Joint bandwidth part switching for a group of ues

Abstract

The present disclosure relates to joint bandwidth part switching for a group of UEs. A base station can transmit a message to a group of user equipments (UEs) directing the UEs to change their respective bandwidth parts (BWPs). The message can include, for each of the UEs in the group, a corresponding new BWP. In response to receiving the message, each UE in the group can switch to the corresponding new bandwidth part. The message can be transmitted as part of a group common DCI message. The UE can signal a minimum guard band size required by the UE to the base station. Alternatively, the UE can respond to the message with an acknowledgement message. The base station can configure a virtual common downlink BWP for the group of UEs. The UE drops transmission / reception repetitions that occur during a BWP switching delay period of the UE.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This disclosure relates to the field of wireless communications, and more specifically, to a mechanism for managing cross-link interference (CLI) by causing a group of user equipments (UEs) to switch their respective bandwidth portions. Background Technology

[0002] Cross-link interference (CLI) can occur when a first UE (referred to as the aggressor UE) transmits to a base station while a second UE (referred to as the victim UE) receives data from the base station, especially if the transmission frequency of the first UE is too close to the reception frequency of the second UE. Therefore, a mechanism capable of managing cross-link interference is needed. Summary of the Invention

[0003] In some implementations, the base station can allocate bandwidth portions (BWPs) to the victim UE and the aggressor UE based on one or more minimum guard bands (or minimum guard band sizes) provided by the victim UE. The base station can signal the allocated bandwidth portions to the respective UEs via downlink message transmission. For each victim UE, the downlink BWP allocated to the victim UE can be separated from the uplink BWP of any aggressor UE by at least the minimum guard band size of the victim UE.

[0004] In some implementations, the base station can transmit a message instructing a group of UEs to switch their BWP. This message can be transmitted as part of Group Common Downlink Control Information (GC-DCI).

[0005] In some implementations, the base station may transmit a reference subcarrier spacing (SCS) to the group of UEs, enabling each UE in the group to determine a common value for the minimum BWP handover delay. The mapping between the SCS and the BWP switching delay can be configured, for example, by the network or defined by the wireless communication standard.

[0006] In some implementations, a base station may receive one or more acknowledgments from one or more corresponding UEs, wherein each acknowledgment is transmitted by the corresponding UE in response to receiving a group common DCI.

[0007] In some implementations, a base station can configure a Virtual Common Downlink BWP for a group of UEs, wherein the Virtual Common Downlink BWP includes both the uplink BWP and downlink BWP of the UEs in the group. This group includes one or more victim UEs and one or more aggressor UEs. The Virtual Common Downlink BWP can be signaled to the UEs in downlink messages, such as in group common DCI messages.

[0008] In some implementations, the user equipment may discard repetitions of transmission / reception that occur within the BWP handover delay period. (Transmission / reception may begin on an existing BWP, for example, before initiating a BWP handover or before receiving a joint BWP handover message from the base station.) After the UE switches to a new bandwidth portion (e.g., the bandwidth portion indicated by the joint BWP handover indication), the user equipment may perform one or more repetitions of transmission / reception.

[0009] In some implementations, a base station can transmit messages to a group of user equipments (UEs) to guide them to change their respective bandwidth portions (BWPs). For each UE in the group, the message can indicate the corresponding new BWP. The base station can determine the new BWP such that the uplink transmission frequency of one UE is not too close to the downlink reception frequency of another UE in the same cell, thereby avoiding cross-link interference.

[0010] In some implementations, the non-transitory memory medium may store program instructions. When executed by the processing circuitry, the program instructions may cause the processing circuitry to perform any of the methods described above.

[0011] In some embodiments, the user equipment (UE) may include a wireless electronic system; processing circuitry coupled to the wireless electronic system; and a memory storing program instructions. When executed by the processing circuitry, the program instructions may cause the UE to perform any of the methods described above.

[0012] In some implementations, the non-transitory memory medium may store program instructions. When executed by the processing circuitry, the program instructions may cause the processing circuitry to perform any of the methods described above.

[0013] In some implementations, the base station may include a wireless electronic system; processing circuitry coupled to the wireless electronic system; and a memory storing program instructions. When executed by the processing circuitry, the program instructions may cause the base station to perform any of the methods described in the above implementations.

[0014] A method for operating a first user equipment (UE) is disclosed. The UE can determine a first minimum frequency guard band value to be used between frequency resources associated with downlink communication between the first UE and a base station and frequency resources associated with uplink communication between a second UE and the base station. The UE can transmit an indication of the first minimum frequency guard band value to the base station. The UE can receive from the base station a downlink bandwidth portion (BWP) allocation for the first UE adapted to the first minimum frequency guard band value.

[0015] In some cases, the frequency resources allocated for the uplink communication and the frequency resources allocated for the downlink communication may be located within a frequency band reserved for time division duplex (TDD) communication.

[0016] In some cases, the indication of the first minimum frequency protection band value can be transmitted within the UE capability information message of the first UE.

[0017] In some cases, the first minimum frequency guard band value can be determined as the minimum frequency guard band value to be allocated between the edge frequency modulation of the downlink BWP allocated to the first UE and the edge frequency modulation of the uplink BWP allocated to the second UE.

[0018] In some cases, the first minimum frequency guard band value can be determined as the minimum frequency guard band value to be allocated between the edge frequency modulation of the downlink resources allocated to the first UE and the edge frequency modulation of the uplink resources allocated to the second UE.

[0019] In some cases, the first minimum frequency guard band may be determined based on at least one of the following: the priority of the downlink channel to be received by the first UE; the type of downlink signal to be received by the first UE; or the type of downlink channel to be received by the first UE.

[0020] In some cases, the UE may determine a second minimum frequency guard band value to use between frequency resources associated with downlink communication between the first UE and the base station and frequency resources associated with uplink communication between the second UE and the base station, wherein the first minimum frequency guard band value is used when the downlink communication of the first UE has a first set of characteristics, and wherein the second minimum frequency guard band value is used when the downlink communication of the first UE has a second set of characteristics. In some cases, the first set of characteristics and the second set of characteristics differ in at least one of the following aspects: channel priority; signal type; or channel type.

[0021] In some cases, the UE can receive from the base station a Group Common Downlink Control Information (GC-DCI) message indicating changes in the downlink BWP allocation of the first UE and changes in the uplink BWP allocation of the second UE, wherein the changed allocation is adapted to the first minimum frequency guard band value.

[0022] In some such cases, the UE may increase the downlink BWP allocation of the first UE in response to determining the change in the downlink BWP allocation of the first UE, and provide the base station with an acknowledgment that the first UE has received the GC-DCI message.

[0023] In some such cases, the UE may receive from the base station an indication of a reference subcarrier spacing (SCS) value for determining the minimum handover delay associated with the change in downlink BWP allocation, wherein the reference SCS is different from the SCS of the first UE. In some cases, the indication of the reference SCS may be received in the GC-DCI message.

[0024] In some cases, the GC-DCI may include an indication of a PUCCH resource indicating that an acknowledgment of the GC-DCI has been received.

[0025] In some cases, the UE may discard all subsequent repetitions of the downlink transmission in response to determining that the timing of a repetition of the downlink transmission from the base station falls within the minimum handover delay associated with the change in the downlink BWP allocation.

[0026] In some cases, the UE may, in response to determining that a first repetition of a downlink transmission from the base station falls within a minimum handover delay associated with the change in downlink BWP allocation, discard the first repetition of the downlink transmission during the minimum handover delay; and receive a second repetition of the downlink transmission after the minimum handover delay.

[0027] In some cases, the UE may delay the reception of the repeated downlink transmissions until after the minimum handover delay in response to determining that the timing of the repetition of the downlink transmissions from the base station falls within the minimum handover delay associated with the change in the downlink BWP allocation.

[0028] The system and equipment for implementing the aforementioned method were also disclosed.

[0029] A base station for a wireless communication network is disclosed, the base station including a memory storing software instructions and processing circuitry configured to execute the software instructions. Executing the instructions can cause the base station to receive an indication of a first minimum frequency guard band value to be used between frequency resources associated with downlink communication between a first user equipment (UE) and the base station and frequency resources associated with uplink communication between a second UE and the base station. The instructions can also cause the base station to allocate downlink resources to the first UE and uplink resources to the second UE, wherein the downlink resources are frequency-separated from the uplink resources by at least the first minimum frequency guard band, and wherein the downlink resources and the uplink resources are located within a frequency band reserved for time division duplex (TDD) communication. The instructions can also cause the base station to transmit an indication of the allocated downlink resources to the first UE and an indication of the allocated uplink resources to the second UE.

[0030] In some cases, the processing circuitry may be configured to execute the software instructions to receive an indication of a second minimum frequency guard band value, the second minimum frequency guard band value being used between frequency resources associated with downlink communication between the first UE and the base station and frequency resources associated with uplink communication between the second UE and the base station, wherein the first minimum frequency guard band value is used when the downlink communication of the first UE has a first set of characteristics, and wherein the second minimum guard band value is used when the downlink communication of the first UE has a second set of characteristics. The allocation of the downlink resources and the uplink resources, which are frequency-separated by at least the first minimum frequency guard band, may be in response to determining that the downlink communication for the first UE has the first set of characteristics.

[0031] In some cases, the processing circuitry is configured to execute the software instructions to provide the first UE and the second UE with a Group Common Downlink Control Information (GC-DCI) message indicating changes in downlink resources allocated to the first UE and changes in uplink resources allocated to the second UE, wherein the changed allocations are adapted to the first minimum frequency guard band value. Attached Figure Description

[0032] A better understanding of the subject matter can be obtained by considering the following detailed description of the preferred embodiments in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.

[0033] Figures 1 to 2 Examples of wireless communication systems according to some implementation schemes are shown.

[0034] Figure 3 An example of a base station communicating with a user equipment device according to some implementation schemes is shown.

[0035] Figure 4 An exemplary block diagram of a user equipment (UE) device according to some implementation schemes is shown.

[0036] Figure 5 An exemplary block diagram of a base station according to some implementation schemes is shown.

[0037] Figure 6 An exemplary user equipment 600 according to some implementation schemes is shown.

[0038] Figure 7 An example of a base station 700 according to some implementation schemes is shown. The base station 700 can be used with... Figure 6 User equipment 600 communication.

[0039] Figure 8 An example comparing frequency-domain duplex (FDD) time slots and time-domain duplex (TDD) time slots according to some implementation schemes is shown.

[0040] Figure 9 An example of cross-link interference (CLI) between user equipment is shown according to some implementation schemes.

[0041] Figure 10 An example of using a minimum guard band between the victim UE (denoted as UE1) and the aggressor UE (denoted as UE2) according to some implementation schemes is shown.

[0042] Figure 11 The diagram illustrates a victim UE (denoted as UE) according to some implementation schemes. V ) and the aggressor UE (represented as UE- A Example of switching from an existing BWP to a new BWP.

[0043] Figure 12 Examples of strategies for handling duplicate transmissions or receptions that occur during BWP handover delays are shown according to some implementation schemes.

[0044] Figure 13 An example of the use of a Virtual Common Downlink BWP according to some implementation schemes is shown, which includes a downlink BWP for one or more victim UEs and an uplink BWP for an aggressor UE.

[0045] While the features described herein are susceptible to various modifications and alternatives, specific embodiments thereof are illustrated by way of example in the accompanying drawings and described in detail herein. However, it should be understood that the drawings and their detailed description are not intended to limit this document to the specific forms disclosed, but rather are intended to cover all modifications, equivalents, and alternatives falling within the substance and scope of the subject matter as defined by the appended claims. Detailed Implementation

[0046] acronym

[0047] The following acronyms are used in this disclosure:

[0048] 3GPP: Third Generation Partnership Project

[0049] 3GPP2: Third Generation Partnership Project 2

[0050] 5G NR: Fifth Generation New Radio

[0051] BW: Bandwidth

[0052] BWP: Bandwidth section

[0053] CA: Carrier Aggregation

[0054] CC: Component Carrier

[0055] CSI: Channel State Information

[0056] CSI-RS: CSI Reference Signal

[0057] DCI: Downlink Control Information

[0058] DL: Downlink

[0059] DRB: Data Radio Bearer

[0060] eNB (or eNodeB): Evolved Node B, i.e., a 3GPP LTE base station.

[0061] EN-DC: E-UTRA-NR Dual Connection

[0062] E-UTRA: Evolved Universal Terrestrial Radio Access

[0063] FR n: Frequency range n

[0064] gNB (or gNodeB): Next-generation node B, i.e., 5G NR base station.

[0065] HARQ: Hybrid Automatic Repeat Request

[0066] LTE: Long Term Evolution

[0067] LTE-A: Advanced LTE

[0068] MAC: Media Access Control

[0069] MAC-CE: MAC control element

[0070] MIMO: Multiple Input Multiple Output

[0071] NR: New Radio

[0072] NR-DC: NR Dual Connection

[0073] NSA: Non-independent

[0074] NW: Network

[0075] PBCH: Physical Broadcast Channel

[0076] PDCCH: Physical Downlink Control Channel

[0077] PDCP: Packet Data Convergence Protocol

[0078] PDU: Protocol Data Unit

[0079] PDSCH: Physical Downlink Shared Channel

[0080] PRB: Physical Resource Block

[0081] QAM: Quadrature Amplitude Modulation

[0082] RAN: Radio Access Network

[0083] RAT: Radio Access Technology

[0084] RLC: Radio Link Control

[0085] RLM: Radio Link Monitoring

[0086] RNTI: Temporary Identifier for Radio Networks

[0087] RRC: Radio Resource Control

[0088] RRM: Radio Resource Management

[0089] RS: Reference signal

[0090] SN: serial number

[0091] SR: Scheduling Request

[0092] SSB: Synchronization Signal / PBCH Block

[0093] TB: Transport Block

[0094] UE: User Equipment

[0095] UL: Uplink

[0096] UMTS: Universal Mobile Telecommunication System

[0097] the term

[0098] The following is a glossary of terms used in this disclosure:

[0099] Memory media—any device of any type of memory device or storage device. The term “memory media” is intended to include mounting media such as CD-ROMs, floppy disks, or magnetic tape devices; computer system memory or random access memory such as DRAM, DDR RAM, SRAM, EDO RAM, Rambus RAM, etc.; non-volatile memory such as flash memory, magnetic media, such as hard disk drives or optical storage devices; registers, or other similar types of memory elements, etc. Memory media may also include other types of memory, or combinations thereof. Furthermore, memory media may reside in a first computer system executing a program, or may reside in a different second computer system connected to the first computer system via a network such as the Internet. In the latter case, the second computer system may provide program instructions to the first computer for execution. The term “memory media” may include two or more memory media that may reside in different locations on different computer systems connected via a network, for example. Memory media may store program instructions (e.g., representing a computer program) that can be executed by one or more processors.

[0100] Carrier medium—the memory medium as described above, and physical transmission medium, such as buses, networks and / or other physical transmission media for transmitting signals (such as electrical signals, electromagnetic signals or digital signals).

[0101] Programmable hardware elements encompass a variety of hardware devices that include multiple programmable functional blocks connected via programmable interconnects. Examples include FPGAs (Field-Programmable Gate Arrays), PLDs (Programmable Logic Devices), FPOAs (Field-Programmable Object Arrays), and CPLDs (Complex PLDs). Programmable functional blocks can vary from fine-grained (combinatorial logic units or lookup tables) to coarse-grained (arithmetic logic units or processor cores). Programmable hardware elements may also be referred to as "configurable logic units."

[0102] Computer system—any computing or processing system of all types, including personal computer systems (PCs), mainframe computer systems, workstations, network appliances, internet-connected appliances, personal digital assistants (PDAs), personal communication devices, smartphones, television systems, grid computing systems, or other devices or combinations thereof. In general, the term "computer system" can be broadly defined to encompass any device (or combination of devices) having at least one processor that executes instructions from a memory medium.

[0103] User equipment (UE) (or “UE device”) — any of a variety of computer system devices that are mobile or portable and perform wireless communications. Examples of UE devices include mobile phones or smartphones (e.g., iPhone). TM Based on Android TM Telephones (such as mobile phones) or satellite phones, portable gaming devices (such as Nintendo DS) TM PlayStation Portable TM Gameboy Advance TM iPhone TM Wearable devices (e.g., smartwatches, smart glasses), laptops, PDAs, portable networking devices, music players, data storage devices, or other handheld devices. Generally, the term "UE" or "UE device" can be broadly defined as any electronic, computing, and / or telecommunications equipment (or combination of equipment) that is easily transportable by the user and capable of wireless communication.

[0104] Base station – The term “base station” has the full range of its general meaning and includes at least a wireless communication station configured to wirelessly communicate with user equipment (UE) equipment and provide the UE equipment with access to a communication network. In some embodiments, a base station may be installed in a fixed location and used for communication as part of a wireless communication network. In other embodiments, a base station may be a mobile (or mobile) station, such as a satellite, high-altitude platform, airborne platform, vehicle-mounted platform, or wearable platform.

[0105] Processing element—refers to any of a variety of elements or combinations of elements. Processing elements include, for example, circuitry such as ASICs (Application-Specific Integrated Circuits), portions or circuitry of individual processor cores, entire processor cores, individual processors, programmable hardware devices (such as Field-Programmable Gate Arrays (FPGAs)), and / or a large portion of a system comprising multiple processors.

[0106] Automatic—means an action or operation performed by a computer system (e.g., software executed by the computer system) or device (e.g., circuits, programmable hardware elements, ASICs, etc.) without requiring direct user input to specify or perform that action or operation. Therefore, the term "automatic" contrasts with an action performed or specified manually by a user, where the user provides input to directly perform that action. An automatic process can be initiated by user-provided input, but the subsequent actions performed "automatically" are not specified by the user; that is, they are not performed "manually," where the user specifies each action to be performed. For example, a user filling out a form by selecting each field and providing input to specify information (e.g., by typing information, selecting a checkbox, radio selection, etc.) is considered manually filling out the form, even though the computer system must update the form in response to the user's actions. The form can be automatically filled out by a computer system (e.g., software executed on the computer system) which analyzes the fields of the form and fills it out without any user input specifying answers for the fields. As indicated above, the user can invoke the automatic filling of the form but does not participate in the actual filling of the form (e.g., the user does not manually specify answers for the fields, but they are completed automatically). This manual provides various examples of operations that are automatically performed in response to actions taken by the user.

[0107] Figures 1 to 3 -Communication System

[0108] Figure 1 and Figure 2 An exemplary (and simplified) wireless communication system is shown. Note that... Figure 1 and Figure 2 The system described is merely an example of some possible systems, and various implementation schemes can be implemented in any of the various ways as needed.

[0109] Figure 1 The wireless communication system includes a base station 102A, which communicates with one or more user equipment (UE) devices 106A, 106B, etc., up to 106N, via a transmission medium. Each of the user equipment devices may be referred to as a "user equipment" (UE) herein. Figure 2 In the wireless communication system, in addition to base station 102A, base station 102B also (e.g., simultaneously or concurrently) communicates with UE devices 106A, 106B, etc., 106N through a transmission medium.

[0110] Base stations 102A and 102B can be transceiver base stations (BTS) or cell sites, and may include hardware to enable wireless communication with user equipment 106A to 106N. Each base station 102 may also be configured to communicate with a core network 100 (e.g., base station 102A may be coupled to core network 100A, and base station 102B may be coupled to core network 100B), which may be the core network of a cellular service provider. Each core network 100 may also be coupled to one or more external networks (such as external network 108), which may include the Internet, the Public Switched Telephone Network (PSTN), or any other network. Therefore, base station 102A may facilitate communication between user equipment and / or between user equipment and network 100A; Figure 2 In the system, base station 102B can facilitate communication between user equipment and / or between user equipment and network 100B.

[0111] Base stations 102A and 102B can be configured to communicate with user equipment using any of the various radio access technologies (RATs) via a transmission medium. These radio access technologies are also known as wireless communication technologies or telecommunications standards, such as GSM, UMTS (WCDMA), LTE, LTE-A Advanced, 5G New Radio (NR), 3GPP 2CDMA2000 (e.g., 1xRTT, 1xEV-DO, HRPD, eHRPD), Wi-Fi, WiMAX, etc.

[0112] For example, base station 102A and core network 100A may operate according to a first cellular communication standard (e.g., 5G NR), while base station 102B and core network 100B may operate according to a second cellular communication standard. The second cellular communication standard (e.g., LTE, GSM, UMTS, and / or one or more CDMA2000 cellular communication standards) may be different from or the same as the first cellular communication standard. The two networks may be controlled by the same network operator (e.g., a cellular service provider or "operator") or different network operators. Furthermore, the two networks may operate independently of each other (e.g., if they operate according to different cellular communication standards), or they may operate in a manner that is either partially coupled or tightly coupled.

[0113] It should also be noted that, although in Figure 2The network configuration shown illustrates the use of two different networks to support two different cellular communication technologies, but other network configurations implementing multiple cellular communication technologies are also possible. As an example, base stations 102A and 102B can operate according to different cellular communication standards but are coupled to the same core network. As another example, a multi-mode base station capable of simultaneously supporting different cellular communication technologies (e.g., 5G NR and LTE, LTE and CDMA 1xRTT, GSM and UMTS, or any other combination of cellular communication technologies) might be coupled to a core network that also supports different cellular communication technologies. Any other various network deployment scenarios are also possible.

[0114] As an alternative possibility, base stations 102A and 102B may also operate using the same wireless communication technology (or a set of overlapping wireless communication technologies). For example, base station 102A and core network 100A may be operated by a single cellular service provider independently of base station 102B and core network 100B, and the base stations and core network may be operated by different (e.g., competing) cellular service providers. Therefore, in this scenario, despite using similar and potentially compatible cellular communication technologies, UE devices 106A to 106N may communicate independently with base stations 102A to 102B, possibly by utilizing separate user identities to communicate with different operator networks.

[0115] UE 106 is capable of communicating using multiple wireless communication standards. For example, UE 106 can be configured to communicate using any one or two of the following 3GPP cellular communication standards (such as LTE) and / or 3GPP2 cellular communication standards (such as those in the CDMA2000 series). As another example, UE 106 can be configured to communicate using two or more different 3GPP cellular communication standards (such as GSM, UMTS, LTE, LTE-A, or 5G NR). Therefore, as described above, UE 106 can be configured to communicate with base station 102A (and / or other base stations) according to a first cellular communication standard (e.g., 5G NR), and can also be configured to communicate with base station 102B (and / or other base stations) according to a second cellular communication standard (e.g., LTE).

[0116] Base stations 102A and 102B, as well as other base stations, operating under the same or different cellular communication standards, can support one or more cell networks that can provide continuous or near-continuous overlapping services to UEs 106A to 106N and similar devices over a wide geographical area via one or more cellular communication standards.

[0117] UE 106 can also be configured, or alternatively configured, to communicate using WLAN, Bluetooth, one or more Global Navigation Satellite Systems (GNSS, such as GPS or GLONASS), one and / or more mobile television broadcasting standards (e.g., ATSC-M / H or DVB-H). Other combinations of wireless communication standards (including more than two wireless communication standards) are also possible.

[0118] Figure 3 A user equipment 106 (e.g., one of devices 106A to 106N) communicating with a base station 102 (e.g., one of base stations 102A or 102B) is shown. UE 106 can be a device with wireless network connectivity, such as a mobile phone, handheld device, satellite phone, computer or tablet, wearable device, or substantially any type of wireless device.

[0119] The UE may include a processor configured to execute program instructions stored in memory. The UE can perform any of the method embodiments described herein by executing such stored instructions. Alternatively or additionally, the UE may include programmable hardware elements such as an FPGA (Field Programmable Gate Array) configured to perform any of the method embodiments described herein, or any portion thereof.

[0120] UE 106 can be configured to communicate using any of a number of wireless communication protocols. For example, UE 106 can be configured to communicate using two or more of the following: GSM, UMTS (W-DCMA, TD-SCDMA, etc.), CDMA2000 (1xRTT, 1xEV-DO, HRPD, eHRPD, etc.), LTE, LTE-A, 5G New Radio (NR), WLAN, or GNSS. Other combinations of wireless communication standards are also possible.

[0121] UE 106 may include one or more antennas (or one or more antenna arrays) for communicating using one or more wireless communication protocols. Within UE 106, one or more portions of the receive and / or transmit chain may be shared among multiple wireless communication standards; for example, UE 106 may be configured to communicate using a single shared radio component using one or both of LTE or 5G NR. The shared radio component may include a single antenna, or may include multiple antennas for performing wireless communication (e.g., for MIMO and / or beamforming). (MIMO is an acronym for Multiple-Input Multiple-Output.) Antennas may be organized into one or more arrays.

[0122] Figure 4 -Exemplary block diagram of UE

[0123] Figure 4 An exemplary block diagram of UE 106 is shown. As shown, UE 106 may include a System-on-Chip (SOC) 300, which may include portions for various purposes. For example, as shown, SOC 300 may include a processor 302 capable of executing program instructions for UE 106 and display circuitry 304 capable of performing graphics processing and providing display signals to display 345. Processor 302 may also be coupled to a memory management unit (MMU) 340 and / or other circuitry or devices (such as display circuitry 304, radio components 330, connector I / F 320, and / or display 345), which may be configured to receive addresses from processor 302 and translate those addresses into locations in memory (e.g., memory 306, read-only memory (ROM) 350, NAND flash memory 310). MMU 340 may be configured to perform memory protection and page table translation or setup. In some embodiments, MMU 340 may be included as part of processor 302.

[0124] As shown in the figure, the SOC 300 can be coupled to various other circuits of the UE 106. For example, the UE 106 may include various types of memory (e.g., including flash memory 310), connector interface 320 (e.g., for coupling to computer systems, docking stations, charging stations, etc.), display 345, and radio components 330.

[0125] Radio component 330 may include one or more RF chains. Each RF chain may include a transmit chain, a receive chain, or both. For example, radio component 330 may include two RF chains to support dual connectivity with two base stations (or two cells). Radio component may be configured to support wireless communication according to one or more wireless communication standards, such as GSM, UMTS, LTE, LTE-A, 5G NR, WCDMA, CDMA2000, Bluetooth, Wi-Fi, GPS, etc.

[0126] Radio component 330 is coupled to antenna subsystem 335, which includes one or more antennas. For example, antenna subsystem 335 may include multiple antennas (e.g., organized into one or more arrays) to support applications such as dual-connectivity, MIMO, or beamforming. Antenna subsystem 335 transmits and receives radio signals to / from one or more base stations or devices via a radio propagation medium.

[0127] In some implementations, processor 302 may include a baseband processor to generate uplink baseband signals and / or process downlink baseband signals. Processor 302 may be configured to perform data processing according to one or more of one or more wireless communication standards, such as GSM, UMTS, LTE, LTE-A, 5G NR, WCDMA, CDMA2000, Bluetooth, Wi-Fi, GPS, etc.

[0128] UE 106 may also include one or more user interface elements. User interface elements may include various components such as display 345 (which may be a touch screen display), keyboard (which may be a separate keyboard or may be implemented as part of the touch screen display), mouse, microphone and / or speaker, one or more cameras, one or more sensors, one or more buttons, sliders and / or dial pads, and / or any of various other components capable of providing information to the user and / or receiving or interpreting user input.

[0129] As shown in the figure, UE 106 may also include one or more User Identity Modules (SIMs) 360. Each of the one or more SIMs may be implemented as an embedded SIM (eSIM), in which case the SIM may be implemented in device hardware and / or software. For example, in some embodiments, UE 106 may include an embedded UICC (eUICC), for example, a device built into UE 106 and not removable. The eUICC may be programmable, such that one or more eSIMs may be implemented on the eUICC. In other embodiments, the eSIM may be installed in the UE 106 software, for example, as program instructions stored in UE 106 and executed on a storage medium (such as memory 306 or Flash 310) that executes on a processor (such as processor 302). As an example, SIM 360 may be an application executing on a Universal Integrated Circuit Card (UICC). Alternatively or otherwise, one or more of SIMs 360 may be implemented as removable SIM cards.

[0130] The processor 302 of the UE device 106 may be configured to implement some or all of the methods described herein, for example, by executing program instructions stored on a memory medium (e.g., a non-transitory computer-readable memory medium). In other embodiments, the processor 302 may be configured as or include: a programmable hardware element such as a FPGA (Field Programmable Gate Array); or an ASIC (Application-Specific Integrated Circuit); or a combination thereof.

[0131] Figure 5 - Example of a base station

[0132] Figure 5 A block diagram of base station 102 is shown. Note that... Figure 5The base station shown is merely one example of a possible base station. As illustrated, base station 102 may include a processor 404 capable of executing program instructions specific to base station 102. Processor 404 may also be coupled to a memory management unit (MMU) 440 or other circuitry or device, which may be configured to receive addresses from processor 404 and translate those addresses into locations in memory (e.g., memory 460 and read-only memory (ROM) 450).

[0133] Base station 102 may include at least one network port 470. Network port 470 may be configured to be coupled to a telephone network and provide services (as described above) to multiple devices such as UE device 106. Figure 1 and Figure 2 Access to the telephone network as described in the document.

[0134] Network port 470 (or an additional network port) may also be configured, or alternatively configured, to be coupled to a cellular network, such as the core network of a cellular service provider. The core network may provide mobility-related services and / or other services to various devices, such as UE device 106. In some cases, network port 470 may be coupled to a telephone network via the core network, and / or the core network may provide telephone services (e.g., in UE devices served by a network provider).

[0135] Base station 102 may include radio components 430 having one or more RF chains. Each RF chain may include a transmit chain, a receive chain, or both. (For example, base station 102 may include at least one RF chain per sector or cell). Radio components 430 are coupled to antenna subsystem 434, which includes one or more antennas, or one or more antenna arrays. For example, multiple antennas are required to support applications such as MIMO and / or beamforming. Antenna subsystem 434 transmits and receives radio signals to and from the UE via a radio propagation medium.

[0136] In some implementations, processor 404 may include a baseband processor to generate downlink baseband signals and / or process uplink baseband signals. The baseband processor may be configured to operate according to one or more wireless telecommunications standards, including but not limited to GSM, LTE, 5G New Radio, WCDMA, CDMA2000, etc.

[0137] The processor 404 of base station 102 may be configured to implement any of the methods described herein, for example, by executing program instructions stored on a memory medium (e.g., a non-transitory computer-readable memory medium). In some embodiments, processor 404 may include: programmable hardware elements such as FPGA (Field Programmable Gate Array); or ASIC (Application-Specific Integrated Circuit); or combinations thereof.

[0138] In some implementations, the wireless user equipment (UE) equipment 600 can, as Figure 6 The configuration is shown. UE device 600 may include: a wireless electronic system 605 for performing wireless communication; and a processing element 610 operatively coupled to the wireless electronic system. (UE device 600 may also include any subset of the UE features described above, for example, in combination with...) Figures 1 to 4 ).

[0139] The wireless electronic system 605 may include one or more RF chains, such as those described above. Each RF chain may be configured to receive signals from a radio propagation channel and / or transmit these signals onto the radio propagation channel. Therefore, each RF chain may include a transmit chain and / or a receive chain. The wireless electronic system 605 may be coupled to one or more antennas (or one or more antenna arrays) to facilitate signal transmission and reception. Each transmit chain (or several transmit chains) may be tuned to a desired frequency, thereby allowing the transmit chain to transmit at different frequencies at different times. Similarly, each receive chain (or several receive chains) may be tuned to a desired frequency, thereby allowing the receive chain to receive at different frequencies at different times.

[0140] Processing element 610 may be coupled to a wireless electronic system and may be configured as described in the various descriptions above. (For example, the processing element may be implemented by processor 302). The processing element may be configured to control the state of each RF chain in the wireless electronic system. The processing element may be configured to perform any of the base station-based method implementations described herein.

[0141] In some implementations, the processing element may include one or more baseband processors to (a) generate baseband signals to be transmitted by the wireless electronic system and / or (b) process baseband signals provided by the wireless electronic system.

[0142] In dual-connectivity operation mode, the processing element can instruct a first RF chain to communicate with a first base station using a first radio access technology, and instruct a second RF chain to communicate with a second base station using a second radio access technology. For example, the first RF chain can communicate with an LTE eNB, and the second RF chain can communicate with a 5G New Radio (NR) gNB. A link with an LTE eNB can be referred to as an LTE branch. A link with a gNB can be referred to as an NR branch. In some embodiments, the processing element may include a first sub-circuit implementing baseband processing relative to the LTE branch and a second sub-circuit implementing baseband processing relative to the NR branch.

[0143] The processing element 610 may be further configured as described in various sections below.

[0144] UE device 600 may include memory (e.g., in conjunction with the above). Figure 6The user equipment 106 may contain any of the memories described herein, or any combination of such memories, which store program instructions for implementing any UE method implementation described herein, such as program instructions to be executed by the processing element 610.

[0145] In some implementations, the wireless base station 700 of the wireless network (not shown) can be as follows: Figure 7 The configuration is shown. A wireless base station may include: a wireless subsystem 705 for performing wireless communication via a radio propagation channel; and a processing element 710 operatively coupled to the wireless subsystem. (The wireless base station may also include any subset of the base station features described above, for example, those combined with the above description.) Figure 5 (The aforementioned features). A wireless base station can host one or more cells.

[0146] The wireless electronic system 705 may include one or more RF chains. Each transmit / receive chain may be tunable to a desired frequency, allowing the transmit / receive chain to transmit / receive at different frequencies at different times. The wireless electronic system 705 may be coupled to an antenna subsystem, which includes one or more antennas, such as an antenna array or multiple antenna arrays. The wireless electronic system may employ the antenna subsystem to transmit radio signals to and from a radio wave propagation medium.

[0147] Processing element 710 may be implemented as described in the various descriptions above. For example, in one embodiment, processing element 710 may be implemented as processor 404. In some embodiments, processing element may include one or more baseband processors to: (a) generate baseband signals to be transmitted by the wireless electronic system, and / or (b) process baseband signals provided by the wireless electronic system.

[0148] The processing element 710 can be configured to perform any of the base station method implementations described herein.

[0149] Base station 700 may include a memory (e.g., Figure 5 The base station 102 may have a memory 460 (or some other memory) that stores program instructions for implementing any of the base station method implementations described herein, such as program instructions that will be executed by the processing element 710.

[0150] Sub-band full-duplex (SB-FD)

[0151] Full-duplex (FD) operation within the TDD band is a topic worthy of consideration. Figure 8An example comparing frequency-domain duplex (FDD) and time-domain duplex (TDD) time slots, as traditionally distinguished, is shown. Subband full-duplex (SB-FD) within a TDD band can be designed to mimic reduced uplink (UL) latency of FDD by allowing a first UE to transmit to a base station in a first frequency subband and allowing a second UE to receive from the base station in a second frequency subband. Both the first and second frequency subbands can be within bands reserved for TDD communication (e.g., allocated, defined by applicable standards, etc.), such as FR2 as defined by 3GPP. FD can refer to (at least) a base station (e.g., a gNB) operating in full-duplex mode, i.e., simultaneously transmitting and receiving.

[0152] When considering full-duplex operation, in some contexts it may be valuable to assume that the UE operates in half-duplex mode, allowing the UE to transmit to and receive from the base station at different times, and that the base station (or only the base station) operates in full-duplex mode on non-overlapping subbands. In such contexts, each UE can continue to perform TDD communication within one or more subbands of the TDD band. However, uplink (UL) transmissions from the first UE may overlap in time with downlink (DL) receptions through the second UE.

[0153] Therefore, in the presence of FD communication, intra-cell and inter-cell UE-to-UE cross-link interference (CLI) can occur. Figure 9 Examples of UE-to-UE CLIs according to some implementation schemes are shown, where the aggressor UE (UE) A The data is being transmitted to the base station, while the victim UE (UE) is transmitting data. V The CLI is being received from the base station. The CLI may include out-of-band noise, harmonics, or noise generated by the UE. A With UE- V - Any other energy transmitted at frequencies within the frequency range being received.

[0154] In some implementations, a full-duplex base station (e.g., a gNB) should be able to manage the CLI at least for intra-cell UE-to-UE interference. For example, in some implementations, scheduler-based techniques can be used to manage UE-to-UE CLI. Scheduler-based techniques for CLI management may include spatially separated techniques and / or frequency separated techniques.

[0155] In spatial separation, the aggressor UE and the victim UE are spatially separated. For example, a scheduler may need a pair of UEs that are sufficiently separated in distance to provide CLI capabilities.

[0156] In frequency separation, the guard band can be placed between the transmission allocation for the aggressor UE and the reception allocation for the victim UE, for example, as... Figure 10As shown. This objective can be better achieved by utilizing some signaling between UEs and / or between a UE and the serving base station.

[0157] Minimum guard band requirements

[0158] As a first example of signaling used to manage frequency separation within a TDD band, at least one of the victim UE or the aggressor UE can determine the minimum required (or requested) protection band between the victim UE's DL resources and the UL resources associated with the aggressor UE, for example, such as Figure 10 As shown. Such a guard band (GB) can be in units of frequency, the number of physical resource blocks (PRBs) per frequency modulation interval, etc. In some implementations, such a GB can be defined between the edge frequency modulation of the aggressor UE's UL bandwidth portion (BWP) and the edge frequency modulation of the victim UE's DL BWP. In some implementations, such a GB can alternatively be defined between the edge frequency modulation of the UE's UL bandwidth portion (BWP) and the edge frequency modulation of the victim UE's DL BWP. A Edge frequency modulation for resource allocation in UE V The edge frequency modulation is defined between resource allocations. For example, in the context of UE... A Edge frequency modulation for resource allocation in UE V The defined GB between the edge frequencies of resource allocation can be greater than the frequency range between the edge frequencies of the aggressor UL BWP and the victim DL BWP, for example, if resource allocation for one or both UEs avoids resources near the edge of the corresponding BWP. In some implementations, a combination of the two methods can be used.

[0159] In some implementations, the UE may determine multiple minimum GB values, for example, based on various criteria. For instance, the UE may determine multiple minimum GB values ​​based on the possible priority values ​​of the downlink channel. For example, the UE may determine a first minimum GB value for Ultra-Reliable Low Latency Communication (URLLC) and a second (e.g., smaller) minimum GB value for Enhanced Mobile Broadband (eMBB) communication, since URLLC communication may be more susceptible to CLI interference. As another example, the UE may determine multiple minimum GB values ​​based on the type of downlink signal / channel being (or potentially being) received. For example, the UE may determine a first minimum GB value to use when receiving Dynamic Physical Downlink Shared Channel (PDSCH) communication and a second GB value to use when receiving Semi-Persistent Scheduling (SPS) communication. Alternatively, the UE may determine a first GB value to use when receiving data and a second GB value to use when receiving Channel State Information Reference Signal (CSI-RS) communication. Other options are also conceivable, and the foregoing examples are not exhaustive or limiting.

[0160] Therefore, one or more minimum GB values ​​can be determined based on any of several factors related to CLI management. For example, the GB value can be determined at least in part based on the expected level of out-of-band noise, the expected harmonic value, the expected sensitivity of the DL signal to CLI, the expected priority level of the DL signal, the signal type of the expected DL signal, and / or the channel. As a specific example, the UE can estimate the minimum GB value that will prevent out-of-band noise within the DL BWP from exceeding a certain threshold level. In some scenarios, the threshold level can be adjusted based on the priority of the expected DL signal, the signal type of the expected DL signal, and / or the channel.

[0161] In some implementations, at least one of the victim UE or the aggressor UE (e.g., the UE that determines the minimum required guard band) may indicate the determined minimum required GB to the base station. For example, the UE may indicate the minimum required guard band as part of UE capability signaling. Alternatively, at least one of the UEs may dynamically indicate the determined minimum required GB for other times, for example, based on which of a plurality of determined minimum GBs is currently applicable.

[0162] In some implementations, the base station (e.g., gNB) can receive an indication of the determined guard band and can ensure that the guard band requirements are met to prevent [the virus from being detected by the UE]. A To UE V Interference leakage. For example, when sending to the UE A and / or UE V When allocating BWP and / or transmit / receive resources, the base station can ensure that the BWP and / or the allocated resources are separated by at least the indicated minimum guard band.

[0163] Joint bandwidth partial switching

[0164] In some scenarios, the BWP assigned to a UE can change, for example, in response to changes in the UE's resource needs or requests. The base station can instruct the UE to assign a new BWP. In conventional implementations, the UE can be instructed to switch BWPs individually. For example, in paired spectrum, the UE's active UL BWP and active DL BWP can be switched independently for each UE. In unpaired spectrum, the UE's active UL BWP and active DL BWP can be switched together for each UE.

[0165] In some embodiments of this disclosure, a single message, such as a Group Common Downlink Control Information (GC-DCI) message, can be defined (or used) to indicate that UEs can switch active BWPs together (i.e., jointly). This indication enables better management of UEs to the UE CLI. Figure 11 Examples based on some implementation schemes are shown.

[0166] exist Figure 11 In this scenario, the base station can promptly send information to the invading UE (UE). A Assign the first UL BWP 1102 so that the UE A Transmission occurs within the first UL BWP 1102 at the first time (T0). Similarly, the base station can promptly send data to the victim UE (UE). V Assign the first DL BWP1106 so that the UE V T0 receives within the first DL BWP 1106. The base station may allocate a first guard band 1104 between the first ULBWP 1102 and the first DL BWP 1106 to prevent (or reduce) CLI between the two UEs. The first guard band 1104 may be allocated a frequency width with at least a minimum guard band, which is previously indicated by one or more of the UEs, for example, as described above.

[0167] In response to UE A Upon indication of increased UL traffic or some other trigger, the base station can subsequently send a signal to the UE. A Assigned to UE A A larger second UL BWP 1112. The base station can allocate a second guard band 1114 with a frequency bandwidth of at least a minimum guard band, which was previously indicated by one or more UEs, for example, as described above. To maintain this minimum guard band, the base station can inform the UEs... V A smaller second DL BWP 1116 is allocated. For example, the total bandwidth used by the second UL BWP 1112, the second guard band 1114, and the second DL BWP 1116 can be the same (or substantially the same) as the total bandwidth used by the first UL BWP 1102, the first guard band 1104, and the first DL BWP 1106. Therefore, the amount by which the DL BWP can be reduced is approximately the same as the amount by which the UL BWP can be increased.

[0168] In this example, the base station can transmit to the UE A and UE V Both send signal notifications within a single message (such as a single GC-DCI) to the UE. A Changes to UL BWP and its allocation to UE V The DL BWP changes. In response to receiving a single message, the UE A and UE V Each of them can use the corresponding newly allocated BWP to transmit or receive at the second time (T1).

[0169] In some scenarios, the first DL BWP 1106 and the second DL BWP 1116 can be used by multiple victim UEs. In such scenarios, the base station can signal changes to the UL BWP and DL BWP within a single message transmitted to the UEA and each of the multiple victim UEs.

[0170] In another example, the base station can send signals to the UE. A and UE V (And other affected UEs, if applicable) transmit a single message such as GC-DCI, similarly indicating an increase in DL BWP and a corresponding decrease in UL BWP, while maintaining the previously indicated minimum guard band between them.

[0171] As yet another example, the base station can send signals to at least the UE. A and UE V A single message is transmitted indicating a change in the allocation of at least one of the DL BWP and / or UL BWP, wherein the change in allocation reflects a change in the guard band size. For example, in response to an indication that the expected DL traffic will include traffic of different signal types, channels, priorities, etc., the base station may determine, for example, based on multiple minimum guard bands previously provided by the UE that a different minimum guard band is appropriate, as described above. Therefore, the base station may change the allocation of at least one of the DL BWP and / or UL BWP to accommodate changes in the guard band size.

[0172] When switching between two BWP allocations, a minimum handover delay can be reserved to allow the UE to reconfigure the applicable hardware and / or software to adapt to the new BWP allocation. Understanding this minimum handover delay is important for subsequent communication timing. In the current 3GPP specification, the minimum handover delay is based on the subcarrier spacing (SCS) of the UE's current / next active BWP.

[0173] For joint BWP handover, a single reference can be used for all UEs affected by a single BWP handover message (the UE assigned the new BWP), ensuring that all affected UEs know how to follow the timeline. For example, in some implementations, a reference SCS is supported. The minimum handover delay can be defined based on the reference SCS of all affected UEs. Because not all affected UEs may have the same SCS, the reference SCS may differ from the SCS of one or more of the affected UEs. The reference SCS can be transmitted to the UE via higher-layer signaling. Alternatively, the reference SCS can be indicated as part of a Group Common Downlink Control Information (GC-DCI), such as a GC-DCI used to transmit BWP changes, or another GC-DCI.

[0174] In some implementations, the BWP handover delay is defined from the beginning of the DL time slot, and the affected UE is expected to receive the GC-DCI indicating the joint BWP handover within the DL time slot.

[0175] In some implementations, one or more affected UEs can acknowledge the joint BWP handover indication. For example, in some implementations, both the victim and the aggressor UEs can acknowledge the joint BWP handover indication, for instance, by transmitting a message including acknowledgment to the base station.

[0176] Alternatively, the aggressor UE may only be required to acknowledge the joint BWP handover indication. In such implementations, the victim UE may forgo providing any acknowledgment to the base station. At least in some scenarios, the base station may be able to operate without such explicit acknowledgment. For example, if the joint BWP handover message indicates that the DL BWP has decreased, the base station can avoid scheduling any DL resources in areas no longer included in the updated DL BWP. Therefore, even if the victim UE fails to receive the joint BWP handover indication (this failure is unknown to the base station, as the base station does not expect any acknowledgment from the victim UE), DL communication to the victim UE will not be impaired, because the victim UE will only monitor a larger DL area than required. In such cases, the only drawback may be the relatively small power waste incurred by the victim UE due to monitoring an additional area.

[0177] As an alternative, only UEs added via BWP (the victim's DL BWP or the aggressor's UL BWP) will confirm the joint BWP handover instruction. Figure 11 In the example, the aggressor UE A The detection of the joint BWP handover indication should be confirmed. As in the previous example, a UE with a BWP that is reduced in size by the joint BWP handover indication can continue to operate effectively (if less efficient) even if no joint BWP handover indication is received, because the base station will not schedule transmission or reception for the UE in the area where the BWP applicable to the UE has been removed.

[0178] In some implementations, acknowledgments can be sent on a Media Access Control (MAC) control element (MAC-CE), such as on a new BWP or the current BWP, or on the Physical Uplink Control Channel (PUCCH). In the latter case, the resources used for PUCCH transmission can be indicated to the UE as part of a GC-DCI, for example, a GC-DCI for transmitting changes to the BWP, or another GC-DCI.

[0179] In some implementations, the UE may send an acknowledgment message to the base station in response to the completion of the switch to the new bandwidth portion.

[0180] In some implementations, due to joint BWP handover, for example, indicated by GC-DCI, the transmission or reception of one of the (aggressor or victim) UEs may fall within the BWP handover delay. Specifically, in cases where the transmission has multiple repetitions, one or more repetitions may fall within the BWP handover delay. In such scenarios, adjustments should be made regarding how to handle these repetitions. Figure 12 An example of this scenario is shown, where the first repetition timing (timing 0) occurs before the BWP handover, the second repetition timing (timing 1) occurs during the BWP handover delay period, and the third repetition timing (timing 2) occurs after the BWP handover.

[0181] In the first implementation, any duplicate timings scheduled to occur within the BWP handover delay can be discarded (e.g., the UE can abandon a transmit or receive duplicate). If any duplicate timings are scheduled to occur after the BWP handover delay, such timings can be used within the new active BWP. For example, in Figure 12 In the context shown, the first duplicate can be transmitted at time 0 based on the original BWP allocation, but time 1 can be discarded. At time 2, another duplicate can be transmitted based on the new BWP allocation.

[0182] In the second implementation, the behavior can be the same as in the first implementation, except that the number of repetitions can be extended in the new active BWP, for example, to compensate for repetitions lost during BWP handover delays. Therefore, the total number of available repetitions can be the same as (or similar to) the number of repetitions that would occur without handover. For example, the total number of available repetitions can be the same as (or similar to) the number of repetitions specified by network configuration or by wireless communication standards. Figure 12 In the context of the original BWP allocation, the first repetition can be transmitted in timing 0, but may not occur during the BWP handover delay period initially scheduled for timing 1. Under the new BWP allocation, both timing 1 and timing 2 can occur after the BWP handover delay.

[0183] It should be noted that in both the first and second implementation schemes, if the Frequency Domain Resource Allocation (FDRA) matches in the new active BWP, the remaining cases are used.

[0184] In the third implementation, all remaining duplicates after the BWP handover delay begins are discarded. For example, in Figure 12 In the context of the original BWP allocation, the first duplicate can be transmitted within timing 0, but all subsequent timings can be discarded.

[0185] In the fourth implementation, the UE does not expect such a BWP handover indication. For example, the base station could be restricted to delaying any BWP handover (or any joint BWP handover) until all scheduled repetitions have occurred. However, in the context of joint BWP handovers, there may be higher priority requirements for one or more other UEs, making it difficult to enforce this constraint.

[0186] Virtual public downlink bandwidth portion

[0187] In some implementations, if the invading UE A UL BWP and the victim UE V If there is no overlap between the DL BWPs, then a virtual common DL BWP can be defined that overlaps with the actual DL BWPs and UL BWPs of the victim UE and the aggressor UE, respectively. This large virtual DL-BWP can have the same center frequency as the UL BWP. According to some implementations, the UL BWPs of one or more aggressor UEs can be grouped around the center of the virtual common DL BWP, and the DL BWPs of the victim UE can be placed at the ends of the virtual common DL-BWP, for example, as shown below. Figure 13 As shown. The first guard band can be placed between the upper ULBWP and DL BWP, and the second guard band can be placed between the lower UL BWP and DL BWP. The guard bands can be large enough to allow the size of the UL BWP to be increased without decreasing the size of the DL BWP. Therefore, the UE in the DL does not necessarily need to switch to a smaller actual DL BWP, for example, even when the aggressor UE's UL BWP increases to a larger size. It is sufficient for the UE to know what its actual DL-BWP (or actual DL-BWP size) is and how to derive the UE's Frequency Domain Resource Allocation (FDRA). A smaller actual DL-BWP size can save DCI bits used for FDRA indication in the DL license.

[0188] In some implementations, if in the UE A DL BWP and UE B If there is no overlap between the UL BWPs, then a virtual common DL BWP that overlaps with the actual DL BWP of the victim UE and the UL BWP of the aggressor UE can be defined.

[0189] Exemplary Implementation

[0190] Based on the foregoing description, various embodiments can be presented as follows.

[0191] 1.1 A method for operating a first user equipment (UE) is presented, the method comprising: transmitting an indication of a minimum required guard band between a downlink bandwidth portion (BWP) of the first UE and an uplink BWP of an invading UE.

[0192] 1.2 The method according to claim 1.1, wherein the downlink BWP and the uplink BWP occur within the TDD band.

[0193] 1.3 The method of claim 1.1, wherein the indication is transmitted within a message indicating the capability of the first UE.

[0194] 1.4 The method according to claim 1.1, wherein the aggressor UE is a second UE in the same cell as the first UE.

[0195] 1.5 The method of claim 1.1, wherein the aggressor UE is any other UE in the same cell as the first UE.

[0196] 1.6 A method for operating a first user equipment (UE), the method comprising:

[0197] Determine the minimum required guard band between the downlink bandwidth portion (BWP) of the first UE and the uplink BWP of the invading UE.

[0198] 1.7 The method of claim 1.6, wherein the minimum required guard band is determined based on one or more of the following: the priority of the downlink channel allocated to the first UE; the type of downlink signal being received by the first UE; or the type of downlink channel being received by the first UE.

[0199] 1.8 The method according to claim 1.7 further includes: transmitting an indication of the minimum required guard band to the base station.

[0200] 1.9 A method for operating a base station, the method comprising: receiving an indication of a minimum required guard band size between a downlink bandwidth portion (BWP) of a first UE and any uplink BWP of any invading UE.

[0201] 1.10 The method of claim 1.9 further comprises: configuring or reconfiguring an actual guard band between the downlink BWP and the first uplink BWP corresponding to the first aggressor UE, wherein the size of the actual guard band is greater than or equal to the minimum guard band size.

[0202] 1.11 The method according to claim 1.9 further includes: configuring or reconfiguring a first uplink BWP corresponding to a first aggressor UE, such that the actual guard band size between the first uplink BWP and the downlink BWP is greater than or equal to the minimum guard band size.

[0203] 1.12 The method according to claim 1.9, wherein the downlink BWP and the uplink BWP occur within the TDD band.

[0204] 1.13 The method of claim 1.9, wherein the indication indicating the capabilities of the first UE is received as part of a message from the first UE.

[0205] 1.14 The method of claim 1.9, wherein any aggressor UE is a UE in the same cell as the first UE.

[0206] 1.15 A method for operating a first user equipment (UE), the method comprising:

[0207] Determine the minimum required guard band between the downlink bandwidth portion (BWP) of the first UE and the uplink BWP of the invading UE.

[0208] 1.16 The method of claim 1.15, wherein the minimum required guard band is determined based on one or more of the following: the priority of the downlink channel allocated to the first UE; the type of downlink signal being received by the first UE; or the type of downlink channel being received by the first UE.

[0209] 1.17 The method according to claim 1.16 further includes: transmitting an indication of the minimum required guard band to the base station.

[0210] 2.1 A method for operating a first user equipment (UE), the method comprising: receiving a group common DCI from a base station, wherein the group common DCI indicates a plurality of UEs that require switching of their respective bandwidth portions, wherein the first UE is included among the plurality of UEs.

[0211] 2.2 The method of claim 2.1 further comprises: decoding the group common DCI to determine a new bandwidth portion for the first UE; and switching to the new bandwidth portion.

[0212] 2.3 The method according to claim 2.1, wherein, for each of the plurality of UEs, the group common DCI includes the corresponding new bandwidth portion to which the UE is to be switched.

[0213] 2.4 The method of claim 2.3, wherein the group common DCI instructs the plurality of UEs to switch to the corresponding new bandwidth portion within a handover delay period.

[0214] 2.5 The method of claim 2.3, wherein the group common DCI indicates a reference subcarrier spacing to determine a common minimum delay for BWP handover at each of the plurality of UEs, the method further comprising: determining the common minimum delay.

[0215] 2.6 A method for operating a base station, the method comprising: transmitting a group common DCI of multiple UEs indicating that they need or request to switch their respective bandwidth portions.

[0216] 2.7 The method of claim 2.6, wherein, for each of the plurality of UEs, the group common DCI is a corresponding indication for the corresponding new bandwidth portion for that UE.

[0217] 2.8 The method of claim 2.7, wherein the group common DCI instructs the plurality of UEs to switch to the corresponding new bandwidth portion within a handover delay period.

[0218] 2.9 The method of claim 2.8, wherein the base station has arranged the new bandwidth portion to maintain a minimum guard band between the uplink BWP and the downlink BWP within the new bandwidth portion.

[0219] 2.10 The method of claim 2.8, wherein the base station has arranged the new bandwidth portion such that for any adjacent pair of uplink BWP and downlink BWP in the new bandwidth portion, the corresponding minimum guard band is ensured.

[0220] 2.11 The method of claim 2.6, wherein the group common DCI indicates a reference subcarrier spacing to determine a common minimum delay for BWP handover at each of the plurality of UEs.

[0221] 3.1 A method for operating a first user equipment (UE), the method comprising: receiving from a base station an indication of a reference subcarrier spacing (SCS), wherein the reference SCS is associated with a joint BWP handover indication; determining a minimum handover delay based on the reference SCS; and switching to a new bandwidth portion indicated by the joint BWP handover indication, wherein the handover is completed faster than the minimum handover delay.

[0222] 3.2 The method of claim 3.1, wherein the indication of the SCS is received as part of a group common DCI that also includes the joint BWP handover indication.

[0223] 3.3 The method of claim 3.1, wherein the indication of the SCS is received from the base station as part of higher-layer signaling.

[0224] 3.4 presents a method for operating a base station, the method comprising: transmitting an indication of a reference subcarrier spacing (SCS), wherein the reference SCS is transmitted in association with a joint bandwidth portion (BWP) handover message addressed to a plurality of user equipments (UEs), wherein the plurality of UEs are capable of using the reference SCS to determine a common value of minimum handover delay.

[0225] 3.5 The method of claim 3.4, wherein the indication of the SCS is transmitted as part of a group common DCI that also includes the joint BWP handover message.

[0226] 3.6 The method of claim 3.4, wherein the indication of the SCS is transmitted as part of higher-layer signaling.

[0227] 3.7 The method according to claim 3.1, wherein the joint BWP handover message guides the plurality of UEs to switch to the corresponding new BWP.

[0228] 4.1 A method for operating a base station is presented, the method comprising: transmitting a joint bandwidth portion (BWP) handover indication to a group of UEs including at least one victim UE and at least one aggressor UE; and receiving one or more acknowledgments of the joint BWP handover indication from one or more UEs of the group, respectively.

[0229] 4.2 The method of claim 4.1, wherein the one or more confirmations are received from the at least one victim UE and the at least one aggressor UE.

[0230] 4.3 The method of claim 4.1, wherein the one or more acknowledgments are received only from the at least one aggressor UE in the group.

[0231] 4.4 The method of claim 4.1, wherein the one or more acknowledgments are received only from the one or more UEs in the group, and the BWP of the one or more UEs in the group is indicated to be increased by the joint BWP handover indication.

[0232] 4.5 The method of claim 4.1, wherein a first acknowledgment of the one or more acknowledgments is received from a first UE of the one or more UEs in the group, wherein the first acknowledgment is received on the Physical Uplink Control Channel (PUCCH).

[0233] 4.6 The method of claim 4.5, wherein the resources for the PUCCH are indicated to the first UE in the Joint Bandwidth Part (BWP) handover indication.

[0234] 4.7 The method of claim 4.1, wherein the Joint Bandwidth Part (BWP) handover indication is transmitted in the Group Common Downlink Control Information (GC-DCI).

[0235] 4.8 The method of claim 4.1, wherein a first acknowledgment of the one or more acknowledgments is received from a first UE of the one or more UEs in the group, wherein the first acknowledgment is received as part of a Media Access Control-Control Element (MAC-CE).

[0236] 4.9 A method for operating a first user equipment (UE), the method comprising: receiving a joint bandwidth portion (BWP) handover indication from a base station, wherein the joint BWP handover indication instructs a plurality of UEs to switch their respective bandwidth portions to a corresponding new bandwidth portion, wherein the plurality of UEs includes the first UE; and transmitting an acknowledgment of the joint BWP handover indication to the base station.

[0237] 4.10 The method of claim 4.8, wherein the first UE is an aggressor UE in a cross-link interference (CLI) scenario.

[0238] 4.11 The method of claim 4.8, wherein the condition for confirming the transmission is that the new bandwidth portion of the first UE has an increased size relative to the existing BWP for the first UE.

[0239] 4.12 The method of claim 4.8, wherein the conditions for confirming the transmission are: (a) the new BWP of the first UE is an uplink BWP, and (b) the uplink bandwidth portion has an increased size relative to the existing uplink BWP of the first UE.

[0240] 4.13 The method of claim 4.8, wherein the confirmation indication successfully received the joint BWP handover indication.

[0241] 4.14 The method of claim 4.9, wherein the acknowledgment is transmitted to the base station on the Physical Uplink Control Channel (PUCCH).

[0242] 4.15 The method of claim 4.15, wherein the first UE is indicated with the Joint Bandwidth Part (BWP) handover indication of resources for the PUCCH transmission.

[0243] 4.16 The method of claim 4.9, wherein the Joint Bandwidth Part (BWP) handover indication is received as part of Group Common Downlink Control Information (GC-DCI).

[0244] 4.17 The method of claim 4.9, wherein the acknowledgment is transmitted as part of a Media Access Control-Control Element (MAC-CE).

[0245] 5.1 A method for operating a first user equipment (UE), the method comprising: receiving from a base station a message indicating a virtual common downlink bandwidth portion (BWP).

[0246] 5.2 The method according to claim 5.1, wherein the virtual public downlink BWP coverage frequency range includes: one or more downlink BWPs, including a first BWP for the first UE; and a set of one or more uplink BWPs for one or more intruding UEs.

[0247] 5.3 The method of claim 5.2, wherein the center frequency of the group corresponds to the center frequency of the Virtual Public Downlink (BWP).

[0248] 5.4 The method of claim 5.2, wherein the one or more downlink BWPs include at least one first downlink BWP and at least one second downlink BWP, wherein the at least one first BWP is located at a first end of the virtual common downlink BWP, and wherein the at least one second BWP is located at a second end of the virtual common downlink BWP.

[0249] 5.5 The method of claim 5.4, wherein the first guard band is located between the at least one first downlink BWP and the group of one or more uplink BWPs, and wherein the second guard band is located between the at least one second BWP and the group of one or more uplink BWPs.

[0250] 5.6 The method of claim 5.5, wherein the first guard band and the second guard band are configured to have sufficient size to allow for an increase in the size of the set of one or more uplink BWPs without reducing any of the one or more downlink BWPs.

[0251] 5.7 presents a method for operating a base station, the method comprising: transmitting a message indicating a virtual common downlink bandwidth portion (BWP) of a plurality of UEs.

[0252] 5.8 The method of claim 5.7, wherein the frequency range covered by the virtual public downlink BWP includes: one or more downlink BWPs respectively for one or more victim UEs; and a set of one or more uplink BWPs respectively for one or more aggressor UEs.

[0253] 5.9 The method of claim 5.8, wherein the center frequency of the group corresponds to the center frequency of the Virtual Common Downlink (BWP).

[0254] 5.10 The method of claim 5.8, wherein the one or more downlink BWPs include at least one first downlink BWP and at least one second downlink BWP, wherein the at least one first BWP is located at a first end of the virtual common downlink BWP, and wherein the at least one second BWP is located at a second end of the virtual common downlink BWP.

[0255] 5.11 The method of claim 5.10, wherein the first guard band is located between the at least one first downlink BWP and the group of one or more uplink BWPs, and wherein the second guard band is located between the at least one second BWP and the group of one or more uplink BWPs.

[0256] 5.12 The method of claim 5.11, wherein the first guard band and the second guard band are configured to have sufficient size to allow for an increase in the size of the set of one or more uplink BWPs without reducing any of the one or more downlink BWPs.

[0257] 6.1 presents a method for operating a first user equipment (UE), the method comprising: receiving from a base station a message indicating a joint BWP handover of a plurality of UEs, wherein the plurality of UEs includes the first UE; in response to determining that one or more repetitions of transmission or reception through the first UE will occur within a BWP handover delay period corresponding to the joint BWP handover, avoiding performing those one or more repetitions; and switching from an existing bandwidth portion to a new bandwidth portion for the first UE.

[0258] 6.2 The method of claim 6.1, wherein the new bandwidth portion is indicated in the joint BWP handover.

[0259] 6.3 The method of claim 6.1 further comprises: performing one or more repetitions of the transmission or the reception after the first UE has switched to the new bandwidth portion.

[0260] 6.4 The method of claim 6.3, wherein the number of the one or more repetitions performed after the first UE has switched to the new bandwidth portion is equal to the number of the one or more repetitions dropped during the BWP handover delay period.

[0261] 6.5 The method of claim 6.1, wherein after the first UE has switched to the new bandwidth, the first UE avoids performing any repetition of the transmission or the reception.

[0262] 6.6 The method of claim 6.1, wherein the message is received from the base station as part of a group public DCI.

[0263] 6.7 The method according to claim 6.1, wherein the first UE is a victim UE in a cross-link interference (CLI) scenario, and wherein the existing BWP and the new BWP are downlink BWPs.

[0264] 6.8 The method according to claim 6.1, wherein the first UE is an aggressor UE in a cross-link interference (CLI) scenario, and wherein the existing BWP and the new BWP are uplink BWPs.

[0265] 6.9 presents a method for operating a base station, the method comprising: transmitting a message indicating a joint bandwidth portion (BWP) handover for a plurality of UEs, wherein, for each of the plurality of UEs, the message indicates a corresponding new BWP for that UE; and avoiding performing those one or more repetitions to / from the first UE in response to determining that one or more repetitions of transmission or reception to / from a first UE will occur within a BWP handover delay period of the first UE.

[0266] 6.10 The method of claim 6.9, wherein the plurality of UEs includes at least one victim UE and at least one aggressor UE in a cross-link interference (CLI) scenario.

[0267] 6.11 The method of claim 6.9 further comprises: performing one or more repetitions of the transmission to / from the first UE or the reception after the first UE has switched to the corresponding new BWP.

[0268] 6.12 The method of claim 6.11, wherein the number of the one or more repetitions performed after the first UE has switched to the corresponding new bandwidth portion is equal to the number of the one or more repetitions discarded during the BWP handover delay period of the first UE.

[0269] 6.13 The method of claim 6.9, wherein after the BWP handover delay period of the first UE ends, the base station avoids performing any repetition of the transmission to / from the first UE or the reception.

[0270] 6.14 The method of claim 6.9, wherein the message is transmitted from the base station as part of a group public DCI.

[0271] 6.15 The method of claim 6.9, wherein the first UE is a victim UE in a cross-link interference (CLI) scenario, and the new BWP corresponding to the first UE is a downlink BWP.

[0272] 6.16 The method of claim 6.9, wherein the first UE is an aggressor UE in a cross-link interference (CLI) scenario, and the new BWP corresponding to the first UE is an uplink BWP.

[0273] In some implementations, the non-transitory memory medium may store program instructions. When executed by processing circuitry, the program instructions may cause the processing circuitry to perform any of the above-described method implementations and any combination thereof. The memory medium may be incorporated as part of a base station.

[0274] Embodiments of this disclosure may be implemented in any of a variety of forms. For example, some embodiments may be implemented as computer-implemented methods, computer-readable storage media, or computer systems. Other embodiments may be implemented using one or more custom-designed hardware devices such as ASICs. Other embodiments may be implemented using one or more programmable hardware elements such as FPGAs.

[0275] In some embodiments, a non-transitory computer-readable storage medium may be configured to store program instructions and / or data, wherein, if executed by a computer system, the program instructions cause the computer system to perform a method, such as any method embodiment of the method embodiments described herein, or any combination of method embodiments described herein, or any subset or combination of any such subset of any method embodiments described herein.

[0276] In some implementations, a computer system may be configured to include a processor (or a group of processors) and a memory medium, wherein the memory medium stores program instructions, and the processor is configured to read from the memory medium and execute the program instructions, wherein the executable program instructions are to implement any of the various method implementations described herein (or any combination of the method implementations described herein, or any subset of any method implementations described herein, or any combination of such subsets). A computer system may be implemented in any of a variety of forms. For example, a computer system may be a personal computer (in any of its various implementations), a workstation, a computer on a card, a dedicated computer in a box, a server computer, a client computer, a handheld device, a user equipment (UE) device, a tablet computer, a wearable computer, etc.

[0277] By interpreting each message / signal X received by a user equipment (UE) communicating with a base station (or transmission-receive point) in the downlink as a message / signal X transmitted by the base station (or transmission-receive point), and interpreting each message / signal Y transmitted by the UE in the uplink as a message / signal Y received by the base station (or transmission-receive point), any method described herein for operating a UE can serve as the basis for a corresponding method for operating a base station (or transmission-receive point).

[0278] As is widely recognized, the use of personally identifiable information should comply with privacy policies and practices that are generally accepted to meet or exceed industry or governmental requirements for protecting user privacy. Specifically, personally identifiable information data should be managed and processed to minimize the risk of unintentional or unauthorized access or use, and the nature of authorized use should be clearly explained to users.

[0279] Although the above embodiments have been described in considerable detail, many variations and modifications will become apparent to those skilled in the art once the disclosure is fully understood. This disclosure is intended to render the following claims as encompassing all such variations and modifications.

Claims

1. A method for operating a first user equipment (UE), the method comprising: determining a first minimum frequency guard band value to use between frequency resources associated with downlink communications between the first UE and a base station and frequency resources associated with uplink communications between a second UE and the base station; transmitting an indication of the first minimum frequency guard band value to the base station; receiving, from the base station, a downlink bandwidth part (BWP) allocation of the first UE that accommodates the first minimum frequency guard band value; receiving, from the base station, a group common downlink control information (GC-DCI) message indicating a change in downlink BWP allocation of the first UE and a change in uplink BWP allocation of the second UE, wherein the changed allocations accommodate the first minimum frequency guard band value; and in response to determining that a repetition occasion of a downlink transmission from the base station falls within a minimum switching delay associated with the change in downlink BWP allocation, dropping all subsequent repetitions of the downlink transmission.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the frequency resources allocated for the uplink communications and the frequency resources allocated for the downlink communications are within a frequency band reserved for time division duplex (TDD) communications.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the indication of the first minimum frequency guard band value is transmitted within a UE capability information message of the first UE.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the first minimum frequency guard band value is determined as a minimum frequency guard band value to be allocated between an edge tone of a downlink BWP allocated to the first UE and an edge tone of an uplink BWP allocated to the second UE.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the first minimum frequency guard band value is determined as a minimum frequency guard band value to be allocated between an edge tone of a downlink resource allocated to the first UE and an edge tone of an uplink resource allocated to the second UE.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the first minimum frequency guard band is determined based on at least one of: a priority of a downlink channel to be received by the first UE; a type of downlink signal to be received by the first UE; or a type of downlink channel to be received by the first UE.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising: determining a second minimum frequency guard band value to use between frequency resources associated with downlink communications between the first UE and a base station and frequency resources associated with uplink communications between a second UE and the base station, wherein the first minimum frequency guard band value is used when downlink communications of the first UE have a first set of characteristics, and wherein the second minimum frequency guard band value is used when downlink communications of the first UE have a second set of characteristics.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein the first set of characteristics and the second set of characteristics differ in at least one of: a channel priority; a channel type; or a channel type. a signal type; or a channel type.

9. The method of claim 1, further comprising: providing, to the base station, an acknowledgement that the first UE has received the GC-DCI message in response to determining that the change in downlink BWP allocation for the first UE increases the downlink BWP allocation for the first UE.

10. The method of claim 1, further comprising: receiving, from the base station, an indication of a reference subcarrier spacing (SCS) value used to determine a minimum switching delay associated with the change in downlink BWP allocation, wherein the reference SCS is different from an SCS of the first UE.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein the indication of the reference SCS is received in the GC-DCI message.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein the GC-DCI includes an indication of a PUCCH resource for indicating an acknowledgement that the GC-DCI has been received.

13. A user equipment (UE), comprising: a memory storing software instructions; and processing circuitry configured to execute the software instructions to: determine a first minimum guard band value used between frequency resources associated with downlink communications between the UE and a base station and frequency resources associated with uplink communications between an aggressor UE and the base station; provide an indication of the first minimum guard band value for transmission to the base station; receive a downlink bandwidth part (BWP) allocation for the UE that accommodates the first minimum guard band value; receive, from the base station, a group common downlink control information (GC-DCI) message indicating a change in downlink BWP allocation for the UE and a change in uplink BWP allocation for the aggressor UE, wherein the changed allocations accommodate the first minimum guard band value; and in response to determining that a first repetition occasion of a downlink transmission from the base station falls within a minimum switching delay associated with the change in downlink BWP allocation: drop the first repetition of the downlink transmission during the minimum switching delay; and receive a second repetition of the downlink transmission after the minimum switching delay.

14. A base station of a wireless communication network, the base station comprising: a memory storing software instructions; and processing circuitry configured to execute the software instructions to: receive an indication of a first minimum guard band value used between frequency resources associated with downlink communications between a first user equipment (UE) and the base station and frequency resources associated with uplink communications between a second UE and the base station; allocate downlink resources for the first UE and uplink resources for the second UE, wherein the downlink resources are separated in frequency from the uplink resources by at least the first minimum guard band, wherein the downlink resources and the uplink resources are located within a frequency band reserved for time division duplex (TDD) communications; transmit, to the first UE, an indication of the allocated downlink resources; transmitting, to the second UE, an indication of the allocated uplink resources; providing, to the first UE and the second UE, a group common downlink control information (GC-DCI) message indicating a change in downlink resources allocated for the first UE and a change in uplink resources allocated for the second UE, wherein the changed allocations accommodate the first minimum frequency guard band value; and transmitting, to the first UE, an indication of a reference subcarrier spacing (SCS) value for determining a minimum switching delay associated with the change in downlink BWP allocation, wherein the reference SCS is different from an SCS of the first UE.

15. The base station of claim 14, wherein the processing circuitry is configured to execute the software instructions to: receive an indication of a second minimum frequency guard band value used between frequency resources associated with downlink communications between a first UE and the base station and frequency resources associated with uplink communications between a second UE and the base station, wherein the first minimum frequency guard band value is used when downlink communications of the first UE have a first set of characteristics, and wherein the second minimum frequency guard band value is used when downlink communications of the first UE have a second set of characteristics; wherein the downlink resources and the uplink resources allocated to be separated in frequency by at least the first minimum frequency guard band are in response to a determination that the downlink communications of the first UE have the first set of characteristics.

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