources (e.g., a last CSI-RS occasion before the UE receives a CSI measurement stop trigger from the network node or the last CSI-RS occasion before a configured measurement window ends);• the active resource counting duration is defined as a finite number of symbols starting from the last symbol of the first CSI-RS occasion(s) of the one or more periodic NZP CSI-RS resources that occur(s) after receiving the first signal, and the active resource counting duration periodically repeating in subsequent CSI-RS occasion(s) of the one or more periodic NZP CSI-RS resources until a last CSI-RS occasion(s) of the one or more periodic NZP CSI-RS resources (e.g., a last CSI-RS occasion before the UE receives a CSI measurement stop trigger from the network node or the last CSI-RS occasion before a configured measurement window ends).However, other alternatives are also described above. For example, in one alternative embodiment, the one or more active resource counting durations is an active resource duration starting from the first signal (e.g., the CSI measurement start trigger) to the end of the CSI report or to the CSI measurement stop trigger. Note that information on (e.g., regarding) the last CSI-RS occasion(s) of the NZP CSI-RS resource(s) may be provided from the network node 1000 to the UE 1002 via a third signal (e.g., a CSI measurement stop trigger) that is different from the first and second signals, or the information on (e.g., regarding) the last CSI-RS occasion(s) of the NZP CSI-RS resource(s) may be provided from the network node 1000 to the UE 1002 via the first signal (e.g., the CSI measurement start trigger).

[0110] The UE 1002 counts the one or more periodic NZP CSI-RS resources as active during the determined one or more active resource counting durations when performing measurement and / or computation of the one or more CSI reporting quantities based on the one or more periodic NZP CSI-RS resources (step 1010).[oni] The UE 1002 performs measurement and / or computation of the one or more CSI reporting quantities based on the one or more periodic NZP CSI-RS resources (step 1012). The UE 1002 receives the second signal (e.g., CSI report trigger) (step 1013) and, in response, transmits, to the network node 1000, one or more CSI reports including the computed CSI reporting quantities (step 1014). Note that while steps 1010, 1012, and 1013 are illustrated in Figure 10 as being in a particular order, the present disclosure is not limited thereto. For example, step 1010 may be a process that is performed by the UE 1002 while performing the measurements and / or computations of step 1012.

[0112] Figure 11 shows an example of a communication system 1100 in accordance with some embodiments.

[0113] In the example, the communication system 1100 includes a telecommunications network 1102 that includes an access network 1104, such as a radio access network (RAN), and a core network 1106, which includes one or more core network nodes 1108. The access network 1104 includes one or more access network nodes or base stations of various types, access network nodes 1110A and 1110B are depicted (which may be collectively referred to as network nodes 1110), or any other similar 3rdGeneration Partnership Project (3 GPP) access nodes or non-3GPP access points (APs). Some embodiments of the access network 1104 may include more than one access network technology. The network nodes 1110 of access network 1104 facilitate direct or indirect connection of wireless devices, also referred to as user equipments (UEs), such as by connecting UEs 1112A, 1112B, 1112C, and 1112D (one or more of which may be generally referred to as UEs 1112) to the core network 1106 over one or more wireless connections.

[0114] Moreover, 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 telecommunications network 1102 includes one or more Open-RAN (ORAN) network nodes. An ORAN network node is a network node in the telecommunications network 1102 that supports an ORAN specification (e.g., a specification published by the O-RAN Alliance, or any similar organization) and may operate alone or together with other network nodes to implement one or more functionalities of any network node in the telecommunications network 1102, including one or more access network nodes 1110 and / or core network nodes 1108.

[0115] 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). An ORAN network node may support a specification by, for example, supporting an interface defined by the ORAN specification, such as an Al, Fl, Wl, El, E2, X2, Xn interface, an open fronthaul user plane interface, or an open fronthaul management plane interface. Moreover, an ORAN network node may be a logical node in a physical node. Furthermore, an ORAN network node may be implemented in a virtualization environment (described further below) in which one or more network functions are virtualized.For example, the virtualization environment may include an O-Cloud computing platform orchestrated by a Service Management and Orchestration Framework via an 0-2 interface defined by the 0-RAN Alliance or comparable technologies.

[0116] The network nodes 1110 facilitate direct or indirect connection of one or more UEs 1112 to the core network 1106 over one or more wireless connections. Example wireless communications over a wireless connection include transmitting and / or receiving wireless signals using electromagnetic waves, radio waves, infrared waves, and / or other types of signals suitable for conveying information without the use of wires, cables, or other material conductors. Moreover, in different embodiments, the communication system 1100 may include any number of wired or wireless networks, network nodes, UEs, and / or any other components or systems that may facilitate or participate in the communication of data and / or signals whether via wired or wireless connections. The communication system 1100 may include and / or interface with any type of communication, telecommunication, data, cellular, radio network, and / or other similar type of system.

[0117] The UEs 1112 may be any of a wide variety of communication devices, including wireless devices arranged, configured, and / or operable to communicate wirelessly with the network nodes 1110 and other communication devices. Similarly, the network nodes 1108, 1110 are arranged, capable, configured, and / or operable to communicate directly or indirectly (e.g., via other devices of telecommunications network 1102) with the UEs 1112 and / or with other network nodes or equipment in the telecommunications network 1102 to enable and / or provide network access, such as wireless network access, and / or to perform other functions, such as administration in the telecommunications network 1102. More specifically, UEs 1112 may send messages, data, and / or other signals to network nodes 1108, 1110 or other elements of the telecommunications network 1102 by transmitting such signals to the relevant device directly without the signals passing through any intervening devices or by transmitting such signals to the relevant device indirectly through an intervening device (or multiple intervening devices) that then transmit the signal to the relevant device. Similarly, network nodes 1108, 1110 may send messages, data, and other signals to UEs 11122, other network nodes 1108, 1110, and other devices in telecommunications network 1102 directly or indirectly. As one specific example, a core network node 108 may transmit a particular message to a UE 1112 by transmitting the message to an access network node 1110 that will then transmit the message to the intended UE 1112. Similarly, a core network node 108 may receive a particular message from a UE 1112 by receiving the message from an access network node 1110 that itself received the message from the UE 1112.

[0118] In the depicted example, the core network 1106 connects elements of the access network 1104 (e.g., one or more of the network nodes 1110) to one or more host computing systems, such as host 1116. These connections may be direct or indirect via one or more intermediary networks or devices. In other examples, network nodes may be directly coupled to hosts. The core network 1106 includes one or more core network nodes (e.g., core network node 1108) of various types, one or more of which may be generally referred to as network nodes 1108. Network nodes 1108 are structured with hardware and software components. Features of these components may be substantially similar to those described with respect to the UEs, access network nodes, and / or hosts, such that the descriptions thereof are generally applicable to the corresponding components of the core network node 1108. Example core network nodes provide 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).

[0119] The host 1116 may be under the ownership or control of a service provider other than an operator or provider of the access network 1104 and / or the telecommunications network 1102. The host 1116 may be operated by the service provider or on behalf of the service provider. The host 1116 may host a variety of applications to provide one or more service. Examples of such applications include live and pre-recorded audio / video content, data collection services such as retrieving and compiling data on various ambient conditions detected by a plurality of UEs, analytics functionality, social media, functions for controlling or otherwise interacting with remote devices, functions for an alarm and surveillance center, or any other such function performed by a server.

[0120] As a whole, the communication system 1100 of Figure 11 enables connectivity between the UEs, network nodes, and hosts. In that sense, the communication system 1100 may be configured to operate according to predefined rules or procedures, such as specific standards that include, but are not limited to: Global System for Mobile Communications (GSM); Universal Mobile Telecommunications System (UMTS); Long Term Evolution (LTE), and / or other suitable 2G, 3G, 4G, 5G standards, or any applicable future generation standard (e.g., 6G); wireless local area network (WLAN) standards, such as the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) 802.11 standards (Wi-Fi); and / or any other appropriate wireless communication standard, such as the Worldwide Interoperability for Microwave Access (Wi-Max), Bluetooth, Z-Wave,Near Field Communication (NFC) ZigBee, Li-Fi, and / or any low-power wide-area network (LPWAN) standards such as LoRa and Sigfox. Moreover, the communication system 1100 may be configured to support multiple different standards, protocols, or other rule sets, with individual components supporting all of the relevant rule sets or with different components or sub-systems within the communication system 1100 supporting different standards, protocols, or rule sets.

[0121] As one example, in certain embodiments, access network 1104 may contain some access network nodes 1110 that support 3 GPP radio access technologies (RAT), such as LTE or NR, while other access network nodes 1110 support (or the same access network nodes 1110 additionally support) non-3GPP RATs, such as Wi-Fi or a proprietary RAT. As another example, telecommunications network 1102 may support multiple generations of related communication standards (e.g., 4G and 5G 3GPP communication standards) and, as a result, may include an access network 104 and / or a core network 106 that supports multiple different standard generations or may include multiple access networks 104 and / or multiple core networks 106 with individual networks 104, 106 supporting different standard generations.

[0122] Telecommunications network 1102 may support network slicing to provide different logical networks to different devices that are connected to the telecommunications network 1102. For example, the telecommunications network 1102 may provide Ultra Reliable Low Latency Communication (URLLC) services to some UEs, while providing Enhanced Mobile Broadband (eMBB) services to other UEs, and / or Massive Machine Type Communication (mMTC) / Massive loT services to yet further UEs.

[0123] In some examples, one or more of the UEs 1112 are configured to transmit and / or receive information without direct human interaction. For instance, a UE may be designed to transmit information to the access network 1104 on a predetermined schedule, when triggered by an internal or external event, or in response to requests from the access network 1104. Additionally, a UE may be configured for operating in single- or multi-RAT or multi -standard mode. For example, a UE may operate with any one or combination of Wi-Fi, NR (New Radio) and LTE, i.e. being configured for multi-radio dual connectivity (MR-DC), such as E-UTRAN (Evolved-UMTS Terrestrial Radio Access Network) New Radio - Dual Connectivity (EN-DC).

[0124] In the example, the hub 1114 communicates with the access network 1104 to facilitate indirect communication between one or more UEs (e.g., UE 1112C and / or 1112D) and network nodes (e.g., network node 1110B). In some examples, the hub 1114 may be a controller, router, content source and analytics, or any of the other communication devices described herein regarding UEs. For example, the hub 1114 may be a broadband router enabling access to the core network 1106 for the UEs. As another example, the hub 1114 may be a controller that sendscommands or instructions to one or more actuators in the UEs. Commands or instructions may be received from the UEs, network nodes 1110, or by executable code, script, process, or other instructions in the hub 1114.

[0125] As another example, the hub 1114 may be a data collector that acts as temporary storage for UE data and, in some embodiments, may perform analysis or other processing of the data. As another example, the hub 1114 may be a content source. For example, for a UE that is a VR headset, display, loudspeaker or other media delivery device, the hub 1114 may retrieve VR assets, video, audio, or other media or data related to sensory information via a network node, which the hub 1114 then provides to the UE either directly, after performing local processing, and / or after adding additional local content. In still another example, the hub 1114 acts as a proxy server or orchestrator for the UEs, in particular if one or more of the UEs are low energy loT devices.

[0126] The hub 1114 may have a constant / persistent or intermittent connection to the network node 1 HOB. The hub 1114 may also allow for a different communication scheme and / or schedule between the hub 1114 and UEs (e.g., UE 1112C and / or 1112D), and between the hub 1114 and the core network 1106. In other examples, the hub 1114 is connected to the core network 1106 and / or one or more UEs via a wired connection. Moreover, the hub 1114 may be configured to connect to an M2M service provider over the access network 1104 and / or to another UE over a direct connection. In some scenarios, UEs may establish a wireless connection with the network nodes 1110 while still connected via the hub 1114 via a wired or wireless connection. In some embodiments, the hub 1114 may be a dedicated hub - that is, a hub whose primary function is to route communications to / from the UEs from / to the network node 1110B. In other embodiments, the hub 1114 may be a non-dedicated hub - that is, a device which is capable of operating to route communications between the UEs and network node 1 HOB, but which is additionally capable of operating as a communication start and / or end point for certain data channels.

[0127] Figure 12 is another example of a communication system 1200 according to some embodiments. As used herein, the communication system 1200 includes multiple access points (APs) 1210 (with four exemplary APs 1210A, 1210B, 1210C, and 1210D being depicted) and multiple wireless devices, referred to in the context of communication system 1200 as stations (STAs) 1212 (referred to individually as STA 1212A, STA 1212B, STA 1212C, STA 1212D, and STA 1212E). STA 1212A is served by AP 1210A in a first basic service set (BSS) 1220A. STA 1210B and STA 1210C are served by AP 1210B in a second BSS, BSS 1220B. STA 1212D is served by AP 1210C in a third BSS, BSS 1220C. STA 1212E is served by AP 1210D in a fourth BSS, BSS 1220D. Stations 1212 may be non-AP STAs and correspond to various kinds of wirelessdevices, for example, user terminals, such as mobile or stationary computing devices like smartphones, laptop computers, desktop computers, tablet computers, gaming devices, headmounted displays (HMDs) for Augmented Reality (AR) or Virtual Reality (VR), or the like. Further, stations 1212 could, for example, correspond to other kinds of equipment like smart home devices, printers, multimedia devices, data storage devices, or the like.

[0128] Each of STAs 1212 may connect through a radio link to one of APs 1210. For example, depending on location or channel conditions experienced by a given STA 1212, the STA may select an appropriate AP and BSS for establishing the radio link. The radio link may be based on one or more orthogonal frequency-division multiplexing (OFDM) carriers from a frequency spectrum that is shared on the basis of a contention-based mechanism, e.g., an unlicensed or license exempt band like 2.4 GHz Industrial, Scientific, and Medical (ISM) band, the 5 GHz band, the 6 GHz band, or the 60 GHz band.

[0129] Each AP 1210 may provide data connectivity to STAs 1212 connected to a particular AP 1210. As illustrated, APs 1210 may be connected to a data network 1230. In this way, APs 1210 may also provide data connectivity between STAs 1212 and other entities, e.g., to one or more servers, service providers, data sources, data sinks, user terminals, or the like. Accordingly, the radio link established between a given STA 1212 and its serving AP 1210 may be used for providing various kinds of services to STA 1212, e.g., a voice service, a multimedia service, or other data service. Such services may be based on applications that are executed on STA 1212 and / or on a device linked to STA 1212. By way of example, Figure 12 illustrates an application service platform 1232 provided in data network 1230. The application(s) executed on STA 1212 and / or on one or more other devices linked to STA 1212 may use the radio link for data communication with one or more other STA 1212 and / or the application service platform 1232, thereby enabling utilization of the corresponding service(s) at STA 1212.

[0130] Figure 13 shows a wireless device 1300, which may be configured to operate in communication system 1100 of Figure 11 or in communication system 1200 of Figure 12. The wireless device 1300 may be alternatively referred to as a UE 1300, like a UE 1112 within the context of communication system 1100, or as a station (STA) 1300 or as a non-access-point station (non-AP STA) 1300, like a STA 1212 within the context of the communication system 1200, in accordance with respective embodiments. As used herein, a wireless device refers to a device capable, configured, arranged and / or operable to communicate wirelessly with network nodes and / or other wireless devices. Examples of a wireless device include, but are not limited to, a smart phone, mobile phone, cell phone, voice over IP (VoIP) phone, wireless local loop phone, desktop computer, personal digital assistant (PDA), wireless cameras, gaming console or device, musicstorage 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, and wireless terminal. Other examples include any type of UE identified by the 3rd Generation Partnership Project (3GPP), including a narrow band internet of things (NB-IoT) UE, a machine type communication (MTC) UE, and / or an enhanced MTC (eMTC) UE.

[0131] A wireless device 1300 may support device-to-device (D2D) communication, for example by implementing a 3 GPP standard for sidelink communication, Dedicated Short-Range Communication (DSRC), vehi cl e-to- vehicle (V2V), vehicle-to-infrastructure (V2I), or vehicle-to-everything (V2X). In other examples, wireless device 1300 may not necessarily have a user in the sense of a human user who owns and / or operates the relevant device. Instead, wireless device 1300 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, wireless device 1300 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).

[0132] In particular embodiments, wireless device 1300 includes processing circuitry 1302 that is operatively coupled via a bus 1304 to an input / output interface 1306, a power source 1308, a memory 1310, a communication interface 1312, and / or any other component, or any combination thereof. Certain embodiments of wireless device 1300 may include all or a subset of the components shown in Figure 13. The level of integration between the components may vary from one embodiment of wireless device 1300 to another. In general, in a particular embodiment of wireless device 1300, processing circuitry 1302, input / output interface 1306, power source 1308, memory 1310, and communication interface 1312 may, in whole or in part, represent or include physical components common to or shared by one or more of the other elements of wireless device 1300. Further, certain embodiments of wireless devices 1300 may contain multiple instances of a component, such as multiple processors, memories, transceivers, transmitters, receivers, etc.

[0133] The processing circuitry 1302 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 1310. The processing circuitry 1302 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 1302 may include multiple central processing units (CPUs).

[0134] In the example, the input / output interface 1306 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 wireless device 1300. Examples of an input device include a touch-sensitive or presence-sensitive display, a camera (e.g., a digital camera, a digital video camera, a web camera, etc.), a microphone, a sensor, a mouse, a trackball, a directional pad, a trackpad, a scroll wheel, a smartcard, and the like. The presence-sensitive display may include a capacitive or resistive touch sensor to sense input from a user. A sensor may be, for instance, an accelerometer, a gyroscope, a tilt sensor, a force sensor, a magnetometer, an optical sensor, a proximity sensor, a biometric sensor, etc., or any combination thereof. An output device may use the same type of interface port as an input device. For example, a Universal Serial Bus (USB) port may be used to provide an input device and an output device.

[0135] In some embodiments, the power source 1308 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 to supply power to circuitry or to charge an associated battery. The power source 1308 may further include power circuitry for delivering power from the power source 1308 itself, and / or an external power source, to the various parts of wireless device 1300 via input circuitry or an interface such as an electrical power cable. Power source 1308 may perform any formatting, converting, or other modification to make accessible power suitable for the respective components of the wireless device 1300 to which power is supplied.

[0136] The memory 1310 may be or be configured to include memory such as random access memory (RAM), read-only memory (ROM), programmable read-only memory (PROM), erasable programmable read-only memory (EPROM), electrically erasable programmable read-only memory (EEPROM), magnetic disks, optical disks, hard disks, removable cartridges, flash drives, and so forth. In one example, the memory 1310 includes one or more programs 1314, such as an operating system, web browser application, a widget, gadget engine, or other application, and corresponding data 1316. The memory 1310 may store, for use by wireless device 1300, any of a variety of various operating systems or combinations of operating systems.

[0137] The memory 1310 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 random access memory (SDRAM), external micro-DIMM SDRAM, smartcard memory such as tamper resistant module in the form of a universal integrated circuit card (UICC) including one or more subscriber identity modules (SIMs), such as a USIM and / or 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 ‘SIM card.’ The memory 1310 may allow wireless device 1300 to access instructions, programs, and the like, stored on transitory or non-transitory memory media, to off-load data, or to upload data. An article of manufacture, such as one utilizing a communication system may be tangibly embodied as or in the memory 1310, which may be or comprise a device-readable storage medium.

[0138] The processing circuitry 1302 may be configured to communicate with an access network or other network via or using the communication interface 1312. The communication interface 1312 may comprise one or more communication subsystems and may include or be communicatively coupled to an antenna 1322. The communication interface 1312 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 wireless device or a network node in an access network). Each transceiver may include a transmitter 1318 and / or a receiver 1320 appropriate to provide network communications (e.g., optical, electrical, frequency allocations, and so forth). Moreover, the transmitter 1318 and receiver 1320 may be coupled to one or more antennas (e.g., antenna 1322) and may share circuit components, software, or firmware, or alternatively be implemented separately.

[0139] In the illustrated embodiment, communication functions of the communication interface 1312 may include cellular communication, Wi-Fi communication (e.g., according to an IEEE 802.11 family standard), LPWAN communication, data communication, voice communication, multimedia communication, short-range communications such as Bluetooth, near-field communication, 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 Code Division Multiple Access (WCDMA), GSM, LTE, New Radio (NR), UMTS, WiMax,Ethernet, transmission control protocol / internet protocol (TCP / IP), synchronous optical networking (SONET), Asynchronous Transfer Mode (ATM), QUIC, Hypertext Transfer Protocol (HTTP), and so forth.

[0140] In particular embodiments, wireless device 1300 may provide an output of data captured via a sensor, through its communication interface 1312, via a wireless connection to a network node, and / or in any appropriate manner. Data captured by sensors of a wireless device 1300 can be communicated through a wireless connection to a network node via another wireless device 1300. In particular embodiments, such 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).

[0141] As another example, wireless device 1300 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, wireless device 1300 may comprise a motor that adjusts the control surfaces or rotors of a drone in flight according to the received input or to a robotic arm performing a medical procedure according to the received input.

[0142] Wireless device 1300, when in the form of an Internet of Things (loT) device, may be a device for use in one or more application domains, these domains comprising, but not limited to, wearable technology, extended industrial application and healthcare. Non-limiting examples of such an loT device are a device which is or which is embedded in: a connected refrigerator or freezer, a TV, 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 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. In particular embodiments, wireless device 1300 represents an loT device that comprises circuitry and / or software in dependence of the intended application of the loT device in addition to other components as described in relation to the example embodiment of wireless device 1300 shown in Figure 13.

[0143] As yet another specific example, in an loT scenario, wireless device 1300 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 wireless device and / or a network node. Wireless device 1300 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, wireless device 1300 may implement the 3 GPP NB-IoT standard. In other scenarios, wireless device 1300 may represent a vehicle, such as a car, a bus, a truck, a ship and an airplane, or other equipment that is capable of monitoring and / or reporting on its operational status or other functions associated with its operation.

[0144] In practice, any number of wireless devices 1300 may be used together with respect to a single use case. For example, a first wireless device 1300 might be or be integrated in a drone and provide the drone’s speed information (obtained through a speed sensor) to a second wireless device 1300 that is a remote controller operating the drone. When a user makes changes from the remote controller, the first wireless device 1300 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 wireless device 1300 can also include more than one of the functionalities described above. For example, wireless device 1300 might comprise the sensor and the actuator, and handle communication of data for both the speed sensor and the actuators.

[0145] Figure 14 shows a network node 1400 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 telecommunications network. In accordance with respective embodiments, network node 1400 may be configured to operate in communication system 1100 of Figure 11, like network nodes 1108 or 1110, or in communication system 1200 of Figure 12, like an AP 1210 or a station 1212. Examples of network nodes include, but are not limited to, access points (APs) (e.g., radio access points), base stations (BSs) (e.g., radio base stations, Node Bs, evolved Node Bs (eNBs) and NR NodeBs (gNBs)), 0-RAN nodes or components of an 0-RAN node (e.g., 0-RU, 0-DU, O-CU).

[0146] Network nodes 1400 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. Network node 1400 may be a relay node or a relay donor node controlling a relay. Network nodes 1400 may also include one or more (or all) parts of a distributed radio base station such as centralized digital units, distributed units (e.g., in an 0-RAN access node) and / or remote radio units (RRUs), sometimes referred to as Remote Radio Heads (RRHs). Such remote radio units may or may not be integrated with an antenna as an antenna integrated radio. Parts ofa distributed radio base station may also be referred to as nodes in a distributed antenna system (DAS).

[0147] Other examples of network nodes 1400 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 base station 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).

[0148] In particular embodiments, network node 1400 includes a processing circuitry 1402, a memory 1404, a communication interface 1406, and a power source 1408. In general, in a particular embodiment of network node 1400, processing circuitry 1402, memory 1404, communication interface 1406, and power source 1408 may, in whole or in part, represent or include physical components common to or shared by one or more of the other elements of network node 1400.

[0149] The network node 1400 may be composed of multiple distinct network entities (e.g., a NodeB entity and a RNC entity, or a BTS entity and a BSC entity, etc.), which may each have or utilize their own respective physical components. In certain scenarios in which the network node 1400 comprises multiple such entities (e.g., BTS and BSC), one or more of the separate entities 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 1400 may be configured to support multiple radio access technologies (RATs). In such embodiments, some components may be duplicated (e.g., separate memories 1404 or portions of memory 1404 for different RATs) and some components may be reused (e.g., a same antenna 1410 may be shared by different RATs). The network node 1400 may also include multiple sets of the various illustrated components for different wireless technologies integrated into network node 1400, for example GSM, WCDMA, LTE, NR, Wi-Fi (e.g., according to an IEEE 802.11 family standard), Zigbee, Z-wave, 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 network node 1400.

[0150] The processing circuitry 1402 may comprise a combination of one or more of a microprocessor, controller, microcontroller, central processing unit, digital signal processor, application-specific integrated circuit, field programmable gate array, or any other suitablecomputing device, resource, or combination of hardware, software and / or encoded logic operable to provide, either alone or in conjunction with other components, such as the memory 1404, to provide network node 1400 functionality.

[0151] In some embodiments, the processing circuitry 1402 includes a system on a chip (SOC). In some embodiments, the processing circuitry 1402 includes one or more of radio frequency (RF) transceiver circuitry 1412 and baseband processing circuitry 1414. In some embodiments, the RF transceiver circuitry 1412 and the baseband processing circuitry 1414 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 RF transceiver circuitry 1412 and baseband processing circuitry 1414 may be on the same chip or set of chips, boards, or units.

[0152] The memory 1404 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, random access memory (RAM), read-only memory (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 1402. The memory 1404 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 1402 and utilized by the network node 1400. The memory 1404 may be used to store any calculations made by the processing circuitry 1402 and / or any data received via the communication interface 1406. In some embodiments, the processing circuitry 1402 and memory 1404 is integrated.

[0153] The communication interface 1406 is used in wired or wireless communication of signaling and / or data with UEs, other network nodes, and / or any other network equipment. In the illustrated embodiment, communication interface 1406 comprises port(s) / terminal(s) 1416 to send and receive data, for example to and from a network over a wired connection. In particular embodiments, network node 1300 may be capable of wireless communication and communication interface 1406 may also include radio front-end circuitry 1418 that may be coupled to, or in certain embodiments a part of, an antenna 1410. Particular embodiments of radio front-end circuitry 1418 include filter(s) 1420 and amplifier(s) 1422. The radio front-end circuitry 1418 may be connected to an antenna 1410 and processing circuitry 1402. The radio front-end circuitry may be configured to condition signals communicated between antenna 1410 and processing circuitry 1402. The radio front-end circuitry 1418 may receive digital data that is to be sent out to other network nodes orUEs via a wireless connection. The radio front-end circuitry 1418 may convert the digital data into a radio signal(s) having the appropriate channel and bandwidth parameters using a combination of filters 1420 and / or amplifiers 1422. The radio signal(s) may then be transmitted via the antenna 1410. Similarly, when receiving data, the antenna 1410 may collect radio signals which are then converted into digital data by the radio front-end circuitry 1418. The digital data may be passed to the processing circuitry 1402. In other embodiments, the communication interface may comprise different components and / or different combinations of components.

[0154] In certain alternative embodiments, network node 1400 may be capable of wireless communication but does not include separate radio front-end circuitry 1418, instead, the processing circuitry 1402 includes radio front-end circuitry and is connected to the antenna 1410. Similarly, in some embodiments, all or some of the RF transceiver circuitry 1412 is part of the communication interface 1406. In still other embodiments, the communication interface 1406 includes one or more ports or terminals 1416, the radio front-end circuitry 1418, and the RF transceiver circuitry 1412, as part of a radio unit (not shown), and the communication interface 1406 communicates with the baseband processing circuitry 1414, which is part of a digital unit (not shown).

[0155] The antenna 1410 may include one or more antennas, or antenna arrays, configured to send and / or receive wireless signals. The antenna 1410 may be coupled to the radio front-end circuitry 1418 and may be any type of antenna capable of transmitting and receiving data and / or signals wirelessly. In certain embodiments, the antenna 1410 is separate from the network node 1400 and connectable to the network node 1400 through one or more interfaces or ports.

[0156] The antenna 1410, communication interface 1406, and / or the processing circuitry 1402 may be configured to perform some or all of the receiving operations and / or obtaining operations described herein as being performed by the network node 1400. Any information, data, and / or signals may be received from a UE, another network node, and / or any other network equipment. Similarly, the antenna 1410, the communication interface 1406, and / or the processing circuitry 1402 may be configured to perform some or all of the transmitting or sending operations described herein as being performed by the network node 1400. Any information, data and / or signals may be transmitted to a UE, another network node, and / or any other network equipment.

[0157] The power source 1408 provides power to the various components of network node 1400 in a form suitable for the respective components (e.g., at a voltage and current level needed for each respective component). The power source 1408 may further comprise, or be coupled to, power management circuitry to supply the components of the network node 1400 with power for performing the functionality described herein. For example, the network node 1400 may beconnectable to an external power source (e.g., the power grid, an electricity outlet) via an input circuitry or interface such as an electrical cable, whereby the external power source supplies power to power circuitry of the power source 1408. As a further example, the power source 1408 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.

[0158] Embodiments of the network node 1400 may include additional components beyond those shown in Figure 14 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 1400 may include user interface equipment to allow input of information into the network node 1400 and to allow output of information from the network node 1400. This may allow a user to perform diagnostic, maintenance, repair, and other administrative functions for the network node 1400.

[0159] Figure 15 is a block diagram illustrating a virtualization environment 1500 in which functions implemented by some embodiments may be virtualized. In the present context, virtualizing means creating virtual versions of apparatuses or devices which may include virtualizing hardware platforms, storage devices and networking resources. As used herein, virtualization can be applied to any device described herein, or components thereof, and relates to an implementation in which at least a portion of the functionality is implemented as one or more virtual components. Some or all of the functions described herein may be implemented as virtual components executed by one or more virtual machines (VMs) implemented in one or more virtual environments 1500 hosted by one or more of hardware nodes, such as a hardware computing device that operates as an access network node, UE, core network node, or host. Further, in embodiments in which a virtual node does not require radio connectivity (e.g., a core network node or host), then the node may be entirely virtualized. In some embodiments, the virtualization environment 1500 includes components defined by the O-RAN Alliance, such as an O-Cloud environment orchestrated by a Service Management and Orchestration Framework via an O-2 interface.

[0160] Applications 1502 (which may alternatively be called software instances, virtual appliances, network functions, virtual nodes, virtual network functions, etc.) are run in the virtualization environment 1400 to implement some of the features, functions, and / or benefits of some of the embodiments disclosed herein.

[0161] Hardware 1504 includes processing circuitry, memory that stores software and / or instructions executable by hardware processing circuitry, and / or other hardware devices asdescribed herein, such as a network interface, input / output interface, and so forth. Software may be executed by the processing circuitry to instantiate one or more virtualization layers 1506 (also referred to as hypervisors or virtual machine monitors (VMMs)), provide VM 1508 A and VM 1508B (which may be collectively referred to as VMs 1508), and / or perform any of the functions, features and / or benefits described in relation with some embodiments described herein. The virtualization layer 1506 may present a virtual operating platform that appears like networking hardware to one or more of the VMs 1508.

[0162] The VMs 1508 comprise virtual processing, virtual memory, virtual networking or interface and virtual storage, and may be run by virtualization layer 1506. Different embodiments of the instance of a virtual appliance 1502 may be implemented on one or more of VMs 1508, and the implementations may be made in different ways. Virtualization of the hardware is in some contexts referred to as network function virtualization (NFV). NFV may be used to consolidate many network equipment types onto industry standard high volume server hardware, physical switches, and physical storage, which can be located in data centers, and customer premise equipment.

[0163] In the context of NFV, each of the VMs 1508 may be a software implementation of a physical machine that runs programs as if they were executing on a physical, non-virtualized machine. Each of the VMs 1508, and that part of hardware 1504 that executes that VM, be it hardware dedicated to that VM and / or hardware shared by that VM with others of the VMs, 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 of the VMs 1508 on top of the hardware 1504 and corresponds to an application 1502.

[0164] Hardware 1504 may be implemented in a standalone network node with generic or specific components. Hardware 1504 may implement some functions via virtualization. Alternatively, hardware 1504 may be part of a larger cluster of hardware (e.g., such as in a data center or CPE) where many hardware nodes work together and are managed via management and orchestration 1510, which, among others, oversees lifecycle management of applications 1502. In some embodiments, hardware 1504 is coupled to one or more radio units that each include one or more transmitters and one or more receivers that may be coupled to one or more antennas. Radio units may communicate directly with other hardware nodes via one or more appropriate network interfaces and may be used in combination with the virtual components to provide a virtual node with radio capabilities, such as a radio access node or a base station. In some embodiments, some signaling can be provided with the use of a control system 1512 which may alternatively be used for communication between hardware nodes and radio units.

[0165] Although the computing devices described herein (e.g., UEs, network nodes, hosts) may include the illustrated combination of hardware components, other embodiments may comprise computing devices with different combinations of components. It is to be understood that these computing devices may comprise any suitable combination of hardware and / or software needed to perform the tasks, features, functions, and methods disclosed herein. Determining, calculating, obtaining or similar operations described herein may be performed by processing circuitry, which may process information by, for example, converting the obtained information into other information, comparing the obtained information or converted information to information stored in the network node, and / or performing one or more operations based on the obtained information or converted information, and as a result of said processing making a determination. Moreover, while components are depicted as single boxes located within a larger box, or nested within multiple boxes, in practice, computing devices may comprise multiple different physical components that make up a single illustrated component, and functionality may be partitioned between separate components. For example, a communication interface may be configured to include any of the components described herein, and / or the functionality of the components may be partitioned between the processing circuitry and the communication interface. In another example, non-computationally intensive functions of any of such components may be implemented in software or firmware and computationally intensive functions may be implemented in hardware.

[0166] 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.

[0167] 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.

[0168] Some exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure are as follows:Group A Embodiments

[0169] Embodiment 1: A method performed by a User Equipment, UE, for active resource counting at the UE, the method comprising any one or more of the following: receiving (1004), from a network node, configuration of one or more periodic Non-Zero Power, NZP, Channel State Information, CSI, Reference Signal, CSI-RS, resources; receiving (1006), from the network node, a first signal that indicates to the UE that the UE is to start measurement and / or computation of one or more CSI reporting quantities based on the one or more periodic NZP CSI-RS resources; determining (1008) one or more active resource counting durations related to the one or more periodic NZP CSI-RS resources; counting (1010) the one or more periodic NZP CSI-RS resources as active during the one or more active resource counting durations when performing measurement and / or computation of the one or more CSI reporting quantities based on the one or more periodic NZP CSI-RS resources.

[0170] Embodiment 2: The method of embodiment 1, wherein the one or more active resource counting durations related to the one or more periodic NZP CSI-RS resources are periodically repeating active resource counting durations related to the one or more periodic NZP CSI-RS resources.

[0171] Embodiment 3: The method of embodiment 2, wherein determining (1008) the one or more active resource counting durations related to the one or more periodic NZP CSI-RS resources comprises determining (1008) the periodically repeating active resource counting durations related to the one or more periodic NZP CSI-RS resources wherein: an active resource counting duration of the periodically repeating active resource counting durations is defined as a finite number of slots starting from a slot containing a first CSI-RS occasion(s) of the one or more periodic NZP CSI-RS resources that occur(s) after receiving the first signal, and the active resource counting duration periodically repeats in subsequent CSI-RS occasion(s) of the one or more periodic NZP CSI-RS resources until a last CSI-RS occasion(s) of the one or more periodic NZP CSI-RS resources; or an active resource counting duration of the periodically repeating active resource counting durations is defined as a finite number of symbols starting from a last symbol of a first CSI-RS occasion(s) of the one or more periodic NZP CSI-RS resources that occur(s) after receiving the first signal, and the active resource counting duration periodically repeats in subsequent CSI-RS occasion(s) of the one or more periodic NZP CSI-RS resources until a last CSI-RS occasion(s) of the one or more periodic NZP CSI-RS resources.

[0172] Embodiment 4: The method of embodiment 3, wherein the last CSI-RS occasion(s) of the one or more periodic NZP CSI-RS resources is a last CSI-RS occasion before the UE receives a CSI measurement stop trigger from the network node.

[0173] Embodiment 5: The method of embodiment 3, wherein the last CSI-RS occasion(s) of the one or more periodic NZP CSI-RS resources is a last CSI-RS occasion before a configured CSI measurement window ends.

[0174] Embodiment 6: The method of any of embodiment 3, wherein information on the last CSI-RS occasion(s) of the one or more periodic NZP CSI-RS resources is provided by a third signal different from the first signal and also different than a second signal received from the network node that indicates uplink resources for carrying one or more CSI reports comprising the one or more CSI reporting quantities.

[0175] Embodiment 7: The method of any of embodiment 3, wherein information on the last CSI-RS occasion(s) of the one or more periodic NZP CSI-RS resources is provided by the first signal.

[0176] Embodiment 8: The method of any of embodiments 1 to 7, wherein the first signal is a CSI measurement start trigger.

[0177] Embodiment 9: The method of embodiment 8, wherein receiving the first signal comprises receiving the CSI measurement start trigger via a downlink related DCI or a downlink MAC CE.

[0178] Embodiment 10: The method of any of embodiments 1 to 9, wherein the first signal is different from a second signal received from the network node that indicates uplink resources for carrying one or more CSI reports comprising the one or more CSI reporting quantities.

[0179] Embodiment 11: The method of embodiment 10, wherein the second signal is an uplink related DCI providing uplink resources for carrying the one or more CSI reports that include the one or more CSI reporting quantities.

[0180] Embodiment 12: The method of embodiment 10, wherein the second signal is a MAC CE that provides uplink resources for carrying the one or more CSI reports that include the one or more CSI reporting quantities.

[0181] Embodiment 13: The method of embodiment 10, wherein the second signal is a configured grant that provides uplink resources for carrying the one or more CSI reports that include the one or more CSI reporting quantities.

[0182] Embodiment 14: The method of embodiment 13, wherein the second signal is based on a Radio Resource Control, RRC, message.

[0183] Embodiment 15: The method of embodiment 10, wherein the second signal is a CSI reporting trigger.

[0184] Embodiment 16: The method of any of embodiments 1 to 15, further comprising performing (1012) measurement and / or computation of the one or more CSI reporting quantities based on the one or more periodic NZP CSI-RS resources during at least one of the one or more active resource counting durations.

[0185] Embodiment 17: The method of embodiment 16, further comprising transmitting (1014), to the network node, the one or more CSI reports comprising the one or more CSI reporting quantities.

[0186] Embodiment 18: The method of embodiment 17, wherein the one or more CSI reports are transmitted using one or more uplink resources indicated via the second signal (e.g., in accordance with any of embodiments 10 to 15).

[0187] Embodiment 19: The method of any of the previous embodiments, further comprising: providing user data; and forwarding the user data to a host via the transmission to the network node.Group B Embodiments

[0188] Embodiment 20: A method performed by a network node (1000), the method comprising any one or more of the following: transmitting (1004), to a User Equipment, UE, (1002), configuration of one or more periodic Non-Zero Power, NZP, Channel State Information, CSI, Reference Signal, CSI-RS, resources; transmitting (1006), to the UE (1002), a first signal that indicates to the UE that the UE is to start measurement and / or computation of one or more CSI reporting quantities based on the one or more periodic NZP CSI-RS resources.

[0189] Embodiment 21: The method of embodiment 20, wherein the one or more periodic NZP CSI-RS resources are counted as active at the UE (1002) during one or more active resource counting durations related to the one or more periodic NZP CSI-RS resources.

[0190] Embodiment 22: The method of embodiment 21, wherein the one or more active resource counting durations related to the one or more periodic NZP CSI-RS resources are periodically repeating active resource counting durations related to the one or more periodic NZP CSI-RS resources.

[0191] Embodiment 23: The method of embodiment 22, wherein: an active resource counting duration of the periodically repeating active resource counting durations is defined as a finite number of slots starting from a slot containing a first CSI-RS occasion(s) of the one or more periodic NZP CSI-RS resources that occur(s) after the UE receives the first signal, and the activeresource counting duration periodically repeats in subsequent CSI-RS occasion(s) of the one or more periodic NZP CSI-RS resources until a last CSI-RS occasion(s) of the one or more periodic NZP CSI-RS resources; or an active resource counting duration of the periodically repeating active resource counting durations is defined as a finite number of symbols starting from a last symbol of a first CSI-RS occasion(s) of the one or more periodic NZP CSI-RS resources that occur(s) after the UE receives the first signal, and the active resource counting duration periodically repeats in subsequent CSI-RS occasion(s) of the one or more periodic NZP CSI-RS resources until a last CSI-RS occasion(s) of the one or more periodic NZP CSI-RS resources.

[0192] Embodiment 24: The method of embodiment 23, wherein the last CSI-RS occasion(s) of the one or more periodic NZP CSI-RS resources is a last CSI-RS occasion before the UE receives a CSI measurement stop trigger from the network node.

[0193] Embodiment 25: The method of embodiment 23, wherein the last CSI-RS occasion(s) of the one or more periodic NZP CSI-RS resources is a last CSI-RS occasion before a configured CSI measurement window ends.

[0194] Embodiment 26: The method of any of embodiment 23, wherein information on the last CSI-RS occasion(s) of the one or more periodic NZP CSI-RS resources is provided by a third signal different from the first signal and also different than a second signal received from the network node that indicates uplink resources for carrying one or more CSI reports comprising the one or more CSI reporting quantities.

[0195] Embodiment 27: The method of any of embodiment 23, wherein information on the last CSI-RS occasion(s) of the one or more periodic NZP CSI-RS resources is provided by the first signal.

[0196] Embodiment 28: The method of any of embodiments 20 to 27, wherein the first signal is a CSI measurement start trigger.

[0197] Embodiment 29: The method of embodiment 28, wherein transmitting the first signal comprises transmitting the CSI measurement start trigger via a downlink related DCI or a downlink MAC CE.

[0198] Embodiment 30: The method of any of embodiments 20 to 29, wherein the first signal is different from a second signal received from the network node that indicates uplink resources for carrying one or more CSI reports comprising the one or more CSI reporting quantities.

[0199] Embodiment 31: The method of embodiment 30, wherein the second signal is an uplink related DCI providing uplink resources for carrying the one or more CSI reports that include the one or more CSI reporting quantities.

[0200] Embodiment 32: The method of embodiment 30, wherein the second signal is a MAC CE that provides uplink resources for carrying the one or more CSI reports that include the one or more CSI reporting quantities.

[0201] Embodiment 33: The method of embodiment 30, wherein the second signal is a configured grant that provides uplink resources for the carrying one or more CSI reports that include the one or more CSI reporting quantities.

[0202] Embodiment 34: The method of embodiment 33, wherein the second signal is based on a Radio Resource Control, RRC, message.

[0203] Embodiment 35: The method of embodiment 30, wherein the second signal is a CSI reporting trigger.

[0204] Embodiment 36: The method of any of embodiments 20 to 35, further comprising receiving (1014), from the UE, the one or more CSI reports comprising the one or more CSI reporting quantities.

[0205] Embodiment 37: The method of embodiment 36, wherein the one or more CSI reports are received on one or more uplink resources indicated via the second signal (e.g., in accordance with any of embodiments 30 to 35).

[0206] Embodiment 38: The method of any of the previous embodiments, further comprising: obtaining user data; and forwarding the user data to a host or a user equipment.Group C Embodiments

[0207] Embodiment 39: A User Equipment, UE, comprising: processing circuitry configured to perform any of the operations of any of the Group A embodiments; and a power source configured to supply power to the processing circuitry.

[0208] Embodiment 40: A network node comprising: processing circuitry configured to perform any of the operations of any of the Group B embodiments; a power source circuitry configured to supply power to the processing circuitry.

[0209] Embodiment 41: A User Equipment, UE, comprising: one or more antennas; communication interface connected to the one or more antennas and to processing circuitry; the processing circuitry being configured to perform any of the operations 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 power source connected to the processing circuitry and configured to supply power to the UE.

Claims

CLAIMS1. A method performed by a User Equipment, UE, (1002) for active resource counting at the UE, the method comprising:receiving (1004), from a network node, configuration of one or more periodic Non-Zero Power, NZP, Channel State Information, CSI, Reference Signal, CSI-RS, resources;receiving (1006), from the network node, a first signal that indicates to the UE that the UE is to start measurement and / or computation of one or more CSI reporting quantities based on the one or more periodic NZP CSI-RS resources;determining (1008) one or more active resource counting durations related to the one or more periodic NZP CSI-RS resources;counting (1010) the one or more periodic NZP CSI-RS resources as active during the one or more active resource counting durations when performing measurement and / or computation of the one or more CSI reporting quantities based on the one or more periodic NZP CSI-RS resources.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the one or more active resource counting durations related to the one or more periodic NZP CSI-RS resources are periodically repeating active resource counting durations related to the one or more periodic NZP CSI-RS resources.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein determining (1008) the one or more active resource counting durations related to the one or more periodic NZP CSI-RS resources comprises determining (1008) the periodically repeating active resource counting durations related to the one or more periodic NZP CSI-RS resources wherein:an active resource counting duration of the periodically repeating active resource counting durations is defined as a finite number of slots starting from a slot containing a first CSI-RS occasion(s) of the one or more periodic NZP CSI-RS resources that occur(s) after receiving the first signal, and the active resource counting duration periodically repeats in subsequent CSI-RS occasion(s) of the one or more periodic NZP CSI-RS resources until a last CSI-RS occasion(s) of the one or more periodic NZP CSI-RS resources; oran active resource counting duration of the periodically repeating active resource counting durations is defined as a finite number of symbols starting from a last symbol of a first CSI-RS occasion(s) of the one or more periodic NZP CSI-RS resources that occur(s) after receiving the first signal, and the active resource counting duration periodically repeats in subsequent CSI-RS occasion(s) of the one or more periodic NZP CSI-RS resources until a last CSI-RS occasion(s) of the one or more periodic NZP CSI-RS resources.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the last CSI-RS occasion(s) of the one or more periodic NZP CSI-RS resources is a last CSI-RS occasion before the UE receives a CSI measurement stop trigger from the network node.

5. The method of claim 3, wherein the last CSI-RS occasion(s) of the one or more periodic NZP CSI-RS resources is a last CSI-RS occasion before an aperiodic CSI report comprising the one or more CSI reporting quantities is transmitted by the UE.

6. The method of claim 3, wherein the last CSI-RS occasion(s) of the one or more periodic NZP CSI-RS resources is a last CSI-RS occasion before a configured CSI measurement window ends.

7. The method of claim 3, wherein information about the last CSI-RS occasion(s) of the one or more periodic NZP CSI-RS resources is provided by a third signal different from the first signal and also different than a second signal received from the network node that indicates uplink resources for carrying one or more CSI reports comprising the one or more CSI reporting quantities.

8. The method of claim 3, wherein information about the last CSI-RS occasion(s) of the one or more periodic NZP CSI-RS resources is provided by the first signal.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein:computation of at least one of the one or more CSI reporting quantities involves measurements on both a channel measurement resource, which is one of the one or more NZP CSI-RS resources, and an interference measurement resource that occur in same slot; andan active resource counting duration of the periodically repeating active resource counting durations is defined as a finite number of slots or symbols starting from an end of a last symbol of the latest among the channel measurement resource and the interference measurement resource that occur in the same slot.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein:computation of at least one of the one or more CSI reporting quantities involves measurements on both a channel measurement resource, which is one of the one or more NZPCSI-RS resources, and an interference measurement resource that occur in same slot; and an active resource counting duration of the periodically repeating active resource counting durations is defined as a finite number of slots or symbols starting from an end of a last symbol of the channel measurement resource with the same slot regardless of whether symbols of the channel measurement resource occur later than or earlier than symbols of the interference measurement resource within the same slot.

11. The method of any of claims 1 to 10, wherein a duration of each of the one or more active resource counting durations in terms of a number of slots or symbols depends on any one or more of the following: a subcarrier spacing of the periodic NZP CSI-RS, a type(s) of CSI reporting quantity(s) to be computed, a number of ports in the periodic NZP CSI-RS, a configuration of whether the UE should prioritize CSI computation or other tasks, and whether an Artificial Intelligence, Al, or Machine Learning, ML, algorithm for computing CSI is to be used.

12. The method of any of claims 1 to 11, wherein the one or more NZP CSI-RS resources comprise X CSI-RS resources where X is an integer number greater than 1.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein a starting point for an active resource counting duration is an end of a last symbol of a latest NZP CSI-RS resource among the X NZP CSI-RS resources.

14. The method of claim 12, wherein a starting point for an active resource counting duration is an end of a last symbol of an earliest NZP CSI-RS resource among the X NZP CSI-RS resources.

15. The method of any of claims 12 to 14, wherein counting (1010) the one or more periodic NZP CSI-RS resources as active during the one or more active resource counting durations comprises counting the X CSI-RS resources as X active CSI-RS resources during the one or more active resource counting durations.

16. The method of any of claims 12 to 14, wherein counting (1010) the one or more periodic NZP CSI-RS resources as active during the one or more active resource counting durations comprises counting the X CSI-RS resources as Y active CSI-RS resources during the one or more active resource counting durations, where Y is not equal to X.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein Y = aX where a is a scaling factor and the value of a ispredefined or reported as a UE capability.

18. The method of any of claims 1 to 17, wherein the first signal is a CSI measurement start trigger.

19. The method of claim 18, wherein receiving (1006) the first signal comprises receiving (1006) the CSI measurement start trigger via a downlink related downlink control information, DCI, or a downlink medium access control, MAC, control element, CE.

20. The method of any of claims 1 to 19, wherein the first signal is different from a second signal received from the network node that indicates uplink resources for carrying one or more CSI reports comprising the one or more CSI reporting quantities.

21. The method of claim 20, wherein the second signal is an uplink related downlink control information, DCI, providing uplink resources for carrying the one or more CSI reports that include the one or more CSI reporting quantities.

22. The method of claim 20, wherein the second signal is a medium access control, MAC, control element, CE, that provides uplink resources for carrying the one or more CSI reports that include the one or more CSI reporting quantities.

23. The method of claim 20, wherein the second signal is a configured grant that provides uplink resources for carrying the one or more CSI reports that include the one or more CSI reporting quantities.

24. The method of claim 23, wherein the second signal is based on a Radio Resource Control, RRC, message.

25. The method of claim 20, wherein the second signal is a CSI reporting trigger.

26. The method of any of claims 1 to 25, further comprising performing (1012) measurement and / or computation of the one or more CSI reporting quantities based on the one or more periodic NZP CSI-RS resources during at least one of the one or more active resource counting durations.

27. The method of claim 26, further comprising transmitting (1014), to the network node, the one or more CSI reports comprising the one or more CSI reporting quantities.

28. The method of claim 27, wherein the one or more CSI reports are transmitted using one or more uplink resources indicated via a second signal.

29. A User Equipment, UE, (1002; 1300) for active resource counting at the UE, the UE comprising:a communication interface (1312) comprising a transmitter (1318) and a receiver (1320); andprocessing circuitry (1302) associated with the communication interface (1312), the processing circuitry (1302) configured to cause the UE to:receive (1004), from a network node, configuration of one or more periodic NonZero Power, NZP, Channel State Information, CSI, Reference Signal, CSI-RS, resources;receive (1006), from the network node, a first signal that indicates to the UE that the UE is to start measurement and / or computation of one or more CSI reporting quantities based on the one or more periodic NZP CSI-RS resources;determine (1008) one or more active resource counting durations related to the one or more periodic NZP CSI-RS resources;count (1010) the one or more periodic NZP CSI-RS resources as active during the one or more active resource counting durations when performing measurement and / or computation of the one or more CSI reporting quantities based on the one or more periodic NZP CSI-RS resources.

30. The UE of claim 29, wherein the processing circuitry is further configured to cause the UE to perform the method of any of claims 2 to 28.

31. A method performed by a network node (1000), the method comprising:transmitting (1004), to a User Equipment, UE, (1002), configuration of one or more periodic Non-Zero Power, NZP, Channel State Information, CSI, Reference Signal, CSI-RS, resources; andtransmitting (1006), to the UE (1002), a first signal that indicates to the UE that the UE is to start measurement and / or computation of one or more CSI reporting quantities based on the one or more periodic NZP CSI-RS resources.

32. The method of claim 31, wherein the one or more periodic NZP CSI-RS resources are counted as active at the UE (1002) during one or more active resource counting durations related to the one or more periodic NZP CSI-RS resources.

33. The method of claim 32, wherein the one or more active resource counting durations related to the one or more periodic NZP CSI-RS resources are periodically repeating active resource counting durations related to the one or more periodic NZP CSI-RS resources.

34. The method of claim 33, wherein:an active resource counting duration of the periodically repeating active resource counting durations is defined as a finite number of slots starting from a slot containing a first CSI-RS occasion(s) of the one or more periodic NZP CSI-RS resources that occur(s) after the UE receives the first signal, and the active resource counting duration periodically repeats in subsequent CSI-RS occasion(s) of the one or more periodic NZP CSI-RS resources until a last CSI-RS occasion(s) of the one or more periodic NZP CSI-RS resources; oran active resource counting duration of the periodically repeating active resource counting durations is defined as a finite number of symbols starting from a last symbol of a first CSI-RS occasion(s) of the one or more periodic NZP CSI-RS resources that occur(s) after the UE receives the first signal, and the active resource counting duration periodically repeats in subsequent CSI-RS occasion(s) of the one or more periodic NZP CSI-RS resources until a last CSI-RS occasion(s) of the one or more periodic NZP CSI-RS resources.

35. The method of claim 34, wherein the last CSI-RS occasion(s) of the one or more periodic NZP CSI-RS resources is a last CSI-RS occasion before the UE receives a CSI measurement stop trigger from the network node.

36. The method of claim 34, wherein the last CSI-RS occasion(s) of the one or more periodic NZP CSI-RS resources is a last CSI-RS occasion before an aperiodic CSI report comprising the one or more CSI reporting quantities is transmitted by the UE.

37. The method of claim 34, wherein the last CSI-RS occasion(s) of the one or more periodic NZP CSI-RS resources is a last CSI-RS occasion before a configured CSI measurement window ends.

38. The method of any of claim 34, wherein information about the last CSI-RS occasion(s) of the one or more periodic NZP CSI-RS resources is provided by a third signal different from the first signal and also different than a second signal received from the network node that indicates uplink resources for carrying one or more CSI reports comprising the one or more CSI reporting quantities.

39. The method of any of claim 34, wherein information about the last CSI-RS occasion(s) of the one or more periodic NZP CSI-RS resources is provided by the first signal.

40. The method of any of claims 31 to 39, wherein the first signal is a CSI measurement start trigger.

41. The method of claim 40, wherein transmitting the first signal comprises transmitting the CSI measurement start trigger via a downlink related downlink control information, DCI, or a downlink medium access control, MAC, control element, CE.

42. The method of any of claims 31 to 41, wherein the first signal is different from a second signal received from the network node that indicates uplink resources for carrying one or more CSI reports comprising the one or more CSI reporting quantities.

43. The method of claim 42, wherein the second signal is an uplink related downlink control information, DCI, providing uplink resources for carrying the one or more CSI reports that include the one or more CSI reporting quantities.

44. The method of claim 42, wherein the second signal is a medium access control, MAC, control element, CE, that provides uplink resources for carrying the one or more CSI reports that include the one or more CSI reporting quantities.

45. The method of claim 42, wherein the second signal is a configured grant that provides uplink resources for the carrying one or more CSI reports that include the one or more CSI reporting quantities.

46. The method of claim 45, wherein the second signal is based on a Radio Resource Control,RRC, message.

47. The method of claim 42, wherein the second signal is a CSI reporting trigger.

48. The method of any of claims 31 to 47, further comprising receiving (1014), from the UE, the one or more CSI reports comprising the one or more CSI reporting quantities.

49. The method of claim 48, wherein the one or more CSI reports are received on one or more uplink resources indicated via the second signal.

50. A network node (1000; 1400) comprising processing circuitry (1402) configured to cause the network node to:transmit (1004), to a User Equipment, UE, (1002), configuration of one or more periodic Non-Zero Power, NZP, Channel State Information, CSI, Reference Signal, CSI-RS, resources; and transmit (1006), to the UE (1002), a first signal that indicates to the UE that the UE is to start measurement and / or computation of one or more CSI reporting quantities based on the one or more periodic NZP CSI-RS resources.

51. The network node of claim 50, wherein the processing circuitry is further configured to cause the network node to perform the method of any of claims 32 to 49.

Images