Radio resource management requirements for unified transmission configuration indicator framework

A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium that stores instructions for execution by processing circuitry of a user equipment (UE) configured for operation in a Fifth-Generation New Radio (5G NR), wherein the processing circuitry is configured to:

• decode signalling comprising an uplink (UL) transmission configuration indicator (TCI) state switch command indicating to switch from an active UL TCI state to a target UL TCI state;
• determine, in response to the TCI state switch command, if the target UL TCI state is known or unknown based on a downlink reference signal (DL-RS) associated with the target UL TCI state;
• determine, in response to the TCI state switch command, an uplink (UL) TCI state switch delay dependent on whether the target UL TCI state is known or unknown;
• switch from the active UL TCI state to the target UL TCI state within the UL TCI state switch delay;
• and
• transmit data via an uplink channel, after switching to the target UL TCI state, with the target UL TCI state.

An apparatus for a generation Node B (gNB)) configured for operation in a Fifth-Generation New Radio (5G NR), the apparatus comprising:

• processing circuitry;
• and memory,
• wherein the processing circuitry is configured to:
• encode signalling comprising an uplink (UL) transmission configuration indicator (TCI) state switch command indicating for a user equipment (UE) to switch from an active UL TCI state to a target UL TCI state;
• decode data received via an uplink channel received from the UE in accordance with the target UL TCI state after the UE switches from the active UL TCI state to the target UL TCI state,
• wherein the UL channel is received within an UL TCI state switch delay that based on whether the target UL TCI state is known or unknown by the UE depending on a downlink reference signal (DL-RS) associated with the target UL TCI state.