System and method for multiplexing of tracking reference signal and synchronization signal block

1. A base station comprising:

a transceiver configured to enable communication with a user equipment (UE) in a wireless network; and

one or more processors communicatively coupled to the transceiver and configured to:

receive an uplink (UL) transmission from the UE carrying a tracking reference signal (TRS) request to trigger a TRS transmission from the base station; and

generate, based upon the TRS request, a downlink (DL) transmission, wherein the DL transmission carries the TRS transmission and a Synchronization Signal block (SS-block) transmission within a slot, wherein the TRS transmission is allocated to one or more subcarriers in a symbol within the slot and outside resource blocks (RBs) used for the SS-block transmission in the same symbol in which the TRS transmission is allocated to, and wherein the one or more subcarriers for the TRS transmission are adjacent to one or more subcarriers for the SS-block transmission.

2. The base station of claim 1 , wherein the TRS transmission spans a number K of RBs and a number L of orthogonal frequency division multiplexing (OFDM) symbols outside of the RBs used for the SS-block transmission; and

wherein at least one of the number K and the number L is determined by a predetermined value, a value configured by higher-layer signaling, or a system bandwidth.

3. The base station of claim 1 , wherein a RB index of the TRS transmission is determined by a predetermined value or a value configured by higher-layer signaling.

4. The base station of claim 1 , wherein a symbol index of the TRS transmission is determined by a predetermined value or a value configured by higher-layer signaling.

5. The base station of claim 1 , wherein an energy per resource element (EPRE) ratio between the TRS transmission and at least one of a Primary Synchronization Signal (PSS), a Secondary Synchronization Signal (SSS), or a Physical Broadcast Control Channel (PBCH) is determined by a predetermined value or a value configured by higher-layer signaling.

6. The base station of claim 1 , wherein the TRS transmission and the SS-block transmission are multiplexed in a Time Division Multiplexing (TDM) manner.

7. The base station of claim 1 , wherein the TRS transmission transmitted in the one or more subcarriers in the symbol within the slot is determined by a predetermined value or a value configured by higher-layer signaling.

8. The base station of claim 1 , wherein the UL transmission is one of:

a Physical Random Access Channel (PRACH) transmission;

a Physical Uplink Control Channel (PUCCH) transmission;

a Media Access Control (MAC) Control Element (MAC-CE) transmission;

a Radio Resource Control (RRC) transmission; or

a transmission associated with a beam recovery request.

9. The base station of claim 1 , wherein the TRS transmission from the base station is triggered based on a TRS periodicity being above a threshold.

10. The base station of claim 1 , wherein the UL transmission carries one or more Quasi-Co-Locate (QCL) indicators corresponding with the TRS transmission; and

wherein the one or more QCL indicators are configured to identify at least one of: a SS-block with which the TRS transmission is to be QCLed or a Channel State Information Reference Signal (CSI-RS) with which the TRS transmission is to be QCLed.

11. A non-transitory machine readable storage media having machine executable instructions stored thereon that, when executed, cause one or more processors of a base station operable to communicate with a User Equipment (UE) in a wireless network to perform one or more operations comprising:

receiving an uplink (UL) transmission from the UE carrying a tracking reference signal (TRS) request to trigger a TRS transmission from the base station; and

generating, based upon the TRS request, a downlink (DL) transmission, wherein the DL transmission carries the TRS transmission and a Synchronization Signal block (SS-block) transmission within a slot, wherein the TRS transmission is allocated to one or more subcarriers in a symbol within the slot and outside resource blocks (RBs) used for the SS-block transmission in the same symbol in which the TRS transmission is allocated to, and wherein the one or more subcarriers for the TRS transmission are adjacent to one or more subcarriers for the SS-block transmission.

12. The non-transitory machine readable storage media of claim 11 , wherein the TRS transmission spans a number K of RBs and a number L of orthogonal frequency division multiplexing (OFDM) symbols outside of RBs used for the SS-block transmission; and

wherein at least one of the number K and the number L is determined by a predetermined value, a value configured by higher-layer signaling, or a system bandwidth.

13. The non-transitory machine readable storage media of claim 11 , wherein an energy per resource element (EPRE) ratio between the TRS transmission and at least one of a Primary Synchronization Signal (PSS), a Secondary Synchronization Signal (SSS), or a Physical Broadcast Control Channel (PBCH) is determined by a predetermined value or a value configured by higher-layer signaling.

14. The non-transitory machine readable storage media of claim 11 , wherein the UL transmission is one of:

a Physical Random Access Channel (PRACH) transmission;

a Physical Uplink Control Channel (PUCCH) transmission;

a Media Access Control (MAC) Control Element (MAC-CE) transmission;

a Radio Resource Control (RRC) transmission; or

a transmission associated with a beam recovery request.

15. The non-transitory machine readable storage media of claim 11 , wherein to trigger the TRS transmission from the base station is based on a TRS periodicity being above a threshold.

16. The non-transitory machine readable storage media of claim 11 , wherein the UL transmission carries one or more Quasi-Co-Locate (QCL) indicators corresponding with the TRS transmission; and

wherein the one or more QCL indicators are configured to identify at least one of: a SS-block with which the TRS transmission is to be QCLed or a Channel State Information Reference Signal (CSI-RS) with which the TRS transmission is to be QCLed.

17. A method performed by a base station, comprising:

receiving an uplink (UL) transmission from a User Equipment (UE) carrying a tracking reference signal (TRS) request to trigger a TRS transmission from the base station; and

generating, based upon the TRS request, a downlink (DL) transmission, wherein the DL transmission carries the TRS transmission and a Synchronization Signal block (SS-block) transmission within a slot, wherein the TRS transmission is allocated to one or more subcarriers in a symbol within the slot and outside resource blocks (RBs) used for the SS-block transmission in the same symbol in which the TRS transmission is allocated to, and wherein the one or more subcarriers for the TRS transmission are adjacent to one or more subcarriers for the SS-block transmission.

18. The method of claim 17 , wherein the TRS transmission spans a number K of RBs and a number L of orthogonal frequency division multiplexing (OFDM) symbols outside of RBs used for the SS-block transmission; and

wherein at least one of the number K and the number L is determined by a predetermined value, a value configured by higher-layer signaling, or a system bandwidth.

19. The method of claim 17 , wherein an energy per resource element (EPRE) ratio between the TRS transmission and at least one of a Primary Synchronization Signal (PSS), a Secondary Synchronization Signal (SSS), or a Physical Broadcast Control Channel (PBCH) is determined by a predetermined value or a value configured by higher-layer signaling.

20. The method of claim 17 , wherein the UL transmission is one of:

a Physical Random Access Channel (PRACH) transmission;

a Physical Uplink Control Channel (PUCCH) transmission;

a Media Access Control (MAC) Control Element (MAC-CE) transmission;

a Radio Resource Control (RRC) transmission; or

a transmission associated with a beam recovery request.