Methods and apparatuses for operating multiple antenna panels

1. A wireless communication device comprising:

a plurality of antenna panels;

a processor coupled to the plurality of antenna panels and configured to:

maintain a plurality of leading time values, the plurality of leading time values indicating a plurality of leading time durations;

receive an indicator for antenna panel status information from a base station (BS);

apply one of the plurality of leading time values to switch an antenna panel status of the plurality of antenna panels based on the indicator for antenna panel status information;

receive a scheduling offset value from the BS, the scheduling offset value comprising at least one of a K0 parameter for a Downlink (DL) channel and a K2 parameter for an Uplink (UL) channel; and

determine that the scheduling offset value is invalid, when a time duration indicated by the scheduling offset value is less than a leading time duration indicated by the applied leading time value.

2. The wireless communication device of claim 1 , wherein the processor is further configured to:

receive a timer from the BS; and

switch the antenna panel status from a first antenna panel status to a second antenna panel status after the timer expires.

3. The wireless communication device of claim 2 , wherein the timer expires when one of a Discontinuous Reception (DRX) inactivity timer expires and the wireless communication device enters one of a DRX off-period and a sleep mode.

4. The wireless communication device of claim 1 , wherein the processor is further configured to:

transmit an antenna panel status report to inform the BS of the switch of the antenna panel status.

5. The wireless communication device of claim 4 , wherein the antenna panel status report is contained in one of a beam report and a Channel State Information (CSI) report.

6. The wireless communication device of claim 4 , wherein the antenna panel status report comprises a single-bit Information Element (IE), and the processor is further configured to:

set the single-bit IE to a first value to indicate that a power saving mode is enabled; and

set the single-bit IE to a second value to indicate that the power saving mode is disabled,

wherein a total number of turned-on antenna panels in the plurality of antenna panels when the power saving mode is enabled is less than a total number of turned-on antenna panels in the plurality of antenna panels when the power saving mode is disabled.

7. The wireless communication device of claim 4 , wherein the antenna panel status report comprises a multiple-bit Information Element (IE), and the processor is further configured to:

set the multiple-bit IE to a particular value associated with a particular number of the plurality of antenna panels being turned on.

8. The wireless communication device of claim 1 , wherein the indicator for antenna panel status information comprises a single-bit Information Element (IE), and the processor is further configured to:

enable a power saving mode when the single-bit IE is set to a first value; and

disable the power saving mode when the single-bit IE is set to a second value,

wherein a total number of turned-on antenna panels in the plurality of antenna panels when the power saving mode is enabled is less than a total number of turned-on antenna panels in the plurality of antenna panels when the power saving mode is disabled.

9. The wireless communication device of claim 1 , wherein the indicator for antenna panel status information comprises a multiple-bit Information Element (IE), and the processor is further configured to:

turn on a particular number of the plurality of antenna panels when the multiple-bit IE is set to a particular value.

10. The wireless communication device of claim 1 , wherein the indicator for antenna panel status information is contained in a Transmission Configuration Indicator (TCI) state Identity (ID) indicated by the BS.

11. The wireless communication device of claim 1 , wherein the plurality of leading time values is one of cell-specific values and cell group-specific values.

12. The wireless communication device of claim 1 , wherein the processor is further configured to:

switch the antenna panel status from a first antenna panel status to a second antenna panel status in response to receiving the indicator for antenna panel status information; and

automatically switch the antenna panel status from the second antenna panel status to a third antenna panel status without further reception of an indicator for antenna panel status information from the BS.

13. The wireless communication device of claim 1 , wherein the processor is further configured to:

enable a power saving mode when the wireless communication device operates in a Discontinuous Reception (DRX) active time; and

disable the power saving mode when the wireless communication device operates in a DRX inactive time,

wherein a total number of turned-on antenna panels in the plurality of antenna panels when the power saving mode is enabled is less than a total number of turned-on antenna panels in the plurality of antenna panels when the power saving mode is disabled.

14. The wireless communication device of claim 1 , wherein the processor is further configured to:

enable a power saving mode based on whether the wireless communication device operates in a particular Bandwidth Part (BWP),

wherein:

a total number of turned-on antenna panels in the plurality of antenna panels when the power saving mode is enabled is less than a total number of turned-on antenna panels in the plurality of antenna panels when the power saving mode is disabled; and

the particular BWP is one of a default BWP, an initial BWP, and a first active BWP.

15. A method performed by a wireless communication device for operating a plurality of antenna panels, the method comprising:

maintaining a plurality of leading time values, the plurality of leading time values indicating a plurality of leading time durations;

receiving an indicator for antenna panel status information from a base station (BS);

applying one of the plurality of leading time values to switch an antenna panel status of the plurality of antenna panels based on the indicator for antenna panel status information;

receiving a scheduling offset value from the BS, the scheduling offset value comprising at least one of a K0 parameter for a Downlink (DL) channel and a K2 parameter for an Uplink (UL) channel; and

determining that the scheduling offset value is invalid, when a time duration indicated by the scheduling offset value is less than a leading time duration indicated by the applied leading time value.

16. The method of claim 15 , further comprising:

receiving a timer from the BS; and

switching the antenna panel status from a first antenna panel status to a second antenna panel status after the timer expires.

17. The method of claim 16 , wherein the timer expires when one of a Discontinuous Reception (DRX) inactivity timer expires and the wireless communication device enters one of a DRX off-period and a sleep mode.

18. The method of claim 15 , further comprising:

transmitting an antenna panel status report to inform the BS of the switch of the antenna panel status.

19. The method of claim 18 , wherein the antenna panel status report is contained in one of a beam report and a Channel State Information (CSI) report.

20. The method of claim 18 , wherein the antenna panel status report comprises a single-bit Information Element (IE), and the method further comprises:

setting the single-bit IE to a first value to indicate that a power saving mode is enabled; and

setting the single-bit IE to a second value to indicate that the power saving mode is disabled;

wherein a total number of turned-on antenna panels in the plurality of antenna panels when the power saving mode is enabled is less than a total number of turned-on antenna panels in the plurality of antenna panels when the power saving mode is disabled.

21. The method of claim 18 , wherein the antenna panel status report comprises a multiple-bit Information Element (IE), and the method further comprises:

setting the multiple-bit IE to a particular value associated with a particular number of the plurality of antenna panels being turned on.

22. The method of claim 15 , wherein the indicator for antenna panel status information comprises a single-bit Information Element (IE), and the method further comprises:

enabling a power saving mode when the single-bit IE is set to a first value; and

disabling the power saving mode when the single-bit IE is set to a second value,

wherein a total number of turned-on antenna panels in the plurality of antenna panels when the power saving mode is enabled is less than a total number of turned-on antenna panels in the plurality of antenna panels when the power saving mode is disabled.

23. The method of claim 15 , wherein the indicator for antenna panel status information comprises a multiple-bit Information Element (IE), and the method further comprises:

turning on a particular number of the plurality of antenna panels when the multiple-bit IE is set to a particular value.

24. The method of claim 15 , wherein the indicator for antenna panel status information is contained in a Transmission Configuration Indicator (TCI) state Identity (ID) indicated by the BS.

25. The method of claim 15 , wherein the plurality of leading time values is one of cell-specific values and cell group-specific values.

26. The method of claim 15 , further comprising:

switching the antenna panel status from a first antenna panel status to a second antenna panel status in response to receiving the indicator for antenna panel status information; and

automatically switch the antenna panel status from the second antenna panel status to a third antenna panel status without further reception of an indicator for antenna panel status information from the BS.

27. The method of claim 15 , further comprising:

enabling a power saving mode when the wireless communication device operates in a Discontinuous Reception (DRX) active time; and

disabling the power saving mode when the wireless communication device operates in a DRX inactive time,

wherein a total number of turned-on antenna panels in the plurality of antenna panels when the power saving mode is enabled is less than a total number of turned-on antenna panels in the plurality of antenna panels when the power saving mode is disabled.

28. The method of claim 15 , further comprising:

enabling a power saving mode based on whether the wireless communication device operates in a particular Bandwidth Part (BWP),

wherein:

a total number of turned-on antenna panels in the plurality of antenna panels when the power saving mode is enabled is less than a total number of turned-on antenna panels when the power saving mode is disabled; and

the particular BWP is one of a default BWP, an initial BWP, and a first active BWP.