Methods for RRM measurements when the UE is composed of multiple simultaneous measurement gap patterns

Abstract

Methods and systems are disclosed for a UE to perform measurements of measurement resources transmitted by a network when the UE is composed of a plurality of simultaneous measurement gap patterns (MGPs). The measurement resources may be transmitted over a plurality of carrier frequencies. The UE may receive measurement resource configuration parameters that identify the time and frequency positions of the measurement resources transmitted over the plurality of carrier frequencies. The UE may receive measurement gap configuration parameters for a plurality of simultaneous MGPs that specify measurement intervals that can be used to perform measurements. The UE may determine a linkage between the measurement resources on the carrier frequency and one of the MGPs among the simultaneous MGPs so that the UE can independently measure the measurement resources received over the plurality of carrier frequencies using their respective linked MGPs. The linkage may be established through information elements within the measurement gap configuration parameters or measurement resource configuration parameters that include the MGP.

Description

Technology Field

[0001] The present invention generally relates to the field of wireless communication, and more specifically, to systems and methods for wireless communication devices to perform measurements of resources transmitted by a communication network for the purpose of wireless resource management when the wireless communication devices are composed of a plurality of simultaneous measurement patterns. Other embodiments are also described. Background Technology

[0002] In a wireless communication network, User Equipment (UE) can communicate with the network's base station by establishing a wireless link between the UE and the base station. In 5G (New Radio or NR) or 4G (LTE) wireless networks, the UE can monitor the quality of the wireless link by measuring reference signals periodically transmitted by the serving base station on the operating channel, or on other channels transmitted by the network's serving base station or neighboring base stations. The quality of the wireless link can be affected by the distance of the UE from the base stations, the number of UEs sharing the wireless spectrum, interference, environmental conditions, etc. As part of the Radio Resource Management (RRM) function performed by the network, the UE may report the measurement results to the serving base station to determine whether to switch the wireless link to a different beam, a different frequency channel, a different base station, or a different network. The network may configure the UE with measurement gap patterns to specify the intervals at which reference signals can be measured.

[0003] In earlier versions of the UE, the UE could be configured with only one measurement gap pattern (MGP) per frequency range (e.g., one MGP for frequency ranges below 6 GHz and one MGP for frequency ranges above 6 GHz). As such, requirements for RRM measurements are designed based on the assumption that there is only one MGP for each frequency range. More recently, enhancements to RRM measurements, motivated by the need to improve the wireless link and location accuracy of the UE due to increased user mobility, may allow the network to configure the UE with multiple simultaneous MGPs. A UE supporting these enhancements can perform independent measurements on multiple operating channels within a frequency range for a more accurate assessment of channel quality. The UE can also measure positioning reference signals (PRS) more flexibly to improve location awareness. The network can configure the UE with multiple simultaneous and independent MGPs that are always active. Multiple simultaneous MGPs allow for independent measurements of reference signals on multiple different operating channels, but they also introduce complexity into the design of RRM measurements. It is desirable to reduce the complexity of UE measurement behavior and RRM requirements when configured with multiple simultaneous MGPs.

[0004] Methods and systems are disclosed for a UE to perform RRM measurements of measurement resources (e.g., reference or synchronization signals) transmitted by a 5G / LTE network when the UE is configured by a network of multiple simultaneous MGPs. The measurement resources may be carried over multiple carrier frequencies of radio beams transmitted from a serving base station or neighboring base station of the same or different systems. The UE may receive measurement resource configuration parameters that identify the time and frequency locations of the measurement resources transmitted over the multiple carrier frequencies. The UE may receive measurement gap configuration parameters for multiple simultaneous MGPs that specify measurement intervals that can be used to perform RRM measurements of the measurement resources. The UE may determine a linkage or association between the measurement resources on the carrier frequency and one of the MGPs among the simultaneous MGPs, so that the UE can independently perform RRM measurements of the measurement resources received over the multiple carrier frequencies using their respective linked MGPs.

[0005] In one embodiment, measurement resources on each carrier frequency may be covered by only one MGP. Measurement intervals specified by one MGP may be used by the UE to measure all or a subset of measurement resources on the associated carrier frequency. In one embodiment, the MGP may be used to measure measurement resources on multiple carrier frequencies. For example, measurement resources on a first carrier frequency may be covered by a first MGP, and measurement resources on second and third carrier frequencies may be covered by a second MGP. The UE may perform RRM measurements on the first carrier frequency using the first MGP, and perform RRM measurements on the second and third carrier frequencies using the second MGP. Multiple simultaneous MGPs may be disjoint in time so that their measurement intervals do not overlap.

[0006] In one embodiment, measurement resources on a carrier frequency may be covered by more than one MGP. For example, measurement resources on a first carrier frequency may be covered by a first MGP; measurement resources on a second carrier frequency may be covered by a second MGP; and measurement resources on a third carrier frequency may be covered by either the first MGP or the second MGP. The UE may determine whether the third carrier frequency is covered by the first MGP or the second MGP based on the linkage or association between measurement resource configuration parameters identifying the third carrier frequency and measurement gap configuration parameters for either of the two MGPs. The UE may perform RRM measurements on the first carrier frequency using the first MGP, perform RRM measurements on the second carrier frequency using the second MGP, and perform RRM measurements on the third carrier frequency using either the linked first MGP or the linked second MGP.

[0007] In one embodiment, to determine a linkage between measurement resources on a carrier frequency and one of a plurality of concurrent MGPs, measurement resource configuration parameters identifying the carrier frequency or measurement gap configuration parameters for the MGPs may contain information for the UE to make such a linkage. In one embodiment, the measurement resource configuration parameters may include an information element that references the measurement gap configuration parameters. The UE may use the information element to link the current state of the MGP included in the measurement gap configuration parameters to the measurement resources on the carrier frequency specified by the measurement resource configuration parameters. In one embodiment, the information element may reference a specific MGP among a plurality of sets of measurement gap configuration parameters. The network may pre-configure the UE with a plurality of sets of measurement gap configuration parameters to correspond to a plurality of concurrent MGPs. The MGPs corresponding to a plurality of sets of measurement gap configuration parameters may be uniquely identified. The UE may link the MGP referenced by the information element to the measurement resources on the carrier frequency specified by the measurement resource configuration parameters.

[0008] In one embodiment, the measurement gap configuration parameters providing the MGP may include an information element that references measurement resource configuration parameters identifying the carrier frequency to be linked. The UE may link measurement resources on the carrier frequency specified by the referenced measurement resource configuration parameters to the MGP. In one embodiment, the information element may reference multiple sets of measurement resource configuration parameters so that the same MGP can be used to perform RRM measurements on multiple carrier frequencies. Brief explanation of the drawing

[0009] The present invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings by way of example rather than limitation, and similar reference numerals in the accompanying drawings indicate similar elements. FIG. 1 illustrates an exemplary wireless communication system according to one embodiment of the present disclosure. FIG. 2 illustrates user equipment that communicates directly with a base station (BS) according to one embodiment of the present disclosure. FIG. 3 illustrates an exemplary block diagram of a UE according to one embodiment of the present disclosure. FIG. 4 illustrates an exemplary block diagram of BS according to one embodiment of the present disclosure. FIG. 5 illustrates an exemplary block diagram of a cellular communication circuit section according to one embodiment of the present disclosure. FIG. 6 illustrates a scenario in which, according to one embodiment of the present disclosure, each measurement object identifying the timing of measurement resources is covered by only one MGP. FIG. 7 illustrates a scenario in which a measurement object identifying the timing of measurement resources, according to one aspect of the present disclosure, can be covered by a plurality of MGPs. FIG. 8 illustrates the delay in performing measurements of measurement resources on a carrier frequency using MGP as a function of the number of carrier frequencies sharing the measurement gap repetition period (MGRP) and MGP, according to one embodiment of the present disclosure. FIG. 9 illustrates a measurement object including an information element MGP that references measurement gap configuration parameters GapConfig to link the MGP included in GapConfig to measurement resources on a carrier frequency specified by the measurement object, according to one aspect of the present disclosure. FIG. 10 illustrates measurement gap configuration parameters GapConfig including an MGP that can be linked to a measurement object, according to one embodiment of the present disclosure. FIG. 11 illustrates a measurement object including an information element MGP that references the measurement gap configuration parameter EnhancedGapConfig to link the MGP identified by a unique identifier to measurement resources on a carrier frequency specified by the measurement object, according to one aspect of the present disclosure. FIG. 12 illustrates an EnhancedGapConfig measurement gap configuration parameter that identifies an MGP identified by an identifier Gap-ID, according to one embodiment of the present disclosure. FIG. 13 illustrates a measurement gap configuration parameter MeasGapConfig that includes an information element measObjectToAddModList that references measurement objects to link the MGP included in MeasGapConfig to measurement resources on a carrier frequency specified by the measurement objects, according to one aspect of the present disclosure. FIG. 14 illustrates a flowchart of a method for a UE to perform RRM measurements of measurement resources transmitted by a network when the UE is configured by a network of multiple simultaneous MGPs according to one aspect of the present disclosure. Specific details for implementing the invention

[0010] Methods and systems are disclosed for a UE to use multiple simultaneous MGPs to perform independent RRM measurements of measurement resources transmitted by a 5G / LTE network over multiple carrier frequencies. The measurement resources used for the RRM measurements may be synchronization signal / physical broadcast channel (SS / PBCH) blocks, channel state information reference signal (CSI-RS) resources, positioning reference signal (PRS), or other reference signals from other systems, such as the cell reference signal (CRS) of LTE. The UE may measure the measurement resources to report channel quality over multiple carrier frequencies for beam management and for connection mode mobility procedures. The UE may receive measurement resource configuration parameters (also referred to as measurement objects) that identify the time and frequency positions of the SS / PBCH blocks and CSI-RS resources to be measured over multiple carrier frequencies. The UE may receive measurement gap configuration parameters for multiple simultaneous MGPs that specify measurement intervals that can be used to measure the measurement resources over multiple carrier frequencies. A UE can link or associate a measurement object, which specifies the timing of transmissions of measurement resources on the carrier frequency, with one of the concurrent MGPs. The MGP linked to the measurement object may overlap with all or a subset of the measurement resources specified by the measurement object, so that the UE can measure RRM for the carrier frequency independently of RRM measurements for other carrier frequencies. The following description primarily uses SS / PBCH blocks as examples of measurement resources, but the techniques are equally applicable to CSI-RS resources, positioning reference signals (PRS), and other reference signals from other systems, such as the Cell Reference Signal (CRS) in LTE.

[0011] In one embodiment, to link a measurement object to an MGP, an information element for associating the measurement object with the MGP to be linked may be added to the measurement object. The information element may reference measurement gap configuration parameters so that the current state of the MGP included in the measurement gap configuration parameters may be linked. In one embodiment, the network may configure a UE with measurement gap configuration parameters that include a desired MGP. Subsequently, the network may configure the UE with a measurement object that specifies an information element for the UE to create a linkage or association between the measurement object and the desired MGP.

[0012] In one embodiment, a measurement object may use an information element to explicitly identify the MGP to be linked. A network may configure a UE with multiple sets of measurement gap configuration parameters, each containing multiple concurrent MGPs. Each set of measurement gap configuration parameters may include an identifier to uniquely identify the MGP contained therein. Subsequently, the network may configure a UE with a measurement object that specifies an information element for referencing the desired MGP to be linked via the identifier. The UE may create a linkage between the measurement object and the desired MGP based on the information element.

[0013] In one embodiment, to link a measurement object to an MGP, an information element may be added to measurement gap configuration parameters that include an MGP to associate the measurement object with the MGP. A network may configure a UE with measurement gap configuration parameters that include an MGP. Measurement gap configuration parameters may include an information element for referencing one or more measurement objects to be linked to the MGP included therein. The UE may create a linkage between one or more objects and the MGP based on the information element.

[0014] In the following description, many specific details are described to provide a complete description of the embodiments of the present invention. However, it will be obvious to those skilled in the art that the embodiments of the present invention may be practiced without these specific details. In other cases, well-known components, structures, and techniques have not been described in detail so as not to obscure the understanding of this description.

[0015] References to “some embodiments” or “one embodiment” in this specification mean that a specific feature, structure, or characteristic described in connection with such embodiment may be included in at least one embodiment of the present invention. The phrase “some embodiments” appearing in various places within this specification does not necessarily refer to the same embodiment.

[0016] In the following description and claims, the terms “coupled” and “connected” may be used together with their derivatives. It should be understood that these terms are not intended to be synonyms for one another. “Coupled” is used to indicate that two or more elements cooperate or interact with each other, which may or may not be in direct physical or electrical contact with each other. “Connected” is used to indicate the establishment of communication between two or more elements that are coupled to each other.

[0017] The processes described in the following drawings are performed by processing logic comprising hardware (e.g., circuitry, dedicated logic, etc.), software (such as running on a general-purpose computer system or a dedicated machine), or a combination of both. Although the processes are described below in terms of some sequential operations, it should be understood that some of the described operations may be performed in a different order. Furthermore, some operations may be performed in parallel instead of sequentially.

[0018] The terms “server,” “client,” and “device” are intended to refer to data processing systems in general, rather than specifically specific form factors of servers, clients, and / or devices.

[0019] FIG. 1 illustrates a simplified exemplary wireless communication system according to one aspect of the present disclosure. It should be noted that the system of FIG. 1 is merely one example of a possible system and that the features of the present disclosure may be implemented in any of the various systems as desired.

[0020] As described, an exemplary wireless communication system includes a base station (102A) that communicates with one or more user devices (106A, 106B, etc. to 106N) through a transmission medium. Each user device may be referred to herein as "User Equipment (UE)". Accordingly, user devices (106) are referred to as UEs or UE devices.

[0021] The base station (BS) (102A) may be a base transceiver station (BTS) or a cell site ("cellular base station") and may include hardware that enables wireless communication with UEs (106A to 106N).

[0022] The communication area (or coverage area) of a base station may be referred to as a “cell.” The base station (102A) and UEs (106) may be configured to communicate over a transmission medium using any of the various radio access technologies (RATs), also referred to as radio communication technologies or communication standards, such as GSM (Global System for Mobile), UMTS (e.g., WCDMA (Wideband Code Division Multiple Access) or TD-SCDMA air interfaces), LTE, LTE-Advanced (LTE-A), 5G NR (5G new radio), HSPA, 3GPP2 CDMA2000 (e.g., 1xRTT, 1xEV-DO, HRPD, eHRPD), etc. Note that if the base station (102A) is implemented in the context of LTE, the base station may alternatively be referred to as an ‘eNodeB’ or ‘eNB’. Note that if the base station (102A) is implemented in the context of 5G NR, it may alternatively be referred to as 'gNodeB' or 'gNB'.

[0023] As described, the base station (102A) may also be equipped to communicate with the network (100) (e.g., among various possibilities, a core network of a cellular service provider, a communication network such as a public switched telephone network (PSTN), and / or the Internet). Thus, the base station (102A) can facilitate communication between user devices and / or between user devices and the network (100). In particular, the cellular base station (102A) can provide various communication capabilities to the UEs (106), such as voice, SMS, and / or data services.

[0024] Accordingly, a base station (102A) and other similar base stations (e.g., base stations (102B…102N)) operating according to the same or different cellular communication standards may be provided as a network of cells, and these may provide continuous or nearly continuous overlapping services to UEs (106A to 106N) and similar devices across a geographical area through one or more cellular communication standards.

[0025] Accordingly, while the base station (102A) may serve as a "serving cell" for the UEs (106A to 106N) as illustrated in FIG. 1, each UE (106) may also receive signals (which may be provided by base stations (102B to 102N) and / or any other base stations) from one or more other cells that may be referred to as "neighbor cells" (and possibly within their communication range). Additionally, these cells may facilitate communication between user devices and / or between user devices and the network (100). These cells may include "macro" cells, "micro" cells, "pico" cells, and / or cells providing any of various other granularities of service area size. For example, the base stations (102A, 102B) exemplified in FIG. 1 may be macro cells, whereas the base station (102N) may be a micro cell. Other configurations are also possible.

[0026] In some embodiments, the base station (102A) may be a next-generation base station, for example, a 5G NR (5G New Radio) base station or a “gNB”. In some embodiments, the gNB may be connected to a legacy Evolved Packet Core (EPC) network and / or an NRC (NR core) network. Additionally, the gNB cell may include one or more Transition and Reception Points (TRPs). Additionally, a UE capable of operating according to 5G NR may be connected to one or more TRPs within one or more gNBs.

[0027] Note that the UE (106) can communicate using a number of wireless communication standards. For example, the UE (106) may be configured to communicate using wireless networking (e.g., Wi-Fi) and / or peer-to-peer wireless communication protocols (e.g., Bluetooth, Wi-Fi peer-to-peer, etc.) in addition to at least one cellular communication protocol (e.g., GSM, UMTS (e.g., associated with WCDMA or TD-SCDMA air interfaces), LTE, LTE-A, 5G NR, HSPA, 3GPP2 CDMA2000 (e.g., 1xRTT, 1xEV-DO, HRPD, eHRPD), etc.). Also, or alternatively, the UE (106) may be configured to communicate using one or more GNSS (global navigational satellite systems) (e.g., GPS or GLONASS), one or more mobile television broadcasting standards (e.g., ATSC-M / H or DVB-H), and / or, if desired, any other radio communication protocol. Other combinations of radio communication standards (including more than two radio communication standards) are also possible.

[0028] FIG. 2 illustrates a UE (106) communicating directly with a base station (102) via uplink and downlink communications according to one aspect of the present disclosure. The UE (106) may be a device having cellular communication capabilities, such as a mobile phone, a handheld device, a computer, or a tablet, or virtually any type of wireless device. The UE (106) may include a processor configured to execute program instructions stored in memory. The UE (106) may perform any of the method embodiments described herein by executing such stored instructions. Alternatively or additionally, the UE (106) may include a programmable hardware element, such as a Field-Programmable Gate Array (FPGA), configured to perform any of the method embodiments described herein, or any part of any of the method embodiments described herein.

[0029] The UE (106) may include one or more antennas for communicating using one or more wireless communication protocols or technologies. In some embodiments, the UE (106) may be configured to communicate using, for example, CDMA2000 (1xRTT / 1xEV-DO / HRPD / eHRPD) or LTE using a single shared radio, and / or GSM or LTE using a single shared radio. The shared radio may be coupled to a single antenna or may be coupled to multiple antennas for performing wireless communications (e.g., for MIMO). Generally, the radio may include any combination of a baseband processor, an analog RF signal processing circuitry (e.g., including filters, mixers, oscillators, amplifiers, etc.), or a digital processing circuitry (e.g., for digital modulation as well as other digital processing). Similarly, the radio may implement one or more receive and transmit chains using the hardware described above. For example, the UE (106) may share one or more parts of the receiving and / or transmitting chain among a number of wireless communication technologies such as those discussed above.

[0030] In some embodiments, for each wireless communication protocol (the UE (106) is configured to communicate using it), the UE may include separate transmit and / or receive chains (e.g., including separate antennas and other wireless components). As an additional possibility, the UE (106) may include one or more wireless communication devices shared among a number of wireless communication protocols, and one or more wireless communication devices used exclusively by a single wireless communication protocol. For example, the UE (106) may include a shared wireless communication device for communicating using either LTE or 5G NR (or LTE or 1xRTT or LTE or GSM), and separate wireless communication devices for communicating using Wi-Fi and Bluetooth, respectively. Other configurations are also possible.

[0031] FIG. 3 illustrates an exemplary simplified block diagram of a communication device (106) according to one aspect of the present disclosure. Note that the block diagram of the communication device in FIG. 3 is merely one example of a possible communication device. According to embodiments, the communication device (106) may be, among other devices, a user equipment (UE) device, a mobile device or mobile station, a wireless device or wireless station, a desktop computer or computing device, a mobile computing device (e.g., a laptop, notebook, or portable computing device), a tablet, and / or a combination of devices. As illustrated, the communication device (106) may include a set of components (300) configured to perform core functions. For example, such a set of components may be implemented as a system-on-chip (SOC), which may include parts for various purposes. Alternatively, such a set of components (300) may be implemented as separate components or groups of components for various purposes. A set of components (300) can be coupled to various other circuits of the communication device (106) (e.g., communicatively; directly or indirectly).

[0032] For example, the communication device (106) may include various types of memory (e.g., NAND flash (310)), an input / output interface such as a connector I / F (320) (e.g., for connecting to a computer system; a dock; a charging station; input devices such as a microphone, camera, keyboard; output devices such as speakers; etc.), a display (360) that may be integrated with or outside the communication device (106), a cellular communication circuit (330) for example 5G NR, LTE, GSM, etc., and a short-to-medium range wireless communication circuit (329) (e.g., Bluetooth™ and WLAN circuit). In some embodiments, the communication device (106) may include a wired communication circuit (not shown), such as a network interface card for example Ethernet.

[0033] The cellular communication circuit (330) may be coupled (e.g., communicably; directly or indirectly) to one or more antennas such as the antennas (335, 336) as illustrated. The short-to-medium range wireless communication circuit (329) may also be coupled (e.g., communicably; directly or indirectly) to one or more antennas such as the antennas (337, 338) as illustrated. Alternatively, the short-to-medium range wireless communication circuit (329) may be coupled (e.g., communicably; directly or indirectly) to the antennas (335, 336) in addition to or instead of being coupled (e.g., communicably; directly or indirectly) to the antennas (337, 338). The short-range to medium-range wireless communication circuit section (329) and / or the cellular communication circuit section (330) may include a number of receiving chains and / or a number of transmitting chains for receiving and / or transmitting a number of spatial streams, for example in a multiple-input multiple-output (MIMO) configuration.

[0034] In some embodiments, as further described below, the cellular communication circuit (330) may include dedicated receiving chains (e.g., a first receiving chain for LTE and a second receiving chain for 5G NR) for a number of radio access technologies (RATs) (including dedicated processors and / or radio communication devices and / or, for example, capable of communicating with them; directly or indirectly coupled). Additionally, in some embodiments, the cellular communication circuit (330) may include a single transmitting chain that can be switched between radio communication devices dedicated to specific RATs. For example, the first radio communication device may be dedicated to the first RAT, e.g., LTE, and may communicate with a transmitting chain and a dedicated receiving chain that are shared with an additional radio communication device (e.g., a second radio communication device that may be dedicated to the second RAT (e.g., 5G NR) and may communicate with a dedicated receiving chain and a shared transmitting chain).

[0035] The communication device (106) may also include one or more user interface elements and / or be configured to be used with them. The user interface elements may include any of various elements, such as a display (360) (which may be a touchscreen display), a keyboard (which may be a separate keyboard or implemented as part of a touchscreen display), a mouse, a microphone and / or speakers, one or more cameras, one or more buttons, and / or any of various other elements capable of providing information to the user and / or receiving or interpreting user input.

[0036] The communication device (106) may further include one or more smart cards (345) that include a SIM (Subscriber Identity Module) function, such as one or more UICC (Universal Integrated Circuit Card)(s) cards (345).

[0037] As illustrated, the SOC (300) may include processor(s) (302) capable of executing program instructions for a communication device (106), and a display circuit (304) capable of performing graphics processing and providing display signals to a display (360). The processor(s) (302) may also be coupled to a memory management unit (MMU) (340) which may be configured to receive addresses from the processor(s) (302) and translate such addresses into locations within memory (e.g., memory (306), read-only memory (ROM) (350), NAND flash memory (310)), and / or to other circuits or devices such as the display circuit (304), short-range wireless communication circuit (229), cellular communication circuit (330), connector I / F (320), and / or the display (360). The MMU (340) may be configured to perform memory protection and page table translation or setup. In some embodiments, the MMU (340) may be included as part of the processor(s) (302).

[0038] As mentioned above, the communication device (106) may be configured to communicate using wireless and / or wired communication circuitry. The communication device (106) may also be configured to determine physical downlink shared channel scheduling resources for user equipment devices and base stations. Additionally, the communication device (106) may be configured to group and select CCs from wireless links and to determine virtual CCs from groups of selected CCs. The wireless device may also be configured to perform physical downlink resource mapping based on aggregate resource matching patterns of groups of CCs.

[0039] As described in this specification, the communication device (106) may include hardware and software components for implementing the above features to determine physical downlink shared channel scheduling resources for the communication device (106) and the base station. The processor (302) of the communication device (106) may be configured to implement some or all of the features described in this specification by executing program instructions stored, for example, in a memory medium (e.g., a non-transient computer-readable memory medium). Alternatively (or additionally), the processor (302) may be configured as a programmable hardware element such as a Field Programmable Gate Array (FPGA) or as an Application-Specific Integrated Circuit (ASIC). Alternatively (or additionally), the processor (302) of the communication device (106) may be configured to implement some or all of the features described in this specification together with one or more of the other components (300, 304, 306, 310, 320, 329, 330, 340, 345, 350, 360).

[0040] Additionally, as described in this specification, the processor (302) may include one or more processing elements. Accordingly, the processor (302) may include one or more integrated circuits (ICs) configured to perform the functions of the processor (302). Additionally, each integrated circuit may include a circuit section (e.g., a first circuit section, a second circuit section, etc.) configured to perform the functions of the processor(s) (302).

[0041] Additionally, as described in this specification, the cellular communication circuit (330) and the short-range wireless communication circuit (329) may each include one or more processing elements. That is, one or more processing elements may be included within the cellular communication circuit (330), and similarly, one or more processing elements may be included within the short-range wireless communication circuit (329). Accordingly, the cellular communication circuit (330) may include one or more integrated circuits (ICs) configured to perform the functions of the cellular communication circuit (330). Additionally, each integrated circuit may include a circuit (e.g., a first circuit, a second circuit, etc.) configured to perform the functions of the cellular communication circuit (230). Similarly, the short-range wireless communication circuit (329) may include one or more ICs configured to perform the functions of the short-range wireless communication circuit (32). Additionally, each integrated circuit may include a circuit section (e.g., a first circuit section, a second circuit section, etc.) configured to perform the functions of a short-range wireless communication circuit section (329).

[0042] FIG. 4 illustrates an exemplary block diagram of a base station (102) according to one aspect of the present disclosure. Note that the base station of FIG. 4 is merely one example of a possible base station. As illustrated, the base station (102) may include processor(s) (404) capable of executing program instructions for the base station (102). The processor(s) (404) may also be coupled to a memory management unit (MMU) (440) or other circuits or devices that may be configured to receive addresses from the processor(s) (404) and convert these addresses into locations within memory (e.g., memory (460) and read-only memory (ROM) (450)).

[0043] The base station (102) may include at least one network port (470). The network port (470) may be coupled to a telephone network and configured to provide access to the telephone network as described in FIGS. 1 and FIGS. 2 above to a plurality of devices such as UEs (106).

[0044] Alternatively, or alternatively, the network port (470) (or additional network port) may be configured to be coupled to a cellular network, such as a core network of a cellular service provider. The core network may provide mobility-related services and / or other services to multiple devices, such as UEs (106). In some cases, the network port (470) may be coupled to a telephone network through the core network, and / or the core network may provide a telephone network (e.g., between other UEs serviced by a cellular service provider).

[0045] In some embodiments, the base station (102) may be a next-generation base station, for example, a 5G NR (5G New Radio) base station or a “gNB”. In such embodiments, the base station (102) may be connected to a legacy Evolved Packet Core (EPC) network and / or an NR Core (NRC) network. Additionally, the base station (102) may be considered as a 5G NR cell and may include one or more Transition and Reception Points (TRPs). Additionally, a UE capable of operating according to 5G NR may be connected to one or more TRPs within one or more gNBs.

[0046] The base station (102) may include at least one antenna (434) and possibly multiple antennas. At least one antenna (434) may be configured to operate as a wireless transceiver and may be further configured to communicate with UEs (106) via a wireless communication device (430). The antenna (434) communicates with the wireless communication device (430) via a communication chain (432). The communication chain (432) may be a receiving chain, a transmitting chain, or both. The wireless communication device (430) may be configured to communicate via various wireless communication standards, including but not limited to 5G NR, LTE, LTE-A, GSM, UMTS, CDMA2000, Wi-Fi, etc.

[0047] A base station (102) may be configured to communicate wirelessly using multiple wireless communication standards. In some cases, the base station (102) may include multiple wireless communication devices that enable the base station (102) to communicate according to multiple wireless communication technologies. For example, as one possibility, the base station (102) may include an LTE wireless communication device for performing communication according to LTE as well as a 5G NR wireless communication device for performing communication according to 5G NR. In such a case, the base station (102) may be able to operate as both an LTE base station and a 5G NR base station. As another possibility, the base station (102) may include a multi-mode wireless communication device capable of performing communication according to any of the multiple wireless communication technologies (e.g., 5G NR and Wi-Fi, LTE and Wi-Fi, LTE and UMTS, LTE and CDMA2000, UMTS and GSM, etc.).

[0048] As further described subsequently in this specification, the BS (102) may include hardware and software components to implement or support the implementation of the features described in this specification. The processor (404) of the base station (102) may be configured to implement or support the implementation of some or all of the methods described in this specification by executing program instructions stored in a memory medium (e.g., a non-transient computer-readable memory medium). Alternatively, the processor (404) may be configured as a programmable hardware element such as a Field Programmable Gate Array (FPGA), as an Application-Specific Integrated Circuit (ASIC), or as a combination thereof. Alternatively (or additionally), the processor (404) of the BS (102) may be configured to implement or support the implementation of some or all of the features described in this specification together with one or more of the other components (430, 432, 434, 440, 450, 460, 470).

[0049] Additionally, as described in this specification, the processor(s) (404) may be composed of one or more processing elements. In other words, one or more processing elements may be included in the processor(s) (404). Accordingly, the processor(s) (404) may include one or more integrated circuits (ICs) configured to perform the functions of the processor(s) (404). Additionally, each integrated circuit may include a circuit section (e.g., a first circuit section, a second circuit section, etc.) configured to perform the functions of the processor(s) (404).

[0050] Additionally, as described in this specification, the wireless communication device (430) may be composed of one or more processing elements. In other words, one or more processing elements may be included in the wireless communication device (430). Accordingly, the wireless communication device (430) may include one or more integrated circuits (ICs) configured to perform the functions of the wireless communication device (430). Additionally, each integrated circuit may include a circuit section (e.g., a first circuit section, a second circuit section, etc.) configured to perform the functions of the wireless communication device (430).

[0051] FIG. 5 illustrates an exemplary block diagram of a simplified cellular communication circuit according to one aspect of the present disclosure. Note that the block diagram of the cellular communication circuit of FIG. 5 is merely one example of a possible cellular communication circuit. According to embodiments, the cellular communication circuit (330) may be included in a communication device such as the communication device (106) described above. As mentioned above, the communication device (106) may be, among other devices, a user equipment (UE) device, a mobile device or mobile station, a wireless device or wireless station, a desktop computer or computing device, a mobile computing device (e.g., a laptop, notebook, or portable computing device), a tablet, and / or a combination of devices.

[0052] The cellular communication circuit (330) may be coupled (e.g., communicably; directly or indirectly) to one or more antennas, such as antennas (335a, 335b, 336) as shown in FIG. 3. In some embodiments, the cellular communication circuit (330) may include dedicated receiving chains (e.g., a first receiving chain for LTE and a second receiving chain for 5G NR) for a number of RATs (including dedicated processors and / or wireless communication devices and / or, for example, communicably; directly or indirectly coupled to them). For example, as shown in FIG. 5, the cellular communication circuit (330) may include a modem (510) and a modem (520). The modem (510) may be configured for communication according to a first RAT, such as LTE or LTE-A, for example, and the modem (520) may be configured for communication according to a second RAT, such as 5G NR, for example.

[0053] As described, the modem (510) may include one or more processors (512) and a memory (516) that communicates with the processors (512). The modem (510) may communicate with a radio frequency (RF) front-end (530). The RF front-end (530) may include circuitry for transmitting and receiving radio signals. For example, the RF front-end (530) may include a receiving circuitry (RX) (532) and a transmitting circuitry (TX) (534). In some embodiments, the receiving circuitry (532) may communicate with a downlink (DL) front-end (550) that may include circuitry for receiving radio signals through an antenna (335a).

[0054] Similarly, the modem (520) may include one or more processors (522) and a memory (526) that communicates with the processors (522). The modem (520) may communicate with an RF front-end (540). The RF front-end (540) may include circuitry for transmitting and receiving wireless signals. For example, the RF front-end (540) may include a receiving circuitry (542) and a transmitting circuitry (544). In some embodiments, the receiving circuitry (542) may communicate with a DL front-end (560) that may include circuitry for receiving wireless signals through an antenna (335b).

[0055] In some embodiments, the switch (570) may couple the transmitting circuit (534) to the uplink (UL) front end (572). Additionally, the switch (570) may couple the transmitting circuit (544) to the UL front end (572). The UL front end (572) may include a circuit for transmitting wireless signals through the antenna (336). Thus, when the cellular communication circuit (330) receives commands to transmit according to a first RAT (e.g., as supported by the modem (510)), the switch (570) may be switched to a first state that allows the modem (510) to transmit signals according to the first RAT (e.g., through a transmission chain including the transmitting circuit (534) and the UL front end (572). Similarly, when the cellular communication circuit (330) receives commands to transmit according to the second RAT (e.g., as supported by the modem (520)), the switch (570) may be switched to a second state that allows the modem (520) to transmit signals according to the second RAT (e.g., through a transmission chain including the transmission circuit (544) and the UL frontend (572).

[0056] As described in this specification, the modem (510) may include hardware and software components for implementing the above features or for selecting periodic resource portions for user equipment devices and base stations, as well as various other techniques described in this specification. Processors (512) may be configured to implement some or all of the features described in this specification by executing program instructions stored, for example, in a memory medium (e.g., a non-transient computer-readable memory medium). Alternatively (or additionally), the processor (512) may be configured as a programmable hardware element, such as a Field Programmable Gate Array (FPGA), or as an Application-Specific Integrated Circuit (ASIC). Alternatively (or additionally), the processor (512) may be configured to implement some or all of the features described in this specification together with one or more of other components (530, 532, 534, 550, 570, 572, 335, 336).

[0057] Additionally, as described in this specification, the processors (512) may include one or more processing elements. Accordingly, the processors (512) may include one or more integrated circuits (ICs) configured to perform the functions of the processors (512). Additionally, each integrated circuit may include a circuit section (e.g., a first circuit section, a second circuit section, etc.) configured to perform the functions of the processors (512).

[0058] As described in this specification, the modem (520) may include hardware and software components for implementing the above features to select periodic resources on a wireless link between a UE and a base station, as well as various other techniques described in this specification. Processors (522) may be configured to implement some or all of the features described in this specification by executing program instructions stored, for example, in a memory medium (e.g., a non-transient computer-readable memory medium). Alternatively (or additionally), the processor (522) may be configured as a programmable hardware element, such as a Field Programmable Gate Array (FPGA), or as an Application-Specific Integrated Circuit (ASIC). Alternatively (or additionally), the processor (522) may be configured to implement some or all of the features described in this specification together with one or more of other components (540, 542, 544, 550, 570, 572, 335, 336).

[0059] Additionally, as described in this specification, the processors (522) may include one or more processing elements. Accordingly, the processors (522) may include one or more integrated circuits (ICs) configured to perform the functions of the processors (522). Additionally, each integrated circuit may include a circuit section (e.g., a first circuit section, a second circuit section, etc.) configured to perform the functions of the processors (522).

[0060] A UE implementing a cellular communication circuit (330) can perform and report RRM measurements of measurement resources, such as SS / PBCH blocks, CSI-RS resources, PRS, or other reference signals from other systems, such as LTE CRS, transmitted by a base station (102) over multiple carrier frequencies or operating channels. The UE can receive measurement resource configuration parameters (also referred to as measurement objects (MOs)) from the base station (102) that identify the time and frequency positions of the SS / PBCH blocks, CSI-RS, or other resources to be measured over multiple carrier frequencies. The UE can receive measurement gap configuration parameters including multiple simultaneous MGPs that specify measurement intervals that can be used to measure the SS / PBCH blocks, CSI-RS, or other resources over multiple carrier frequencies.

[0061] FIG. 6 illustrates a scenario according to one aspect of the present disclosure in which each measurement object identifying the timing of measurement resources is covered by only one MGP. A UE may receive SS / PBCH blocks on three carrier frequencies denoted F1, F2, and F3. The UE may be provided with configuration information regarding the timing of SS / PBCH transmissions on each carrier frequency to be covered by one of the simultaneous MGPs. The information may be provided by an SS / PBCH block measurement timing configuration (SMTC) configured as part of the measurement object within an RRC connection reconfiguration message. The SMTC may define the period, offset, and duration of the SS / PBCH blocks.

[0062] MGPs may also define the duration, offset, and duration of measurement intervals, collectively referred to as measurement gaps, used to measure SS / PBCH blocks within the SMTC on each carrier frequency. The duration of the measurement gaps may be provided by the Measurement Gap Repetition Period (MGRP). The MGRP may be the duration of the SS / PBCH blocks defined by the SMTC or a multiple of the duration. Two MGPs, namely MGP1 and MGP2, are shown. The MGRPs of the two MGPs are MGRP1 and MGRP2, respectively.

[0063] In FIG. 6, since the SS / PBCH blocks defined by the SMTC on each carrier frequency are measured using only one MGP, each MO is covered by only one MGP. For example, since the duration of the SS / PBCH blocks defined by the SMTC on F1 is equal to MGRP2, the MO on F1 is covered by only MGP2, so the UE can measure the SS / PBCH blocks on F1 using the measurement gaps defined by MGP2. The MO on F2 is covered by only MGP1, and the MO on F3 is also covered by only MGP1. The UE can measure the SS / PBCH blocks on F2 and F3 using the measurement gaps defined by MGP1. The UE can perform measurements using MGP1 and MGP2 independently. MGP1 and MGP2 do not completely overlap because all measurement gaps are time-separated.

[0064] SS / PBCH blocks may include a first synchronization signal (PSS) and a second synchronization signal (SSS). When the UE measures the SS / PBCH blocks using measurement gaps determined by the corresponding MGP, the UE can detect the PSS / SSS and measure the received power of the PSS / SSS on three carrier frequencies. Latency associated with the measurements may include PSS / SSS detection delay and time-indexed detection delay. The PSS / SSS detection delay and time-indexed detection delay for each carrier frequency are also determined by the corresponding MGP. For example, the carrier-specific scaling factor (CSSF) used to calculate the PSS / SSS detection delay for a carrier frequency may be determined by the total carrier frequencies measured using the corresponding MGP for the carrier frequency. In FIG. 6, the CSSF for F1 is 1 because the corresponding MGP2 is used to perform measurements only on F1. The CSSF for F2 and F3 is 2 because the corresponding MGP1 is used to perform measurements on both F2 and F3.

[0065] FIG. 7 illustrates a scenario in which a measurement object identifying the timing of measurement resources can be covered by a plurality of MGPs, according to one aspect of the present disclosure. For example, as in FIG. 6, the SMTC of the MO on F1 is covered only by MGP2, and the SMTC of the MO on F2 is covered only by MGP1. However, the SMTC of the MO on F3 can be covered by MGP1 and MGP2 because the UE can measure the SS / PBCH blocks defined by the SMTC on F3 using measurement gaps defined by MGP1 or MGP2. The UE can determine whether the SMTC of the MO on F3 is covered by MGP1 or MGP2 based on the linkage or association between the MO on F3 and either MGP1 or MGP2.

[0066] If the SMTC of the MO on F3 is covered by MGP1, MGP1 is shared between the MO of F2 and the MO of F3 because the UE can measure SS / PBCH blocks on F2 and F3 using the measurement gaps defined by MGP1. In this case, for the MO of F1, the MGRP used to measure SS / PBCH blocks on F1 is MGRP2, and the CSSF used to calculate the PSS / SSS detection delay is 1 because the corresponding MGP2 is used to perform measurements only on F1. For the MO of F2 and the MO of F3, the MGRP used to measure SS / PBCH blocks on F2 and F3 is MGRP1, and the CSSF is 2 because the corresponding MGP1 is used to perform measurements on both F2 and F3.

[0067] If the SMTC of the MO on F3 is covered by MGP2, MGP2 is shared between the MO of F1 and the MO of F3 because the UE can measure SS / PBCH blocks on F1 and F3 using the measurement gaps defined by MGP2. In this case, for the MO of F1 and F3, the MGRP used to measure SS / PBCH blocks on F1 and F3 is MGRP2, and the CSSF used to calculate the PSS / SSS detection delay is 2 because the corresponding MGP2 is used to perform measurements on both F1 and F3. For the MO of F2, the MGRP used to measure SS / PBCH blocks on F2 is MGRP1, and the CSSF is 1 because the corresponding MGP1 is used to perform measurements only on F2.

[0068] FIG. 8 illustrates the latency in performing measurements of measurement resources, specifically PSS / SSS detection delays, on a carrier frequency using a corresponding MGP as a function of the number of carrier frequencies sharing an MGRP and an MGP, according to one embodiment of the present disclosure. The number of carrier frequencies sharing an MGP is the CSSF. FIG. 8 indicates that the PSS / SSS detection delay may be a condition of a discontinuous receive (DRX) cycle. The PSS / SSS detection delay associated with measuring SS / PBCH blocks on a carrier frequency may be a function of the MGRP and the CSSF as determined by the corresponding MGP for the carrier frequency.

[0069] As discussed, when the SMTC of an MO on the carrier frequency can be covered by a number of candidate MGPs, the UE can determine whether the SMTC of the MO on the carrier frequency is covered by a specific MGP based on the linkage or association between the MO and the specific MGP. In one embodiment, an information element for associating the MGP to be linked with the MO may be added to the MO. In one embodiment, the information element may be added to measurement gap configuration parameters including the MGP to associate the MO with the MGP.

[0070] FIG. 9 is according to one embodiment of the present disclosure, GapConfig Measurement gap configuration parameters to link the MGP included in to SS / PBCH blocks on the carrier frequency specified by the MO GapConfig Illuminates an MO containing an information element MGP that references MO. MeasObjectNR It can specify the time and frequency locations of carrier frequencies, SS / PBCH blocks such as SMTC, and CSI-RS resources. Measurement gap configuration parameters GapConfig It can specify the measurement gaps of one of the multiple concurrent MGPs used to measure SS / PBCH blocks. The information element MGP is GapConfig Since it can be referenced, GapConfig The current state of the MGP included in is MO MeasObjectNR It can be linked to.

[0071] In one embodiment, the network includes a desired MGP to be linked to the MO. GapConfig The UE can be configured as follows. Subsequently, the network makes the UE a measurement object MeasObjectNR To create a linkage or association between and the desired MGP GapConfig Information element referencing MGP MO that specifies MeasObjectNR You can configure the UE. GapConfig and MeasObjectNR The order of the components can be interchangeable. For example, in one mode, the network is GapConfig Information element referencing MGP MO that specifies MeasObjectNR Configure the UE, and then include the desired MGP to be linked to the MO for the UE to create a linkage. GapConfig You can configure the UE.

[0072] FIG. 10 shows measurement gap configuration parameters including an MGP that can be linked to a measurement object, according to one embodiment of the present disclosure. GapConfig City. GapConfig is the measurement gaps of an MGP used to measure SS / PBCH blocks within an SMTC on a carrier frequency defined by a linked MO, e.g., the duration of the measurement gaps ( MGRP ), measurement gap offset( gapOffset ) and duration of measurement gaps ( MGL It may include ).

[0073] In one embodiment, the MO may use information elements to explicitly identify the MGP to be linked. FIG. 11 illustrates a measurement gap configuration parameter for linking an MGP identified by a unique identifier to SS / PBCH blocks on a carrier frequency specified by the MO, according to one embodiment of the present disclosure. EnhancedGapConfig Information element referencing MGP Illuminates an MO containing

[0074] The network includes multiple simultaneous MGPs. GapConfig A UE can be composed of multiple sets of. GapConfig Each set may include an identifier for uniquely identifying the MGP contained therein. Subsequently, the network provides an information element for referencing one of a plurality of concurrent MGPs to be linked via the identifier. MGP MO that specifies MeasObjectNR The UE can be configured as. For example, information elements MGP is the measurement gap configuration parameter EnhancedGapConfig You can refer to, which includes the MGP to be linked. GapConfig It can be used to link to one of the many sets.

[0075] FIG. 12 is an identifier according to one aspect of the present disclosure. Gap ID Measurement gap configuration parameter identifying the MGP identified by EnhancedGapConfig It illustrates. Includes multiple simultaneous MGPs. GapConfig Each of the multiple sets is an information element for uniquely identifying the MGP contained therein. Gap ID It may include. For example, specifying MGP1 and MGP2 of FIGS. 6 and 7 GapConfig The information elements for are the information of 1 and 2, respectively. Gap ID It may include the measurement gap configuration parameter referenced by the MO. EnhancedGapConfig 1 or 2 of to link MGP1 or MGP2 to MO Gap ID It can specify.

[0076] FIG. 13 is according to one embodiment of the present disclosure, MeasureGapConfig Information element referencing MO to link the MGP included in to SS / PBCH blocks on the carrier frequency specified by MO measObjectToAddModListMeasurement gap configuration parameters including MeasureGapConfig Plots. Measurement gap configuration parameters MeasureGapConfig includes the measurement gaps of MGP GapConfig Can refer to. Information element measObjectToAddModList It can reference one or more MOs to be linked to become an MGP. Information element measObjectToAddModList is a measurement configuration structure used by the network to add a list of MOs for RRM measurements. MeasConfig It can be identical to the information elements within.

[0077] Accordingly, FIG. 13 illustrates an embodiment in which an information element may be added to measurement gap configuration parameters including MGP to associate MO with MGP. FIGS. 9 through 12 illustrate embodiments in which an information element may be added to MO to associate MGP with MO. In one embodiment, the UE measurement behavior and the corresponding RRM measurement requirements may be the same for these embodiments.

[0078] FIG. 14 illustrates a flowchart of a method (1400) for a UE to perform RRM measurements of measurement resources transmitted by a network when the UE is configured by a network of multiple simultaneous MGPs according to one aspect of the present disclosure. The method (1400) may be performed by the UE of FIG. 1, FIG. 2, FIG. 3, and FIG. 5.

[0079] In operation (1401), the UE receives from the communication network an MO that identifies measurement resources transmitted by the communication network on a carrier frequency within a frequency range.

[0080] In operation (1403), the UE receives measurement gap configuration parameters from a communication network that provide a number of simultaneous MGPs that can be used to measure measurement resources. In one embodiment, the UE may receive MOs and measurement gap configuration parameters from a communication network in any order or simultaneously.

[0081] In operation (1405), the UE determines the linkage between the measurement resources on the carrier frequency and the selected MGP from a plurality of simultaneous MGPs.

[0082] In operation (1407), the UE uses the linked MGP to measure measurement resources received from the communication network on the carrier frequency.

[0083] Some of the things described above may be implemented as logic circuits, such as dedicated logic circuits, or as microcontrollers or other forms of processing cores that execute program code instructions. Thus, the processes taught by the above discussion may be executed as program code, such as machine-executable instructions, which cause a machine executing these instructions to perform specific functions. In this context, the "machine" may be a machine that converts intermediate (or "abstract") instructions into processor-specific instructions (e.g., an abstract execution environment such as a "virtual machine" (e.g., Java Virtual Machine), an interpreter, a common language runtime, a high-level language virtual machine, etc.), and / or an electronic circuit placed on a semiconductor chip designed to execute instructions (e.g., a "logic circuit" implemented with transistors), such as a general-purpose processor and / or a special-purpose processor. The processes taught by the above discussion may also be performed by an electronic circuit designed to perform the processes (or parts thereof) without the execution of program code (as an alternative to or in combination with the machine).

[0084] The present invention also relates to an apparatus for performing the operations described herein. Such an apparatus may be specially configured for the required purpose, or it may include a general-purpose computer that is selectively activated or reconfigured by a computer program stored in the computer. Such a computer program may be stored on any type of disk including floppy disks, optical disks, CD-ROMs, and magneto-optical disks, read-only memory (ROM), RAMs, EPROMs, EEPROMs, magnetic or optical cards, or any type of medium suitable for storing electronic instructions and each coupled to a computer system bus (but not limited thereto).

[0085] A machine-readable medium includes any mechanism for storing or transmitting information in a form readable by a machine (e.g., a computer). For example, a machine-readable medium includes read-only memory (“ROM”); random access memory (“RAM”); magnetic disk storage media; optical storage media; flash memory devices; etc.

[0086] A manufactured article may be used to store program code. A manufactured article storing program code may be implemented as one or more memories (e.g., one or more flash memories, random access memories (static, dynamic, or others)), optical discs, CD-ROMs, DVD-ROMs, EPROMs, EEPROMs, magnetic or optical cards, or other types of machine-readable media suitable for storing electronic instructions, but is not limited thereto. The program code may also be downloaded from a remote computer (e.g., server) to a requesting computer (e.g., client) by data signals implemented on a propagation medium (e.g., via a communication link (e.g., network connection)).

[0087] The preceding detailed descriptions are presented in terms of algorithms and symbolic representations of operations on data bits within computer memory. These algorithm descriptions and representations are tools used by those skilled in the art of data processing to most effectively convey the essence of their work to others skilled in the art. An algorithm is understood in this specification and generally as a self-consistent sequence of operations leading to a desirable result. Operations are those that require physical manipulation of physical quantities. Generally, but not necessarily, these quantities take the form of electrical or magnetic signals that can be stored, transmitted, combined, compared, and otherwise manipulated. Primarily for reasons of common use, it has sometimes proven convenient to refer to these signals as bits, values, elements, symbols, characters, terms, numbers, etc.

[0088] However, it should be noted that all these and similar terms will be associated with appropriate physical quantities and are merely convenient labels applied to these quantities. As is evident from the discussion above, it is recognized that, throughout the description, discussions using terms such as “selecting,” “determining,” “receiving,” “forming,” “grouping,” “aggregating,” “generating,” “removing,” etc., unless specifically stated otherwise, refer to the actions and processes of a computer system or similar electronic computing device that manipulate and convert data represented by physical (electronic) quantities within the registers and memories of a computer system into other data similarly represented by physical quantities within computer system memories or registers or other such information storage, transmission, or display devices.

[0089] The processes and displays presented in this specification are not inherently related to any specific computer or other device. Various general-purpose systems may be used with programs in accordance with the teachings of this specification, or it may be found convenient to configure devices more specialized to perform the described operations. The required structures for various such systems will be apparent from the description below. Additionally, the invention is not described by reference to any specific programming language. It will be recognized that various programming languages ​​may be used to implement the teachings of the invention as described in this specification.

[0090] The foregoing discussion merely describes some exemplary embodiments of the present invention. Those skilled in the art will readily recognize from such discussion, the accompanying drawings, and the claims that various modifications may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention.

Claims

Claim 1 A baseband processor of a wireless user equipment (UE) of a communication network, comprising: receiving a measurement object (MO) from the communication network that identifies measurement resources transmitted by the communication network on a carrier frequency within a frequency range; receiving measurement gap configuration parameters from the communication network that provide a plurality of simultaneous measurement gap patterns (MGPs) for measuring the measurement resources; determining a linkage between the measurement resources on the carrier frequency and a linked MGP selected from the plurality of simultaneous MGPs based on an information element contained in the MO, wherein the information element in the MO associates the measurement resources on the carrier frequency with the linked MGP; and performing measurements including measuring the measurement resources received from the communication network on the carrier frequency using the linked MGP. Claim 2 A baseband processor of wireless user equipment according to claim 1, wherein the MO includes a first timing configuration for identifying periodic transmissions of the measurement resources by the communication network on the carrier frequency. Claim 3 A baseband processor of wireless user equipment, wherein the linked MGP includes a second timing configuration that identifies periodic measurement intervals that overlap with a subset of periodic transmissions of the measurement resources received by the UE on the carrier frequency. Claim 4 A baseband processor of wireless user equipment according to claim 1, wherein the information element in the MO associates the measurement resources on the carrier frequency with the linked MGP when the information element identifies the linked MGP among the plurality of simultaneous MGPs, and each of the plurality of simultaneous MGPs includes identification information that uniquely identifies the plurality of simultaneous MGPs. Claim 5 In claim 1, the plurality of simultaneous MGPs are disjoint in time, baseband processors of wireless user equipment. Claim 6 A baseband processor of wireless user equipment according to claim 1, further comprising receiving a plurality of MOs from the communication network that identify measurement resources transmitted by the communication network on a plurality of carrier frequencies within the frequency range, wherein the measurement resources in each of the plurality of MOs are linked to only one of the plurality of simultaneous MGPs. Claim 7 A baseband processor of wireless user equipment according to claim 1, further comprising receiving a plurality of MOs from the communication network that identify measurement resources transmitted by the communication network on a plurality of carrier frequencies within the frequency range, wherein the delay in measuring the measurement resources depends on the number of carrier frequencies that carry the measurement resources sharing the linked MGP. Claim 8 In claim 1, the measurement resources transmitted by the communication network include reference signal resources or synchronization signals on a broadcast channel, and the measurement resources are periodically transmitted by the communication network, a baseband processor of wireless user equipment. Claim 9 In claim 1, the MO and the MGP are baseband processors of wireless user equipment that are received from the communication network as part of a signaling used for wireless resource control. Claim 10 User equipment (UE) comprises: at least one antenna; at least one radio communication device (radio) — said at least one radio communication device is configured to communicate with a communication network using said at least one antenna —; and at least one processor coupled to said at least one radio communication device, wherein the at least one processor receives from said communication network a measurement object (MO) identifying measurement resources transmitted by said communication network on a carrier frequency within a frequency range; receives from said communication network measurement gap configuration parameters providing a plurality of measurement gap patterns (MGPs) for measuring said measurement resources; determine a linkage between said measurement resources on said carrier frequency and a linked MGP selected from a plurality of simultaneous MGPs based on an information element included in said MO — said information element in said MO associates said measurement resources on said carrier frequency with said linked MGP —; and is configured to perform measurements including operations for measuring said measurement resources received from said communication network on said carrier frequency using said linked MGP. Claim 11 In claim 10, the user equipment comprises a first timing configuration that identifies periodic transmissions of the measurement resources by the communication network on the carrier frequency. Claim 12 In paragraph 11, the linked MGP includes a second timing configuration for identifying periodic measurement intervals, said periodic measurement intervals overlapping with a subset of said periodic transmissions of said measurement resources received by said UE on said carrier frequency, user equipment. Claim 13 In paragraph 10, the information element within the MO associates the measurement resources on the carrier frequency with the linked MGP when the information element identifies the linked MGP among the plurality of simultaneous MGPs, and each of the plurality of simultaneous MGPs includes identification information that uniquely identifies the plurality of simultaneous MGPs, user equipment. Claim 14 In Clause 10, the above plurality of simultaneous MGPs are user equipment that is separated in time. Claim 15 In claim 10, the operations further comprise receiving a plurality of MOs from the communication network that identify measurement resources transmitted by the communication network on a plurality of carrier frequencies within the frequency range, wherein the measurement resources in each of the plurality of MOs are linked to only one of the plurality of simultaneous MGPs, user equipment. Claim 16 In claim 10, the operations further comprise receiving a plurality of MOs from the communication network that identify measurement resources transmitted by the communication network on a plurality of carrier frequencies within the frequency range, wherein the delay in the operations for measuring the measurement resources depends on the number of carrier frequencies that carry the measurement resources sharing the linked MGP, user equipment. Claim 17 In paragraph 10, the measurement resources transmitted by the communication network include reference signal resources or synchronization signals on a broadcast channel, and the measurement resources are periodically transmitted by the communication network, user equipment. Claim 18 In paragraph 10, the above MO and above MGPs are user equipment received from the communication network as part of a signaling used for wireless resource control. Claim 19 A baseband processor of a base station of a communication network configured to perform operations, wherein the operations include: transmitting a measurement object (MO) to a wireless user equipment (UE) of the communication network that identifies measurement resources transmitted by the communication network on a carrier frequency within a frequency range; transmitting measurement gap configuration parameters to the UE that provide a plurality of simultaneous measurement gap patterns (MGPs) for measuring the measurement resources by the UE, wherein an information element included in the MO enables the UE to determine a linkage between the measurement resources on the carrier frequency and a linked MGP selected from the plurality of simultaneous MGPs, and the information element in the MO associates the measurement resources on the carrier frequency with the linked MGP; and transmitting the measurement resources on the carrier frequency to allow the UE to measure the measurement resources using the linked MGP. Claim 20 In claim 19, a baseband processor of a base station, wherein each of the plurality of simultaneous MGPs includes identification information that uniquely identifies the plurality of simultaneous MGPs. Claim 21 delete Claim 22 delete Claim 23 delete Claim 24 delete Claim 25 delete Claim 26 delete Claim 27 delete Claim 28 delete Claim 29 delete Claim 30 delete Claim 31 delete Claim 32 delete Claim 33 delete Claim 34 delete Claim 35 delete Claim 36 delete Claim 37 delete Claim 38 delete Claim 39 delete Claim 40 delete

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