CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION

The present application claims priority to U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 63/144,397 filed February 1, 2021.

FIELD

Various embodiments generally may relate to the field of wireless communications. For example, some embodiments may relate to techniques for sounding reference signal (SRS) configuration, triggering, and power control.

BACKGROUND

In 3 GPP New Radio (NR) Release (Rel)-15 specification, different types of sounding reference signal (SRS) resource sets are supported. The SRS resource set is configured with a parameter of "usage", which can be set to ‘ beamManagemen’ , ‘codebook’, "nonCodebook" or " antennaSwitching" . The SRS resource set configured for "beamManagemenf is used for beam acquisition and uplink beam indication using SRS. The SRS resource set configured for "codebook" and "nonCodebook" is used to determine the uplink (UL) precoding with explicit indication by transmission precoding matrix index (TPMI) or implicit indication by SRS resource index (SRI). Finally, the SRS resource set configured for "antennaSwitching" is used to acquire downlink (DL) channel state information (CSI) using SRS measurements in the UE by leveraging reciprocity of the channel in time-domain duplexing (TDD) systems. For SRS transmission, the time domain behavior could be periodic, semi-persistent or aperiodic.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

Embodiments will be readily understood by the following detailed description in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. To facilitate this description, like reference numerals designate like structural elements. Embodiments are illustrated by way of example and not by way of limitation in the figures of the accompanying drawings.

Figure 1 illustrates a radio resource control message for configuration of a sounding reference signal (SRS) resource set, in accordance with various embodiments.

Figure 2 illustrates an RRC configuration for SRS resource, in accordance with various embodiments.

Figure 3 illustrates an example of repurposing an un-used field in a downlink control information (DCI) to indicate an uplink (UL) and/or downlink (DL) bandwidth part (BWP), in accordance with various embodiments. Figure 4 illustrates an example of BWP indication for SRS only, in accordance with various embodiments.

Figure 5 schematically illustrates a wireless network in accordance with various embodiments.

Figure 6 schematically illustrates components of a wireless network in accordance with various embodiments.

Figure 7 is a block diagram illustrating components, according to some example embodiments, able to read instructions from a machine-readable or computer-readable medium (e.g., a non-transitory machine-readable storage medium) and perform any one or more of the methodologies discussed herein.

Figures 8-10 illustrate example procedures in accordance with various embodiments.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

The following detailed description refers to the accompanying drawings. The same reference numbers may be used in different drawings to identify the same or similar elements. In the following description, for purposes of explanation and not limitation, specific details are set forth such as particular structures, architectures, interfaces, techniques, etc. in order to provide a thorough understanding of the various aspects of various embodiments. However, it will be apparent to those skilled in the art having the benefit of the present disclosure that the various aspects of the various embodiments may be practiced in other examples that depart from these specific details. In certain instances, descriptions of well-known devices, circuits, and methods are omitted so as not to obscure the description of the various embodiments with unnecessary detail. For the purposes of the present document, the phrases “A or B” and “A/B” mean (A), (B), or (A and B).

In NR Rel-15 spec, different types of SRS resource sets are supported. The SRS resource set is configured with a parameter of "usage", which can be set to ‘ beamManagemenf , ‘codebook’, ‘ nonCodebook" or ‘ antennaSw itching" . The SRS resource set configured for "beamManagemenf is used for beam acquisition and uplink beam indication using SRS. The SRS resource set configured for "codebook" and "nonCodebook" is used to determine the UL precoding with explicit indication by TPMI (transmission precoding matrix index) or implicit indication by SRI (SRS resource index). Finally, the SRS resource set configured for "antennaSwitching" is used to acquire DL channel state information (CSI) using SRS measurements in the UE by leveraging reciprocity of the channel in TDD systems. For SRS transmission, the time domain behavior may be periodic, semi-persistent or aperiodic. Figure 1 and Figure 2 show the RRC configuration for SRS resource set and SRS resource, respectively. When SRS resource set is configured as "aperiodic", the SRS resource set also includes configuration of slot offset (slotOffsef) and trigger state(s) (aperiodicSRS-ResourceTrigger, aperiodicSRS-ResourceTriggerLisf). The parameter of slotOffset defines the slot offset relative to PDCCH where SRS transmission should be commenced. The triggering state(s) defines which DCI codepoint(s) triggers the corresponding SRS resource set transmission.

The aperiodic SRS may be triggered via SRS Request field in DCI. SRS Request field may be carried by DCI format 0_l/0_2/l_l/l_2/2_3, wherein DCI format 0_l/0_2 is used for scheduling PUSCH, DCI format 1 1/1 2 is used for scheduling PDSCH and DCI format 2 3 is used to trigger aperiodic SRS for a group of UEs. Table 1 shows the detailed fields and field length for DCI format 0 1 and 0 2 as defined by 3GPP TS 38.212 V16.4.0.

Table 1 Field length for DCI format 0 1 and 0 2

Similarly, the detailed field description for DCI format 1 1 and 1 2 can be found in TS 38.212 V16.4.0.

It can be observed for a single UE, currently the SRS Request is always sent together with DCI which schedules downlink or uplink data transmission.

In order to improve flexibility for aperiodic SRS transmission, the SRS may be triggered via DCI without scheduling data, e.g. UL-SCH indicator field ( 1 -bit) is set to ‘0’ and SRS Request field is set to non-zero. In this case, a lot of DCI fields in DCI will be un-used and may be repurposed to facilitate SRS transmission.

Various embodiments herein provide techniques to repurpose unused fields in the DCI to indicate one or more parameters or other information for SRS transmission. For example, one or more fields may be used to indicate whether the SRS should be transmitted in a UL BWP or a DL BWP, to indicate slots or orthogonal frequency division multiplexing (OFDM) symbols for SRS, to indicate a power control parameter for SRS, and/or to extend a number of available trigger states for aperiodic SRS.

FLEXIBLE DCI FORMAT FOR APERIODIC SRS CONFIGURATION

In some embodiments, a field in the DCI may be used to indicate whether the SRS should be transmitted over the band of UL BWP or DL BWP. The SRS is transmitted in uplink and it can be used to sound the channel for DL channel state information (CSI). However, the bandwidth of UL BWP and DL BWP may not be aligned. In this case, it is better to have a scheme to transmit SRS over the DL BWP.

The current DCI format 0 1/0 2 without scheduling PUSCH does not consider resource configuration for aperiodic SRS in frequency domain and time domain.

Various embodiments herein provide methods to consider resource configuration for aperiodic SRS in frequency domain and time domain when aperiodic SRS is triggered via DCI format 0 1/0 2 without scheduling PUSCH.

Aperiodic SRS triggering via DCI format 0 1/0 2 without data and CSI Request

A: Repurpose DCI field(s) to indicate uplink or downlink BWP

In an embodiment, the uplink BWP and downlink BWP may not be aligned. In order to perform sounding procedure to obtain the downlink CSI information, the SRS should be transmitted over the downlink BWP. If SRS Request is sent over DCI format 0 1/0 2 without data and CSI Request, some DCI fields will not be used, such as modulation and coding scheme (MCS), new data indicator (NDI), redundancy version (RV), hybrid automatic repeat request (HARQ) process number, transmit power control (TPC), SRS resource indicator (SRI), downlink assignment index (DAI), Antenna Ports, etc. In this case, some field(s) in DCI 0 1/0 2 may be used to indicate whether the triggered SRS should be sent over UL BWP or DL BWP.

In an example, the NDI field or some bit in FDRA field may be used to indicate whether SRS is sent over DL/UL BWP. If it is set to ‘ 1’, it means the SRS should be sent over DL BWP; otherwise, the SRS should be sent over UL BWP. Figure 3 shows an example of the operation. Currently, the frequency domain starting position of SRS is defined by k _Q . If then the reference point for k _Q = 0 is subcarrier 0 in common resource block 0. Otherwise the reference point is the lowest point of the BWP. The frequency domain shift value n _shift adjusts the SRS allocation with respect to the reference point grid and is contained in the higher-layer parameter freqDomainShift in the SRS-Resource . is the common resource block where the bandwidth part starts relative to common resource block 0.

In an embodiment, when some field in DCI 0 1/0 2 without scheduling data indicates the SRS should be sent over DL BWP, then if the reference point for k ₀ = 0 is subcarrier 0 in common resource block 0. Otherwise the reference point is the lowest point of the DL BWP. When some field in DCI 0 1/0 2 without scheduling data indicates the SRS should be sent over UL BWP, then if , the reference point for k ₀ = 0 is subcarrier 0 in common resource block 0. Otherwise the reference point is the lowest point of the UL BWP. N indicates the common resource block where the bandwidth part starts relative to common resource block 0 for DL and UL respectively.

In an embodiment, if multiple aperiodic SRS resource sets are triggered by the same trigger state via DCI format 0 1/0 2 without scheduling PUSCH, the DL/UL BWP indication may be applied to all the triggered SRS resource sets or a part of the triggered SRS resource sets. Some additional field may indicate which SRS resource set(s) the DL/UL BWP indication is applied to. For example, a bitmap may be used.

Currently the BWP indicator within DCI 0 1/0 2 may indicate BWP switching, e.g. if the indicated BWP is different with the active BWP, then the UE need to switch to the indicated BWP for transmission and reception.

In an embodiment, when aperiodic SRS is triggered via DCI format 0 1/0 2 without scheduling PUSCH data, then the BWP indicator field may be repurposed to indicate the BWP only for SRS transmission. If the indicated BWP is different with current active BWP, then the SRS should be transmitted over the indicated BWP, after SRS is transmitted, the UE should switch back to the previous BWP for PUSCH transmission. Figure 4 shows an example of the operation.

In an embodiment, when DCI format 0 1/0 2 without data is used to trigger aperiodic SRS, some field(s) in the DCI may be repurposed to indicate the frequency domain resource for the SRS, e.g. the RRC configured frequency domain resource may be overridden by DCI.

All the following RRC parameters or a subset of the following RRC parameters, which are used for SRS frequency resource allocation configuration, may be indicated over DCI 0 1/0 2 without data in accordance with various embodiments.

• freqDomainPosition (0~67, 7 bits) • freqDomainShift (0-268, 9 bits)

• c-SRS (0~63, 6 bits)

• b-SRS (0~3, 2 bits)

• b-hop (0-3, 2 bits)

It can be seen that the required bits for SRS frequency allocation is a bit long. In order to indicate the frequency resource allocation for SRS, the payload size for DCI format 0 1/0 2 without scheduling data should be predefined. Otherwise it would be complicated for the UE to determine the DCI payload size since the length of some fields is variable. Some fields with configurable length may be fixed to the maximum number of bits. For example, the FDRA field is fixed to be 18 bits, and TDRA field is fixed to be 6 bits.

In an example, if DCI format 0 1/0 2 without scheduling PUSCH is used to trigger aperiodic SRS, then the DCI payload size is predetermined to be N bits. Then the N bits may be further split into the following fields:

• Identifier for DCI format

• Carrier Indicator (CIF)

. DFIflag

• UL/SUL indicator

• Bandwidth part (BWP) indicator

• freqDomainPosition

• freqDomainShift

• c-SRS

• b-SRS

• b-hop

• MCS

• etc. ...

In an embodiment, when DCI format 0 1/0 2 without scheduling PUSCH is used to trigger aperiodic SRS, the SRS resource configuration carried over the DCI may be applied to all the SRS resources or a subset of the SRS resources within the triggered aperiodic SRS resource set. Some additional field may carry a bitmap to indicate which SRS resources the SRS resource configuration is applied to.

In an embodiment, if multiple aperiodic SRS resource sets are triggered by the same trigger state via DCI format 0 1/0 2 without scheduling PUSCH, the SRS resource configuration carried over the DCI may be applied to all the triggered SRS resource sets or a part of the triggered SRS resource sets. Some additional field may indicate which SRS resource set(s) the SRS resource configuration is applied to. For example, a bitmap may be used.

In another embodiment, for DCI format 0 1/0 2 without scheduling PUSCH, some field(s) may be repurposed to indicate the pattern for SRS partial sounding if SRS partial sounding is enabled. When SRS partial sounding is enabled, the SRS may be transmitted only over a subset of the PRBs in one hop/one OFDM symbol. The UE may be configured with a set of value by RRC, such as { 1/2, 1/4, 1/8}, which means the SRS may be transmitted over the { 1/2, 1/4, 1/8} PRBs in one hop/one OFDM symbol. Which pattern is used may be further indicated by DCI, for example, 1/4 is selected.

Alternatively, the PRBs for SRS in one hop/one OFDM symbol may be split into N groups equally. And in DCI, a bitmap of M bits may be used to indicate over which groups of PRBs the SRS will be transmitted. For example, the 16 PRBs (PRB 0—15) in one hop may be split into 4 groups. And a bitmap of ‘0111’ indicates that 4th group of PRBs (12-15) will not be used to transmit SRS.

In an embodiment, when DCI format 0 1/0 2 without scheduling PUSCH is used to trigger aperiodic SRS, the SRS partial sounding pattern indicated via the DCI may be applied to all the SRS resources or a subset of the SRS resources within the triggered aperiodic SRS resource set. Some additional field may carry a bitmap to indicate which SRS resources the SRS partial sounding pattern is applied to.

In an embodiment, if multiple aperiodic SRS resource sets are triggered by the same trigger state via DCI format 0 1/0 2 without scheduling PUSCH, the SRS partial sounding pattern indicated via the DCI may be applied to all the triggered SRS resource sets or a part of the triggered SRS resource sets. Some additional field may indicate which SRS resource set(s) the SRS partial sounding pattern is applied to. For example, a bitmap may be used.

Note: the previous three embodiments may be also applied to aperiodic SRS triggered via DCI format 0 1/0 2 with scheduling PUSCH data.

B: Repurpose DCI field! s) to flexibly indicate slots/OFDM symbols for SRS

In an embodiment, if multiple aperiodic SRS resource sets are triggered by the same DCI codepoint of SRS Request field, it is possible that the triggered SRS resource sets may be allocated with the same slot for transmission which will lead to collision among the triggered SRS resource sets. In this case, some field(s) in DCI format 0 1/0 2 without scheduling PUSCH may be reused to indicate additional slot offset/OFDM symbol positions to avoid collision. For example, if SRS resource set #A and #B are configured with same trigger state of ‘2’, when trigger state ‘2’ is indicated via DCI, some field(s) may indicate further slot offset for SRS resource set #B, so that collision among these two resource sets can be avoided.

Note: all the embodiments in this disclosure are applicable for DCI format 1 1/1 2 without scheduling PDSCH.

REPURPOSING DCI FIELDS FOR SRS POWER CONTROL

For SRS power control, the power control adjustment state may be the same or different with PUSCH.

The output of PUSCH is shown as below equation:

Similarly, the output power of SRS is derived by the formula below.

For SRS triggered by DCI 0 1/0 2 without scheduling PUSCH, it is not reasonable for the SRS to follow the PUSCH power control state since the PUSCH is not transmitted. In various embodiments herein, the power control for PUSCH and SRS may be modified when SRS is triggered by DCI (e.g., DCI format 0 1 and/or 0 2) without scheduling PUSCH.

The current SRS power control does not consider TPC command via DCI format 0 1/0 2 without scheduling PUSCH.

Various embodiments provide techniques for power control to consider the TPC command carried via DCI format 0 1/0 2 without scheduling PUSCH.

Aperiodic SRS triggering via DCI format 0 1/0 2 without data and CSI Request

Repurpose TPC command for PUSCH to be used for SRS

In an embodiment, the TPC command for PUSCH in DCI format 0 1/0 2 may be repurposed as TPC command for SRS if DCI 0 1/0 2 triggers SRS without scheduling data. If aperiodic SRS is triggered via DCI 0_1/0_2 without data, the power control for SRS should be updated. For example, if the SRS is configured with different power control state as PUSCH, then the TPC command sent over DCI 0_1/0_2 without data should be considered when calculating . If SRS is configured with the same power control state as PUSCH, which 5 means , then the TPC command sent over DCI 0_1/0_2 without data should be considered when calculating An example of the spec change is shown as below. For PUSCH power control in Section 7.1.1 of TS38.213 v16.4.0: - For the PUSCH power control adjustment state for active UL BWP _b of 10 carrier ^f of serving cell c in PUSCH transmission occasion _i - δ _{PUSCH,b, f ,c} (i, l ) is a TPC command value included in a DCI format that schedules the PUSCH transmission occasion _i on active UL BWP _b of carrier ^f of serving cell _c , or included in DCI format 0_1/0_2 without scheduling PUSCH, or jointly coded with other TPC commands in a DCI format 2_2 with CRC scrambled by TPC-PUSCH-RNTI, as described in15 Clause 11.3 For SRS power control in Section 7.3.1 of TS38.213 v16.4.0: - For the SRS power control adjustment state for active UL BWP b of carrier ^f of serving cell c and SRS transmission occasion i - is the current PUSCH power control20 adjustment state as described in Clause 7.1.1, if srs-PowerControlAdjustmentStates indicates a same power control adjustment state for SRS transmissions and PUSCH transmissions; or - if the UE is not configured for PUSCH transmissions on active UL BWP _b of carrier ^f of serving cell c , or if srs- PowerControlAdjustmentStates indicates separate power control adjustment states between SRS 25 transmissions and PUSCH transmissions, and if tpc-Accumulation is not provided, where - The δ _{SRS,b, f , c} values are given in Table 7.1.1-1 - δ _{SRS,b , f , c} ( m ) is jointly coded with other TPC commands in a PDCCH with DCI format 2_3, as described in Clause 11.4 or is a TPC command value included in a DCI format 0_1/0_2 without scheduling PUSCH. 30 … is not configured for PUSCH transmissions on active UL

BWP of carrier of serving cell ^c , or if srs-PowerControlAdjustmentStates indicates separate power control adjustment states between SRS transmissions and PUSCH transmissions, and tpc- Accumulation is provided, and the UE detects a DCI format 2 3, or a PCI format 0 1/0 2 without scheduling PUSCH, symbols before a first symbol of SRS transmission occasion ^/ , where absolute values of are provided in Table 7.1.1-1

In another embodiment, some field(s) in DCI 0 1/0 2 without scheduling PUSCH may be used to indicate the power control state for the triggered SRS, e.g. the power control adjustment state (same or different as PUSCH power control state) for SRS configured by RRC may be overridden by the power control state adjustment indicated by DCI. For example, the aperiodic SRS triggered by DCI format 0 1/0 2 without scheduling PUSCH is expected to be indicated via the DCI with a different power control state as PUSCH.

Alternatively, for aperiodic SRS resource set to be triggered over DCI 0 1/0 2 without data, the aperiodic SRS resource set should be configured with different power control adjustment state with PUSCH.

Note: all the embodiments in this disclosure are applicable for DCI format 1 1/1 2 without scheduling PDSCH.

FLEXIBLE CONFIGURATION FOR APERIODIC SRS TRIGGERING

Currently there are 4 different usages defined for SRS, while the available number of trigger states for aperiodic SRS is just 3. Considering that many aperiodic SRS resource sets may be configured, it’s likely that the multiple SRS resource sets with different usages are configured with the same trigger state, which means that SRS with different usages will be triggered at the same time. Accordingly, embodiments herein provide techniques to extend the number of trigger states, e.g., using one or more un-used DCI fields when aperiodic SRS is triggered by DCI 0 1/0 2 without scheduling PUSCH.

Aperiodic SRS triggering via DCI format 0 1/0 2 without data and CSI Request

A: Repurpose PCI field(s) to extend the available trigger states for aperiodic SRS

In an embodiment, for DCI format 0 1/0 2 without scheduling data, some field(s) may be repurposed to extend number of available trigger states for aperiodic SRS. Some field(s) may be jointly encoded with SRS Request field so that the number of DCI codepoints for aperiodic SRS trigger states may be increased. For example, the MCS field which has 5-bit length or HARQ field (or a part of MCS field/HARQ field) may be reused to extend the number of trigger states for aperiodic SRS. Table 2 shows an example of the joint encoding of MCS and SRS Request for DCI 0 1/0 2 without scheduling PUSCH. In addition, the field value ‘00’ of SRS Request field should not be jointly encoded with the repurposed field to indicate trigger state.

Table 2 Example of joint encoding between MCS and SRS Request for DCI 0 1/0 2 without scheduling PUSCH

With the extended trigger states, the gNB may have more flexibility on aperiodic SRS resource set configuration and triggering, especially if multiple aperiodic SRS resource sets are configured with the same usage.

For example, the UE may be configured with 4 aperiodic SRS resource sets (#A, #B, #C, #D) for antenna switching with 1T8R, and each resource set includes 2 SRS resources. The UE may be also configured with another two aperiodic SRS resource sets (#E, #F) for codebook based transmission, and another two aperiodic SRS resource sets (#G, #H) for beam management. Table 3 shows an example of the aperiodic SRS resource sets configuration with extended trigger states. In this way, gNB may indicate trigger state of ‘ 1’ to trigger 1T8R antenna switching, or trigger state of ‘5’ for antenna switching with 1T4R, etc. Table 3 Example of aperiodic SRS resource sets configuration with extended trigger states

B: Repurpose DCI field(s) to trigger a subset of configured SRS

In an embodiment, for DCI format 0 1/0 2 without scheduling data, some field(s) may be repurposed to trigger a subset of the configured SRS. The repurposed field(s) may be used to further indicate that a subset of the aperiodic SRS resource sets indicated by the SRS Request field will be actually triggered. For example, if SRS resource sets #A, #B and #C are configured with trigger state ‘ 1’, when SRS Request field in DCI 0 1/0 2 indicates trigger state of ‘ 1’, some other field may further indicate that only SRS resource set #A and #B are triggered for transmission. The repurposed field may indicate a bitmap to indicate which aperiodic SRS resource sets with the trigger state indicated by SRS Request will be actually triggered for transmission. For example, if SRS resource sets #A, #B and #C are configured with trigger state ‘ 1’, the bitmap of ‘ 110’ may further indicate that SRS resource set #A and #B will be transmitted.

Alternatively, the aperiodic SRS resource set may be further configured with a subTriggerState by RRC besides the trigger state. And the repurposed field may indicate the subTriggerState to be triggered. Only those aperiodic SRS resource sets configured with both trigger state indicate by SRS Request and subTriggerState indicated by the repurposed field will be transmitted. In an example, the MCS field/HARQ field may be reused to trigger a subset of the configured aperiodic SRS resource sets.

In another embodiment, for DCI format 0 1/0 2 without scheduling data, some field(s) may be repurposed to indicate that only a subset of the configured SRS resources within one SRS resource set which is triggered by the DCI will be transmitted. For example, aperiodic SRS resource set #A includes 4 SRS resources (#1, #2, #3, #4) and is configured with trigger state of ‘ 1’. The DCI indicates trigger state of ‘ 1’ which means SRS resource set #A is triggered. The repurposed field may indicate a bitmap of ‘ 1001’ which means only SRS resource #1 and #4 is triggered for transmission.

In an example, the MCS field/HARQ field may be reused to trigger a subset of the SRS resources within the triggered aperiodic SRS resource set.

Note: all the embodiments in this disclosure are applicable for DCI format 1 1/1 2 without scheduling PDSCH.

SYSTEMS AND IMPLEMENTATIONS

Figures 5-7 illustrate various systems, devices, and components that may implement aspects of disclosed embodiments.

Figure 5 illustrates a network 500 in accordance with various embodiments. The network 500 may operate in a manner consistent with 3GPP technical specifications for LTE or 5G/NR systems. However, the example embodiments are not limited in this regard and the described embodiments may apply to other networks that benefit from the principles described herein, such as future 3 GPP systems, or the like.

The network 500 may include a UE 502, which may include any mobile or non-mobile computing device designed to communicate with a RAN 504 via an over-the-air connection. The UE 502 may be communicatively coupled with the RAN 504 by a Uu interface. The UE 502 may be, but is not limited to, a smartphone, tablet computer, wearable computer device, desktop computer, laptop computer, in-vehicle infotainment, in-car entertainment device, instrument cluster, head-up display device, onboard diagnostic device, dashtop mobile equipment, mobile data terminal, electronic engine management system, electronic/engine control unit, electronic/engine control module, embedded system, sensor, microcontroller, control module, engine management system, networked appliance, machine-type communication device, M2M or D2D device, loT device, etc.

In some embodiments, the network 500 may include a plurality of UEs coupled directly with one another via a sidelink interface. The UEs may be M2M/D2D devices that communicate using physical sidelink channels such as, but not limited to, PSBCH, PSDCH, PSSCH, PSCCH, PSFCH, etc.

In some embodiments, the UE 502 may additionally communicate with an AP 506 via an over-the-air connection. The AP 506 may manage a WLAN connection, which may serve to offload some/all network traffic from the RAN 504. The connection between the UE 502 and the AP 506 may be consistent with any IEEE 802.11 protocol, wherein the AP 506 could be a wireless fidelity (Wi-Fi®) router. In some embodiments, the UE 502, RAN 504, and AP 506 may utilize cellular-WLAN aggregation (for example, LWA/LWIP). Cellular-WLAN aggregation may involve the UE 502 being configured by the RAN 504 to utilize both cellular radio resources and WLAN resources.

The RAN 504 may include one or more access nodes, for example, AN 508. AN 508 may terminate air-interface protocols for the UE 502 by providing access stratum protocols including RRC, PDCP, RLC, MAC, and LI protocols. In this manner, the AN 508 may enable data/voice connectivity between CN 520 and the UE 502. In some embodiments, the AN 508 may be implemented in a discrete device or as one or more software entities running on server computers as part of, for example, a virtual network, which may be referred to as a CRAN or virtual baseband unit pool. The AN 508 be referred to as a BS, gNB, RAN node, eNB, ng-eNB, NodeB, RSU, TRxP, TRP, etc. The AN 508 may be a macrocell base station or a low power base station for providing femtocells, picocells or other like cells having smaller coverage areas, smaller user capacity, or higher bandwidth compared to macrocells.

In embodiments in which the RAN 504 includes a plurality of ANs, they may be coupled with one another via an X2 interface (if the RAN 504 is an LTE RAN) or an Xn interface (if the RAN 504 is a 5G RAN). The X2/Xn interfaces, which may be separated into control/user plane interfaces in some embodiments, may allow the ANs to communicate information related to handovers, data/context transfers, mobility, load management, interference coordination, etc.

The ANs of the RAN 504 may each manage one or more cells, cell groups, component carriers, etc. to provide the UE 502 with an air interface for network access. The UE 502 may be simultaneously connected with a plurality of cells provided by the same or different ANs of the RAN 504. For example, the UE 502 and RAN 504 may use carrier aggregation to allow the UE 502 to connect with a plurality of component carriers, each corresponding to a Pcell or Scell. In dual connectivity scenarios, a first AN may be a master node that provides an MCG and a second AN may be secondary node that provides an SCG. The first/second ANs may be any combination of eNB, gNB, ng-eNB, etc.

The RAN 504 may provide the air interface over a licensed spectrum or an unlicensed spectrum. To operate in the unlicensed spectrum, the nodes may use LAA, eLAA, and/or feLAA mechanisms based on CA technology with PCells/Scells. Prior to accessing the unlicensed spectrum, the nodes may perform medium/carrier-sensing operations based on, for example, a listen-before-talk (LBT) protocol.

In V2X scenarios the UE 502 or AN 508 may be or act as a RSU, which may refer to any transportation infrastructure entity used for V2X communications. An RSU may be implemented in or by a suitable AN or a stationary (or relatively stationary) UE. An RSU implemented in or by: a UE may be referred to as a “UE-type RSU”; an eNB may be referred to as an “eNB-type RSU”; a gNB may be referred to as a “gNB-type RSU”; and the like. In one example, an RSU is a computing device coupled with radio frequency circuitry located on a roadside that provides connectivity support to passing vehicle UEs. The RSU may also include internal data storage circuitry to store intersection map geometry, traffic statistics, media, as well as applications/software to sense and control ongoing vehicular and pedestrian traffic. The RSU may provide very low latency communications required for high speed events, such as crash avoidance, traffic warnings, and the like. Additionally or alternatively, the RSU may provide other cellular/WLAN communications services. The components of the RSU may be packaged in a weatherproof enclosure suitable for outdoor installation, and may include a network interface controller to provide a wired connection (e.g., Ethernet) to a traffic signal controller or a backhaul network.

In some embodiments, the RAN 504 may be an LTE RAN 510 with eNBs, for example, eNB 512. The LTE RAN 510 may provide an LTE air interface with the following characteristics: SCS of 15 kHz; CP-OFDM waveform for DL and SC-FDMA waveform for UL; turbo codes for data and TBCC for control; etc. The LTE air interface may rely on CSI-RS for CSI acquisition and beam management; PDSCH/PDCCH DMRS for PDSCH/PDCCH demodulation; and CRS for cell search and initial acquisition, channel quality measurements, and channel estimation for coherent demodulation/detection at the UE. The LTE air interface may operating on sub-6 GHz bands.

In some embodiments, the RAN 504 may be an NG-RAN 514 with gNBs, for example, gNB 516, or ng-eNBs, for example, ng-eNB 518. The gNB 516 may connect with 5G-enabled UEs using a 5G NR interface. The gNB 516 may connect with a 5G core through an NG interface, which may include an N2 interface or an N3 interface. The ng-eNB 518 may also connect with the 5G core through an NG interface, but may connect with a UE via an LTE air interface. The gNB 516 and the ng-eNB 518 may connect with each other over an Xn interface.

In some embodiments, the NG interface may be split into two parts, an NG user plane (NG-U) interface, which carries traffic data between the nodes of the NG-RAN 514 and a UPF 548 (e.g., N3 interface), and an NG control plane (NG-C) interface, which is a signaling interface between the nodes of the NG-RAN514 and an AMF 544 (e.g., N2 interface). The NG-RAN 514 may provide a 5G-NR air interface with the following characteristics: variable SCS; CP-OFDM for DL, CP-OFDM and DFT-s-OFDM for UL; polar, repetition, simplex, and Reed-Muller codes for control and LDPC for data. The 5G-NR air interface may rely on CSI-RS, PDSCH/PDCCH DMRS similar to the LTE air interface. The 5G-NR air interface may not use a CRS, but may use PBCH DMRS for PBCH demodulation; PTRS for phase tracking for PDSCH; and tracking reference signal for time tracking. The 5G-NR air interface may operating on FR1 bands that include sub-6 GHz bands or FR2 bands that include bands from 24.25 GHz to 52.6 GHz. The 5G-NR air interface may include an SSB that is an area of a downlink resource grid that includes PSS/SSS/PBCH.

In some embodiments, the 5G-NR air interface may utilize BWPs for various purposes. For example, BWP can be used for dynamic adaptation of the SCS. For example, the UE 502 can be configured with multiple BWPs where each BWP configuration has a different SCS. When a BWP change is indicated to the UE 502, the SCS of the transmission is changed as well. Another use case example of BWP is related to power saving. In particular, multiple BWPs can be configured for the UE 502 with different amount of frequency resources (for example, PRBs) to support data transmission under different traffic loading scenarios. A BWP containing a smaller number of PRBs can be used for data transmission with small traffic load while allowing power saving at the UE 502 and in some cases at the gNB 516. A BWP containing a larger number of PRBs can be used for scenarios with higher traffic load.

The RAN 504 is communicatively coupled to CN 520 that includes network elements to provide various functions to support data and telecommunications services to customers/subscribers (for example, users of UE 502). The components of the CN 520 may be implemented in one physical node or separate physical nodes. In some embodiments, NFV may be utilized to virtualize any or all of the functions provided by the network elements of the CN 520 onto physical compute/storage resources in servers, switches, etc. A logical instantiation of the CN 520 may be referred to as a network slice, and a logical instantiation of a portion of the CN 520 may be referred to as a network sub-slice.

In some embodiments, the CN 520 may be an LTE CN 522, which may also be referred to as an EPC. The LTE CN 522 may include MME 524, SGW 526, SGSN 528, HSS 530, PGW 532, and PCRF 534 coupled with one another over interfaces (or “reference points”) as shown. Functions of the elements of the LTE CN 522 may be briefly introduced as follows.

The MME 524 may implement mobility management functions to track a current location of the UE 502 to facilitate paging, bearer activation/deactivation, handovers, gateway selection, authentication, etc.

The SGW 526 may terminate an SI interface toward the RAN and route data packets between the RAN and the LTE CN 522. The SGW 526 may be a local mobility anchor point for inter-RAN node handovers and also may provide an anchor for inter-3GPP mobility. Other responsibilities may include lawful intercept, charging, and some policy enforcement.

The SGSN 528 may track a location of the UE 502 and perform security functions and access control. In addition, the SGSN 528 may perform inter-EPC node signaling for mobility between different RAT networks; PDN and S-GW selection as specified by MME 524; MME selection for handovers; etc. The S3 reference point between the MME 524 and the SGSN 528 may enable user and bearer information exchange for inter-3 GPP access network mobility in idle/active states.

The HSS 530 may include a database for network users, including subscription-related information to support the network entities’ handling of communication sessions. The HSS 530 can provide support for routing/roaming, authentication, authorization, naming/addressing resolution, location dependencies, etc. An S6a reference point between the HSS 530 and the MME 524 may enable transfer of subscription and authentication data for authenticating/authorizing user access to the LTE CN 520.

The PGW 532 may terminate an SGi interface toward a data network (DN) 536 that may include an application/content server 538. The PGW 532 may route data packets between the LTE CN 522 and the data network 536. The PGW 532 may be coupled with the SGW 526 by an S5 reference point to facilitate user plane tunneling and tunnel management. The PGW 532 may further include a node for policy enforcement and charging data collection (for example, PCEF). Additionally, the SGi reference point between the PGW 532 and the data network 5 36 may be an operator external public, a private PDN, or an intra-operator packet data network, for example, for provision of IMS services. The PGW 532 may be coupled with a PCRF 534 via a Gx reference point.

The PCRF 534 is the policy and charging control element of the LTE CN 522. The PCRF 534 may be communicatively coupled to the app/content server 538 to determine appropriate QoS and charging parameters for service flows. The PCRF 532 may provision associated rules into a PCEF (via Gx reference point) with appropriate TFT and QCI.

In some embodiments, the CN 520 may be a 5GC 540. The 5GC 540 may include an AUSF 542, AMF 544, SMF 546, UPF 548, NSSF 550, NEF 552, NRF 554, PCF 556, UDM 558, and AF 560 coupled with one another over interfaces (or “reference points”) as shown. Functions of the elements of the 5GC 540 may be briefly introduced as follows.

The AUSF 542 may store data for authentication of UE 502 and handle authentication- related functionality. The AUSF 542 may facilitate a common authentication framework for various access types. In addition to communicating with other elements of the 5GC 540 over reference points as shown, the AUSF 542 may exhibit an Nausf service-based interface.

The AMF 544 may allow other functions of the 5GC 540 to communicate with the UE 502 and the RAN 504 and to subscribe to notifications about mobility events with respect to the UE 502. The AMF 544 may be responsible for registration management (for example, for registering UE 502), connection management, reachability management, mobility management, lawful interception of AMF -related events, and access authentication and authorization. The AMF 544 may provide transport for SM messages between the UE 502 and the SMF 546, and act as a transparent proxy for routing SM messages. AMF 544 may also provide transport for SMS messages between UE 502 and an SMSF. AMF 544 may interact with the AUSF 542 and the UE 502 to perform various security anchor and context management functions. Furthermore, AMF 544 may be a termination point of a RAN CP interface, which may include or be an N2 reference point between the RAN 504 and the AMF 544; and the AMF 544 may be a termination point of NAS (Nl) signaling, and perform NAS ciphering and integrity protection. AMF 544 may also support NAS signaling with the UE 502 over an N3 IWF interface.

The SMF 546 may be responsible for SM (for example, session establishment, tunnel management between UPF 548 and AN 508); UE IP address allocation and management (including optional authorization); selection and control of UP function; configuring traffic steering at UPF 548 to route traffic to proper destination; termination of interfaces toward policy control functions; controlling part of policy enforcement, charging, and QoS; lawful intercept (for SM events and interface to LI system); termination of SM parts of NAS messages; downlink data notification; initiating AN specific SM information, sent via AMF 544 over N2 to AN 508; and determining SSC mode of a session. SM may refer to management of a PDU session, and a PDU session or “session” may refer to a PDU connectivity service that provides or enables the exchange of PDUs between the UE 502 and the data network 536.

The UPF 548 may act as an anchor point for intra-RAT and inter-RAT mobility, an external PDU session point of interconnect to data network 536, and a branching point to support multi-homed PDU session. The UPF 548 may also perform packet routing and forwarding, perform packet inspection, enforce the user plane part of policy rules, lawfully intercept packets (UP collection), perform traffic usage reporting, perform QoS handling for a user plane (e.g., packet filtering, gating, UL/DL rate enforcement), perform uplink traffic verification (e.g., SDF- to-QoS flow mapping), transport level packet marking in the uplink and downlink, and perform downlink packet buffering and downlink data notification triggering. UPF 548 may include an uplink classifier to support routing traffic flows to a data network.

The NSSF 550 may select a set of network slice instances serving the UE 502. The NSSF 550 may also determine allowed NSSAI and the mapping to the subscribed S-NSSAIs, if needed. The NSSF 550 may also determine the AMF set to be used to serve the UE 502, or a list of candidate AMFs based on a suitable configuration and possibly by querying the NRF 554. The selection of a set of network slice instances for the UE 502 may be triggered by the AMF 544 with which the UE 502 is registered by interacting with the NSSF 550, which may lead to a change of AMF. The NSSF 550 may interact with the AMF 544 via an N22 reference point; and may communicate with another NSSF in a visited network via an N31 reference point (not shown). Additionally, the NSSF 550 may exhibit an Nnssf service-based interface.

The NEF 552 may securely expose services and capabilities provided by 3 GPP network functions for third party, internal exposure/re-exposure, AFs (e.g., AF 560), edge computing or fog computing systems, etc. In such embodiments, the NEF 552 may authenticate, authorize, or throttle the AFs. NEF 552 may also translate information exchanged with the AF 560 and information exchanged with internal network functions. For example, the NEF 552 may translate between an AF-Service-Identifier and an internal 5GC information. NEF 552 may also receive information from other NFs based on exposed capabilities of other NFs. This information may be stored at the NEF 552 as structured data, or at a data storage NF using standardized interfaces. The stored information can then be re-exposed by the NEF 552 to other NFs and AFs, or used for other purposes such as analytics. Additionally, the NEF 552 may exhibit an Nnef service-based interface.

The NRF 554 may support service discovery functions, receive NF discovery requests from NF instances, and provide the information of the discovered NF instances to the NF instances. NRF 554 also maintains information of available NF instances and their supported services. As used herein, the terms “instantiate,” “instantiation,” and the like may refer to the creation of an instance, and an “instance” may refer to a concrete occurrence of an object, which may occur, for example, during execution of program code. Additionally, the NRF 554 may exhibit the Nnrf service-based interface.

The PCF 556 may provide policy rules to control plane functions to enforce them, and may also support unified policy framework to govern network behavior. The PCF 556 may also implement a front end to access subscription information relevant for policy decisions in a UDR of the UDM 558. In addition to communicating with functions over reference points as shown, the PCF 556 exhibit an Npcf service-based interface.

The UDM 558 may handle subscription-related information to support the network entities’ handling of communication sessions, and may store subscription data of UE 502. For example, subscription data may be communicated via an N8 reference point between the UDM 558 and the AMF 544. The UDM 558 may include two parts, an application front end and a UDR. The UDR may store subscription data and policy data for the UDM 558 and the PCF 556, and/or structured data for exposure and application data (including PFDs for application detection, application request information for multiple UEs 502) for the NEF 552. The Nudr service-based interface may be exhibited by the UDR 221 to allow the UDM 558, PCF 556, and NEF 552 to access a particular set of the stored data, as well as to read, update (e.g., add, modify), delete, and subscribe to notification of relevant data changes in the UDR. The UDM may include a UDM- FE, which is in charge of processing credentials, location management, subscription management and so on. Several different front ends may serve the same user in different transactions. The UDM-FE accesses subscription information stored in the UDR and performs authentication credential processing, user identification handling, access authorization, registration/mobility management, and subscription management. In addition to communicating with other NFs over reference points as shown, the UDM 558 may exhibit the Nudm service-based interface.

The AF 560 may provide application influence on traffic routing, provide access to NEF, and interact with the policy framework for policy control.

In some embodiments, the 5GC 540 may enable edge computing by selecting operator/3 ^rd party services to be geographically close to a point that the UE 502 is attached to the network. This may reduce latency and load on the network. To provide edge-computing implementations, the 5GC 540 may select a UPF 548 close to the UE 502 and execute traffic steering from the UPF 548 to data network 536 via the N6 interface. This may be based on the UE subscription data, UE location, and information provided by the AF 560. In this way, the AF 560 may influence UPF (re)selection and traffic routing. Based on operator deployment, when AF 560 is considered to be a trusted entity, the network operator may permit AF 560 to interact directly with relevant NFs. Additionally, the AF 560 may exhibit an Naf service-based interface.

The data network 536 may represent various network operator services, Internet access, or third party services that may be provided by one or more servers including, for example, application/content server 538.

Figure 6 schematically illustrates a wireless network 600 in accordance with various embodiments. The wireless network 600 may include a UE 602 in wireless communication with an AN 604. The UE 602 and AN 604 may be similar to, and substantially interchangeable with, like-named components described elsewhere herein.

The UE 602 may be communicatively coupled with the AN 604 via connection 606. The connection 606 is illustrated as an air interface to enable communicative coupling, and can be consistent with cellular communications protocols such as an LTE protocol or a 5G NR protocol operating at mmWave or sub-6GHz frequencies.

The UE 602 may include a host platform 608 coupled with a modem platform 610. The host platform 608 may include application processing circuitry 612, which may be coupled with protocol processing circuitry 614 of the modem platform 610. The application processing circuitry 612 may run various applications for the UE 602 that source/ sink application data. The application processing circuitry 612 may further implement one or more layer operations to transmit/receive application data to/from a data network. These layer operations may include transport (for example UDP) and Internet (for example, IP) operations

The protocol processing circuitry 614 may implement one or more of layer operations to facilitate transmission or reception of data over the connection 606. The layer operations implemented by the protocol processing circuitry 614 may include, for example, MAC, RLC, PDCP, RRC and NAS operations.

The modem platform 610 may further include digital baseband circuitry 616 that may implement one or more layer operations that are “below” layer operations performed by the protocol processing circuitry 614 in a network protocol stack. These operations may include, for example, PHY operations including one or more of HARQ-ACK functions, scrambling/descrambling, encoding/decoding, layer mapping/de-mapping, modulation symbol mapping, received symbol/bit metric determination, multi-antenna port precoding/decoding, which may include one or more of space-time, space-frequency or spatial coding, reference signal generation/detection, preamble sequence generation and/or decoding, synchronization sequence generation/detection, control channel signal blind decoding, and other related functions.

The modem platform 610 may further include transmit circuitry 618, receive circuitry 620, RF circuitry 622, and RF front end (RFFE) 624, which may include or connect to one or more antenna panels 626. Briefly, the transmit circuitry 618 may include a digital -to-analog converter, mixer, intermediate frequency (IF) components, etc.; the receive circuitry 620 may include an analog-to-digital converter, mixer, IF components, etc.; the RF circuitry 622 may include a low-noise amplifier, a power amplifier, power tracking components, etc.; RFFE 624 may include filters (for example, surface/bulk acoustic wave filters), switches, antenna tuners, beamforming components (for example, phase-array antenna components), etc. The selection and arrangement of the components of the transmit circuitry 618, receive circuitry 620, RF circuitry 622, RFFE 624, and antenna panels 626 (referred generically as “transmit/receive components”) may be specific to details of a specific implementation such as, for example, whether communication is TDM or FDM, in mmWave or sub-6 gHz frequencies, etc. In some embodiments, the transmit/receive components may be arranged in multiple parallel transmit/receive chains, may be disposed in the same or different chips/modules, etc. In some embodiments, the protocol processing circuitry 614 may include one or more instances of control circuitry (not shown) to provide control functions for the transmit/receive components.

A UE reception may be established by and via the antenna panels 626, RFFE 624, RF circuitry 622, receive circuitry 620, digital baseband circuitry 616, and protocol processing circuitry 614. In some embodiments, the antenna panels 626 may receive a transmission from the AN 604 by receive-beamforming signals received by a plurality of antennas/antenna elements of the one or more antenna panels 626.

A UE transmission may be established by and via the protocol processing circuitry 614, digital baseband circuitry 616, transmit circuitry 618, RF circuitry 622, RFFE 624, and antenna panels 626. In some embodiments, the transmit components of the UE 604 may apply a spatial filter to the data to be transmitted to form a transmit beam emitted by the antenna elements of the antenna panels 626.

Similar to the UE 602, the AN 604 may include a host platform 628 coupled with a modem platform 630. The host platform 628 may include application processing circuitry 632 coupled with protocol processing circuitry 634 of the modem platform 630. The modem platform may further include digital baseband circuitry 636, transmit circuitry 638, receive circuitry 640, RF circuitry 642, RFFE circuitry 644, and antenna panels 646. The components of the AN 604 may be similar to and substantially interchangeable with like-named components of the UE 602. In addition to performing data transmission/reception as described above, the components of the AN 608 may perform various logical functions that include, for example, RNC functions such as radio bearer management, uplink and downlink dynamic radio resource management, and data packet scheduling.

Figure 7 is a block diagram illustrating components, according to some example embodiments, able to read instructions from a machine-readable or computer-readable medium (e.g., a non-transitory machine-readable storage medium) and perform any one or more of the methodologies discussed herein. Specifically, Figure 7 shows a diagrammatic representation of hardware resources 700 including one or more processors (or processor cores) 710, one or more memory/storage devices 720, and one or more communication resources 730, each of which may be communicatively coupled via a bus 740 or other interface circuitry. For embodiments where node virtualization (e.g., NFV) is utilized, a hypervisor 702 may be executed to provide an execution environment for one or more network slices/ sub-slices to utilize the hardware resources 700.

The processors 710 may include, for example, a processor 712 and a processor 714. The processors 710 may be, for example, a central processing unit (CPU), a reduced instruction set computing (RISC) processor, a complex instruction set computing (CISC) processor, a graphics processing unit (GPU), a DSP such as a baseband processor, an ASIC, an FPGA, a radio-frequency integrated circuit (RFIC), another processor (including those discussed herein), or any suitable combination thereof.

The memory/storage devices 720 may include main memory, disk storage, or any suitable combination thereof. The memory/storage devices 720 may include, but are not limited to, any type of volatile, non-volatile, or semi-volatile memory such as dynamic random access memory (DRAM), static random access memory (SRAM), erasable programmable read-only memory (EPROM), electrically erasable programmable read-only memory (EEPROM), Flash memory, solid-state storage, etc.

The communication resources 730 may include interconnection or network interface controllers, components, or other suitable devices to communicate with one or more peripheral devices 704 or one or more databases 706 or other network elements via a network 708. For example, the communication resources 730 may include wired communication components (e.g., for coupling via USB, Ethernet, etc.), cellular communication components, NFC components, Bluetooth® (or Bluetooth® Low Energy) components, Wi-Fi® components, and other communication components.

Instructions 750 may comprise software, a program, an application, an applet, an app, or other executable code for causing at least any of the processors 710 to perform any one or more of the methodologies discussed herein. The instructions 750 may reside, completely or partially, within at least one of the processors 710 (e.g., within the processor’s cache memory), the memory/storage devices 720, or any suitable combination thereof. Furthermore, any portion of the instructions 750 may be transferred to the hardware resources 700 from any combination of the peripheral devices 704 or the databases 706. Accordingly, the memory of processors 710, the memory/storage devices 720, the peripheral devices 704, and the databases 706 are examples of computer-readable and machine-readable media.

EXAMPLE PROCEDURES

In some embodiments, the electronic device(s), network(s), system(s), chip(s), component(s), or portions or implementations thereof, of Figure 5-7, or some other figure herein, may be configured to perform one or more processes, techniques, or methods as described herein, or portions thereof. One such process 800 is depicted in Figure 8. In some embodiments, the process 800 may be performed by a UE or a portion thereof. At 802, the process may include receiving a downlink control information (DCI) that includes a sounding reference signal (SRS) request field and a first field, wherein the SRS request field and one or more bits of the first field jointly encode an indication of one or more aperiodic SRS resource sets that are triggered by the DCI. At 804, the process 800 may further include identifying the triggered one or more aperiodic SRS resource sets based on the SRS request field and the one or more bits of the first field. At 806, the process 800 may further include encoding a SRS for transmission in accordance with the triggered one or more aperiodic SRS resource sets.

Figure 9 illustrates another process 900 in accordance with various embodiments. In some embodiments, the process 900 may be performed by a gNB or a portion thereof. At 902, the process 900 may include encoding, for transmission to a user equipment (UE), a downlink control information (DCI) that includes a sounding reference signal (SRS) request field and a first field, wherein the DCI does not schedule a data transmission, and wherein the SRS request field and one or more bits of the first field jointly encode an indication of one or more aperiodic SRS resource sets that are triggered by the DCI. At 904, the process 900 may further include receiving an SRS from the UE in accordance with the triggered one or more aperiodic SRS resource sets.

Figure 10 illustrates another process 1000 in accordance with various embodiments. In some embodiments, the process 1000 may be performed by a UE or a portion thereof. At 1002, the process 1000 may include receiving a downlink control information (DCI) that triggers an aperiodic sounding reference signal (SRS) without scheduling a data transmission. At 1004, the process 1000 may further include determining a power control adjustment for the SRS based on a transmit power control (TPC) command in the DCI. At 1006, the process 1000 may further include transmitting the SRS based on the determined power control adjustment.

For one or more embodiments, at least one of the components set forth in one or more of the preceding figures may be configured to perform one or more operations, techniques, processes, and/or methods as set forth in the example section below. For example, the baseband circuitry as described above in connection with one or more of the preceding figures may be configured to operate in accordance with one or more of the examples set forth below. For another example, circuitry associated with a UE, base station, network element, etc. as described above in connection with one or more of the preceding figures may be configured to operate in accordance with one or more of the examples set forth below in the example section.

EXAMPLES

Example Al may include a method of a gNB, wherein the gNB sends a DCI to a UE to trigger aperiodic SRS transmission via SRS Request field.

Example A2 may include the method of Example Al or some other example herein, wherein the SRS Request field is carried via DCI format 0 1/0 2 without scheduling PUSCH data. Example A3 may include the method of Example A2 or some other example herein, wherein one or more fields in DCI 0 1/0 2 are repurposed to indicate whether the triggered SRS should be sent over UL BWP or DL BWP. For example, the NDI field or some bit in FDRA field could be used to indicate whether SRS is sent over DL/UL BWP.

Example A4 may include the method of Example A3 or some other example herein, wherein when some field in DCI 0 1/0 2 without scheduling data indicates the SRS should be sent over DL BWP, then if , the reference point for k ₀ = 0 is subcarrier 0 in common resource block 0. Otherwise the reference point is the lowest point of the DL BWP. When some field in DCI 0 1/0 2 without scheduling data indicates the SRS should be sent over UL BWP, then if the reference point for k ₀ = 0 is subcarrier 0 in common resource block 0. Otherwise the reference point is the lowest point of the UL BWP. and indicates the common resource block where the bandwidth part starts relative to common resource block 0 for DL and UL respectively.

Example A5 may include the method of Example A3 or some other example herein, wherein if multiple aperiodic SRS resource sets are triggered by the same trigger state via DCI format 0 1/0 2 without scheduling PUSCH, the DL/UL BWP indication could be applied to all the triggered SRS resource sets or a part of the triggered SRS resource sets. Some additional field could indicate which SRS resource set(s) the DL/UL BWP indication is applied to. For example, a bitmap could be used.

Example A6 may include the method of Example A2 or some other example herein, wherein if aperiodic SRS is triggered via DCI format 0 1/0 2 without scheduling PUSCH data, then the BWP indicator field could be repurposed to indicate the BWP only for SRS transmission. If the indicated BWP is different with current active BWP, then the SRS should be transmitted over the indicated BWP, after SRS is transmitted, the UE should switch back to the previous BWP for PUSCH transmission.

Example A7 may include the method of Example A2 or some other example herein, wherein when DCI format 0 1/0 2 without data is used to trigger aperiodic SRS, some field(s) in the DCI could be repurposed to indicate the frequency domain resource for the SRS, e.g. the RRC configured frequency domain resource could be overridden by DCI.

Example A8 may include the method of Example A7 or some other example herein, wherein All the following RRC parameters or a subset of the following RRC parameters, which are used for SRS frequency resource allocation, could be indicated over DCI 0 1/0 2 without data. freqDomainPosition (0~67, 7 bits) • freqDomainShift (0-268, 9 bits)

• c-SRS (0-63, 6 bits)

• b-SRS (0-3, 2 bits)

• b-hop (0-3, 2 bits)

Example A9 may include the method of Example A7 or some other example herein, wherein in order to indicate the frequency resource allocation for SRS, the payload size for DCI format 0 1/0 2 without scheduling data should be predefined. Some fields with configurable length could be fixed to the maximum number of bits.

Example A10 may include the method of examples A7 to A9 or some other example herein, wherein when DCI format 0 1/0 2 without scheduling PUSCH is used to trigger aperiodic SRS, the SRS resource configuration carried over the DCI could be applied to all the SRS resources or a subset of the SRS resources within the triggered aperiodic SRS resource set. Some additional field could carry a bitmap to indicate which SRS resources the SRS resource configuration is applied to.

Example Al 1 may include the method of example A7 to example A10 or some other example herein, wherein if multiple aperiodic SRS resource sets are triggered by the same trigger state via DCI format 0 1/0 2 without scheduling PUSCH, the SRS resource configuration carried over the DCI could be applied to all the triggered SRS resource sets or a part of the triggered SRS resource sets. Some additional field could indicate which SRS resource set(s) the SRS resource configuration is applied to. For example, a bitmap could be used.

Example A12 may include the method of example A2 or some other example herein, wherein for DCI format 0 1/0 2 without scheduling PUSCH, some field(s) could be repurposed to indicate the pattern for SRS partial sounding if SRS partial sounding is enabled. When SRS partial sounding is enabled, the SRS could be transmitted only over a subset of the PRBs in one hop/one OFDM symbol. The UE could be configured with a set of value by RRC, such as { 1/2, 1/4, 1/8}, which means the SRS could be transmitted over the { 1/2, 1/4, 1/8} PRBs in one hop/one OFDM symbol. Which pattern is used could be further indicated by DCI, for example, 1/4 is selected.

Example A13 may include the method of example A12 or some other example herein, wherein alternatively, the PRBs for SRS in one hop/one OFDM symbol could be split into N groups equally. And in DCI, a bitmap of M bits could be used to indicate over which groups of PRBs the SRS will be transmitted.

Example A14 may include the method of examples A12 and A13 or some other example herein, wherein when DCI format 0 1/0 2 without scheduling PUSCH is used to trigger aperiodic SRS, the SRS partial sounding pattern indicated via the DCI could be applied to all the SRS resources or a subset of the SRS resources within the triggered aperiodic SRS resource set. Some additional field could carry a bitmap to indicate which SRS resources the SRS partial sounding pattern is applied to.

Example Al 5 may include the method of examples A12 to A14 or some other example herein, wherein if multiple aperiodic SRS resource sets are triggered by the same trigger state via DCI format 0 1/0 2 without scheduling PUSCH, the SRS partial sounding pattern indicated via the DCI could be applied to all the triggered SRS resource sets or a part of the triggered SRS resource sets. Some additional field could indicate which SRS resource set(s) the SRS partial sounding pattern is applied to. For example, a bitmap could be used.

Example Al 6 may include the method of example A2 or some other example herein, wherein if multiple aperiodic SRS resource sets are triggered by the same DCI codepoint of SRS Request field, it is possible that the triggered SRS resource sets may be allocated with the same slot for transmission which will lead to collision among the triggered SRS resource sets. In this case, some field(s) in DCI format 0 1/0 2 without scheduling PUSCH could be reused to indicate additional slot offset/OFDM symbol positions to avoid collision.

Example Bl may include a method of a gNB, wherein the gNB sends a DCI to a UE to trigger aperiodic SRS transmission.

Example B2 may include the method of example Bl or some other example herein, wherein the DCI is format 0 1/0 2 without scheduling PUSCH data.

Example B3 may include a method of a UE, wherein the UE performs power control for PUSCH and SRS according to the configuration and indication from gNB.

Example B4 may include the method of B2 or some other example herein, wherein the field of TPC command for PUSCH in DCI format 0 1/0 2 could be repurposed as TPC command for SRS.

Example B5 may include the method of example B3 or some other example herein, wherein the power control for PUSCH and SRS should consider the TPC command carried over DCI format 0 1/0 2 without scheduling PUSCH data.

Example B6 may include the method of example B5 or some other example herein, wherein if the SRS is configured with different power control state as PUSCH, then the TPC command sent over DCI 0 1/0 2 without data should be considered when calculating

Example B7 may include the method of example B5 or some other example herein, wherein if SRS is configured with the same power control state as PUSCH, which means then the TPC command sent over DCI 0 1/0 2 without data should be considered when calculating 0- Example B8 may include the method of example B2 or some other example herein, wherein some field(s) in DCI 0 1/0 2 without scheduling PUSCH could be used to indicate the power control state for the triggered SRS, e.g. the power control adjustment state (same or different as PUSCH power control state) for SRS configured by RRC could be overridden by the power control state adjustment indicated by DCI.

Example B9 may include the method of example B8 or some other example herein, wherein the aperiodic SRS triggered by DCI format 0 1/0 2 without scheduling PUSCH is expected to be indicated via the DCI with a different power control state as PUSCH.

Example B10 may include the method of example B2 or some other example herein, wherein for aperiodic SRS resource set to be triggered over DCI 0 1/0 2 without data, the aperiodic SRS resource set should be configured with different power control adjustment state with PUSCH.

Example Cl may include a method of a gNB, wherein the gNB sends a DCI to a UE to trigger aperiodic SRS transmission via SRS Request field.

Example C2 may include the method of example Cl or some other example herein, wherein the SRS Request field could be carried via DCI format 0 1/0 2 without scheduling PUSCH data.

Example C3 may include the method of example C2 or some other example herein, wherein some field(s) in DCI format 0 1/0 2 without scheduling PUSCH could be repurposed to extend number of available trigger states for aperiodic SRS.

Example C4 may include the method of example C3 or some other example herein, wherein some field(s) could be jointly encoded with SRS Request field so that the number of DCI codepoints for aperiodic SRS trigger states could be increased.

Example C5 may include the method of example C4 or some other example herein, wherein the MCS field which has 5-bit length or HARQ field (or a part of MCS field/HARQ field) could be reused to extend the number of trigger states for aperiodic SRS.

Example C6 may include the method of example C4 or some other example herein, wherein the field value ‘00’ of SRS Request field should not be jointly encoded with the repurposed field to indicate trigger state.

Example C7 may include the method of examples C3 to C6 or some other example herein, wherein with the extended trigger states, the gNB could have more flexibility on aperiodic SRS resource set configuration and triggering, especially if multiple aperiodic SRS resource sets are configured with the same usage. An example is shown in Table 5

Example C8 may include the method of example C2 or some other example herein, wherein for DCI format 0 1/0 2 without scheduling data, some field(s) could be repurposed to trigger a subset of the configured SRS. The repurposed field(s) could be used to further indicate that a subset of the aperiodic SRS resource sets indicated by the SRS Request field will be actually triggered.

Example C9 may include the method of example C8 or some other example herein, wherein the repurposed field could indicate a bitmap to indicate which aperiodic SRS resource sets with the trigger state indicated by SRS Request will be actually triggered for transmission.

Example CIO may include the method of example C8 or some other example herein, wherein the aperiodic SRS resource set could be further configured with a subTriggerState by RRC besides the trigger state. And the repurposed field could indicate the subTriggerState to be triggered. Only those aperiodic SRS resource sets configured with both trigger state indicate by SRS Request and subTriggerState indicated by the repurposed field will be transmitted.

Example Cl 1 may include the method of example C8 or some other example herein, wherein the MCS field/HARQ field could be reused to trigger a subset of the configured aperiodic SRS resource sets.

Example C12 may include the method of example C8 or some other example herein, wherein for DCI format 0 1/0 2 without scheduling data, some field(s) could be repurposed to indicate that only a subset of the configured SRS resources within one SRS resource set which is triggered by the DCI will be transmitted. A bitmap could be indicated by the repurposed field.

Example DI may include one or more non-transitory computer-readable media (NTCRM) having instructions, stored thereon, that when executed by one or more processors of a user equipment (UE) cause the UE to: receive a downlink control information (DCI) that includes a sounding reference signal (SRS) request field and a first field, wherein the SRS request field and one or more bits of the first field jointly encode an indication of one or more aperiodic SRS resource sets that are triggered by the DCI; identify the triggered one or more aperiodic SRS resource sets based on the SRS request field and the one or more bits of the first field; and encode an SRS for transmission in accordance with the triggered one or more aperiodic SRS resource sets.

Example D2 may include the one or more NTCRM of example DI, wherein the DCI does not schedule a physical uplink shared channel (PUSCH).

Example D3 may include the one or more NTCRM of example D2, wherein the DCI is a DCI format 0 1 or 0 2.

Example D4 may include the one or more NTCRM of example D2-D3, wherein the first field is a modulation and coding scheme (MCS) field or a hybrid automatic repeat request (HARQ) field. Example D5 may include the one or more NTCRM of example D1-D4, wherein a value of the SRS request field indicates that no aperiodic SRS resource set is triggered, and wherein the value is not used to jointly encode the indication of the one or more aperiodic SRS resource sets.

Example D6 may include the one or more NTCRM of example D1-D5, wherein the indication is a trigger state.

Example D7 may include the one or more NTCRM of example D6, wherein the trigger state is a first trigger state, and wherein the instructions, when executed, are further to cause the UE to receive configuration information for a plurality of trigger states including the first trigger state, wherein the configuration information indicates one or more SRS resource sets and a usage associated with the respective trigger states, wherein the first trigger state is configured with a plurality of SRS resource sets for antenna switching, and wherein a second trigger state of the plurality of trigger states is configured with a subset of the plurality of SRS resource sets for antenna switching.

Example D8 may include the one or more NTCRM of example D1-D5, wherein the SRS request field indicates a trigger state that is associated with a plurality of SRS resource sets, and wherein the one or more bits of the first field indicate the one or more triggered SRS resource sets from among the plurality of SRS resource sets.

Example D9 may include one or more non-transitory computer-readable media (NTCRM) having instructions, stored thereon, that when executed by one or more processors of a user equipment (UE) cause the UE to: receive a downlink control information (DCI) that triggers an aperiodic sounding reference signal (SRS) without scheduling a data transmission; determine a power control adjustment for the SRS based on a transmit power control (TPC) command in the DCI; and transmit the SRS based on the determined power control adjustment.

Example DIO may include the one or more NTCRM of example D9, wherein the SRS is configured with a different power control state than PUSCH.

Example Dl l may include the one or more NTCRM of example DIO, wherein the power control adjustment is determined according to h _b f _C (i, I), wherein b is an uplink (UL) bandwidth part (BWP) index, f is a carrier index, c is a serving cell, i is an SRS transmission occasion, and I is an SRS power control adjustment state index.

Example D12 may include the one or more NTCRM of example D9-D11, wherein the SRS is configured with a same power control state as PUSCH.

Example D13 may include the one or more NTCRM of example DI 2, wherein the power control adjustment is determined according to wherein b is an uplink (UL) bandwidth part (BWP) index, f is a carrier index, c is a serving cell, i is an PUSCH transmission occasion, and I is an PUSCH power control adjustment state index.

Example D14 may include the one or more NTCRM of example D9-D13, wherein the DCI is a DCI format 0 1 or 0 2.

Example D15 may include one or more non-transitory computer-readable media (NTCRM) having instructions, stored thereon, that when executed by one or more processors of a next generation Node B (gNB) cause the gNB to: encode, for transmission to a user equipment (UE), a downlink control information (DCI) that includes a sounding reference signal (SRS) request field and a first field, wherein the DCI does not schedule a data transmission, and wherein the SRS request field and one or more bits of the first field jointly encode an indication of one or more aperiodic SRS resource sets that are triggered by the DCI; and receive an SRS from the UE in accordance with the triggered one or more aperiodic SRS resource sets.

Example D16 may include the one or more NTCRM of example DI 5, wherein the DCI is a DCI format 0 1 or 0 2.

Example D17 may include the one or more NTCRM of example D15-D16, wherein the first field is a modulation and coding scheme (MCS) field or a hybrid automatic repeat request (HARQ) field.

Example DI 8 may include the one or more NTCRM of example D15-D17, wherein a value of the SRS request field indicates that no aperiodic SRS resource set is triggered, and wherein the value is not used to jointly encode the indication of the one or more aperiodic SRS resource sets.

Example D19 may include the one or more NTCRM of example D15-D18, wherein the indication is a trigger state.

Example D20 may include the one or more NTCRM of example DI 9, wherein the trigger state is a first trigger state, and wherein the instructions, when executed, are further to cause the gNB to encode, for transmission to the UE, configuration information for a plurality of trigger states including the first trigger state, wherein the configuration information indicates one or more SRS resource sets and a usage associated with the respective trigger states, wherein the first trigger state is configured with a plurality of SRS resource sets for antenna switching, and wherein a second trigger state of the plurality of trigger states is configured with a subset of the plurality of SRS resource sets for antenna switching.

Example D21 may include the one or more NTCRM of example D15-D18, wherein the SRS request field indicates a trigger state that is associated with a plurality of SRS resource sets, and wherein the one or more bits of the first field indicate the one or more triggered SRS resource sets from among the plurality of SRS resource sets. Example Z01 may include an apparatus comprising means to perform one or more elements of a method described in or related to any of examples Al -Al 6, Bl -BIO, and/or Cl- C12, D1-D21, or any other method or process described herein.

Example Z02 may include one or more non-transitory computer-readable media comprising instructions to cause an electronic device, upon execution of the instructions by one or more processors of the electronic device, to perform one or more elements of a method described in or related to any of examples A1-A16, B1-B10, and/or C1-C12, D1-D21, or any other method or process described herein.

Example Z03 may include an apparatus comprising logic, modules, or circuitry to perform one or more elements of a method described in or related to any of examples A1-A16, B1-B10, and/or C1-C12, D1-D21, or any other method or process described herein.

Example Z04 may include a method, technique, or process as described in or related to any of examples A1-A16, B1-B10, and/or C1-C12, D1-D21, or portions or parts thereof.

Example Z05 may include an apparatus comprising: one or more processors and one or more computer-readable media comprising instructions that, when executed by the one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to perform the method, techniques, or process as described in or related to any of examples A1-A16, B1-B10, and/or C1-C12, D1-D21, or portions thereof.

Example Z06 may include a signal as described in or related to any of examples Al -Al 6, B1-B10, and/or C1-C12, D1-D21, or portions or parts thereof.

Example Z07 may include a datagram, packet, frame, segment, protocol data unit (PDU), or message as described in or related to any of examples A1-A16, B1-B10, and/or C1-C12, Dl- D21, or portions or parts thereof, or otherwise described in the present disclosure.

Example Z08 may include a signal encoded with data as described in or related to any of examples A1-A16, B1-B10, and/or C1-C12, D1-D21, or portions or parts thereof, or otherwise described in the present disclosure.

Example Z09 may include a signal encoded with a datagram, packet, frame, segment, protocol data unit (PDU), or message as described in or related to any of examples Al -Al 6, Bl- B10, and/or C1-C12, D1-D21, or portions or parts thereof, or otherwise described in the present disclosure.

Example Z10 may include an electromagnetic signal carrying computer-readable instructions, wherein execution of the computer-readable instructions by one or more processors is to cause the one or more processors to perform the method, techniques, or process as described in or related to any of examples A1-A16, B1-B10, and/or C1-C12, D1-D21, or portions thereof. Example Z11 may include a computer program comprising instructions, wherein execution of the program by a processing element is to cause the processing element to carry out the method, techniques, or process as described in or related to any of examples Al -Al 6, Bl- B10, and/or C1-C12, D1-D21, or portions thereof.

Example Z12 may include a signal in a wireless network as shown and described herein.

Example Z13 may include a method of communicating in a wireless network as shown and described herein.

Example Z14 may include a system for providing wireless communication as shown and described herein.

Example Z15 may include a device for providing wireless communication as shown and described herein.

Any of the above-described examples may be combined with any other example (or combination of examples), unless explicitly stated otherwise. The foregoing description of one or more implementations provides illustration and description, but is not intended to be exhaustive or to limit the scope of embodiments to the precise form disclosed. Modifications and variations are possible in light of the above teachings or may be acquired from practice of various embodiments.

Abbreviations

Unless used differently herein, terms, definitions, and abbreviations may be consistent with terms, definitions, and abbreviations defined in 3GPP TR 21.905 vl6.0.0 (2019-06). For the purposes of the present document, the following abbreviations may apply to the examples and embodiments discussed herein.

3 GPP Third AP Application BRAS Broadband Generation 35 Protocol, Antenna Remote Access

Partnership Port, Access Point 70 Server Project API Application BSS Business 4G Fourth Programming Interface Support System Generation APN Access Point BS Base Station 5G Fifth 40 Name BSR Buffer Status Generation ARP Allocation and 75 Report 5GC 5G Core Retention Priority BW Bandwidth network ARQ Automatic BWP Bandwidth Part AC Repeat Request C-RNTI Cell

Application 45 AS Access Stratum Radio Network Client ASP 80 Temporary ACK Application Service Identity

Acknowledgem Provider CA Carrier ent Aggregation, ACID 50 ASN.l Abstract Syntax Certification

Application Notation One 85 Authority Client Identification AUSF Authentication CAPEX CAPital AF Application Server Function Expenditure Function AWGN Additive CBRA Contention

AM Acknowledged 55 White Gaussian Based Random Mode Noise 90 Access

AMBRAggregate BAP Backhaul CC Component Maximum Bit Rate Adaptation Protocol Carrier, Country AMF Access and BCH Broadcast Code, Cryptographic

Mobility 60 Channel Checksum

Management BER Bit Error Ratio 95 CCA Clear Channel Function BFD Beam Assessment AN Access Failure Detection CCE Control Network BLER Block Error Channel Element ANR Automatic 65 Rate CCCH Common

Neighbour Relation BPSK Binary Phase 100 Control Channel Shift Keying CE Coverage

Enhancement CDM Content COTS Commercial C-RNTI Cell Delivery Network Off-The-Shelf RNTI CDMA Code- CP Control Plane, CS Circuit Division Multiple Cyclic Prefix, Switched Access 40 Connection 75 CSAR Cloud Service

CFRA Contention Free Point Archive Random Access CPD Connection CSI Channel-State CG Cell Group Point Descriptor Information CGF Charging CPE Customer CSI-IM CSI

Gateway Function 45 Premise 80 Interference CHF Charging Equipment Measurement

Function CPICHCommon Pilot CSI-RS CSI

CI Cell Identity Channel Reference Signal CID Cell-ID (e g., CQI Channel CSI-RSRP CSI positioning method) 50 Quality Indicator 85 reference signal CIM Common CPU CSI processing received power Information Model unit, Central CSI-RSRQ CSI CIR Carrier to Processing Unit reference signal Interference Ratio C/R received quality CK Cipher Key 55 Command/Resp 90 CSI-SINR CSI CM Connection onse field bit signal-to-noise and Management, CRAN Cloud Radio interference

Conditional Access ratio Mandatory Network, Cloud CSMA Carrier Sense CMAS Commercial 60 RAN 95 Multiple Access Mobile Alert Service CRB Common CSMA/CA CSMA CMD Command Resource Block with collision CMS Cloud CRC Cyclic avoidance Management System Redundancy Check CSS Common CO Conditional 65 CRI Channel -State 100 Search Space, CellOptional Information specific Search CoMP Coordinated Resource Space Multi-Point Indicator, CSI-RS CTF Charging CORESET Control Resource Trigger Function Resource Set 70 Indicator 105 CTS Clear-to-Send CW Codeword 35 DSL Domain ECSP Edge

CWS Contention Specific Language. Computing Service

Window Size Digital 70 Provider

D2D Device-to- Subscriber Line EDN Edge

Device DSLAM DSL Data Network

DC Dual 40 Access Multiplexer EEC Edge

Connectivity, Direct DwPTS Enabler Client Current Downlink Pilot 75 EECID Edge

DCI Downlink Time Slot Enabler Client

Control E-LAN Ethernet Identification

Information 45 Local Area Network EES Edge

DF Deployment E2E End-to-End Enabler Server

Flavour ECCA extended clear 80 EESID Edge

DL Downlink channel Enabler Server

DMTF Distributed assessment, Identification

Management Task 50 extended CCA EHE Edge Force ECCE Enhanced Hosting Environment

DPDK Data Plane Control Channel 85 EGMF Exposure

Development Kit Element, Governance

DM-RS, DMRS Enhanced CCE Management

Demodulation 55 ED Energy Function

Reference Signal Detection EGPRS DN Data network EDGE Enhanced 90 Enhanced DNN Data Network Datarates for GSM GPRS Name Evolution EIR Equipment

DNAI Data Network 60 (GSM Evolution) Identity Register Access Identifier EAS Edge eLAA enhanced

Application Server 95 Licensed Assisted

DRB Data Radio EASID Edge Access,

Bearer Application Server enhanced LAA

DRS Discovery 65 Identification EM Element

Reference Signal ECS Edge Manager

DRX Discontinuous Configuration Server 100 eMBB Enhanced Reception Mobile

Broadband EMS Element 35 E-UTRA Evolved FCCH Frequency

Management System UTRA 70 Correction CHannel eNB evolved NodeB, E-UTRAN Evolved FDD Frequency E-UTRAN Node B UTRAN Division Duplex

EN-DC E- EV2X Enhanced V2X FDM Frequency

UTRA-NR Dual 40 F1AP Fl Application Division

Connectivity Protocol 75 Multiplex EPC Evolved Packet Fl-C Fl Control FDM A Frequency Core plane interface Division Multiple

EPDCCH Fl-U Fl User plane Access enhanced 45 interface FE Front End

PDCCH, enhanced FACCH Fast 80 FEC Forward Error Physical Associated Control Correction

Downlink Control CHannel FFS For Further

Cannel FACCH/F Fast Study

EPRE Energy per 50 Associated Control FFT Fast Fourier resource element Channel/Full 85 Transformation

EPS Evolved Packet rate feLAA further System FACCH/H Fast enhanced Licensed

EREG enhanced REG, Associated Control Assisted enhanced resource 55 Channel/Half Access, further element groups rate 90 enhanced LAA ETSI European FACH Forward Access FN Frame Number

Telecommunica Channel FPGA Field- tions Standards FAUSCH Fast Programmable Gate Institute 60 Uplink Signalling Array

ETWS Earthquake and Channel 95 FR Frequency

Tsunami Warning FB Functional Range

System Block FQDN Fully eUICC embedded FBI Feedback Qualified Domain UICC, embedded 65 Information Name

Universal FCC Federal 100 G-RNTI GERAN Integrated Circuit Communications Radio Network

Card Commission Temporary

Identity GERAN GSM Global System 70 HSDPA High

GSM EDGE for Mobile Speed Downlink RAN, GSM EDGE Communication Packet Access

Radio Access s, Groupe Special HSN Hopping

Network 40 Mobile Sequence Number

GGSN Gateway GPRS GTP GPRS 75 HSPA High Speed Support Node Tunneling Protocol Packet Access GLONASS GTP-UGPRS HSS Home

GLObal'naya Tunnelling Protocol Subscriber Server

NAvigatsionnay 45 for User Plane HSUPA High a Sputnikovaya GTS Go To Sleep 80 Speed Uplink Packet Si sterna (Engl.: Signal (related Access Global Navigation to WUS) HTTP Hyper Text

Satellite GUMMEI Globally Transfer Protocol

System) 50 Unique MME HTTPS Hyper gNB Next Identifier 85 Text Transfer Protocol Generation NodeB GUTI Globally Secure (https is gNB-CU gNB- Unique Temporary http/ 1.1 over centralized unit, Next UE Identity SSL, i.e. port 443)

Generation 55 HARQ Hybrid ARQ, I-Block

NodeB Hybrid 90 Information centralized unit Automatic Block gNB-DU gNB- Repeat Request ICCID Integrated distributed unit, Next HANDO Handover Circuit Card

Generation 60 HFN HyperFrame Identification

NodeB Number 95 IAB Integrated distributed unit HHO Hard Handover Access and

GNSS Global HLR Home Location Backhaul Navigation Satellite Register ICIC Inter-Cell

System 65 HN Home Network Interference

GPRS General Packet HO Handover 100 Coordination

Radio Service HPLMN Home ID Identity,

GPSI Generic Public Land Mobile identifier

Public Subscription Network

Identifier IDFT Inverse Discrete 35 IMPI IP Multimedia ISO International Fourier Private Identity 70 Organisation for

Transform IMPU IP Multimedia Standardisation IE Information PUblic identity ISP Internet Service element IMS IP Multimedia Provider IBE In-Band 40 Subsystem IWF Interworking- Emission IMSI International 75 Function IEEE Institute of Mobile I-WLAN Electrical and Subscriber Interworking

Electronics Identity WLAN Engineers 45 loT Internet of Constraint IEI Information Things 80 length of the Element IP Internet convolutional

Identifier Protocol code, USIM IEIDL Information Ipsec IP Security, Individual key Element 50 Internet Protocol kB Kilobyte (1000

Identifier Data Security 85 bytes) Length IP-CAN IP- kbps kilo-bits per IETF Internet Connectivity Access second Engineering Task Network Kc Ciphering key Force 55 IP-M IP Multicast Ki Individual

IF Infrastructure IPv4 Internet 90 subscriber

IM Interference Protocol Version 4 authentication

Measurement, IPv6 Internet key

Intermodulation Protocol Version 6 KPI Key , IP Multimedia 60 IR Infrared Performance Indicator IMC IMS IS In Sync 95 KQI Key Quality Credentials IRP Integration Indicator IMEI International Reference Point KSI Key Set Mobile ISDN Integrated Identifier

Equipment 65 Services Digital ksps kilo-symbols Identity Network 100 per second IMGI International ISIM IM Services KVM Kernel Virtual mobile group identity Identity Module Machine LI Layer 1 35 LTE Long Term 70 Broadcast and

(physical layer) Evolution Multicast

Ll-RSRP Layer 1 LWA LTE-WLAN Service reference signal aggregation MBSFN received power LWIP LTE/WLAN Multimedia

L2 Layer 2 (data 40 Radio Level 75 Broadcast link layer) Integration with multicast

L3 Layer 3 IPsec Tunnel service Single

(network layer) LTE Long Term Frequency

LAA Licensed Evolution Network

Assisted Access 45 M2M Machine-to- 80 MCC Mobile Country

LAN Local Area Machine Code

Network MAC Medium Access MCG Master Cell

LADN Local Control Group

Area Data Network (protocol MCOT Maximum

LBT Listen Before 50 layering context) 85 Channel

Talk MAC Message Occupancy

LCM LifeCycle authentication code Time

Management (security/ encry pti on MCS Modulation and

LCR Low Chip Rate context) coding scheme

LCS Location 55 MAC-A MAC 90 MD AF Management

Services used for Data Analytics

LCID Logical authentication Function

Channel ID and key MD AS Management

LI Layer Indicator agreement Data Analytics

LLC Logical Link 60 (TSG T WG3 context) 95 Service

Control, Low Layer MAC -IMAC used for MDT Minimization of

Compatibility data integrity of Drive Tests

LPLMN Local signalling messages ME Mobile

PLMN (TSG T WG3 context) Equipment

LPP LTE 65 MANO 100 MeNB master eNB

Positioning Protocol Management MER Message Error

LSB Least and Orchestration Ratio

Significant Bit MBMS MGL Measurement

Multimedia Gap Length MGRP Measurement 35 Access Communication Gap Repetition CHannel 70 s Period MPUSCH MTC MU-MIMO Multi

MIB Master Physical Uplink Shared User MIMO Information Block, Channel MWUS MTC Management 40 MPLS MultiProtocol wake-up signal, MTC

Information Base Label Switching 75 WUS MIMO Multiple Input MS Mobile Station NACK Negative Multiple Output MSB Most Acknowledgement MLC Mobile Significant Bit NAI Network Location Centre 45 MSC Mobile Access Identifier MM Mobility Switching Centre 80 NAS Non-Access Management MSI Minimum Stratum, Non- Access MME Mobility System Stratum layer Management Entity Information, NCT Network MN Master Node 50 MCH Scheduling Connectivity MNO Mobile Information 85 Topology Network Operator MSID Mobile Station NC-JT NonMO Measurement Identifier coherent Joint

Object, Mobile MSIN Mobile Station Transmission

Originated 55 Identification NEC Network MPBCH MTC Number 90 Capability

Physical Broadcast MSISDN Mobile Exposure CHannel Subscriber ISDN NE-DC NR-E-

MPDCCH MTC Number UTRA Dual Physical Downlink 60 MT Mobile Connectivity Control Terminated, Mobile 95 NEF Network

CHannel Termination Exposure Function

MPDSCH MTC MTC Machine-Type NF Network Physical Downlink Communication Function Shared 65 s NFP Network

CHannel mMTC massive MTC, 100 Forwarding Path

MPRACH MTC massive NFPD Network Physical Random Machine-Type Forwarding Path

Descriptor NFV Network NPRACH 70 S-NNSAI Single-

Functions Narrowband NSSAI

Virtualization Physical Random NSSF Network Slice

NFVI NFV Access CHannel Selection Function

Infrastructure 40 NPUSCH NW Network

NF VO NFV Narrowband 75 NWU S N arrowb and

Orchestrator Physical Uplink wake-up signal,

NG Next Shared CHannel N arrowb and WU S

Generation, Next Gen NPSS Narrowband NZP Non-Zero

NGEN-DC NG- 45 Primary Power

RAN E-UTRA-NR Synchronization 80 O&M Operation and

Dual Connectivity Signal Maintenance

NM Network NSSS Narrowband ODU2 Optical channel

Manager Secondary Data Unit - type 2

NMS Network 50 Synchronization OFDM Orthogonal

Management System Signal 85 Frequency Division

N-PoP Network Point NR New Radio, Multiplexing of Presence Neighbour Relation OFDMA

NMIB, N-MIB NRF NF Repository Orthogonal

Narrowband MIB 55 Function Frequency Division

NPBCH NRS Narrowband 90 Multiple Access

Narrowband Reference Signal OOB Out-of-band

Physical NS Network OO S Out of

Broadcast Service Sync

CHannel 60 NS A Non- Standalone OPEX OPerating

NPDCCH operation mode 95 EXpense

Narrowband NSD Network OSI Other System

Physical Service Descriptor Information

Downlink NSR Network OSS Operations

Control CHannel 65 Service Record Support System

NPDSCH NSSAINetwork Slice 100 OTA over-the-air

Narrowband Selection PAPR Peak-to-

Physical Assistance Average Power

Downlink Information Ratio

Shared CHannel PAR Peak to PDN Packet Data POC PTT over Average Ratio 35 Network, Public Cellular PBCH Physical Data Network 70 PP, PTP Point-to- Broadcast Channel PDSCH Physical Point PC Power Control, Downlink Shared PPP Point-to-Point Personal Channel Protocol

Computer 40 PDU Protocol Data PRACH Physical PCC Primary Unit 75 RACH Component Carrier, PEI Permanent PRB Physical Primary CC Equipment resource block PCell Primary Cell Identifiers PRG Physical PCI Physical Cell 45 PFD Packet Flow resource block ID, Physical Cell Description 80 group Identity P-GW PDN Gateway ProSe Proximity

PCEF Policy and PHICH Physical Services, Charging hybrid-ARQ indicator Proximity-

Enforcement 50 channel Based Service Function PHY Physical layer 85 PRS Positioning

PCF Policy Control PLMN Public Land Reference Signal Function Mobile Network PRR Packet

PCRF Policy Control PIN Personal Reception Radio and Charging Rules 55 Identification Number PS Packet Services Function PM Performance 90 PSBCH Physical

PDCP Packet Data Measurement Sidelink Broadcast Convergence PMI Precoding Channel

Protocol, Packet Matrix Indicator PSDCH Physical Data Convergence 60 PNF Physical Sidelink Downlink Protocol layer Network Function 95 Channel

PDCCH Physical PNFD Physical PSCCH Physical Downlink Control Network Function Sidelink Control

Channel Descriptor Channel

PDCP Packet Data 65 PNFR Physical PSSCH Physical Convergence Protocol Network Function 100 Sidelink Shared

Record Channel

PSCell Primary SCell PSS Primary RAB Radio Access Link Control

Synchronization 35 Bearer, Random 70 layer

Signal Access Burst RLC AM RLC

PSTN Public Switched RACH Random Access Acknowledged Mode

Telephone Network Channel RLC UM RLC

PT-RS Phase-tracking RADIUS Remote Unacknowledged reference signal 40 Authenti cati on Di al 75 Mode

PTT Push-to-Talk In User Service RLF Radio Link

PUCCH Physical RAN Radio Access Failure

Uplink Control Network RLM Radio Link

Channel RAND RANDom Monitoring

PUSCH Physical 45 number (used for 80 RLM-RS

Uplink Shared authentication) Reference

Channel RAR Random Access Signal for RLM

QAM Quadrature Response RM Registration

Amplitude RAT Radio Access Management

Modulation 50 Technology 85 RMC Reference

QCI QoS class of RAU Routing Area Measurement Channel identifier Update RMSI Remaining

QCL Quasi coRB Resource block, MSI, Remaining location Radio Bearer Minimum

QFI QoS Flow ID, 55 RBG Resource block 90 System

QoS Flow group Information

Identifier REG Resource RN Relay Node

QoS Quality of Element Group RNC Radio Network

Service Rel Release Controller

QPSK Quadrature 60 REQ REQuest 95 RNL Radio Network

(Quaternary) Phase RF Radio Layer

Shift Keying Frequency RNTI Radio Network

QZSS Quasi-Zenith RI Rank Indicator Temporary

Satellite System RIV Resource Identifier

RA-RNTI Random 65 indicator value 100 ROHC RObust Header

Access RNTI RL Radio Link Compression

RLC Radio Link RRC Radio Resource

Control, Radio Control, Radio Resource Control 35 S-RNTI SRNC 70 SCS Subcarrier layer Radio Network Spacing

RRM Radio Resource Temporary SCTP Stream Control

Management Identity Transmission

RS Reference S-TMSI SAE Protocol

Signal 40 Temporary Mobile 75 SDAP Service Data

RSRP Reference Station Adaptation

Signal Received Identifier Protocol,

Power SA Standalone Service Data

RSRQ Reference operation mode Adaptation Signal Received 45 SAE System 80 Protocol layer

Quality Architecture SDL Supplementary

RS SI Received Signal Evolution Downlink Strength SAP Service Access SDNF Structured Data

Indicator Point Storage Network

RSU Road Side Unit 50 SAPD Service Access 85 Function RSTD Reference Point Descriptor SDP Session Signal Time SAPI Service Access Description Protocol difference Point Identifier SDSF Structured Data

RTP Real Time SCC Secondary Storage Function

Protocol 55 Component Carrier, 90 SDU Service Data

RTS Ready-To-Send Secondary CC Unit RTT Round Trip SCell Secondary Cell SEAF Security Time SCEF Service Anchor Function

Rx Reception, Capability Exposure SeNB secondary eNB Receiving, Receiver 60 Function 95 SEPP Security Edge S1AP SI Application SC-FDMA Single Protection Proxy Protocol Carrier Frequency SFI Slot format

Sl-MME SI for Division indication the control plane Multiple Access SFTD Space- Sl-U SI for the user 65 SCG Secondary Cell 100 Frequency Time plane Group Diversity, SFN

S-GW Serving SCM Security and frame timing Gateway Context difference

Management SFN System Frame SoC System on Chip Signal based

Number SON Self-Organizing Reference

SgNB Secondary gNB Network Signal Received

SGSN Serving GPRS SpCell Special Cell Power

Support Node 40 SP-CSI-RNTISemi- 75 SS-RSRQ

S-GW Serving Persistent CSI RNTI Synchronization

Gateway SPS Semi-Persistent Signal based

SI System Scheduling Reference

Information SQN Sequence Signal Received

SI-RNTI System 45 number 80 Quality

Information RNTI SR Scheduling SS-SINR

SIB System Request Synchronization

Information Block SRB Signalling Signal based Signal

SIM Subscriber Radio Bearer to Noise and

Identity Module 50 SRS Sounding 85 Interference Ratio

SIP Session Reference Signal SSS Secondary

Initiated Protocol SS Synchronization Synchronization

SiP System in Signal Signal

Package SSB Synchronization SSSG Search Space

SL Sidelink 55 Signal Block 90 Set Group

SLA Service Level SSID Service Set SSSIF Search Space

Agreement Identifier Set Indicator

SM Session SS/PBCH Block SST Slice/Service

Management SSBRI SS/PBCH Types

SMF Session 60 Block Resource 95 SU-MIMO Single

Management Function Indicator, User MIMO

SMS Short Message Synchronization SUL Supplementary

Service Signal Block Uplink

SMSF SMS Function Resource TA Timing

SMTC SSB-based 65 Indicator 100 Advance, Tracking

Measurement Timing SSC Session and Area

Configuration Service TAC Tracking Area

SN Secondary Continuity Code

Node, Sequence SS-RSRP TAG Timing

Number 70 Synchronization 105 Advance Group TAI TPMI Transmitted UDSF Unstructured

Tracking Area Precoding Matrix Data Storage Network Identity Indicator Function

TAU Tracking Area TR Technical UICC Universal Update 40 Report 75 Integrated Circuit

TB Transport Block TRP, TRxP Card TBS Transport Block Transmission UL Uplink Size Reception Point UM

TBD To Be Defined TRS Tracking Unacknowledge

TCI Transmission 45 Reference Signal 80 d Mode

Configuration TRx Transceiver UML Unified

Indicator TS Technical Modelling Language

TCP Transmission Specifications, UMTS Universal

Communication Technical Mobile

Protocol 50 Standard 85 Telecommunica

TDD Time Division TTI Transmission tions System

Duplex Time Interval UP User Plane

TDM Time Division Tx Transmission, UPF User Plane Multiplexing Transmitting, Function

TDMATime Division 55 Transmitter 90 URI Uniform

Multiple Access U-RNTI UTRAN Resource Identifier

TE Terminal Radio Network URL Uniform

Equipment Temporary Resource Locator

TEID Tunnel End Identity URLLC Ultra-

Point Identifier 60 UART Universal 95 Reliable and Low

TFT Traffic Flow Asynchronous Latency

Template Receiver and USB Universal Serial

TMSI Temporary Transmitter Bus

Mobile UCI Uplink Control USIM Universal

Subscriber 65 Information 100 Subscriber Identity

Identity UE User Equipment Module

TNL Transport UDM Unified Data USS UE-specific

Network Layer Management search space

TPC Transmit Power UDP User Datagram Control 70 Protocol UTRA UMTS 35 VoIP Voice-over-IP, Terrestrial Radio Voice-over- Internet Access Protocol

UTRAN VPLMN Visited

Universal Public Land Mobile Terrestrial Radio 40 Network

Access VPN Virtual Private

Network Network

UwPTS Uplink VRB Virtual Pilot Time Slot Resource Block V2I Vehicle-to- 45 WiMAX Infrastruction Worldwide

V2P Vehicle-to- Interoperability Pedestrian for Micro wave

V2V Vehicle-to- Access Vehicle 50 WLANWireless Local

V2X Vehicle-to- Area Network everything WMAN Wireless

VIM Virtualized Metropolitan Area Infrastructure Manager Network VL Virtual Link, 55 WPANWireless VLAN Virtual LAN, Personal Area Network Virtual Local Area X2-C X2-Control Network plane VM Virtual X2-U X2-User plane Machine 60 XML extensible

VNF Virtualized Markup Network Function Language

VNFFG VNF XRES EXpected user

Forwarding Graph RESponse VNFFGD VNF 65 XOR exclusive OR

Forwarding Graph ZC Zadoff-Chu

Descriptor ZP Zero Power VNFMVNF Manager For the purposes of the present document, the following terms and definitions are applicable to the examples and embodiments discussed herein.

The term “circuitry” as used herein refers to, is part of, or includes hardware components such as an electronic circuit, a logic circuit, a processor (shared, dedicated, or group) and/or memory (shared, dedicated, or group), an Application Specific Integrated Circuit (ASIC), a field-programmable device (FPD) (e.g., a field-programmable gate array (FPGA), a programmable logic device (PLD), a complex PLD (CPLD), a high-capacity PLD (HCPLD), a structured ASIC, or a programmable SoC), digital signal processors (DSPs), etc., that are configured to provide the described functionality. In some embodiments, the circuitry may execute one or more software or firmware programs to provide at least some of the described functionality. The term “circuitry” may also refer to a combination of one or more hardware elements (or a combination of circuits used in an electrical or electronic system) with the program code used to carry out the functionality of that program code. In these embodiments, the combination of hardware elements and program code may be referred to as a particular type of circuitry.

The term “processor circuitry” as used herein refers to, is part of, or includes circuitry capable of sequentially and automatically carrying out a sequence of arithmetic or logical operations, or recording, storing, and/or transferring digital data. Processing circuitry may include one or more processing cores to execute instructions and one or more memory structures to store program and data information. The term “processor circuitry” may refer to one or more application processors, one or more baseband processors, a physical central processing unit (CPU), a single-core processor, a dual-core processor, a triple-core processor, a quad-core processor, and/or any other device capable of executing or otherwise operating computerexecutable instructions, such as program code, software modules, and/or functional processes. Processing circuitry may include more hardware accelerators, which may be microprocessors, programmable processing devices, or the like. The one or more hardware accelerators may include, for example, computer vision (CV) and/or deep learning (DL) accelerators. The terms “application circuitry” and/or “baseband circuitry” may be considered synonymous to, and may be referred to as, “processor circuitry.”

The term “interface circuitry” as used herein refers to, is part of, or includes circuitry that enables the exchange of information between two or more components or devices. The term “interface circuitry” may refer to one or more hardware interfaces, for example, buses, I/O interfaces, peripheral component interfaces, network interface cards, and/or the like. The term “user equipment” or “UE” as used herein refers to a device with radio communication capabilities and may describe a remote user of network resources in a communications network. The term “user equipment” or “UE” may be considered synonymous to, and may be referred to as, client, mobile, mobile device, mobile terminal, user terminal, mobile unit, mobile station, mobile user, subscriber, user, remote station, access agent, user agent, receiver, radio equipment, reconfigurable radio equipment, reconfigurable mobile device, etc. Furthermore, the term “user equipment” or “UE” may include any type of wireless/wired device or any computing device including a wireless communications interface.

The term “network element” as used herein refers to physical or virtualized equipment and/or infrastructure used to provide wired or wireless communication network services. The term “network element” may be considered synonymous to and/or referred to as a networked computer, networking hardware, network equipment, network node, router, switch, hub, bridge, radio network controller, RAN device, RAN node, gateway, server, virtualized VNF, NFVI, and/or the like.

The term “computer system” as used herein refers to any type interconnected electronic devices, computer devices, or components thereof. Additionally, the term “computer system” and/or “system” may refer to various components of a computer that are communicatively coupled with one another. Furthermore, the term “computer system” and/or “system” may refer to multiple computer devices and/or multiple computing systems that are communicatively coupled with one another and configured to share computing and/or networking resources.

The term “appliance,” “computer appliance,” or the like, as used herein refers to a computer device or computer system with program code (e.g., software or firmware) that is specifically designed to provide a specific computing resource. A “virtual appliance” is a virtual machine image to be implemented by a hypervisor-equipped device that virtualizes or emulates a computer appliance or otherwise is dedicated to provide a specific computing resource.

The term “resource” as used herein refers to a physical or virtual device, a physical or virtual component within a computing environment, and/or a physical or virtual component within a particular device, such as computer devices, mechanical devices, memory space, processor/CPU time, processor/CPU usage, processor and accelerator loads, hardware time or usage, electrical power, input/output operations, ports or network sockets, channel/link allocation, throughput, memory usage, storage, network, database and applications, workload units, and/or the like. A “hardware resource” may refer to compute, storage, and/or network resources provided by physical hardware element(s). A “virtualized resource” may refer to compute, storage, and/or network resources provided by virtualization infrastructure to an application, device, system, etc. The term “network resource” or “communication resource” may refer to resources that are accessible by computer devices/ systems via a communications network. The term “system resources” may refer to any kind of shared entities to provide services, and may include computing and/or network resources. System resources may be considered as a set of coherent functions, network data objects or services, accessible through a server where such system resources reside on a single host or multiple hosts and are clearly identifiable.

The term “channel” as used herein refers to any transmission medium, either tangible or intangible, which is used to communicate data or a data stream. The term “channel” may be synonymous with and/or equivalent to “communications channel,” “data communications channel,” “transmission channel,” “data transmission channel,” “access channel,” “data access channel,” “link,” “data link,” “carrier,” “radiofrequency carrier,” and/or any other like term denoting a pathway or medium through which data is communicated. Additionally, the term “link” as used herein refers to a connection between two devices through a RAT for the purpose of transmitting and receiving information.

The terms “instantiate,” “instantiation,” and the like as used herein refers to the creation of an instance. An “instance” also refers to a concrete occurrence of an object, which may occur, for example, during execution of program code.

The terms “coupled,” “communicatively coupled,” along with derivatives thereof are used herein. The term “coupled” may mean two or more elements are in direct physical or electrical contact with one another, may mean that two or more elements indirectly contact each other but still cooperate or interact with each other, and/or may mean that one or more other elements are coupled or connected between the elements that are said to be coupled with each other. The term “directly coupled” may mean that two or more elements are in direct contact with one another. The term “communicatively coupled” may mean that two or more elements may be in contact with one another by a means of communication including through a wire or other interconnect connection, through a wireless communication channel or link, and/or the like.

The term “information element” refers to a structural element containing one or more fields. The term “field” refers to individual contents of an information element, or a data element that contains content.

The term “SMTC” refers to an SSB-based measurement timing configuration configured by SSB-MeasurementTimingConfiguration .

The term “SSB” refers to an SS/PBCH block. The term “a “Primary Cell” refers to the MCG cell, operating on the primary frequency, in which the UE either performs the initial connection establishment procedure or initiates the connection re-establishment procedure.

The term “Primary SCG Cell” refers to the SCG cell in which the UE performs random access when performing the Reconfiguration with Sync procedure for DC operation.

The term “Secondary Cell” refers to a cell providing additional radio resources on top of a Special Cell for a UE configured with CA.

The term “Secondary Cell Group” refers to the subset of serving cells comprising the PSCell and zero or more secondary cells for a UE configured with DC. The term “Serving Cell” refers to the primary cell for a UE in RRC CONNECTED not configured with CA/DC there is only one serving cell comprising of the primary cell.

The term “serving cell” or “serving cells” refers to the set of cells comprising the Special Cell(s) and all secondary cells for a UE in RRC CONNECTED configured with CA/.

The term “Special Cell” refers to the PCell of the MCG or the PSCell of the SCG for DC operation; otherwise, the term “Special Cell” refers to the Pcell.