MUSIM gap configuration

Abstract

Example embodiments of the present disclosure provide a solution for configuring multiple Universal Subscriber Identity Module (MUSIM) gaps. In an example method, a terminal device receives a configuration of at least one MUSIM gap from a network device. The configuration indicates a MUSIM reverse gap, the MUSIM reverse gap including a first duration associated with limited scheduling at a start of the MUSIM gap, and a second duration associated with limited scheduling at an end of the MUSIM gap. The terminal device communicates with the network device based on the configuration. In this manner, based on the above configuration, both the network device and the UE may know any scheduling restriction (s) while minimizing changes to MUSIM operation and minimizing impact on corresponding signaling.

Description

[0001] CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

[0002] This application claims priority to and the benefit of UK application No. 2404880.3 filed on April 5, 2024, the entire contents of which are incorporated herein by reference. Technical Field

[0003] Various example embodiments relate to the field of communications, and more particularly, to devices, methods, apparatus, and computer-readable media for configuring a Multiple Universal Subscriber Identity Module (MUSIM) gap. Background Art

[0004] A communication network can be considered as a facility that enables communication between two or more communication devices or provides communication devices with access to a data network. A mobile or wireless communication network is an example of a communication network.

[0005] Such communication networks operate according to standards such as those promulgated by 3GPP (3rd Generation Partnership Project) or ETSI (European Telecommunications Standards Institute). Examples of such standards include the so-called 5G (fifth generation) standards or other standards promulgated by 3GPP. Summary of the Invention

[0006] In general, example embodiments of the present disclosure provide a solution for configuring a Multiple Universal Subscriber Identity Module (MUSIM) gap, and in particular, a solution for enhancing MUSIM gap handling for dual RX UEs through reverse MUSIM gap.

[0007] In a first aspect, a terminal device is provided. The terminal device includes at least one processor and at least one memory storing instructions, the instructions, when executed by the at least one processor, causing the terminal device to at least: receive a configuration of at least one Multiple Universal Subscriber Identity Module (MUSIM) gap from a network device, wherein the configuration indicates a MUSIM reverse gap, the MUSIM reverse gap including: a first duration associated with restricted scheduling at the beginning of the MUSIM gap and a second duration associated with restricted scheduling at the end of the MUSIM gap; and communicate with the network device based on the configuration.

[0008] In a second aspect, a network device is provided. The network device includes at least one processor and at least one memory storing instructions that, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the network device to at least: send, to a terminal device, a configuration of at least one multi-subscriber identity module (MUSIM) gap, wherein the configuration indicates a MUSIM reverse gap including: a first duration related to a restricted scheduling at a start of the MUSIM gap, and a second duration related to a restricted scheduling at an end of the MUSIM gap; and communicate with the terminal device based on the configuration.

[0009] In a third aspect, a method is provided. The method includes: receiving, from a network device, a configuration of at least one multi-subscriber identity module (MUSIM) gap, wherein the configuration indicates a MUSIM reverse gap including: a first duration related to a restricted scheduling at a start of the MUSIM gap, and a second duration related to a restricted scheduling at an end of the MUSIM gap; and communicating with the network device based on the configuration.

[0010] In a fourth aspect, a method is provided. The method includes: sending, to a terminal device, a configuration of at least one multi-subscriber identity module (MUSIM) gap, wherein the configuration indicates a MUSIM reverse gap including: a first duration related to a restricted scheduling at a start of the MUSIM gap, and a second duration related to a restricted scheduling at an end of the MUSIM gap; and communicating with the terminal device based on the configuration.

[0011] In a fifth aspect, an apparatus is provided. The apparatus includes: means for receiving, from a network device, a configuration of at least one multi-subscriber identity module (MUSIM) gap, wherein the configuration indicates a MUSIM reverse gap including: a first duration related to a restricted scheduling at a start of the MUSIM gap, and a second duration related to a restricted scheduling at an end of the MUSIM gap; and means for communicating with the network device based on the configuration.

[0012] In a sixth aspect, an apparatus is provided. The apparatus includes: means for sending, to a terminal device, a configuration of at least one multi-subscriber identity module (MUSIM) gap, wherein the configuration indicates a MUSIM reverse gap including: a first duration related to a restricted scheduling at a start of the MUSIM gap, and a second duration related to a restricted scheduling at an end of the MUSIM gap; and means for communicating with the terminal device based on the configuration.

[0013] In a seventh aspect, there is provided a non-transitory computer readable medium comprising program instructions for causing an apparatus to perform at least the method of the third or fourth aspect above.

[0014] In an eighth aspect, there is provided a computer program comprising instructions which, when executed by an apparatus, cause the apparatus to perform at least the method of the third or fourth aspect above.

[0015] In a ninth aspect, there is provided a terminal device. The terminal device comprises receiving circuitry configured to receive, from a network device, a configuration of at least one multiple universal subscriber identity module (MUSIM) gap, wherein the configuration indicates a MUSIM reverse gap comprising a first duration related to a restricted scheduling at a start of the MUSIM gap and a second duration related to a restricted scheduling at an end of the MUSIM gap; and communication circuitry configured to communicate with the network device based on the configuration.

[0016] In a tenth aspect, there is provided a network device. The network device comprises transmitting circuitry configured to transmit, to a terminal device, a configuration of at least one multiple universal subscriber identity module (MUSIM) gap, wherein the configuration indicates a MUSIM reverse gap comprising a first duration related to a restricted scheduling at a start of the MUSIM gap and a second duration related to a restricted scheduling at an end of the MUSIM gap; and communication circuitry configured to communicate with the terminal device based on the configuration.

[0017] It should be understood that the summary is not intended to identify key or essential features of embodiments of the disclosure, nor is it intended to limit the scope of the disclosure. Other features of the disclosure will be readily apparent from the following description. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS

[0018] Some example embodiments will now be described with reference to the drawings, in which:

[0019] Figure 1 An example communication network in which embodiments of the disclosure can be implemented is illustrated;

[0020] Figure 2 An example MUSIM operation when configured with a MUSIM gap for a MUSIM device is illustrated;

[0021] Figure 3 An example gapless MUSIM operation for a MUSIM device is illustrated;

[0022] Figure 4 An example of a process flow in accordance with some example embodiments of the disclosure is illustrated;

[0023] Figure 5 FIG. 1 illustrates definitions of MUSIM gap and MUSIM reverse gap, according to some example embodiments of the present disclosure;

[0024] Figure 6 FIG. 2 illustrates example MUSIM operations when configured with MUSIM reverse gap for a MUSIM device, according to some example embodiments of the present disclosure;

[0025] Figure 7 FIG. 3 illustrates a flowchart of an example method implemented at a terminal device, according to some other embodiments of the present disclosure;

[0026] Figure 8 FIG. 4 illustrates a flowchart of an example method implemented at a network device, according to some other embodiments of the present disclosure;

[0027] Figure 9 FIG. 5 illustrates a simplified block diagram of a device suitable for implementing some example embodiments of the present disclosure; and

[0028] Figure 10 FIG. 6 illustrates a block diagram of an example of a computer-readable medium, according to some example embodiments of the present disclosure.

[0029] Throughout the drawings, identical or similar reference numerals can represent same or similar elements. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0030] The principles of the present disclosure will now be described with reference to some example embodiments. It should be understood that these embodiments are described for illustrative purposes only and help the skilled person to understand and implement the present disclosure, and do not represent any limitation on the scope of the present disclosure. The present disclosure described herein can be implemented in various ways other than those described below.

[0031] In the following description and claims, unless otherwise defined, all technical and scientific terms used herein have the same meaning as commonly understood by one of ordinary skill in the art to which this disclosure belongs.

[0032] In the present disclosure, references to “one embodiment”, “an embodiment”, “example embodiments” etc. indicate that the embodiment described can include a particular feature, structure, or characteristic, but every embodiment can not necessarily include the particular feature, structure, or characteristic. Moreover, such phrases are not necessarily referring to the same embodiment. Furthermore, when a particular feature, structure, or characteristic is described in connection with an embodiment, it is submitted that it is within the knowledge of those skilled in the art to affect such feature, structure, or characteristic in connection with other embodiments whether or not explicitly described.

[0033] It should be understood that, although the terms “first” and “second” and the like can be used herein to describe various elements, these elements should not be limited by these terms. These terms are only used to distinguish one element from another. For example, a first element could be termed a second element, and, similarly, a second element could be termed a first element, without departing from the scope of example embodiments. As used herein, the term “and / or” includes any and all combinations of one or more of the associated listed terms.

[0034] The terminology used herein is for the purpose of describing particular embodiments only and is not intended to be limiting of example embodiments. As used herein, the singular forms “a,” “an” and “the” are intended to include the plural forms as well, unless the context clearly indicates otherwise. It will be further understood that the terms “comprises,” “comprising,” “has,” “having,” “includes” and / or “including” when used herein, specify the presence of stated features, elements and / or components etc. but do not preclude the presence or addition of one or more other features, elements, components and / or combinations thereof. As used herein, “at least one of ” and “one or more of the following ” and similar phrases indicating that a list of two or more elements follow, mean any of the elements in the list can be used, or one or more of the elements in the list, or one or more of all the elements in the list.

[0035] As used in this application, the term “circuitry” can refer to one or more or all of the following:

[0036] (a) hardware-only circuitry implementations (such as implementations in only analog and / or digital circuitry) and

[0037] (b) combinations of hardware circuits and software, such as (as applicable):

[0038] (i) combinations of analog and / or digital hardware circuit(s) with software / firmware and

[0039] (ii) any portions of hardware processor(s) with software (including digital signal processors); software, and memory(ies) that work together to cause an apparatus, such as a mobile phone or server, to perform various functions and

[0040] (c) Hardware circuit(s) and / or processor(s), such as microprocessor(s) or portion(s) of microprocessor(s), that require software (e.g., firmware) to operate, but which may not be present when not required for operation.

[0041] This definition of circuitry applies to all uses of the term in this application, including in any claims. As another example, as used in this application, the term circuitry also covers an implementation of merely a hardware circuit or processor (or multiple processors) or a portion of a hardware circuit or processor and its accompanying software and / or firmware. For example, if applicable to the particular claim element, the term circuitry also covers a baseband integrated circuit or processor integrated circuit for a mobile device, or a similar integrated circuit in a server, cellular network device, or other computing or networking device.

[0042] As used herein, the terms "network", "communication network" or "data network" refer to a network that complies with any suitable communication standard, such as Long Term Evolution (LTE), Advanced LTE (LTE-A), Wideband Code Division Multiple Access (WCDMA), High Speed ​​Packet Access (HSPA), Narrowband Internet of Things (NB-IoT), Wireless Fidelity (Wi-Fi), etc. In addition, the communication between the terminal equipment and the network equipment / elements in the communication network can be performed according to any suitable generation of communication protocols, including but not limited to the fourth generation (4G), 4.5G, the future fifth generation (5G), IEEE 802.11 communication protocols, and / or any other protocols currently known or to be developed in the future. The embodiments of the present disclosure can be applied to various communication systems. In view of the rapid development of communications, there will certainly be future types of communication technologies and systems that can be used to embody the present disclosure. It should not be regarded as limiting the scope of the present disclosure to only the above-mentioned systems.

[0043] As used herein, the term "network device" refers to a node in a communication network from which a terminal device receives services (e.g., positioning services) via the node. Depending on the terminology and technology applied, a network device may refer to a core network device or an access network device, such as a base station (BS) or an access point (AP) or a transmission reception point (TRP), such as a node B (NodeB or NB), an evolved NodeB (eNodeB or eNB), a NR NB (also known as a gNB), a remote radio unit (RRU), a radio head (RH), a remote radio head (RRH), a WiFi device, a relay, a low-power node (such as a femto, pico), etc. In the following description, the terms "network device", "AP device", "AP", and "access point" may be used interchangeably.

[0044] The term "terminal device" refers to any terminal device capable of wireless communication. By way of example and not limitation, a terminal device may also be referred to as a communication device, user equipment (UE), subscriber station (SS), portable subscriber station, mobile station (MS), station (STA) or station device, or access terminal (AT). Terminal devices may include, but are not limited to, mobile phones, cellular phones, smart phones, voice over IP (VoIP) phones, wireless local loop phones, tablet computers, wearable terminal devices, personal digital assistants (PDAs), portable computers, desktop computers, image capture terminal devices (such as digital cameras), gaming terminal devices, music storage and playback devices, in-vehicle wireless terminal devices, wireless endpoints, mobile stations, laptop embedded devices (LEEs), laptop vehicle-mounted devices (LMEs), USB dongles, smart devices, wireless customer premises equipment (CPE), Internet of Things (IoT) devices, watches or other wearable devices, head-mounted displays (HMDs), vehicles, drones, medical devices and applications (e.g., remote surgery), industrial devices and applications (e.g., robots and / or other wireless devices operating in the context of industrial and / or automated process chains), consumer electronic devices, devices operating on commercial and / or industrial wireless networks, etc. In the following description, the terms “station,” “station device,” “STA,” “terminal device,” “communication device,” “terminal,” “user equipment,” and “UE” may be used interchangeably.

[0045] The principles and embodiments of the present disclosure will be described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings. Figure 1 , which illustrates an example communication system 100 in which embodiments of the present disclosure may be implemented. System 100 includes multiple network devices, such as network device 111 and network device 112. Network devices 111 and 112 use different frequency bands in both DL and UL to serve respective areas 101 and 102 (also referred to as cells 101 and 102). Such frequency bands may also be referred to as operating frequency bands of the corresponding network devices.

[0046] System 100 also includes one or more terminal devices, such as terminal devices 120, 121, and 122. As long as the terminal devices are located within the corresponding cell, terminal devices 120, 121, and 122 can connect and communicate with either or both of network devices 111 and 112 in UL and DL. In a communication system, UL refers to a link in the direction from a terminal device to a network device, while DL refers to a link in the direction from a network device to a terminal device. In addition to communicating with terminal devices 120, 121, and 122, network devices 111 and 112 can also communicate with each other, for example, via a backhaul link.

[0047] It should be understood that the number of network devices and terminal devices is for illustrative purposes only and does not represent any limitation. System 100 may include any suitable number of network devices and terminal devices suitable for implementing the embodiments of the present disclosure. Although not shown, it should be understood that one or more terminal devices may be located in cell 101 or 102.

[0048] Communications in the communication system 100 may be implemented according to any suitable communication protocol(s), including but not limited to first generation (1G), second generation (2G), third generation (3G), fourth generation (4G), and fifth generation (5G) cellular communication protocols, wireless local area network communication protocols such as Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) 802.11, and / or any other protocol currently known or to be developed in the future. Furthermore, communications may utilize any suitable wireless communication technology, including but not limited to code division multiple access (CDMA), frequency division multiple access (FDMA), time division multiple access (TDMA), frequency division duplex (FDD), time division duplex (TDD), multiple input multiple output (MIMO), orthogonal frequency division multiplexing (OFDM), discrete Fourier transform spread OFDM (DFT-s-OFDM), and / or any other technology currently known or to be developed in the future.

[0049] The coverage of the cells 102 , 104 of the network device 111 is closely related to the operating frequency bands of the network devices 111 , 112 . Figure 1 An example is shown in which the operating frequency bands of network devices 111 and 113 are different, wherein the operating frequency band of network device 111 is higher than the operating frequency band of network device 112. Due to the more severe path loss situation in the high-band system, the coverage of cell 101 is likely to be smaller than the coverage of cell 102. In the example shown, cell 101 overlaps with cell 102. Large cell 102 may sometimes be referred to as a macro cell, and network device 112 may be referred to as a macro base station, while the relatively small cell 101 may sometimes be referred to as a small cell, and network device 111 may be referred to as a small base station. As a specific example, network device 111 may operate at a frequency below 6 GHz (such as 3.5 GHz), while network device 112 may operate in a millimeter wave (mmW) band (such as 28 GHz). It should be understood that other operating frequency bands are also possible for network devices 111 and 112.

[0050] In some scenarios, cell 101 and / or cell 102 may have asymmetric UL and DL budgets. This asymmetric budget is particularly common in cells operating in high frequency bands. For example, when operating in the mmW band, the difference between UL and DL budgets may be as high as 25 dB. Figure 1The figure shows asymmetric UL and DL coverage in cell 101. For example, cell 101 includes a UL coverage area 103 and a DL coverage area that is the same size as cell 101. UL coverage area 103 is smaller than the DL coverage area. For example, a budget difference of up to 25 dB may result in the UL coverage area being only about one-quarter the DL coverage area. This is primarily due to the lower UL transmit power and / or lower UL transmit beamforming gain of the terminal device compared to the DL case.

[0051] Due to the UL / DL coverage asymmetry in cell 101, there may be situations where a terminal device is still communicating with network device 101 in DL with high quality, while the UL quality from that terminal device to network device 101 is poorer. For example, terminal device 120 was previously in coverage area 103 and had both UL and DL connections with network device 111. After moving, terminal device 120 is still in cell 101 of network device 111 and can communicate with network device 111 in DL. However, the UL quality from terminal device 120 to network device 111 has degraded. For terminal device 121 within coverage area 103, both UL and DL with network device 111 are working well. For terminal device 122 outside cell 101 but within cell 102, it can establish a connection with network device 112 in both UL and DL. To enable UL communication for terminal device 120, as described above, in embodiments of the present disclosure, terminal device 120 is allowed to switch its UL only to network device 112 while still maintaining its DL connection with network device 111.

[0052] It should be understood that although the frequency band of network device 111 is described as being higher than the frequency band of network device 112, in some other cases, the frequency band of network device 112 may be higher than or equal to the frequency band of network device 111. In these cases, it may also occur when the terminal device has a good DL and a poor UL with one of network devices 111 and 112, and therefore may switch the UL to the other network device 111 or 112.

[0053] Typically, terminal equipment products operate in Dual SIM Dual Active (DSDA) mode or Dual SIM Dual Standby (DSDS) mode. In DSDA mode, the device can establish and maintain two active connections in parallel, one for each SIM. These two connections operate independently, but of course, dual TX operation may affect cross-SIM operation. In DSDS mode, the device can maintain complete idle mode for both SIMs in parallel and can establish and maintain connected mode on one SIM at a time while maintaining idle mode on the other SIM. This mode has multiple variations in different products.

[0054] For example, in DSDS single receive mode, the device needs to prioritize each activity between the SIMs. For example, if both SIMs want to listen to incoming pages at the same time, this is not physically possible in a single receiver (RX) device, and thus only one of the pages is received. The prioritization scheme is proprietary to each device vendor. On the other hand, in DSDS dual receive mode, the device is able to receive for both SIMs in parallel, while transmitting for only one SIM at a time, since only one connection mode on one SIM is supported at a time.

[0055] In some cases, it is assumed that the MUSIM device operates on both networks using the same Rx. In this approach, it is assumed that the UE is in radio resource control (RRC) connected mode on one network (e.g., network A 260 as shown in Figure 2-Figure 3 and Figure 6 and is in RRC idle state on the other network (e.g., network B 280 as shown in Figure 2-Figure 3 and Figure 6 Thus, in the DSDS case, gaps are introduced in the connected mode, and gaps are defined to support MUSIM operation, as follows.

[0056] Table 1: MUSIM gap pattern configuration

[0057]

[0058]

[0059] In addition, connection mode on both SIMs can also be supported. In some implementations, corresponding parameters for MUSIM are included in the UEAssistanceInformation RRC message, corresponding parameters for MUSIM and measurement gap interruption are included in the RRCReconfiguration RRC message, and corresponding parameters for MUSIM and measurement gap interruption are also included in the RRCReconfigurationComplete RRC message.

[0060] In addition, for MUSIM measurements, the UE should also be allowed to be configured with gaps that can be used on network B (e.g., network B 280 as shown in Figure 2-Figure 3 and Figure 6 where there can be activities that switch between activities on both SIMs.

[0061] Figure 21 illustrates an example MUSIM operation when a MUSIM device (i.e., UE 240) is configured with MUSIM gaps 205, wherein when there is an additional RX chain introduced for MUSIM, if UE 240 requests MUSIM gaps, then when performing idle mode activities 207 on an idle SIM 242 on Network B 280, it is necessary to configure one of the defined MUSIM gaps. Figure 2 As shown, normal downlink (DL) traffic is transmitted at 201 and 208 , and normal uplink (UL) traffic is transmitted at 202 and 209 .

[0062] However, if Figure 2 As shown, when a MUSIM capable device performs various MUSIM activities on the idle SIM 242, it can only choose to require a MUSIM gap with a full length (multiple). The reason is that, for example, a device supporting multi-RX capability is only considered in the connected case, not in the connected / idle case. Therefore, configuring MUSIM gaps is a network option that can be used to configure the MUSIM gap. Figure 2 One way to know the scheduling restrictions during 205 is as follows. Figure 2 As shown, a multi-RX capable device (ie, UE 240 ) with two RX chains having both connected SIM 241 and idle SIM 242 in parallel will result in interruption(s) 206 when enabling the second RX at 203 and / or disabling the second RX at 204 .

[0063] Therefore, even if the operation of the two SIMs 241-242 can theoretically be handled in parallel, the UE 204 must request gaps of full length (multiple) to avoid unscheduled disruptions to the network. Figure 3 , where during the activities 301 , 302 , 305 and 306 of the idle activity 307 executed on the second SIM 342 , there are unscheduled interferences 302 and 306 in the communication.

[0064] Figure 3 An example gapless MUSIM operation of a MUSIM device (i.e., UE 304) is illustrated, where gapless MUSIM operation is applied when UE 340 experiences outages 302 and 306 on a connected SIM 341 while retuning the RX chain at 301 and 305 on an idle SIM 342. Figure 3 As shown, normal DL traffic is transmitted at 303 , and normal UL traffic is transmitted at 304 .

[0065] Therefore, both the network equipment and the UE need to be aware of any scheduling restriction(s) while minimizing changes to the MUSIM operation and having minimal impact on the corresponding signaling.

[0066] Therefore, some embodiments of the present disclosure provide a solution for MUSIM gap configuration. In this solution, a terminal device receives a configuration of at least one Multiple Universal Subscriber Identity Module (MUSIM) gap from a network device. The configuration indicates a MUSIM reverse gap, which includes a first duration associated with restricted scheduling at the beginning of the MUSIM gap and a second duration associated with restricted scheduling at the end of the MUSIM gap. Restricted scheduling means that the terminal device does not need to receive in the DL or transmit in the UL.

[0067] In addition, the terminal device communicates with the network device based on the configuration. By implementing the exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure, based on the above configuration, both the network device and the UE can be aware of any (multiple) scheduling restrictions while minimizing changes to MUSIM operations and having minimal impact on corresponding signaling.

[0068] For the purpose of illustration, reference will be made to Figures 1 to 10 However, it should be noted that these embodiments are given to enable those skilled in the art to understand the inventive concept of the present disclosure and implement the solutions proposed herein, rather than to limit the scope of the present application in any way.

[0069] Figure 4 An example of a process flow 400 according to some example embodiments of the present disclosure is illustrated. Figure 1 Describe the process flow 400. It should be understood that although reference has been made to Figure 1 The processing flow 400 is described with reference to the communication network 100, but the processing flow 400 can also be applied to other similar communication scenarios.

[0070] like Figure 4 As shown, at 402, a network device 460 may send a configuration 404 of at least one Multiple Universal Subscriber Identity Module (MUSIM) gap to a terminal device 440. For example, the configuration indicates a MUSIM reverse gap, the MUSIM reverse gap including a first duration associated with a restricted schedule at the beginning of the MUSIM gap and a second duration associated with a restricted schedule at the end of the MUSIM gap. Thus, at 406, the terminal device 440 may receive the configuration 404 from the network device 460. Thereafter, at 412, the terminal device 440 may communicate with the network device 460 based on the configuration 404. Thus, at 414, the network device 460 may communicate with the network device 440 based on the configuration 404.

[0071] In some embodiments, the MUSIM reverse gap is indicated for one or more radio frequency (RF) carriers of the terminal device. Furthermore, in some embodiments, the MUSIM reverse gap further comprises: a third duration between the first duration and the second duration, with no restricted scheduling. In some embodiments, the lengths of the first duration and the second duration are predefined. In some embodiments, the MUSIM reverse gap is configured in at least one extension in a radio resource control (RRC) reconfiguration message.

[0072] Furthermore, in some embodiments, before receiving the configuration from the network device, the terminal device may send a request for restricted scheduling to the network device during at least one communication activity at the terminal device. The request may be associated with one or more MUSIM gaps, the one or more MUSIM gaps comprising: one or more MUSIM gaps, one or more MUSIM reverse gaps, or both.

[0073] In some embodiments, the request further indicates support of MUSIM reverse gap by the terminal device through: capabilities of the terminal device, at least one extension in a user equipment (UE) assistance information message, at least one extension in an RRC connection establishment message, at least one extension in UE MUSIM gap request signaling, or any combination thereof.

[0074] Figure 5 The definition of MUSIM gap 510 and MUSIM back gap 520 according to some example embodiments of the present disclosure is illustrated. Figure 5 As shown, a MUSIM reverse gap 520 is introduced to maintain the configuration of the MUSIM gap 510 while adding (a plurality of) additional fields for each MUSIM gap ID, which indicates whether (a plurality of) scheduling restrictions exist during the entire gap 510 / 520, or whether scheduling restrictions exist only during durations 521 and 522 at the beginning and end of the gap 520. Therefore, it can be seen that for the MUSIM reverse gap 520, there is also a third duration without scheduling restrictions between duration 521 and duration 522.

[0075] Figure 6 Illustrated are example MUSIM operations 601-609 and 611-612 when a MUSIM device (i.e., a UE 640 having two SIMs 641-642) is configured with a MUSIM back gap 610, wherein scheduling restrictions are minimized by introducing the MUSIM back gap 610, according to some example embodiments of the present disclosure. Figure 6 As shown, normal DL traffic is transmitted at 601 , 605 and 611 , and normal UL traffic is transmitted at 602 , 606 and 612 .

[0076] In addition, if Figure 6 As shown, MUSIM backlash 610 aligns the allowed scheduling limits with re-tune / power on duration 604 and re-tune / power off duration 609 , where the scheduling limits correspond to MUSIM interruptions 603 and 608 .

[0077] To introduce a MUSIM back gap, a Boolean value is required for each MUSIM Gap ID, which may be defined in at least one information element (IE) (e.g., at least one R18 IE). For example, such an IE may be a non-critical extension in an RRC Reconfiguration message and / or a UE Assistance Information message.

[0078] A MUSIM gap type array for each MUSIM gap Id may be defined as follows.

[0079]

[0080] like Figure 5 The definition of the (multiple) MUSIM interrupt lengths shown may be predefined (e.g., defined as fixed values ​​in the specification) or may be added as parameters in the above extensions. Figure 5 The MUSIM interruption length shown may be the same for both durations 521 - 522 , or the MUSIM interruption length may be separate lengths for the start and end of the MUSIM gap length.

[0081] In some other scenarios, the UE may request more gaps with a mix of at least one MUSIM gap 510 and at least one MUSIM reverse gap 520. Furthermore, when requesting more gaps, the UE may also indicate its support for MUSIM reverse gaps through: UE capabilities, at least one extension in a UE assistance information message, at least one extension in an RRC connection setup message, at least one extension in UE MUSIM gap request signaling, or any combination thereof. Thus, the network may be aware of the UE's support for MUSIM reverse gaps.

[0082] Figure 7 FIG2 is a flowchart of an exemplary method 700 implemented at a terminal device according to some other embodiments of the present disclosure. Figure 4 The method 700 is described from the perspective of the terminal device 440 .

[0083] At block 710, a terminal device may receive a configuration of at least one Multiple Universal Subscriber Identity Module (MUSIM) gap from a network device, wherein the configuration indicates a MUSIM reverse gap, the MUSIM reverse gap comprising: a first duration associated with restricted scheduling at a start of the MUSIM gap, and a second duration associated with restricted scheduling at an end of the MUSIM gap. At block 720, the terminal device may communicate with the network device based on the configuration.

[0084] In some embodiments, the MUSIM reverse gap is indicated for one or more radio frequency (RF) carriers of the terminal device. Furthermore, in some embodiments, the MUSIM reverse gap further comprises: a third duration between the first duration and the second duration, with no restricted scheduling. In some embodiments, the lengths of the first duration and the second duration are predefined. In some embodiments, the MUSIM reverse gap is configured in at least one extension in a radio resource control (RRC) reconfiguration message.

[0085] In addition, in some embodiments, the terminal device may also send a request for restricted scheduling to the network device during at least one communication activity at the terminal device, and wherein the request is associated with one or more MUSIM gaps, the one or more MUSIM gaps comprising: one or more MUSIM gaps, or one or more MUSIM reverse gaps, or both.

[0086] In some embodiments, the request further indicates support of MUSIM reverse gap by the terminal device via: capabilities of the terminal device, at least one extension in a user equipment (UE) assistance information message, at least one extension in an RRC connection establishment message, at least one extension in UE MUSIM gap request signaling, or any combination thereof. In some embodiments, the terminal device comprises a user equipment (UE), and the network device comprises a base station (BS).

[0087] Figure 8 FIG. 8 is a flow chart illustrating an example method 800 implemented at a network device according to some other embodiments of the present disclosure. Figure 4 Method 800 is described from the perspective of network device 460.

[0088] At block 810, a network device may send a configuration of at least one Multiple Universal Subscriber Identity Module (MUSIM) gap to a terminal device, wherein the configuration indicates a MUSIM reverse gap, the MUSIM reverse gap including a first duration associated with restricted scheduling at the beginning of the MUSIM gap and a second duration associated with restricted scheduling at the end of the MUSIM gap. At block 820, the network device may communicate with the terminal device based on the configuration.

[0089] In some embodiments, the MUSIM reverse gap is indicated for one or more radio frequency (RF) carriers of the terminal device. Furthermore, in some embodiments, the MUSIM reverse gap further comprises: a third duration between the first duration and the second duration, with no restricted scheduling. In some embodiments, the lengths of the first duration and the second duration are predefined. In some embodiments, the MUSIM reverse gap is configured in at least one extension in a radio resource control (RRC) reconfiguration message.

[0090] In addition, in some embodiments, the network device may also receive a request for restricted scheduling from the terminal device during at least one communication activity at the terminal device, and wherein the request is associated with one or more MUSIM gaps, the one or more MUSIM gaps comprising: one or more MUSIM normal gaps, one or more MUSIM reverse gaps, or both.

[0091] In some embodiments, the request further indicates support of MUSIM reverse gap by the terminal device via: capabilities of the terminal device, at least one extension in a user equipment (UE) assistance information message, at least one extension in an RRC connection establishment message, at least one extension in UE MUSIM gap request signaling, or any combination thereof. In some embodiments, the terminal device comprises a user equipment (UE), and the network device comprises a base station (BS).

[0092] In some embodiments, a device capable of performing any of the methods in method 700 (e.g., terminal device 440) may include components for performing the corresponding steps of method 700. The components may be implemented in any suitable form. For example, the components may be implemented in a circuit system or a software module.

[0093] In some embodiments, the apparatus includes means for receiving a configuration of at least one Multiple Universal Subscriber Identity Module (MUSIM) gap from a network device, wherein the configuration indicates a MUSIM reverse gap, the MUSIM reverse gap comprising: a first duration associated with a restricted schedule at a start of the MUSIM gap, and a second duration associated with the restricted schedule at an end of the MUSIM gap; and means for communicating with the network device based on the configuration.

[0094] In some embodiments, the MUSIM reverse gap is indicated for one or more radio frequency (RF) carriers of the terminal device. Further, in some embodiments, the MUSIM reverse gap further comprises a third duration of no restricted scheduling between the first duration and the second duration. In some embodiments, the first duration and the second duration are of a pre-defined length. In some embodiments, the MUSIM reverse gap is configured in at least one extension in a radio resource control (RRC) reconfiguration message.

[0095] Further, in some embodiments, the apparatus further comprises means for transmitting, to the network device, a request for restricted scheduling during at least one communication activity at the terminal device, and wherein the request is associated with one or more MUSIM gaps comprising one or more MUSIM gaps, one or more MUSIM reverse gaps, or both.

[0096] In some embodiments, the request further indicates support of the MUSIM reverse gap by the terminal device through: a capability of the terminal device, at least one extension in a user equipment (UE) assistance information message, at least one extension in an RRC connection setup message, at least one extension of a UE MUSIM gap request signaling, or any combination thereof.

[0097] In some embodiments, the apparatus further comprises means for performing other steps of some embodiments of the method 700. In some embodiments, the means comprise at least one processor; and at least one memory including computer program code, the at least one memory and the computer program code configured to, with the at least one processor, cause the apparatus to perform.

[0098] In some embodiments, an apparatus (e.g., the network device 460) capable of performing any of the methods 800 can comprise means for performing the respective steps of the methods 800. The means can be implemented in any suitable form. For example, the means can be implemented in circuitry or software modules.

[0099] In some embodiments, the apparatus comprises means for transmitting, to a terminal device, a configuration of at least one multiple universal subscriber identity module (MUSIM) gap, wherein the configuration indicates a MUSIM reverse gap comprising: a first duration related to restricted scheduling at a start of the MUSIM gap, and a second duration related to restricted scheduling at an end of the MUSIM gap; and means for communicating with the terminal device based on the configuration.

[0100] In some embodiments, the MUSIM reverse gap is indicated for one or more radio frequency (RF) carriers of the terminal device. Furthermore, in some embodiments, the MUSIM reverse gap further comprises: a third duration between the first duration and the second duration, with no restricted scheduling. In some embodiments, the lengths of the first duration and the second duration are predefined. In some embodiments, the MUSIM reverse gap is configured in at least one extension in a radio resource control (RRC) reconfiguration message.

[0101] Furthermore, in some embodiments, the apparatus further comprises means for receiving a request for restricted scheduling from the terminal device during at least one communication activity at the terminal device, and wherein the request is associated with one or more MUSIM gaps, the one or more MUSIM gaps comprising: one or more MUSIM normal gaps, one or more MUSIM reverse gaps, or both.

[0102] In some embodiments, the request further indicates support of MUSIM reverse gap by the terminal device through: capabilities of the terminal device, at least one extension in a user equipment (UE) assistance information message, at least one extension in an RRC connection establishment message, at least one extension in UE MUSIM gap request signaling, or any combination thereof.

[0103] In some embodiments, the apparatus further comprises means for performing other steps of some embodiments of method 800. In some embodiments, the means comprises at least one processor; and at least one memory comprising computer program code, the at least one memory and the computer program code being configured to, together with the at least one processor, enable execution of the apparatus.

[0104] Figure 9 A simplified block diagram of a device 900 suitable for implementing some example embodiments of the present disclosure is shown. The device 900 may be provided to implement a communication device, such as Figure 4 The terminal device 440 or the network device 460 is shown. As shown, the device 900 includes one or more processors 910, one or more memories 920 coupled to the processor 910, and one or more communication modules 940 coupled to the processor 910.

[0105] The communication module 940 is used for two-way communication. The communication module 940 has at least one antenna to facilitate communication. The communication interface can represent any interface necessary to communicate with other network elements.

[0106] Processor 910 may be of any type suitable for the local technology network and, as non-limiting examples, may include one or more of the following: a general-purpose computer, a special-purpose computer, a microprocessor, a digital signal processor (DSP), and a processor based on a multi-core processor architecture. Device 900 may have multiple processors, such as application-specific integrated circuit chips that are time-slave to a clock synchronized with a main processor.

[0107] The memory 920 may include one or more non-volatile memories and one or more volatile memories. Examples of non-volatile memories include, but are not limited to, read-only memory (ROM) 924, electrically programmable read-only memory (EPROM), flash memory, hard disks, compact disks (CDs), digital video disks (DVDs), and other magnetic and / or optical storage. Examples of volatile memories include, but are not limited to, random access memory (RAM) 922 and other volatile memories that do not persist during power outages.

[0108] Computer program 930 includes computer executable instructions executed by associated processor 910. Program 930 may be stored in ROM 924. Processor 910 may perform any suitable actions and processes by loading program 930 into RAM 922.

[0109] The embodiment of the present disclosure can be implemented by the program 930 so that the device 900 can execute the reference Figure 7 and Figure 8 The embodiments of the present disclosure may also be implemented by hardware or by a combination of software and hardware.

[0110] In some example embodiments, the program 930 may be tangibly embodied in a computer-readable medium that may be included in the device 900 (such as in the memory 920) or in other storage devices accessible to the device 900. The device 900 may load the program 930 from the computer-readable medium into the RAM 922 for execution. The computer-readable medium may include any type of tangible non-volatile memory, such as ROM, EPROM, flash memory, hard disk, CD, DVD, etc.

[0111] Figure 10 FIG1 is a block diagram illustrating an example of a computer readable medium 1000 according to some example embodiments of the present disclosure. The computer readable medium 1000 has a program 930 stored thereon. It should be noted that although the computer readable medium 1000 is Figure 10 Although depicted in the form of a CD or DVD, computer readable medium 1000 may be in any other form suitable for carrying or storing program 930.

[0112] In general, various embodiments of the present disclosure may be implemented using hardware or dedicated circuits, software, logic, or any combination thereof. Some aspects may be implemented using hardware, while other aspects may be implemented using firmware or software that may be executed by a controller, microprocessor, or other computing device. Although various aspects of the embodiments of the present disclosure are illustrated and described as block diagrams, flow charts, or using some other graphical representations, it should be understood that, as non-limiting examples, the blocks, devices, systems, techniques, or methods described herein may be implemented using hardware, software, firmware, dedicated circuits or logic, general-purpose hardware or a controller or other computing device, or some combination thereof.

[0113] The present disclosure also provides at least one computer program product tangibly stored on a non-transitory computer readable storage medium. The computer program product includes computer executable instructions, such as instructions included in a program module, which are executed in a device on a target real or virtual processor to perform the above referenced Figure 7 or Figure 8 Method 700 or 800 is described. Generally, program modules include routines, programs, libraries, objects, classes, components, data structures, etc. that perform specific tasks or implement specific abstract data types. In various embodiments, the functionality of program modules can be combined or split between program modules as needed. The machine-executable instructions of program modules can be executed in local or distributed devices. In distributed devices, program modules can be located in both local and remote storage media.

[0114] The program code for executing the disclosed method can be written in any combination of one or more programming languages. These program codes can be provided to a processor or controller of a general-purpose computer, a special-purpose computer or other programmable data processing device so that the program code, when executed by the processor or controller, enables the function / operation specified in the flow chart and / or block diagram to be realized. The program code can be executed entirely on the machine, partially on the machine, as an independent software package, partially on the machine and partially on a remote machine, or entirely on a remote machine or server.

[0115] In the context of the present disclosure, computer program codes or related data may be carried by any suitable carrier to enable a device, apparatus or processor to perform the various processes and operations described above. Examples of carriers include signals, computer-readable media, etc.

[0116] Computer-readable media can be computer-readable signal media or computer-readable storage media.Computer-readable media can include but are not limited to electronic, magnetic, optical, electromagnetic, infrared or semiconductor systems, devices or equipment, or any suitable combination of the foregoing.More specific examples of computer-readable storage media will include electrical connections with one or more wires, portable computer floppy disks, hard disks, random access memories (RAM), read-only memories (ROM), erasable programmable read-only memories (EPROM or flash memory), optical fibers, portable compact disc read-only memories (CD-ROMs), optical storage devices, magnetic storage devices, or any suitable combination of the foregoing.The term "non-transient" as used herein is a restriction on the medium itself (i.e., tangible, rather than signal), rather than a restriction on data storage persistence (e.g., RAM and ROM).

[0117] In addition, although operations are described in a particular order, this should not be understood as requiring such operations to be performed in the particular order shown or in sequence or performing all of the operations shown to obtain the desired result. In some cases, multitasking and parallel processing may be advantageous. Similarly, although several specific implementation details have been included in the above discussion, these should not be interpreted as limiting the scope of this disclosure, but rather as descriptions of features that may be specific to a particular embodiment. Certain features described in the context of a separate embodiment may also be implemented in combination in a single embodiment. On the contrary, the various features described in the context of a single embodiment may also be implemented in multiple embodiments individually or in any suitable sub-combination.

[0118] Although the disclosure has been described in language specific to structural features and / or methodological acts, it should be understood that the disclosure defined in the appended claims is not necessarily limited to the specific features or acts described above. Rather, the specific features or acts described above are disclosed as example forms of implementing the claims.

Claims

1. A terminal device, comprising: at least one processor; as well as at least one memory storing instructions, which, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the terminal device to at least: receiving a configuration of at least one Multiple Universal Subscriber Identity Module (MUSIM) gap from a network device, wherein the configuration indicates a MUSIM reverse gap, the MUSIM reverse gap comprising: a first duration associated with restricted scheduling at a start of the MUSIM gap, and a second duration associated with restricted scheduling at an end of the MUSIM gap; as well as Communicating with the network device based on the configuration.

2. The terminal device according to claim 1, wherein at least one of the following items: The MUSIM backlash is indicated for one or more radio frequency (RF) carriers of the terminal device; The MUSIM backlash also includes: a third duration without restricted scheduling between the first duration and the second duration; or The MUSIM backlash is configured in at least one extension in a radio resource control (RRC) reconfiguration message. 3 . The terminal device according to claim 1 , wherein lengths of the first duration and the second duration are predefined.

4. The terminal device according to claim 1, wherein the terminal device is further configured to: During at least one communication activity at the terminal device, a request for restricted scheduling is sent to the network device, wherein the request is associated with one or more MUSIM gaps, the one or more MUSIM gaps comprising at least one of: one or more MUSIM gaps, or one or more MUSIM back gaps, and The request further indicates support of the MUSIM backlash by the terminal device through at least one of the following: the capabilities of the terminal device; at least one extension in a user equipment (UE) assistance information message; at least one extension in the RRC connection establishment message; or At least one extension to UE MUSIM gap request signaling.

5. A network device comprising: at least one processor; as well as at least one memory storing instructions that, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the network device to at least: sending a configuration of at least one Multiple Universal Subscriber Identity Module (MUSIM) gap to a terminal device, wherein the configuration indicates a MUSIM reverse gap, the MUSIM reverse gap comprising: a first duration associated with a restricted schedule at a start of the MUSIM gap, and a second duration associated with a restricted schedule at an end of the MUSIM gap; as well as Communicate with the terminal device based on the configuration.

6. The network device according to claim 5, wherein at least one of the following items: The MUSIM backlash is indicated for one or more radio frequency (RF) carriers of the terminal device; The MUSIM backlash also includes: a third duration without restricted scheduling between the first duration and the second duration; or The MUSIM backlash is configured in at least one extension in a radio resource control (RRC) reconfiguration message. The network device of claim 5 , wherein the lengths of the first duration and the second duration are predefined.

8. The network device of claim 5, wherein the network device is further configured to: receiving, during at least one communication activity at the terminal device, a request for restricted scheduling from the terminal device, wherein the request is associated with one or more MUSIM gaps, the one or more MUSIM gaps comprising at least one of: one or more MUSIM gaps, or one or more MUSIM back gaps, and The request further indicates support of the MUSIM backlash by the terminal device through at least one of the following: the capabilities of the terminal device; at least one extension in a user equipment (UE) assistance information message; at least one extension in the RRC connection establishment message; or At least one extension to UE MUSIM gap request signaling.

9. A method for communication, comprising: receiving a configuration of at least one Multiple Universal Subscriber Identity Module (MUSIM) gap from a network device, wherein the configuration indicates a MUSIM reverse gap, the MUSIM reverse gap comprising: a first duration associated with restricted scheduling at a start of the MUSIM gap, and a second duration associated with restricted scheduling at an end of the MUSIM gap; and Communicating with the network device based on the configuration.

10. A method for communication, comprising: transmitting a configuration of at least one Multiple Universal Subscriber Identity Module (MUSIM) gap to a terminal device, wherein the configuration indicates a MUSIM reverse gap, the MUSIM reverse gap comprising: a first duration associated with a restricted schedule at a start of the MUSIM gap, and a second duration associated with a restricted schedule at an end of the MUSIM gap; and Communicate with the terminal device based on the configuration.

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