CN113632398B

CN113632398B - Channel state information feedback for higher rank extensions

Info

Publication number: CN113632398B
Application number: CN201980094748.3A
Authority: CN
Inventors: 刘皓; M·玛索; F·托萨托
Original assignee: Nokia Shanghai Bell Co Ltd; Nokia Solutions and Networks Oy
Current assignee: Nokia Shanghai Bell Co Ltd; Nokia Solutions and Networks Oy
Priority date: 2019-03-29
Filing date: 2019-03-29
Publication date: 2023-06-30
Anticipated expiration: 2039-03-29
Also published as: WO2020199045A1; CN113632398A

Abstract

Embodiments of the present disclosure relate to methods, apparatuses, devices, and computer-readable storage media for Channel State Information (CSI) feedback. The terminal device obtains a set of parameters from the network device, the set of parameters being used to configure an actual number of non-zero coefficients to the multiple layers of the channel. The terminal device determines information about non-zero coefficients to be indicated in the first portion of CSI. The terminal device determines the actual number of non-zero coefficients based on the parameter set and the information. The terminal device sends a first portion of CSI indicating the information to the network device and sends a second portion of CSI to the network device based on the actual number of non-zero coefficients. Thus, the total payload for CSI feedback of a higher rank may remain comparable to the total payload for a lower rank.

Description

Channel state information feedback for higher rank extensions

Technical Field

Embodiments of the present disclosure relate generally to the field of telecommunications and, in particular, relate to methods, apparatuses, devices, and computer-readable storage media for Channel State Information (CSI) feedback.

Background

In the latest 3GPP specifications (i.e., release 16), the following consensus has been reached: type II CSI feedback, which is designed for a lower rank such as Rank Indication (RI) of 1 or 2, may be extended to a higher rank such as RI of 3 or 4 to support more data streams for each User Equipment (UE) to enable single user multiple input multiple output (SU-MIMO) or multi user multiple input multiple output (MU-MIMO) transmission. The rank may indicate the number of independent transport layers supported in the communication channel. That is, since more layers are added for rank extension, the overhead of CSI feedback will increase significantly. In this case, it is desirable to keep the total payload of CSI feedback for a higher rank (such as RI 3 or 4) comparable to that for a lower rank (such as RI 2).

Disclosure of Invention

In general, example embodiments of the present disclosure provide a solution for CSI feedback.

In a first aspect, an apparatus is provided. The apparatus includes at least one processor; at least one memory including computer program code; the at least one memory and the computer program code are configured to, with the at least one processor, cause the apparatus to: obtaining, at the terminal device, a set of parameters from the network device, the set of parameters being used to configure an actual number of non-zero coefficients to a plurality of layers of a channel between the terminal device and the network device; determining information about non-zero coefficients to be indicated in a first portion of channel state information; determining an actual number of non-zero coefficients based on the set of parameters and the information, the actual number of non-zero coefficients being associated with a second portion of the channel state information; transmitting a first portion of channel state information indicating the information to a network device; and transmitting a second portion of the channel state information to the network device based on the actual number of non-zero coefficients.

In a second aspect, an apparatus is provided. The apparatus includes at least one processor; at least one memory including computer program code; the at least one memory and the computer program code are configured to, with the at least one processor, cause the apparatus to: indicating, from the network device to the terminal device, a set of parameters for configuring an actual number of non-zero coefficients to a plurality of layers of a channel between the network device and the terminal device; receiving a first portion of channel state information from a terminal device, the first portion of channel state information indicating information about non-zero coefficients to be used across a plurality of layers; determining an actual number of non-zero coefficients based on the information and the set of parameters; and receiving a second portion of the channel state information from the terminal device based on the actual number of non-zero coefficients.

In a third aspect, a method is provided. The method comprises the following steps: obtaining, at the terminal device, a set of parameters from the network device, the set of parameters being used to configure an actual number of non-zero coefficients to a plurality of layers of a channel between the terminal device and the network device; determining information about non-zero coefficients to be indicated in a first portion of channel state information; determining an actual number of non-zero coefficients based on the set of parameters and the information, the actual number of non-zero coefficients being associated with a second portion of the channel state information; transmitting a first portion of channel state information indicating the information to a network device; and transmitting a second portion of the channel state information to the network device based on the actual number of non-zero coefficients.

In a fourth aspect, a method is provided. The method comprises the following steps: indicating, from the network device to the terminal device, a set of parameters for configuring an actual number of non-zero coefficients to a plurality of layers of a channel between the network device and the terminal device; receiving a first portion of channel state information from a terminal device, the first portion of channel state information indicating information about non-zero coefficients to be used across a plurality of layers; determining an actual number of non-zero coefficients based on the information and the set of parameters; and receiving a second portion of the channel state information from the terminal device based on the actual number of non-zero coefficients.

In a fifth aspect, there is provided an apparatus comprising: means for obtaining, at the terminal device, a set of parameters from the network device, the set of parameters being used to configure an actual number of non-zero coefficients to a plurality of layers of a channel between the terminal device and the network device; means for determining information about non-zero coefficients to be indicated in a first portion of channel state information; means for determining an actual number of non-zero coefficients based on the parameter set and the information, the actual number of non-zero coefficients being associated with a second portion of the channel state information; means for transmitting a first portion of channel state information indicative of the information to a network device; and means for transmitting a second portion of the channel state information to the network device based on the actual number of non-zero coefficients.

In a sixth aspect, there is provided an apparatus comprising: means for indicating from the network device to the terminal device a set of parameters for configuring an actual number of non-zero coefficients for a plurality of layers of a channel between the network device and the terminal device; means for receiving a first portion of channel state information from a terminal device, the first portion of channel state information indicating information about non-zero coefficients to be used across a plurality of layers; means for determining an actual number of non-zero coefficients based on the information and the set of parameters; and means for receiving a second portion of the channel state information from the terminal device based on the actual number of non-zero coefficients.

In a seventh aspect, there is provided a non-transitory computer readable medium comprising program instructions for causing an apparatus to perform at least the method according to the third or fourth aspect.

It should be understood that the summary is not intended to identify key or essential features of the embodiments of the disclosure, nor is it intended to be used to limit the scope of the disclosure. Other features of the present disclosure will become apparent from the following description.

Drawings

Some example embodiments will now be described with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 illustrates an example communication network in which example embodiments of the present disclosure may be implemented;

fig. 2 shows a schematic diagram illustrating a process for CSI feedback according to an example embodiment of the present disclosure;

fig. 3 shows a flowchart of a method implemented at a terminal device according to an example embodiment of the present disclosure;

fig. 4 shows a flowchart of a method implemented at a network device according to an example embodiment of the present disclosure;

FIG. 5 illustrates a simplified block diagram of an apparatus suitable for practicing the example embodiments of the present disclosure; and

fig. 6 illustrates a block diagram of an example computer-readable medium, according to an example embodiment of the present disclosure.

The same or similar reference numbers will be used throughout the drawings to refer to the same or like elements.

Detailed Description

Principles of the present disclosure will now be described with reference to some example embodiments. It should be understood that these embodiments are described merely for the purpose of illustrating and helping those skilled in the art understand and achieve the objects of the present disclosure without any limitation to the scope of the present disclosure. The disclosure described herein may be implemented in various other ways besides those described below.

In the following description and claims, unless defined otherwise, all technical and scientific terms used herein have the same meaning as commonly understood by one of ordinary skill in the art to which this disclosure belongs.

References in the present disclosure to "one embodiment," "an example embodiment," etc., indicate that the embodiment described may include a particular feature, structure, or characteristic, but every embodiment may not necessarily include the particular feature, structure, or characteristic. Moreover, such phrases are not necessarily referring to the same embodiment. Furthermore, when a particular feature, structure, or characteristic is described in connection with an embodiment, it is submitted that it is within the knowledge of one skilled in the art to effect such feature, structure, or characteristic in connection with other embodiments whether or not explicitly described.

It will be understood that, although the terms "first" and "second" may be used herein to describe various elements, these elements should not be limited by these terms. These terms are only used to distinguish one element from another element. For example, a first element could be termed a second element, and, similarly, a second element could be termed a first element, without departing from the scope of example embodiments. As used herein, the term "and/or" includes any and all combinations of one or more of the listed terms.

The terminology used herein is for the purpose of describing particular embodiments only and is not intended to be limiting of example embodiments. As used herein, the singular forms "a", "an" and "the" are intended to include the plural forms as well, unless the context clearly indicates otherwise. It will be further understood that the terms "comprises," "comprising," "has," "including," and/or "includes" when used herein, specify the presence of stated features, elements, components, and/or groups thereof, but do not preclude the presence or addition of one or more other features, elements, components, and/or groups thereof.

As used in this application, the term "circuitry" may refer to one or more or all of the following:

(a) Pure hardware circuit implementations (such as implementations in analog and/or digital circuitry only), and

(b) A combination of hardware circuitry and software, such as (as applicable):

(i) Combination of analog and/or digital hardware circuitry and software/firmware

(ii) A hardware processor (including a digital signal processor) with software, any portion of the software and memory that work together to cause a device (such as a mobile phone or server) to perform various functions, and

(c) Hardware circuitry and/or a processor, such as a microprocessor or a portion of a microprocessor, that requires software (e.g., firmware) to operate, but may not exist when operation is not required.

The definition of circuitry applies to all uses of this term in this application, including in any claims. As another example, as used in this application, the term circuitry also encompasses hardware-only circuitry or a processor (or multiple processors) or an implementation of hardware circuitry or a portion of a processor and its (or their) accompanying software and/or firmware. The term circuitry also encompasses (e.g., and if applicable to the particular claim element) a baseband integrated circuit or processor integrated circuit of a mobile device, or a similar integrated circuit in a server, cellular network device, or other computing or network device.

As used herein, the term "communication network" refers to a network that conforms to any suitable communication standard, such as Long Term Evolution (LTE), LTE-advanced (LTE-a), wideband Code Division Multiple Access (WCDMA), high Speed Packet Access (HSPA), narrowband internet of things (NB-IoT), and the like. Furthermore, communication between a terminal device and a network device in a communication network may be performed according to any suitable generation communication protocol, including, but not limited to, first generation (1G), second generation (2G), 2.5G, 2.75G, third generation (3G), fourth generation (4G), 4.5G, future fifth generation (5G) communication protocols, and/or any other protocol now known or later developed. Embodiments of the present disclosure may be applied to various communication systems. In view of the rapid development of communications, there will, of course, also be future types of communication techniques and systems that may be used to embody the present disclosure. The scope of the present disclosure should not be limited to only the above-described systems.

As used herein, the term "network device" refers to a node in a communication network via which a terminal device accesses the network and receives services therefrom. A network device may refer to a Base Station (BS) or an Access Point (AP), e.g., a node B (NodeB or NB), an evolved NodeB (eNodeB or eNB), an NR NB (also known as a gNB), a Remote Radio Unit (RRU), a Radio Head (RH), a Remote Radio Head (RRH), a relay, a low power node (such as femto, pico), etc., depending on the terminology and technology applied.

The term "terminal device" refers to any terminal device capable of wireless communication. By way of example, and not limitation, a terminal device may also be referred to as a communication device, user Equipment (UE), subscriber Station (SS), portable subscriber station, mobile Station (MS), or Access Terminal (AT). The terminal devices may include, but are not limited to, mobile phones, cellular phones, smart phones, voice over IP (VoIP) phones, wireless local loop phones, tablets, wearable terminal devices, personal Digital Assistants (PDAs), portable computers, desktop computers, image capture terminal devices (such as digital cameras), gaming terminal devices, music storage and playback devices, in-vehicle wireless terminal devices, wireless terminals, mobile stations, laptop embedded devices (LEEs), laptop mounted devices (LMEs), USB dongles, smart devices, wireless client devices (CPE), internet of things (loT) devices, watches or other wearable devices, head Mounted Displays (HMDs), vehicles, drones, medical devices and applications (e.g., tele-surgery), industrial devices and applications (e.g., robots and/or other wireless devices operating in an industrial and/or automated processing chain environment), consumer electronic devices, devices operating on commercial and/or industrial wireless networks, and the like. In the following description, the terms "terminal device", "communication device", "terminal", "user equipment" and "UE" may be used interchangeably.

As described above, in the latest 3GPP specifications (i.e., release 16), consensus has been made on: type II CSI feedback (which is designed for a lower rank, such as RI 1 or 2) may be extended to a higher rank, such as RI 3 or 4, to support more data streams for each UE to enable SU-MIMO or MU-MIMO transmission. However, the overhead of CSI feedback will increase significantly as more layers are added for higher rank extensions. In this case, it is desirable to keep the total payload of CSI feedback for a higher rank comparable to that for a lower rank.

Some conventional solutions control and limit the payload of CSI feedback in different layers for different RIs. For example, for different RIs, the spatial domain parameters and the frequency domain base parameters may be configured for different layers. Furthermore, some conventional solutions set the maximum number of non-zero coefficients (K ₀ ) To limit the maximum feedback overhead of higher rank extensions. However, these solutions do not ensure that the total payload for CSI feedback for higher ranks is comparable to the total payload for CSI feedback for lower ranks.

Embodiments of the present disclosure provide a solution to CSI feedback to at least partially address the above and other potential problems. Some example embodiments of the present disclosure will be described below with reference to the accompanying drawings. However, those skilled in the art will readily appreciate that the detailed description given herein with respect to these figures is for explanatory purposes as the disclosure extends beyond these limited embodiments.

Fig. 1 illustrates an example communication network 100 in which implementations of the present disclosure may be implemented. The communication network 100 includes network devices 110 and terminal devices 120-1, 120-2, … …, 120-N (which may be collectively referred to as "terminal devices" 120). The network 100 may provide one or more cells 102 to serve the terminal device 120. It should be understood that the number of network devices, terminal devices, and/or cells are given for illustrative purposes and are not meant to suggest any limitation to the present disclosure. Communication network 100 may include any suitable number of network devices, terminal devices, and/or cells suitable for implementing implementations of the present disclosure.

In the communication network 100, the network device 110 may transmit data and control information to the terminal device 120, and the terminal device 120 may also transmit data and control information to the network device 110. The link from network device 110 to terminal device 120 is referred to as the Downlink (DL), and the link from terminal device 120 to network device 110 is referred to as the Uplink (UL).

Communications in network 100 may conform to any suitable standard including, but not limited to, global system for mobile communications (GSM), long Term Evolution (LTE), LTE evolution, LTE-advanced (LTE-a), wideband Code Division Multiple Access (WCDMA), code Division Multiple Access (CDMA), GSM EDGE Radio Access Network (GERAN), and the like. Further, the communication may be performed according to any generation of communication protocols currently known or to be developed in the future. Examples of communication protocols include, but are not limited to, first generation (1G), second generation (2G), 2.5G, 2.75G, third generation (3G), fourth generation (4G), 4.5G, fifth generation (5G) communication protocols.

To acquire CSI for a communication channel between network device 110 and terminal device 120, network device 110 may send a channel state information reference signal (CSI-RS) to terminal device 120. Terminal device 120 may receive the CSI-RS from network device 110 and obtain channel information by measuring the CSI-RS. The terminal device 120 may then determine CSI for the communication channel based on the acquired channel information and the corresponding codebook. For example, the acquired channel information may be quantized to CSI based on the corresponding codebook. Terminal device 120 may report CSI to network device 110. The process for reporting CSI is also referred to as "CSI feedback". The CSI may ensure reliability of wireless communication between network device 110 and terminal device 120.

Fig. 2 shows a schematic diagram of a process 200 for CSI feedback according to an example embodiment of the present disclosure. For discussion purposes, process 200 will be described with reference to FIG. 1. Process 200 may involve terminal device 120 and network device 110 as shown in fig. 1.

As shown in fig. 2, the terminal device may obtain 210 a set of parameters (such as gamma ₀ 、γ ₁ 、α、β ₃ And/or beta ₄ As described below) that is used to configure the actual number of non-zero coefficients to the multiple layers of the channel between the terminal device 120 and the network device 110. In some embodiments, the set of parameters may be determined by the network device 110 and indicated 210 to the terminal device 120 via radio resource control signaling.

The terminal device 120 may determine 220 information about non-zero coefficients to be indicated in the first portion of CSI. In some embodiments, for example, terminal device 120 may measure a channel from CSI-RS transmitted from network device 110 and perform channel quantization. The terminal device 120 may then determine the value of RI, and information about non-zero coefficients to be indicated in the first portion of channel state information.

In response to acquiring the set of parameters and determining the information to be indicated in the first portion of CSI, terminal device 120 may determine 230 an actual number of non-zero coefficients for the plurality of layers based on the information indicated in the first portion of CSI and the set of parameters.

In some embodiments, for different RIs (such as RI 1, 2, 3, or 4), the information in the first portion of CSI may indicate the total number of non-zero coefficients to be used across multiple layers of the channel. For example, the total number of non-zero coefficients indicated in the first portion of the CSI may be represented as K _NZ Wherein 0 is<K _NZ ≤2K ₀ ，K ₀ Representing the maximum number of predefined non-zero coefficients per layer. That is, the number of bits for reporting the first part of CSI is always the same for different RIs

In some embodiments, for ri=3 (i.e., three independent layers are supported in one communication channel), the actual number of non-zero coefficients for the three layers may be represented as

And->

In some embodiments, for example, +.>

And->

It can be determined as follows:

wherein 1 > gamma ₀ ≥γ ₁ > 0.5 and beta ₃ And is more than or equal to 1. Because of

That is, the sum of the actual number of non-zero coefficients for ri=3 is equal to or greater than the sum of the actual number of non-zero coefficients for ri=2.

In some embodiments, for ri=4 (i.e., four independent layers are supported in one communication channel), the actual number of non-zero coefficients for these four layers may be represented as

And->

In some embodiments, for example, +.>

And->

It can be determined as follows:

wherein 1 > gamma ₀ ≥γ ₁ > 0.5,1 > alpha > 0.5 and beta ₄ ≥β ₃ And is more than or equal to 1. Because of

That is, the sum of the actual number of non-zero coefficients for ri=4 is equal to or greater than the sum of the actual number of non-zero coefficients for ri=2.

In some embodiments, for ri=2 (i.e., two independent layers are supported in one communication channel), the actual number of non-zero coefficients for the two layers may be represented as K, respectively _NZ，0 And K _NZ，1 . In some embodiments, for example, K _NZ，0 And K _NZ，1 It can be determined as follows:

in some embodiments, for ri=1 (i.e., a single layer is supported in the communication channel), the actual number of non-zero coefficients for the single layer may be represented as K _NZ，0 Wherein K is _NZ，0 ＝K _NZ 。

Alternatively, in some embodiments, for different RIs (such as RI 1, 2, 3, or 4), the information in the first portion of CSI may indicate two digits, denoted K, respectively _NZ，0 And K _NZ，1 Wherein 0 < K _NZ，0 ≤K ₀ And 0 < K _NZ，1 ≤K ₀ Wherein K is ₀ Representing the maximum number of predefined non-zero coefficients per layer. That is, the number of bits for reporting the first part of CSI is always the same for different RIs

In some embodiments, K _NZ，0 And K _NZ，1 Can be determined by assuming ri=2. Assuming RI of 2, two independent layers may be supported in the channel between the terminal device 120 and the network device 110. In some embodiments, K is indicated in the first portion of the CSI _NZ，0 May represent a first number of non-zero coefficients to be used at a first one of the two layers, and K indicated in a first portion of the CSI _NZ，1 A second number of non-zero coefficients to be used at a second one of the two layers may be represented. For example, K _NZ，0 And K _NZ，1 May be common to different RI's (such as 2, 3 or 4) and when RI' s>2, they may correspond to the first two layers in the channel. In some embodiments, if RI is 1, then K _NZ，1 It may be regarded as a 0 that,although it may be reported as a different value.

And->

In some embodiments, for example, +.>

And->

It can be determined as follows:

wherein 1 > gamma ₀ ≥γ ₁ > 0.5 and beta ₃ And is more than or equal to 1. It can be seen that the light source is,

. That is, the sum of the actual number of non-zero coefficients for ri=3 is equal to or greater than the sum of the actual number of non-zero coefficients for ri=2.

And->

In some embodiments, for example, +. >

And->

It can be determined as follows:

wherein 1 > gamma ₀ ≥γ ₁ > 0.5,1 > alpha > 0.5 and beta ₄ ≥β ₃ And is more than or equal to 1. It can be seen that the light source is,

In some embodiments, the indication 210 may include γ from the network device 110 to the terminal device 120 via RRC signaling, as described above ₀ 、γ ₁ 、α、β ₃ And/or beta ₄ At least one of the parameters set. Regarding the parameter gamma ₀ 、γ ₁ And α, in some embodiments, three different values may be indicated via RRC signaling, such as { γ } ₀ ，γ ₁ α }. Alternatively, in some embodiments, two different values may be indicated via RRC signaling, such as { γ, α }, where γ ₀ ＝γ ₁ =γ. Alternatively, in some embodiments, only a single value, such as { α }, may be indicated via RRC signaling, where γ ₀ ＝γ ₁ =α. Regarding parameter beta ₃ And beta ₄ In some embodiments, two different values may be indicated via RRC signaling, such as { β } ₃ ，β ₄ }. Alternatively, in some embodiments, only a single value, such as { β }, may be indicated via RRC signaling, where β ₃ ＝β ₄ =β. Alternatively, in some embodiments, if no indication is made via RRC signaling regarding parameter β ₃ And beta ₄ The terminal device 120 can assume beta ₃ And beta ₄ Are all equal to 1.

As shown in fig. 2, terminal device 120 may send 240 a first portion of CSI to network device 110 indicating information about non-zero coefficients. In response to receiving the first portion of CSI from terminal device 120, network device 110 may determine 250 an actual number of non-zero coefficients for the plurality of layers based on the information indicated in the first portion of CSI and the set of parameters. In some embodiments, for example, the network device 110 may determine the actual number of non-zero coefficients for the multiple layers in the same manner as the terminal device 120 described above, and will not be described in detail herein.

Network device 110 may then determine a payload size of the second portion of CSI based on the actual number of non-zero coefficients for the plurality of layers. In response to determining the payload size of the second portion of CSI, network device 110 may appropriately receive 260 the second portion of CSI from terminal device 120.

In some embodiments, if the total number of non-zero coefficients, K, is indicated in the first portion of the CSI _NZ The total payload size for different RIs (such as 2, 3 or 4) is shown in table 1 according to the LCC quantization method that has been agreed upon:

TABLE 1 payload size of two-part CSI for different RI

In table 1, it is assumed that the number of Spatial Domain (SD) beams is 2L, and the number of Frequency Domain (FD) beams is M. As can be seen from Table 1, if β ₃ =1, then the linear sum of quantized bit lengths for non-zero coefficients of ri=3 (i.e. 7×β ₃ K _NZ ) Linear sum of quantized bit length with non-zero coefficient for ri=2 (i.e. 7×k _NZ ) The same applies. If beta is ₃ >1, the linear sum of the quantized bit lengths for the non-zero coefficients of ri=3 is still comparable to the linear sum of the quantized bit lengths for the non-zero coefficients of ri=2. If beta is ₄ =1, then the linear sum of quantized bit lengths for non-zero coefficients of ri=4 (i.e. 7×β ₄ K _NZ ) Linear sum of quantized bit length of non-zero coefficients with ri=2 (i.e., 7×k _NZ ) The same applies. If beta is ₄ >1, the linear sum of the quantized bit lengths for the non-zero coefficients of ri=4 is still comparable to the linear sum of the quantized bit lengths for the non-zero coefficients of ri=2. Although the sum of the logarithmic domain of the number of non-zero coefficients and the product of the number of SD beams and the number of FD beams are different for different RIs, their impact on the total CSI payload of LCC quantization is limited compared to linear summation. That is, embodiments of the present disclosure enable the total payload of CSI feedback for higher ranks to be comparable to the total payload of CSI feedback for ri=2 。

In some embodiments, if K is indicated in the first portion of the CSI _NZ，0 And K _NZ，1 These two numbers, then, according to the agreed LCC quantization method, the total payload size for different RIs (such as RI 2, 3 or 4) is shown in table 2:

TABLE 2 payload size of two-part CSI for different RI

In table 2, it is also assumed that the number of SD beams is 2L, and the number of FD beams is M. As can be seen from Table 2, if β ₃ =1, then the linear sum of quantized bit lengths for non-zero coefficients of ri=3 (i.e. 7×β ₃ (K _NZ，0 +K _NZ，1 ) Linear sum of quantized bit length for non-zero coefficients of ri=2 (i.e., 7× (K) _NZ,0 +K _NZ，1 ) Is the same). If beta is ₃ >1, the linear sum of the quantized bit lengths for the non-zero coefficients of ri=3 is still comparable to the linear sum of the quantized bit lengths for the non-zero coefficients of ri=2. If beta is ₄ =1, then the linear sum of quantized bit lengths for non-zero coefficients of ri=4 (i.e. 7×β ₄ (K _NZ，0 +K _NZ，1 ) Linear sum of quantized bit length for non-zero coefficients of ri=2 (i.e., 7×k) _NZ ) The same applies. If beta is ₄ >1, the linear sum of the quantized bit lengths for the non-zero coefficients of ri=4 is still comparable to the linear sum of the quantized bit lengths for the non-zero coefficients of ri=2. Although the sum of the number of logarithmic domains of non-zero coefficients and the product of the number of SD beams and the number of FD beams are different for different RIs, their impact on the total CSI payload of LCC quantization is limited compared to linear sum. That is, embodiments of the present disclosure enable the total payload of CSI feedback for higher ranks to be comparable to the total payload of CSI feedback for ri=2.

Fig. 3 illustrates a flowchart of an example method 300 implemented at a terminal device according to some embodiments of the present disclosure. For discussion purposes, the method 300 will be described with reference to fig. 1 from the perspective of the terminal device 120. It should be understood that method 300 may also include additional blocks not shown and/or omit some of the blocks shown, and the scope of the present disclosure is not limited in this respect.

At block 310, the terminal device 120 obtains a set of parameters from the network device that are used to configure an actual number of non-zero coefficients to a plurality of layers of a channel between the terminal device and the network device.

In some embodiments, the terminal device 120 may obtain the set of parameters by: receiving a configuration for the set of parameters from the network device via radio resource control signaling; and determining the set of parameters based on the configuration.

In some embodiments, the set of parameters may include a single parameter.

In some embodiments, the set of parameters may include two or more different parameters.

At block 320, the terminal device 120 determines information about non-zero coefficients to be indicated in a first portion of channel state information.

At block 330, the terminal device 120 determines an actual number of non-zero coefficients based on the set of parameters and the information, the actual number of non-zero coefficients being associated with the second portion of the channel state information.

In some embodiments, this information may indicate a total number of non-zero coefficients to be used across multiple layers of the channel.

In some embodiments, the terminal device 120 may determine the actual number of non-zero coefficients such that the sum of the actual number of non-zero coefficients has a correspondence with the total number of non-zero coefficients indicated by the information.

In some embodiments, the terminal device 120 may determine the actual number of non-zero coefficients such that the sum of the actual number of non-zero coefficients is equal to the total number of non-zero coefficients indicated by the information.

In some embodiments, the plurality of layers may include more than two layers. The information may indicate a first number of non-zero coefficients to be used at a first layer of the plurality of layers and a second number of non-zero coefficients to be used at a second layer of the plurality of layers.

In some embodiments, the terminal device 120 may determine the actual number of non-zero coefficients such that the sum of the actual number of non-zero coefficients has a correspondence with the sum of the first number and the second number.

In some embodiments, the terminal device 120 may determine the actual number of non-zero coefficients such that the sum of the actual number of non-zero coefficients is equal to the sum of the first number and the second number.

At block 340, the terminal device 120 transmits a first portion of channel state information indicating the information to the network device.

At block 350, the terminal device 120 transmits a second portion of the channel state information to the network device based on the actual number of non-zero coefficients.

Fig. 4 illustrates a flowchart of an example method 400 implemented at a network device according to some embodiments of the present disclosure. For discussion purposes, the method 400 will be described with reference to fig. 1 from the perspective of the network device 110. It should be understood that method 400 may also include additional blocks not shown and/or omit some of the blocks shown, and the scope of the present disclosure is not limited in this respect.

At block 410, the network device 110 indicates to the terminal device a set of parameters for configuring an actual number of non-zero coefficients for a plurality of layers of a channel between the network device and the terminal device.

In some embodiments, the network device 110 may send the configuration for the set of parameters to the terminal device via radio resource control signaling.

At block 420, network device 110 receives a first portion of channel state information from a terminal device, the first portion of channel state information indicating information about non-zero coefficients to be used across multiple layers.

At block 430, the network device 110 determines an actual number of non-zero coefficients based on the information and the set of parameters.

In some embodiments, network device 110 may determine the actual number of non-zero coefficients such that the sum of the actual number of non-zero coefficients has a correspondence with the total number of non-zero coefficients indicated by the information.

In some embodiments, network device 110 may determine the actual number of non-zero coefficients such that the sum of the actual number of non-zero coefficients is equal to the total number of non-zero coefficients indicated by the information.

In some embodiments, the network device 110 may determine the actual number of non-zero coefficients such that a sum of the actual number of non-zero coefficients has a correspondence with a sum of the first number and the second number.

In some embodiments, network device 110 may determine the actual number of non-zero coefficients such that the sum of the actual number of non-zero coefficients is equal to the sum of the first number and the second number.

At block 440, the network device 110 receives a second portion of the channel state information from the terminal device based on the actual number of non-zero coefficients.

In some embodiments, the network device 110 may determine the size of the second portion of the channel state information based on the actual number of non-zero coefficients. The network device 110 may receive a second portion of the channel state information from the terminal device based on the determined size.

In some embodiments, an apparatus (e.g., terminal device 120) capable of performing method 300 may include means for performing the corresponding steps of method 300. The component may be implemented in any suitable form. For example, the components may be implemented in circuitry or software modules.

In some embodiments, the apparatus comprises: means for obtaining, at the terminal device, a set of parameters from the network device, the set of parameters being used to configure an actual number of non-zero coefficients to a plurality of layers of a channel between the terminal device and the network device; means for determining information about non-zero coefficients to be indicated in a first portion of channel state information; means for determining an actual number of non-zero coefficients based on the parameter set and the information, the actual number of non-zero coefficients being associated with a second portion of the channel state information; means for transmitting a first portion of channel state information indicative of the information to a network device; and means for transmitting a second portion of the channel state information to the network device based on the actual number of non-zero coefficients.

In some embodiments, the apparatus further comprises means for performing other steps in some embodiments of the method 300. In some embodiments, the component includes at least one processor; and at least one memory including computer program code, the at least one memory and the computer program code configured to, with the at least one processor, cause execution of the apparatus.

In some embodiments, an apparatus (e.g., network device 110) capable of performing method 400 may include means for performing the respective steps of method 400. The component may be implemented in any suitable form. For example, the components may be implemented in circuitry or software modules.

In some embodiments, the apparatus comprises: means for indicating from the network device to the terminal device a set of parameters for configuring an actual number of non-zero coefficients to a plurality of layers of a channel between the network device and the terminal device; means for receiving a first portion of channel state information from a terminal device, the first portion of channel state information indicating information about non-zero coefficients to be used across a plurality of layers; means for determining an actual number of non-zero coefficients based on the information and the set of parameters; and means for receiving a second portion of the channel state information from the terminal device based on the actual number of non-zero coefficients.

In some embodiments, the apparatus further comprises means for performing other steps in some embodiments of the method 400. In some embodiments, the apparatus includes at least one processor; and at least one memory including computer program code, the at least one memory and the computer program code configured to, with the at least one processor, cause execution of the apparatus.

Fig. 5 is a simplified block diagram of an apparatus 500 suitable for implementing embodiments of the present disclosure. Device 500 may be provided to implement a communication device, such as terminal device 120 or network device 110 as shown in fig. 1. As shown, the device 500 includes one or more processors 510, one or more memories 520 coupled to the processors 510, and one or more communication modules 540 (such as a transmitter and/or receiver) coupled to the processors 510.

The communication module 540 is used for two-way communication. The communication module 540 has at least one antenna to facilitate communication. The communication interface may represent any interface required to communicate with other network elements.

Processor 510 may be of any type suitable to the local technology network and may include, as non-limiting examples, one or more of the following: general purpose computers, special purpose computers, microprocessors, digital Signal Processors (DSPs), and processors based on a multi-core processor architecture. The device 500 may have multiple processors, such as an application specific integrated circuit chip that is slaved in time to a clock that is synchronized to the master processor.

Memory 520 may include one or more non-volatile memories and one or more volatile memories. Examples of non-volatile memory include, but are not limited to, read-only memory (ROM) 524, electrically programmable read-only memory (EPROM), flash memory, hard disks, compact Disks (CD), digital Video Disks (DVD), and other magnetic and/or optical storage devices. Examples of volatile memory include, but are not limited to, random Access Memory (RAM) 522 and other volatile memory that does not last for the duration of the power outage.

The computer program 530 includes computer-executable instructions that are executed by an associated processor 510. Program 530 may be stored in ROM 524. Processor 510 may perform any suitable actions and processes by loading program 530 into RAM 522.

Embodiments of the present disclosure may be implemented by program 530 such that device 500 may perform any of the processes of the present disclosure as discussed with reference to fig. 2-4. Embodiments of the present disclosure may also be implemented in hardware or a combination of software and hardware.

In some embodiments, program 530 may be tangibly embodied in a computer-readable medium that may be included in device 500 (such as in memory 520) or other storage device accessible to device 500. Device 500 may load program 530 from a computer readable medium into RAM 522 for execution. The computer readable medium may include any type of tangible, non-volatile memory, such as ROM, EPROM, flash memory, hard disk, CD, DVD, etc. Fig. 6 shows an example of a computer readable medium 600 in the form of a CD or DVD. The computer readable medium has a program 530 stored thereon.

In general, the various embodiments of the disclosure may be implemented in hardware or special purpose circuits, software, logic or any combination thereof. Some aspects may be implemented in hardware, while other aspects may be implemented in firmware or software which may be executed by a controller, microprocessor or other computing device. While various aspects of the embodiments of the disclosure are illustrated and described as block diagrams, flow charts, or using some other pictorial representation, it is well understood that the blocks, apparatus, systems, techniques or methods described herein may be implemented in hardware, software, firmware, special purpose circuits or logic, general purpose hardware or controller or other computing devices, or some combination thereof.

The present disclosure also provides at least one computer program product tangibly stored on a non-transitory computer-readable storage medium. The computer program product comprises computer executable instructions, such as those included in program modules, that execute in a device on a target real or virtual processor to perform the method 300 described above with reference to fig. 3 and/or the method 400 described above with reference to fig. 4. Generally, program modules include routines, programs, libraries, objects, classes, components, data types, etc. that perform particular tasks or implement particular abstract data types. The functionality of the program modules may be combined or split between program modules as desired in various embodiments. Machine-executable instructions for program modules may be executed within local or distributed devices. In distributed devices, program modules may be located in both local and remote memory storage media.

Program code for carrying out the methods of the present disclosure may be written in any combination of one or more programming languages. These program code may be provided to a processor or controller of a general purpose computer, special purpose computer, or other programmable data processing apparatus such that the program code, when executed by the processor or controller, causes the functions/operations specified in the flowchart and/or block diagram to be implemented. The program code may execute entirely on the machine, partly on the machine, as a stand-alone software package, partly on the machine and partly on a remote machine or entirely on the remote machine or server.

In the context of this disclosure, computer program code or related data may be carried by any suitable carrier to enable an apparatus, device, or processor to perform the various processes and operations described above. Examples of carriers include signals, computer readable media, and the like.

The computer readable medium may be a computer readable signal medium or a computer readable storage medium. The computer readable medium may include, but is not limited to, electronic, magnetic, optical, electromagnetic, infrared, or semiconductor systems, apparatus or devices, or any suitable combination thereof. More specific examples of a computer-readable storage medium include an electrical connection having one or more wires, a portable computer diskette, a hard disk, a Random Access Memory (RAM), a read-only memory (ROM), an erasable programmable read-only memory (EPROM or flash memory), an optical fiber, a portable compact disc read-only memory (CD-ROM), an optical storage device, a magnetic storage device, or any suitable combination thereof.

Moreover, although operations are depicted in a particular order, this should not be understood as requiring that such operations be performed in the particular order shown or in sequential order, or that all illustrated operations be performed, to achieve desirable results. In some cases, multitasking and parallel processing may be advantageous. Also, while the above discussion contains several specific implementation details, these should not be construed as limitations on the scope of the disclosure, but rather as descriptions of features specific to particular embodiments. Certain features that are described in the context of separate embodiments can also be implemented in combination in a single embodiment. Conversely, various features that are described in the context of a single embodiment can also be implemented in multiple embodiments separately or in any suitable subcombination.

Although the disclosure has been described in language specific to structural features and/or methodological acts, it is to be understood that the disclosure defined in the appended claims is not necessarily limited to the specific features or acts described above. Rather, the specific features and acts described above are disclosed as example forms of implementing the claims.

Claims

1. A terminal device, comprising:

At least one processor; and

at least one memory including computer program code;

the at least one memory and the computer program code are configured to, with the at least one processor, cause the terminal device to:

obtaining a set of parameters from a network device, the set of parameters being used to configure an actual number of non-zero coefficients to a plurality of layers of a channel between the terminal device and the network device;

determining information about non-zero coefficients to be indicated in a first portion of channel state information;

determining the actual number of non-zero coefficients based on the parameter set and the information, the actual number of non-zero coefficients being associated with a second portion of the channel state information;

transmitting the first portion of the channel state information to the network device, the first portion of the channel state information indicating the information; and

the second portion of the channel state information is sent to the network device based on the actual number of non-zero coefficients.

2. A terminal device according to claim 1, wherein the terminal device is caused to obtain the set of parameters by:

Receiving a configuration for the set of parameters from the network device via radio resource control signaling; and

the set of parameters is determined based on the configuration.

3. A terminal device according to claim 1, wherein the information indicates a total number of non-zero coefficients to be used across the plurality of layers of the channel, and wherein the terminal device is caused to:

the actual number of non-zero coefficients is determined such that a sum of the actual number of non-zero coefficients has a correspondence with the total number of non-zero coefficients indicated by the information.

4. A terminal device according to claim 3, wherein the terminal device is caused to:

the actual number of non-zero coefficients is determined such that a sum of the actual number of non-zero coefficients is equal to the total number of non-zero coefficients indicated by the information.

5. The terminal device of claim 1, wherein the plurality of layers includes more than two layers, the information indicating a first number of non-zero coefficients to be used at a first layer of the plurality of layers and a second number of non-zero coefficients to be used at a second layer of the plurality of layers, and wherein the terminal device is caused to:

The actual number of non-zero coefficients is determined such that a sum of the actual number of non-zero coefficients has a correspondence with a sum of the first number and the second number.

6. The terminal device of claim 5, wherein the terminal device is caused to:

the actual number of non-zero coefficients is determined such that the sum of the actual numbers of non-zero coefficients is equal to the sum of the first number and the second number.

7. The terminal device of claim 1, wherein the set of parameters comprises a single parameter.

8. The terminal device of claim 1, wherein the set of parameters comprises two or more different parameters.

9. A network device, comprising:

at least one processor; and

at least one memory including computer program code;

the at least one memory and the computer program code are configured to, with the at least one processor, cause the network device to:

indicating to a terminal device a set of parameters for configuring an actual number of non-zero coefficients to a plurality of layers of a channel between the network device and the terminal device;

receiving a first portion of channel state information from the terminal device, the first portion of channel state information indicating information about non-zero coefficients to be used across the plurality of layers;

Determining the actual number of non-zero coefficients based on the information and the set of parameters; and

a second portion of the channel state information is received from the terminal device based on the actual number of non-zero coefficients.

10. The network device of claim 9, wherein the network device is caused to indicate the set of parameters by:

a configuration regarding the set of parameters is sent to the terminal device via radio resource control signaling.

11. A network device according to claim 9, wherein the network device is caused to receive the second portion of the channel state information by:

determining a size of the second portion of the channel state information based on the actual number of non-zero coefficients; and

the second portion of the channel state information is received from the terminal device based on the determined size.

12. The network device of claim 9, wherein the information indicates a total number of non-zero coefficients to be used across the plurality of layers of the channel, and wherein the network device is caused to:

the actual number of non-zero coefficients is determined such that a sum of the actual number of non-zero coefficients has a correspondence with a total number of the non-zero coefficients indicated by the information.

13. The network device of claim 12, wherein the network device is caused to:

14. The network device of claim 9, wherein the plurality of layers includes more than two layers, the information indicating a first number of non-zero coefficients to be used at a first layer of the plurality of layers and a second number of non-zero coefficients to be used at a second layer of the plurality of layers, and wherein the network device is caused to:

15. The network device of claim 14, wherein the network device is caused to:

16. The network device of claim 9, wherein the set of parameters comprises a single parameter.

17. The network device of claim 9, wherein the set of parameters comprises two or more different parameters.

18. A method performed by a terminal device, comprising:

19. A method performed by a network device, comprising:

20. An apparatus for a terminal device, comprising:

means for obtaining a set of parameters from a network device, the set of parameters being used to configure an actual number of non-zero coefficients to a plurality of layers of a channel between the terminal device and the network device;

means for determining information about non-zero coefficients to be indicated in a first portion of channel state information;

means for determining the actual number of non-zero coefficients based on the set of parameters and the information, the actual number of non-zero coefficients being associated with a second portion of the channel state information;

means for transmitting the first portion of the channel state information to the network device, the first portion of the channel state information being indicative of the information; and

Means for transmitting the second portion of the channel state information to the network device based on the actual number of non-zero coefficients.

21. An apparatus for a network device, comprising:

means for indicating to a terminal device a set of parameters for configuring an actual number of non-zero coefficients to a plurality of layers of a channel between the network device and the terminal device;

means for receiving a first portion of channel state information from the terminal device, the first portion of channel state information indicating information about non-zero coefficients to be used across the plurality of layers;

means for determining the actual number of non-zero coefficients based on the information and the set of parameters; and

means for receiving a second portion of the channel state information from the terminal device based on the actual number of non-zero coefficients.

22. A non-transitory computer readable medium comprising program instructions for causing an apparatus to perform at least the method of claim 18 or 19.