WO2023206051A1

WO2023206051A1 - Aperiodic channel state information reference signal for cross-link interference in or near guard symbols

Info

Publication number: WO2023206051A1
Application number: PCT/CN2022/089166
Authority: WO
Inventors: Jie Gao
Original assignee: Nokia Shanghai Bell Co., Ltd.; Nokia Solutions And Networks Oy; Nokia Technologies Oy
Priority date: 2022-04-26
Filing date: 2022-04-26
Publication date: 2023-11-02

Abstract

Systems, methods, apparatuses, and computer program products for providing aperiodic channel state information reference signal for cross-link interference in or near guard symbols in full duplex mode, time division duplex mode, or evolution of duplex operation are provided. For example, a method can include configuring a user equipment channel state information reference signal for cross-link interference measurement. The channel state information reference signal for cross-link interference measurement can be located around guard period following data part. The method can also include scheduling data to the user equipment with an aperiodic channel state information reference signal for cross-link interference measurement in accordance with the configuration. The method can further include receiving at least one measurement of the aperiodic channel state information reference signal from the user equipment.

Description

APERIODIC CHANNEL STATE INFORMATION REFERENCE SIGNAL FOR CROSS-LINK INTERFERENCE IN OR NEAR GUARD SYMBOLS

FIELD:

Some example embodiments may generally relate to communications including mobile or wireless telecommunication systems, such as Long Term Evolution (LTE) or fifth generation (5G) radio access technology or new radio (NR) access technology, or other communications systems. For example, certain example embodiments may generally relate to systems and/or methods for providing aperiodic channel state information reference signal for cross-link interference in or near guard symbols in full duplex mode, time division duplex mode, or evolution of duplex operation.

BACKGROUND:

Examples of mobile or wireless telecommunication systems may include the Universal Mobile Telecommunications System (UMTS) Terrestrial Radio Access Network (UTRAN) , Long Term Evolution (LTE) Evolved UTRAN (E-UTRAN) , LTE-Advanced (LTE-A) , MulteFire, LTE-APro, and/or fifth generation (5G) radio access technology or new radio (NR) access technology. 5G wireless systems refer to the next generation (NG) of radio systems and network architecture. A 5G system is mostly built on a 5G new radio (NR) , but a 5G (or NG) network can also build on the E-UTRA radio. It is estimated that NR provides bitrates on the order of 10-20 Gbit/sor higher, and can support at least service categories such as enhanced mobile broadband (eMBB) and ultra-reliable low-latency-communication (URLLC) as well as massive machine type communication (mMTC) . NR is expected to deliver extreme broadband and ultra-robust, low latency connectivity and massive networking to support the Internet of Things (IoT) . With IoT and machine-to-machine (M2M) communication becoming more widespread, there will be a growing need for networks that meet the needs of lower power, low data rate, and long battery life. The next generation radio access network (NG-RAN) represents the RAN for 5G, which can provide both NR and LTE (and LTE-Advanced) radio accesses. It is noted that, in 5G, the nodes that can provide radio access functionality to a user equipment (i.e., similar to the Node B, NB, in UTRAN or the evolved NB, eNB, in LTE) may be named next-generation NB (gNB) when built on NR radio and may be named next-generation eNB (NG-eNB) when built on E-UTRA radio.

SUMMARY:

An embodiment may be directed to an apparatus. The apparatus can include at least one processor and at least one memory including computer program code. The at least one memory and the computer program code can be configured to, with the at least one processor, cause the apparatus at least to configure a user equipment channel state information reference signal for cross-link interference measurement. The channel state information reference signal for cross-link interference measurement can be located around guard period following data part. The at least one memory and the computer program code can also be configured to, with the at least one processor, cause the apparatus at least to schedule data to the user equipment with an aperiodic channel state information reference signal for cross-link interference measurement in accordance with the configuration. The at least one memory and the computer program code can further be configured to, with the at least one processor, cause the apparatus at least to receive at least one measurement of the aperiodic channel state information reference signal from the user equipment.

An embodiment may be directed to an apparatus. The at least one memory and the computer program code can be configured to, with the at least one processor, cause the apparatus at least to receive, at a user equipment from a network element, a configuration for channel state information reference signal for cross-link interference measurement. The channel state information reference signal for cross-link interference measurement can be located around guard period following data part. The at least one memory and the computer program code can also be configured to, with the at least one processor, cause the apparatus at least to receive data at the user equipment from the network element together with an aperiodic channel state information reference signal for cross-link interference measurement in accordance with the configuration. The at least one memory and the computer program code can further be configured to, with the at least one processor, cause the apparatus at least to obtain at least one measurement of the aperiodic channel state information reference signal. The at least one memory and the computer program code can additionally be configured to, with the at least one processor, cause the apparatus at least to provide the at least one measurement to the network element.

An embodiment may be directed to a method. The method can include configuring a user equipment channel state information reference signal for cross-link interference measurement. The channel state information reference signal for cross-link interference measurement can be located around guard period following data part. The method can also include scheduling data to the user equipment with an aperiodic channel state information reference signal for cross-link interference measurement in accordance with the configuration. The method can further include receiving at least one measurement of the aperiodic channel state information reference signal from the user equipment.

An embodiment may be directed to a method. The method can include receiving, at a user equipment from a network element, a configuration for channel state information reference signal for cross-link interference measurement. The channel state information reference signal for cross-link interference measurement can be located around guard period following data part. The method can also include receiving data at the user equipment from the network element together with an aperiodic channel state information reference signal for cross-link interference measurement in accordance with the configuration. The method can further include obtaining at least one measurement of the aperiodic channel state information reference signal. The method can additionally include providing the at least one measurement to the network element.

An embodiment may be directed to an apparatus. The apparatus can include means for configuring a user equipment channel state information reference signal for cross-link interference measurement. The channel state information reference signal for cross-link interference measurement can be located around guard period following data part. The apparatus can also include means for scheduling data to the user equipment with an aperiodic channel state information reference signal for cross-link interference measurement in accordance with the configuration. The apparatus can further include means for receiving at least one measurement of the aperiodic channel state information reference signal from the user equipment.

An embodiment may be directed to an apparatus. The apparatus can include means for receiving, at a user equipment from a network element, a configuration for channel state information reference signal for cross-link interference measurement. The channel state information reference signal for cross-link interference measurement can be located around guard period following data part. The apparatus can also include means for receiving data at the user equipment from the network element together with an aperiodic channel state information reference signal for cross-link interference measurement in accordance with the configuration. The apparatus can further include means for obtaining at least one measurement of the aperiodic channel state information reference signal. The apparatus can additionally include means for providing the at least one measurement to the network element.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS:

For proper understanding of example embodiments, reference should be made to the accompanying drawings, wherein:

FIG. 1 illustrates a high-level sketch of flexible frequency division duplex carrier configuration for an unpaired band;

FIG. 2 illustrates flexible frequency division duplex and frequency division examples;

FIG. 3 illustrates time division duplex frame structure examples;

FIG. 4 illustrates full flexible duplex slot examples;

FIG. 5 illustrates a flexible full duplex slot with channel state information reference signal for cross-link interference;

FIG. 6 illustrates channel state information reference signal for cross-link interference with downlink resource allocation type 0 physical downlink shared channel schedule in guard period function examples;

FIG. 7 illustrates an example of a four-symbol guard period;

FIG. 8 illustrates half guard symbols that can be used for channel state information reference signal for cross-link interference measurements, according to certain embodiments;

FIG. 9 illustrates cells having different slot formats, according to certain embodiments;

FIG. 10 illustrates various kinds of channel state information reference signal for cross-link interference measurements in guard period, according to certain embodiments;

FIG. 11 illustrates further kinds of channel state information reference signal for cross-link interference measurements near to guard period, according to certain embodiments;

FIG. 12 illustrates a channel state information measurement configuration, according to certain embodiments;

FIG. 13 illustrates a method according to certain embodiments;

FIG. 14 illustrates a method according to certain embodiments; and

FIG. 15 illustrates an example block diagram of a system, according to an embodiment.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION:

It will be readily understood that the components of certain example embodiments, as generally described and illustrated in the figures herein, may be arranged and designed in a wide variety of different configurations. Thus, the following detailed description of some example embodiments of systems, methods, apparatuses, and computer program products for providing aperiodic channel state information reference signal for cross-link interference in or near guard symbols in full duplex mode, time division duplex mode, or evolution of duplex operation, is not intended to limit the scope of certain embodiments but is representative of selected example embodiments.

The features, structures, or characteristics of example embodiments described throughout this specification may be combined in any suitable manner in one or more example embodiments. For example, the usage of the phrases “certain embodiments, ” “some embodiments, ” or other similar language, throughout this specification refers to the fact that a particular feature, structure, or characteristic described in connection with an embodiment may be included in at least one embodiment. Thus, appearances of the phrases “in certain embodiments, ” “in some embodiments, ” “in other embodiments, ” or other similar language, throughout this specification do not necessarily all refer to the same group of embodiments, and the described features, structures, or characteristics may be combined in any suitable manner in one or more example embodiments.

Certain embodiments may have various aspects and features. These aspects and features may be applied alone or in any desired combination with one another. Other features, procedures, and elements may also be applied in combination with some or all of the aspects and features disclosed herein.

Additionally, if desired, the different functions or procedures discussed below may be performed in a different order and/or concurrently with each other. Furthermore, if desired, one or more of the described functions or procedures may be optional or may be combined. As such, the following description should be considered as illustrative of the principles and teachings of certain example embodiments, and not in limitation thereof.

FIG. 1 illustrates a high-level sketch of flexible frequency division duplex (FDD) carrier configuration for an unpaired band. In a flexible FDD duplexing solution for unpaired bands, as illustrated in FIG. 1, each carrier or cell can have static downlink and uplink transmission frequency domains, dynamic downlink and uplink frequency domains, and a guard band and guard symbols between the downlink and uplink resource regions. User equipment (UEs) that operate in such an environment may face various challenges. For example, as can be seen from FIG. 1, full duplexing may introduce cross-link interference from UL inter/intra-cell UEs.

FIG. 2 illustrates flexible frequency division duplex and frequency division examples. In flexible full duplex (FDU) , uplink and downlink transmission may happen on overlapping radio resources. Frequency division (FD) could come in the form that FD is only supported by the next generation Node B (gNB) , while UEs may only be allowed to transmit either in UL or DL, but not at the same time, which can be described as functionally half-duplex UEs. As another alternative, FD could come in the form that FD is supported by both the gNB and the UEs.

FDU can include a guard band and guard time in one carrier. The introduction of guard resource blocks (RBs) may be to increase the isolation in the reception of the base station. The introduction of guard symbols may be to reduce the interference between users in the cell. The guard RBs and guard symbols will waste many air interface resources. The frame structure of the time division duplex (TDD) mode may have protection symbols for uplink and downlink conversion, and at the same time determine the radius of the cell to prevent uplink and downlink interference, inter-cell interference and so on.

The Third Generation Partnership Project (3GPP) technical specification (TS) 38.214, section 5.1.6, describes UE procedures for receiving reference signals. FIG. 3 illustrates time division duplex (TDD) frame structure examples. FIG. 4 illustrates full flexible duplex slot examples. Usually, the frame structure of the TDD mode FIG. 3 and FIG. 4 may have protection symbols for uplink and downlink conversion, and at the same time determine the radius of the cell to prevent uplink and downlink interference, inter-cell interference and so on. Moreover, generally the channel state information reference signal (CSI-RS) can be used for the measurement of inter-cell interference and noise to evaluate the quality of the channel.

Certain embodiments may use the guard symbols for CLI measurement, and may introduce a new mode CSI-RS for CLI can use in guard symbols.

FIG. 5 illustrates a flexible full duplex slot with channel state information reference signal for cross-link interference in half guard period or near to guard period. The CSI-RS for CLI of certain embodiments as illustrated in FIG. 5 can be used to measure the interference of the uplink service users to the downlink service users in the cell and the interference of the uplink users from neighbor cells. Furthermore, the configuration according to certain embodiments can be a flexible configuration of CSI-RS. Certain embodiments can provide for real-time detection of the neighbor cells interference and can make it easier to find DL issues and interference sources.

FIG. 6 illustrates channel state information reference signal for cross-link interference with downlink resource allocation type 0 physical downlink shared channel schedule in guard period function examples. The CSI-RS for CLI may be aperiodic. If a UE is configured with a CSI-RS-Resource-CLI configured with a higher layer parameter, the UE may assume that the CSI-RS resources, described in 3GPP TS 38.214, Clause 5.2.2. X, within the NZP-CSI-RS-ResourceSet are transmitted with the same downlink spatial domain transmission filter, and that the CSI-RS resources in the NZP-CSI-RSResourceSet are transmitted in different orthogonal frequency division multiplexed (OFDM) symbols. The UE may further assume that the number of RBs are aligned with a physical downlink shared channel (PDSCH) RB. For example DL PDSCH can be scheduled with downlink resource allocation type 0 and CSI-RS for CLI RB position. Thus, as illustrated in FIG. 6, the CSI-RS for CLI can be flexibly configured based on PDSCH schedule type. Downlink resource allocation type 0 can be discontinuous resource block group (RBG) , and type 1 can be continuous RBs. The CSI-RS for CLI may not have a restriction on RB numbers. So, for example, RBs 1 to 276 can be flexibly configured. For example, if PDSCH is one RB, then the CSI-RS for CLI RB can also be one. Furthermore, the RB frequency position can be discrete or discontinuous and can be aligned with PDSCH RB position. Antenna port numbers can align with PDSCH quasi-colocation (QCL) type D with same beams. CSIRS for CLI can use the same beams as PDSCH. For example, if PDSCH is two antenna ports with one beam, CSIRS for CLI may also be two ports with the same beam. Similarly, if PDSCH uses 4 antenna ports with two beams, then the CSI-RS for CLI can use 4 ports with the same beams.

FIG. 12 illustrates a channel state information measurement configuration, according to certain embodiments. As shown in FIG. 12, the value of firstOFDMSymbolInTimeDomain can be configured to provide an appropriate offset with the last PDSCH symbol. In this case, item 0 of the CSI-RS for CLI can be offset by 1 and item 1 of the CSI-RS for CLI can be offset by 2. Additionally, by providing null values for starting resource block, startingRB, and number of resource blocks, nrofRBs, the CSI-RS for CLI can be aligned with PDSCH. Because CSI-RS for CLI can be configured aperiodically, the periodicity and offset parameter, periodicityAndOffset, can be null. This may be one way to implement the configuration of CSI-RS for CLI, but other implementations are also permitted. The approach of FIG. 12 may correspond, for example, to the resource block usage as illustrated in FIG. 9, in which a two-symbol CSI-RS for CLI can be used with discontinuous or continuous RBs based on PDSCH RBs.

The frame structure of the TDD mode shown in FIG. 3 and FIG. 4 may have protection symbols for uplink and downlink conversion. The frame structure may also, at the same time, be determined based on the radius of the cell to prevent uplink and downlink interference, inter-cell interference, and so on.

FIG. 7 illustrates an example of a four-symbol guard period. A guard period (GP) can be used to control the switching between the UL and DL transmission. More specifically, the GP can be used to take into account the time it takes to switch. For example, switching between transmission directions may have a small hardware delay for both UE and gNodeB. This delay can be compensated by GP. GP can be large enough to cover the propagation delay of DL interferers. Moreover, the length of the guard period may determine the maximum supportable cell size in view of the relation to propagation delay.

FIG. 8 illustrates half guard symbols that can be used for CSI-RS CLI measurements, according to certain embodiments. In this scenario, CSI-RS for CLI can be provided in half of the 4 symbols allocated for GP. Thus, there can be half guard symbols used for CSIRS -CLI measurement. DL users in different locations can receive the DL signal at different times, and UL UEs in different locations can send the UL signal at different times. The result may be complex interference both intra cell and to/from neighbor cells while FDU function is enabled. There may be interference on the overlapping symbols of different users, as shown in FIG. 8. In FIG. 8, the overlapping symbols of CSIRS-CLI and U slot have interference from users in the cell. By detecting the interference difference of CSI-RS between different symbols, the distance and interference size between the uplink user and the downlink user can be judged.

FIG. 9 illustrates cells having different slot formats, according to certain embodiments. As shown in FIG. 9, cell1 can have DL and UL traffic, cell2 can have at least UL traffic. The first CSIRS-CLI can be used to measure the neighbor cell interference and the second CSIRS for CLI can be used to measure the service cell UL users’ interference and neighbor cells’ interference. The CSI-RS for CLI can be sent in half of the guard symbols, thereby minimizing intra-cell impact.

FIG. 10 illustrates various kinds of channel state information reference signal for cross-link interference measurements in the guard period, according to certain embodiments. As shown in FIG. 10, at 1010, zero power (SP) CSI-RS can be provided in the second half of the guard period and CSI-RS for CLI can be provided in the first half of the guard period. As shown at 1020, together the CSI-RS for CLI and the ZP CSI-RS can occupy half of the guard period. At 1030 there is an example with CSI-RS occupying half of the guard period and no ZP CSI-RS provided. At 1040, the downlink (D) such as PDSCH may be in various frequency bands with RBs that are discontinuous, and the CSI-RS for CLI and the ZP CSI-RS can be provided as in 1010. Similarly, the approach at 1050 is like the approach at 1020 except that the PDSCH is in various frequency bands with RBs that are discontinuous.

FIG. 11 illustrates further kinds of channel state information reference signal for cross-link interference measurements near the guard period. For example, at 1110 there is an example in which CSI-RS for CLI is incorporated into a final symbol of the PDSCH and 1120 illustrates the same principle but with distinct bands of downlink and discontinuous RBs. Finally, the example at 1130 shows an example in which both CSI-RS for CLI and ZP CSI-RS are incorporated into the final two symbols of the PDSCH or CSI-RS for CLI may be in the last PDSCH symbol and ZP CSI-RS may be in the guard period. These three cases may be considered cases where the CSI-RS for CLI is placed near to the GP. Thus, certain embodiments can be applied to “UL interference from neighbor cells” CLI interference detection. When the UL interference from neighbor cells detection is used, the CSIRS for CLI can be placed on a symbol near to the GP, as shown in FIG 11.

FIG. 13 illustrates an example flow diagram of a method for providing aperiodic channel state information reference signal for cross-link interference in or near guard symbols in full duplex mode, time division duplex mode, or evolution of duplex operation, according to certain embodiments.

FIG. 13 illustrates a method according to certain embodiments. As shown in FIG. 13, the method can include, at 1310, sending to a user equipment a configuration for channel state information reference signal for cross-link interference measurement. This sending can involve configuring the user equipment with respect to channel state information reference signal for cross-link interference measurement. The channel state information reference signal for cross-link interference measurement can be located around guard period following data part.

The sending the configuration at 1310 can include sending a radio resource control reconfiguration. For example, the RRC reconfiguration can provide CSI-RS for CLI parameters to UEs. The details of such reconfiguration may be seen in FIG. 12 and CSI-RS for CLI detail physical layer parameters can refer to 7.4.1.5 CSI reference signals of the third generation partnership project (3GPP) technical specification (TS) 38.211.

The method can further include, at 1320, scheduling data to the user equipment with an aperiodic channel state information reference signal for cross-link interference measurement in accordance with the configuration. For example, a cell can schedule UE DL data with aperiodic CSI-RS for CLI within half or fewer of the guard symbols or near to a GP symbol. The slot can be an FDU slot or special slot. The cell can indicate the CSI-RS resource for aperiodic CSI-RS for CLI using downlink control information (DCI) .

The method can additionally include, at 1330, receiving at least one measurement of the aperiodic channel state information reference signal from the user equipment. The at least one measurement can include at least one of signal to interference plus noise ratio (SINR) , channel quality indicator (CQI) , or reference signal received quality (RSRQ) . Thus, a DL UE can measure the CSI-RS for CLI and can report different symbols’ respective CSI including, for each, SINR, CQI, RSRQ, and the like.

The measurement of the aperiodic channel state information reference signal can provide a measurement of interference of uplink service users to downlink service users in a cell. Likewise, the measurement of the aperiodic channel state information reference signal can provide a measurement of interference of uplink service users from at least one neighbor cell to downlink service users in a cell.

The channel state information reference signal for cross-link interference measurement can be located in a guard period following the data. For example, the channel state information reference signal for cross-link interference measurement can be located in a first half of a guard period following the data. As another alternative, the channel state information reference signal for cross-link interference measurement can be located in the data within one or two symbols from the guard period based on half the guard period’s length in symbols.

It is noted that FIG. 13 is provided as one example embodiment of a method or process. However, certain embodiments are not limited to this example, and further examples are possible as discussed elsewhere herein.

FIG. 14 illustrates an example flow diagram of a method for providing aperiodic channel state information reference signal for cross-link interference in or near guard symbols in full duplex mode, time division duplex mode, or evolution of duplex operation, according to certain embodiments. The method of FIG. 14 can be used alone or in combination with the method of FIG. 13.

FIG. 14 illustrates a method according to certain embodiments. As shown in FIG. 14, a method can include, at 1410, receiving, at a user equipment from a network element, a configuration for channel state information reference signal for cross-link interference measurement. This can be the same configuration sent at 1310 above.

The method can also include, at 1420, receiving receive data at the user equipment from the network element together with an aperiodic channel state information reference signal for cross-link interference measurement in accordance with the configuration. This can be the same data and CSI-RS for CLI scheduled at 1320 above.

At 1430, the UE can obtain at least one measurement of the aperiodic channel state information reference signal. Then, at 1440, the UE can provide, for example report, the at least one measurement to the network element. This can be the same at least one measurement described above with references to 1330.

It is noted that FIG. 14 is provided as one example embodiment of a method or process. However, certain embodiments are not limited to this example, and further examples are possible as discussed elsewhere herein.

FIG. 15 illustrates an example of a system that includes an apparatus 10, according to an embodiment. In an embodiment, apparatus 10 may be a node, host, or server in a communications network or serving such a network. For example, apparatus 10 may be a network node, satellite, base station, a Node B, an evolved Node B (eNB) , 5G Node B or access point, next generation Node B (NG-NB or gNB) , TRP, HAPS, integrated access and backhaul (IAB) node, and/or a WLAN access point, associated with a radio access network, such as a LTE network, 5G or NR. In some example embodiments, apparatus 10 may be gNB or other similar radio node, for instance.

It should be understood that, in some example embodiments, apparatus 10 may comprise an edge cloud server as a distributed computing system where the server and the radio node may be stand-alone apparatuses communicating with each other via a radio path or via a wired connection, or they may be located in a same entity communicating via a wired connection. For instance, in certain example embodiments where apparatus 10 represents a gNB, it may be configured in a central unit (CU) and distributed unit (DU) architecture that divides the gNB functionality. In such an architecture, the CU may be a logical node that includes gNB functions such as transfer of user data, mobility control, radio access network sharing, positioning, and/or session management, etc. The CU may control the operation of DU (s) over a mid-haul interface, referred to as an F1 interface, and the DU (s) may have one or more radio unit (RU) connected with the DU (s) over a front-haul interface. The DU may be a logical node that includes a subset of the gNB functions, depending on the functional split option. It should be noted that one of ordinary skill in the art would understand that apparatus 10 may include components or features not shown in FIG. 15.

As illustrated in the example of FIG. 15, apparatus 10 may include a processor 12 for processing information and executing instructions or operations. Processor 12 may be any type of general or specific purpose processor. In fact, processor 12 may include one or more of general-purpose computers, special purpose computers, microprocessors, digital signal processors (DSPs) , field-programmable gate arrays (FPGAs) , application-specific integrated circuits (ASICs) , and processors based on a multi-core processor architecture, or any other processing means, as examples. While a single processor 12 is shown in FIG. 15, multiple processors may be utilized according to other embodiments. For example, it should be understood that, in certain embodiments, apparatus 10 may include two or more processors that may form a multiprocessor system (e.g., in this case processor 12 may represent a multiprocessor) that may support multiprocessing. In certain embodiments, the multiprocessor system may be tightly coupled or loosely coupled (e.g., to form a computer cluster) .

Processor 12 may perform functions associated with the operation of apparatus 10, which may include, for example, precoding of antenna gain/phase parameters, encoding and decoding of individual bits forming a communication message, formatting of information, and overall control of the apparatus 10, including processes related to management of communication or communication resources.

Apparatus 10 may further include or be coupled to a memory 14 (internal or external) , which may be coupled to processor 12, for storing information and instructions that may be executed by processor 12. Memory 14 may be one or more memories and of any type suitable to the local application environment, and may be implemented using any suitable volatile or nonvolatile data storage technology such as a semiconductor-based memory device, a magnetic memory device and system, an optical memory device and system, fixed memory, and/or removable memory. For example, memory 14 can be comprised of any combination of random access memory (RAM) , read only memory (ROM) , static storage such as a magnetic or optical disk, hard disk drive (HDD) , or any other type of non-transitory machine or computer readable media, or other appropriate storing means. The instructions stored in memory 14 may include program instructions or computer program code that, when executed by processor 12, enable the apparatus 10 to perform tasks as described herein.

In an embodiment, apparatus 10 may further include or be coupled to (internal or external) a drive or port that is configured to accept and read an external computer readable storage medium, such as an optical disc, USB drive, flash drive, or any other storage medium. For example, the external computer readable storage medium may store a computer program or software for execution by processor 12 and/or apparatus 10.

In some embodiments, apparatus 10 may also include or be coupled to one or more antennas 15 for transmitting and receiving signals and/or data to and from apparatus 10. Apparatus 10 may further include or be coupled to a transceiver 18 configured to transmit and receive information. The transceiver 18 may include, for example, a plurality of radio interfaces that may be coupled to the antenna (s) 15, or may include any other appropriate transceiving means. The radio interfaces may correspond to a plurality of radio access technologies including one or more of global system for mobile communications (GSM) , narrow band Internet of Things (NB-IoT) , LTE, 5G, WLAN, Bluetooth (BT) , Bluetooth Low Energy (BT-LE) , near-field communication (NFC) , radio frequency identifier (RFID) , ultrawideband (UWB) , MulteFire, and the like. The radio interface may include components, such as filters, converters (for example, digital-to-analog converters and the like) , mappers, a Fast Fourier Transform (FFT) module, and the like, to generate symbols for a transmission via one or more downlinks and to receive symbols (via an uplink, for example) .

As such, transceiver 18 may be configured to modulate information on to a carrier waveform for transmission by the antenna (s) 15 and demodulate information received via the antenna (s) 15 for further processing by other elements of apparatus 10. In other embodiments, transceiver 18 may be capable of transmitting and receiving signals or data directly. Additionally or alternatively, in some embodiments, apparatus 10 may include an input and/or output device (I/O device) , or an input/output means.

In an embodiment, memory 14 may store software modules that provide functionality when executed by processor 12. The modules may include, for example, an operating system that provides operating system functionality for apparatus 10. The memory may also store one or more functional modules, such as an application or program, to provide additional functionality for apparatus 10. The components of apparatus 10 may be implemented in hardware, or as any suitable combination of hardware and software.

According to some embodiments, processor 12 and memory 14 may be included in or may form a part of processing circuitry/means or control circuitry/means. In addition, in some embodiments, transceiver 18 may be included in or may form a part of transceiver circuitry/means.

As used herein, the term “circuitry” may refer to hardware-only circuitry implementations (e.g., analog and/or digital circuitry) , combinations of hardware circuits and software, combinations of analog and/or digital hardware circuits with software/firmware, any portions of hardware processor (s) with software (including digital signal processors) that work together to cause an apparatus (e.g., apparatus 10) to perform various functions, and/or hardware circuit (s) and/or processor (s) , or portions thereof, that use software for operation but where the software may not be present when it is not needed for operation. As a further example, as used herein, the term “circuitry” may also cover an implementation of merely a hardware circuit or processor (or multiple processors) , or portion of a hardware circuit or processor, and its accompanying software and/or firmware. The term circuitry may also cover, for example, a baseband integrated circuit in a server, cellular network node or device, or other computing or network device.

As introduced above, in certain embodiments, apparatus 10 may be or may be a part of a network element or RAN node, such as a base station, access point, Node B, eNB, gNB, TRP, HAPS, IAB node, relay node, WLAN access point, satellite, or the like. In one example embodiment, apparatus 10 may be a gNB or other radio node, or may be a CU and/or DU of a gNB. According to certain embodiments, apparatus 10 may be controlled by memory 14 and processor 12 to perform the functions associated with any of the embodiments described herein. For example, in some embodiments, apparatus 10 may be configured to perform one or more of the processes depicted in any of the flow charts or signaling diagrams described herein, such as those illustrated in FIGs. 5, 6, and 8-14, or any other method described herein. In some embodiments, as discussed herein, apparatus 10 may be configured to perform a procedure relating to providing aperiodic channel state information reference signal for cross-link interference in or near guard symbols in full duplex mode, time division duplex mode, or evolution of duplex operation, for example.

FIG. 15 further illustrates an example of an apparatus 20, according to an embodiment. In an embodiment, apparatus 20 may be a node or element in a communications network or associated with such a network, such as a UE, communication node, mobile equipment (ME) , mobile station, mobile device, stationary device, IoT device, or other device. As described herein, a UE may alternatively be referred to as, for example, a mobile station, mobile equipment, mobile unit, mobile device, user device, subscriber station, wireless terminal, tablet, smart phone, IoT device, sensor or NB-IoT device, a watch or other wearable, a head-mounted display (HMD) , a vehicle, a drone, a medical device and applications thereof (e.g., remote surgery) , an industrial device and applications thereof (e.g., a robot and/or other wireless devices operating in an industrial and/or an automated processing chain context) , a consumer electronics device, a device operating on commercial and/or industrial wireless networks, or the like. As one example, apparatus 20 may be implemented in, for instance, a wireless handheld device, a wireless plug-in accessory, or the like.

In some example embodiments, apparatus 20 may include one or more processors, one or more computer-readable storage medium (for example, memory, storage, or the like) , one or more radio access components (for example, a modem, a transceiver, or the like) , and/or a user interface. In some embodiments, apparatus 20 may be configured to operate using one or more radio access technologies, such as GSM, LTE, LTE-A, NR, 5G, WLAN, WiFi, NB-IoT, Bluetooth, NFC, MulteFire, and/or any other radio access technologies. It should be noted that one of ordinary skill in the art would understand that apparatus 20 may include components or features not shown in FIG. 15.

As illustrated in the example of FIG. 15, apparatus 20 may include or be coupled to a processor 22 for processing information and executing instructions or operations. Processor 22 may be any type of general or specific purpose processor. In fact, processor 22 may include one or more of general-purpose computers, special purpose computers, microprocessors, digital signal processors (DSPs) , field-programmable gate arrays (FPGAs) , application-specific integrated circuits (ASICs) , and processors based on a multi-core processor architecture, as examples. While a single processor 22 is shown in FIG. 15, multiple processors may be utilized according to other embodiments. For example, it should be understood that, in certain embodiments, apparatus 20 may include two or more processors that may form a multiprocessor system (e.g., in this case processor 22 may represent a multiprocessor) that may support multiprocessing. In certain embodiments, the multiprocessor system may be tightly coupled or loosely coupled (e.g., to form a computer cluster) .

Processor 22 may perform functions associated with the operation of apparatus 20 including, as some examples, precoding of antenna gain/phase parameters, encoding and decoding of individual bits forming a communication message, formatting of information, and overall control of the apparatus 20, including processes related to management of communication resources.

Apparatus 20 may further include or be coupled to a memory 24 (internal or external) , which may be coupled to processor 22, for storing information and instructions that may be executed by processor 22. Memory 24 may be one or more memories and of any type suitable to the local application environment, and may be implemented using any suitable volatile or nonvolatile data storage technology such as a semiconductor-based memory device, a magnetic memory device and system, an optical memory device and system, fixed memory, and/or removable memory. For example, memory 24 can be comprised of any combination of random access memory (RAM) , read only memory (ROM) , static storage such as a magnetic or optical disk, hard disk drive (HDD) , or any other type of non-transitory machine or computer readable media. The instructions stored in memory 24 may include program instructions or computer program code that, when executed by processor 22, enable the apparatus 20 to perform tasks as described herein.

In an embodiment, apparatus 20 may further include or be coupled to (internal or external) a drive or port that is configured to accept and read an external computer readable storage medium, such as an optical disc, USB drive, flash drive, or any other storage medium. For example, the external computer readable storage medium may store a computer program or software for execution by processor 22 and/or apparatus 20.

In some embodiments, apparatus 20 may also include or be coupled to one or more antennas 25 for receiving a downlink signal and for transmitting via an uplink from apparatus 20. Apparatus 20 may further include a transceiver 28 configured to transmit and receive information. The transceiver 28 may also include a radio interface (e.g., a modem) coupled to the antenna 25. The radio interface may correspond to a plurality of radio access technologies including one or more of GSM, LTE, LTE-A, 5G, NR, WLAN, NB-IoT, Bluetooth, BT-LE, NFC, RFID, UWB, and the like. The radio interface may include other components, such as filters, converters (for example, digital-to-analog converters and the like) , symbol demappers, signal shaping components, an Inverse Fast Fourier Transform (IFFT) module, and the like, to process symbols, such as OFDMA symbols, carried by a downlink or an uplink.

For instance, transceiver 28 may be configured to modulate information on to a carrier waveform for transmission by the antenna (s) 25 and demodulate information received via the antenna (s) 25 for further processing by other elements of apparatus 20. In other embodiments, transceiver 28 may be capable of transmitting and receiving signals or data directly. Additionally or alternatively, in some embodiments, apparatus 20 may include an input and/or output device (I/O device) . In certain embodiments, apparatus 20 may further include a user interface, such as a graphical user interface or touchscreen.

In an embodiment, memory 24 stores software modules that provide functionality when executed by processor 22. The modules may include, for example, an operating system that provides operating system functionality for apparatus 20. The memory may also store one or more functional modules, such as an application or program, to provide additional functionality for apparatus 20. The components of apparatus 20 may be implemented in hardware, or as any suitable combination of hardware and software. According to an example embodiment, apparatus 20 may optionally be configured to communicate with apparatus 10 via a wireless or wired communications link 70 according to any radio access technology, such as NR.

According to some embodiments, processor 22 and memory 24 may be included in or may form a part of processing circuitry or control circuitry. In addition, in some embodiments, transceiver 28 may be included in or may form a part of transceiving circuitry.

As discussed above, according to some embodiments, apparatus 20 may be a UE, SL UE, relay UE, mobile device, mobile station, ME, IoT device and/or NB-IoT device, or the like, for example. According to certain embodiments, apparatus 20 may be controlled by memory 24 and processor 22 to perform the functions associated with any of the embodiments described herein, such as one or more of the operations illustrated in, or described with respect to, FIGs. 5, 6, and 8-14, or any other method described herein. For example, in an embodiment, apparatus 20 may be controlled to perform a process relating to providing aperiodic channel state information reference signal for cross-link interference in or near guard symbols in full duplex mode, time division duplex mode, or evolution of duplex operation, as described in detail elsewhere herein.

In some embodiments, an apparatus (e.g., apparatus 10 and/or apparatus 20) may include means for performing a method, a process, or any of the variants discussed herein. Examples of the means may include one or more processors, memory, controllers, transmitters, receivers, and/or computer program code for causing the performance of any of the operations discussed herein.

In view of the foregoing, certain example embodiments provide several technological improvements, enhancements, and/or advantages over existing technological processes and constitute an improvement at least to the technological field of wireless network control and/or management. Certain embodiments may have various benefits and/or advantages. For example, certain embodiments may save and use air interface resources in guard symbols. In certain embodiments, the distance between uplink and downlink users in the cell can be judged by the interference difference between the two symbols. Also, in certain embodiments, neighbor cell interference can be detected in real-time, which can result in greater ease in finding downlink issues. Compared with measuring only CLI-SRS or RSSI, measuring downlink CSIRS for CLI can measure the interference level more accurately. Certain embodiments may be able to reuse the Table 7.4.1.5.3-1: CSI-RS locations within a slot in 3GPP TS 38.211. Certain embodiments do not need configuration of numerology of RBs and symbols, that trigger by DCI with PDSCH data and align with PDSCH RBs. The symbol position can start from the last PDSCH symbol. CLI measurement may be performed without needing all UE to measure. For example, just DL traffic users may be measured. Discontinuous CSI-RS can also help users to do channel estimation and compensation. FIG. 10 illustrates various kinds of channel state information reference signal for cross-link interference measurements, according to certain embodiments.

In some example embodiments, the functionality of any of the methods, processes, signaling diagrams, algorithms or flow charts described herein may be implemented by software and/or computer program code or portions of code stored in memory or other computer readable or tangible media, and may be executed by a processor.

In some example embodiments, an apparatus may include or be associated with at least one software application, module, unit or entity configured as arithmetic operation (s) , or as a program or portions of programs (including an added or updated software routine) , which may be executed by at least one operation processor or controller. Programs, also called program products or computer programs, including software routines, applets and macros, may be stored in any apparatus-readable data storage medium and may include program instructions to perform particular tasks. A computer program product may include one or more computer-executable components which, when the program is run, are configured to carry out some example embodiments. The one or more computer-executable components may be at least one software code or portions of code. Modifications and configurations required for implementing the functionality of an example embodiment may be performed as routine (s) , which may be implemented as added or updated software routine (s) . In one example, software routine (s) may be downloaded into the apparatus.

As an example, software or computer program code or portions of code may be in source code form, object code form, or in some intermediate form, and may be stored in some sort of carrier, distribution medium, or computer readable medium, which may be any entity or device capable of carrying the program. Such carriers may include a record medium, computer memory, read-only memory, photoelectrical and/or electrical carrier signal, telecommunications signal, and/or software distribution package, for example. Depending on the processing power needed, the computer program may be executed in a single electronic digital computer or it may be distributed amongst a number of computers. The computer readable medium or computer readable storage medium may be a non-transitory medium.

In other example embodiments, the functionality of example embodiments may be performed by hardware or circuitry included in an apparatus, for example through the use of an application specific integrated circuit (ASIC) , a programmable gate array (PGA) , a field programmable gate array (FPGA) , or any other combination of hardware and software. In yet another example embodiment, the functionality of example embodiments may be implemented as a signal, such as a non-tangible means, that can be carried by an electromagnetic signal downloaded from the Internet or other network.

According to an example embodiment, an apparatus, such as a node, device, or a corresponding component, may be configured as circuitry, a computer or a microprocessor, such as single-chip computer element, or as a chipset, which may include at least a memory for providing storage capacity used for arithmetic operation (s) and/or an operation processor for executing the arithmetic operation (s) .

Example embodiments described herein may apply to both singular and plural implementations, regardless of whether singular or plural language is used in connection with describing certain embodiments. For example, an embodiment that describes operations of a single network node may also apply to example embodiments that include multiple instances of the network node, and vice versa.

One having ordinary skill in the art will readily understand that the example embodiments as discussed above may be practiced with procedures in a different order, and/or with hardware elements in configurations which are different than those which are disclosed. Therefore, although some embodiments have been described based upon these example embodiments, it would be apparent to those of skill in the art that certain modifications, variations, and alternative constructions would be apparent, while remaining within the spirit and scope of example embodiments.

PARTIAL GLOSSARY:

TA time advance

NR new radio

GP guard period

CSI-RS channel state information reference signal

PUSCH physical uplink shared channel

SSB synchronization signal block

DL downlink

UL uplink

gNB next generation Node B

SCS sub carrier space

CLI cross link interference

PCI physical cell id

FDU flexible full duplex

CLI-RS cross link interference reference signal

ZP Zero-power

NZP non-zero-power

Claims

An apparatus, comprising:

at least one processor; and

at least one memory including computer program code,

wherein the at least one memory and the computer program code are configured to, with the at least one processor, cause the apparatus at least to

configure a user equipment channel state information reference signal for cross-link interference measurement, wherein the channel state information reference signal for cross-link interference measurement is located around guard period following data part;

schedule data to the user equipment with an aperiodic channel state information reference signal for cross-link interference measurement in accordance with the configuration; and

receive at least one measurement of the aperiodic channel state information reference signal from the user equipment.
The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the channel state information reference signal for cross-link interference measurement is located in a guard period following the data part.
The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the channel state information reference signal for cross-link interference measurement is located in a first half of a guard period following the data part.
The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the channel state information reference signal for cross-link interference measurement is located in the data part within one or two symbols from the guard period.
The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the configuring comprises sending a radio resource control reconfiguration.
The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the at least one measurement includes at least one of signal to interference plus noise ratio, channel quality indicator, or reference signal received quality.
The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the measurement of the aperiodic channel state information reference signal measures interference of uplink service users to downlink service users in a cell.
The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the measurement of the aperiodic channel state information reference signal measures interference of uplink service users from at least one neighbor cell to downlink service users in a cell.
An apparatus, comprising:

at least one processor; and

at least one memory including computer program code,

wherein the at least one memory and the computer program code are configured to, with the at least one processor, cause the apparatus at least to

receive, at a user equipment from a network element, a configuration for channel state information reference signal for cross-link interference measurement, wherein the channel state information reference signal for cross-link interference measurement is located around guard period following data part;

receive data at the user equipment from the network element together with an aperiodic channel state information reference signal for cross-link interference measurement in accordance with the configuration;

obtain at least one measurement of the aperiodic channel state information reference signal; and

provide the at least one measurement to the network element.
The apparatus of claim 9, wherein the channel state information reference signal for cross-link interference measurement is located in a guard period following the data part.
The apparatus of claim 9, wherein the channel state information reference signal for cross-link interference measurement is located in a first half of a guard period following the data part.
The apparatus of claim 9, wherein the channel state information reference signal for cross-link interference measurement is located in the data part within one or two symbols from the guard period.
The apparatus of claim 9, wherein the receiving the configuration comprises receiving a radio resource control reconfiguration.
The apparatus of claim 9, wherein the at least one measurement includes at least one of signal to interference plus noise ratio, channel quality indicator, or reference signal received quality.
The apparatus of claim 9, wherein the measurement of the aperiodic channel state information reference signal measures interference of uplink service users to downlink service users in a cell.
The apparatus of claim 9, wherein the measurement of the aperiodic channel state information reference signal measures interference of uplink service users from at least one neighbor cell to downlink service users in a cell.
A method, comprising:

configuring a user equipment channel state information reference signal for cross-link interference measurement, wherein the channel state information reference signal for cross-link interference measurement is located around guard period following data part;

scheduling data to the user equipment with an aperiodic channel state information reference signal for cross-link interference measurement in accordance with the configuration; and

receiving at least one measurement of the aperiodic channel state information reference signal from the user equipment.
The method of claim 17, wherein the channel state information reference signal for cross-link interference measurement is located in a guard period following the data part.
The method of claim 17, wherein the channel state information reference signal for cross-link interference measurement is located in a first half of a guard period following the data part.
The method of claim 17, wherein the channel state information reference signal for cross-link interference measurement is located in the data part within one or two symbols from the guard period.
The method of claim 17, wherein the configuring comprises sending a radio resource control reconfiguration.
The method of claim 17, wherein the at least one measurement can include at least one of signal to interference plus noise ratio, channel quality indicator, or reference signal received quality.
The method of claim 17, wherein the measurement of the aperiodic channel state information reference signal measures interference of uplink service users to downlink service users in a cell.
The method of claim 17, wherein the measurement of the aperiodic channel state information reference signal measures interference of uplink service users from at least one neighbor cell to downlink service users in a cell.
A method, comprising:

receiving, at a user equipment from a network element, a configuration for channel state information reference signal for cross-link interference measurement, wherein the channel state information reference signal for cross-link interference measurement is located around guard period following data;

receiving data at the user equipment from the network element together with an aperiodic channel state information reference signal for cross-link interference measurement in accordance with the configuration;

obtaining at least one measurement of the aperiodic channel state information reference signal; and

providing the at least one measurement to the network element.
The method of claim 25, wherein the channel state information reference signal for cross-link interference measurement is located in a guard period following the data part.
The method of claim 25, wherein the channel state information reference signal for cross-link interference measurement is located in a first half of a guard period following the data part.
The method of claim 25, wherein the channel state information reference signal for cross-link interference measurement is located in the data part within one or two symbols from the guard period.
The method of claim 25, wherein the receiving the configuration comprises receiving a radio resource control reconfiguration.
The method of claim 25, wherein the at least one measurement include at least one of signal to interference plus noise ratio, channel quality indicator, or reference signal received quality.
The method of claim 25, wherein the measurement of the aperiodic channel state information reference signal measures interference of uplink service users to downlink service users in a cell.
The method of claim 25, wherein the measurement of the aperiodic channel state information reference signal measures interference of uplink service users from at least one neighbor cell to downlink service users in a cell.
An apparatus, comprising:

means for configuring a user equipment channel state information reference signal for cross-link interference measurement, wherein the channel state information reference signal for cross-link interference measurement is located around guard period following data part;

means for scheduling data to the user equipment with an aperiodic channel state information reference signal for cross-link interference measurement in accordance with the configuration; and

means for receiving at least one measurement of the aperiodic channel state information reference signal from the user equipment.
The apparatus of claim 33, wherein the channel state information reference signal for cross-link interference measurement is located in a guard period following the data part.
The apparatus of claim 33, wherein the channel state information reference signal for cross-link interference measurement is located in a first half of a guard period following the data part.
The apparatus of claim 33, wherein the channel state information reference signal for cross-link interference measurement is located in the data part within one or two symbols from the guard period.
The apparatus of claim 33, wherein the configuring comprises sending a radio resource control reconfiguration.
The apparatus of claim 33, wherein the at least one measurement include at least one of signal to interference plus noise ratio, channel quality indicator, or reference signal received quality.
The apparatus of claim 33, wherein the measurement of the aperiodic channel state information reference signal measures interference of uplink service users to downlink service users in a cell.
The apparatus of claim 33, wherein the measurement of the aperiodic channel state information reference signal measures interference of uplink service users from at least one neighbor cell to downlink service users in a cell.
An apparatus, comprising:

means for receiving, at a user equipment from a network element, a configuration for channel state information reference signal for cross-link interference measurement, wherein the channel state information reference signal for cross-link interference measurement is located around guard period following data part;

means for receiving data at the user equipment from the network element together with an aperiodic channel state information reference signal for cross-link interference measurement in accordance with the configuration;

means for obtaining at least one measurement of the aperiodic channel state information reference signal; and

means for providing the at least one measurement to the network element.
The apparatus of claim 41, wherein the channel state information reference signal for cross-link interference measurement is located in a guard period following the data part.
The apparatus of claim 41, wherein the channel state information reference signal for cross-link interference measurement is located in a first half of a guard period following the data part.
The apparatus of claim 41, wherein the channel state information reference signal for cross-link interference measurement is located in the data part within one or two symbols from the guard period.
The apparatus of claim 41, wherein the receiving the configuration comprises receiving a radio resource control reconfiguration.
The apparatus of claim 41, wherein the at least one measurement include at least one of signal to interference plus noise ratio, channel quality indicator, or reference signal received quality.
The apparatus of claim 41, wherein the measurement of the aperiodic channel state information reference signal measures interference of uplink service users to downlink service users in a cell.
The apparatus of claim 41, wherein the measurement of the aperiodic channel state information reference signal measures interference of uplink service users from at least one neighbor cell to downlink service users in a cell.
A computer program product encoding instructions for performing the method according to any of claims 17-32.
A non-transitory computer-readable medium encoded with instructions that, when executed in hardware, perform the method according to any of claims 17-32.