WIRELESS DEVICE-SIDED INFERENCE OF SPATIAL-DOMAIN BEAM PREDICTIONS

TECHNICAL FIELD

The present disclosure relates to wireless communications, and in particular, to wireless device based spatial-domain predictions.

BACKGROUND

The Third Generation Partnership Project (3GPP) has developed and is developing standards for Fourth Generation (4G) (also referred to as Long Term Evolution (LTE)) and Fifth Generation (5G) (also referred to as New Radio (NR)) wireless communication systems. Such systems provide, among other features, broadband communication between network nodes, such as base stations, and mobile wireless devices (WD), as well as communication between network nodes and between WDs. The 3GPP is also working on Sixth Generation (6G) wireless communication standards.

Beam management

Beam management procedure

In high frequency range (FR2), multiple radio frequency (RF) beams may be used to transmit and receive signals at a network node (e.g., gNB) and a wireless device (e.g., UE). For each downlink (DL) beam from a network node, there is typically an associated best wireless device receive (Rx) beam for receiving signals from the DL beam. The DL beam and the associated wireless device Rx beam forms a beam pair. The beam pair can be identified through a so-called beam management process in NR.

A DL beam is (typically) identified by an associated DL reference signal (RS) transmitted in the beam, either periodically, semi-persistently, or aperiodically. The DL RS for the purpose can be a Synchronization Signal (SS) and Physical Broadcast Channel (PBCH) block (SSB) or a Channel State Information RS (CSI-RS). By measuring all the DL RSs, the wireless device can determine and report to the network node the best DL beam to use for DL transmissions. The network node can then transmit a burst of DL-RS in the reported best DL beam to let the wireless device evaluate candidate wireless device RX beams.

Although not explicitly stated in the 3 GPP NR specification, beam management has been divided into, for example, three procedures (P-1 (Pl procedure) to P-3 (P3 procedure)), schematically illustrated in the example of FIG. 1 : P-1: Purpose is to find a coarse direction for the wireless device using wide network node TX beam covering the whole angular sector;

P-2: Purpose is to refine the network node TX beam by performing a new beam search around the coarse direction found in Pl;

P-3: Used for a wireless device that has analog beamforming to let the wireless device find a suitable wireless device RX beam.

P-1 is expected to utilize beams with rather large beamwidths and where the beam reference signals are transmitted periodically and are shared between all wireless devices of the cell. Typically reference signal to use for P-1 are periodic CSI-RS or SSB. The wireless device then reports the N best beams to the network node and their corresponding RSRP values.

P-2 is expected to use aperiodic/or semi-persistent CSI-RS transmitted in narrow beams around the coarse direction found in P-1.

P-3 is expected to use aperiodic or semi-persistent CSI-RSs repeatedly transmitted in one narrow network node beam. One alternative way is to let the wireless device determine a suitable wireless device RX beam based on the periodic SSB transmission. Since each SSB consists of four OFDM symbols, a maximum of four wireless device RX beams can be evaluated during each SSB burst transmission. One benefit with using SSB instead of CSI-RS is that no extra overhead of CSI-RS transmission is needed.

Beam indication

In NR, several signals can be transmitted from different antenna ports of a same network node. These signals can have the same large-scale properties such as Doppler shift/spread, average delay spread, or average delay. These antenna ports are considered to be quasi co-located (QCL).

If the wireless device knows that two antenna ports are QCL with respect to a certain parameter (e.g., Doppler spread), the wireless device can estimate that parameter based on one of the antenna ports and apply that estimate for receiving signal on the other antenna port.

For example, there may be a QCL relation between a channel state informationreference signal (CSI-RS) for tracking reference signal (TRS) and the physical downlink shared channel (PDSCH) demodulation reference signal (DMRS). When a wireless device receives the PDSCH DMRS it can use the measurements already made on the TRS to assist the DMRS reception. Information about what assumptions can be made regarding QCL is signaled to the wireless device from the network node. In NR, four types of QCL relations between a transmitted source RS and transmitted target RS were defined:

Type A: {Doppler shift, Doppler spread, average delay, delay spread}

Type B: {Doppler shift, Doppler spread}

Type C: {average delay, Doppler shift}

Type D: {Spatial Rx parameter}

QCL type D was introduced in NR to, for example, facilitate beam management with analog beamforming and is known as spatial QCL. There is currently no strict definition of spatial QCL, but the understanding is that if two transmitted antenna ports are spatially QCL, the wireless device can use the same Rx beam to receive them. This is helpful for a wireless device that uses analog beamforming to receive signals, since the wireless device needs to adjust its RX beam in some direction prior to receiving a certain signal. If the wireless device knows that the signal is spatially QCL with some other signal it has received earlier, then the wireless device can safely use the same RX beam to also receive this signal.

In NR, the spatial QCL relation for a DL or UL signal/channel can be indicated to the wireless device by using a “beam indication”. The “beam indication” is used to help the wireless device to find a suitable RX beam for DL reception, and/or a suitable TX beam for UL transmission. In NR, the “beam indication” for DL is conveyed to the wireless device by indicating a transmission configuration indicator (TCI) state to the wireless device, while in UL the “beam indication” can be conveyed by indicating a DLRS or UL-RS as spatial relation (in NR Release Rel-15/16 (i.e., 3GPP Rel-15/16)) or a TCI state (in NR rel-17 (i.e., 3GPP Rel-17)).

Beam management with unified TCI framework

In NR, downlink beam management is performed by conveying spatial QCL (‘Type D’) assumptions to the wireless device through TCI states.

In 3 GPP NR Rel-15 and 3 GPP Rel-16, for physical downlink control channel (PDCCH), the network (NW)/network node configures the wireless device with a set of PDCCH TCI states by radio resource control (RRC), and then activates one TCI state per CORESET using MAC CE. For PDSCH beam management, the NW/network node configures the wireless device with a set of PDSCH TCI states by RRC, and then activates up to 8 TCI states by MAC CE. After activation, the NW/network node dynamically indicates one of these activated TCI states using a TCI field in DCI when scheduling PDSCH.

Such a framework allows for more flexibility for the network/network node to instruct the wireless device to receive signals from different spatial directions in DL with a cost of large signaling overhead and slow beam switch. These limitations are particularly noticeable and costly when wireless device movement is considered. One example is that beam update using DCI can only be performed for PDSCH, and MAC-CE and/or RRC is required to update the beam for other reference signal s/channels, with cause extra overhead and latency.

Furthermore, in majority of cases, the network/network node transmits to and receives from a wireless device in the same direction for both data and control. Hence, using separate framework (TCI state respective spatial relations) for different channel s/signals complicates the implementations.

In 3 GPP Rel-17, a common beam framework was introduced to help simplify beam management in FR2, in which a common beam represented by a TCI state may be activated/indicated to a wireless device and the common beam is applicable for multiple channel s/signals such as PDCCH and PDSCH. The common beam framework is also referred to a unified TCI state framework.

The new framework can be RRC configured in one out two modes of operation, i.e., “Joint DL/UL TCI” or “Separate DL/UL TCI”. For “Joint DL/UL TCI”, one common Joint TCI state is used for both DL and UL signals/channels. For “Separate DL/UL TCI”, one common DL-only TCI state is used for DL channel s/signals and one common UL-only TCI state is used for UL signals/channels.

A unified TCI state can be updated in a similar way as the TCI state update for PDSCH in Rel-15/16, i.e., with one of two alternatives:

• Two-stage: RRC signaling is used to configure a number unified TCI states in higher layer parameter PDSCH-config, and a MAC-CE is used to activate one of unified TCI states.

• Three-stage: RRC signaling is used to configure a number unified TCI states in PDSCH-config, a MAC-CE is used to activate up to 8 unified TCI states, and a 3- bit TCI state bitfield in DCI is used to indicate one of the activate unified TCI states.

The one activated or indicated unified TCI state may be used in subsequent both PDCCH and PDSCH transmissions until a new unified TCI state is activated or indicated. The existing DCI formats 1 1 and 1 2 are reused for beam indication, both with and without DL assignment. For DCI formats 1 1 and 1 2 with DL assignment, acknowledgement/negative acknowledgement (ACK/NACK) of the PDSCH can be used as indication of successful reception of beam indication. For DCI formats 1 1 and 1 2 without DL assignment, an new ACK/NACK mechanism analogous to that for SPS PDSCH release with both type-1 and type-2 HARQ-ACK codebook is used, where upon a successful reception of the beam indication DCI, the UE reports an ACK.

For DCLbased beam indication, the first slot to apply the indicated TCI is at least Y symbols after the last symbol of the acknowledgment of the joint or separate DL/UL beam indication. The Y symbols are configured by the network node based on wireless device capability, which is also reported in units of symbols. The values of Y are yet not determined and are left to RAN4 to determine.

Reference signal

Reference signal configurations

CSI-RS

A CSI-RS is transmitted over each transmit (Tx) antenna port at the network node and for different antenna ports. The CSI-RS are multiplexed in time, frequency, and code domain such that the channel between each Tx antenna port at the network node and each receive antenna port at a wireless device can be measured by the wireless device. The time-frequency resource used for transmitting CSI-RS is referred to as a CSI-RS resource.

In NR, the CSI-RS for beam management is defined as a 1- or 2-port CSI-RS resource in a CSI-RS resource set where the filed repetition is present. The following three example types of CSI-RS transmissions are supported:

• Periodic CSI-RS: CSI-RS is transmitted periodically in certain slots. This CSI-RS transmission is semi-statically configured using RRC signaling with parameters such as CSI-RS resource, periodicity, and slot offset.

• Semi -Persistent CSI-RS: Similar to periodic CSI-RS, resources for semi-persistent CSI-RS transmissions are semi-statically configured using RRC signaling with parameters such as periodicity and slot offset. However, unlike periodic CSI-RS, dynamic signaling is needed to activate and deactivate the CSI-RS transmission.

• Aperiodic CSI-RS: This is a one-shot CSI-RS transmission that can happen in any slot. Here, one-shot means that CSI-RS transmission only happens once per trigger. The CSI-RS resources (i.e., the RE locations which consist of subcarrier locations and OFDM symbol locations) for aperiodic CSI-RS are semi-statically configured. The transmission of aperiodic CSI-RS is triggered by dynamic signaling through PDCCH using the CSI request field in UL DCI, in the same DCI where the UL resources for the measurement report are scheduled. Multiple aperiodic CSI-RS resources can be included in a CSI-RS resource set and the triggering of aperiodic CSI-RS is on a resource set basis.

SSB:

In NR, an SSB has a pair of synchronization signals (SSs), physical broadcast channel (PBCH), and DMRS for PBCH. A SSB is mapped to 4 consecutive OFDM symbols in the time domain and 240 contiguous subcarriers (20 RBs) in the frequency domain.

To support beamforming and beam-sweeping for SSB transmission, in NR, a cell can transmit multiple SSBs in different narrow-beams in a time multiplexed fashion. The transmission of these SSBs is confined to a half frame time interval (5 ms). It is also possible to configure a cell to transmit multiple SSBs in a single wide-beam with multiple repetitions. The design of beamforming parameters for each of the SSBs within a half frame may be based on network implementation. The SSBs within a half frame are broadcasted periodically from each cell. The periodicity of the half frames with SS/PBCH blocks is referred to as SSB periodicity, which is indicated by system information block 1 (SIB1).

The maximum number of SSBs within a half frame, denoted by L, depends on the frequency band, and the time locations for these L candidate SSBs within a half frame depends on the SCS of the SSBs. The L candidate SSBs within a half frame are indexed in an ascending order in time from 0 to L-l. By successfully detecting PBCH and its associated DMRS, a wireless device knows the SSB index. A cell does not necessarily transmit SS/PBCH blocks in all L candidate locations in a half frame, and the resource of the un-used candidate positions can be used for the transmission of data or control signaling instead. It may be up to network implementation to decide which candidate time locations to select for SSB transmission within a half frame, and which beam to use for each SSB transmission.

Measurement resource configurations

In NR, a wireless device can be configured with N>1 CSI reporting settings (i.e., CSI-ReportConfig), M>1 resource settings (i.e., CSI-ResourceConfig), where each CSI reporting setting is linked to one or more resource setting for channel and/or interference measurement. The CSI framework is modular, meaning that several CSI reporting settings may be associated with the same Resource Setting.

The measurement resource configurations for beam management are provided to the wireless device by RRC information elements (IES) CSI-ResourceConfigs. One CSI- ResourceConfig contains several NZP-CSI-RS-ResourceSets and/or CSI-SSB- ResourceSets.

A wireless device can be configured to perform measurement on CSI-RSs. Here the RRC information element (IE) NZP-CSI-RS-ResourceSet is used. A NZP CSI-RS resource set contains the configuration of Ks >1 CSI-RS resources, where the configuration of each CSI-RS resource includes at least: mapping to REs, the number of antenna ports, time-domain behavior, etc. Up to 64 CSI-RS resources can be grouped to a NZP-CSI-RS-ResourceSet. A wireless device can also be configured to perform measurements on SSBs. Here, the RRC IE CSI-SSB-ResourceSet is used. Resource sets comprising SSB resources are defined in a similar manner.

In cases of aperiodic CSI-RS and/or aperiodic CSI reporting, the network node configures the wireless device with S _c CSI triggering states. Each triggering state contains the aperiodic CSI report setting to be triggered along with the associated aperiodic CSI-RS resource sets.

Periodic and semi-persistent Resource Settings may only include a single resource set (i.e., S=l) while S>=1 for aperiodic Resource Settings. This is because in the aperiodic case, one out of the S resource sets included in the Resource Setting is indicated by the aperiodic triggering state that triggers a CSI report.

Measurement Reporting

Three types of CSI reporting may be supported in NR as follows:

• Periodic CSI Reporting on PUCCH: CSI is reported periodically by a wireless device. Parameters such as periodicity and slot offset are configured semi-statically by higher layer RRC signaling from the network node to the wireless device.

• Semi -Persistent CSI Reporting on PUSCH or PUCCH: similar to periodic CSI reporting, semi-persistent CSI reporting has a periodicity and slot offset which may be semi-statically configured. However, a dynamic trigger from network node to wireless device may be needed to allow the wireless device to begin semi- persistent CSI reporting. A dynamic trigger from network node to wireless device is needed to request the wireless device to stop the semi -persistent CSI reporting. • Aperiodic CSI Reporting on PUSCH: This type of CSI reporting involves a singleshot (i.e., one time) CSI report by a wireless device which is dynamically triggered by the network node using DCI. Some of the parameters related to the configuration of the aperiodic CSI report is semi-statically configured by RRC but the triggering is dynamic.

In each CSI reporting setting, the content and time-domain behavior of the report is defined, along with the linkage to the associated Resource Settings. The CSI-ReportConfig IE includes the following configurations:

• reportConfigType o Defines the time-domain behavior, i.e., periodic CSI reporting, semi- persistent CSI reporting, or aperiodic CSI reporting, along with the periodicity and slot offset of the report for periodic CSI reporting.

• reportQuantity o Defines the reported CSI parameter(s) (i.e. the CSI content), such as PMI, CQI, RI, LI (layer indicator), CRI (CSLRS resource index) and Ll-RSRP. Only a certain number of combinations are possible (e.g. ‘cri-RI-PMI-CQI’ is one possible value and ‘cri-RSRP’ is another) and each value of reportQuantity could be said to correspond to a certain CSI mode.

• codebookConfig o Defines the codebook used for PMI reporting, along with possible codebook subset restriction (CBSR). Two “Types” of PMI codebook are defined in NR, Type I CSI and Type II CSI, each codebook type further has two variants each.

• reportFrequencyConfiguration o Define the frequency granularity of PMI and CQI (wideband or subband), if reported, along with the CSI reporting band, which is a subset of subbands of the bandwidth part (BWP) which the CSI corresponds to

• Measurement restriction in time domain (ON/OFF) for channel and interference respectively

For beam management, a wireless device can be configured to report Ll-RSRP for up to four different CSLRS/SSB resource indicators. The reported RSRP value corresponding to the first (best) CRI/SSBRI requires 7 bits, using absolute values, while the others require 4 bits using encoding relative to the first. In NR release 16, the report of Ll-SINR for beam management has already been supported.

Beam prediction

One example artificial intelligence/machine learning (AI/ML)-model currently discussed in the Al for air-interface 3GPP Rel-18 includes predicting the channel with respect to a beam for a certain time-frequency resource. The expected performance of such predictor depends on several different aspects, for example time/frequency variation of channel due to wireless device mobility or changes in the environment. Due to the inherit correlation in time, frequency and the spatial domain of the channel, an ML-model can be trained to exploit such correlations. The spatial domain can include of different beams, where the correlation properties partly depend on the how the network node antennas forms the different beams, and how wireless device forms the receiver beams.

The wireless device can use such prediction ML-model to reduce its measurement related to beamforming. In NR, one can request a device to measure on a set of SSB beams or/and CSLRS beams. A stationary device typically experiences less variations in beam quality in comparison to a moving device. The stationary device can therefore save battery and reduce the number of beam measurements by instead using an ML model to predict the beam quality without an explicit measurement. It can do this, for example, by measuring a subset of the beams and predicting the rest of the beams. For example, one can with the use of Al measure on a subset of beams in order to predict the best beam, which can reduce up to 75% of the measurement time.

In one existing system, a method is described for enabling a wireless device to predict future beam values based on historical values. Based on received device data from measurement reports, the network node can learn, for example, which sequences of signal quality measurements (e.g., RSRP measurements) lead to large signal quality drop events (e.g., turning around the corners in FIG. 2 which shows two devices moving on similar paths). This learning procedure can be enabled, for example, by dividing periodically reported RSRP data into a training and prediction window.

In the example of FIG. 2, two devices move and turn around the same corner. Wireless device 120b, marked by dashed line, is the first to turn around the corner and experience a large signal quality drop. The idea is to mitigate the drop of a second device 120a by using learning from the first device’s experiences.

The learning can be done by feeding RSRP in ti, . . . , tn into a machine learning model (e.g. neural network), and then learn the RSRP in tn+i, tn+2. After the model is trained, the network node can then predict future signal quality values, the signal quality prediction can then be used to avoid radio-link failure, or beam failure, by:

Initiate inter-frequency handover

Set handover/reselection parameters

Pre-emptively perform candidate beam selection to avoid beam failure

Change device scheduler priority, for example schedule device when the expected signal quality is good.

Considerations re 3 GPP

Studying artificial intelligence/machine learning (AI/ML) based spatial beam prediction for a set A of beams based on measurement results of Set B of beams was considered by the 3GPP. The Set B of beams could either be a subset of the Set A of beams, or the set A of beams could consist of different beams compared to the Set B of beams (for example, Set A consists of narrow beams and Set B consists of wide beams). The spatial beam prediction could either be performed at the network node side or at the wireless device side.

With the introduction of new features at every 3GPP release, the amount of CSI measurements the wireless device is configured to perform and to report continues to increase. With deployment in higher frequencies, as in 5G NR, the number of measurements and/or reporting is even higher as the wireless device is configured to perform measurements on resources (downlink (DL) reference signals (RSs), e.g., SSBs and/or CSI-RSs) transmitted in multiple spatial domain directions (e.g., DL RSs transmitted using spatial domain filters) which may be called DL beams or simply beams transmitted by the network node.

Having to perform more CSI measurements increases the wireless device energy consumption, and, if these measurements are based on DL RSs, which the network node transmits primarily for that purpose (e.g., CSI-RSs for beam measurements), that represents an increased overhead in network node transmissions and interference. In addition, more DL RSs / beams to be measured may lead to an increased delay in performing CSI measurements which may lead to delay in making CSI measurements available for being reported. Longer delays to make CSI measurements available may lead to a risk of failure in the connection, such as beam failure detection (BFD) and/or Radio Link Failure (RLF) as the wireless device may be trying to report to the network node that the current beam (e.g., the DL RS associated to the currently activated TCI State) has poor quality or that there is a better beam (e.g., another DL RS associated to another TCI State) available, so that if the process, e.g., CSI reporting process, takes too long, it may be too late for the network node to trigger a beam switching command (e.g., MAC CE indicating a new TCI state to be activated), so a failure may occur. Hence, existing measurements schemes are not without issues.

SUMMARY

Some embodiments advantageously provide methods, systems, and apparatuses for wireless device based spatial-domain predictions.

Embodiments described herein provide for different methods at a wireless device for performing spatial-domain predictions of measurements, the method may include:

Receiving a message including a DL reference signal configuration and a CSI report configuration configuring the wireless device to perform one or more spatial-domain predictions of one of more CSI measurements on one or more Reference Signal(s) and/or Synchronization Signal(s) (denoted Set A); and Performing the one or more spatial -domain predictions of the one of more CSI measurements on the one or more Reference Signal(s) and/or Synchronization Signal(s); and

Transmitting a CSI prediction report to the network node/network, including prediction information derived based on the one or more spatial-domain predict! on(s).

According to the method, the wireless device may perform the one or more spatial- domain predictions of the one of more CSI measurements on the one or more Reference Signal(s) and/or Synchronization Signal(s) (denoted Set A) based on one or more CSI measurements performed on a different set of RSs and/or SSs (denoted Set B). Thus, the one or more CSI measurements performed on a different set of RSs and/or SSs (denoted Set B) may be considered as input to an AI/ML model (inference function) which provides the spatial-domain predictions as output.

In the method, the set of DL RS(s) (Set A) may be transmitted by the network node in different spatial directions and/or with different spatial domain filters. Thus, these DL RSs corresponds to a set of beams A, or simply Set A of beams, or set A. Similarly, the set of DL RS(s) (Set B) may be transmitted by the network node 16 in different spatial directions and/or with different spatial domain filters. Thus, these DL RSs corresponds to a set of beams B, or simply Set B of beams, or set B. One or more embodiments described herein provide different methods at a network function (network node, e.g., gNodeB) for configuring a wireless device to performing spatial-domain predictions of measurements, one example method includes:

Transmitting to the wireless device a message including a DL reference signal configuration and a CSI report configuration configuring so the wireless device performs one or more spatial-domain predictions of one of more CSI measurements on one or more RSs and SSs (denoted Set A); and

Receiving a CSI prediction report from the wireless device, including prediction information derived based on the one or more spatial-domain predict! on(s).

In one or more embodiments, the wireless device is configured to report one or more spatial-domain predictions on Set A and determines whether it includes in the CSI report a measurement or prediction(s). In one option, the wireless device indicates whether the report includes one or more measurements and/or prediction(s).

In one or more embodiments, the Set A and B are from the same or different cells where each cell may be provided by the same of different network node.

In one or more embodiments, one or more functions described herein may be based on offline training such that, for example, when the configuration(s) have been determined and/or implemented, the network node may not transmit the set A (e.g., the predicted beam set) since the wireless device performs predictions for this set and does not measure this set (e.g., predictions for Set A are based on measurements of set B).

According to one aspect of the present disclosure, a wireless device configured to communicate with a network node is provided. The wireless device is configured to: perform at least one measurement of at least a first reference signal of a first set of reference signals, where the first set of reference signals is associated with a first set of network beams, and perform at least one spatial-domain prediction of at least one measurement associated with a second set of network beams, where the at least one spatial-domain prediction is based on the at least one measurement of at least the first reference signal of the first set of reference signals.

According to one or more embodiments of this aspect, the wireless device is further configured to indicate the at least one spatial-domain prediction of the at least one measurement to the network node.

According to one or more embodiments of this aspect, the wireless device is further configured to: select a subset of beams from the second set of network beams, where each of the subset of beams is associated with one of a measurement or a spatial - domain prediction of a measurement having a signal characteristic greater than a signal characteristic associated with the remaining beams of the second set of network beams, and indicate the selected subset of beams to the network node.

According to one or more embodiments of this aspect, the signal characteristic is one of Reference Signal Received Power, RSRP, reference signal received quality, RSRQ, signal to interference plus noise ratio, SINR, or received signal strength indicator, RSSI, .

According to one or more embodiments of this aspect, the wireless device is further configured to receive a downlink reference signal configuration associated with a plurality of reference signal resources for the first set of reference signals.

According to one or more embodiments of this aspect, the wireless device is further configured to receive a downlink reference signal configuration with a plurality of reference signal resources associated with a second set of reference signals, where the second set of reference signal resources is associated with the second set of network beams.

According to one or more embodiments of this aspect, the downlink reference signal configuration indicates the plurality of signal resources for the first set of reference signals are one of: a plurality of channel state information, CSI, resources, a plurality of synchronization signal block, SSB, resources, or a plurality of CSI resources and SSB resources.

According to one or more embodiments of this aspect, the downlink reference signal configuration indicates the plurality of signal resources for the second set of reference signals are one of: a plurality of CSI resources, a plurality of SSB resources, or a plurality of CSI resources and SSB resources.

According to one or more embodiments of this aspect, the downlink reference signal configuration indicates the plurality of signal resources for the second set of reference signals are one of a plurality of channel state information, CSI, resources or a synchronization signal block, SSB, resources.

According to one or more embodiments of this aspect, the wireless device is further configured to receive a channel state information, CSI, report configuration, where the CSI report configuration indicates to perform at least one measurement of at least the first signal of the first set of reference signals and to report at least one spatial-domain prediction of at least one measurement associated with a beam from the second set of network beams.

According to one or more embodiments of this aspect, a configuration of the first set of reference signals and a configuration of the second set of network beams are associated with the CSI report configuration.

According to one or more embodiments of this aspect, the performing of the measurement of at least the first reference signal of the first set of reference signals includes performing channel state information, CSI, measurements for a plurality of reference signals of the first set of reference signals.

According to one or more embodiments of this aspect, the at least one spatial- domain prediction of at least one measurement includes predicting k beams of the second set of network beams where k is a positive integer.

According to one or more embodiments of this aspect, the first set of reference signals are associated with a first cell and the second set of network beams are associated with a second cell different from the first cell.

According to one or more embodiments of this aspect, the wireless device is further configured to indicate a capability for supporting spatial-domain prediction of at least one measurement.

According to one or more embodiments of this aspect, the indication of the capability indicates at least one of: a maximum number of beams associated with the second set of network beams, a minimum number of beams associated with the second set of network beams, a minimum number of beams associated with the first set of network beams, a maximum number of beams associated with the first set of network beams, a machine learning, ML, processing capability; or a network antenna/beam configuration identifier associated with a trained ML model.

According to one or more embodiments of this aspect, the wireless device is further configured to receive a set of beam identifiers associated with the second set of network beams.

According to another aspect of the present disclosure, a method implemented by a a wireless device is provided. At least one measurement of at least a first reference signal of a first set of reference signals is performed, where the first set of reference signals is associated with a first set of network beams. At least one spatial-domain prediction of at least one measurement associated with a second set of network beams is performed, where the at least one spatial-domain prediction is based on the at least one measurement of at least the first reference signal of the first set of reference signals. According to one or more embodiments of this aspect, the at least one spatial-domain prediction of the at least one measurement is indicated to the network node. According to one or more embodiments of this aspect, a subset of beams are selected from the second set of network beams, where each of the subset of beams is associated with one of a measurement or a spatial-domain prediction of a measurement having a signal characteristic greater than a signal characteristic associated with the remaining beams of the second set of network beams, and the selected subset of beams are indicated to the network node.

According to one or more embodiments of this aspect, the signal characteristic is one of Reference Signal Received Power, RSRP, reference signal received quality, RSRQ, signal to interference plus noise ratio, SINR, or received signal strength indicator, RSSI, .

According to one or more embodiments of this aspect, a downlink reference signal configuration associated with a plurality of reference signal resources for the first set of reference signals is received.

According to one or more embodiments of this aspect, receiving a downlink reference signal configuration with a plurality of reference signal resources associated with a second set of reference signals is received, where the second set of reference signal resources is associated with the second set of network beams.

According to one or more embodiments of this aspect, the downlink reference signal configuration indicates the plurality of signal resources for the first set of reference signals are one of: a plurality of channel state information, CSI, resources, a plurality of synchronization signal block, SSB, resources, or a plurality of CSI resources and SSB resources.

According to one or more embodiments of this aspect, the downlink reference signal configuration indicates the plurality of signal resources for the second set of reference signals are one of: a plurality of CSI resources, a plurality of SSB resources, or a plurality of CSI resources and SSB resources.

According to one or more embodiments of this aspect, the downlink reference signal configuration indicates the plurality of signal resources for the second set of reference signals are one of a plurality of channel state information, CSI, resources or a synchronization signal block, SSB, resources.

According to one or more embodiments of this aspect, a channel state information, CSI, report configuration is received, where the CSI report configuration indicates to perform at least one measurement of at least the first signal of the first set of reference signals and to report at least one spatial -domain prediction of at least one measurement associated with a beam from the second set of network beams. According to one or more embodiments of this aspect, a configuration of the first set of reference signals and a configuration of the second set of network beams are associated with the CSI report configuration.

According to one or more embodiments of this aspect, the performing of the measurement of at least the first reference signal of the first set of reference signals includes performing channel state information, CSI, measurements for a plurality of reference signals of the first set of reference signals.

According to one or more embodiments of this aspect, the at least one spatial- domain prediction of at least one measurement includes predicting k beams of the second set of network beams where k is a positive integer.

According to one or more embodiments of this aspect, the first set of reference signals are associated with a first cell and the second set of network beams are associated with a second cell different from the first cell.

According to one or more embodiments of this aspect, a capability for supporting spatial-domain prediction of at least one measurement is indicated.

According to one or more embodiments of this aspect, the indication of the capability indicates at least one of: a maximum number of beams associated with the second set of network beams, a minimum number of beams associated with the second set of network beams, a minimum number of beams associated with the first set of network beams, a maximum number of beams associated with the first set of network beams, a machine learning, ML, processing capability, or a network antenna/beam configuration identifier associated with a trained ML model.

According to one or more embodiments of this aspect, a set of beam identifiers associated with the second set of network beams are received.

According to another aspect of the present disclosure, a network node configured to communicate with a wireless device is provided. The network node is configured to: transmit a downlink reference signal configuration associated with: a plurality of reference signal resources for a first set of reference signals, where the first set of reference signals being associated with a first set of network beams, and a plurality of reference signal resources for a second set of reference signals, where the second set of reference signal resources being associated with a second set of network beams. The network node is further configured to transmit a channel state information, CSI, report configuration, where the CSI report configuration indicating for the wireless device to: perform at least one measurement of at least a first signal of the first set of reference signals, and report at least one spatial -domain prediction of at least one measurement associated with a beam from the second set of network beams, receive an indication of the at least one spatial- domain prediction of the at least one measurement, and perform beam management based on the indication.

According to one or more embodiments of this aspect, the network node is configured to receive an indication of subset of beams from the second set of network beams, where each of the subset of beams is associated with one of a measurement or a spatial-domain prediction of a measurement having a signal characteristic greater than a signal characteristic associated with the remaining beams of the second set of network beams.

According to one or more embodiments of this aspect, the signal characteristic is one of reference signal received power, RSRP, reference signal received quality, RSRQ, signal to interference plus noise ratio, SINR, or received signal strength indicator, RSSI.

According to one or more embodiments of this aspect, the downlink reference signal configuration indicates the plurality of signal resources for the first set of reference signals are one of: a plurality of channel state information, CSI, resources, a plurality of synchronization signal block, SSB, resources, or a plurality of CSI resources and SSB resources.

According to one or more embodiments of this aspect, the downlink reference signal configuration indicates the plurality of signal resources for the second set of reference signals are one of: a plurality of CSI resources; a plurality of SSB resources; or a plurality of CSI resources and SSB resources.

According to one or more embodiments of this aspect, the downlink reference signal configuration indicates the plurality of signal resources for the second set of reference signals are one of a plurality of channel state information, CSI, resources or a synchronization signal block, SSB, resources.

According to one or more embodiments of this aspect, the at least one spatial- domain prediction of at least one measurement includes predicting k beams of the second set of network beams where k is a positive integer.

According to one or more embodiments of this aspect, the first set of reference signals are associated with a first cell and the second set of network beams are associated with a second cell different from the first cell. According to one or more embodiments of this aspect, the network node is further configured to receive an indication of wireless device capability for supporting spatial- domain prediction of at least one measurement.

According to one or more embodiments of this aspect, the indication of the wireless device capability indicates at least one of: a maximum number of beams associated with the second set of network beams, a minimum number of beams associated with the second set of network beams, a minimum number of beams associated with the first set of network beams, a maximum number of beams associated with the first set of network beams, a machine learning, ML, processing capability, or a network antenna/beam configuration identifier associated with a trained ML model, and the CSI report configuration is based on the indication of wireless device capability.

According to one or more embodiments of this aspect, a configuration of the first set of reference signals and a configuration of the second set of network beams are associated with the CSI report configuration.

According to one or more embodiments of this aspect, the network node is further configured to transmit a set of beam identifiers associated with the second set of network beams.

According to another aspect of the present disclosure, a method implemented by a network node that is configured to communicate with a wireless device is provided. A downlink reference signal configuration is transmitted where the downlink reference signal is associated with a plurality of reference signal resources for a first set of reference signals, the first set of reference signals being associated with a first set of network beams, and a plurality of reference signal resources for a second set of reference signals, where the second set of reference signal resources being associated with a second set of network beams. A channel state information, CSI, report configuration is transmitted, where the CSI report configuration indicates for the wireless device to perform at least one measurement of at least a first signal of the first set of reference signals, and report at least one spatial-domain prediction of at least one measurement associated with a beam from the second set of network beams. An indication of the at least one spatial-domain prediction of the at least one measurement is received. Beam management is performed based on the indication.

According to one or more embodiments of this aspect, an indication of subset of beams from the second set of network beams is received, where each of the subset of beams is associated with one of a measurement or a spatial -domain prediction of a measurement having a signal characteristic greater than a signal characteristic associated with the remaining beams of the second set of network beams.

According to one or more embodiments of this aspect, the signal characteristic is one of reference signal received power, RSRP, reference signal received quality, RSRQ, signal to interference plus noise ratio, SINR, or received signal strength indicator, RSSI.

According to one or more embodiments of this aspect, the downlink reference signal configuration indicates the plurality of signal resources for the first set of reference signals are one of: a plurality of channel state information, CSI, resources, a plurality of synchronization signal block, SSB, resources, or a plurality of CSI resources and SSB resources.

According to one or more embodiments of this aspect, the downlink reference signal configuration indicates the plurality of signal resources for the second set of reference signals are one of: a plurality of CSI resources, a plurality of SSB resources, or a plurality of CSI resources and SSB resources.

According to one or more embodiments of this aspect, the downlink reference signal configuration indicates the plurality of signal resources for the second set of reference signals are one of a plurality of channel state information, CSI, resources or a synchronization signal block, SSB, resources.

According to one or more embodiments of this aspect, the at least one spatial- domain prediction of at least one measurement includes predicting k beams of the second set of network beams where k is a positive integer.

According to one or more embodiments of this aspect, the first set of reference signals are associated with a first cell and the second set of network beams are associated with a second cell different from the first cell.

According to one or more embodiments of this aspect, an indication of wireless device capability for supporting spatial-domain prediction of at least one measurement is received.

According to one or more embodiments of this aspect, the indication of the wireless device capability indicates at least one of: a maximum number of beams associated with the second set of network beams, a minimum number of beams associated with the second set of network beams, a minimum number of beams associated with the first set of network beams, a maximum number of beams associated with the first set of network beams, a machine learning, ML, processing capability, or a network antenna/beam configuration identifier associated with a trained ML model, and the CSI report configuration is based on the indication of wireless device capability.

According to one or more embodiments of this aspect, a configuration of the first set of reference signals and a configuration of the second set of network beams are associated with the CSI report configuration.

According to one or more embodiments of this aspect, a set of beam identifiers associated with the second set of network beams is transmitted.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

A more complete understanding of the present embodiments, and the attendant advantages and features thereof, will be more readily understood by reference to the following detailed description when considered in conjunction with the accompanying drawings wherein:

FIG. l is a diagram of an example of a beam management procedure;

FIG. 2 is a diagram of two moving devices on similar paths;

FIG. 3 is a schematic diagram of an example network architecture illustrating a communication system connected via an intermediate network to a host computer according to the principles in the present disclosure;

FIG. 4 is a block diagram of a host computer communicating via a network node with a wireless device over an at least partially wireless connection according to some embodiments of the present disclosure;

FIG. 5 is a flowchart illustrating example methods implemented in a communication system including a host computer, a network node and a wireless device for executing a client application at a wireless device according to some embodiments of the present disclosure;

FIG. 6 is a flowchart illustrating example methods implemented in a communication system including a host computer, a network node and a wireless device for receiving user data at a wireless device according to some embodiments of the present disclosure;

FIG. 7 is a flowchart illustrating example methods implemented in a communication system including a host computer, a network node and a wireless device for receiving user data from the wireless device at a host computer according to some embodiments of the present disclosure; FIG. 8 is a flowchart illustrating example methods implemented in a communication system including a host computer, a network node and a wireless device for receiving user data at a host computer according to some embodiments of the present disclosure;

FIG. 9 is a flowchart of an example process in a network node according to some embodiments of the present disclosure;

FIG. 10 is a flowchart of another example process in a network node according to some embodiments of the present disclosure;

FIG. 11 is a flowchart of an example process in a wireless device according to some embodiments of the present disclosure;

FIG. 12 is a flowchart of another example process in a wireless device according to some embodiments of the present disclosure;

FIG. 13 is a diagram of a schematic example of Set A and Set B of beams where Set B of beams are wide network node beams and Set A are narrow network node beams;

FIG. 14 is a diagram of a schematic example of Set A and Set B of beams where Set B of beams are wide and narrow network node beams and Set A are narrow network node beam;

FIG. 15 is a diagram of a schematic example of Set A and Set B of beams where Set B of beams is the subset of Set A beams;

FIG. 16 is a flowchart of another example process at the wireless device in accordance with some embodiments the present disclosure;

FIG. 17 is a signaling diagram of an example process according to some embodiments of the present disclosure;

FIG. 18 is a diagram of an example of periodicity of CSI reporting and CSI prediction reporting according to some embodiments of the present disclosure; and

FIG. 19 is a diagram of another example of periodicity of CSI reporting and CSI prediction reporting according to some embodiments of the present disclosure.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

As discussed above, existing systems have increased the amount of measurements (e.g., CSI measurements) performed by the wireless, which may lead to other issues such as, for example, beam failure detection (BFM) and/or radio link failure (RLF). One or more embodiments described herein advantageously help reduce the CSI measurements performed by the wireless device (e.g., compared to existing systems), but still provide timely and accurate information to the network node about the quality of beams that the network node may use to serve the wireless device.

Before describing in detail example embodiments, it is noted that the embodiments reside primarily in combinations of apparatus components and processing steps related to wireless device based spatial-domain predictions. Accordingly, components have been represented where appropriate by conventional symbols in the drawings, showing only those specific details that are pertinent to understanding the embodiments so as not to obscure the disclosure with details that will be readily apparent to those of ordinary skill in the art having the benefit of the description herein. Like numbers refer to like elements throughout the description.

As used herein, relational terms, such as “first” and “second,” “top” and “bottom,” and the like, may be used solely to distinguish one entity or element from another entity or element without necessarily requiring or implying any physical or logical relationship or order between such entities or elements. The terminology used herein is for the purpose of describing particular embodiments only and is not intended to be limiting of the concepts described herein. 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,” “includes” and/or “including” when used herein, specify the presence of stated features, integers, steps, operations, elements, and/or components, but do not preclude the presence or addition of one or more other features, integers, steps, operations, elements, components, and/or groups thereof.

In embodiments described herein, the joining term, “in communication with” and the like, may be used to indicate electrical or data communication, which may be accomplished by physical contact, induction, electromagnetic radiation, radio signaling, infrared signaling or optical signaling, for example. One having ordinary skill in the art will appreciate that multiple components may interoperate and modifications and variations are possible of achieving the electrical and data communication.

In some embodiments described herein, the term “coupled,” “connected,” and the like, may be used herein to indicate a connection, although not necessarily directly, and may include wired and/or wireless connections.

The term “network node” used herein can be any kind of network node comprised in a radio network which may further comprise any of base station (BS), radio base station, base transceiver station (BTS), base station controller (BSC), radio network controller (RNC), g Node B (gNB), evolved Node B (eNB or eNodeB), Node B, multistandard radio (MSR) radio node such as MSR BS, multi-cell/multicast coordination entity (MCE), integrated access and backhaul (IAB) node, relay node, donor node controlling relay, radio access point (AP), transmission points, transmission nodes, Remote Radio Unit (RRU) Remote Radio Head (RRH), a core network node (e.g., mobile management entity (MME), self-organizing network (SON) node, a coordinating node, positioning node, MDT node, etc.), an external node (e.g., 3rd party node, a node external to the current network), nodes in distributed antenna system (DAS), a spectrum access system (SAS) node, an element management system (EMS), etc. The network node may also comprise test equipment. The term “radio node” used herein may be used to also denote a wireless device (WD) such as a wireless device (WD) or a radio network node.

In some embodiments, the non-limiting terms wireless device (WD) or a user equipment (UE) are used interchangeably. The WD herein can be any type of wireless device capable of communicating with a network node or another WD over radio signals, such as wireless device (WD). The WD may also be a radio communication device, target device, device to device (D2D) WD, machine type WD or WD capable of machine to machine communication (M2M), low-cost and/or low-complexity WD, a sensor equipped with WD, Tablet, mobile terminals, smart phone, laptop embedded equipped (LEE), laptop mounted equipment (LME), USB dongles, Customer Premises Equipment (CPE), an Internet of Things (loT) device, or a Narrowband loT (NB-IOT) device, etc.

Also, in some embodiments the generic term “radio network node” is used. It can be any kind of a radio network node which may comprise any of base station, radio base station, base transceiver station, base station controller, network controller, RNC, evolved Node B (eNB), Node B, gNB, Multi-cell/multicast Coordination Entity (MCE), IAB node, relay node, access point, radio access point, Remote Radio Unit (RRU) Remote Radio Head (RRH).

The “spatial-domain prediction” refers to the notion that based on a set of beams B or first set of beams (e.g., CSI measurements performed on DL RSs associated to the set of beams B) the wireless device predicts another set of beams A (e.g., predicts a second set of beams). Predicting the Set A may include the wireless device determining/ estimating / predicting a measurement quantity value for CSI reporting (e.g., RSRP, RSRQ, SINR, RSSI) of one or more beams, i.e., of one or more DL RSs associated to that beam (e.g., transmitting the same spatial direction and/or with the same spatial properties and/or the same spatial filtering), e.g., CSLRSRP of CSLRS resource identity XI being determined without measuring CSI-RSRP of CSI-RS resource identity XI at the time (or shortly before) of reporting, but instead, predicting based on a measurement in another beam, i.e., in a different DL RS associated to a different, e.g., SSB index Yl.

As used herein, the words “beam” (i.e. a spatial filter) and “reference signal” may be used interchangeably. In future 3 GPP specification(s), the word “reference signal” may be used, however, to facilitate the description of the present disclosure, the word “beam” is instead sometimes used.

In one or more embodiments, an AI/ML model for spatial domain beam prediction can be viewed/considered as a functionality or part of a functionality that is related to spatial domain beam prediction and is deployed/implemented/configured/defmed in a wireless device. Further although the focus is on spatial beam prediction it should be noted that the wireless device may support joint spatial and temporal domain prediction and hence spatial domain beam prediction can further also include temporal domain prediction.

Further, an AI/ML model for spatial domain beam prediction can be defined as a feature or part of a feature that is related to spatial domain beam prediction and is implemented/ supported in a wireless device. This wireless device can indicate the feature version to another node, e.g., a network node. If the AI/ML model is updated, the feature version may be changed by the wireless device. The AI/ML model can be implemented by a neural network or other types of similar functions.

An ML-model for spatial domain beam prediction may correspond to a function which receives one or more inputs (e.g. channel measurements on a set B of beams) and provide as outcome one or more decision, estimation, or prediction(s) of a certain type (e.g., CSI for a set A of beams, or top-K predicted beams from set A of beams or K beams whose associated DL RSs have the K strongest predicted RSRP values from set A of beams).

The terms “ML-model”, “Al-model”, “Model Inference”, “Model Inference function” are used interchangeable herein. A ML model or Model Inference may be a function that provides AI/ML model inference output (e.g., predictions or decisions), such as the spatial-domain predict! on(s) of beams according to the method. The Model inference function is also responsible for data preparation (e.g., data pre-processing and cleaning, formatting, and transformation) based on Inference Data delivered by a Data Collection function. The output may correspond to the inference output of the AI/ML model produced by a Model Inference function. The “Model Inference function” and interactions with it is an aspect of the present disclosure.

In the context of present disclosure, the predictions are spatial-domain predictions: thus, the input of the ML-model may correspond to one or more CSI measurements at (or starting at) at a time instance tO (or a measurement period tO+T) for at least one beam (e.g., SSB identified by SSB index X), e.g., SS-RSRP of SSB index X, which may come from a Set of beams B, and the output of the ML-model includes one or more spatial-domain predicted measurements for that time instance tO (or that measurement period tO+T) for at least one beam (e.g., SSB identified by SSB index Y), e.g., predicted SS-RSRP of SSB index Y (for that measurement period), for a set of beams A. The input to the ML-model being one or more measurements may be interpreted as an example, as there may be other type of input such as positioning, GPS position, etc. Further terminology may refer to an “actor”, as a function that receives the output from the Model inference function and triggers or performs corresponding actions. The Actor may trigger actions directed to other entities or to itself.

In one example, an ML-model may correspond to a function receiving as input one or more measurements of at least one DL RS at time instance tO (or a time interval starting or ending at tO, such as measurement period tO+T), associated to an RS identifier or index (possibly transmitted in a beam, spatial direction and/or with a spatial direction filter), e.g., transmitted in beam-X, SSB-x, CSLRS resource index x; and provide as output a prediction of a measurement s) of a different RS associated to a different RS index (possibly transmitted in a different beam, a different spatial direction and/or with a different spatial direction filter), e.g. transmitted in beam-Y, SSB-y, CSLRS resource index y.

In the context of the present disclosure, CSI measurements on one or more beams corresponds to measurement of one or more measurement quantities, e.g., RSRP and/or RSRQ, and/or RSSI, and/or SINR, measured on one or more RS(s), e.g., SSB, CSLRS, Cell-specific Reference Signal (CRS), Discovery Reference Signal (DRS), Demodulation Reference Signal (DMRS), wherein the one or more measured RS(s) may be transmitted in different spatial directi on(s), which may be referred as different beams. For example, a measurement on a beam may correspond to a SS-RSRP (Synchronization Signal Reference Signal Received Power) on an SSB index X of a cell Z, wherein the SSB of SSB index X is transmitted in a beam/ spatial direction. More examples of measurements in the context of the present disclosure may be the ones in, for example, 3GPP TS 38.215, such a SS-RSRQ, SS-SINR, CSI-RSRP, CSI-RSRQ, CSLSINR. Measurements and spatial-domain prediction of measurements on one or more beams may be obtained during a measurement period, as defined in, for example, 3 GPP TS 38.133. Thus, when the present disclosure refers to a spatial-domain measurement prediction at time tO, it may refer to a measurement period which has ended at time tO, e.g., the end of a time window, moving average of measurement samples, etc.

Note that although terminology from one particular wireless system, such as, for example, 3GPP LTE and/or New Radio (NR), may be used in this disclosure, this should not be seen as limiting the scope of the disclosure to only the aforementioned system. Other wireless systems, including without limitation Wide Band Code Division Multiple Access (WCDMA), Worldwide Interoperability for Microwave Access (WiMax), Ultra Mobile Broadband (UMB) and Global System for Mobile Communications (GSM), may also benefit from exploiting the ideas covered within this disclosure.

Note further, that functions described herein as being performed by a wireless device or a network node may be distributed over a plurality of wireless devices and/or network nodes. In other words, it is contemplated that the functions of the network node and wireless device described herein are not limited to performance by a single physical device and, in fact, can be distributed among several physical devices.

Unless otherwise defined, all terms (including 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. It will be further understood that terms used herein should be interpreted as having a meaning that is consistent with their meaning in the context of this specification and the relevant art and will not be interpreted in an idealized or overly formal sense unless expressly so defined herein.

Some embodiments provide wireless device based spatial-domain predictions.

Referring again to the drawing figures, in which like elements are referred to by like reference numerals, there is shown in FIG. 3 a schematic diagram of a communication system 10, according to an embodiment, such as a 3 GPP -type cellular network that may support standards such as LTE and/or NR (5G), which comprises an access network 12, such as a radio access network, and a core network 14. The access network 12 comprises a plurality of network nodes 16a, 16b, 16c (referred to collectively as network nodes 16), such as NBs, eNBs, gNBs or other types of wireless access points, each defining a corresponding coverage area 18a, 18b, 18c (referred to collectively as coverage areas 18). Each network node 16a, 16b, 16c is connectable to the core network 14 over a wired or wireless connection 20. A first wireless device (WD) 22a located in coverage area 18a is configured to wirelessly connect to, or be paged by, the corresponding network node 16a. A second WD 22b in coverage area 18b is wirelessly connectable to the corresponding network node 16b. While a plurality of WDs 22a, 22b (collectively referred to as wireless devices 22) are illustrated in this example, the disclosed embodiments are equally applicable to a situation where a sole WD is in the coverage area or where a sole WD is connecting to the corresponding network node 16. Note that although only two WDs 22 and three network nodes 16 are shown for convenience, the communication system may include many more WDs 22 and network nodes 16.

Also, it is contemplated that a WD 22 can be in simultaneous communication and/or configured to separately communicate with more than one network node 16 and more than one type of network node 16. For example, a WD 22 can have dual connectivity with a network node 16 that supports LTE and the same or a different network node 16 that supports NR. As an example, WD 22 can be in communication with an eNB for LTE/E-UTRAN and a gNB for NR/NG-RAN.

The communication system 10 may itself be connected to a host computer 24, which may be embodied in the hardware and/or software of a standalone server, a cloud- implemented server, a distributed server or as processing resources in a server farm. The host computer 24 may be under the ownership or control of a service provider, or may be operated by the service provider or on behalf of the service provider. The connections 26, 28 between the communication system 10 and the host computer 24 may extend directly from the core network 14 to the host computer 24 or may extend via an optional intermediate network 30. The intermediate network 30 may be one of, or a combination of more than one of, a public, private or hosted network. The intermediate network 30, if any, may be a backbone network or the Internet. In some embodiments, the intermediate network 30 may comprise two or more sub-networks (not shown).

The communication system of FIG. 3 as a whole enables connectivity between one of the connected WDs 22a, 22b and the host computer 24. The connectivity may be described as an over-the-top (OTT) connection. The host computer 24 and the connected WDs 22a, 22b are configured to communicate data and/or signaling via the OTT connection, using the access network 12, the core network 14, any intermediate network 30 and possible further infrastructure (not shown) as intermediaries. The OTT connection may be transparent in the sense that at least some of the participating communication devices through which the OTT connection passes are unaware of routing of uplink and downlink communications. For example, a network node 16 may not or need not be informed about the past routing of an incoming downlink communication with data originating from a host computer 24 to be forwarded (e.g., handed over) to a connected WD 22a. Similarly, the network node 16 need not be aware of the future routing of an outgoing uplink communication originating from the WD 22a towards the host computer 24.

A network node 16 is configured to include a CSI unit 32 which is configured to perform one or more network node 16 functions as described herein such as with respect to, for example, wireless device 22 based spatial-domain predictions. A wireless device 22 is configured to include a prediction unit 34 which is configured to perform one or more wireless device 22 functions as described herein such as with respect to, for example, wireless device 22 based spatial-domain predictions.

Example implementations, in accordance with an embodiment, of the WD 22, network node 16 and host computer 24 discussed in the preceding paragraphs will now be described with reference to FIG. 4. In a communication system 10, a host computer 24 comprises hardware (HW) 38 including a communication interface 40 configured to set up and maintain a wired or wireless connection with an interface of a different communication device of the communication system 10. The host computer 24 further comprises processing circuitry 42, which may have storage and/or processing capabilities. The processing circuitry 42 may include a processor 44 and memory 46. In particular, in addition to or instead of a processor, such as a central processing unit, and memory, the processing circuitry 42 may comprise integrated circuitry for processing and/or control, e.g., one or more processors and/or processor cores and/or FPGAs (Field Programmable Gate Array) and/or ASICs (Application Specific Integrated Circuitry) adapted to execute instructions. The processor 44 may be configured to access (e.g., write to and/or read from) memory 46, which may comprise any kind of volatile and/or nonvolatile memory, e.g., cache and/or buffer memory and/or RAM (Random Access Memory) and/or ROM (Read-Only Memory) and/or optical memory and/or EPROM (Erasable Programmable Read-Only Memory).

Processing circuitry 42 may be configured to control any of the methods and/or processes described herein and/or to cause such methods, and/or processes to be performed, e.g., by host computer 24. Processor 44 corresponds to one or more processors 44 for performing host computer 24 functions described herein. The host computer 24 includes memory 46 that is configured to store data, programmatic software code and/or other information described herein. In some embodiments, the software 48 and/or the host application 50 may include instructions that, when executed by the processor 44 and/or processing circuitry 42, causes the processor 44 and/or processing circuitry 42 to perform the processes described herein with respect to host computer 24. The instructions may be software associated with the host computer 24.

The software 48 may be executable by the processing circuitry 42. The software 48 includes a host application 50. The host application 50 may be operable to provide a service to a remote user, such as a WD 22 connecting via an OTT connection 52 terminating at the WD 22 and the host computer 24. In providing the service to the remote user, the host application 50 may provide user data which is transmitted using the OTT connection 52. The “user data” may be data and information described herein as implementing the described functionality. In one embodiment, the host computer 24 may be configured for providing control and functionality to a service provider and may be operated by the service provider or on behalf of the service provider. The processing circuitry 42 of the host computer 24 may enable the host computer 24 to observe, monitor, control, transmit to and/or receive from the network node 16 and or the wireless device 22. The processing circuitry 42 of the host computer 24 may include an information unit 54 configured to enable the service provider to one or more of analyze, process, store, determine, receive, transmit, forward, relay, etc. information described herein such as information related to, for example, wireless device 22 based spatial -domain predictions.

The communication system 10 further includes a network node 16 provided in a communication system 10 and including hardware 58 enabling it to communicate with the host computer 24 and with the WD 22. The hardware 58 may include a communication interface 60 for setting up and maintaining a wired or wireless connection with an interface of a different communication device of the communication system 10, as well as a radio interface 62 for setting up and maintaining at least a wireless connection 64 with a WD 22 located in a coverage area 18 served by the network node 16. The radio interface 62 may be formed as or may include, for example, one or more RF transmitters, one or more RF receivers, and/or one or more RF transceivers. The communication interface 60 may be configured to facilitate a connection 66 to the host computer 24. The connection 66 may be direct or it may pass through a core network 14 of the communication system 10 and/or through one or more intermediate networks 30 outside the communication system 10. In the embodiment shown, the hardware 58 of the network node 16 further includes processing circuitry 68. The processing circuitry 68 may include a processor 70 and a memory 72. In particular, in addition to or instead of a processor, such as a central processing unit, and memory, the processing circuitry 68 may comprise integrated circuitry for processing and/or control, e.g., one or more processors and/or processor cores and/or FPGAs (Field Programmable Gate Array) and/or ASICs (Application Specific Integrated Circuitry) adapted to execute instructions. The processor 70 may be configured to access (e.g., write to and/or read from) the memory 72, which may comprise any kind of volatile and/or nonvolatile memory, e.g., cache and/or buffer memory and/or RAM (Random Access Memory) and/or ROM (Read-Only Memory) and/or optical memory and/or EPROM (Erasable Programmable Read-Only Memory).

Thus, the network node 16 further has software 74 stored internally in, for example, memory 72, or stored in external memory (e.g., database, storage array, network storage device, etc.) accessible by the network node 16 via an external connection. The software 74 may be executable by the processing circuitry 68. The processing circuitry 68 may be configured to control any of the methods and/or processes described herein and/or to cause such methods, and/or processes to be performed, e.g., by network node 16. Processor 70 corresponds to one or more processors 70 for performing network node 16 functions described herein. The memory 72 is configured to store data, programmatic software code and/or other information described herein. In some embodiments, the software 74 may include instructions that, when executed by the processor 70 and/or processing circuitry 68, causes the processor 70 and/or processing circuitry 68 to perform the processes described herein with respect to network node 16. For example, processing circuitry 68 of the network node 16 may include CSI unit 32 configured to perform one or more network node 16 functions as described herein such as with respect to, for example, wireless device 22 based spatial-domain predictions.

The communication system 10 further includes the WD 22 already referred to. The WD 22 may have hardware 80 that may include a radio interface 82 configured to set up and maintain a wireless connection 64 with a network node 16 serving a coverage area 18 in which the WD 22 is currently located. The radio interface 82 may be formed as or may include, for example, one or more RF transmitters, one or more RF receivers, and/or one or more RF transceivers.

The hardware 80 of the WD 22 further includes processing circuitry 84. The processing circuitry 84 may include a processor 86 and memory 88. In particular, in addition to or instead of a processor, such as a central processing unit, and memory, the processing circuitry 84 may comprise integrated circuitry for processing and/or control, e.g., one or more processors and/or processor cores and/or FPGAs (Field Programmable Gate Array) and/or ASICs (Application Specific Integrated Circuitry) adapted to execute instructions. The processor 86 may be configured to access (e.g., write to and/or read from) memory 88, which may comprise any kind of volatile and/or nonvolatile memory, e.g., cache and/or buffer memory and/or RAM (Random Access Memory) and/or ROM (Read-Only Memory) and/or optical memory and/or EPROM (Erasable Programmable Read-Only Memory).

Thus, the WD 22 may further comprise software 90, which is stored in, for example, memory 88 at the WD 22, or stored in external memory (e.g., database, storage array, network storage device, etc.) accessible by the WD 22. The software 90 may be executable by the processing circuitry 84. The software 90 may include a client application 92. The client application 92 may be operable to provide a service to a human or non-human user via the WD 22, with the support of the host computer 24. In the host computer 24, an executing host application 50 may communicate with the executing client application 92 via the OTT connection 52 terminating at the WD 22 and the host computer 24. In providing the service to the user, the client application 92 may receive request data from the host application 50 and provide user data in response to the request data. The OTT connection 52 may transfer both the request data and the user data. The client application 92 may interact with the user to generate the user data that it provides.

The processing circuitry 84 may be configured to control any of the methods and/or processes described herein and/or to cause such methods, and/or processes to be performed, e.g., by WD 22. The processor 86 corresponds to one or more processors 86 for performing WD 22 functions described herein. The WD 22 includes memory 88 that is configured to store data, programmatic software code and/or other information described herein. In some embodiments, the software 90 and/or the client application 92 may include instructions that, when executed by the processor 86 and/or processing circuitry 84, causes the processor 86 and/or processing circuitry 84 to perform the processes described herein with respect to WD 22. For example, the processing circuitry 84 of the wireless device 22 may include a prediction unit 34 configured to perform one or more wireless device 22 functions as described herein such as with respect to, for example, wireless device 22 based spatial-domain predictions. In some embodiments, the inner workings of the network node 16, WD 22, and host computer 24 may be as shown in FIG. 4 and independently, the surrounding network topology may be that of FIG. 3.

In FIG. 4, the OTT connection 52 has been drawn abstractly to illustrate the communication between the host computer 24 and the wireless device 22 via the network node 16, without explicit reference to any intermediary devices and the precise routing of messages via these devices. Network infrastructure may determine the routing, which it may be configured to hide from the WD 22 or from the service provider operating the host computer 24, or both. While the OTT connection 52 is active, the network infrastructure may further take decisions by which it dynamically changes the routing (e.g., on the basis of load balancing consideration or reconfiguration of the network).

The wireless connection 64 between the WD 22 and the network node 16 is in accordance with the teachings of the embodiments described throughout this disclosure. One or more of the various embodiments improve the performance of OTT services provided to the WD 22 using the OTT connection 52, in which the wireless connection 64 may form the last segment. More precisely, the teachings of some of these embodiments may improve the data rate, latency, and/or power consumption and thereby provide benefits such as reduced user waiting time, relaxed restriction on file size, better responsiveness, extended battery lifetime, etc.

In some embodiments, a measurement procedure may be provided for the purpose of monitoring data rate, latency and other factors on which the one or more embodiments improve. There may further be an optional network functionality for reconfiguring the OTT connection 52 between the host computer 24 and WD 22, in response to variations in the measurement results. The measurement procedure and/or the network functionality for reconfiguring the OTT connection 52 may be implemented in the software 48 of the host computer 24 or in the software 90 of the WD 22, or both. In embodiments, sensors (not shown) may be deployed in or in association with communication devices through which the OTT connection 52 passes; the sensors may participate in the measurement procedure by supplying values of the monitored quantities exemplified above, or supplying values of other physical quantities from which software 48, 90 may compute or estimate the monitored quantities. The reconfiguring of the OTT connection 52 may include message format, retransmission settings, preferred routing etc.; the reconfiguring need not affect the network node 16, and it may be unknown or imperceptible to the network node 16. Some such procedures and functionalities may be known and practiced in the art. In certain embodiments, measurements may involve proprietary WD signaling facilitating the host computer’s 24 measurements of throughput, propagation times, latency and the like. In some embodiments, the measurements may be implemented in that the software 48, 90 causes messages to be transmitted, in particular empty or ‘dummy’ messages, using the OTT connection 52 while it monitors propagation times, errors, etc.

Thus, in some embodiments, the host computer 24 includes processing circuitry 42 configured to provide user data and a communication interface 40 that is configured to forward the user data to a cellular network for transmission to the WD 22. In some embodiments, the cellular network also includes the network node 16 with a radio interface 62. In some embodiments, the network node 16 is configured to, and/or the network node’s 16 processing circuitry 68 is configured to perform the functions and/or methods described herein for preparing/initiating/maintaining/supporting/ending a transmission to the WD 22, and/or preparing/terminating/maintaining/supporting/ending in receipt of a transmission from the WD 22.

In some embodiments, the host computer 24 includes processing circuitry 42 and a communication interface 40 that is configured to a communication interface 40 configured to receive user data originating from a transmission from a WD 22 to a network node 16. In some embodiments, the WD 22 is configured to, and/or comprises a radio interface 82 and/or processing circuitry 84 configured to perform the functions and/or methods described herein for preparing/initiating/maintaining/supporting/ending a transmission to the network node 16, and/or preparing/terminating/maintaining/supporting/ending in receipt of a transmission from the network node 16.

Although FIGS. 3 and 4 show various “units” such as CSI unit 32, and prediction unit 34 as being within a respective processor, it is contemplated that these units may be implemented such that a portion of the unit is stored in a corresponding memory within the processing circuitry. In other words, the units may be implemented in hardware or in a combination of hardware and software within the processing circuitry.

FIG. 5 is a flowchart illustrating an example method implemented in a communication system, such as, for example, the communication system of FIGS. 3 and 2, in accordance with one embodiment. The communication system may include a host computer 24, a network node 16 and a WD 22, which may be those described with reference to FIG. 4. In a first step of the method, the host computer 24 provides user data (Block SI 00). In an optional substep of the first step, the host computer 24 provides the user data by executing a host application, such as, for example, the host application 50 (Block SI 02). In a second step, the host computer 24 initiates a transmission carrying the user data to the WD 22 (Block SI 04). In an optional third step, the network node 16 transmits to the WD 22 the user data which was carried in the transmission that the host computer 24 initiated, in accordance with the teachings of the embodiments described throughout this disclosure (Block SI 06). In an optional fourth step, the WD 22 executes a client application, such as, for example, the client application 92, associated with the host application 50 executed by the host computer 24 (Block SI 08).

FIG. 6 is a flowchart illustrating an example method implemented in a communication system, such as, for example, the communication system of FIG. 3, in accordance with one embodiment. The communication system may include a host computer 24, a network node 16 and a WD 22, which may be those described with reference to FIGS. 3 and 4. In a first step of the method, the host computer 24 provides user data (Block SI 10). In an optional substep (not shown) the host computer 24 provides the user data by executing a host application, such as, for example, the host application 50. In a second step, the host computer 24 initiates a transmission carrying the user data to the WD 22 (Block SI 12). The transmission may pass via the network node 16, in accordance with the teachings of the embodiments described throughout this disclosure. In an optional third step, the WD 22 receives the user data carried in the transmission (Block SI 14).

FIG. 7 is a flowchart illustrating an example method implemented in a communication system, such as, for example, the communication system of FIG. 3, in accordance with one embodiment. The communication system may include a host computer 24, a network node 16 and a WD 22, which may be those described with reference to FIGS. 3 and 4. In an optional first step of the method, the WD 22 receives input data provided by the host computer 24 (Block SI 16). In an optional substep of the first step, the WD 22 executes the client application 92, which provides the user data in reaction to the received input data provided by the host computer 24 (Block SI 18). Additionally or alternatively, in an optional second step, the WD 22 provides user data (Block S120). In an optional substep of the second step, the WD provides the user data by executing a client application, such as, for example, client application 92 (Block S122). In providing the user data, the executed client application 92 may further consider user input received from the user. Regardless of the specific manner in which the user data was provided, the WD 22 may initiate, in an optional third substep, transmission of the user data to the host computer 24 (Block S124). In a fourth step of the method, the host computer 24 receives the user data transmitted from the WD 22, in accordance with the teachings of the embodiments described throughout this disclosure (Block S126).

FIG. 8 is a flowchart illustrating an example method implemented in a communication system, such as, for example, the communication system of FIG. 3, in accordance with one embodiment. The communication system may include a host computer 24, a network node 16 and a WD 22, which may be those described with reference to FIGS. 3 and 4. In an optional first step of the method, in accordance with the teachings of the embodiments described throughout this disclosure, the network node 16 receives user data from the WD 22 (Block S128). In an optional second step, the network node 16 initiates transmission of the received user data to the host computer 24 (Block SI 30). In a third step, the host computer 24 receives the user data carried in the transmission initiated by the network node 16 (Block SI 32).

FIG. 9 is a flowchart of an example process in a network node 16 according to some embodiments of the present disclosure. One or more blocks described herein may be performed by one or more elements of network node 16 such as by one or more of processing circuitry 68 (including the CSI unit 32), processor 70, radio interface 62 and/or communication interface 60. Network node 16 cause (Block SI 34) transmission of at least a first signal of a first set of signals for channel state information, CSI, measurement, as described herein. Network node 16 is configured to receive (Block S136) a CSI prediction report from the wireless device 22 where the CSI prediction report indicates at least one spatial-domain prediction of at least one CSI measurement associated with a second signal of a second set of signals, and the at least one spatial -domain prediction is based on the CSI measurement of at least the first signal of the first set of signals, as described herein.

According to one or more embodiments, the processing circuitry 68 is further configured to: transmit a downlink reference signal configuration for configuring at least a first set of reference signal resources of the first set of signals, and transmit a CSI report configuration indicating at least one configuration for reporting the at least one spatial- domain prediction. According to one or more embodiments, the CSI measurement of at least the first signal of the first set of signals includes CSI measurements for a plurality of signals of the first set of signals. According to one or more embodiments, the at least one spatial-domain prediction of at least one CSI measurement includes a prediction of k signals of the second set of signals where k is a positive integer.

According to one or more embodiments, the first set of signals correspond to one of a plurality of reference signals and synchronization signals where the second set of signals correspond to one of a plurality of reference signals and synchronization signals. According to one or more embodiments, one of: the first set of signals are different from the second set of signals, the second set of signals are a subset of the first set of signals, and the first set of signals are a subset of the second set of signals. According to one or more embodiments, the first set of signals are associated with a first cell and the second set of signals are associated with a second cell different from the first cell.

FIG. 10 is a flowchart of another example process in a network node 16 according to some embodiments of the present disclosure. One or more blocks described herein may be performed by one or more elements of network node 16 such as by one or more of processing circuitry 68 (including the CSI unit 32), processor 70, radio interface 62 and/or communication interface 60. Network node 16 is configured to transmit (Block S138) a downlink reference signal configuration associated with: a plurality of reference signal resources for a first set of reference signals, where the first set of reference signals being associated with a first set of network beams, and a plurality of reference signal resources for a second set of reference signals, where the second set of reference signal resources being associated with a second set of network beams, as described herein. Network node 16 is configured to transmit (Block S140) a channel state information, CSI, report configuration, the CSI report configuration indicating for the wireless device 22 to: perform at least one measurement of at least a first signal of the first set of reference signals, and report at least one spatial -domain prediction of at least one measurement associated with a beam from the second set of network beams, as described herein. Network node 16 is configured to receive (Block S142) an indication of the at least one spatial-domain prediction of the at least one measurement, as described herein. Network node 16 is configured to perform (Block S144) beam management based on the indication, as described herein.

Accordingly to one or more embodiments, the network node 16 is configured to receive an indication of subset of beams from the second set of network beams, where each of the subset of beams is associated with one of a measurement or a spatial-domain prediction of a measurement having a signal characteristic greater than a signal characteristic associated with the remaining beams of the second set of network beams.

Accordingly to one or more embodiments, the signal characteristic is one of reference signal received power, RSRP, reference signal received quality, RSRQ, signal to interference plus noise ratio, SINR, or received signal strength indicator, RSSI. Accordingly to one or more embodiments, the downlink reference signal configuration indicates the plurality of signal resources for the first set of reference signals are one of: a plurality of channel state information, CSI, resources, a plurality of synchronization signal block, SSB, resources, or a plurality of CSI resources and SSB resources.

Accordingly to one or more embodiments, the downlink reference signal configuration indicates the plurality of signal resources for the second set of reference signals are one of: a plurality of CSI resources, a plurality of SSB resources, or a plurality of CSI resources and SSB resources.

Accordingly to one or more embodiments, the downlink reference signal configuration indicates the plurality of signal resources for the second set of reference signals are one of a plurality of channel state information, CSI, resources or a synchronization signal block, SSB, resources.

Accordingly to one or more embodiments, the at least one spatial-domain prediction of at least one measurement includes predicting k beams of the second set of network beams where k is a positive integer.

Accordingly to one or more embodiments, the first set of reference signals are associated with a first cell and the second set of network beams are associated with a second cell different from the first cell.

Accordingly to one or more embodiments, the network node 16 is further configured to receive an indication of wireless device capability for supporting spatial- domain prediction of at least one measurement.

Accordingly to one or more embodiments, the indication of the wireless device capability indicates at least one of: a maximum number of beams associated with the second set of network beams, a minimum number of beams associated with the second set of network beams, a minimum number of beams associated with the first set of network beams, a maximum number of beams associated with the first set of network beams, a machine learning, ML, processing capability, or a network antenna/beam configuration identifier associated with a trained ML model, and the CSI report configuration being based on the indication of wireless device capability.

Accordingly to one or more embodiments, a configuration of the first set of reference signals and a configuration of the second set of network beams are associated with the CSI report configuration. Accordingly to one or more embodiments, the network node 16 is further configured to transmit a set of beam identifiers associated with the second set of network beams.

FIG. 11 is a flowchart of an example process in a wireless device 22 according to some embodiments of the present disclosure. One or more blocks described herein may be performed by one or more elements of wireless device 22 such as by one or more of processing circuitry 84 (including the prediction unit 34), processor 86, radio interface 82 and/or communication interface 60. Wireless device 22 is configured to perform (Block S146) a channel state information, CSI, measurement of at least a first signal of a first set of signals, as described herein. Wireless device 22 is configured to perform (Block S148) at least one spatial-domain prediction of at least one CSI measurement associated with a second signal of a second set of signals where the at least one spatial-domain prediction is based on the CSI measurement of at least the first signal of the first set of signals, as described herein. Wireless device 22 is configured to transmit (Block SI 50), to the network node 16, a CSI prediction report indicating the at least one spatial-domain prediction, as described herein.

According to one or more embodiments, the processing circuitry 84 is further configured to: receive a downlink reference signal configuration for configuring at least a first set of reference signal resources of the first set of signals, and receive a CSI report configuration indicating at least one configuration for reporting the at least one spatial- domain prediction. According to one or more embodiments, the performing of the CSI measurement of at least the first signal of the first set of signals includes performing CSI measurements for a plurality of signals of the first set of signals. According to one or more embodiments, the at least one spatial-domain prediction of at least one CSI measurement includes predicting k signals of the second set of signals where k is a positive integer.

According to one or more embodiments, the first set of signals correspond to one of a plurality of reference signals and synchronization signals, and the second set of signals correspond to one of a plurality of reference signals and synchronization signals. According to one or more embodiments, one of: the first set of signals are different from the second set of signals, the second set of signals are a subset of the first set of signals, and the first set of signals are a subset of the second set of signals. According to one or more embodiments, the first set of signals are associated with a first cell and the second set of signals are associated with a second cell different from the first cell. FIG. 12 is a flowchart of another example process in a wireless device 22 according to some embodiments of the present disclosure. One or more blocks described herein may be performed by one or more elements of wireless device 22 such as by one or more of processing circuitry 84 (including the prediction unit 34), processor 86, radio interface 82 and/or communication interface 60. Wireless device 22 is configured to perform (Block SI 52) at least one measurement of at least a first reference signal of a first set of reference signals, where the first set of reference signals is associated with a first set of network beams, as described herein. Wireless device 22 is configured to perform (Block SI 54) at least one spatial-domain prediction of at least one measurement associated with a second set of network beams, where the at least one spatial-domain prediction is based on the at least one measurement of at least the first reference signal of the first set of reference signals, as described herein.

According to one or more embodiments, the wireless device 22 is further configured to indicate the at least one spatial-domain prediction of the at least one measurement to the network node 16.

According to one or more embodiments, the wireless device 22 is further configured to: select a subset of beams from the second set of network beams, where each of the subset of beams is associated with one of a measurement or a spatial-domain prediction of a measurement having a signal characteristic greater than a signal characteristic associated with the remaining beams of the second set of network beams, and indicate the selected subset of beams to the network node 16.

According to one or more embodiments, the signal characteristic is one of Reference Signal Received Power, RSRP, reference signal received quality, RSRQ, signal to interference plus noise ratio, SINR, or received signal strength indicator, RSSI, .

According to one or more embodiments, the wireless device 22 is further configured to receive a downlink reference signal configuration associated with a plurality of reference signal resources for the first set of reference signals.

According to one or more embodiments, the wireless device 22 is further configured to receive a downlink reference signal configuration with a plurality of reference signal resources associated with a second set of reference signals, where the second set of reference signal resources is associated with the second set of network beams.

According to one or more embodiments, the downlink reference signal configuration indicates the plurality of signal resources for the first set of reference signals are one of: a plurality of channel state information, CSI, resources, a plurality of synchronization signal block, SSB, resources, or a plurality of CSI resources and SSB resources.

According to one or more embodiments, the downlink reference signal configuration indicates the plurality of signal resources for the second set of reference signals are one of: a plurality of CSI resources, a plurality of SSB resources, or a plurality of CSI resources and SSB resources.

According to one or more embodiments, the downlink reference signal configuration indicates the plurality of signal resources for the second set of reference signals are one of a plurality of channel state information, CSI, resources or a synchronization signal block, SSB, resources.

According to one or more embodiments, the wireless device 22 is further configured to receive a channel state information, CSI, report configuration, where the CSI report configuration indicates to perform at least one measurement of at least the first signal of the first set of reference signals and to report at least one spatial-domain prediction of at least one measurement associated with a beam from the second set of network beams.

According to one or more embodiments, a configuration of the first set of reference signals and a configuration of the second set of network beams are associated with the CSI report configuration.

According to one or more embodiments, the performing of the measurement of at least the first reference signal of the first set of reference signals includes performing channel state information, CSI, measurements for a plurality of reference signals of the first set of reference signals.

According to one or more embodiments, the at least one spatial-domain prediction of at least one measurement includes predicting k beams of the second set of network beams where k is a positive integer.

According to one or more embodiments, the first set of reference signals are associated with a first cell and the second set of network beams are associated with a second cell different from the first cell.

According to one or more embodiments, the wireless device 22 is further configured to indicate a capability for supporting spatial -domain prediction of at least one measurement.

According to one or more embodiments, the indication of the capability indicates at least one of: a maximum number of beams associated with the second set of network beams; a minimum number of beams associated with the second set of network beams; a minimum number of beams associated with the first set of network beams; a maximum number of beams associated with the first set of network beams; a machine learning, ML, processing capability; or a network antenna/beam configuration identifier associated with a trained ML model.

According to one or more embodiments, the wireless device 22 is further configured to receive a set of beam identifiers associated with the second set of network beams.

Having described the general process flow of arrangements of the disclosure and having provided examples of hardware and software arrangements for implementing the processes and functions of the disclosure, the sections below provide details and examples of arrangements for wireless device 22 based spatial-domain predictions.

Some embodiments provide wireless device 22 based spatial -domain predictions. One or more wireless device 22 functions described herein may be performed by one or more of processing circuitry 84, processor 86, prediction unit 34, radio interface 82, etc. One or more network node 16 functions described herein may be performed by one or more of processing circuitry 68, processor 70, CSI unit 32, radio interface 62, etc.

One or more embodiments described herein relate to the inference for spatial- domain beam prediction. For example, wireless device 22 is configured with a DL reference signal configuration within a message and/or signaling. This message can for example be an RRCReconfiguration message (or an RRC Resume message, when the wireless device 22 transitions from RRC INACTIVE) or an MAC CE. The DL reference signal configuration contains configurations of two or more reference signal resource sets. The reference signal resource sets can for example consist of CSLRS resources, TRS, PTRS, DMRS, PRS or SSB. For the case of SSB, the specific reference signals can be the primary or secondary synchronization signal or any other synchronization signal included in the SSB configuration. The DL reference signal configuration may contain and/or indication two or more sets of reference signals. The DL reference signal configuration may contain and/or indication two sets. Each set may contain reference signals of one type only or a mix of different types. The DL reference signal configurations may also contain more than two sets, for example, three or four sets.

In FIG. 13, the sets two sets are contained with a first set (Set B) and a second set (set A). In the illustration set A contains CSLRS resources, where each CSLRS resource is transmitted within a narrow beam from the network node 16 and set B contains SSB resources and where each SSB is transmitted within a wide beam from the network node 16. Further a sub-set of CSI-RS resources may be transmitted within each wide beam. This association between the SSB and CSI-RS resource or in other words between narrow and wide beams can be defined and indicated to the wireless device 22 by the network node 16 providing spatial correlation properties and/or QCL association of CSI-RS resource and SSB. The wireless device 22 does not have to be aware that SSBs are transmitted in wide beams and CSI-RSs are transmitted in narrow beams.

According to one or more embodiments, the wireless device 22 is further configured to measure on the reference signals within Set B. Based on the measurements, the wireless device 22 is configured to predict one or more (e.g., the best or k best according to a predefined criteria/cri terion) reference signals within set A (without measuring on the reference signals within set A, which may not even be available at the time the wireless device 22 needs to transmit the report or shortly before). In one or more embodiments, the reference signals within set A are actually not transmitted by the network node 16 or they are only transmitted so sparse in time so it is not possible for the wireless device 22 to measure on them.

Predicting the best or k best reference signals may be in terms of one or more performance metrics. This performance metric can be based on measurement type such as, for example, one or more of Ll-RSRP, RSRQ, RSSI, SINR, CQI, rank or similar radio property measurements. Further there can be a criterion to select the best or k best reference signals which could be above a certain min or max threshold with a certain confidence interval. The wireless device 22 may be able to receive a configuration on which type of measurement should be predicated and further a confidence interval that that the predication should be within. When the wireless device 22 reports the best or k best reference signals and does not find any reference signal fitting to the criteria, the wireless device 22 may report a specific reference signal ID that is not associated with a reference signal to indicate to the network node 16 that no reference signal was possible or able to be predicted. Further when the wireless device 22 reports the best or k best reference signal, the wireless device 22 may report this in the form of an ID on reference signals, e.g., CRIs or SSBRIs. In addition, the wireless device 22 might report one or more of the predicted performance metrics associated with each of the reported predicted beams.

The reference signals in the different set can be mutually exclusive but it can also be partly overlapping. There can further be a relationship between the number of reference signals and their associated properties in each of the set A and B. This to ensure that it is feasible to later train a predictor that can be based on measurement from set B and predict the k best reference signals in set A. This relationship can for example be the relative difference in number of reference signals in both set A and B. There could in addition be a maximum and/or minimum value for both set A and B. There may further be a maximum and/or minimum number of spatial correlations and/or QCL associations given between of reference signals in set A to set B. For example, there may always be a need to have a spatial correlation and/or QCL association for a reference signal in Set A to Set B. The spatial correlation could be used to indicate different correlations between different beams of the two different sets (Set A and Set B of beams). For example, the spatial correlation between two beams (Al from Set A and Bl from Set B) could indicate how likely it is that when Al is associated with high RSRP, Bl will also be associated with high RSRP.

In another example, the spatial correlation could indicate how likely it is that when a certain beam from Set B (Bl) has the highest RSRP from all Set B of beams, a certain beam from Set A of beams (Al) have the highest RSRP from all set A of beams. There could further be a maximum limit for every reference signal within set B on the number of reference signals within set A that can have such a relationship. In practice this can, for example, be due to there being too many narrow beams within a wide beam, which may lead to it being highly complex to build an accurate predicator for that. On the other end, the minimum number of supported reference signals that the wireless device 22 may be able to predict (Set A) may be large enough (compared to Set B) to make it beneficial to have a prediction algorithm and hence the minimum number of reference signals in Set A may need to be sufficiently large. The cost in the other end is the cost for the network node 16 to transmit the reference signal in terms of overhead and the associated procedure. In addition, the reference signals within Set B or Set A can be associated with their own TCI state.

The wireless device 22 is further configured to receive a configuration message containing a CSI report configuration that may be in the same configuration message as mentioned above or in separate configuration message. The configuration message can, for example, be a RRC Reconfiguration and/or an RRC Resume and/or an RRC Setup or MAC CE. That message contains a field creating an association to the DL reference signal configuration. The purpose with the message is to indicate which reference signals the wireless device 22 should measure on and for what purpose the wireless device 22 may measure on the reference signals. For example, the purpose in the message can be indicated by the report quantity being set to ‘predication-RSRP’ or a value indicating that the purpose is for predication of RSRP. Further the report quantity can be signaled per reference signal set so that for Set A it indicates predication and for set B it indicates measurements. This may further be combined with that the quantity that should be predicated is added to set A configuration as was described above. This could then be extended to include the predication types described above.

In addition to the above assistance information, the network node 16 can indicate additional assistance information to the wireless device 22. Such information can, for example, be

• Azimuth and elevation pointing angle of different network node 16 TX beams of Set A and/or Set B of beams

• Beamwidth for different network node 16 TX beams of Set A and/or Set B of beams.

• Correlation among different beams in set A and/or set B of beams. For example the correlation in RSRSP among set of beams.

• “Network node antenna/beam configuration ID”, wherein the “Network node antenna/beam configuration ID” indicates a number that indicates a certain antenna configuration and/or beam configuration at the network node 16 to associate the training data with.

The “Network node antenna/beam configuration ID” can be used later for the wireless device 22 to be able to know if its trained model is performed for a given network nodes antenna and/or beam management configuration. This, by the wireless device 22 associating the ID to the training data.

Referring back to FIG. 13, FIG. 13 illustrates a schematic example of the Set A of beams and the Set B of beams, which are used throughout the present disclosure. The top of FIG. 13 illustrates all the narrow network node 16 beams, which constitutes the Set A of beams, and the lower illustrations of FIG. 13 shows all the wide network node 16 beams, which constitutes the Set B of beams.

FIG. 14 illustrates another example of the Set A of beams and the Set B of beams, wherein set A contains narrow network node 16 beams and set B contains a mix of narrow and wide beams from the network node 16. As beams can be formed on the network node 16 side, the wireless device 22 can only measure the result of this. This can, for example, be that the narrow beams are measured by CSI-RS resources and the wide beams are measured by SSBs at the wireless device 22 side. This may be how the wireless device 22 could "see" or detect the beams. It is also possible to have set B consisting of only CSI-RS resources where some of the CSI-RS resources are representing wide beams and some are representing narrow beams, since the beams are formed as such by the network node 16. The same concepts described above are also applicable to other type of reference signals and combinations.

FIG. 15 illustrates another example of the Set A of beams and the Set B of beams, where Set B is a subset of Set A. There are following options:

If Set A only contains the network node 16 wide beams, Set B may be part of Set A of network node 16 wide beams.

If Set A only contains the network node 16 narrow beams, Set B will be part of Set A of network node 16 narrow beams.

If Set A contains a mix of narrow and wide beams from the network node

16, Set B will be one of the following: o be part of Set A of network node 16 wide beams; o be part of Set A of network node 16 narrow beams; o a mix of part of Set A of narrow and wide beams from the network node 16.

The wireless device 22 may further indicate to the network node 16 the capability to support spatial beam prediction. The wireless device 22 capabilities may include more information such as:

• how many total references signals the wireless device 22 can measure (e.g., size of Set B),

• the number of reference signals within set A and set B, together with any relationship between them. The relationship and the number could be absolute number but also relative, e.g., in the sense that the set A can contain X times the number of reference signals compared to set B.

• “Network node antenna/beam configuration ID” for which the beam predication is supported.

After the configuration of the reference signals, the network node 16 triggers measurements of the reference signals. This could be performed in a different manner. The actual reference signals can be periodic, semi-persistently or aperiodically transmitted. How the reference signals are transmitted may be based on configurations but also based on reference signal type. For example, the SSB may only be transmitted periodically, while the CSI-RS resources can be transmitted periodic, semi-persistently or aperiodically. If the reference signals are periodic, the triggering may occur in the same message as the configuration. The wireless device 22 measures the reference signaling and after that performs the prediction and sends the result of the prediction to the network node 16.

Referring to FIG. 16, in a first step, the network node 16 transmits a SSB beam sweep using all the wide beams (Set B of beams). Based on the measurements of the SSB beam sweep, the wireless device 22 attempts to predict the best beam from the set A of beams, i.e., the best narrow network node 16 beam or the being having a characteristic greater than or less than the other beams. The wireless device 22 then reports the best narrow beam to the network node 16. Since the Set B of beams are fewer than the Set A of beams, the associated DL-RS overhead is reduced compared to transmitting DL-RS in all Set A of beams each beam sweep (with a limited drop in performance if the AI/ML model predicts the beams in efficient way).

FIG. 17 is a signaling diagram of an example process in accordance with some embodiments of the present disclosure. In Stepl, the wireless device 22 reports, for example, during wireless device 22 capability signaling, support for performing spatial beam prediction from a Set A of network node 16 beams based on measurements on a Set B of network node 16 beams. The wireless device 22 capability signaling (“DL TX spatial beam prediction capability”) can for example include one or more of the following information:

• Support of spatial predicted beam report from a Set A of beams based on measurements on a Set B of beams, where the Set B of beams are a subset of Set A of beams

• Maximum number of beams supported in Set A

• Minimum number of beams supported in Set A

• Maximum number of beams supported in Set B

• Minimum number of beams supported in Set B

• ML model processing capability

• For instance, how much time it takes for the wireless device 22 to use its model, which might impact the configuration of DL RS transmission, e.g., the periodicity of transmitting set B of beams, and the delta-time between transmitting set B of beams and the associated reporting of Set A of beams

• A “Network node antenna/beam configuration ID” associated with one of the beam predictors models in the wireless device 22 • For example, the network node 16 could have used a “Network node antenna/beam configuration ID” when the data collection for training of the beam prediction AI/ML model was performed, and where the “Network node antenna/beam configuration ID” is associated with a certain network node antenna configuration and/or network node beam configuration (including a certain “DL-RS ID to gNB TX beanf’-mapping). The wireless device 22 can then report this “Network node antenna/beam configuration ID” if it supports an AI/ML model with parameters trained for that “Network node antenna/beam configuration ID”.

• In another example, instead of designing different AI/ML models for different network node antenna/beam configurations, a generic AI/ML model is trained by using the “Network node antenna/beam configuration ID” as one of the input parameters for both model training and model inference.

In Step2, the network node 16 indicates the relevant configurations for the spatial beam prediction, for example, a “DL reference signal configuration”, a “CSI report configuration” and a potential “gNB TX beam assistance information”. The “DL reference signal configuration” can for example have one or more of

• Resource Setting (e.g., CSLResourceConfig as specified in, for example, 3 GPP Technical Specification (TS) 38.311)

• CSLRS resource sets (e.g., NZP-CSLRS-ResourceSet as specified in, for example, 3GPP TS 38.311)

• CSLRS resources (e.g., NZP-CSLRS-Resource as specified in, for example, 3GPP TS 38.311)

• New potential DL-RS resource configuration for 6G

• “Network node antenna/beam configuration ID” associated with the antenna configuration and/or network node beam configuration (including a certain “DLRS ID to gNB TX beanf’-mapping) that has been used during previous AI/ML beam prediction training and that the wireless device has reported in wireless device capability signaling that it has support for.

The “CSI report configuration” can for example consist of one or more of

• Report Setting (e.g., CSLReportConfig as specified in, for example, 3 GPP TS 38.311)

• New potential CSI report configuration for 6G

The “gNB TX beam assistance information” can for example consist of one or more of • Spatial correlation between different network node 16 Tx beams of Set A and/or Set B of beams

• QCL association between different network node 16 TX beams of Set A and/or Set B of beams

• Azimuth and elevation pointing angle of different network node 16 TX beams of Set A and/or Set B of beams

• Beamwidth for different network node 16 TX beams of Set A and/or Set B of beams

• Network node antenna/beam configuration ID

In Step3, the network node 16 performs a Set B beam sweep by transmitting a set of DL reference signals associated with the Set B of beams, and in Step4, the wireless device 22 performs measurements on the Set B of beams and use these measurements as input to the AI/ML model to predict the N best beams from the Set A of beams.

In Step 5, the wireless device 22 reports the N predicted beams from Set A.

In a set of embodiments, the message including the reporting configuration (e.g., CSI reporting prediction configuration and/or a CSI prediction reporting configuration), based on which the wireless device 22 transmits predicted information to the network derived from spatial-domain predictions, may correspond to an RRC Reconfiguration message (e.g., RRCReconfiguration, as defined in, for example, 3GPP TS 38.331), received when the wireless device 22 transitions to RRC CONNECTED (or other form of Connected state) and/or after the wireless device 22 reports a capability to the network, indicating support for spatial-domain beam prediction, e.g., in a CSI report. The message may correspond to an RRC Resume message (e.g., RRCResume, as defined in, for example, 3GPP TS 38.331), received when the wireless device 22 transitions RRC CONNECTED from RRC IN ACTIVE, generated by the network node 16 after the network node 16 retrieves that capability, indicating that the wireless device 22 is capable of reporting beams based on spatial-domain predictions.

Cells of Sets A and B

In a set of embodiments, the set A of beams and the set B of beams are sets of beams from different serving cells. Example embodiments may include:

In one embodiment, the set A is a set of beams of an SCell, while the set B is a set of beams of an SpCell (e.g., PCell in case of a Master Cell Group);

In one embodiment, the set A is a set of beams of the SpCell (e.g., PCell in case of a Master Cell Group), while the set B is a set of beams of an SCell. In one embodiment, the set A is a set of beams on a carrier frequency different from the set B of beams. For example, the set B of beams is on a wireless device 22 primary carrier, while the set A of beams is deployed on a secondary carrier. Or vice versa.

In one embodiment, the Set A is indicated in the reporting configuration, while set B is indicated in the resource configuration;

In another embodiment, both the Set A and Set B are indicated as resource configurations, associated to the reporting configuration. Each resource configuration has an indication of being used for CSI measurements to be used as input (Set B) and which one is the one to be predicted by spatial-domain prediction (Set A).

Set A or set B may be associated to a serving cell which may or may not be a serving cell in which the reporting configuration is included. For example, the wireless device 22 may be configured to transmit the CSI report including one or more spatial-domain predictions of beams in a first serving cell (e.g., PCell). However: i) the one or more one or more spatial-domain predictions of beams or prediction information derived from it may be associated to the Set A of beams of a second serving cell (e.g., an SCell of the same cell group of the PCell); and/or ii) the one or more one or more CSI measurements the wireless device 22 uses for performing the spatial-domain predictions of beams, may be CSI measurements on the Set B of beams of a second serving cell (e.g. an SCell of the same cell group of the PCell);

In another embodiment the configuration of Set A includes one or more indications of the RS DL indexes, e.g., SSB indexes and/or CSI-RS resource identifiers and/or a mix of SSB indexes and CSI-RS identifiers, and an associated serving cell index, so that the wireless device is aware of which cell the Set A to be predicted is associated to.

In another embodiment the configuration of Set B includes one or more indications of the RS DL indexes, e.g., SSB indexes and/or CSI-RS resource identifiers and/or a mix of SSB indexes and CSI-RS identifiers, and an associated serving cell index, so that the wireless device 22 is aware of which cell the Set B to be measured is associated to.

In a set of embodiments, there may be multiple instances of set A of beams and the set B (pair of configurations) of beams, wherein each instance is associated to: a configured serving cell. In that case, if the wireless device 22 is configured with X serving cells, there may be X pairs of set A and set B configuration(s).

In another example set of embodiments, the set A of beams and the set B of beams are sets of beams from the same serving cell.

In one embodiment, both the set A and the set B are sets of beams of an SCell;

In one embodiment, both the set A and the set B are sets of beams of an SpCell (e.g., PCell in case of a Master Cell Group).

In one embodiment, both the set A and the set B are configured in the same Serving Cell configuration in which the reporting configuration is also configured.

In a set of embodiments, the set A of beams may include beams from more than one serving cell. In that case, for each DL RS identifier in a Set A configuration, there is an associated Serving Cell index, for example:

Set A: [ (SSB index XI, serving cell index Cl); (SSB index X2, serving cell index C2); (SSB index X4, serving cell index Cl), indicating that Set A has SSB index XI and SSB index X2 from the serving cell whose serving cell index is Cl, and SSB index X2 from the serving cell whose serving cell index is C2.

In another set of embodiments, the set B of beams may include beams from more than one serving cell. In that case, for each DL RS identifier in a Set B configuration, there is an associated Serving Cell index, for example:

Set B: [ (SSB index XI, serving cell index Cl); (SSB index X2, serving cell index C2); (SSB index X4, serving cell index Cl), indicating that Set B has SSB index XI and SSB index X2 from the serving cell whose serving cell index is Cl, and SSB index X2 from the serving cell whose serving cell index is C2.

In a set of embodiments, the CSI report configuration (e.g., CSI reporting prediction configuration and/or a CSI prediction reporting configuration) based on which the wireless device 22 transmits predicted information to the network node 16 based on spatial-domain beam predictions, may be provided to the wireless device 22 as part of a Serving Cell Configuration (e.g., in the IE ServingCellConfig, for an SpCell (i.e., PCell and/or PSCell) or an SCell). Related to this set of embodiments:

In one embodiment, if the CSI report configuration (based on which the wireless device 22 transmits predicted information to the network node 16) is provided in a Serving Cell Configuration, the wireless device 22 transmits the predicted information to that serving cell. In other words, the wireless device 22 transmits the predicted information to an Uplink channel (e.g., Physical Uplink Control Channel - PUCCH, and/or Physical Uplink Shared Channel - PUSCH) of that serving cell, where the Uplink channel configuration is also part of the Serving Cell Configuration.

In one embodiment, the set A of DL RSs (i.e. the Set A of beams) in which the wireless device 22 performs the one or more spatial-domain predictions of one of more CSI measurements may be indicated to the wireless device 22 with one or more beam identifiers and/or DL RS identifiers, such as SSB indexes in the case the DL RS of set A is of RS type SSB, or CSLRS resource identifiers, in the case the DL RS of set A is of RS type CSLRS.

In one embodiment, if the CSI report configuration (based on which the wireless device 22 transmits predicted information to the network node 16) is provided in the Serving Cell Configuration of a first serving cell (e.g., PCell, PSCell, SpCell as defined in, for example, 3GPP TS 38.300 and/or TS 38.331), the reporting configuration may indicate the set of one or more DL RSs (Set A) of that serving cell or any other serving cell (e.g., an SCell of the Master Cell Group, or SCell of the Secondary Cell Group) as the set in which the wireless device 22 performs the one or more spatial-domain predictions of one of more CSI measurements on a set of one or more DL RS(s) (Set A). In that case, the set A of beams (or DL RS indexes) may be indicated to the wireless device 22 with one or more beam identifiers and/or DL RS identifiers associated to a serving cell index or identity. For example, SSB indexes in the case the DL RS of set A is of RS type SSB associated a serving cell index, or CSLRS resource identifiers associated to a serving cell index, in the case the DL RS of set A is of RS type CSLRS. In other words, if the DL RS configuration includes SSB index (1), SSB index (3), and SSB index (7) associated to a serving cell index 4, the wireless device 22 knows/determines these are SSBs of the Serving Cell in that cell group whose serving cell index is set to 4. Then, the wireless device 22 performs at least one spatial-domain prediction on that first set of DL RSs (Set A) of that serving cell with serving cell index 4.

In one embodiment, if the CSI report configuration (based on which the wireless device 22 transmits predicted information to the network node 16) is provided in the Serving Cell Configuration of a first serving cell, the wireless device 22 performs the one or more spatial-domain predictions of one of more CSI measurements on a set of one or more DL RS(s) (Set A) of that first serving cell, e.g., SSB indexes of that first serving cell. For example, if the reporting configuration includes SSB index (1), SSB index (3), and SSB index (7) as the Set A the wireless device 22 knows these are SSBs of that Serving Cell and perform at least one spatial -domain prediction on that first set of DL RSs (Set A).

In still another set of embodiments, the CSI report configuration (based on which the wireless device 22 transmits predicted information to the network node 16) includes an indication of a DL RS configuration. The DL RS configuration includes an indication of one or more DL RSs (denoted Set B) which the wireless device 22 uses for performing one or more measurements (e.g., CSI measurements, like SS-RSRP, LI RSRP) based on which the wireless device 22 performs the one or more spatial-domain predictions of CSI measurements of the Set A. The indication of the DL RS configuration comprises at least one or more DL RS indexes (e.g., SSB indexes and/or CSLRS resource identifiers, beam identifiers). The wireless device 22 performs one or more measurements on Set B (e.g., SSB indexes ), according to the DL RS configuration; based on the measurement the wireless device 22 performs the one or more spatial-domain predictions on Set A (e.g., SSB indexes), and based on the spatial-domain predictions of CSI measurements the wireless device 22 derives the predicted information to be included in the report to the network node 16.

There may be three kinds/types of cells: i) the serving cell of Set B, i.e., the cell of the DL RSs in which the wireless device 22 performs the measurements; ii) the serving cell of Set A, i.e., the cell of the DL RSs which the wireless device 22 perform the one or more spatial-domain predictions; ii) the serving cell in which the predicted information is transmitted. These cells may be the same or different.

In one embodiment, if the reporting configuration is included in the Serving Cell Configuration of a first serving cell, the wireless device 22 transmits the predicted information in that first serving cell. That Serving Cell Configuration includes the indication of Set A, to be predicted, e.g. Set A = SSB index (7), SSB index (13), SSB index (35), so these are SSBs of that first serving cell. That Serving Cell Configuration also includes the DL RS configuration, configuring the Set B in which the wireless device 22 performs one or more measurements, e.g., Set B = SSB index (1), SSB index (5), SSB index (7), so these are also SSBs of that first serving cell. Based on the measurements of Set B the wireless device 22 predicts the one or more spatial-domain predictions of the Set A. In this example, all three cells are the same serving cell. The Set A and B may also be the same or different, though they are from the same serving cell.

In one embodiment, if the reporting configuration is included in the Serving Cell Configuration of a first serving cell, the wireless device 22 transmits the predicted information in that first serving cell. That Serving Cell Configuration may also include the indication of Set A, to be predicted, e.g. Set A = SSB index (7), SSB index (13), SSB index (35), meaning these are SSBs of that first serving cell. However, the Set B in which the wireless device 22 performs one or more measurements e.g. Set B = SSB index (1), SSB index (5), SSB index (7), these may be associated to a different serving cell (e.g. from the same cell group), so that the indication of the DL RSs of Set B may comprises the DL RS indexes associated to a serving cell index (of a serving cell in the same cell group in which the reporting configuration is configured).

In some embodiments, the CSI report configuration (based on which the wireless device 22 transmits predicted information to the network node 16) includes an instance or a set of instances (e.g., in a list) of an Information Element (IE) within a CSI measurement configuration, e.g., within the IE CSI-MeasConfig as defined in 3GPP TS 38.331. For example, in the case in which the wireless device 22 includes predicted information in a CSI report, together with CSI measurements (as disclosed in other sets of embodiments in the present disclosure).

In one embodiment, that CSI report configuration corresponds to the IE CSI- ReportConfig (nested within CSI-MeasConfig) which is enhanced to include configurations and/or fields and/or parameters and/or IES for configuring the reporting of the predicted information, according to one or more methods described herein.

In one embodiment, that CSI report configuration corresponds to a list of instances of the IE CSI-ReportConfig (SEQUENCE OF in ASN.l notation, e.g., nested within CSI-MeasConfig), which is enhanced to include configurations and/or fields and/or parameters and/or IEs for configuring the reporting of the predicted information, according to one or more methods described herein.

In one embodiment, that CSI report configuration corresponds to an instance or a set of instances of an IE defined for configuring prediction reports, e.g. CSI- PredictedReportConfig, includes configurations for reporting predicted information (e.g., nested within CSI-MeasConfig). In some embodiments, the CSI report configuration (e.g., CSI reporting prediction configuration and/or a CSI prediction reporting configuration) based on which the wireless device 22 transmits predicted information to the network node 16, includes an instance or a set of instances (e.g., in a list) of an Information Element (IE) within a CSI prediction measurement configuration, e.g., within a new IE CSI-PredictionMeasConfig as defined in, for example, 3GPP TS 38.331. This makes sense, for example, in the case in which the wireless device 22 transmits predicted information in a report which does not include CSI measurements (as disclosed in one or more embodiments described herein).

In one embodiment, that CSI report configuration corresponds to the IE CSI- ReportConfig (nested within CSI-PredictionMeasConfig) which is enhanced to include configurations and/or fields and/or parameters and/or IES for configuring the reporting of the predicted information, according to one or more methods described herein.

In one embodiment, that reporting configuration corresponds to a list of instances of the IE CSI-ReportConfig (SEQUENCE OF in ASN.l notation, e.g., nested within CSI-PredictionMeasConfig), which is enhanced to include configurations and/or fields and/or parameters and/or IEs for configuring the reporting of the predicted information, according to one or more methods described herein.

In one embodiment, that reporting configuration corresponds to an instance or a set of instances of an IE defined for configuring prediction reports, e.g., CSI- PredictionReportConfig, including configurations for reporting predicted information (e.g. nested within CSI-PredictionMeasConfig).

In some embodiments, the CSI report configuration (based on which the wireless device 22 transmits predicted information to the network node 16 derived from the one or more spatial-domain predictions of beams) includes one or more of

A reporting prediction configuration identifier, e.g., reportConfigld. This identifier is an integer which refers to that reporting prediction configuration, in case in another message the wireless device 22 needs to be instructed to delete and/or modify that reporting configuration.

An indication of in which of the configured serving cell(s) (of the Cell Group in which the reporting configuration is included, e.g., PCell of MCG, one of the SCells of the MCG) the configuration of the DL RSs/ beams of Set A (i.e., the DL RSs/ beams to be predicted) is to be found, e.g., if Set A belongs to a serving cell which is not the same. o In one option, the indication is a serving cell index, associated to one of the configured serving cells in that cell group. o In one option, the absence of that indication indicates to the wireless device 22 that the configuration of the DL RSs/ beams of Set A are to be found in that same serving cell configuration in which the reporting configuration is included. That is the absence of the indication acts as an implicit indication.

An indication of in which of the configured serving cell(s) (of the Cell Group in which the reporting configuration is included, e.g., PCell of MCG, one of the SCells of the MCG) the configuration of the DL RSs/ beams of Set B (i.e., the DL RSs/ beams which the wireless device 22 performs measurements on in order to perform the one or more time-domain predictions of the Set A) is to be found, e.g., if Set B belongs to a serving cell which is not the same, including that reporting configuration. In one option, the absence of that indication indicates to the wireless device 22 that the configuration of the DL RSs/ beams of Set B are to be found in that same serving cell configuration in which the reporting configuration is included.

An indication of the DL RS configuration for Set A, such as a resource prediction configuration identifier, associated to one or more DL RS identifiers, e.g., SSB indexes, and/or CSLRS resource identifiers, beam identifiers. The identifier refers to a resource prediction configuration included in the Serving Cell Configuration (e.g., IE ServingCellConfig) of one of the serving cells in the same cell group in which the reporting configuration is included.

A reporting configuration type and associated configuration, defining how the predicted information is to be transmitted. The report type and associated configuration(s) include one or more of: o Periodic

■ If report type is set to ‘periodic’, the wireless device 22 transmits predicted information periodically to the network node 16, according to a “periodicity” (part of the configuration) expressed in time units/values such as (slots, OFDM symbols, etc.). This may imply that the wireless device 22 performs spatial-domain beam predictions periodically, so that predict! on(s) are available when the wireless device 22 needs to transmit the report. ■ If the predicted information is to be included in a periodic CSI prediction report, which does not include CSI measurements, such as the SS-RSRP of an SSB (associated to an SSB index), the configured periodicity indicates how often the wireless device 22 transmits the predicted information.

■ If the predicted information is to be included in a periodic CSI report, which also includes CSI measurements, such as the SS- RSRP of an SSB (associated to an SSB index) which is measured (not spatially-predicted), there may be different possibilities for the configuration of the periodicity.

• In one option, the periodicity for reporting the predicted information (CSI prediction reporting periodicity) is the same as the CSI reporting periodicity, so that in each period the wireless device 22 includes both CSI measurement(s) and predicted information, e.g., for the same beam / DL RS / SSB index. In that case, for example, the parameter “periodicity” within the reporting configuration of a CSI report for beam reporting is used for reporting both the CSI measurement(s) and the predicted information periodically. This solution makes the design less complex than other designs, and assumes both information is useful to the network node 16 at any reporting occasion.

• In one option, the periodicity for reporting the predicted information is different from the CSI reporting periodicity, for example, the periodicity for reporting predicted information is longer. This means that out of all occasions of the CSI reports transmitted periodically, only a subset may include the predicted information, while all the occasions may include the actual CSI measurements. In particular, one reason for this is that the prediction may be needed less often to the network node 16 than the actual CSI measurements for beam report, to support beam switching and/or TCI state activation/ deactivation. One example is illustrated in FIG. 18 for CSI reports including only CSI measurements transmitted more often than CSI reports including both CSI measurements and predicted information. In this case, the CSI prediction reporting periodicity may be configured as a subset of the CSI reporting periodicity e.g. CSI prediction reporting periodicity = 2 x CSI reporting periodicity.

• In one option, the periodicity for reporting the predicted information is the CSI reporting periodicity, but CSI measurements are included less often, i.e., there is a longer periodicity for including CSI measurements in the actual CSI report. For example, the periodicity for reporting predicted information is shorter, i.e., predicted information is transmitted more often than the actual CSI measurements, for the same reporting configuration. This means that out of all occasions of the CSI reports transmitted periodically, only a subset will include the CSI measurements, while all the occasions will include the predicted information. One reason for this is that in the occasions, the wireless device 22 would not be required to perform CSI measurements, i.e., the amount of energy consumption due to CSI measurements may be reduced. In addition, fewer DL RSs occasions may be configured compared to the occasions in which reports are needed, so that the transmission overhead of these DL RSs may be reduced. An example is illustrated in FIG. 19.

■ The reporting configuration may include the configuration of the UL control channel in which the wireless device 22 is to transmit the predicted information periodically, such as the type of UL control channel (e.g., PUSCH, PUCCH, RACH, or any other UL channel) and the actual resource configuration (e.g., indication in the time and frequency domain where the UL resources are reserved for that purpose), such as a UL control resource list.riodic: ■ If report type is set to ‘aperiodic’, the wireless device 22 transmits predicted information to the network node 16 upon reception of a triggering command, indicating a reporting configuration (e.g., reporting configuration identity), where the triggering command corresponds to a MAC CE and/or a Downlink Control Indication in PDCCH.

■ In one embodiment, when the wireless device 22 receives the triggering command, the wireless device 22 has available predicted information and/or available spatial-domain prediction(s) of CSI measurements to be used as input to derive the predicted information, so that the command triggers the wireless device 22 to transmit the indication report in the reporting occasion.

■ In one embodiment, when the wireless device 22 receives the triggering command, the wireless device 22 derives the predicted information and/or performs the one or more spatial-domain prediction(s) of CSI measurements to be used as input to derive the predicted information, and then include in the report to be transmitted to the network node 16.

■ In one embodiment the command indicates a reporting timing offset (e.g., an integer in the command pointing to a value configured in the reporting configuration) indicating the time occasion in which the wireless device 22 is to transmit the predicted information and/or the CSI report, e.g., in terms of number of slots, subframes, OFDM symbols, etc.

■ The reporting configuration may include the configuration of the UL control channel in which the wireless device 22 is to transmit the predicted information upon reception of the command, such as the type of UL control channel (e.g. PUSCH, PUCCH, RACH, or any other UL channel) and the actual resource configuration (e.g., indication in the time and frequency domain where the UL resources are reserved for that purpose), such as a UL control resource list. i-persistent: ■ If report type is set to ‘semi Persistent’, the wireless device 22 transmits predicted information to the network node 16 periodically upon reception of a triggering command, indicating a reporting configuration (e.g., reporting configuration identity), where the triggering command corresponds to a MAC CE and/or a Downlink Control Indication in PDCCH.

■ Similar parameters as in periodic report (except that wireless device 22 transmits periodically after reception of the triggering command).

■ The reporting configuration may include the configuration of the UL control channel in which the wireless device 22 is to transmit the predicted information upon reception of the command, such as the type of UL control channel (e.g., PUSCH, PUCCH, RACH, or any other UL channel) and the actual resource configuration (e.g., indication in the time and frequency domain where the UL resources are reserved for that purpose), such as a UL control resource list.

Reporting the predicted information

In some embodiments, the wireless device 22 includes the predicted information in a CSI report, includes at least one CSI measurement for a beam (or/and DL RS transmitted in a spatial direction and/or transmitted according to a spatial filter) and/or the predicted information. In the example below, RSRP is used as an example, but the teachings are equally applicable to RSRQ or SINR, or any other measurement quantity.

For example, the wireless device 22 may be configured with a reporting configuration (e.g., CSI-ReportConfig), and based on that configuration, the wireless device 22 includes in a CSI report a CSI measurement of one DL RS, such as an SS-RSRP value and/or LI RSRP for SSB index X. In addition, the wireless device 22 also includes in that CSI report at least one prediction information based on one or more spatial-domain prediction(s) of a CSI measurement of SSB Y (SS-RSRP and/or LI RSRP for SSB index Y), such as a predicted RSRP value (or information derived from it) of SSB index Y. The trigger for the wireless device 22 to report may also be included in the reporting configuration, e.g., the reception of a trigger command via MAC CE and/or DCI (or a periodicity for the CSI reports). The prediction information may be Z differential RSRP values (having the actual measurement as their reference) for the Z spatial-domain predictions of SS- RSRPs for the beams in the set A. In that case, the value Z may be provided to the wireless device 22 in the reporting configuration (e.g., CSI reporting configuration) so it is known to both wireless device 22 and network node 16. Hence, when the wireless device 22 performs a CSI measurement for SSB index X at tO, the wireless device 22 predicts the CSI measurement for SSB index Y (or more SSBs in set A), and includes in the CSI report the SS-RSRP for beam X, and the differential values of the predicted SS-RSRP for beam Y (and possibly others in the set A).

The DL RSs for which the wireless device 22 performs spatial-domain predictions are the DL RSs configured in the Set A. o For including actual measurements, one option is to configure the wireless device 22 with a Set C, wherein DL RS resources associated may be reported in the same CSI report with predicted information on set A. o Another option is to indicate in the Set A which DL RS resources are to be measured and/or predicted.

In some embodiments, the method at the wireless device 22 further includes only predicted information in a predicted CSI report, triggered according to the reporting configuration (and not including CSI measurements).

For example, the wireless device 22 may be configured with a reporting configuration (e.g., CSI-PredictedReportConfig), and based on that configuration, the wireless device 22 transmits a predicted CSI report at time tO (possibly based on measurements on or time interval tO-Tl), the report includes prediction information based on one or more spatial-domain predictions of a CSI measurement (SS-RSRP and/or LI RSRP for an SSB index), such as one predicted RSRP value (or information derived from it) of SSB index XI, and differential SS-RSRP values for SSB indexes X2, X3, ... (in set A).

In some embodiments, the method at the wireless device 22, where performing one or more spatial-domain predictions of one of more CSI measurements on a set of one or more DL RS(s) (Set A) is based on at least one measurement on a first set of DL RSs (Set B).

In some embodiments, the wireless device 22 determines, for a given DL RS index configured to be reported (e.g., configured in Set A), to either include a CSI measurement (e.g., SS-RSRP of SSB index X) or a spatial-domain prediction (e.g., predicted SS-RSRP of SSB index X) based on one or more CSI measurements on beams of Set B.

In one embodiment, the wireless device 22 includes in the CSI report an indication of the reported value being a CSI measurement or a CSI prediction. o In one option, a single report needs to either include only CSI measurements or only predictions, so that if the indication is included, it is valid for all reported DL RS indexes included in the CSI report. o In one option, a single report may include both CSI measurements and predictions, so that the indication may be included per DL RS index, e.g., SSB index X - prediction indication.

In one embodiment, for the wireless device 22 configuration of the Set A, the beams which may be predicted or measured, includes an indication on whether the network node 16 is transmitting the resources or not (and properties such as periodicity), so for the beams in Set A which are actually being transmitted, the wireless device 22 may determine to perform the CSI measurements or the predictions.

For example, Set A may include beams of Set B, which the wireless device 22 needs to measure. In that sense, as the measurements on Set B are used as input to predict Set A, the wireless device 22 may have CSI measurements available for one or more beams of A, and may include in the report.

The determination may be based on the wireless device 22 processing, delay budget to perform measurements, energy consumption, efforts to perform the predictions compared to the efforts in performing the CSI measurements, availability of the signals to be measured, etc.

Selecting DL RS (beam, SSB, CSI-RS resource) for the CSI report including both CSI measurements and spatial-domain predictions

In some embodiments, the number of beams (and/or number of DL RS indexes and/or beam indexes, e.g., SSB indexes, CSI-RS identifiers) to include in a CSI report is limited to a maximum number, e.g., K. Thus, the wireless device 22 selects up to K beams to include in the CSI report according to one or more criteria. RSRP and SSBs are used as examples but the teachings described herein are applicable to other RS types (e.g., CSI-RS) and other quantities, such as RSRQ, SINR, RSSI, etc.

The set of beams which may be reported contains beams which the wireless device 22 may perform measurements (set C of beams) and/or spatial-domain predictions (set A of beams).

(reporting single DL RS) In some embodiments, to include in a CSI report, the wireless device 22 selects one DL RS (i.e., selects a beam associated to a DL RS with DL RS index, e.g., SSB index) out of a set including the Set A and Set C, based on CSI measurements of the Set C and spatial-domain predictions of the CSI measurements of the Set A.

In one embodiment, the wireless device 22 selects the DL RS whose measurement quantity (e.g., SS-RSRP, in case of an SSB index) or predicted measurement quantity (e.g., predicted SS-RSRP, in case of an SSB index) is the strongest (e.g., value is the greatest among DL RSs). o For example, if for Set A, the wireless device 22 has predicted [(SSB index XI, predicted RSRP(Xl); (SSB index X2, predicted RSRP(X2)] and for Set C it has measured [(SSB index Yl, predicted RSRP(Yl); (SSB index Y2, predicted RSRP(Y2)], wherein predicted RSRP(X1)> RSRP(Yl) > RSRP(Y2)> predicted RSRP(X2), the wireless device 22 selects the beam the strongest value, i.e., beam with SSB index XL Thus, the wireless device 22 includes in the CSI report the SSB index XI (and respective information, such as RSRP or differential RSRP). o In another example, if for Set A, the wireless device 22 has predicted [(SSB index XI, predicted RSRP(Xl); (SSB index X2, predicted RSRP(X2)] and for Set C it has measured [(SSB index Yl, predicted RSRP(Yl); (SSB index Y2, predicted RSRP(Y2)], where predicted RSRP(Y1)> RSRP(Xl) > RSRP(Y2)> predicted RSRP(X2), the wireless device 22 selects the beam the strongest value, i.e., beam with SSB index YL Thus, the wireless device 22 includes in the CSI report the SSB index Yl (and respective information, such as predicted RSRP or differential predicted RSRP).

(reporting a group of DL RS) In some embodiments, to include in a CSI report, the wireless device 22 selects a group of DL RSs (i.e., selects multiple beams associated to the DL RSs with DL RS indexes, e.g., SSB indexes) out of a set including the Set A and Set C, based on CSI measurements of the Set C and spatial-domain predictions of the CSI measurements of the Set A. The wireless device 22 may be configured with an indication to report a group of DL RSs from the set A, that may also include the number K of beams to be reported. In one embodiment, the wireless device 22 selects the DL RSs whose measurement quantity (e.g. SS-RSRP, in case of an SSB index) or predicted measurement quantities (e.g. predicted SS-RSRP, in case of an SSB index) are the strongest (e.g., DL RS with the highest or lowest value). o For example, if K=2, and for Set A the wireless device 22 has predicted [(SSB index XI, predicted RSRP(Xl); (SSB index X2, predicted RSRP(X2)] and for Set C it has measured [(SSB index Yl, predicted RSRP(Yl); (SSB index Y2, predicted RSRP(Y2)], where predicted RSRP(X1)> RSRP(Yl) > RSRP(Y2)> predicted RSRP(X2), the wireless device 22 selects the beams with the K=2 strongest values, i.e., beam with SSB index XI, and beam with SSB index Yl. Thus, the wireless device 22 includes in the CSI report the SSB index XI, and the SSB index Yl (and respective information, such as RSRP and/or predicted RSRP, differential RSRP, differential predicted RSRP).

In one embodiment, the wireless device 22 first selects the DL RS whose measurement quantity (e.g., SS-RSRP, in case of an SSB index) is the strongest. If the number of selected DL RSs, denoted kl, is smaller than the maximum number of beams which may be included in the report, denoted K (kl<K), the wireless device 22 selects to include in the CSI report up to (K-kl) beams from the Set A, where the selected beams from the Set A are the beams with the K-kl strongest predicted RSRP values.

Selecting DL RS (beam, SSB, CSI-RS resource) for the CSI report including only spatial-domain predictions

In some embodiments, the number of beams (and/or number of DL RS indexes and/or beam indexes, e.g., SSB indexes, CSI-RS identifiers) to include in a CSI report is limited to a maximum number, e.g., K. Thus, the wireless device 22 selects up to K beams to include in the CSI report according to one or more criteria. RSRP and SSBs are used as examples but the teachings described herein are applicable to other RS types (e.g. CSI-RS) and other quantities, such as RSRQ, SINR, RSSI, etc.

(reporting single DL RS) In some embodiments, to include in a CSI report, the wireless device 22 selects one DL RS (i.e., selects a beam associated to a DL RS with DL RS index, e.g., SSB index) based on spatial-domain predictions of the CSI measurements of the Set A.

In one embodiment, the wireless device 22 selects the DL RS whose predicted measurement quantity (e.g., predicted SS-RSRP, in case of an SSB index) is the strongest. o For example, if for Set A, the wireless device 22 has predicted [(SSB index XI, predicted RSRP(Xl); (SSB index X2, predicted RSRP(X2)], wherein predicted RSRP(X1)> predicted RSRP(X2), the wireless device 22 selects the beam with the strongest value, i.e., beam with SSB index XI . Thus, the wireless device 22 includes in the CSI report the SSB index XI (and respective information, such as RSRP or differential RSRP).

(reporting a group of DL RS) In some embodiments, to include in a CSI report, the wireless device 22 selects a group of DL RSs (i.e., selects multiple beams associated to the DL RSs with DL RS indexes, e.g., SSB indexes) out of Set A, based on spatial- domain predictions of the CSI measurements of the Set A. The wireless device 22 may be configured with an indication to report a group of DL RSs from the set A, which may also include the number K of beams to be reported.

In one embodiment, the wireless device 22 selects the DL RSs whose predicted measurement quantities (e.g., predicted SS-RSRP, in case of an SSB index) are the strongest. o For example, if K=2, and for Set A, the wireless device 22 has predicted [(SSB index XI, predicted RSRP(Xl); (SSB index X2, predicted RSRP(X2), (SSB index X3, predicted RSRP(X3)], where predicted RSRP(X1)> predicted RSRP(X2), > predicted RSRP(X3), the wireless device 22 selects the beams with the K=2 strongest values, i.e., beam with SSB index XI, and beam with SSB index XI. Thus, the wireless device 22 includes in the CSI report the SSB index XI, and the SSB index X2 (and respective information, such as predicted RSRP or differential predicted RSRP).

In one embodiment, the wireless device 22 includes in the CSI report an indication of at least one DL RS identifier, associated to the predicted information based on the spatial-domain prediction of a CSI measurement). This embodiment is applicable to both the CSI report including CSI measurements and spatial-domain predict! on(s) and CSI reports including only spatial-domain predictions.

The indication of a DL RS identifier may correspond to one or more of: o the SSB index of the selected SSB; o the CSLRS resource identifier of the selected CSI-RS resource; o the beam identifier of the selected beam;

The indication of a DL RS identifier may correspond to one or more of o The position (e.g., in the list) of the selected SSB index in the resource configuration associated to that CSI report. If the resource configuration (or resource set) associated to that CSI report includes a list of SSBs (e.g., SSB index 1, SSB index 3 and SSB index 7) and the wireless device 22 selects SSB index 3 to be reported, the wireless device 22 includes in the CSI report, as the indication of the DL RS, the position in which SSB index 3 has been configured, which in this example is the position 1 (in an order of 0, 1, 2 for a number of 3 elements). o The position (e.g., in the list) of the selected CSLRS resource identifier in the resource configuration associated to that CSI report. If the resource configuration (or resource set) associated to that CSI report comprises a list of CSLRS resources (e.g., CSLRS resource 1, CSLRS resource 3, CSLRS resource 7) and the wireless device 22 selects CSLRS resource index 1 to be reported, the wireless device 22 includes in the CSI report, as the indication of the DL RS, the position in which CSLRS resource 1 has been configured, which in this example is the position 0 (in an order of 0, 1, 2 for a number of 3 elements). o The position (e.g., in the list) of the selected beam resource identifier in the resource configuration associated to that CSI report (or beam report). If the resource configuration (or resource set) associated to that CSI report comprises a list of beam identifier (e.g., beam ID 1, beam ID 3, beam ID 7) and the wireless device 22 selects beam ID 7 to be reported, the wireless device 22 includes in the CSI report (beam report), as the indication of the DL RS, the position in which beam ID 7 has been configured, which in this example is the position 2 (in an order of 0, 1, 2 for a number of 3 elements).

In the following examples (covering one or more embodiments of the present disclosure) and in the remaining parts of the present disclosure, the words “beam” (i.e. a spatial filter) and “reference signal” are used interchangeably. In future 3 GPP specification(s), the word “reference signal” may be used, however, to facilitate the description of the present disclosure, the word “beam” is instead sometimes used. Examples A method in a wireless device 22 for predicting k reference signals (beams), the method include: a. receiving a message containing a field DL reference signal configuration, wherein the DL reference signal configuration, configures two or more sets of reference signal resources, b. receiving a message containing a field CSI report configuration, wherein the CSI report configuration is associated with the DL reference signal configuration,' and i. Even though this is called CSI report configuration, it is indicating to the wireless device 22 one or more configurations for reporting one or more spatial-domain predictions. c. (Optional) receiving a trigger message to measure according to the CSI Report configuration; and or/and indicating to the wireless device 22 that previously configured DL RSs (Set B) according to the DL RS configuration are being transmitted by the network node 16 and/or that the wireless device 22 may perform one or more CSI measurements on the DL RSs (Set B), according to the DL RS configuration. The DL RS configuration may correspond to a resource configuration. d. perform the measurements on reference signals within a first set of reference signal resources (Set B), e. report k (where k is equal to or larger than 1) predicted reference signals within a second set (Set A) of reference signals. i. Reporting includes the wireless device predicting (before reporting) the DL RS within the second set (Set A) of RSs. A dependent Example to Example 1, wherein the wireless device 22 sends a capability to the network node 16 indicating support for spatial-domain beam prediction, the capability can in addition indicate one or more of the following: a. Support of spatial predicted beam report from a Set A of beams based on measurements on a Set B of beams, where the Set B of beams are different compared to the Set A of beams b. Support of maximum number of beams in Set A c. Support of minimum number of beams in Set A d. Support of maximum number of beams in Set B e. Support of minimum number of beams in Set B f. ML model processing capability (e.g., latency to perform AI/ML processing of the measurements) g. ML model prediction performance estimates h. A “Network node antenna/beam configuration ID” associated with a trained AI/ML model i. indication of one or more RS types which are to be measured and which may be predicted based on the measured one, e.g., Measured DL RS of type B, predicted DL RS type A indicates that based on DL RS type B measurements the wireless device 22 is able to predict type A measurements. For example: i. Measured SSBs, predicted SSBs ii. Measured SSBs, predicted CSLRSs iii. Measured CSLRSs, predicted SSBs iv. Measured CSLRSs, predicted CSLRS v. Measured CSLRSs + SSBs, predicted SSBs vi. Measured CSLRSs + SSBs, predicted CSLRSs vii. Measured SSBs, predicted SSBs + CSLRS viii. Measured CSLRSs, predicted SSBs + CSLRS ix. Measured CSLRSs + SSBs, predicted SSBs + CSLRS

Note: this enables the network node 16 to know which RS type to configure Set B (to be measured) and which RS type to configure Set A (to be predicted). j. indicating that the wireless device 22 is able to perform spatial-domain prediction of a set of beams A from a serving cell which is different from the serving cell of the set B of beams to be measured during inference. k. indicating that the wireless device 22 is able to perform spatial-domain prediction of a set of beams A operating on a carrier frequency which is different from the set B of beams to be measured during inference. l. indicating that the wireless device 22 is able to perform spatial-domain prediction of a set of beams A from a serving cell which is the same serving cell of the set B of beams to be measured during inference. m. indicating that the wireless device 22 is able to include spatial-domain prediction of a set of beams A in a CSI report also including CSI measurements (possibly from the set A). 3. A dependent Example to Example 1, wherein the Set B of beams may be a subset of Set A of beams. If Set A of beams consist of SSB beams, then Set B of beams are parts of SSB beams in Set A of beams. If Set A of beams consist of CSI-RS beams, then Set B of beams are parts of CSI-RS beams in Set A of beams. If Set A of beams consist of a mix of CSI-RS beams and SSB beams, then Set B of beams could be one of the following: a. part of CSI-RS beams in Set A of beams b. part of SSB beams in Set A of beams c. a mix of part of CSI-RS and SSB beams in Set A of beams

4. A dependent Example to Example 1, wherein the DL reference signal configuration consist of a configuration of two CSI-RS resource sets, where a first CSI-RS resource set consists of M CSI-RS resources (associated with the Set A of beams), and a second CSI-RS resource set consists of N CSI-RS resources (associated with the Set B of beams)

5. A dependent Example to Example 1, wherein the DL reference signal configuration (Example lb) consists of a configuration of one CSI-RS resource set and one SSB resource set, where the CSI-RS resource set consists of M CSI-RS resources (associated with the Set A of beams), and the SSB resource set consists of N SSBs (associated with the Set B of beams).

6. A dependent Example to Example 1, wherein the DL reference signal configuration (Example lb) consists of a configuration of two SSB resource sets, where a first SSB resource set consists of M SSBs (associated with the Set A of beams), and a second SSB resource set consists of N SSBs (associated with the Set B of beams)

7. A dependent Example to Example 1, wherein the DL reference signal configuration (Example lb) consists of a configuration of two resource sets, where a first resource set consists of a mix of L CSI-RS resources and M SSBs (associated with the Set A of beams), and a second resource set consists of N SSBs (associated with the Set B of beams), where N<=M.

Note: Set B may be a subset of Set A.

8. A dependent Example of Example 1, wherein the DL reference signal configuration (lb) consists of a configuration of two resource sets, where a first resource set consists of a mix of L CSI-RS resources and M SSBs (associated with the Set A of beams), and a second resource set consists of N CSI-RS resources (associated with the Set B of beams), where N<=L.

Note: Set B may be a subset of Set A.

9. A dependent Example of Example 1, wherein the DL reference signal configuration (lb) consists of a configuration of two resource sets, where a first resource set consists of a mix of L CSI-RS resources and M SSBs (associated with the Set A of beams), and a second resource set consists of a mix of N CSI-RS resources and O SSBs (associated with the Set B of beams), where N<=L and 0<=M.

Note: Set B may be a subset of Set A.

10. A dependent Example of Example 1, wherein the CSI Report configuration contains a field Report setting, wherein the Report setting is associated with the two DL-RS reference signal resource sets and indicates that the wireless device 22 may perform measurements on Set B of beams and based on that perform one or more spatial predictions on Set A of beams.

11. A dependent Example of Example 1, wherein a field is configured in the Report setting to indicate that the wireless device 22 may perform measurements on the first DL-RS resource set associated with the Set B of beams, and report beams from the second DL-RS resource set associated with a Set A of beams.

12. A dependent Example of Example 1, wherein report quantity (e.g., RSRP, RSRQ, SINR, RSSI, etc.) is configured in the Report setting to indicate that the wireless device 22 may perform one or more spatial predictions on a set of reference signals (Set A) based on measurements on second set of reference signals (Set B).

13. A dependent Example of Example 1, wherein the CSI report configuration consists of two Report settings, and where each Report setting is associated with one of the two DL-RS resource sets, and where the first Report setting indicates to the wireless device 22 to perform measurements on the first DL-RS resource set (without reporting any beams associated with that DL-RS resource set), and the second Report settings indicates to the wireless device 22 to report k predicated reference signal from the second DL-RS resource set (without performing any measurements associated with that DL-RS resource set).

14. A dependent Example of Example 1, wherein the wireless device 22 is instructed to report only the beam IDs (CRIs/SSBRIs)

15. A dependent Example of Example 1, wherein the k reference signals are selected based on one or more of the following performance metrics per reference signal a. Highest predicted RSRP b. Highest min and/or max of predicted RSRP (within some confidence interval) c. Highest probability of being best beam d. Highest predicted SINR e. Highest min and max of predicted SINR (within some confidence interval) f. Lowest predicted RSRP (or lowest detectable) g. Non detectable beams h. Lowest probability of being best beam i. Lowest predicted SINR.

One or more embodiments and/or examples described herein provide one or more of the following advantages:

- Enable inference of spatial beam prediction at wireless device 22 side for 5G advance and/or 6G, which could help reduce DL-RS overhead and wireless device 22 measurement complexity.

- Spatial-domain prediction of beams, i.e., predict the quality of a set A of beams based on measurements performed on another set B, which may or not overlap with the set A, which may be smaller and/or less complex to measure, enables the wireless device 22 to perform fewer measurements, which reduces the wireless device 22’ s energy consumption.

- In addition, if these measurements are based on DL RSs, the network node 16 transmits primarily for that purpose (e.g., CSLRSs for beam measurements), one or more embodiments provide a reduction of transmission overhead in network node 16 and reduction in the interference, as fewer signals would be transmitted over the air.

Another advantage is that fewer DL RSs/beams to be measured by the wireless device 22 means that CSI measurements and/or information derived based on the measurements to be reported to the network node 16 would be available much faster, which decreases the delay for obtaining CSI measurements for being reported. Shorter delays to make CSI measurements available reduces the risk of failure in the connection, such as beam failure detection (BFD) and/or Radio Link Failure (RLF) as the wireless device 22 would report much faster that a current beam (e.g., the DL RS associated to the currently activated TCI State) has poor quality or that there is a much better beam (e.g., another DL RS associated to another TCI State) available, making it the response from the network more timely to trigger a beam switching command (e.g., MAC CE indicating a new TCI state to be activated), so a failure may be avoided. Thus, it is beneficial that the wireless device 22 reduces the CSI measurements performed, but still provide timely and accurate information to the network about the quality of beams the network node 16 may use to serve the wireless device 22.

Some Examples

Example Al . A network node 16 configured to communicate with a wireless device 22 (WD 22), the network node 16 configured to, and/or comprising a radio interface 62 and/or comprising processing circuitry 68 configured to: cause transmission of at least a first signal of a first set of signals for channel state information, CSI, measurement; and receive a CSI prediction report from the wireless device, the CSI prediction report indicating at least one spatial-domain prediction of at least one CSI measurement associated with a second signal of a second set of signals, the at least one spatial-domain prediction being based on the CSI measurement of at least the first signal of the first set of signals.

Example A2. The network node 16 of Example Al, wherein the processing circuitry 68 is further configured to: transmit a downlink reference signal configuration for configuring at least a first set of reference signal resources of the first set of signals; and transmit a CSI report configuration indicating at least one configuration for reporting the at least one spatial-domain prediction.

Example A3. The network node 16 of Example Al, wherein the CSI measurement of at least the first signal of the first set of signals includes CSI measurements for a plurality of signals of the first set of signals.

Example A4. The network node 16 of Example A3, where the at least one spatial- domain prediction of at least one CSI measurement includes a prediction of k signals of the second set of signals where k is a positive integer.

Example A5. The network node 16 of any one of Examples A1-A4, wherein the first set of signals correspond to one of a plurality of reference signals and synchronization signals; and the second set of signals correspond to one of a plurality of reference signals and synchronization signals.

Example A6. The network node 16 of any one of Examples A1-A5, wherein one of: the first set of signals are different from the second set of signals; the second set of signals are a subset of the first set of signals; and the first set of signals are a subset of the second set of signals.

Example A7. The network node 16 of any one of Examples A1-A6, wherein the first set of signals are associated with a first cell and the second set of signals are associated with a second cell different from the first cell.

Example Bl. A method implemented in a network node 16 that is configured to communicate with a wireless device 22, the method comprising: causing transmission of at least a first signal of a first set of signals for channel state information, CSI, measurement; and receiving a CSI prediction report from the wireless device, the CSI prediction report indicating at least one spatial-domain prediction of at least one CSI measurement associated with a second signal of a second set of signals, the at least one spatial-domain prediction being based on the CSI measurement of at least the first signal of the first set of signals.

Example B2. The method of Example Bl, further comprising: transmitting a downlink reference signal configuration for configuring at least a first set of reference signal resources of the first set of signals; and transmitting a CSI report configuration indicating at least one configuration for reporting the at least one spatial-domain prediction.

Example B3. The method of Example Bl, wherein the CSI measurement of at least the first signal of the first set of signals includes CSI measurements for a plurality of signals of the first set of signals.

Example B4. The method of Example B3, wherein the at least one spatial-domain prediction of at least one CSI measurement includes a prediction of k signals of the second set of signals where k is a positive integer.

Example B5. The method of any one of Examples B1-B4, wherein the first set of signals correspond to one of a plurality of reference signals and synchronization signals; and the second set of signals correspond to one of a plurality of reference signals and synchronization signals.

Example B6. The method of any one of Examples B1-B5, wherein one of: the first set of signals are different from the second set of signals; the second set of signals are a subset of the first set of signals; and the first set of signals are a subset of the second set of signals.

Example B7. The method of any one of Examples B1-B6, wherein the first set of signals are associated with a first cell and the second set of signals are associated with a second cell different from the first cell.

Example Cl. A wireless device 22 (WD 22) configured to communicate with a network node 16, the WD 22 configured to, and/or comprising a radio interface 82 and/or processing circuitry 68 configured to: perform a channel state information, CSI, measurement of at least a first signal of a first set of signals; perform at least one spatial-domain prediction of at least one CSI measurement associated with a second signal of a second set of signals, the at least one spatial-domain prediction being based on the CSI measurement of at least the first signal of the first set of signals; and transmit, to the network node 16, a CSI prediction report indicating the at least one spatial-domain prediction.

Example C2. The WD 22 of Example Cl, wherein the processing circuitry 84 is further configured to: receive a downlink reference signal configuration for configuring at least a first set of reference signal resources of the first set of signals; and receive a CSI report configuration indicating at least one configuration for reporting the at least one spatial-domain prediction.

Example C3. The WD 22 of Example Cl, wherein the performing of the CSI measurement of at least the first signal of the first set of signals includes performing CSI measurements for a plurality of signals of the first set of signals.

Example C4. The WD 22 of Example C3, where the at least one spatial-domain prediction of at least one CSI measurement includes predicting k signals of the second set of signals where k is a positive integer.

Example C5. The WD 22 of any one of Examples C1-C4, wherein the first set of signals correspond to one of a plurality of reference signals and synchronization signals; and the second set of signals correspond to one of a plurality of reference signals and synchronization signals.

Example C6. The WD 22 of any one of Examples C1-C5, wherein one of: the first set of signals are different from the second set of signals; the second set of signals are a subset of the first set of signals; and the first set of signals are a subset of the second set of signals.

Example C7. The WD 22 of any one of Examples C1-C6, wherein the first set of signals are associated with a first cell and the second set of signals are associated with a second cell different from the first cell.

Example DI . A method implemented in a wireless device 22 that is configured to communicate with a network node 16, the method comprising: performing a channel state information, CSI, measurement of at least a first signal of a first set of signals; performing at least one spatial-domain prediction of at least one CSI measurement associated with a second signal of a second set of signals, the at least one spatial-domain prediction being based on the CSI measurement of at least the first signal of the first set of signals; and transmitting, to the network node 16, a CSI prediction report indicating the at least one spatial-domain prediction.

Example D2. The method of Example DI, further comprising: receiving a downlink reference signal configuration for configuring at least a first set of reference signal resources of the first set of signals; and receiving a CSI report configuration indicating at least one configuration for reporting the at least one spatial-domain prediction

Example D3. The method of Example DI, wherein the performing of the CSI measurement of at least the first signal of the first set of signals includes performing CSI measurements for a plurality of signals of the first set of signals.

Example D4. The method of Example D3, where the at least one spatial-domain prediction of at least one CSI measurement includes predicting k signals of the second set of signals where k is a positive integer.

Example D5. The method of any one of Examples D1-D4, wherein the first set of signals correspond to one of a plurality of reference signals and synchronization signals; and the second set of signals correspond to one of a plurality of reference signals and synchronization signals.

Example D6. The method of any one of Examples D1-D5, wherein one of: the first set of signals are different from the second set of signals; the second set of signals are a subset of the first set of signals; and the first set of signals are a subset of the second set of signals.

Example D7. The method of any one of Examples D1-D6, wherein the first set of signals are associated with a first cell and the second set of signals are associated with a second cell different from the first cell.

As will be appreciated by one of skill in the art, the concepts described herein may be embodied as a method, data processing system, computer program product and/or computer storage media storing an executable computer program. Accordingly, the concepts described herein may take the form of an entirely hardware embodiment, an entirely software embodiment or an embodiment combining software and hardware aspects all generally referred to herein as a “circuit” or “module.” Any process, step, action and/or functionality described herein may be performed by, and/or associated to, a corresponding module, which may be implemented in software and/or firmware and/or hardware. Furthermore, the disclosure may take the form of a computer program product on a tangible computer usable storage medium having computer program code embodied in the medium that can be executed by a computer. Any suitable tangible computer readable medium may be utilized including hard disks, CD-ROMs, electronic storage devices, optical storage devices, or magnetic storage devices.

Some embodiments are described herein with reference to flowchart illustrations and/or block diagrams of methods, systems and computer program products. It will be understood that each block of the flowchart illustrations and/or block diagrams, and combinations of blocks in the flowchart illustrations and/or block diagrams, can be implemented by computer program instructions. These computer program instructions may be provided to a processor of a general purpose computer (to thereby create a special purpose computer), special purpose computer, or other programmable data processing apparatus to produce a machine, such that the instructions, which execute via the processor of the computer or other programmable data processing apparatus, create means for implementing the functions/acts specified in the flowchart and/or block diagram block or blocks.

These computer program instructions may also be stored in a computer readable memory or storage medium that can direct a computer or other programmable data processing apparatus to function in a particular manner, such that the instructions stored in the computer readable memory produce an article of manufacture including instruction means which implement the function/act specified in the flowchart and/or block diagram block or blocks. The computer program instructions may also be loaded onto a computer or other programmable data processing apparatus to cause a series of operational steps to be performed on the computer or other programmable apparatus to produce a computer implemented process such that the instructions which execute on the computer or other programmable apparatus provide steps for implementing the functions/acts specified in the flowchart and/or block diagram block or blocks.

It is to be understood that the functions/acts noted in the blocks may occur out of the order noted in the operational illustrations. For example, two blocks shown in succession may in fact be executed substantially concurrently or the blocks may sometimes be executed in the reverse order, depending upon the functionality/acts involved. Although some of the diagrams include arrows on communication paths to show a primary direction of communication, it is to be understood that communication may occur in the opposite direction to the depicted arrows.

Computer program code for carrying out operations of the concepts described herein may be written in an object oriented programming language such as Python, Java® or C++. However, the computer program code for carrying out operations of the disclosure may also be written in conventional procedural programming languages, such as the "C" programming language. The program code may execute entirely on the user's computer, partly on the user's computer, as a stand-alone software package, partly on the user's computer and partly on a remote computer or entirely on the remote computer. In the latter scenario, the remote computer may be connected to the user's computer through a local area network (LAN) or a wide area network (WAN), or the connection may be made to an external computer (for example, through the Internet using an Internet Service Provider).

Many different embodiments have been disclosed herein, in connection with the above description and the drawings. It will be understood that it would be unduly repetitious and obfuscating to literally describe and illustrate every combination and subcombination of these embodiments. Accordingly, all embodiments can be combined in any way and/or combination, and the present specification, including the drawings, shall be construed to constitute a complete written description of all combinations and subcombinations of the embodiments described herein, and of the manner and process of making and using them, and shall support claims to any such combination or subcombination.

Abbreviations that may be used in the preceding description include: 3 GPP 3rd Generation Partnership Project

5G Fifth Generation

ACK Acknowledgement

Al Artificial Intelligence

AoA Angle of Arrival

CORESET Control Resource Set

CSI Channel State Information

CSI-RS CSI Reference Signal

DCI Downlink Control Information

DoA Direction of Arrival

DL Downlink

DMRS Downlink Demodulation Reference Signals

FDD Frequency-Division Duplex

FR2 Frequency Range 2

HARQ Hybrid Automatic Repeat Request

ID identity gNB gNodeB

MAC Medium Access Control

MAC-CE MAC Control Element

ML Machine Learning

NR New Radio

NW Network

OFDM Orthogonal Frequency Division Multiplexing

PBCH Physical Broadcast Channel

PCI Physical Cell Identity

PDCCH Physical Downlink Control Channel

PDSCH Physical Downlink Shared Channel

PRB Physical Resource Block

QCL Quasi co-located

RB Resource Block

RRC Radio Resource Control

RSRP Reference Signal Strength Indicator

RSRQ Reference Signal Received Quality

RS SI Received Signal Strength Indicator SCS Subcarrier Spacing

SINK Signal to Interference plus Noise Ratio

SSB Synchronization Signal Block

RL Reinforcement Learning

RS Reference Signal

Rx Receiver

TB Transport Block

TDD Time-Division Duplex

TCI Transmission configuration indication

TRP Transmission/Reception Point

Tx Transmitter

UE User Equipment

UL Uplink

It will be appreciated by persons skilled in the art that the embodiments described herein are not limited to what has been particularly shown and described herein above. In addition, unless mention was made above to the contrary, it should be noted that all of the accompanying drawings are not to scale. A variety of modifications and variations are possible in light of the above teachings without departing from the scope of the following claims.