Abstract: Techniques and examples of efficient detection of a transmission session in New Radio unlicensed spectrum (NR-U) are described. An apparatus (e.g., user equipment (UE)) detects presence of an indication from a base station of a wireless network in an NR-U. The apparatus determines that a transmission opportunity (TXOP) follows the indication responsive to the detecting. The apparatus then receives a downlink (DL) transmission in the NR-U from the base station during the TXOP.

Abstract: A beam indication (BI) mechanism is proposed to provide user equipment (UE) information of network (NW) beam(s) for later transmission. UE can then select its UE beam(s) for the later transmission based on the BI. In one embodiment, NW provides beam management configuration to UE via Radio Resource Control (RRC) signaling, and then provides beam indication index signaling to UE via MAC-CE or DCI. The beam management configuration comprises a mapping table between network beams and configured reference signal (RS) resources. The beam indication index signaling indicates one or more preferred beam pair links (BPLs). Upon triggering a beam management procedure by the network, UE is able to identify the beam management procedure and selects corresponding UE beam(s) based on the beam management configuration and the beam indication index signaling.

Abstract: Techniques and examples of efficient detection of a transmission session in New Radio unlicensed spectrum (NR-U) are described. An apparatus (e.g., user equipment (UE)) detects presence of an indication from a base station of a wireless network in an NR-U. The apparatus determines that a transmission opportunity (TXOP) follows the indication responsive to the detecting. The apparatus then receives a downlink (DL) transmission in the NR-U from the base station during the TXOP.

Abstract: Techniques and examples of efficient detection of a transmission session in New Radio unlicensed spectrum (NR-U) are described. An apparatus (e.g., user equipment (UE)) detects presence of an indication from a base station of a wireless network in an NR-U. The apparatus determines that a transmission opportunity (TXOP) follows the indication responsive to the detecting. The apparatus then receives a downlink (DL) transmission in the NR-U from the base station during the TXOP.

Abstract: Apparatus and methods are provided to for RRM measurement in the new radio (NR) access system. In one novel aspect, multiple transmission (TX) beams are measured by a user equipment (UE) with multiple receiving (RX) beams, stores the measured TX-RX pair in a measurement matrix, and calculates a consolidation measurement for each cell based on a consolidation rule. In one embodiment, the consolidation rule indicates generating a RX consolidated vector by consolidating all RX beams with the same TX beam ID, and subsequently, generating the consolidation measurement for the cell based on the RX consolidated vector. In another embodiment, the measurement matrix is layer-3 filtered and consolidated. In yet another embodiment, the UE sends a measurement report, either contains the consolidated measurement or the measurement vector, to the NR network based on the consolidation measurement. In one embodiment, the network performs consolidation on the received measurement vector.

Abstract: Apparatus and methods are provided for initial access in the multi-beam operation. In one novel aspect, the UE receives multiple response messages and selects one message as the response message. In one embodiment, the UE selects a subset of a configured UL resources, transmits a first message, wherein the first message is transmitted one or more times on each of the selected set of UL resources, receives one or more first-message-response messages from the BS, and selects one response message, wherein the selected response message indicates a corresponding BS RX resource, which is used by the UE for subsequent communication with the BS. In one embodiment, the selection of UL resources is at least based on transmitting spatial characteristics of the BS, the UE or both, which indicates whether the BS/UE is reciprocal, partial reciprocal or non-reciprocal.

Abstract: Techniques and examples of channel multiplexing within interlace for New Radio (NR) unlicensed spectrum (NR-U) operation are described. An apparatus (e.g., user equipment (UE)) determines which sub-interlace of multiple sub-interlaces in each of a plurality of interlaces is assigned to the apparatus. The apparatus then performs an uplink (UL) transmission to a wireless network in an NR-U using the assigned sub-interlace in each of the plurality of interlaces. Each of the plurality of interlaces may be divided into respective multiple sub-interlaces with channel multiplexing.

Abstract: A method of default uplink beam determination after radio resource control (RRC) connection reestablishment in a beamforming system is proposed. For uplink (UL) transmission, the BS provides dedicated physical uplink control channel (PUCCH) resource configuration to UE. The configuration includes spatial relation information that indicates the spatial domain transmission filter to be used by UE for the corresponding PUCCH transmission. After RRC connection re-establishment and before a dedicated PUCCH configuration is received, a default UE TX beam can be determined based on the UE TX beam used during the RRC connection re-establishment procedure, e.g., the UE TX beam used to transmit MSG3 in a four-step random-access channel (RACH) procedure triggered by the RRC connection re-establishment procedure.

Abstract: A method of beam reciprocity state reporting and uplink beam management in wireless communication systems with beamforming is proposed. In one novel aspect, a BS configures one or more resource sets to a UE for uplink beam management. The one or more resource sets are allocated for UE to transmit UL reference signals using a number of UE beams. The number of UE beams to be trained is reported by the UE, e.g., via a “UE beam reciprocity state (update)” message. The BS also indicates whether a fixed UE TX beam or which UE TX beam is used for transmission, or indicates whether different UE TX beams are used for transmission of different resources in a resource set. The BS then feedback measurement results for UE to choose a proper TX beam.

Abstract: A method of beam failure recovery request (BFRQ) transmission is proposed. UE can search for UE-specific control channel in a search space that is signaled specifically for monitoring network response of the BFRQ. Furthermore, configurations indicated specifically for BFRQ can be carried by dedicated signaling such as high-layer radio resource control (RRC) signaling. After successfully rebuilding connection, UE assumes the demodulation reference signal (DMRS) ports of UE-specific control channel to be spatially quasi-co-located (QCL-ed) with the reference signals identified during the beam failure recovery procedure.

Abstract: A method of default uplink beam determination after a beam failure recovery (BFR) procedure in a beamforming system is proposed. For uplink (UL) transmission, the BS provides physical uplink control channel (PUCCH) resource configuration to UE. The configuration includes spatial relation information that indicates the spatial filter to be used by UE for the corresponding PUCCCH transmission. After BFR procedure is completed and before the first spatial relation information indication for a PUCCH resource is received by UE, a default UE TX beam for the PUCCH resource can be determined based on the UE TX beam used during the BFR procedure, e.g., the UE TX beam used to transmit a beam failure recovery request (BFRQ) during the BFR procedure.

Abstract: In an aspect of the disclosure, a method, a computer-readable medium, and an apparatus are provided. The apparatus may be a UE. The UE determines that up-link control information for channel state information (CSI) acquisition and up-link control information for beam management is to be transmitted on a same up-link channel. The UE includes the up-link control information for beam management in at least one CSI-acquisition report for reporting the up-link control information for CSI acquisition. The UE sends the at least one CSI-acquisition report to the base station on the up-link channel.

Abstract: A method of beam failure recovery request (BFRQ) transmission is proposed. In a first step of beam failure detection, UE detects a beam failure condition of the original serving beam. In a second step of new candidate beam identification, UE performs measurements for candidate beam selection. In a third step of beam failure recovery request (BFRQ) transmission, UE transmits a BFRQ message to BS upon the triggering condition for BFRQ transmission is satisfied. In a fourth step of monitoring BS response, UE monitors BS response to decide the success or failure of the BFRQ transmission attempt. In one advantageous aspect, the BFRQ transmission is over dedicated contention-free PRACH or PUCCH resources or over contention-based PRACH resources. Furthermore, a beam failure recovery timer is used to oversee the initiation and the termination of the BFRQ transmission.

Abstract: A method of beam failure recovery for multi-beam operation in wireless communication systems with beamforming is proposed. Specifically, a four-step beam failure recovery procedure is proposed. In a first step of beam failure detection, UE detects a beam failure condition of the original serving beam pair link. In a second step of new candidate beam identification, UE performs measurements for candidate beam selection. In a third step of beam failure recovery request (BFRQ) transmission, UE transmits a BFRQ message to BS upon the triggering condition for BFRQ transmission is satisfied. In a fourth step of monitoring BS response, UE monitors BS response to decide the success or failure of the beam failure recovery.

Abstract: A method of group-based beam reporting is proposed. The BS TX beams are grouped into groups to increase beam reporting efficiency. After measuring reference signals for beam management, UE reports RS quality to the network in beam groups. The beam grouping can be done either implicitly or explicitly. The grouping within the beam report is done by the UE with or without help from the network. According to principles of grouping mechanism, the grouping methods can be divided into two different categories. A first category is referred to as beam set based group, where UE groups TX beam information in a beam report based on its RX beam set(s). A second category is referred to as antenna group-based grouping, where UE groups TX beam information in a beam report based on UE antenna group.

Abstract: Techniques and examples of efficient detection of a transmission session in New Radio unlicensed spectrum (NR-U) are described. An apparatus (e.g., user equipment (UE)) detects presence of an indication from a base station of a wireless network in an NR-U. The apparatus determines that a transmission opportunity (TXOP) follows the indication responsive to the detecting. The apparatus then receives a downlink (DL) transmission in the NR-U from the base station during the TXOP.

Abstract: Techniques and examples of channel multiplexing within interlace for New Radio (NR) unlicensed spectrum (NR-U) operation are described. An apparatus (e.g., user equipment (UE)) determines which sub-interlace of multiple sub-interlaces in each of a plurality of interlaces is assigned to the apparatus. The apparatus then performs an uplink (UL) transmission to a wireless network in an NR-U using the assigned sub-interlace in each of the plurality of interlaces. Each of the plurality of interlaces may be divided into respective multiple sub-interlaces with channel multiplexing.

Abstract: Techniques and examples of interlace design for New Radio unlicensed spectrum (NR-U) operation are described. An apparatus (e.g., user equipment (UE)) assigns a plurality of resources to a plurality of interlaces such that, when the plurality of resources cannot be evenly distributed among all the plurality of interlaces, one or more remaining resources of the plurality of resources are assigned to one or more interlaces of the plurality of interlaces. The apparatus then performs an uplink (UL) transmission to a wireless network in a New Radio unlicensed spectrum (NR-U) using the plurality of resources with block interlaced frequency-division multiple access (B-IFDMA).

Abstract: A method of default uplink beam determination after radio resource control (RRC) connection reestablishment in a beamforming system is proposed. For uplink (UL) transmission, the BS provides dedicated physical uplink control channel (PUCCH) resource configuration to UE. The configuration includes spatial relation information that indicates the spatial domain transmission filter to be used by UE for the corresponding PUCCH transmission. After RRC connection re-establishment and before a dedicated PUCCH configuration is received, a default UE TX beam can be determined based on the UE TX beam used during the RRC connection re-establishment procedure, e.g., the UE TX beam used to transmit MSG3 in a four-step random-access channel (RACH) procedure triggered by the RRC connection re-establishment procedure.

Abstract: A method of default uplink beam determination after a beam failure recovery (BFR) procedure in a beamforming system is proposed. For uplink (UL) transmission, the BS provides physical uplink control channel (PUCCH) resource configuration to UE. The configuration includes spatial relation information that indicates the spatial filter to be used by UE for the corresponding PUCCCH transmission. After BFR procedure is completed and before the first spatial relation information indication for a PUCCH resource is received by UE, a default UE TX beam for the PUCCH resource can be determined based on the UE TX beam used during the BFR procedure, e.g., the UE TX beam used to transmit a beam failure recovery request (BFRQ) during the BFR procedure.