Apparatuses and Methods for Scheduling Object Configuration

Abstract

A beam management method is performed by a UE. In one embodiment the method includes: the UE receiving a first scheduling message regarding a first scheduled downlink transmission for the UE, wherein the first scheduling message comprises pointer information pointing to an object configured in the UE. As a result of receiving the first scheduling message: the UE obtains the pointer information from the first scheduling message; the UE determines a preferred receiver configuration that is currently associated with the obtained pointer information; and the UE uses the determined preferred receiver configuration to receive the first scheduled downlink transmission.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A method performed by a user equipment (UE), the method comprising:
 the UE receiving a first scheduling message regarding a first scheduled downlink transmission for the UE, wherein the first scheduling message comprises pointer information pointing to an object configured in the UE; and   as a result of receiving the first scheduling message:
 the UE obtaining the pointer information from the first scheduling message; 
 the UE determining a preferred receiver configuration that is currently associated with the obtained pointer information; and 
 the UE using the determined preferred receiver configuration to receive the first scheduled downlink transmission; 
 wherein the configured object is a Radio Resource Control (RRC) configured object, the RRC configured object is a reference signal (RS) measurement object, and the object contains multiple reference signals, wherein the preferred receiver configuration is an analog receive (RX) beam, and wherein the first scheduling message is Downlink Control Information (DCI). 
   
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the UE is configured to report to a serving node a preferred reference signal among the multiple references signals in the object. 
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the pointer information comprises a set of bits of the DCI, which set of bits indicate at least a spatial quasi-co-location (QCL) assumption the UE should assume when receiving the first scheduled downlink transmission. 
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the measurement object is one of a resource setting, a Channel State Information Reference Signal (CSI-RS) resource set, and a CSI report setting. 
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 prior to receiving the first scheduling message, the UE receiving a configuration message for configuring a first RS measurement object and a second RS measurement object;   after receiving the configuration message and prior to receiving the first scheduling message, the UE using the first RS measurement object to determine a first preferred receiver configuration;   the UE associating the first preferred receiver configuration with the first RS measurement object;   after receiving the configuration message and prior to receiving the first scheduling message, the UE using the second RS measurement object to determine a second preferred receiver configuration; and   the UE associating the second preferred receiver configuration with the second RS measurement object, whereby the UE is configured such that:   if the pointer information included in the first scheduling message points to the first RS measurement object, then the UE uses the first preferred receiver configuration to receive the scheduled downlink transmission, and   if the pointer information included in the first scheduling message points to the second RS measurement object, then the UE uses the second preferred receiver configuration to receive the scheduled downlink transmission.   
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 5 , further comprising:
 after using the first RS measurement object to determine the first preferred receiver configuration, the UE in a later slot using the first RS measurement object to determine a third preferred receiver configuration;   after determining the third preferred receiver configuration, the UE associating the third preferred receiver configuration with the first RS measurement object and disassociating the first preferred receiver configuration with the first RS measurement object;   the UE receiving a second scheduling message regarding a second scheduled downlink transmission for the UE, wherein the second scheduling message comprises pointer information pointing to the first RS measurement object;   in response to receiving the second scheduling message, the UE determining that the third preferred receiver configuration is currently associated with the first RS measurement object; and   as a result of the UE determining that the third preferred receiver configuration is currently associated with the first RS measurement object, the UE using the third preferred receiver configuration to receive the second scheduled downlink transmission.   
     
     
         7 . A user equipment (UE), the UE comprising:
 a first receiving module for receiving a first scheduling message regarding a first scheduled downlink transmission for the UE, wherein the first scheduling message comprises pointer information pointing to an object configured in the UE;   an obtaining module configured to obtain the pointer information from the first scheduling message;   a determining module configured to determine a preferred receiver configuration that is currently associated with the obtained pointer information; and   a second receiving module configured to use the determined preferred receiver configuration to receive the first scheduled downlink transmission;   wherein the configured object is a Radio Resource Control (RRC) configured object, the RRC configured object is a reference signal measurement object, and the object contains multiple reference signals, wherein the preferred receiver configuration is an analog receive (RX) beam, and wherein the first scheduling message is Downlink Control Information (DCI).   
     
     
         8 . The UE of  claim 7 , wherein the UE is configured to report to a serving node, a preferred reference signal among the multiple references signals in the object 
     
     
         9 . The UE of  claim 7 , wherein the pointer information comprises a set of bits of the DCI, which set of bits indicate at least a spatial quasi-co-location (QCL) assumption the UE should assume when receiving the first scheduled downlink transmission. 
     
     
         10 . The UE of  claim 7 , wherein the measurement object is one of a resource setting, a Channel State Information Reference Signal (CSI-RS) resource set, and a CSI report setting. 
     
     
         11 . A method for beam management, the method being performed by a network (NW) and comprising:
 configuring a user equipment (UE) with a plurality of Reference Signal (RS) measurement objects, each one of the plurality of RS measurement objects containing at least one measurement resource;   transmitting measurement resources for each of the configured RS measurement objects;   storing, for each RS measurement object, a transmitter configuration used to transmit each measurement resource within the RS measurement object;   for each of the RS measurement object, receiving a measurement report from the UE comprising an indicator of the preferred measurement resource within each RS measurement object;   transmitting to the UE a first scheduling message regarding a first scheduled downlink transmission for the UE, wherein the first scheduling message comprises pointer information pointing to one of the RS measurement objects configured in the UE, wherein the pointer information is currently associated with a preferred receiver configuration in the UE, and the preferred receiver configuration is an analog receive (RX) beam, and wherein the first scheduling message is Downlink Control Information (DCI); and   after transmitting the first scheduling message, transmitting the first scheduled downlink transmission using a transmit configuration corresponding to a preferred measurement resource within the RS measurement object to which the pointer information points.   
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 11 , wherein the least one measurement resource is a Chanel State Information Reference Signal (CSI-RS) resource.