Multi-user identity recognition module user equipment and operation method thereof

Abstract

A multi-SIM user equipment (UE) and an operation method thereof are provided. The multi-SIM UE includes a first SIM and a second SIM. The method includes: reading a framework including a plurality of priority groups, wherein each priority group in the plurality of priority groups includes a plurality of UE processes, and the plurality of priority groups are associated with corresponding priorities, and the method includes: controlling one of the first SIM and the second SIM to execute the UE process of the priority group using the corresponding priority to obtain shared hardware resources.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present disclosure relates to the field of communication systems, and more particularly, to a multi-Subscriber Identity Module (SIM) User Equipment (UE) and an operation method thereof. Background Art

[0002] The use of wireless communication systems is growing rapidly. In addition, wireless communication technology has evolved from pure voice communication to also include data transmission such as Internet and multimedia content. In some scenarios, a wireless device may include or be able to utilize multiple Subscriber Identity Modules (SIMs).

[0003] Multi-SIM devices have been on the market for several years. Most such devices have shared baseband, radio frequency (RF) antennas and other hardware components between the two SIMs. 3GPP does not standardize this type of multi-SIM UE. Therefore, when the two SIMs operate independently in their own networks, both the network and the UE suffer performance degradation. A few examples are as follows:

[0004] 1. When both SIMs are in idle mode, both SIMs need to monitor their paging messages on their own paging occasions (PO). The PO is calculated based on the UE identity (ID). Because the two SIMs are independent, the POs they calculate may conflict with each other (in the time domain). It should be noted that the UE ID is fixed, so when a conflict occurs, the conflict will be permanent. In this case, obviously one or both UEs may miss the paging message from the network.

[0005] 2. While one SIM is actively communicating with its network, such as when the SIM is in a packet switched (PS) call, the other SIM may need to perform system information reading, cell reselection, or other UE procedures. Due to shared hardware components, the first of the two SIMs may lose communication with its network (e.g., the first network) while the second of the two SIMs is performing a procedure. This type of behavior is a tune-away. During the tune-away period, the first network is unaware that the UE has left the system. This can result in inefficient scheduling behavior and loss of server data throughput.

[0006] 3. When both SIMs are trying to perform their own procedures, for example one SIM is trying to perform paging monitoring and the other SIM is trying to perform cell reselection, it is not clear which service gets higher priority. In this example, one could easily argue that the SIM that is going to perform paging monitoring is more important, but a counter argument would be that the network will repeat the paging message and therefore cell reselection gets higher priority. Today, priority handling is up to the UE implementation and the network does not have any control over it.

[0007] As the complexity of 5G-capable UEs increases and the demand for multi-SIM devices in the market increases, there is an urgent need to consider system enhancements that allow for more cost-effective implementation in such devices. Determining how to effectively and efficiently operate with multi-SIM capabilities can be a challenging problem. Therefore, improvements in this area are needed. Therefore, there is a need for multi-SIM UEs and methods of operating the same. Summary of the invention

[0008] An object of the present disclosure is to propose a multi-Subscriber Identity Module (SIM) User Equipment (UE) and an operation method thereof, so as to enable effective and efficient operation with multi-SIM capabilities.

[0009] In a first aspect of the present disclosure, a multi-SIM UE includes: a first SIM associated with a first network; a second SIM associated with a second network; a memory; a transceiver configured to communicate with the first network using the first SIM and communicate with the second network using the second SIM; and a processor coupled to the memory, the transceiver, the first SIM, and the second SIM. The processor is configured to: read a framework including a plurality of priority groups, wherein each priority group in the plurality of priority groups includes a plurality of UE processes, and the plurality of priority groups are associated with corresponding priorities, and the processor is configured to: control one of the first SIM and the second SIM to execute the UE process of the priority group using the corresponding priority to obtain shared hardware resources.

[0010] In a second aspect of the present disclosure, a method for operating a multi-SIM UE is provided. The multi-SIM UE includes a first SIM and a second SIM, the method includes: reading a frame including a plurality of priority groups, wherein each priority group in the plurality of priority groups includes a plurality of UE processes, and the plurality of priority groups are associated with corresponding priorities, and the method includes: controlling one of the first SIM and the second SIM to execute the UE process of the priority group using the corresponding priority to obtain shared hardware resources. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0011] In order to more clearly illustrate the related art or the embodiments of the present disclosure, the following briefly introduces the drawings in the embodiments. Obviously, the drawings are only some embodiments of the present disclosure, and ordinary technicians in this field can obtain other drawings based on these drawings without providing any prerequisites.

[0012] Figure 1 is a block diagram of a multi-Subscriber Identity Module (SIM) User Equipment (UE) and a network in a communication network system according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0013] Figure 2 is a flow chart illustrating a method for operating a multi-SIM UE according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0014] Figure 3 is a block diagram of a system for wireless communication according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0015] The following describes the embodiments of the present disclosure in detail from the aspects of technical subject matter, structural features, achieved purposes and effects with reference to the accompanying drawings. Specifically, the terms in the embodiments of the present disclosure are only used for the purpose of describing specific embodiments, rather than limiting the present disclosure.

[0016] Figure 1 In some embodiments, a multi-subscriber identity module (SIM) user equipment (UE) 10 and a network (e.g., a first network 20 and a second network 30) in a communication network system 1 according to an embodiment of the present disclosure is shown. The communication network system 1 includes a multi-SIM UE 10, a first network 20, and a second network 30. The multi-SIM UE 10 may include: a first SIM 11 associated with the first network 20; a second SIM 12 associated with the second network 30; a memory 13; a transceiver 14 configured to communicate with the first network 20 using the first SIM 11 and communicate with the second network 30 using the second SIM 12; and a processor 15 coupled to the memory 13, the transceiver 14, the first SIM 11, and the second SIM 12. The processor 15 may be configured to implement the proposed functions, processes, and / or methods described in this specification. Various layers of a wireless interface protocol may be implemented in the processor 15. The memory 13 is operably coupled to the processor 15 and stores various information to operate the processor 15. The transceiver 14 is operably coupled to the processor 15 , and the transceiver 14 transmits and / or receives wireless signals.

[0017] The processor 15 may include an application specific integrated circuit (ASIC), other chipsets, logic circuits and / or data processing devices. The memory 13 may include a read-only memory (ROM), a random access memory (RAM), flash memory, a memory card, a storage medium and / or other storage devices. The transceiver 14 may include a baseband circuit for processing radio frequency signals. When the embodiment is implemented in software, the technology described herein may be implemented by a module (e.g., a process, a function, etc.) that performs the functions described herein. The module may be stored in the memory 13 and executed by the processor 15. The memory 13 may be implemented within the processor 15 or outside the processor 15, wherein the memory 13 may be communicatively coupled to the processor 15 via various means known in the art.

[0018] Communications between UEs involve vehicle-to-everything (V2X) communications, including vehicle-to-vehicle (V2V), vehicle-to-pedestrian (V2P), and vehicle-to-infrastructure / network (V2I / N) based on sidelink technologies developed under the 3rd Generation Partnership Project (3GPP) Release 14, 15, 16, 17 and above. UEs communicate with each other directly via a sidelink interface such as a PC5 interface.

[0019] In some embodiments, the processor 15 is configured to: read a framework including multiple priority groups (as shown in Table 1), wherein each of the multiple priority groups includes multiple UE processes, and the multiple priority groups are associated with corresponding priorities, and the processor 15 is configured to: control one of the first SIM 11 and the second SIM 12 to execute the UE process of the priority group using the corresponding priority to obtain shared hardware resources.

[0020] The framework is provided to handle UE process priority in a multi-SIM device, such as a multi-SIM UE 10. In some embodiments, the framework is known to the multi-SIM UE 10. In some embodiments, the framework is configured by networks, such as the first network 20 and the second network 30, that are preconfigured or predefined in the 3GPP specification.

[0021] In some embodiments, the priority groups include acquisition low group, data call low group, acquisition high group, system maintenance low group, signaling connection group, paging reception group, system maintenance high group and data call high group with priority from low to high.

[0022] In some embodiments, the acquisition low group and the acquisition high group include public land mobile network (PLMN) search, initial frequency scan, cell search, acquisition, and cell selection; the data call low group includes downlink (DL) and / or uplink (UL) data calls in radio resource control (RRC) connected mode, random access channel (RACH) procedures, and measurements during connected mode; the system maintenance low group and the system maintenance high group include system information reading, idle mode, intra-frequency (same-frequency) measurement / inter-frequency (inter-frequency) measurement and inter-radio access technology measurement (inter-RAT measurement), and cell reselection; the signaling connection group includes non-access stratum (NAS) signaling, and the non-access stratum NAS signaling includes registration process, protocol data unit (PDU) session establishment and / or modification, IP multimedia subsystem (IMS) registration, short message service (SMS), multimedia messaging service (MMS), and supplementary services; the paging reception group includes paging monitoring and associated intra-frequency (same-frequency) measurements; the data call high group includes high priority data calls and voice calls.

[0023] Table 1: Framework (e.g., process priority table)

[0024]

[0025] In some embodiments, when one of the first SIM 11 and the second SIM 12 is in idle mode and then enters a connected mode for a packet switched (PS) data call, the SIM in the first SIM 11 and the second SIM 12 uses the corresponding priority of the system maintenance low group to perform system information reading and cell reselection in idle mode, uses the corresponding priority of the paging reception group to monitor paging messages, responds to paging by establishing an RRC connection, and performs a PS data call using the corresponding priority of the data call low group. In addition, when the PS data call is completed, one of the first SIM 11 and the second SIM 12 is released to idle mode by the corresponding network in the first network 20 and the second network 30, and the SIM in the first SIM 11 and the second SIM 12 uses the corresponding priority of the system maintenance low group to perform an idle process including system information reading, cell reselection, and paging reception.

[0026] For example, by looking at Table 1, the first SIM 11 or the second SIM 12 can find the corresponding priority for its process. Consider that one of the first SIM 11 and the second SIM 12 is in idle mode and then enters connected mode for a PS data call. In detail, one of the first SIM 11 and the second SIM 12 uses the system maintenance low priority to perform system information reading and cell reselection in idle mode. The SIM in the first SIM 11 and the second SIM 12 uses the paging reception priority to monitor paging messages. The SIM in the first SIM 11 and the second SIM 12 responds to the paging by establishing an RRC connection. The data call low priority is used for the PS data call. Afterwards, when the PS data call is completed, the corresponding network releases the multi-SIM UE 10 to idle mode. The SIM in the first SIM 11 and the second SIM 12 uses the idle mode priority again to perform idle processes including system information reading, cell reselection and / or paging reception.

[0027] In some embodiments, the processor 15 is configured to use a common entity as an arbitrator to allocate shared hardware resources to one of the first SIM 11 and the second SIM 12. In detail, when the first SIM 11 and the second SIM 12 apply the priority defined by the framework as shown in Table 1 to request access to the shared hardware resources, a common entity is needed to determine which SIM (the first SIM 11 or the second SIM 12) can obtain the shared hardware resources. In some embodiments, the SIM (the first SIM 11 or the second SIM 12) with a higher priority process will win. However, there may be a situation where the process on the first SIM 11 is about to end, so even if the process of the second SIM 12 has a higher priority, the first SIM 11 can also retain the resources for a longer duration. In this sense, the embodiment does not specify any specific rules for which SIM (the first SIM 11 or the second SIM 12) can obtain shared hardware resources. Instead, the embodiment defines a common entity to arbitrate.

[0028] In some embodiments, one of the first SIM 11 and the second SIM 12 is configured to use another priority of the UE process if the current priority of the current UE process cannot obtain shared hardware resources within a period of time. In detail, if the current priority cannot obtain hardware resources within a period of time, one of the first SIM 11 and the second SIM 12 can use (flip to) another (higher) priority. In some cases, when the first SIM 11 executes a process with a higher priority than the process requested by the second SIM 12, the second SIM 12 cannot obtain shared hardware resources for a long time.

[0029] An example is shown below. The first SIM 11 is in a data call using a data call low priority (e.g., 200), such as downloading a large file. The second SIM 12 attempts to perform an initial cell search using a low acquisition priority (e.g., 100). As long as the data call on the first SIM 11 is active, the second SIM 12 cannot perform acquisition and will therefore be in an out of service state. This is of course undesirable behavior. The acquisition process can be completed in a few hundred milliseconds. This length of interruption on the data call (on the first SIM 11) is acceptable. Therefore, the second SIM 12 can request shared hardware resources using a higher priority (in this case, using an acquisition high priority). After the second SIM 12 completes the acquisition and enters idle mode, the data call on the first SIM 11 can be resumed. Then, both the first SIM 11 and the second SIM 12 are in normal service.

[0030] In some embodiments, one of the first SIM 11 and the second SIM 12 is configured to reduce the priority of the UE process if the UE process meets or exceeds the quality of service (QoS) requirements. In detail, for a process, if the process meets certain criteria, such as meeting the QoS requirements, the SIM (the first SIM 11 or the second SIM 12) can reduce its priority. In some cases, if the process / service carried by the SIM can meet or exceed the QoS requirements, the SIM (one of the first SIM 11 and the second SIM 12) can choose to reduce the priority of its current use. If another SIM (the other of the first SIM 11 and the second SIM 12) needs to perform a process, this can provide the other SIM with an opportunity to obtain shared hardware resources. An example is when the first SIM 11 performs a high priority video stream, if the application indicates that the quality exceeds the requirements, the first SIM 11 can reduce its priority (e.g., from 800 to 200) to allow the second SIM 12 process, such as system information reading.

[0031] In some embodiments, the processor 15 is configured to control the transceiver 14 to introduce multiple UE capabilities supported by multiple SIMs into one of the first network 20 and the second network 30, and the multiple UE capabilities supported by multiple SIMs include a capability to indicate whether the multi-SIM UE 10 supports multi-SIM operation, a capability to indicate whether the multi-SIM UE 10 supports dual reception operation, and / or a capability to indicate whether the multi-SIM UE 10 supports dual transmission operation.

[0032] In detail, the introduction of UE capabilities supporting multiple SIMs is provided. The capabilities may further indicate to the network about UE transmit (Tx) / receive (Rx) support, including (but not limited to) the capability to indicate whether the multi-SIM UE 10 supports multi-SIM operation, the capability to indicate whether the multi-SIM UE 10 supports dual (multi) Rx operation, and / or the capability to indicate whether the multi-SIM UE 10 supports dual (multi) Tx operation. This embodiment allows the network to understand the capability of the multi-SIM UE 10 to handle concurrent processes. For example, if the UE indicates single Rx-single Tx, the UE cannot perform any process on two SIMs at the same time. If the UE indicates dual Rx-single Tx, the UE cannot perform any connected mode (i.e., Tx required) process on two SIMs at the same time, but can perform idle mode processes and idle mode processes (i.e., Rx and Rx) or idle mode processes and connected mode processes (i.e., Rx and Tx) on two SIMs at the same time. If the UE indicates dual Rx-dual Tx, the UE can perform any process on two SIMs at the same time.

[0033] In some embodiments, the processor 15 is configured to control the transceiver 14 to introduce UE assistance information or multi-SIM supported capabilities into one of the first network 20 and the second network 30. The UE assistance information includes: one of the first SIM 11 and the second SIM 12 is used as a primary data connection subscription of the multi-SIM UE 10, or one of the first SIM 11 and the second SIM 12 is not used as a primary data connection subscription of the multi-SIM UE 10, and the multi-SIM supported capabilities indicate whether the current cell supports multi-SIM operation, and the multi-SIM supported capabilities are broadcast in system information or sent by signal in dedicated RRC signaling.

[0034] In detail, in some embodiments, there is provided that UE assistance information is introduced into the network. The UE assistance information includes (but is not limited to): the SIM (one of the first SIM 11 and the second SIM 12) is used as the primary data connection subscription of the multi-SIM UE 10, and / or the SIM is not used as the primary data connection subscription of the multi-SIM UE 10. Through this embodiment, the network can understand the possible services running on the SIM, and thus different UE configurations can be applied. For example, if the first SIM 11 is not used as the primary data connection (meaning that the first SIM 11 is mainly used as a voice service SIM), the second network 30 may not configure the multi-SIM UE 10 to have multiple input multiple output (MIMO), high modulation schemes, carrier aggregation, etc.

[0035] In detail, in some embodiments, a network capability for introducing multi-SIM support is provided. The capability indicates whether the current cell supports multi-SIM operation. The capability may be broadcast in system information. The capability may also be signaled in dedicated RRC signaling.

[0036] Figure 2 A method 200 for operating a multi-SIM UE according to an embodiment of the present disclosure is shown. The multi-SIM UE includes a first SIM and a second SIM. The method 200 includes: a frame 202, reading a frame including a plurality of priority groups, wherein each priority group in the plurality of priority groups includes a plurality of UE processes, and the plurality of priority groups are associated with corresponding priorities; and a frame 204, controlling one of the first SIM and the second SIM to execute the UE process of the priority group using the corresponding priority to obtain shared hardware resources.

[0037] In some embodiments, the plurality of priority groups include, from low to high priority, an acquisition low group, a data call low group, an acquisition high group, a system maintenance low group, a signaling connection group, a paging reception group, a system maintenance high group, and a data call high group.

[0038] In some embodiments, the acquisition low group and the acquisition high group include public land mobile network (PLMN) search, initial frequency scan, cell search, acquisition, and cell selection; the data call low group includes downlink and / or uplink data calls in radio resource control (RRC) connected mode, random access channel (RACH) procedures, and measurements during connected mode; the system maintenance low group and the system maintenance high group include system information reading, idle mode, intra-frequency (same-frequency) measurement / inter-frequency (inter-frequency) measurement and inter-radio access technology measurement (inter-RAT measurement), and cell reselection; the signaling connection group includes non-access stratum (NAS) signaling, NAS signaling includes registration process, protocol data unit (PDU) session establishment and / or modification, IP multimedia subsystem (IMS) registration, short message service (SMS), multimedia messaging service (MMS), and supplementary services; the paging reception group includes paging monitoring and associated intra-frequency (same-frequency) measurements; the data call high group includes high priority data calls and voice calls.

[0039] In some embodiments, when one of the first SIM and the second SIM is in idle mode and subsequently enters a connected mode for a packet switched (PS) data call, the SIM of the first SIM and the second SIM uses the corresponding priority of the system maintenance low group to perform system information reading and cell reselection in idle mode, uses the corresponding priority of the paging reception group to monitor paging messages, responds to paging by establishing an RRC connection, and performs a PS data call using the corresponding priority of the data call low group.

[0040] In some embodiments, when the PS data call is completed, one of the first SIM and the second SIM is released to idle mode by the corresponding network in the first network and the second network, and the SIM in the first SIM and the second SIM uses the corresponding priority of the system maintenance low group to perform an idle process including system information reading, cell reselection and paging reception.

[0041] In some embodiments, the method 200 further includes using the common entity as an arbitrator to allocate the shared hardware resource to one of the first SIM and the second SIM.

[0042] In some embodiments, one of the first SIM and the second SIM is configured to use another priority level of the UE process if a current priority level of the current UE process cannot acquire the shared hardware resources within a period of time.

[0043] In some embodiments, one of the first SIM and the second SIM is configured to deprioritize the UE process if the UE process meets or exceeds a quality of service (QoS) requirement.

[0044] In some embodiments, the method further includes: introducing multiple UE capabilities supported by multiple SIMs into one of the first network and the second network, wherein the multiple UE capabilities supported by multiple SIMs include a capability indicating whether the multiple SIM UE supports multiple SIM operations, a capability indicating whether the multiple SIM UE supports dual reception operations, and / or a capability indicating whether the multiple SIM UE supports dual transmission operations.

[0045] In some embodiments, the method further includes: introducing UE assistance information or multi-SIM supported capabilities into one of the first network and the second network, wherein the UE assistance information includes: one of the first SIM and the second SIM is used as the primary data connection subscription of the multi-SIM UE, or one of the first SIM and the second SIM is not used as the primary data connection subscription of the multi-SIM UE, and the multi-SIM supported capabilities indicate whether the current cell supports multi-SIM operation, and the multi-SIM supported capabilities are broadcast in system information or sent by signal in dedicated RRC signaling.

[0046] Figure 3 7 is a block diagram of an exemplary system 700 for wireless communications according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. The embodiments described herein may be implemented in the system using any suitably configured hardware and / or software. Figure 3 System 700 is shown including at least radio frequency (RF) circuitry 710, baseband circuitry 720, application circuitry 730, memory / storage 740, display 750, camera 760, sensor 770, and input / output (I / O) interface 780 coupled to one another as shown.

[0047] Application circuitry 730 may include circuitry such as, but not limited to, one or more single-core or multi-core processors. The processor may include any combination of general-purpose processors and special-purpose processors (e.g., graphics processors and application processors). The processor may be coupled to memory / storage and configured to execute instructions stored in the memory / storage to enable various applications and / or operating systems to run on the system.

[0048] The baseband circuit 720 may include, for example, but not limited to, circuits of one or more single-core or multi-core processors. The processor may include a baseband processor. The baseband circuit may handle various wireless control functions that can communicate with one or more wireless networks via RF circuits. The wireless control functions may include, but are not limited to, signal modulation, encoding, decoding, radio frequency shifting, etc. In some embodiments, the baseband circuit may provide communications compatible with one or more wireless technologies. For example, in some embodiments, the baseband circuit may support communications with an evolved universal terrestrial radio access network (EUTRAN) and / or other wireless metropolitan area networks (WMANs), wireless local area networks (WLANs), and wireless personal area networks (WPANs). An embodiment in which the baseband circuit is configured to support wireless communications of more than one wireless protocol may be referred to as a multi-mode baseband circuit.

[0049] In various embodiments, baseband circuitry 720 may include circuitry that operates with signals that are not strictly considered to be in baseband frequencies. For example, in some embodiments, baseband circuitry may include circuitry that operates with signals having an intermediate frequency between baseband frequencies and radio frequencies.

[0050] RF circuitry 710 may enable communication with a wireless network using modulated electromagnetic radiation through a non-solid medium. In various embodiments, the RF circuitry may include switches, filters, amplifiers, etc. to facilitate communication with a wireless network.

[0051] In various embodiments, RF circuitry 710 may include circuitry that operates with signals that are not strictly considered to be in radio frequencies. For example, in some embodiments, RF circuitry may include circuitry that operates with signals having an intermediate frequency between baseband frequencies and radio frequencies.

[0052] In various embodiments, the transmitter circuit, control circuit, or receiver circuit discussed above with respect to the user equipment, eNB, or gNB may be implemented in whole or in part in one or more of the RF circuit, baseband circuit, and / or application circuit. As used herein, "circuit (circuitry)" may refer to a portion of an application-specific integrated circuit (ASIC), electronic circuit, processor (shared, dedicated, or group) and / or memory (shared, dedicated, or group), combinatorial logic circuit, and / or other suitable hardware components that execute one or more software or firmware programs, or include an application-specific integrated circuit (ASIC), electronic circuit, processor (shared, dedicated, or group) and / or memory (shared, dedicated, or group), combinatorial logic circuit, and / or other suitable hardware components that execute one or more software or firmware programs. In some embodiments, electronic device circuits may be implemented in one or more software or firmware modules, or functions associated with circuits may be implemented by one or more software or firmware modules.

[0053] In some embodiments, some or all components of the baseband circuitry, application circuitry, and / or memory / storage may be implemented together on a system on a chip (SOC).

[0054] Memory / storage 740 may be used to load and store, for example, data and / or instructions for the system. Memory / storage for one embodiment may include any combination of suitable volatile memory (e.g., dynamic random access memory (DRAM)) and / or non-volatile memory (e.g., flash memory).

[0055] In various embodiments, I / O interface 780 may include one or more user interfaces designed to enable a user to interact with the system and / or a peripheral component interface designed to enable a peripheral component to interact with the system. The user interface may include, but is not limited to, a physical keyboard or keypad, a touch pad, a speaker, a microphone, etc. The peripheral component interface may include, but is not limited to, a non-volatile memory port, a universal serial bus (USB) port, an audio jack, and a power interface.

[0056] In various embodiments, sensor 770 may include one or more sensing devices to determine environmental conditions and / or location information related to the system. In some embodiments, the sensor may include, but is not limited to, a gyroscope sensor, an accelerometer, a proximity sensor, an ambient light sensor, and a positioning unit. The positioning unit may also be part of the baseband circuit and / or RF circuit, or interact with the baseband circuit and / or RF circuit to communicate with components of a positioning network (e.g., a global positioning system (GPS) satellite).

[0057] In various embodiments, display 750 may include a display, such as a liquid crystal display and a touch screen display. In various embodiments, system 700 may be a mobile computing device, such as, but not limited to, a laptop computing device, a tablet computing device, a netbook, an ultrabook, a smart phone, etc. In various embodiments, the system may have more or fewer components and / or different architectures. Where appropriate, the methods described herein may be implemented as a computer program. The computer program may be stored on a storage medium, such as a non-transitory storage medium.

[0058] In an embodiment of the present disclosure, a multi-user identity module (SIM) user equipment (UE) and an operation method thereof are provided, which can effectively and efficiently operate with multi-SIM capabilities. The embodiments of the present disclosure are a combination of technologies / processes that can be adopted in 3GPP specifications to create a final product.

[0059] Those skilled in the art should understand that electronic hardware or a combination of software and electronic hardware for computers can be used to implement each of the units, algorithms and steps described and disclosed in the embodiments of the present disclosure. Whether the function is run in hardware or software depends on the design requirements and application conditions of the technical solution.

[0060] A person skilled in the art may use different methods to implement the functions of each specific application, and such implementation should not exceed the scope of the present disclosure. A person skilled in the art should understand that since the working processes of the above-mentioned systems, devices and units are substantially the same, he / she may refer to the working processes of the systems, devices and units in the above-mentioned embodiments. For ease of description and simplification, these working processes will not be described in detail.

[0061] It should be understood that the systems, devices and methods disclosed in the embodiments of the present disclosure can be implemented in other ways. The above embodiments are exemplary only. The division of units is based only on logical functions, and there are other divisions in the implementation. Multiple units or components can be combined or integrated in another system. Some features can also be omitted or skipped. On the other hand, the mutual coupling, direct coupling or communication coupling shown or discussed is operated through some ports, devices or units, whether indirectly or communicatively operated in the form of electricity, machinery or other types.

[0062] Units that are separate components for illustration may or may not be physically separate. Units for display may or may not be physical units, i.e., located in one location or distributed over multiple network units. Some or all units are used depending on the purpose of the embodiment. In addition, each functional unit in each embodiment may be integrated into one processing unit, physically independent, or integrated into one processing unit with two or more units.

[0063] If the software functional unit is implemented, used and sold as a product, the software functional unit may be stored in a readable storage medium in a computer. Based on this understanding, the technical plan proposed in the present disclosure may be substantially or partially implemented in the form of a software product. Alternatively, a part of the technical plan that is beneficial to traditional technology may be implemented in the form of a software product. The software product in the computer is stored in a storage medium, including a plurality of commands for causing a computing device (such as a personal computer, a server or a network device) to run all or some of the steps disclosed in the embodiments of the present disclosure. The storage medium includes a USB disk, a mobile hard disk, a read-only memory (ROM), a random access memory (RAM), a floppy disk or other types of media capable of storing program code.

[0064] While the present disclosure has been described in connection with what is considered to be the most practical and preferred embodiments, it is to be understood that the disclosure is not limited to the disclosed embodiments, but is intended to cover various arrangements that may be made without departing from the scope of the broadest interpretation of the appended claims.

Claims

1. A multi-user identity module SIM user equipment UE, comprising: a first SIM associated with a first network; a second SIM associated with a second network; Memory; a transceiver configured to communicate with the first network using the first SIM and to communicate with the second network using the second SIM; as well as a processor coupled to the memory, the transceiver, the first SIM, and the second SIM; Wherein, the processor is configured to: reading a framework comprising a plurality of priority groups, wherein each priority group of the plurality of priority groups comprises a plurality of UE processes, and the plurality of priority groups are associated with corresponding priorities; and Controlling one of the first SIM and the second SIM to execute a UE process of a priority group using a corresponding priority to obtain a shared hardware resource; Wherein, the plurality of priority groups include a data call low group, a system maintenance low group, and a paging reception group; The data call low group includes downlink and / or uplink data calls in radio resource control RRC connection mode; the system maintenance low group includes system information reading, idle mode, and cell reselection; the paging reception group includes paging monitoring; Wherein, when one of the first SIM and the second SIM is in the idle mode and then enters the connected mode for a packet switched PS data call, the one of the first SIM and the second SIM uses the corresponding priority of the system maintenance low group to perform the system information reading and the cell reselection in the idle mode, uses the corresponding priority of the paging reception group to monitor the paging message, responds to the paging by establishing an RRC connection, and performs the PS data call using the corresponding priority of the data call low group.

2. The multi-SIM UE according to claim 1, wherein: The multiple priority groups also include an acquisition low group, an acquisition high group, a signaling connection group, a system maintenance high group and a data call high group, and the order of priority from low to high is the acquisition low group, the data call low group, the acquisition high group, the system maintenance low group, the signaling connection group, the paging reception group, the system maintenance high group, and the data call high group.

3. The multi-SIM UE according to claim 2, wherein: The acquisition low group and the acquisition high group include public land mobile network PLMN search, initial frequency scan, cell search, acquisition, and cell selection; the data call low group also includes random access channel RACH process, and measurements during connection mode; the system maintenance low group also includes intra-frequency / inter-frequency measurements and inter-radio access technology RAT measurements; the system maintenance high group includes the same content as the system maintenance low group; the signaling connection group includes non-access layer NAS signaling, and the non-access layer NAS signaling includes registration process, protocol data unit PDU session establishment and / or modification, IP multimedia subsystem IMS registration, short message service SMS, multimedia message service MMS, and supplementary services; the paging reception group also includes associated intra-frequency measurements; the data call high group includes high priority data calls and voice calls.

4. The multi-SIM UE according to claim 1, wherein: When the PS data call is completed, the one of the first SIM and the second SIM is released to the idle mode by the corresponding network of the first network and the second network, and the one of the first SIM and the second SIM uses the corresponding priority of the system maintenance low group to perform an idle process including the system information reading, the cell reselection and the paging reception.

5. The multi-SIM UE according to claim 1, wherein: The processor is configured to use a common entity as an arbitrator to allocate the shared hardware resource to one of the first SIM and the second SIM.

6. The multi-SIM UE according to claim 1, wherein: One of the first SIM and the second SIM is configured to use another priority level of the UE process if the current priority level of the current UE process cannot acquire the shared hardware resource within a period of time.

7. The multi-SIM UE according to claim 1, wherein: One of the first SIM and the second SIM is configured to reduce the priority of a UE process if the UE process meets or exceeds a quality of service (QoS) requirement.

8. The multi-SIM UE according to claim 1, wherein: The processor is configured to control the transceiver to introduce multiple UE capabilities supported by multiple SIMs into one of the first network and the second network, and the multiple UE capabilities supported by multiple SIMs include a capability to indicate whether the multi-SIM UE supports multi-SIM operations, a capability to indicate whether the multi-SIM UE supports dual reception operations, and / or a capability to indicate whether the multi-SIM UE supports dual transmission operations.

9. The multi-SIM UE according to claim 1, wherein: The processor is configured to control the transceiver to introduce UE assistance information or multi-SIM supported capabilities into one of the first network and the second network, the UE assistance information including: one of the first SIM and the second SIM is used as the primary data connection subscription of the multi-SIM UE, or one of the first SIM and the second SIM is not used as the primary data connection subscription of the multi-SIM UE, and the multi-SIM supported capabilities indicate whether the current cell supports multi-SIM operation, and the multi-SIM supported capabilities are broadcast in system information or sent by signal in dedicated RRC signaling.

10. A method for operating a multi-SIM user equipment UE, the multi-SIM UE comprising a first SIM and a second SIM, the method comprising: reading a framework comprising a plurality of priority groups, wherein each priority group of the plurality of priority groups comprises a plurality of UE processes, and the plurality of priority groups are associated with corresponding priorities; as well as Controlling one of the first SIM and the second SIM to execute a UE process of a priority group using a corresponding priority to obtain a shared hardware resource; Wherein, the plurality of priority groups include a data call low group, a system maintenance low group, and a paging reception group; The data call low group includes downlink and / or uplink data calls in radio resource control RRC connection mode; the system maintenance low group includes system information reading, idle mode, and cell reselection; the paging reception group includes paging monitoring; Wherein, when one of the first SIM and the second SIM is in the idle mode and then enters the connected mode for a packet switched PS data call, the one of the first SIM and the second SIM uses the corresponding priority of the system maintenance low group to perform the system information reading and the cell reselection in the idle mode, uses the corresponding priority of the paging reception group to monitor the paging message, responds to the paging by establishing an RRC connection, and performs the PS data call using the corresponding priority of the data call low group.

11. The method according to claim 10, wherein: The multiple priority groups also include an acquisition low group, an acquisition high group, a signaling connection group, a system maintenance high group and a data call high group, and the order of priority from low to high is the acquisition low group, the data call low group, the acquisition high group, the system maintenance low group, the signaling connection group, the paging reception group, the system maintenance high group and the data call high group.

12. The method according to claim 11, wherein: The acquisition low group and the acquisition high group include public land mobile network PLMN search, initial frequency scan, cell search, acquisition, and cell selection; the data call low group also includes random access channel RACH process, and measurements during connection mode; the system maintenance low group also includes intra-frequency / inter-frequency measurements and inter-radio access technology RAT measurements; the system maintenance high group includes the same content as the system maintenance low group; the signaling connection group includes non-access layer NAS signaling, and the non-access layer NAS signaling includes registration process, protocol data unit PDU session establishment and / or modification, IP multimedia subsystem IMS registration, short message service SMS, multimedia message service MMS, and supplementary services; the paging reception group also includes associated intra-frequency measurements; the data call high group includes high priority data calls and voice calls.

13. The method according to claim 10, wherein: When the PS data call is completed, the one of the first SIM and the second SIM is released to the idle mode by the corresponding network of the first network and the second network, and the one of the first SIM and the second SIM uses the corresponding priority of the system maintenance low group to perform an idle process including the system information reading, the cell reselection and the paging reception.

14. The method according to claim 10, further comprising: A common entity is used as an arbitrator to allocate the shared hardware resource to one of the first SIM and the second SIM.

15. The method according to claim 10, wherein: One of the first SIM and the second SIM is configured to use another priority level of the UE process if the current priority level of the current UE process cannot acquire the shared hardware resource within a period of time.

16. The method according to claim 10, wherein: One of the first SIM and the second SIM is configured to reduce the priority of a UE process if the UE process meets or exceeds a quality of service (QoS) requirement.

17. The method according to claim 10, further comprising: Multiple UE capabilities supported by multiple SIMs are introduced into one of the first network and the second network, wherein the multiple UE capabilities supported by multiple SIMs include a capability to indicate whether the multi-SIM UE supports multi-SIM operation, a capability to indicate whether the multi-SIM UE supports dual reception operation, and / or a capability to indicate whether the multi-SIM UE supports dual transmission operation.

18. The method according to claim 10, further comprising: UE assistance information or multi-SIM supported capabilities are introduced into one of the first network and the second network, wherein the UE assistance information includes: one of the first SIM and the second SIM is used as the primary data connection subscription of the multi-SIM UE, or one of the first SIM and the second SIM is not used as the primary data connection subscription of the multi-SIM UE, and the multi-SIM supported capabilities indicate whether the current cell supports multi-SIM operation, and the multi-SIM supported capabilities are broadcast in system information or sent by signal in dedicated RRC signaling.

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