Resource processing in a communication system using multiple protocols

1. A method comprising:

determining, with a first apparatus, that a first time-frequency resource is to be designated as being used in accordance with a first communications protocol, wherein the first time-frequency resource comprises a time-frequency resource for transmission of one of: a periodic channel state information reference signal, or an aperiodic channel state information reference signal;

forming an indication for a second apparatus operating in accordance with a second communications protocol, the indication indicating that the first time-frequency resource is to be blanked, wherein the second communications protocol is a different, earlier version of the first communications protocol, wherein the indication comprises an indication that the first time-frequency resource is to be blanked because the first time-frequency resource is assigned to at least one apparatus operating in accordance with the first communications protocol, wherein the indication comprises an explicit indication that indicates whether or not a forward compatible resource configuration is to be applied with the second apparatus;

transmitting, using dedicated signalling while the first apparatus is connected to a network, the formed indication to the second apparatus, wherein the dedicated signalling comprises one of:

radio resource control signaling, or

signaling via at least one layer one downlink control information element;

receiving a channel state information measurement report from the second apparatus, the channel state information measurement report excluding channel state information from the first time-frequency resource;

determining that a second time-frequency resource is to be used in accordance with the first communications protocol;

forming a further indication for indicating that the second time-frequency resource is to be blanked; and

transmitting, using non-dedicated signalling, the further indication to the second apparatus, wherein the further indication is transmitted during at least one of: cell search, synchronization acquisition, or initial access.

2. A method comprising:

receiving from a first apparatus, at a second apparatus operating in accordance with a second communications protocol, via dedicated signalling, an indication that indicates that a first time-frequency resource is to be blanked and that said first time-frequency resource is designated as being used in accordance with a first communications protocol, wherein the first time-frequency resource comprises a time-frequency resource of a first configuration for transmission of one of: a periodic channel state information reference signal, or an aperiodic channel state information reference signal, wherein the second communications protocol is a different, earlier version of the first communications protocol, wherein the indication comprises an indication that the first time-frequency resource is to be blanked because the first time-frequency resource is assigned to at least one apparatus operating in accordance with the first communications protocol, wherein the indication comprises an explicit indication that indicates whether or not a forward compatible resource configuration is to be applied with the second apparatus, wherein the dedicated signalling comprises one of:

radio resource control signaling, or

signaling via at least one layer one downlink control information element;

treating the first time-frequency resource as blanked in accordance with the second communications protocol by avoiding, when performing measurement of the periodic or aperiodic channel state information reference signal, the first time-frequency resource and excluding the first time-frequency resource from a channel state information measurement report reporting the performed measurement; and

receiving, via non-dedicated signalling, a further indication indicating that a second time-frequency resource is to be blanked because the second time-frequency resource is to be used in accordance with the first communications protocol.

3. An apparatus comprising;

at least one processor; and

at least one non-transitory memory comprising code that, when executed with the at least one processor, causes the at least one processor to:

determine that a first time-frequency resource is to be designated as being used in accordance with a first communications protocol, wherein the first time-frequency resource comprises a time-frequency resource for transmission of one of: a periodic channel state information reference signal, or an aperiodic channel state information reference signal;

form an indication for a second apparatus operating in accordance with a second communications protocol, the indication indicating that the first time-frequency resource is to be blanked, wherein the second communications protocol is a different, earlier version of the first communications protocol, wherein the indication comprises an indication that the first time-frequency resource is to be blanked because the first time-frequency resource is assigned to at least one apparatus operating in accordance with the first communications protocol, wherein the indication comprises an explicit indication that indicates whether or not a forward compatible resource configuration is to be applied with the second apparatus;

transmit, using dedicated signaling while the apparatus is connected to a network, the formed indication to the second apparatus, wherein the dedicated signaling comprises one of:

radio resource control signaling, or

signaling via at least one layer one downlink control information element;

receive a channel state information measurement report from the second apparatus, the channel state information measurement report excluding channel state information from the first time-frequency resource;

determine that a second time-frequency resource is to be used in accordance with the first communications protocol;

form a further indication for indicating that the second time-frequency resource is to be blanked; and

transmit, using non-dedicated signalling, the further indication to the second apparatus, wherein the further indication is transmitted during at least one of: cell search, synchronization acquisition, or initial access.

4. The apparatus as claimed in claim 3 , wherein the at least one processor is further caused to:

determine that the first time-frequency resource is one of a first plurality of resources to be used in accordance with the first communications protocol, the first plurality of resources forming a first predefined configuration of time-frequency resources; and

include in the indication an explicit indication of the first predefined configuration.

5. The apparatus as claimed in claim 4 , wherein the at least one processor is further caused to:

determine that a third time-frequency resource is to be used in accordance with the first communications protocol, said third time-frequency resource being one of a second plurality of time-frequency resources to be used in accordance with the first communications protocol, the second plurality of time-frequency resources forming a second predefined configuration of time-frequency resources; and

transmit an indication of the second predefined configuration to the second apparatus.

6. The apparatus as claimed in claim 5 , wherein the first and second predefined configurations of time-frequency resources are determined for one of:

the second apparatus alone;

a plurality of apparatuses, the plurality comprising the second apparatus;

a specific channel; or

a specific signal to be transmitted.

7. The apparatus as claimed in claim 3 , wherein the first communications protocol comprises a protocol of a different communications standard than the second communications protocol,

wherein the second communications protocol comprises one of:

a long term evolution protocol,

a Wi-Fi protocol,

a third generation protocol, or

a global system for mobile communications protocol,

wherein the first communications protocol comprises one of:

a new radio protocol, or

a fifth generation protocol.

8. The apparatus as claimed in claim 3 , wherein said dedicated signalling is dedicated for at least one of

a specific apparatus,

a group of apparatuses,

a specific channel, and/or

a specific signal.

9. The apparatus as claimed in claim 3 , wherein the first time-frequency resource is designated as being used in accordance with the first communications protocol where, according to the first communications protocol, the first time-frequency resource is used to provide a guard band between time-frequency resources used for transmission on the first and second communications protocols at any one time.

10. The apparatus as claimed in claim 3 , wherein a combination of the indication that the first time-frequency resource is to be blanked and the further indication that the second time-frequency resource is to be blanked is configured to cause the second apparatus to blank one of the first time-frequency resource or the second time-frequency resource.

11. An apparatus comprising:

at least one processor; and

at least one non-transitory memory comprising code that, when executed with the at least one processor, causes the at least one processor to:

receive, from a first apparatus via dedicated signaling, an indication that indicates that a first time-frequency resource is to be blanked and that said first time-frequency resource is designated as being used in accordance with a first communications protocol, wherein at the apparatus is a second apparatus operating in accordance with a second communications protocol, wherein the first time-frequency resource comprises a time-frequency resource for transmission of one of: a periodic channel state information reference signal, or an aperiodic channel state information reference signal, wherein the second communications protocol is a different, earlier version of the first communications protocol, wherein the indication comprises an indication that the first time-frequency resource is to be blanked because the first time-frequency resource is assigned to at least one apparatus operating in accordance with the first communications protocol, wherein the indication comprises an explicit indication that indicates whether or not a forward compatible resource configuration is to be applied with the second apparatus, wherein the dedicated signalling comprises one of:

radio resource control signaling, or

signaling via at least one layer one downlink control information element;

treat the first time-frequency resource as blanked in accordance with the second communications protocol by avoiding, when performing measurement of the periodic or aperiodic channel state information reference signal, the first time-frequency resource and excluding the first time-frequency resource from a channel state information measurement report reporting the performed measurement; and

receive, via non-dedicated signalling, a further indication indicating that a second time-frequency resource is to be blanked because the second time-frequency resource is to be used in accordance with the first communications protocol.

12. The apparatus as claimed in claim 11 , wherein the indication comprises an explicit indication of a first predefined configuration, wherein the first time-frequency resource is one of a first plurality of resources to be used in accordance with the first communications protocol, the first plurality of resources forming the first predefined configuration of time-frequency resources.

13. The apparatus as claimed in claim 12 wherein the at least one processor is further caused to:

receive an indication of a second predefined configuration, wherein the second predefined configuration indicates a third time-frequency resource that is to be used in accordance with the first communications protocol, said third time-frequency resource being one of a second plurality of time-frequency resources to be used in accordance with the first communications protocol, the second plurality of time-frequency resources forming the second predefined configuration of time-frequency resources.

14. The apparatus as claimed in claim 13 , wherein the at least one processor is further caused to receive at least one indication that indicates that the first and second predefined configurations of time-frequency resources are for one of: the second apparatus alone; a plurality of apparatuses, the plurality comprising the second apparatus; a specific channel; or a specific signal to be transmitted.

15. The apparatus as claimed in claim 11 , wherein treating the first time-frequency resource as blanked further comprises the at least one processor is further caused to:

rate matching and mapping data around the first time-frequency resource so as to exclude the first time-frequency resource from the rate matching and mapping.

16. A non-transitory computer readable medium encoded with a computer program comprising computer executable instructions, which when executed with a computer, cause the computer to:

determine that a first time-frequency resource is to be designated as being used in accordance with a first communications protocol, wherein the first time-frequency resource comprises a time-frequency resource for transmission of one of: a periodic channel state information reference signal, or an aperiodic channel state information reference signal;

form an indication for a second apparatus operating in accordance with a second communications protocol, the indication indicating that the first time-frequency resource is to be blanked, wherein the second communications protocol is a different, earlier version of the first communications protocol, wherein the indication comprises an indication that the first time-frequency resource is to be blanked because the first time-frequency resource is assigned to at least one apparatus operating in accordance with the first communications protocol, wherein the indication comprises an explicit indication that indicates whether or not a forward compatible resource configuration is to be applied with the second apparatus;

cause transmitting, using dedicated signaling during connection to a network, of the formed indication to the second apparatus, wherein the dedicated signaling comprises one of:

radio resource control signaling, or

signaling via at least one layer one downlink control information element;

cause receiving of a channel state information measurement report from the second apparatus, the channel state information measurement report excluding channel state information from the first time-frequency resource;

determine that a second time-frequency resource is to be used in accordance with the first communications protocol;

form a further indication for indicating that the second time-frequency resource is to be blanked; and

cause transmitting, using non-dedicated signalling, of the further indication to the second apparatus, wherein further indication is transmitted during at least one of: cell search, synchronization acquisition, or initial access.

17. A non-transitory computer readable medium encoded with a computer program comprising computer executable instructions, which when executed with a computer, cause the computer to:

cause receiving, at a second apparatus operating in accordance with a second communications protocol, via dedicated signaling, an indication that indicates that a first time-frequency resource is to be blanked and that said first time-frequency resource is designated as being used in accordance with a first communications protocol, wherein the first time-frequency resource comprises a time-frequency resource for transmission of one of: a periodic channel state information reference signal, or an aperiodic channel state information reference signal, wherein the second communications protocol is a different, earlier version of the first communications protocol, wherein the indication comprises an indication that the first time-frequency resource is to be blanked because the first time-frequency resource is assigned to at least one apparatus operating in accordance with the first communications protocol, wherein the indication comprises an explicit indication that indicates whether or not a forward compatible resource configuration is to be applied with the second apparatus, wherein the dedicated signaling comprises one of:

radio resource control signaling, or

signaling via at least one layer one downlink control information element;

treat the first time-frequency resource as blanked in accordance with the second communications protocol by avoiding, when performing measurement of the periodic or aperiodic channel state information reference signal, the first time-frequency resource and excluding the first time-frequency resource from a channel state information measurement report reporting the performed measurement; and

cause receiving, via non-dedicated signalling, of a further indication indicating that a second time-frequency resource is to be blanked because the second time-frequency resource is to be used in accordance with the first communications protocol.