Method and device for transmitting and receiving beam report in UE-initiated beam management operation

Abstract

This method performed by a UE may comprise the steps of: when a new beam having higher quality than the current beam by a threshold value or more is detected, starting a measurement window timer for the new beam; monitoring the qualities of the current beam and the new beam while the measurement window timer is operating; and when the quality of the new beam is maintained at a level equal to or higher than a value obtained by adding the threshold value to the quality of the current beam until the measurement window timer expires, transmitting a beam report for the new beam to a base station after the measurement window timer expires.

Description

Method and device for transmitting and receiving beam reports in terminal-led beam management operation

[0001] The present invention relates to a beam management method in a mobile communication system, and more specifically, to a method and apparatus for transmitting and receiving a beam report in a UE-initiated / event-driven beam reporting operation.

[0002] Communication networks (e.g., 5G communication networks, 6G communication networks, etc.) are being developed to provide communication services that are improved over existing communication networks (e.g., LTE (long term evolution), LTE-A (advanced), etc.). 5G communication networks (e.g., NR (new radio) communication networks) can support frequency bands above 6 GHz as well as frequency bands below 6 GHz. That is, 5G communication networks can support the FR1 band and / or FR2 band. 5G communication networks can support a wider variety of communication services and scenarios compared to LTE communication networks. For example, usage scenarios for 5G communication networks may include eMBB (enhanced Mobile BroadBand), URLLC (Ultra Reliable Low Latency Communication), mMTC (massive Machine Type Communication), etc.

[0003] 6G communication networks can support a wider variety of communication services and scenarios compared to 5G communication networks. 6G communication networks can meet the requirements for ultra-high performance, ultra-bandwidth, ultra-spatial, ultra-precision, ultra-intelligence, and / or ultra-reliability. 6G communication networks can support a wide range of frequency bands and can be applied to various usage scenarios (e.g., terrestrial communication, non-terrestrial communication, sidelink communication, etc.).

[0004] Meanwhile, 3GPP (3 rd Release-19 of the generation partnership project is proceeding with standardization for user equipment-initiated (UEI) and event-driven (ED) beam management to address the problems of conventional network-driven beam management. Unlike conventional network-driven beam management, user equipment-initiated / event-driven beam management is a method in which a terminal, which can recognize the current state of the beam and the trend of beam changes relatively faster than the base station, proactively performs beam management.

[0005] However, in terminal-led / event-based beam management, it is necessary to additionally define a method for the terminal to set a measurement window for measuring beams and a method for transmitting beam reports regarding events occurring within the measurement window to the base station.

[0006] The objective of the present disclosure to solve the above-mentioned problems is to provide a method and apparatus for setting a measurement window for measuring beam quality in a UE-initiated / event-driven beam reporting operation, and for transmitting and receiving a beam report based on an event detected in the measurement window.

[0007] A method of a terminal according to embodiments of the present disclosure for achieving the above objective may include: a step of starting a measurement window timer for a new beam when a new beam having a quality higher than a threshold value than a current beam is detected; a step of monitoring the quality of the current beam and the new beam while the measurement window timer is operating; and a step of transmitting a beam report regarding the new beam to a base station after the measurement window timer has expired, if the quality of the new beam is maintained at a value higher than the quality of the current beam plus the threshold value until the measurement window timer expires.

[0008] The above method may further include the step of canceling the measurement window timer if, before the measurement window timer expires, the quality of the new beam becomes lower than the value obtained by adding the threshold value to the quality of the current beam.

[0009] The above method further includes the step of receiving information regarding the measurement window length from the base station, and in the step of starting the measurement window timer, the measurement window timer may be set to the measurement window length.

[0010] The step of transmitting the beam report to the base station may include: transmitting a first uplink (UL) channel to the base station; receiving allocation information for a UL resource from the base station based on the first UL channel; and transmitting a second UL channel including the beam report to the base station using the UL resource.

[0011] The step of transmitting the beam report to the base station may include: transmitting a first uplink (UL) channel to the base station; and, based on the first UL channel, transmitting a second UL channel containing the beam report to the base station using a pre-allocated UL resource.

[0012] The above method may further include the step of transmitting a capability report to the base station that includes information on the number of measurement window timers supported by the terminal.

[0013] For the above new beam, only one measurement window timer can be operated.

[0014] A method of a base station according to embodiments of the present disclosure for achieving the above objective comprises: transmitting information about a measurement window length to a terminal; and receiving a beam report regarding a new beam from the terminal, wherein the beam report regarding the new beam is received from the terminal after the measurement window timer has expired when the quality of the new beam is maintained at a value greater than or equal to the quality of the current beam plus the threshold value until the measurement window timer, which was started based on the detection of the new beam having a quality greater than or equal to a threshold value higher than that of the current beam at the terminal, expires, and the measurement window timer may be set to the measurement window length and started.

[0015] If the quality of the new beam becomes lower than the value obtained by adding the threshold value to the quality of the current beam before the measurement window timer expires, the measurement window timer may be canceled at the terminal.

[0016] The step of receiving the beam report from the terminal may include: receiving a first uplink (UL) channel from the terminal; transmitting allocation information for a UL resource to the terminal based on the first UL channel; and receiving a second UL channel including the beam report from the terminal using the UL resource.

[0017] The step of receiving the beam report from the terminal may include: receiving a first uplink (UL) channel from the terminal; and receiving a second UL channel including the beam report from the terminal using a pre-allocated UL resource based on the first UL channel.

[0018] The above method may further include the step of receiving a capability report from the terminal containing information about the number of measurement window timers supported by the terminal.

[0019] For the new beam mentioned above, only one measurement window timer can be operated.

[0020] A terminal according to embodiments of the present disclosure for achieving the above objective comprises at least one processor, and the at least one processor may enable the terminal to perform the steps of: starting a measurement window timer for a new beam when a new beam having a quality higher than a threshold value than a current beam is detected; monitoring the quality of the current beam and the new beam while the measurement window timer is in operation; and transmitting a beam report regarding the new beam to a base station after the measurement window timer has expired, if the quality of the new beam is maintained at a value higher than the quality of the current beam plus the threshold value until the measurement window timer expires.

[0021] The above at least one processor may additionally enable the terminal to perform the step of canceling the measurement window timer if, before the measurement window timer expires, the quality of the new beam becomes lower than the value obtained by adding the threshold value to the quality of the current beam.

[0022] The above at least one processor enables the terminal to additionally perform the step of receiving information regarding the measurement window length from the base station, and in the step of starting the measurement window timer, the measurement window timer may be set to the measurement window length.

[0023] In the step of transmitting the beam report to the base station, the at least one processor may further enable the terminal to: transmit a first uplink (UL) channel to the base station; receive allocation information for a UL resource from the base station based on the first UL channel; and transmit a second UL channel including the beam report to the base station using the UL resource.

[0024] In the step of transmitting the beam report to the base station, the at least one processor may further enable the terminal to: transmit a first uplink (UL) channel to the base station; and transmit a second UL channel containing the beam report to the base station using a pre-allocated UL resource based on the first UL channel.

[0025] The above at least one processor may further perform the step of the terminal transmitting a capability report to the base station containing information about the number of measurement window timers supported by the terminal.

[0026] For the new beam mentioned above, only one measurement window timer can be operated.

[0027] According to embodiments of the present disclosure, a terminal and a base station can consistently set a measurement window in which beam quality is measured for beam reporting in a terminal-led / event-based beam management operation. Accordingly, event detection for beam reporting can be performed based on the beam quality measured in the set measurement window, and the configuration of resources for beam quality measurement and the power consumption of the terminal can be optimized. Furthermore, as the configuration of resources for beam quality measurement and the power consumption of the terminal are optimized, beam reporting can be performed efficiently, thereby improving the performance of the overall communication system.

[0028] FIG. 1 is a conceptual diagram illustrating a first embodiment of a communication system.

[0029] FIG. 2 is a block diagram illustrating a first embodiment of a communication node constituting a communication system.

[0030] FIG. 3 is a block diagram illustrating a first embodiment of communication nodes performing communication.

[0031] FIG. 4a is a block diagram illustrating a first embodiment of a transmission path.

[0032] FIG. 4b is a block diagram illustrating a first embodiment of a receiving path.

[0033] FIG. 5 is a conceptual diagram illustrating a first embodiment of a system frame in a communication system.

[0034] FIG. 6 is a conceptual diagram illustrating a first embodiment of a subframe in a communication system.

[0035] FIG. 7 is a conceptual diagram illustrating a first embodiment of a slot in a communication system.

[0036] FIG. 8 is a conceptual diagram illustrating a first embodiment of a time-frequency resource in a communication system.

[0037] FIG. 9 is a flowchart for explaining Mode A operation to which embodiments of the present invention are applied.

[0038] FIG. 10 is a flowchart illustrating Mode B operation to which embodiments of the present invention are applied.

[0039] FIG. 11 is a flowchart for explaining the operation method of Option-1 according to one embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0040] FIG. 12 is a flowchart for explaining the operation method of Option-3 according to one embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0041] FIG. 13 is a flowchart for explaining the operation method of Option-4 according to one embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0042] The present disclosure is capable of various modifications and may have various embodiments, and specific embodiments are illustrated in the drawings and described in detail. However, this is not intended to limit the present disclosure to specific embodiments and should be understood to include all modifications, equivalents, and substitutions that fall within the spirit and scope of the present disclosure.

[0043] Terms such as "first," "second," etc., may be used to describe various components, but said components should not be limited by said terms. Such terms are used solely for the purpose of distinguishing one component from another. For example, without departing from the scope of the present disclosure, the first component may be named the second component, and similarly, the second component may be named the first component. The term "and / or" may mean a combination of a plurality of related described items or any of a plurality of related described items.

[0044] In the present disclosure, "at least one of A and B" may mean "at least one of A or B" or "at least one of one or more combinations of A and B". Additionally, in the present disclosure, "at least one of A and B" may mean "at least one of A or B" or "at least one of one or more combinations of A and B".

[0045] In the present disclosure, (re)transmission may mean "transmission," "retransmission," or "transmission and retransmission"; (re)setting may mean "setting," "resetting," or "setting and resetting"; (re)connection may mean "connection," "reconnection," or "connection and reconnection"; and (re)connection may mean "connection," "reconnection," or "connection and reconnection".

[0046] When it is stated that one component is "connected" or "connected" to another component, it should be understood that while it may be directly connected or connected to that other component, there may also be other components in between. On the other hand, when it is stated that one component is "directly connected" or "directly connected" to another component, it should be understood that there are no other components in between.

[0047] The terms used in this disclosure are used merely to describe specific embodiments and are not intended to limit this disclosure. The singular expression includes the plural expression unless the context clearly indicates otherwise. In this disclosure, terms such as “comprising” or “having” are intended to specify the existence of the features, numbers, steps, actions, components, parts, or combinations thereof described in the specification, and should be understood as not precluding the existence or addition of one or more other features, numbers, steps, actions, components, parts, or combinations thereof.

[0048] Unless otherwise defined, all terms used herein, including technical or scientific terms, have the same meaning as generally understood by those skilled in the art to which this disclosure pertains. Terms such as those defined in commonly used dictionaries should be interpreted as having a meaning consistent with their meaning in the context of the relevant technology, and should not be interpreted in an ideal or overly formal sense unless explicitly defined in this disclosure.

[0049] Hereinafter, preferred embodiments of the present disclosure will be described in more detail with reference to the attached drawings. To facilitate overall understanding in describing the present disclosure, the same reference numerals are used for identical components in the drawings, and redundant descriptions of identical components are omitted. Operations according to combinations of embodiments, extensions of embodiments, and / or modifications of embodiments may be performed, as well as the embodiments explicitly described in the present disclosure. The performance of some operations may be omitted, and the order of operations may be changed.

[0050] In the embodiments, even when a method performed at a first communication node among the communication nodes (e.g., transmission or reception of a signal) is described, the corresponding second communication node may perform a method corresponding to the method performed at the first communication node (e.g., reception or transmission of a signal). That is, when the operation of a UE (user equipment) is described, the corresponding base station may perform an operation corresponding to the operation of the UE. Conversely, when the operation of a base station is described, the corresponding UE may perform an operation corresponding to the operation of the base station.

[0051] A base station may be referred to as Node B, evolved Node B, gNode B (next generation node B), gNB, device, apparatus, node, communication node, BTS (base transceiver station), RRH (radio remote head), TRP (transmission reception point), RU (radio unit), RSU (road side unit), radio transceiver, access point, access node, etc. A UE may be referred to as terminal, device, apparatus, node, communication node, end node, access terminal, mobile terminal, station, subscriber station, mobile station, portable subscriber station, OBU (on-broad unit), etc.

[0052] In the present disclosure, signaling may be at least one of upper-layer signaling, MAC signaling, or PHY (physical) signaling. A message used for upper-layer signaling may be referred to as an "upper-layer message" or an "upper-layer signaling message." A message used for MAC signaling may be referred to as a "MAC message" or a "MAC signaling message." A message used for PHY signaling may be referred to as a "PHY message" or a "PHY signaling message." Upper-layer signaling may refer to the transmission and reception operations of system information (e.g., MIB (master information block), SIB (system information block)) and / or RRC messages. MAC signaling may refer to the transmission and reception operations of MAC-CE (control element). PHY signaling may refer to the transmission and reception operations of control information (e.g., DCI (downlink control information), UCI (uplink control information), SCI (sidelink control information)).

[0053] In the present disclosure, "setting an operation (e.g., a transmission operation)" may mean that "setting information for said operation (e.g., an information element, a parameter)" and / or "information directing the performance of said operation" is signaled. "Setting an information element (e.g., a parameter)" may mean that said information element is signaled. In the present disclosure, "signal and / or channel" may mean a signal, a channel, or "signal and channel," and "signal" may be used to mean "signal and / or channel."

[0054] The communication networks to which the embodiments are applied are not limited to those described below, and the embodiments may be applied to various communication networks (e.g., 4G communication networks, 5G communication networks, and / or 6G communication networks). Here, the term "communication network" may be used interchangeably with "communication system."

[0055] FIG. 1 is a conceptual diagram illustrating a first embodiment of a communication system.

[0056] Referring to FIG. 1, the communication system (100) may include a plurality of communication nodes (110-1, 110-2, 110-3, 120-1, 120-2, 130-1, 130-2, 130-3, 130-4, 130-5, 130-6). Additionally, the communication system (100) may further include a core network (e.g., an S-GW (serving-gateway), a P-GW (PDN (packet data network)-gateway), and an MME (mobility management entity)). If the communication system (100) is a 5G communication system (e.g., a new radio (NR) system), the core network may include an AMF (access and mobility management function), a UPF (user plane function), an SMF (session management function), etc.

[0057] Multiple communication nodes (110 to 130) can support communication protocols defined in 3GPP (3rd generation partnership project) standards (e.g., LTE communication protocol, LTE-A communication protocol, NR communication protocol, etc.). Multiple communication nodes (110 to 130) can support CDMA (code division multiple access) technology, WCDMA (wideband CDMA) technology, TDMA (time division multiple access) technology, FDMA (frequency division multiple access) technology, OFDM (orthogonal frequency division multiplexing) technology, Filtered OFDM technology, CP (cyclic prefix)-OFDM technology, DFT-s-OFDM (discrete Fourier transform-spread-OFDM) technology, OFDMA (orthogonal frequency division multiple access) technology, SC (single carrier)-FDMA technology, NOMA (non-orthogonal multiple access) technology, GFDM (generalized frequency division multiplexing) technology, FBMC (filter bank multi-carrier) technology, UFMC (universal filtered multi-carrier) technology, SDMA (space division multiple access) technology, etc. Each of the multiple communication nodes may have the following structure.

[0058] FIG. 2 is a block diagram illustrating a first embodiment of a communication node constituting a communication system.

[0059] Referring to FIG. 2, the communication node (200) may include at least one processor (210), a memory (220), and a transceiver (230) that is connected to a network to perform communication. Additionally, the communication node (200) may further include an input interface device (240), an output interface device (250), a storage device (260), etc. Each component included in the communication node (200) may be connected by a bus (270) to communicate with one another.

[0060] The processor (210) can execute a program command stored in at least one of the memory (220) and the storage device (260). The processor (210) may mean a central processing unit (CPU), a graphics processing unit (GPU), or a dedicated processor on which the methods according to embodiments of the present disclosure are performed. Each of the memory (220) and the storage device (260) may be composed of at least one of a volatile storage medium and a non-volatile storage medium. For example, the memory (220) may be composed of at least one of read-only memory (ROM) and random access memory (RAM).

[0061] Referring again to FIG. 1, the communication system (100) may include a plurality of base stations (110-1, 110-2, 110-3, 120-1, 120-2) and a plurality of terminals (130-1, 130-2, 130-3, 130-4, 130-5, 130-6). Each of the first base station (110-1), the second base station (110-2), and the third base station (110-3) may form a macro cell. Each of the fourth base station (120-1) and the fifth base station (120-2) may form a small cell. The fourth base station (120-1), the third terminal (130-3), and the fourth terminal (130-4) may be located within the cell coverage of the first base station (110-1). The second terminal (130-2), the fourth terminal (130-4), and the fifth terminal (130-5) may be located within the cell coverage of the second base station (110-2). The fifth base station (120-2), the fourth terminal (130-4), the fifth terminal (130-5), and the sixth terminal (130-6) may be located within the cell coverage of the third base station (110-3). The first terminal (130-1) may be located within the cell coverage of the fourth base station (120-1). The sixth terminal (130-6) may be located within the cell coverage of the fifth base station (120-2).

[0062] Here, each of the multiple base stations (110-1, 110-2, 110-3, 120-1, 120-2) may be referred to as NB (NodeB), eNB (evolved NodeB), gNB, ABS (advanced base station), HR-BS (high reliability-base station), BTS (base transceiver station), radio base station, radio transceiver, access point, access node, RAS (radio access station), MMR-BS (mobile multihop relay-base station), RS (relay station), ARS (advanced relay station), HR-RS (high reliability-relay station), HNB (home NodeB), HeNB (home eNodeB), RSU (road side unit), RRH (radio remote head), TP (transmission point), TRP (transmission and reception point), etc.

[0063] Each of the multiple terminals (130-1, 130-2, 130-3, 130-4, 130-5, 130-6) may be referred to as UE (user equipment), TE (terminal equipment), AMS (advanced mobile station), HR-MS (high reliability-mobile station), terminal, access terminal, mobile terminal, station, subscriber station, mobile station, portable subscriber station, node, device, OBU (on board unit), etc.

[0064] Meanwhile, each of the multiple base stations (110-1, 110-2, 110-3, 120-1, 120-2) may operate in different frequency bands or in the same frequency band. Each of the multiple base stations (110-1, 110-2, 110-3, 120-1, 120-2) may be connected to each other via an ideal backhaul link or a non-ideal backhaul link, and may exchange information with each other via an ideal backhaul link or a non-ideal backhaul link. Each of the multiple base stations (110-1, 110-2, 110-3, 120-1, 120-2) may be connected to a core network via an ideal backhaul link or a non-ideal backhaul link. Each of the multiple base stations (110-1, 110-2, 110-3, 120-1, 120-2) can transmit a signal received from the core network to the corresponding terminal (130-1, 130-2, 130-3, 130-4, 130-5, 130-6), and can transmit a signal received from the corresponding terminal (130-1, 130-2, 130-3, 130-4, 130-5, 130-6) to the core network.

[0065] In addition, each of the multiple base stations (110-1, 110-2, 110-3, 120-1, 120-2) can support MIMO transmission (e.g., SU (single user)-MIMO, MU (multi user)-MIMO, massive MIMO, etc.), CoMP (coordinated multipoint) transmission, carrier aggregation (CA) transmission, transmission in an unlicensed band, sidelink communication (e.g., D2D (device to device communication), ProSe (proximity services)), IoT (Internet of Things) communication, dual connectivity (DC), etc. Here, each of the plurality of terminals (130-1, 130-2, 130-3, 130-4, 130-5, 130-6) can perform an operation corresponding to the base station (110-1, 110-2, 110-3, 120-1, 120-2) and an operation supported by the base station (110-1, 110-2, 110-3, 120-1, 120-2). For example, the second base station (110-2) can transmit a signal to the fourth terminal (130-4) based on the SU-MIMO method, and the fourth terminal (130-4) can receive a signal from the second base station (110-2) based on the SU-MIMO method. Alternatively, the second base station (110-2) can transmit a signal to the fourth terminal (130-4) and the fifth terminal (130-5) based on the MU-MIMO method, and each of the fourth terminal (130-4) and the fifth terminal (130-5) can receive a signal from the second base station (110-2) by the MU-MIMO method.

[0066] Each of the first base station (110-1), the second base station (110-2), and the third base station (110-3) can transmit a signal to the fourth terminal (130-4) based on the CoMP method, and the fourth terminal (130-4) can receive a signal from the first base station (110-1), the second base station (110-2), and the third base station (110-3) by the CoMP method. Each of the multiple base stations (110-1, 110-2, 110-3, 120-1, 120-2) can transmit and receive signals based on the CA method with terminals (130-1, 130-2, 130-3, 130-4, 130-5, 130-6) within its cell coverage area. Each of the first base station (110-1), the second base station (110-2), and the third base station (110-3) can control sidelink communication between the fourth terminal (130-4) and the fifth terminal (130-5), and each of the fourth terminal (130-4) and the fifth terminal (130-5) can perform sidelink communication by controlling each of the second base station (110-2) and the third base station (110-3).

[0067] Meanwhile, communication nodes performing communication in a communication network may be configured as follows. The communication node shown in FIG. 3 may be a specific embodiment of the communication node shown in FIG. 2.

[0068] FIG. 3 is a block diagram illustrating a first embodiment of communication nodes performing communication.

[0069] Referring to FIG. 3, the first communication node (300a) and the second communication node (300b) may each be a base station or a UE. The first communication node (300a) may transmit a signal to the second communication node (300b). A transmission processor (311) included in the first communication node (300a) may receive data (e.g., a data unit) from a data source (310). The transmission processor (311) may receive control information from a controller (316). The control information may include at least one of system information, RRC setting information (e.g., information set by RRC signaling), MAC control information (e.g., MAC-CE), or PHY control information (e.g., DCI, SCI).

[0070] The transmitting processor (311) can generate data symbol(s) by performing processing operations on data (e.g., encoding operations, symbol mapping operations, etc.). The transmitting processor (311) can generate control symbol(s) by performing processing operations on control information (e.g., encoding operations, symbol mapping operations, etc.). Additionally, the transmitting processor (311) can generate synchronization / reference symbol(s) for synchronization signals and / or reference signals.

[0071] The Tx MIMO processor (312) can perform spatial processing operations (e.g., precoding operations) on data symbol(s), control symbol(s), and / or synchronization / reference symbol(s). The output of the Tx MIMO processor (312) (e.g., a symbol stream) can be provided to modulators (MODs) included in transceivers (313a to 313t). The modulators (MODs) can perform processing operations on the symbol stream to generate modulated symbols and perform additional processing operations on the modulated symbols (e.g., analog conversion operations, amplification operations, filtering operations, up-conversion operations) to generate signals. The signals generated by the modulators (MODs) of the transceivers (313a to 313t) can be transmitted through antennas (314a to 314t).

[0072] Signals transmitted by the first communication node (300a) can be received at the antennas (364a to 364r) of the second communication node (300b). Signals received at the antennas (364a to 364r) can be provided to demodulators (DEMODs) included in the transceivers (363a to 363r). The demodulators (DEMODs) can obtain samples by performing processing operations on the signals (e.g., filtering, amplification, down-conversion, digital conversion). The demodulators (DEMODs) can obtain symbols by performing additional processing operations on the samples. The MIMO detector (362) can perform MIMO detection operations on the symbols. The receiving processor (361) can perform processing operations on the symbols (e.g., deinterleaving, decoding). The output of the receiving processor (361) can be provided to the data sink (360) and the controller (366). For example, data can be provided to the data sink (360), and control information can be provided to the controller (366).

[0073] Meanwhile, the second communication node (300b) can transmit a signal to the first communication node (300a). The transmission processor (368) included in the second communication node (300b) can receive data (e.g., a data unit) from the data source (367) and can generate data symbol(s) by performing a processing operation on the data. The transmission processor (368) can receive control information from the controller (366) and can generate control symbol(s) by performing a processing operation on the control information. Additionally, the transmission processor (368) can generate reference symbol(s) by performing a processing operation on a reference signal.

[0074] The Tx MIMO processor (369) can perform spatial processing operations (e.g., precoding operations) on data symbol(s), control symbol(s), and / or reference symbol(s). The output of the Tx MIMO processor (369) (e.g., a symbol stream) can be provided to modulators (MODs) included in transceivers (363a to 363t). The modulators (MODs) can perform processing operations on the symbol stream to generate modulated symbols and perform additional processing operations on the modulated symbols (e.g., analog conversion operations, amplification operations, filtering operations, up-conversion operations) to generate signals. The signals generated by the modulators (MODs) of the transceivers (363a to 363t) can be transmitted through antennas (364a to 364t).

[0075] Signals transmitted by the second communication node (300b) can be received at the antennas (314a to 314r) of the first communication node (300a). Signals received at the antennas (314a to 314r) can be provided to demodulators (DEMODs) included in the transceivers (313a to 313r). The demodulators (DEMODs) can obtain samples by performing processing operations on the signals (e.g., filtering operation, amplification operation, down-conversion operation, digital conversion operation). The demodulators (DEMODs) can obtain symbols by performing additional processing operations on the samples. The MIMO detector (320) can perform MIMO detection operations on the symbols. The receiving processor (319) can perform processing operations on the symbols (e.g., deinterleaving operation, decoding operation). The output of the receiving processor (319) can be provided to the data sink (318) and the controller (316). For example, data can be provided to the data sink (318), and control information can be provided to the controller (316).

[0076] The memories (315 and 365) may store data, control information, and / or program code. The scheduler (317) may perform scheduling operations for communication. The processors (311, 312, 319, 361, 368, 369) and controllers (316, 366) shown in FIG. 3 may be the processor (210) shown in FIG. 2 and may be used to perform the methods described in this disclosure.

[0077] FIG. 4a is a block diagram illustrating a first embodiment of a transmission path, and FIG. 4b is a block diagram illustrating a first embodiment of a reception path.

[0078] Referring to FIGS. 4a and 4b, a transmission path (410) may be implemented at a communication node that transmits a signal, and a reception path (420) may be implemented at a communication node that receives a signal. The transmission path (410) may include a channel coding and modulation block (411), an S-to-P (serial-to-parallel) block (512), an N IFFT (Inverse Fast Fourier Transform) block (413), a P-to-S (parallel-to-serial) block (414), a CP (cyclic prefix) addition block (415), and an UC (up-converter) (UC) (416). The reception path (420) may include a DC (down-converter) (421), a CP removal block (422), an S-to-P block (423), an N FFT block (424), a P-to-S block (425), and a channel decoding and demodulation block (426). Here, N can be a natural number.

[0079] Information bits in the transmission path (410) can be input to the channel coding and modulation block (411). The channel coding and modulation block (411) can perform coding operations (e.g., LDPC (low-density parity check) (LDPC) coding operations, polar coding operations, etc.) and modulation operations (e.g., QPSK (Quadrature Phase Shift Keying), QAM (Quadrature Amplitude Modulation), etc.) on the information bits. The output of the channel coding and modulation block (411) may be a sequence of modulation symbols.

[0080] The S-to-P block (412) can convert modulated symbols in the frequency domain into parallel symbol streams to generate N parallel symbol streams. N can be the IFFT size or the FFT size. The N IFFT block (413) can generate signals in the time domain by performing an IFFT operation on the N parallel symbol streams. The P-to-S block (414) can convert the output of the N IFFT block (413) (e.g., parallel signals) into a serial signal to generate a serial signal.

[0081] The CP addition block (415) can insert CP into the signal. The UC (416) can up-convert the frequency of the output of the CP addition block (415) to an RF (radio frequency) frequency. Additionally, the output of the CP addition block (415) can be filtered in the baseband before up-conversion.

[0082] A signal transmitted from the transmission path (410) can be input to the reception path (420). The operation in the reception path (420) may be the inverse operation of the operation in the transmission path (410). The DC (421) may down-convert the frequency of the received signal to a baseband frequency. The CP removal block (422) may remove CP from the signal. The output of the CP removal block (422) may be a serial signal. The S-to-P block (423) may convert the serial signal into parallel signals. The N FFT block (424) may generate N parallel signals by performing an FFT algorithm. The P-to-S block (425) may convert the parallel signals into a sequence of modulation symbols. The channel decoding and demodulation block (426) may perform a demodulation operation on the modulation symbols and perform a decoding operation on the result of the demodulation operation to restore the data.

[0083] In FIGS. 4a and 4b, Discrete Fourier Transform (DFT) and Inverse DFT (IDFT) may be used instead of FFT and IFFT. In FIGS. 4a and 4b, each of the blocks (e.g., components) may be implemented by at least one of hardware, software, or firmware. For example, in FIGS. 4a and 4b, some blocks may be implemented by software, and the remaining blocks may be implemented by hardware or a "combination of hardware and software." In FIGS. 4a and 4b, one block may be subdivided into multiple blocks, multiple blocks may be integrated into one block, some blocks may be omitted, and blocks supporting other functions may be added.

[0084] FIG. 5 is a conceptual diagram illustrating a first embodiment of a system frame in a communication system.

[0085] Referring to FIG. 5, time resources in a communication system can be divided into frames. For example, system frames can be set consecutively in the time domain of the communication system. The length of a system frame can be 10 ms (millisecond). The system frame number (SFN) can be set from #0 to #1023. In this case, 1024 system frames can be repeated in the time domain of the communication system. For example, the SFN of a system frame after system frame #1023 can be #0.

[0086] A single system frame may contain two half frames. The length of a single half frame may be 5ms. A half frame located at the beginning of the system frame may be referred to as "Half Frame #0", and a half frame located at the end of the system frame may be referred to as "Half Frame #1". A system frame may contain 10 subframes. The length of a single subframe may be 1ms. Within a single system frame, the 10 subframes may be referred to as "Subframe #0-9".

[0087] FIG. 6 is a conceptual diagram illustrating a first embodiment of a subframe in a communication system.

[0088] Referring to FIG. 6, one subframe may include n slots, where n is a natural number. Thus, one subframe may consist of one or more slots.

[0089] FIG. 7 is a conceptual diagram illustrating a first embodiment of a slot in a communication system.

[0090] Referring to FIG. 7, a slot may contain one or more symbols. A slot illustrated in FIG. 7 may contain 14 symbols. The length of the slot may vary depending on the number of symbols included in the slot and the length of the symbols. Alternatively, the length of the slot may vary depending on the numerology.

[0091] Numerals applied to physical signals and channels in a communication system may be variable. Numerals may be variable to meet various technical requirements of the communication system. In a communication system where CP (cyclic prefix) based OFDM waveform technology is applied, numerals may include subcarrier spacing and CP length (or CP type). Table 1 may be a first embodiment of a method for configuring numerals for a CP-OFDM based communication system. Depending on the frequency band in which the communication system operates, at least some of the numerals in Table 1 may be supported. Additionally, numerals not listed in Table 1 may be further supported in the communication system.

[0092] Subcarrier Spacing 15kHz 30kHz 60kHz 120kHz 240kHz 480kHz OFDM Symbol Length (μs) 66.733.316.78.34.22.1 CP Length (μs) 4.762.381.190.600.300.151 ms Number of OFDM Symbols within 142856112224448

[0093]

[0094] When the subcarrier spacing is 15 kHz (e.g., μ=0), the slot length may be 1 ms. In this case, one system frame may contain 10 slots. When the subcarrier spacing is 30 kHz (e.g., μ=1), the slot length may be 0.5 ms. In this case, one system frame may contain 20 slots.

[0095] When the subcarrier spacing is 60 kHz (e.g., μ=2), the slot length may be 0.25 ms. In this case, one system frame may contain 40 slots. When the subcarrier spacing is 120 kHz (e.g., μ=3), the slot length may be 0.125 ms. In this case, one system frame may contain 80 slots. When the subcarrier spacing is 240 kHz (e.g., μ=4), the slot length may be 0.0625 ms. In this case, one system frame may contain 160 slots.

[0096] A symbol can be set as a downlink (DL) symbol, a flexible (FL) symbol, or an uplink (UL) symbol. A slot consisting only of a DL symbol may be referred to as a "DL slot," a slot consisting only of an FL symbol may be referred to as a "FL slot," and a slot consisting only of a UL symbol may be referred to as a "UL slot."

[0097] The slot format can be semi-fixed by upper-layer signaling (e.g., RRC signaling). Information indicating the semi-fixed slot format may be included in system information, and the semi-fixed slot format can be set cell-specifically. Additionally, the semi-fixed slot format can be additionally set per terminal through terminal-specific upper-layer signaling (e.g., RRC signaling). The flexible symbols of the cell-specific slot format can be overridden as downlink symbols or uplink symbols by the terminal-specific upper-layer signaling. Furthermore, the slot format can be dynamically indicated by physical layer signaling (e.g., the SFI (slot format indicator) included in the DCI). The semi-fixed slot format can be overridden by the dynamically indicated slot format. For example, the semi-fixed flexible symbols can be overridden as downlink symbols or uplink symbols by the SFI.

[0098] The reference signal may be a CSI-RS (channel state information-reference signal), SRS (sounding reference signal), DM-RS (demodulation-reference signal), PT-RS (phase tracking-reference signal), etc. The channel may be a PBCH (physical broadcast channel), PDCCH (physical downlink control channel), PDSCH (physical downlink shared channel), PUCCH (physical uplink control channel), PUSCH (physical uplink shared channel), PSCCH (physical sidelink control channel), PSSCH (physical sidelink shared channel), etc. In the present disclosure, the control channel may mean PDCCH, PUCCH, or PSCCH, and the data channel may mean PDSCH, PUSCH, or PSSCH.

[0099] FIG. 8 is a conceptual diagram illustrating a first embodiment of a time-frequency resource in a communication system.

[0100] Referring to FIG. 8, a resource consisting of one symbol (e.g., an OFDM symbol) in the time domain and one subcarrier in the frequency domain can be defined as a "RE (resource element)." A resource consisting of one OFDM symbol in the time domain and K subcarriers in the frequency domain can be defined as a "REG (resource element group)." A REG can include K REs. A REG can be used as the basic unit of resource allocation in the frequency domain. K can be a natural number. For example, K can be 12. N can be a natural number. In the slot illustrated in FIG. 7, N can be 14. N OFDM symbols can be used as the basic unit of resource allocation in the time domain.

[0101] In the present disclosure, RB may mean a common RB (CRB). Alternatively, RB may mean a PRB or a virtual RB (VRB). In a communication system, a CRB may mean an RB that constitutes a set of consecutive RBs (e.g., a common RB grid) based on a reference frequency (e.g., point A). A carrier and / or bandwidth portion may be placed on the common RB grid. That is, the carrier and / or bandwidth portion may be composed of CRB(s). An RB or CRB constituting the bandwidth portion may be referred to as a PRB, and within the bandwidth portion, a CRB index may be appropriately converted to a PRB index.

[0102] Downlink data may be transmitted via PDSCH. A base station may transmit configuration information of the PDSCH (e.g., scheduling information) to a terminal via PDCCH. A terminal may obtain the configuration information of the PDSCH by receiving the PDCCH (e.g., downlink control information (DCI)). For example, the configuration information of the PDSCH may include a modulation coding scheme (MCS) used for transmitting and receiving the PDSCH, time resource information of the PDSCH, frequency resource information of the PDSCH, feedback resource information for the PDSCH, etc. PDSCH may refer to a radio resource where downlink data is transmitted and received. Alternatively, PDSCH may refer to the downlink data itself. PDCCH may refer to a radio resource where downlink control information (e.g., DCI) is transmitted and received. Alternatively, PDCCH may refer to the downlink control information itself.

[0103] The terminal may perform a monitoring operation for the PDCCH to receive the PDSCH transmitted from the base station. The base station may notify the terminal of configuration information for the monitoring operation of the PDCCH using a higher-layer message (e.g., a radio resource control (RRC) message). The configuration information for the monitoring operation of the PDCCH may include CORESET (control resource set) information and search space information.

[0104] CORESET information may include PDCCH DMRS (demodulation reference signal) information, PDCCH precoding information, PDCCH occasion information, etc. The PDCCH DMRS may be a DMRS used to demodulate the PDCCH. A PDCCH occasion may be an area where the PDCCH can exist. That is, a PDCCH occasion may be an area where DCI can be transmitted. A PDCCH occasion may be referred to as a PDCCH candidate. PDCCH occasion information may include time resource information and frequency resource information of the PDCCH occasion. In the time domain, the length of the PDCCH occasion may be indicated in symbol units. In the frequency domain, the size of the PDCCH occasion may be indicated in RB units (e.g., PRB (physical resource block) units or CRB (common resource block) units).

[0105] The search space information may include a CORESET ID (identifier) ​​associated with the search space, the period of PDCCH monitoring, and / or an offset. The period and offset of PDCCH monitoring may each be specified in slots. Additionally, the search space information may further include the index of the symbol at which the PDCCH monitoring operation begins.

[0106] A base station may configure a Bandwidth Part (BWP) for downlink communication. BWPs may be configured differently for each terminal. The base station may notify the terminal of the BWP configuration information using upper-layer signaling. Upper-layer signaling may refer to "transmission operations of system information" and / or "transmission operations of Radio Resource Control (RRC) messages." One or more BWPs may be configured for a single terminal. The terminal may receive BWP configuration information from the base station and identify the BWP(s) configured by the base station based on the BWP configuration information. If multiple BWPs are configured for downlink communication, the base station may activate one or more of the multiple BWPs. The base station may transmit the configuration information of the activated BWP(s) to the terminal using at least one of upper-layer signaling, a Medium Access Control (MAC) Control Element (CE), or a DCI. The base station may perform downlink communication using the activated BWP(s). The terminal can identify the activated BWP(s) by receiving configuration information of the activated BWP(s) from the base station, and can perform a downlink reception operation on the activated BWP(s).

[0107]

[0108] In accordance with the Work Item Description (WID) for 3GPP Rel-19 NR MIMO discussions, discussions are underway regarding improvements to intra-cell and inter-cell beam management. These improvements primarily target the FR2 band and single transmission / reception point (sTRP) scenarios, aiming to reduce overhead or latency while utilizing existing legacy CSI measurement and reporting configuration procedures.

[0109] To this end, UE-initiated (UEI) and event-driven (ED) beam management procedures are being discussed. The beam management methods defined up to Rel-18 consisted of network-based operations. That is, in network-driven beam management, the network (i.e., the base station) can instruct the terminal to switch to a specific beam for DL ​​reception or UL transmission. In this case, since the base station receives a measurement report from the terminal and issues instructions based on that report, the base station cannot identify the optimal beam until it receives the measurement report transmitted by the terminal.

[0110] If beam management operations are initiated at the terminal side, which can detect changes in the beam first, latency (e.g., the time required for a base station to instruct a terminal to report a measurement and to receive a measurement report from the terminal based on that instruction) and signal overhead (e.g., the overhead of the signal in which the network instructs the terminal to report a measurement) can be reduced compared to network-based beam management operations.

[0111]

[0112] Meanwhile, at 3GPP RAN 1 meetings (RAN #116 and RAN #116-bis), outlined beam reporting transmission procedures for UEI / ED beam reporting were approved.

[0113] First, the beam report transmission procedure is broadly divided into Mode A and Mode B, and an overview of the procedure for each mode is as follows.

[0114] First, Mode A is a method in which the base station dynamically schedules UCI (uplink control information) for beam reporting, and can be performed in the following three steps.

[0115] Step 1: The terminal may transmit a first UL channel requesting resources for a second UL channel to transmit a beam report. The first UL channel consists of a PUCCH (i.e., first PUCCH) containing one bit information or multi-bit information, and the PUCCH may follow the type of an existing SR (scheduling req terminal st) or a new UCI type.

[0116] Step 2: The terminal can detect a DCI format indicating a resource of the second UL channel. In this case, a new DCI format is not introduced.

[0117] Step 3: The terminal can transmit a beam report on the second UL channel. In this case, PUCCH, PUSCH, or both can be used as the second UL channel.

[0118] Mode A is a basic function of the terminal, and all terminals that support UEI / ED beam reporting must support this function.

[0119] Meanwhile, Mode B is a method of transmitting UCI from a pre-configured resource for a second UL channel, and can be performed in the following two steps.

[0120] Step 1: The terminal may transmit the first UL channel to notify that a beam report will be transmitted on the second UL channel. The first UL channel consists of a PUCCH (i.e., first PUCCH) containing one bit information or multi-bit information, and the PUCCH may follow the type of the existing SR (scheduling request terminal st) or the new UCI type.

[0121] Step 2: The terminal can transmit a beam report on the second UL channel. As with Mode A, PUCCH, PUSCH, or both can be used as the second UL channel.

[0122] In Mode B, the notification in Step 1 and the beam report in Step 2 are transmitted as separate report instances, and it is not determined whether the terminal receives confirmation information in response to each step in Mode A and Mode B.

[0123] In addition, cross-CC (component carrier) beam reporting can be supported in both Mode A and Mode B in the above procedures.

[0124]

[0125] Meanwhile, the following events are being discussed as triggering the aforementioned UEI / ED beam reporting.

[0126] -Event-1: The quality of the current beam (e.g., L1-RSRP, etc.) falls below a specific threshold.

[0127] -Event-2: The quality of at least one new beam is improved by a threshold amount compared to the current beam.

[0128] -Event-3: New beam quality exceeds a specific threshold.

[0129] -Event-4: Current beam quality drops below threshold 1, and at least one new beam quality rises above threshold 2.

[0130] -Event-5: The absolute difference between the quality of the current beam and the quality of at least one new beam becomes smaller than a specific threshold.

[0131] -Event-6: The current beam is not included in the top K (>1) beams among the beams configured for measurement and reporting.

[0132] -Event-7: The quality of at least one new beam (L1-RSRP, etc.) is improved by a specific threshold compared to the RS derived from the active TCI state with the Mth best quality.

[0133] -Event-8: The quality of M (>1) new beams (L1-RSRP, etc.) has improved by a specific threshold compared to the current beam.

[0134] -Event-9: The quality of at least one new beam (L1-RSRP, etc.) is improved by a specific threshold compared to the configured reference RS (SSB or CSI-RS possible).

[0135]

[0136] As described above, for UEI / ED beam reporting operations, a process of first transmitting information from the terminal to the base station (Step 1) is required in all modes. In the case of Mode A, where resources for beam reporting are not pre-allocated, the terminal can request resources for beam reporting from the base station. In the case of Mode B, where resources for beam reporting are pre-allocated, the terminal can notify the base station that it intends to use the pre-allocated resources for beam reporting. In Step 1, the terminal can transmit the relevant information to the base station via PUCCH, and the information may consist of 1-bit information or multi-bit information. If the information consists of 1 bit, it may simply be information requesting resources from the base station or information notifying the fact that pre-allocated resources are being used. On the other hand, if the information consists of multi-bit information, it may be used for various purposes in addition to information requesting resources or notifying the fact that pre-allocated resources are being used.

[0137]

[0138] FIG. 9 is a flowchart for explaining Mode A operation to which embodiments of the present invention are applied.

[0139] Referring to FIG. 9, the terminal can detect at least one event (S910). In this case, the terminal can detect at least one event among the previously described event(s) (e.g., Event-1 to Event-9). When at least one event is detected, the terminal requests resources for beam reporting through the first UL channel (i.e., first PUCCH) (S920), and the base station that received the first UL channel may indicate resources for the second UL channel to be used by the terminal to transmit the beam report through the DCI (S930). Subsequently, the terminal can transmit the second UL channel including the beam report using the said resources (S940).

[0140] FIG. 10 is a flowchart illustrating Mode B operation to which embodiments of the present invention are applied.

[0141] Referring to FIG. 10, the terminal can detect at least one event (S1010). In this case, the terminal can detect at least one event among the previously described event(s) (e.g., Event-1 to Event-9). When at least one event is detected, the terminal can notify the base station that it is transmitting the second UL channel(s) using a pre-configured resource through the first UL channel (i.e., first PUCCH) (S1020). Subsequently, the terminal can transmit the second UL channel(s), including a beam report, to the base station using the pre-configured resource (S1040).

[0142] In this case, the terminal may transmit the second UL channel(s) after receiving an acknowledgment message (e.g., an ACK (acknowledgement) message or a notification message consisting of a 1-bit indicator) (i.e., S1330 of FIG. 13) indicating that the first PUCCH has been received from the base station. Alternatively, the terminal may transmit the second UL channel(s) at a slot or symbol after a predetermined offset from the time point associated with the transmission of the first PUCCH (e.g., the slot or symbol in which the first PUCCH (e.g., the last symbol constituting the first PUCCH) was transmitted) without receiving an acknowledgment message for the first PUCCH from the base station. For example, if it is not confirmed that the first PUCCH was not normally received by the base station until the predetermined offset has elapsed from the time point associated with the transmission of the first PUCCH, the terminal may transmit the second UL channel(s) at a slot or symbol after a predetermined offset from the time point associated with the transmission of the first PUCCH. In this case, the offset may be set from the base station to the terminal in units of symbols, subslots, slots, subframes, or absolute time, or may be predefined in the technical specifications. Meanwhile, since there may be cases where the terminal does not receive the acknowledgment message even though the base station has transmitted the acknowledgment message, the base station may transmit the acknowledgment message one or more times.

[0143]

[0144] In the above-described UEI / ED beam management (hereinafter, UEI BM) operation, the following options may be considered as a method for the terminal to set a measurement window for evaluating beam quality and to determine beam quality degradation or a superior candidate beam within the window.

[0145] Regarding the determination of event triggering for Event-2, the following options may be considered for the measurement window to initiate the UEI / ED beam reporting procedure.

[0146] Option-1) The measurement window is defined from T_PUCCH - T_proc - T_window to T_PUCCH - T_proc, where T_PUCCH is the transmission opportunity of the first PUCCH and T_proc is set by RRC.

[0147] Option-2) The measurement window is defined from T_Instance - T_window to T_Instance, where T_Instance is the evaluation point of the event instance and T_proc is set by RRC. UEI beam reporting on the second UL channel (i.e., PUSCH) is based on the most recent measurement result for the new / current beam RS.

[0148] Option-3) The length, slot offset, and period of the measurement window are set by the network (NW) per CSI report configuration.

[0149] Option-4) When an event-2 instance for a new beam is acquired at time t, the terminal (re)starts the timer for the new beam, and the timer's expiration date is equal to the length of the time window (T_window) set by the network (NW).

[0150] Here, T_window is an agreed-upon time window parameter for measurement and can correspond to the length of the measurement window.

[0151]

[0152]

[0153]

[0154] The present disclosure proposes methods for managing a measurement window for UEI / ED beam reporting operation.

[0155] The four options described above differ in the measurement window setting method and trigger conditions as follows.

[0156] Option-1: A method in which the terminal periodically sets a fixed-length measurement window based on the transmission opportunity of the first PUCCH.

[0157] Option-2: A method in which the terminal sets the measurement window in the form of a sliding window based on the timing of the occurrence of an event instance.

[0158] Option-3: A method in which the length of the measurement window, the start slot offset, and the period are predefined according to network settings, and the terminal measures beam quality according to those settings (utilizing CSI reporting settings).

[0159] Option-4: A method in which, when a new candidate beam satisfies a predetermined threshold condition, the terminal activates a timer to operate a measurement window for a certain period of time to determine whether the event persists.

[0160]

[0161] The present disclosure proposes the following procedure for each of the options described above.

[0162]

[0163] [Procedure Overview for Option-1]

[0164] Option-1 is a method that uses the transmission opportunity of the first PUCCH as the reference point for the measurement window. That is, a measurement window of a predetermined length can start at every transmission point of the first PUCCH and occur periodically. The terminal can measure downlink beam quality and evaluate whether an event has occurred during each fixed time window.

[0165] If an event occurs within a specific measurement window, such as degradation of the quality of the currently used beam or the detection of a new beam, the terminal can detect the event that occurred in that measurement window and immediately prepare to report the result (e.g., the terminal can transmit the first PUCCH at the PUCCH opportunity corresponding to the measurement window). Conversely, if no event occurs in a measurement window, the first PUCCH is not transmitted at the corresponding PUCCH opportunity, and a new evaluation window is started according to the next opportunity to transmit the first PUCCH, and the terminal can continue monitoring in that evaluation window. By doing so, the terminal's beam quality evaluation and reporting can be performed in synchronization with the network's expected cycle.

[0166]

[0167] [Procedure Overview for Option-2]

[0168] Option-2 is a method that aligns with the timing of events by introducing a sliding window concept instead of fixing the start time of the measurement window. The terminal continuously monitors beam quality, and when an instance of an event satisfying a predetermined threshold condition occurs (e.g., when the signal strength of the current beam drops below a threshold or when a better new beam is discovered), the interval corresponding to that instance can be considered as the measurement window starting from a point a certain length (T_WINDOW) prior to that instance.

[0169] Therefore, in the method according to Option-2, real-time response close to the moment an event occurs can be achieved without periodic waiting. Even when events occur continuously, a new measurement window is set each time to respond to the latest event, and the terminal can continuously monitor beam quality until the next event occurs even after the measurement window has ended.

[0170]

[0171] [Procedure Overview for Option-3]

[0172] Option-3 is a method in which the network pre-configures the characteristics of the measurement window and provides them to the terminal. The base station transmits the length of the measurement window and / or the slot offset and / or repetition period at the start time to the terminal through CSI report settings, etc., and the terminal can perform beam quality evaluation according to such instructions.

[0173] For example, if the network sets parameters such as "length: 10ms, period: 40ms, offset: 5 slots," the terminal can have a measurement window that focuses on measuring beam quality for 10ms at a starting point shifted by 5 slots every 40ms. During each of these periodically opened measurement windows, the terminal attempts to detect events by checking whether the current beam quality is within a threshold or if a better beam is being measured; if an event is detected, it can report beam information to the base station via a designated CSI reporting opportunity within that period (e.g., a specific slot on PUCCH or PUSCH). By having the UE skip reporting during periods when no event occurs and continue monitoring until the evaluation window of the next period opens, the network can manage the UE's reporting frequency and latency characteristics by adjusting the window period.

[0174]

[0175] [Procedure Overview for Option-4]

[0176] Option-4 is a method of managing the measurement window using a timer to prevent false triggers caused by temporary quality changes. When a terminal discovers a new candidate beam whose quality is superior to the currently used beam by a threshold amount, the terminal can start a measurement window by activating a specific timer. During the operation period of this timer, the terminal can monitor whether the quality of the candidate beam remains consistently good or maintains an advantage over the current beam. If the conditions are consistently met until the timer expires, the terminal determines the event to be valid and can report to the base station regarding beam switching or the quality of the current beam and the new beam at the time of timer completion. Conversely, if the quality advantage of the candidate beam disappears or the conditions are not met during the operation period of the timer, the terminal may cancel the event trigger and not transmit the beam report. In other words, this method reduces unnecessary reporting by ensuring that reporting occurs only for stable events.

[0177]

[0178] The principal embodiments corresponding to each option may be carried out as follows. The embodiments below correspond to each option, but may also be carried out in combination of two or more embodiments.

[0179]

[0180] First embodiment

[0181] When Option-1 is applied, a measurement window of fixed length is periodically generated based on the transmission time of the first PUCCH, and the terminal can monitor changes in beam quality in each measurement window.

[0182] FIG. 11 is a flowchart for explaining the operation method of Option-1 according to one embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0183] Referring to FIG. 11, it can be assumed that multiple PUCCH transmission opportunities are set for the transmission of the first PUCCH. That is, in Option-1, the setting period of the PUCCH transmission opportunities for the first PUCCH transmission may coincide with the period of the measurement window. For example, during consecutive measurement windows, an event in which a new beam is measured with a threshold value greater than the quality of the current beam does not occur, so a beam report may not be triggered (S1110, S1120). Subsequently, in the Nth measurement window, a situation occurs in which a new beam is measured with a threshold value greater than the quality of the current beam (S1130), and the terminal can transmit a beam report reporting the occurrence of an event in the PUCCH transmission opportunity corresponding to the measurement window (S1140).

[0184] In step (S1140), the base station that receives the beam report can perform subsequent operations, such as switching the service beam to the new beam, based on the information about the new beam provided by the terminal.

[0185]

[0186] 2nd embodiment

[0187] When Option-3 is applied, it can be assumed that the network sets the measurement window length to 10ms, the measurement window period to 40ms, and the measurement window start offset to a specific number of slots through the CSI reporting settings. The terminal can measure beam quality within a measurement window of length of 10ms that is set every 40ms according to the base station settings. While no events occur across multiple measurement windows, the terminal can continue communication normally and wait for the next measurement window.

[0188] If a new beam is detected within a measurement window of a certain period that has a quality superior to the current beam by a threshold value or more, the terminal can immediately use the PUCCH transmission opportunity for the first PUCCH corresponding to (or closest to) that measurement window to transmit information regarding the degradation of the current beam quality and information regarding the new candidate to the base station. Meanwhile, since the terminal does not perform beam reporting during PUCCH transmission opportunities corresponding to measurement windows where no event occurred, wireless resource consumption can be minimized. In this method, the network can be efficiently managed by controlling the period and length of the measurement window, thereby suppressing unnecessary reporting during normal operation and ensuring that reporting occurs only when necessary.

[0189] FIG. 12 is a flowchart for explaining the operation method of Option-3 according to one embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0190] Referring to FIG. 12, the base station can transmit measurement window setting information to the terminal (S1210). The measurement window setting information may include information regarding the length, period, and offset of the measurement window as described above.

[0191] The terminal can determine whether an event has occurred in the measurement windows configured according to the measurement window setting information. For example, if the event occurrence condition is not met in the first measurement window and the second measurement window (S1220, S1230), the terminal may not transmit a beam report in the PUCCH transmission opportunity for the first PUCCH transmission corresponding to the first measurement window and the second measurement window (or closest to those measurement windows).

[0192] The terminal can detect the occurrence of an event in the Nth measurement window (S1240), and can transmit a beam report corresponding to the event in a PUCCH transmission opportunity for the first PUCCH transmission corresponding to the Nth measurement window (or closest to the Nth measurement window) (S1250).

[0193] In step (S1250), the base station that receives the beam report can perform subsequent operations, such as switching the service beam to the new beam, based on the information about the new beam provided by the terminal.

[0194]

[0195] Third embodiment

[0196] It may be assumed that a terminal detects a new candidate beam with a signal strength higher than the current beam, but needs to determine whether the quality of the candidate is transient or persistent. When the signal quality indicator of the candidate beam (e.g., RSRP, etc.) exceeds a predefined threshold level, the terminal immediately starts a timer (e.g., 100ms) to start a measurement window and can track changes in the quality of the candidate beam during the measurement window.

[0197] While the timer is running, the terminal evaluates the quality of the candidate beam and the current beam at regular intervals. If the candidate beam maintains excellent quality until the timer expires, the event is considered confirmed, and a beam switching recommendation report can be transmitted to the base station. Conversely, if the quality of the candidate beam becomes unstable or exceeds critical conditions during the timer period, the UE can invalidate the event and omit the report. Through this method, the UE can prevent erroneous beam switching attempts and enhance the reliability of network control by reporting only when stability is guaranteed after undergoing a verification period for new beam candidates.

[0198] FIG. 13 is a flowchart for explaining the operation method of Option-4 according to one embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0199] Referring to FIG. 13, the base station can transmit setting information regarding the length of the measurement window to the terminal (S1310). The length of the measurement window may correspond to the T_window value described above.

[0200] The terminal can detect the occurrence of an event instance (S1320). In this case, the terminal may detect the event instance at a time (or time interval) preceding the sum of the terminal's beam reporting processing time and the T_window value from the PUCCH transmission opportunity for the transmission of the first PUCCH. Alternatively, the terminal may determine the time (or time interval) at which it detects the event instance through implementation. Meanwhile, the event instance may correspond to an event instance (i.e., an event-2 instance) in which a new beam having a quality higher than or greater than a threshold value than the current beam is detected.

[0201] When an event instance is detected, the terminal can set a measurement window having a length (i.e., T_window) set by the setting information. That is, the terminal can set a value set by the setting information to a timer (hereinafter 'measurement window timer') and start the measurement window timer (S1330). Meanwhile, if setting information regarding the length of the measurement window is not provided by the base station, the terminal may set a measurement window having a length predetermined by a technical standard. FIG. 13 illustrates a case where the measurement window is set by the measurement window timer, but the measurement window may be set by various means other than the timer.

[0202] The terminal can continuously determine whether the condition of the detected event instance is maintained during the measurement window set by the measurement window timer (i.e., when the measurement window timer is running) (S1340).

[0203] If the condition of the detected event instance is maintained until the measurement window is terminated (i.e., until the measurement window timer expires) (i.e., if the quality of the new beam is maintained at a value greater than or equal to the quality of the current beam plus a threshold), the terminal can transmit a beam report for the new beam to the base station after the measurement window is terminated (i.e., after the measurement window timer expires) (S1350).

[0204] The above measurement window timers can be operated individually for each new beam. That is, one measurement window timer can be operated for each new beam. Therefore, the terminal can provide the base station with capability information regarding the number of measurement window timers that the terminal can operate. Upon receiving such capability information, the base station can utilize the number of measurement window timers that the terminal can operate to adjust the number of candidates during the process of setting new beam candidates for the terminal. For example, since a terminal capable of operating a large number of measurement window timers simultaneously can measure and track many candidate beams at the same time, the base station can improve beam management performance by setting a relatively large number of candidate beam reference signals (RS) for that terminal. As another example, since a terminal capable of operating a small number of measurement window timers simultaneously can measure and track only a limited number of candidate beams at the same time, the base station can reduce the terminal's power consumption and efficiently utilize beam RS resources by setting a relatively small number of candidate beam RSs for that terminal.

[0205] In step (S1350), the base station that receives the beam report can perform subsequent operations, such as switching the service beam to the new beam, based on the information about the new beam provided by the terminal.

[0206]

[0207] Various operational scenarios utilizing a combination of the multiple options described above may be considered. For example, when a terminal is in a specific state (e.g., when the terminal is stationary or moving at low speed), the network can perform sufficiently effective beam management by applying only the periodic evaluation method according to Option 1 or Option 3. In such cases, the terminal evaluates beam quality according to a preset evaluation period, and the network can operate a beam reporting procedure based on the evaluation results.

[0208] On the other hand, when the terminal is in a different specific state (e.g., a scenario where the terminal's movement speed increases or changes in the surrounding radio environment occur frequently), the network may apply the sliding window method according to Option 2 in parallel. In this case, the terminal can evaluate changes in beam quality within a continuous measurement window, and the network can respond more quickly to sudden degradation of beam quality. Additionally, the network may apply a timer-based mechanism according to Option 4. Through this, the network can mitigate situations where beam reporting is excessive due to transient fluctuations in beam quality, while simultaneously controlling the system to ensure that beam reporting is not omitted in cases of continuous degradation of beam quality or the occurrence of significant candidate beams.

[0209] In this way, the network can simultaneously operate two or more options depending on the terminal's situation, or dynamically switch the applied option based on the terminal's mobility, changes in the radio environment, or traffic load. Through this, the network can achieve optimal beam management performance in various wireless communication environments. Additionally, the network can transmit an indicator to the terminal to indicate the currently applied option or a combination of options. For example, the network can transmit such indicator information to the terminal via MAC CE.

[0210] Accordingly, each of the above options may be applied individually, or selected or combined depending on the operation scenario. For example, the network may dynamically switch between Option 1 and Option 2 depending on the terminal's mobility level or traffic load status. Additionally, the network may balance beam reporting latency and signaling overhead by applying Option 2 and Option 3 in parallel.

[0211]

[0212] The information(s) described in this disclosure may apply not only to Mode A and Mode B described in this disclosure but also to Mode(s) to be defined later. The information(s) described in this disclosure may be applied differently depending on the Mode.

[0213] The information(s) or operations(s) described in this disclosure may be applied in the same way to the initial transmission and retransmission of the first PUCCH (or second UL channel), or may be applied in different ways to the initial transmission and retransmission.

[0214] In the above embodiments, the first PUCCH may be transmitted in only one CC. Alternatively, if multiple CCs exist, the first PUCCH may be transmitted equally in all CCs or in only a specific CC among the multiple CCs.

[0215] The information(s) described above may be transmitted via MAC-CE signaling, UCI, and / or RRC signaling (and / or another channel).

[0216] In the present disclosure, the statement that a terminal-led / event-based beam management operation is performed can be interpreted to mean that the terminal transmits a signaling instructing a base station to perform a terminal-led / event-based beam management operation.

[0217] In the present disclosure, the term "terminal-led / event-based beam management operation is stopped" can be interpreted to mean that the terminal transmits a signaling to the base station indicating that it does not perform a terminal-led / event-based beam management operation, or performs an existing base station-led beam management operation.

[0218] The methods proposed in this disclosure may be applied to additionally defined event(s) in addition to the currently defined events. The methods proposed in this disclosure may be applied to intra-cell beam management and inter-cell beam management. The methods proposed in this disclosure may be similarly applied to multi-TRP (mTRP) operations.

[0219]

[0220] The operation of the method according to the present disclosure can be implemented as a computer-readable program or code on a computer-readable recording medium. A computer-readable recording medium includes any type of recording device in which information that can be read by a computer system is stored. Additionally, the computer-readable recording medium may be distributed across networked computer systems, allowing the computer-readable program or code to be stored and executed in a distributed manner.

[0221] In addition, computer-readable recording media may include hardware devices specifically configured to store and execute program instructions, such as ROM, RAM, and flash memory. Program instructions may include machine code, such as that generated by a compiler, as well as high-level language code that can be executed by a computer using an interpreter, etc.

[0222] Some aspects of the present disclosure have been described in the context of a device, but may also be described according to a corresponding method, wherein a block or device corresponds to a method step or a feature of a method step. Similarly, aspects described in the context of a method may also be described according to a corresponding block or item or a feature of a corresponding device. Some or all of the method steps may be performed by (or using) a hardware device, such as, for example, a microprocessor, a programmable computer, or an electronic circuit. In some embodiments, at least one of the most important method steps may be performed by such a device.

[0223] A programmable logic device (e.g., a field-programmable gate array) may be used to perform some or all of the functions of the methods described in this disclosure. A field-programmable gate array may operate with a microprocessor to perform one of the methods described in this disclosure. Generally, it is preferable that the methods be performed by some hardware device.

[0224] Although the present disclosure has been described with reference to preferred embodiments, those skilled in the art will understand that various modifications and changes can be made to the present disclosure without departing from the spirit and scope of the present disclosure as set forth in the following claims.

Claims

1. In the method of the terminal, When a new beam having a higher quality than the current beam, above a threshold value, is detected, a step of starting a measurement window timer for the new beam; A step of monitoring the quality of the current beam and the new beam while the measurement window timer is in operation; and If the quality of the new beam is maintained at a value greater than or equal to the current beam quality plus the threshold value until the measurement window timer expires, the method includes the step of transmitting a beam report regarding the new beam to a base station after the measurement window timer expires. method.

2. In Claim 1, The method further includes the step of canceling the measurement window timer if, before the measurement window timer expires, the quality of the new beam becomes lower than the value obtained by adding the threshold value to the quality of the current beam. method.

3. In Claim 1, The method further includes the step of receiving information regarding the measurement window length from the base station, and In the step of starting the measurement window timer, the measurement window timer is set to the measurement window length, method.

4. In Claim 1, The step of transmitting the above beam report to the base station is: A step of transmitting a first uplink (UL) channel to the base station; Based on the first UL channel, a step of receiving allocation information for a UL resource from the base station; and A step comprising transmitting a second UL channel including the beam report to the base station using the UL resource, method.

5. In Claim 1, The step of transmitting the above beam report to the base station is: A step of transmitting a first uplink (UL) channel to the base station; and Based on the first UL channel, the step of transmitting a second UL channel including the beam report to the base station using a pre-allocated UL resource, method.

6. In Claim 1, A method further comprising the step of transmitting a capability report to the base station that includes information on the number of measurement window timers supported by the terminal. method.

7. In Claim 1, For the above new beam, the above measurement window timer operates only once, method.

8. Regarding the base station method, A step of transmitting information about the measurement window length to a terminal; and The method includes the step of receiving a beam report regarding a new beam from the terminal, and The beam report regarding the above new beam is: If the quality of the new beam is maintained at a value greater than or equal to the quality of the current beam plus the threshold value until the measurement window timer, which was started based on the detection of the new beam having a quality greater than or equal to the threshold value of the new beam at the terminal, expires, it is received from the terminal after the measurement window timer expires, and the measurement window timer is set to the measurement window length and starts. method.

9. In Claim 8, If the quality of the new beam becomes lower than the value obtained by adding the threshold to the quality of the current beam before the measurement window timer expires, the measurement window timer is canceled at the terminal. method.

10. In Claim 8, The step of receiving the above beam report from the terminal is: A step of receiving a first uplink (UL) channel from the terminal; Based on the first UL channel, the step of transmitting allocation information for a UL resource to the terminal; and A step comprising receiving a second UL channel including the beam report from the terminal using the UL resource, method.

11. In Claim 8, The step of receiving the above beam report from the terminal is: A step of receiving a first uplink (UL) channel from the terminal; and Based on the first UL channel, the step of receiving a second UL channel including the beam report from the terminal using a pre-allocated UL resource, method.

12. In claim 8, The method further comprises the step of receiving a capability report from the terminal that includes information regarding the number of measurement window timers supported by the terminal. method.

13. In claim 8, For the above new beam, the above measurement window timer operates only once, method.

14. In a terminal comprising at least one processor, The above at least one processor is the terminal: When a new beam having a higher quality than the current beam, above a threshold value, is detected, a step of starting a measurement window timer for the new beam; A step of monitoring the quality of the current beam and the new beam while the measurement window timer is in operation; and If the quality of the new beam is maintained at a value greater than or equal to the current beam quality plus the threshold value until the measurement window timer expires, the step of transmitting a beam report regarding the new beam to the base station after the measurement window timer expires is performed. Terminal.

15. In Claim 14, The above at least one processor further performs the step of canceling the measurement window timer if the quality of the new beam becomes lower than the value obtained by adding the threshold to the quality of the current beam before the measurement window timer expires. Terminal.

16. In Claim 14, The above at least one processor enables the terminal to additionally perform the step of receiving information about the measurement window length from the base station, and In the step of starting the measurement window timer, the measurement window timer is set to the measurement window length, Terminal.

17. In Claim 14, In the step of transmitting the beam report to the base station, the at least one processor is the terminal: A step of transmitting a first uplink (UL) channel to the base station; Based on the first UL channel, a step of receiving allocation information for a UL resource from the base station; and A step of additionally performing the transmission of a second UL channel including the beam report to the base station using the UL resource, Terminal.

18. In Claim 14, In the step of transmitting the beam report to the base station, the at least one processor is the terminal: A step of transmitting a first uplink (UL) channel to the base station; and Based on the first UL channel, the step of additionally transmitting a second UL channel including the beam report to the base station using a pre-allocated UL resource, Terminal.

19. In Claim 14, The above at least one processor further performs the step of the terminal transmitting to the base station a capability report including information about the number of measurement window timers supported by the terminal. Terminal.

20. In Claim 14, For the above new beam, the above measurement window timer operates only once, Terminal.

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