HK40016547B - Channel state information-reference signal, csi-rs, acquisition - Google Patents

Description

Channel State Information-Reference Signal CSI-RS Capture

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application claims priority to and the benefit of Provisional Application No. 62/502,353, filed in the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office on May 5, 2017, and Non-Provisional Application No. 15/970,816, filed in the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office on May 3, 2018, the entire contents of which are incorporated herein by reference.

introduction

[0014] Various aspects described herein relate to wireless communications, and particularly, but not exclusively, to acquiring reference signals.

Wireless communication networks are widely deployed to provide various communication services such as telephony, video, data, messaging, broadcast, etc. Such networks, which are typically multiple-access networks, support communications for multiple users by sharing the available network resources.

In some wireless communication networks, cell-specific reference signals (CRSs) can be used to make mobility decisions (e.g., whether to switch to another cell). However, the use of CRSs can be inefficient, or CRSs may not be available in some networks. Consequently, there is a need for efficient mobility techniques in wireless communication networks.

Overview

The following is a brief overview of some aspects of the present disclosure to provide a basic understanding of these aspects. This overview is not an exhaustive overview of all contemplated features of the present disclosure, and is neither intended to identify key or critical elements of all aspects of the present disclosure nor to delineate the scope of any or all aspects of the present disclosure. Its sole purpose is to present various concepts of some aspects of the present disclosure in a simplified form as a prelude to the more detailed description that will be presented later.

In some aspects, the present disclosure provides a method of communication that includes identifying a cell that provides timing for a channel state information-reference signal (CSI-RS); and sending an indication of the identified cell to a user equipment (UE).

In some aspects, the present disclosure provides an apparatus for communication, comprising: a memory device and a processing circuit coupled to the memory device. The processing circuit is configured to: identify a cell that provides timing for a channel state information-reference signal (CSI-RS); and send an indication of the identified cell to a user equipment (UE).

In some aspects, the present disclosure provides an apparatus configured for communication, comprising: means for identifying a cell that provides timing for a channel state information-reference signal (CSI-RS); and means for sending an indication of the identified cell to a user equipment (UE).

In some aspects, the present disclosure provides a non-transitory computer-readable medium storing computer-executable code, including code for: identifying a cellular cell that provides timing for a channel state information-reference signal (CSI-RS); and sending an indication of the identified cellular cell to a user equipment (UE).

In some aspects, the present disclosure provides a method of communication that includes receiving an indication of a cell that provides timing for receiving a channel state information-reference signal (CSI-RS) at a user equipment (UE); and receiving the CSI-RS.

In some aspects, the present disclosure provides an apparatus for communication, comprising: a memory device and a processing circuit coupled to the memory device. The processing circuit is configured to: receive an indication of a cellular cell that provides timing for receiving a channel state information-reference signal (CSI-RS) at a user equipment (UE); and receive the CSI-RS.

In some aspects, the present disclosure provides an apparatus configured for communication, comprising: means for receiving an indication of a cell providing timing for receiving a channel state information-reference signal (CSI-RS) at a user equipment (UE); and means for receiving the CSI-RS.

In some aspects, the present disclosure provides a non-transitory computer-readable medium storing computer-executable code, including code for: receiving an indication of a cellular cell that provides timing for receiving a channel state information-reference signal (CSI-RS) at a user equipment (UE); and receiving the CSI-RS.

These and other aspects of the present disclosure will be more fully understood after reading the following detailed description. After studying the description of the specific implementation of the present disclosure below in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, other aspects, features and implementations of the present disclosure will be obvious to those of ordinary skill in the art. Although the features of the present disclosure may be discussed below with respect to certain implementations and drawings, all implementations of the present disclosure may include one or more of the advantageous features discussed herein. In other words, although one or more implementations may be discussed as having certain advantageous features, one or more of such features may also be used according to the various implementations of the present disclosure discussed herein. In a similar manner, although some implementations may be discussed below as device, system or method implementations, it should be understood that such implementations can be implemented in various devices, systems, and methods.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The accompanying drawings are presented to aid in describing the aspects of the disclosure and are provided solely for illustration of the aspects and not limitation thereof.

1 is a diagram of an example communication system in which aspects of the present disclosure may be employed.

2 is a block diagram of another example communication system in which aspects of the present disclosure may be employed.

3 is a diagram illustrating an example process for providing and using CSI-RS configurations, according to some aspects of the present disclosure.

4 is a diagram illustrating an example process for receiving CSI-RS from a second cell using the timing of a first cell, in accordance with some aspects of the present disclosure.

5 is a diagram illustrating an example process for receiving CSI-RS from a second cell using the second cell's timing, in accordance with some aspects of the present disclosure.

6 is a diagram illustrating an example process for scheduling CSI-RS transmissions by different cells, according to some aspects of the present disclosure.

7 is a block diagram illustrating an example hardware implementation for an apparatus (eg, an electronic device) capable of supporting communications according to some aspects of the present disclosure.

8 is a flow diagram illustrating an example of a process for providing an indication of CSI-RS timing, in accordance with some aspects of the present disclosure.

9 is a flow diagram illustrating an example of a process for providing CSI-RS configuration, in accordance with some aspects of the present disclosure.

10 is a flow diagram illustrating an example of a process for communicating timing information in accordance with some aspects of the present disclosure.

11 is a block diagram illustrating another example hardware implementation of an apparatus (eg, an electronic device) capable of supporting communications according to some aspects of the present disclosure.

12 is a flow diagram illustrating an example of a process for acquiring CSI-RS, according to some aspects of the present disclosure.

13 is a flow diagram illustrating an example of a process for acquiring CSI-RS, in accordance with some aspects of the present disclosure.

14 is a block diagram illustrating another example hardware implementation of an apparatus (eg, an electronic device) capable of supporting communications in accordance with some aspects of the present disclosure.

15 is a flow diagram illustrating an example of a process for providing CSI-RS in accordance with some aspects of the present disclosure.

Detailed description

Various aspects of the present disclosure relate to acquisition of reference signals. In some aspects, the network may send an indication to a user equipment (UE) to tell the UE which cell timing (e.g., serving cell timing or neighbor cell timing) to use to receive CSI-RS. Cell timing may be determined, for example, based on the timing of synchronization signal blocks (SS blocks) transmitted in the cell. In some aspects, the network may request the UE to measure the timing difference between neighbor cells and use this information to generate a CSI-RS configuration. The network sends the CSI-RS configuration to the UE to enable the UE to acquire CSI-RS from the neighbor cell. In some aspects, the network may send timing-related information to the neighbor cell, and the neighbor cell uses this information to transmit the CSI-RS.

The detailed description set forth below in conjunction with the accompanying drawings is intended to serve as a description of various configurations and is not intended to represent the only configurations in which the concepts described herein may be practiced. This detailed description includes specific details to provide a thorough understanding of the various concepts. However, it will be apparent to those skilled in the art that these concepts may be practiced without these specific details. Furthermore, alternative configurations may be devised without departing from the scope of this disclosure. In addition, well-known elements will not be described in detail or will be omitted to avoid obscuring the relevant details of this disclosure.

The various concepts presented throughout this disclosure can be implemented across a wide variety of telecommunication systems, network architectures, and communication standards. For example, the Third Generation Partnership Project (3GPP) is a standards body that defines several wireless communication standards for networks involving Evolved Packet Systems (EPS), often referred to as Long Term Evolution (LTE) networks. Evolved versions of LTE networks, such as fifth-generation (5G) networks, can provide many different types of services or applications, including but not limited to web browsing, video streaming, VoIP, mission-critical applications, multi-hop networks, remote operations with real-time feedback (e.g., remote surgery), and the like. Thus, the teachings herein can be implemented based on various network technologies, including but not limited to 5G technology, fourth-generation (4G) technology, third-generation (3G) technology, and other network architectures. In addition, the techniques described herein can be used for downlinks, uplinks, peer-to-peer links, or some other type of link.

The actual telecommunication standard, network architecture, and/or communication standard employed will depend on the specific application and the overall design constraints imposed on the system. For illustrative purposes, various aspects may be described below in the context of a 5G system and/or an LTE system. However, it should be appreciated that the teachings herein may also be used in other systems. Thus, references to functionality in the context of 5G and/or LTE terminology should be understood to be equally applicable to other types of technologies, networks, components, signaling, and the like.

Example Communication System

FIG1 illustrates an example of a wireless communication system 100 in which user equipment (UE) can communicate with other devices via wireless communication signaling. For example, a first UE 102 and a second UE 104 can communicate with a first transmission reception point (TRP) 106 using wireless communication resources managed by a first TRP 106 and/or other network components (e.g., a core network 108, an Internet service provider (ISP) 110, peer devices, etc.). In addition, devices in the system 100 can communicate with each other directly via a device-to-device (D2D) link 112 or other similar links.

According to the teachings herein, devices in the wireless communication system 100 may include functionality 114 for CSI-RS configuration and transmission. For example, each of the first UE 102, the second UE 104, the first TRP 106, and the second TRP 116 may include functionality 114 for CSI-RS configuration and transmission, as discussed in further detail below.

The components and links of the wireless communication system 100 may take different forms in different implementations. For example, but not limited to, a UE may be a cellular device, an Internet of Things (IoT) device, a Cellular IoT (CIoT) device, an LTE wireless cellular device, a Machine Type Communication (MTC) cellular device, a smart alarm, a remote sensor, a smartphone, a mobile phone, a smart meter, a personal digital assistant (PDA), a personal computer, a mesh node, and a tablet computer.

In some aspects, a TRP may refer to a physical entity that contains radio head functionality for a particular physical cell. In some aspects, a TRP may include 5G New Radio (NR) functionality with an air interface based on orthogonal frequency division multiplexing (OFDM). NR may support, for example, but not limited to, enhanced mobile broadband (eMBB), mission-critical services, and large-scale deployment of IoT devices. In one or more aspects, the functionality of a TRP may be similar to (or incorporated into) the functionality of a CIoT base station (C-BS), a Node B, an evolved Node B (eNodeB), a radio access network (RAN) access node, a radio network controller (RNC), a base station (BS), a radio base station (RBS), a base station controller (BSC), a base transceiver station (BTS), a transceiver function (TF), a radio transceiver, a radio router, a basic service set (BSS), an extended service set (ESS), a macro cell, a macro node, a home evolved Node B (HeNB), a femto cell, a femto node, a pico node, or some other suitable entity. In different scenarios (e.g., NR, LTE, etc.), the TRP may be referred to as a g Node B (gNB), an eNB, a base station, or other terms.

Various types of network-to-device links and D2D links may be supported in the wireless communication system 100. For example, D2D links may include, but are not limited to, machine-to-machine (M2M) links, MTC links, vehicle-to-vehicle (V2V) links, and vehicle-to-everything (V2X) links. Network-to-device links may include, but are not limited to, uplinks (or reverse links), downlinks (or forward links), and vehicle-to-network (V2N) links.

Example Communication Components

FIG2 illustrates another example of a wireless communication system 200 in which a first device (e.g., a UE) 202 may receive signals from different cells. For example, the first device 202 may currently be receiving service from a serving cell 204 (e.g., a cell of a gNB) and repeatedly performing measurements on nearby cells, such as a neighbor cell 206 (e.g., another cell that is a gNB). To reduce the complexity of FIG2 , only three entities are shown. In practice, a wireless communication system may include many more of these entities.

According to the teachings herein, first device 202 may decode CSI-RS from neighbor cell 206 with the assistance of serving cell 204. To this end, first device 202 may optionally include functionality 208 to measure a timing difference (e.g., a symbol timing difference or some other timing difference) between cells based on an NR synchronization signal (NR-SS) and report the timing difference to serving cell 204. For example, first device 202 may measure the symbol timing difference (or some other timing difference) between serving cell 204 and neighbor cell 206 based on NR-SS 216 received from serving cell 204 and NR-SS 218 received from neighbor cell 206. Accordingly, first device 202 may optionally send an indication of the timing difference 220 to serving cell 204.

Serving cell 204 includes functionality 210 to determine a CSI-RS configuration. In some scenarios, the CSI-RS configuration can indicate which cell the first device 202 can use as a timing reference for receiving CSI-RS (e.g., receiving CSI-RS from neighbor cell 206). For example, the CSI-RS configuration can indicate that the first device 202 can base the timing of the CSI-RS on the timing of serving cell 204. As another example, the CSI-RS configuration can indicate that the first device 202 can base the timing of the CSI-RS on the timing of neighbor cell 206. As discussed herein, serving cell 204 sends a CSI-RS configuration 222 to the first device 202.

In some scenarios, determining the CSI-RS configuration is based on a symbol timing difference (or some other timing difference) between the serving cell 204 and the neighbor cell 206. In some implementations, this determination can be based on a timing difference 220 sent by the first device 202. In some implementations, this determination can be based on timing information received by the serving cell from and/or sent to the neighbor cell. Thus, the serving cell 204 can send and/or receive timing information 224 (e.g., CSI-RS timing information) to and/or from the neighbor cell 206.

The neighbor cell 206 includes functionality 214 to transmit a CSI-RS. The CSI-RS may be transmitted based on the timing of the neighbor cell 206 and/or based on CSI-RS timing information received from the serving cell 204 or some other entity. For example, the CSI-RS timing information may indicate when the neighbor cell 206 will transmit the CSI-RS 226.

The first device 202 also includes functionality 212 to decode the CSI-RS 226 of the neighbor cell 206. In some aspects, such decoding may be based on the CSI-RS configuration 222 received from the serving cell 204. Other devices of the wireless communication system 200 may include functionality (not shown) similar to those discussed above.

CSI-RS configuration and transmission

For cell-level mobility in radio resource control (RRC) connected mode, CSI-RS can be used in addition to idle mode reference signals (RS) (e.g., NR-SS). Detection of neighbor cells for measurement is based on NR-SS.

For RRC connected mode mobility involving CSI-RS, the UE uses the CSI-RS configuration to measure CSI-RS transmissions from neighbor cells. The CSI-RS configuration may include, for example, antenna port, CSI-RS reference signal configuration, CSI-RS subframe configuration, and CSI-RS scrambling identifier. These parameters may be dependent on neighbor cell timing, which may include one or more of the following: system frame number, subframe index, slot index, mini-slot index, or symbol index. This timing information may be conveyed in the physical broadcast channel (PBCH) of each neighbor cell.

A UE in connected mode may be configured not to decode the PBCH from neighbor cells. For example, decoding the PBCH may be avoided to reduce operational complexity during connected measurements. Consequently, the UE may not be able to measure CSI-RS transmissions from neighbor cells.

In some aspects, the present disclosure relates to enabling a UE to decode the CSI-RS of a neighbor cell without requiring the UE to read the neighbor cell's PBCH. For example, the network may assist the UE in obtaining timing (or relative timing) and/or scrambling information for the target cell. To this end, the network (e.g., the current serving cell) may perform one or more of the following operations.

In some aspects, the network may configure one or more UEs to measure the symbol timing difference (or some other timing difference) between the serving cell and one or more neighbor cells.In some scenarios, the UE may autonomously choose to make such measurements.

The network (e.g., a cell in the network) can thereby obtain the timing difference from one or more UEs. Alternatively or additionally, the network can determine the timing difference based on timing information received by the network from one or more cells. Based on the timing difference or differences, the network derives an estimate of the timing difference between the serving cell and the neighbor cell(s).

The network may use the timing difference(s) between the serving cell and the neighboring cells for CSI-RS configuration and transmission. For example, the network may generate CSI-RS configurations for one or more neighboring cells based on the timing difference(s) and send the CSI-RS configurations to the UE.

The CSI-RS configuration may include antenna ports, CSI-RS reference signal configuration, CSI-RS subframe configuration, and other information. The network may indicate to the UE that the timing of the CSI-RS is based on the timing of the serving cell or the neighbor cell. The network may provide the UE with a system frame number (SFN), a subframe index (SFI), a symbol index (SI), and/or a subset of the timing difference (e.g., symbol timing difference) between the serving cell and the neighbor cell(s). A scrambling ID or a seed for obtaining the scrambling ID may be provided as part of the CSI-RS configuration. The network may also specify whether (1) the same scrambling sequence is sent on each symbol; or (2) different scrambling sequences are sent during the symbol timing difference estimation between the serving cell and the neighbor cell(s).

The network (e.g., the current serving cell, or a network node such as a mobility management entity (MME), a gateway, etc.) may also control CSI-RS transmission from neighbor cells. In one scenario, the network may instruct the neighbor cell(s) to transmit CSI-RS based on the timing of the neighbor cell.

In another scenario, the network may instruct neighbor cell(s) to transmit CSI-RS based on the timing of the serving cell, in which case the following operations may be supported. The network may provide the neighbor cell(s) with a subset of the SFN, SFI, SI, and an estimate of the symbol timing difference between the serving cell and the neighbor cell(s). The network may also specify whether the same scrambling sequence or different scrambling sequences are sent on each symbol during the symbol timing difference between the serving cell and the neighbor cell. The network may also coordinate CSI-RS transmissions from one or more cells (e.g., by specifying an offset between CSI-RS transmissions by different cells).

If configured by the network, the UE may measure the timing difference between the serving cell and one or more neighbor cells. Additionally, if configured by the network, the UE may report the symbol difference to the network.

Example Operation

With the foregoing in mind, FIG3 illustrates a process 300 for communication according to some aspects of the present disclosure. Process 300 may be jointly performed by, for example, one or more of: at least one UE, at least one gNB, at least one access terminal, at least one TRP, at least one base station, etc. Of course, in various aspects within the scope of the present disclosure, process 300 may be implemented by any suitable equipment capable of supporting communication-related operations (e.g., RS-related operations).

At optional block 302, a first cell (e.g., a first gNB) may request a UE to measure a timing difference between the first cell and a second cell (e.g., a second gNB). For example, the first cell may be a serving cell for the UE, and the second cell may be a neighbor cell (e.g., a potential target cell for handover).

The UE measures a timing difference between the first cell and the second cell at block 304. As discussed herein, the measurement may be based on NR-SS transmitted by the first cell and the second cell.

At block 306, the UE reports the timing difference to the first cell.

At block 308, the first cell determines a CSI-RS configuration based on the timing difference.

At block 310 , the first cell sends the CSI-RS configuration to the UE.

At optional block 312, the first cell may send CSI-RS timing information to the second cell. This information may be sent, for example, via direct communication between the two cells (e.g., via an interface such as the X2 interface in LTE), or via other intermediate network nodes (such as an MME, gateway, etc.).

The second cell transmits a CSI-RS at block 314. As discussed herein, such transmission of the CSI-RS may (at least in some cases) be based on CSI-RS timing information received from the first cell.

At block 316, the UE uses the CSI-RS configuration to decode the CSI-RS from the second cell. For example, the UE may determine which sequence the second cell used when transmitting the CSI-RS based on the scrambling ID, the seed used to generate the scrambling ID, or the symbol index used to generate the seed. Advantageously, at this step, the UE may use the timing of the first cell (e.g., the serving cell) instead of the timing of the second cell (which may require reading the PBCH of the second cell to acquire the timing of the second cell).

FIG4 illustrates another process 400 for communication according to some aspects of the present disclosure. Process 400 may be jointly performed by, for example, one or more of the following: at least one UE, at least one gNB, at least one access terminal, at least one TRP, at least one base station, etc. Of course, in various aspects within the scope of the present disclosure, process 400 may be implemented by any suitable equipment capable of supporting communication-related operations (e.g., RS-related operations).

At block 402, a first cell (e.g., a first gNB) sends a message to a UE instructing the UE to receive CSI-RS from a second cell (e.g., a second gNB) using the timing of the first cell.

The first cell sends a CSI-RS configuration to the UE at block 404. In some aspects, the CSI-RS configuration may be based on the timing of the second cell (eg, based on a timing difference between the first cell and the second cell).

At block 406, the UE determines at least one scrambling sequence using the CSI-RS configuration.

At block 408, the UE decodes the CSI-RS transmitted by the second cell using the at least one scrambling sequence.

FIG5 illustrates another process 500 for communication according to some aspects of the present disclosure. Process 500 may be jointly performed by, for example, one or more of the following: at least one UE, at least one gNB, at least one access terminal, at least one TRP, at least one base station, etc. Of course, in various aspects within the scope of the present disclosure, process 500 may be implemented by any suitable equipment capable of supporting communication-related operations (e.g., RS-related operations).

At block 502, a first cell (e.g., a first gNB) sends a message to a UE instructing the UE to receive a CSI-RS from a second cell (e.g., a second gNB) using the timing of the second cell.

The first cell sends a CSI-RS configuration to the UE at block 504. In some aspects, the CSI-RS configuration may be based on the timing of the second cell (eg, the configuration may include timing information about the second cell).

At block 506, the UE determines at least one scrambling sequence using the CSI-RS configuration.

At block 508, the UE decodes the CSI-RS transmitted by the second cell using the at least one scrambling sequence.

FIG6 illustrates another process 600 for communication according to some aspects of the present disclosure. Process 600 may be jointly performed by, for example, one or more of the following: at least one network node, at least one gNB, at least one TRP, at least one base station, etc. Of course, in various aspects within the scope of the present disclosure, process 600 may be implemented by any suitable equipment capable of supporting communication-related operations (e.g., RS-related operations).

In block 602, a first node (e.g., a network node or a first gNB) determines a schedule for CSI-RS transmissions by a first cell and CSI-RS transmissions by a second cell, wherein the scheduled transmissions do not overlap.

At block 604, the first node sends the schedule to the second cell (and, if applicable, to the first cell).

At block 606, the first cell transmits its CSI-RS based on the schedule.

At block 608, the second cell transmits its CSI-RS based on the schedule.

Example beamforming operation

The teachings herein can be used in networks that utilize beamforming. For example, a gNB can communicate with a first UE and a second UE via different beamforming directions. That is, the gNB can communicate via any of a first plurality of directional beams, the first UE 304 can communicate via any of a second plurality of directional beams, and the second UE can communicate via any of the plurality of directional beams. Thus, the gNB can communicate with the first UE via a first beamforming direction and with the second UE via a second beamforming direction.

Wireless multiple-input, multiple-output (MIMO) systems can use multiple transmit antennas to provide beamforming-based signal transmission. Typically, beamforming-based signals transmitted from different antennas are adjusted in phase (and optionally in amplitude) so that the resulting signal power is focused toward a receiver device (e.g., a UE).

Wireless MIMO systems can support communication for a single user at a time or for multiple users concurrently. Transmissions to a single user (e.g., a single receiving device) are often referred to as single-user MIMO (SU-MIMO), while concurrent transmissions to multiple users are often referred to as multi-user MIMO (MU-MIMO).

In a MIMO system, the gNB uses multiple antennas for data transmission and reception, while each UE uses one or more antennas. The gNB communicates with the UEs via forward and reverse link channels. In some aspects, the downlink (DL) channel refers to the communication channel from the access point's transmit antennas to the UE's receive antennas, while the uplink (UL) channel refers to the communication channel from the UE's transmit antennas to the gNB's receive antennas. The downlink and uplink may be referred to as the forward link and reverse link, respectively.

Because precoding (e.g., beamforming) is employed to direct transmissions toward the receive antennas, a MIMO channel corresponding to a transmission from a set of transmit antennas to a receive antenna is referred to as a spatial stream. Thus, in some aspects, each spatial stream corresponds to at least one dimension. Thus, MIMO systems provide improved performance (e.g., higher throughput and/or greater reliability) by utilizing the additional dimensionality provided by these spatial streams.

First example equipment

FIG7 illustrates a block diagram of an example hardware implementation of an apparatus 700 configured to communicate according to one or more aspects of the present disclosure. Apparatus 700 may be implemented or implemented within a gNB, a transmit reception point (TRP), an access point, a UE, or some other type of device that supports reference signals as taught herein. In various implementations, apparatus 700 may be implemented or implemented within a base station, an access terminal, or some other type of device. In various implementations, apparatus 700 may be implemented or implemented within a server, a network entity, a mobile phone, a smartphone, a tablet, a portable computer, a personal computer, a sensor, an alarm, a vehicle, a machine, an entertainment device, a medical device, or any other electronic device having circuitry.

Equipment 700 includes a communication interface 702 (e.g., at least one transceiver), a storage medium 704, a user interface 706, a memory device 708, and a processing circuit 710 (e.g., at least one processor). These components can be coupled to each other and/or placed in electrical communication with each other via a signaling bus or other suitable components (generally represented by the connecting lines in Figure 7). Depending on the specific application and overall design constraints of the processing circuit 710, the signaling bus may include any number of interconnecting buses and bridges. The signaling bus links various circuits together so that each of the communication interface 702, the storage medium 704, the user interface 706, and the memory device 708 is coupled and/or in electrical communication with the processing circuit 710. The signaling bus may also link various other circuits (not shown), such as timing sources, peripherals, voltage regulators, and power management circuits, which are well known in the art and will therefore not be described further.

The communication interface 702 can be adapted to facilitate wireless communication of the equipment 700. For example, the communication interface 702 may include circuitry and/or programming adapted to facilitate two-way information communication with respect to one or more communication devices in the network. Therefore, in some implementations, the communication interface 702 may be coupled to one or more antennas 712 for wireless communication within the wireless communication system. In some implementations, the communication interface 702 may be configured for wired-based communication. For example, the communication interface 702 may be a bus interface, a transmit/receive interface, or some other type of signal interface (including a driver, a buffer), or other circuitry for outputting and/or obtaining signals (e.g., outputting signals from an integrated circuit and/or receiving signals entering an integrated circuit). The communication interface 702 may be configured with one or more independent receivers and/or transmitters and one or more transceivers. In the illustrated example, the communication interface 702 includes a transmitter 714 and a receiver 716.

Memory device 708 may represent one or more memory devices. As indicated, memory device 708 may maintain cell information 718 and other information used by apparatus 700. In some implementations, memory device 708 and storage medium 704 are implemented as a shared memory component. Memory device 708 may also be used to store data manipulated by processing circuit 710 or some other component of apparatus 700.

Storage media 704 may represent one or more computer-readable, machine-readable, and/or processor-readable devices for storing programming (such as processor-executable code or instructions (e.g., software, firmware)), electronic data, databases, or other digital information. Storage media 704 may also be used to store data manipulated by processing circuit 710 when executing programming. Storage media 704 may be any available medium that can be accessed by a general-purpose or special-purpose processor, including portable or fixed storage devices, optical storage devices, and various other media capable of storing, containing, or carrying programming.

By way of example and not limitation, storage medium 704 may include: a magnetic storage device (e.g., a hard disk, a floppy disk, a magnetic stripe), an optical disk (e.g., a compact disc (CD) or a digital versatile disc (DVD)), a smart card, a flash memory device (e.g., a memory card, a memory stick, or a key drive), a random access memory (RAM), a read-only memory (ROM), a programmable ROM (PROM), an erasable PROM (EPROM), an electrically erasable PROM (EEPROM), registers, a removable disk, and any other suitable medium for storing software and/or instructions that can be accessed and read by a computer. Storage medium 704 may be embodied in an article of manufacture (e.g., a computer program product). As an example, a computer program product may include a computer-readable medium in packaging material. In view of the foregoing, in some implementations, storage medium 704 may be a non-transitory (e.g., tangible) storage medium.

Storage medium 704 may be coupled to processing circuitry 710 such that processing circuitry 710 can read information from and write information to storage medium 704. That is, storage medium 704 may be coupled to processing circuitry 710 such that storage medium 704 is at least accessible by processing circuitry 710, including examples in which at least one storage medium is integrated into processing circuitry 710 and/or examples in which at least one storage medium is separate from processing circuitry 710 (e.g., residing in apparatus 700, external to apparatus 700, distributed across multiple entities, etc.).

The programming stored by storage medium 704, when executed by processing circuit 710, causes processing circuit 710 to perform one or more of the various functional and/or process operations described herein. For example, storage medium 704 may include operations configured to: regulate operations at one or more hardware blocks of processing circuit 710 and to use communication interface 702 for wireless communication utilizing its corresponding communication protocol. In some aspects, storage medium 704 may include a non-transitory computer-readable medium storing computer-executable code, including code for performing the functionality described herein.

The processing circuitry 710 is generally adapted for processing, including executing such programming stored on the storage medium 704. As used herein, the terms "code" or "programming" should be interpreted broadly to include, without limitation, instructions, instruction sets, data, code, code segments, program code, programs, programming, subroutines, software modules, applications, software applications, software packages, routines, subroutines, objects, executables, threads of execution, procedures, functions, and the like, whether referred to as software, firmware, middleware, microcode, hardware description language, or otherwise.

The processing circuit 710 is arranged to obtain, process and/or send data, control data access and storage, issue commands, and control other desired operations. In at least one example, the processing circuit 710 may include a circuit system configured to implement the desired programming provided by an appropriate medium. For example, the processing circuit 710 may be implemented as one or more processors, one or more controllers, and/or other structures configured to execute executable programming. Examples of the processing circuit 710 may include a general-purpose processor, a digital signal processor (DSP), an application-specific integrated circuit (ASIC), a field-programmable gate array (FPGA) or other programmable logic component designed to perform the functions described herein, discrete gate or transistor logic, discrete hardware components, or any combination thereof. A general-purpose processor may include a microprocessor, as well as any conventional processor, controller, microcontroller, or state machine. The processing circuit 710 may also be implemented as a combination of computing components, such as a combination of a DSP and a microprocessor, several microprocessors, one or more microprocessors combined with a DSP core, an ASIC and a microprocessor, or any other number of variations. These examples of the processing circuit 710 are for illustration, and other suitable configurations that fall within the scope of the present disclosure are also contemplated.

According to one or more aspects of the present disclosure, the processing circuit 710 may be adapted to perform any or all of the features, processes, functions, operations, and/or routines for any or all of the equipment described herein. For example, the processing circuit 710 may be configured to perform any of the steps, functions, and/or processes described with respect to Figures 1-6 and 8-10. As used herein, the term "adapted" with respect to the processing circuit 710 may refer to the processing circuit 710 being configured, employed, implemented, and/or programmed (one or more of the above) to perform specific processes, functions, operations, and/or routines according to the various features described herein.

The processing circuit 710 may be a dedicated processor, such as an application-specific integrated circuit (ASIC), serving as a means (e.g., structure) for performing any of the operations described in conjunction with Figures 1-6 and 8-10. The processing circuit 710 may serve as an example of a means for transmitting and/or a means for receiving. In various implementations, the processing circuit 710 may at least partially provide and/or incorporate the functionality described above for the serving cell 204 of Figure 2.

According to at least one example of the apparatus 700, the processing circuit 710 may include one or more of a circuit/module 720 for determining a timing difference, a circuit/module 722 for determining a CSI-RS configuration, a circuit/module 724 for transmitting, a circuit/module 726 for determining timing with respect to the CSI-RS, a circuit/module 728 for receiving, or a circuit/module 730 for identifying. In various implementations, the circuit/module 720 for determining a timing difference, the circuit/module 722 for determining a CSI-RS configuration, the circuit/module 724 for transmitting, the circuit/module 726 for determining timing with respect to the CSI-RS, the circuit/module 728 for receiving, or the circuit/module 730 for identifying may at least partially provide and/or incorporate the functionality described above for the serving cell 204 of FIG. 2 .

As mentioned above, the programming stored by the storage medium 704, when executed by the processing circuit 710, causes the processing circuit 710 to perform one or more of the various functions and/or process operations described herein. For example, in various implementations, the programming may cause the processing circuit 710 to perform the various functions, steps, and/or processes described herein with respect to Figures 1-6 and 8-10. As shown in Figure 7, the storage medium 704 may include one or more of code 740 for determining a timing difference, code 742 for determining a CSI-RS configuration, code 744 for transmitting, code 746 for determining timing with respect to a CSI-RS, code 748 for receiving, or code 750 for identifying. In various implementations, code 740 for determining a timing difference, code 742 for determining a CSI-RS configuration, code 744 for transmitting, code 746 for determining timing with respect to a CSI-RS, code 748 for receiving, or code 750 for identifying may be executed or otherwise used to provide the functionality described herein for circuit/module 720 for determining a timing difference, circuit/module 722 for determining a CSI-RS configuration, circuit/module 724 for transmitting, circuit/module 726 for determining timing with respect to a CSI-RS, circuit/module 728 for receiving, or circuit/module 730 for identifying.

First example process

FIG8 illustrates a process 800 for communication according to some aspects of the present disclosure. Process 800 may occur within processing circuitry (e.g., processing circuitry 710 of FIG7 ), which may be located in a gNB, a TRP, a base station, a UE, an access terminal, or some other suitable equipment. Of course, in various aspects within the scope of the present disclosure, process 800 may be implemented by any suitable equipment capable of supporting communication-related operations (e.g., sidelink operations).

At optional block 802, equipment (e.g., a gNB) may determine a timing difference between a UE's serving cell and a cell transmitting a CSI-RS (e.g., a neighbor cell). In this case, determining a CSI-RS configuration at block 806 may be based on the timing difference. In some aspects, the timing difference may include a symbol timing difference. In some aspects, the timing difference may include a slot timing difference, a mini-slot timing difference, a system frame number timing difference, or any combination thereof.

In some aspects, determining the timing difference may include receiving an indication of the timing difference from the UE.In some aspects, process 800 may further include sending a request to the UE to measure the timing difference.

In some aspects, determining the timing difference may include: receiving a first indication of the timing difference from the UE and at least one second indication of the timing difference from at least one other UE, and generating an estimate of the timing difference based on the first indication of the timing difference and the at least one second indication of the timing difference.

At block 804, the apparatus identifies a cell that provides timing for the CSI-RS. For example, the apparatus may generate an indication to inform a UE that the UE may base the timing of the CSI-RS on the timing of a particular cell.

In some scenarios, the identified cell may include (eg, may be) a serving cell of the UE. Here, in some cases, the CSI-RS may be transmitted by a neighbor cell of the serving cell.

In some scenarios, the identified cell may include (eg, may be) a neighbor cell of the serving cell of the UE. Here, in some cases, the CSI-RS may be transmitted by the neighbor cell.

At optional block 806, the apparatus may determine a CSI-RS configuration for the CSI-RS. In some aspects, the CSI-RS configuration may include an indication of a subcarrier spacing of the CSI-RS. In some aspects, the CSI-RS configuration may include an indication of a timing difference in subcarrier spacing that accounts for a serving cell of the UE and a cell transmitting the CSI-RS.

At block 808, the apparatus sends an indication of the identified cell to the UE. In the event that the apparatus determined a CSI-RS configuration at block 806, the CSI-RS configuration may include an indication of the identified cell. In this case, sending the indication to the UE at block 808 may include (e.g., may involve) sending the CSI-RS configuration to the UE.

In some aspects, a process according to the teachings herein may include any combination of the above operations and/or features.

Second example process

FIG9 illustrates a process 900 for communication according to some aspects of the present disclosure. Process 900 may be performed within processing circuitry (e.g., processing circuitry 710 of FIG7 ), which may be located in a gNB, a TRP, a base station, a UE, an access terminal, or some other suitable equipment. Of course, in various aspects within the scope of the present disclosure, process 900 may be implemented by any suitable equipment capable of supporting communication-related operations (e.g., sidelink operations).

At optional block 902, equipment (e.g., a gNB) may send a request to a UE to measure a timing difference. For example, a serving cell may instruct the served UE to estimate a symbol timing difference.

At block 904, the apparatus determines a timing difference between a first cell (eg, a serving cell) and a second cell (eg, a neighbor cell).For example, the apparatus may receive an indication of the timing difference from a UE.

At block 906, the apparatus determines a channel state information-reference signal (CSI-RS) configuration for a CSI-RS of the second cell based on the timing difference.

At block 908, the apparatus transmits the CSI-RS configuration to a UE served by the first cell.

In some aspects, the CSI-RS configuration may include an indication that the timing of the CSI-RS for the second cell is based on the timing of the first cell. In some aspects, the CSI-RS configuration may include an indication that the timing of the CSI-RS for the second cell is based on the timing of the second cell. In some aspects, the timing difference may include a symbol timing difference, a slot timing difference, a mini-slot timing difference, a system frame number timing difference, or any combination thereof. In some aspects, the CSI-RS configuration may include an indication of the timing difference. In some aspects, the CSI-RS configuration may include an indication of the timing difference that accounts for the subcarrier spacing between the first cell and the second cell. In some aspects, the CSI-RS configuration may include a scrambling identifier associated with the CSI-RS of the second cell. In some aspects, the CSI-RS configuration may include a seed for deriving the scrambling identifier associated with the CSI-RS of the second cell. In some aspects, the CSI-RS configuration may include an indication of whether the CSI-RS of the second cell uses one scrambling sequence or different scrambling sequences over a group of symbols. In some aspects, the CSI-RS configuration may include a seed for deriving a scrambling identifier associated with the CSI-RS of the second cell. In some aspects, the CSI-RS configuration may include an indication of use of a scrambling sequence for the CSI-RS of the second cell over a group of symbols. In some aspects, determining the timing difference may include receiving an indication of the timing difference from a UE. In some aspects, process 900 may further include sending a request to the UE to measure the timing difference. In some aspects, determining the timing difference may include receiving a first indication of the timing difference from the UE and receiving at least one second indication of the timing difference from at least one other UE; and generating an estimate of the timing difference based on the first indication of the timing difference and the at least one second indication of the timing difference.

In some aspects, a process according to the teachings herein may include any combination of the above operations and/or features.

Third example process

FIG10 illustrates a process 1000 for communication according to some aspects of the present disclosure. Process 1000 may be performed within a processing circuit (e.g., processing circuit 710 of FIG7 ), which may be located in a gNB, a TRP, a base station, a network node, a UE, an access terminal, or some other suitable equipment. Of course, in various aspects within the scope of the present disclosure, process 1000 may be implemented by any suitable equipment capable of supporting communication-related operations.

At optional block 1002, equipment (e.g., a gNB or a network node) may receive an indication of a timing difference from a user equipment (UE). For example, a first cell may receive the indication from a UE served by a second cell.

At block 1004 , the apparatus determines timing of a channel state information-reference signal (CSI-RS) for a first cell.

At block 1006 , the apparatus sends an indication of the determined timing to the first cell.

At optional block 1008, the apparatus may send other timing information to the first cell.

In some aspects, determining the timing difference may include determining whether the first cell is to transmit the CSI-RS based on the timing of the first cell or the timing of the second cell. In some aspects, the indication may indicate when the first cell is to transmit the CSI-RS. In some aspects, the indication may include at least one offset between the CSI-RS transmission by the first cell and at least one CSI-RS transmission by at least one other cell. In some aspects, the indication may indicate that the first cell is to transmit the CSI-RS based on the timing of the second cell.

In some aspects, process 1000 may further include sending an indication of a timing difference between the first cell and the second cell to the first cell for CSI-RS transmission by the first cell. In some aspects, process 1000 may further include receiving an indication of the timing difference from a user equipment (UE) served by the second cell. In some aspects, process 1000 may further include sending a request to the UE to measure the timing difference. In some aspects, the timing difference may include a symbol timing difference, a slot timing difference, a mini-slot timing difference, a system frame number timing difference, or any combination thereof. In some aspects, process 1000 may further include sending an indication to the first cell that CSI-RS transmission by the first cell is to use one scrambling sequence for a group of symbols. In some aspects, process 1000 may further include sending an indication to the first cell that CSI-RS transmission by the first cell is to use a different scrambling sequence for a group of symbols. In some aspects, process 1000 may further include determining other timing for another CSI-RS for the second cell and generating an indication specifying that the timing for the CSI-RS for the first cell does not overlap with the other timing for the other CSI-RS for the second cell.

In some aspects, a process according to the teachings herein may include any combination of the above operations and/or features.

Second example equipment

FIG11 illustrates a block diagram of an example hardware implementation of an apparatus 1100 configured to communicate according to one or more aspects of the present disclosure. Apparatus 1100 may be implemented or realized within a UE, a gNB, a transmit reception point (TRP), an access point, or some other type of device that supports wireless communication as taught herein (e.g., using reference signals). In various implementations, apparatus 1100 may be implemented or realized within an access terminal, a base station, or some other type of device. In various implementations, apparatus 1100 may be implemented or realized within a mobile phone, a smartphone, a tablet, a portable computer, a personal computer, a sensor, an alarm, a vehicle, a machine, a server, a network entity, an entertainment device, a medical device, or any other electronic device having circuitry.

The apparatus 1100 includes a communication interface 1102 (e.g., at least one transceiver), a storage medium 1104, a user interface 1106, a memory device 1108 (e.g., storing cellular cell information 1118), and processing circuitry 1110 (e.g., at least one processor). In various implementations, the user interface 1106 may include one or more of a keypad, a display, a speaker, a microphone, a touch screen display, or some other circuitry for receiving input from a user or sending output to a user. The communication interface 1102 may be coupled to one or more antennas 1112 and may include a transmitter 1114 and a receiver 1116. In general, the components of FIG. 11 may be similar to corresponding components of the apparatus 700 of FIG. 7 .

According to one or more aspects of the present disclosure, processing circuitry 1110 may be adapted to perform any or all of the features, processes, functions, operations, and/or routines for any or all of the equipment described herein. For example, processing circuitry 1110 may be configured to perform any of the steps, functions, and/or processes described with respect to Figures 1-6, 12, and 13. As used herein, the term "adapted" with respect to processing circuitry 1110 may refer to processing circuitry 1110 being configured, employed, implemented, and/or programmed (one or more of the above) to perform specific processes, functions, operations, and/or routines according to various features described herein.

The processing circuit 1110 may be a dedicated processor, such as an application-specific integrated circuit (ASIC), serving as a means (e.g., structure) for performing any of the operations described in conjunction with Figures 1-6, 12, and 13. The processing circuit 1110 may serve as an example of a means for transmitting and/or a means for receiving. In various implementations, the processing circuit 1110 may at least partially provide and/or incorporate the aforementioned functionality for the first device 202 in Figure 2.

According to at least one example of the apparatus 1100, the processing circuit 1110 may include one or more of a circuit/module 1120 for determining a timing difference, a circuit/module 1122 for transmitting, a circuit/module 1124 for receiving, a circuit/module 1126 for decoding, a circuit/module 1128 for testing, a circuit/module 1130 for performing, or a circuit/module 1132 for determining a timing of a cell. In various implementations, the circuit/module 1120 for determining a timing difference, the circuit/module 1122 for transmitting, the circuit/module 1124 for receiving, the circuit/module 1126 for decoding, the circuit/module 1128 for testing, the circuit/module 1130 for performing, or the circuit/module 1132 for determining a timing of a cell may at least partially provide and/or incorporate the functionality described above for the first device 202 of FIG.

As mentioned above, the programming stored by the storage medium 1104, when executed by the processing circuit 1110, causes the processing circuit 1110 to perform one or more of the various functional and/or procedural operations described herein. For example, in various implementations, the programming may cause the processing circuit 1110 to perform the various functions, steps, and/or processes described herein with respect to Figures 1-6, 12, and 13. As shown in Figure 11, the storage medium 1104 may include one or more of code 1140 for determining a timing difference, code 1142 for transmitting, code 1144 for receiving, code 1146 for decoding, code 1148 for testing, code 1150 for performing, or code 1152 for determining the timing of a cell. In various implementations, code for determining a timing difference 1140, code for sending 1142, code for receiving 1144, code for decoding 1146, code for testing 1148, code for performing 1150, or code for determining the timing of a cell 1152 may be executed or otherwise used to provide the functionality described herein for the circuit/module for determining a timing difference 1120, the circuit/module for sending 1122, the circuit/module for receiving 1124, the circuit/module for decoding 1126, the circuit/module for testing 1128, the circuit/module for performing 1130, or the circuit/module for determining the timing of a cell 1132.

Fourth example process

FIG12 illustrates a process 1200 for communication according to some aspects of the present disclosure. Process 1200 may occur within a processing circuit (e.g., processing circuit 1110 of FIG11 ), which may be located in a UE, an access terminal, a gNB, a TRP, a base station, or some other suitable equipment. Of course, in various aspects within the scope of the present disclosure, process 1200 may be implemented by any suitable equipment capable of supporting communication-related operations.

At block 1202, an equipment (eg, UE) receives an indication of a cell that provides timing for receiving a channel state information-reference signal (CSI-RS) at the user equipment (UE).

In some scenarios, the indicated cell may include (eg, may be) the serving cell of the UE. Here, in some cases, the CSI-RS may be transmitted by a neighbor cell of the serving cell.

In some scenarios, the indicated cell may include (eg, may be) a neighbor cell of the serving cell of the UE. Here, in some cases, the CSI-RS may be transmitted by the neighbor cell.

The apparatus may determine the timing of the indicated cell at optional block 1204. In this case, reception of the CSI-RS at block 1206 may be based on the determined timing.

At block 1206, the apparatus receives a CSI-RS. The cell providing the timing may be the cell transmitting the CSI-RS or some other cell. Thus, in some cases, the apparatus receives the CSI-RS from the indicated cell, while in other cases, the apparatus receives the CSI-RS from another cell. In some scenarios, receiving the indication may involve receiving a CSI-RS configuration for the CSI-RS that includes the indication. In some aspects, the CSI-RS configuration may include an indication of a subcarrier spacing of the CSI-RS. In some aspects, the CSI-RS configuration may include an indication of a timing difference that accounts for a subcarrier spacing between the UE's serving cell and the cell transmitting the CSI-RS.

At optional block 1208, the apparatus may decode the CSI-RS based on the CSI-RS configuration. In some aspects, the decoding may include determining a scrambling sequence based on the CSI-RS configuration and decoding the CSI-RS based on the scrambling sequence.

In some aspects, the CSI-RS configuration may be based on a timing difference between a serving cell of the UE and the indicated cell.In some aspects, process 1200 may further include determining the timing difference and sending an indication of the timing difference to the serving cell.

In some aspects, process 1200 may further include conducting mobility operations associated with the indicated cell based on the CSI-RS.

In some aspects, a process according to the teachings herein may include any combination of the above operations and/or features.

Fifth example process

FIG13 illustrates a process 1300 for communication according to some aspects of the present disclosure. Process 1300 may occur within a processing circuit (e.g., processing circuit 1110 of FIG11 ), which may be located in a UE, an access terminal, a gNB, a TRP, a base station, or some other suitable equipment. Of course, in various aspects within the scope of the present disclosure, process 1300 may be implemented by any suitable equipment capable of supporting communication-related operations.

At block 1302, an equipment (e.g., a UE) determines a timing difference between a first cell and a second cell. For example, the UE may determine the symbol timing difference based on an NR-SS received from the first cell and an NR-SS received from the second cell.

At block 1304, the apparatus sends an indication of the timing difference to the first cell.

At block 1306 , the apparatus receives a channel state information-reference signal (CSI-RS) configuration based on the timing difference from the first cell.

At block 1308, the apparatus decodes the CSI-RS of the second cell based on the CSI-RS configuration. In some aspects, the decoding may include: determining a scrambling sequence based on the CSI-RS configuration; and decoding the CSI-RS of the second cell based on the scrambling sequence.

In some aspects, the CSI-RS configuration may include an indication that the timing of the CSI-RS for the second cell is based on the timing of the first cell. In some aspects, the CSI-RS configuration may include an indication that the timing of the CSI-RS for the second cell is based on the timing of the second cell. In some aspects, the timing difference may include a symbol timing difference, a slot timing difference, a mini-slot timing difference, a system frame number timing difference, or any combination thereof. In some aspects, the CSI-RS configuration may include an indication of the timing difference. In some aspects, the CSI-RS configuration may include timing information based on the timing difference. In some aspects, the CSI-RS configuration may include a scrambling identifier associated with the CSI-RS for the second cell. In some aspects, the CSI-RS configuration may include a seed for deriving the scrambling identifier associated with the CSI-RS for the second cell. In some aspects, the CSI-RS configuration may include an indication that the CSI-RS for the second cell uses a scrambling sequence over a group of symbols. In some aspects, the CSI-RS configuration may include an indication that the CSI-RS of the second cell uses a different scrambling sequence over a set of symbols.

In some aspects, process 1300 may further include testing a plurality of sequence hypotheses over a set of symbols as a result of receiving an indication in a CSI-RS configuration.

In some aspects, process 1300 may further include performing mobility operations associated with the second cell based on the CSI-RS of the second cell.

In some aspects, a process according to the teachings herein may include any combination of the above operations and/or features.

Third example equipment

FIG14 illustrates a block diagram of an example hardware implementation of an apparatus 1400 configured to communicate according to one or more aspects of the present disclosure. Apparatus 1400 may be implemented or implemented within a gNB, UE, transmit reception point (TRP), access point, or some other type of device that supports wireless communication as taught herein (e.g., using reference signals). In various implementations, apparatus 1400 may be implemented or implemented within a base station, access terminal, or some other type of device. In various implementations, apparatus 1400 may be implemented or implemented within a server, a network entity, a mobile phone, a smartphone, a tablet, a laptop, a personal computer, a sensor, an alarm, a vehicle, a machine, an entertainment device, a medical device, or any other electronic device having circuitry.

Equipment 1400 includes a communication interface 1402 (e.g., at least one transceiver), a storage medium 1404, a user interface 1406, a memory device 1408 (e.g., storing reference signal information 1418), and processing circuitry 1410 (e.g., at least one processor). In various implementations, user interface 1406 may include one or more of a keypad, a display, a speaker, a microphone, a touch screen display, or some other circuitry for receiving input from a user or sending output to a user. Communication interface 1402 may be coupled to one or more antennas 1412 and may include a transmitter 1414 and a receiver 1416. In general, the components of FIG. 14 may be similar to corresponding components of equipment 700 of FIG. 7 .

According to one or more aspects of the present disclosure, processing circuitry 1410 may be adapted to perform any or all of the features, processes, functions, operations, and/or routines for any or all of the devices described herein. For example, processing circuitry 1410 may be configured to perform any of the steps, functions, and/or processes described with respect to Figures 1-6 and 15. As used herein, the term "adapted" with respect to processing circuitry 1410 may refer to processing circuitry 1410 being configured, employed, implemented, and/or programmed (one or more of the above) to perform specific processes, functions, operations, and/or routines according to the various features described herein.

The processing circuit 1410 may be a dedicated processor, such as an application-specific integrated circuit (ASIC), serving as a means (e.g., structure) for performing any of the operations described in conjunction with FIGs. 1-6 and 15. The processing circuit 1410 may serve as an example of a means for transmitting and/or a means for receiving. In various implementations, the processing circuit 1410 may at least partially provide and/or incorporate the functionality described above for the neighbor cell 206 of FIG. 2.

According to at least one example of the apparatus 1400, the processing circuit 1410 may include one or more of a circuit/module for receiving 1420, a circuit/module for generating a CSI-RS 1422, or a circuit/module for transmitting 1424. In various implementations, the circuit/module for receiving 1420, the circuit/module for generating a CSI-RS 1422, or the circuit/module for transmitting 1424 may at least partially provide and/or incorporate the functionality described above for the neighbor cell 206 of FIG.

As mentioned above, the programming stored by storage medium 1404, when executed by processing circuit 1410, causes processing circuit 1410 to perform one or more of the various functional and/or procedural operations described herein. For example, in various implementations, the programming may cause processing circuit 1410 to perform the various functions, steps, and/or processes described herein with respect to Figures 1-6 and 15. As shown in Figure 14, storage medium 1404 may include one or more of code 1430 for receiving, code 1432 for generating a CSI-RS, or code 1434 for transmitting. In various implementations, code 1430 for receiving, code 1432 for generating a CSI-RS, or code 1434 for transmitting may be executed or otherwise used to provide the functionality described herein for circuit/module 1420 for receiving, circuit/module 1422 for generating a CSI-RS, or circuit/module 1424 for transmitting.

Sixth Example Process

FIG15 illustrates a process 1500 for communication according to some aspects of the present disclosure. Process 1500 may occur within a processing circuit (e.g., processing circuit 1410 of FIG14 ), which may be located in a UE, an access terminal, a gNB, a TRP, a base station, or some other suitable equipment. Of course, in various aspects within the scope of the present disclosure, process 1500 may be implemented by any suitable equipment capable of supporting communication-related operations.

At block 1502, equipment (e.g., a gNB) receives an indication of timing of a channel state information-reference signal (CSI-RS) to be transmitted by a first cell.

At optional block 1504, the apparatus may receive a scrambling sequence indication.

At block 1506, the apparatus generates the CSI-RS.

At block 1508, the apparatus outputs the CSI-RS for transmission at a time based on the received indication of timing.

In some aspects, the indication may indicate when the first cell is to transmit a CSI-RS. In some aspects, the indication may include at least one offset between the CSI-RS transmission by the first cell and at least one CSI-RS transmission by at least one other cell. In some aspects, the indication may indicate that the first cell is to transmit the CSI-RS based on the timing of the first cell. In some aspects, the indication may indicate that the first cell is to transmit the CSI-RS based on the timing of the second cell. In some aspects, the indication may indicate a timing difference between the first cell and the second cell for CSI-RS transmission by the first cell. In some aspects, the timing difference may include a symbol timing difference, a slot timing difference, a mini-slot timing difference, a system frame number timing difference, or any combination thereof. In some aspects, process 1500 may further include receiving another indication that the CSI-RS transmission by the first cell is to use a scrambling sequence on a group of symbols, wherein as a result of receiving the another indication, the CSI-RS transmission by the first cell uses the scrambling sequence on the group of symbols. In some aspects, process 1500 may further include receiving another indication that CSI-RS transmission by the first cell is to use a different scrambling sequence on a group of symbols, wherein as a result of receiving the another indication, CSI-RS transmission by the first cell uses a different scrambling sequence on the group of symbols.

In some aspects, a process according to the teachings herein may include any combination of the above operations and/or features.

Additional aspects

In some aspects, the present disclosure provides a communication method, including: determining a timing difference between a first cellular cell and a second cellular cell; determining a channel state information-reference signal (CSI-RS) configuration for the second cellular cell based on the timing difference; and sending the CSI-RS configuration to a user equipment (UE) served by the first cellular cell.

In some aspects, the present disclosure provides an apparatus for communication, comprising: a memory device and a processing circuit coupled to the memory device. The processing circuit is configured to: determine a timing difference between a first cell and a second cell; determine a channel state information-reference signal (CSI-RS) configuration for a CSI-RS of the second cell based on the timing difference; and send the CSI-RS configuration to a user equipment (UE) served by the first cell.

In some aspects, the present disclosure provides an apparatus configured for communication, comprising: means for determining a timing difference between a first cell and a second cell; means for determining a channel state information-reference signal (CSI-RS) configuration for a CSI-RS of the second cell based on the timing difference; and means for transmitting the CSI-RS configuration to a user equipment (UE) served by the first cell.

In some aspects, the present disclosure provides a non-transitory computer-readable medium storing computer-executable code, including code for determining a timing difference between a first cell and a second cell; determining a channel state information-reference signal (CSI-RS) configuration for a CSI-RS of the second cell based on the timing difference; and transmitting the CSI-RS configuration to a user equipment (UE) served by the first cell.

In some aspects, the present disclosure provides a communication method including: determining a timing difference between a first cell and a second cell; sending an indication of the timing difference to the first cell; receiving a channel state information-reference signal (CSI-RS) configuration based on the timing difference from the first cell; and decoding the CSI-RS of the second cell based on the CSI-RS configuration.

In some aspects, the present disclosure provides an apparatus for communication, comprising: a memory device and processing circuitry coupled to the memory device, the processing circuitry configured to: determine a timing difference between a first cell and a second cell; send an indication of the timing difference to the first cell; receive a channel state information-reference signal (CSI-RS) configuration from the first cell based on the timing difference; and decode a CSI-RS of the second cell based on the CSI-RS configuration.

In some aspects, the present disclosure provides an apparatus configured for communication, comprising: means for determining a timing difference between a first cell and a second cell; means for sending an indication of the timing difference to the first cell; means for receiving a channel state information-reference signal (CSI-RS) configuration from the first cell based on the timing difference; and means for decoding the CSI-RS of the second cell based on the CSI-RS configuration.

In some aspects, the present disclosure provides a non-transitory computer-readable medium storing computer-executable code, including code for determining a timing difference between a first cell and a second cell; sending an indication of the timing difference to the first cell; receiving a channel state information-reference signal (CSI-RS) configuration based on the timing difference from the first cell; and decoding the CSI-RS of the second cell based on the CSI-RS configuration.

[0011] In some aspects, the present disclosure provides a method of communication, comprising determining timing of a channel state information-reference signal (CSI-RS) for a first cell; and sending an indication of the determined timing to the first cell.

In some aspects, the present disclosure provides an apparatus for communication, comprising: a memory device and processing circuitry coupled to the memory device, the processing circuitry configured to: determine timing of a channel state information-reference signal (CSI-RS) for a first cell; and send an indication of the determined timing to the first cell.

In some aspects, the present disclosure provides an apparatus configured for communication, comprising: means for determining timing of a channel state information-reference signal (CSI-RS) for a first cell; and means for sending an indication of the determined timing to the first cell.

In some aspects, the present disclosure provides a non-transitory computer-readable medium storing computer-executable code, including code for determining timing of a channel state information-reference signal (CSI-RS) for a first cell; and sending an indication of the determined timing to the first cell.

In some aspects, the present disclosure provides a method of communication, comprising: receiving an indication of timing of a channel state information-reference signal (CSI-RS) to be transmitted by a first cellular cell; generating the CSI-RS; and outputting the CSI-RS for transmission at a time based on the received indication of the timing.

In some aspects, the present disclosure provides an apparatus for communication, comprising: a memory device and processing circuitry coupled to the memory device, the processing circuitry configured to: receive an indication of timing of a channel state information-reference signal (CSI-RS) to be transmitted by a first cell; generate the CSI-RS; and output the CSI-RS for transmission at a time based on the received indication of timing.

In some aspects, the present disclosure provides an apparatus configured for communication, comprising: means for receiving an indication of timing of a channel state information-reference signal (CSI-RS) to be transmitted by a first cell; means for generating the CSI-RS; and means for outputting the CSI-RS for transmission at a time based on the received indication of timing.

In some aspects, the present disclosure provides a non-transitory computer-readable medium storing computer-executable code, including code for: receiving an indication of timing of a channel state information-reference signal (CSI-RS) to be transmitted by a first cellular cell; generating the CSI-RS; and outputting the CSI-RS for transmission at a time based on the received indication of the timing.

Other aspects

The examples set forth herein are provided to illustrate certain concepts of the present disclosure. Those skilled in the art will appreciate that these examples are merely illustrative in nature and that other examples may fall within the scope of the present disclosure and the appended claims.

As will be readily appreciated by those skilled in the art, the various aspects described throughout this disclosure can be extended to any suitable telecommunications system, network architecture, and communication standard. As an example, various aspects can be applied to 3GPP 5G systems and/or other suitable systems, including those described by undefined wide area network standards. Various aspects can be applied to systems using the following technologies: LTE (in FDD, TDD, or both modes), Advanced LTE (LTE-A) (in FDD, TDD, or both modes), Universal Mobile Telecommunications System (UTMS), Global System for Mobile Communications (GSM), Code Division Multiple Access (CDMA), CDMA2000, Evolution Data Optimized (EV-DO), Ultra Mobile Broadband (UMB), IEEE 802.11 (Wi-Fi), IEEE 802.16 (WiMAX), IEEE 802.20, Ultra Wideband (UWB), Bluetooth networks and/or other suitable systems. Various aspects can be applied to UMTS systems, such as W-CDMA, TD-SCDMA, and TD-CDMA. The actual telecommunication standard, network architecture, and/or communication standard employed will depend on the specific application and the overall design constraints imposed on the system.

Many aspects are described in terms of sequences of actions to be performed by, for example, elements of a computing device. It will be appreciated that the various actions described herein may be performed by specific circuitry, such as a central processing unit (CPU), a graphics processing unit (GPU), a digital signal processor (DSP), an application specific integrated circuit (ASIC), a field programmable gate array (FPGA), or various other types of general-purpose or special-purpose processors or circuits, by program instructions that may be executed by one or more processors, or by a combination of the two. Additionally, the sequences of actions described herein may be considered to be fully implemented within any form of computer-readable storage medium having stored therein a corresponding set of computer instructions that, upon execution, will cause the associated processor to perform the functionality described herein. Thus, various aspects of the present disclosure may be implemented in several different forms, all of which are contemplated to fall within the scope of the claimed subject matter. Additionally, for each aspect described herein, the corresponding form of any such aspect may be described herein as, for example, "logic configured to perform the described actions."

Those skilled in the art will appreciate that information and signals may be represented using any of a variety of different technologies and techniques. For example, data, instructions, commands, information, signals, bits, symbols, and chips that may be referred to throughout the above description may be represented by voltages, currents, electromagnetic waves, magnetic fields or particles, optical fields or particles, or any combination thereof.

In addition, those skilled in the art will appreciate that the various illustrative logic blocks, modules, circuits, and algorithmic steps described in conjunction with the aspects disclosed herein can be implemented as electronic hardware, computer software, or a combination of both. To clearly illustrate this interchangeability of hardware and software, various illustrative components, blocks, modules, circuits, and steps are generally described above in terms of their functionality. Whether such functionality is implemented as hardware or software depends on the specific application and the design constraints imposed on the overall system. A skilled person may implement the described functionality in different ways for each specific application, but such implementation decisions should not be interpreted as causing a departure from the scope of this disclosure.

One or more of the components, steps, features and/or functions described above can be rearranged and/or combined into a single component, step, feature or function, or can be implemented in several components, steps or functions. Additional elements, components, steps and/or functions can also be added without departing from the novel features disclosed herein. The apparatus, equipment and/or components described above can be configured to perform one or more methods, features, or steps described herein. The novel algorithms described herein can also be efficiently implemented in software and/or embedded in hardware.

It should be understood that the specific order or hierarchy of steps in the disclosed methods is illustrative of example processes. Based on design preferences, it should be understood that the specific order or hierarchy of steps in these methods may be rearranged. The accompanying method claims present elements of the various steps in a sample order and are not meant to be limited to the specific order or hierarchy presented unless specifically recited herein.

The methods, sequences, or algorithms described in conjunction with the aspects disclosed herein may be embodied directly in hardware, in a software module executed by a processor, or in a combination of the two. The software module may reside in RAM memory, flash memory, ROM memory, EPROM memory, EEPROM memory, registers, a hard disk, a removable disk, a CD-ROM, or any other form of storage medium known in the art. An example of a storage medium is coupled to the processor so that the processor can read information from/write information to the storage medium. Alternatively, the storage medium may be integrated into the processor.

The word “exemplary” is used herein to mean “serving as an example, instance, or illustration.” Any aspect described herein as “exemplary” is not necessarily to be construed as preferred or advantageous over other aspects.

Likewise, the term "aspect" does not require that all aspects include the features, advantages, or working modes discussed. Based on the teachings herein, those skilled in the art will appreciate that the aspects disclosed herein can be implemented independently of any other aspects and that two or more of these aspects can be combined in various ways. For example, any number of aspects set forth herein can be used to implement a device or practice a method. Additionally, other structures, functions, or structures and functions that are supplementary to or different from one or more aspects set forth herein can be used to implement such a device or practice such a method. Furthermore, an aspect can include at least one element of a claim.

The terms used herein are only for the purpose of describing specific aspects, and are not intended to limit these aspects. As used herein, the singular forms "one", "some" and "the" are intended to also include plural forms, unless the context clearly indicates otherwise. It will also be understood that the terms "include", "have", "comprise" and/or "contain" specify the existence of stated features, integers, steps, operations, elements, and/or components when used in this article, but do not exclude the existence or addition of one or more other features, integers, steps, operations, elements, components and/or their groups. In addition, it is to be understood that the word "or" has the same meaning as the Boolean operator "OR (or)", that is, it covers the possibility of "either" and "both" and is not limited to "exclusive or" ("XOR"), unless otherwise clearly stated. It will also be understood that the symbol "/" between two adjacent words has the same meaning as "or", unless otherwise clearly stated. In addition, unless otherwise clearly stated, phrases such as "connected to", "coupled to" or "in communication" are not limited to direct connection.

Any reference to an element such as "first", "second" or the like is used herein and does not generally limit the quantity or order of those elements. Specifically, these references can be used as a convenient method to distinguish two or more elements or element instances in this article. Therefore, the reference to the first element and the second element does not mean that only two elements can be adopted here or that the first element must be located before the second element in some way. Similarly, unless otherwise stated, a group of elements may include one or more elements. In addition, the term "at least one of a, b, or c" or "a, b, c or any combination thereof" used in the specification or claims means "a or b or c or any combination of these elements". For example, this term can include a, or b, or c, or a and b, or a and c, or a and b and c, or 2a, or 2b, or 2c, or 2a and b, etc.

As used herein, the term "determining" encompasses a wide variety of actions. For example, "determining" may include calculating, computing, processing, deriving, investigating, searching (e.g., searching in a table, database, or other data structure), ascertaining, and the like. Furthermore, "determining" may include receiving (e.g., receiving information), accessing (e.g., accessing data in a memory), and the like. Similarly, "determining" may also include resolving, selecting, choosing, establishing, and the like.

While the foregoing disclosure shows illustrative aspects, it should be noted that various changes and modifications may be made therein without departing from the scope of the appended claims. The functions, steps, and/or actions of the method claims according to the aspects described herein do not have to be performed in any particular order unless expressly stated otherwise. Additionally, although elements may be described or claimed in the singular, the plural is also contemplated unless limitation to the singular is expressly stated.

Claims (42)

1. A communication method for a base station, comprising: The timing difference is determined by receiving from the user equipment (UE) the timing difference between the serving cell of the UE and the cell of the transport channel state information-reference signal (CSI-RS); The cell identified as providing timing for the CSI-RS; The CSI-RS configuration for the CSI-RS is determined based on the timing difference; and The CSI-RS configuration, including an indication of the identified cell, is sent to the UE. 2. The method as described in claim 1, wherein the identified cellular cell includes the serving cellular cell of the UE. 3. The method as described in claim 2, wherein the CSI-RS is transmitted by neighboring cells of the serving cell. 4. The method as described in claim 1, wherein the identified cell includes neighboring cells of the serving cell of the UE. 5. The method as described in claim 4, wherein the CSI-RS is transmitted by the neighboring cell. 6. The method of claim 1, wherein the CSI-RS configuration includes an indication of the subcarrier spacing of the CSI-RS. 7. The method of claim 1, wherein the CSI-RS configuration includes an indication of the timing difference of the subcarrier interval between the serving cell of the UE and the cell transmitting the CSI-RS. 8. The method as described in claim 1, wherein the timing difference includes a symbol timing difference. 9. The method as described in claim 1, wherein the timing difference includes time slot timing difference, mini time slot timing difference, system frame number timing difference, or any combination thereof. 10. The method of claim 1, further comprising: Send a request to the UE to measure the timing difference. 11. The method as described in claim 1, wherein determining the timing difference comprises: Receive a first indication of the timing difference from the UE and at least one second indication of the timing difference from at least one other UE; and An estimate of the timing difference is generated based on the first indication of the timing difference and the at least one second indication of the timing difference. 12. A base station for communication, comprising: Memory devices; and Processing circuitry, coupled to the memory device and configured to: The timing difference is determined by receiving from the user equipment (UE) the timing difference between the serving cell of the UE and the cell of the transport channel state information-reference signal (CSI-RS); The cell identified as providing timing for the CSI-RS; The CSI-RS configuration for the CSI-RS is determined based on the timing difference; and The CSI-RS configuration, including an indication of the identified cell, is sent to the UE. 13. The base station as claimed in claim 12, wherein the identified cellular cell includes the serving cellular cell of the UE. 14. The base station as claimed in claim 13, wherein the CSI-RS is transmitted by neighboring cells of the serving cell. 15. The base station as claimed in claim 12, wherein the identified cell includes neighboring cells of the serving cell of the UE. 16. The base station as claimed in claim 15, wherein the CSI-RS is transmitted by the neighboring cells. 17. The base station of claim 12, wherein the CSI-RS configuration includes an indication of the subcarrier spacing of the CSI-RS. 18. The base station of claim 12, wherein the CSI-RS configuration includes an indication of the timing difference of the subcarrier interval between the serving cell of the UE and the cell transmitting the CSI-RS. 19. The base station as claimed in claim 12, wherein the processing circuit is further configured to: Send a request to the UE to measure the timing difference. 20. A base station for communication, comprising: An apparatus for determining the timing difference by receiving from a user equipment (UE) the timing difference between the serving cell of the UE and the cell of the transport channel state information-reference signal (CSI-RS); Device for identifying the cellular cells that provide timing for the CSI-RS; A means for determining the CSI-RS configuration for the CSI-RS based on the timing difference; and A means for transmitting the CSI-RS configuration, including an indication of the identified cell, to the UE. 21. The base station as described in claim 20, further comprising: A means for sending a request to the UE to measure the timing difference. 22. A non-transitory computer-readable medium storing computer-executable code, the computer-executable code comprising code for the following operations: The timing difference is determined by receiving from the user equipment (UE) the timing difference between the serving cell of the UE and the cell of the transport channel state information-reference signal (CSI-RS); The cell identified as providing timing for the CSI-RS; The CSI-RS configuration for the CSI-RS is determined based on the timing difference; and The CSI-RS configuration, including an indication of the identified cell, is sent to the UE. 23. A communication method for a user equipment (UE), comprising: Determine the timing difference between the serving cell of the UE and the cell of the transport channel state information-reference signal (CSI-RS) and send the timing difference to the serving cell; Receiving includes a CSI-RS configuration indicating a cell for providing timing for receiving the CSI-RS at the UE, wherein the CSI-RS configuration is based on the timing difference; and Receive the CSI-RS. 24. The method of claim 23, further comprising: Determine the timing of the indicated cell. The reception of the CSI-RS is based on a determined timing. 25. The method of claim 23, wherein the indicated cell includes the serving cell of the UE. 26. The method of claim 25, wherein the CSI-RS is transmitted by neighboring cells of the serving cell. 27. The method of claim 23, wherein the indicated cell includes neighboring cells of the serving cell of the UE. 28. The method of claim 27, wherein the CSI-RS is transmitted by the neighboring cell. 29. The method of claim 23, further comprising: Decode the CSI-RS based on the CSI-RS configuration. 30. The method of claim 29, wherein the decoding comprises: The scrambling sequence is determined based on the CSI-RS configuration; and The CSI-RS is decoded based on the scrambling sequence. 31. The method of claim 23, wherein the CSI-RS configuration includes an indication of the subcarrier spacing of the CSI-RS. 32. The method of claim 23, wherein the CSI-RS configuration includes an indication of the timing difference of the subcarrier interval between the serving cell of the UE and the cell transmitting the CSI-RS. 33. The method of claim 23, further comprising: Mobility operations associated with the indicated cell are performed based on the CSI-RS. 34. A user equipment (UE) for communication, comprising: Memory devices; and Processing circuitry, coupled to the memory device and configured to: Determine the timing difference between the serving cell of the UE and the cell of the transport channel state information-reference signal (CSI-RS) and send the timing difference to the serving cell; Receiving includes a CSI-RS configuration indicating a cell providing timing for receiving the CSI-RS at the UE, wherein the CSI-RS configuration is based on the timing difference; and Receive the CSI-RS. 35. The UE as described in claim 34, characterized in that: The processing circuit is further configured to determine the timing of the indicated cell; and The CSI-RS is received based on a predetermined timing. 36. The UE as claimed in claim 34, wherein the processing circuit is further configured to: Decode the CSI-RS based on the CSI-RS configuration. 37. The UE as claimed in claim 34, wherein the processing circuit is further configured to: Mobility operations associated with the indicated cell are performed based on the CSI-RS. 38. A user equipment (UE) for communication, comprising: A means for determining the timing difference between the serving cell of the UE and the cell of the transport channel state information-reference signal (CSI-RS) and transmitting the timing difference to the serving cell; Means for receiving a CSI-RS configuration including an indication of a cell providing timing for receiving the CSI-RS at the UE, wherein the CSI-RS configuration is based on the timing difference; and A device for receiving the CSI-RS. 39. The UE as described in claim 38, characterized in that: The equipment further includes means for determining the timing of the indicated cell; and The CSI-RS is received based on a predetermined timing. 40. The UE as claimed in claim 38, further comprising: A means for decoding the CSI-RS based on the CSI-RS configuration. 41. The UE as claimed in claim 38, further comprising: A means for performing mobility operations associated with the indicated cell based on the CSI-RS. 42. A non-transitory computer-readable medium storing computer-executable code, the computer-executable code comprising code for the following operations: Determine the timing difference between the UE's serving cell and the cell carrying channel state information-reference signal (CSI-RS) and send the timing difference to the serving cell; Receiving includes a CSI-RS configuration indicating a cell for providing timing for receiving the CSI-RS at the UE, wherein the CSI-RS configuration is based on the timing difference; and Receive the CSI-RS.